Archive for the ‘Personal’ Category

WOW….another school year in the books!  I really love getting the first day and last day photos of my girls.  It amazes me how much they change in such a short amount of time.  This year, I noticed more than past that both of them not only have changed physically, but both have matured WAY too much 🙂

You can see that we lost the battle of wearing make up with Hanna this year….She really has turned into a little fashionista and make up and hair are EVERYTHING!  She has spent countless hours watching You Tube videos on different types and techniques.  She earned her title “make up and hair artist” for the school play this year.  Even though it makes her look way too grown up for 13, we try and keep her grounded and nine times out of ten we are sending her back to her mirror to remove about 50% before we walk out of the house 🙂  She continues to excel in school receiving 11th grade level scores on her standardized tests this year
(she is finishing the 7th grade!)….just wish we could get her to quit worrying about her cheerleading and social life so she would actually study for tests and turn in homework on time to higher her GPA!   She’s a great kid and we really can’t complain too much.

Abigail has graduated from her temper tantrums when she doesn’t get what she wants (FINALLY!!!) and has probably matured the most this year.  She has started really asking a ton of questions about how things work and is a lot more interested in the details than she used to be.   Sadly her third grade teacher battled breast cancer this year and the school did a wonderful job making sure the kids understood why she was gone a lot, but she had a great substitute that she loved too.  Her teacher has shown these kids great strength and the power of God’s love can get you through.  Abby also achieved high scores on her Iowa test showing that she is capable of 7th grade coursework in most areas, a BIG accomplishment for a 3rd grader and we are so proud of her!  She is also a very social butterfly and comes home frequently with her friends parents phone numbers written down asking if we can get together outside of school.

Overall, we are blessed to have them at such an amazing school.  Lake Worth Christian has been a wonderful christian environment for them to learn academically and spiritually.

Here they are!

first and last comparison Hanna 2014 copy blog

first and last comparison Abby 2014 copy blog

 

As we were driving home yesterday from school, Abby say’s ” Wow, that year flew by.”  I immediately responded with, “It sure did!”  I love capturing the girls on their first and last day of school each year so that I can see how much they have grown.  This year, I can’t help but to notice that they have not just grown physically, but they both have matured A LOT!  Some days I lose the battle of telling Hanna she can’t wear make up.  Most days I tell her to go back upstairs and take some of it off.  With Abby, she woke up this morning saying she wanted to get herself dressed….that is a huge milestone for us b/c if any of you know my little Abigail, you know she likes to push buttons and most mornings I am getting her in her clothes while she is still asleep!  Hanna always pops out of bed….Abby we have to drag.  We experienced many firsts this year…skiing and zip lining were our favorite!  Abby also got started with her first round of orthodontics to fix her tiny upper jaw.  Luckily for me, we will start headgear during the summer where things are much more relaxed.    We hope that you all enjoy your summer and look forward to keeping up with friends via Facebook for travels and such.  Here they are….getting too too BIG.

I really am getting choked up just thinking about this post….Why does LIFE have to fly by so fast?  Where have the last 11 years gone and where did my itty bitty baby girl go?  So incredibly proud of her!   I am sure we all could go on and on about the things that make us most proud about our children, but I want to zoom in on just a couple things not to bore you all to death 🙂  This school year, Hanna has really “grown up” in so many ways.  She is the most determined little thing I have ever known (there is a BIG difference between determined and stubborn…she is NOT stubborn…that is her little sister Abby!)  She was really excited and gracious that we found her an instrument within just a day or so to have in time for her first band class and she told us about a week into it that she didn’t like the flute. (borrowed from a very generous client!)  She didn’t like it because it’s likely one of the hardest to learn out to play.  But she stuck with it because she IS really a good kid…and she rolls with the punches.  Well….her Uncle Matt came up with a clarinet that didn’t cost anything.   After a tune up, it was good to go.  Hanna’s teacher told her that she could switch if she could learn how to play it.  During Christmas vacation, she brought that thing everywhere and she taught herself how to play it.  Just this past week, her band teacher allowed her to switch when the year is almost over!   She also is teaching herself to play a keyboard that she got for Christmas about 3 years ago….I can’t believe I actually hear songs being played when she turns it on!  Incredibly….she has also been taught to play the guitar recently.   She was given lessons for Christmas and she is finally eager to learn how to play an instrument that SHE BOUGHT with her birthday money about 4 years ago!  Did I already mentioned DETERMINED!  One last little story so I don’t lose you 🙂  When Hanna was about 5 we re-decorated her room w/ a horse theme with a mural and all because she was REALLY into horses at the time.  Just this past year, SHE insisted that we change her room yet again to make it a little more grown up…..I about cried when we had to paint over the mural.   When we moved into this house about 8 years ago, she was exited that we lived on the lake because she thought we could own a horse here!    Well…..she now has that dream once again.  BUT, now that she is internet savvy, she has managed to compile a very detailed analysis about what it’s going to take to be able to afford a horse.  She is on a mission to earn 50K and she is now determined that the horse will live with Grandpa Dick and Grandma B on their 70+ acres in Western Kansas!    She is absolutely, positively, the most determined, smart,sweet, funny, soft hearted, beautiful  little girl I know.  She is our Hanna girl, and she is 11 years old today.    I believe she will own a horse someday….she is likely to own a ranch that has a music studio in it 🙂   We love you sweetie…..these beautiful images were taken by Jennifer Weiss Photography only about a week ago.  Be sure to scroll down b/c somehow my favorites got to the bottom!  XOXO

Well, here they are!   Their first day of a new school year and it’s so bittersweet.  We only have “graders” in our house, which makes them and us way too grown up!  We had a great summer (although very trying at times…) with a trip to Kansas, Oklahoma, Orlando, Lakeland, Tallahasseee, and St. Augustine.    I thought it would be much easier to keep them home part of the summer, but all it proved to me is that I am a cranky mom when I have the girls here while I am trying to focus on work too.    Although we did have a lot of fun once we got to our destinations… I think school definitely started just in time.   But now the house is quiet, and it seems that I should have just sat back and enjoyed it a little more. 🙁     We are excited to see what the new year brings.  We hope everyone had a great summer and hope an even better start to the new school year!     Stacy

Get ready Mrs. Gemmer, here Abby comes!  Always in full force 🙂

I hope Mrs. Ish can have some patience with my chatterbox Hanna……always a social butterfly and at this age – WHOA

I really can’t believe it was six years ago today that I was calling my sister in Tallahassee to let her know that she would be sharing her birthday with her newest niece…and to sweeten the deal, it was Mother’s Day.   This birthday for Abigail is so sweet for me.    It is the first time her birthday has fallen on Mother’s Day since her birth and it brought back the day like it was only yesterday.    Looking over at Jeff through my tears to say that she looked just like her big sister, Hanna, but “fat”!  ha ha….She was a big baby at 9 lb. 2 oz, but she was the best Mother’s Day gift a Mommy could have.  She definitely has put our parenting skills to the test over the last six years, but we wouldn’t trade her for anything.  She is a little stinker, but she is proving to us that she is a very sweet, kind hearted, smart, and really funny little girl.  She admires her big sister more than anything and she definitely lives life to the fullest.   Happy Birthday to my energetic Abigail Elizabeth!  WE love you!!!!

Happy 10th Birthday to Hanna!

February 28, 2011

WOW.  February 28, 2001 at 6:47 p.m.  this adorable little baby girl blessed us so immensely.  Words can’t even describe how lucky we are to have her.  Hanna turns 10 TODAY.  It seems like yesterday that this tiny little 7 lb 11 oz baby girl was in our arms.  She has grown up so fast and turned into a beautiful, sweet, kind hearted, smart, funny young lady.   She reminds us regularly what’s important and thankful to God that he has a presence in our lives.  I was able to use Hanna last week as a model for a few local photographers to play and my friend Kristi Mangan shared this image of Hanna with me.  It captures her in every way….Thank you Kristi!  I hope to share more from her birthday session soon….XOXOXO to my Sweet Hanna!  Happy  Birthday Sweetie!  WE LOVE YOU!

Hawaiian - Israel Kamakawiwo ole - Somewhere Over The Rainbow-What A Wonderful World .mp3
Found at bee mp3 search engine