Favorite Family Highlights from 2016 - Part 1

As noted in our annual Christmas Letter we hope you enjoy seeing some of the highlights from this year including the few we mentioned in our letter.

January 2016-

The simple joy of watching Emily learn.

Michael and Katie holding hands after school.

There is nothing better than watching your baby sleep.

 All bundled up for a walk on a cold brisk day.

Emily playing with toys that the rest of the grand kids have played with at Nana and Papa's home in PA.

 Katie and Mikey sledding down the same hill I did my entire childhood.

February 2016-


Katie and her peaceful yoga pose during a winter walk along the beach at Tod's Point, Old Greenwich, CT.

Sometimes he's fearless....sometimes he's not but he is always handsome.

The best way to eat raspberries.

March 2016-

Super proud of Mikey during his first art show in Kindergarten.

Scott taking Mikey to his first professional soccer game during their Boys Day Out.  Yankee Stadium, New York City FC vs. New England Revolution.

Katie trying on my Easter Dress.  I'm on the left (Circa 1988) Katie on the right!

Professional photos for the kiddos.  I don't get these often enough.

Emily crawling at 7 months.

April 2016-

T-Ball for both kids.  It was so cute to watch them learn the game.

Katie is so willing to try any sport.  She had 8 weeks of tennis lessons and loved it!

Surprising Daddy after work in New York City for his birthday.

Spring Vacation spent in PA winding our way through Indian Echo Caverns.

Taking in all the sea life at the Baltimore National Aquarium.

Inner Harbor in Baltimore with Nana and Papa.

We all were mesmerized by the jellies.

My smallest baby and I enjoying some tropical sounds in the rain forest.

Helping Daddy celebrate his 37th birthday.

We took a girls weekend trip to celebrate my cousin Ashley's bridal shower in Philadelphia.  Katie won the wedding dress toilet paper game.....and not just because she is the flower girl.  She legitimately won!  Check out how awesome her dress is below.

Katie and the other contestants with the bride.

Katie's gorgeous smile during a private baking class at Sweet Lisa's.

May 2016- 

Mikey playing so sweetly with Emily.

 Showing me his karate moves.  He has lots of tough guy moves!

I try to go to Tod's Point whenever possible.  There's something about the salty wind, sand, sound of the water that is so soothing to the soul.

We are dressing up for Hawaiian Day at Katie's Preschool at Greenwich Catholic School.

Emily beginning to walk at 9 months!  She has been moving since she was in the womb and hasn't stopped since.

I'm the luckiest Momma in the whole world. Mother's Day 2016.

A beautiful May day spent in Central Park with Emily.

Morning snuggles with the little ones make my heart explode.

Sending Daddy messages while he has to travel for work.

Catching Butterflies...Literally.

Eating s'mores for Breakfast.

June 2016-

Celebrating my 34th birthday with my favorite people.

Emily pure bliss with the hose.  Check out THAT diaper!

The water was freezing but sometimes when it's just US at the beach we feel like the whole world is ours.

 Brother + Sister Love.

Emily getting her first feeling of wet sand between her little toes.

This picture I took reminds me of the tide and I wonder how just how many times these rocks were covered by water.  Countless.  Just like the grains of sand.  Countless.  Just like God's love for us.  Countless.

One of the best moments of the summer and I was lucky enough to not only capture it but almost bottle up that sweet sound of pure joy and laughter that only children can produce.  That crab in her hand was certainly very ticklish.

We can weather any storm.  I love the beach.  It's ever changing but so so beautiful.  God's creation is just magnificent.

Katie's last day of Preschool.

 The beach brings us all so much happiness. Love Emily wading in a small pond of water.

With steady practice I'm slowly able to twist and contort my body into ways I was unable to do at the beginning of the year.

My yoga is rubbing off on my little yogis.  The impressed me with their strong crow pose (holding up their own body weight).

Happy Father's Day 2016.

First and Last day of Kindergarten comparison.

Dancing in the rain - It's a kid rite-of-passage thing.

All of a sudden and it feels like summer and it looks like summer at the beach too.

Even with our good days we have some bad days.  Emily is finally teething.

Taking the kids to ROOTS Market in Lancaster, PA.

Favorite Family Highlights from 2016- Part 2

As noted in our annual Christmas Letter we hope you enjoy seeing some of the highlights from this year including the few we mentioned in our letter.

July 2016-

I was the flower girl for my Aunt Bev's wedding and many years later my daughter is Aunt Bev's daughters flower girl. She is so beautiful.

Ready with her flowers to walk down the aisle.

After the wedding ceremony.

Walking down the aisle.  She did a great job!

 FAMILY is everything.  This is it for my side.

I really want to sign the kids up for piano lessons. Oh, and for myself too!

 Katie, Bride Ashley, Emily and I.

Katie, Cousin Joey and Mikey.

Girls and their poses.

Happy 4th of July!

Early morning run on the beach!

Our favorite time to go is low tide, early in the morning or late in the evening.  It's becomes our secret place.  Shhhh.

The 3rd kid.  Fists full of sand.  It's okay.

Being naked on the beach is okay too.

She has our hearts forever.

 Summer Camp begins!

 I finally caught that smile she gives only to me, her Momma.

August 2016-

Katie's 5th Birthday was celebrated twice this year.  Once at home and again with all her friends at Kids U.

Pictures of Emily's 1st birthday are below.

 She did NOT want cake!

Maybe she just needed to warm up to the idea of cake.

Time for presents!

Three amigos.

We learned to swim this summer.  Finally!

Fishy in the water.   It took one afternoon in 3 feet of water and that was that!

Wet, soggy but happy!

 Ahhh- See I can do crow now too and push straight back into plank and begin chaturanga.

A sweet shout out to Dadda from our littliest. "Good Day Dad."

Hershey Park Happy!

 Cotton Candy Treat.

Daddy lovin on the choo-choo train.

Another summer favorite moment- witnessing Emily receive the Holy Spirit. 

 God is within her; she will not fail.  Psalms 46:5

God Parents Danny and Jamie with our family.

She was not happy with the bib on.

 Us with Nana and Papa.

Ending the last moments of August with Sparklers.

Water Balloons are super fun too!

Daddy Daughter Day out was spent on a train ride into NYC for lunch and to see the Lion King on Broadway!

Some of my favorite memories are the most ordinary moments.

September 2016-

First day of First Grade and Kindergarten.

A little apprehensive but big brother was there with his comforting gestures.

A birthday party and someone gave her a candy necklace.  The look of fear in her eyes as I took this- thinking it would be taken away at any moment.

Spending a beautiful late summer day in New York City.

Jumping at the top of huge boulders in Central Park.

Scott and I at the famous Bow Bridge in Central Park.

Ballet class began for Katie.

October 2016-

We became a soccer family for 8 or 9 Saturdays in the Fall for the second year in a row. Katie scored twice this season and was good on defense too. Go Real Madrid!

Mikey likes to play straight up defense and he's great at it! Go Team Dortmund!

 Spartan Race- Katie and Scott ran together.  She is a serious competitor!

I clearly had fun running it too!

Mikey ran the Spartan Race with me and ran he did.  The entire race passing kids much older than him.  A little coaching from me; slow and steady wins the race!!!

Scott and I snuck away a weekend and spent it in the sunshine, exploring NYC, enjoying the sunshine and each other with no kids in site!  Times Square just people watching below.

Brooklyn Bridge

Halloween - Iron Man and Princess Jasmine.  Picture taken below was at their schools annual Monster Mash Party.

Mikey told us he had the best 7th birthday party ever, and that's all that matters.  Scavenger hunt, lots of bullets and nerf guns and boys from school and even an alien to fight off.  Plus a sister too.

November 2016-

 Special moments can happen anywhere.  You just have to say YES.  Like at Target.

Reading to dogs at the Library.  Katie and Mikey are both great readers!

Taking a break from the hustle and bustle of being somewhere for the Thanksgiving Holiday and just BEING.  We had a turducken for the first time and it was delicious!

We are thankful for the great school our kids can attend with their hands on learning and state of the art technology.  Michael during Colonial day at school.

December 2016

Our daily races in the living room is another favorite highlight.

Decorating for the birth of Jesus.

Mikey is taking up karate again and is showing enthusiasm and passion for the sport.

She is growing up way to fast.

Old Greenwich Holiday Stroll- getting into the spirit of the holidays.

Thankful for Nana and Papa to drive up and help when needed.