a bug a bee and our buddy

It has been so long and my mother informs me that some people do actually try to keep up with this blog that I feel the need to blog again. As I look back I know it's a good idea because it brings back so many good memories and I can see how far I have come....with the kids:) So I think I might break this up into sections because of the pictures and all......

FALL 2009:

Pretty low key....my favorite time of year here in Kentucky. We celebrated the arrival of "Uncle Drew" ( sorry you will ALWAYS be Andy to me!) back into town for awhile. We don't know how long he will be here so we have been making the most of it. The kids have loved getting to know their Uncle Drew. We of course went to the pumpkin patch and then came the carving and the pumpkin soup. I don't know who had more fun on Halloween....the kids, or Andy!

Thanksgiving was hectic and fun as we had two houses to visit....somehow I didn't have a problem finding a place for all the yummy food! That is the best part about Thanksgiving anyway isn't it? At some point Miss Isabelle decided to go and fall off the playground at school....after a rough night in the ER we learned that she had fractured the base of her humerus and had to have a cast. They were actually worried she may have to have surgery but luckily she was right on the edge of their criteria....after the initial pain, you can see what took her mind off of it! She got to pick out the color of her cast and everyone got to sign it. She decided that might have been worth it:)

Christmastime was special for the same reason. I can't remember a time when my whole family has been together. I was also fortunate enough to be off work for the whole weekend (a VERY rare occurence).

On that note I am now working in a different department at the zoo. After almost 10 years in the bird dept. I accepted a position in the Islands Mammal department. It is a lot of training and I care for Orangutans, Siamangs (another type of ape), Malayan Tapir, Babirusa, and 1 Kookaburra. We train all of these animals daily and I am having a blast learning and really just starting over again.

January brought on the birthday's (what is it about January and June in our family?)....Andy celebrated his.....wait, I won't go there ;) on the 4th and then Adam turned 32 on the 20th. I tried my hand at cheesecake for both of these affairs....strangely enough I had never really made a cheesecake. I hope they weren't disappointed!

On the 30th my beautiful little boy Lucien turned 2!!! Can you believe it! I surely can't, I don't know where the time has gone. He is such a little man these days and is talking and saying more and more on a daily basis! He LOVES the show Yo Gabba Gabba. His favorite candy is a "happy pop" what he calls a lolly pop. He is into everything and never slows down. He is adventurous and sweet and I don't think he will ever NOT be my baby.

Isabelle is becoming quite the lady. This month SHE decided that she wanted to get her ears pierced. She then promptly changed her mind as soon as we walked into the store! But with a little discussion from the store gals we convinced her it was a good idea again! She agrees that it didn't hurt a bit. Isabelle is doing so well in kindergarten. Nothing seems to be too difficult for her and I can attribute some of that to Jenna.....nothing like having an older sister to play "school" with! She is fiesty and sweet and very caring.

Jenna is little miss social butterfly in this her last year in elementry school (*sniff, sniff*). She loves writing plays and short stories. She has taken up playing the viola (like her Uncle and I), and she is on the cheerleading team again. Jenna is wise beyond her years and growing up before my eyes (yet another sniff, sniff).