Tylar's Birthday - 7!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY TYLAR!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe by little 6 pound nothing is now going into 2nd grade, can read to her sister, and spell (even when we spell over her head). She is amazing - It is so funny to watch her personality keep growing and developing, she going to make an increadable adult one day (although most days she thinks she is nearly there).

One cupcake - no frosting coming up! (Tylar is not a fan of frosting so she usually will not take one or ask for one without - crazy kid)

The beloved Twinkle Toes - shoes she has been asking for these for nearly over a year. Good thing school sales started early - there was no way I was going to pay $50 for kids shoes!!

Tylar and I did the iron-on thing to make her "goodie bags" for her party - I think she had more fun making these than actually drecorating them at her party. Each girl got to decorate her own bag with glitter paint and fabric markers as a craft at the party, most of them were dry by the end of the day. (you can really see each ones personality as to how they decorate)

It was a GIRLS RULE WATER PARTY - we had two water slides up, a pool, and a bucket full of 300+ water balloons. They had a blast and I hardly had to do a thing, and I bet you're wondering how I got all those broken water balloons off our lawn? There was a prize for the girl who had the Largest pile of water balloon leftovers after they finished throwing them - pretty smart huh!!!

Ryann with their friend Jenna - those two were hooked at the hip the entire day. Gotta love that Jenna, she is usually shy but I have to say she really came alive and active at this party.

Disco Ball Pinata!! It was a pull pinata, but we had filled it too full so when they pulled the strings the one that was supposted to open the flap just broke off - matt had to "punch" it open.

Ready, Set, Pull ----

Matt!!! He was such a great help that day, the girls sure love teasing him, and I don't mean my girls.

Blowing out the candles - Tylar had asked for a Pumpkin Pie instead of cake for party (she typically doesn't like cake), we decided to make both so her friends could eat their cake - and their Pie if they wanted to.

I was shocked, about 6 out of 9 asked for AND ate pumpkin pie along with their cupcakes. Most of them were very excited when we brought out the pie, I would have never quessed.

The girls of summer - GIRLS RULE SWIM PARTY!!!!

(Julianna, Emily, Abigail, Avery, Leah, Jenna, Tylar, Ashley, and Ryann)

Start of Cheerleading 2010

Let the Football Season start - for Matt and I we are excited about our teams expecting to be good to great this year. For our girls it means - CHEERLEADING HAS STARTED!!!
A little crazy with 4 nights a week practice right now and 2 different cheer squads, however both girls are loving it and don't care about the long practices (2 hours a night). Tylar and Ryann are fliers for their persective teams, Ryann should be staying about 1 foot off the groudn but as you can see from the pics below Tylar will be much higher (Moms is loving it, Dad not so much - too worried about her getting dropped).
This called a 1/2 lift to the girls chest level --

Going up to get into a full --

And into a Full lift -- this was the 1st night they had tried it, you should see her now, and she is working on lifting one foot to the other knee to be in a single stand up there.

Summer practiced started for the NFL - we went to go see a scrimage game/practice with the girls. Of course the girls were happy with the cheerleaders and Matt was excited to be back in Raven M&T Bank Standium. Matt's friend Kurt brought is son Logan too.

The girls were excited because their nanny knew one of the Cheerleaders (she teaches with her) and another one is a mom to a girl on their cheer squad of the older girls.

Daddy and his own cheerleaders

Matt and Kurt in their happy zone!

I got some loving from Poe - the main mascot for the Ravens

Myrtle Beach 2010

Family Trip this Summer was to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It took 8 1/2 hour to get there and close to 10 to get home (thanks to D.C. traffic). We stopped half way both ways and stays over in hotels.

On our way down we had stopped at a Waffle House - Tylar (my animal whisperer) had seen a lisard, I wish I had video of these three running around trying to catch this poor scared thing.

My girls being silly - they really did well playing and getting along with each other throughout the week.

The views from out 3rd floor Condo (no elevator - poor Matt had to carry all the luggage up/down and sand stuff). There was a screened back porch overlooking a marsh/tide area, and the beach was only a short 1 block walkm, so was all the shops and eateries - it was great!

We headed to the beach the minute we got our stuff inside - the girls were so excited and so was I. I love the smell of fresh salt breeze.

Ryann was a little nervous to begin with but it didn't last long.

The girls found a tidal pool - little fish and sand crabs.

If they weren't in the surf this is the position you would find the girls in most of the week - looking for sand and hermit crabs for "pets".

Beach playing!!

Both girls really got into boogie boarding, and learned how to wade out to their waists and wait for the wave to come and then just lean on their boards. Tylar leared to body surf, she ended up being pretty good at it - my only complaint was that she would end up clear down the beach and I would have to hike down to bring her back to where we were sitting (with a smile on her face the whole way).

We visited Ripley's Aquarium at Broadway at the Beach

Ryann really has no fear of animals - Tylar really didn't want to touch the horseshoe crab

The girls and I each got a airbrushed tattoo - Ryann a unicorn, Tylar a sun, and me a few sea turtles. (I forgot the picture of Tylars Tattoo - I will add it seperately)

There was a small ride area, the girls loved this large trampoline area, even I got on and was able to do 2 back flips in one jump. Matt has a video on his phone of it - will try and upload it. Both girls were able to do a back flip but they had trouble keeping doing them, but they sure loved jumping SOOOOO high.

There was a GoCart slick track - just for the record Tylar and I totally kicked Matt and Raynns rear ends. :)

I did manage to get a morning of diving in - 2 dives, both of which included sharks!!! Sand Tiger Sharks, 2 of them (one approx 8-9 feet in length and the other approx 11 feet per the boat staff). I dove a Civil War Wreck Site "The Sherman", loved the crew and my Dive buddies were a father/son (Robbie/Caleb) we had a blast.

The girls enjoying the week - they were too cute that night.

Ryann found a friend (Hannah) who she played with a few days, Tylar played with them a little but was more interested in getting to those waves.

Last day on the Beach - I sure didn't want to say goodbye. The pier behind me is the one Matt took the girls fishing from, and where Ryann caugh a baby shark (sorry no picture - mommy wasn't there).

Of course we went Mini Golf one night - Tylar is too competitive to want to play with, we needed to have a little chat about "for fun" and to just "enjoy the moment" (ya - I know it went over like a lead balloon). Tylar in her "golf pose" with Matt and Ryann behind mimicking her.

On our way home we stopped at Alligator Adventure Park - it was absolutely fasinating to see those magnificent creatures that closely and that LARGE. We did watch them feed at dinner time and the girls got to touch/hold a monitor/snake/baby alligtor. I got in on holding the alligator - I couldn't pass that up.

Tylars sense of humor matches her daddies

Ryann walked up and kicked this giant Turtle, I think she was trying to check if it was real or not. The turtle just lifted his head and then went back to the same position (we had to have a little talk).

This guy is the largest Alligator/Crocodile (can't remember which one) in captivity - he came from a small cement pen in Tawain or Tibet. He is over 20 feet in length - these pictures do him no justice.

We were able to hold a 2-3 y.o. crocodile - it felt really cool. The belly is really soft with the top like a rock. The girls were not scared in the least - Matt declined, said "it's not my thing".

Albino Crocodiles from New Orleans - the "ghost" of the swamps. They just reminded me of white chocolate and I wanted a lick.

I felt so bad for this guy - he was so large and his inclosure was so small. He had moss and green stuff growing on him.

There we are, this is pretty much our great family trip. The drive down was long and the drive home was even longer - we really could have used a few more days. We are planning on going back next year - anyone wanting to join us would be openly welcomed.