Monday, January 28, 2013

Day 365 - Saturday, December 31, 2011

Day 365 - Saturday, December 31, 2011 – Ringing in the New Year at the Parsons' Pub with Traci & Aaron and David & Julie.

Day 364 - Friday, December 30, 2011

Day 364 - Friday, December 30, 2011 – Cute, much?

Day 363 - Thursday, December 29, 2011

Day 363 - Thursday, December 29, 2011 – At the Gem Theater in Detroit with my mom and sister to see All Night Strut. Fantastic show!

Day 362 - Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Day 362 - Wednesday, December 28, 2011 – Couldn't resist taking a picture of this graffiti in Detroit with my biggest little Irish man standing next to it.

Day 361 - Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Day 361 - Tuesday, December 27, 2011 – We took the older three kids on a Detroitcation.  We went to the Henry Ford Museum where the kids had fun in a photo booth.

Day 360 - Monday, December 26, 2011

Day 360 - Monday, December 26, 2011 – When you're twenty months old, a bundle of paper towels can spark wonderment and entertainment.

Day 359 - Sunday, December 25, 2011

Day 359 - Sunday, December 25, 2011 – One of the highlights of spending Christmas Day at Grandma and Grandpa Hillary's house in Grand Rapids, is the house call made by Santa.

Day 358 - Saturday, December 24, 2011

Day 358 - Saturday, December 24, 2011 – We're smiling.  And it was a very Merry Christmas.  But, I'd be lying if I said we didn't shed some tears.  Poppa was here in spirit.  I know he was.

Day 357 - Friday, December 23, 2011

Day 357 - Friday, December 23, 2011 – Waiting in the snow globe before seeing Santa.

Day 356 - Thursday, December 22, 2011

Day 356 - Thursday, December 22, 2011 – Let the wrapping begin! 

Day 355 - Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Day 355 - Wednesday, December 21, 2011 – Jordyn helped Kevin with the dry run lobster dinner preparation.  Kevin wanted to make sure he knew what he as doing so that Christmas Eve dinner would go off without a hitch.

Day 354 - Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Day 354 - Tuesday, December 20, 2011 – We celebrated Jordyn's birthday at Miyako.  The waiter made this napkin hair bow for Jordyn, and she was a wonderful sport about it.  The food was delicious and watching the food being prepared was super entertaining.  This is what sixteen looks like.

Day 353 - Monday, December 19, 2011

Day 353 - Monday, December 19, 2011 – Kevin brought nutcracker ornaments back from Germany for the kids, and they loved them!  Ashton didn't wait for us to tell him which one was his, he dove right in and picked out his favorite.

Day 352 - Sunday, December 18, 2011

Day 352 - Sunday, December 18, 2011 – Ashton didn't watch much of the wrestling matches today at the Grizzly Growl, but he got a kick out of wearing Liam's headgear.

Day 351 - Saturday, December 17, 2011

Day 351 - Saturday, December 17, 2011 – Heading out to a Christmas party at Greene Acres.

Day 350 - Friday, December 16, 2011

Day 350 - Friday, December 16, 2011 – The Rochester lights are definitely a highlight of the holiday season.  We were having dinner at Gus O'Connor's when they came on.  Very cool to stand outside when they flipped the switch.

Day 349 - Thursday, December 15, 2011

Day 349 - Thursday, December 15, 2011 – For Jordyn's upcoming sweet sixteen, we sent her a balloon and candy gram on the last day of school before the Christmas break.

Day 348 - Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Day 348 - Wednesday, December 14, 2011 – Pouting and crying is how I dragged Owen through the door to the performing arts center for his second grade country Christmas concert.  It was an adorable concert, even if Owen was very evidently wishing he could be teleported to another planet the entire time. (center, in the red hat)

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Day 347 - Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Day 347 - Tuesday, December 13, 2011 – When your husband travels 4 out of 7 days a week, you just have to do some things yourself.  Like put up the outside Christmas lights.  It's not a lot, but it's better than nothing.

Day 346 - Monday, December 12, 2011

Day 346 - Monday, December 12, 2011 – Ashton helping momma put up some more Christmas lights.

Day 345 - Sunday, December 11, 2011

Day 345 - Sunday, December 11, 2011  Owen thought it would be fun to wrap his bed in colorful Christmas lights.  I have to agree with him .  Totally Fun.

Day 344 - Saturday, December 10, 2011

Day 344 - Saturday, December 10, 2011 – The kids and I had a ton of fun decorating these gingerbread people, tonight!  Jordyn was a little gingerbread fashion designer.

Day 343 - Friday, December 9, 2011

Day 343 - Friday, December 9, 2011 – Another spectacular Many Moods of Christmas concert!  Poppa would have loved it.  Obviously, the kid photo-bombing in the background had a good time, too. 

Day 342 - Thursday, December 8, 2011


Day 342 - Thursday, December 8, 2011 – Jordyn is super excited to perform in the opening night of her Many Moods of Christmas concert tonight.  Her enthusiasm is invigorating.

Day 341 - Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Day 341 - Wednesday, December 7, 2011 – Apparently, Elfelfa wanted to help the boys with their dental hygiene this morning.

Day 340 - Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Day 340 - Tuesday, December 6, 2011 – The giggling and goofiness that erupted during the consumption of this Christmas sugar cookie was infectious!

Day 339 - Monday, December 5, 2011

Day 339 - Monday, December 5, 2011 – Owen takes a turn reading one of the advent books.

Day 338 - Sunday, December 4, 2011

Day 338 - Sunday, December 4, 2011 – Putting some of the last ornaments on the tree.

Day 337 - Saturday, December 3, 2011

Day 337 - Saturday, December 3, 2011 – Megan and Jordyn had the sweetest of Sweet Sixteen birthday parties tonight in our basement transformed into New York City. It was a get dressed up and be fabulous kind of night, complete with bartender, Mair Greene, slinging Fauxtinis for the 50 or so guests, and our own personal paparazzi, Laura Armbruster.

Day 336 - Friday, December 2, 2011

Day 336 - Friday, December 2, 2011 – Pre-party at Heidi's before heading to the Christmas party at the Fountains.  I love my fabulous girlfriends.

Day 335 - Thursday, December 1, 2011


Day 335 - Thursday, December 1, 2011 – Last night was Liam's 5th grade concert.  He was supposed to dress up like a knight.  We took an inside out t-shirt, cut off the sleeves, and glued on an emblem.  (he's the one in green in the front row, I think it turned out pretty good!)  Oh, and the concert was adorable.  Lots of fun.

Day 334 - Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Day 334 - Wednesday, November 30, 2011 – Throwing snow at their mother, the photographer?  Not MY angels!

Day 333 - Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Day 333 - Tuesday, November 29, 2011 – iVan. My boyfriend.  Is it possible to be in love with an electronic device?

Day 332 - Monday, November 28, 2011

Day 332 - Monday, November 28, 2011 – Another theater night with my best girl.  Heading to the Detroit Opera House to watch my niece, Bailey, perform with the Michigan Opera Theatre Children's Chorus...A Winter Fantasy.

Day 331 - Sunday, November 27, 2011

Day 331 - Sunday, November 27, 2011 – We came home from Grand Rapids to a freshly painted bedroom (thanks to Mair and Roger Greene!).  Part of Jordyn's Sweet Sixteen present was a more grown-up room.  Out with the pink and green and flowers, in with the Tiffany box blue with black and white accents.  She loves it.

Day 330 - Saturday, November 26, 2011

Day 330 - Saturday, November 26, 2011 – Extended Hillary family cousins enjoyed playing with each other on the steps of Diamond Hall during the Hillary family Christmas party.

Day 329 - Friday, November 25, 2011

Day 329 - Friday, November 25, 2011 – Jordyn, Ashton, and I visited my Aunt Dee at the nursing home today.  It's hard to watch someone suffer with Alzheimer's, but she seemed to know who we were and Ashton really seemed to be a bright spot in her day.  He amused many of the residents as he ran squealing through the halls.

Day 328 - Thursday, November 24, 2011

Day 328 - Thursday, November 24, 2011 – Thanksgiving at Grandma and Grandpa Hillary's.

Day 327 - Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Day 327 - Wednesday, November 23, 2011 – Kevin and I get ready to go out on the "biggest bar night of the year".  Although, as we've gotten older, this has turned into the "biggest dinner out with Kev's high school friends night of the year".

Day 326 - Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Day 326 - Tuesday, November 22, 2011 – Megan, Shelby, and Alicia came over tonight to transform the basement into a NYC skyline in preparation of Jordyn's and Megan's Sweet Sixteen and the City birthday party next month.

Day 325 - Monday, November 21, 2011

Day 325 - Monday, November 21, 2011 – The Spry boys made this gorgeous wooden wine stopper and gave it to us for Thanksgiving.  They are launching an online business to make and sell these types of fabulous wooden products.  I was thrilled to receive the prototype.

Day 324 - Sunday, November 20, 2011

Day 324 - Sunday, November 20, 2011 – Celebrating our first Thanksgiving without my Dad.  Not fun, but easier together.

Day 323 - Saturday, November 19, 2011

Day 323 - Saturday, November 19, 2011 – Prepping the turkey that we pre-ordered from Fresh Source farms.  Free range, organic, goodness.  Our farmer, Lindsay, even delivered the bird right to our front door on her way home from taking her kids to the dentist.  There's just something comforting about being on a first name basis with the person that grows and harvests your food.

Day 322 - Friday, November 18, 2011

Day 322 - Friday, November 18, 2011 – Break and bake cookies and a can of whipped cream.  Jordyn and Liam are geniuses.

Day 321 - Thursday, November 17, 2011

Day 321 - Thursday, November 17, 2011 – Look, they DO like each other!  Photographic evidence.

Day 320 - Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Day 320 - Wednesday, November 16, 2011 – Ashton is gobble, gobble, gobbling up some organic snacks. I love these jammies.

Day 319 - Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Day 319 - Tuesday, November 15, 2011 – My love for online shopping is directly proportional to my loathing of the mall.

Day 318 - Monday, November 14, 2011

Day 318 - Monday, November 14, 2011 – Owen is the ruler of math homework.

Day 317 - Sunday, November 13, 2011

Day 317 - Sunday, November 13, 2011 – Ash, as you take Wii lessons from your big brother, please note that hanging your tongue out ALWAYS improves your score.

Day 316 - Saturday, November 12, 2011

Day 316 - Saturday, November 12, 2011 – Kevin and I attended the Matt Weber
bowling fundraiser in Troy tonight.  It reminded us of how much fun bowling can be, and I even broke a hundred each game!  I see another bowling league at some point in our future.