We are so proud of Elle! She completed her 2nd piano recital playing The Singing Donkey. :) In true Ellie style, she went up there cool as a cucumber and played her song not once but TWICE (not practiced this way!)! Also, she gave a sweet bow at the end without any prompting. Ellie is just so slick with her cool confidence and awkwardness is just not in her world. She works hard and then owns it.
Watch her below...
Aunt Cathy came for her recital! Her piano lessons have been a true gift from her and Uncle Tom and we are so grateful.
AC on her way cool phone, taking all these sweet pics and I'm going to post them all!
Harlow is now at our NC3P!!! We love that she is there with Meghan and if we're at the park, we will take a quick drive by to say hello and see her playing with her new buddies. :)
The Cooley's have BIG NEWS!!! Janae is ENGAGED!!! We were SO excited and surprised when Freddy and her announced their engagement!
The following weekend, they came down to celebrate with us!
The kids just make it look SO easy...but it's not.
Drew spending some sweet Qtime with auntie Nae...
We headed downtown to show UNCLE Freddy The Big Light Show!
Nae, I am SO happy for you. Love you, sister.
Freddy is a film journalist for CNN and in case my sister hasn't told you yet 😍...Also, an Emmy-award winning film journalist! Sooo, F got some great shots with the lights!
We LOVE UNCLE FREDDY and think he is the BEST!!
Rochester: LOVE where you LIVE.
J and F got a room at the Royal Park downtown Rochester. Of course, this means we all had to go up to their room to check it out, run around the lobby, elevators, room etc. and take all of the samples from their bathroom.
In the Hotel's conservatory, where they host marriage ceremonies, we had J and F practice with Luke officiating it.
Brunch in the morning!
Drew asked how to spell this sentence. I jotted it on a note and he took out all the letters and put them on the board for our favorite lovebirds.
That Monday, our kiddos went back to F2F school (On Mondays and Tuesdays). Here they are, all 3, waiting for the bus!
Ellie has some big news too...She is getting braces! As parents, this is all new to us. We checked out 3 different spots in the area and this place had a sign up just for her....Welcome Elle! She will have lots of orthodontics done. Round 1: Expander and braces. Round 2: (Around age 14) Another round of braces. At least, she is excited! Rarely, does she get to do " a life thing" first. :)
The next night...Middle of the night...We got the call! The call we've ALL been waiting for! Megs' water broke. Ben took off to their house to be with Harlow. Here are the happy parents on their way to the hospital for baby numero 2!!
Hear their predictions below...
We got a text that baby was born but would not be "introduced" until 4 that afternoon! ALL day we all waited to see if it was a boy/girl. It was hard but SO fun!
At 4 (I was still at work), we all Zoomed to meet this little babe and it's a MISTER!! Gavin James, we are so happy that you are here. We love you! Megs, delivered their 9 lbs. 2 oz. sweet babe like a boss.
The next day, they were home!
The Gentleman's Club...
Cousins are the best.
That weekend, lots of sledding and getting ready for Valentine's Day parties at school.
Due to COVID and the insane school calendar this year, the kids had their "Fall" school pictures AND Valentine's due on Feb. 1st. My internal clock is just not jiving with this still. So bizzare.
COVID shot, dose 1.
One of my friends who had gotten the vaccine had said that the RN asked her before she got her shot, "Are you ready to be part of history?" And there it is. All of the importance, emotion, gratitude, fear, frustration wrapped up from the last year and into this one, important question. Ben and I were both able to get our vaccines from the Rochester Fire Dept. We even drove separately because they asked for the person getting the vaccine to sit on the driver's side. We were so nervous and excited, pit in the stomach kinda feeling before we left, that we didn't even think about one of us just sitting in the back on the driver's side. We wanted to do everything just right in hopes that nothing would go wrong. It was a bright blue, sunny, beautiful day. Everything worked like clockwork and it restored my faith (a bit) in our County Health Department.
I am NEXT in line!
DONE! And I seriously teared up. I am so thankful!
Ben pulled up next to me in the waiting lot...He got his too. Success!
The next day, was my first snow day and well, my own 3 kids were at home anyway because of their cohort schedule so...Of course it was McD's for lunch and a visit with Harlow and Gavin!
The ladies reading some books...
Luke is now starting catcher for his travel team! WAHOO!! As the new guy, he really had to work hard and prove himself and he did it! I love indoor baseball.
Super Bowl Sunday!
No friends over this year, but we still partied with all of the things.
And Drew. Just because 💙
