Happy 7th Birthday Giselle Eloise!!!

7 years ago today, I can tell you exactly what I was doing.  It was a cold wintry day just like it always is in January.  I had taken maternity leave early and was home from work.  My mother called me and asked me if I wanted to go shopping.  OF COURSE!  I said.  So on that day, we ventured out into the cold and went furniture shopping.  I was on a mission to get a new couch.  We shopped and shopped some more, and I found that new couch for our bedroom.  All while in labor, but I didn't breathe a word.  I thought I was just having pains.  My mother asked me if I wanted to go to lunch and of course I said YES!  Who doesn't love to eat?  I DO!  I remember eating and going to the bathroom and crouching down in pain, not realizing that I was yet again in labor.  She dropped me off at home and asked me, "Sandy, do you want me to stay with you?"  And I said NO, I will be okay, go ahead and go home.  She lived only 20 minutes away.  The moment she left, it felt as if the pain was even more intense.  Isabella was here with me and I was by myself.  I called my mother and she had just gotten home.  She had to turn back and drive here again.  I called Bob and he was in the city and it would take him an hour to get home.  Mom came quickly.  Bob came shortly thereafter.  And then I decided that Bob needed to eat.  Who knows how long we would be in the delivery room.  So I made dinner.  Yet, we still had to drive 1.5 hours to the hospital.  They both thought I was nuts.  We ate dinner.  RUSHED to Chicago and barely made it for an epidural in time.  That drive to Chicago was intense!  With your second child, it comes very quickly!  At 9:26 p.m.  Giselle Eloise was born!
And here we are today!  Memories make a lifetime filled with LOVE!  Happy 7th Birthday Giselle Eloise Vail!  You LOVE emoji's!
You LOVE Portillo's hotdogs, just like Grandpa Dale (and mommy), Grandma Betty always liked BABES!
We celebrated your birthday with opening your presents live with grandma and grandpa from Florida!  They were super excited to see you!  Welcome to I-Phones!  Talking to Grandma and Grandpa Vail via phone!  A Gymnastics party! 

Eating Portillo's, an EMOJI CAKE made with LOVE from Aunt Lynn!  Happy 7th Birthday sweet baby girl!

Happy New Year!!

It's a New Year!  Some words that come to mind are abundant; annual; another; best; brand new; bright; fantastic; enjoyable AND COLD!!  It's -13 degrees!  Brr!!  I cannot remember it being this cold in at least three years!  We can't go outside, so we decided to mess up the kitchen a bit.

We spent New Years day in the kitchen and Bob and the girls made homemade three cheese ravioli's, spaghetti, homemade sauce and bruschetta!  Santa brought Bob a pasta attachment for his Cuisinart and he wanted to try it out.  Everything was super yummy and the girls really enjoyed making homemade pasta.  For dessert, I made a homemade chocolate chip cookie pie.  We started a brand new year with a full belly.  Delicious!!

Stirring the insides for the ravioli

Homemade cheese ravioli's

Spaghetti

My favorite!

The finished product

Christmas 2017!

Tis the season and where do I start?  We had a fun filled December!  Isabella is 9 years old and Giselle is 6 years old and both still believe in Santa!  So what did we do during the month of December?  We spent it making gingerbread houses out of lots of icing and candy.  Ice skating.  The light show at the Morton Arboretum.  Gallivanting around downtown Chicago in fancy dresses and enjoying a super yummy dinner.  The ice cream man at the hotel....in the middle of winter!  Making homemade cookies with daddy on a Sunday afternoon.  Watching endless holiday movies, like ELF and Home Alone.  Decorating the Christmas tree together.  Dancing.  Gathering with family!  Hope everyone had a joyous December!

SANTA!  We want an I-Phone for Christmas!

Isabella's mini snow man

Making cookies for the cookie baskets

Their ice cream creation!

Christmas selfie

Christmas Day 2017

Mini polaroid fun

Our visit to Santa

EXTRA EXTRA....Read All About It!

Giselle started playing soccer again this spring and also participated in a full week of soccer summer camp.  This Fall, Giselle moved up to play with first and second graders on TEAM TEAL! 

Giselle's Trophy 2017

Homer Soccer Club Pictures 2017

Homer Horizon Newspaper Article featuring Giselle

Giselle MOVING in on the BALL, the picture featured in the newspaper!

It was great to see her grow as a player from the first week of practice this season.  Every week, Bob, Isabella and I were her biggest cheerleaders, attending every practice and game.  Her team finished 7-3 and barely got knocked out of the playoffs by losing a very tight game in the tournament this weekend, 3-2!  They gave it their all, despite the pouring rain this Saturday.  We are super proud of Giselle and she cannot wait to play again in the spring! 

I was surprised as I opened up the local newspaper, only to read about Homer Soccer Club!  The club is growing and sees plans for the future!  And WHO was pictured in the paper?  GISELLE ELOISE! ATTA GIRL!! CHECK IT OUT!!

We love watching you out there Giselle!  You are something FIERCE!  From your facial expressions, to your determination, to your skill or love of the sport, you are certainly on to something.....  XOXOXO

Happy Halloween!

We started the festivities of Halloween by having our 13th annual pumpkin painting/carving contest.  Then, Isabella's third grade class had a project where they had to pick their favorite character from a book, write a report, and also paint a pumpkin that was their favorite character.  Isabella chose to write and paint about Elsa from FROZEN.  On Monday, we went to the school where we got to see the "pumpkin parade."  It was really neat to see all the creativity those third graders put into their pumpkins and book reports. 

On Halloween, their school had a parade where first through fourth graders marched in their Halloween costumes.  Isabella was a character from Monster High (a t.v. show) and Giselle was a witch. 

We finished off the day by trick or treating in a subdivision down the street from us.  The girls lasted an hour and a half this year.  I am super proud of them, as it is always so cold on Halloween.  This year we got lucky and it was not raining!  Little Giselle always tuckers out first.  We came home and all took warm showers, ate chili out of the crock pot AND watched "The Nightmare Before Christmas."  Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!!

Giselle's Painted Pumpkin

The PUMPKIN Crew and all of our PUMPKINS

Isabella and her Elsa Pumpkin & Book Report

Isabella marching in the parade

Giselle marching in the parade

The girls are READY for Halloween

TRICK OR TREAT!!

Fall School Pictures

Recently, the girls had their fall pictures at school.  Up until this year, whenever I found out it was picture day at school, I would go out shopping and buy the girls a new outfit, just for picture day.  I always wanted them to take the perfect picture and look and feel their best.  I would do their hair for them in the morning and even let them wear lip gloss. 

When they had their spring pictures at school this year, I had so much going on at that time, that I completely missed picture day!  The girls came home from school and said "MOMMY!  Today was picture day!!"  My first thought was GREAT, I missed picture day.  How could I have done that?  They didn't have a new outfit, and I didn't style their hair for them.  To my surprise, when they came home with the spring pictures, I LOVED them.  Their personalities were shining through in those pictures.  It was at that moment, that I told myself, everything doesn't have to be perfect all of the time.  They don't need that new outfit just for picture day.  I changed my perspective on picture day and now live by the rule that the girls, can pick their own outfit out for picture day.  And if they ask me to style their hair, I will, but I will not force doing their hair.
They say a picture speaks a thousand words.  I was pleasantly surprised with what Giselle decided to do for picture day.  Maybe you will be surprised too.  At the end of the day, again their personalities have shined through in their pictures.  Giselle is sometimes impulsive and her smile warms my heart.  Isabella's caring nature shines through her picture and her style and beauty are timeless.  Until next picture day!!!!

3rd Grade Fall Pictures

1st Grade Fall Pictures

Giselle lost her FIRST tooth, Okay, well maybe TWO..

On September 22, 2017 (Our 10th Wedding Anniversary), Giselle lost her very FIRST TOOTH!  We had just finished watching our wedding DVD as we always do on our anniversary and then we had a super special SURPRISE!  Giselle came downstairs with her very first tooth missing in her hand!  We were excited because she was excited to get a visit from the tooth fairy! 

Then on October 7th, she lost her second tooth!  Both teeth were right next to each other on the lower section of her mouth.  The tooth fairy visited her twice!  Here is a picture of my toothless Giselle!