Our Featured Artist

Well, we have a true artist - with her own painting in the local Frederick art gallery and everything! A month or so ago, Quinn was asked to draw a picture on a plaster sheet for our neighbor and artist friend, Stephen Dobbin. Stephen then etched it out and painted over the plaster to create the masterpiece, "Quinn's Family." Stephen's whole portfolio is displayed this month at Delaplaine Art Gallery in Frederick and we were proud to go and see it today.

If anyone is interested, the piece sells for $350.  Just sayin'...

A Daddy Daughter Fishing Excursion

Thanks to Uncle Mike, we have this beautiful slideshow to enjoy.  Love these!

http://www.michaelkircher.com/Quinn%20Goes%20Fishing/index.html

It makes my heart warm to see Kirch and Quinn having such fun while fishing!

Happy Fourth!

Even though we didn't get to see any fireworks last night, we really did have one of the best Fourths of July I can remember.  A friend from work offered to take us to a private lake close to our house, which was just what we needed to combat the hot snap we've been dealing with as of late.  It was Reese's first time on a beach and in a lake, and she literally sat in the water and played there for like 45 minutes.  She had a blast!  And Quinn; well, Quinn was in her glory - she swam like a fish and played and played for the 2 hours we were there.  It wasn't too busy, the water was wonderful, and it was a great way to pass that time.

After the beach, we headed to lunch at Coal Fire Pizza and then topped it off with Cold Stone Creamery ice cream.  By then it was 4pm and Mom and Dad were ready to get home and wash the grime off all four of us!  But before baths for the girls, I had to snap picture of Reese in her new patriotic outfit - and I was lucky enough to get a shot of both girls smiling for the camera!

Happy 4th, everyone!!!

Happy 1st Birthday, Reese!

Our sweet baby girl turned ONE on Monday - and, of course, we had to throw a party to celebrate the momentous occasion!  We had around 25 people, good food and decent weather... thank goodness the storms missed us and spared us our power - there were over 1.5 million in the DC suburbs without it for days!!!

Reese was a perfect doll all day long.  Such a sweet disposition and she charmed everyone who came to celebrate her day with her!

The pictures I've posted are only half of what were taken.  I'm hoping to see more from Uncle Mike and some other friends that have yet to get me their copies.  But these will do for now - the cake destruction was quite entertaining.  She actually threw more of it on the ground or shared it with Quinn than ate it herself.  But boy, did she demolish it!  It took me back to 5 years prior, when Quinn obliterated her own cake.  Man, it's going by too fast!

Thanks to Victoria for making both the destruction cake and the "to share" cake - and the monkey thing caught on like wildfire.  She got plenty of monkey outfits, and one Reese's Pieces teddy bear and bowl.  I love the originality!

Thanks again to all who could make it - you made for a wonderful and memorable 1st birthday party, even if only for the parents!

The Day I Thought Would Never Come... Came!

I was beginning to wonder if Quinn was EVER going to lose a tooth.  She's had her right bottom tooth wiggling for what seems like months, and today at daycare she bit into a cob of corn and really helped the process along.  Well, tonight, after 30 minutes of pushing and pulling, a little blood and a few estatic tears, she got that sucker OUT!  I was clearheaded enough to grab the video camera to catch this priceless moment (or 4-and-a-half moments ) on film.  It's a little lengthy, but so worth witnessing the pure exhiliration and joy Quinn has when she realizes she's FINALLY lost a tooth and the Tooth Fairy is coming tonight!




Yes, yes, I cried tears of joy and my peacock feathers bloomed in full tonight for my big girl.  Another milestone in her road through life.  Sigh...

She could not BE more proud!

Happy Father's Day!

No, I didn't have the foresight to actually take a picture of Kirch with his girls or Kirch opening Quinn's gifts to him or anything that the old Roxanne would've done when I actually had time and a clear brain to go along with it.  Instead, I can tell you that Quinn made a card for him, and we collectively picked out 2 gifts he absolutely loved.  We got him a new set of chimes (with a lady bug on it, to represent the Q-Bug) and a hummingbird feeder.  He quickly put them up out on the porch, much to Quinn's delight.

Other than that, we had quite a nice weekend - I took Quinn to the Baker Park pool yesterday and then we got to scrapbook a little while. We all had a nice dinner on the deck last night to celebrate Father's Day a day early. Today, after Reese and I went to CostCo, I took the girls outside to hang out for a while, and then went for a walk. The weather couldn't be more perfect this weekend... Can't we just have that kind of weather all year round?

 Thanks, nice stranger lady, for taking this picture of me and my girl!

 Love this pic...

 Sister pictures are few and far between - love when I get a good one!

 The look of wonder... Those eyes!

 Yes, they actually like each other!

Future model...

The Rest of May

I can't believe my 1st baby is encroaching on her last week of kindergarten.  Who thought it was a good idea to grow her up so fast???

We had an awesome Mother's Day picnic at Mike & Rachel's as always.  My girls make me so proud to be their mom.

Quinn had her field trip to Green Meadows Farm around mid-May. Kirch was able to go with her, which she was just thrilled about. The pictures below don't begin to explain how much fun she had.

 Don't worry, Grandma K - she wasn't scared and the goat didn't maim her...

We got out in the sprinklers last weekend - and had crabs with the neighbors!  Quinn thoroughly enjoyed herself, as you can see...

And finally, Reese is now scurrying across the floors in rapid pace, and she's pulling herself up onto almost everything.  She LOVES to hold hands with anyone who wants to "walk" her around!  Her first steps aren't far off!

Oh yes, I'm a big girl!