Polamalu Look A Likes

Craig and Judy found this Steelers hat with Crazy hair that sticks out and the kids got the biggest kick out of it. I said they looked like Troy Polamalu and then they started walking around saying they were Polamalu! We wish the Steelers could actually hold a lead and win one, but I guess there is always next weekend!!! I'm just tired of getting crap from all of the Bears fans around here!

Gold Medalist

Mark showing off his medal
He was stepping on a ball. I accidentally cut it out of the picture.

So happy with Grandpa!

Here is Mark with his gold medal from playing soccer this Fall. He was so proud of it and even wore it to school on Monday to show his class and teachers. It wasn't show and tell day, but he didn't really care! He was so proud! And so were we!

Mark's Last Soccer Game

Mark had his final soccer game this past Saturday and he did pretty good. He went after the ball a few times and after the game was over he was proud of himself. He said, "I kicked the ball 3 times!" It was so cute. They game them each a medal which he was so excited about. According to him, "I got a medal because my team winned the game." I told him everyone WON, but he still was sticking to his story. Whatever makes him happy. In this video you can see that he almost had a goal, and if you really think about it, he was the last person on his team to touch the ball, so technically we think the credit should go to him. =) He had a good time overall and he is excited to play again next year.

Dancing, Dancing, and More Dancing!

Here is a video of Mark and Makenna dancing. Mark's dancing to me seems a little like Break Dancing, but whatever makes him happy! As you can see sometimes Makenna tries to do what he is doing, but then goes back to just running around. Before the video started, she was just standing there shaking her little butt, and it was too cute and funny. When she puts her arms up and has her elbows out and runs around it reminds me so much of when Madison was that age! I swear she did the same thing. I don't know if it's a Harrison thing or just a 2 yr old thing, but whatever it is, I think it's hilarious. Enjoy!

Steeler Fans

Showing some Brother/Sister Steeler Love
Trying not to smile at me

So happy to be in Black and Gold

Mark and Makenna were all ready to cheer for the Steelers this past Sunday. We were obviously hoping for a better result, but they were excited none-the-less. Everytime a different game would be on (ex: Packers or Bears) they would yell and scream that they only want to watch the Steelers play. That makes me a Very Happy Person!

(P.S. Check out Mark's new haircut. Matt cut it earlier that day! Doesn't he look just like Matthew now or what?!?!?! He's his little Mini-Me!)

Family Shots

Sunset over Lake Ontario
Group Picture

Mommy and Makenna

Sorry, I haven't posted in a while. I have been going to bed right after the kids do. I have still been in a lot of pain from the car accident. I have been going to Physical Therapy 4X a week and it is so draining with work and everything else going on. But anyway, here are some pictures my Mom took of us when we were up in Canada. I thought they were just beautiful!

Another Singer

Another Singer is in our family for sure. Makenna loves to sing as well just like her father and brother. Mark and Makenna have been watching a lot of Berenstein Bears lately. It's a show that they both will watch and enjoy. They sing the theme song when it comes on and it is so funny. This time Mark wasn't with her, but it was just too funny and I had to catch it on video. You probably won't be able to understand most of it, but try to listen to the words in the backround and you can catch a couple words here and there that she actually gets right.

Makenna's Race

Sorry, this wouldn't work with the other one. Here is Makenna's Race.

The Races

Here are the videos of Mark and Makenna running the Little Kernal Race. I apologize in advance about the camera work. I had to stand really far away when Mark was running b/c he had to run 200 yards so I had the camera at full zoom. I forgot to tell you that at one point he went to stop and talk to some people at our church! I also lost Makenna in the crowd at one point. Everyone of course wants to get pictures/videos of their kids and they kept stepping in front of me. But as you can see, she had a great time and the smile never left her face. It was really cute.

Little Kernal Race

Makenna and Mark showing off their Blue Ribbons!
Mark getting instructions from Daddy before the race

Makenna all ready to go!

Mark at home before the race

Makenna at home before the race

Mark and Makenna ran their first official race this past Saturday at the Annual Valparaiso Popcorn Fest. They both did okay. Mark was a little unsure of course, and was very tired from getting up too early that morning. Makenna we think would have done great, but they had volunteers helping out and one of them grabbed her hand and was just trotting along with her, when really Makenna is fast! We were anxious to see how she would do in a group, but she really never got the chance. Oh well, I guess it's good that she didn't fall and scrap up her knees like most days, but it was still a slight let down. I have videos, but they aren't that great. Here are some pictures of them before and after the race.

VACATION DAY 6 (Cont.) - Marine Land

Makenna petting the Beluga Whale
Mark petting the Beluga Whale

Grandma and Makenna watching the Killer Whale Show

Mark, Grandma, and Makenna watching the Dolphins

Part of the Dolphin Show

This is how close we got to the Killer Whale...it was so cool!

After visiting Niagara Falls, we decided to take the kids to Marine Land. My mom had gone with my sister a few months back and thought Mark and Makenna would enjoy it. They definitely did. They got to see a show with Dolphins, Sea Otters, Sea Lions, and a Walrus, then went on to see a show with a Killer Whale, and finally finished up with a visit to the Beluga Whales where they actually got to pet one and feed it! That was definitely the highlight of their day. Makenna was all about it. But as we all know, the girl has no fear. She loved it. Mark was a little more hesitant, throwing the fish as fast as he could into it's mouth. Makenna would have probably stuck her hand in it's mouth to feed it if we would have let her! Mark said at the end of the day his favorite part was, "getting sprayed by the Orca Whale and petting the Beluga Whale." My mom, dad, Makenna and I made sure we stayed far away when the whale was getting everyone wet, but Mark wanted to be in the action and actually asked Matthew to take him over there so he could get sprayed too! My children sure like Drama! (We couldn't ask Makenna b/c she was asleep at the end of the day...thank goodness! But later all she could talk about was the "white -beluga whales!")

VACATION DAY 6 - NIAGARA FALLS, CANADA

This is how close the boat gets to the bottom of the Falls
Mark and Grandma heading out (Mark didn't look so sure)

Grandpa and Makenna

Makenna and Mommy after getting soaked

Mark after we got back up in front of the Falls

Makenna in front of the Falls

So Much Love!

Since we have been home for a week now, I guess I should try to finish up posts about our vacation that we had a couple weeks ago. On our third day in Canada, we decided to take the kids to Niagara Falls. Matthew didn't go with us last year and neither did my dad. We decided that it would be fun to go on the "Maid of the Mist" which is the boat that takes you right up to the falls. We all put on our blue ponchos and headed out. It was really cool being able to go up almost right to the edge of the falls. We all obviously got completely soaked, but it was a blast! The kids loved seeing it again and I'm sure they will keep talking about it for a long time just like last year!

VACATION DAY 5 (CONT...) - RIBFEST - Burlington, ON

We went to a Ribfest in Burlington, Ontario Friday night. We found the bounce house area for the kids right away and they had a great time going through the different ones. But then right outside of the bounce house was a HUGE Rock Wall and Mark wanted to climb it. At first he was a little nervous, but shortly after he got the hand of it and was flying up it. As he was getting to the very tip top he made the mistake of looking down and was again a little nervous to proceed, but with a little encouragement from all of us, he made it. We were so proud of him! I know I could never do that! As far as food goes, it had about 30 different choices for Ribs and about 15 or 20 more for other food. We ate at a place called Boss Hogs which had won the year before and it was just phenomenal. We all had a great time and we finished off the night with a walk back to the car along Lake Ontario. It was such a beautiful night!

VACATION - DAY 5 (THE PARK)

Mark spraying Makenna with the water shield
Trying to get water in the buckets

So Big standing on the Big Rocks

My Beauty

Hanging by the tree

Standing by the same tree - what a view!

On last Friday my mom and I decided that the kids needed a break in between days with Big Attractions so we decided to take them to a nearby park. This park was very nice though and allowed the kids to do so much in one place. They had sand underneath the playset so they could either play on the playground, or play in the sand with sand toys. They also had a water area where the kids could push buttons and run through the water. This was extra fun for Mark b/c it was a "castle" theme water area where he could hold the big sheild and squirt the water at Makenna. The other nice part was that it sits right next to Lake Ontario. It has such a great view and Mark and Makenna had yet another place to throw rocks. They had such a great day and it was nice to let them run around.

VACATION - DAY 4 (TORONTO, CANADA)

Toronto, Canada (The CN Tower is on the Left)
Grandma and Makenna at dinner in the Tower

Mark enjoying the view from the tower

Mark riding his Pony

Makenna riding her pony (with Grandma by her side)

Mark and Makenna driving the Firetruck

Matt, Mark, and my Mom riding the Log Flume

Mark driving the boat

Makenna riding the Carousal

After we picked Mark up from school on Wednesday we headed straight up to Oakville, Ontario to see my parents. We got in around 7:30pm. We let the kids run around a little and then put them to bed because we knew we had a busy 3 days planned ahead.

We decided to take them into Toronto and take them on a Ferrey Boat to the islands they have. They have an Amusement Park called Centerville that is more for little kids. It was so nice. Mark and Makenna both got to ride all the rides. Sometimes they had to have one of us adults with them, but they could go on everything in the park (except for the bumper cars, which I was fine with). They also had pony rides and this time we got Makenna to ride one. The only stipulation was that "Grandma has to hold my hand." But she did great. She also loved riding the rollarcoasters and going on the rides in the dark! My mom said that when they were on the ride, she kept saying, "Go Faster!" I think I definitely have a little DareDevil on my hands. She wasn't scared once. Mark loved it all too and we just had a great day there. After leaving the park we took the Ferrey back into Toronto and went to eat at the Restaurant in the CN Tower. (This is an 1800 ft. tower that is the largest in North America) It is called the 360 because it moves around in a circle and you can see a fantastic view of Toronto. We saw Lake Ontario, The Rogers Center (The Baseball Field), and the part that Mark and Makenna liked the most was watching all of the airplanes fly into the airport that is right off of the lake. One was even a Sea Plane that landed in the lake! They were amazed! We had a long, but great day. The kids slept very well!

VACATION - DAY 3 (Mark's 1st Day of School)

Mommy and Mark (This is when we picked him up)
Mark and Daddy

Makenna started crying when we left Mark.

She wanted to go to school with him. We told

her that she can go next year.

Mark and Adison in the classroom

Mark getting ready to go into school

Makenna and Mark at home before we left

Mark had his first day of Pre-K on Wednesday. He was so excited. He ran right in to his classroom. Other kids were hanging on their mom's not wanting them to leave, but not my social son. When I asked him how his first day was when we left, all he said was, "I played in the gym." I asked what he did in the gym and he said, "played with the scooter boards." I asked if he did anything else and all he said was, "played with Adison and Rhede." I couldn't get anything else out of him. Hopefully next week I will be able to find out more!