A Happy Easter! by Lori

What a gorgeous day! We had beautiful weather for egg hunts, and the Easter Bunny was very generous to the kids...too generous...there is now way too much candy around the house again! It was so nice to spend the day with our loved ones. Julie and Brian cooked a lovely ham with all the fixin's and we then enjoyed more delicious food at Carole's house later in the afternoon. The kids had a great time all day, playing with all their cousins, who all looked just precious in their Easter finery.




We absolutely have the CUTEST kids in our family...they are all just so adorable!!


We hope that your Easter brightened your life, as you head into springtime. Hopefully the winter weather is finally breaking and giving us some nice days ahead! No more snow....please!!!!

April is Autism Awareness Month: by Lori

In support of the autistic kiddos that I work with in my school and district, I have joined this worthwhile cause. They have really touched my life over the past 3 years of working closely with them.

Did you know...

*Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first 3 years of life.
* Autism is a result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain, impacting the development in social interaction and communication skills.
*Autism is a 'spectrum disorder' that affects each individual differently and at varying degrees.

Please join me in my fight to make a difference in the lives of the more than 1 million Americans living with autism today. Here is a link to our support page:

http://www.walknowforautism.org/chicago/klozikfamily?faf=1&e=2350291955

Thanks for your support!

Vote for Audree!

Shannon just entered Audree into the Great American Photo Contest, and Audree needs your vote. The photo with the most votes wins the monthly prize of 2,500.00.

Please go to the URL below to vote for Audree:

http://www.greatamericanphotocontest.com/voter1/index_c.aspx?referid=EmailFriends_AB2&p=1241242&=.jpg

Birthdays and Sleepovers, Oh My!! by Lori

Well, we got through the rainy weekend in one piece, though we are all a little tired. It started on Sat with a small get together for Mama's 65th and Daddy's 66th bdays. Another year to celebrate and what a blessing that is!
My cousin Micky and his 3 girls came to visit also, which was a real treat. EIGHT kids were running around, but surprisingly very little yelling and/or fighting! What joy! Mama was looking her beautiful and vibrant self, taking all the drama in stride. She even had enough energy to take the boys overnight for a sleepover. They had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa. Lots of game playing and laughs!




There were LOTS of pretty girls at the party!!




Meanwhile, we had our own 'girls only' sleepover at our house. Poor Lou...but to his credit, he toughed it out!
There was lots of creativity going on including canvas painting, moon sand sculptures, pixos creations, drawing and even an impromptu 'art show'. Needless to say, we were all very sleepy Monday morning. But it was well worth it.




And we even managed to come through all the rain with no flooding in the basement. Yeah!







Sometimes life is ALL GOOD!

41 WHAT??!! by Lori

I know, I know...I haven't updated the blog in a month. It has taken me that long to come to terms with the number 41...as in, I am now 41 years old! Last year's 'age change' took a little getting used to, but I am now on the WRONG side of 40. It just seems so weird to me...I just don't feel it in my head, even though the paperwork says so! So thank goodness, I got to celebrate at Julie and Brian's with a little pizza, a few pomagranite drinks, family and assorted goofy poker games. After a few of those fruity drinks, that new age just didn't seem important. Having fun with my loved ones and staying 'young at heart' is! Plus, I heard that 40 is now considered the 'new 30', so at least that's something! :)

A Surprise 30th Birthday Party for Justine! by Lori

This weekend, Jake threw Justine a surprise party to celebrate her big '3 - 0'! Wait a minute! Our beautiful Justine doesn't look a day over 21! I guess that's what happens when you have 2 sweet kids and a loving hubby...it just melts the years away! I still can't believe how fast the years go. When I first met her, she was like 7...just a baby herself. Darn it, now I feel old.

Well, we wish her many more happy years to come! Luv ya Justine!

I love this pic...the balloons are bigger than Savannah!

Roman Turns 3 Years Old! by Lori

We had the pleasure of celebrating our nephew, Roman's, 3rd birthday on Sunday. Everyone had a great time - especially the kids - with yummy food, and a Spiderman themed cake and pinata! It was so fun to see the kids all running around and playing together - with no one getting hurt (too much)! We then got to watch the Superbowl too!

Thanks to Vince and Meg, for having us all over. Meg, the food was delicious!

What a cutie pie!! I still can't believe how fast they all grow!! As a parent, you wish you could freeze time. We know that's not possible, so we try to enjoy each moment with them. But it does make life so bitter-sweet sometimes!