Just some random pics from the past few weeks - I haven't had the chance to download everything off my camera until recently, so I finally did that and organized them into their respective folders! Enjoy & have a fabulous weekend!

We love hanging out with the Combs' - and the kids have now formed their very own "Rock Band". They really are precious to watch! Look out Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers, this group is the next big thing!!!

After a very rough day of playing, Evan and Blake take a snooze - so cute!

Blake is armed and ready for attack. Playing gun wars is a favorite around here.
A few weeks ago, Blake and I went on a field trip with his school to bowl. Not quite as easy as the Wii, but Blake actually got very good at it.

Just a family Sunday...

Today was just a day to spend with the family. Shawn had heard of this indoor amusement type place in Lafayette Square's mall - so we decided to head over and see what it was like.

Now let me tell you - if you want a fairly inexpensive place (and I mean cheaper than a day at Kings Island or Carribbean Cove or Dave & Buster's) to have a ton of fun for hours and hours - this is the place. It's called XScape and for $4.99/child and only $8.49/adult - it was worth it.

Now granted, you can spend a lot more b/c the attractions (mini-bowling, putt putt golf, rides, 4-D theatre, go-karts, bumper cars, etc... are all extra (yet still not bad - go-karts were $5 and bumper cars, mini bowling and putt putt $3), as are the arcade games. But included in the price is an all-you-can-eat buffet, drink and dessert station - and it was good - pizza, pastas, salad bar, cookies, cakes and ice cream sundae station, soda, etc... They also have 3 places to eat. You can choose from a Sports Bar, Cartoonland and Movie Theatre (yes, both playing either cartoons or movies with HUGE screens like in the cinemas - we watched part of Journey to the Center of the Earth). You can also play in one of those jumpy things and a climbing thing which is included. We got a card and loaded it up with some cash and it lasted us hours. Oh - and check their specials - if you go on Sunday when they open at 11am, they have 1/2 price attractions until 2pm - so we really made out by riding the rides and stuff before going on to the arcade.

So, as you can see below - it made for a great, rainy Sunday afternoon!

This kinda reminded me a little bit of duckpin bowling - the boys (and even myself) had a good time playing this. We probably played 5-6 games. The boys did really well.

Evan and Daddy wanted to go onto bigger and better things (go-karts), so Grant, Blake and I stayed to play a few more rounds.

Playing on the Pirates of the Carribbean Adventure. Kind-of like a McDonald's Playland type thing.

Blake loved the bouncy house - he spent quite a bit of time jumping around in here!

Daddy, Grant and Evan were lovin' the bumper cars. Here you can see Daddy and Evan pretty good, but I only got Grant's leg in between the two of them as he was turning his around as I took this shot.

The older boys in their element - the go-karts!

Grant's 7th Birthday - Valentine's Day

I'm a little behind on posting these pics - but this past Saturday (Valentine's Day) was Grant's 7th Birthday. I was a little worried about having his party on his actual birthday - fearing that many of his friends might not be able to come due to the "holiday", but he had 15 friends show up to his laser tag party, so he couldn't have been more excited! Here are a few shots from the day...

Getting his VIP armband at the laser tag counter.

Grant with some of his party guests in the party area.

What little boy doesn't like opening presents?!?!

After the laser tag party we headed to church, then went to the RAM for dinner (if you're interested, kids eat for $1 the entire month of February!!!). We've known the manager there for years, so she gave Grant this huge dessert called the Mile High Pie for his birthday - all 5 of us ate it and we still couldn't finish it!!!

Friday the 13th Cycle-A-Thon at the YMCA

Every year the YMCA hosts a fundraising campaign to raise money for kids who can't afford their programs. It's called the Strong Kids Campaign - because the YMCA will NEVER turn away someone because of their inability to pay.

Part of this campaign is the Cycle-A-Thon. Shawn has been a Spinning instructor practically since the day I met him. He's been working as an instructor at the Y for about 7 or 8 years now, and since it's tough economically for everyone this year - he wanted to step up the sponsorship goals of those who take his classes. He said that IF the people who took his classes raised $2000 by the time his session took place on Friday the 13th at 5:30 pm, he would shave his head immediately following the class. Well, we did it (thanks Bruce and John - they definitely upped the stakes and pushed us all to make it happen)! The Strong Kids have everyone who contributed to thank!!! And honey - you look really cute bald!!!

Bruce, Shawn and John - the "before" look!

Denise thanking everyone before Shawn's session started.

Yep, we love you and taking your class Shawn - and we can't wait to see you get your head shaved!!!

The crowd begins to gather - and our kids get a front row seat to see daddy lose his hair!

Our friend Travis gets to do the honors - he's a baldy by choice too, so he had all the proper tools! Evan doesn't look too sure in the background - but he thought dad did a good thing! Blake was just enjoying the free pizza!

First line going, going, gone...

We figure this is what Shawn will look like in 20 years when just the top part of his head is without hair! hahaha!

The finished product!!!

Sandra made this awesome cookie cake - we both came up with the concept of making the cookie the shape of his head (with his blond highlights) and having it say "No More Hair 'Cuz You Care!" It was all for the Y kids!!!

You look great babe!!! Everyone at the Y appreciates what you did for them!!!

Valentine's Day Party at Preschool

Today I went in to help out at Blake's preschool - he was pretty excited about their Valentine's Day party - so here are a few shots of him and his classmates having a good time!

Blake - ready to party!
"Fishing" for hearts.
Look at those cute little hands folded in prayer before he ate his cupcake!!!
Blake's table of friends.
Gotta love the games!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVAN!!!

In addition to my "old lady" aches and sprains - I have one more reason to feel quite old today! My very first baby is 11!!!

It's been a busy day so far - we've been to laser tag, had a pizza party when we came back, a little tag and guns, then Evan's requested chocolate chip cookie cake! I think I'm holding up pretty well for 4 hours of chaos (and some of them are still going strong as I type). But overall, it's been a pretty good day for Evan.

As for me, I'm taking it all in pretty slow. I wasn't even in labor with him yet this time 11 years ago (well, I kinda was, I just didn't know it at the time). So, until 10:46pm, he's still 10 to me (and even that is too old for my liking)!!!

So how did he go from this cute little baby . . .

To this giant human being???

Evan and his friends in the briefing room at Xsite Laser Tag.

Evan's friends raise a toast to him - it was pretty cute actually. Some said "to the best friend ever" and another said "to the best party ever".

Opening gifts. Bakugan and gift cards, he couldn't have been any happier!!!

The group from L to R: Justin, Evan, Ryan, Max, Joe & Ben

As if they weren't jacked up enough from sugar soda and pizza - it was time to actually eat the frosted giant cookie!

Need A Vacation NOW!!!

Okay, this cold snowy weather is for the birds - literally!

Lately we've had nothing but freezing cold temperatures, little to no sunshine, and most recently - a flock of black birds hanging in and around the yards in our neighborhood. Seriously, it looks like I'm in that old Alfred Hitchcock movie "The Birds" - a little freaky!

So, here are the places we'll be going in the next 6 months - and it seriously can't come soon enough! I was hoping to copy and paste pictures, but the websites won't let you do that, so you'll have to click on the red links below!

For Spring Break, we'll be heading down to Gatlinburg once again with our best friends, the Cassidy's. Last year we had an amazing time, so this year we're going for a longer period of time (a whole week instead of just 4 days) and we got a bigger cabin. We almost got one with an indoor pool - which would've totally rocked - but we decided to wait until the kids are just a little older. I'm sure they'll have plenty to do with the pool table, air hockey, games, Wii, firepit, etc... and we plan to do a lot more hiking this year. Linda and I are most looking forward to the outlet shopping again - we got some awesome stuff last year! So if you want to see where we're staying this time around - click here The picture below is where we stayed last year! If you've never used Majestic Mountain Vacations - we HIGHLY recommend them! The cabins are amazing, clean and look JUST LIKE the pictures!

In July, we'll be heading back to Hilton Head for our annual family trip. My parents rent a beachhouse (and I mean - RIGHT on the beach) for the whole family. We're staying at this house again! It's perfect for all 11 of us and is so close to the beach. The picture below (and the title picture at the top of my blog) was one we took on the deck of this house the last time we went - so you can see how close we are. It's so nice to lay in the pool (I'm not much of a "lie on the beach in a bunch of sand" type person) and listen to the waves! Again, I gotta put a plug in for our friends at The Vacation Company in HHI- they are always such a help - anything you need, theyll come running!

So here's to warmer weather and vacationing away from the "blahs" of normal, everyday life! I'M READY!!!

The Road of Frustration

This picture of Blake showing me his "muscles" is perfect for this post! It clearly describes how I've been feeling this past week . . . FRUSTRATED!

Don't get me wrong - I'm blessed by a lot of things, but when things aren't going the way you want them to, it's - well, frustrating!

I had been doing really well with my new diet and workout routines: running, spinning, elyptical, weight training. It was halted quite suddenly this past Sunday afternoon after injuring my ankle after a long run (well, long for me anyway, 4 miles). As the days passed, I still couldn't walk very well. The pain got so bad on Thurday that I finally bit the proverbial bullet and went to a foot/ankle doc at Ortho Indy (very cool doc by the way - how could he not be, he's a Buckeye fan!!!).

They found nothing seriously wrong in the xrays - so they put me in an air cast for "the next 1-2 weeks" and sent me for an MRI this morning. I hope to have results early this week, but I have to admit this has bummed me out huge! I mean who wants to have "possible" chipped cartilege and "possible" surgery if that's what it is? Not me, I've had enough "bone" surgeries to last me a lifetime (if you haven't heard about my arm story after trying to catch Blake when he was 1 from falling down our stairs, you probably DON'T want to hear about it . . . long nasty story).

So anyway. Guess I'm just trying to decide what I'm supposed to be learning from this experience. There are so many other bigger things to worry about - or maybe that's the problem, maybe I shouldn't be "worrying" about them at all and just trying to listen to what God is trying to tell me through this. I've been so busy lately, that maybe I'm being slowed down for a reason.

I'm still bummed - I'd like to look good for my trips to Gatlinburg and Hilton Head, and for my 20th High School Reunion coming up this fall, and I've actually re-grown to love working out - but I'm trying to be open to the other "reasons" this has happened, and hopefully I'll learn something from it. Just another valley to go through - maybe by next week, I'll be climbing that road to the mountain top - with a new and fresh perspective!!!

Have a great week & thanks for listening to me get this off my ankle - I mean chest! Hahaha!!!

Happy New Year & Ice Skating

Happy New Year everyone!!! Here's to hoping for a great 2009!!!

We started off the new year with our best friends in Cincinnati - the Cassidy's, and invited our former neighbors - the Sluder's, to join us. It's awesome to keep in touch with all our old buddies! We had a great time as our kids had fun playing together while the girls kicked some boy bootie in Euchre and Cranium.

Today we were invited to the Smith Annual Skating Party down at the Pan Am Plaza in downtown Indy. Their extended family rent out the entire rink for about 400 friends. They serve up cookies and hot chocolate, and we skate until we can't skate any more! It was a ton of fun as it is every year.

The New Year's gang: Kevin & Linda Cassidy; me & Shawn; Jaime and Barb Sluder

Evan didn't want to skate, but he thoroughly enjoyed the hot chocolate with Blake!

Blake couldn't wait to get on the ice - mommy was a little wobbly though!

He caught on quick though!

Grant practiced with the cones, but was a pro in no time. He went around the entire rink by himself while daddy helped Blake.

Grant wants to take skating lessons to play hockey - might have to look into that!

More Christmas 2008

A rarity that the whole Elmlinger family is actually all together in the same room!!! Usually there is at least another city, state or country inbetween us all! Clockwise from Left: My mom, brother-in-law Mark, sister Melissa, brother Greg, hubby Shawn, me, Grant, cousin Kyle, Blake, Evan, & my dad.
The 4 and only cousins - together again!!!

Santa's little helpers!
2 peas in a pod - Kyle and Blake watching Wall E.

My cousins (so that would be my kids' 2nd cousins I think) from the Phillipines and London: Evan, Kristen, Morgan and JP
We have always said that Blake looks just like JP - if you put a picture of when JP was 4 next to Blake, you can't tell them apart - here is partial proof, that even though there is a 10 year age gap between them, they still look alike - guess those Lafferty genes run strong!
The girls! Morgan just turned 21 and is studying at Middlesex University in London and Kristen just turned 18 and will graduate soon from Brent International in the Phillipines. She's awaiting word on several universities here in the States to attend for college.
My Uncle Jim (top left on the couch with my brother Greg) has worked for P&G forever overseas - just in case you're wondering why my cousins have lived all over the world. The newest addition to the Lafferty clan is Kenji - he is the sweetest, most adorable little boy ever. He fit right in with Blake and Kyle too, playing cars!!!