Happy Birthday Charlotte!

She is 20 years old, surely that is impossible! Where has the time gone? I have no idea! What I do know is that 2/16/93 was one of the 4 best days of my life! My little girl, I was so happy to have another one...(though true confession here, by the time baby number four was set to arrive I was done with hairdo and hoping for another crew-cut!) Since my sister is my heart, I wanted to have that for Molly, and that is what GOD gave me. (though another true confession...they haven't got the friend thing down yet, but I am hopeful!) Born at 1:19pm on a Tuesday during a little snowstorm with the easiest labor of them all(Thanks honey!) at a whopping 7 lbs 1 oz she was a cute and cuddly gift. Molly and Jake were both thrilled with their new baby. In fact Molly came to the hospital to see her that evening and she kept poking her and yelling "AA DA!"  and then petting her. I'm not sure she knew what she was or that she was coming home with us, but she loved her! And Jake was a wonderful big brother, he played with her, and used that cute high voice to get her attention. We were blessed!
This weekend we celebrated her Charlotte-ness just like we do every year! Friday was a school holiday so we had friends over for lunch and a movie. Annie, Kel and Heather were invited to enjoy cheese pizza (lent!) salad and caramel birthday cake and then head to the theatre to see Safe Haven, the new Nicholas Sparks movie. (review-if you liked the Notebook and Dear John you will love it, it is pretty much the same content!) 

Annie and Molly play with Cassie

Charlotte and Kel

Charlotte and Heather

Later we headed to a Lenten Fish Fry at St. Joes in Howell. Charlotte gave the mac/cheese two thumbs up! Today Charlotte ran a 5K around the 'hood with Jer, Molly and Harry the dog,

went to the snowshoe "wrap party" then came home to host friends for dessert and then attend a dance and choir event at BHS. Her favourites, The BHS Drumline also performed, much to her surprise and joy! Tomorrow the Pink Panthers take to the hardwood for another tourney, and then we will celebrate with just the family when Danny gets home from his weekend campout. Charlotte is having an Aplus weekend, which is just what she deserves!

Cassie and I baked Black Bottom cupcakes
I taught her the essential skill of "licking the beaters!"

I think she's mastered it!

Laura, Hannah, Birthday girl, Shawne, Annie, Sophie, Leah and Molly

Leah made Charlotte a snake bookmark

At the theatre! Great show!

Happy Valentines Day!

Chocolate hearts on the kitchen table for the kids, Toblerone for Jerry and two little sesame street guys for Cassie. And warm banana chocolate chip muffins. It's a good day!
Then it started.....

• Polar Plunge meeting for two hours, and then emails and phone calls all day long,
• phone calls with Shawne re:scouts and the upcoming honor court
• baby playing and walking and singing and reading and changing
• dog walking and playing
• school walking and fetching
• Party planning for both our Friday movie party and our Saturday dance event including emails and phone calls to Mom's, helpers and guests.
• dinner prep (chicken tacos and homemade tortilla chips!) serving and cleanup. Still have no dishwasher, but who has time to shop for a new one?!
• bake a birthday cake!

Then it ended....And soon it was 8pm and time to settle the troops. Walk the dogs (skunk smell in the air-no Harry!) sing to the baby(favourite moment? oh yeah!) make my schedule for tomorrow so I don't forget anything! and you know what? It was a good day!!

 

 

We can't say Goodbye to our snowshoes yet!

The girls have finished the 2013 Snowshoe Season in wonderful form. They are state champs! Today they decided to take the whole family out for a snowshoe hike at Huron Meadows metro park. The weather was perfect, a warm 33 degrees, and a great snow pack on the ground. Rain was predicted so we were at the park by 11, following a big tuck in of blueberry pancakes and sausage.  Shades of a team practice, I found myself on my knees checking everyone's straps and fit! Cassandra and Harry do not have snowshoes (yet) but everyone else got set and ready to hike. As we set out we realized that the trail follows the Huron River for a good stretch and it is so pretty. We did the trail twice, and only saw one couple, otherwise it was a private path. We were able to let Harry off his leash to roam, and he loved that! All those woods smells make a dog heaven! Cassie really enjoyed the snow, she kept dipping her hand in it, tasting it and laughing. we towed her on the sled or piggybacked her, and she was happy through the whole hike. She is as easy going as our kids, which is great. We are trying to focus on family activities on Sundays so this worked out perfectly.

a great way to travel!

Huron Meadows is only 10 minutes from the house,yet you feel like you are up north

we made it to the top!

the river doesn't freeze here but it does on the lakes

snacking!

running!

Winter Games an Amazing Success

Our room! Erin snored, but we love her anyway!
Let the Games begin!

Molly and Sgt Paine

Fabulous dining at the Grand Traverse Resort
Derrick,Charlotte, Teague,Coach Michelle,Erin and Gary

and Annie and Cam!
Everyone loves the food, especially the cream puffs!

getting ready for the rowing competition

Molly enters the competition. Chatting with Michelle in the background
is her high school track teammate, Chelsea Minnock, now a CMU student volunteer.
She was so happy to see Molly!

Molly brown noses the Area Director

Cotton eye PJ!

Helping the team warm up

Gary Joe and Charlotte stretch and get ready for time trials

Coaches photo op!

the distance runners walk the course to get mentally ready for the run!

Molly and a couple of volunteers at the My Chance to Dance program
what a blast!

ZUMBA! With Erin,Annie,Viv,Molly,Charlotte and Joe
every time I made an air Z, Joe would give his crazy loud giggle. So much fun!

Fox and Coyote hats on the sled dog demonstrators. Aren't they neat?

Annie and Charlotte visit with the Saint Bernard's who came o visit with the athletes.

Joe and Molly are enjoying the craft room

check this out- we have a banner! I know our family loves SO, and I hope our banner inspires them!

Molly and a couple of our guys who are deploying this month. they are National Guard MP's
and we thank them for their service.

Retired Sargent Major in his awesome army jacket. he has been at all the SO games since the program began in MI

Molly gave a welcome and thanks speech to the Wertz Warriors. She did a great job.
I do have it taped so if you want to see it, let me know!

more warrior fans :)

our crazy winter games contingent

COACHES! Can't touch them!

couple of the year Nick and Kel, enjoy the dance

G-Plane

Erin walked in the warrior entrance parade, and you can see how excited she was!

With the exception of the two soldiers up front, this unit is deploying to Afghanistan for a year.
May GOD keep them in the palm of his hand.

My snowshoe girls!

Molly is still breathing hard after a fast 400, she is the gold medalist in the State!
Charlotte took the silver, no slouch that! Good coaching!

all that good running with PJ set the girls up for victory

Will, snowshoe crew announcer for years now, and our special guy, was on hand to award Molly her medal.
He announced "And taking home the MI state gold medal, from area 27, she's a Pisces with the best birthday ever, Molly Hincka!" can you guess which day his birthday is?!

Teague and Charlotte warm up in between events

Beth, another one of our guards, hanging out and cheering on the athletes

"you wish you were a snowshoer, ooo,aaah!"

The G-plane takes off!

what a proud smile

Charlotte in the starting gate

she took off in the 200, and never looked back. she owned the race!

Molly did great, but there was no chance against Charlotte in this one

the 200 race with Sargent Paine-each girls won a gold and a silver and that is a Mom/Coaches ideal outcome!

Charlotte's pants were the talk of the finish line college volunteers!

a big hug from Paine

was this when Charlotte decided she would win the 200 later that day??!!

i led a little lobby Zumba with Joe, we had to warm up the athletes!

The End!