Springtime with the Markers

Wow...we've been having some good times lately. Ellie celebrated her fifth birthday in early April at a Build-a-Bear birthday party with her girlfriends. Bo decided to tag along for the fun and that was a good call because the cupcakes were pretty tasty.

Then, we made a trip to Chicago with the Webers. The kids hit the Children's Museum, the Shedd Aquarium and Rainforest Cafe. When Dad got off work, we had a great dinner at the Athenian Room too. Yum.

When June rolled around, we loaded up the family truckster and headed east to see Aunt Wilma and Uncle Billy on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We had lots of good times at the beach and in the pool. But, the highlight was a fishing trip in Uncle Billy's new boat. Bo and Ellie were both able to reel a few fish in and we were able to eat some of the Spanish Mackerel we caught.

Spring sure was fun. Here are a few pictures. We can't wait for summer.

Pool Party

Beach Bums

Thanks Uncle Billy

Fun Times on OBX

Another Big Catch

The Big Catch

OBX Fishing Trip

Gone Fishing

Playtime

Chicago with the Webers

Birthday Party with Friends

Ellie's Build-a-Bear Party

Good Times With Family and Friends

February and March were full of parties and celebrations. We started February mourning the loss of Great Grandpa Routh, but it turned into a celebration with so many people coming together to honor him and his life. Family came in from around the country and we all enjoyed being together. R.I.P. Grandpa.

Then, we celebrated Bo's fifth birthday. He had a slew of friends over to the house for his sports-themed party. Everyone took a whack at the pinata and his birthday cake didn't stand a chance. Later that same week, we had family over and Bo reeled in lots of great gifts. It was fun and Bo particularly enjoyed having two birthday cakes. So did everyone else.

In March, we went downtown with the Chastains and had a great time duckpin bowling. The kids loved it and we all enjoyed heading over to Santorinis for Greek food after the games. It's always fun to see Jeanette at Santorinis. Opa!

Then, Bo begrudgingly joined a group of girls (including his sister) for a viewing of Cinderella at Indy's Tech High School. The girls loved the show and Bo was happy when it was all over.

We wrapped up March with a birthday party for Morgan, Mike and Ellie. We all had a great time, but Ellie was the most excited in the bunch when she opened a present and found a big ring inside. Morgan has a big ring too, so Ellie thinks she's pretty cool now walking around like her teenage niece.

We're glad spring is finally here and we'll be spending a lot more time outside in the weeks ahead. Take care.

Check Out My Bling

Like My New Dress?

Birthday Girls and Boy

Bo & Uncle Gary

Bo's First Shave

Kids @ School

Ellie Goes Duckpin Bowling

Cinderella Viewing Party

Two Cakes? Yum!

Bo Knows Hoops

Party Boys

Found: One Missing Camera

Hey...we're back. Bo turned into a little photographer over the holidays and he was shooting pictures of everything in sight. All was going well until he decided to hide our camera under a teddy bear at Grammy's house. Then, just days before we were going to go buy a new camera, Grammy found the missing camera. Hooray.

So, now we are back in the game. We don't have any pictures from our Christmas parties in Indy and Anderson. And we don't have any pictures of our New Year's Eve party with the Burkes and the Albers. But, we do have some fun shots of the kids building a snowman, making snow angels, playing basketball and attending a birthday party for their friend, Alex.

See you soon.

Getting Frosty Started

Frosty Takes Shape

Introducing Frosty the Snowman

Snow Angels

Bounce Passing with Papi

Bo and Papi

Now You See Me...

Now You Don't

Swim Party

That Boy Can Eat

Alex's Party - She's Five

Party Girls

Wow...That Was Fun Wasn't It?

Bo summed up our trip to DisneyWorld by saying, "wow, that was fun wasn't it?"

It sure was. Our family trip to DisneyWorld was a great time. We took in all the sights, rides and shows at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Then, we spent a few days enjoying Downtown Disney, the Boardwalk and the pool at our hotel.

We had a blast and the pictures really tell the story.

October Fun

We had a lot of fun in October. The kids hosted a big fall party with a bounce house and other fun games. Bo represented the family well in the sack race. And the kids both put their all into a heated tug-of-war battle. Nice work, little people.

Then, we went up to Ft. Wayne to see Grandma and Grandpa Marker. That was a great trip and the kids really enjoyed going to a fall party and bonfire with their Grammy and Papa.

We also had a great time on Halloween at our big neighborhood party. The kids went on a hayride and spent nearly two hours knocking on more than 40 doors. They even brought in enough candy for Mom and Dad to get in on the action.

The kids also spent some time at St. Vincent Hospital in October visiting their Papi and helping him recover from open-heart surgery. Papi stayed at our house for a week after he left the hospital and we had fun spending some extra time with him.

Enjoy our pictures. We head to Disneyworld later in November and we're all looking forward to a fun trip. Be well.

Sack (er...garbage bag) Race

Ready for Candy