My FIRST update!!!!

I just love being able to share these photos..... The top photo is DARWIN. He is our Sulcatta tortoise, and is a direct descendant of the Galapagos tortoise. Kate and Molly do enjoy decorating his shell, and he never seems bothered by the activity. We have had him since 2000, and my Grandmother dearly loved watching him toddle around in an aquarium. He was roughly the size of a ping pong ball when I got him for Molly as a gift for excellent behavior at the doctors office; and Darwin has grown to be about 8 lbs now and 12 inches from top to bottom of his shell. He's like the family dog, only a bit slower - but with JUST as much personality! When he is full grown (in 20 years) we are planning to ride him around the yard. Anyone who would like to be added to the waiting list now may submit their names to me.

The picture of Molly and me was taken a few months ago, and it is one of my favorites. This is Molly's AMAZING smile I was bragging about in my previous post. I mention Molly's smile so often these days because she has an appointment with the orthodontist in one week for a consult on "stage 1" of her orthodontic work. Molly will undoubtedly have a $20,000 smile by the time this is all said and done - and while I can't help but be glad for her, I will say I have grown quite attached to the "crooked little smile" she currently has. Anyone who remembers Molly as an infant will recall she was born with a very prominent "cow-lick" in the middle of her forehead, and a blue vein across the bridge of her nose. The thing Molly loves most about this particular photo is you can easily see both of them. Molly will tell you that her two favorite features about herself are her cowlick and her vein. She says they make her special and no one else in her school looks like her. I love it! Those are also two of my favorite features on Molly.... but anyone who knows me, knows I am a sucker for big brown eyes - and BOTH of my girls have them! How awesome is that???

We have a trip to Niagara falls planned for this weekend, and I have to say I am wildly excited about the awesome experience we will undoubtedly have! We vacation there at least twice a summer, and last summer we took Molly's friend 'A' with us, as our birthday gift to her. "A" will be returning with us this year, and Molly is elated about that! (As am I.... she is just an awesome, awesome kid!) New to our agenda this year: I will be bringing one of my girlfriends with me (YAY) who has triplet girls almost exactly Kate's age! Yep... we're heading to Canada with 6 kids...four "preschoolers" and two "Tweens". In preparation for this trip, I purchased six rubber ducks (as is tradition) to "swim over the falls" as Kate likes to say. Quite unsuspectingly, I heard the water running a few evenings ago and almost simultaneously realized Kate was missing. I followed the sound and when I walked into the kitchen, found Kate standing on her stool, leaning over the sink and saying "Come on, you can do it!" very emphatically. Kate was teaching the ducks how to swim. She decided they needed to practice for the falls.... after all, it IS a bunch of water! ..... That's my girl!!!!!