SANTA!

Kate and Dean with Santa

Dean LOVED the cookies -- sprinkles are a super hit in our house.

Kate and her daddy decorating cookies. This is actually a tradition that Todd has with the kids. It was an added bonus to get to decorate cookies at church. But, starting the day after Thanksgiving Todd and the kids make cookies (on several occasions) leading up to Christmas. It is not just the cookie baking that is the tradition. It is the icing, then more icing, then sprinkles, then more sprinkles, then that third kind of sprinkles - that they top on them. By the time they are done there is more icing/sprinkles than cookie. It generally takes three containers to keep the cookies in b/c there is so much icing you can't stack them. Yes, we love our traditions.

Lil' Jenny's Wedding

On November 15 we attended the wedding of Todd's littlest sister, Jennifer to Drew. It was a great event. Kate was a proper young flower girl and did her best to keep Dean in line - but as a young Todd she had more to handle than she was able. Dean looked quite handsome in his little tux. During the ceremony he truly entertained the entire church - making the winking face, then mouthing like the preacher. Todd and I could barely pay attention to the ceremony for laughing at Dean. It was truly a memorable experience.

The Wisenbaker siblings. Need I say more.

Our family

Kate, Dean and Pappi's "mean faces".

By this point (reception) Dean had his fill. Jacket gone and on with the cake.

Kate was a sweet proper little lady through the entire day.

Superstar!

Dean got to play soccer this fall and did excellent.

Big shock. Our little jock has Todd's natural sport abilities.

HALLOWEEN 2008!!

This year we had a great Halloween. Kate was Jasmine and Dean was Superman. Oct. 31 fell on a Friday Todd had a football game so the kiddos and I went trick-or-treating in downtown Newnan. This was a first and it proved to be a great success. A bit chilly though - which is why Kate used one of my curtains as a wrap (it matched). :)

On Nov. 1 we went to the annual Cedar Grove Fall Festival - which was also a lot of fun. Kate and Dean had a blast and looked adorable in their costumes.

Kate - who has been TERRIFIED of horses in the past has made great leaps and bounds in overcoming her fear of certain large animals. I attribute this in large part to having Mia.

Our little cheeseball. :)

Kate-O and mom playing around.

Tugaloo

This weekend Kate, Dean and I went to Tugaloo State Park where we met up with Mom and Reggie and went camping in the RV. While there on Saturday I participated in a triathlon that started in the park. It was a really good weekend. During the bike leg of the race I went past two fields of sunflowers that were so beautiful I had to bring the kiddos back to take pics. Dean was a bit tuckered out and fell asleep in the car on the way there - so only Kate got to pose iwth the flowers (more of a girl thing anyway). There are so many scenic parts to Georgia that I would never have come across to appreciate if it weren't for these events.

It was really neat doing the race in the same park we were staying in - part of the run went past the RV site - were Kate an Dean waited to watch cheer me on.

The birds in this picture had moments prior been on the beach. Kate got within a few feet of them before they took off. Slow me couldn't get to camera quick enough. Still a great pic.

The water was so low that Kate and Dean couldn't swim because it wasn't really safe - but we had fun regardless - fishing, roasting marshmallows and collecting shells from the shoreline.

Once again we were at a campsite on the water so we had a great view and got to watch the boats go by.

August 2008 - So far...

First Day of School!

This year Kate started First Grade and Dean started Pre-K (K4) - Both at Arbor Springs. It has been a rocky start but I think that both are going to do great.

Tri, tri, tri again!

Since the April posting this will have been my 4th tri -- I'm officially addicted. I love it. I am slowly (very slowly) improving and will be doing two more before the end of the year, plus a half marathon on Thanksgiving. I am already looking to 2009 and what I hope to accomplish.

MIA UPDATE!

Yes, Mia is still with us. We had a few shaky weeks of destruction but she has managed to stick around. She has gotten quite big and is now fairly well behaved. I have started running with her - which I hope will help get rid of some of her excess energy. We love our girl and I hope that she is here to stay.

Mia loves her leash.

And, MOST IMPORTANTLY...

In the process of FINALLY updating my blog I found this treasure on my camera -- taken just days ago I presume b/c the kids just started back to school last week and it was taken since then. What was that word?? Oh yeah - MEN.

July 2008 - A BUSY Month: Birthday party, Fourth of July, election, Jekyll ...

BIRTHDAYS!

Kate - 6, Dean - 4. She's still winning. We survived another year. YEAH!

Do I even need a caption? It's Dean - enough said.

Yeah - this cake lasted a couple minutes. Todd went with the monkeys to pick out a birthday cake from publix. No characters, no cute toys that go on top. But rather LOTS OF ICING.

Our sweet princess.

FOURTH OF JULY

The kiddos, Todd, mom, Jana and Gary got to go to 2 parades this year. I only made it to the Newnan parade b/c I got to run the Peachtree with the Brinkleys. No pics of that - but I will just say: 55. ;-)

ELECTION

This year Robert was up for election - which made the months of May - July quite interesting. A contested race with the opposing side trying to sling mud as they distorted and twisted the truth to meet their own agenda. Robert prevailed and I still have a job - YEAH!

JEKYLL ISLAND

This summer the kiddos were with Todd - hence the great tans. They spent just about every day at the pool. One of the best parts of that has been that they both got gills. The above photo is of them showing one of their new tricks.

We have a photo of this shot for each year that Dean has been alive.

Kind of cheesy but I still love it.

Can't say my kids don't have personality.

That is a load that Kate has right there. This won't be possible for to much longer.

(Dean is already heavier than Kate)

To me this picture is very telling of Kate and Dean's personalities. What do you think?

There is something very calming and pleasant about the two of them walking hand in hand. This pic was taken at the Jekyll Island Club. I love all the old trees.

We had a great trip to the beach this year. Kate and Dean got to see the Turtle Museum and we found a few dozen sand dollars - even more that we couldn't keep because they were still alive.

June 2008 - Really brief recap...

We got to go camping with Mom and Reggie in South Carolina. First time for the kiddos and they had a blast. As you can tell - the particularly enjoyed "skipping" / aka - throwing / rocks into the lake.

Life was rough.

Note the charred marshmallow - which those of us who have grown up with the pleasures of camping recognize as a treat. Not to my child. As soon as the joy of burning something passed she was having nothing to do with eating this southern delicacy. The joy and pleasure of roasting marshmallows was lost - for now.

May 2008 - Brief Recap...

Dean finished his first year at school - K3 at First Baptist Preschool and his last year at Daycare (First Baptist Daycare) all at the same time. This pic is of his K3 class - which he loved. But his "best buds" were actually at daycare - Cameron, Braxton... the guys (which of course also included Rachel (below)).

Rachel and Dean - the old married couple.

They were in the same class at daycare and in K-3 at First Baptist PreSchool and for all intensive purposes Rachel was one of the guys at Daycare and Dean's wife / aka - they were attached at the hip at K3.

Kate was a fruit fly in the Kindergarten class play -- very cute. There is a video - but we aren't allowed to watch it around her (ask me why later :) ).

Our little exceptional child -- of course, got several kindergarten awards (don't they all? Yes) but she was the only child to get the art award and the only girl to get the gym (P.E.) award. We are very proud!

I can't talk about Wisenbaker accomplishments without mentioning Todd's high score on whatever game this is -- which he has since surpassed. This can't go without mentioning b/c he woke me up at midnight or so to tell me about it and then took a picture with my camera to document the occasion. Men.

first tri -- April 26

Ok -- well, the swim was awful. Had a panic attack in the water and stripped off my wetsuit at the first turn (gave to a guy in a canoe). 600 yards in lake. Not a bad swim in the pool - pretty easy. But in a lake with a bunch of people swimming at the same time it was like being in a washing machine. No fun. Bad time. Next experience will hopefully be better.

Here I go out for my bike ride -- just glad to be out of the water.

And, now at the end of my bike ride. Bike leg was 11.3 miles. Smiling now b/c bike leg is over. :) Bike leg was actually much better than I thought it would be. Didn't really "push push" because not familiar with course and didn't know what to expect.

Run was not bad at all. 3.1 miles (5K). This is at end - when everyone is screaming and cheering you on. All in all it was a good experience.