What a weekend!

We had some excitement last weekend for Cate and Drew.  Cate is qualified to swim in the NC Age Group Championship, aka States, next weekend in Greensboro.  She is proudly displaying her shirt in these pictures!  She had a meet this weekend to attempt to qualify for a few more events to swim at States.  Not only did she qualify for States, she put on her new "super suit" and qualified for Sectionals too!!  That means she will go to Atlanta to swim as well!  She has worked so incredibly hard this season and it is paying off in BIG ways.  We are so proud of her.  This "super suit" as we've coined it, was fortunately given to her by her coach.  Cate's swim team has a new partnership with BlueSeventy, www.blueseventy.com.  It takes 5-10 minutes to painstakingly inch it on but it is fantastic!  Watch out Olympics, here comes Cate!

And Drew, his basketball team won the end of season tournament!  He played 2 games on Saturday and sandwiched between were his baseball tryouts!  The last game was a nail biter, coming down to the last seconds.  We are so proud of his hard work and determination to learn and grow each practice and game!  Way to go Pythons!  

Happy 5th Birthday, Gabe!

Today was Gabe's 5th Birthday!  He was beyond excited that it was HIS day!  He's seen us celebrate many other birthdays in the family and was always wondering when it was going to be his big day. We celebrated with some special friends by having lunch, presents, and cake all together. Preparing the house last night by hanging up the birthday banner, taping up the cascade of birthday streamers, and setting out his presents was such a bittersweet time.  I was thinking of his sweet birth parents and what they must feel this time each year but I also felt much joy knowing how much Gabe was going to  delight in his first ever birthday celebration, at least that we know of.  

Gabe loves blue these days, so I made a blue cake and he had blue streamers, plates and other party decor.  He loves lions and tigers (especially ROARING like lions and tigers) so he got a stuffed lion from us and a stuffed tiger from his special buddies, Janey and Maggie (Cate's friends that love him so and threw Cate the shower for him).  He got some new things for his train set, some super fun Octonaut toys and a Super Why game (he is obsessed with Super Why lately).  He could not get his presents opened fast enough but found such happiness in each thing he got.  His facial expressions were priceless.  

                                      

   

    

    

 

                                 
                                 

One year ago, we had just accepted Gabe's referral.  Fast forward 1 year…wow! Celebrating his 5th birthday together today was a very special day for all of us.  Here's to many more, Gabe!  We love you!

Our Christmas Tree

Last Friday, we headed out to find our Christmas tree.  There are so many traditions to teach to Gabe this holiday season!  As with most things new, he has taken it all in stride and with much delight.  We made it a night of decorating with pizza and cookies. I love our tree this year!

Thankfully we got the tree up before sickness descended on our household.  Ahhh…this the season! 

Thanksgiving Fun

Pumpkin carving and Halloween