Time to start again

Well, I've been gone for quite some time, but decided to get this old blog up and going again. Why not? Everyone else is doing it! lol! So, it's almost Christmas, 2011... so much has happened since I last wrote...

Let's see, Becca is now 21 and a Senior in college. One more semester till she graduates! She has to do an internship this summer, but after that, she is done! It's been a long 4 years, but she has done very well and maintains just above a 3.0 average. I'm very proud of the young lady she has become. She has started her own photography business and even has her own website. You can view some of the photo shoots she has done by going here: http://rebeccamariephoto.4ormat.com/
She's done quite a few Senior pictures this year, and even a couple of weddings and family group pictures. In fact, she's doing a family of 15 on Monday! She really hopes to be able to take her photography to a new level once she graduates. She is sooo good :) Just take a look and be the judge yourself.

Jillian is 17, almost 18, and is a Senior in High School. She is still doing fantastic in school and maintains Distinguished Honor Roll each semester. She made National Honor Society this year, and she also was named Senior of the month for October by our local Kiwanis Club. She still twirls like crazy and is on the Varsity Squad for the Competition Majorette Squad. She also competes in solo competitions and takes private lessons weekly. She was accepted at Duquesne University, Westminster College and St. Vincent Colleges and is in the process of deciding which one she wants to attend. She'd like to go for Bioinformatic, which is the study of Genetics.

Frank and I continue to keep busy with work and the usual running. Frank's job keeps him traveling quite a bit, but not as much as it used to. We're still very active in the church and sing in the choir and play in the bell choir.

I think that's it for now! I'm going to do my best to keep this active from now on... we'll so how I do on that ;)

FHS!

Here she is... Jillian, all grown up, getting ready to go to the Freshman - Sophomore Hop at the high school with her boyfriend Casey. Okay, maybe not all grown up! But she sure doesn't look like my baby any more...

Game Play...

Okay, I have girls... now don't get me wrong, I don't want to sound sexist but I've noticed that boys seem to get into video games a lot more than girls do. We did not even own a video gaming system until last Christmas when I bought our very first PlayStation2!!!

Anyway, the system was used a lot when we first got it. We got Dance Dance Revolution and Sing Star and had a blast with it! Then it kind of got left alone for a while. For Easter, I got the girls Crash Bandicoot and they started using it again! And this was one that Frank enjoyed! So he started playing it more as well.

They use it a lot more often, but it's time to get a few more games. I checked at ShopWiki and found a search by category feature available and found quite a few that I think the girls would like; maybe even a new Dance Dance game! Frank prefers the Racing games, and they have many to choose from there too.

Decisions, decisions! lol! I'll post after I've given it some more thought ;)

Are you ready for some football!!!

Yep, it's football season! And as you can see, we're all decked out in our orange and black to cheer the Bobcats on! We won the first home game, and it was a good one! Jill got to perform in her first ever half time show as a majorette and we were very proud of her! She dropped a few times, but no more than the other girls ;) She'll get better with practice. They only performed two songs because Mrs. Moore didn't feel the third song was ready, but they've practiced this week and it's ready to go!

School is going well for both girls. Becca is adjusting to life on a college campus. However, I haven't had too much time to miss her as she's been either calling, texting or IM'ing me pretty often... and, she came home for the football game Friday night and had to come home yesterday for a Chiropractors appointment. So yeah, it hasn't been too bad so far! lol! I can't imagine though how it would be if she was further away, or if she didn't have good friends going to her college with her. She seems to be having a great time.

Jill's classes are going well and she's enjoying her teachers. She's taking Spanish this year, finally! She has wanted to take Spanish since she was a little girl! I'll be shocked if she doesn't end up taking 4 full years of it.

Tomorrow's football game is another home game, so we'll be all decked out again this week. Go Bobcats!

Giving them wings...

You know, it's really hard letting go of your kids....

Becca is 18 and legally considered an adult now ... and I know that.... but it doesn't make it any easier to let her go.

She and 3 girlfriends are going on a "road trip" this weekend... her very first one. They are going to Gettysburg, so it's not like it's some big party place! lol! And, the girls she's going with are all good girls... not into partying or anything like that. But I can't help but be nervous about her going!

I have never had any reason not to trust Becca and hubby and I are fine with her going, but boy it's hard to watch them move on....

She leaves for college in two weeks.... that's not going to be easy either....

She called last night to say they arrived safely and were checking into the hotel, then going to get something to eat. I know that I'll hear from her often, because she loves to text me. She took her good camera and my digital camera and plans to take tons of pictures. I'll be anxious to see them when she gets back.

It's hard watching them grow up...

Grease!!!

Well, tonight is the night! The first performance of the High School's production of Grease!

I can't wait to see it! The girls are both in it and have been working like crazy! Practice night after night after night.... but it will be worth it in the end. I honestly thought Becca might quit and not be in it because she had to miss so many practices because of work. But I'm glad she stuck with it. It's her senior year and all her friends are in it, so I know she's glad she stayed.

Frank and I are going to see the show tonight, then Friday night I'm turning pages for the pianist in the pit band. I went to their practice on Tuesday night and boy does that music zip! Wow! It is non stop! I couldn't watch any of the show because I had to keep my eyes on the music the whole time! lol!

Then Frank and my nephew Kenny are going to camp for the weekend and Mom and I will go to the show on Saturday night. I can't just go one night ;) I have to watch it several times! lol!

I'll try to take a few pictures and post them!

Lots going on...

Busy, busy, busy.... Jillian's coat drive is this weekend and she's already collected quite a few bags of coats from family and friends!

Both girls have been busy with Dinner Theatre practice 3 days a week... the show is the first weekend in December and we can't wait to see it.

Jillian was picked to be in County Chorus! Woo Hoo! We're so proud of her! Our little songbird just loves to perform! That show will be mid November in Saltsburg. At least we don't have to travel far. A couple of her friends are in it too, so that makes it even more special and fun.

Becca and I went to visit Edinboro College last Friday. She is even more excited about going there for college next year. She turned in her application and has to have her high school transcripts and recommendations sent in, then we should know if she is accepted in 3-4 weeks. She's very anxious to hear if she makes it! She goes for her SAT's the first weekend in November for the second time, hoping to improve her scores....

So we've been busy, busy, busy!!! How about you?

Harry Potter....

Have you read the new book yet? We did not pre-order the book for Jillian, because we knew we would be out of town camping... but first thing Saturday morning, Frank got up and took her to Walmart and she got her copy! She was just a little bit excited! lol!

Jillian was never much of a reader when she was little... she hated reading in school and never read for pleasure. When the first Harry Potter movie came out in 2001, she was only about 7 years old. She loved it! Then the second movie came out and she was finally old enough to try reading the book. By that time, she had the first movie pretty much memorized! lol!

From then on, Jillian became my bookworm... just like me :) I've always been a big book reader. Now, Jillian can always be found with a book in her hand, or in her backpack. She spends a lot of time at the library getting new books, or having me order her new ones from Amazon.com. I love buying the books used there for a few dollars....

So, have you read the latest Harry Potter book yet?