Celebrating 2010

We've decided to change it up a bit this year and take our holiday letter paperless. We've once again been very blessed and decided to take this turn our holiday update into a "thankfulness letter."

We still love our home (especially since Jeff has now completed 3 bathroom remodels, a kitchen remodel, and has moved our laundry room from the first floor to the second). We are both still happy in our jobs and have both been given increased responsiblity this year (with me returning to full time). The kids are happy and healthy and attending a new school which they both seem to love.

Enjoy a glimpse into everything that made us smile this in 2010...

Note: You may need to pause the video on the text slides.

Thanksgiving 2010

Wow-it's been a while since I've updated this. I figured I better talk about Thanksgiving before Christmas is upon us. We had a wonderful trip to Palatine and then on to Kalamazoo.



Click on the photo below for more photos.

Happy 2nd birthday Megan!

It's hard to believe our little girl is 2! She is a sweetheart with a fairly laid back (most of the time personality) with facial expressions that make her seem much older than 2. She's definitely starting to come out of her shell. And she adores her big brother (except when he's sitting on Mommy's lap). Happy Birthday little girl!

Feelings about the future

Somehow last night Jeff, Tyler, and I got into a conversation about Ty's future in school. Jeff told Tyler that next year he would start to get homework. The conversation went something like this:

Jeff: "Ty, do you know that next year, not only will you have to work at school, but when you get home you'll have to do your homework before you go out to play?"

Tyler (looking like what Jeff just said was truly absurd): "WHAT????" That's crazy!"

Jeff: "Yep, this is actually the most play time and free time you'll ever have in your life until you're retired. After this year, you'll never have as much time to play. How does that make you feel?"

Tyler: "Tired."

Halloween 2010

We had a great celebration of Halloween this year, complete with our neighborhood party, our annual pumpkin carving (Ty named our double-sided jack-o-lantern after himself again), a school party, and trick-or-treating with about 10 families from the neighborhood. Click on the photo below for more pictures.

Family trip to Florida

A few weeks ago we were able to spend a long weekend with Jeff's entire family on Sand Key. On the way over, the kids and I stopped by JetBlue's training center and gave the kids a full tour, complete with some time in the flight simulators. When we got to the Gulf coast we had beautiful weather and it was a lot of fun to have everyone together (especially the 4 kids 5 and under). And I think Ty finally got over his fear of water (see the video below) . Click on the photo above for lots of pictures (thanks to Andy for the great family pics) or view the video below to see Ty fly.

Tyler flying from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Another championship :)

When Jeff won his hockey championship back in June, I got a sudden urge to be part of a team sport again. That night, I went online and found a local co-ed soccer league.

I got put on a team of people who had never played together. Although we struggled at the beginning of the season, the team was full of great people and we all came together in the end. After a marathon playoff day of 3 games (two decided by PK's), our eighth-seeded team advanced to the championship and won. It was great to be part of a team again. Ty's looking forward to the day when the travelling trophy comes to our house!

Fall fun

A couple of weeks ago, Tyler, Megan, our neighbor, and I went to Cox Farms' fall festival. Just like last year, it was alot of fun. Click the photo above for lots of action pictures from the giant slides, corn maze, and other fun attractions.

5th birthday party!

Yesterday Ty had a wonderful 5th birthday party with 6 of his friends. We had perfect weather for a trip back to dinosaur times. Everyone played well together and seemed to to have a good time. It's hard to believe our little boy will be 5 this Friday!

For more photos, click on the collage below.

Volcano! from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Happy Birthday! from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Road trip 2010

Last week we had a wonderful trip to see Granny and Grandpa and then Up North to see all of the Chernesky clan. Ty and Megan had a lot of fun with Granny and Grandpa, playing music, dancing, and playing with all of their toys. Up North, we had amazing weather and were able to do alot of swimming, tubing, and waterskiing. To view all of the pictures, click on the collage above. And enjoy the videos below :).

Peek a Boo--on the water from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Megan the wrecking ball from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Humility?

Here's a conversation between me and Ty from a car ride today:

Tyler: "Mom, I'm really smart. I know half of everything."
Me (not understanding that he meant that he had acquired half of all existing knowledge): "Oh really, what's half of 10?"
Ty: "I don't know, but I know half of everything...when I get to heaven I'll know the other half."

First family golfing trip

Granny and Grandpa wanted to give Tyler his first real golf clubs and wanted him to be able to enjoy them for the entire summer, so Ty got an early birthday present. He loves them! This weekend, we got to test them out for the first time at a nearby driving range. Fun was had by all. Hopefully it will be the first of many golf outings for this foursome. Click on the photo below for more pictures.

Happy 4th of July 2010

We had a great day last weekend going to the Fairfax parade and fireworks. Ty and Megan also had their first experience with sparklers and kid-friendly "fireworks." For pictures click here or if you need a laugh, watch the video below.

July 4th "fireworks" from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Yes, we live in the middle of the woods...

Guess our front lawn makes a comfortable bed...
Yes, that is a doe, not a dog.

Summer camp!

Ty started summer camp at the YMCA this past Monday and is loving it. He gets to ride with Jeff to work where he boards a bus and rides to the Y. Apparently he's doing well there, as he came home this Friday sporting the certificate below.

As you can tell from his "Camper of the Week" performance, he was pretty excited and proud (and so were we :)).

Camper of the Week from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Our sweet girl

Today I had a rare opportunity to spend the day alone with Megan. To be honest, at first I thought that it would be a great day to get some chores and errands done. However, although we got our fair share done, I couldn't resist lots of extra snuggles, playing, and taking some pictures and videos (like the first one below).

And here's a long overdue update on her..

She has the sweetest smile and is generally a very happy little girl. She's babbling a ton and is quickly increasing her vocabulary. She loves to run around talking, as long as there's no one unfamiliar around. When anyone she doesn't know enters the scene, she immediately stops talking and looks up at them with her big eyes and her signature shy look (which I've yet to capture on film). Oh, and she loves shoes, especially mine which she puts on frequently.

Sweet smile from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

She still hasn't quite figured out the meaning of "no." (I know, this video is a little cruel.)

"No" from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

She loves the Trader Joe's version of Nutrigrain bars and eats one almost every morning. She frequently goes to the pantry and gets them out herself.

Favorite Breakfast from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Okay, I'll stop trying (unsuccessfully) to put into words how happy she makes me.

Ah summertime...

Summer around here means wonderful afternoons and evenings out with our neighbors. We live on the end of a long driveway that we share with two families that both have kids. So almost every evening, Ty's first words when he gets home are "Can I go out and play?" Here's a glimpse into our fun...click on the photo for a few more.

Swimming fun from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Big Wheel races from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Angels speaking

Last weekend, I had the privilege of participating in the American Cancer Society's local Relay for Life. Although I'm still pretty tired (not sleeping for 36 hours will do that to you), it was an extremely meaningful event. I got to participate with 3 other women from my neighborhood and together we raised over $4000. Our families came to play during the afternoon, and I got to call Bingo and lead a Fear Factor event at 3am. To view some pictures, click on the photo above.

The most meaningful parts of the event were again the Survior Lap and the Luminaria Ceremony. During the Luminaria Ceremony, those who have lost their lives and those who are currently fighting the disease are remembered as luminaries bearing their names circle the track. Every participant in the Relay lines up on the track lighting each other's candles and we all do a lap together by candlelight. Since losing my mom and dad, it's always been a pretty emotional moment for me, and I was so glad to have my friends there supporting me.

Even though the Luminaria Ceremony was special, the part of this Relay that I'll never forget came during the Survivor Laps. I was telling Megan and Ty to clap for the Surviors as they walked by and Ty asked me why we were clapping. I told him that the people walking had cancer in the past and now they were better. He looked up at me and said, "Mommy, the cancer society worked!" A few minutes later, when we were walking together with the survivors, suddenly he shouted out, "Mommy, you did it! You saved people from cancer!" Sometimes I swear that my parents are speaking encouragement through my children.

A sweet riddle

A few weeks ago, we were driving to the store and Ty had a MagnaDoodle in the back of the car. He kept asking me to look at his drawings and I kept telling him that I couldn't look because I need to keep my eyes on the road.

His solution was to start telling riddles about his pictures that I had to solve in order to figure out what he drew. Here's my favorite that he made up:
"What has blond hair, blue eyes, and loves his Mommy?"

The champs

Last week, one of Jeff's roller hockey teams won the championship game. Ty was thrilled to actually get to go on the rink and touch the "big trophy." And yes, Jeff's wearing the same hockey jersey that he did when he was 12.


"

A dizzying video that makes me smile

Megan is finally talking (and choosing to walk on her feet instead of her knees about 75% of the time now). As you can see from the video, she's learned to say "cheeeeeeese" unprompted any time a camera comes out. Other words in her vocabulary:

• Mommy
• Dada (she's becoming quite a Daddy's girl)
• Ty-Ty (more like Tyyyyyyyyyyy-Tyyyyyyyyyy)
• shoe (which she loves to take off)
• uh-oh
• no (which she says anytime you ask her a question...even if she means yes)

But my favorite sound that comes out of her mouth is the deep belly laugh that she frequently lets out.

Warning: This video is likely to give you motion sickness.

Megan swinging and laughing from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Cathy visits!

Two weeks ago, we were treated to a special visit from my sister Cathy, who drove 3 hours from Lynchburg, VA to see us (after flying in from Houston). We had a great time sharing our home and our neighborhood with her. Thanks for making the long trip, Cathy!

A very happy Easter, part II

The afternoon and evening of our Easter was full of surprising fun too.

First, earlier in the weekend, Jeff had promised Ty that they could go fishing in the creek behind our house. So after rest time, they went out in our front yard, dug up some worms, and we all hiked down to the creek. In about a half hour, they had caught 4 "whoppers." Enjoy the video below and click here from more photos.

Ty and Jeff catch a whopper from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

After the fishing trip, we came back and saw our neighbors from the two houses next to us. Since no one had any plans for Easter dinner, we decided to all gather over at our house. One neighbor brought a ham, we made some steak, and the other neighbor took care of the drinks. The last-minute celebration was a great time for both the adults and the kids.

A very happy Easter, part I

Last week we had a wonderful celebration of Easter. Saturday we had our neighborhood egg hunt and our annual coloring of eggs. Sunday, we went to church and then discovered that the Easter Bunny hid the eggs (filled with goldfish crackers, of course) and baskets outside since we've been having summer-like weather around here. Ty and Megan had a great time! For more pictures from the weekend, click on the photo above.

A trip to Washington DC

Yesterday we finally made it in to DC (it's only about a half hour away) to view the typical tourist sites. Our main planned destinations were the National Museum of Natural History (or the "dinosaur museum" according to Tyler) and the Tidal Basin to view the cherry blossoms. We were also treated to the annual Kite Festival, which Ty loved. For pictures of our trip, click on the cherry blossom picture above.

A visit from Sue and Kelli

Last weekend we were thrilled to have a visit from Sue and Kelli. We took advantage of the 75 degree and sunny weather and visited the National Zoo, Great Falls National Park, and Clemyjontri Park. For more pictures, click on the collage below.

Ty's first bowling experience

A few weeks ago we got together with Tyler's best friend from school who recently changed schools. We decided to go bowling. Ty was thrilled to try out this new "sport" (or hobby, according to Jeff) and, of course, to see his good friend.

Megan's walking!

After just taking her first steps yesterday, Megan decided today that she'd walk across the room. (Excuse the mess, we're in the middle of a kitchen remodel.)

Megan walking from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Oh, and she also insists on feeding herself (you have to love the mess)...

Megan feeding herself from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Megan update

Although Megan hasn't been able to enjoy the snow much (she's had a little cold and the snow is almost as tall as she is), she has been having fun inside playing with Tyler and playing peek-a-boo (as you'll see below, she doesn't always quite get her hands to her eyes). Oh, and she's been sporting a new look--pigtails (or horns??). She's standing by herself frequently and seems to be pretty close to walking (although we're not rushing it :)). She's still a very sweet baby who loves to give hugs.

Peek a boo! from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Snowmageddon, snowpocalypse, or just a couple feet of snow in one day

Well, we're starting to get used to snow in VA. We survived the 24-28 inches of snow that fell in about 30 hours this past weekend (and the 6 inches that closed the schools this past Wednesday). Thankfully, we didn't lose power, but did have a large pine tree fall across our driveway while Jeff was snowblowing (notice two things I'm VERY thankful for...that Jeff was able to get out of the way in time and that we share a large snowblower with our two neighbors to clear the snow off of our LONG, uphill driveway). Ty's had a great time in the snow (although he can barely walk through it) and it really is very beautiful. For more photos (mostly just scenery), click on the photo above.

When did he get so old?

Ty was incredibly sweet today on my birthday and several of his comments left me wondering when he got so mature. An example from this morning before we headed downstairs:

Jeff: Are you going to open presents when we go downstairs?
Me: I don't know. Maybe I should wait until later in the day.
Ty: Mommy it's your birthday so it's your choice. You can do whatever you'd like.

Oh, how technology has changed our world

Conversation with Ty in the car yesterday afternoon:

Tyler: Mommy, do you know the way to Fairy Tale Land?
Me: Um, no, I'm not really sure how to get there. Do you?
Tyler: No, but I bet the GPS does.

Megan's baptism

We were blessed last Sunday with the opportunity to celebrate Megan and her cousin Lily's baptisms. It was a beautiful ceremony followed by a nice reception with our families. Thanks to Granny and Grandpa for hosting the reception and for making our little girl look like a princess.

For more photos, click on the photo below.

Christmas 2009

We had a great Christmas week, opening presents at our house on Dec. 20th and then a few days later driving 13 hours through the night (easier with the kids) to Palatine, IL, arriving at 3am on Dec. 24th. Our 3.5 days in Palatine included 2 Christmas celebrations, our nephew Drew's birthday party, Megan and our niece Lily's baptism, and some indoor sports in Libertyville. Then we drove back (12 hours)and arrived home at 5:30am on the 29th. It was a whirlwind, but we had a great time. For LOTS of photos (thanks to the Shripka's for many of them), click on the collage above.

When preschoolers perform

A couple of weeks ago, Megan and Tyler had their holiday show, complete with performances of 4 original songs and a surprise visit from Santa. Below is the night captured on video. If you only have the time (or desire) to watch one of them, I suggest "Using Rudolph's Light". Ty has improved since his first show (at 15 months) during which he stood like a statue and stared at everyone without opening his mouth. However, I think the greatest entertainment value comes from his classmates to the right of him. If you want to see some photos of the event, click here.

2009 Holiday Show: S-A-N-T-A from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

2009 Holiday Show: Using Rudolph's Light from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

2009 Holiday Show: I have a little Dreidel from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

2009 Holiday Show: Play the drums, It's Christmastime from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Tyler talking to Santa from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.