School Pictures...

This year's school pictures are in...and once again they look great!

Quinn - 8th grade

Sullivan - 5th grade

I may be biased, but those are two beautiful girls!

Time...

At times, it seems like this was just yesterday...

And then I shake myself back to reality to find this sweet Q...

So grown up, so determined, so smart and so beautiful.  

Next thing you know, I am going to blink and she will be graduating from college.  

Slow down time.  I'm not ready for this ride to be over yet!

Throwback...

I stumbled upon these precious pictures tonight... a throwback from 2014.  

What a difference 5 years makes!  

Melt my heart!  

#cousinlove

VSCO Girls...

These sweet girls, Sullivan and Maddy, decided to dress up as VSCO girls the other day just for the fun of it.

But that's not where the fun ended.  They also got Tessa in on the action too. 

 Introducing the first ever VSCO dog....

Doesn't Tessa look cool? Doesn't she look styling?  Doesn't she look happy?  

Well, maybe not that last one. 

A Quick Visit...

Grandma Jane popped over to Indy this past weekend to see us.  We were thrilled to see her.  The weekend was filled with LOTS of game playing (as it usually is)!  We also did some shopping, but also had some down time.

In talking to Grandma, we found out that she had never seen the Christmas movie, Elf.  How could that be?  So we did what anyone would do...

We watched it.

Grandma, Tessa, and Quinn settled in on the couch, while Sullivan snuggled into the recliner (popcorn and all).

Thirty minutes later...

Poor thing.  Just couldn't make it through the whole movie.  

Can you tell that we might have Christmas fever around here?!  All decorated, some gifts purchased, and already watching Christmas movies.  Bring it on, Christmas!  We are ready for you.

Homework that Made Me Smile...

Sullivan emptied her school "take home" folder the other day and laid the contents on the counter for me to go through.  There was, of course, the usual math homework, classroom assignments, and flyers to promote different school events.  But at the bottom of the heap of papers was a single sheet of paper that must have been part of their "Mindful Monday" work.

It appears that this paper was used as a reflection of thanks for the people in her family... each person getting their own square.  Sullivan wrote her most thankful thought for each person. Reading it put a smile on my face - especially the square devoted to Ryan!

Oh, Sulla! How thankful I am for you!

It's Really Over...

It took a day or two, but Sullivan has put ALL the pieces together....

Like a domino effect, Sullivan has figured the whole gig out.  

No more secrets, no more magic.  😥

The Gig is Up...

Today marked the end of an era for the Pooley house...

No more Santa, no more Christoper.  

Sullivan knows.

Sullivan's fine with it.  It's bitter sweet (but mostly sad) for me!

Boyles...

We have come to look forward to the first weekend in November.  It's the time that the Boyles make there way up to Indy to see us!  Time is never lost with them and conversations are always food for my soul.   This time was no exception.  There was, of course, great conversations and the expected stories that are often repeated (by some male counterparts😉) as if they had never been told before!

The whole crew also made our way to the Benjamin Harrison Presidential house.  Ryan and I had been before, a few years back, but I thought it was just as interesting if not more than the first time we visited.

We got to see all the rooms - the office, the dining room, the parlor in which he accepted the nomination for president, the bedrooms, and more.  Harrison was a man that only served one term, most notably sandwiched in between Grover Cleveland's two terms.

His grandfather was the 9th president - and shortest serving president.  His term lasted one month, before he fell ill and died in office.  His great-grandfather was an original signer of the Declaration of Independence.  Quite the political family!

After we toured the presidential home, we made our way over to Defy - an indoor trampoline/ninja/adventure park.  The kids burned through some energy while us adults planned our summer 2020 vacation!

The weekend with the Boyles always goes way too fast, but with busy schedules and hectic lives, we are always thankful and blessed for whatever time we have with our dearest friends!

Halloween 2019

So Mother Nature put a huge wrench in this year's Halloween plans.  At trick-or-treat time, it was 32 degrees (with a feels like temp of 20).  The winds were 20+ mph and it was rainy and snowing.

Despite the horrible, no good, very bad weather, the girls were determined to trick or treat.  And that they did!!

Because of the weather, the girls were not able to wear the costumes they picked out this year.  Quinn was going to go out with a group of friends - each dressing as a different character from Phineas & Ferb.  Sullivan was going to be an ice cream server. Anywho... they both ditched those costumes and pulled out warm onesies from the back of their closets.

Despite the costume changes, they both were super cute!

Quinn and her friends... in original costumes before resorting to warmth.

Same friends, just warmer this time...

I took Sullivan and her friend, Maddy, around the neighborhood.

I have to give it to those girls.  They were determined to stay out the entire two hours, even with the blowing, cold snow and rain.

The best part of the whole night for both my kids?!

Organizing the candy they got, then bagging it up and hiding it from their dad!

All in all, they had a great night.  Another Halloween for the books.  Just one small favor, Mother Nature.... no cold weather next year!

Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater...

Ok, no one was eating any pumpkins in our house this week like Peter...but there were some people carving them.

Some pretty special pumpkin carvers....

What did these special people carve?!  

This is the first year that Quinn did her pumpkin herself, from start to finish.  I'd have to say that she did a fabulous job!

Together with Ryan, Sullivan did a mighty fine job as well!