Friday Night Lights!

October 4th, 2013

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The Bobcat cheerleaders had an exciting pep rally last Friday night.  They surprised the boys with these really cool personalized dog tags and the team mom for the football players made the girls these awesome mums with their names on them and everything.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen Noelle more excited.  It was really sweet!

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After the girls did a cheer, they got the football team to do the cheer with them in front of everyone.  Their parents love it and video them and everything!  It’s really fun how much the Bobcat teams support each other!

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Here’s my Cutie Kate with dirt all over her face after playing in the sand with Harper, and Noelle and Ava showing off their mums!

Happy Birthday, Mike! Throwback Thursday Style

October 3rd, 2013

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We always end up kissing our baby!

IMG_1424 (2) The end to a great day in paradise!

We were lucky to get these pictures!  When we got here, there were about 100 people right where we are standing, but their bus left after about 10 minutes.  We trust strangers with our camera for the most part (you just have to if you want any pictures).  The rule is we have to ask them (vs. the other way around)... we take lots of pics for other couples as well, so it works out great! Let me tell you about these snakes - they go up the entire temple stairs and on the spring and autumn equinox days (twice a year), the shadow from the sun casts an illusion of pyramids going up the body of the snake (it had to be placed perfectly in order for it to do this).  These people were very connected to astronomy and the calendar.

Last night of fun!  We had such a blast in Mexico and hope you enjoyed our photos! IMG_3561

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Mike and Melissa with our first 2113 snowman best snow girl ever colorful

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Kiss picture

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Rose Daddy Arboretum  the kiss kissy picture

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Here are 100 of over thousands of my favorite pictures of you, Mikey!  If I had time to do this post all over again, I could use 100 different pictures several times through and that doesn’t even count the millions of memories that are so dear to me that are mere fleeting moments in time throughout our days together.  You are the best husband and father that could ever have been thought up for me, Noelle, Anna Kate, and Rose.  You know how we tick and how to encourage and strengthen us as a family.  I would not be here today without you; I know you know all of this, it’s just so humbling to try to put your friendship into words.  And although I simply can’t, I hope you always know how treasured and loved you are!  Thanks for being so great… no, thanks for being so awesome!  I love you, Mike Pond!  Happy 33rd Birthday! 

*We need to get our dating, engagement, and wedding pictures on digital files with all of our free time, lol!  I can’t believe we’re old enough for me to even be saying that!  I wonder if anyone can even process the film?  Hahaha!

Moments in the Evening Sunshine

October 2nd, 2013

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Sweet baby Rose

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Sweet baby Harper

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Last weekend was the best!  Brother Man and his sweet little family came to stay with us for the weekend to celebrate John’s 30th birthday!  I can’t wait to go through all the pictures from the weekend.  This week has started out so crazy busy, but I’m hoping for some time in the next few days to work on party pics!

What’s up, Pond Fam?

October 1st, 2013

We’ve had lots and lots of a little bit of everything going on.  And the 6th week of school just started!  Man, this year is going by so quickly so far.  It’s like they always say, the days are long, but the years are short.  I’m trying to slow down and smell the roses!  Here’s a peek into some of our little bits of everything!

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Anna Kate is by far the most imaginative kid I’ve ever met (see picture on the right).  She even takes her friends on adventures near and far!  Her little sister buddies, Sydney and Eden, have had a blast at cheer practices this year!  Pretty soon, Rose will be the little sister watching these guys do their thing!

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Friendship means so much to me, and I am so refreshed by sweet friends both old and new, none greater than my little loves!

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Noelle loves to dress up and can often be found painting her face during her free time!  Today, she was Hello Kitty!  When she walked in to show me, I went, “Ahh!” and pretended I was scared because I thought she was trying to be a monster from the wild things, but then she sweetly smiled and said, “Don’t be scared, Mom, I’m just Hello Kitty!” and I totally saw what she was talking about, yellow nose and all!  I think this was the last picture of Noelle before her dentist exposed her front two teeth last week.  Now they are almost in (about half-way), and, although she is smiling from ear to ear and so very proud, I’m sad my biggest baby is growing up!

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Here are Noelle’s first three spelling tests of this year!  She is an amazing speller, and it comes so naturally to her!  She absolutely loves to practice spelling, and it only takes her one try to remember a word that isn’t spelled the way it sounds.  She’s crazy good at it, thanks to her Daddy!  I have no clue where all of this costume jewelry came from… when she filled up what used to be her Polly Pocket organizer with this much jewelry, I was like, “What!?!”  She spends most of her chore money on jewelry here and there and gets jewelry every Christmas and birthday from friends and family.  She never misplaces anything, so I guess it has just added up.  If you ask her where any piece of jewelry is that she owns, she knows exactly where it is and who gave it to her, even from when she was 2!  These two pictures side by side make me laugh, because this is so Noelle… unpredictable, can’t read a book by its cover, smart, charming, dazzling, fancy, hard-worker, diva, perfectionist… she’s my little oxymoron, and I love everything about her sweet little self!

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There is no where else in the entire world I would rather be on Sunday evenings that at church with the Euc community; such a wonderful extension of family and the definition of safety, trust, and acceptance to me.  And the picture on the right is one I want to remember.  I had lunch with Noelle one day and her friend Jake had this shark tooth necklace, however, he was so upset because the shark’s tooth had broken off of the necklace so he couldn’t wear it, so he was holding the tooth in one hand and eating with the other (bless his heart).  I finally thought to ask him if I could take it home and fix it for him (the wire part had completely fallen off).  I promised him I would take good care of his treasure, and he let me leave with it in my purse.  He’s been in the same class with Noelle every year since kindergarten, so I’ve enjoyed getting to know this bright and charming kiddo.  All this to say, Noelle took him his necklace the next morning at school, and he was so excited!  It made my day to fix his greatest treasure!

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We love to stop by the park whenever we are out and about!

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We met Katie one day at the park, and the girls played their little hearts out! 

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Love these happy girlies!

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Here’s a picture of the girls and me at the orthodontist (yep, it’s about that time), and Noelle posing under the skeleton at Target!

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Last but not least from this little bit of everything post, here’s another precious picture drawn by our lovely Anna Kate.  Her pictures have so much personality in them.  I love seeing her creations, as she’s just beginning to express herself through drawing (something us adults should take more time to do).  Mike and I always comment how interesting she is, and it’s true.  I know I’ve said this before, but I’m so excited to have a front row seat for her life.  She’s going to be great!  (along with her sissies, of course, all in their own unique and special ways)

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