The Posti Family

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-31T08:02:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our friends and family. 2011 brought a lot of memories to our household ... we went on a bunch of family outings which included Washington, DC, Miami, Disney World, and many more wonderful places. We took up camping and have enjoyed numerous camping trips this year. We had many happy times and some sad times. Losing Irbe was very hard on all of us, but we survived and now we have Charlie in our lives. Charlie isn't quite the same, but hopefully over time, he will prove to be a great fit with our family.

2012 is going to start with a bang. In the first few weeks, we are going to the Circus, having Reagan's birthday campout, and also watching Reagan get recognized at the county level for her amazing artwork.

Hope you and you families all have an amazing start to your new year ... here's to 2012!

Enjoy our pictures from Christmas 2011.

Our little family!

Man, I love these girls!

Nothing like Christmas without Ralph, our Elf on the Shelf!

Charlie all dressed up for the season!

Our new HUGE tree ... touches the ceiling!

Sending a letter to Santa (at Winter Wonderland at the Bass Pro Shop).

Reagan sending off her letter to Santa.

Visiting with Santa

At Hollywood Studios, the Spectacle of Dancing Lights

It was snowing (kind of neat to be wearing short sleeves and seeing it snow ... gotta love Disney for making dreams come true)!

More lights

We really enjoyed the music and dancing lights.

Reagan watching the snow!

This is at the local botanical gardens, where they had it decorated up for Christmas (with our friend Jack).

The girls at church Christmas Eve ... Riley and her preschool friends got to sing some songs for us.

Pretty girls, posing for pictures.

Riley ... such a little ham!

Reagan, growing up too fast.

Posing by the new fountain.

Of course, she had to pose too!

Christmas Eve, opening up their one present ... Christmas PJ's

In their new pajamas, with Santa's cookie plate.

Christmas morning

Wow ... that is A LOT of presents!

Stockings ...

Her first of many Lalaloopsy's she got.

Littlest Pet Shops

She got the calendar she wanted!

Charlie's first present ... new bone.

Lalaloopsy Silly Hair!

American Girl Kanani

Mom got her first Coach purse!

Charlie had a great time, he was very overwhelmed!

Riley got her own DS!

Dad's big presents ... jeep parts!

Reagan got a guitar.

Riley got art stuff.

A crayon making machine ... thank's Grandpa Joe and Kelly!

Charlie eating his toys while still in the box ... he was so excited we couldn't get it away from him!

Christmas night, Riley dressing up!

Charlie ... pooped out after a busy day!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Reagan and her Holiday Program

2011-12-02T11:19:00.000-05:00

Reagan's school had a Holiday Program on Dec. 1. She was so excited to get dressed up and sing her little heart out. But the concert was not the only "big" thing happening that night. She also won an award for a contest she entered a drawing into. She won 3rd place in her school and her artwork is moving on to the county level for judging against all the other schools top three winners. She was one happy little girl last night.

My beautiful Reagan, growing up so fast.

Riley was excited for her sister and wanted her picture taken too!

She was on stage, showing us where she was supposed to be standing for the show.

Reagan receiving her award, medal, and certificate for her Reflections artwork.

Reagan and the principal from her school.

Showing off her stuff. The medal she has around her neck says she won third place and it has her name on it.

This is her artwork that won third place! The theme was "diversity means ..." and she drew a picture of her blowing bubbles, with each bubble containing a different country flag surrounding the world. She came up with the idea herself and did all the work herself. We are so proud of her hard work!

The it was time for the show.

The 2nd Grade class singing.

Doing their rap version of Jingle Bells ... with sunglasses!

She did awesome and had a great time.

Reagan and Mrs. Swartz, her 2nd grade teacher.

Reagan and her proud Daddy!

Myakka River State Park Camping Trip

2011-11-30T11:03:00.000-05:00

Over Veterans weekend, we met up with some of Scott's family for a weekend camping trip. We went to Myakka River State Park, in Sarasota, FL. It was such a beautiful place, quiet, relaxing, and just perfect. It also helped that we had a big cold front blow through, and it got down into the low 50's a night (I know, that is not cold for most of you, but for FL weather, that is pretty cold). Sleeping all snuggled up in our sleeping bags was so much fun. The girls got to sleep in Grandpa Joe's motorhome the entire weekend, where they had heat and a TV ... of the life of a child ... can't live without TV!

How many men does it take to put up a sun shade? Apparently, more than 3!!!!

Scott and Lindy Dog (Grandpa Joe's dog)

We enjoyed our bike rides ... Riley really enjoyed them, all relaxed in the bike trailer.

Reagan rides her bike so well now.

Our campsite ... notice the sun canopy over the picnic table that never really worked out!

Going on a bike ride to see all the beautiful scenery around us.

The first bridge ... people were out there kayaking in the water, and there were alligators in the water. Some people are CRAZY!

The Sky Bridge ... we climbed up TONS of stairs to cross this bridge that was at the tops of the trees.

Riley was a little bit nervous to cross by herself because we were up so high.

Our little family.

Then you climb even more stairs to the top, to overlook the entire state park. So beautiful, but it was extremely windy and cold up there.

76 feet high ... long way up and long way down!

Grandpa Joe discovered it was one of the only places in the park that had cell phone coverage!

Riley and I on our way down.

Looking up the stairwell.

Later that day, we went to Sarasota and visited the Mote Aquarium and went to an Amish restaurant for dinner ... it was DELICIOUS! For those of you who remember ... the Fried Chicken at the restaurant was their speciality. I thought it tasted just like Mom Sher's Fried Chicken ... YUMMY!

The Jellyfish at the Mote

Nemo

Seahorse

The girls watching closely to what Uncle Larry was touching.

Penguins!

How tall are you compared to a penguin?

Riley going through the fishing net

Grandpa Joe and Uncle Larry, having a deep conversation while watching the dolphins swim.

Downtown Sarasota, they have this famous statue of the "Unconditional Surrender" Kiss Statue, based on the famous photograph from V-J Day in Times Square.

That night, after dinner, we sat around the campfire and relaxed. We went to sleep with all the windows open in our camper, and it got down below 50 degrees in there!

The next day, we went for a drive around the park to find wildlife. First thing we saw was this big ole' alligator right were the people were kayaking the day before.

Then we saw wild turkeys ... we saw a lot of these through out our weekend.

We found this cute little picnic area, that overlooked a creek ... I thought it was gorgeous.

Then we walked down the "bird walk" to watch birds ... at least that is what most people did. There were people out there with huge telescopes and massive camera ... we were just the tourists!

Next it was ice cream time and homemade potato chip time at the local store ... YUM!

Reagan found an area that was covered in butterflies.

She wanted to catch one!

On our way back, we saw the same alligator. He swam across the water and we watched him climb back on to the shore. It was neat watching him. He was probably 10-12 feet long.

After showers, we started up another fire, and cooked hotdogs, brats, and chili.

Daddy cooking his food.

Grandpa Joe getting some too.

Reagan loved hanging out with Lindy Dog.

Then we did Smores ... yummy!

The morning that we packed up, I told the girls to get themselves some breakfast ... this is what I found them eating! Breakfast Doritos!!!

A Disney Halloween Experience

2011-10-13T15:40:00.000-04:00

We were so lucky to have a wonderful weekend away with some of our oldest friends, The Daltons. We have not seen the Dalton Family in almost 5 years, so getting to spend the entire weekend in a gorgeous hotel was so much fun.

We stayed at the Hilton Grand Vacation Club in Orlando. We had a two bedroom suite, where Scott and I stayed in one room, John and Nicole stayed in the other room, and the girls all stayed in the middle living area. It was such a great room and the accommodations were spectacular!

This was our room that had a king sized bed, HUGE bathtub, and a TV that had one volume level ... VERY LOUD!

This is the kitchen and living area, where the girls slept. They loved their space!

John and Nicole's room ... king sized bed, kitchenette, and bathroom all to themselves, yet still adjoined to the rest of us!

Another shot of the living area and kitchen.

Our first night there, we had tickets to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom (well worth the extra money and we WILL be doing it again next year). We dressed up in our costumes and headed to the park for what we hoped was a night of trick-or-treating and rides. Unfortunately, we got A LOT of rain and did not get too much done that night. But the night was still a lot of fun ... just wet fun!

Schuyler, Reagan, and Riley ... all dressed in their costumes, ready for the night.

Our Pirates and Princesses!

The Posti Pirate Family!

Another shot of the girls before heading to the park.

On the tram, headed to Magic Kingdom.

ARGH!!!!!

Schuyler did not last long in her costume ... she didn't even make it to the gates!

The Dalton Family (Nicole, Schuyler, and John)

The only picture of the two of us!

Pirate Princess Reagan

Pirate Princess Riley ... she kept her "argh" face on all night long!

Riding Alladin's Carpet Ride, about 10 minutes before the rain started to POUR DOWN!

Mom and Reagan on the Jungle Cruise ... we were on this ride when the sky opened up. We got off the ride, took off running for a covered area, and mom slipped and fell! I was ok though ... don't worry!

Dad and Riley ... still with her face!

Picture with Captain Jack from Pirates of the Caribbean

Next was the Halloween parade, which was on a rain delay, but still a great show.

Girls were tickled to death!

The pirate ship, which shot fog from the cannon and one got the girls right in the face!

Captain Hook

Everyone having a great time.

The Haunted Mansion characters were the highlight of the parade. These are the grave diggers, who did a dance with the shovels. They were beyond amazing.

The Ghosts of the Haunted Mansion.

More Haunted Mansion characters

The end of the parade.

Next, we watched the firework show that was choreographed for Halloween.

What a great show!

As we were leaving the park, we got a chance to meet some princesses.

Snow White and her Prince

Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder

Cinderella and her Prince

Day Two, we planned to go to Magic Kingdom for the day. However, the weather had different plans for us. It started pouring down rain sometime during the night and NEVER stopped. We decided to have an easy day, relaxing instead. We ate a yummy lunch and hung out at the hotel. The dads took the girls to the swimming pool (yes, in the rain) and they had SO MUCH FUN. Then we ran to the grocery store to get supplies for dinner (since we had a stocked kitchen, why not save some $ and eat in).

Making Mac-n-Cheese for the kids ... however, we forgot to buy butter, so we improvised with butter cups!

It was Schuyler's 5th Birthday ... so we got her a cake.

Yummy!

We used all the dishes on our dinner, so we decided to use our hands as our dessert plates.

Day Three, it finally stopped raining about lunch time. We headed back to the Magic Kingdom to try and get some fun in while the weather was good. It turned out to be a beautiful day, cool and overcast. Yeah, it was pretty wet too, as Orlando got 9 inches of rain the two days before. We were prepared though, so it was all good.

My sweet girls, ready for another day of fun at the park.

All three, ready!

The gang, getting ready to ride Splash Mountain. Luckily, the ponchos we bought for the rain came in quite handy!

Waiting in line for Big Thunder Mountain roller coaster.

Reagan was so excited to ride all by herself.

The girls enjoying the People Mover.

Checking out the sights.

After a fun few hours, we were ready to head back to the hotel. Waiting on the ferry boat.

The girls having a pow wow while on the ferry.

Good Bye Magic Kingdom

I had one tired little girl on my hands.

Day Four, it was time to pack up and head back home. We had one more surprise for the girls, taking them to get their hair weaved and lunch at the Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney.

Riley sitting patiently while her hair is getting done. She chose pink, purple, and blue.

Reagan chose red, white, and blue ... just like her daddy, very patriotic!

My beautiful girls were so great all weekend. They used polite manners and allowed our friends to choose whatever they wanted to do without complaining.

Reagan's finished hair.

Riley's finished hair.

Disney's Fort Wilderness

2011-09-11T19:47:00.000-04:00

Labor Day weekend, we went to Disney's Fort Wilderness Campgrounds with our friends the Andrews Family and Grandpa Joe and Grandma Kelly. We had a great weekend, the weather was beautiful, and spent good quality time with everyone.

Our campsite was right in the middle of the campgrounds, central location to everything. However, Fort Wilderness is VERY big, so a golf cart rental is a must to get around!

Saturday after setting up camp, we went to Magic Kingdom with Grandpa Joe and Grandma Kelly. This was Riley's first visit since she has grown big enough to ride all the rides! It was a special day. It was Kelly's first time to Disney too, so it was extra special.

Waiting on the boat to take us to Magic Kingdom.

The girls, waiting on the boat.

Riding the boat ... it was so bright!

Ready for some fun!

Riley's first time on Thunder Mountain ... she had such a great time. She says it was her favorite ride of the day!

Riley's first time on Splash Mountain ... and Kelly's first time too!

Grandpa Joe and Grandma Kelly, enjoying the Jungle Cruise

Riley and I on the Aladdin Carpet Ride

Reagan and Kelly, on Aladdin's Carpet Ride.

Sunday, we spent the day with our friends, the Andrews. Grandpa Joe and Kelly wanted to spend another day at the Magic Kingdom, so we hung out at Fort Wilderness. There was so much to do, we had a great time.

Reagan and I doing arts and crafts at the pool

Riley going down the "baby" water slide ... piece of cake!

The big water slide ... Reagan first!

Riley went down the first time with Daddy ... til the lifeguard yelled at them for doing it!

Reagan and Jack, hanging in the pool

Riley and Daddy, having a great time.

Going for the water slide, again!

Riley, on her way down

Reagan got all spun around and came out like a wild woman!

Next, we went to see the ponies.

Riley attempting to ride the pony, but did not make it any further than this picture. She was off before we started to move.

Reagan was excited to ride the pony.

Mom and Reagan, enjoying the pony ride.

Then we saw the HUGE horses in the barn.

Next it was off to dinner with the Andrews Family. While waiting, the girls hula hooped.

Riley tried so hard, just couldn't figure it out!

Dinner was buffet style and very yummy. Baby Ava enjoyed the ice cream bar!

Jack and Reagan posing with the Grizzly Bear

It started to rain, so we booked it over to the general store, where the kids hung out and played with all the stuff.

After it stopped raining, we went to the Chip and Dale Campfire Sing a Long.

The kids were waiting for the campfire to be lit.

Roasting marshmallows for Smores!

YUM! Smores!

Riley enjoyed hers too!

In attempt to get a picture of us ... no one cooperated!

Riley was so tired, she did not make it to the Sing A Long, and missed Chip and Dale by 5 minutes!

Reagan, Jack, and Tracy singing a long with Chip and Dale.

There they are!

Happy Campers!

Posing with Dale.

Mom and Reagan having a great time together.

Ava was unsure of it ... it was pretty loud!

Jack and his Daddy, Mike ... Jack making a funny face (he was not scared).

Monday, we had to check out by 11:00, so we just spent the morning driving around the golf carts with our friends and said our goodbyes.

The girls made a Minnie head out of pinecones ...

Good Bye Fort Wilderness ... we had a blast!

Welcome to the Family, Charlie

2011-08-20T21:08:00.000-04:00

Meet Charlie, the newest member of the Posti Family.

We found Charlie (at the time, his name was Puffie) at the local SPCA, sitting in a lonely cage, waiting for a new family. We had a SPCA Volunteer come and get him out of his cage so we could check him out. While we were getting our first real look of him, some lady came by and said that she wanted him and was taking him home now. We were devastated! The volunteer said she made a mistake by not removing his paperwork from his cage, so the lady had every right to say she wanted to adopt him. We were crushed. We didn't even get 2 minutes with him and they were going to take him away.

Reagan started crying and Scott and I were speechless ... couldn't believe the rudeness of that lady.

As we were standing there, not sure what to do next, the "rude" lady walked up to Reagan, handed her the paperwork and said, "here, you can have him" and walked away.

We felt like it was a sign that he was meant to be apart of our family, and we just couldn't leave there without him.

So, here he is! 3 1/2 months old, 17.9 lbs, Shepard/Lab mix ... Charlie (a name the girls just fell in love with).

Upon arriving home, we immediately gave Charlie a bath and welcomed him into the house.

He was such a good boy getting his bath, he actually laid down in the sink and relaxed, while I washed him.

Isn't he just the cutest thing?!

Then it was time to explore ... oh, and clean up all the toys! That is something the girls are going to have to learn real quick ... toys on the floor are FAIR GAME!

Rolling around with him.

Then it was back outside to check out the backyard. He ran in circles and had a great time.

Then back inside for a treat ... yummy bone that he devoured in just about and hour.

The girls first official picture with their new puppy ... a bit awkward, but still cute.

Didn't take him long to find a comfortable place besides his bed.

Look at his sweet eyes.

After an afternoon of getting used to his new place, he fell into a deep sleep, right next to where Scott was sitting.

Goodnight sweet boy ... sure hope you sleep well throughout the night!!!

Camping at Fort Desoto

2011-08-01T23:28:00.000-04:00

With Scott being out of town for the past 5 weeks, it was such a wonderful weekend together as a family. With some good friends of ours, we got side by side camp sites at Fort Desoto and spent 3 nights enjoying our new camper. We went on walks, played at the park, went to the beach, played some card games and dice games, listened to the rain, watched the kids make up dances, get dirty, and have a blast.

Our little camper!

FRIDAY NIGHT

Riley and her friend, Jack ... throwing shells into the water and singing songs to each other. They were so cute together.

My beautiful Reagan, enjoying the evening walking around and collecting shells. She picked up 52 shells that night!

The three kids, relaxing by the water.

Enjoying the sunset.

SATURDAY

Riley and Jack, stuck side by side!

Riley loves Jack!

Reagan was exploring all the time.

We went exploring the Fort Desoto "Fort" built during the Spanish-American War.

Sweet sisters.

AHHHH!

Riley was doing great, until our friend Mike came in making "scary" noises ... she then panicked!

Looking into the cannon.

Riley and Daddy, posing for a picture. Riley was not comfortable sitting up there, so the picture was taken very quickly!

Going into another part of the fort, a great place to make loud noises to scare the kids!

Checking out more cannons

Nothing like having a photo op!

The girls, posing on the hot cannon in the hot sun!

The kids!

Sweet Riley!

Daddy showing off his tree climbing skills.

Of course, the girls had to try too!

Cheese everyone!

Walking up the huge staircase, to go on top of the fort.

WHEW! That was a long walk!

But there was such a beautiful view.

Daddy and his girls

Riley and Jack, still side by side.

Resting in the shade after a hot morning.

Back at camp, waiting for some lunch and special visitors ... Uncle Larry and Sunny came down to check out the new camper. Of course, very little pictures were taken! OOPS!

But we did get a shot of the tricycle stuck in the water after a crazy driver drove it into the water!

The kids dancing, having a great time.

Monkey see, monkey do!

Splits!

Ta-Da!

Reagan has been working on this move for weeks now ... she is getting better day by day!

Time for some acrobatics ... lets see who can jump off the table without getting hurt!

How about trying all three at the same time?!

That was fun!

Riley resting, but of course, not resting from Jack!

Eating a snack, Reagan wore her head piece she worked on all morning long.

Three little monkeys, enjoying a snack. After snack, we went to the beach where we did not take the camera, but did have a great time. We all went out to the sandbar, where we caught over 20 sand dollars and Reagan caught a crab. We came back, showered up, and got the kids to bed. Adults got to spend some time together, playing games and hanging out. What a fun night.

SUNDAY

Sunday morning was a beautiful morning. Thanks to a HUGE thunderstorm the night before, we had cooler weather (considering) and so we opened up the windows and cut off the air conditioner.

After the kiddos went fishing with the dads, (while the moms relaxed and watched a movie), we enjoyed some lunch.

Silly Mr Mike ate soup for his lunch, in the heat of the day!

After lunch, it started to look cloudy, so we decided to hang out in the camper and play some UNO, while our friends spent some time alone too.

The clouds rolled in and the thunder started to rumble, so we shut up the camper, turned the a/c back on, and relaxed. Kids watched a movie and Mom and Dad napped.

While cooking dinner, Daddy decided to show off his tree climbing skills again, and climb the tree that was over the water!

Of course, they wanted to also!

Reagan made it!

Then it was group photo time ... played out not so well, as some kids didn't want their picture taken (see next few photos)

Scott almost stabbed Mike in the face with the skewer!

Jack wanted his stick!

Mr Mike looked like he has had enough!

So hot and sticky, but having a great time being DIRTY!

Reagan made herself a cross, which she used to roast marshmallows later on.

Our fire for the marshmallows.

Sitting by the fire, which did not last long at all!

Silly kids!

Getting a few marshmallows before they cooked themselves!

YUMMY SMORES!

WHAT! My mouths is full!

Covered in chocolate.

Nothing a lick or two can't handle!

Jack taking Riley for a ride.

MONDAY

Monday morning we woke up to more thunder rumbling, so we quickly closed up shop and headed out. We were out of the camp site by 7:30 am, just in time before it started to rain.

The kids saying their goodbyes.

What a fun weekend. We are looking forward to doing it again real soon!

A Dolphin Tail ...

2011-08-01T20:00:00.001-04:00

We were so lucky to have our cousins and Aunt Dana come and visit us for a few days. With the upcoming movie, A Dolphin Tale, on the horizon, we decided to take the girls to meet the actual Winter the Dolphin, who starred in the movie. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium, which is just up the road from my house, was shut down for a couple months to film the movie, A Dolphin Tale. The girls were all so excited to get to meet Winter and then go home and tell their friends all about it.

The girls got a hands on experience ... here they are holding Winters first prosthetic tail.

This is a replica of a Dolphins skull.

They got to pet the Sting Rays ... which is funny, since they were afraid of them at the beach the day before!

This is Panama, she has worn down teeth and cannot survive in the wild, due to the inability to catch and chew her food. She is also Winter's surrogate mother.

Our first glimpse of Winter

It is hard to see in this picture, but you can see her tail is missing.

Winter and Panama, together, about to put on a show.

This is Hope, the Aquariums youngest dolphin. She is less than 1 year old and was found in the wild, alone, after her mother died.

She was so little!

The story how Winter lost her tail. She got it caught in a crab trap and cut off the blood supply to her tail.

The girls getting ready for craft time ...

Morgan and Riley coloring

Maya showing Reagan her design

Nicolas, he was found as a baby dolphin, beached with his mother, who was dying.

Nicholas suffered from severe sunburn, and was brought to the Aquarium as a baby.

The white scars on his back are from the sunburn.

The girls are waiting, front row, to see Winter and Panama put on a show.

The guy was talking to the girls, getting them pumped up for Winter!

Here she comes!

Winter rolling in the water.

The interns were out treading water the entire show ... it was to train the dolphins to get used to distractions.

Panama being fed. It is hard to see, but she has no teeth!

Winter talking to the interns

Perfect shot of Winters tail ... she would swim side to side, instead of up and down.

Great shot of Winter.

She jumped up on the raft.

Goodbye Winter ... great show!

Some sea turtles.

This was a HUGE sea turtle!

This boat was made specifically for the movie, and then was donated to the Aquarium as an attraction. It was totally cool looking ... wish we could have gone inside it!

After the Aquarium ... we went to lunch at a local joint ... Frenchy's!

Then it was time for the 2nd part of our Dolphin adventure ... the Sea Screamer boat ride!

The best shot I could get of the Sea Screamer, a 72 foot speed boat!

The girls insisted we sit in the back, which was the "wet" zone!

Riley was ready to see some dolphins in the wild.

Reagan was more excited to go fast on the boat!

Dana and Maya, ready to go!

Here we are, about to go out into the Gulf, to find some dolphins.

The weather was a bit questionable, but we were cleared to go ... but we did get rained on!

Having fun!

Going fast ... they were loving in!

Then the sea spray got them ...

Riley was attached to Aunt Dana at the hip, wanting nothing to do with her Mommy!

Beautiful McKenna, having a great time!

Riley was trying to catch the water on her tongue!

Then we saw the dolphins ...

There was a Pirate Ship out there too ... looking at the dolphins.

Then the captain said he was going to give the dolphins something to play with ...

as he went faster, the dolphins started jumping in the wake!

The captain said to take your seat and hold on to your belongings, so I took Riley to her seat.

She was not happy with me, as she wanted to be with Aunt Dana instead!

Reagan was having so much fun!

Then it started to rain, and going fast on the boat, with the rain hitting you in the face, was not comfortable.

Riley got back to Aunt Dana and was happier!

Goofy Maya!

Happy Girl #1

Happy Girl #2

At the end of the boat ride, another group shot!

They were so cute!

They got to sit up with the captain for a little while, and get out of the rain.

"Sun Bathing" on the front of the boat!

Thanks for such a great adventure ... Sea Screamer!

American Backyard Campout Day 2011

2011-06-27T10:04:00.000-04:00

For the American Backyard Campout Day, we invited some friends over for a fun campout. Unfortunately for us, it was a rainy weekend and the campout turned into a camp-inside night. We did have some fun though, regardless of the weather.

Riley and Jack thought putting the tent poles together was fun ... they were such great helpers.

All the kids were so excited to help put the tents up.

Riley did her job and played on the swing set as she waited.

Reagan and Jack using teamwork!

Let's get our sleeping bags ready!

WHOA! We finished, now lets relax, which only lasted about 10 minutes before it started to rain.

The kids thought hanging out in the tents in the rain was a blast ...

... but then the thunder and lightening started. They only lasted about 5 seconds after that!

We spent the rest of the evening inside, eating, watching movies, and just hanging out. Riley fell asleep around 10:30, in her bed ... Reagan and Jack stayed up until about 1:00 am, when the rain finally stopped. Reagan was ready to go out to the tent then, so off they went.

Reagan and Daddy, at 1:00am, ready for the camping part of our campout. Reagan was so excited and slept until about 8:00am! She thought camping out was a lot of fun, a bit scary, but fun!

Jack and Mike were going to give it a shot too, but Jack only lasted long enough for the picture to be taken. They ended up sleeping inside with us Moms!

Swimming, swimming, and more swimming!

2011-06-22T16:43:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, we took the girls to visit Grandpa Joe. They were so excited that it was summertime and they got to swim in his pool (the last time we were there, it wasn't very warm and they got in the hot tub for just a few minutes). We bought Riley a new swim vest, one that has removable pads to teach that are supposed to help her learn how to swim.

Riley was enjoying hanging out in the shallow water ... aka the hot tub.

She was showing off her new swim vest ...

until Grandpa Joe turned on the bubbles and scared the daylight out of her! She jumped out of the hot tub in record time!

WHOA! That was a close one! Of course, Reagan loves the bubbles and jumped right in.

Look at me swimming all by myself!

Reagan showing off her jumping ... she wanted Riley to jump in the deep end so bad but Riley is not ready to jump in on her own.

I LOVE THE POOL!

Thanks for letting us swim!

Fun in the Sun

2011-06-14T09:32:00.000-04:00

Summer has started, so has our days spent outside, enjoying this wonderful place we live. Going to the beach is such an easy and fun getaway. It is 2 miles from my house and the girls have so much fun.

This year, they have both become more comfortable in the water (which makes Mom a bit nervous) and we have bought them Boogie Boards. Regardless to the lack of waves we have here, the girls enjoy riding the waves and having so much fun!

One of our "big" wave days! This is about the biggest I have seen it yet (pretty sad, I know ... but it is very nice with younger kids as it keeps me from being a complete nervous wreck)!

Riley enjoying her first day on the Boogie Board.

Riding in on a wave ... way to go Riley!

Reagan met a friend who had inner-tubes ... they had so much fun that lasted for hours!

Relaxing in the inner-tube!

Maybe I can ride this like a real surf board?

But unfortunately, we do have sting rays!

At least they are clearly visible (most of the time) and you can see them coming down the beach. It is crazy to watch the people flock towards the pod of sting rays. People will go out into the water and try to walk through the pod so they can get a closer look ... I think they are CRAZY people!

After going to the beach, we come home to clean off the beach toys and stuff with the water hose. It tends to ALWAYS turn into our own fun in our backyard. The girls love it when I allow them to make a huge mud mess in the yard!

Reagan making the "water slide" more fast by dumping a bucket of water over herself as she slides down.

Riley would FLY down the slide and about 90% of the time, land face down in the mud! (that was a hard picture to capture though).

MUD! WHAT FUN!

We also have great neighbors who allow us to use their swimming pools, so when we are bored, swimming is always a fun treat!

Cannon Ball!

Watch me! I can jump too!

A Special Visitor

2011-06-14T08:32:00.039-04:00

A couple weeks ago, we had the girls Grandma come and visit us for 10 days. We had a lot of fun with her here and enjoyed getting to spend some quality time with her.

We spent quite a bit of time at the beach and also did some fun things around the town. Since Reagan was in school most of the time, by the weekend, we allowed her to plan a day. She chose to go to the Botanical Gardens, the Children's Museum, and lunch. We had a blast! Way to go Reagan for planning such a fun day.

Reagan enjoying the Botanical Gardens.

Riley and I

Reagan and Grandma

Riley wanted her picture taken ALONE ... couldn't get a shot of her with Grandma :(

My Girls

Florida palms ... so beautiful.

The Posti Family

Next we went to the Children's Museum for a fun filled afternoon!

Reagan pulling her own weight on the "pulley system"

Riley couldn't pull herself up, so Grandma helped.

Rock climbing ... well, sort of!

Don't Spray the Camera!!!

Our future Veterinarian

Watch out for the fast slide while wearing a short skirt!

Scott thought it was funny to take a picture of me, looking like I was naked in the Children's Museum ... so funny Scott!

Riley helping out at the Vet's office.

Grocery shopping ... I was amazed at the things she was buying.

Reagan spent a lot of time building ... and did a great job!

After the Children's Museum, we went to Columbia, a FANTASTIC restaurant overlooking the water.

Sweet girls, enjoying their outing.

The view from our lunch table.

Thanks Reagan for such a fun day. You did a great job coming up with some exciting things to do!

Of course, Reagan was NOT impressed with taking her picture with the Pelican though. Right as we got close to it, it starting snapping his beak, and Reagan thought it was going to eat her. It was quite funny!

Irbe Posti, 2001 - 2011

2011-05-13T22:08:00.000-04:00

In honor of Irbe, our sweet dog, here is his life ...

He was born January 26, 2001 and rescued from the SPCA by Scott and I in Wilmington, NC. He was a tiny little thing, projected to be only about 20 lbs full grown. He sure was a cute little thing.

Then he started to grow ... quickly!

and grow ...

and grow ... until one day he woke up with these long legs!

We left Wilmington, and moved to Texas. He was determined not to get left behind and hung out in the car all day long while we packed.

Then his legs outgrew his body and he developed hip dysplasia. Surgery #1 was right before his first birthday.

He loved playing with the other dogs, even though I was afraid he was going to throw poor Winston through the room with the tug of war game they had going.

He was a sly dog. He was NOT allowed on Mom Sher's new leather couch, but when she wasn't around, he was quick to find his spot!

He loved to play. We played chase, tug of war, catch, and even danced with him.

Then it was off to Rhode Island, to endure the COLD!

and boy, he DID love the snow!

In St. Louis, he sure enjoyed the green grass and huge yard to run around in.

He was always a trooper to play dress up with the kids.

But never afraid to say, leave me alone!

Next, off to the desert ... Phoenix.

He grew fond of the girls stuffed animals, as they were always in the spots he wanted to sleep.

Back to the beach, this time in Florida. We were not sure if he would like the water after all these years, but he LOVED IT!

until he got hurt again ... leading to surgery #2, 8 years after the first surgery.

Our little guy, not so little anymore, was 60 lbs and an old man.

But he was still, always happy and very puppy like in his heart.

The girls sure do love their Irbe.

In his old age, we even spoiled him some by giving him things he shouldn't have had ... like a big ole Prime Rib bone!

Days before he left us, he still was enjoying life, hanging out with the family, watching the squirrels.

His last day, he just wasn't himself. He was sad and just not himself. His breathing was funny and his stomach looked protruded. We took him to the vet to get checked out. He was rushed into emergency surgery for an abdominal hemorrhage, which turned out to be cancer, which had spread throughout his stomach.

The girls got to say goodbye, before his surgery, and I took this picture just in case he didn't recover. I am so thankful that I did.

Irbe died on Friday, May 13th, 2011 at the age of 10 years old.

He will always be remembered by us and those who knew him. He was a very special dog and will forever hold a place in our hearts.

Now, he is in a better place, hopefully laying next to Mom Sher on a big, comfy, leather couch ... together again.

Exploring Heritage Village

2011-03-30T21:39:00.000-04:00

Today, we met a group of people at Heritage Village, a local 21-acre living history museum. There are more than 28 historical structures and features dating back to the 19th century, all that were founded in Pinellas County (where we live).

The girls sitting on the bench, waiting on our friends.

Check out this beautiful gazebo, Mom!

This one house, had a room where you were allowed to explore with your hands. The girls LOVED the tea set.

One house, which was GORGEOUS, had a nursery set up with baby dolls. Riley was in heaven.

The woodwork used in this house was amazing. Every room was made out of wood and had such amazing details.

The dining room, with its built in bookshelves, was so beautiful.

This house was so cute, and it reminded me so much of our house in Rhode Island. The layout was very similar as was the age, built in 1905!

The church bell was the biggest hit. Each one took turns ringing the bell, that chimed throughout the entire grounds.

This was one of the two schoolhouses that was there. They were amazed that kids used to all go to school in the same room, a one roomed school house!

Reagan riding a steer!

Stopping to try and climb the bamboo!

Riley and her friend, Jack ... they are so cute together!

Holding hands ... oh so cute!

Happy 4th Birthday, Riley Doodle!

2011-03-29T16:39:00.001-04:00

It is hard to believe that Riley is now 4 years old. Oh, how the time flies by! Riley is a little chatterbox, very smart, very independent, and a happy child. She always has a smile on her face and everyone just adores her. We celebrated Reagan's birthday over a 2 week span, so Riley expected pretty much the same. We lucked out and only had to celebrate it over a couple days ... but it was all the same to her.

She celebrated her birthday at her preschool, and was so excited to get her turn to have the Birthday flag, be the line leader, and eat cupcakes in her honor.

Her "Hello Kitty" cupcakes ... and yes, there are 30! We ate them for days!

Wearing her birthday crown at school

Yummy Cupcakes!

Riley got her first Fed Ex package from Grandpa Joe and she was so excited to open it.

All her presents!

We had some friends come over for dinner to help eat some of the cupcakes.

More sugar!

On Saturday, we took Riley to Disney World to celebrate some more. Her big surprise was to get a Pirate Makeover.

First, they got cute Pirate Empress outfits and got to spin the Captain's Wheel to discover what their pirate names were going to be.

Reagan spinning for her pirate name.

Meet "Emily Burnsteel" and "Rachel Calicocash"

"Rachel Calicocash" aka Riley getting her empress makeover ... eyes

cheeks ...

and fitted with her very own bandana, earring, and eye patch.

"Rachel Calicocash" taking the pirate oath.

Happy Birthday Pirate Empress "Rachel Calicocash"!

"Emily Burnsteel" aka Reagan getting her makeover.

WOW! Look at her eyes!

"Emily Burnsteel" taking her pirate oath.

Looking at herself in the mirror.

Next, they got their swords ...

and they were sent into the secret room, but we are not allowed to talk about the secret room! It is a surprise for future pirates.

"Rachel Calicocash" hooked herself a mommy!

The Posti Pirate Family ... we had such a fun time becoming pirates.

My favorite picture ... Riley is making her "Arrrgh" face which she said "Arrrgh" to every person we passed.

A Quick Getaway ...

2011-03-15T12:47:00.000-04:00

We went on a quick trip to MIAMI, just an overnight stay. The girls were pumped and ready to go ... they love watching movies in the car. However, movies in the car sometimes lead to drama ... such as car sickness. We had to make only one stop on the side of the road, for Reagan to get some fresh air.

When we got to Miami, we CHECKED INTO OUR HOTEL. Using Scott's Marriott points (which he racked up while staying in DC for 2 months) and his Platinum Status, we got an AMAZING ROOM! We were on the 17th floor, corner suite, that faced the water. There were floor to ceiling windows on three of the walls, so the view was AWESOME!

Here is a video clip of the room (unfortunately, I was not smart enough to open ALL the curtains before doing the video). You can see what an awesome room it is though!

Not that you can see us, but this is us on one of the balconies overlooking the Port of Miami.

A view of the Port, with some of the cruise ships. We saw a couple ships depart and then a couple more arrive the next morning.

Another view from our balcony.

Good thing we used Marriott points, because there is NO WAY we would ever pay $2500 for one night in a hotel!!!

Next we went to BAYSIDE MARKETPLACE to walk around and eat dinner. It is a shopping center on the water, with lots of cool little shops. We saw one shop that was a Taxidermy shop, that had stuffed Grizzly Bears, Zebra heads, snakes, gators, etc. It was pretty cool, however the girls had some questions about it though!

Dad and his girls, at dinner, waiting for our food.

The girls being sweet to each other.

Reagan took a picture of Mom and Dad!

While we were eating, a charter boat came back in and was feeding the pelican and fish. We went down there to watch.

The tarpons in the water right there were at least 4 -5 feet long. The people next to us kept screaming ... "There is a SHARK!" ... we kept thinking ... "Tourists!"

The girls, posing for another picture.

Next, the girls got to HOLD SOME MACAWS. It was a fun experience for them.

Riley holding her "baby" as the Macaw was eating her shirt. Mom was a bit nervous that he was going to bite her skin or even her face!

Reagan was a bit nervous with the one on her shoulder. She said it hurt her arm and it kept eating her hair.

Still holding her "baby".

Then, Mom and Dad got in on the fun. Mom does not really care for birds, so lets just say, I was a trooper to do this for the kids. The guy told me to keep my head still, so all I was thinking "WHAT! Are you kidding me? My kids are not going to keep their heads still and you are putting the birds on them too?!" We survived and got some pictures for the memories!

Can't go to Florida without seeing some cool Banyan trees. I find is so sad that you see such beautiful trees that are so old, and have peoples names carved into the trunks. Do people not have any respect!

BACK TO THE HOTEL ... view at night.

And then off to sleep, where it took the girls FOREVER to calm down enough to fall asleep. However, upon waking up ... this is what we saw ...

View from our bed in the morning.

View from our bed, looking over to the kids bed (pull out couch) and the view behind them.

Sunrise view

Another sunrise view

The girls sat and watched the cruise ships arriving. What a relaxing way to wake up!

Looking down from our balcony, there was a fishing boat about to depart. You can see the tarpons around his boat, it was so cool to see how clear the water was. There were 5 tarpons, about 4-5 feet long hanging out right there. This pictures is from the 17th floor, but you can still see them!

TIME TO GO HOME!

We decided since we had all day to get home, we would take our time. Our first stop was at Alligator Alley to see if we could see some alligators up close. Not that you can see him, but there is one in the picture behind them (way in the distance).

Here is one! Sunning himself on the other side of the water. It was neat to see them. As we drove through Alligator Alley, we probably saw at least 50 on the side of the road. I am sure there were tons more, but it is hard to keep track when you are going 80 mph down the road!

Then we stopped at the PREMIUM OUTLET MALL, for some shopping. While there, the girls got to do the Hamster Bubble.

Reagan in her bubble, waiting for it to be blown up! Once again, mom was a bit nervous that these ladies told her to get into this plastic bubble, close her eyes and ears, and wait. All I could think of is ... you just zipped my kid up inside a plastic bubble without any air. Luckily, they were right there with the leaf blower, to fill her up!

Inside her bubble, ready to go.

Riley, inside her bubble waiting for it to be blown up.

Reagan testing it out.

Riley inside her bubble.

Reagan figured out how to stand up, but could only stay up for about 2-3 steps before falling again.

The girls getting their exercise.

Riley would stand up and then jump backwards.

Reagan trying to get me!

Riley is a bit exhausted.

I think Reagan is tired too.

There she goes ... she figured it out ... in the end!

NOTE TO SELF: If you suspect that your child is not feeling well, a Hamster Bubble probably is NOT a good idea. Reagan was already under the weather, and then getting inside this hot, plastic bubble and exerting herself, pushed her over the edge. She was overheated and nauseous after her fun!

They were both wiped out and ready to get home.

Poor Reagan, not feeling well and the start of her "virus". As she got home, we discovered she had a 102 fever and is now home from school until she gets better.

Riley insisted on keeping her pillow behind her head, which when she fell asleep, she could not keep her head still. These pictures are taken in about 10 seconds of each other.

Reagan's Birthday Surprise

2011-01-19T15:48:00.005-05:00

Reagan's 7th birthday was here, and her big surprise was ready to reveal. We were planning this surprise for over a month, so the fact that it stayed a surprise was great.

I woke her up at 6:00am, Friday morning, with a whisper ... Daddy's surprise is finally here. She got up and came into the kitchen to find this ...

(turn the volume up so you can hear her, as she is still half asleep and is not being very loud)

FRIDAY ... DAY ONE

And so we were off, on our big weekend adventure, to Washington DC.

On the shuttle bus, headed to the airport in Tampa.

At the Tampa airport ...

waiting patiently for our flight.

On the plane, still excited for what is to come.

In Baltimore, where we landed, there was SNOW!

Not much snow, but enough for two Florida girls!

We had to wait a while in the train station, to catch a train to Washington, DC.

Waiting for the train to come ... burrr, it was cold out there!

Riley kept herself warm by jumping from bench to bench.

View from the train platform. The girls wanted to go down there and play in it, but it was a long way down!

On the train ride to DC ... thank goodness Daddy met us in Baltimore ...

the train ride ended up being a lot longer than usual (about 2 hours, instead of 30 mins), due to a broken down train!

We made it to the hotel ... FINALLY!

Daddy's room was really nice!

SATURDAY ... DAY TWO

We were up bright and early, for a White House tour. Daddy and his girls, all dressed and ready to go. We were not allowed to bring anything with us to the White House, so we don't have any pictures of our tour, but the girls LOVED looking at the chandeliers ... that is what they talk about!

Walking around town, first spotting the Capital in the distance. Reagan was preparing to take a picture with her new camera.

Posing with the Washington Monument.

First Museum ... Natural History Museum.

Riley was so excited to see an Elephant when we walked in.

Reagan was all about taking pictures of all the animals.

Cool looking Polar Bear

Riley wanted her picture with the naked baby ... "Mom, he doesn't have on any underwear!"

A Coral Reef made out of crocheted pieces.

The big whale on the ceiling.

T-Rex skeleton

Posing with a dinosaur

The Hope Diamond ... Reagan was so excited to get to see this one!

Reagan was tickled that this building was named after HER!

Lunch at Old Ebbitts Grill, for Reagan's birthday lunch.

Hungry and ready to eat!

Birthday Girl

The yummy piece of cake they brought her for her birthday.

Happy Birthday, Reagan!

Next it was off to the American History Museum.

Riley loved the big train, until it made a noise ... that pretty much did her in!

Reagan posing with the horse ... she is such the animal lover.

Dad and the girls on the Chicago style bus

A big ole bus!

They both were very interested in this HUGE doll house.

Metro Station ... after a LONG DAY.

Riding like a true city girl ... standing up!

Riley wanted to stand up, but Mommy would not let her ... mean Mommy!

SUNDAY ... DAY THREE

Riley checking to see if it had snowed yet ... NOPE!

Walking through The Mall ... there were lots of Canadian Geese.

Girls were running around, having a great morning.

Destination ... Air and Space Museum, where we met up with some good friends of ours.

Riley was worn out from the day before, so she was a bit snuggly with me.

Our friends, Jodi (friends with Mommy since we were in Elementary school), Conner (who is one week older than Reagan), and Reagan.

Conner, Reagan, and Riley ... so cute!

and SO GOOFY!

Riley discovering gravity ...

Reagan too!

What does this hose do?

Conner and Riley, checking out the astronaut.

Space Shuttle

Infrared screen ...

Riley, Reagan, and Conner going inside the space ship

We snuck a picture of Reagan and Conner holding hands! So Cute!

Jodi and Mommy ... ready to leave the museum and head to Jodi's house for an afternoon of fun and food!

Just Dance with Shelly, Jodi's sister, and another friend of Mommy's since she was a little girl.

Conner, striking a pose!

Shelly and Reagan, dancing away.

Jodi and Reagan, still dancing.

Riley getting in on some of the dance action!

Riley thoroughly enjoyed playing with Shelly and Jen.

Conner, Reagan, and Jodi ... still dancing.

Shelly, Jodi, and Mommy ... being silly.

Pictures for memories!

Who knows what they are doing?!

Attempt to get a good picture of the kids ...

they were being so silly, it was hard to get each one to cooperate.

Best shot we got, too bad they were looking at the wrong camera!!!

Jodi and Riley, saying their goodbyes

Goodbye to our friends ... we had such a good time hanging out after all these years!

MONDAY ... DAY FOUR

Back to the White House, to get some pictures ... since we couldn't take the camera the first time.

Family Shot!

Other side of the White House

Off to the Washington Monument, to see the view from the top.

Waiting to go inside. It was the coldest day so far, and the girls were not handling it too well.

View 1, from the top ... The Capitol, The Mall, and the Museums

Family shot

Reagan checking out the view

View 2 ... The White House

View 3 ... The Lincoln Memorial, the Reflection pool, and the World War II Memorial.

View 4 ... the Jefferson Memorial

Bundled up and waiting to go back down!

The World War II Memorial ...

So beautiful, but so cold ... we did not get a lot of pictures.

The Lincoln Memorial

Dad and the Girls were interviewed by the local news station, because they were standing on the spot that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, made his famous speech.

A quick shot of Reagan and President Lincoln, before calling it a day. It was only 11:30, but so cold that the girls could not take it any longer. We spent the rest of the day at the hotel, hanging out with Dad.

Monday night, we went to dinner with some great friends, Mark and Marie, and walked home in the SLEET to get ready for our next day, which was the day to go home.

TUESDAY ... DAY FIVE

Headed home to Florida. We had a dead battery in the camera, so no pictures were taken. Our day started very early as Mommy was afraid of broken down trains and also icy roads from the cold night before. It started with a taxi ride to Union Station, then a train ride to the Baltimore airport. Next we took a bus from the train station to the airport, where we waited for 3 hours for our flight. Once on the plane, Riley fell asleep and Reagan listened to her music for most of the trip. It was a quiet ride, until we got home. Then we took another shuttle bus to the car, where we drove to the Kennel to pick up Irbe, and then finally HOME! After six modes of transportation in one day, we were happy to be home. It was hard to get them settled down for bed, but once they were asleep ... it was a very nice and peaceful night!

We had a great weekend and were so happy to get to see Daddy and our friends. Hopefully the next time we go to Washington, DC, it won't be in January and we can enjoy doing even more than we did this busy, busy weekend!

Reagan's Birthday Party

2011-01-19T13:01:00.001-05:00

For Reagan's Birthday Party, she wanted a Fashion Fairytale Party. So, we decorated Barbie style, had makeovers, dinner, cake, and a Barbie movie, topped off with a slumber party with her closest girl friends. We had a great turn out, and a great time.

Makeover stations, before the party started.

The goodie boxes were filled with makeup, nail polish, and makeover goodies.

The dinner table and the pinata ... waiting for the excitement.

The Birthday Girl ... getting ready for her makeover.

Reagan doing her makeup.

Riley, doing her own makeup!

Oops ... my hand slipped!

Posing to show off their makeovers

Reagan did a pretty good job on herself.

Riley needs a little more coaching, I think!

The five best friends.

All seven girls, made over and ready to party.

Reagan and Kayla

Reagan and Natalie

Reagan and Hope

Reagan and Amber

Reagan and Riley Doodle

Present Time ... she got Zoobles

and more Zoobles,

a puppy paint set,

in which she was so excited about, she tackled Amber!

a scrapbook kit, which she used to show off her party afterwards,

and of course, Barbies!

Dinner and Cake Time!

The cake ... isn't she beautiful!

Mom was afraid to put the candles on the Barbie, so we put the candles in a bowl of marbles instead.

Reagan and her cake.

Pulling out the Barbie so we can cut the cake.

Where the Barbie was.

Inside of the cake ... yummy!

Pinata time ... each girl got to pull a string and believe it or not, the last string standing was the one that opened the trap!

Of course, they still had to hit it and shake it to make more of a mess.

All the goodies falling out!

The aftermath. Mom decided instead of filling the pinata with candy that she would fill it with confetti, so there was confetti everywhere. Messy but really fun!

So happy!

Taking off their makeup and getting ready for the movie.

All are quiet and ready for the movie and sleepover.

THANKS EVERYONE! Reagan had a great birthday party. Next to come, her big birthday surprise!