Our Christmas pictures for 2010

Thanks to my wonderful friend, Shannon Black (www.shannonblackphotography.com), we had our family pictures professionally taken in our backyard this year!

We are looking forward to spending time with our family and friends this year during the holiday break, as we strive to always remember the TRUE meaning of Christmas.

We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving 2010

Started with Matt & Sandy and kids coming up for a pre-Thanksgiving visit. Fun was had by all (especially Dr. Smooth, our favorite disco skater). Matt, we expect more groovy moves out of you next time!

We then went down to their house in Apopka (aka Vicks Landing Academy, where "everyone can do anything or everything"...SURE!) for a few days.

Thanksgiving dinner was held at Carlos and Melannie's house (thanks for hosting). Props to Sandy for her thrice-baked turkey dish, and Grace for peeling all 22 potatoes on her own! Good times.

Really though....I think my brother-in-law, Matt said it best:

" There's no day like Turkey Day! No presents, no trees, no decorations...just good food, good family and friends, and good football! And, of course, a good nap to synergistically tie everything together."

Hunter & Grace

It's been a very busy school year so far....let me up date you on our kids! :)

Grace

1. still taking speed skating lessons on Tues and Thurs (loves it)

2. is in the 3rd grade.

3. loves to sew, do arts/crafts, write stories, skate, sing/dance, eat soup, hang out with grandma and her new dog ("Bubba", a toy rat terrier).

4. favorite colors are green and blue now.

Hunter

1. favorite hobby is looking things up on google. Right now his biggest interest is a stacker machine. He is determined to find one for a good price! :)

2. is in the 5th grade.

3. loves anything to do with arcade games, paper jamz, phiten necklaces, making/creating videos, money!

4. favorite colors are red and blue now.

They both dressed up as "ROCK STARS" for Halloween this year. It was cute and creative.

Welcome! Here's how to get started with Skype

Welcome! Here's how to get started with Skype: "Find your friends"AUTUMN PARVU AMY FITZPATRICK FITZPATRICK FAMLY

Hunter & Grace, Artists

It's been awhile since I last "blogged", so here we go...let me fill you in on our lives right now.

The summer has begun, and I can't believe it is already July1st! It is flying by! The kids are doing great. My sister, Amber watches them for me while I work my 2.5 days/week. They are having a blast with their Aunt Amber, who by the way is now 12.5 weeks pregnant (due January 9th)! :) They have been busy working on their latest "project" (painting pictures and selling them for $10.oo each). They now both have a website to display and sell their art! Check it out! I will post the links at the end of this blog. They are looking forward to going on another Disney cruise in late July (thanks to Aunt Melannie and Uncle Carlos for the hook-up....sooo couldn't have done it without you!). Hunter is 10 and will be in 5th grade this year. Grace is 8 and will be in 3rd grade. Can't believe how old they are getting....I mean, they were just 1 and 3!!! :( Moms and dads, enjoy every day! Before you know it, they will be all grown up and out of the house.

We usually have a 4th of July party at our house, but this year we are taking a break (our friends, the Parizeks -- who do the awesome fireworks show -- needed the year off, so we decided to just take it off too and go do something else this year). We are planning on next year though.

We are looking forward to our friends, the Summerville's visit in just 2 weeks! They come visit us from Ohio every summer for a week! We have known them for 12 years now...love you guys! Can't wait to see ya! Shout out to Diane...happy birthday today!! :)

Marty and I are doing good. Marty is staying busy with work (which is always a good thing). He tore a muscle in his calf a few weeks ago, so hasn't been able to play basketball or softball lately (which bummed him out), but hopefully over time it will completely heal, so he will be back on the court/field by next season. I am enjoying working part-time and being a full-time mom. I am so blessed to have a godly husband who loves me and the kids so much.

OK, that's us in a nutshell! Be sure to check out the kids blogs! :)

Grace = www.paintingsbygrace.blogspot.com

Hunter = www.hdfitz.blogspot.com

"Agent H"

Hunter loves the Disney tv show "Phineas and Ferb", especially the character, "Perry the Platypus" who turns into an undercover agent at times (named "Agent P"). He films movies with his "Perry action figures", writes stories about them, and wears their t-shirts all the time.

Recently, he had been looking to buy a hat similar to the one "Agent Perry" wears. When grandma showed him the hat she had that was her dad's (Hunter's greatie-grandpa), he fell in love with it! Grandma is allowing him to borrow this hat for awhile...and wear it. Here he is today with it on!

Our 2010 Gatlinburg trip

Every year for our anniversary (this is our 13th anniversary!), we try to get away for a few days. We usually meet our friends, DJ and Diane Summerville (from Ohio) somewhere (since their anniversary is a week before ours). This year, we went back to Gatlinburg for 4 nights...it even snowed some while we were there (our friends didn't seem as thrilled as we were about this though)!!!

We drove up there again this year, and got to listen to a book on CD on the way home. I have never done that before, but remembered my sister, Angela telling me what a good idea it was, so I bought one at a Christian book outlet store in Gatlinburg (a book called "The most important place on earth" = the Christian HOME). It is a great book! Thanks, Ang for the neat idea! We will probably do that every time now! :)

We went to a "Murder mystery dinner" this year, and Marty was picked to be one of the judges (it was an "American Idol murder mystery" theme). GO MARTY! he he he

Thanks to all of you who helped watch Hunter and Grace for us, so we could get away for a little bit...a much needed time!!! We love you guys!

Hunter's 10th Birthday!!

Wow. Cannot even believe my baby boy is now 10 years old! How did that happen so fast??!! I always rolled my eyes when my mom would tell me and my sisters "I was just 18 years old yesterday!", but now.....I get it! I was too!

Anyway, Hunter has been wanting to ride in a limo for awhile now, so for his birthday, we rented a yellow Hummer limo (that fit 18 people in it), went to Chili's for dinner, then to the dollar tree (for all kids to buy $5.00 worth of "stuff"), then finally to the marble slab creamery for ice cream. It was a fun night. Hunter invited 4 friends, and all the family (Mom, Amber, Nate, Angela, Autumn, Addy, Randon, Marty, me, and Grace) to join in the celebration.

Happy Birthday, HD! We love you so much, and are so thankful God has given us the privilege and gift of being your parents!

Family get together

On January 2nd, my dad, and Diane drove up to our house from the Wildwood area to have "our Christmas". It was neat to have EVERYONE here that day (Randy, Angela, Autumn, Addison, Randon, Amber & Nate, Mom, Dad and Diane, Me, Marty, Hunter & Grace). We took advantage of it, and got some family pictures taken in the back woods of our property too! It's not often we are ALL together like that. Loved it. :)

Christmas 2009

This year for Christmas, Marty's mom, Mary was with us. It was neat to have her here...see how our family "does" Christmas, and be apart of it. :)

Our tradition is to draw names to see who's turn it is to open a present, then when everyone has opened one present, we put the names back in the bowl, and start over (we do this until everyone has opened their presents). That gives everyone a chance to enjoy the whole part of "giving and receiving"! I have seen my kids learn and grow so much from this....this is one way that shows them how it is just as important to give as it is to receive. Of course we try to explain to them every year WHY we celebrate Christmas too. It's hard to remember the TRUE meaning of Christmas with all the gifts around the tree (even for adults), but it is so important to sit, remember, and appreciate why we really do celebrate it, and what the meaning of that day really is.