Thanksgiving

We had a very special Thanksgiving celebration. It was Bree and Matt's first time in Jupiter and we loved having them stay with us, along with Mom, Grandma and Aliyah. Stacie and Patrick hosted Shelli, Matthew and Andrew. We had all the traditional Thanksgiving fixings, enjoyed the beautiful weather with corn hole, time by the pool and games. It was very special having Grandma Carie here. It took a lot out of her though. She gave us all a scare when she had one of her "spells" while sitting at the table. I thought we had lost her. Thankfully she came to quickly.

Matt taught us a new card game called Kemps. It was so much fun. You have to secretly alert your partner that you're ready to go out. Mom and I were acting like we were pulling the hairs on our chins. Bree and Matt were playing footsie under the table. Lots of laugher by all.  Love my family!

 

Grandma Jacque's 73rd Birthday

We enjoyed celebrating my mom's birthday while she was here in Florida. We treated her to a nice dinner at Jetty's. The view is amazing. Love my mom!

 

Universal Studios

We had an amazing few days at Universal Studios. We got season passes this year, so didn't have as much pressure to stay from open to close. We got there early, road some rides, and then took a break back at the hotel, before heading back for more rides. We loved revisiting Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. We also ate at our favorite restaurant, Cow Fish twice. We love Universal!!!

 

Come From Away

 

Stacie and I spent the afternoon together at the Broadway play, "Come From Away". It was a wonderful heartwarming play at the Kravis Center about the little town that laid out the red carpet for all the diverted planes still in the sky on 911. It was a lovely time with Stacie, followed by a yummy dinner. 

Go Hawks

 

More Hawkeye Football and yummy food with the Shannons.

Kaylee's 17th Birthday

 

It's hard to believe that Kaylee is 17 years old. Trevor always likes to reenact the touchdown pose with him holding Kaylee, but this year he had to bust out a ladder. Too funny! We celebrated with her favorite meal: penne pasta with Italian sausage and sun-dried tomatoes and her favorite cake, banana bread cake with chocolate chips and peanut butter frosting. We also celebrated with the Shannon's by going out to dinner at Kaylee's new favorite restaurant Sushi Yama. Kaylee also invited a few friends out to dinner to celebrate with them, apparently that's how teens celebrate these days. Parents pay for them to go out to dinner with their friends vs having a party. Whatever works!

Kaylee is a sweet girl and a super hard worker. She is solid in her faith and makes good choices. She was chosen to be a part of a leadership retreat that happened last weekend at our church. It was an honor to be selected and means they view her as a leader. She volunteers with the kids at church on Sunday mornings. She also enjoys babysitting when she has time. She is great with kids, but has no desire to be a teacher. 

Kaylee still enjoys basketball and is excited to play for JHS this season. She also enjoys playing with the Jupiter Jaguars club team in the off season. She loves sports and enjoys watching them on TV with Trevor, especially the Iowa Women's and Mens' Basketball Teams. She also watches Iowa Football with Trevor, along with super hero shows, which makes him proud. 

She has been super challenged this school year by her AP Chemistry class, which has kicked her butt. She has never struggled in a class before, so this is a first for her. We've even hired her a tutor. I guess she now knows she doesn't want to be a pharmacist! 

Kaylee loves to travel and explore new places. She enjoys trying new foods and is a brave eater. The only foods she consistently won't eat are tomatoes, corn and pineapple. She's very consistent. Kaylee loves to bake and makes us yummy treats. 

Kaylee is a friend to everyone and is good at making others comfortable with her smile and quiet, consistent demeanor. She is still close to her friends back in Iowa, especially Brittney Comer and Lily Ford. Her friends here are Ella Boncimino, Annika Espenship and Rebekah Collins. 

We love Kaylee so much and know she will accomplish whatever she sets her mind to. We're very proud of her!