Two Little Daredevils....

It was a three ring circus at the Budinko household this evening. Or shall I say a TWO ring curcus..... I was cleaning up the kitchen after dinner, and this is what I walked into.... I had to grab the camera to video this...Once in a lifetime show!!!

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Gingerbread House

Tonight after Mackenzie was down, Isabella and I pieced together and decorated our gingerbread house. This is the first time that I have done this kind of project and boy was it a little messy. But we did have fun. Here are some photos from our project tonight. Enjoy!!!

Happy Veteran's Day

Today is a day that we remember all those who have served and are now serving in our military. Thank You so much for all your dedication and hard work it takes. I am very grateful to be married to a man that will stand by his country and fight for our FREEDOM!!!! I am also thankful for my Dad who served our country for four years. Your countless hours and sleepless nights were greatly appreciated during your time in Vietnam and the four years you served your country!!! I look up to all the men and women, past, present and future that will continue to stand for what we believe in and will fight this endless battle. Thank You again and Happy Veteran's Day!

Happy Halloween 2009

We started off the day by carving the rest of our pumpkins. Isabella as well as Mackenzie didn't want much to do with it. As Isabella put it.... It was too icky!!! Then came the highlight of the night....Getting dressed up and going Trick or Treating. Isabella went as Cinderella and Mackenzie was my little cow. This year was a blast since Isabella understood the whole concept behind Halloween. As for Mackenzie, she wasn't quite sure what to think!!! It was a terrific night filled with lots of kids and lots of candy! Hope you enjoy the pictures...

Isabella's Halloween Parade

Today, Isabella was able to participate in her school's annual Halloween Parade. Since she only goes two days a week, she and her other classmates were invited to come back and be apart of the Parade. It was really cute. It was a joy to see all the other children's costumes, but most of all I was excited to see Isabella participate with her class. At first it was a little overwhelming, until she recognized another familiar face, Abi. Then she felt a little at ease. After the parade, the kids had the chance to sing some of their Halloween songs that they have been practicing in Music class. It was a great day!! Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Caterpillars to Butterflies

About three weeks ago I bought the girls a butterfly garden so they could raise and see the life cycle of butterflies. From watching the caterpillars eat for a few days to them crawling to the top of the container and hang upside down as they enter their pupal stage of life. Once they harden and become chrysalids, they begin to undergo a remarkable change to form their new parts as an adult butterfly. It was a great experience for all of us. Hear are some pictures from the last couple of weeks. ENJOY!!!

Disney A Christmas Carol Train Tour....

Isabella's Birthday Party

This year I decided to do things different. Since all of our family and good friends live in different states packages started to arrive pretty much all week. In the past I would let Isabella open them as they arrived. But this year I decided that she could wait till Friday to open her gifts. It was a little hard at times, but she did well. We also like to celebrate her birthday as a family and then again with a party. Since Ryan has been gone and could not make a trip home for her birthday, our neighbors helped make the day a little more special for her by coming over to sing "Happy Birthday" and to have cup cakes and ice cream. This was her choice.

Then on Saturday was yet another enjoyable day!!! It was a day that her friends from school would be coming over to her house to celebrate her birthday and be able to play with her. She was SO excited from the time she got up till the first guest arrived. She knew it was HER DAY!!! These past two days were all about ISABELLA!!!!

I really enjoy posting pictures as a slide show through slide.com. Hope you enjoy the highlights of her birthday!!!

Happy 4th Birthday Isabella!

Happy Birthday Isabella!!!

I still remember like it was yesterday when we found out I was pregnant with Isabella. Ryan was deployed and I took a home pregnancy test and then went to the lab to do blood work to confirm that we were having our first child. I was so anxious to tell Ryan, but at the same time I was scared for the unknown. Now four years later, I can't remember life without her. She has been such a blessing to us and our family. Each and everyday is a new day, and I enjoy every morning waking up to a "thump" as she jumps out of bed, and runs down the hallway to our bedroom to crawl into bed between us and watch TV until her sister wakes up. It's always a great start to another day!! Hope you enjoy the slide show of how much she has changed in these last four years. I know I have!!!

Pumpkin Patch

Today was yet another fantastic day!!! We headed out this morning to enjoy the gorgeous weather and have some fun at a local pumpkin patch. Like always it was a fun filled day of pumpkin picking, corn maze, jumping, and last but not least the hay ride. Here are some pictures of today's event. To bad Daddy isn't here to enjoy some of these fun activities. But he was missed dearly!! We Love you RYAN!!!

Mount Pleasant Children's Day Festival

Today the girls and I headed out to Mount Pleasant for some fall fun. They were holding one of their annual festivals for kids. Theyhad all sorts of things going on. Some of the list of activities were pony rides, face painting, rock climbing, obstacle courses, and even some arts and crafts. How did you like the crown Isabella made? It fit me way to well.... We also enjoyed some hot dogs as well as kettle corn and you can't forget the cotton candy. YUMMY!!! It was a long day for Mackenzie, but as you can tell she got a huge kick out of the slide. She should sleep well tonight considering no nap today. Hopefully we will get to the pumpkin patch tomorrow!!! Enjoy the slide show.

Imagination Movers....

What do you get when you cross four guys in blue suits and a sidekick rodent named Warehouse Mouse???? THE IMAGINATION MOVERS...... These guys are sweeping our nation live in concert, singing some of their favorite songs that can be seen in their new hit show now playing on Disney Channel every weekday mornings. The girls absolutely love these guys. We had such a good time dancing around to all their favorite songs. Here are some pictures from the concert. Enjoy!

Caterpillars and Frogs...

Today was one of those days. The two girls and I just hangout here at home since the weather was "iffy". It started off when Mackenzie saw a caterpillar crawling its way into the enclosed porch. All I remember hearing is "BUUUG! BUUUG!" Then Isabella saying, "Mackenzie found a caterpillar." They both were so amazed and mesmerized. After trying to find a good location to place the little guy, Isabella informs me that she found another one. So we ended up placing the two of them in one of the potted plants I have on the back porch. Then out of know where she discovers a pretty good size toad nestled in the same pot. It felt like a day in science class. Here are some picture of our adventure with the great outdoors. Enjoy!!!

My First Fish Tank

Okay, Bella has been bugging me for months for a fish tank. I told her once we were all settled into our new home in South Carolina we would get her some pet fish. Now that we have arrived, so have the "wants" for a pet fish. After much debate, I finally broke down and bought her, her first fish tank. It's only five gallons, but it is the perfect size for a pint size little girl. Hope you enjoy the photos!!!

First week of School

Tuesday was Isabella's first day of pre-school. It was quite an eventful morning. As we pulled into the parking lot of her school, Bella turned to me and said..."Mom I'm scared to start pre-school". I looked at her and told her that there was nothing to be scared of. You are more nervous than anything. This is something new to you. But like we have talked about, I will be back at lunch time to pick you up. If you see a clock, when both hands are pointing up, that means that I will be waiting for you in the carpool line. I walked her to her classroom and gave her two huge hugs and told her that I loved her and I will see you in a few hours. At that moment I had to hold back the mommy tears that were about to flow from my eyes. They weren't so much as sad tears, but happy tears to see one of my little girls start a new adventure. As I left her school, I couldn't wait til 12 o'clock. I was so anxious to hear about her first day of school. Like we all anticipated....She had a terrific first day and was anxious to return today. She will strive to achieve so much. All we have to do is sit back and watch as she spreads her wings. We are all so proud of her!!!!

Saying Good Bye again

Today was another day most of us wish would never come so fast. Ryan had the chance to make a trip home to visit us for the weekend. He arrived late Thursday night and had to leave this afternoon. Like always we had a great time. It was nice to see him, and this gave him the chance to see our new home. He's been in Oklahoma since July doing cross-flow training on a new aircraft he will be flying. It is great opportunity for him as well as his career, and I am very proud of him. It is hard not having him around, but most of us military wives are use to it. This is a life that not everyone can deal with. We as military wives have learn to sacrifice a lot. Our addresses will always change, as well as the scenery. Some places we will hate to be stationed in, and we will find those that we will absolutely love. Long days at work to even long deployments. But for the most part we make do with our day to day lives. We look forward to the days ahead of us.

Our Home

Here are some photos of our new home in Charleston, South Carolina. Our neighborhood is absolutely beautiful. We overlook a small pond which is great to see first thing in the morning. The girls have adjusted well. Isabella has already made friends with a little boy just two houses down the street. Its nice to know that we finally have neighbors with kids her own age. In fact the neighborhood is filled with kids!!!!

Isabella starts pre-school tomorrow, so hopefully things will go well. I anticipate there will be some tears from both of us, but hopefully she will adjust well. I started her off slow by going two days a week and then next year she will go three days. We can only hope for the best. Until tomorrow.....Stay Tuned!!!