THE NEWTON'S

Alyssa's third grade class did a very cute Hawaiian Holiday Program.  Alyssa was so excited that she got to participate in two of the groups.  I didn't get a picure of her in her winter coat, hat and boots representing Russian holiday's, but she did a great job singing and dancing with her Hawaiian outfit! :)  On the same night Alyssa performed her play at the elementary school, Ashley and Alex had their band concert for Middle School.  We did the divide and conquer and I was able to watch the concert.  The kids did a great job and I'm always amazed at the level that the beginning band is playing at after just four months of picking up these instruments for the first time. Ashley's band is HUGE!  The biggest 6th grade band they have ever had enrolled at the school.  I couldn't get them all in one camera frame... Alex going onstage with his tuba... it's massive!  Alex's band is still big, just not as huge as Ashley's... ...

One thing that I feel Rich and I have worked on is making new traditions for our family.  One of my very favorite traditions is our gingerbread houses.  We have gone from one large house to six individual customized gingerbread houses- complete with a fireworks cannon on top of Alex's... :)  It is one of my very favorite traditions.  Another tradition that we have made for our family is our cookie baking night.  I didn't get any pictures last night, but we all take different recipe's and all create a huge mess and lots of chaos and have so much fun baking cookies, dipping in chocolate and having a great time.  After all the food was made, Alex and Ashley even pulled out their band instruments and started playing christmas songs with Rich accompanying them on the piano.  I hated to have them stop, but we still had school today so they couldn't stay up all night! 

We booked our cruise on the Disney Dream in March of 2010... it has been a highly anticipated trip... we have planned, and researched and organized for the last year for this trip and it did not dissapoint. Our first views of the ship as we drive up to the port and drop off our luggage. The gorgeous details all around the ship- this chandalier is the grand one in the atrium as you board the ship. The only time on the whole cruise parents and non tweens are allowed up in the Edge Tween club are the first afternoon of the cruise- after that it's tweens only.  I snapped a shot of Ashley in what she predicted would be her favorite place to hang out in the club. And Alex as well- of course computers would be around...  :) After we checked out the Tween club, we went to see what the Oceaneer Club and Lab looked like. The kids thought these hand washers were so cool in the Oceaneer Club and Lab. All they had to do was put their ha...