Fire and Steel

utah vacation baby!!!

2010-01-12T17:20:00.001-08:00

our family went on another ski vacation to Utah, our favorite place!! We were there a whole wonderful week! we skiied, snowmobiled, & went tubing and we had a blast!! Josh and the boys skiied on their blues and double blues...Rayne , Mallory and I stuck to greens like we normally do..and of course did our round on shopping!!!Mallory did great for her first time skiing!!

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-20T06:53:00.000-08:00

Here is our latest picture!

YEE HAW , SCHOOL IS BACK IN SESSION!!!!

2009-09-02T16:52:00.000-07:00

YESSS!!!! I AM LIKE THAT COMMERCIAL WHERE THE SMILING DAD IS FLYING DOWN THE AISLE RIDING ON THE CART GETTING HIS NOT-SO-HAPPY CHILDREN ALL THE SCHOOL SUPPLIES THEY NEED...
HERE IS A PICTURE OF MALLORY AND JOSH'S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, JOSH IS IN 4TH AND MALLORY JUST STARTED SCHOOL IN K-4.
THE OTHER PICTURE IS WHEN MY MOM AND DAD TOOK THEM AND KOREY (THEIR COUSIN) TO METRO ZOO...NOTICE WHO IS THE PRINCESS RIDING ON THE FRONT???????

SARASOTA BEACH - SUMMER 2009

2009-07-31T16:57:00.000-07:00

Today we went with our friend Jennifer, Kyle, and Emily to Siesta Key in Sarasota .. We had a really fun time with most of the day overcast..the waves were actually pretty high too (for being the Gulf) which the boys loved!!

Then I had to bury Mallory which she loved!! She loved looking for shells too!

Happy Gotcha Day!

2009-03-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

well, as most of you know it has been 3 years since our little gum-chewing cowgirl has come into our lives and made us a family of 4! (i am a couple of weeks late)..i wanted to post a few pics of when we were over in China....enjoy!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

2009-01-04T13:55:00.001-08:00

So this year was an excellent one!! We had our traditional Italian Christmas Eve dinner of fish, calamari, crab legs and claws, and percatelli with sardine sauce aka:"green" sauce...
Then on Christmas Day we do a progressive dinner. We start discussing what country theme we are doing around June, then we all have to research it , along with the foods each of us are preparing....This year we did Australia..g'day mate!!!!!

We started at 11 am at Bianca's house for eggnog, a game, and exchange of presents, then off to my mom and dad's for appetizers, a game and presents, then to G-ma Marge's for soup and salad, a game and presents, to Rayne and Brian's for entree, a game...you get the idea, and last is our house for desserts and a birthday cake for Jesus...so here are some pics of us throughout the entire day...which usually ends around 9pm...the kids love it!!! (yeah, we do too!!!)

CHECK OUT OUR NEW PICS!!!

2009-01-04T13:44:00.000-08:00

We have some friends who have a really nice camera , so we decided to take some family pics of each other's family, ours turned out really nice, especially the kids!!

HALLOWEEN 2008!!

2008-11-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

THIS YEAR JOSH WANTED TO BE BOND--JAMES BOND 007--
MALLORY ENDED UP BEING A CHEERLEADER
AUNT NANCY WAS DOWN FROM OHIO AND WE SNAPPED A PICTURE OF HER ALSO!!!

GET READY FOR HALLOWEEN!!!

2008-10-27T07:24:00.000-07:00

We had a blast at the Smoak Ranch for our annual Pumpkin Party!! This year for some odd reason, Josh picked a super small white pumpkin...maybe it was the fact he wanted to go play football with the boys instead of decorating his pumpkin!!!

WHAT WE DID THIS SUMMER....

2008-10-13T06:06:00.000-07:00

MADE PESTO WITH MOMMY
WASHED THE DOG IN THE RAIN
HUNG OUT WITH OUR NEWEST FAMILY MEMBER "MISSY"
PLAYED IN THE POOL
LOST A BUNCH OF TEETH!
WERE SILLY WITH THE CAMERA
ATE FRIED CALAMARI AND FRIED FISH!!
HUNG OUT WITH GREAT FRIENDS.....

Hurricane???? What Hurricane???

2008-10-13T05:54:00.001-07:00

We had a couple of scares this year but you wouldn't have known it by the way Eric and Josh rode in the rain!! We really only had one day of being cooped up in the house where we actually put up the shutters...so after being in the house all day, we decided to go out and brave the weather!!! Our street flooded a little but that makes it only more fun!!! We caught a baby catfish and put it in a jar, the kids loved that!!

Mallory takes the plunge and joins karate!!!

2008-09-18T12:43:00.001-07:00

Yes, this is our Mallory in karate class!! She has learned everything she knows from Josh, and she is doing great! Sensei Alex thinks she is a natural....who woulda known??!!

AHH our 20 year reunion!

2008-09-18T12:43:00.000-07:00

Where did all the time go?? We had our 20 yr class reunion last month and we all had a blast in Ft.Lauderdale....

Mission Trip to Costa Rica!!

2008-08-17T11:20:00.000-07:00

Josh and I went with our church on a mission trip to Costa Rica for one week to help build a church. We had a great time!!! We did alot of hard work, made some great friends, and even went whitewater rafting and ziplining through the rainforest. I am ready to go back next year!! Costa Rica is a beautiful country!

June 14, 2008 - TOURNAMENT OF THE AMERICAS

2008-06-29T11:18:00.003-07:00

THIS IS JOSH'S FIRST KARATE TOURNAMENT. IT WAS HELD IN GAINESVILLE, AND WE HAD TO GET UP PRETTY EARLY THAT MORNING (4:30AM TO BE EXACT!)TO BE THERE AT 8AM SINCE IT TAKES ABOUT 3 HOURS TO GET THERE..

SO OFF WE GO TO G-VILLE!!! 3 HOURS NONSTOP..WE HAD A GREAT TIME FOR OUR FIRST TOURNAMENT , WE LOVED WATCHING ALL THE KIDS PERFORM AND THE GREAT SPORTSMANSHIP EACH ONE HAD, EVEN IF THEY DIDN'T MAKE IT TO FINALS. IT WAS COOL TO SEE THE OLDER ONES ON OUR TEAM ROOT FOR THE LITTLE ONES, THEY WOULD GIVE THEM A HIGH 5 AS THEY WALKED BY AND YOU COULD HEAR THEM TELL THEM "GREAT JOB!"....IN WHAT OTHER SPORT DO YOU SEE THIS?

THERE WERE COMPETITORS FROM PUERTO RICO, PANAMA, MEXICO, AND COSTA RICA. WE HAD A GREAT TIME THERE AND WE EVEN HAD A BETTER TIME AT THE AFTER-PARTY THAT EVENING AT THE HOTEL!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ERIC AND BIANCA!!

2008-06-29T11:18:00.001-07:00

Today we celebrated Father's day and Eric and Bianca's birthday...our family is growing so much and with everyone's calendars so packed, we decided to do one big day..the girls made homemade pizza for the guys...

IT'S OFFICIALLY SUMMER!!!!

2008-06-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

So summer is finally here...and of course we have to have an end-of-the-year bash for Josh and his classmates...Take a look at those hot dogs!!!

May 2008 Pre summer beaching!!

2008-06-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

Eric did some OT in Miami , so we didn't see him for about a week, so I packed up the kids and took the 2 hour ride to Lauderdale. We met Eric and off we were to the beach! We decided to go to Hollywood beach and park at Uncle B's station, one block away from the ocean. The weather report said it was supposed to be sunny but when we got there it was windy and cloudy! Of course that didn't stop the guys from going in the ocean..even though it was rough. Mallory was a little hesitant on the sand as you can see in the picture, she was tip toeing through the sand...after a while she got used to it though! We then took a ride on the beach bikes you can rent and went up and down the boardwalk....We ended the day at Jaxson's Ice cream parlor off A1A., they are known for their famous huge ice cream desserts... You should have seen the kid's eyes as they brought us our ice cream!! The kids were pooped and fell asleep on the long ride home...

Girl's Day!

2008-05-22T08:59:00.002-07:00

Today Mallory and I did some finger painting and some toe painting too!!

We had lots of fun going through all 25 sheets of finger paint paper!!!

MDFR Retirement Partaaay!!!!

2008-05-22T08:59:00.001-07:00

Eric wanted to throw a party for some of the guys who recently retired from the department. So we set a date and did it! We had a great turnout with lots of great people. I finally met the guys Eric is always talking about...

We even had 2 guys use our local grass airstrip and fly in!! We were honored that the people who did show up took the time to come all the way up here!

We only had one accident..poor Catherine flipped off the waverunner. Her boyfriend took her back home to our wonderful hospital system down there where she is recovering...someone of course took her picture but i will not post it unless she says i can!

Anyway, we hope all of you guys enjoy your retirement !!

Mother's Day!!

2008-05-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

Mother's day went great ! Everyone was over as usual, another excuse to eat!! The guys cooked and us ladies sat back and enjoyed the day being pampered! Bianca is having a little trouble with Aubrey still with her sleeping habits...she thinks she has day and night mixed up...so mom heard through someone at her church if you flip, not roll, the baby over 3 times (i know it sounds crazy!!) she will get her days and nights straight....HA! so you know what all of us had to do...yup! , we flipped poor Aubrey 3 times...and Mallory joined in too after we did it!!!

So did it work.??? nope!!!! Sorry Bianca!! we sure had fun trying though!!

A DAY AT THE RANCH!!

2008-04-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

Today we were all invited to go the Smoak Ranch for buggy rides and a bbq...what could be better?? We all had a great time relaxing and enjoying each other's company. All of our kids had a blast too!!

This is our last party....

2008-04-21T07:41:00.000-07:00

ok, so here we go again with another party! This one is for Mallory's 3rd birthday. We had the family over again , the boys were home from college and Bianca came over with Aubrey! We all took turns holding Aubrey trying to keep her awake (we think she has her days and nights mixed up) , but she pretty much slept the whole day....I guess it will be a long night for B!!!
We had a good time eating all of our "finger foods" , chicken wrapped in bacon, pigs in a blanket, veggie platter, Hokey Pokey is what Gage renamed the Hanky Panky, deviled eggs, macaroni and cheese, and BBQ meatballs...and of course we couldn't forget the cake that Josh decorated!! Mallory was so excited to open her presents! She later came out and gave Eric and I a fashion show with her new earrings, skirt and jacket and also sporting her new goggles for the pool!!! What a ham!!!

Still celebrating???

2008-04-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

So what can i say??? Mallory and I are still celebrating our birthdays!! Dr. and Mrs Rodriguez treated us to a birthday dinner at the brand new Olive Garden in town! We always have a great time in or out of the office!!!

Happy Birthday to me!!!

2008-04-12T15:35:00.001-07:00

So today is my birthday!! I had a great one too! It started with me going to the Smoak Ranch on Friday afternoon with some great girls for a confirmation retreat. We had a great time doing alot of stuff there and as you can see we even went for a buggy ride!!!
I didn't get home until Saturday late afternoon so you know who had the kids! Eric was great and stepped in as usual to help with the kids as you can see by the picture of them getting ready for bed!!!
Yes, i am very tired as you can see of the picture of Eric and I, but we had a great, great weekend!! I came home to a great dinner waiting for me that was awesome! Eric made ribs, cornbread, salad, and baked beans. My birthday cupcakes the kids made were over the top!! Who doesn't like chocolate!!! Thanks for a great day!! I am off to bed!!!

It's Spring Break 2008!! (hey that rhymes!)

2008-04-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

Well, this spring break was great! We were headed up to Orlando to stay at the timeshare at Westgate Lakes...We were to leave on Saturday and return on Saturday..one full week of getting away!
Let me start out by saying Happy Birthday to Aubrey!!! Us girls and the kids headed up to Orlando on Saturday (a little earlier in the morning than planned due to a phone call from Bianca, our niece who was in labor and due to deliver in Orlando!) So we headed up knowing we were going straight to the hospital to meet up with Buddy and Bianca. Can you say "what great timing???" I will get to the good part....Aubrey was born on Sunday March 30! at 08:29am after ummm....around 3 pushes....yeah, you heard that one right! Bianca was a trooper and "ACHOO" ...out came Aubrey!!!....of course Rayne and i have to get on to Bianca about how EASY her labor went due to the fact that poor Rayne and i had emergency C-Sections for our children!!!! No, Bianca will NEVER live this one down!! We will always remind her! :) But none the less....we were so happy to be a part of her birth!!!

So then, with our minds at ease and the Cannon family heading home from the hospital on Monday, we start our week. We had a great time doing goony-golf, sitting at the pool, and having a kayak race: Rayne and I vs. Brian and Eric vs. Josh and Korey...we won't say who won.....

We went to Islands of Adventure on one half of the day ( we sped through the Hulk, Dueling Dragons, and some others) and then went to Universal for the other half of our park ticket and went on E.T., Twister, and i don't recall any other rides due to the following reason: At the park there is a thing called Universal Meal Deal...well, here is how it goes...you pay $20 for all the food you can eat at like 5 restaurants in the park, you pay an extra $5 for a big refillable drinking cup. Well, Eric jumped all over this one! Who in the world came up with this idea??? So we ate our lunch (hamburgers)off of Eric's bracelet. So we pass the next restaurant and then there goes Eric heading to the line to get more food(pizza)...need i say more??? So we get to Universal and he had to pay a $4 "upgrade" to do the same thing....yeah, here we go again...or, there goes Eric again...he comes out with more pizza , jello and chicken strips!! OF COURSE we are riding rides IN BETWEEN the EATING!!!! Our final stop is this smoked chicken with corn on the cob which was excellent, i guess because we all got our fill of pizza & jello ! Anyway, i think all 8 of us did pretty well for $30 as you can see by the pictures...lol....

the rest of the week went smoothly, the guys came back to LP on Thursday night to go to work on Friday and we stayed until Saturday morning. We battled the boys in another round of golf and then we went on a paddle boat...Josh "accidentally" fell into the water which felt like around 70*!!! and somehow Rayne and I ended up in too!

So so long to Orlando, it was very eventful , another trip we won't forget...now back to our regular grind!!!

Easter Day!!!

2008-03-25T07:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Resurrection Day!!! We started off on Saturday by coloring eggs , Eric,Josh and Mallory enjoyed that alot! Then it was off to our Resurrection Celebration at our church....they hunted for eggs and had the story of what Easter is all about read to them my Miss Michelle (or Miss Shell as Mallory calls her!!)

Well, any time our family can get together and eat is a celebration!!! Our family is known for "living to eat!", we don't "eat to live". We had a rosemary and garlic stuffed roast leg of lamb, ham, fresh mint sauce (nicknamed "decoupage" from my brother Darren!) garlic mashed taters, cranberry glazed carrots, green beans, roasted vegetables, and angel cake with fresh strawberries and a ricotta cake!!! Yes, we outdid ourselves with food again, but it was all wonderful. Should we start our diet now??? Shawn and Gage had to get back to UF and USF so we ate a little early, we missed Brian and Eric , they had to work .. and Mallory decided to show off her new "big girl panties" at the table...what a sight!

NEW ADDITION!!

2008-03-21T11:53:00.001-07:00

Well, we have a new addition to our family! I found Missy at the Animal Shelter. So far she has been a wonderful dog...she is gentle and quiet, and tolerates the kids!!! She hasn't nipped anyone or shown any aggression. I was told she was "fixed" by the animal shelter , but from the picture of her in one of Mallory's diapers you know she isn't!!!!......So her surgery is booked for April18th!!!! YEA!!!

Eric and Josh have a new addiction, okay, me too...GUITAR HERO!!!.....Eric rented it last weekend and we played for almost 2 days straight!!! (except for the hours we went to church!) We had a blast and the competition is fierce!!! The boys are coming over for Easter in 2 days and there will definitely be a showdown!!!! I will keep you posted!

MMMM ...GOOD!

2008-03-21T11:40:00.001-07:00

This is Josh and Mallory doing what they do best....eat! Josh loves to make chocolate chip cookies all by himself now. They both love to cook and be my helpers...

Here we are!!!

2008-03-21T11:04:00.001-07:00

Ok, so now we are back...for those of you who followed us through Mallory's adoption on our website...we have our new family website here. So check in anytime and post notes for us!!! we would love to hear from you!

Josh is riding his bike for the first time with the help of Uncle B...yes, it took quite a while for him to want to learn , but he did it and we are so proud of him!!!

Mallory is here with her baby that G-ma Sandy made for her...isn't she adorable!!! She is taking orders!!!