Matt's New Job

Matt has finished college and is now working at an Athletic Club in Hunt Valley, MD as a strength and conditioning coach.  Here is one of his advertising flyers - one of many ways he uses to recruit clients, in addition to leading corporate fitness classes and heading up some new campaigns in his company.  We are so proud of him!!  It is so good to know that at least one of us has an idea how to get fit and stay in shape! haha  Even better, making a living at doing it!

He lives in an apartment in Hunt Valley with a roommate and really seems to like the area and the new life he has made for himself.  I still miss him every day...

St. Patricks Day, the Glass's and the Irish Flag!

Yesterday we had our 2nd annual St. Patrick's Day dinner with Chris and Linda Glass!  We had our traditional Irish stew, soda bread, shepherd's pie and artichoke dip with baked pita.  Yum.

Our beautiful table with real live shamrocks! (interesting fact - did you know that they close up at night?  Learn something new every day.)

Hannah made these super-cute-rainbow-with-a-pot-of-gold-at-the-end cupcakes!!

Our dear, dear friends, Chris and Linda.  And here they are pictured with the Irish flag that Chris brought over to celebrate!!

Chris spent literally hours answering questions for Jacob about entrance into the academies as well as life in the military in general, guiding him with options and choices that face him.  His help is invaluable to us.  He is, I must mention, one of the inspirations Jacob had for going to one of the academies to begin with.  He is Jacob's best counselor and biggest encourager!!

Jacob's Really Good Incredibly Awesome Week

Jacob had one of those extra wonderful, shout-for-joy-amazing weeks full of awesome news and events. You know, the kind that make you want to look back and remember when you are having a really-bad-terrible-awful-no good week.

First of all, he led his debate team into an amazing victory - his first debate ever!  The comments used to describe his performance were "excellent" and "aggressive"!  Yay Jacob!!  

Here he is, all decked out for the debate.  The word "handsome" doesn't begin to describe how I think he looks.  I know I am his mom, but... still. 

He also found out this week that he has secured an internship on Capitol Hill in the office of a congressman from Arizona.  He will be working with/shadowing his chief of staff, and will have opportunities to tour the capitol, go to the Pentagon, observe the workings of congress, and possibly attend a reception or dinner.  He will need to wear his suit and tie and take the metro down to DC each day!  This is really an exciting and rare opportunity!!

 THEN he goes to shooting practice and shoots the highest score he has ever scored in the standing position.  Here is a copy of his target.

I zoomed in on the target so you can see that he got a 95!!  (this is out of 100).  This score is definitely high enough to get him recruited into the academy if he were to keep it up!!

As he puts it, it was his "personal best".

AND THEN!!!!! During shooting practice he received a medal for his shooting in the last shooting match he had!  He had come in second in his division.  He had no idea he would get a medal so what a surprise that was!!

Shooting team

Jacob with his coach getting his medal!!

Needless to say, Danny and I could not be more proud, and so happy to watch him have a week of successes!!!

More art from Hannah

 The artist has struck again... this was a new genre of art for Hannah - she had never done pen and ink before, and she was (of course) amazing at it!  She drew this from an antique doll.

And I have to say, that this makes my top 5 favorite paintings ever that she has done.  It is absolutely stunning.  LOVE IT.  These were both done, by the way, with two different art teachers.

Happy Valentines Day

My faithful Valentine brought me roses and chocolate.  I don't think he has missed a year of Valentine roses since the day we were married.  I am so blessed. Not just for the roses, but that I get to be married to my best friend in the whole world.  And amazingly he loves me!  Despite all of my MANY flaws and shortcomings.

We had a bit of snow this morning that looked so beautiful, but was gone by noon...

I spent the entire morning making these "cauldron cakes" for my three younger Valentines.  It was so much fun!  I had never made chocolate mousse before, and I was so afraid it wouldn't turn out.  These do look almost exactly like the cauldron cakes we got at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but the true test won't come until tonight after dinner.  When we taste them...

So many nights, I open the door to Hannah's room, peek my head around the corner, and this is EXACTLY what I see.  She is either doing a game on her DS, or scrolling through Pinterest on her phone.  Or texting her brother in the next room.  Love it.

Sap Time!

Yesterday Danny, Hannah and Ryan went outside to tap the trees for our annual attempt at making maple syrup.  The jugs were all set to go.

Handsome hubby preparing these same jugs

And lo and behold - within TWO HOURS the jugs were half full!  (this picture below was taken before the two hour mark.)

As of today, after 24 hours of tapping the trees, we already have over FIFTEEN gallons of sap!  It's gonna be a good syrup year!!!

And then, just to be random,  there's our cute little Indy.

UPDATE:  As of 8:30 pm on Sunday, we have 28 GALLONS in just two days!!  We got three the first day, and 25 the second day!  We can hardly keep up with it...