Crazy Underhill Cousins

Spotlight on Sam

Sam's school, East Oakview, held it's 1st/2nd grade Winter music concert on 2/26/09. She was really excited even though she didn't get a solo. (She was a speaker and director last year. What can we say? The girl loves to perform!) Luckily Sam was picked for the front row and she did not disappoint. She must get that showmanship from her dad because I would have been terrified at her age. Great songs again, especially Yodelady, which was a surprise and hilarious. We are so proud of you Sam! Awesome Job!

Click to play this Smilebox postcard: Sam's Winter Concert

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Daddy/Daughter Dance

What a great way to celebrate Valentine's Day a little early! On Fri. 2/13/09 Northview held it's annual daddy/daughter dance. Scott took Sam and Carly out to dinner before heading to the middle school to boogie. (what an awesome dad after a long week at work) The girls looked beautiful in their matching red dresses. And no - it wasn't my idea. They ended up liking the same dress and were happy to be "twins" for the evening. I painted their nails and since it was time for haircuts, they also got fancy, shmancy hair as well. Ooh-la-la! Happy Valentine's Day!

Having Fun (As Usual) With The Wagners

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Winter Vacation

Papa took my family to Kalahari Resorts outside Sandusky, OH for a winter getaway. It's the largest indoor waterpark in the USA. 5/6 of my siblings were there including Tony, Joey, their families, as well as Alissa, Gabby, and Gino. (Missed you Tina) There was a bunch of cool waterslides, a wavepool, and indoor surfing. My favorite was the slide that was like being flushed down a toilet. I was so proud of the girls for riding all the big slides, especially Sam. What a daredevil! We had a blast! Thanks Papa!

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Sam's 8th Birthday

We took Sam out for a birthday "brinner" on Fri. 1/9/09. The next day she had a sledding party with all her friends to celebrate turning 8 years old. It was a lot of fun with only a few mishaps. (one crash & one bloody nose) What were we thinking having it when there was a full moon?!? Afterwards, her grandparents and a few cousins came over for round two of sledding and pizza. Happy 8th Birthday Sam!

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Christmas 2008

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Super Sledding Sisters

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Scott builds a sled track every Winter from the top of our neighbor's driveway to the sidewalk in our front yard. (our neighbor lives above us on a steep hill so the track goes through both our yards) The girls spend hours outside sledding and playing in the snow. All the neighborhood kids come over too and it's so much fun. It melts a few times but Scott just rebuilds it. What a great dad!

Girls Basketball Rocks

Sam's basketball season ended with an ice cream social and awards ceremony. The girls ate, played, and got their faces painted before going to the varsity girls' basketball game. It was a great season and she can't wait to play again next year. Go Northview Wildcats!

February Fun

February was quite a busy month. Scott's birthday, MeMe's birthday, Valentine's Day, and our trip to FL to visit Grandma & Grandpa Underhill. I was in charge of Samantha's Valentine's Day party at school the day before we left for FL. (No one else volunteered.) It was a great party but only added to the stress of packing for the kids' 1st plane ride. Samantha had a 5 day weekend so we packed up and headed to Clermont, FL just outside of Orlando on Scott's birthday Fri. 2/15. The kids were really good on the plane ride but we were all happy to get off in Tampa and see Grandma & Grandpa at the gate. The kids stripped off their sweatshirts and wanted to go swimming. A few minor issues with the car rental and soon we were at the house ready to swim. Yes the kids had their bathing suits on within 5 minutes and spent the next week in the pool. The running joke was they must have grown gills because they swam at least 6 hours every day. No kidding! Well except the day we went to Sea World. That day was probably only 2 hours! We had a blast at Sea World. We saw the dolphin and Shamu shows, Arctic animals, and rode some rides. My favorite was the dolphin show. They are amazing and so smart. We said goodbye to Scott's parents and spent the last night of our vacation with our friends, the Baumann Family, who also have 3 girls. Scott was friends with Bryan in college. The kids had so much fun and Raynae took amazing care of us. She is the best cook ever! I sat in a daze as she waited on us hand and foot since Peyton hadn't slept well all week. Thanks Bryan and Raynae. Then it was back home Thurs. 2/21 to ccd, school, work, snow, sledding, and reality.

November News

November has been a busy month for us so far. Carly turned 4 years old on 11/9. The older girls didn't have school on her birthday so the whole family went to Chuck E Cheese to celebrate it and Sam's awesome report card. We are so proud of Sam and the amazing things her teacher Mrs. A had to say about her. Then on 11/10 we went to Lansing for a double birthday party with cousin Mason and the rest of the family. The kids went bowling and had a blast! Scott also had a big week. He started a new job and got a 7 point buck while bow hunting. He's still selling insurance but for a local, idependent agancy now. We're all very excited about the change. Just think -- so much has happened and it's only mid-November. Can't wait to see how the rest of the month turns out!

Fall Fun

We've had a very busy Fall. Carly had her 1st school field trip, we visited the farm, orchard, and zoo, and Sam played soccer again. Some of our favorites were visiting the John Ball Zoo for the Zoo Goes Boo, Peyton's 1st trip to the the farm, and Halloween. At the zoo, the kids got to trick or treat, watch the animals act silly with pumpkins, and spend some time with friends Andrew and Ryan. The Country Basket Farm was a lot of fun too. There were animals to pet, pumpkins to pick, and lots of cool stuff made out of hay. Although Halloween was a little wet at 1st, Rockstar Sam, Snow White Carly, and Sparty Peyton were really excited. After trick or treating in the pouring rain, they dried off and went out for another hour. Tons of candy later, it was back home to sort goodies. You gotta love Fall!

Peyton's 1st Birthday

Peyton turned 1 on Aug. 14, 2007. We celebrated as a family by going to the park and having a dream pie. Peyton loves pudding! A few weeks later we had a small party at my mom's family cottage. I always get so stressed hosting parties that I don't even enjoy myself so I decided to make it fun for everyone, including me this time. It rained the whole day before and the morning of the party but I said a little prayer to my grandparents to clear the weather by 10 AM. (The party was at noon and I needed extra time for everything to dry.) At 10:10 AM, the sun came out and we had a beautiful day! Scott made his delicious homemade BBQs, I baked a cake with the help of Sam and Carly, and thanks to my Aunt Krissy and Uncle Jim we used their speedboat to tube and ski. It was a great day!