Lorelei's EIGHT!

Does someone look a wee bit excited that it's her birthday?

Just saying.

 Lulu invited all the girls in her class over for her birthday party. It was a pajama party/slumber party this year, which was a first for many. Lulu was on cloud nine.

 There were lots of pillow fights on the trampoline.

 Wii dance parties...

 Loads of arts & crafts, including some Melissa & Doug crafts Grammy picked up from the store, and these fun pillows. These girls are so creative.

And to top it all off, Lorelei's dear friend Margaret who moved hours away came just for her party. The girls from her old class came bolting downstairs to hug her upon her arrival. Really special.

 Best of buds: Lauryn, Margaret & Lorelei

 More arts & crafts...

 And (not pictured) loads of fun with her Magic 8 Ball (for her 8th bday). Man, was that thing ever a hit! "Signs point to yes."

 Mady, our older neighbor, helped me with the nail salon.

 And in the morning, trampoline time again.

I don't know how they look so sunny. They had me up 'til 3am--giggling, talking, keeping the poor girls awake who desperately wanted to sleep... we eventually split up the girls who wanted to party and the sleepers into two rooms. 

Lorelei was not a sleeper.

 But she carried her spunk the whole way through!

 Happy Birthday, Lulu! You're 8 years old and I love you so!

 EIGHT GREATS:

1) Lorelei's great at overcoming her fears--this is Courage. She got her ears pierced. She rode on the chair lift at the zoo. She asks the merchants at Trader Joe's for lollipops even though she feels shy. And she's up for big overseas adventures.

2) Lorelei is the best big sister to Gryffin. They still adore each other and do everything together. I will always picture their constant laughter building back and forth at the dinner table (like during last night's spaghetti fight, in which Mommy and Daddy even got in on the action).

3) Lorelei is one gifted girl. She's very bright, especially at reading, writing and art.

4) Lorelei paints the world with beauty. She has a huge imagination and hungers to create.

5) Lorelei is a fantastic traveler. One of my favorite memories is taking Lorelei and Gryffin on the overnight boat by ourselves from Sweden to Estonia. Being alone in a foreign country was a huge adventure for us! She's also a great camper.

6) Lorelei has a ton of friends. Her birthday book from school was filled with pages of kids claiming she was their "best friend" and "always nice to everyone." That's my girl!

7) Lulu has been a big Momma's girl lately. I love our special bond and how much we have in common.

8) Lorelei is never bored. I don't think that word exists in her vocabulary. She loves to play with neighbors, take care of her frogs at Grammy & Bpop's house with Meg, watch her bunnies flop around, sing rounds or Alleluia to Daddy's guitar, excel at Awanas, go to school, help brother with homework, help Mommy cook and do art projects. And one of our favorite activities is to go on rain walks or pajama walks together.

Love you so much, Lulu! Happy 8th Birthday!

Quote of the Day

"Today, what we're building is your own imagination." -Lorelei, teaching Gryffin

JAMA, Grad School, Bball & Earrings!

This blog has been sorely neglected lately. A few updates:
Mark's rather famous. He was asked to write the editorial for the Journal of the American Medical Association. It's kind of a big deal (shhh--he's embarrassed when I talk about his accomplishments).

I've been busy writing papers too, let me tell you. However, professional journals have yet to call. I've just begun school at St. Paul School of Theology. Four weeks in, I absolutely love it! This semester's schedule consists of a Praxis experience, History of Christianity Post-Reformation, New Testament and Systematic Theology. Love my classmates. Love my professors. We all lunch together on Wednesdays. It's a huge challenge and demands a lot of time, reading, writing, thinking, challenging assumptions. My cup of tea!

Gryffin's been playing basketball with his school buds.

So fun to watch him dribble (Daddy took him to see the Globetrotters--he's been inspired ever since).

 He's a heartbreaker, I tell you.

 Grammy, Bpop and Meg came to cheer on the Blues!

 The kids wrote me these uber-sweet notes one day. Love them with all my heart.

 We've had a few snow days and are bracing for more.

 The kids made minion-themed valentines and this Valentine's Day box.

And Lorelei was so brave! I took her on a special date to get her ears pierced. I love the progression of photos.

 This was a second after it happened. Fortunately, the ladies doubled up and did both ears at one time. Otherwise, she might've been sporting one earring if that face is any indication.

 But seconds later, she was picking out earrings. The girl was in heaven! So, so proud of her courage.

 Beautiful all around!

Donuts on Strings 2014

We say goodbye to 2013, which holds so many fond memories, and look with anticipation toward a great year to come. We celebrated with poppers, a fondue dinner, some bunny chasing in the backyard (Tibbles got loose again) and our traditional Just Dance party.

 The kids set up a fort and slept in the family room.

Lorelei and I did the midnight countdown (Eastern time zone). Mr. G was out.

 And New Year's morning, we had donuts on a string.

It's our family's very own New Year's Day tradition, based on a quote I spotted scrolling across the TV screen ticker one NYE long ago:

IN THE YEAR (FILL-IN-THE-BLANK), LET THIS BE OUR GOAL:

TO FOCUS ON THE DONUT, INSTEAD OF ON THE HOLE.

 Hence, donuts on a string!

 It's a hoot.

 Here's to all things new, 2014!

God Jul!

We love getting Christmas cards in the mail!

And we love sending them.

God Jul, 2013! The Connelly Vikings

Christmas 2013

Nothing beats the excitement of Christmas morning with a 7- and 5-year-old.

Santa dug into the cookies and nog...

 ... and deposited a bag full of loot beneath the tree.

 Daddy got the fire started downstairs...

 ... while the kids dutifully sang carols on the stairs, per tradition, awaiting the arrival of the Christ Child in the manger.

 Happy Birthday Jesus!

Time to open presents!

 The mad dash.

 Lorelei's gifts: Cabbage Patch, Disney Princess Pets & PP Salon, FurReal Kitty, My Little Ponies, Hexbugs, charms, Legos (from Gryffin)

Gryffin's gifts: Angry Birds Telepods, Science Volcano Kit, Lego Star Wars, sticker & art books, all of Daddy's old Star Wars toys, Stormtrooper mask, Legos (from Lorelei)

 The bunnies hid beneath the tree, nibbling its plastic branches.

 Here's Gryffin with Daddy's Darth Vader carrying case filled with vintage Star Wars figures.

The boy's in inter-galactic heaven.

 Mr. Tibbles (One-Eyed Jack) joined us in emptying stockings.

Then we tucked into cinnamon bun waffles and our traditional strata after skyping with our Canadian family and having an early dinner with Grammy & Bpop.

 And Mark and I went in together on our anniversary present (11 years this December): 

A specially carved moose for our backyard fire pit.

The sign will have our name when I get around to painting it.

 Mark got a guitar for his Christmas present from me, and has been mastering a list of tunes to sing by the campfire this spring.

And for my present, this cute little stump table with our initials: WMLG

I adore it!

There is still such magic in the air at Christmas, with Lorelei and Gryffin anxiously anticipating where their Elves-on-the-Shelves will be hiding, opening letters from Santa and meticulously counting down the days on their chocolate Advent calendars and our hanging wall countdown. We've lit the Advent candles, boarded the Polar Express to the Luminary Walk, and hunted down Christmas lights in our pajamas. In the early mornings, we've snuggled together beside the lit tree with books and sacred music, and resumed evening snuggles by a warm fire to unwrap the same Christmas books we read each year, and watch holiday movies. There's nothing sweeter or more dear than these moments, when the air is thick with love, tradition, and our family together. I thank God everyday that I am theirs, and they are mine.