Science Lesson

William went hiking today with Papa Green. They found this copperhead snake on the trail!!!

90 Years Young

Great Papa Davis is 90 years young today!

Friday Night Lights

The weather cooled off a bit in Texas for the start of high school football. I'm trying to avoid crowds while pregnant so we sat in the end zone. The kids loved being able to go up and down the bleachers. The girls were excited that we sat close to the drill team/band and they all like watching the mascot. William was so upset when it was time to leave. I really hope taking him to games doesn't encourage him to play football!

1st Day of School

The girls started school this morning. Sarah is in 2nd grade and Elizabeth 4th grade. They were up bright and early this morning putting on their new clothes. Thank you to Nana Gammon and Nana Green for taking them school shopping! They have had so much fun getting everything organized.
Last week we went to Meet The Teacher. Sarah's 2nd grade teacher is Mrs. Ellis.

Elizabeth has Mrs. Johnson for homeroom on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. She will go to another school across town for her Alpha classes on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Frisco RoughRiders vs. Tulsa Drillers

Elizabeth danced with her teammates in front of the crowd at the Dr Pepper Ballpark!

William's Big Day

William is about to start a preschool program two days a week through the school district. Today his teachers came by the house to visit with us. They are speech-language pathologists and are going to help him with his articulation. He is very excited about starting his new class.
William had his first soccer practice this evening. He had his shin guards and cleats on all afternoon watching out the window for Eric to get home from work. His team will be red/black and their name is the Red Raiders. Eric wasn't thrilled about that but thankful they are not the Longhorns! William has been talking non-stop today and should sleep well tonight.

Anna Maria Island, FL

We took our summer vacation to Anna Maria Island. It is a beautiful island located near Tampa, Florida. We were able to stay in a very nice condo right on the beach thanks to Jason and Kim (their daughter plays softball with Elizabeth). We wanted to stay forever but Eric needs to get ready for school so we are now trying to get back to reality!
The kids love the beach and did not want to come home. They liked putting on their goggles and looking for fish/shells. They spent hours building castles/forts and digging holes in the beautiful sand.
This picture was taken on the pier in Venice, Florida (Shark Tooth Capital). We took a day trip to Caspersen Beach to search for shark teeth. They found three. The kids will be excited to show you.

We ate out everyday at a lot of fun restaurants. Their favorite was this ice cream/candy shop located near the Anna Maria pier. William was so excited they had blue ice cream!

Sunset walk along the beach. The kids found lots of shells.

San Antonio, TX

We took a little road trip with Eric's parents to San Antonio to visit Uncle Andrew (Eric's brother), Aunt Charon and Drew. Above picture of The Alamo.
The San Antonio Riverwalk.
A Cave Without A Name.

Aunt Charon, Uncle Andrew and little Drew.

The kids with Nana and Papa Green down in the cave.

Beautiful Lengths

Sarah has been growing her hair and decided she wanted to donate it.

She woke me up this morning and said, "Mommy I want you to cut my hair right now!"

So we played beauty shop this morning!

It's A Girl!

Girls rule the Green household! :-) Everything looked normal. She had the hiccups during the ultrasound and was moving around a lot. She is beautiful and already has daddy around her little finger!

Happy Birthday To Eric

End Of Season

Elizabeth's softball team played their last tournament of the season this weekend. They got 2nd place. Her team lost the championship game by one run. :-( It was hot so we are glad to have a break from softball during the month of August!

Summertime Fun

We had planned to meet some friends at the park early this morning but ended up getting some nice summer rain showers. The kids were so disappointed that I decided to have everyone over to our house. The kids had a blast just hanging out together!

National Ice Cream Day

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day. He recognized ice cream as a fun and nutritious food that is enjoyed by a full 90% of the nation's population. In the proclamation, President Reagan called for all people of the United States to observe these events with "appropriate ceremonies and activities." We hope everyone enjoys this GREAT day!!

Dog Days Of Summer

Our neighbors went to Alaska on vacation till August 1st. They asked us to babysit their pool. Not a bad job when it's 100+ everyday!

Summer Reading Program

The kids completed the summer reading program at the library today. They got to pick out a new book and were excited about their free ice cream. Eric started his internship this week. We are ready for him to complete graduate school!!!

Cousin Debbie

As most of you know, Eric's cousin, Debbie, passed away last week at age 39 to breast cancer. We wanted to post the beautiful article about her in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. I've also included a few pictures that we will hold dear to our hearts. We will miss her terribly.

The Green Family

Obituary: Deborah A. Mendoza / Drama teacher inspired students to fully appreciate Shakespeare
Jan. 5, 1970 - June 30, 2009
Thursday, July 02, 2009
By Jess Eagle, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Deborah Mendoza had a passion for Shakespeare that was so infectious, she could make children want to perform his classic, sometimes daunting plays.
A former drama and forensics teacher at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School in Coraopolis from 1996 to 1999, Mrs. Mendoza inspired children to find meaning and fun in classic plays throughout her short career. She died Tuesday after a four-year battle with breast cancer at her home in Middlesex Township surrounded by family. She was 39.
"You saw her love for Shakespeare. She was making it more alive for the kids," said Sister Francine Horos, principal of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. "Sometimes the props were very minimal, but that was OK because the plays usually took over."
In addition to teaching drama after school at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Mrs. Mendoza volunteered extensively for the theater program of Aquinas Academy in Gibsonia, where her children went to school.
She passed her love of theater and Shakespeare on to her daughters at an early age; Christiana Mendoza, 13, and Rachel Mendoza, 12, have both competed in the Pittsburgh Public Theater's Shakespeare Monologue and Scene Contest with middle and high school children from across the area.
Mrs. Mendoza had two other children, Rebekah, 10, and John-Peter, 3.
Her husband, Rob Mendoza, said his wife was constantly challenging him to push his boundaries for the better.
"I grew up in Queens, New York, in a city neighborhood. Now we live on eight acres with lots of lawn and farm animals and a horse in a rural setting," Mr. Mendoza said. "I never would've chosen this for myself."
She also pushed her husband into another one of the best decisions of their lives: the adoption of their son, John-Peter, from China three years ago.
Mrs. Mendoza was born on Long Island, and her family moved around a lot because her father was in the military, Mr. Mendoza said. She went to Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, where she received a bachelor's degree in arts, English literature and drama.
She and Mr. Mendoza, now a tax consultant at Deloitte, Downtown, met while studying abroad in Austria during their senior year at Franciscan in 1992. They married about a year later.
Even when she was young, Mrs. Mendoza loved classic drama.
"She thought that there was so much more truth in the classics," Mr. Mendoza said. "She was like that as long as I've known her. She was like that in her early 20s."
Mrs. Mendoza was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer in August 2005, the most advanced stage. Over the next four years, she tried different types of chemotherapy and radiation, but the cancer eventually made its way to her spine.
After two spinal surgeries, Mrs. Mendoza's mobility was sometimes limited, but she didn't let that stop her from pursuing her passion and staying active in her children's lives.
"She loved life. She fought really hard to be here to raise her children, and she refused to quit even when things were the bleakest," Mr. Mendoza said.
She was also dedicated to inspiring passion for theater in other children. Through her dedication to the Aquinas Academy theater program, she "reached so many young people in such a positive way," said Rob Zellers, director of education for Pittsburgh Public Theater.
"It went beyond theater," he said.
Mrs. Mendoza, a parishioner at St. Kilian Roman Catholic Church in Cranberry, was also a deeply religious woman, whose faith and hope helped her through her illness, her husband said.
"She survived as long as she did through sheer force of will," Mr. Mendoza said. "She did not go easily. She's my hero."
In addition to her husband and four children, she is survived by her parents, John and Sondra Green of Butler; grandparents Ed and Mary Green of Dallas; and a sister, Christina Stark, of Yosemite, Calif.

Grandpa and Grandma Green's 60th wedding anniversary.

Green Family Reunion Picnic. June 2004

Elizabeth, Cousin Debbie and Uncle Scott at Jered's wedding. April 2006

Eric and Debbie enjoying ICEC. May 2009

Three+ Months

July 4th - watching fireworks.

Fredericksburg, TX

Eric and I went to Fredericksburg for a few days this week. We stayed at this bed and breakfast above one of the many shops on the main street.

Most of our time was spent eating (one of my favorite things to do right now)! We even enjoyed some good German food. Picture above was taken at one of the many bakeries.

Eric's favorite was The National Museum of the Pacific War. The kids had a blast with Papa and Nana Green. They did not want us to come home. :-(

William Loses 1st Tooth

William lost his 1st tooth this evening! He turned 4 in April so we thought it was a bit early to have a wiggly tooth. He pulled it out himself and we can already see his new tooth. He is so excited about the tooth fairy coming tonight!