The Diligent Cookie Makers

There's something very "Christopher Robin" that I love about this picture

Great Day for Some Soccer

It was a beautiful morning for Sophie's first soccer game.

I think that she did very well and Ileana was a real trooper out there corralling the girls. Sophie showed a lot of hustle and didn't have much fear when it came to attacking the ball. She'll have to work on her sportsmanship a little but I think that getting used to playing with others and taking turns will come in time.

Chinapalooza 2011

Last weekend was Chinapalooza 2011. Our annual reunion of our travel group, marking the anniversary of our trip to China. This year, we chose to spend the weekend at Shawnee State Park in Ohio. It was a great choice as the rooms all had beautiful views and there was a lot to do and plenty of places to enjoy each other's company.

The first morning, the group met for a nature hike.

The key to enjoying any hike in the woods is the proper footwear.

There was plenty of time spent at the pool and Sophie was able to show off all of her new swimming skills that she has learned at the JCC day camp. After only two weeks of lessons, she has gotten pretty good.

The weekend isn't complete without plenty of posed photos. Note who is conspicuously missing from this picture. We were able to get a family photo courtesy of Kristi. Kristi was kind enough to take just about every family's "Christmas card pic" with the beautiful forest in the background. The smiles wouldn't have been complete without Eric's antics though.

It was yet another fun and successful reunion. We already can't wait for next year.

The Great Wall... ...of stuffed animals