The Shreenan Show

Kyle's Pre-K Graduation - May 30, 2009

2009-06-14T13:49:00.000-07:00

Kyle's Pre-K Graduation was an extravaganza! Ms. Michelle puts on quite a show!
Here is the star lineup:Haley,Katelyn, Jaida, Rexi, Isaac, Cory, Porter & Kyle

They did lots of singing, complete with hand motions and tons of great expression. I've never seen Kyle "ham it up" in front of a group of people before. He usually saves it all up for home. Aunt Cari was shocked. It was quite funny.

Kyle worked really hard at memorizing his part. He did a fantastic job.

There was even dancing...

Kyle received an award for "Best Reader." I think Ms. Michelle just couldn't think of another award for him because that was quite a stretch. But he is getting the hang of it. I thought he was going to get a math award because he loves to do math. Just shows you how much I know.

I even got a graduation award for not having any more children who will go to preschool. That made me want to cry. My baby isn't a baby any more. He's all grown up and going to Kindergarten in the fall. Time passes far too quickly.

There were even olympic games to play and the passing of the torch.

It was such a blessing to have Kyle in the care of his wonderful teacher, Ms. Michelle! He grew by leaps and bounds and had so much fun building great friendships through out the year. He is definately prepared for Kindegarten.

Morgan's 5th Grade Promotion

2009-06-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, June 11th, Morgan had her 5th grade promotion. It is hard to believe that my baby girl is already old enough to go to middle school in the fall. Morgan was really looking forward to her big day. She looked very cute in her Timberwolf t-shirt and her curly hair.

Morgan received a language arts award for "Best Writing" in Mrs. Sosa's class. She also received an award for honor roll for 6 trimesters on top of her straight A's her final 5th grade trimester.

She worked really hard and mom and dad couldn't be more proud of her. Way to go, Morgan!! We love you sooo much!

Morgan has also been blessed with great friends.

Lauren, Morgan, Cameron, Ethan & Olivia;
Our neighbor and friend, Thomas

Carly got to sneak out of class & say "Congrats"! Also pictured here from left to right are Lauren, Morgan,Thomas, Cameron, Ethan, Olivia, Lexie, & Kristina(her church friends).

Happy Birthday, Carly! It's Great to Be 8!!!

2009-05-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that my baby girl is turning 8 today! It seems like just yesterday that I brought her home from the hospital and Connor and Morgan were fighting over who's turn it was to hold her next.

Carly has a great attitude....or rather, I should say tons of attitude!
She has a fun and silly side to her.

Lots of wonderful friends....probably because she knows how to be a good friend.
She has a family who adores her!!!

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart! We love you very much!!!

2009-04-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

SPRING BREAK ROCKED!!!

I didn't get as much relaxing and organizing in as I had hoped, but we had such a wonderful time during spring break. We started out with a bang! Carly had a few of her school friends over for a pajama party.

Connor had a movie night which he thought was the best! Morgan had sleep overs and time at the mall. Kyle got to have Porter and Carter over for a sleep over, too!
And if that wasn't enough we went hiking at Vernal Pools and spent one day at Knotts Berry Farm. And that was just the first week!

The highlight for me was taking the kids to their Grandma and Grandpa Shreenan's house in Indian Wells. We stayed with them on Saturday night and by Sunday morning Greg and I were off to Vegas.

Greg had work and I went with him and tagged along. We had such a great time. I have never been away from my kids that long before. We saw a Cirque de Soleil show, Mystere, ate tons of great food (even bread which I'm not supposed to be eating because I'm on a low carb diet), walked along the strip and saw lots of crazy people, and hung out at the pool, and I even managed to get in a little shopping and a workout. It was so much fun hanging out with Greg and feeling more connected to him. He has been traveling so much that it did us a lot of good just to be together. So I was able to do all the things I love to do! Meanwhile the kids were with their grandparents having a fabulous time, too! They went swimming twice a day and out to dinner and even got to go to the Living Desert. They saw zebras and muir cats and a host of other animals that they didn't stop talking about for days. It was a great and well needed vacation. By the end of it I felt so much more relaxed and felt like I could face the daily routine once again with more excitement and happiness!

Thanks mom and dad! I really appreciate you watching the kids for me and Greg!! It ended way too quickly. I needed another week of spring break. I didn't want the kids to go back to school. But hey, only 9 1/2 weeks until summer! I'm sure it will fly by!

Catherine's Wedding August 30, 2008

2008-11-15T11:47:00.000-08:00

Catherine, Greg's sister, was such a beautiful bride. She and Mike were fun to watch the entire day. They were both sooo excited to finally become husband and wife. Married life really suits them well. I don't know that I've ever seen two people so in love. We were so fortunate to be a part of their BIG day. And my kids love having Mike be their official "Uncle Mike" now. He's a great addition to our family! We love you, Catherine and Mike!!!

2008-08-30T13:10:00.000-07:00

What a BEAUTIFUL day!!! Wishing Auntie Catherine and Uncle Mike a lifetime of wedded bliss!

2008-08-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

At the end of the wedding ceremony, the guests in attendance set hundreds of butterflies off. Kyle was determined to catch one. Here you can see how thrilled he was to finally catch a butterfly! He made such a handsome ring bearer! Kyle did a great job throughout the entire ceremony, but as soon as it was over he was off and running to the golf course. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw him rolling down a steep hill in his tuxedo!

2008-08-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

The first day of school - August 2008
Connor - 6th grade at TMS
Morgan - 5th grade with Mrs. Sosa
Carly - 2nd grade with Mrs. Hurley
Kyle - Pre-K (K: "It's Pre-K NOT preschool, mom! That's for babies!") with Ms. Michelle

(As you can tell, I'm still getting the hang of this collaging thing. I haven't figured out how to delete or move things around. But atleast I blogged.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CARLY!!!

2008-05-28T21:34:00.000-07:00

Carly is turning 7! Hooray!! She is so excited! She actually went to bed early tonight so that she would wake up with plenty of time in the morning to have breakfast in bed and enjoy opening some of her presents.

Carly is so much fun to have around! She loves to ride her bike and jump on the trampoline and play with her friends. Carly loves life. Some of you might have seen her at the ward talent show where she showcased her talent on her "Skip-It." She is definately full of energy.

She loves her family! She takes good care of her little brother Kyle.

Like any true princess, she loves any excuse to get dolled up.

She is a fantastic athlete. Swimming and soccer are her two favorite sports! She does a wonderful job at both sports.

Carly has also grown in leaps and bounds with her reading skills. She started out in one of the lower reading groups at the beginning of 1st grade. It didn't take her long to excel to the top group! We are so proud of you Carly!

Mommy and daddy are so thrilled to have you as our daughter. You bring so much excitement and enthusiasm into our home. You know how to make us laugh and at the same time are such a sensitive little girl.

Thank you for blessing us with your amazing and vibrant spirit!

GOOOAAAAALLLL!!!

2008-04-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

Of course I didn't have my camera (I left it in the car), but felt I had to mention this. Connor scored the first goal for his soccer team this season. I wish I had my camera because he executed it so perfectly. Way to go, Connor! Next time I promise to bring the camera.

After Connor's game we made sure to bring the camera for Carly's game. No goals (they got slaughtered), but she sure looks cute. So does Kyle as he practices soccer on the sidelines.

Check out the concentration! Such skill!

Daddy Daughter Night

2008-04-11T21:39:00.000-07:00

The evening was a memorable one. The main attraction being Kevin Yocum playing lead guitar on his knees for Hannah Montanas "I want to be a Rockstar" in front of about 50 screaming nine year old girls. Kevin was appropriately dressed in an old red print polyester shirt with a vest and a monster black fro whith dark sun glasses to complete the ensemble. He looked like a Saturday Night Live guest celebrity in a spoof of Charlton Hestons "The Omega Man" I believe he was making up for not wearing any costume to the mystery dinner. Kevin is now a permanent part of Abbey Reinke and Temecula history, as numerous parents immortalized his image with pictures that will need to be explained to friends and family alike for years.

The evening concluded at Richies. We walked into the restaurant and Kevin, (still fully attired) was immediately approached by the concerned owner who was quick to suggest the outside patio seating. We explained the evenings festivities and were then seated inside. The father and daughter(s) combinations were The Keatings, The Shreenan's, The Matt Down's, The Serge's, The Martinez's, The Hammond's, The Yocum's and the Farnbach's.

Carly and Morgan both had sodas then shakes. Needless to say Morgan was the first one to cry uncle with a bad stomach ache saying "I want to go home".

Another Daddy daughter night in the books. Great friends, Great kids....Life is good. :)

Springin' Shreenan Style

2008-04-08T21:32:00.000-07:00

We had such an awesome Spring Break! I was going to do lots of spring cleaning and get organized, BUT noooooo. Instead, we started Spring Soccer, went on a family picnic (thanks, Autie), had a bonfire with friends, and went to Grandma and Grandpa Shreenan's house. That was the first week of vacation. The second week we went to Disneyland, went camping at San Clemente State beach, visited the San Luis Rey mission and spent conference at my mom and dad's with family.

Here's a picture of Carly at her first game. She played goalie and did a fantastic job! Way to go, Carly!!!

The kids had so much fun camping with their cousins, Porter & Carter.

Greg brought so much firewood on our camping trip that there was hardly enough room for all our camping gear. It was a good thing though because the weather was pretty overcast. Thank goodness for Greg, aka "The Fire God!"

Here is Greg with his little sis, Catherine, whom my children absolutely adore. She played baseball and badminton. We were so glad she came to visit us. No one wanted her to leave, but alas Mike was waiting at home for her, and I'm sure she much prefered sleeping in her own bed than in a tent with us. Although we had plenty of room.

Well, I didn't get my spring cleaning done, but Greg managed to clean our garage. We needed some place to park our car. Oh, did I mention, I got a new car? I traded my squeaky-wheeled, intermittent air conditioning, transmission dying, electrical lights flashing nightmare of a mini van for a sporty, red SUV wagon crossover. Yeah, ME! It's fun to drive again.

It truly was a great two week vacation. I'm so glad I talked Greg into taking some time off work. We had so much fun playing and laughing together.

The True Meaning of Easter

2008-03-29T21:58:00.000-07:00

My family loves Easter! I try to emphasize the spiritual side of the holiday, but let's get real! They are into it for the fun and festivities. My kids love to see what the Easter bunny brings them and to look for Easter eggs. Connor was a bit disappointed to find that he got clothes (a new bathing suit) in his Easter basket. The girls loved it however! They also loved all the candy!

The other thing they love about Easter is going to Grandma and Grandpa Shreenan's house for Easter. They get 3 more Easter baskets from their grandparents and aunts and uncles. They always look forward to the Easter egg hunt. That is always a highlight. Thank you Grandma and Aunt Catherine for making all the eggs. They love to take pictures in their new clothes (o.k., maybe not, but their good sports). They love to see their grandparents, cousins, and extended family that they don't see very often.

It was a wonderful day!

The Crazy Side of Shreenan

2008-03-29T21:31:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while (or everyday) we like to show our crazy side. Here's a few pictures of how we keep life on the light side. Life is to be enjoyed and it's fun to laugh. Hope this post brings a smile to your face! Enjoy!

2008-02-26T19:09:00.000-08:00

Did I tell you that I am a woman of few words? That is why it has taken me sooo long to write another entry. I read everyone else's blogs and they are so witty and clever. It is very discouraging to me. My life is filled with kids, piano lessons, my husband, our dog (who is in the dog house right now because she had an accident on my rug and no one told me and I vaccuumed right over it! YUCK!) I know Kelly is very sentimental with her dog, but I'm not feeling the love. Oh, and my calling at church. That seems to consume my spare time. That and cleaning and cooking. By the time 10 pm rolls around I am ready for bed!!!

I did get a new haircut. That has been the biggest change in my life this past week. I was in need of a change! I like it, but I am still figuring out how to style it. I was afraid Greg wouldn't like it because it is a bit shorter, but he says it's SASSY! Just what I was going for. Cari says it makes me look younger, so with 2 compliments like that -- I'm HAPPY! You can't beat that. Now I just need to bring on a new, younger and sassier attitude to go with it!!!

Lastly, I thought it would be fun to share with you some important life lessons I've learned this past month. Here goes...

The “Do’s and Don’ts” Life Lessons of Charla for February 2008

1. Do make a budget with your husband
2. Don’t make a budget hours before you go to the temple with your husband
3. Do go to the temple even when you don’t feel like it after arguing over the budget with your husband.
4. Do listen to that little voice that tells you to put up the cold medicine bottle so that your 4 year old doesn’t get into it
5. Don’t completely freak out when you have to call poison control because your 4 year old son who is 37 pounds drank a 4 ounce bottle of children’s cold medicine. It would take quite a bit more to do real harm to your child. Besides your child will sleep really well that night.
6. Don’t use Children’s Cold Medicine to get your child to go to sleep as he will have a nasty bout of diarrhea for the next 12 to 24 hours.
7. Don’t make a brand new pasta sauce recipe for a dinner party for 30 people if you have never made it before the main event.
8. Do have a jar(s) of your favorite pasta sauce handy if you make a new recipe and it doesn’t turn out the way you wanted it to.
9. Do take a good book to read when you have to serve at jury duty.
10. Don’t take a book to read in which you can barely keep yourself from crying (The Kite Runner) in front of complete strangers during jury duty. This will make you feel really stupid when ladies come up to you trying to console you because they think you are completely distraught at the thought of having to serve on a jury.
11. Do get a transfer to the Murrieta courthouse rather than going to Riverside courthouse if you live in Temecula. Otherwise plan at least 2 hours each way in case YOU get caught in traffic from a motorcycle accident and road construction. YUCK!
12. Do surround yourself with amazing friends who make you feel good about yourself! Especially if you need a pick me up after a haircut where the first response you receive is: “Why did you cut your hair sooo short?” or you need a great idea for a thank you gift. (You know who you are. Thank you very much!)
13. Don’t take your girls to the mall if you are on a tight budget and you only want to spend money on baby shower gifts.
14. Do say no to your girls if they are dying to spend their money on fake nails from Limited Too. It’s totally not worth it.

15. Do recognize your blessings (i.e. a husband who demanded that I not do anything but lay around and do whatever I wanted on a Saturday. He did ALL of the laundry and made all of the meals just so I could have a break). My blessings are too many too count -- but it's fun to try.

16. Do know that God is in the "storms of life." Remember it's the storms of life that push us across the seas to our Promised Land. (Thanks Melanie for an incredible talk on Sunday!)

I guess I'm not a woman of as few words as I thought.

My Sister is Making Me Do This

2008-01-25T15:00:00.000-08:00

O.K. Here goes nothing...and I mean nothing! Because I really don't have anything to say. Well, maybe a little something. Cari is making me do this. Bless her heart, she spent so much time setting up my blog (I am a little computer challenged to put it nicely). All righty then. That's all I've got.

One of the highlights of our year so far is Disneyland passes. I forgot how much
I L-O-V-E Disneyland! We went on a Saturday during Christmas break and felt like we had the park to ourselves (miracles never cease). We walked on most of the rides and even had time to visit California Adventure. It was a blast! Here is a picture from that trip. I will post more as soon as I figure out how to do it! I have a lot to learn.

2007-10-31T13:46:00.000-07:00

Halloween and Harvest Fun - October 2007