Shaggy and Daphne

This Fall has been a busy one for the Vandermarks, but it’s been a lot of fun – trips to the zoo, a couple of football games, the circus (and not just the one at our house!) and a couple of Halloween parties.

Joe and I had a great time at our friend’s Halloween party.  The theme was 80′s TV characters, so we went as Shaggy and Daphne.  There were some really great costumes there – the Love Boat, Who’s The Boss, Falcon Crest, the Jetsons, Baywatch and more – even Clara from the Where’s the Beef commercials and the Trix bunny.   We made some Jello shots to share, including a special chocolate-covered cherry one that we chronicled in the photo album (Yum!!).

Zach and Alex went as Thing 1 and Thing 2 this year.  It’s the perfect “twin” costume, and well, it really fits them. They were particularly excited about their blue hair and really loved it when people commented about it.  They got to wear it two days in a row, going to Joe’s company Halloween party and visiting Grandma’s office one day and then to the HallZOOween party at the MN Zoo the next.  Cole reprised his costume from years past as a Roman soldier (why change when it’s a great costume, right?).  Check out the Sept – Oct 2009 album for pictures from zoo, plus other Fall fun, like pumpkin carving and more.

Tags: Alex, circus, Cole, friends, Halloween, Joe, Karen, pumpkins, Zach, zoo

Today, Joe and I are celebrating five amazing years of marriage. It’s incredible what can happen in just five years’ time – we’ve built a big new home out in the country and filled it with a big family with lots of love and lots of energy. Even our employers have changed. But even with all the changes, one constant still holds true through it all – we still love each other as deeply and truly as the day we got married. Here’s to many, many more.

Tags: Joe, Karen, milestones

We’ve got some great new pictures in the new Nov – Dec 2007 Family photo album, including a trip to Underwater World at the Mall of America, playing in class at ECFE (Early Childhood and Family Ed), preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and getting out during the first big snowfall of the season.

We also went to Joe’s company Holiday Party on December 1 at the fabulous Varsity Theater in Minneapolis. It was a 70′s disco theme party, complete with a great, well-known local cover band called Boogie Wonderland, and it was a ton of fun. Most of the crowd, including Joe and me, dressed the part in all its cheesy glory, and everyone got out on the dance floor – or even on stage (yep, that is me on stage with Heather, the wife of one of Joe’s coworkers). The pictures are a bit grainy/fuzzy given the lighting in the room, but the Dow Jones Holiday Party album will give you an idea of the fun that was had by all.

Tags: family outing, holiday, Joe, Karen, party, playtime, work event