SurfSide 2009 - annual beach house stay

We have been having approx a week long stay at a beach house with the "Chierighino" side of the family, for a few years now. Here are some highlights of our 2009 trip to Surf Side TX (June 5 - 12th) since the beach house we stayed at in Bolivar TX had been practically annihilated. Also a link to the whole HUGE photo album. http://thevadonfamily.shutterfly.com/47
Veronica got stung by a jelly fish on our first day in the water! The jelly fish were BAD that day!We colored on butcher paper taped to the picnic table on the patio, we had a couple of layers going! (Conald papa gino, Quentin, Julian, Valerie, Mom Karen mama gino
We played with water balloons (Valerie, Veronica, Quentin, Julian)
We played all kinds of games this one being Texas Holdem, and everyone seems to be "picking something, lol. way to pose family! (Corey, Kelly, Paul, Rick, Meghan, Conald, Mom Karen, Candace)
We played in the beach water (Veronica, Rick, Julian, Valerie, Quentin, Conald aka Papa Gino)And the Grand Finales!! every family within the Chierighino family, had matching shirts!
top - Rick and Corey
on bench - Candace, Conald, Amanda w/ Valerie, Karen w/ Veronica, Paul, Megan, Quentin, Ryan and Julian
Kaley on the bottomand us being silly!!

Veronica's 1st Dance recital - May 30th

Veronica had her first dance recital on May 30th. She started the lessons back in about Sept 08, and went every Tue. Valerie wasn't potty trained yet, so she couldn't participate. Valerie is potty trained now, and has expressed to me she wants to dance now, I just wonder if I can afford 2 in dance class or 2 in any activity together!
a couple of pics from her class, first one with her teacher, Miss Hilary, 2nd one cheesing for the camera.some backstage pictures.

and her posed pictures. "Tooth Fairies" and "Honey Bees"
Videos from her rehearsal, not the actual recital. (posted from my youtube account)

Swim Lessons

I have been wanting to get the girls into swim lesson, mainly for the pool and water safety, plus its just great fun to know how to swim. I signed them up at the Local school's natatorium, and today they had their first lesson. they are 40 min long and there are 8 of them. Once they got with their teacher I "disappeared" and they had a great time.
They had a platform they put into the water for the little ones to stand on, and some toys to keep them occupied while one of the 2 instructors took each student out. here are Veronica and Valerie goofing around.
Valerie on her turn practicing her leg kicks
Veronica practicing her leg kick

Father's Day 2009

The girls were so excited about fathers day. They even helped pick out and make his gifts. They made him each a heart with a handprint and painted it, (he has a hand on each if you can see)
Veronica told him before he open this gift, "its a shirt with a ghost on it" lol. and also funny was that Ghost busters 1 and 2 was on that night!Valerie picked the "license to Grill" t-shirt
I picked out some pictures and made him a collage for fathers day of him with the girls.. maybe I will use this pic in a collage next year, haha. Val holding her hand print and Veronica holding a nice shirt I picked out.

Hello - intro

well since it is so easy to have all my blogs in one place, I decided to convert the website version of my girls updates, into a blog version of our whole family(also friends and extended family). I think the setup is alot easier to update and keep current, and also easier for family and friends to follow this blog and get the updates.
I have taken a break from my main blog that I started on blogger, and this one will probably start out slow. I have pictures all over the place, and need to figure out where to start, and to get the pictures online for you to view.
lets start out with a pic of everyone in our immediate family - these pics taken during the first part of June 2009, during the annual "Chierighino" family beach house vacation.
Valerie, Me (mom/Amanda), Veronica, and Paul.... and of course in the next pic the BEST dog in the whole world, our wonderful Boxer, Merlin!! who is turning 8 this Sept of 09