5 yrs old + 10" of snow = 2 happy kids

Good times in WV. Charleston's biggest snow of the decade translates to Autumn and Evan having a great time this weekend! Our hilly Timberlake neighborhood provided a great setting for sledding.

As for me, I abandoned my car at the Kmart parking lot on my way home from work Saturday morning, and walked the rest of the way. :) Not bad compared to those who ventured southbound from Charleston on I-64, only to be stuck for as many as 12 hours!

-Mark

Holidays Part 1: Thanksgiving, etc.

I could write many words about the last few weeks including Thanksgiving. But pictures speak a thousand words, so here goes... Autumn gets her ears pierced in Rochester:

The kiddos cuddle with Grandma Laurie before Turkey Day.

The kids get a life lesson at Grandma Laurie's on how Thanksgiving Turkey is actually prepared.

Evan hits the jackpot at Craigs' Cruisers in Grand Rapids, on the first try! A total of 500 tickets barfed out of the machine over the course of several minutes.

Big group photo at Grandma Linda's family Thanksgiving Weekend party!

An incredible double rainbow outside out kitchen window sometime late last week.

...but then the rain turned into SNOW last Saturday!!!

And finally, the kids as toy soldier and ballerina ornaments in their Church Musical (they had been rehearsing weekly since September)... Christmas Hang-ups! It was a 45 minute musical with many songs. We're proud of them for working so hard! :)

Hope the beginning of the Holiday Season has been blessed!

-Mark, Marisa, Autumn, and Evan

P.S. Here is an Album of 35 photos from Thanksgiving through early December.

Halloween and Fall Frolic (new vid)

Fall has delivered for us in many ways lately! The weather has been mostly dry, warm, and sunny, allowing us to make the most out of our outdoor opportunities. For one, our big oak tree on the north side of the yard recently relinquished most of its leaves. They made for the driest, crunchiest, most airy leaf pile I have ever seen. Needless to say, we managed to have tons of fun with that! Watch the video for a trip back to your youth! :)


As expected, the kids made out very well on candy during Trick-or-Treat! They were a black-and-white duo of skeleton and dalmation. Then last weekend, Joe and I had our own li'l spiritual retreat/down-time by meeting in the forested hills of Brown County Indiana, roughly halfway between our homes in Michigan and West Virginia. We hiked four miles... and then realized that the aging process seems to be accelerating! What's the deal? A few short years ago, we probably could have hiked twice that without so much as a yawn. I guess you could say we felt every bit of 32 years old... argh!!! We just turned 33 two days ago!

The sky has been beautiful lately. We took out my telescope which I received many years ago as a birthday present from Mom... and the kids not only saw the moon but also Jupiter. In fact, I also took the telescope to Indiana... where the clarity of the atmosphere even allowed Joe and I to see Jupiter's moons! Back at home, we have been blessed with many beautiful sunrises (see pic) out of our kitchen window.

We hope Fall has been a blessing for all of you as well. We look forward to our upcoming trips: Marisa going to Chicago to visit the Argentars, then all of us meeting up in Michigan for Thanksgiving. Then Mich-again between Xmas and the New Year.

-Mark (+ Marisa, Autumn, and Evan)

Fall sweeping through WV; fun with 3D photos

The weeks are flying by, with Autumn and Evan already through 9 weeks of Kindergarten. And I can't believe it took this long, but we finally had our first garage sale ever. Why didn't we do it before? We sold just about everything we wanted to, made some more room in the house, and of course a bit of $$$. The kids even ran a successful Cider-N-Donuts stand. :)

The pumpkins are out, and Autumn and Evan are eagerly awaiting trick or treat this Thursday... not sure why around here they never seem to hold it on ACTUAL Halloween. Perhaps Saturday poses too much of an adult-party-drunk-driving risk or something.

Click here to see an album of 58 photos from September-October.

With me not working this weekend, we have a fun one lined up. Evan and I are going to the Marshall-UAB football game in a couple hours, Autumn and Mom are going to "Global Village" in Charleston, which is an event featuring arts and crafts, as well as "free trade" shopping. Then we'll all be going to a Hibachi dinner with some friends of ours who live in the neighborhood. Tomorrow Marisa presents "Operation Christmas Child" to the congregation, so the church can participate this year. Then our church has its annual Fall Festival in the late afternoon, and it will be a beautiful day.

Here's a little something fun I have been trying out: 3D photos. Basically I snap a photo, take a couple small steps to the side, and take the same photo. This mimics having the vantage point of two "eyes". You put the photos right next to each other, then cross your eyes slightly to have the images meet in the middle. Then you see everything in 3D! Sort of like those crazy posters back in the 90s, where a 3D picture suddenly jumps out at you when you get it just right. Anyhoo, go ahead and give it a try on the three below (mushroom log on a hike, Kids and Mom on Wildcat Ridge hike in Kanawha State Forest, and Evan on a hike).

Have fun! -Mark (+ Marisa, Autumn, and Evan)

Getting into the School Year Groove

Hard to believe it, but Autumn and Evan have already been in school about three weeks already. We have been getting into the groove of our new routine... waking up early, scootin' to the bus stop around 6:45 am, kids coming home around 2:30 pm for an afternoon of play, then in bed usually before 8 pm. Things are going pretty well. Only frustrating thing is that for some reason, none of the other parents walk their kids to school, leaving us to "herd the cats" at the bus stop which is at a busy intersection. And when the kids get dropped off by the bus, there are always plenty of cars impeding traffic, just so they can take their children the whole eighth-to-quarter mile back to the house. It would be good for the kids to walk just a little bit after eating lunches featuring chicken patties and strawberry milk, don't you think (not to mention the parents)? I'm just sayin...

Last weekend we finally resorted to taking the kids to Camden Park, an amusement park near Huntington, WV (see photo above). I couldn't believe how sick I got... while the kids were tugging at our shirts for more and more rides. When did I become such an un-fun grown-up?

Here is our Early September Album of 18 photos, including a trip to Camden Park WV, a visit with Grandpa in Medina OH, and other miscellaneous end of summer fun.

Also, forgot to post this before... a large album of 60 photos from August including a visit to WV from the Argentars, and three family gatherings in Michigan all in one weekend... yes this was a separate trip from our one to the Lake Huron cottage earlier! Courtesy of Mel Pellerito (thanks!), here is the big "Pellerito Christmas in August" group photo. My Dad's side of the family has been holding Christmas in the summer for several years now.

Hope all is well with everyone! Gotta go... one of our shows is on, and we value what little relax time we get! :)

-Mark + crew

First Day of Kindergarten! Bus stop video

Hi all,

Will update this site soon to include stuff from our other trip to Michigan (for "Pellerito Christmas in August"), but the big deal right now is that Autumn and Evan are now in Kindergarten! Yesterday was their first day. They eagerly anticipated the first day, with school clothes, backpacks, and supplies. But when the bus actually came to take them away, Autumn got a little anxious, as you can see in the video. Both felt great many hours later, stepping back off the bus!

Back from Michigan (lotsa pics + 3 more new vids)

We returned from our cottage trip in Michigan a couple weeks ago, and of course it was everything that we always look forward to each year. We also brought the bikes this time, and over the course of our 8 days there must have spent several hours as a family riding them. The relatively flat roads and bike trails with no traffic were sure a blessing, compared to the very-hilly-no-shoulders-or-sidewalks biking environment the we are used to in West Virginia! Evan even took off his training wheels and after a few very minor spills was off and riding every chance he got. (of course, the first thing he did upon returning home was take on a WV hill and biffed on our neighborhood road with about 7-8 cuts on elbows/chin/knees/etc.)

Here are four of many photos that we took on our trip: The top one - the kids' li'l fort that they made on the beach. The other three - Evan running on the pier at Rogers City, Autumn standing with toes in Lake Huron on a particularly calm day, and a sample shot from endless beautiful evenings at the cottage. For oodles more pictures of the whole trip, click to Marisa's Online Up North Michigan '09 Album.

Also while up north, I was finally able to edit a couple vids from our backlog of footage, as well as a photo montage of "Cottage Cousins" from when Autumn and Evan got to hang out with Marley and Eloise during our trip (as well as Grandmas Laurie and Linda, Great Aunt Mary, Uncle Joel + Taylor). See below for the large versions.

Summer is already entering its final couple of chapters, before the kids start Kingergarten on the 26th. Right now we are enjoying a fabulous 3 1/2 day visit from Marisa's longtime childhood friend Alex and husband Darin Argentar, complete with their three year old twin girls Orli and Ilana, as well as 9 month old boy Shai. They drove in all the way from Chicago! Next weekend, we are looking forward to going to Michigan - again! - for "Pellerito Christmas in August" (though for me, it's pending whether or not I get dispatched to a wildfire out west before then... we'll see).

Happy August to you and yours! -Mark (+ Marisa, Autumn, and Evan)

NEW VIDEOS:

Photo Montage of Cottage Cousins 2009 in Rogers City, 3 min 04 sec




Pellfam Myrtle Beach Trip June 2009, 4 min 54 sec




Autumn + Evan 5th Birthday Party Jan 19 2009, 1 min 20 sec

Tripfest continues (including new vid)

Greetings y'all!

The summer blast continues. Last month, it was Myrtle Beach, then Fourth of July Weekend we went to Carter Caves, KY (about 1 1/2 hours from our house)... and after going to a wedding tomorrow, we're off to Michigan for our annual cottage pilgrimage near Rogers City (Lake Huron).

The only interruption to our funfest was a two-day puke-a-thon just prior to our Carter Caves trip. Some sort of flu or stomach bug. Final results (number of times throwing up): Evan 8, Autumn 7, and me (Mark) only 2... but they were big ones!

Carter Caves rocked. Though the second half of the trip was a deluge of rain, we did have a great time. The caves were nice, but the canyon (i.e. Box Canyon hiking trail) was the highlight of the trip. Click HERE for a photo album of Carter Caves, etc. Also, I threw together a 2 minute video:



I'll be putting together other videos (like Myrtle Beach) while we're on vacation. I hope to post the videos not too long after.

Until then, hope you're having a good summer too!

-Mark and the rest of the Pellfam (Marisa, Autumn, Evan)

Trips and Teeth (inluding new vid)

We've had a blast the past few weeks, from a sternwheel boat ride on the Ohio River, to North Myrtle Beach, to Evan losing his first and second teeth.

Here are a few highlights, but CLICK HERE for the album of 40 photos (including much larger versions of these).

And finally, NEW LAPTOP COMPUTER!!! Our old computer has pretty much run out of space and is getting very groggy. After many years, it was finally time. We'll still use it for many things, but with a new faster laptop and external hard drive, I can finally make more home videos (and much more easily!). Here's a good one for starters... A Tale of Two Toothies. Watch Evan go from ecstatic to very upset; two very different experiences from losing his first tooth to swallowing the second. Enjoy! -Mark + the rest of the pellfam

Our Preschool Graduates!

We are so proud of our Autumn and Evan! Tommorrow is their last day of preschool, and they will sure miss some of the teachers they've had for two years! Next week they begin day camp, which they will attend three days a week (Marisa's going to part time!). We are all excited about this big change. Enjoy these pics of our proud grads!
Autumn Laura Pellerito, Mastor of Fine Arts

Evan Joseph Pellerito, Master of Astrophysics

Ok, now it's time for the Preschool Class of '09 All Night Party!

Have a great weekend!

May Days

May is flying by, and we've been enjoying a nice mix of sunny and rainy days. Our garden is off to a good start, we planted peas, tomatoes, basil, peppers, squash, cucumbers and carrots. Plus we have blueberry and raspberry bushes that are a couple years old now so we should get some fruit this year! Though Mark worked Mother's Day, the kids and I went to church then strolled outside at the Capitol (Farmer's) Market and met Mark for dinner at the Olive Garden. We missed being with our Grandmas though, like we have been the past couple years! Mark's been super busy with eventful weather at work, and will be going into midnight shifts soon, but we'll have some more fun weekends after that. This weekend I got to go to a delightful little mini-retreat for women that one of my good friends helped put on, called Heart Spa. While I was there this morning Mark took the kids to an Armed Forces Day parade and festival in South Charleston, where they got these lovely face paintings. The kids took the pics of each other, I took the one of our first roses of the season. Above, the kids check out a field near their school one warm afternoon when I came to pick them up. Hope everyone is enjoying these wonderful spring days!

Keepin' Busy: Wedding/Gatherings in MI, T-ball/Swim Lessons in WV

...and just like that, it was May already! We're keeping busy, with swim lessons every Tuesday and Thursday, T-ball each Saturday (just started), and our recent trip to Michigan which included family gatherings and Karen Decker's wedding. Overscheduled? Nah. Why would you say that?


T-ball just started yesterday, and after seeing it, WOW are we glad we joined at the last minute. What a riot. 4 to 6 year-olds, hitting the ball without remembering to run; or if running, bringing the bat with them. A "ball retrieval committee" forming with any hit making it past the immediate infield. Etc., etc. Very cute and fun.


Rather than post ALL of the photos of our recent events here, we made an album of about 30 photos, available by clicking on this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=90820&id=609836528&l=7782d84ac4

Hope Spring is going well for you and yours!

Mark, Marisa, Autumn, and Evan

Easter week

Thank you everyone for your kinds words and thoughts. We're all doing ok, keeping busy of course. We were blessed to have Marisa's mom here for 6 whole days, and she bravely attempted to organize our house. Thanks Mom for spending all that time with us! We've got a batch of photos for viewing on our facebook link, please click here to see. Looking forward to seeing everyone in Grand Rapids next weekend!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=88753&id=716286050&l=fdf84196ab

The mystery and preciousness of life

We have really learned quite a few things since April 1st.

It began with our ultrasound that day, the mention of a slow fetal heart rate, and the weird cold vibe we received from the technician as she curtly printed a couple ultrasound pictures for us when it was over. Two days later, we heard from our midwife to prepare for the worst... that there was still a glimmer of hope but that it didn't look good. Turns out that a fetal heart rate of 70 beats per minute around 6-7 weeks of pregnancy is a very bad sign (should be more like 90-120). So that's learned item #1.

Item #2 is that in the last week, we have learned that miscarriages are WAY more common than we've ever realized. Just about everyone with whom we've just shared our bad news, have empathized back with a miscarriage story of their own, or of someone in their immediate family. One of the doctors we talked with told us of her own experience, and also that roughly 1 in every 4 pregancies end in early miscarriage... and that's just of those women who know they are pregnant (many never even realize in the case of a very early miscarriage).

The final word came just yesterday, with another ultrasound. Not only were there no further signs of growth, but the heart had stop beating. Well, hearts actually. So Item #3: It was another set of twins (likely identical this time, since they both apparently had the same congenital defect).

Given all of that, Item #4: the children that we already have been blessed with, are indeed precious gifts (we knew that already, but now even more so). It is a marvel, the number of things that have to line up right, to create life. How lucky we are to already have Autumn and Evan.

(this pic was in Glacier Nat'l Park, Sept 2004)

---

Late last week was a tough time, after hearing that our pregnancy was likely doomed. We luckily were able to process the information and mentally prepare over the course of the weekend and early this week... so that when the final word came, it was almost a relief... in that we had a clear answer and could try to move on. Marisa had her D&C procedure this morning and all went well, the hospital staff at Women and Children's Hospital was very kind, especially Dr. Kastori. A huge thank you goes out to our dear friends and neighbors Nathan and Nikki for watching the kids overnight (which gave them a little sneak preview for their bundle on the way). Also, thank you to all who have already sent us your thoughts, condolences, and prayers.

The roller coaster of the last month has been a challenge. Yet we have so much to be thankful for, and to look forward to. Spring is sprung, tulips are out here in WV, and our garden is prepared. Grandma Laurie is on her way down for Easter. The kids are starting swimming lessons. We're going to Grand Rapids in a couple weeks for a wedding with close friends that go all the way back through childhood. Camping is not too far away now. In June, a fabulous long beach weekend in South Carolina. In July, our annual pilgrimage to the Lake Huron cottage with probable side trip into the Upper Peninsula. And finally late Summer/early Fall, when several friends of ours will be getting Autumns and Evans of their own. :)

-Mark

Bittersweet Couple of Weeks

It's been an emotional few weeks, with signs of Spring and the accompanying outdoor fun, and the exciting news shown below... coupled with the very recent unexpected death of Marisa's young cousin, Matt DeClerck. A few days after hearing of the news, Mark flew back from a training trip in Boise, ID to Michigan to join Marisa and the kids who drove up from West Virginia. We still can't believe it happened. We were blessed to be around our family for several days, for the funeral and for some time to reflect and share our memories of Matt. This will be a very long grief process, and we ask everyone to remember in their prayers my Aunt Mary, Uncle Frank, and cousins Andrea and Julia, plus Dree's young daughters, my mom and brother, and all who knew and loved Matt.

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On the positive side, we are very excited about a new addition to our family! I am 7 weeks today, and scheduled for an ultrasound next week to make sure we're having just one this time around! The kids are also very excited, and have been asking lots of questions. Luckily they haven't yet asked for details on how the baby got in mommy's tummy, but I know we'd better get prepared for that one!

With the challenges of the past couple weeks, including my morning sickness (that's been lasting all day) it took awhile but we finally realized that we were too wiped out to also undertake a surprise quick trip to Florida to see Popski that we had recently planned - way too much driving for just a few days there. MAJOR bummer but the right choice was to stay home and not do too much.

The great thing is that all 4 of us now have 3 consecutive days off together (no work/school) to recharge, catch up, etc. (and hopefully get this house organized a bit!).


And here's what we did with today Day 1: A quick drive over to Kanawha State Forest for a hike on the rugged 1.5 mile Overlook Rock Trail. In addition to lunch with a view on Overlook Rock, deer sightings, and the bubbling creeks... we even found a single, solitary four leaf clover. :)



In addition to lunch with a view on Overlook Rock, deer sightings, and the bubbling creeks... we even found a single, solitary four leaf clover. :)

Enjoy these pics (click on them for bigger versions)!

The forest is still mostly leafless, but the ground is coming to life; lots of plant shoots, sprouts, and a few flowers poking out. As for the yard, in the last few days it has exploded in green and so looks like the mower needs to be oiled and filled. Trees are also flowering, and the tulip plants are quickly coming up.

Despite the challenges of our human lives, Spring once again shows its annual promise of the fun to come.