Finishing out 2013...a busy end to a very fun year!

What a great year 2013 was and what a busy month December was. We definitely went out in true Rahn style with lots happening....

The first snow of the season was a great surprise and provided us with that "automatic stop" that we all needed - which included 2 snow days!! Lots of fun for everyone!

 

 

 

 The dogs loved the snow - and being outside while it was falling...

 

 

It was a perfect time to venture out and cut down our Christmas tree...

 

 

 

 Then the girls got some true sledding in the Winter Wonderland across the street from our house...first time sledding in about 3 years!

 

 

We actually made it to the mall to see Santa this year - and the girls were as excited as they were when they were little. I'm so happy they still "believe" and enjoy all of the holiday fun!

 

 

We also snuck in a holiday trip to the Kennedy Center in Washington DC to see Elf, The Musical - we are big fans of the movie, and couldn't wait to see the musical on stage!! It was a great start to Rahnukkah and all of the holiday vacation fun!

 

 

As Christmas Eve arrived, so did our annual Rahn Rituals. Rocky and Rina join us each year on Christmas Eve and after dinner we have the C and K show. This show has evolved from silly little dance routines with costumes to piano concerts accompanied by singing. This year we even had a printed program with night's events listed.

 

 

 

Christmas Eve wouldn't be complete without the annual reading of Twas The Night Before Christmas!

After a fun filled Christmas day with all of the West/Bernardo and NoVa Rahns, we packed up and headed to Pennsylvania to celebrate with the rest of the Erie relatives!!

The Christmas 2013 Erie Group

Prior to the family party in Erie, Don found a few hours to escape to the Peninsula in Erie and explore the winter beach.  The girls had fun skipping rocks in the partially frozen Lake Erie waters.

Then on to the family party and catching up with relatives that we hadn't seen in a year, or more.

Carleigh's hair with her second cousin, Izzy.

 

They got along REALLY well!!

The highlight of the Erie family party was that Carleigh got to participate in the Pie Eating contest at the end of the night - she watched last year, and chose to "dive in" this year. She was up against second cousins Ryan and Abby (our flower girl and ring bearer from many years ago) and her Aunt Chrissy.

 

She lost, but the smile says it all...she had a blast, and was one of the "big kids."

2013 was a great year and we are blessed with all of the opportunities that we have been given, and all of the love that surrounds us!

I can only hope that 2014 will be just as exciting....We are off to a good start with our upcoming Rahn fun!

Stay tuned for:

• Laura preparing and planning for the Microsoft Global Forum in Barcelona, Spain - all four Rahns will travel to Spain for the week of March 9-16!

•  Carleigh and Katie madly rehearsing for their school musical, The Little Mermaid (an original version with all new songs and characters). And...their final (closing) performance will be on Sunday, March 9th! Yep...they finish their final matinee and change clothes, remove stage makeup and we drive to the airport to fly to Spain!! SELDOM A DULL MOMENT!!

•  And who knows what else will pop up during the first few weeks of 2014! 

As always it is Seldom a Dull Moment with the Rahns!!

Happy New Year!!

Celebrate the Now, before it becomes a long time ago!

The Days are Long, but the Years are Short!

I heard that quote a few years ago as I was reading a book called The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin. It definitely hit home with me, and time was flying right by me and I didn't have time to even notice.

Well, it has happened again and I realized it the other night, as I finished her newest book, Happier at Home. Again, I was brought back to the moment as I read the last chapter in her book entitled "Now."  The main point of that final chapter is to appreciate the now, because as she says.. "Now slowly becomes a long time ago."

We are nine weeks into the school year, and I barely remember any of it. Lots of exciting things have happened over the past 9 weeks including two volleyball seasons, a trip to Pennsylvania, 2 Rahns acclimating to middle school, lots of good news events, Halloween and many fun times.

So, let's take some time to appreciate the Now...as it is slowly turning into a long time ago....

Volleyball:

 Carleigh played on the Select team this season and represented her middle school. She had a great time, improved a lot and is hoping to make the freshman team at the high school next year. As you can tell from the pics below - her favored position is definitely at the net!!

Katie played for the first time this season, and did a great job. She is looking forward to returning to the youth league next season.

Afterschool Acting Class:

Both girls also participated in a 7 week Acting/Improv class afterschool. They worked with the Drama director of the Blue Ridge musical. They had a great time fine tuning their improv skills and getting a chance to "ham it up" with their Drama friends!

Yes, they are drama kids!!

Halloween:

 Halloween was fun this year, as both girls made their own plans and their own costumes. I just got to sit back and watch. Katie and some friends decided to be "Zombie Nerds." They created the costumes, and then enlisted my mom's help for makeup. They definitely looked the part!!  Carleigh decided to be a Minion and pass out candy with her friends. A fun time was had by all!!

Carleigh and her mini-me, a neighbor across the street.

Trip to Pennsylvania:

 We traveled to Pennsylvania for a quick weekend in October. We went up to celebrate Don's father's confirmation into the Catholic church, and be with family for the 1 year passing of his mother.

Middle School:

Middle school is progressing nicely for the 3 Rahn girls. I'm adapting to 7th grade English and loving it. Katie has transitioned into a 6th grader with minimal stress. Carleigh is loving her last year of middle school, in 8th grade.

Exciting News:

In the coming soon category are many fun events...these events will be here before we know it and then will be gone...so we are going to try and appreciate the anticipation and the excitement as we wait for them to arrive!!


The Little Mermaid - both girls were cast in the middle school musical, an ORIGINAL version of The Little Mermaid (no Ariel, and no Ursula with all original songs). They will be playing Gert and Golde the Goldfish....coming Feb. 28th.

Coming in March - Laura was selected as a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert!! Out of 22,000 educators from around the world, she was selected as one of 259 that will travel to Barcelona, Spain for a week in March to network and meet with other teachers from around the world as part of the Microsoft Global Forum.  Plans are in the works for possibly the whole family to accompany me!!




So...The Rahns have had a busy fall, and the first 9 weeks of school are over. The days are getting colder, the threat of snow is actually in the forecast :) and the holidays are on the horizon. The pace is not slowing down, but I hope I can work to appreciate the NOW and not let it fly by and suddenly become the LONG AGO!!

Stay tuned for all of our fall and winter adventures as we continue to celebrate Seldom A Dull Moment!!