Ben Turns 10!

Celebrating on his actual day-January 4th...







Birthday tickles...=)



Birthday brownies...=p

And, a few weeks later, after recovering from Christmas, and more birthday festivities, it was time for a friend party.....


Years ago, when we had 2 small boys, I swore I'd never let them have toy guns-too violent, too real, just asking for trouble, I said....
Then they began to fashion them out of twigs, tinker toys, and oh joy, their fingers, (yes, finger guns-they were the handiest, and most portable-they even brought them to church a few times-God help us....) It was around that time that I realized I was fighting a losing battle, and was without my bulletproof vest...
So a couple of years later, when Nerf came out with their line of foam-dart shooters, we broke down and bought them each one for Christmas...and the love affair began (little did we know they would come out with more and higher tech models all the time-doesn't every kid need a "semi-automatic"?!)
So when Ben asked if he could have a Nerf party for his 10th birthday, I agreed, and we ran with the theme, as usual, and with the help of friends who had their own great Nerf party a couple months before. Here are some of the "shots" from a super-fun time...



Homemade Nerf dart pinata from an old lincoln log container, an aluminum pie plate and some duct tape...turned out to be sturdier than i thought!
prizes!



All decorated! ;)



target games
prepping for the nerf wars...


dinner break

edible nerf darts=pirouette cookies dipped in melted orange wafers with a reeses pieces stuck on one end

present time!
gracie getting some attention of her own...

Josh could hardly contain his excitement, so we tried to help him...





time for action...
here comes the ref! (one of my fave shots)




haha-dad got stuck with the pink safety goggles! ;-)

another of my favorites...
sniper...



the pinata loot-complete with what else? slim jims...;-)



cake time!



and after several more battles, time to hit the hay, still armed, of course...

pancake breakfast!

and a few final battles before it was time to say goodbye!





Happy 10th Birthday to our Benjamin! The strength and courage you have shown over the past year has amazed us. We are so proud, and love you so very much!

just thought it would be funny to show the 'behind the scenes' of my header photo...just a moment in the life! but i wouldn't change it for the world...well, most days....;-)

A Christmas Letter Never Written...and Happy New Year!

It's New Year's Eve 2010, and as I sit in a quiet house, while the 3 boys are skiing and Gracie naps, and prepare the munchies for our low-key family night, I can't help but reflect on the past year...
2010 has been an unforgettable year, chock full of super-high highs, and really low lows...

One of my biggest regrets was letting the 'busi-ness' of the season, and my emotions, get the better of me, which led me to forgo writing our annual holiday letter this year. I had one (or two) started, but didn't like the direction they were going, got stuck, and gave up...
This type of letter is many things to different people, but for me it's a great way to summarize and reflect upon the highlights of the year, since each one goes by faster than the last...

So, without regretting it until next year, I will write it here, for whomever to read it, but mostly for us, and for myself...because i need to...for us..... So here goes:

Carguello Family Highlights 2010

It's time again to look back on our year, and to reflect on the highs and lows that it has blessed us with...

Gracie turned 2 on Dec. 28th, and continues to bless our house with giggles, songs and the pitter-patter of little feet. Her versatility never ceases to amaze us: articulating complex sentences one minute, and uttering a girly screech that rattles the neighbor's windows the next....(usually when her personal space is infringed upon...) She is 'Yay, hooray!' one minute, and 'Gracie no like dis!' the next...and she's just as happy using army guys in her dollhouse as she is dolls. She is definitely the boss of the house, wielding her tiny pointer finger in our direction, while vehemently expressing what she would like to happen and when...She has also become quite a good little cheerleader when watching the boys' soccer games ('Go Bubby! Go Joshy!'), and lastly, has mastered the potty training of her parents, only using it successfully when she's in the mood for a little treat...;-)


Josh is 8 and in second grade, and continues to be a big presence wherever he happens to be. He remains very excited about soccer and has added indoor soccer to his resume as of this winter. He continues to do well with piano lessons, and has earned his yellow belt in tae kwon do this fall.
His main passion continues to be fishing, however, and enjoyed 2 father-son trips this year, yielding both a king salmon and 3 steelhead!




Ben, who's in fourth grade, and will turn 10 (!) in 3 days, has also had quite a busy year. He continues to hone his skills in soccer, both outdoor and indoor, as well as piano. He, too, earned his yellow belt in tae kwon do this fall, and began taking trumpet lessons as well. His father-son trips find the 2 of them on the ski slopes as often as possible. Another of his passions remains tinkering with 'techie gadgets'. He has graduated from DS to ipod, and most recently is mastering his insulin pump, which he received this fall, after a shocking diagnosis of type 1 diabetes this summer. He has taken most every aspect of his new condition in stride and has amazed us with what a 9 year old can adapt to!




Patrick continues to attempt to balance his administrative responsibilities with patient care, and is working hard to keep his center current in the electronic medical record arena.
He received a nice distinction this November when his boss nominated him and he was chosen as one of CNY Business Journal/Syracuse University's 40 under 40.
And with only a couple months to spare, as he will celebrate the big 4-0 in just 2 days!

And as for myself, while I am feeling the pull to return to work at some point in the near future, I am content spending my these fleeting days at home with Gracie, and attempting to keep the household running in an semi-organized fashion...all while trying to find time to document our family's happenings with mediocre photographs, and through blogging....And, naturally, I have added 'diabetes advocate' to my resume this year, as we participated as a family in our first of many "Walk(s) for Diabetes" this fall. Thanks to the awesome generousity of family and friends, we were able to raise nearly $2000 toward diabetes research and education.




As we say goodbye to 2010, we are thankful for it's blessings, but also for it's challenges, for they are what make us stronger. And most of all, we remain so very grateful for the love and support of our family, and friends, both old and new.

Wishing you health, peace and happiness in the New Year, and always.
With love from the Carguellos
Wendy, Patrick, Ben, Josh and Grace

Happy to you, Gracie!

Happy 2 you, Gracie-girl! You make our lives complete.