My name is Laurie, and I am the author of the Family Theme Night Blog and the book, Let the Adventure Begin.  I am also the mom of two boys, Drew (age 7) and Stephen (age 5).  As a family, we have been doing family fun nights based around different themes since the boys were four and not quite two. I have put together lots of fun, easy and inexpensive ideas.   We have enjoyed the adventure, and I want share these activities and resources with you!   More about me: The boring stuff (my “credentials”):   I’m a graduate of Wheaton College (IL) and Nazareth College (NY) with degrees in elementary education and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).  Before becoming a mom, I loved the challenge of teaching in the Rochester City School District.   The fun stuff:  • I love to travel (although I’ve traded European adventures for camping trips and amusement park visits). • I consider a great cup of coffee paired with chocolate and a novel to be absolute bliss. • I think hiking and geocaching with my family is a blast (until the boys get tired and cranky, but the first part of the hike is always fabulous!). • My ideal getaway is a quaint bed and breakfast enjoyed with my wonderful husband. • I actually love watching football and look forward to setting up my fantasy team every year (although it is a bit of a drag to be a Bills fan these days). • I’m a huge Anne of Green Gables fan—I even convinced my husband to take me to PEI for our honeymoon! • Besides planning and writing about our family theme nights, I enjoy teaching Sunday School and coordinating our local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. • I love experimenting in the kitchen (and usually the experiments work, although they can’t always be replicated!). • I really do treasure every moment I spend with my family—especially our family fun nights!