BEN

My baby is 2-1/2 years old and so unbelievably entertaining! I just love him dearly. I love our days together. Here are a few of my recent favorite photos.....

Helping daddy "build" the shelves in the storage room

 lunch picnic with Charlie, clothes optional

Playin' Indiana Jones

Love you buddy! My days are so much brighter because you are in them! XOXOXOX

FALL FESTIVAL

This weekend we went to the Liberty Fall Festival and parade and had so much fun! Nick and I went down to the parade route early and hauled lawn chairs (a really long way, sorry buddy) so we had great seats on a shady corner. The kids made a haul at the parade and thought they were in complete heaven! We walked around the square downtown where all the super cute craft booths were set up and had some lunch. Such was a fun Saturday!

DEANNA ROSE FARM

Ben and I joined some friends today and headed to this cute place. Not sure what to expect, we were pleasantly surprised! Ben had a great time learning all about cows and even got to try his hand at "milking." 

The little goats loved him but that wasn't a surprise. He and goats seem to have a thing for each other....

Someone is almost ready for a nap...

 He whizzed around on this little tractor and then caught a fish on his very first cast!

We had perfect weather, a yummy lunch and really enjoyed a nice morning! We will have to bring the big kids back here someday soon...!

HUNTER

One night Nick came to me all dressed up and said, "Mom, if I was the finest hunter in the world and they put me in a frame because I was gonna die, this is what my picture would look like....."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICK!

 We have a six-year-old in the house! We celebrated Nick's birthday the weekend before his big day since moving in was going to make for a crazy birthday! He chose to party at this fun place, the T-Rex Cafe. IT WAS AWESOME! A giant T-Rex roared hello as soon as we walked in the door and then it was off to all things dino...

 Ben was the only one who didn't think all the roaring and stomping was really cool. Look at the tears in this photo as daddy tried to talk him off the cliff.....)

 We dug for dinosaur bones and explorered jeweled caves while we waited for our table. Seriously, why doesn't every eating establishment have this kind of entertainment?!

This giant, noisey Wooley Mammoth guarded the bathrooms....

 Nick could hardly wait to make his own special friend at "Build-A-Dino...."

 Making a  dino wish before placing the satin heart in his new friend...

 Bath time...I didn't know dinosaurs used soap.....Nick doesn't......

 Nick and "Dino-Rhino!"

We had lunch at a fun sea shell-shaped table where Ben kept a constant eye on the creatures and erupting volcanos....Olivia was quick to protect him while Nick regularly pretended he was being attacked!

 Special dinosaur birthday treat and a T-Rex visit for the birthday boy!

 A little fountain fun ouside the restaurant after lunch...

 It turned out to be a really great thing that we celebrated early because Nick was sick on his official birthday. He saved his birthday treats to take another day because he was home from school, too. But that didn't stop us from setting up the birthday table and getting out the Toaster Struddles for him! One of his new friends from school dropped off a special present for him and Chris picked up an awesome Kansas City Chiefs cake on his way home from work so it was still a really fun day!

This is the cutest sick kid on earth!

Little Nick, I love you so much! You are such a partier when it comes to birthdays and I love it! You are a sweet, tender boy with a heart as big as Missouri. You are smart and kind and somehow come up with the funniest jokes and sayings on earth! I am so excited for you to be in Kindergarten. You have learned so much and gotten so big in the last year; I know you will just love school. I will miss you every minute that you are away so hurry home when the day is done! Thanks for being my boy. Happy, Happy Birthday buddy!  XOXOX, Mommy

MOVIN' IN

Closing on the house

Finally, we are moving into our new home!!! It has been quite a process, getting everything ready to go, the long drive, organizing the movers, storing our stuff for one day in a storage facility, slow loan issues, apartment living, the kids' commute to school, you name it. But all the crazieness is over now and we can start getting settled and back to normal life!

With all the excitement, I forgot to take pictures. But the day went really well. The boys went to play with a new friend for the day while Chris and Olivia and I directed the movers and plowed through boxes. The kitchen is practically done and the beds are set up and ready to be slept in, which feels great for the first day. We met several of the neighbors and they all seem so nice! Some of the neighbor kids came over, too, wanting to meet the kids and find out what kind of "gaming system" we have. (They were sad to discover we don't have one!)

Wildbriar Drive is going to be great. It is already feeling like home....