Discovered

This superhero was discovered having some sugary cereal with marshmallows early this morning.

 

In perfect superhero fashion, she quickly replaced her disguise after being discovered. Breakfast must go on, after all. . .

 

Yep, this is how I imagine most superheroes start the day. 

Finishing

We ended the day with a first . . .

Our first Klondike bar - so messy, but so worth it!

 

And a little soccer before the sunset to really finish the night in style! 

The Car Show

Well, my little man has been looking forward to this day for a long time.  The Good Guy's Car Show was in town this weekend, and we spent a little time there this afternoon.

 

He was so into all the cars, pointing out to me what was what . . . "Hey, Mom! There's a '41 Willys!"  "Hey, Mom!  There's a Old Ford F-100 truck!" "Mom! Look at the exhaust on that car!" - Always so excited, so interested and always so enthusiastic. 

 

Quite the contrast was this little lady.  I'm guessing cars will never really be her thing. :) 

 

We saw some very cool and pretty (yes, pretty) cars.

 

Looking forward to next year!

Art Project - Daddy Style

Dad's idea of an art project.

 

They each got their own initial and got to spend some time with Dirck in the garage with a hammer, nails, and some scrap wood.

 

Heaven for these two!

Tonight

Outside and enjoying the cooler weather that comes at the end of the summer.

Oh, and the sunshine . . . we are really enjoying the sunshine.

Doing My Best

Stumbled upon this full size window on our walk today and thought I'd do my best to freeze time for a second.

Happy weekend! 

School Daze . . .

Well, it's started.  We're in the swing of school again, and this year we've got a kindergartner & a preschooler.

 

He's so excited that he gets to hang on the big kid's playground at recess now.

 

And she's so happy that she's now the big kid in the preschool & gets to help by showing the new kids how things go.

 

I'm so proud of these two!

Happy School Year!

The Day Before

School starts tomorrow.

We went out early this morning and explored our neighborhood.

Fun times with these two!

I feel like summer was so short!

Daddy Sandwich

And even though we don't get to sleep in, we still get to be a little lazy.

Happy summer!

Two Reasons . . .

Two very good reasons that explain why sleeping in on Saturday mornings is never an option . . .

Happy Summer!

16 Weeks

That belly's gonna get a lot bigger. Lucky for me, I can still see my toes (and reach them to paint them).

 

It's starting to really set in that yes, this is for real. :)

Images

A few more of the goofy girl.

 

Oh how I love my little ones!

Catch With Dad

He caught a few of these (even caught one with his head). . .

She had no interest in catching baseballs, but did happen to find a nifty use for her glove.

Happy summer!

Goof

I don't suppose she'll ever be serious . . .

Fine by me. :)

Science Experiment

We had some fun after we got some frozen food shipped to us in dry ice.

Perfect activity for a hot afternoon!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Happy day today to my other half, my baby-daddy, my man, my love. . . Yep, this is how we celebrate around here! (Any excuse for dessert!)

Announcing . . .

Well, it's been the summer of surprises, for sure.

 

Looks like we all get to cuddle another little one this winter!

 

Don't they look like they'll be great a great big brother and big sister! What a blessing my children are to me. I can't even begin to imagine adding another little blessing when I already feel so full.

Life is good, folks . . . life is good!

Gettin' Their Swim On . . .

Swimming lessons started this week.

 

I'm looking forward to having two little fishes!

It's Hot Out There!

This is what two kids look like after running through the water hose - fully clothed.

 

This is what happens when we get a proper sprinkler out so they can play in their swim suits.

 

It's been so hot here this summer. Funny, these two don't seem to notice.

Happy Summer!

A Good Fit

He's really good at this . . . Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there!

Western Kansas

We took a long weekend trip out to Dirck's hometown of Lakin, Kansas.  It was the perfect time of year for a visit.  Wheat harvest was in full swing, but we managed to find a few fields that hadn't been cut yet. My son got to hold an old shotgun - which was one of his highlights. We visited the Heartland Cemetery. Hearltand Kansas was the western most end of the Chisholm Trail. The town was founded in the 1800's & ceased to exist when the townspeople of Lakin burned the courthouse in hopes of securing the county seat in their town . . . it worked.  Western Kansas is windy, flat, desolate and so different from anything I'm used to seeing. Having said that, it's also beautiful and interesting.  Seeing the sunset over a wheat field . . . well, that's the most beautiful and truly golden "golden hour" you will ever experience.  The area is also at the edge of the Central Time Zone, so the sun doesn't set this time of year until sometime after 9:00pm.  You may have a little trouble finding a hotel out that way, but if you get a chance, it's definitely worth seeing - such true Americana. 

Summer Vacation, Part 2

Seriously, could I have picked a more boring title??

Despite the lame title, our beach vacation was fun, relaxing & quite the time we all had hoped for. We rented a cabin at Topsail Hill State Park in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. This is the 3rd year we've come here for a beach vacation. The park is very family oriented and child friendly. It's quiet, peaceful, and bargain priced for the accommodations. I highly recommend this place if you are ever looking for a relaxing beach vacation.

Once we arrived, we had to check out our place. The kids claimed the screened-in wrap around porch and picnic table as their special place. Well . . . it IS pretty special.

We went out for lunch one day and managed to take a family photograph (lovin' my self timer, thank-you-very-much).

 

After lunch, I had to take a few images of the kiddos. They weren't really that interested . . .

BUT, eventually they warmed to the idea of photos - well, my daughter did. My son tolerated the camera only because I was going to take a picture of the blue marlin too!

 

These munchkins love their daddy (and I do too!).

 

I'm very fortunate that she still likes to hold my hand - just had to snap this image to remember!

But what's all this talk about a beach vacation, but no beach pictures yet? Well, don't you worry, I've got it covered. There were just too many to try to whittle it down any further, so here ya go . . .

But don't think that just because this was a beach vacation and beach park that the beach is the only thing to do at Topsail Hill . . . Nope, there was plenty to keep us occupied. . .

We even visited the Gulfarium on opening day where we learned all about tidepools, and we got to see a seal & dolphin show.

 

Our last night there, we took the kiddos to a family-fun center where we rode bumper boats, go-carts, carnival rides & even played a few video games. When we asked our son what his favorite thing was that we did, he said it was the video game when he got to shoot buffalo . . . hmmmm. . . he's quite like his dad!

Such a fun trip. I'm already looking forward to next year!