Happy Birthday Weekend!

Andy's birthday is Monday, but we celebrated all weekend long. The boys stayed with Grandma and Paps in order to prepare for a "surprise" party, while I took Andy to St. Louis for dinner Saturday night. We shopped during the day and then went to our all time favorite restaurant, Niche. We did the tasting menu for the very first time and loved it. Andy said it might have been his all time favorite meal. After dinner we headed to our all time favorite bar, Taste (owned by the same chef as Niche). We had a couple rounds of amazing cocktails and cabbed it back to our hotel just before the storms.



On Sunday evening, we enjoyed a great birthday party with the boys, Andy's parents, and the Poag's. We had (according to Lucas) "Smokey Ribs", "delicious potatoes", green ice cream and a red heart cake. The boys helped decorate the heart shaped red velvet cake with sprinkles. Lucas helped carry the cake to Daddy and both the boys helped blow out his candles.




Andy then opened his presents with a little help. One gift even had a picture of our camper and a bucket light on it for wrapping. I think Andy had a great time and I know his family loved celebrating the gift he is in all of lives. The boys were worn out after baking the cake, decorating, wrapping gifts, cooking, eating, and unwrapping gifts :)

Happy Father's Day

We had a GREAT weekend. On Friday night, we went to the Feed Mill (Lucas: "the restaurant with corn dogs and a big buffalo") for dinner with Tony and Kay. Then on Saturday, I made my first big outing with the boys alone. This is something that I have avoided like the plague and have been very fortunate up to this point to be able to put off. Maybe I've been gun shy too long because we had a wonderful time.

We started at Donut Bank for breakfast, then went to Target, Sears, and finished up at Eastland Mall for playground time, lunch, and a merry go round ride. The boys did great and we had a nice time. Our outing allowed Andy to have some much needed alone time at home. He used this time to setup the new Apple TV that the boys got him for Father's Day. The boys took a long nap and woke up ready to snuggle with Daddy and watch some Fraggle Rock. Andy made a great dinner and we had peach smoothies for dessert.

The boys snuggling

Adam helping Daddy make smoothies

On Sunday, we were awaken by storms and found out later in the day that the lighting took out our router and network, including the new Apple TV. (So this part of the weekend wasn't real great, but the rest overshadowed this challenge.) We went to Dad and Eileen's for an afternoon swim, playground time, and a great dinner. The boys helped Papaw open his gift, and Andy received his traditional Father's Day tie and matching shirt. Adam even played baseball with Papaw for the first time and made contact with the ball all on his own several times and regularly with Mom's help. Lucas swam until the cold water turned his lips purple and he started shivering uncontrollably. It was a great time spent with Andy, my Dad, and Tony celebrating Father's Day.

It's a weedeater Papaw!!

Swing!

Daddy it's cold!!!

Fun in the Sun

Tis the time of year for sprinklers in the backyard and trips to Papaw and Grammy's pool. With the heat and the boys love of the water, we have been enjoying these treats of summer. Lucas and Adam have been swimming or playing in the water almost every day this week, since all the boys "sitters" have been taking advantage of the weather as well. Lucas is now jumping into the pool and going under. He can maneuver any where he needs to go with his puddle jumper on. Adam is independently floating and is jumping in and going under as well, but not quite as energetically as Lucas, but that's to be expected. Last year about 30 minutes was as long as the pool would keep their attention and even then it was hanging on to Mommy and Daddy most of time. This year after 90 minutes of independent fun, we had to drag them out of the pool. More fun in the sun to come for us this year, especially since it's only June :)

Growing Up as Friends

We are so blessed to have a great group of close friends that we are experiencing raising children with. I am very proud to save these friends are people that Andy and I grew up with, went to school with, and still live within 5 miles of. Now my boys are getting to experience the same thing as the next generation. I hope they feel as lucky and as loved as I do to have such great people in my life for so long. The group is still growing but here are some pictures of the boys and their friends over the past 4 years. We have gotten one picture of them all each year and it's a lot of work :)

The Bretz's: Patrick and Lucy; The Hill's: Alayna & Ava; The Fisher's: Audrey & Cameron

2008 -- Lucy, Patrick, Lucas, & Audrey

2009 -- Lucas, Audrey, Adam, Patrick, Lucy

2010 -- Lucas, Audrey, Patrick, Lucy, Alayna, & Adam

2011 -- Lucy, Patrick, Cameron, Audrey, Ava, Alayna, Lucas, and Adam