After that, it was time for church...
I guess I'm getting to where I should just focus on getting events posted within a reasonable time frame. My intentions to post every couple weeks, it seems, doesn't work for me anymore. So, a couple months late...Easter 2013! The morning actually began with an egg hunt in our back yard. Jammies still on and everything... The boys found real hard boiled eggs that we had colored and some plastic filled eggs too! The plastic eggs were resurrection eggs, which is a really cool way to put the meaning of Easter into a hunt. After the hunt, we came inside to read the Easter story and reveal what was inside our resurrection eggs. After that, it was time for church... They looked so handsome! I loved their little outfits! After church we headed to Aunt Rissa's for lunch and another egg hunt! It was a great Easter and I love that the kids are getting big enough that they actually grasp what Easter is about! Such a blessing!
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Back in March we went on another camping trip. We headed to the same place we did the time before, but this time we stayed 2 nights. For some reason, I have few pictures to show from it, but oh well. This time we found a great little spot that we had all to ourselves where we could fish and play. The boys found trees to climb and Cousey got into plenty of trouble. Here's some of the moments we captured... Westen and Baron fishing... Seriously...that face! Baron and his pony hat! Cracks me up! We don't know why but he calls this too small fits for a baby hat his pony hat! He put it on that day and we couldn't hardly get him to take it off! Westen fishing... The boys fishing with their daddy. They are so content here. And climbing tress... Unfortunately, I think camping is over for us for awhile. Moving on to boat season:) Maybe next fall we'll venture out and do some more camping. We all love it!
Last weekend was the end of what was Westen's very first time participating on a team. He played 9 weeks of soccer this spring! I'm sure you can imagine the cuteness factor involved with 4 and 5 year olds playing soccer. It was kinda cool for Austin and I to watch Westen and see him learn and improve as the season progressed! The first couple games he hung on the outskirts of the big group of kids all hunting down that one ball. But, with some encouragement from Daddy (that perhaps could be toned down a bit:) and a boost in confidence here and there, each week Westen got more and more aggressive. He even scored his fair share of goals! Westen's daddy gave him some pointers regarding being aggressive. It's not in Westen's nature to just go take something (the ball) away from somebody (unless it's his brother of course). So, Austin told him it was okay to get in the mix, use his legs and elbows a little, and take the ball away from someone else. That tidbit of advice along with the praise he received when done eventually resulted in shoving his opponents and sometimes even his teammates to ensure he got to kick the ball a few times:) And this, typically, is NOT what Austin looked like at the games. He was all, "Westen, run on your toes!" "Westen, get in there and kick the ball!" "Westen, take the ball away from him!" Funny to watch him to his first time around as a parent watching his kid from the sidelines:) And while Westen played his little heart out, this guy did his best to be okay with the fact he is still only 2 and couldn't play... The first practice he cried for 30 minutes because he just didn't understand why he couldn't play too. He eventually got it though. Instead, he'd usually still suit up with cleats, shin guards and all, kick his ball around on the sidelines, and cheer his big brother on! And then sometimes, of course, he got bored... Anyway, we are so proud of Westen! He did great on his soccer team. He let us see into his little personality even more through this experience! He is such a little sponge listening to everything everyone says. Love that kid!
Our flight for KY left at an early 6:30am. That means we were in the car by 4ish. It made for the easiest flight thus far with these two munchkins... Yep! They both fell sound asleep on my lap and slept for most of the flight. I even got to close my eyes and doze a bit. Best flight since having children yet! Score for sure! We arrived to a strep-throated Mamaw which was sad:( No kisses or hugs for a few days. To make her rest a bit, the boys and I headed up to Uncle Dan's tractor shop...a.k.a. Little Boys Playground. Seriously, we were there for about an hour and a half. I got to catch up with my sweet brother Dan and the boys played so hard jumping from and driving every tractor in the room 20 times each. They seriously LOVED it! The first weekend, Papaw pinch hit for sick Mamaw and made the trip with me and the boys down to see Uncle Daniel. On the way we stopped to see Ellie play some volleyball. Here we are at the gym - the boys watching the boys... And watching her play, where she was playing...aaaahhhhh - brought back so many memories:) It was fun to get to see her play! Then on to Uncle Daniel's where the boys had to try out his motorcycle... We had a nice visit. The boys love their Uncle Daniel. And I think me, Dad, and Daniel probably enjoyed our 2 hour guitar jam session the best;) After that, it was back to Mamaw's and Papaw's house. Thankfully, Mamaw was feeling better. Westen continues to believe Mamaw got Sugar solely for him. He LOVES that dog! Baron had been talking about riding on Papaw's lawn mower for MONTHS...I kid you not. We, of course, made time for that - cold and everything... Throughout the week, Mamaw found plenty to keep the boys busy. They are so used to being able to pretty much play outside whenever they want, so to make sure they didn't get stir crazy, we took them out almost every morning to wear their little rear ends out! We had so much fun! I didn't take many pictures throughout the week with my camera but I did instagram this one we took at Jumping Jacks - coolest playground ever! Thank you Mamaw for all you do with my boys! And the boys still played outside on most of the days it didn't rain. We just had to dress a little different... A couple days provided just a dusting of snow. It was just barely enough for me to scrape from the cars and wherever else I could find it to make enough snowballs for a couple snowball fights and for a newborn tiny Frosty, but hey...a little snow is more than no snow which is what we get in the Sunshine State... We also got to be there for Ellie's first formal dance. Here's a few favorites out of the 100 pictures we took:) Throughout the week I got to see some of my dear friends. It was so nice to see Kendra and Heidi. I cherish and miss my KY friends so much. Another one of those friends, Krystie, I got to see too. Here's the boys with her little Jael... They had a serious dance party! And here's Westen holding Krystie's little Lydia. It's the first time he's ever held a baby. So sweet... One of my favorite parts of the trip that was totally for me was one night the boys stayed with their cousins and Papaw. Mom, Julie, and I went out to dinner together and roamed the isles of IKEA. I truly cherish every minute of that night. It's so rare that just the 3 of us get to do something so normal. Foolishly I took no pictures. Sunday, I spent some quality time with my other two sweet nieces, Daniel's girls. Here's Baron and Hannah... And Westen with McKayla (a.k.a. Tay-Tay) I got to take Ryan out to see a movie and then to dinner one night. One of my favorite people in the whole world. This guy can make me smile like no other. We saw Safe Haven and went to Skyline! Perfection in my book:) A few more of my favorite pics from throughout the week. I know this post is getting long but I can't help it. Mom and her little Sugar... Tiny Snowballs for tiny hands... And finally, Baron's flirty eyes with his girlfriend, Ellie... It was such a fun trip. Every time I go home I miss everyone even that much more! You would think saying good bye would get easier but it seems to only get harder. Thank you everyone who made time to see us and let us see you and Mom and Dad for everything you do for us when we come up. You make things so easy and we feel so loved. Love you guys!
At the start of the new year, I decided to look for a race to run - a goal to work towards to keep me motivated. I got a little ambitious and decided to sign up to run another half marathon. Lucky for me, I found someone to run it with which made it so much easier (thanks Rebecca!). We ran the Daytona Half which started on the speedway. We ran almost all the way around it then out onto Daytona's main road to the beach and back to the speedway. It was awesome! I'll spare you all the details but here's a few pics from our day... The boys waiting patiently on Daytona's International Speedway for Mommy to finish That final point one of 13.1. The boys made it bearable to finish! Austin was taking a picture of our time (which officially was 2 hours 13 minutes 31 seconds) but happened to catch me and Rebecca in a celebratory embrace! Thank you to Rebecca for running this with me! This was her first half and having done my first alone, she truly made this one so amazing and enjoyable! Last but not least, my little family there to support me. Love them so much! I had to juice up with motrin for a couple days after this but it was so worth it.
Last week, Austin's office was closed for the first time ever on MLK day. We had slept in our tent in our backyard last month as a little test for the boys and have been waiting for an opportunity to go camping ever since. Between basketball and church on the weekends, we hadn't found the time. But since Austin was off work last Monday, we took the opportunity and went for just one night at a local state park. We decided to ease our way into it with toddlers:) Anyway, the boys were SOOOOOOO excited! I mean, I can't say enough how hyped they were. After, we found our spot and ate some lunch we went for a walk to get ourselves familiar with our surroundings. And we definitely couldn't do this without guns and sticks to shoot and beat any animals that might attack... And I'm not joking. They were looking everywhere for animals. While walking around we found a playground... And the river... And this kid...he just marches to the beat of his own drum... After getting back to our campsite, the boys played with Cousey while Austin and I set up the tent and air mattresses. Next, we went on a walk to collect some wood for our fire. Westen was particularly into this. He really wanted to help and be a part of everything. I snapped pictures along the way while the boys did the manly work of picking up wood... It's also pretty fun when you're in the woods to find some big logs to jump from... I love this face... And this one too... We also played flag football with the boys which they thought was so fun... Of course, we ate hotdogs cooked over the fire for dinner along with roasted marshmallows and s'mores. Although, the boys would've been fine with the plain old uncooked marshmallows. That night, we put a movie on in the tent for the boys to watch while Austin and I enjoyed the fire and some relaxation. I know that's cheating a little, but it was so nice because Baron fell asleep before we ever got into the tent. He can be a bear sometimes when he's so tired that he knows if he stops moving he'll fall asleep, so he keeps moving and acting crazy so he won't. The temperature was in the 50s which was perfect with our warm jammies and sleeping bags. Everyone slept pretty well which equals camping success! That morning we took another long walk where the boys got to see a tremendous fight between fish and fisherman. We watched for a good 10 minutes as this guy fought with this big fish for fear of breaking his line. It was fun to watch. Austin had to help and the boys thought it was great! No pics of that though. And next time I think we'll bring the boys fishing poles. Oh, and Cousey got to go too! I think he loved it as much as we did... If you're still reading, just a few more pictures:) Westen bringing in some more firewood... Baron and Mommy... And our camping leader, who I must say, did a great job maintaining the fire and in finding Mommy some coffee in the morning;) Love you, Babe... After one night of camping under our belts I think we're ready for a weekend trip. I'll be looking to schedule something soon as basketball season comes to an end this week (I may or may not be jumping for joy right now). I think my favorite picture is this one that Austin posted on instagram...so cute! Life in the outdoors kinda suits us I think. I mean, as many of you know, camping lends towards minimal showers and wearing the same clothes over and over. Kinda right up my alley (right El?)
But really, the boys LOVED it and Austin and I did too. We're totally looking forward to our next trip! Since Westen getting his bike for Christmas, we've been taking a lot of rides thru the neighborhood. Westen rides either his bike or scooter, Baron rides his scooter, and I ride my bike. I'm thankful that we're at this stage where we can do this. I loved pulling them in the bike trailer this time last year too, but this is a little more fun. This day, in particular, we took a very long ride. More on that later... This was our pit stop on the bridge where we took some pics... We had water, wipes, and the camera - you know... all the essentials for a bike ride. So, the story on this ride - well we made it to the bridge. It was the boys first time riding there. After stopping to play for awhile, I asked the boys if they wanted to turn around for home or keep going. Unanimously keep going! So we went to the tennis courts where I asked again. Keep going, they said. We make it to the clubhouse which houses the only hill in the neighborhood. I had the bright idea to let Westen try riding down his first hill on a bike. Seriously...do you remember the joy from that growing up?? Actually, let me take that back...because if you're from FL and you read that, maybe you don't. I'm still amazed at the difference in landscape and its affects. KY = rolling hills FL = flat lands Totally different experiences I'd think. Anyway, my bright idea wasn't so bright. Long story short, Westen kinda panicked and although he knew how to break the bike, he did not which meant I did with my hands. We kind of ended in a gentle crash in which Westen walked away without a scrape. I, however, still bear a bruise the size of a tennis ball on my shin and we're 2 weeks out. Westen told me later it was a bad idea and he never wanted to do it to begin with. Baron, on the other hand, exclaimed, "Mommy, I love da hill!" On a different note, I'm trying to include myself more in some of the pictures of the kids. Did you hear that Mom? With you (Mom) always on my case about never being in the pictures and this article, I decided to start snapping of myself occasionally too. Read it if you have time. Anyway, FL winters are often times a great time for being outdoors. I so enjoy the cooler temps and down here the cooler temps often lend to perfect outdoor weather. The boys and I have been taking advantage of it... Back later with our camping trip:)
The boys got something new for Christmas. We've taken them fishing before, but in the past Austin would fish with his pole and then if a fish took the bait he'd let the boys help him reel it in. Well, this time everyone had their own pole... ...and tackle box:) Anyway, we knew there'd be no putting a hook on for Baron at this point, but Westen was a different story. First, without a hook, Austin spent some time teaching him how to cast his line. So, we let him practice doing that for awhile... In the meantime, Austin had the first catch of the day... While Baron spent some time beating his fishing pole into the water... But after a little bit, Westen was casting his line pretty consistently, so Austin hooked it up for him. Let me preface the rest of the story by saying, we take them fishing at the little ponds in our neighborhood and it's typically hit or miss. It seems like you either catch a lot or catch none with no in between. This day way a good day. Within second of Westen's first real cast with a hook, he had a bite. Here he is reeling it in... He officially caught his first fish... I think he might have been a little proud... He was ready to try again...and again...and again:) While he continued with that, little Baron just kind of did his own thing. He beat the pole into the water a lot... And at one point, he said, "Look Mommy, I catch some leaves..." He did want to get a little bit of the fish catching action, so he FINALLY let Austin help him, and ended up with this... I have to say, it was a little more fun watching Westen catch some fish than it usually is when we go and watch Austin catch the fish (because I usually end up having to entertain the kids until each fish is caught:) And besides that, I had a new camera to play with... All in all it was a GREAT day! And my Westen ended up catching 8 fish! We couldn't believe it! Anything less will be a disappointment now, I'm sure. He was over the moon about it!
Thanks Nana for the fishing poles. I cannot believe my baby is 4 years old!!! Last Thursday was Westen's birthday and he was so excited! He had a special day that day. We headed out that morning to run errands getting things ready for his upcoming party. He got to pick where we ate lunch which was, of course, Chic-fil-A, then we headed to a movie where his daddy took off work for a couple hours to join us. We saw Monsters, Inc. After that he got to go back to Daddy's office and help him work for about an hour which I think was the highlight of his day:) Then, of course, we had some cupcakes... Our gift for him had not (and still has not) arrived in the mail, but we wanted him to have a little something to open... And a kiss from his brother... Saturday, we had his party at our house with a few family and friends. I'll let the pictures tell the rest... We had a great time! He thinks he's so big. I really think when you're a kid you feel different on each next birthday...at least when your a toddler.
We feel so incredibly blessed that 4 years ago we welcomed this sweet loving child into the world. He has such a big heart and I can't wait to see what God has in store for him. Happy Birthday, Big Boy!!! "For unto us a Child is born, In the wee hours of the morning, Austin and I finally had everything set up for Christmas morning... The morning of Christmas, Austin and I woke up early. We wanted to be awake before the boys because there was no hiding those bikes and we wanted to see their reactions when they saw them. They were so excited! It was still dark out, otherwise I think we would've had to take them outside right then to give those bikes a whirl! I won't give you a play by play for the morning. I'll just show some of the pictures... After opening just our family's gifts that morning, we headed outside to ride bikes and play with a couple other outdoor toys. Would you believe we had the street to ourselves at 7:30am? I stayed out for a little bit with the boys, but then headed in to prepare breakfast and get things in order for our company later that day. When the boys came in, just before breakfast, we skyped with Mamaw and Papaw while the boys opened gifts from them. Unfortunately, skyping and helping with gifts didn't leave hands for taking pictures:( They had so much fun though and we're thankful for the gifts Mamaw and Papaw sent to us. Later in the afternoon, my in-laws came to our house for a late lunch and gifts for the kids from Nana and Papa... I think that picture is so funny! After lunch, Lauren was so kind and graciously offered to stay at our house with the boys while the adults went to see a movie. She did awesome and the boys loved having her there. They LOVE their cousins! Thanks Lauren! Later that night, after everyone left, the boys insisted they were starving. I think they'd been so excited they hadn't eaten much all day. Soooo, while Daddy cleaned up... (I had to get proof of that) ...the boys ate chips... Although we missed our KY family terribly, we had a wonderful Christmas.
Next up...Westen's Birthday! | Welcome!Hi and welcome to our blog! I am Kate - wife of super high energy, super republican, super fun husband, Austin, and mother of 2 adorable, sweet boys - Westen and Baron! And mother of our eldest child, our sweet Boston Terrier, Cousey! Yeah, I'm outnumbered 4 to 1 so we have a home filled with rough-housing, trucks, trains, sports, you name it! I am what, over the years, has been called homemaker, housewife, and stay-at-home mom. I dare not say what today's society may call me (I kid... I kid!) I love being home with my boys and attempting to make my house a home. I'm what my mom calls "crafty", but feel more like a novice and hope to improve on my DIY and home-making skills. This blog is a way for us to share our adventures with our friends and family. To learn more about us, click here. Enjoy!
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