May Events

The past week and a half have been pretty busy so I'm trying to be good and stay on top of the blog updates!  Not to mention this coming weekend is going to be busy, too!

Noah is getting so excited about Kindergarten and loves practicing writing and also has a (fairly) new interest in drawing.  It's pretty cute!  :-)  We actually had Kindergarten Orientation last week and he was SO excited about that also.  Mommy and Daddy, on the other hand, have a little bit of mixed emotions about it!  We are excited but it's pretty crazy.  What happened to our baby boy???

Noah drew this picture and wrote all of the names himself!

Here is Kylie just before bedtime one night - silly girl!!  :-)

Saturday, the 12th was a super fun day!  Our neighborhood had a big party called 'The Meats of Spring'.  :-)  A few of the guys got together and planned this big party/competition.  I think there were 9 guys who grilled/smoked different types of meat and the whole neighborhood voted on which one they liked best.  Waylon did Eastern NC BBQ and came in 3rd place!  It was  fun but very long day.  Waylon (and Noah) got down to the pool parking lot around 9 am and started cooking (and playing).  Kylie and I went to Target together for a bit and when we got back, we had a picnic in the parking lot.

This was the set up in the morning

After lunch, I brought the kids home to rest a bit before the 'real' party started.  Of course Kylie fought nap so I gave in and let her lay on the couch and watch a movie with Noah and this is what happened.....

The party was great.  So many people came and it was so much fun!!  I think the last RSVP I saw had 77 adults and 66 kids!

Noah had fun driving the pink Barbie car  :-)  Kylie enjoyed it also!!

Our friends Megan and Dave joined the party too!

Waylon pulling the pork!

The set up during the party!

Kylie had fun drawing with chalk and started drawing all over herself with it!!  :-)

It was all over her face, too!

Sunday morning, we went to the Sharpes' house to celebrate Mother's Day.  We had a great lunch and as always a fun time with the kids!

Mom and "kids"  :-)

Andrea and Savannah

Happiness!!!

Nana and her grandkids!

Monday morning, we woke up to a nice surprise.  A text from Megan and Jason letting us know that Baby Peyton was born the night before!  After work and school that afternoon, we ALL went to visit them at the hospital.  The kids were beside themselves to meet Peyton and he was such a doll baby!!

 

Sweet Peyton

Noah didn't want me to take his picture but when he got to hold Peyton, he was all smiles!!

Kylie got to 'hold' him also (I helped a bit)  :-)  She was obviously thrilled, too.

Mom and new baby Peyton!

So sweet

With Daddy, too!  (Ryan was with his grandparents at the time)

Saying goodbye (and asking lots of questions!)

 Last week, we got Noah's graduation pictures back.... I mean, I really have no words for this....

When we were on our way to Kindergarten Orientation, we saw this bird.  It was standing over 4 eggs and chirping loudly at us!  When we walked away, it stopped.  And it was still there when we came out and hour and a half later! 

This shot is out of order but really cute - this is from the previous week

Noah's last day of soccer was last week.  He has said he wants to try something different next.  Don't think soccer was exactly his cup of tea.  We'll look for something else - he says he wants to try basketball!

Last team cheer!

Friday, I finally got to stay home with the kids for the first time in a while!  We went to the mall and the plan was to come home to rest a bit and wait for Grammy and Papa to arrive but they were ahead of schedule and met us at the mall for lunch instead!  We ended up on a huge shopping spree and they got the kids a bunch of adorable clothes and shoes!!  So fun and what a treat!

Cuties in the play area at the mall!

 Here they are modeling some of their new clothes and shoes.  Noah was VERY excited about his new light up shoes!  :-)  (Yes, I finally caved - I'm surprised I was able to hold him off this long on light up shoes).

How adorable is this?  And check out the shoes...

That weekend was a treat for everyone, I think!  Grammy and Papa took the kids for the weekend and Waylon and I got about 30 hours away on our own!  :-) 

Around 10am, they took the kids to a festival in Raleigh and Waylon and I left the house around lunchtime.  We went to Durham and had a nice lunch, checked into a hotel and went to a nice dinner and went to see Wicked (a Christmas present from my parents!).  Then we stayed over night at the hotel, slept in Sunday morning and had a leisurely breakfast and then a little shopping before getting home on Sunday around 3!  So fun.

Here are pictures from my parents of the weekend....

Kylie riding the carousel with Papa

More rides  :-)

Kylie got brave and fed the goats!

So sweet

Digging in the corn

Milking a cow

Papa reading to the kids that night

A self portrait before we left for dinner

 On Sunday, Grammy and Papa took the kids to the zoo and they had a blast!!!

They now have a dinosaur walk there!  Noah loved it.  Apparently, Kylie wasn't all that sure about it.  :-)

Noah took this shot.  :-)

Uncovering fossils!

We were so excited to see the kids when we got home and I had to get silly with the kids as usual  :-)

Noah loves to do this 'yoga' pose.  Aunt Leah would be proud!  :-)

Kylie had to join in, too

Sunday night, we went to dinner at Japanese steak house where they cook on the table.   We've been promising Noah we'd go and we finally did.  He loved it!  Kylie wasn't sure during some parts but she has been talking about it since so it definitely made an impression.  Today, she said to me, 'The cooker guy cooked the table last night!'  HAHA. 

After dinner, we took Papa to the airport and he flew home while Grammy stayed an extra few days with us to do something special with each of them before she left.  Yesterday, she had a Noah/Grammy day and they went to the NC Museum of Natural Sciences.  They have a new wing and Noah really enjoyed it!  Today, she had a Kylie/Grammy day and they went to the park, then met me for lunch (and Kylie got a little haircut) and then they went to a bookstore for a long time!

Tonight, we went to the pool for the first time of the season.  It was a VERY quick trip because it started thundering not long after we got there but it was just enough to get out some wiggles.  They were SO excited about it and it's going to be so fun to spend lots of time there this summer - especially since we know all the neighbors so much better this year, too!

First time in the pool!  :-)

And the last picture - tonight before dinner.  It looks like a sweet picture but Noah wasn't really thrilled with her laying on him!  :-)  HAHA.

This weekend will be another big one.  I'm off to MD on my own for Julie's shower and bachelorette party and also Leah's bachelorette party!  It's going to be a weekend of parties for me - while Waylon is back here with the kiddos!  :-)  Hopefully, he'll make some fun plans and keep busy!

April/May

As usual, things around here have been busy busy busy!  Today is actually Mother's Day and we've had a wonderful, fun and relaxing day.  I told the kids this morning, being a mother is the most wonderful thing I've ever done!  :-)  It's the best.  I don't have pictures on here from today and yesterday because I started doing this update on Friday....

I'll narrate our past month through pictures, as always...

Kylie and Noah before school one day - Noah was reading to her!

I got a shape up on my hair!  :-)

Friday, April 20th, Nana, Grandaddy and Savannah came over to play for a bit and we went out to eat dinner.  Andrea and Sean were out of town so we had a  nice dinner out.  Got a cute shot of the cousins afterwards.  When we got back, I snuck out for a neighborhood Bunco group while Nana, Grandaddy and Waylon gave the three of them a bath and got them ready for bed together.  What a nice treat.

That Saturday, we went downtown to an outdoor concert/party - a very long day.  We met up with a big group of people there so it was so much fun!  Around 2:00, the skies opened up and it poured on us!  We were just about to give up and head home when, just as fast as the rain came in, it went away!  We were all soaked but we dried out and kept going!  :-)  It rained one more time later on also but not bad that time.  After the concert, we went out to dinner too!  Long day with no naps for anyone.  Both kids were exhausted when we got home (late) and obviously had no trouble going to bed!

Noah's friend Addy was there (as in Addy's Army).  Ever since he met her, he's been very excited whenever he sees her.  :-)  I think he's a little smitten - and he's not even 5 yet!!!

Noah and Addy

Jennie, Cory, Waylon (holding Sam although you can't see), and CW bunched under one umbrella!  :-)

Kylie - post rain - she's the only one who was able to be dry (we had a change of clothes for her in case of an accident)

Speaking of which, we have officially been potty trained for about a month.  She got interested early but I don't think she was really ready cause it took a LOOOONG time for her to really get it.  But we are definitely there now.  It's so nice!!

Noah post rain - ran around without his shirt - maybe he'll be a plumber one day!?  :-)

Some other friends showed up after the big rain - Noah had fun playing games on our phones with Jacob and Ben - even though they weren't wet from the rain, they wanted to take their shirts off, too!  :-)  And there's Ryan on the left, too....

Some of the guys - Waylon, CW, Dave, Cory, and Conrad

Jennie and Megan with Sam

Sunday was a lazy day and I even laid down with Kylie for a nap that afternoon.

Noah had some theme days at school that week - he had a fun time with that.  :-)

Dress like Dad day

Crazy hair day  :-)

That following Friday, we all loaded up and took off to the lake for the weekend.  It wasn't a super nice weekend but we were able to go out on the boat one day.  It was fun just to get away and spend time with Grammy and Papa!

The best we could get for a family shot on the boat!  :-)

Playing on the beach Friday afternoon.

Noah was fishing with Papa when all of the sudden he felt a tug!  He was having a hard time pulling it in and we were kind of just assuming he was having a hard time but when I grabbed the reel to help, I realized it was a really big fish!

Papa teaching Noah how to reel it in!

Look at that catfish!!

Letting him go back to his family!

Friday night, my parents kept the kids and Waylon and I went out to dinner at the marina alone.  Those date nights seem to be farther and fewer between these days so it was really nice to have that time.

Saturday morning, we went into Roanoke Rapids and found a Canal Museum to go to.  The kids really enjoyed it - especially this miniature canal that they could make work.  Noah just loves to soak in information!

Saturday evening, we taught my parents and the kids how to play *water* pong.  :-)  Usually it's played with beer but obviously we didn't play that way.  :-)  It was a lot of fun!!

Papa's winning shot!

Grammy and Noah with the Red Solo Cups  - Let's Have a Party!!!  :-)

While we were at lunch one day that weekend, Grammy pulled out some money and Noah asked for some, so she gave him a dollar.  Then he said, 'Awww, I want a bigger number!'  :-)  So she took it back and gave him a 5!!  HA.  Wish that worked for me!  :-)  She gave Kylie one also and when we got back on Sunday, we went to Target and they both picked out a toy.  :-)  Noah got an airplane and Kylie chose a big purple ball.

We had a Derby party to go to later that week so I went and got Kylie a hat to wear that week.  She was excited about it when I showed her after daycare one day.  :-)

Tuesday that week, we went over to Eric, Carolyn and Abby's house (two doors down) to have dinner together and test out a bounce house for their Derby party that weekend.  The bounce house didn't work out so well so it was good that we did a test run!  :-)

Noah's friend Caden came over also who lives 3 houses down - Noah loves him!!

We went out to dinner another night that week and went to get ice cream afterwards.  Got a cute shot of Kylie there.  :-)

That Saturday was the big Derby party.  While Carolyn and Eric were getting ready for the party, we took Abby to Pullen Park.  We all had a great time there together!

Train ride - Noah had to put his arm around Abby when I took the picture.  :-)

Self portrait

Boat ride!

Carousel

When we got home, Abby went right to sleep in our guest room and of course Noah and Kylie wanted nothing to do with nap!!  :-)

Around 3:30, we took off back to Abby's house for the party.  We had a great time and got to do horse races.  Carolyn had made (yes, made!) these great stick horses and they had different age ranges for the races.  We even had a men-over-30 race that Waylon participated in.  :-)

Abby and Kylie waiting for their race

It was starting to drizzle and it thundered and Kylie got a little scared so I had to talk her back into doing the race.  :-)

Noah lined up to race with Ben and Cole

And they are off!

And here go the 'clydesdales'  :-)

Waylon got body-checked off the course!  :-)

Sunday morning was a lazy day.  We played some Mario Cart and I couldn't resist taking this shot of Noah.  I've always loved that freckle on his back.  Since he was born, he had that one and another one on his leg.  I wonder how long he'll let me kiss it every time I see it!?  :-)

Kylie took this picture of me and Noah!  :-)  (with my new glasses)

That afternoon, we went to Nana and Grandaddy's house to cook out.  We played out in the driveway for a long time - riding bikes, blowing bubbles.  Kylie was so silly that day - in a great mood - so that was fun!

I made this for dessert.  YUM!

Kylie had so much fun trying to get Uncle Sean with bubbles!

Such happiness!

Love this shot of Andrea and Sean  :-)

My boy

Racing remote control cars

Even more bubble fun!!

We were playing with these flying disc things and they kept getting stuck in the trees!  :-)

Silly Uncle Sean

Last picture is from swim lessons this past week.  They have been taking lessons now for about a month and a half and doing so well!  We are going to be all ready for the pool - which opens this coming week!  Yay!

Hopefully I'll do another update soon with pictures from this past weekend.  Lots of fun as always! Next weekend, Waylon and I will get another night away - we are going to see Wicked at DPAC (one of our Christmas present from my parents)!  I'm so excited!