Special mid-week visit

We had special visitors last night! Our friends Jon & Holly made a pit stop at our house as they worked their way back up the East Coast home from vacation. It was SO much fun to have them here. Eli & Jack are just a year apart and LOVED playing together. They were the big boys and were two peas in a pod. Cole & Casey are just a few months apart and had fun together as well. Everyone had fun riding bikes before dinner and then we had a nice cookout. We had planned a bike ride to the lake but Mother Nature had another plan - a summer evening thunderstorm. Instead we hung out at the house and all the kids played together. We had a great dress-up dance party. It was total chaos but it was wonderful chaos! Such a joy to have our friends here and our boys being friends with their kids. 

This morning, we made up for our bike ride. ALL of us rode down to the lake to feed the ducks. The big boys and I went completely around the lake (Cole was on the trail-a-bike with me) and we met everyone else back at the ducks. We fed them for a while and then headed back home. Once we got home, we had a MARVELOUS family breakfast. Oh, my heart was so happy. All eight of us were at our dining room table for pancakes, eggs and fruit. I had to then head out to work but Tim & the boys got to spend a little more time with them before they left. 

Such a wonderful treat in the middle of the week. We're looking forward to (hopefully) getting together for a family camping adventure next summer. It's so great that the kids are old enough to remember each other (they HAVE been together when they were much younger) and that they have common interest. And as Holly said, it was our dream come true - for our families to spend time together, enjoy being together and BIKE together! Love it and we love their family!!

Jack and Eli - silly boys

Cole and Casey during our dress up dance party

Jack and Casey - have you ever seen anyone rock a safety vest and snake around her neck like Casey?

Holly and her sweet little Casey

Post-storm lightning bug hunt

It was serious business - they caught a lot of them and were not happy when we made them let them go.

Eli and Jack had their own sleepover - they did so great and slept all night!

Headed to the lake - Holly and the big boys

Feeding the ducks

Jon and Tim - the Daddies hanging out

Silly kiddos caught on camera!

Both families - fun times, the start of many memories!

Sugar cookie time!

I had a little helper today in the kitchen. Cole wanted to help me make the sugar cookies for his birthday party (coming up THIS weekend!!). Of course, just like his Momma, Cole loves the cookie dough. =) 

The best part of making cookies

Helping cut out police shields

Cole made "snake" cookies out of some leftover dough. 

a Very Hungry Caterpillar baby shower

Today was such a fun day co-hosting a baby shower for my sister-in-law Niki. She and my brother Billy are expecting a baby boy (Connor!!) in August. I have never hosted a baby shower before so it was super fun. My Mom and my other sister-in-law Erin joined forces to create a great Very Hungry Caterpillar baby shower. The invitation is shown above - obvious details obscured. Love love love it. Thankfully Niki loved it too. (and thank you Etsy!)

The shower was such a fun celebration of Baby and Mommy-to-be. We had fun seeing family and friends that we haven't seen in ages. And of course, that combined with presents and food made it a wonderful time! We're very excited to welcome Connor into our crazy family - he will be my Mom's 5th grandson!! We've got our own little basketball team. =) I'm looking forward to all the future family cookouts and gatherings with all the littles running around. Of course, now Eli & Cole look like monsters compared to the babies! They will help teach them lots of good (and I'm sure bad) things. 

Congrats Billy & Niki - we can't wait to meet Connor! Sleep while you can.......=)

Could not resist!!

These bushes smell like heaven and transport me back to being a 5 year old little girl. 

They are marvelously fragrant camelia bushes at my Grandmother's house. They have been there since I was a little girl and today, as soon as I got out of my truck, their fragrance rushed to me. Love it. Love the memories. 

My little home town is not so little any more!!

M&M caterpillars to take home

Hard copy of 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' for friends and family to sign for Baby Connor.

Table centerpiece - thanks to Tim for helping me get these finished at the last minute.

Very Hungry Caterpillar cupcake "cake"

"On Saturday he ate one cupcake"

Mom, Erin, Kaleb and Keegan

The food table had a variety of foods from the book. I loved it!

My Grandma C (K's great grandma)

Mommy-to-be Niki

Baby showers are so much fun!!

This onesie cracked me up

Such cute clothes

Silly boys - they took naps in shifts, like one has to watch out for the other. 

Burp cloths I made for them, along with some camo "month" sticker ties for pictures.

Oh the cuteness! (him not me!)

Big box from me, Mom and Erin - I loved the quilled caterpillar card Erin made. I just love her - she's crafty and party oriented just like me!!

Guess I can't call him my "little" brother any more - Billy and Niki - parents to be!!

Mom and Erin on the swings with the boys

Happy boy!

My Grandma C

Me, Niki, Erin

Mom, Me, Niki, Erin

8 years!

I did, I do and I always will!

Happy 8th Anniversary to my fabulous husband, best friend and super Daddy! 

I can't imagine living life with anyone but you. 

I love you!

Spring Fling 2013!

I totally forgot to post pictures of Cole's school Spring Fling. It was supposed to be Friday night the 7th but it was cancelled due to storms. We seem to have moved (without really moving) into the rainforest. It has rained so much here....like every single day!

Anyway, Spring Fling 2013 was moved to last Monday (the 10th) instead. Eli wanted to stay with Daddy - I think they either went bike riding or to the store, can't remember - so Cole & I got to go together. It's not too often I get one-on-one time with either of the boys. Cole had fun seeing his friends (you know, it HAD been a whole hour since they had seen each other!) and playing games. His favorite thing of all was the dunk tank. I can't say I blame him because it was pretty awesome!

Eli & his buddy Wyatt

Dunk tank - trying to throw balls to dunk Ms. Amy

When he missed, he just ran up and pushed the button! 

Yay Cole!!

Trying again....Ms. Amy stayed wet all night!

Donut eating game. You're not really supposed to use your hands

but obviously Cole doesn't care. He only cared about eating the powdered donut!

My very favorite picture - we were practicing silly faces and taking pictures with my phone. Love my silly Cole-man!!