4th of July morning

We started off the day early when we headed to the 7am church breakfast. It started with a bike parade for the kids and Kate was excited to ride the bike we decorated last night. Sawyer's started out with some balloons too but they didn't last long!




After the breakfast we headed to the Bellaire parade. It was Kate's first time and I think she didn't really see anything except for the flying candy. I thought it was really fun and it reminded me of my childhood Independence days chasing after parade candy.

Sawyer loved chasing the candy too and he actually started waving at the people. I think he learned that being cute gets more candy thrown your way!

Then we walked across the street to a little carnival they were having. We just went to check it out but then our friend gave us a few tickets to visit the animals in the petting zoo. Sawyer was so much more brave than Kate was at his age! But Kate surprised us with being a big, brave 3 year old. Ryan said the first thing she said when they walked in was, "I want to touch it!" Sawyer walked around the little pen like he owned the place.



Ryan enjoyed a sausage on a stick
and then as we were leaving, a stranger gave us the rest of their tickets and we were able to ride this little ride. Kate thought it was fun...I think! You can never be too sure with her stoic face!Happy 4th of July!

Memorial Day 2009

Today began like most other days but then ended up really fun! Memorial day may have been a day off of school for our daddy, but we still had to wait anxiously until 3:00 for him to come home from studying at school and play with us. It was nice to play at the pool with him. I have been taking the kids almost every day since we've been home from vacationing, but they like swimming with their daddy a whole lot more. I guess he's just more fun than I am!

Here they are hanging out by the fountain
Kate modeling her fashionable floaties
and Sawyer just looking like a stud. I can't get over his cute little toddle and I find myself looking down several times a day and I have to attack him with kisses because he is just too cute!
After our swimming fun we had a yummy BBQ with our friends. I just love BBQ food so much! Here are the girls enjoying their ice cream cone and cookie desserts.
They call Memorial day the unofficial beginning of summer, but I think its safe to say that summer is already here in Houston. We look forward to swimming and splash parks and trips to the ocean!

Happy Mother's Day!

Time for some late blogging catch up....

I had a fun Mother's Day! It was great to be in Tucson with my mom, who is the best mom in the whole world. I love you Mom!

Kate came home from nursery with this cute little box. The lesson was about sharing and her cute teacher had made these for the children.


Inside was this yummy surprise for us to shareI love being a mom so much! I am loving my kids at these ages. Kate is so fun and yet is getting so big! I can't believe all the things she says and does and knows! Sawyer is equally as fun, teaching me what it means to have a boy. Luckily he is a sweet and irresistible terror.
I am the luckiest mom in the world!

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Our day started with Daddy making green pancakes (and Mommy overexposing the pictures! oops!) and Mommy made Kate a shamrock that she proudly wore all day long. She loved reminding me it was St Patrick's Day...even though that was about as exciting as our day got!
I did tell her the Spinach Dill Pie we had for dinner was in honor of St Patrick's Day...but really it was just a coincidence! What a lame-o mommy I am!

But she was still excited!

Valentine's Day 2009 recap

Here are a few of the highlights of Valentine's Day this year:

pink milk

pink milk mustache

pink heart shaped pancakes

yummy

Valentine from Mommy and Daddy

happy pancake makers

heart hair-do

Valentine's socks from Grammie

Valentine's happiness

After our breakfast fun, Daddy went to school and studied and while we spent the afternoon cleaning up the house. Then Daddy and Mommy were able to have their first date since leaving Tucson, thanks to the Young Women of the ward doing a little fundraising. All day long I pumped Kate up to go to a "valentine's party" at the church with her friends while Mommy and Daddy had a date. She got really into it and I thought she would go no problem...there was a little crying in the beginning, but with the promise of a treat we were able to leave and have a nice date while she did a craft and watched movies and did all sorts of fun things. When we came back to pick them up at about 7:15, we were tempted to leave them the full evening (until 9) because they were doing so well! (We probably should have...darn!)

Hope everyone had a great Valentine's day too!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Party!

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Today for playgroup we had a Valentine's party with so many oh so yummy goodies. Now that we are home, I'm patting myself on the back for eating only 3 conversation hearts...and Kate is laying on my bed with a tummy ache! It was sure fun! I think Kate would have really enjoyed passing out her flower valentines to all her friends....if she wasn't so busy scarfing down the valentines being given to her!

happy cow appreciation day!!

today, as I was walking out of the YMCA, I saw a sign that said it was cow appreciation day and you can get a free meal if you go into a chickfila dressed as a cow! I remembered ami and joel doing this and it sounded like a fun project for the day. I called ryan during his lunch break and asked him if he was in and, when he said yes, we went to town on our costumes. kate was so excited about hers that she was wearing it all day and would go and look at herself in the mirror constantly.

my favorite part was their tails

I love how in this picture you can kinda see her shaking her bum. that was one of the things she loved watching herself do in the mirror.

here they are enjoying the plunder. the only thing that tastes better than chickfila is FREE chickfila!!

after we were done eating kate went in to the play area to check it out with daddy. thats about as far as she got

it was such a fun night out! for all those cows out there, thanks! we appreciate you and your special day when we can "eat mor chikin" for free!

America the beautiful

I thought I would enlarge a picture of my 4th of july cuties now that I know how (thanks hilary!)

we started off the morning by getting up early for a fun run and then breakfast at the church. we were all tired when we got home and kate took a 3 hour nap! when I finally decided to go in and wake her up, she was so sound asleep she didn't move! so I went and got my camera (because she was too beautiful) and I took quite a few pictures before she finally woke up! that good nap was sure a life saver for the rest of the day!

we were invited to go to a BBQ with some people in the ward. it was so fun and the people were so great. 2 of the couples actually live in the complex that we can see out our balcony window! we started off by swimming. kate loved it (of course). she didn't really interact with any of the kids but she liked to watch them and talk about them.
then we went over to their townhome and had a yummy BBQ and just sat and talked while the kids played. kate joined in when ryan was with her, but otherwise she impressed the adults with her mellow and calm and patient manner. sheesh!

then we walked back home and got ready for the fireworks. we had been told there were fireworks and symphony performance at herman park which isn't too far from our house but we had no idea where to park and it was really crowded when we tried so we went a little far from it to a grassy spot where we saw others sitting. then in the very far distance, and blocked by some trees, we saw some fireworks. we were diappointed and we saw some people leaving, but the people behind us said it wasn't the herman park ones, so we decided to stay. then soon after to the left we saw some more a little closer but still blocked. the people behind us again told us those were the downtown ones, not the ones we were waiting for so we decided to wait some more. we had fun waiting though. here we are waiting:

we were right by the medical center (which is huge) so we saw quite a few ambulances and helicopters in the sky so that was fun. kate got a little crazy, but was in a good mood the whole time!

by 10:00 it was only us and the people telling us to wait....and then "BOOM!!" there they were! we were glad we waited! kate loved them and they were well worth the wait! we got home at 11 and were EXHAUSTED but it was a great houston 4th of july!!