Festival at the Park

June 8, 2010

A nearby park had a special event for the community, which featured a Dallas Symphony Orchestra concert. The concert was too late to stay for but the kids did enjoy the other activities available.

There was a great petting zoo (with a wide variety of animals: goats, pigs, chickens, turtles, ducks, bunnies,...). Both Ethan and Eliana love animals, so they had a blast!

The highlight perhaps was the bounce house! Neither one of them had jumped in one before and they both loved every second.

Piggy tails

About a month or so ago, I realized Eliana's hair was probably long enough for pig tails. Here is my first attempt fixing her hair in pig tails. Even though it is a bit lopsided, I think she looked adorable!! Her hair was like this for approximately 10 minutes before she ripped out the rubberbands :). It was cute while it lasted!!

Spray ground

A great thing about living in the city is the number of free things available for kids. Dallas has six or seven spray grounds across the city, which are free! A few weeks ago I took Ethan and Eliana. Contrary to their personalities, Ethan started running around screaming and having fun, while Eliana kind of just sat there for a while taking in her surroundings. It did not take her long to start running around with big brother, though. We have not gone back, but need to before Summer is over. It is going by fast!

I absolutely love this one...look at that face! Pure joy!

Summer fun

Ethan and Eliana both love the pool this year! Last year Ethan would not step foot in the pool so we were glad when he got right in this year. Most of the time they just walk up and down the stairs and jump to me and then do it again! I love having a pool right outside our door!!

Here are the kiddos in their swimsuits (notice Ethan has on a CARS swimsuit...yep the obsession continues :)!!)

Oh, how we love the zoo

Ethan & Eliana absolutely love the zoo. We were blessed to receive a zoo membership from Nana and we have definitely put it to good use. The Dallas Zoo is literally miles from our house, so we can go whenever we want. The zoo recently opened a new exhibit which doubled the number of giraffes and elephants. It is amazing and is my favorite, as well as the kids. Here are some pics of our many trips to the zoo in no particular order.

He's Three

March 15, 2010

I can hardly believe my "baby" boy is 3!! That is only 2 years away from 5 and only 2 years away from going to school! The mere thought of it gets me all teary-eyed. Ethan is at a fun age and is learning more and more each day. He can recognize most letters, knows all of his colors, can count to 10, and is beginning to talk more in sentences each day. He imitates Mommy and Daddy and truly is a sponge. He loves his little sister and calls her "Nawner". He is a little mother hen and tells her what she can do and what she can't do. We try not to laugh, but it is quite funny at times. He still has such a gentle spirit and is such a sweet boy! We pray he always stays this way.

At Age 3 Ethan's Favorites:

Movie: CARS

Color: Red

Food: Toss up between brown beans (baked beans) & pancakes

Fruit: Grapes

Activities: Playing at the park, playing with the trains, going to church, coloring

Book(s): any CARS book or Thomas the Train books, Five Little Monkeys jumping on the Bed, Dr. Suess books

Song: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Dislikes: big crowds, getting in the dirt (although he likes to play with dirt), trying new things

I have been blessed to be his mother for the past three years and look forward to seeing what God has planned for my little boy! I have a feeling we are all going to be amazed!

Ethan's 3rd Birthday

The day before his birthday, Daddy took Ethan to get a big boy hair cut! He truly looked like a big boy and so handsome! We celebrated Ethan's 3rd Birthday at Uncle Blake & Aunt Lindsey's house with a small family party. We had a CARS birthday party, since Ethan is all about CARS! For weeks before his birthday all he could talk about was having a "CARS Pancake" (I think he meant cake, but he does love pancakes) and then a few days before the party he wanted "Red Cake". The day before his birthday he just kept saying "Papaw, Red Cake"! (All he wanted was Papaw and Red Cake!) I found a Lightning McQueen cake pan and my friend's mom decorated a the cake for the special day. It looked incredible & Ethan loved his "Red CARS cake"!
Ethan got lots of new CARS stuff and had a blast with his cousins. This may be the last birthday for awhile that all of the cousins will be there, since cousins Abigael & Adaline were drug off to Colorado (Just kidding Jamie)!

Ethan's Red CARS Cake

The Birthday Boy

Ethan eating his cake like a drumstick :)

Perhaps, one of the cutest pics ever!!

Eliana liked the cake too

opening presents

Waiting patiently while Daddy opens one of his presents

Ethan's Day out with Thomas

March 12, 2010

We kicked off Ethan's 3rd Birthday weekend, with a special "Day out with Thomas" event. There were activities set up for the kiddos (a station full of toy train sets, coloring, story time, a big sand pit, etc). Ethan loves going to Barnes N Noble to play with the trains, so he had a blast playing with the train sets. The highlight of the day was going on a 25 min. train ride on a train that looked like Thomas the Train. We tried to take a pic of Ethan with Thomas after the train ride, but they had this roped off area and you had to wait in a long line to get an up close picture. Ethan does not like big crowds and does not always like taking posed pictures so we did the best we could!

Ethan and Eliana both had a fun day. I think Ethan enjoyed the activities more than the train ride itself, but nevertheless he had fun!

Thomas the Tank Engine

Ethan & Mommy (this is the best we could get)

The family on the train
(Eliana wanted to get down and run around)

Ethan on the train

Ethan & Daddy

Ethan intensely playing with the trains

Eliana and Daddy coloring

Ethan looking at the trains

Snow day!!

February 11, 2010

We have had crazy weather this year in Texas! It has snowed a number of times and on this particular day it snowed ALL day and we wound up with a foot of snow on the ground. I have a feeling people in Dallas will be talking about the snow of 2010 for a while (that is what we Texans do!) The kids loved the snow, even Ethan ventured out to walk in it, although he really did not want to touch the snow! Generally, the snow melts in a day but since it snowed so much and the temps stayed cold this snow lasted a few days! I forgot where I was for a little while ;-)!

Here are some overdue pics..sorry Nana!

(Eliana loving the snow)

(Ethan all smiles)

(our courtyard)

(the snow came down really heavy for a long time..it was beautiful)

Would I do the same?

A touching story..thought I would share. Makes me wonder if I would do the same?!?

http://www.missionyear.org/blog/leroybarber/lifestyle-of-offering

Cheering on our Dallas Cowboys

January 9, 2009

We had a Cowboys Party at our neighbor Joe's place to watch the Cowboys take on the Philadelphia Eagles. I dressed Ethan and Eliana in their Cowboy gear and we gleefully watched the Cowboys march to victory. Let me tell you that Joe is a diehard Cowboy's fan and there was definitely much screaming and jumping and excitement. Alas, the excitement of the win did not last long due to the fact the Boys lost their very next game! There's always next year...right?!?

The gift of friendship

December 29, 2009

While in Colorado, we got to spend a couple of days with Desha and her family. I have been blessed with some amazing friends over the years and Desha is one of these! Despite geography, I have been able to see Desha at least once a year (sometimes more) since graduating from college.

We enjoyed our time together and our kids had a blast playing together. We were looking for something inexpensive (preferably free ;-)!!) for the us to take the kids to so we all would not go crazy! After much searching, we ended up deciding on a tour of a candy factory. I think the kids had fun...I mean how can you not enjoy getting free candy while you are waiting and then again after the tour is over!

Mainly, we talked lots, ate lots, and laughed lots. It went by way too fast but in the wise words of Dr. Seuss "Don't cry because it is over, smile because it happened!"

Desha & I

Okay not the best pic of me but check out my prissy girl ;-)

Desha w/Eliana, Zoe, and Simon

Hammonds Factory (YUMMY!)

Zoe, Simon, and Ethan watching them make candy
Ethan enjoying some candy

The kids waiting for our group to be called

Thank God for Free Candy!!