It has been nice to be outside playing and enjoying the games and to have some time as a family.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Soccer Games
This summer Madison and Ryan played soccer, so we've spent many evenings watching games, eating dinner at the soccer fields, and playing on the playgrounds. Declan, Payden, and Taylor quickly get bored with the game and start playing around nearby. Inevitably, they find a playground and BEG to go play on it. Some of the playgrounds are near the soccer games while others are so far away that I have to go with them.
It has been nice to be outside playing and enjoying the games and to have some time as a family.
It has been nice to be outside playing and enjoying the games and to have some time as a family.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Farm Country
We decided to go to Thanksgiving Point's Farm Country while the family was here. Since we are up at the break of dawn and have to be back for naps, we headed out early before everyone else.
You start off in a building filled with exhibits. Payden decided that the floor was scary (she randomly decides things are scary and then absolutely FREAKS OUT about them) and refused to walk anywhere without either being held or having her hand on the stroller. We headed over to this cow, and you can see on her face that there was no way she was going to let go of the stroller to walk so FAR AWAY in order to join her sisters.
Her fear of the floor definitely won out over her desire to be with her sisters. Crazy girl! This is the same thing that she did when we took her bowling.
This touchscreen interactive computer did entice her to leave our side.
Since we like museums, we enjoyed these exhibits and learning about farming and whatnot.
I can't remember, but I'm pretty sure she had to walk on the floor without touching someone or the stroller, which resulted in these tears. Oh, funny, funny, funny!
We finally finished inside and headed out. There were lots of pens filled with animals, mostly goats.
We found this adorable baby goat. He was SOOOO little!!!
You can buy feed to feed the animals, and this big guy was definitely expecting some food from us.
It's fun seeing the different variety of chickens, especially because I grew up thinking they looked a certain way and were all similar.
We finally found the feed to buy. The girls LOVE animals, so they were super excited to be able to feed them.
This guy just looked awesome.
We quickly finished our feed and continued looking around.
Tom just had to get a picture of the girls with a cow holding a lawn mower.
Of course Declan couldn't be left out . . .
After seeing plenty of goats, llamas, and birds, we finally made it over to the horses. I LOVE the sign on the fence.
By the time I finally got Payden brave enough to go touch this white horse, it walked away.
As we walked around there was even this pond with this turtle in it. A bit random, but hey we like animals, so it's all good.
The last of the animals we got to see were the pigs. I love these shots of the girls. Such cuties!
Next we came around to this little play town area. The girls had fun going in and out of all the buildings.
We tried to get them to take a good shot in the jail, but only Shelby fully cooperated.
Taylor of course was being a tease, but we finally got her inside.
As part of your admissions, you get the choice to either go on a wagon ride or ride on a horse. That was a no-brainer for the girls. They were ecstatic to be able to ride on a horse. I was a bit worried about Payden, but I put her up there and she did awesome.
Taylor kept leaning over to pat the horse, which made me worry she'd fall off.
In the end, no one fell off and they were so excited about their ride. They named the horses and everything (of course I've forgotten the names) and kept on trying to figure out whose horse was biggest.
Unfortunately by this time we were ready to go home and the rest of the family hadn't shown up yet, so they ended up going bowling instead. It was a fun morning and at $3.50 a person it was worth the fun we had, especially the horse ride. We'll definitely have to go back again sometime.
You start off in a building filled with exhibits. Payden decided that the floor was scary (she randomly decides things are scary and then absolutely FREAKS OUT about them) and refused to walk anywhere without either being held or having her hand on the stroller. We headed over to this cow, and you can see on her face that there was no way she was going to let go of the stroller to walk so FAR AWAY in order to join her sisters.
Her fear of the floor definitely won out over her desire to be with her sisters. Crazy girl! This is the same thing that she did when we took her bowling.
This touchscreen interactive computer did entice her to leave our side.
Since we like museums, we enjoyed these exhibits and learning about farming and whatnot.
I can't remember, but I'm pretty sure she had to walk on the floor without touching someone or the stroller, which resulted in these tears. Oh, funny, funny, funny!
We finally finished inside and headed out. There were lots of pens filled with animals, mostly goats.
We found this adorable baby goat. He was SOOOO little!!!
You can buy feed to feed the animals, and this big guy was definitely expecting some food from us.
It's fun seeing the different variety of chickens, especially because I grew up thinking they looked a certain way and were all similar.
We finally found the feed to buy. The girls LOVE animals, so they were super excited to be able to feed them.
This guy just looked awesome.
We quickly finished our feed and continued looking around.
Tom just had to get a picture of the girls with a cow holding a lawn mower.
Of course Declan couldn't be left out . . .
After seeing plenty of goats, llamas, and birds, we finally made it over to the horses. I LOVE the sign on the fence.
By the time I finally got Payden brave enough to go touch this white horse, it walked away.
As we walked around there was even this pond with this turtle in it. A bit random, but hey we like animals, so it's all good.
The last of the animals we got to see were the pigs. I love these shots of the girls. Such cuties!
Next we came around to this little play town area. The girls had fun going in and out of all the buildings.
We tried to get them to take a good shot in the jail, but only Shelby fully cooperated.
Taylor of course was being a tease, but we finally got her inside.
As part of your admissions, you get the choice to either go on a wagon ride or ride on a horse. That was a no-brainer for the girls. They were ecstatic to be able to ride on a horse. I was a bit worried about Payden, but I put her up there and she did awesome.
Taylor kept leaning over to pat the horse, which made me worry she'd fall off.
In the end, no one fell off and they were so excited about their ride. They named the horses and everything (of course I've forgotten the names) and kept on trying to figure out whose horse was biggest.
Unfortunately by this time we were ready to go home and the rest of the family hadn't shown up yet, so they ended up going bowling instead. It was a fun morning and at $3.50 a person it was worth the fun we had, especially the horse ride. We'll definitely have to go back again sometime.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Turning 1!!!!!
Well this day started out a little differently. Declan, my happy, easy-going baby, was super super clingy. He'd had a runny nose for awhile, so with his extra clinginess and the difficulty he had falling asleep, I suspected his cold had turned into something more. So instead of getting ready for his birthday, Tom and Declan headed off to Insta-care to get checked out. A few hours later, he came home with a double ear infection and some antibiotics. With a round of antibiotics and a dose of pain meds in him, we were finally ready to start the birthday celebrations.
He definitely has been in a lot of pictures and figured out what to do, so he instantly put on a nice cheesy smile when he saw the camera.
There were a lot of sisters eager to help out and to see what he got.
He got some clothes from Nana and Papa, some clothes from Cynthia and Jeremy, some books and a bath toy from Mom and Dad . . .
and this train from Andrea.
He has loved every toy he got and the clothes were definitely needed as he is our only boy and doesn't have any hand-me-downs and as he doesn't have any winter clothes. He had 1 long-sleeved shirt when we moved here and now has 2 thanks to Cyn and Jeremy.
Anyways, Tom's sisters were really sweet to make sugar cookies for his birthday while we had been busy with his double ear infection this morning.
Payden definitely couldn't resist the yummy looking cookies. If you look closely, there are a few with the letter P written in the icing . . . warning everyone that someone's grubby little hands had been stealing icing from them.
Finally after the presents, it was time to sing happy birthday.
He wasn't too sure about the whole fire and candle thing.
He is definitely one to be a little cautious about stuff, so of course he had to stare and check it out.
He then bent it, but was still unsure.
I decided to help him out by giving him a little taste.
Then he got the whole idea and dove in. Since we were all standing around watching him and taking pictures, he soon started goofing off for us.
It's hard to believe my baby is 1. It's been a year filled with so many things, and he has brought us a lot of smiles and happiness through it all. At this point, he's not walking or saying much, but we hope that will come soon. I guess for now we'll keep enjoying him as the baby!!
Happy Birthday Buddy!!! We love you!!
He definitely has been in a lot of pictures and figured out what to do, so he instantly put on a nice cheesy smile when he saw the camera.
There were a lot of sisters eager to help out and to see what he got.
He got some clothes from Nana and Papa, some clothes from Cynthia and Jeremy, some books and a bath toy from Mom and Dad . . .
and this train from Andrea.
He has loved every toy he got and the clothes were definitely needed as he is our only boy and doesn't have any hand-me-downs and as he doesn't have any winter clothes. He had 1 long-sleeved shirt when we moved here and now has 2 thanks to Cyn and Jeremy.
Anyways, Tom's sisters were really sweet to make sugar cookies for his birthday while we had been busy with his double ear infection this morning.
Payden definitely couldn't resist the yummy looking cookies. If you look closely, there are a few with the letter P written in the icing . . . warning everyone that someone's grubby little hands had been stealing icing from them.
Finally after the presents, it was time to sing happy birthday.
He wasn't too sure about the whole fire and candle thing.
He is definitely one to be a little cautious about stuff, so of course he had to stare and check it out.
He then bent it, but was still unsure.
I decided to help him out by giving him a little taste.
Then he got the whole idea and dove in. Since we were all standing around watching him and taking pictures, he soon started goofing off for us.
It's hard to believe my baby is 1. It's been a year filled with so many things, and he has brought us a lot of smiles and happiness through it all. At this point, he's not walking or saying much, but we hope that will come soon. I guess for now we'll keep enjoying him as the baby!!
Happy Birthday Buddy!!! We love you!!
