the THOMAS family days

Sam’s 1st Birthday Party-Gingerbread Houses!

2012-01-30T23:45:00.000-05:00

This was probably one of my favorite parts of the party. I just love a gingerbread (or graham cracker!) house, and seeing all the hard work going into decorating them-everyone did a great job! Here’s what they had to work with- And the decorators in action! This one decorated a little, and tasted A LOT! Ha! Love me some Emma!!They were hard working decorators, and they turned out some pretty fancy gingerbread houses! SO fun!

Sam’s 1st Birthday Party-Our Guests

2012-01-30T22:58:00.001-05:00

This sweet one was excited to share his birthday with so many we love. We’re so blessed by our families and sweet friends and are so thankful that they celebrated this boy with us-even during the busy Christmas Season!Here are just a few that helped us celebrate. I could pretty much just eat up all these sweet faces! Thank you, everyone, and thank you for the great books! St. Lawrence Place was thrilled! Sam’s so blessed by such a great godfather and godfamily! We love you, Rabbs!

Sam’s 1st Birthday Party

2012-01-28T23:42:00.001-05:00

Run, run, run as fast as you can!

We had a Gingerbread Man birthday party for our ONE-YEAR-OLD boy, and I think he had a great time! (You should see the smash cake pictures!) Landon came and took pictures for us (we love them so much!) and, as always, we’re blown away by how he captured it all! They gave us a ton of great pictures (THANK YOU!), so here’s round one-the details.

The birthday boy took it all in. He was a happy boy and was the perfect host! I didn’t realize how many times I used the word one or 1st until I looked at these-geesh!Jack’s contribution to the party decorations! Our traditional birthday banner-Much more to come of this expert cake smasher!

What a beautiful day!

2012-01-25T23:32:00.000-05:00

The boys and I went for a walk with Clark, Katherine, and Patrick today-it was a beautiful day! We walked around the track at Hand for a bit and then let the big kids run around. Wide open field-perfect!

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Wednesday night means fun at church and a yummy Parish supper. Well, tonight we had Andrella’s spaghetti bake (YUM!), and while Sam had a few bites of mine, I gave him a PB&J so he could feed himself. Wow did he make a mess!! But he ate most of it, and had fun, too! Katherine and Grace-they were MUCH neater! Thanks for all the fun pictures, and the fun afternoon!!, Clark!

The Circus!

2012-01-20T22:40:00.000-05:00

Jack, Anna, and I went to the Circus tonight, and it was so much fun! Anna decided to join us last minute, and we’re so glad she did-It was her first time!! Before we found our seats, we got some Dippin Dots (Anna) and a crazy sword (Jack)-a must at the Circus, right?I got our tickets online today, so I wasn’t exactly sure where they were. We were pleasantly surprised to find we had second row seats with a great view of all the acts! Jack was wide eyed the entire time-except for during the loud act right before intermission. He told me it was too loud and that he wanted to go home. He ducked his head into my shoulder for those two minutes and we stuck it out.Jack wanted some cotton candy, and I thought what better time for his first taste then at the Circus! TWELVE DOLLARS later (what?!?!?!?) he had taken a bite and told me, “Mom, dis is gross. It tastes like hair.” Goodness. Lucky for Anna and me, though, because we disagreed!The favorite acts among our crew were the tigers and the elephants. Jack said he liked when the elephants laid down. I wanted to hop on one and go for a ride! We had so much fun-my little Anna Banana and our t-tiny. SO. MUCH. FUN!We got home (way past Jack’s bedtime) and got ready for bed. The sword was such a hit that he had to take it with him to bed. “Mommy, put my sword in my back for safe keeping.” Any time, buddy! I love our Circus date!

For fun, here’s last years trip. Looks like he’s consistent with his favorites!

From my phone

2012-01-19T23:46:00.000-05:00

Jack’s first dentist appointment

2012-01-18T22:21:00.000-05:00

This child far exceeded my expectations-but it didn’t start out so great. When we got to Dr. Hoffman’s office, I had to fill out new patient paperwork, and Jack wouldn’t get off of my lap. When Mandy called us back, he ducked his head into my shoulder and wouldn’t look up. We got to our room and I hopped into the chair. He wouldn’t even sit on my lap-he just hid behind the chair. Yay, at that point I thought we should just try again another time. But Mandy was prepared! One by one, she pulled out each tool and let Jack play with them. She even let him squirt water across the room! And that’s when he totally relaxed. From then on, it was mouth-wide-open smooth sailing! He let her brush his teeth with toothpaste and the spinning brush, use the water sprayer and suction straw, and even let her floss his teeth-I haven’t even done that! When Dr. Hoffman came in to take a look, he opened wide and let him use the mirror and pointer thing. No cavities and all is well! Dr. Hoffman had some very kind things to say about the new patient that almost made me cry. Needless to say, I’m so proud of our boy! Oh, and now he plays dentist-mask and all.

The Zoo (from my phone)

2012-01-16T00:17:00.000-05:00

We picked a great day to go to the Zoo! I thought it might be crowded because of the holiday, but it wasn’t bad at all. It was a little bit chilly so the animals were all out playing-it was GREAT! I’d never seen so many of them out and about!

Roasting Marshmallows

2012-01-15T23:25:00.000-05:00

An after dinner treat. He loved it! Sam loved snuggling with his daddy! (And then I grabbed my flash! Kind of made a difference. Ha!) This boy thought roasting marshmallows was the coolest thing and wanted another one before he even finished the first. He totally has my sweet tooth.

Bring on the Blue!

2012-01-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

Baby Ethan will be here before we know it, and we cannot wait! I had a great time today co-hosting a little shower for Linds. She’s blessed with some great friends who surely will also be a blessing to this little one. I’m so excited to meet our nephew!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Kendall!

2012-01-07T22:55:00.000-05:00

We had so much fun celebrating with you at your party, sweet girl! Jack really liked singing to you and he loved the yummy sweets your mommy made-way too many of those yummy sweets! We can’t believe you’re TWO!! We love you so much two-year-old-almost-big-sister!

See more of the cuteness here! Great job, sees!

Twelfth day of Christmas (two days after)

2012-01-07T12:58:00.000-05:00

We missed our twelfth day of Christmas picture on Thursday, but today works, too. With a busy weekend ahead, we have a couple extra days before we take down the decorations! These boys are getting too big!

One year pictures

2012-01-06T22:43:00.000-05:00

I took Sam to the Horseshoe on New Year’s Eve for some one-year-old pictures. He’s such a ham, and I love that smiley thing!

2011 in review

2012-01-06T00:26:00.001-05:00

What a wonderful year! I clearly had a hard time narrowing down my favorite memories and could have included so many more. We’re healthy and happy and so thankful for how God blessed us in 2011! So, our year in review-

January… February… March… April… May… June… July…August… September… October… November… December… We’re looking forward to all that 2012 will bring! Happy New Year!

Just some things I don’t want to forget

2012-01-05T23:12:00.000-05:00

Like how he roars right now

and how he gives kisses right now.

And I don’t want to forget Sam’s little “ba-da-ba-da-ba-da” and that Jack loves his daddy like crazy and called me his wife! :)

A can of shaving cream for $1 + the bath=

2012-01-01T23:55:00.000-05:00

45 minutes of fun! You would’ve thought Mark bought him ten of the coolest toys around-it was pure joy! It’s the simple things, I tell ya!

Christmas Card Pictures

2011-12-31T22:47:00.000-05:00

Here are some of my favorites from our Christmas card photo shoot. And let’s pretend they’re all edited the same, mkay?! :)There was a lot of this going on, and maybe a promise of a treat in exchange for some smiles. Sweets get smiles around here right now! The “what’s on mommy’s head?” bit isn’t working on the big boy any more. “Mommy, there’s nutting on your head. Only hair is on your head.” If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands! works well, too! So thankful for these blessings-at Christmastime and always. Your momma loves you, sweet boys!

photos taken 11/30/2011

From my phone

2011-12-31T22:09:00.000-05:00

Last Instagram pictures of 2011. So many fun, everyday {and Christmas!} moments-now to make my Blurb Instagram book!

I love my books!

2011-12-26T23:35:00.000-05:00

Sam on the Train

2011-12-25T23:58:00.000-05:00

Hilarious!

Christmas Day

2011-12-25T23:33:00.000-05:00

After our fun morning, we got ready for a day of celebrating with family. My family came just before lunch and we had a great time! It’s so fun to watch these babies open their gifts and play together! Of course Uncle Adam was there, too, but I don’t have any pictures of him! How did that happen?! And, we didn’t take a family picture of our own either, darn it! I’m thinking we’ll take one on the 12th Day of Christmas, ok babe!? Look at those sweet babies with their sweet grandparents! Kendall-23 months, Jack-34 months, Sam-12 months Baby Ethan will be celebrating with us next Christmas! We ate a yummy lunch and then opened gifts-everyone was so generous! Thank you so much! (Side note: Jack spiked a fever, 102.4, just before lunch which was really weird. He’s been a little cough-y, but really no symptoms of any kind, just a fever. We gave him some Tylenol and he bounced back.) Grandma bought Jack and Kendall each a recorder-they loved, loved them! Thanks SO MUCH grandma-ha! Grinch Michelle and Grinch Ryan took them away after five minutes of them playing their favorite songs! :) We celebrated Jesus birthday in the traditional fashion-a cake and the birthday song of course! We lit all the candles of our child-friendly Advent wreath and barely finished “Happy Birthday” when they were already blown out. I’m glad they were excited about the candles and hope they’re really learning the Reason we’re celebrating! Oh, and I was there, too! See! This is a horrible picture of me, but it’s also the only picture of me! Thanks, dad! As much as I love taking the pictures, I want to be in some, too, so our boys can look back at them and see their momma living their days with them. Before we knew it, it was time for my family to head home. Sam was very sad about that, but I told him the Thomases were coming, so he perked up! :)We opened gifts, and were spoiled again!, and then played and enjoyed some dessert. I was terrible with my camera, but I’ll tell you, we had a great time! As everyone was leaving, Jack’s fever came back, so he and daddy headed upstairs to snuggle and watch Cars while Sam and I played with the train. Um, he loves it!Thank you all so much for celebrating with us! Christmas wouldn’t be the same without our families! Merry Christmas!

Christmas Morning

2011-12-25T15:09:00.000-05:00

This Christmas Morning was even more fun than Mark and I thought it would be. Both boys were delighted with what Santa left for them, so of course these daddy and momma hearts were smiling. We’re responsible for the magic of their Christmases, and by the looks on their faces, I think we pulled it off this year! Great job, babe! (I will never forget Jack thanking me time and time again for the decorations and telling me I did a good job. I think he’s full of the love for this special Season already!! Yay!)

So, on to the morning, which started at 8:00! I forgot to take a picture of him waiting on the steps, darn-next year, but here’s his first look! (Funny note: Jack was pretty sure, like 100% sure, that he was getting his John Deere car for Christmas. Mark told him he was being a good boy and that he often heard Frank working on some wheels and an engine. “What do you think he’s making, buddy?” “My JOHN DEERE CAR!!!” So when he came downstairs and didn’t see it, we think he was a bit disappointed!! He loved his wood tools SO much (he asked for those) and the Gamecock gear and guitar (also on his list), and he was very thankful, but you could tell he had his heart set on the car!) Mark found a note in the tree from Frank and George, such sweet elves!, and Frank told Jack that Santa left one of his presents outside. He was too busy with his tools to hear what Mark was reading, so we let him play with the inside toys first.Santa brought Sam a train-he. loved. it! And we really couldn’t believe that he could do it all by himself! He’d push the button and just smile!!! The child went round and round and round while Jack worked with his tools. It was so funny!! And Santa could’ve stopped there. See, Jack was completely ignoring the wrapped gifts he left! He finally noticed the magic trick, so daddy helped him perfect it and then he opened his Carolina gear! Where was Sam? Oh, he was just ridin’ his train with his hand laying on the seat like a cool cat!Jack kept opening, we got Sam off the train to enjoy some of his other gifts (Haley and Clark, he got his own maracas-inspired by Tots and Tunes!), and then Mark reminded Jack of Frank’s note.Mark couldn’t get it down soon enough! He. was. pumped! And he crashed a lot! He’s getting the hang of it, though! He came in to get his coat and boots, snack on Santa’s leftovers (the unconventional peanut butter cookies, marshmallows, and water), watch Sam explore the train station, and check that baby Jesus made his way to the manger. All that took about two seconds, and he was back outside! And when it got just a bit too chilly, he came in to give Sam’s train a tryand do more work with his wood tools.They both absolutely loved what Santa brought! After much playing, we sat down to a cinnamon roll breakfast-complete with a candle and the birthday song for baby Jesus. After all, that’s why we’re celebrating!! What a perfect start to the Christmas Day!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T09:52:00.000-05:00

With love, The Thomases

The back wasn’t saved on Minted, so I’ll have to take a picture of it when I think about it!

For fun, our 2010 Christmas card!

Our Newest Christmas Eve Tradition

2011-12-24T23:23:00.001-05:00

I love traditions. I love the little, fun ones and the big, important ones. But, you know, there’s something special about Holiday traditions that make me want to soak up every last bit of those sweet times.

Mark had a special Christmas Eve present for our family this year, and with it, we started a new tradition. The boys and I unwrapped a first edition copy of The Night Before Christmas with an inscription that brought tears to my eyes. Mark will be reading this story to our kids each Christmas Eve for years to come!

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Jack has really enjoyed counting down to Jesus’ birthday with our Advent calendar this year. Each day he’d say, “Mom! We got-fer (forgot) to do a number!” So we’d go to the calendar and he’d ask which number we were on, always trying to grab the star from the 24th pocket-just like his daddy does! Well tonight, it was time to hang the star on top! I love this tradition, too, and I hope it helps him (and all his siblings) to understand the waiting and preparation of the Advent Season.

Celebrating on Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T11:40:00.000-05:00

We are so thankful for our friends that are just like family! After church, we headed over to RaRa and Dick’s, just like last year, to celebrate on Christmas Eve. Jack has a big time with Anna every time they see each other-tonight was no exception! I love these two! Sam had a great time crawling around and checking everything out-just smiling away and snuggling with his daddy. The two Sams! It’s so fun seeing these two love on our babies! We exchanged gifts-everyone was so generous! Sam got quite the kick out of his new dino! We had such a great time with these great people! Such a great time, apparently, that I didn’t get any pictures of our gracious hosts! RaRa, how did that happen?! Weavers and Driggers’, we’re so thankful for your friendship and that you’re more like family to us! Our boys love you, and we do, too! Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve!

2011-12-24T09:02:00.000-05:00

Love, The Thomas boys

One Year {on the doctor’s scale}

2011-12-21T15:44:00.000-05:00

Twelve Month Well Check

2011-12-21T15:28:00.000-05:00

Sam had his twelve month well check yesterday, and other than some congestion, he got another clean bill of health! SO thankful! After Dr. Trey checked him out, we waited for the nurse to come in to give Sam his shots. He had no idea what was coming while we waited. And poor thing got FIVE shots! One of them was the flu booster, but still. Poor thing! He wasn’t feeling good by the end of the day yesterday and still wasn’t this morning, so I stayed home with my sweet boy. I had to go into work for a few things, so he helped me and then we headed home-just in time. I could tell the shots got the better of him, poor thing.After a five hour nap, he was back in business and feeling good! It really broke my heart to see him so sad-I’m so thankful for his good health!

Weight: 23 pounds, 4 ounces-60th percentile
Height: 33 inches-off the charts
Head Circumference: 19 inches-90th percentile

A snuggle for Frank and George

2011-12-19T15:07:00.000-05:00

Celebrating at Day School

2011-12-19T12:31:00.000-05:00

Smash cupcakes? Not as big of a mess! Happy Birthday, little one!

Santa Brunch

2011-12-18T01:22:00.000-05:00

We went to a Santa Brunch after church this morning-too cute. Santa himself came and talked to the boys before we sat down to brunch, and Jack did his nervous-shy-tongue-out thing most of the time. When he walked away, Jack reminded us that “Hosanna is my best friend!” After we ate they got to sit on his lap and go over their lists again. Jack was shy at first, but then he reminded Santa that he wanted a John Deere Car! Sam wasn’t sure at first, but his whimpers quickly turned into smiles. Those two-they have been good this year, Santa!I think Sam may have enjoyed meeting the jolly old guy for the first time! Totally not like his big brother!When we got home, we played with party balloons that lost their helium,and I realized I put Sam’s coat on Jack! Ha! He didn’t seem to mind!

The birthday boy

2011-12-17T21:24:00.000-05:00

It was a great day, little monkey! Thanks for my fun hat Aunt Lauren and Uncle Bryan!

Our little cake smasher

2011-12-17T20:59:00.000-05:00

We celebrated this little guy with family and friends today. He did such a great job with his cake-just as Mark and I expected he would!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, sweet one!Many more pictures from the party to come, thanks to Landon! I can’t wait to see them myself!

One year {in calendar pictures}

2011-12-17T19:46:00.000-05:00

My, how you’ve grown, sweet Sam!

Twelve Months Old

2011-12-17T18:05:00.001-05:00

Sweet boy of mine, you’re ONE! Happy, happy birthday, love bug! A year has gone by in no time at all and you have grown so much! During your first year, you have proven to be one laid back, easy going little one. And you smile-boy do you smile! There is pretty much no time that I don’t want to eat you up with a spoon! When I say, “Sammy, I just wanna eat you up!” Jack will say, “No, he’s my brudder!” That boy loves you so much-it’s such a gift to see.You’re a cruiser right now but not a walker. And that’s totally fine! You have the rest of your life to walk-right now I love to see that baby crawl of yours. You’re fast! And you crawl all over the house. You’re so happy being able to chase after your big brother. You eat like a champ (using your EIGHT teeth!) and will sit in your highchair as long as there’s food on your tray. You’re finished with the bottle (really?!) and are doing a great job with the sippy cup and whole milk. You’re still a great sleeper waking at 7:30 and going down at 7:30. You have pretty much given up your morning nap but will take a short one if we let you, and your afternoon nap is usually 3 or more hours long. I think all that sleep has helped make you such a happy boy. Daddy and mommy really appreciate it, too!You have lots of words and when you’re in a talking mood, you’ll repeat what we ask you to say. So far you say dada, momma, Jack, ball, bye- bye, Bible, uh-oh, dat (that), wak (walk)…that’s all I can think of right now! Every once in a while you’ll tell us that a duck says ‘quack’ and a cow says ‘moo’. You love to read books with us, you love to clap your hands, and you’re good at pointing to your (or our) nose(s).If I ask for a kiss, you put your lips together and then make the kissing sound and it’s the cutest thing!! You’ll also give big, slobbery kisses. Those are fun too, but wet!! You aren’t drooling as much right now, but you wouldn’t know it by those kisses! You’re also giving hugs. Like wrapping your arms around my neck and squeezing! What could possible be sweeter?! Sweet Sam, you have been the perfect little blessing for our family over the last year! Jack thinks the world of you and, even though he tries to wrestle you a lot, is fiercely protective of you. It’s my prayer that the two of you (and, prayerfully, your future siblings) will be the best of friends and always stand up for each other. Your daddy and I don’t go a day without marveling at you and your brother. We’ll keep doing our best to show you two how very much we love you! We pray that God will continue to bless all your days with health and joy, little one! We love you more than words can say!

Daddy and Mommy

Happy Birthday, Sam!

2011-12-17T10:50:00.001-05:00

Happy birthday to you!Happy birthday to you!Happy BIRTHDAY dear Sam!Happy birthday to you!Sam, how old are you? One, one, one, one-one, one, one, one-Sammy Lamby’s one, one, one, one!Sam loved his birthday morning song and he loved his brother’s help with his presents! You know what else he loved?Just like with Jack’s first birthday present, I wanted to find something that would be appreciated for generations to come. Sam LOVES the stacking rings, so I knew he’d love these new wooden ones, too. And they both like the frog pull toy!He played with his new toys for a bit, but then Jack came and told him it was time to play golf-and he was off!We have so much to celebrate about you, sweet one! We thank God for you every day! (More birthday posts to come!)

Lights before Christmas

2011-12-16T23:24:00.000-05:00

The boys and I went to the Zoo tonight for the Lights before Christmas and it was so fun! We were there right when it opened (actually 45 minutes early!! oops!), so we didn’t have a huge crowd to walk with which was great!Sam checked it all out from the stroller and seemed to love it, and Jack, man Jack-he amazes me. His favorite part was the fake snow falling. He danced all around as it fell on his smiling-from-ear-to-ear face. And then we danced together. And then we danced with Sam. It brought tears to my eyes watching him enjoy, with all his might, such a simple thing. I love these boys and love soaking in all I can about them! (Video to come-I need to upload it!)

Day School pictures

2011-12-13T23:00:00.000-05:00

Surprise!

2011-12-12T12:49:00.000-05:00

Ahhhhhhh!!!!! My husband, he’s unreal! Here’s how it went-

I was decorating for Sam’s first birthday party Thursday night, and in walk my parents! How fun! Dad had business in Gaffney that week, so mom went with him. He sometimes stops by to say hello on his way home, so I was surprised to see them but it wasn’t out of the ordinary-until Mark told me to pack my bags!! My parents were keeping the boys for the weekend and we were leaving the house at 7am! He wouldn’t tell me where he was taking me until we were in the car in the morning. What?!?! This, from my husband who’s usually bad at keeping secrets, a HUGE surprise! I love surprises! Needless to say, I didn’t go to sleep until very late that night!

We woke up early, got ready, kissed the sleeping boys, packed the car, kissed mom good-bye, and drove off. I had a feeling we were getting on a plane, but I still didn’t know. Mark made a CD to tell me where we were going, so he put it in. The first song, “Luck be a Lady”-we’re going to Vegas!!! SO fun!! We’d been once before and loved it! He let me think that for a minute and then played the second song-“Mexico”. I knew that wasn’t it-we packed coats and sweaters! Next, “Sweet Home Chicago”. I knew it, I knew it! We haven’t been there and it’s on our list! I was so excited! Exploring a new place with my main man-how fun! That song played for a couple minutes, then he said, “You know, I can’t take my number one girl to the number two city.” He played the next song, “New York, NEW YORK!!!” Are you kidding me?!?! Seriously!!?!?? I started crying. I couldn’t believe it! He was taking me to New York-to see the Rockefeller Center Tree and soak up the sights and sounds of the amazing city at Christmastime with my number one-ah! I don’t deserve this man!I could. not. stop smiling, and I really couldn’t believe it! But before we knew it, we had checked our bags at our hotel and were eating lunch at Del Frisco’s looking at The Tree!Since this was a SURPRISE, I hadn’t changed my voice mail at work-I thought I was going to be THERE today! I went to the ladies room to call my assistant to ask her to change it for me, and I took a picture. Who does that except someone who is out-of-her-mind excited to be in New York! Babe, you’re amazing! We ate a yummy lunch, and then went to play in the city!St. Patrick’s Cathedral-and the tree in front of the Madison Avenue entrance of our hotel-is beautiful. Just beautiful! We walked over to Central Park and loved seeing everything, I mean everything!, decorated along the way!We walked back to our hotel to get ready for our date night-dinner at Frankie and Johnnie’s, drinks at a fun bar in the Theatre District, and then to The Al Hirschfeld Theatre to see this amazing show! I’m telling you what, it was GOOD!! If you’re in New York, I highly recommend it!Another fun surprise-we got to go backstage after the show! Our good friends, Allison and Shaun, are good friends with Cam Adams (who was GREAT!) and she was kind enough to host us for a bit. It was so neat to be on the stage of such a successful Broadway show talking with a cast member! (Side note: I kept thinking to myself, “I didn’t know anything about this just last night, and now here I am on Broadway!” What?!?!) She’s also the understudy for Rosemary, the lead actress, and she played that part the week before we were there. I’m telling you-she’s good!And that was our amazing Friday.

Saturday morning, I went to the Today Show!! Our hotel is just blocks from Rockefeller Center, so I was there in no time. I didn’t get there super early, around 8:00 I think, but I still got to be in the crowd and see Lester and Amy for a segment outside and of course watch them through the window. I stood by a Girl Scout troop hoping to get on TV, but Linds said they were on before I got there. Oh well!The other BIG advantage of being out earlier than most is that there isn’t a crowd around The Tree yet! I love it SO much!We didn’t have anything scheduled on Saturday, so our plan was to take a cab to Soho and just walk. When we got back to the hotel that night, I think Mark figured we walked about five miles. I’d do that five miler any day!

We passed a handful of New York City Christmas Tree lots which were set up on the corner of any given street-so urban and so fun! They made me smile. We strolled down a quite street admiring the Brownstones. Really, it was quite. There were signs posting warning of a $350 fee if you honk!! We also stumbled upon Purl Soho! I read their blog, so I felt like I had bumped into a celebrity! We went to the American Museum of Natural History and took lots of dino pictures for our dino-loving boy! I sent my dad the picture on the right to show Jack that his daddy is friends with a T-Rex! He already thinks Mark is pretty cool, but I’m quite sure this made his stock rise even more! We ate lunch at Shake Shack, and yes it’s as good as ‘they’ say. We left there and got some great views of Central Park West and NYU Law. We walked through Little Italy and Chinatown, and man was that interesting. I don’t know what I expected, but I didn’t expect to see storefront after storefront of seafood and eels swimming around in coolers. They were busy, too! We went into a bakery and saw a bread making class-so fun!-and then stopped in a bar for a drink. It was the Santa Pub Crawl on Saturday, and we must have seen 100, maybe 200?, people all over the city dressed as Santa, Mrs. Claus, elves, reindeer, presents, gingerbread men-it was nuts! We saw Grand Central Station decorated for Christmas, found a really great pizza restaurant to eat some really great New York Pizza (can’t remember the name of it though!) and then walked to Magnolia Bakery for dessert! We got it to-go, walked back to our hotel, ordered a movie, and ate our sweets with our feet up! We covered so much but there’s still so much to see and do! What a Saturday! Sunday was a busy day, too! We were going to the Meadowlands to watch the Jets play! We’ve always talked about going to an NFL game, we like Rex Ryan, I ‘know’ and watch a handful of Jets players, PLUS they’re the NEW YORK Jets, so what a great team to watch! We stopped by the Tree for a visit first, and Mark endured my request for multiple tree pictures (thanks, babe!!), then we made our way to the subway for the first time. It was really easy-at least for me since I was traveling with Mr. GPS! Mark’s sense of direction will rival Garmin any day! We took the subway to Penn Station, Penn Station to Secaucus, NJ, and straight to the Meadowlands from there! And I literally mean straight there. We got off the train and walked the distance from the Cock-a-booses to William’s Brice-so convenient! And roundtrip was about $30 for both of us!The Jets were playing the Chiefs, so we got to see Ryan Succop kick again. He made a 50-something yarder in the picture-gooo Gamecocks! We had great seats and the weather was pretty nice, too! Mark even surprised me with a little team spirit to keep my head and ears warm!The Jets won big, we got Jack a new jersey (we have a little Darrelle Revis walking around our house! Revis Island, baby!) and then we made our way back to the City. We had time to say good-bye to the Tree, we had a drink at our hotel overlooking 51st Street, and then we headed to the airport to arrive home safely at 11:30. What a trip! I still can’t believe my super-sweet-usually-not-so-good-at-secrets husband planned all this and swooped his so undeserving wife away for a Christmas weekend in my favorite city-just the two of us! It was magic. Thank you babe!!

From my phone

2011-12-08T23:22:00.000-05:00

Hane is THREE!

2011-12-03T23:27:00.000-05:00

Jack’s best buddy turned three, so we headed out to Country Adventures to celebrate! These boys had such a great time with their sweet friends celebrating the birthday boy! After the kids played with the animals, we piled in for a hayride! I don’t know what this face us for- he loves some Anna!The hay ride is always super fun, but my favorite part is roasting marshmallows!I’m guessing that was Katherine and Grace’s favorite part, too! We love you so much, Haney Bear! Happy, happy third birthday

PJs with Santa

2011-12-02T14:02:00.000-05:00

I took our big boy on our first Christmas date of the season tonight. Sam and Mark played at home, and Jack and I went to PJs with Santa! I told him he was going to get to talk to Santa and he got excited. I totally didn’t believe the excitement based on the last two years, but it’s such a sweet event for the kids, so I was excited, too!

We walked around for a bit and were going to do a craft with Callie and Chloe and James, but then Jack spotted Cocky and nearly jumped out of his skin. I’m totally doubting that he’ll talk to Santa at this point! We headed to watch Rudolph instead-a safe distance away from the Cocky sighting-and he loved it, popcorn and all!The line to see the big guy was pretty long, and it wasn’t getting any shorter, so we hopped in and I started psyching him up! The first thing he said he wanted to ask Santa is what’s in his pockets. The boy loves pockets! Then he said he was going to ask him for a John Deere car and a new hammer for Sam. So sweet! As we waited we got to talk with some of our friends! We chatted with Hudson and his family and the Goddards and got to watch countless others practice being patient! We finally made it to the front of the line, and Jack still seemed so excited! He watched the family before us take their turn and wanted so badly to talk to Santa-he kept asking me to call his name. I explained that his turn was next and he could talk with him then. I really couldn’t believe his excitement this year! Our turn came, and wouldn’t ‘cha know, our big boy hopped right up there and talked to Santa-and smiled! He did his nervous-shy-stick-my-tongue-out thing at first and then smiled a big, happy smile! And sure enough, he asked about his pockets and told him about the car and the hammer. I was so proud it brought tears to my eyes! Sitting on Santa’s lap-a little thing. Watching your little boy grow up right before your very eyes-a big thing. Thank you God for this wonderful gift of being his momma!When his turn was over, we were talking about how fun that was and what a nice man Santa is. Jack said, “Mommy, Hosanna is my BEST friend!” And then we ran into the Duprees-yay!-and Watson was his best friend! Aren’t they sweet! Such a fun, fun, night

Gingerbread House 2011

2011-12-01T01:05:00.000-05:00

This was our best year yet! Jack did a great job decorating, we had so much fun watching (and helping), and our final product is perfectly Jack! Of course he helped himself to the sweets just like last year, but I expected nothing less! Funny note: I got my hair cut today, and Ellen always straightens it for me-it’s such a treat! Jack saw me for the first time and was talking to me like normal. He stopped mid sentence, took my hair in his hands and said, “What did you do to your head? I don’t like it. I want it to be normal.” Ha!He kept busy for a while, and I think it wore him out! Finishing touches-check, smiles-nope. They were asleep for the night! Love this year’s gingerbread house-LOVE IT!

on books and his brother

2011-11-30T23:46:00.000-05:00

The boy loves books! He’ll stretch up high for them, and hide them under the bed for safe keeping.He gives them a kiss and then celebrates when he finds them again! Ha! Not really, but he sure does love ‘em.Another thing he loves-his big brother! Even though I hear myself say, “We’re gentle, loving, and kind to our brother!” over and over again, they LOVE to play and I love to watch. I’m quite positive that these two are either going to be wrestlers or football players when they grow up!

From my phone

2011-11-30T22:21:00.000-05:00

Frank and George!

2011-11-28T23:59:00.000-05:00

Frank came back yesterday, and he brought an elf buddy with him for Sam-it’s George! Jack wasn’t too excited to see him again, but Sam was glad to meet these two! Hopefully they have some great things up their sleeves this Advent Season. The boys have been assured that they have a direct-dial line to Hosanna (Santa)!

The bean bag chair and the Christmas jammies

2011-11-28T23:56:00.000-05:00

They love the bean bag chair and I love them in their matching Christmas jammies, so play time in the morning is extra fun! You’ll see both again-I promise! First, this picture cracks me up! Sam looks like he’s doing a really forced ‘cheese’ face, and Jack-he looks like he’s trying to be really, really tough. He totally pulled it off. This is how it really went. Jack was pretending Sam was pushing him off, and Sam was pretty proud! Sam got pushed off, too, though, and didn’t seem to mind. We get lots of second chances around here to practice being gentle, loving, and kind!!

Finding Our Tree

2011-11-27T23:49:00.000-05:00

We went to the Farmer’s Market this afternoon to find our tree. We looked for a bit, but it didn’t take long-the trees were beautiful this year! Jack and Mark picked it out, Sam and I approved, Jack did a needle check (“Way at the top, daddy!”), and then we called it ours! The boys watched (or played with the golf ball) as it was trimmed and loaded up, and then we headed home to decorate!I love, love our tree, but this one was my first choice. I’m not sure why Mark said no. Ha! :) At home, Jack insisted on helping set up the tree-“I gotta do some work. I gotta twist it.”,and he and his daddy did a great job! SO excited to decorate this great tree!If you don’t have your tree yet, I really recommend the Farmer’s Market!

Our boys

2011-11-26T23:00:00.000-05:00

We’re so in love.

The magic has begun

2011-11-24T23:03:00.000-05:00

I love it. This is my absolute favorite time of the year. I’m pretty sure Jack has noticed. As I’ve been decorating, he’s been commenting, and I’ve been melting! “Mommy, you did a good job with the decorations!” “Mommy, those look so good!” and my favorite, “Thank you for the decorations, mommy.” He’s been saying that it’s Christmastime and he’s been talking all about Hosanna! I’m going to soak up every last bit of this most wonderful Season!

So thankful

2011-11-24T22:15:00.000-05:00

Oh, I’m so thankful! We had a great Thanksgiving Day in Charleston eating our share of a wonderful feast and watching the kids have so much fun together-my favorite! We sure missed Uncle Ryan and Lauren, but we had a great time. Thanks for hosting, Linds! A highlight of the day for the little ones-bubble wrap. Who needs toys, right? They also loved playing with Uncle Adam! Sam enjoyed his first Thanksgiving feast, and we played outside to run off some energy. It was a beautiful day! Before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye and head home. We’re so very thankful for the many blessings we’ve been given, remembering especially our wonderful families and great friends.I’m beyond thankful to be this man’s wife and to be called mommy by these two precious boys! God is so good!

They love a bath

2011-11-22T00:13:00.000-05:00

So much so that their faces often look like this and their toes come out looking like this. I love that they come out smelling squeaky clean!

From my phone

2011-11-20T21:46:00.000-05:00

Yep, tons of pictures. These little square snapshots of our days are just as precious to me as the ones I get with my big camera, so I want to make sure they’re backed up in a couple different places. Plus, Mark doesn’t have Instagram, so here you go, babe!, and I really like looking at these all together. Makes me smile.

So thankful for all these moments!

Eleven Months Old

2011-11-17T22:20:00.000-05:00

Sweet, sweet Pete, you’re eleven months old! You are happy, happy, happy, and you make us smile all the time! You’re so excited about your speed crawling skills and don’t sit still too much right now. You’re very cuddly, though. When we’re playing on the floor, you’ll play with whatever has your attention but make sure to flash me a smile and a laugh every so often. You’ll also come crawl in my lap and sit for a minute and then crawl away again. I love it! And this is how you crawl a lot of the time. When you have something in your hand that you want to take with you, you crawl on the back of your hands instead. Needless to say, those baby hands get a lot of kisses! You continue to be a laid back little thing and are happy with whatever you’re given. You would think that this paper calendar was the most interesting thing in the world! You definitely preferred it to the camera! It’s the simple things, right?You have a handful of words so far. Of course you still say daddy, momma, and Jack, but you also say bye-bye, bah-bah (bottle), nose (and can point to yours or ours), and ball. You ‘talk’ all the time, and I just love to hear it! You’re still a huge peek-a-boo fan, you love when we sing to you, and you LOVE to play with Jack! You are all smiles. Keep that attitude, sweet one-it’s better to go through life with rose colored glasses. It seems that you’ve been a momma’s boy, but lately you’ve really wanted (and asked for!) your daddy. You’ll reach out for him and give him the biggest hugs-melts my heart. You’ll sit on his lap for long lengths of time just holding a toy and snuggling with him. I guess you’re starting to pick up on the fact that Jack and I think he hung the moon. He’s going to love you and protect you like no other-we’re so blessed that he’s ours, Sam!You’re still mighty drooly. You can soak a bib in no time flat. You do have 8 teeth now, Jack had one at this age, so I guess it comes with the territory. And this is the only sign of teething, so we’re very thankful that you’ve had it easy so far!You eat everything that we do-even drinking whole milk now-and you LOVE. IT! You’re even getting really good with fruits and I’m so excited about that! (We still need to work on your brother.) I’ll put your helping of food on your tray, and you dig in. If we hand you anything after that, you look at us with such thankful eyes and then try that, too. Your daddy calls you a chow hound. Speaking of nicknames, Jack has come up with some good ones! The first one he used (a while back) was Gee Gee. He doesn’t say that much any more, but that’s led us to a few crazy ones. His new favorite, though, is Ruff-a-lee. Out of left field, I know! One morning I found Jack in Sam’s crib and they were playing ‘puppy dogs’. Maybe it came from Ruff Ruff? Who knows, but we think it’s funny. But, by far, he calls you his ‘brudder’ or Sam more than anything and even tells us your full name.Sammy Lambs, you are joy, joy, joy! Daddy and I thank the good Lord for you each and every day and continue to pray for your good health and happiness! Happy Eleven Months, little one!

Side Note: Your actual eleven month birthday slipped by without taking your calendar pictures. I totally forgot about it until you were in bed. What?!?! I know, I hate it. I realized that I hadn’t taken any pictures of you on this day. So, I took my phone in to check on you and grabbed a couple 11 month birthday boy shots. I love a sleeping baby!

Hooray!

2011-11-17T14:55:00.000-05:00

Remember this? It was taken in September of last year.

Here’s the updated version-my how he’s grown!!

The Dupree County Fair

2011-11-13T23:59:00.000-05:00

We grabbed our tickets and headed over to the Dupree County Fair to celebrate Boland’s first birthday! How in the world has it been a year?! I missed pictures of many of Amy’s fun details, but let me tell you, it was great! It was definitely a Blue Ribbon fair, with fun games, plenty of sweets, and yummy food. And of course the boys had so much fun with all of Boland’s sweet friends-and super sweet sister! Baby James was super cute as usual! Watson, Charlotte, Jack, and Sam kept a close eye on the drinks- until Watson spotted an airplane, and all bets were off! The highlight of the party, though, was the birthday boy! He did a great job with his smash cake, and even got some help from his brother!Thanks for having us over to celebrate! Happy, happy birthday sweet boy!

Goin’ on a boat trip!

2011-11-12T23:59:00.000-05:00

This afternoon, the laundry basket was a boat. Jack was the captain and Sam was his first mate. Sam thought it would be fun to drive the boat from the inside, so he climbed on in.Jack agreed and hopped in, too. Sam wasn’t sure about sharing his boat, but he decided to make room for his big brother with a smile on his sweet little face!It was smooth sailing from there!

Raking with Grandpa

2011-11-12T23:53:00.001-05:00

One of our trees lost a lot of its leaves in the past couple days. Yesterday, Jack said, “Momma, I needa get my rake and rake dose leaves!” It was already getting dark (man it gets dark early now!), so I told him he could do it tomorrow with grandpa. When the Thomases arrived, he remembered what I said ‘lasterday’ and was ready to go outside! He was a bit bossy about where grandpa could rake, but once they got that straightened out, they got busy!

Of course the imagination kicked in-which I LOVE!, and the rake was a blower,and he was protecting us from a bear (I think). Thanks for putting such a smile on his face, and thanks for coming up to take care of our boys! We love you, grandma and grandpa!

Happy Veterans’ Day!

2011-11-11T22:45:00.001-05:00

We’re so very thankful to the men and women of the armed forces and to their families! We’re the land of the free because of the brave! A very special thank you to Uncle Adam, Uncle Ryan, Kevin, and Justin! We’re so thankful for your service!

This boy LOVES his daddy!

2011-11-10T23:50:00.001-05:00

It’s a Football Party!

2011-11-06T00:24:00.000-04:00

James and Stuart had a super fun football party to celebrate their birthdays, and Jack had a blast! Elizabeth did a great job-there was even a real football field in the backyard! The Clemson football helmet caught Jack’s eye right away, and he would. NOT! put it down! I made him put it back on the table when it was time to sing to the boys, happy birthday, you two!!, but then he asked Mrs. Elizabeth if he could play with it again. He was thrilled when she said yes. Thanks, Elizabeth! Even when he was playing with other toys, he kept the helmet close. The funny thing is, none of the other kids were asking him to share it! They were all playing, and having fun sporting their Carolina gear or their pink! Those Renders, aren’t they the cutest?! As we were getting ready to leave, he took off the helmet and showed his true colors! That’s my boy!Thanks for having us to your fun party, James and Stuart! We hope you had very happy birthdays!

Boo!

2011-11-01T00:57:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween from Super Jack and Super Sam! On Halloween night, we went over to the Pretulak’s, and the big boys hitched a ride to the pre trick-or-treating Halloween drop-in. This is the only time they were still-after they ate supper, they were either dancing or looking for candyAfter practicing at Boo at the Zoo, the kids were ready to go from house to house, and it was so neat watching them scatter in excitement! Maybe next year they’ll actually pick up on saying “Trick-or-Treat!”!

What a happy Halloween season and what a great start to my most favorite time of year! All our fun little traditions make me so happy and, I hope, are making sweet memories for these two boys. It’s such a joy to be their momma!

Trick or Treat Parade

2011-10-31T23:31:00.000-04:00

The boys had their trick or treat parade at school today-so. cute! The courtyard was lined with moms and dads-with cameras!-waiting for the cuteness to start, and who did we see come first? This sweet little one who, at first, was completely oblivious to the whole thing!He caught my eye when they made the turn, and his face lit up-and my heart melted!His teacher put his mask on for a picture. It was hilarious! I really never meant for him to wear it for real, just on his forehead. He left it on for about two seconds and then he tore it off. He didn’t mind it (didn’t notice it?) on his forehead, though! Jack had the complete opposite reaction during his first parade. I cried, too. (Mom, do you remember the phone call you got after that parade?! I felt like the worst mom EVER-leaving my crying baby all scared and overwhelmed!) Last year wasn’t much better, and I have no pictures. That should say something!This year, though, he did better (I guess there was nowhere to go but up!)! He was definitely looking for me, and he found me, so he came over and gave me a hug.Then, with a lot of encouragement, he continued to walk with his friends! And he had fun! We saw Snow White (Gussie), a cute little pig (Madge), Batman (Mac) and so many more! They were all too, too cute! They made the final turn of the parade, and Jack decided he was no longer loving it. He detoured my way.Sam? Soaking it up! What a fun little treat on Halloween morning!

The Mountains!

2011-10-30T23:59:00.000-04:00

What a wonderful weekend! Mark and I keep talking about what a great time we had with some really great friends! They’re the kind of friends that you can do nothing with or get really silly with and, either way, have the time of your life. We’re so thankful for all of them! We went to the game on Saturday, Go Gamecocks!!, and got to see my cousins, Lauren and Kenzie. Kenz’s house is so cute, and they’re both soaking up the fun of college! So great to see you two, and so proud of you both!We missed Liz at the game, but she’s a devoted Tiger, so she enjoyed their game from the cozy, warm cabin! Thanks for the beyond wonderful weekend, guys! We HAVE to do it again before the game in two years. How about the Spring? I’m serious! And thank you, mom and dad, for taking such great care of our boys so we could enjoy a weekend away! You’re such a blessing to us, too!

The pumpkin artist

2011-10-26T23:12:00.000-04:00

So, the plan was to carve the momma and daddy pumpkins, but when a squirrel made his lunch out of one of the big ones, I decided we'd paint it instead. We were already going to paint the little two (except one of the those was lunch, too!), so this gave Jack a bigger canvas! I wanted to let Sam get a little messy, too, but we kind of squeezed the pumpkin painting in after church tonight, and Sam was already asleep. Next year, buddy! We were running out of daylight, so we added a bit more yellow-and came away with a pretty picture, too! Bonus for me! Washable paint-probably not the best choice if you want your paint to actually stay on the pumpkin, but great choice if you want your clothes to come clean! And I love how they turned out! I think the trick-or-treaters will really like your pumpkins, buddy

The crawler

2011-10-26T22:14:00.000-04:00

I’ve been meaning to take pictures of this cuteness. Watching a baby crawl is one of my favorite things! It’s just so sweet-and it doesn’t last long! The big brother offered a pat on the back and then they talked about how cool pockets are. Love you, our little crawler!

From my phone

2011-10-25T23:41:00.000-04:00

I love Instagram. That is all.1. He loved his pumpkin from his first field trip. Unfortunately, a squirrel ate it. 2. and 3. Impromptu zoo trip after school. SO fun! 4. Super Hero practice. 5. Kendall having fun at the pumpkin patch. I wish we could go together! 6. Saturday morning fun with daddy. Frankies is always a hit with Jack, and the photo booth photos were a hit with mommy! 7. and 8. Chick-fil-a for supper-what a treat! 9. Another Pinterest project. Jack loved it so much he asked to sleep in it! 10. Smiley boy on the way to school. 11. Have I mentioned that they two melt my heart? 12. Super excited super hero on the way to Boo at the Zoo. 13. Practicing his standing skills with a camera in his face. 14. This boy loves a car wash!

Boo at the Zoo

2011-10-24T23:16:00.000-04:00

Always such a fun night! Jack got all geared up, and he and I met up with Mary Mac and Katherine for a fun night at the Zoo. Sam missed out this year, but he’ll love it next year! We checked out a few animals, but most of them were sleeping already, so they got serious about Trick or Treating! They all did a great job walking up to the stations and holding their bags out, but they didn’t quite get that they should say “trick or treat” and “thank you”. There was lots of prompting from the moms. Maybe next year. Gratitude comes in many forms, though. You could tell they were thankful-they were enjoying their candy all. night. long! As soon as they got a piece, they were asking us to open it! Not the best idea, but it’s one night a year! We enjoyed the weather, all the decorations, and a few more animals, and we loved running into more friends! Emmaline was the cutest little chicken you’ve ever seen! The pumpkin patch was great! They gathered more goodies, ate them,and caught a ride on their elephant friend. Hane met up with us after a bit-we were so glad to see him! There was a monster dance party going on, and Katherine was feeling it! She was the dancin’est giraffe ever and it was precious! Emmaline was breakin’ it down, too (I missed a picture of her literally break dancing!), and Jack and Mary Mac were feeling a little (very little) groove. They mostly watched and then decided it was time to go. We had such a great time with such sweet friends. I’m so proud of our little trick or treater-and this is just the beginning! He kept his super hero mask on the entire time which I couldn’t believe. So excited for this time of year!

Carving our Pumpkin

2011-10-23T00:01:00.000-04:00

After supper, these two came up with a plan for our pumpkin. We got to work and Mark carved just what Jack wanted. He was thrilled with his Jack-o-Lantern,and after singing Happy Birthday to the pumpkin, he blew out the candle. One of his favorite things to do!We got maybe a scant cup of seeds from this pumpkin which were quickly roasted and enjoyed! Does anyone know where I can buy more-without the pumpkin? Our other big pumpkin has been nibbled on by squirrels, so that one will be painted instead of carved.

The Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-22T22:31:00.000-04:00

We went back to The Pumpkin Patch as a family this morning, just like always, to find our pumpkins. The boys had a chance to scope out the selection yesterday, so they were prepared! Jack showed daddy around, and picked a potential winner, but then put it back and kept looking. A really nice patch-goer saw Sam and made a sweet comment. Over protective Jack said, “No, that’s my brudder.” made this face (what?!) and then kept going. We’re working on when to be protective and when to graciously accept a compliment! I started a new longall for Sam so he could wear the same thing Jack did his first trip to the Patch, but I didn’t finish it in time. I put Jack’s on him and we were off. Poor thing-it’s so short!We found our pumpkins (that I forgot to take a picture of!) and were on our way. Naptime came, Mark went to watch some football, and I was on a mission to finish Sam’s longall! My sweet second born doesn’t have to have all hand-me-downs! They woke up, and what did we do? Head back to the pumpkins, of course! I promise I’m not crazy, they really do like it there! And here comes picture overload-I just love pumpkin patch pictures! While Jack made a friend, Sam just watched and clapped among the pumpkins! FAVORITE!!! What a great (second) kick-off to our fun Fall traditions!

Super Hero Practice

2011-10-21T23:59:00.000-04:00

The costumes are done and the biggest Super Hero is pumped! He’s been trying it on piece by piece, but tonight we decided to have a full Super Hero practice. He was ~~chasing squirrel after squirrel~~ protecting us from all sorts of bad guys and loving it! Super Jack helped Super Sam suit-up and gave him another pep talk about the grass. Good thing we tried his costume on before the big day. His belt was too small and his cape is still too big. They had so much fun playing, and I loved watching my super heroes in action! And just like that, our practice was over. Jack took all his ‘tools’ off and came over to help Sam. Such a good big brother! I’m looking forward to Trick or Treating with these two!

Playdate at the Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-21T23:44:00.000-04:00

We love, love the Pumpkin Patch! Our first trip this year was our traditional visit with the Duprees!We started out with our glasses in the car, but Jack saw Watson’s, so we had to get his. They had a little chat about how cool they looked.Emory-4, Watson-2, Boland-11 monthsJack-2 1/2, Sam-10 monthsIt was a first pumpkin patch playdate for our two littlest ones, and they seemed to enjoy it! They were both a little hesitant about the grass, so they pretty much stayed put and played with the pumpkins within their reach. Actually, they were just really cooperative and wanted to give us great photo ops. Those sweet babies! :) Oh, and Sam ate leaves. He’s quick! The big kids had fun chasing each other through the pumpkins,and checking out the ones with bumps. It’s the simple things, right?!Then they found a really big pumpkin and the crazyness started! Does this almost look like a school picture? Not Sam’s as much. You know, the fall ‘set’? Ooooh, I love you, my pumpkin heads!Snack break-Boland being so sweet and Sam shoving it in! :) Emory and Jack,they found a pumpkin they liked and tried to come up with a plan to pick it up. At least I think that’s what they were talking about-ha! Their plan was teamwork, and they sure tried hard! I love the determination, guys! The boys searched the patch for the perfect pumpkin and ended up with this little cute one.We had a great time with you, Duprees! Our little tradition is something we look forward to every year! Bring on the Fall fun!