Down on the...Farm?!

On Sunday evening, we made a visit to Grandma and Granddad Squires' house. The highlights were the chickens, rides on the forklift and a great fireworks show. Not to mention a great dinner with a great view on the gazebo. It was the perfect evening to be outdoors!

Everyone gets a turn to fill the feeder!

Parker and Josh taking a closer look at the chickens after Grandma collected the eggs!

The first of many rides with Granddad and his forklift

Josh taking a knee with Grandma Squires

Our Family!

Katelyn LOVED grandma's little red chair from her childhood. She carried this around with her all night.

I do not have any pictures of the fireworks. Josh was not happy about the rockets and we spent most of the show in the living room looking through the screen and cuddling on the couch. It was a really awesome display though!!!

Thank you Grandma and Granddad for a fun night!

Last Day of School

Today was Josh's last day of his 2's Preschool Class. They concluded the day with popsicles outside at the pavillion. *Note: They now sell mini-popsicles that are "slow-melt" at the grocery store. Seriously amazing - though I had to remind myself that they weren't "no-melt" as I was wiping stickiness off of the kids!* Anyway...they had bubbles and balls and the kids had a fun time playing with each other. Nobody there really understood what the last day of school meant, but the parents and teachers did! :)

Bubbles!

Here was Josh on the first day of school in September...

...and here he is today with Mrs. DeSmit. She was a wonderful first teacher!

Liam, Elizabeth, Josh and Parker
These are the people who Josh talks about on an almost daily basis!

Katelyn had fun too! She thinks preschool is amazing...just another year and a half until her turn!

Sweating at the Zoo

It was the hottest day so far this spring and we spent it at the zoo. :) We had a fun time and it was good to be outside - what a great day!

This is the group we herded through the zoo today.

Katelyn, Jack, Parker, Bailey, Luke, Josh, and Macy

Instead of taking our regular route through the zoo past the elephants, giraffes, and monkeys, we decided to head left and go through the Maryland Wildlife exhibits. It was a nice change of pace and there were a lot of interactive exhibits for the kids. They were just as happy looking at ducks, snakes, and goats, as they are when we see the typical zoo animals. We're usually too tired to do this after we make our way through the rest of the zoo, so this was like an entirely different fieldtrip!

Amber helps Luke and Josh across the lilypads.

Betty helps Bailey and Jack.

Parker mastered the lilypads and was the only one trusted to go alone!

No one required a change of clothes after this - much to our surprise!

Our little, girly birdies

Macy, Katelyn, and Bailey (standing)

Our tough, boy birdies!

Parker and Jack with Josh and Luke inside

Is this a picture of joy or what?!

The kids LOVED the tree slide and went on multiple trips down!

Everyone also LOVED the turtle shells. Macy takes a turn and...

...was taken for a ride by Parker, Josh and Bailey! She actually just layed in there for about 15 minutes and didn't move. She either was too tired or really liked the spinning!

Katelyn enjoyed crawling through a tunnel

Katelyn stood with her back to the sign and would just glance back through the hole.

Such a sweet, little face!

Seriously Luke? Could you look any sweeter?

Jack on the tractor

This is the part of the trip that Josh talked about for the rest of the afternoon!

Katelyn and Macy finally got a turn - super cute!!!

My Helpers

I wanted to post something quickly before heading to bed - and realize these aren't even the best pictures - but here is a glimpse of our daily life. Two kids eager to be a part of everything that is happening around them. :) On this day, Josh and Katelyn were helping me make Mac-n-Cheese. Katelyn now pulls up the step stool that Josh used to use (and still does sometimes) so she can see on top of the counter and help. Josh now climbs onto the kitchen stool by himself and sits at the counter to help. I imagine in a year from now they will both be sitting on the stools across from me helping me mix and stir the pots. This is a beautiful life to be a part of!

Pancakes and Pajamas - Take Two

We had friends over on Wednesday for Pancakes and Pajamas. Can you believe all of the kids actually sat around the table quietly and ate? Neither could we! We had a fun time being together - let's do this again soon!

From the far left - clockwise around the table:

Josh, Macy, Katelyn, Bailey, Miles, Charlotte, Carson, Avery, Parker, Mia, Ellie, Nathan and Molly!

Stinkin' Cute

Just wait until you see this...

BEFORE

AFTER!

Katelyn wore her first pigtails today. Her hair is really thick and not very long, so its been difficult to manage...plus she won't keep a bow in! But today, we've hit a new high - rubberbands! And Katelyn didn't try to pull them out either! Maybe this feels good off her neck?!

View from the back


Playtime with Daddy at the end of the day.

Our Weekend

After all of our traveling this week, we had a pretty quiet weekend at home on Saturday. For Mother's Day, we drove to Philly to have lunch with Gigi, Aunt Jodi, Grandma and Pop-Pop. It was a quick trip, but we were happy to visit with everyone! Unfortunately, the camera was left on the kitchen counter. :( We ended the day at Daddy's soccer game and out to dinner with friends. It was a great day!

Josh's hiding place while playing Hide-and-Seek with Daddy

It had been two weeks since we last saw Melanie and Miles! Miles has gotten so big - Katelyn and Josh were so happy to see him again!

Saturday was beautiful - Daddy took Katelyn and Josh outside to play.

Josh isn't the only one who likes to "mow"

We took the mowers to Daddy's soccer game. Katelyn, Macy and Josh enjoyed exploring the park.

At dinner, Miss Ginny gave Macy and Katelyn a few ballet lessons while the girls were standing on their tippy toes. Then they sang "Ring Around the Rosie" over and over and over. :)

But in the end, they could play the game together!

These girls are going to be great friends!

Miniature Train Ride in Fort Worth

On our last day in Fort Worth, we spent the morning at the local park and playground before picking Daddy up from work. Trinity Park has a miniature railroad, so we took the 40 minute trip with lots of other kids and families.

Josh and Katelyn in front of one of the trains

Katelyn, Mommy and Josh - All Aboard!

The train makes one stop at another "station" in the park - a stop that is just long enough for everyone to get out and buy popcorn!

Trip to visit Jacob and Jonah in Plano

On Wednesday, we drove from Fort Worth to Plano to visit Michelle, Jacob and Jonah. It was a beautiful day and we spent most of our time outside - with a brief intermission for a Cinco De Mayo lunch of quesadillas and Josh's introduction to Little Einsteins. :) We were sad to say goodbye in the afternoon - we love visiting! Next time we'll meet on the East Coast!

This is Katelyn's favorite way to experience the trampoline!

The boys didn't mind doing all of the work!

We filled the pool and brought out the slide. The boys took turn sliding - there was lots of giggling! Jake watches while Josh takes a turn.

"I want to do it again!"

Jake's turn! He's so excited!

Jake went up and down that slide the most of anyone!

Katelyn went down a few times, but preferred to stay out of the pool.

Michelle keeps Jonah cool in the shade. Jonah is a sweet baby boy and a very good snuggler!

Jake warming up after pool time!

The best way to end the day? Freezer Pops!