Happy Birthday Grampy!!

Happy 60th Birthday Grampy!!  Thank you for being such a wonderful Dad and Grampy!!  You bring so much joy to all of us!   We love you very much!

Happy Birthday...

To you!

Happy Birthday...

to you!

Happy Birthday...

dear Grampy!

Happy Birthday to you!!

Happy Birthday Grammy!!!

Today is your 61st Birthday!!!  I can't believe it! You don't look a day over 59!! Just kidding! I hope I look half as good as you when I'm that old!! Haha! In all seriousness I hope you have a wonderful Birthday and wish you many many more!!  We love you so much!! 

From this cute little girl...

to a blushing Bride...

to the best Mom...

and Grammy ever!!!

Happy Birthday! We love you very much!!

Uncle Brad Home for some R&R!

We were so happy to see Uncle Brad when he was home for a week!!  I'm not sure how much rest or relaxation he actually got but I know we enjoyed having him here!!  The night he got in, Scott cooked him a steak dinner and we had Aunt Taylor, Uncle Lucas, Aunt Lindsey and the kids over for dinner and to hang out! It is always so nice to be with eveyone!! Then the next morning we had Meema and Marty and Aunt Taylor and her boyfriend Robert over for breakfast! Again, it is so nice just to hang out with everyone!!! Then during the week it was just awesome to have Brad here and the kids loved playing with him!! Then the night before he left, Uncle Lucas and Aunt Taylor came over so we could hang out!! That was fun to all get to hang out one more time before Brads back in a few months!! While Brad was here he got a Tattoo on his arm.  All the way down his arm like a sleeve.  It looks really cool and tough! Well, when you have a 2 year old that thinks her Uncle is just the coolest you end up with a 2 year old with marker all down her arm!!  Alli was coloring and then she came over to me and showed me her "tattoo" just like Uncle Brad!!  Gotta love it!!

Brad showing Logan and Taylor cool Army stuff!!

Alli hanging with Aunt Taylor!

The girls talking!!

Alli wanted Logan to hold her!

Look at how Alli looks at Uncle Brad!

I love this picture!!

Marty, Robert and Aunt Taylor!

Siblings...

being...

Siblings! 

Look at those handsome guys!!

Uncle Brad got to read lots of books during his break! :-)

Alli's tattoo!!

St. Patty's Day 2012

Okay, so I know this is over a month late but that's just how I roll these days!!  I really do think about blogging a lot it, but just seems I never get around to it.  So better late then never right? Eventually, I will post about Christmas and New Years! (Talk about way behind!!)

So this year for St. Patty's Day, we (the kids, Grammy, Grampy, Aunt Sarah and Nana) went to a little Irish festival! They had an Irish band and the creek was colored green and they had hair painting and face painting for the kids!  It was a lot of fun!!! We (me and my kids) got there too late to get our face or hair painted, but we still had fun walking around and listening to Irish music!  Then for dinner one of the Pubs was serving corned beef and cabbage and they had green beer!!!  During dinner Grampy kept the kids entertained by wearing any and all accessories that Alli grabbed out of Grammy's bag!! Then later after dinner we took the kids for a walk around the creek and of course we had to stop for cookies!!  Alli picked the huge green iced shamrock so she go to share that with Benny!  I don't think she actually ate any cookie, I think it was all icing!! Then the big boys (David and Andy) decided they wanted to climb on the brick walls around the creek and Andy kept saying 'I have incredible upper body strength' as he was pretending to walk the wall with his "arms" only!! It was very cute!! After all this fun it was time for us to head home and see Uncle Brad!! He had just got home for some R&R (I will do this post next) so we got to hang out with all the cousins and aunts and uncles all in one day!!  Alli was in heaven!!!

Here are some pictures! Enjoy!

We are all wearing our 'Kiss Me I'm Irish' shirts!

I'm so lucky!!

My little leprechauns!

Callie got her hair painted red! (like her mommy)

This is just the start of Grampy's bling!

Andy and Nana had fun!!

Andy with his green beard!

David's green mustace!

Yep that's Grampy!!

Alli thought he needed a hat to complete the look!

I know that no one is looking in this picture but I love how Benny is trying to give Grampy a puff!

David added an unibrow to his look!!

A rare brotherly hug!

Alli enjoying some icing!!

Showing me her shamrock!! Ben was loving his!!

Look at this cutie!!

A little messy but oh so cute!

Callie chose ice cream!

Aunt Sarah showing off her face tattoo!

Andy and his incredible upper arm strength! (this picture is from the wrong side, when you were in front of him it really did look like he was just using his hands to walk the wall. Making the comment more funny!)

Alli's 1st day of preschool and Buddy'a 6th birthday!

Today was a big day!! Alli started going to school!!  About 3 weeks ago I went to register Alli for school for next year and they said they had an opening for this year if we wanted. Alli talks about when she is a "big girl" she will get to go to school like Callie!  So after Scott and I talked to her about it, we decided that we would let her go this year!

So we have had 3 weeks to get prepared for this day!  Alli was super excited about it!! I was super nervous about it!  I know that it's a good thing for her to be around kids her age and get some structure and it was good for Ben that he would have some alone time with me. But I was a mess all day today!  She walked right in and started playing!!  No big deal to her!  I sat in the parking lot for 30 minutes crying!! Ben thought I was crazy!!  I mean really I have only left her with my parents and most the time that's at our house so I was all panicked about how she would do with "Strangers" as teachers and kids that she doesn't know and not having me right there to assure her that all is good! 

Well, nothing fazed her except when they went outside to the playground. I guess she thought I would be there and she was screaming for me in an angry tone (that's what the teacher said).  I can only guess it's because I kind of just left I didn't tell her that I was leaving and would be back to get her (that's because one of the teachers told me to just sneak out... I was against this). I mean, this morning I told her that me and Bubby were going to drop her off at school and that we would be back to get her after school was  over.  But I didn't explain that to her when I left so I think in her mind I was just outside. 

Anyway, after her teacher explained that I would be coming back to get her she was fine.  Until it came to nap time!!  I knew this was going to be hard.  Alli doesn't really sleep anywhere but at home in her crib. I guess she was getting up and taking blankets off the other kids so they could wake up and play with her!  But when I got there to pick her up she was sitting on her nap mat and ran over to me and gave me the biggest hug!!!  So all in all it was a success and she wants to go back next week and they are welcoming her back, so I guess I need to go over this separation anxiety!  After all I do get to spend that time with a handsome little man!!  So here are some pictures of our day!!

Look at how cute she is!

I mean, really so cute!!

She wanted to carry her stuff!

She was so excited!!

I tried to get a picture of them together!

My tears were turned to smiles when I realized I got to hang out with this little guy!!  He was so confused that Alli wasn't home! But he was so excited that he could give me hugs and sit on my lap without having to be pushed off or over by Alli!!

On another note.  Buddy turned 6 on Monday!!  We sang to him and he had a special dinner!! The kids loved singing to him!! Buddy loved the extra attention!! 

Our 6 year old kid!

Singing happy birthday!! I think Alli thought we were going to have cupcakes!!

Buddy enjoying his dinner!

Happy Birthday Buddy!!