How can I have a 3 year old already?

It really doesn't seem like it has been 3 years since my little boy arrived.  He really isn't so little anymore either (he has been more than half my height for a while now).

We've had a fun weekend celebrating.  With the rain nixing our backyard camping plans, we set up the tent in the living room so that Graeme could try out his birthday present, a new sleeping bag.  We did also get enough sunshine on Saturday for daddy to mow the lawn and to play on the playset Mike built a few weeks ago.  There was the most delicious discovery of ice cream cupcakes from Coldstone Creamery (great ice cream place if you are not familiar with it).  Then on Sunday, some great friends came over for dinner and Graeme got a Toy Story rocket ship tunnel to climb through and play in inside.

So much fun and his birthday wasn't even until today!  I'm so proud of my big guy, we are starting, in very small steps, the potty-training process.  He is such a big help around the house with getting dishes and laundry started.  I can't wait to see what adventures lay ahead as he makes his way to 4!

Our cool new play set!

Graeme "cheeses" whenever he's asked

Where's my cupcake?

Graeme blew out the candles really fast and then took them out, licked them and then started trying the cupcake :-)

Ah, here's my cupcake . . . he was pink-faced by the end

Daddy tried to eat his in one bite (just kidding :-)

Graeme got to eat his in the tent

It was good!

This is the actual birthday day!  He is wearing his big boy underwear and he went potty twice in the bathroom!  He is having so much fun with his rocket ship tunnel, thanks Kristin and crew!!! (Note: Liam is in the background taking apart the lego treehouse I had just put back together!)

Family Vacation Part 3

On Wednesday, we celebrated Mike's 31st birthday!!!  As posted earlier, we also welcomed a new niece into the world that morning, too.  We are still anxiously awaiting our chance to meet this new adorable addition to the family (yeah for Facebook and great family for posting pictures!)

As for how we celebrated Mike's birthday, we went to Downtown Disney.  Mike really liked the sea dragon made of Legos.  Our sadness, however, was that the Lego store was being remodeled so there wasn't much else to see and that is generally the coolest store to check out-maybe next time!

Jadyn enjoyed the big Disney Store and the chance to get some pictures with princesses and other characters.

We found Mickey watering some plants

Graeme knew there was something not quite right about this pirate captain

We then headed over to T-Rex cafe to take Mike out for his birthday

The kids really got a kick out of the big dinosaur skeletons outside the restaurant

We were first seated right under this T-rex.  Graeme love it-that is, until he roared and freaked the kids out and so we asked if we could move tables.

They then seated us in the ice cave, which was fun (except for the noise and lights of the "meteor shower" every 20 minutes).  Graeme never really did get over the surprise of the first dinosaur roaring, so Mike took him and Jadyn for an exploration of the restaurant.

Liam thought it was all great and had a blast in his chair

Graeme wanted his daddy to hold him tight

We had a fun and very yummy dessert-a brownie/ice cream lava "cake"

It was a blast, but we would definitely recommend kids be at least 5 or 6 before you make reservations here.  

After lunch we continued exploring and found Buzz.

We did find the temporary location of the Lego Store and while it didn't have the little displays that can be so much fun, we did find Lego Woody.

Our next stop was to get Liam's name put on his ears-he was very excited!

Jadyn liked seeing all the broomsticks carrying buckets.

We also found a water adventure for Jadyn and Graeme.  Their laughter and play made Liam giggle and smile as he watched from the sidelines.

When we got back to the hotel that evening, Jadyn and Graeme engaged in an age old activity-PILLOW FIGHT!  They are both experts of the hit and run!

Mike's birthday was quite the adventure this year.  I know he will always remember this one.  He got really great presents-great memories and especially that he gets to share his birthday with Anna Joy!

Remember November?

Yes, I am talking about that month that was here and then gone.  The end of the year really seems to go so much faster than the beginning.  It was October, we went on two trips, we got home and now it's already the middle of December.  I do have a few pictures and memories that tell me November really did happen.  Hope you enjoy the trip!

These pictures actually are from the last Saturday in October, but are celebrating birthdays that fall on November 1 so I decided to include them in the lost month's post.  Jadyn, my sister's youngest who was also born on her 30th birthday, turned 5 this year.  She had a fun dress up party.

Party kids (if you look closely under the slide you'll see Graeme playing in the dirt :-)

Lucy's middle daughter Sarah 

Graeme likes dirt

We didn't know it was a dress up party until we got there (Graeme decided to turn himself into a smurf)

The birthday fairy and her fairy cake

Graeme found lightsabers and see-saws-much fun discovered!

The other birthday girl and my sweet Liam

Nanna and Liam

November quickly passed by and all of sudden it was Thanksgiving weekend.  One of the great privileges we have is the opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with Papa Witt and the Melby clan at the farm in Hillsville, Va.  Though the trip took a little longer than normal (I really hate driving in holiday traffic), we finally arrived at the house where Liam played and Graeme decided to finally take a nap.

Happy 1st Thanksgiving Liam!

Papa Witt and his posse (and also one of Graeme's last moments with a pacifier-he's been free of them since this weekend!)

Graeme was not as much a fan of the tire swing as he had been the year before.  He actually ran right at it a little while after this picture was taken while Jadyn was swinging and busted his lip.  He then started taking sticks and hitting the swing back.

Started last year, a fun family tradition-grass sledding down the mountain right outside the house

Graeme got great practice saying "one, two, fwee"

Thursday brought the yummies out.  There was plenty of food from which to choose!

Graeme is a great fan of sword fighting.  Neal very kindly indulged his little cousin in a battle of sticks.

Liam was a cutie hanging out in the tire swing

Broke out the Christmas shirt to work on our Christmas photos.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get one of the boys together.  I guess that is a few years in the future when they'll stay still long enough at the same time.

Mr. Mischievous in his Christmas sweater

Sarah read Liam a story

Graeme loved all the toys the Melbys had left at the house

On Friday, we headed into Galax where we took the kids to a country museum where they had a two-headed calf on display

After we returned from town, Papa took Graeme and I out to look for a Christmas tree.  Graeme enjoyed walking through the trees, but most of all the four-wheeler ride around the mountains

On our way back from finding the most awesome tree, we ran into the hunting party.  Sarah, who is 7 1/2, would actually shoot her first deer a few hours later.

We had a great November and can't wait to see what the rest of December holds for our family!