Party Time

Since our favorite 4-year old's birthday tends to get overshadowed by a national holiday, we had his birthday party early and celebrated on Saturday.  This boy had been counting down the days and he was EXCITED!  The grandparents and Aunt Amanda joined us for lunch and the all-important opening of the presents.

 

Naturally, Ben was more than happy to help!  It was a very Mario Bros. themed day, since that's Alex's current obsession.

Alex insisted on a bowling party, even though he's only been one other time years ago to my knowledge.  He just knew that he couldn't wait to knock down some pins.  

 

Ten little friends joined us for a great time and I couldn't have been happier with the venue and the hostess who served us.

Next up was pizza...

...and finally the cake!  Not sure why Alex picked a train, but hey, it's his cake!

Look at those sweet faces!  Front: Victoria, Kalan, Alex, William, Maddie, Michael.  Back: Kai, Becca, Sarah, Ben, Brody

It was a nice mix of kids from the neighborhood, t-ball, school, and even some old friends from Perth that now live in Katy.

Think William enjoyed his cake?

We even reserved an extra lane for the adults to shake off the dust and play a game.  I can't say our scores were all that impressive but it was a lot of fun!

 

As I would have guessed, the bowling got old after an hour and Alex, Maddie, and Michael had more fun playing on the ball return.

 

Love this sweet picture!

 

After we wrapped up on the lanes, it was time for some video game fun.  All the kids got game cards to use in the arcade.

No surprise to find Ben trying to win some races.

 

Before the party broke up, I got some pictures of the kids with their grandparents.  It's so much fun to live close enough for them to join in the celebrations!

It was a wonderful day and loads of fun celebrating our sweet Alex.  I can't believe he's about to turn 5....where has the time gone??

Beach Week

Grammy and Grumpy Shepherd booked a week in a condo on Galveston for all the grandsons to get together and play on the beach and we had been looking forward to it for months.  After a long day of packing (is it time to go yet??), driving (are we there yet??), unloading (can we go to the beach yet??), and unpacking (can we PUH-LEASE go to the beach now??), we finally made it to West Beach on the island and let the boys get wet.  I don't think they could ever tire of sand and water!

It was fun watching Reid enjoy his first trip to the coast!  I don't think he was a fan of the sand at first but he sure came around.

 

Each morning started out the same - breakfast, sunscreen, and BEACH!

Alex loves "quicksand" beaches.

The boys loved gathering feathered friends at lunchtime.

More, please!

We happened upon this terrific hole one day and Ben loved building on it and playing in it most of the day.

Back in the condo, there was a lot of playtime and plenty of books to go around.

Matt brought some fishing gear and Ben loved reeling in a catch by himself.

Not quite big enough to eat, but sure fun to catch!

Big hats were the fashion all week!

Alex loved this kite and walked it around like a little pet.

Two mornings we did get talked into the resort's mini golf course before we hit the sand.  It was the first time the kids had really played and they loved it.  Ben played a few serious holes and actually did quite well.

Alex, on the other hand, considered it a race and declared himself the winner both days because he finished the fastest.  Maybe because of his huge backswing?

These crazy boys went to bed late each night and were still the first ones up every morning.  Thank goodness for cartoons to keep them busy while the rest of the world came around.

One day the entertainment was a big car track around the tent, complete with a tunnel.

Good thing there was so much entertainment in the sand because mid-week the beach was swarming with jellyfish.  Stacey and I were quite entertained with catching them and collecting them in a bucket for disposal.  I'm sure it made no difference in the overall population, but it made us feel better that the water near our kids wasn't teeming with stingers.  Most of us got little stings eventually, but nothing terrible and it didn't put a damper on our trip.

I love seeing these guys together!  They all left several shades darker than they arrived.

Another big hole that was supposed to turn into a swimming pool, but I misjudged the tide and it was more of a muddy swamp.  Didn't stop anyone from playing, though.

Cousins!

Ben and Grumpy made several sand creations, including this octopus.

I wish (as usual) that I'd taken more pictures of everyone and gotten at least one group shot.  It was a great week together as a family and fun for big and small alike.  Thanks, Grammy and Grumpy, for making it happen!

Weekend Fun

Backing up a week, we had a great Memorial day weekend with Aunt Stacey, Uncle Jason, and Reid.  We all went to visit with them and had a great time playing, swimming, relaxing, and enjoying being together.  The kids had lots of fun playing together, as always.  They especially loved the Grapevine aquarium.  It had lots of great views for the kids.

 

The biggest tank was really interesting with sharks, big rays, and sea turtles, among other things, and 360 degree views.

The jellyfish were lots of fun to watch.

Even the native Texan fish were fun to see up close.  I think all of us agreed that the seahorses were the best, and unfortunately I was so busy oohing and aahing over them I didn't even get a picture.

This was the only picture I got with all the boys and they were too busy stuffing their faces to get a decent picture.  They're always so busy when they're together!

Ben loves Dixie and had fun brushing her and giving her treats each day.  In turn, she allowed him to pet her when the other kids weren't around.

This weekend we had a little summer kick-off on the culdesac, even though school isn't quite over.  We figured the sooner the before the real summer heat sets in.  Alex was the first to try out the bounce house.

Our sweet 13-year old neighbor Elizabeth spent hours painting the kids' faces.   I couldn't believe that one of my children finally broke down and got paint on his face...this was a first.  Ben only did it because Elizabeth offered some Star Wars ideas.

 Eek!  Darth Vader!!

 

We had a little baseball game going on the street....

...and lots of eating and talking off to the side.  We had a few new families join us this time, so it was fun getting to know some new faces and spending time with the ones we've already met.  Altogether, we had 16 families share in the potluck dinner.  I love our street.

 Last night, we celebrated Aunt Amanda's birthday at Benihana.  The kids got to try their hands at the cooking tools show with the chef, but I think we all decided it was better to leave it in the hands of the professional.

Happy birthday, Aunt Amanda!