Cousins!

We finally made it up to Dallas to see Aunt Stacey, Uncle Jason, and Reid and to introduce the boys to their new cousin Carter.  It took so long for us to match up schedules that little Carter is already 4 months old!  And we even had to wait an extra day, which was terribly disappointing to the boys and adults alike, because Alex was throwing up the morning we'd planned to leave.  But we got him well and made the trip the next day and it was so much fun to hang out with the cousins.  Alex thought Carter was very cute and tried to teach him things like waving to say hello.

 

 Ben was in love at first sight and sat right down to hold Carter.  (He wasn't quite as excited for a picture, though)  He sat next to Carter in the car and talked to him and loved it when Carter smiled back.

 

 Apparently, bumbo seats can fit 6-year olds as well.  Who knew?

 

 We still had our usual adventures, just with four boys now, so it took a bit more planning and equipment.  Their neighborhood pool is always a favorite.

The backseat is a bit more full and a lot louder with four boys!  Carter is on Ben's right but not in the picture.

We hit some playgrounds and splashpads to keep the big boys busy.

 And the little man was so good as long as he got all his bottles!

 

We also checked out an awesome indoor playground in the afternoon to enjoy some air-conditioning and the boys were so funny chasing each other through the maze.  Reid could really keep up with the bigger guys!

Although, sometimes three is a crowd.  When these guys are together it always reminds me that a third child in our family would have been a terrible idea. Alex is NOT a good middle child.  But I love this picture!

And I LOVE this little face!  Carter has the best smile and is at that precious age where he wants nothing more than to get your attention and give you a big gummer.  Such a sweet baby!

It was such a fun visit and went by way too fast, but at least Aunt Stacey and the boys are planning a trip our way next month so we can squeeze in a little more time together before everyone is back at school.

Our Baby is Six!

Most people would sleep late after a big night out, but not a birthday boy!  Alex was up bright and early to see what surprises awaited him on his birthday.  First, he opened the card that Ben made for him.

Aww, how sweet!  Ben made him a "Free Parakeet Pick out" coupon!  .....wait, what?

Then Alex got to dive into the big pile of presents.  This boy got some cool stuff for his birthday.

 Next, it was party time.  The grandparents came early to help celebrate.

 

Alex was dying for laser tag this year so we rounded up a bunch of his little buddies for a couple of games.  The parents and grandparents got in on the action, too!

Alex and John Paul were ready to play!

After the first round, we stopped for pizza and cake.

For weeks, Alex had been talking about a minecraft/lego star wars cake and had even drawn a picture of exactly what he wanted (while he was in Sunday school...makes a mother proud).  Then when we went to actually pick out the cake, an Angry Birds design caught his eye and he never looked back.

 

 The cake was enjoyed by many!  Especially me...for several days afterward...

 

We had one more exciting game of laser tag (no pictures because I was pretty serious about tagging the kids) and then it was video game time.

 It was a wonderful celebration for Alex.  It was exactly what he wanted for his birthday and we were so excited that a dozen of his friends could join us on a holiday weekend...I guess that will always be the case for both boys.  We are certainly blessed with this little guy and he keeps us on our toes every day.  I love his passion for life and his enthusiasm for all the things he loves.  It's just hard for me to believe that my baby is already six, though!

And in case you were wondering about the parakeet coupon, it was indeed valid and we went to Petsmart the next day to pick out a new buddy.  Meet Yoshi, the other blue bird, who joined Mario and Blue.

4th of July

We had a wonderful 4th of July (or Alex's birthday eve, as he likes to think of it) even though a big thunderstorm tried to dampen our fun.  It stayed just far enough away that we could still gather with our neighbors in the culdesac for a barbeque and fireworks.

 

 Alex and his friend Maddie enjoyed their hotdogs together.  Unfortunately, this was also something of a farewell party for her family because they're moving to Bangkok in two weeks.  We're excited for them but we will sure miss them!

 Ben was deep in conversation with Tony and Austin.

 

Once it FINALLY got dark enough, we broke out the sparklers for the kids.  If it was up to them, they would have started at 4pm.  And by this time we were grateful for the weather because the temperature was lovely.

When the big fireworks came out, Alex hung back for a while.  He loves them but he still gets nervous.  And our family is always safety first - glasses on everyone!  May look silly but it's worth it.

 We did get some rain showers but it certainly didn't stop the fireworks show!  (Wish I'd gotten some fireworks picture, too)

Afterwards, the kids had just as much fun playing with the trash.  Go figure.

Miss Casey didn't get to come out for the fun but she was dressed and ready for the holiday!