Randomness and Loving the Life!!!

Since I have started back at school I feel so busy. I was very busy during the summer, but now I feel like I am on overdrive! I think it is because as soon as we get home Dillon is at the stage where he wants to play with his friends. You would think it would be a break from things, but sometimes they want to go outside, or they insist that I play with them. Here is Dillon and Carter playing outside. These two together are very interesting. They are fun and VERY active!!!

Watch out Dillon, here comes Carter!

I do not know why he wanted his little bike, but he wanted to ride that all around the neighborood.

Here is Kylie girl after finishing her painting. I wanted to try and do some craft time with her, but it was not as successful as planned. She LOVED it, I wanted it to be done quickly :-)

I just love this picture with the paint all over her and she was carrying around her broccoli. The kid loves vegetables. Dillon used to love them all too, but then he turned older and I am struggling with his eating habits right now!!!

Last but not least is a little video of the kids one day after school. They just bring Jeff and I so much joy. One of my favorite things is when the kids are doing something cute and Jeff and I just look at each other with such a deep understanding of each other and our kids. I truly feel so blessed with my family and our life. I hope everyone is having a wonderful day and thank you for checking on us!

Staci

The New Science Museum Adventure

Sorry the pictures are so small but I loaded them incorrectly, and now it will take more time to reload them correctly so you will have to bear with me. These are the pictures from our trip to the new museum that Greenville has to offer. I was at first going to boycott the museum because I thought the prices were too high, then a friend told me it was worth it so we packed up the car with the Carvalhos family and off we went :-)

This is a picture of Dillon with a spaceship simulation. What a great time! It looked like a space ship and the kids were able to take off and see what it was like in space. As Dillon would say, "It was awesome!"
I have never been good at making paper airplanes so when I saw this center, I was not ready for it. However, it gave great detailed instructions that I could follow easily and I did it! Dillon loved it and we made about 3 and were able to bring them home with us.
This was Kylie's favorite part. They have a grocery store setup and it talks about nutrition. Kylie loved taking things off the shelves and putting things in her cart. The NOT fun part was when the parents have to put the items back on the shelves for the other kids to use. Kylie threw an absolute fit when it was time to leave this section!
Here is Dillon having a great time shopping :-)
He actually picked up a vegetable!!!! He knew it was not real, so he could do it. I wish that kid would eat better. He used to love everything, now he is a picky eater like his father.. thanks Jeff!!! :-(
They had another cool section where you get to pretend to make a cake. Dillon, my little chef, was at this section for quite awhile until he made his masterpiece. He keeps telling me when he grows up he wants to be a teacher, artist, chef, and daddy. I keep telling him that he can do whatever he wants :-)
Here is our little Kylie girl to the rescue. The bear was very sick and needed her absolute love. Unfortunately she does not understand all the loving and gentle factors so she was throwing the thing around quite a bit :-)
Here are Dillon and I on the climbing apparatus they had. It was really cool!
There goes Kylie!!!
This is how we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teeth. This is the way we brush our teeth so early in the morning. Can you hear the song in your head now? I bet it will be taunting your head for awhile now while you sing the song after you are done reading this post. HEHE!
The contruction section was amazing! They thought of everything for this museum.
Here is Kylie picking up the bricks.
Dillon in the tree house.
Kylie playing with the water. I am so glad they have a cover for the kids to wear there because I did not know they had this extravagant water section where the kids can play. I loved the little baby table they can sit at and still play with the water. Kylie kept trying to drink it. YUCK!
The last picture is of Kylie with her first official set of pigtails. When I picked her up from school, they were playing with her hair and were able to get them up. I could not believe it. We kept calling her a little ant because she looks like she has antennaes on her head.

I hope everybody is doing well and thank you for continuing the check in on us! Have a great night and I will post some more later this week :-)

Staci

Happy 33rd Birthday Jeff!!!

Happy Birthday Jeff! I cannot even start to express how much I love this man and how wonderful he is to our kids and me!

An Amusement Park and an Anniversary...

The summer is getting closer to ending and my depression is mounting. I had such a wonderful summer with the kids and all of our adventures together. I wish Jeff could have been with us more, but he is at his busiest during the summer :-) However, Jeff was able to take a day off to take the kids to Carowinds again. We bought a season pass and we need to make sure we are getting our money's worth!!! Here is Kylie anxiously waiting for Dillon and Jeff on the car ride.


As soon as she saw those two she went ballistic! Dillon loved the car ride :-)

Of course since Jeff is his preferential parent, much to my dismay, he told me that he wanted to go with daddy on the merry-go-round. I felt sorry for Jeff because he does not do so well with things that go around in circles. It just reminds me of our first date when we went to the fair and he got sick from going on a spinning ride. He was too ashamed to tell me no, she he went anyway :-).

Poor Kylie girl had to fall asleep. It was naptime which helped us because it made her get her energy boost for later.

Dillon went crazy for the slides. As soon as he would get off of one, he wanted to go again. He can be such a little daredevil :-) Jeff and I were surprised how much he liked them because they went pretty fast.

Here is a picture of one of the slides that was his favorite. He was crying when we left because he wanted to go on this slide again and again.

Kylie has a thing with blankets now. Anything that is blanket like, Kylie wants to hold. This is her after she got out of the wavepool. She loves the water and it was great to see her get so excited when the waves would come to her little feet.

Jeff is such a big kid. Him and Dillon are adorable to watch together because they have such a good time. This is Dillon pretending he is Spideman and Jeff was a "bad" guy. I love to listen to a four year old imagination. I hate that they grow up so quickly!!!

On August 11, 2001 Jeff and I were married in Phoenix, Arizona. It was such a wonderful day with family and friends. To commemorate our anniversary we decided that we were of course going to the Melting Pot. It is wonderful to have a romantic atmosphere and no kids. I feel so blessed to have married such a wonderful man. Who would have thought that we would continue to fall in love with each other more and more after each year? I never thought it would be possible to be this happy and content to have my soul mate and two amazing kids with him. Happy Anniversary Jeff! Here is a picture of me before the Melting Pot. I actually dressed up :-)

Since Jeff and I do not have many pictures of us together, I made the babysitter take our pictures before the date. Don't we look like a cute couple? You do not have to answer that... I know we are :-) Just kidding!!!

I had to post this picture too because Kylie is learning how to say cheese when she is taking a picture. I think she learned it from Riley in Alabama because now she is finally doing it. Doesn't she look precious? This is the stroller that Great Grandma got her for Christmas, and the doll from Grandma, and the birthday present from the Smith family. She is starting the phase where she loves her babies and holding them. It is too precious to watch.

While Kylie was cheesing it up, here is Dillon and Jeff on the couch bonding over the XBox. I feel so blessed :-)

Thank you for checking in on us and have a great night!!!

Staci

Rascal Flatts and Alabama

Dillon, Kylie, and I just got back from Alabama and as always we had a wonderful time. Carrie's husband called me and told me he got backstage passes for Rascal Flatt's and wanted to know if I could come. " Of course! I would love it!" was my immediate reply. However, Jeff was crazy at work and I could not find a babysitter so I went to Alabama with the kids to have the babysitter watch my kids with her kids while we rocked out at the concert. What a great time!!!!!
This first picture is in the wrong order, but we had backstage passes to meet the band. However we did not get to meet them because we were 10 minutes too late!!!! Seriously, I could not catch a break.
Craig felt bad for me so he faked the autograph from Rascal Flatts so I thought that was pretty hilarious!!! Can you tell by the picture below!?

Here is a picture of the show. It was so much fun and we were close up too :-)

Carrie, Craig, and I posing for the camera. I do not know why I am in the middle of the married couple, but I had a blast!!!

Darius Rucker from Hootie and the Blowfish was the pre concert band. That was awesome! I was so excited. Some of the people thought that was better than the Rascal Flatt's show. I do not know about that... but it was great to hear a good band before :-)

Here are Carrie, Salina, and I posing for the camera again. My face is so red from it being outside. It was so hot and humid in Georgia!!! We drove from Alabama to Georgia for the concert and back to Alabama to be with the kids at night! I was exhausted the next day!!!

Us girls before the show. It is Kim, Carrie, Me, and Salina. I love hanging out with the girls. I missed Jeff though. I wish he could have made it to the concert with me, but the poor guy had to work his inventory at work. I am so glad it is officially over now!! I get my husband back :-)

Well, I just got home and Dillon is getting put down to bed by Jeff. I am exhausted and want some cuddle time with Jeff before bed so I better get going. Have a great night and thank you for checking in!!

Staci