Family Fun Day

My Firm hosted a "Family Fun Day" this past weekend, and since I am on the social committee (and pretty much organized most of it), we just had to go!  It wasn't too hard to convince the boys since it was at Adventure Landing and we had the WHOLE place totally to our Firm!


Nolan had a dentist appointment first thing that morning, so Anthony took him while I got to the place early to make sure everything was set up and ready to go.  I was so impressed with the place and everything was great and the weather was perfect.

Bouncy houses outside...Nolan was the first kid to break them in :)

We had a balloon guy come and set up to make balloon animals for all the kids.  No idea why Nolan requested a candy cane to start, but wised up later and got a Ninja hat instead :)

Since we had the whole place to ourselves, we didn't have to wait in any lines and most of the video games were set to "free play," where you just walked up to them and hit "Start" and started playing!  Coolest thing ever - for the other games, we all got 20 tokens which allowed us to play the ones that gave out tickets.

He LOVED the video games!

We played those for a while and then moved over to mini golf.  Nolan had never played before, and did great.  He had moments of being frustrated at not getting a hole-in-one, but then realized he could putt for everyone and that made it a whole lot better.  I am honestly amazed he didn't smack his ball clear into the water :)

Cutest golfer I have ever seen...







Before we left, he agreed to ride the go-carts with me one more time :)  He rode with Anthony not long after we got there, but decided to give me a shot :)  He totally liked it more with me...ha!  And we would have won if I wasn't afraid to sling him out of the cart.  Nothing like a little competitive driving with your co-workers!

Ready to go!

You can barely see him...but he's in there!

We had such a blast and I am really proud to work at a firm that values the employees and would spend so much money to entertain them and their families.  Thankfully, I was able to keep Nolan awake until we got home and then we ALL crashed for a much needed nap!

Hill Ridge Farms 2017!

Our annual trip to Hill Ridge was a lot easier this year - we didn't have to deal with a Hurricane the week before, and the weather was glorious!  We went solo this year since it's a lot easier to just let Nolan go at his own speed :)  They switched quite a few things around, but it was still a lot of fun and he had no shortage of things to do.

We left right after breakfast, and got there about 30 minutes after they opened.  We have found this is the best way to go, since folks start flooding in closer to lunch time.  We couldn't get away with getting Nolan in for free this year - ha!  Last year we told them he was still 2, but at 4 we knew what wouldn't cut it this year :)




They added a few more bouncy houses, which were great and I was a bit jealous that adults weren't allowed on them!   I have never seen one quite like the first one he got on; it literally came out of the ground and the kids had to climb up the side to get on the top where they could bounce!  I pictured Nolan flying off the edge, but he stayed on top for the most part and only slid down the side once.

Airborne!

He chose to get his face painted instead of riding the ponies, and it was his first time getting it done!  He sat nice and still (why doesn't he do that anywhere else?!) and told the lady so politely that he wanted to be Spider Man.  So cute!  He was thrilled with the results and couldn't get enough of himself in the mirror.  He did pretty good without touching his face for most of the day, but scrubbing it off before nap time when we got home was quite the chore!

Checking himself out in the mirror!

Oh my goodness he is SO cute...

 I love that they let you bring your own coolers/lunches in.  We made chicken salad sandwiches under the big picnic area and decided that we would splurge on a funnel cake before we left for home :)  Of course Nolan barely ate anything because he was too excited, but I knew he would eat in the car on the way home.  We played for a bit more before packing up the cooler and getting in line for our final event - the hayride!

THIS is the one bouncy thing I wanted to go on!  It was hilarious.

My very thoughtful Spider-Man...

We usually use the "free" pumpkins we get on the hayride for our carving pumpkins, but this year found some other cooler ones that we just liked for the look.  Nolan was disappointed that we could only take one per person back (and even called a guy out on the hayride back for having two - ha!) but that was all we could carry!

Our pumpkin selections...

This place is so much fun, and even though we had to squeeze our trip in on a Sunday this year, I am so glad we made it!  We ended things off with a delicious funnel cake, and thankfully were all able to take naps when we got home :) I love Fall...



"ROAR" Nolan is Turning Four!

We went with a "Dino-Mite" birthday theme this year for Nolan's 4th birthday, and it was so much fun!  He finally settled on a "dinosaur" idea, so I just ran with it :)  Plus, "roar" rhymes with "four," so it was a perfect match - ha!


Thankfully the weather cooperated with us, since the earlier part of the week was nothing but rain!  The day started off a little cloudy, but was sunny at mid-70's by party time at 4:00. Thank goodness, because the main attraction was a bouncy house, and with BBQ on the menu, I hoped everyone would eat outside!


I think the decorations turned out really cute, and I still have the huge T-rex inflatable in the dining room and balloons everywhere :)  I tried to do a lot of things inexpensively with card stock, and although it saved some money, I literally cut out leaves, footprints and whatnot for HOURS.  Don't get me started on the invitations, but they were my favorite so far!


Nolan had a blast, and that's really all that matters!  I will just show the pictures now...

My sweet boy...so excited for his party!  He ran around barefoot all day and loved it!

 

 

The slide exit at the end of the course...

I loved this banner from Amazon...how cute is that?!

Nani made some awesome centerpieces, and of course we needed dino masks.

My favorite was the jungle ceiling...I about broke my neck, but it was worth it!

Not a clue why he has one glove on :)

The best bouncy house!  We will for sure use this guy again...it was huge!

Titi Sammi did cake topper and personalized confetti...she's amazing!

We survived another year of parenthood - woot!

Anthony had the best idea of getting a piñata.  The kids had a great time, and Nolan was very patient whilst letting all the other kids go first.  It was hilarious to watch all the kids take a couple whacks blindfolded, then say "forget this!" and go at it without the blindfolds on.  They clearly didn't get the idea (or maybe they did - hehe).

One final "ROAR" before it was cake time!  It was great to give them all cake, and then send them back outside to bounce some more.

I am pretty sure all the kids slept like rocks that night - hopefully the parents did too!  I am so happy that Nolan had a great time, and I hope he looks back one day and knows just how much we love him and that parties aren't everything about a birthday, but they sure are fun!

Nolan Turns FOUR!

Our sweet boy is FOUR and I can't believe it!  I didn't bother to go back to his last three birthday posts, but I am pretty sure I said the same thing then too :)  But it just goes by SO fast in a beautiful mix of happiness, fun, exhaustion, parenting and life.  He is growing a good bit, and is just a happy sweet guy.




Since his big birthday party was the Saturday after his actual birthday, we didn't want his real birthday to fall by the wayside.  And since I was in the middle of party décor madness, I told Anthony to have free reign of the decorations for his birthday morning :)  He did great, and of course Nolan loved it!




Nothing like streamers on the fan and silly balloon faces...

We made sure he was up in time for some pictures, and then I brought ice pops to his class for afternoon snack as a surprise.  They were sugar-free, so the teachers better thank me!  He said he had an orange one and really liked it!



Yes, I know you WILL be popping those balloons later, son :)

That evening we took him to his favorite dinner - Mexican!  Not only do they have his favorite: chips and queso, but they sing to you and give you a free dessert, which of course is a plus!





The Glamorous "Real Life" Anniversary

I dedicated the other post to my feelings about our anniversary, but this one is just as special!  Our actual anniversary was on a Tuesday, so that really didn't lend itself to any fancy dinner out.  I was perfectly happy with that, since being at home IS my happy place!


The boys were extra sweet and we ended the night with a chicken pot pie.  Super simple, and that's just how I like it!

Kisses from my boys are the BEST presents ever.

Not super pretty, but the sentiment was still the same - ha!

E.I.G.H.T.

Yep, married 8 years this year!  Together for 13.  Somehow, that seems totally possible yet impossible at the same time.  This year has been an amazingly HARD year.  I say amazing because it has truly brought us closer and I am SO thankful to God that he has seen us through and we have become stronger, but it was HARD.  Full of a lot of news and things we didn't want to hear.  Full of fear and faith - those tests on your marriage that you hate at the time, but once you get through them, you realize they were for a reason.


We didn't know how to be married "well" for a long time.  We are still very much opposites but I can see how God is using that to teach us each about ourselves.  We are not perfect - very far from it, but at least we have been able to appreciate each other so much more and literally CLING to each other when news around us was debilitating at times.


Marriage troubles, health concerns, cancer, tragic world events, family issues.  All of those are totally normal and expected, but this year seemed to have brought on all of the tragedies and glories to each one.  And through it all, we have fought together (and sometimes with each other), we have lifted each other and those around us up, and we have come through.  Scarred (literally and figuratively), but certain that this is our forever, and forEVER we will stay.


Love you, Babe.  Forever and ever.