Monday, October 31, 2011

Hunter's B-Day gifts from TN

Hunter's Harley (It is a bicycle with the look of a motorcycle...no motor!)
Hunter's new John Deer Jeep.

Doing what he does best...cleaning!


The Boyds have arrived with gifts in hand. Hunter's long awaited John Deer Jeep has arrived along with another surprise...a new bike. They also had some tons of clothes to add to the kids closet.
They officially made it to Naples the night before, but had found such a great deal at a near by at the Hampton, they decided to set up camp there. This morning, I told Hunter that they were coming today. He thought they were coming later on during the day. As I was getting ready in the bedroom, they arrived and quietly went into his bedroom where he was playing. They said the look on his face was priceless. He looked at me and said, "That was a short trip from TN." He was thinking they had started driving this morning. We cleared that up really quickly. No need in him thinking it doesn't take that long to get to Florida.
We spent the day at home just enjoying each other. We loved having their company. Douglas, as always, mowed our lawn with Hunter's help. I think Douglas has missed the nice weather and being able to work outdoors. What a relaxing day!!!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Friday Night with the Burke Family


We made it through another week. The Boyds were on their way down, but wouldn't make it out to the house before the kids went to bed. So to let Hunter down easy, due to his extreme excitement about them coming in, we called our Friday Night Crew to come over and have dinner. I picked up sandwich wraps from the deli along with some veggies and chips. The kids had PB&J or PB&Nutella. Dessert was homemade Apple Dumplings, which turned out fantastic (thanks mom for the recipe). We had a great time as always!!! Next Friday...the beach :)

Enjoying Our Weather




Ok, I can't say it enough...I LOVE LIVING IN FLORIDA!!! Our weather has been perfect! I can leave the windows and doors open to let the house air out. The kids love being outside. We just bought a new bicycle trailer and have already gotten great use out of it. Mackenzie loves going for rides. The trailer can hold up to 110lbs. So both kids can ride if they want. I wish we had gotten one sooner, but I sure am glad we have one now.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Pumpkin Carving Time

I just had to put in a picture of Hunter's decorations. We were "Boo-d" by the Mendicino family last week and recieved these decorations in the goodie bag. Hunter loves putting decorations up and always puts them up at HIS eye level. So...our house has tons of decorations that are below the waistline for all of the little people to enjoy :)








This year I decided to stay simple with the pumpkin carving. We had a good size pumpkin and cleaning it out took a little while. Hunter is not your typical boy when it comes to getting dirty. He doesn't really like getting his hands slimy. I would scrap and he would scoop with a spoon. Lots of seeds, but no roasting the seeds this year. I usually am the only one that enjoys the roasted pumpkin seeds. As always, it was fun to see our final product glowing.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Pumpkin Patch








It's that time again! I can't believe October is almost over. Time is flying. Today after school, we took the kids to our traditional "Pumpkin Patch". I do have to say, this pumpkin patch does the job, but is in no comparison to the pumpkin patches in TN. The kids still had a good time picking out their pumpkins. Mackenzie would pick up a pumpkin and then put it in the wagon. At one point, Mackenzie and I were separated from Hunter and the wagon. She picked up a pumpkin and walked around looking for Hunter and the wagon. It was cute to watch her stand on her tip toes looking over the pumpkins trying to find him. She is getting so big so fast. We ended up getting a good supply of pumpkins for decorating the house and carving. Stay tuned for our carving pictures...

Friday, October 14, 2011

Friday Night Fun





To end a stressful week at work, we headed to the beach for sunset. Not only did we have fun, but our "adopted son" had a blast with us also. It is funny how often we tend to "adopt" other children. It amazes me that some of these parents just let their kids wonder off and join in on other family's fun. This little boy joined in with our family while the father sat off to the side talking with one of his friends. Not only did Mackenzie have a new friend, but I felt I had a new addition. Overall, the beach was still relaxing, but having to redirect another child from putting things in his mouth can be a little irritating. As you can see from the picture above, Mackenzie was a little confused about our "adopted" son. It was awkward and funny at the same time. Oh well, it won't stop us from unwinding on Friday nights.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Sunday Fun

Hunter pushing Mackenzie down the "roller coaster".



Hunter's attempt at spelling his first word on his own "FLAr" is "flower". Hey...it's a start :)


Adam has been gone for a week. I have survived, but am ready for him to come home. Today after church, I decided to take the kids to Jumping Jacks. This is very similar to My Gym, but family owned. Hunter has been asking to try it out for a while. I wasn't sure how much Mackenzie would be able to do, but she surprised me at how fast she ran around playing. She is getting so big and brave. Nothing seems to scare her. She loved every minute. Hunter found a little girl his age and had a blast running around with her. I love going places and having fun with them. I can't wait for next weekend to come around. They just seem to fly by so fast when I want them to last forever!!!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Kids Safety Fair



Hunter was give the opportunity to write his name on a police car. He had to make a promise to me that he would listen to me and make good choices. He was so proud of his signature.





This morning we woke up having the intention of staying home, but then once I realized we were out of Mackenzie's soy milk, we had to load up into the car. I had decided to go ahead and make it a trip to the park and the store. As we are pulling into the park, I realized that it was the Kids Safety Fair. We went and played in the park for a little while and then headed over. We walked around inside collecting goodies. Hunter was given and fitted for a new bicycle helmet. He begged the whole time to go to the bounce houses. This kid loves to jump around in those houses. He had a blast running around and playing. Mackenzie and I just enjoyed watching him get his energy out. We got a great nap out of that event :)

Monday, October 3, 2011

Mackenzie's 1st Year Photo Shoot

The Naples Botanical Gardens is the perfect place to get some pictures. Luckily, Adam had taken the day off and decided to go with us. We ended up getting several great pictures and here are a few of my favorites.

























Saturday, October 1, 2011

Ahhh....Friday Night Finally

Look at that grin :)

She wasn't scared of the high waves crashing into her.
Adam being the best dad ever!
Her foot is so tiny! I am going to miss this.

I couldn't resist ;)


Friday nights never seem to come soon enough. Hopefully, we are going to be getting back into the routine of meeting up with some friends somewhere special and unwinding from the busy week. This week we decided to join the Burke family on the beach. It was the perfect ending for a long week.


Mackenzie LOVES the beach. She doesn't seem to mind the sand, and shows no remorse about going into the water. I have a hard time keeping out of the water. Hunter seems to run constantly enjoying every aspect of the beach. I love just sitting back and watching them have fun. Of course, I don't "sit back", but I love enjoying my family in this setting. Everyone seems to be so happy and enjoying the moment. Memories that will last a lifetime for us.