It's that time of year...

The time is upon us...when I take more pictures than I know what to do with...when I don't seem to have the time to go through pictures and get them on the blog...when I get too far behind on blogging our adventures that I just give up...when life moves TOO DARN FAST!

Here's to seeing if I can catch up...

Fun Run!

Drew participated in a Fun Run at his school to raise money for the PTO. He was so excited for the mile run and finished the whole thing! He only had to walk "just a little bit" which I thought was pretty impressive!

Brett, Drew & Addison on the front row of the K-2 group

The local high school cheerleaders came to cheer them on...Drew thought they were pretty cute!

And they're off! (Drew is right there in the middle...)

Finishing the first lap...still going strong!

Headed towards the finish line...

A very proud boy!

Apple Cider & Pumpkins...it must be FALL!

Two weeks ago we ventured down to the Lousiburg Cider Mill. Grandma and Grandpa were in town and we thought it would be a nice Saturday afternoon activity. Unfortunately, it was "Ciderfest" which meant there were a million people there and the place was a madhouse! Fortunately, they had activities other than just the cider mill so we had plenty to do and enjoy on a beautiful day!

We did the corn maze...we did NOT get lost! :)

The boys were amazed at the apples going through the "wash" and headed into the cider mill.

Happy Birthday Allen!

Yesterday was Allen's 4th Birthday! It's hard to believe he is already 4. The years have really flown by. Granted, we have lived in 3 different states since he was born so that tends to speed up the passing time. For his birthday, Allen got to pick everything - from breakfast through bedtime. We started the day with cinnamon rolls and smoothies. Relatively healthy, right? Then we were off to World's of Fun. The weather has been amazing and it thankfully continued the trend through this weekend. The boys enjoyed the day outdoors and had a good time riding rides and exploring the park. Camp Snoopy was a big hit - we spent most of the day there. It's a really good "kids' area" and we reminded the boys that soon they would be too big for that kind of stuff so we should take advantage of it now. They agreed and had a great time!

Drew & Pirate Snoopy

Allen wasn't a fan of the big Snoopy...so he found one more his size!

Their first ride of the day...

...of course it was a train!!

They absolutely loved this little roller coaster! Especially sitting in the back row where it went faster!

They rode it twice in a row and would have kept going if we hadn't made them get off!

Monster trucks!

Another twice in a row ride...they giggled and laughed so hard!

Both boys crashed in the car on the way home but were quick to wake up when we stopped for dinner. Allen's request? Greek food...the boy can put away the pitas and hummus! They came out and sang to him in Greek. He was embarrassed but loved the "Opa!" at the end! We stopped and picked up cupcakes on the way home...just to round out a day of birthday eating on a high note! :)

For Allen's birthday party, we had a few friends over last weekend for a cookout. The kids had a great time running around the backyard, playing soccer and tag, and enjoying the great evening. The parents were even able to relax and talk which was nice! It was very low-keyed and laid back and was a great celebration. Allen chose a train theme and Patrick (home from a 2-week, 3-country trip for less than 36 hours) decorated the cake and it turned out great, as usual!

Another awesome cake by Patrick!

Allen definitely approved!

The Birthday Boy!

He got a little shy at all the attention...

The obligatory blowing out the candle photo

The cake was a chocolate pound cake - the recipe came from my grandmother. Paired with homemade buttercream frosting, it was great!

Allen got fun gifts - he loved every single one of them!

And he really has priceless responses to presents!

The best of a dozen attempts at a family photo...

It worked out that Grandma and Grandpa were in town the weekend of Allen's party. Somehow I didn't get a picture of them with the birthday boy...but they were there! (and enjoyed the cake too!)

Happy 4th Birthday to our little man. You are a joy to be around...a bundle of energy balanced with plenty of love to share. You talk a mile a minute around us but act shy around others...we're not sure why! You bring a level of excitement to everything you do. You love Maddie and give her lots of love and attention...even when she might not want it! You miss your brother, Drew, when he is at school and are always ready to play when he gets home. You love your school and wish you could go every day. I will remind you of that one day! Mommy and Daddy love you very much and we are so blessed to have you in our lives. We definitely cannot imagine a world without Allen!!