We are READY for Spring

Yep, we are ready for Spring.  This was taken maybe a week or so ago, the two older boys need to get out everyday and run around but Garrett is still too little to go out when it is cooler.  So he watched from the window.  He kept banging on the window so they would pay attention to him.  Spring hurry up and come!!!  Please!! 

Garrett's first haircut

Garrett got his first haircut a little while ago.  He was going a mullet so we decided it needed a little trim.  He sat really well for his first time.  Kara cut it for us and she did perfectly.  Here is the before picture.  His bangs were in his eyes.  Poor little fella...

 Sitting like a big boy...

 Still a little trimming in the back...

 He loved playing with the big brush while the finishing up.

St. Louis

This past weekend Kerry and I went to St. Louis with our friends.  Talk about great time with great friends.  Hottie and I ran in the St. Louis St. Patrick's 5 mile race with her friend, Heather, and at least 13,000 other people.  We did not do any training before hand which was a little silly but it was so well worth it.  I also remember partly through the race that Missouri actually has hills unlike Illinois and they can be killer on the legs.

 Here is all three of us before the race.  It was a little bit cold but made for good weather run.  We ran most of the race and only walked a little bit of it.  I pushed Hottie at the beginning of the race and she pushed me at the end.  We finished in one hour and ten minutes.  I may not sound too astonishing of a time but it was to us especially since we had not trained at all. Jeff and Kerry were randomly throughout the race watching and it was awesome to see them cheering us on.  It felt good.  We can't wait to do the race again next year to see how quickly we can do it with training.  I think we may make it an annual event.

After the race we rested for a while before taking off to see the Arch.  It was much larger than I ever thought.  We decided to go up into it.  Each of us had to deal with their own little scary but we made it and enjoyed it.  The view from the top was awesome.

 Do you see the new stadium?

We went to dinner at Daves and Buster which is a restaurant and arcade combo.  Hottie and I relaxing before dinner.  

 Doesn't Kerry look thrilled?  Someday I will get him to like picture...

We had a lot of laughs and a lot of fun.

Cousin Trip

Usually every year, my cousins and I try to get together with my other cousin at her house up near Chicago.  It is just a kids and mommy trip.  I have to say "kids" now since my one cousin had a girl.  I left after work on Saturday to head up for the fun.  

The boys were super excited because they couldn't wait to get together with their second boy cousins and go to a huge bounce house place up there.  Shortly after we got up there, we headed to the bounce house place.  Gavin and Griffin hit the door running.  They ran from one bounce thing to the next.  They had a ton of energy to release. 

 My gorgeous cousin and her daughter...

 This is one of the rare pictures I got of Gavin, he is just so quick he didn't have time to stop for a picture. 

 Garrett stood and watched for a long while.  He was taking it all in.

 Yeah!!!

 Brady Ray...  his face was as bright as a tomato as his momma would say...

 "Watch out below, HERE I COME!!"

 My other gorgeous cousin.  It is hard to believe that while this picture is taken there is thirty kids running around from one thing to the next.

 Cooper loves his momma...

 Garrett did finally get in a bounce house.  It took him until we were ready to leave to want to get in but he did it all by himself.  They had little baby bounce house for his age and another one for the two to three year olds. 

 "I got the alligator, MOM!!"

 Griffin and Gavin were both "flipping" and then sliding down.  I totally missed the flip and just got the slide. They were so brave about it.

 Griffin took Garrett down the big slide.  He begged so I gave in. 

 Make a funny face...

 They didn't want to stop for a picture so this was what I got and I deserved it. 

 Gavin loved this thing as well.  You walked along the top of it and then as someone walked you try to crawl through the bottom without getting smashed.

 Me and our boys!!!

 Hummm... where should I go next?

 More playing...

 After we left the bounce houses place, we decided to take all the kids out to eat.  It was three Mommies to eight kids.  They were all well behaved and ate well for the most part.  They must have worked up a hunger.  As we were walking out, a gentleman looked at all of us and said "Wow, you women are very brave." To which my cousin replied "That or crazy..."  It was so worth it and so much fun.  Needless to say, that night all of us slept well.

The next morning we had breakfast together.  This is all of them minus the two youngest ones.  The boys played for a while and then close to nap time we headed out.   

We truly enjoy our annual trip up there.  The moms get to have some girl time and the kids all love to play together.

It finally snowed!!

It finally snowed.  It may be late March but we will take it whenever we get it.  The older two boys have really taken after their momma and love the snow.  Garrett is yet to be determined but I think he does. :)  So we hit "the hill" in town as soon as we could possibly do so.  Well it was mostly sledded over (if that is even a word) but Gavin and Griffin still had so much fun.  They almost jumped out of the vehicle before it was stopped because they were so ready.  You see we received these brand new sleds two years ago for Christmas and haven't had the chance to use them yet.  But today they got to and they were super fast.

 Garrett even had his first ride down the hill

 We are all headed back up the hill.

 Poor Gavin accidentally hit a dirt, grass pile and hit his face.  He was a trooper though and continued to go down.

 My handsome, hubby took Garrett down one more time before I took Garrett to Papa Old Tractor's house due to coldness.

 Aw!  They both are so cute.

Here was the hill by the time we were ready to go.  I think Gavin and Griffin had hit all the mud that they could and the little snow that was left.

They had a great time and that's all that matters.  I don't know that we will get anymore snow but next time we will be hitting "the hill" the night of if we can.

Gavin's "starting line up" video

Like I said in an earlier post, they have a run through for all the kids at the beginning of the game.  This time I got to it on film.  See his huge smile!!  I love it!! 

Long lost hoops

A couple of Christmas's ago Gavin and Griffin received a hoop.  They have loved this double hoop that kept track of their score but someone sat in the basketball holder.  This particular person thought that if he sat in the holder he could make more baskets and beat the other person.  Well the hoop holder broke and so the hoops sat.  But sit no more, after Gavin asked Kerry if he would put it up again.  Kerry figured a way to hang it last night.  I impressed.  Kerry can figure out how to do anything.  We didn't even have to buy anything for it either. He took bicycle hooks and hung them on the ceiling then drilled holes in the backboard.  Perfect.  The boys have been playing with it ever since.  It is their new, favorite toy. 

 Garrett even gets into playing.  He will go get a ball and hold it then he waits until someone lifts him up to make the basket.

 Griffin was Superman while he was playing.  :)

 The boys even played with it nonstop since they got home.