Liberty Homecoming

Since we have lived in Richmond, attending the Homecoming Festivities at Liberty has become a tradition!  Usually we meet up with our college friends but this year everyone else had various things come up.  We even went with only ONE child!  Addie's best friend invited her to spend the weekend with her for her birthday- and Addie happily chose that!  Al and I enjoyed having lots of one-on-one time with Alden- and Alden loved, it too!

Starting off the day with DD!!

Sparky!!  Alden was excited to see him as we were at the bookstore!

Welcome!!

We slipped into The Vines Center- it still smelled the same!  Alden loved how huge it was!

Alden loved the Carnival- he played games and played games....

Such fun!!

We offered him 1 treat during the football game- and he picked cotton candy- and he was SO excited when the carnival had FREE cotton candy!

Catching a TON of candy at the parade- the ladies soccer team sitting next to him also gave him all the candy they got!

At the football game he got his face painted!  LU and a football!

He LOVED our seats- and even convinced a cheerleader to give him a free shirt!

Swinging his rally towel!!

We were so excited to get to spend some time with Dan and 4 of soon to be 6 kids!

At the carnival- I stood in line for an hour to get these made for free- how cool!

It was a great day- Alden was passed out within 2 min of hitting the road.  Addie had a great time, too, but I don't have pictures to share!

Pumpkin Patch

A local farm hosts an amazing Fall Festival/Pumpkin Patch.  The only hang-up is that it is extremely overpriced....  Thankfully for this year, they offered some free tickets to some local churches and we were able to get some!!  We took our neighbors and had a fantastic time!!  The weather was perfect as was the company!

My pumpkins with pumpkins!

Ready to get our pumpkins on!

Farmer Addie!

Silly Farmer Alden

Awesome!!

Off to solve the maze- which we did, thanks to Al's expert navigation!

Reading the clues- and learning a ton about honey bees!

This pile of hay was a huge hit!

Shooting corn!!

Alden- see his corn shooting on the edge of the picture?

Pig Race!!

Thumbs up for hayrides!

Family pic!!

A lady bug!!

SO happy to ride a pony!!  We surprised the kids with this and they were SO happy!

So happy, but too cool to let on...

The barrel ride!  He refused to "drive" it- he told me, "Mommy,  it didn't work- the man up front was steering!"

One happy girl!

Growing like crazy!

It was a great time- memories were made, fun was had- what a perfect way to spend a crisp Saturday!

BFFs Got Your Back

Since we have moved into this cul-de-sac, our kids have become amazing friends with "the boys" who live across the street.  Proof that they are truely amazing friends, on Saturday, Alden accidentally wore his shirt backwards.  Instead of teasing him, they all turned THEIR shirts around!!  What great friends!!

BookWorms

It appears that I may very soon be the proud Momma of TWO bookworms!!

She insisted on bringing her book into the bathroom so she could continue to read while I fixed her hair and she brushed her teeth....

A born teacher- she is helping him read his first book- House for Mouse!!

I can't blink because they will grow-up and I'll be having to buy them magazine subscriptions and helping them research cars and colleges..... For right now, I'm enjoying the world of Junie B Jones and Dr. Seuss!

Soccer Award!!

I simply love i9 sports!! I love that it's all at once- practice and then a game.  I love how kind yet firm the coaches are.  I love how learning to play the game is the most important.  I love that they keep score and that the kids learn to be gracious winners and how to deal with loosing.  All wonderful things!!  Each week the coaches focus on a different character trait- and at the end of their session, 1 player is given an award for exhibiting that trait.  This week, the trait was the importance of hustling- working hard.  Alden doesn't totally "get" soccer, but he sure does try- so I was SO proud when he won that medal!!  Way go, Buddy!!

He is a head shorter than all the other kids- but he doesn't let that stop him!

SO proud of his medal!!  And the best part?  MarMar and PopPop where there to see him earn it!

Maymont with Miss Jeanette!

Last weekend, a dear friend of our from the Eastern Shore was going to be in Richmond for the Color Run.  We were so excited that she, along with some of her friends, could come to our house to shower before heading back home to the Eastern Shore.  We were even MORE excited when we found out that they would have a little bit of time to spend in Richmond and wanted to check out Maymont!!  We LOVE Maymont and were thrilled to share it with them!

Feeding the goats- totally gross, but they love it!

Looking for the perfect goat to feed

I love it when Alden is so kind and gentle!

The Japanese gardens- the kids desperately wanted to wade like a ton of other people, but I'm a mean Mom and wouldn't let them...

Checking out the stepping stones...

His face just says it all- he loved these and how he could run and jump across them.  I was certain I would be taking home a stinking and wet little boy but I didn't!

Just too cute for words!!

It was a fantastic time- thanks for coming Miss Jeanette!!  Next time, please bring all your boys!!

Weekend Fun!

Weekends are getting to be so much fun!  The kids have ideas of what they want to do- and it is usually pretty fun stuff!

We shared Sweet Frog with our BFF Lainey!!

It's fun to share an extra-long book reading time with everyone!

One evening, our play and ride bike time- turned into that with dress-up!!  These pirates are pretty darn cute!

Love my fairy princess!

Even one of the dads got into it...

And now she's an Hawaiian Girl- since she has a flower behind her ear....