The Fair 2013

The weather for the fair this year was PERFECT!!  The kids were fun to watch because Jack could actually ride some rides and not just sit in the stroller the whole time and Anna was all about riding bigger and better rides.  She even rode the Gravitron for the first time!!  It was so fun!

Anna riding Sugar.

Jack on Scottie...he wasn't quite sure about that.

Mommy rode the firetruck! Jack was terrified until
about the last couple of rounds and then
started yelling "Wheeee!"

Of course Jack had to ride the tractor!

Anna looks good in pink.

Driving his dump truck!

Flying!

Hey Anna!

Motorcycle!

Getting ready for the swings!

The three of us rode the big Ferris Wheel,
the only ride Daddy is scared of.;)

Jack's First Lunch Bunch

I am SO excited about some additions to the preschool this year.  They have added lunch bunch for the two year olds and have added it on Fridays instead of just four days a week.  Now I can go to my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meeting and can stay the whole time!!  Hooray!!  And Jack was thrilled to be able to take his lunch box to school like Sissy does.  Doesn't that look like a happy face??

Anna's Boosterthon Fun Run

Instead of selling wrapping paper or popcorn or magazines, Anna's elementary school does a Boosterthon Fun Run.  A full staff comes in and takes over the school for about two weeks, teaching the kids about friendship and sportsmanship.  Meanwhile the kids ask friends and family for pledges for each lap of the Fun Run.  The fundraiser culminates with the big run and we went last week to see Anna do her run.  It was really cute, the kids got lots of good exercise, and we don't have to sell anything!!  It's a win-win for everyone!

Run, Anna, Run!

Jack was cheering on his Sissy.

She had such a good time...

...and ran all 35 laps!!  We are so proud!

A big THANK YOU goes out to our family who helped sponsor her in a big way. You guys rock!

A Day Out With Thomas

The NC Transportation Museum is only about 45 minutes from us in Spencer, NC.  Twice a year, Thomas the Train comes to the museum and you can ride him!  Since Jack LOVES his Thomas train table, we decided to take the kids this past weekend.  It was really cute and we got to see quite a few HUGE trains.  It's incredible to think that by train was the most convenient way to travel only a hundred years ago!

The only faux pas was that I had told the kids over and over that we were going to ride on Thomas.  Well, when it was time to ride, we boarded one of the passenger cars that Thomas was pulling.  The kids got quite upset that we didn't get to actually ride ON Thomas.  I tried to explain that only the conductor actually rides on Thomas, but it was no use.  Ooops!  Mommy fail.  I'll have to be more exact with my wording next time.  We still had a fun trip, though!;)

Taking a ride on the wheel house!

Climbing around the inside of an engine.

Thomas corn hole.;)

There was an awesome display train that had buttons
the kids could push to make things move and light up.

Jack, of course, liked the excavator button the best.:)

Thomas!!!

He's so big!!

In the hay maze

With Sir Topham Hat.
Jack was even brave enough to give him a high five!

Collins Women Night Out: Rascal Flatts

I have the most awesome brother-in-law in the world!!  For Sarah's birthday, Jason got her four tickets to Rascal Flatts at Walnut Creek and a hotel room to stay in Raleigh for that night!  Isn't that amazing!?!  And even more amazing is the fact that Sarah picked her mom and sister and sister-in-law to celebrate with her!!!  We had THE BEST TIME!!

At Bahama Breeze for dinner....YUM!!

Mama needs a Bahama Mama....Michelle with the assist.;)

We LOVE Rascal Flatts!!!
Cassidy Pope and The Band Perry were great openers!

Jason had one requirement--that Mom get a tall frozen drink.
I decided that she couldn't drink one alone.;)

Happy Birthday Sarah!!  And thank you so much Jason!!!

All Dolled Up for Church

Anna's Sixth Birthday

Oh, how the days are long, but the years are so short!  Can it really have been six years already?  That seems crazy to me!!  But, alas, it is here.  We gave Anna her birthday present from us the night before her birthday because Thursdays are a little hectic with soccer practice and we wanted her to have time to play with it.  She has read and LOVED the Little House on the Prairie series this summer so we were trying to find her some other book series that she might like.  She has wanted an American Girl doll for several years now and we knew the historic ones came with book sets.  We showed them all to her online and let her pick.  She picked Kit, who lived during the Great Depression.  The ironic part is that Kit looks so much like her!  Anna was thrilled!

Look alikes!

So excited!

New books!

Can't.stop.smiling.

Matching nightgowns, too!

Birthday morning muffin!

Anna, we are so proud of the girl you have become.  You are such a special part of this family and we are so blessed to have you as our daughter.  We love you so very much, no matter what, and can't wait to see how you grow and change in this next year.  

We love you to pieces,

Mommy and Daddy