Time Is Flying

It's been quite a while since my last update to the blog.  Jenna just turned 9 years old and is battling all of the trials and tribulations of a 3rd grader.  At this point in her life, I believe she has read more books than her Dad.  Her brothers are 4 1/2 years old and are best friends...meaning they play together and fight together on a fairly consistent basis...more playing than fighting.  It's been amazing watching them grow, learn, and develop into 3 completely different people.  When the boys were very little, friends and complete strangers would always tell us "it gets easier" and they are right...no more diapers, they dress themselves, and we don't always have to be just one step away.  Every day is new adventure, a funny story, or a lesson learned--God is good!

Party Time

The boys turned 3 years old on June 10th and based on these 2 pictures a few things have changed and a few have stayed the same. Obviously, they have grown...a lot...and their personalities come shining through each and every moment of the day! One thing hasn't changed...they are still inseperable. They are brothers and best friends and it is so much fun watching them play and interact together.



Their birthday party went great and I'm not sure that we'll be able to top it for a long time.  It was grandparents only and so the spoiling may have been a little over-the-top.  A swimming pool, bicycles, and truck have kept them busy every day since the party.  They now have wheels so the neighborhood will never be the same!

Easter 2012 in Tennessee

We decided to be really brave this year and tackle a 7 hour car ride to Tennessee for Easter. Suprisingly, the car ride went really well and we had a great time. From a stop at Lamberts (home of the throwed rolls), to hanging out in the big city of Newbern with Mike, Emilee, Aaron, and Clark (the meanest boy in the world...he beat me at Wii bowling and boxing), and potty training along the way, we'd do this trip again next weekend...okay, maybe next month. The boys had a blast riding the gator in the backyard, Jenna escaped her brothers for most of the weekend, and Terri and I got to spend some time relaxing with our good friends. Next summer a 14 hr. drive to Myrtle Beach should go just as well...right?

They Just Keep Growing, and Growing, and Growing...

Eli and Owen hanging out with their new pumpkins...carving 3 pumpkins

this year should be an adventure!

I'm not sure about the sad face from Jenna...probably has something to do with the lack of room in the pool for anyone besides the boys and their lawn chairs. She'll probably be making this face many more times over the next 15 or 20 years as the boys take more than their fair-share.
If I can get Eli and Owen practiced up on all of their tools, they can start repairing all of the stuff they break and Dad can go take a nap.
They seem to get bigger every day!

Nothing beats a ride on the lawn mower with Papa...don't worry, Jenna gets to make plenty of laps around the yard without the boys being in the way.

12 Great Years

On June 5th, 2011 we celebrated 12 years of marriage with a trip to Cincinnati. It was a great getaway for us filled with nothing but glamour and high fashion...note the first picture. We actually had a lot of fun on our Segway tour, and stayed safe the entire time, which of course can be attributed to our awesome vests and stylish helmets. As for the other two pictures, they are a sort of "before and after" as Terri snaged ring #2 after the original took a trip through the garbage disposal.

Another First

Nana has one rule...okay, she has lots of rules and sometimes she makes them up as she goes along, but the one that can't be broken is that she gets to give the first haircut. Eli did very well and came out looking as cute as ever. He made it to 18 months before he actually needed his this haircut. If you're wondering why there are no pictures of Owen's first...he hasn't had one yet...he's clearing the 2 yr. mark and MIGHT need one soon!

Jenna wrapped up her first year of kindergarten with a field trip to the Indianapolis Zoo. Mom and Dad were lucky enough to be able to tag along on her first field trip and had a great time. She's on the far left in the top picture...probably playing the part of "tour guide".