First Zoo Trip

We are just full of firsts these days for Evan. It was a gorgeous May day in Dallas and we spent it at the zoo. Evan & Haley got to catch a glimpse of the gorillas, tiger, otters, giraffes and more. We met some friends for the morning and the kids had a fabulous time. I have to admit the adults did too. It was so nice to let them just play and enjoy their time together. There could not have been a more beautiful day to spend outside and we were even able to enjoy the river and kids play area today. Yippee!

Evan's First ER Visit

Today we were having lunch at our friend's house when Evan tipped over a chair and busted his face on the tile floor. It is hard to believe that with four women standing nearby, nothing could be done. But, it was so fast I didn't even see what happened. We only had one baby seat, and legitimately, Evan should ALWAYS be strapped down at the table. However, we sat him next to his friend Nora and things were going great. He was happily eating off the plate in front of him.

I went less than 10 feet away to the fridge to pull out some hotdogs when I heard a crash and found Evan on the floor with his hands flat out in front of him to break the fall. I was hopeful that it just scared him but when I picked him up, blood was gushing out of his mouth. I couldn't tell if we'd lost any teeth but the top front tooth was knocked crooked.

Apparently, I was really calm and polite asking Kate for some napkins and baby Tylenol. We decided right away that we needed to go to the hospital which you could see from their backyard. Evan was screaming so loud and we were covered in blood so they whisked us past everyone right to a bed in the back. I didn't even have to fill out a single piece of paper. Thankfully, Lauren made the trip to the ER and we left Haley at Kate's so we only had to try to console Evan until Dad arrived.

One giant swaddle (or straight jacket) later and a couple of stitches we were on our way home with Evan fast asleep and drooling blood on Dad's shoulder.

All is well and he is running around the backyard like normal. In fact, it must not be bothering him too much because we he really wanted Haley's shovel he went straight down to bite her. Hmmm, hoping he learned a lesson today but not very likely. The doctor said he'd see us again. I hope not, but the way he jumps off things and runs crazy in this house, we'll have to just keep praying for divine intervention!

Play in the Backyard

We just can't stay out of our backyard now. Today we had a tent on the back porch with blankets and dolls, we played golf, shoveled, hammered and played on the slide. Thank goodness my husband is handy or we could have never done this on our own. I found it also to be a great improvement that we only had to run to Lowes fewer than 5 times.

Last night we had just come inside when it started to rain and thunder. Haley said, "I hear God beating on His big bass drum and look, He is taking pictures in the sky!" So sweet.

Backyard Remodel

We have spent the last three days overhauling the backyard. When we bought this house, the yard was a mess. It sloped down away from the house washing all the dirt out of the yard. There was no grass, just mud. The tree was wonderful but overgrown. The fence was too short, we could always see the neighbors.

Now, Jed and Randy lifted the fence so we have privacy, we brought in a dump truck load of dirt and then sod. It is amazing. A space that we hated, we now love. It is so awesome to have a space outside that isn't dangerous for the kids.

We couldn't have finished the yard without Randy's muscles, Grandparents who kept the kids and the awesome Bobcat that we rented for the day. It turned out to be a HUGE hit with the kids too. I didn't think Evan would be able to sleep last night because he knew it was parked in the driveway. We had to redirect him through the house all evening to keep him from seeing it.

All the sweat was worth it!

Grapevine Outdoor Festival

This morning we went to the Grapevine Outdoor Festival. They had great activities for kids, carnival rides, face painting, horses, vendors, glass blowers, music, fishing and outdoor sports. They even had some pools constructed for kayaking and scuba diving. Everyone's favorite though was the Clydesdale horses. They are amazing and we couldn't believe how big they were when you were standing next to them. A big hit with our horse lovers. If it wouldn't have been hot and muggy it would have been a perfect outing. Still it was fun to see what's going on in the world outside of Frisco. The quaint Grapevine Downtown and Railroad is a perfect outing. Oh, and meet my cute kitty Haley, isn't she adorable?

Ride 'Em Evan

Evan loved the old rocking horse my mom rode when she was little. He was so intense on the horse that I had to put a little dumbbell on the back to keep the horse on the ground. He is mesmerized when he rides, just a blank stare trying to go faster and faster.

Pioneer Days

We have been blessed to spend the week at my parent's house in Guymon, OK. Despite a couple of colds, some rainy, cold weather and a few bumps and bruises it has been a wonderful trip. We spent the first few days helping Bebe and Papa get the Rodeo ready for "Tough Enough to Wear Pink" night. Haley even dressed up like a rodeo clown the morning of the rodeo. Unfortunately, the rodeo didn't really get kick'n until bedtime so we only saw a couple of events. Haley LOVED it. The cowgirl in her shines through:) She wore her boots for at least 3 days straight and didn't even mind the cold weather. The next morning we got to watch the Pioneer Day parade and wished we had the camera when Haley finally was brave enough to jump out in the street to catch candy being thrown from the floats. She triumphantly held both fists full of candy in the air and was jumping up and down.

Little bit was already coming down with a nasty cold and was having to stay inside a bit more, but it didn't slow him down. He has a huge bump on his noggin after he tripped on a 2x4 in the backyard. His legs are covered in bruises after falling from some of his favorite high places which we constantly discourage him from standing. He never believes us. He is giving us all a run for our money. If it is ever quiet around here and he isn't in his bed, we know we better start looking for the little guy. Thank goodness he is as cute as can be or I don't know how I would survive his outrageous climbing and determination. Not a good combination for a 20 month old.

Evan's favorite activity is to ride my mom's old spring loaded rocking horse. I had to put a dumbbell on the back end of the horse to keep it from tipping over because he rides like a mad man. Hopefully I will post an example.

Thank goodness for good weather today and a chance to play in the sunshine. We needed to run around.