Riley's Birthday Party

Today we had Riley's Birthday party at the park. There was a 90% chance of rain today and that's exactly what happened. We decided to keep it at the park and the kids had a lot of fun. It made for an interesting and wet day! Luckily, the kids were able to play outside for a little while before it started to rain.

This was a fun puddle for the kids. It was completely irresistible.

This was "mud stew."

Riley's church friends

Riley's neighborhood friends.

Ethan had fun at the party. He's looking forward to walking in a few months so that he can play at the park!

Pizza time

Cake Time

Whenever anyone asked Riley what he wanted for his Birthday he would always say a scooter, rocket, and cake. His grandparents got him a scooter....

and a rocket. Now if ever stops raining we can play with these outside.

He also got some great gifts from all his friends that came to his party.

Riley has such sweet friends!

It was a great day and I know Riley had a lot of fun!

Happy Birthday Riley

I can't believe my little boy turned 3 years old today. It seems like just yesterday I was at the hospital delivering him. That was a good day and I hope that I always remember it! Today was a good day also. We toldy Riley that today was his Birthday. So that meant he was ready for his party. But we had to explain to him that his party wasn't until tomorrow and that confused him. Poor thing. Here are some pictures from our Birthday celebration this evening.

Creativity at its Best

For some reason... Riley loves to color on his face. I don't really mind it, as long as they are washable markers. Last week, he did a great job coloring on his face, body, and clothes. I was proud of his artistic talent!

Sweet Brothers

Riley and Ethan are finally getting to the point where they can entertain one another. This summer they have both loved playing in this water table. They will play with it for about 30 minutes and by the time they are done they are both soaking wet.

The other day I was cleaning the kitchen. When I walked in the living room to check on the boys, Riley had pulled off all the cushions.

Ethan found himself a snack buffet.

Riley is so sweet with Ethan! I am looking forward to seeing their friendship grow!

Before and After

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Mr. Determination

We call this little 10 month- Mr. Determination. If he decides he's going to do something or he sees something he wants- you better believe he's going to get it. He is constantly into everything! Yesterday, I found him stuck under the table because he was trying to get a tiny crumb off of the floor.

The other day, Riley and Ethan were playing in the backyard. Ethan decided that he was going to climb up the slide.

He fell back down about 7 times but he was determined to make it to the top.

And he did!Good job Ethan!!

I am looking forward to seeing how he uses this determination in the future!

"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination." Tommy Lasorda

Catching up

Its been a great summer and I can't believe its almost over. A few weeks ago, my mom, sister, and her kids came in for a visit. The kids had so fun playing together. On Saturday morning, we took them to Wetlands Waterpark. It was a little too cold for the kids to fully enjoy it. That afternoon we had a picnic at the park. For dinner we went to Chuckie Cheese and then ice cream. Sunday, Mimi gave the kids an art lesson. It was a very busy weekend but I loved getting to visit with my family!



Riley and Ethan have been enjoying playing the "drums" in the kitchen. I definitely think that they both will be musically talented like their daddy. Ethan has just started to wave his arms when he hears music. Its so cute!

Last Sunday was Riley's last Sunday in the 2's class. That also means the "Pappa Don & Mrs. Carol" won't be teaching him anymore. Oh, this makes me so sad. Don and Carol have been keeping Riley for 2 hours every Sunday since he was about 6 months old. They have been so special to our family. They have taught Riley many things but most importantly they have taught him that Jesus wants to be his friend and that He loves him. We are all going to miss them. Thankfully, Carol will still watch Riley on Wednesday mornings.