"I DID IT"

We had such an exciting week, but most importantly, Lexa turned 4 this week!! Happy Birthday Lexa, we love you!

School is going great - Riley is transitioning to the preschool class and is very excited to be reunited with a couple of her best friends. Kyle, as always, is fighting a cold, but happy as ever!

On Friday, Tracy took the kids to Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens to check out the flowers and play in the childrens gardens. Our friends Ms. Amanda, Aiden, and Ivy met us there and Riley and Aiden had lots of fun running through the water!

Saturday was super busy! We met Aunt Darcy, Uncle Mike, Lexa, Grandma, and Papa at Kings Dominion to begin a full day of celebrating Lexa's birthday! The kids has so much fun and we can't wait to go back! Not only did the girls ride all of the kids rides, Kyle joined them on a few, and the girls also rode their first big ride - the Log Flume! Though all the confusion of who was sitting with whom, Riley ended up in the very front... the look of exhilaration and terror when they hit the big drop was PRICELESS! At the bottom of the big hill, she threw her fists up in the air and yelled "I Did It!". After tons of fun at KD, we headed back to Lexa's to celebrate with dinner, birthday cake, and presents.

Tracy and Eric ventured out later that night for our friend Todds 40th birthday - Happy Birthday Todd and thank you Grandma and Papa for babysitting the kids!

On Sunday, Tracy, Riley, and Kyle headed back to Darcy's for another great dinner and some play time. And on Monday our friends Jenn and Mackenzie had us over to make pizza! Yumm! Tracy may have forgotten how to cook!!

Enjoy the many pix and videos!

Riley running through the water at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens

DORA!! What a great way to start the day!

Kyle at 11am, the beginning of the day. Notice the clean white shirt... this is the 1st of many shirts for the day

Darcy, Lexa (you can't see) and Riley and Eric (far right) on the roller coaster

Riley is on the top far right.

Last year she sat near the middle of the boat - this year she went for a real ride!

Riley (a little bored) and Kyle (all smiles!) on the swings

Kyle out cold - 3pm! Shirt number 2.

This is by FAR the longest he had ever gone without a nap, but he was happy and full of fun the entire time.

As the kids dozed, the adults, including Mike who is afraid heights, ventured up, up and away.

Do you see our legs?

The BEST picture ever - taken by KD on the way down the Log Flume - look at the girls faces! Riley is out cold (4:30ish) I was able to take a sucker right out of her mouth!
Lexa is fighting it but she did not win this fight. Our kids still nap, so this has been a LONG day!

After KD, we went back to Darcy's for a wonderful birthday dinner and cake.
Look how adorable Lexa is looking at her beautiful princess cake!!

Kyle - Shirt #4! Shirt #3 was never photographed. It was during the water park. Notice how shirt #4 is soaking wet - we question how the child stays hydrated with all his drooling...

If you know Riley, you know she doesn't play dress up or princess... which is why I had to post this picture! She asked to put on a princess dress!! Maybe the tides are turning...


1st Video: Lexa and Riley really wanted to ride the cars together and there was this one little girl, Ashley who had been in line with us for several rides who volunteered to ride with Kyle... I think Kyle would have preferred a little more space, but was still happy to be able to drive!

2nd Video - The girls dancing, filled with excitement after defeating the dreaded Flume ride!

Times flying

The past few weeks have been filled with fun and sun! We have tried to get to the pool a few times a week since it will be fall soon and we have spent many afternoons at the park or riding bikes. Riley is now riding her "big" bike with training wheels and Kyle is strapped into the pink & purple princess tricycle - maybe Santa will bring him a red bike to ride! We finally brought out the slip-n-slide and Lexa and Riley loved zooming down in every direction possible. They also loved playing in the sprinkler and baby pool - Kyle decided to just watch this adventure (having just fallen down 4 wooden stairs, landing on his head, it was probably a good idea!)

We had a surprise day visit from Grandma and Papa last week. They took us all out for a fun dinner and it was great seeing them! It had been almost a month since we had visited and Kyle couldn't get enough of Grandma!

Tracy spent a fun weekend away with the girls and Eric was super-dad and spent the day at Bebes pool, took the kids to the park, and even helped Kyle battle a very high fever. Last weekend we had 2 families over for dinner and everyone had a wonderful time. The kids were so great, that the adults actually got to enjoy dinner without interruption!

I'm not sure where the time has gone, but in the last few weeks, while we have been having all this fun, Riley and Kyle have grown up!


Riley is now swimming! It happened over night. She wakes up talking about swimming and every day is willing to try something new and go the next step. Today when we were leaving swim lessons our conversation went something like this - Me: Riley Paige, are you a mermaid?? Riley: No, because the little Mermaid swims way far into the ocean, and stays way under water, and goes far, far away, and talks to other animals and mermaids, and doesn't come up for air, so no, I'm not a mermaid, I'm Riley. (all of this one thought and one sentence) Definitely a literal child... when will I learn!?

Kyle is now communicating so well - he now signs a bunch of new words and he has added bye-bye, thank you, and Lexa to his vocabulary. He knows all the movements to the Itsy-bitsy spider and loves to copy everything his sister does! He is such a sweet child but is getting more and more devilish as the days go by!

And finally, what you have all come to see - pictures!

Kyle on the swing - since this pix was taken, Kyle has decided he wants to be on the big swings like his sister. Tracy does not like this very much at all (hes only 15 months!!)!

Kyle going through the tunnel
Riley on the swingsKyle coping everything Riley does. For the most part, they get along great and are too cute together!
Riley and barbie slip-n-sliding
Riley and Lexa sliding down the baby pool slide
The crazy trio!

Right after their 2nd swim lesson - notice all floating devices (that were a Riley REQUIREMENT last week) are no where to be found! The girls had to have jumped in at least 25 times in a row. Riley wouldn't get in the pool without holding on to an adult just 2 days ago!

There really isn't anything to see on this video - Kyle was dancing for us but stopped... but hes just so darn cute!