Ben's 3rd Birthday

Ben's birthday weekend was packed, in the best of ways.  

We had our neighborhood picnic on Saturday, which my neighbor and I plan and had on our cul de sac.  We ate BBQ and listened to the neighborhood kids sing "God's Not Dead".  A month or two ago, they found Mike's drum set under the house and have been faithfully practicing since then to make a neighborhood picnic debut. 

So Sunday afternoon, we gathered the grandparents, our friends, our neighbor friends, and celebrated our big three year old!

~The Spread~

 ~Guests~

 ~Drink Table~

 ~Joy & me ~

(I think we have an unofficial kid's bday pic tradition)

 ~lighting the candle~

I love that all of the kids are seen & packed in this pics.  He is so loved among our neighborhood kids. :)

 ~Post-Party help with gifts~

 

On his actual birthday, we took CFA to school to have lunch with Bubba & Sissy.

Getting birthday mail :)

And birthday cake on this bday eve.  

~Being celebrated at preschool~

He is such a joy to us.

Happy Birthday to our big boy! 

Love you so much, BenBen!

Rebuilding the Osprey Nest

The osprey nest at my parents' house had been hanging by a thread for a while.  So while we were there over the winter, they decided to take it down and rebuild it. 

The big kids got to help build the new one.

We went back for spring break and they got to finish it up and then put it back up.

 By the next morning there was a bidding/squawking war over the new residence.

2nd grade performance + end of Nov

These kids are growing like weeds!

Lily had her 2nd grade performance in November.  It's always sweet- it was patriotic bc it fell with Veteran's Day.  We were happy to have Pop, our family veteran, with us. :)

 A random {delicious} lunch downtown with Daddy.

 a weekend outing to a creek nearby

 On Nov 30, my wonderful, amazing Uncle Richard went to be with Jesus. 

Oh, he was such a good uncle.  I am so so thankful for the amazing family I got to grow up with.

Uncle Richard was always strong and so loving.  I alway knew I could walk up to him for the same good hug I'd get from my dad. And I am a hugger so its the way to my heart. So thankful for him and all the love and support he poured into my life by being there for vacations and summer gatherings, and graduation, and weddings, and so much more.  So thankful he is in Glory and not tied to a suffering, failing body.  My cousin, his daughter, Tayloe, did an amazing job of speaking about him.  I won't post a pic of that bc it pulls at my heart strings too much. 

I went alone with my Dad, my mom was already there.  It was a sweet weekend- and a great Mom break.

 Mike and the kids had a fantastic weekend bc they weren't tied down to Mom telling them to clean the house. :)

 Loved seeing my cousins.

Thanksgiving + Family Pictures

We spent part of Thanksgiving break at my parents house.  I always love the chance to be outside there.  Its not too cold yet and just feels like a last outside hurrah before winter.

We always have to walk to ride their land- so here is Ben looking cute in the brush.

Mike took the tent and camped with the kids one night.

My brothers and their families were there so they set up a super fun zipline with Paw's truck.

         

This one is a perfect angel at school but she is wild and free and rambunctious when she has the chance.  

 Cute Sarah Kate

 My mom's birthday fell on Thanksgiving so we had to celebrate her too! :)

I think it was her favorite gift to have us all there.

My mom's brothers, my dear wonderful uncles, have both been ill lately so we relished the chance to have extra time with my Uncle Henry.

 Then our usual tradition of family pictures for our Christmas cards. 

The girls had fun being together and doing shows for us. 

Looks like Peter had fun too! 

So nice to have time with my sisters in love- and be gifted with some wild LuLaRoe leggings.  Ooo, comfy!

 We made it back home in time to get some time with the MN cousins.  :)