Grandparents Day

Way back in mid October, Kennedy's school hosted a special morning for grandparents.  I absolutely love stuff like this, and I was so thankful that my parents were able to be in town for it.  Times like these remind me of how much I really wish they lived closer.  Luckily my mom's fall break fell the week before, so my parents simply extended their visit by a day and were able to go to school with Kennedy.

Feeling very blessed that three out of four grandparents were able to be with Kennedy on her special morning.

Kennedy was so very excited to have Nana and Pops going to school with her in the morning.

I was thankful for a good picture.

Grandma was able to make the performance, as well, but headed straight to school, so I missed the opportunity to get a picture with her, too.

Each class did a little performance for their honored guests and then the grandparents were able to go back with the children to their classrooms.  It was a quick, simple little event but so very special, too.  

My parents reported back that Kennedy sang every word and did every hand motion to her songs.  She was the best little performer up on stage, according to them!

Thank you Grandma, Nana and Pops for spending a few special hours with Kennedy!

Pumpkin Patch ~ 2013 {Joe's Place}

One of my most favorite fall traditions is our annual trip to the pumpkin patch.  This year we had beautiful weather and were lucky enough to have Nana and Pops join us.  It was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon!

Carter was fairly insistent on pushing the wheelbarrow himself.  And he did a great job until we started putting the pumpkins in, and then it got a little harder to push.  Or at least push straight!

Anything Carter does, Kennedy has to try as well!

Before we could choose our pumpkins and enjoy the other fun activities around the farm, I had to torture my poor family with pictures.  They were pretty good sports and I was thankful to get some good photos without too many threats!  I love the fall colors and their happiness to be at the pumpkin patch.

love this smile.  love this girl.

I don't think they could be any cuter

our attempts at family photos weren't quite as successful but I'll take it, it's not often that we get the four of us together in a picture.

Kennedy and her Nana

my girl is never so happy as when Nana is here with us.  She is Nana's shadow for her entire visit and they have so much fun together!

It was great to have Pops here with us, too.

in the apple orchard

my handsome boy is growing up so fast!

enjoying apples on our hay ride

Kennedy has taken to tilting her head and trying to be cute when we ask for a "nice smile" ~ it's so cute, but she often looks a bit like a pirate!

Another fantastic trip to the pumpkin patch!

Summer Adventure ~ Seattle

For Kennedy's birthday, we made a special trip up to Seattle.  We kind of had to squeeze it in between kindergarten camp, a friend's birthday and work, but we did our very best to make the most out of our two days.

Packed and ready for our adventure!

 

We drove up to Seattle on Kennedy's birthday, so we were able to swim at the hotel,

*funny side note ~ kids are so easy to please!  Our two star Best Western was easily the 'best' hotel because it had a swimming pool and breakfast in the morning.  The children were thrilled!*

and enjoyed a fun birthday dinner at Red Robin with one of my sweet friends from college, Andrea.  She has two kiddos close in age to Carter and Kennedy, so that made our dinner really fun.  It's always wonderful to see friends, and I was so grateful for the opportunity to spend time Byrd.

 

the birthday girl enjoyed her ice cream sundae...didn't love the singing this year, though.  She tried to bury herself in my lab as the waitstaff sang!

Happy 5th birthday, Kennedy!

I love you!

Andrea and I and our crew

Brock, Reagan, Andrea, Kennedy, me and Carter

hotel pools are the best!

Carter and Kennedy were in heaven ~ an hour in the pool after a long drive was the perfect way to end the afternoon!

my little fish

 

After our time at the American Girl store, we headed into downtown Seattle to see some of the sights.  It was a gorgeous day, and I wish we would have had more time to explore and see things.

Our parking garage had a great view of the bay!

 

 

then it was off to the Space Needle!

We had fun playing tourist, exploring the area around the Space Needle and then going up...

I'm pretty sure the kids thought it was going to be a bit more exciting (maybe more like a roller coaster?).  After paying a small fortune, they were ready to go in about 5 minutes.  We dragged it out and tried to explore for as long as we could, trying to make it worth our effort.

 

the telescopes were fun!

it was a gorgeous day, so the views of the city, Elliot Bay, Lake Washington, etc. were amazing.  I thoroughly enjoyed our time high above the ground!

Kennedy just wanted to play!

Thank you, Nana, for helping to make our little adventure so much fun!

our day at American Girl

I think from the moment I found out I was having a little girl, I have been waiting to take her to the American Girl store.  I read these books as a child (think they came out when I was in fifth grade or so), but my parents felt I was too old at that point to get a very expensive doll.  It didn't help that I didn't play with dolls all that much, either.  But I loved the stories.  I loved learning about different time periods, experiencing adventures with girls who seemed so real and so fun.  The books are well written and the stories wonderful ~ and the dolls are amazing! 

So last year Kennedy became interested in the dolls, too.  She had seen a catalog and became mildly obsessed with Caroline.  I didn't want to rush into buying her something that she wasn't quite old enough to take care of.  I figured if she really still wanted the doll (seven months later), we'd get it for her fifth birthday.  Turning 5 is a big deal in our house...we took Carter to Great Wolf Lodge for his 5th birthday, so we decided a fun adventure up to Seattle and the American Girl store would be a great way to celebrate Kennedy's special birthday. 

Kennedy was SO excited...she talked about our upcoming trip all the time and couldn't wait to get Caroline. 

Finally the day arrived...we were here!

And the store did not disappoint, it was wonderful!  Full of dolls, lots of pink and a darling little cafe where we enjoyed lunch.  Again, I am quite certain that Nana and I enjoyed our time as much as Kennedy!

 

It was so special to have Nana come with us...we are so grateful for her enthusiasm and willingness to come along and help make these events special.

the Caroline display was right in front (she is the newest doll), so we had to take some time and really study all of her clothes and accessories.

Thanks to the generosity of family and friends, Kennedy had several gift cards and was able to purchase almost all of Caroline's outfits.  Nana bought Caroline's bed for Kennedy's birthday, so there are just a few things left to get in her collection.

 

And to make our day even more special, by sheer luck, Ali and Emi were up in Seattle too.  (they live in Medford so we don't see them nearly as often as we'd like)  Carter was thrilled to have Emi there to play with and getting to watch both girls burst with excitement over their new dolls was so very special.  Ali is one of my dearest friends and I was so thankful to share this experience with her.  We had to laugh that we could never have planned and executed a trip to Seattle, but felt so blessed by the coincidence.  We didn't know until the night before that we were both there...such a fun way to spend our day!

Kennedy posing with Saige, the girl of the year

A quick stop at Starbucks before the shopping spree began.

Can I just tell you how much I love these two? 
I could watch them play and talk for hours.  They have always had such an incredible bond ~ I truly believe it is a gift from God.  They are the cutest!

They were so thrilled to see one another, lots of hugs and laughing!

see what a mean?

such sweet friends...their smiles couldn't get any bigger!

some quick photos with Caroline

These pictures are a bit out of order but I can't figure out how to change it, so I'm just going to go with it.

Ali and I...enjoying our few hours of time together.

Such a sweet, unexpected blessing!

Getting a lesson on how to do the dolls' hair

Nana, we love you!

I am so fortunate to have such a loving, fun and involved mom.  She has always been there for me and has provided such a loving example of how to be a mother.  One thing I have never doubted is how much my mom loves me, she is a gem.  And she's one amazing Nana, too.

a very special day with my girl

Caroline got to join us for lunch...

she had her own little chair and her own table setting, too.

They do a great job making the whole experience so much fun!

We worked up quite an appetite shopping...and then it was time for a special birthday lunch in the cafe. Again, so much pink! We were thrilled!

a sweet pink drink for my girl

and some special treats to celebrate her birthday!

 

A truly amazing day! 

Kennedy, I hope you always remember this day and know that you are loved on your birthday and every other day, too!  I hope you have years and years of fun with Caroline and that she always holds a special place in your heart!

Arizona {Sedona}

Sedona is one of the prettiest towns in the southwest, and I have always wanted to take the kids and show them the beautiful red rocks.  We still haven't made it all the way up the Grand Canyon, but at least we were able to check Sedona off the list this trip.  My mom found a groupon deal for a jeep tour that we thought the kids would enjoy.  It ended up being a little less thrilling than we had anticipated, but Carter seemed to like it and it was a fun, unique experience.

Kennedy was all set and ready to go!

Carter and Nana before we headed out to the desert with Wild Bill and his jeep

At the half way point we were able to get out of the jeep and explore a little bit.  This was an old (thinking 1800s but I can't quite remember) cabin that had been built by a homesteader ~ he was a bit of recluse and lived out his days in the middle of no where.  No thank you!

I had to include this picture because it shows Kennedy completely zonked out in the back of the jeep.  She managed to sleep her way through most of the tour, even with all of the bumping and bouncing!

Carter and Wild Bill

Our guide was definitely the best part of our adventure.  He had done a bit of everything (Armed Forces, cattle guy, police officer, volunteer fire fighter, wildlife park worker and now a jeep tour guide).  He was very knowledgeable and gave lots of good information.

Carter in the red rock desert

my mama and me

(Carter loves taking pictures with my camera and actually does a really good job)

With a little nap under her belt, Kennedy was ready to explore the town of Sedona.  After lunch we found a wonderful little chocolate shop and got some treats for later.  I'm not even a huge chocolate fan, but the smell in this shop was heavenly.  They make all of their chocolates on site and it was all very good!Thankfully they had ice cream too!

On our way back to Phoenix, we made a stop at Montezuma Castle.

It really was an incredible area ~ so much history.

Carter was bummed that we couldn't actually climb through the castle and Kennedy was expecting princesses and a draw bridge :)

I was impressed enough for all of us.

Native Americans built these labyrinths of rooms right into the mountain and from their home they could see throughout the valley.  I am always amazed at what people could construct with relatively nothing.  A few handmade tools at best.  Crazy.

quick picture stop

Love how my son follows directions and rules :)

Overall a very fun, adventurous day for all!