Christmas Update

We started out the holiday season with a 2 week trip to Arkansas. We had so much fun seeing family and friends. Reagan told his co-workers we stayed too long because by the second week I was driving around NWA looking for places to live :).

Fayetteville Square (and Christmas card photo)

Byron decorating our little tree. We didn't put up a big one this year for 2 reasons - the van was too full from Thanksgiving to bring it back from storage and we didn't want to keep getting on to Carter for messing with it. Byron had fun decorating it, this Thomas ornament is his ornament from last year and is his favorite. He even took it to school in the "share bucket" to show all of his friends.
Byron and his gingerbread house.

We had breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus at Southside Works, a neat area near downtown Pittsburgh with shops and restaurants. Byron's eyes are closed because he thinks if he can't see Santa, then Santa can't see him. He is terrified of him! Carter doesn't mind him at all. After breakfast we met up with some friends and went to see Tangled at the movie theater. The boys did great, Byron loved it and Carter fell asleep in the middle!

Since we didn't get to go back "home" for Christmas we decided to go to a Bed & Breakfast about 90 miles from Pittsburgh called Bedford Springs. It was beautiful! We had a great time. We swam, I spent the day at the spa, we had cookies with Mrs. Claus, went a Christmas Eve service at a Methodist Church in downtown Bedford, and had a huge Christmas feast.

On the way to Bedford we took a little detour through Shanksville, PA. Shanksville is where flight 93 crashed on 9/11 and is believed to be where the War on Terrorism began since the passengers of that flight fought back against the terrorists on board. They are building a memorial there, but right now all you can see is a temporary building with artifacts and there is a flag in the middle of the field where the plan crashed. The wreaths are in rememberance of the 43 Americans that lost their lives that day.


Bedford Springs

Happy 1st Birthday Carter Bug!

Carter had a great 1st birthday. He had a little party with a few of his playgroup friends today. We missed all of our family and friends back home, it just wasn't the same.

Byron read Carter's birthday cards to him. He said that they all said "I love you Carter Bug."

cupcake mess :)

A girl I knew back home in AR made this for Carter. It is so cute, on the reverse side it is solid red, has a football and his name (http://razorbackhillary.blogspot.com/).

Nana & Papa Larry came to visit

Nana & Papa Larry came to visit us this week. We had a great time! We rode a double-decker bus around downtown Pittsburgh, visited Sarris Candies, ate at a German restaurant (twice it was so good and the boys were entertained), went shopping at an outlet mall, and my Mom and I were able to go to a huge consignment sale and pick up lots of goodies for the boys (the Transformers costume Byron is wearing is one of those, a train table, and winter clothes - snow pants/suit and boots). I was so greatful they came; I was able to take Byron to his first day of school and stay with him for an hour and my Mom was a huge help in setting up for Carter's birthday party. Can't wait to see you guys again soon!

1st Day of Pre-school

Byron started pre-school this week. He is going MWF mornings. He really likes it so far. Today he asked me "Can we go back again sometime?" as we were leaving! He is growing up so fast :)

Clay-Caleb are coming to see me!

Last weekend (Labor Day weekend) Richard, Berkli, Clay, & Caleb came to visit us. Byron calls Clay and Caleb "Clay-Caleb," he was elated when they got here (and so were we). The little boys stayed up playing and "talking" until midnight both nights. We had a lot of fun while they were here. We played at McDonalds playland, drove up the steepest street in America (Canton Drive - 37% grade), ate at Cheesecake Factory, the boys ate donuts at Dunkin Donuts, had a Razorback Football watch party with a friend we have made up here that grew up in Rogers, Reagan & Richard went on a bike ride downtown, and played at a park. Can't wait to see you guys again soon!

Camp Thunderbird

A couple of weekends ago we made the trek back down to Charlotte, NC to a camp I worked at in college, was a camper, and where I spent a few weeks during a few summers visiting my aunt, uncle, and cousins (who have worked there for about 30 years). Camp Thunderbird had a 75th Birthday Party. It was so much fun. We spent the day boating, swimming, on the ropes course, eating in the dining hall, and best of all spending time with family who we don't see often enough.

Byron and Reagan harnessed up to go down the zip line. Byron climbed up to the top of the tower with Reagan, got scared and came back down; secretly I was so glad b/c I can't imagine him going down it so young (and for the record his Momma chickened out too after climbing up).

My cousin Kris and I at the evening program.

Byron was so tired at the end of the day he crashed in the dining hall, he also did this when we visited during the 4th of July. My other cousin Katie is sitting at the table on the right.

Pirates Baseball Game in a Box

We were invited to see a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game in a luxury box with some of Reagan's co-workers. It was really nice and we had a great time! After the games on Sundays the kids get to run the bases on the field. Byron loved it :)

Happy 3rd Birthday Byron!

Byron enjoying birthday "munchkins" from Dunkin Donuts. Carter enjoyed a few of them too :)

Byron at Build a Bear for the first time. He "built" Bucko the Pittsburgh Pirates bear. This bear has now been added to his collection of animal friends he sleeps with (Buzz Lightyear and Quack Quack the duck)!

Byron had a fun little party with 3 of his friends and their families. We enjoyed pizza, playing outside, a pinata, and cupcakes. It was a fun day, but we sure missed all of our family and friends... it just wasn't the same as his AR birthday parties!

A few weeks ago Reagan completed his first triathalon in Penn Hills, PA. This triathalon was a little different from a regular one. An Xterra triathalon is all off-road (steep trails). He swam 1/2 mile in the lake, biked 15 miles, and ran 5 miles. Penn Hills is about an hour away so we packed up and went along to cheer for him. We had a fun little trip!

What we have been up to....

We have been having lots of fun since we got back from vacation...

jumping on the trampoline

splashing in the fountains at Southside Works after a yummy dinner at The Cheesecake Factory

eating at Chick Fil-A, the cow scares Byron so he runs when he sees it coming

Carter just being cute :)

Byron pulling Carter around in the Exersaucer... brotherly love :)

Carter finally started crawling.... time to baby proof the house!

We got Byron & Carter a swingset for their birthdays and started assembling it last weekend and finished up tonight (Thursday).

(Please excuse the cracker mess on Carter's shirt, he was eating while we were assembling)

Byron has been enjoying his sports class at The Little Gym. He played baseball for 2 weeks and this week was soccer.

South Carolina part 2 - Hilton Head Island

After spending the weekend at Camp we drove 4 more hours south to Hilton Head Island. Byron was so excited about going to "the beach" and absolutely loved it! Carter had fun digging in the sand as well. Carter's new facial expression... too funny!

We took Reagan's bike and the boys trailer and I rented a bike and we did some riding a couple of days. Carter fell asleep every time we rode and Byron did too the first day.