Rainy Day Fun

Mom had bought some of those candy-gummy-waxy lip and moustache things a while back and has been waiting for just the right time to give them to the kids.

Day Two of never-ceasing rain = time to break out the fun treats that have been in reserve!

The moustache was a little difficult to hold properly. Especially after Noah bit off a good portion of the piece you are suppose to bite to hold it on.

Ellie put her lips on her mouth...

but then wouldn't hardly move her hands so we could see them on her!

The lips, however, were much easier for Noah to handle.

After I snapped this photo, he ran to look at himself in the mirror! Silly boy!

Thanks for the fun and entertainment, Nana! ♥

Saturday

{Just a small warning... it's a photo heavy post. And had there not been so much rain, there would have been more.}

We started the morning off trying to decide if the zoo was a bad idea due to the sprinkles that we were already recieving and the potential storm clouds we saw in the distance. But, after some coffee and "forcing" the Prysocks to drive 30 minutes out of the way to come to Starbucks, we figured we might as well go for it.

The kids {and adults} had a blast. As is evidenced by the millions of photos I took during the course of our time at the zoo.

{Jonah totally photo-bombed the pictures.}

{And, can I just interject here how much I love our friends? Because who else, but Dear Friends like ya'll, would tote a slightly cranky child around whom wasn't their own flesh and blood?!}

We left the zoo and headed to Chipolte for lunch. And, on our way home from the zoo, the rain started. And hasn't stopped since. We're grateful for the rain, but it ruined our plans for family photo shoots and dinner in Bricktown tonight. Instead, the Prysocks and I headed up to Hobby Lobby to take advantage of the perfect background {great thinking, Erin!} for a family photo for their Christmas cards:

We picked up pizzas on the way home and enjoyed a "Life Group" night in! Friends, I can't thank you enough for coming to visit. I miss you all, almost as much as I miss Ben! :D And I'm very much looking forward to seeing you all again - SOON! ♥

{And Mom and Daddy-man, as much as this makes me sound 15 years old again, thanks for letting me have my friends over! lol!}

Friends.

This afternoon, after Ellie and I picked Noah up from school, we were excited to get back home to have a visit from David, Stephanie, and Baby Jonah! Back in August when Erin and I went out to meet Jonah and visit his parents, we made plans for the Prysock's and the Carroll's to come up to OKC for a MUTEMATH concert and some friend time.

It was the first time the kids met each other. Ellie was in love. She liked sitting next to him. She liked kissing him. She especially liked showing him the picture of her Daddy on my phone.

But most of all, she just liked him. Can't say that I blame her - he's too cute!

The Prysock's left just before dinner so they could eat dinner with her family and get Jonah settled before we met up at the concert. But not long after they left, we had another set of visitors! Marlene and David were taking care of Addy this weekend, so they walked around for a little visit. Both of my kids just adore Addy!

After they left, Noah asked, "Who's coming over now, Mommy?"

♥

Baths and bedtime for the kids, and then I headed out the door to meet our friends for the MUTEMATH concert!

I was more than grateful to see my friends, listen to a new-to-me band, have some earplugs, and even enjoy part of the concert while outside in the cool air with Erin and Jadyn!

After-School Snack-Time

Mommy and Noah Date | AWANAs

Noah needed some Mommy-time. I needed some Noah-time. So tonight, before AWANAS, he and I went on a dinner date. We left Ellie with Mom {Daddy-Man wasn't home yet and BB was soon to be on her way over} and got the in car. I asked him where he'd like to go for dinner and after a moment's thought, he said:

"Chili's!"

He totally wanted a chocolate molten cake! And, had time been on our side {how many times did I ask him to put on his shoes?!?}, we would have gone. Instead, we ended up at his second choice: the quesadilla store {Taco Bueno, in Noah-speak}.

He ordered his dinner and I mine, we got our drinks, and waited for our food to be brought out. We talked about what we were going to do in AWANAS, reviewed our memory verse, wondered if the little boy outside was listening to his mommy, and used my phone to take pictures of each other.

But when our food came? The boy was all business and ate like a champ!

During AWANAS, Noah's class and the class I work in have game time together, so tonight I got to watch him in action with the bouncy-sitting balls!

I'm looking forward to many more dates with this young man! ♥

Outside Playtime

The weather has been fantastic around here the last few weeks allowing for plenty of outside play. And Ellie, unlike her brother, LOVES the grass. More than once we've caught her just laying down on the grass:

Today she did it while wearing Bubby's {slightly-too-small-for-him-now} shoes.


And, because they were so excited to show off their amazing skills and new outside toys to the aunts, Papa, and uncle, we went back out for a few minutes after dinner.

Sans the dress, but still with Bubby's shoes.

The View from Monday

Sunday Visits

I ♥ Sunday visits with my grandparents.

Even when my kids don't want to cooperate for a picture.

It's Been a Week.

Truthfully, with the exception of Thursday night's photo shoot with my Aunt and cousins, I haven't touched my camera much this week. I'm okay with that. There's a saying that has been going around that the best camera is the one that you have on you. Or, in my case this week, that others have on them!

For example:

Last night, Jessie and BB camped out all night long to buy balcony tickets for the midnight showing of Breaking Dawn, part 1. {I'm going - thanks to them sleeping in a tent all night outside a movie theatre! Thanks Sisters!!} We had to take them an air mattress and sleeping bags... and the kids thought the tent was just the coolest thing. Lucky for me, while my phone battery was too drained to take a photo, Aunt Jessie's wasn't.

Today, while Daddy-Man, Ellie and I were driving to Texas to get the vehicle inspection updated on Ben's truck, Mom, Marlene, and Noah went to a few garage sales. I got several texts with pictures like this from Marlene. He might have started out with a poor attitude this morning, but he definitely seemed to enjoy hunting down treasures with Nana!

And after he ate lunch with all the rest of the crew, they stopped by a little exhibit in the Home Depot parking lot and Noah got to get inside a Police helicopter.

The subject of this photo text: "You catch the bad guys!" {That's what he told the Policeman who was standing by the helicopter.}




Meanwhile, Daddy-Man, Ellie and I were driving back from Texas after getting the truck inspected, visiting my favorite scrapbooking store there, and eating lunch at OTB. I brought my Canon along... but didn't take a single photo at any of those locations. But I *needed* a photo of the sleeping Ellie in the backseat of Ben's truck. So after a couple of failed attempts on my part, Daddy-Man took my phone and got this one. ♥

And moments later, this one.

Once back home, there were too many exciting things happening for me to not pick up my camera.

Including a visit from IronMan:

Fantastic new "treasures" waiting for us in the living room:

{Nana is amazing - $12 for the pirate ship slide! They. love. it!}

And a quick photo thank you for a dear Friend:

It's been a week. But it's been a good one.