Black Island Farms

We went to Black Island Farms Friday and had such a great time!  Here's some pictures from our day!

Tyler loved the big tube slide.  He doesn't usually show much emotion so it was really fun for me to see such a big smile on his face.  Don't get me wrong, he is a really happy kid, but he is usually pretty serious about things.  He also had a great time shooting the paintball guns.

This is Gavin's latest smile when taking a picture.  Every time we try to take a picture of him, this is what he does.  Gavin loved the animals.  He is still talking about the chickens and goats.  The first thing he said to me this morning was "I want to go to the farm".

Emily's favorite part of the day was the animal train.  She would ride the train, get off, and get right back on again.  She must have ridden it 20 times.

My favorite part was the pig races.  They were hilarious!!!  The little green pig won every time!  We had such a fun day, but we were all exhausted by the time we got home.

Gavin

Gavin was tagged.  Here are 5 things you may not know:

1.  Gavin is very mischievious.  

I am sure that most of you know this from reading my blogs.  He cannot be left alone even for a minute!  He simply can't be trusted.  I had to leave him with Travis yesterday before Travis got the opportunity to shower.  He asked me "What am I supposed to do with him while I shower?"  I had to giggle a little bit when I thought of the mess that Travis would have to deal with.  I often wonder what runs through Gavin's head and how he thinks of half of the things that he does.  I found a perfect quote from Walt Disney that sums Gavin up well. "When you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do."  AND HE DOES!!!

2.  Gavin is always happy.  

He is smiling from the moment he wakes up to the minute he goes to bed.  He loves people and is very friendly.  He is very hard to discipline when he looks at you with a huge smile on his face.  I think his sweetness is what makes some of our days bearable!

3.  He loves to play outside.  

He has already figured out the deadbolt and child locks that we have put on the front door.  If I turn my back for even a second, he bolts.  My neighbor has brought him back twice.  One of those times, Gavin went and knocked on her door, and told her he was hungry.  She took him into the house, gave him some crackers, and brought him back home before I even realized that he was gone.  Mother of the year???  Thank goodness for good, honest neighbors.  Thanks Carrie!!!  

4.  He adores his brother and sister.  

He is constantly imitating the things that they say and do.  I can't believe how fast he has grown up.  The boys share a room and we are getting ready to move Tyler into his own room.  I know that Gavin will struggle with him gone.  He has a hard time going to sleep until Tyler is in the room with him.  It is so much fun to hear them in the bedroom talking and giggling.

5.  He is quite a little daredevil.

You really have to be alert with Gavin around.  He jumps off tables when you're not really paying attention, just hoping to be caught.  He jumps from the coffee table to the couch and loves to ride his bike no hands down our slanted driveway.  I am quite surprised that we haven't had a serious injury yet with him.  I guess it's just a matter of time.  He sure keeps me on my toes!

Once again, I could go on and on.  It's sooo easy for me to talk about my kids since I think they are each so wonderful...  

Gavin, you are such a special kid.  You have such a great personality.  I can't imagine how dull my days would be without you.  I love your sense of humor and the fact that you are so adventurous.  You are truly the happiest boy I have ever seen and I hope that you always stay that way!

I tag:

Lexie

Kaden

Brooklyn

(I think all of our other blogging friends have been tagged!)

Emily

Emily was tagged!  Here are 5 things about her that you may not have known:

1.  Emily loves to cook.

Emily is often found in the kitchen mixing up all sorts of creations.  Her favorite thing to make is scrambled eggs and she is actually really good. She loves to please her family by cooking for them (especially her dad). She even washes her dishes when she's done!

2. Emily has a FUN personality.

If I could only pick one word to describe Emily, it would be FUN!!!  She is often very silly and has a great sense of humor.  The best thing about her sense of humor is that she doesn't really realize that she is being funny.  A quick story... we had her in dancing lessons, which I was sure that she would absolutely love, being a princess and all.  After her first dance recital, she told me she didn't like dancing.  I asked her why and she said that she would rather take boxing lessons instead!

3.  Emily is very talented.

Emily is successful in everything she does.  Things just seem to come naturally to her.  She played soccer again this year and had improved dramatically since last spring.  She is very fast and coordinated and made quite a few goals.  She did great in T-ball and could often hit it from the pitcher instead of the tee.  She loves to sing and dance (as long as it's not in a dance class), and can't wait to take tumbling lessons. She has been riding a bike without training wheels since she was three and loves to ride her scooter.  She is a great student and is already learning to read.  

4.  Emily is pretty accident prone.

When Emily was three, she fell running up our driveway and knocked her front two teeth out.  I think that it was the worst day in my life.  A couple of years later, she tripped over her shoelaces and knocked them out again.  We have to watch what she eats very carefully, because if they fall out again, they are STAYING OUT!!!

5.  Emily is very sweet and caring.

Emily is such a big help to me.  She has learned to change Gavin's wet diapers and is quite a little mother to him.  She is very excited for the new baby to be born, and can't wait to have a baby sister!   

I could go on and on about Emily.  She is so much fun to be around and all those who know her absolutely adore her.   Emily, I love you very much!   I couldn't ask for a better daughter.  I am so proud of you and know that you will accomplish many great things!

I tag:

Brookelyn W.

Bryson S.

Kaydee B.

Kenzie B.

Megan C.

The 8's

Since I am always the one to take pictures, I don't have many with me in them.  I was hesitant to include a picture, but since Gavin is with me, I guess it's OK.

8 SHOWS I LOVE TO WATCH:

• CSI
  
• CSI New York
  
• Survivor (my VERY favorite!)
  
• 24

These are the only shows I watch unless you count Sesame Street, Go Diego Go or Curious George.

8 FAVORITE RESTAURANTS:

• The Spaghetti Factory
  
• Javier's
  
• The Greenery
  
• David's Kitchen
  
• Union Grill
• La Ferrovia
• The Timbermine
• Piccolo Brothers

8 THINGS THAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY:

Yesterday was such a lazy day, and Travis was sick, so this is what I did:

• Baked cookies with the kids
• Played games with the kids
• Went on a walk/bike ride
• Watched conference
• Took a nap
• Colored with Emily
• Read my book
• Enjoyed a bubble bath

8 THINGS I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO:

• The birth of our baby girl
  
• Preparing to run a relay marathon with my friends in May
  
• Finishing our basement
  
• Painting our house
  
• Fitting into decent clothing
• Fall weather
• Camping next spring
• Losing 30 pounds!

8 THINGS ON MY WISHLIST:

• A healthy baby girl
• New running shoes
  
• A germ-free winter
• A happy family
• To be caught up on my housework
• A family vacation
• Successful kids

I TAG:

• Brooke
  
• Cally
  
• Jamie
• Lisa
  
• Lori

I'm supposed to tag 8, but I don't have many blogging friends.  If any of you are reading this, you really should start blogging!

Tyler

Tyler got tagged in a game of "Kiddo Tag".  What a fun thing!  Once you're tagged, you're are supposed to tell 5 things about that person that others may not have known.  

1.  Tyler is SUPER smart.  Sometimes it is a frightening thing for me.  I'm afraid that he's already smarter than I am and he's only in the third grade.  He is reading on a fifth grade level and doing really well in school.  His mind is very practical and analytical.  Sometimes people ask me what I've done to help him... believe me, it's all him!

2.  Tyler's dream is to play in the NFL one day.  It makes me feel like a bad mom every year when he begs to sign up for football.  I keep telling him next year for sure!!!  I worry because he is pretty small and really not an aggressive kid.  It makes me really nervous to think of him out on the football field.  I did find a flag football league in Clearfield which I'll probably let him play in next year.

3.  He is a very patient brother.  Especially with Gavin.  The boys share a room and Gavin is really good at destroying all Tyler's Lego creations.  He never complains and is always very helpful.

4.  Tyler loves the outdoors.  Anything from football to baseball, soccer, running, biking and fishing.  He loves to camp and shoot his BB gun.  He is definately an outdoor kid.  He completed his first mile race in May in under 11 minutes.  I am confident he could have finished faster, but I kept telling him to pace himself.  He is anxious to run again next spring.

5.  Tyler is very caring and compassionate.  He honestly cares about those around him and is very easy to get along with.  I think that's why he has so many friends.

Tyler, you are such a great kid.  You have so many talents and endless potential.  We love you so much and I am very lucky to have you as my son!!!

I tag: 

Spencer B.

Cody B.

Ryan S.

Brynnley W.

Jensen Pond

We went to Jensen Pond today to feed the ducks.  The kids had so much fun!  The ducks were very well fed, as there were only 12 of them who got to share an entire loaf of bread.  The most memorable thing about today is I finally got Gavin to wear a hat AND look at the camera.  I was so excited to finally get a picture of his face that I took 38 pictures of him in the hour that we were there!  I love watching my kids have so much fun and hope that they always enjoy the simple pleasures in life. 

FYI

Just in case anyone was wondering what takes blue and green Sharpie off of a computer screen... Clorox wipes and LOTS of scrubbing.  Gavin strikes again!