Two of the four seasons

Last week, I had the happiest afternoon at the park with my boys.  We have had made-to-order fall weather and have been to the park 2-3 afternoons a week.  I LOVE it.  Love the sun, love the smiles, love being able to run and jump and shout and it's okay, love being together and happy.

This week, I had a fantastic time with my older guys outside in our yard.  It looked like this:

 

Okay, so none of us ordered this most recent weather, but we enjoyed it anyway.  At 3AM I had a precious moment with my little Camden.  I got up with my sad, sick little boy and saw the blanket of snow over everything.  I let him peek out his window, I let him peek out the family room windows, and I just ate up his curious, intent expression as he looked at his world that was confusingly different.  It made me think of Bambi:  "Mother, what's all that white stuff?"  He spent a lot of time on tiptoes peering out the windows throughout the day.  Before bedtime I brought in a handful and let him explore with it.  So precious.

Five of us were giddy to wake up to the first snow, and 6 inches at that!!!  Drew & Jacob could hardly get outside fast enough.  I joined them after awhile.  I loved having a grand snowball fight.  I loved hearing Drew laugh every time I hit him with a snowball.  I loved building two snowmen.  We stayed outside until we had exhausted our substantial pile of dry mittens & gloves (soak through one pair, don another).  Four seasons is way too much fun!!!

I hope this is the last time I'm disappointed by mediocre pictures.  My camera has been dying for at least a year, but it finally gave up during our snow morning.  And since I had to get a new camera, and I have a very nice husband, I am so excited to do dSLR! 

Hiding Places

If you ever need help thinking up an uber good hiding spot for a game of hide-and-seek, Drew has some ideas for you.  Have you tried...

a drawer under the train table?

in the cupboard on the lazy Susan?

or just a quiet corner with a book over your face?

If all else fails, you can try running undetected into a neighbor's house.  Oh, wait.  That wasn't during hide-and-seek.  That is just about every other day.  One particular neighbor has a killer toy room (although he has gone into one other house).  Drew lets himself in through the open garage door or the back screen door and heads straight for the toys.  Kind neighbor H doesn't even know he's there until she hears singing or playing noises.  He even got in when she wasn't home one day.  I'm trying to think of a nice way to suggest she start locking her door, but perhaps I should just start putting chains and a lock on my own door. 

Winners at D.I.

For our last date night we went to D.I.  It was a blast.  And check out what we found!!!

Pictures do not show off the amazingness of this trophy.  It's huge!  It's pink & purple & shiny!

We got it for a secret project that will be revealed at Tyler's office in coming weeks.  But we had a child or two at our house convinced that we had won big at a dance competition on date night ;).  And this trophy was just for second place.  Can you imagine what first looked like?