My Little Bro turned 30 today!!

Here are some photos I have been meaning to post from a recent visit Patrick made. The boys and I went with my parents and him to the Chattahoochee Nature Center. It was a beautiful spring day and the boys had so much fun walking on the boardwalk that leads to the river. I had lots of fun photos!




Patrick's girlfriend was teasing him about sniffing or sneezing in every picture I took that day. Our allergies were in full swing and it was hilarious! My dad is in the background taking a nap while the boys ate lunch! Collin is playing with his sandwich as usual!

And Here are some pictures from out visit to NAshville last weekend to celebrate P's 30th birthday! We started out going to Centennial park where some local musicians were playing. Then we had dinner at a mexican restaurant near him that has a vegan menu! It was really fun letting the boys eat out. They didn't love their meal but enjoyed ordering. Just to show you how little Ashton eats out, he asked me where they made the food and wondered why we didn't get it right away when we ordered. This sweet boy has not eaten out much! The manager was awesome though!I had called ahead of time to discuss things with him and he came out and talked to me and even checked on me several times. The restaurant makes their vegan dishes on separate equipment and everything!

I made this awesome t-shirt for Patrick and we made him wear it out to dinner

I found this vegan bakery in Nashville and ordered this amazing cake! It was great!!!!

Patrick's girlfriend Catherine hung out with us at the park but then had to leave for the Apprentice Live finale show in NY!

 




Some very worn out boys at our hotel that night

Playing drums in front of the hilarious TI poster at uncle P's. Ashton had even told the dentist, "I'm going to play drums at Uncle patrick's house" earlier that week

Sunday after church, we went to a park with an awesome huge train the boys loved

Then we walked around this beautiful lake. Collin's hands are so sweet in this photo

I threw this one in for Wes' sister. We always joke about the York "resting face" looking angry and this is it!! haha He really is a very happy kid I promise!!

To prove Ashton is a happy kid especially when you stick him  in front of a giant train. He couldn't get much happier!

Embers reading books on the way home. He is a genius already!

We had a cool view as we approached Chattanooga after a rainstorm

We were jammed in our Mazda 5 to save mileage on our van

A fun trip celebrating our Uncle P MO!
 

Conversation with Ashton yesterday

On the way home from his end of year party, Ashton and I ate lunch at Chipotle together (so  excited to have another restaurant on our short list that he can eat at!) Then we were driving in Duluth and saw the flags they have out for Memorial day. I was trying to explain that memorial day we honor soldiers for our country and he asked what a soldier looked like. I reminded him that my grandfather Pop was in the army and that soldiers are regular people. He said, "And soldiers keep the bad guys away from  us?" I guess he learned that at school so I said yes. I knew what was coming next. "Do they shoot the bad guys?"
me, "Well...um... hopefully not."
Ashton, "Then what do they do with them?"
At this time I started praying for the right words, "Well maybe they take them to jail and sometimes people from our church go to jails to tell the bad guys about Jesus."
Ashton, "And check it out?" (meaning check the jail out)
me, "Um...yes."
Ashton, "So some people who go to our church are in jail?"
me, "Oh well they might just go for a day and then go back to their house. They don't stay there."
Ashton, "oh...Can I go to jail and check it out?"
me, "Well maybe sometime when you are older we could go to tell the people about Jesus. You know when people learn about Jesus, they change and want to become good."
Ashton, "I'd like to go to jail when I'm 22 and check it out with you and Collin and daddy and Embry. Well maybe when Embry is 22 because then he'd be old enough to go to jail!"

Oh my goodness what a conversation!! I just prayed that my boys would never be "old enough to check out jail" unless they really were going to minister to prisoners!!

On a lighter note, here are some great photos of his amazing end of the year party. They had waterballoons, watermelon eating contest, cookie decorating, hula hoops, tattoos, popcorn and an inflatable obstacle course and a hilarious kid DJ who was busting the tunes!! It was so fun and I am so glad I got to get off work for it. We will truly miss his three amazing teachers and I got teary eyed thinking of how scared I was before this school year about protecting him with his allergies. I still get nervous everyday when he is eating lunch and check my phone constantly but this year has been so calming and those ladies have done everything the right way! In fact, even during the party his teacher saw someone had a snack out and I heard her say, "Snacks are out. Where's Ashton?' As an allergy mom, I could not have asked for better teachers and I pray the years to come are the same!

limbo

In line for the jumpy. I am loving his goofball faces. He looks so grown up!

I think Ashton has a crush on Morgan!

His teacher, Mrs Wood won the watermelon eating contest!

His classroom after the party raising their hands for their favorite parts of the day.

His cubby with backpack, waterbottle and Epipen bag! They said he has been awesome to carry it everywhere!

His teacher, Mrs Wood

Her assitant, Mrs. Olson

Other assistant, Mrs Holcomb

A few good stories

Today Collin had his observation day at GACS. We are hoping to send him to school next year to be in K3 which is the class Ashton is in this year. Ashton is so excited about his little brother coming to school and was so great to hold his hand and walk him inside and show him the ropes. It was super sweet! Ashton's amazing teachers said that Collin was definitely ready for school and he really loved it. I am getting teary eyed every time I think about Ashton starting school 5 days a week next year. I just can't believe he won't be with us on Thursdays and Fridays. I have been trying to really make the most of my days off but that's been hard lately with these stupid boards looming over my head. I'll be so glad when they're over. We're so thankful Wes finished up his first year of his doctoral program last week. I won't lie...it's been downright horrible at times. We just have to make it through another year of classroom and then hopefully it will be better. Every time I tell people our situation right now, they truly look at me like I'm a crazy person and I just about am!
Here are a few funny things I have been meaning to write down the boys said...

Ashton and Collin are getting really into the potty humor and I'm trying to not let it get too far but some of it is hilarious. Ashton studied jungle animals last week and his teacher told the class that baboons throw poop at you sometimes. Well of course he loved this and he tells me baboons have "Blue booties" so now EVERYTHING is about his "blue booty."

Tonight I was tucking him in and we had a sweet moment. His cousin Edwin gave him a sweet book about a fish who tells the story of Jesus walking on water. I showed him in his Bible that the story is a Bible story and we read that as well. Afterwards he said, "So if we look at Jesus and trust him, we won't fall in the water and we can walk on it?" It was so sweet that he got the concept and I was so proud of him. I am just praying the story will sink in one day and he'll truly know the deeper meaning. So later I was hugging him telling him that I cannot believe how fast he is growing up and he rolled on his tummy and said, "will you smell my blue booty?" A little comic relief I guess!!

Today on the way to school Ashton was telling me he was disappointed that something was not going to happen this weekend and he kept complaining about it and finally Collin said, "Sweetheart, it's not going to happen!" That made Ashton really mad and he said he did not want Collin calling him sweetheart. I thought it was hilarious!

A and C have been running lately from the playroom in different directions to the kitchen where I usually am to tell on one another. If Ashton gets there first he says, "Whatever Collin is about to say is a lie."

Ashton recently told Wes over spring break that I had said it was ok for him to eat a cupcake for lunch. Wes said he would call me to check since I was at work and Ashton said no, he didn't need to and he didn't need to tell me about it when I got home either.

Embry is saying a few things too! He says graham cracker which is his favorite food but he calls all good food graham crackers. It is really funny and his brothers get a kick out of it.
He also says "good job" and "tee tee" which is a result of having an older brother potty training.Funny what determines your first words! One of Ashton's was "Hayla" which was Haley and Collin's was "At-ton" for Ashton.

Locked out mom looks like a crazy lady in a super nice neighborhood

So tonight we went to a dinner at one of Wes' band student's homes for all the senior band members and their parents. It was in a very nice neighborhood and it made me nervous to have the boys loose in this house. Anyway, I stepped out of the house to the car to get some of the many cars/trucks/trains that are always in the car hoping that would keep them entertained while we were there. When I came back, I had all these toys in my hand and the door was locked. I tried and tried to knock, ring the doorbell, and yell but no one heard me because it was so crowded inside. I knew Wes was in the kitchen sitting with Embry so there was no way he would see me. I kept looking in the window and all I saw were Ashton and Collin and their buddy Nicklas running in circles in the living room. I was so panicky that something was going to break in this nice house and here I was not able to get in. Finally I went to a dining room window which was high off the ground so I had to jump a little and bang on the window and a father walking by saw me and I pointed to the door so he let me in. Phew! Nothing was broken but what a night. Then Collin of course had to poop since we're potty training him and he holds it until the LAST second so I spent a lot of the night in the bathroom with him. But all in all it was good because anytime I get to eat something I did not cook, even though I have to eat it while holding a very squirmy Embry, it is a good night!!!!

Speaking of, Embry took his first steps this week! It was so sweet; the first time he did it Collin and Ashton and I were all in Collin's room watching Wes cut the grass and Embry walked to the window with 2 steps. His brothers LOVED it! They were so excited and just cheered. They've been asking me most days, "Is Embry going to walk today?" They have it in their heads that when babies turn one, they walk. Anyway, now they love to practice walking with him around the house and he loves it and just squeals! It's really something special to be a third child, I am learning. You get so much attention when you have 2 older siblings to enjoy all you do and love on you.

 

 

And a sweet photo of my dear friend Kim who visited us today

taking a study break...

to finally post our Easter photos!! Pre-Easter I tried to get creative and do a few things with the boys leading up to Easter. We played a sensory Easter game where I hid different items in the plastic eggs and the boys had to feel them and guess what they were. They loved it and we got such a kick out of Collin. he looked so cute shutting his eyes and loved to teach others to play the game. On Easter, he wanted all of our family members to take a turn. He would get so excited that before they guessed, he would shout what the object is. My grandmother especially got a kick out of that and the photo of her laughing is at that moment.

 The next thing we did was dye some paper eggs. I found a craft online since we don't get to dye real eggs due to our egg allergy. We took glue and made designs on the paper. Then put salt on the glue and then dyed the salt with colored water. The boys loved it. AShton was meticulous and Collin loved pouring salt on the glue by the spoonfuls. Then he ended up dumping his colored water on the plate so AShton thought it was funny and did the same. Here they are working...

Embry snacking and watching from the porch doorway

 

 

Bunny Loot Easter AM

Dressed for church

Best Family photo from the day!

 

GG laughing at Collin during our sensory game!

twins

My mom playing our game