Swimming with Cousins

We were able to go to Nana & Papa's house for the 4th of July this year. Before the fireworks, we were able to go swimming and spend time with everyone at the pool. Kyler has turned into a little fish! He does not quite have the hang of swimming on his own yet, but he did finally learn how to use arm floaties and started to get around on his own! Can I tell you how nice it is that at least one child doesn't need constant attention? It is so nice to have a little reprieve from the stress swimming brings to me. Damon is now somewhat scared of the water which good and bad. He won't listen to anyone to try and swim, but he wants to play so badly! Radley is fearless as ever! He is the scariest of all to have at the pool. He is not scared of anything and doesn't know he needs to be careful. My boys are becoming little water babies!!

He was having a blast!

A baby on a mission...

Finally he started to get in the water.  He was very proud of himself.

Kyler was brave and decided to go on the slide with Daddy.

He wouldn't go on the slide by himself, so he thought it was a better idea to jump in the deep end on this raft.  Luckily he didn't fall off!

Papa tried get Damon a little more comfortable, but Damon had to decide for himself that he could do it.  He won't let anyone tell him what to do!

Kyler finally put some floaties on (thanks to Gentry being done using hers hence the pink) and went down the slide by himself.

It was so fun to see Kyler gain some independence in the water!

He had so much fun doing the slide and knowing he could do it by himself!

Meanwhile, these 3 needed to take a snack break.  Gentry was kind enough to share her Cheetos with Damon and Radley and even fed them!

This little Diva... I couldn't help but get a shot of this pose!

Kyler loved that his floaties helped him to float on his back.  His teacher tried to show him how to do this in swim lessons, and he could do it much better with the floaties.

This guy has incredible aim with squirt guns!  He can shoot and hit anyone he wants.

Kyler thought he had to hold his breath from the top of the slide!!

Right before we left, Kyler thought he was pretty cool when he went down the slide head first!

Radley's 1st Birthday

I can't believe my sweet little boy is 1 now!! He was not what we had planned for our family at the time (let me just say, plans never work!). However, I could not imagine our family without this adorable little guy! He thinks that he is just as big as his brothers and will not be left out of ANYTHING!! He thinks he can do whatever his big brothers do and have whatever they have.  His smile can light up a room, and his laugh is rare but the sweetest thing you have ever heard.  I am so glad he is part of our crazy life!!

Since my family was coming through during the week of Radley's birthday, I thought it would be fun to have them here for the celebration!!  They have never been here for any of the boys' birthdays.  I was really excited because my mom volunteered to make the cake and Papa Dude was pretty much coerced into decorating it.  I really didn't have to do much of anything!!  Maybe they can come back in August for Damon's birthday too!!  Thanks for all the help!

The cake decorators!  Kyler was mostly a taste tester, making sure all the different colors of frosting were approved ok for eating!

So cute, right? Much better than what I would have done!

He didn't get a lot of time to work on the presents alone.

He had plenty of help opening presents!

All of our boys have gotten a ball for their first birthday.  So far it has been a hit with all of them!

He was excited about that candle! 

I love this!!  Who needs hands or utensils?!?

Oh yeah, getting all in!

Once he got the ice cream, he forgot about the cake!  He loved the ice cream!

He was serious about the ice cream!

Once the ice cream was gone, he moved back to the cake!

And he had enough!

Visit From Oma & Papa Dude

We were lucky enough to be the pit stop for Oma & Papa Dude and Sara, Emma & Zadi on their way to Cali for vacation. The boys were extremely excited to see everyone!! We had a lot to do in the two days they were here. First we went to Fun Day at the pool; then we had Critterfest at the Science Museum; then we had swimming at our apt pool; then we went to Chuck E Cheese's; then we had Radley's birthday party!!!  It was a busy two days, and the boys loved every second of it.  Kyler was so sad the morning he woke up after all of them had left.  He walked into every room to find them, and then went to a corner and cried because he was so sad they left!  It was heartbreaking!

They had a minature zoo (a zoo by Lubbock's standards since there is not one here) at the Science Museum.  Kyler was really not impressed with the outside animals because he thought it was too hot.  He is such a wimp when it comes to heat!

Apparently the kangaroo thought it was hot too!

Radley was not quite sure what to think of the animals.  I think he was a little confused.

There were elephants too!  This one was standing in the sprinkler. 

This was a HUGE elephant.  Seriously, I have never seen an elephant this big or an elephant with caps on the ivory tusks.

Damon wanted to show Papa Dude and Oma the Dori fish.

Radley was trying to catch a shark!

I found a baby hedgehog, and it was so cute.  It's hard to see but it was smaller than the palm of my hand.

Kyler was showing off his swimming lesson skills.

Trying to swim with Papa Dude.  I love the facial expressions.

The tongue is just too much!

Emma & Damon were very good about squirting everyone with water.

Kyler showing me that he can standup in the pool all by himself.  The mark on his forehead is a tatto from the Critterfest.  He really wanted to get his face painted, and Sara talked him in to getting a tatto on his face.  The lady doing it suggested that he put the tatto on his forehead.  He walked around the rest of the day saying, "Watch, I can make the monkey move!"  He then proceeded to wrinkle his forehead over and over!! 

 He loves those squirt guns!

Kyler was having a blast with Papa Dude.  He won't jump into the pool to anyone else now.  He told me he would only do it for Papa Dude. (As you can see, the shorts refused to stay up.  They fell every time he flug around.)

This was fun too!

After swimming and getting a bath, Damon was having a really hard time and fell asleep waiting for me to get out of the shower.  He was having so much fun, he was exhausted!

These boys had been waiting for weeks to go to Chuck E. Cheese's with Oma & Papa Dude.  Radley was not quite sure what to make of everything, but he had fun!

Nothing could keep his attention.  He got off every ride before it was over.

Damon was working hard hitting that basketball!

Peek-a-Boo, I see you!!

Making sure to get every last ticket!!