Finding fun in the simple things!

Caterpillars and beads! Finding fun in anything!
We just love them so much!

Jack was super excited about the caterpillar in our yard. He is very upset that we haven't found another one!

Jack got a leaf to feed to the caterpillar like in his book!

Sweetness!

Loving playing with the beads! (Dont let her fool you though....she much prefers cars, trucks and balls to most any toy!)

Love her so much!

Our little MVP!

We had a a fun weekend! Friday night started out at our favorite little pizza place and live music! The kids really enjoy it! Lucy was waving at everyone and smiling. She even tapped the man behind us on the back so he would turn around to smile at her. Again...I think we are going to have our hands full! Saturday morning we headed to T-ball pictures with Jack's team and then to his game! Lucy loved trying to be a part of the team this morning during pictures! She sat right there in the middle of all the boys and they all wanted to talk to her! In the game, the Rangers did so well and Jack was a happy little boy to have his Poppa, Nunno, Aunt Anneke, Anna, and Jake there to cheer him on!
Jack did so great at his game! He got to cover first base for a little bit and hit really well! He was swinging really hard today and had some good hits! AND...................... JACK GOT THE GAME BALL TODAY!!! He was so proud he turned around to run towards us to show us and then got called back and went back with his team! I am sure that every player will get the game ball this year at some point...but we celebrated and are so proud of the little man! He had such a big smile on his face and talked about it all afternoon! He was singing "Game Ball Game Ball!" in the tub tonight!

PROUD BOY!

Lucy with all the boys this morning! She loved it!

Jack is "T-Ball ready" for defense!

Happy T-ball player!

Snack time with buddy Patrick!

The kids got LOTS of good play time outside this weekend! Jake and Anna came back over to play after the game! Nunno had Easter eggs and baskets for the kids to have an egg hunt! They loved that! Lots of games of chase and tag and LOTS of running around! We grilled hot dogs and had a great time! Jack and Lucy were worn out tonight after dinner and after getting super scrubbed in the tub, they were out within minutes of getting in bed! What a fun day! We spent lots of time outside again on Sunday and ate dinner on the patio! It was really a happy weekend!

Growing up!

I had this all planned to do an entire post just about our sweet Princess...and then we had our first t-ball game this morning and I have all these CUTE pictures of the little man...so news on both precious babies! WE will start with Miss Lucy!

Lucy had her 15 month appointment on Monday (Yes, we got in on Sunday night at almost midnight and then I got up and took both kids across town for a dr. appointment at 8:15....and the time had changed! Whew! Not my best planning!) Dr. G said she looked "perfect"! She is 23lbs 12oz (60%) for weight and 31"(75%) for height! Her physical exam was great and she is ahead developmentally! She is quite the little woman! She is full of personality and likes to do things all on her own. She is independent and doesnt really care to cuddle with you for very long. She also puts on quite a show if she doesnt get her way. Jack never really did this so it is new and a little entertaining. She will throw herself on the ground and put her head down like the world has come to an end. Luckily it doesnt last very long and we tend to ignore it, but I am afraid we might have a little drama queen on our hands!  She LOVES to eat! If anyone has seen her eat, they can appreciate this! She knows what she wants and isn't always patient waiting for it! She loves to take a bath with her big brother and she loves to go to bed! If you tell her it is "time to go up!" She drops whatever she has and runs for the stairs! She points to her crib, grabs her blanket and the thumb goes in her mouth as soon as she hits the bed! She is still taking two naps. About an hour in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. She sleeps 12 hours at night. We are going to drop the morning nap soon, but she has really seemed to still need it at this point. Lucy LOVES to play outside and tries to keep up with Jack! She loves when he plays with her. They get along very well right now!  Lucy still loves school and gets excited and goes for a toy as soon as we get there. She behaves for anyone that watches her and stays on her little schedule. She was so great for Mimi and Papa last week when we were in Disney! She is a very happy little girl that loves to play! Anything she is doing is exciting and happy to her! We love her so much and she brings so much joy (and many laughs) to our life! I am sure she has a lot more in store for us!

Loving her green pancakes! We have had them the past two mornings!

Sweet little girl!

Happy Lucy with the baseball (She loves balls and trucks!)

Happy playing outside getting VERY dirty! Loves to sit right in the dirt!

Jack had his first t-ball game this morning (the first game was last weekend when we were away, so this was his actual first game)! He looked PRECIOUS in his uniform and hat and had a great time! He is a good listener to his coach, hit the ball and loved running the bases. He is not the most aggressive running into the dog pile to get the ball when he is on defense but smiles and keeps up with everyone! He has fun and that is all that matters to us! It was the CUTEST thing to see those sweet little kids running around this morning! Lucy enjoyed throwing a baseball around and clapping for the team! It should be a really fun season! It's fun to be a part of the Smyrna Little League! GO RANGERS!

First T-ball game!

Jack playing with his hat...not exactly paying attention to the batter!

Coach Eric helping out!

SWING!

Jack LOVED running the bases!

GO GO GO!

Rounding third!

Here I come!

An attempt at a picture with both of them. Lucy did not want to stand still!

And the favorite part of the game...snack time!

It was MAGICAL!

Jack's first trip to Disney World was truly magical! It exceeded our expectations and we had the best time! It is still amazing to us how much goes into the entire production of the parks and resorts to make it so special! The parades, the characters, the shows, the details, and all of the fun! We took it all in! We are all VERY exhausted! It was a busy trip and we fit in as much as possible!!! So....for a few of the details (And to document some of our memories!)

The trip down and Day 1....

We had a great trip down and were happy to get to stop at Mimi's to sleep on Tuesday night! Miss Lucy stayed there and did so great! She loved having all the attention! We headed out early Wednesday morning for Disney World! We did have to make one unscheduled stop..... Mommy and Daddy forgot to pack any shoes for Jack! Thank goodness for all the outlets in Orlando! We spent the afternoon in Magic Kingdom! It was so fun to see Jack be so excited to see everything! Jack rode the Haunted Mansion and kept saying, "That's just a little bit spooky!" and he would hold up his fingers to show "just a little"! We rode a few other rides, but the highlight was the Celebrate your Dream parade! He loved seeing the characters and he was in a great spot for lots of waves and high fives! We spent the evening at our hotel.  We ate our dinner outside by the beach and cuddled up to watch the Lion King under the stars! It was a really special day!

Jack's Snack Bag for the trip!

Mickey sent me snacks, an autograph book and a new movie for my ride!

Pulling apart the last ring on the ride down to Disney World! (from our countdown)

Here we are!!!!

Our first boat ride from our resort to the Magic Kingdom

Look! Look! I see the castle!

Mommy and Jack on the tea cups (only one ride for this family...Mommy and Daddy can't handle the spinning!)

Jack getting excited about the parade coming!

Hey Pluto! Jack got lots of high fives during the parade!

Getting on Pirates of the Caribbean ride for the first time (we rode it multiple times! One of Jack's favorites!)

Roasting marshmallows on the beach at our resort the first night! (Aren't the outfits so cute! BIG thanks to Nunno for making all the super cute shirts!)

Happy boy to be in Disney World!

Mommy and Jack snuggled on the beach watching The Lion King on the big screen!

Day Two - Animal Kingdom

Our second day was spent at Animal Kingdom. We got up and were at the gates when the park opened. We started on the safari ride and then went to Camp Minnie and Mickey to meet lots of fun friends! Jack met Meeko, Mickey, Goofy and Chip & Dale.  We had lunch at the Tusker House with Donald, Daisy, Mickey and Goofy. We spent the afternoon in Dinoland USA. Jack rode the flying Triceratops ride and DINOSAUR (this was a pretty intense ride and Jack did great! He would say, "That's just a little bit scary, but that's alright!") We got ice cream and found some shade to hang out.  There was so much to see there and all the plant life was amazing! We saw a 3D movie there about Bugs.  This was not his favorite. He loved the beginning but there was a mean bug at the end and he got scared.  However, he has talked about this movie about as much as anything. There was a stink bug that tooted on us in the movie and he thinks that is the funniest thing! We came back to Wilderness Lodge and had some good pool time! It was a little chilly to us but Jack thought it was so fun! That night we didnt have much planned so made reservations at T-REX restaurant in Downtown Disney. Jack fell asleep on the bus and we just about couldnt get him up...BUT he did get up and loved eating around all of the HUGE dinosaurs! It was such a neat place to eat. We walked around and shopped a little....got some treats at Goofy's candy store and headed home!

Happy boy on the safari ride! (Safari Mickey on his shirt! Ready to go!)

Look at that giraffe!

Our (almost) 4 year old smile! A little forced these days!

First character that Jack met was Meeko!

LOOK!!! There is Mickey! Jack was so excited to get a hug from Mickey Mouse!

Hey Mickey!

Family photo with Safari Mickey!

Hugs from Goofy!

Jack was SUPER excited about Chip & Dale. We didnt know he loved them so much!

Waiting on lunch!

Hey Donald! Jack barely would turn around to smile...he liked giving them big hugs!

Mickey was at our lunch too! Jack was telling Mickey that he had a shirt with a safari hat just like him! Mickey was excited and clapping!

Daisy stopped by to say hello too! Jack had corn dog nuggets at lunch and LOVED them! He ate a ton!

Jack had fun meeting Pluto too!

This is Jack getting five from Pluto...Jack did "Up High, Down Low..TOO SLOW!" and Pluto thought it was hilarious! Jack is still talking about how hard Pluto laughed at his joke!

A little break for a snack!

Having fun!

Look at this HUGE Dinosaur!

Dressed to go to Downtown Disney!

Cute little man!

Power nap! Fell asleep on the bus!

Perked back up for a fun dinner at T-REX! It was really cool!

And why not one more treat before the day is over?!

Day 3 - Magic Kingdom and the Luau!

We headed over to Magic Kingdom on Friday morning. We were there when the gates opened and headed straight to meet Mickey and Minnie! It was so fun! They were so happy to meet Jack! After that we went to the Crystal Palace to have a YUMMY breakfast with Winnie the Pooh and Friends! Jack met Pooh, Eeyrore, Tigger and Piglet! We saw an older kid near us that didnt want to get up and hug the characters. It made me smile to see our young excited little boy standing next to his chair jumping up and down waiting for them to come to our table! We spent the day watching some parades and shows, riding lots of rides and scouting out a plan for the next day! We got smarter with each day about how to time everything! We left and had a little down time before we headed to the Polynesian for the Spirit of Aloha show! Once again, Jack fell asleep literally in his plate of food. We could not keep him up! We took turns holding him while he got another power nap! He woke up just in time to see the big show and the fire dancer! The food was amazing (Best of the trip) and the show was fun! We left there and headed back to Magic Kingdom to see the fireworks show, the Electric Parade and we rode the Aladdin magic carpet ride! What a fun night!

Jack with Mickey and Minnie!

Family photo!

Classic shot in front of the castle!

Jack's breakfast plate...yes, that is pretty good!

Jack meeting Tigger! He loved when he bounced around the restaurant!

Waiting on Piglet to get to the table! SO excited!

Jack really HUGGED every character! Notice the arms all the way around!

Hugging Pooh!

Another Parade! Jack loved them! This was the Street Party parade! Everyone could join them in the street to dance!

Watching a show at the castle! Peter Pan and Captain Hook came out too!

Loving the show!

Fast asleep at the Luau.... we do actually have a cute picture of us when we were walking in that they took. We ended up buying it! (I know... but we didnt have any of us at the luau..we just didnt have ENOUGH pictures! Hahahahah!)

Waiting on the fireworks show at Magic Kingdom

On the Magic Carpet Ride. Jack liked it to go really high and stay high!

Jack got a light stick for the Electric Parade show at night!

Day 4 - Magic Kingdom and Pirates and Pals Firework Voyage!

Our last day was our smartest say at Magic Kingdom (we figured out how to get the shorted lines and what times are best in what lands!) We went straight to Adventureland and rode Pirates of the Caribbean again, the Jungle Cruise AND the boys rode Splash Mountain! Mommy sat that one out! I am not crazy about big drops! Jack didnt mind the drop at all....but he didnt like getting wet. It was a little chilly that morning and he was more concerned about getting splashed than the five story drop! The fun surprise about Splash Mountain is that Woody and Jessie were waiting at the end of the ride! Jack was so excited to meet Woody! Then we headed back to Fantasyland and rode Peter Pan again, Winnie the Pooh, the Carousel, and saw the Mickey 3D movie again (this was by far one of Jack's favorites! We loved it too!).  We got hotdogs for lunch and watched another parade! It was just so magical! Everything was fun and exciting and new to us! We sadly left Magic Kingdom and had a little down time before riding the boat to Fort Wilderness to look around and play. Jack LOVED playing the bean bag toss game and got it in the hold 35 times (yes, we were counting and getting excited with each one!) Jack had another power nap while Daddy and I ate pizza and had a beer on the dock.  Jack woke up in time to head to meet our pirates for the boat ride to watch the fireworks! Captain Hook and Mr. Smee greeted us adn we got to meet them! The boat ride was fun and Patch the Pirate was our guide! Jack won a pirate water gun for knowing a trivia question (What is the name of the Indian princes in Peter Pan? TIGERLILY!!!) The fireworks show was great from the water! We had fun and Peter Pan was waiting for us on the dock when we got back! We got one last character greeting and quickly headed back to sleep! I think we were all about delirious by the end of that night!

And this is how you wake up in Disney World.... Lay in bed and eat a Pop-Tart! Tough life, huh?!

Excited about going on the Pirate ride again!

Jack and Daddy on Splash Mountain!

Coming down the big hill!!!! Jack is hidden behind that man's arms!

Excited boy waiting to meet Woody!

BIG hugs for Woody! (I wanted to thank Woody for helping potty train Jack! Buzz and Woody were on our pull ups and that is how Jack got to know them!)

Jack with Woody and Jessie!

3-D Mickey movie...AGAIN!

The Carousel in Fantasyland

Again...what a tough life! Stroller, snack and a drink waiting on another parade!

Mommy and Jack waiting on the parade!

Jack playing a bean bag toss game at Fort Wilderness (That is where Daddy grew up going and staying in Disney World!)

Love this picture! He was so excited everytime he got one in the hole!

Captain Hook and Mr. Smee!!!!

Patch the Pirate (Jack wasn't too sure about him but he was really funny!)

It was chilly on our boat ride!

Watching the fireworks!

Meeting Peter Pan!

So....how do you leave Disney World?????

...with Mickey pancakes in bed!

...a new movie to watch with a friend!

....and asleep an hour after we pulled out!

It was a really special week for us! We had such a great time with Jack and really loved all of our time! Jack's favorite things were the characters and the parades. His favorite rides were Peter Pan and Pirates of the Caribbean! And he really loved the 3-D Mickey Philharmagic movie! We made lots of fun memories and hopefully will do it again one day! Miss Lucy will love it when she gets a little biggerer! We are grateful for everyone that helped make it so special! If you want more (after this CRAZY long post... feel free to check out all the PICTURES!