Happy 60th Birthday Grandee!!

We had a busy but very fun weekend. It was my mother-in-law's 60th birthday. I hope she had a lot of fun because I know we all did.

Her actual birthday was on Friday but we celebrated it with the family on Saturday. We started the morning off with family pictures which was fun. We had lunch together and then went our separate ways. That evening we were picked up in a Hummer stretch limo. Fancy smancy. My father-in-law surprised her. We were taken to Shogun for dinner and Joshua got his first opportunity with the kiddie chop sticks and did great. After dinner we took a ride downtown in the limo and then headed back for cake, ice cream and gifts.

Hope you had a great birthday Grandee!!

Land of Dinosaurs

My boys are so into dinosaurs. The fact that I know the names of dinosaurs is kind of scary. It is sweet to see the excitement the boys show each time they come across something with a dinosaur on it. They still love diggers, trains, and cars but dinosaurs are at the top of the list these days. Joshua's latest thing is to sort everything out. He has the land of dinosaurs, a construction site, a Speedway, and train tracks. The only thing is that we can never get around in his room. Guess it's worth it though?!

You also have to love the Dollar Store. We found these self-adhesive peel and stick stickers for the wall. They are supposed to be used as a border on your wall. There are stickers on both sides...so there are a good bit of stickers. The boys just loved them and we had fun putting them on the wall. We'll just have to see how long they stay on the wall (meaning-hopefully Dylan will not have pulled them all off after nap time).

Splash Pad

I think the new find in the Birmingham area is "Splash Pad" in Gardendale. All I have to say...AWESOME!! Just a little info on it for those of you who might be interested. It is a good 30 minute drive but absolutely free and tons of fun. They don't open until 10am so we got there a little earlier to get a table, believe me you want the shade. There are also pavilion areas with more tables but depending on the day those may be reserved. They are not open on Mondays.

My boys had a great time. They just played and played. If they got bored with the water it was just 25 feet to the playground. We packed a lunch and were there a good 3 hours. There are bathrooms nearby. I highly recommend it and we will definitely be going back. It is well worth the drive. No, I did not get paid to say any of this.

Chicago- Fourth of July Visit

Each year we try to go to Chicago for the 4th of July. It is becoming another one of our family traditions. During our visit we try to attend the "Taste of Chicago". It is a huge food festival downtown. It is always fun to ride the train downtown, eat some great food, and enjoy the people and sounds of Chicago.

The weather was perfect. Definitely didn't miss the humidity that we deal with in the south. The boys had a great time and so did Scott and I. It is just fun to watch the boys get so excited about riding the train, something I took for granted as a kid and growing up. We played, hung out, and just enjoyed our time together as a family.

We were also able to spend some time with friends and family. The boys got to see Papa, who they haven't seen since Christmas. They also had some playtime with cousin Colin, Unlce Joe and Aunt Jaime. Colin had his graduation party (8th grade) and they had a jousting/jumping blow up. The boys played and played. Guess who was tired at the end of the day?!

When you see Joshua, ask him where he went and what was his favorite part.