Birthday Boy!

Around six months ago if you would have told Gabriel that he was getting so big he would have cried. If you would have told him that he was turning four he would have given you a dirty look and a protest. Somehow, on a ride with Daddy, everything changed. They drove by a BMX type track with dirt bikes doing jumps and tricks. Gabe got excited and Dad proceeded to tell him all about it and that when you get big you can do things like that.  Im not too excited about having a kid stoked to fly through the air on a dirt bike, boys will be boys and now he brags about getting bigger like Daddy.

There seemed to be some confusion on the cake. Apparently from standing next to the cake it looked like a water land mass and the animal candles were drowning in the water. After someone said, "oh, it's an elephant", most had to take another look. Amanda and I decided you had to see it from above, maybe it was Mark that saw it first since he has the best aerial view.

Gabriel loved all his presents and you were all so generous. Thank you everyone who came and we missed those who couldn't make it. Love you all!

The First Snow?

  So a couple of Sunday's ago I looked out the window with Gabriel and told him that it had snowed. "It's Christmas!" he exclaimed.

  I love to see how his little mind interprets things sometimes. 

  Thinking that normally in the winter, especially in OCTOBER, that the snow normally melts by noon, or so, we didn't get out there a shovel before church. Wow, was I wrong. This picture was taken after church when Gabe insisted on helping me with shoveling the driveway. How can a mother argue with that? Jake was at work, so Gabe and I got on our gear and went to work. He did a decent job actually. Followed right beside me for about 30 minutes then started to wander and throw snowballs. I love that this is the pose that he does in the snow, I'm not sure why.

A Pumpkin for Pumpkin

My mother taught me to look for deals on things you are buying. I don't always put that into affect since my father taught me that when you want your oompah-loompah now, you buy it.  Great memories of driving through Florida on a childhood trip trying to find the best price for gasoline, come to my mind. We needed gas and we finally find the gas station with it 2 cents a gallon cheaper than the one 5 miles before. 

Gabe went on his first fieldtrip with school. I was able to go with him and see that he is taking after Papu (my dad). We were charged a set price and you can pick ANY pumpkin you want. Some were really smart and brought their strong daddies to help get the ginormous ones. I tried hard to get Gabe pick one of a larger size, ya know, get more for your money, but he wanted this one, and he is so proud of it. 

This is Gabe's friend Andrew. He LOVES Andrew and is not afraid to tell him. This is hard, since we want our kid to express his feelings. We've been trying to tell him that it is okay to tell family that, but with friends just to say "I really like hanging out with you" or something..

Here is our Friend, Trish's daughter Hailey. 

Circus Freak

A big Hoorah! For Papu! Thank you for the fun day (Grammie's Birthday) of The Circus and Crown Burger. From $12 cotton candy with a fun hat to the coolest trick with 7! yes, 7! motorcycles racing around in the cage of death. The elephants were so much fun, I could have watched them for much longer.

Conor fell asleep in protest to the excitement.

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Here's what it is like to try and get them all to hold still after cotton candy, popcorn, soda, and lollypops! 

I love the look on Annie's face! And if you look carefully Papu, Mark, and Eli are in the background, Grammie is behind the camera.

Conor was so happy on the way home!

Thanks again Papu! Tons of fun.

Mad Gabey, Glad Gabey

Hello, everyone. Gabe started Preschool a few weeks ago. I am so happy! the first day was a little rocky. So here is Mad Gabey.

And here is the second day of Preschool where  all morning long he said he was excited for school. Glad Gabey. He loves it.