Daddy's 50th Birthday Party

Christmas with Papa and Ah-ma

Pumpkin Patch 2009

We went to the pumpkin patch this last Saturday with my parents.  We went out to Liepold Farms again, where we went last year.  It was really crowded and we had to stand in line for like a half hour just so Wyatt could ride a pony, but it was a lot of fun.  I think both of the boys enjoyed it and it definitely tired them out, because they both zonked out on the way home.

Windell's with Papa and Ah-ma

So today we went out for breakfast with the whole crew to say good-bye to Carly as she heads off to college again.  After breakfast, we took my mom and dad out to Windell's to show them around the place that we are always talking about and to show them Wyatt "shredding" in real life.

First of all, let me just take a minute to explain how amazing my parents are.  And I'm not just saying that because they are my parents and I love them.  No, they are pretty much the coolest parents around and I love them both to death.  Now six years ago, when I was still living at home, I didn't exactly feel the same way.  But now that I'm a parent, and I've seen what it takes to be a parent and to care about your kids and love them so much that all you want is the best for them.  I know now that all of their intentions were good.  They were just trying to protect me, and keep me from getting hurt or getting into trouble.  When I look back now I really wish I would have listened to them.  Everyday I have more and more respect for my mom, and how hard it really is to be a good mom, and to raise your kids right.  I think my parents did a really good job raising all three of us kids.  We may have gone off the right path for awhile, but I think all three of us have turned out pretty good.

I love that fact that I am so close to both of my parents now, and that I have such a good relationship with both of them.  It also is nice to have parents that are still together and still love each other.  They are an example to Shane and I and we hope that we will have a long, and happy marriage like they have.  Shane and I both love spending time with them, and I hope our family always stays close.  I also love how close they are to my kids.  My parents are the best Grandparents around, and they are both extremely hands on.  I mean, what other Grandparents do you know that will follow us around in the woods and watch my husband show off as well as my little boy?  What other grandparents are pushing a stroller through the dirt, while the other one carries Wyatt's bike? 

 They love interacting with my kids and my kids love both of them so much.  I love you Mom and Dad!!

Anyways, we had a lot of fun out there.  Wyatt got to show them all of his cool little tricks, and we showed them the dirt jumps that Shane has spent alot of time working on.  It was a really fun day :)

Here's a few pictures of Shane doing some tricks.

My amazing pictures of our weekend trip to Seattle to see James Taylor

Can't you tell how much my family loves taking/being in pictures?

We all drove down to the James Taylor Concert in Puyallup, WA on Saturday.  We got there around 5 and the concert didn't start until 7:30, so we decided to walk around the fair first and get something to eat.  After a couple of not very good corndogs, and the worst elephant ear I've ever tasted, we ended up getting to the ampitheater just as the concert was starting.  The concert was a blast, and me, my sister, and my dad got a little out of control and started dancing to James Taylor.  I'm sure the people around us thought we were either really crazy or really drunk, but we were having fun.  

After the concert, we were going to go get something to eat, but after waiting for a half an hour for our shuttle to take us back to the hotel, and driving around Puyallup trying to find a restaurant that was still open, we ended up going to Denny's that was right next to our hotel.  The next morning, Carly and I drove to Tacoma to do a little shopping and then we headed back to Gresham.   It was a really fun weekend, but I think the best part of it was being able to get a full nights sleep, which I haven't had in almost five months now.   I did miss my boys, but Shane did just fine with them.

Whitey, bike, and Papa

Wyatt has been practicing riding his new push bike a lot, and he has gotten really good at pushing himself around on it.  He has gotten to the point where he is almost faster than he would be if the bike did have pedals.  I'm very proud of him, because he kept trying even when he wasn't really good at it when he first got on it and I could tell he wanted to give up.  He wants to be just like his daddy, and I think its so cute how much he looks up to Shane.  Tonight, he had fun showing off his skills up at Papa and Grama's house.  At first he wouldn't go down the hill on the driveway, but after some convincing from Papa, he was doing it no problem.

Papa

To me, there is nothing more precious than watching my parents love and bond with my children.  It takes me back to being a little girl and knowing how safe I felt in my daddy's arms, because I knew that nothing could hurt me if he was there.  And how much my mommy could make me feel better when I was sick or having a bad day.  There is nothing better than the unconditional love from your parents and watching them do the same with their grand-children is such an amazing thing for me.  I love both of my parents with all of my heart and I'm so glad that I have such a good relationship with them.  I love how they are such awesome and caring grandparents.  I couldn't ask for more from them.  They love my boys, and my boys love their Papa and Ah-Ma just as much.