Sweet friends

We have weekly (try to, at least) play dates with our friends the Gaulkes and the Waters -this is a picture Megan took of Dax and Jude playing together in Jude's car this afternoon. Melts my heart!

Halloween 2012- Part 1

OK, first of all let me say that this post is more about how much I adore staying home with my kids and the mom friends I have.  But one of our outings coincidentally fell on a day when they were having "Zoo Boo" at the Houston Zoo, so I'm categorizing it into Halloween.  :)

So, here are some pictures of a BUNCH of adorable kids who are such sweet friends- and I am obsessed with their moms!  We *try* to get together once a week, but it usually ends up happening every other week. 

Ashleigh, Asher, Jude, Mia, Grayson, Ada, & Dax (not pictured: Luke and Kieran!)

Crawling through an aquarium in a see-through tunnel.

Sweet friends Dax and Jude watching a  baby elephant.

Dax and Asher intrigued by the enormous mommy elephant.

Precious big sister.

Picking out a pumpkin to paint!

Mia dying for Ada to look at her painted pumpkin!  Dax and Ada hard at work...

"Mess!"

Serious Photo Dump!

Wow, we've kept busy this summer!!  We are having a BLAST.  I try to catch snippets of it with my phone.  Not always gracefully, not always successfully, but always attempting.  :)

Here are a bunch of random pictures I've taken over the last few weeks documenting what we've been up to!!

We've had lots of playdates with our friends!

And MiMi playdates, too!  

And a TON of MorMor playdates, too- why do I never take pictures of MorMor?  

(Because we're too busy lounging on the couch drinking coffee together, that's why!!)

That'll change tomorrow.  

We're going to her house to go swimming at her YMCA, and then hopefully Christian's, too!!!

We've been playing in our back yard- swimming, sand table, etc!

Ada being a mermaid in her mermaid tail and goggles!!

 We're still going to gymnastics- we LOVE it!!  We are definitely going to continue classes in the fall.

Cooking with Mommy!  She chopped that mushroom all by herself!  

She actually picked it out and requested we put it in our spaghetti sauce herself, too.  

When I asked her last night at dinner what she wanted to be: "I want to cook in a restaurant!"  

Then declared we needed to buy a bigger house and set up a restaurant in it...

We graduated from the highchair to a booster seat!  AND feeding ourselves with a big boy spoon!

I was so proud of him for being so neat and tidy while feeding himself his yogurt that I took this picture.

 I turn my back for one minute, and he did this-

We are also doing some good 'ole relaxing, too.  Love it!

Ada Bear

My silly Ada Bear, I can't trust her alone with a set of markers ever.

After scrubbing most of the purple lip-liner and eye makeup off (but not much of the marks on her right shin), we met up with her friend from school- Addy- at an indoor bounce house park called Monkey Bizness.  The kids (including Dax and Addy's little brother Asher) had a blast!  This is the only still picture I was able to get of Ada and Addy. :)

Addy and her mom are the ones who began calling Ada "Ada Bear" forever ago, and I even call her that lots of times, now!

Halloween- Long Overdue

Halloween was months ago.  In fact, we're even long past Thanksgiving (which I failed to get ONE picture of- we went to Pop and Honey's, and had a nice time!).  But I want to post our Santa picture, and feel the need to cross the Halloween blog post off of my eternal to-do list before advancing into the current holiday season!  :)

We kicked off the weekend with a Halloween Party at the kids' school, Kids-R-Kids!

Then we met up with friends to celebrate and trick-or-treat at the Klemach's.  This is the girls eating their self-decorated cupcakes... and Dax wanting in on the action!

About to take my monster and indian trick-or-treating! (So I can eat their candy once they go to bed!)

To. Die. For.

I love this girl so much.

Hitting the streets with her friends, Olivia and Rory!  Ada got some serious candy-age.

Turnin' Three by the Sea!

Well, one heck of a day was had by all today at Ada's 3rd birthday party!!!  For a quick look back at her other birthdays; click here for the day she was born, click here for her 1st Birthday Party, and click here for her 2nd Birthday Party. 
Today was absolutely AmAzInG, and I highly recommend holding your next birthday party at Moody Gardens Galveston!  (The only downside is that it IS a far drive for your guests- and let me tell you, our friends and family that made that trek are so amazing!  We also had several friends get sick last minute, and we missed them dearly!!!!)

Here are the million pictures from the day- thankfully Andi brought her camera and took over the photography when my camera died 20 minutes into the party (d'oh!)... so many of these are stolen from her!!!  :)

Babe the penguin!!!!!!!!!  She is honking for us here.

Birthday girl, about to blow out her candle.

Happy birthday to my favorite sister!

Fun was had by all- even the baby!

Uncle Rick and Donny.

There was a glass window to the actual aquarium in our party room!  This was what the girls did much of the time.

Beautiful Bella Boswell.

Sweet Roxy and me- She and Bella drove all the way from College Station.  Love them to death.

Present time!!!!  Ada's girlfriends were SO sweet and patient, and such good friends to help her out so nicely!  (Seriously- how much restraint should a 3 year old have to exercise!?  We will be spoiling them on their birthdays with AWESOME gifts because they were such sweeties!)

It was feeding time (and repair time) during the party- the girls were fascinated.

Ada got a stuffed octopus to kick her day off this morning- she's showing it off.

Thank you so much for coming to my party, Bella!

Ada and Olivia in the shark cage.

Mom and Steve!

James, Andi, Dax, and MorMor!

There was a little aquarium photobooth set up in the party room.  The girls were obsessed.

There was a sand-art fish necklace making station- one of many adorable "stations" at the party.  These people did an amazing job- I didn't have to lift a finger!

Headed to Palm Beach water park!!!!!!!!

Caitlin and Olivia comin' down the slide.

LoVe this picture that Andi snapped- and I love that you can see Caitlin, Olivia, and Daddy standing at the top laughing!

Please, don't do this on Spring Break in 15 years.

BFFs lounging on the beach together.  Love.

And here is everyone that made the long trip down to celebrate sweet Ada's 3rd birthday- several were there only in spirit, due to extentuating circumstances (Christian, The Schilhabs, and The Moebeses)- we love you ALL, and can't thank you enough for spending such a special day with Ada!!!!!!!! 

Unforgettable day, for an unforgettable girl.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ADA GRACE DOWELL!  I love you more than you'll ever know!