Fun with the Grandparents

The day we moved into our house, MIMI arrived!!!  Oh, how we all missed her!!  I planned some activities to keep them all occupied!!  Of course, the pool was on the daily schedule too! :) 

Here are some pictures of the week with them!!  MY pictures!  I know her camera has more but I don't have those!! :{

Family Night at Chick Fil A

A balloon clown made R- a cat, B - a sword and belt, K - Cinderella

After a day of unpacking!!

Matching cousins!!

Lydia and her parents drove up from Salado

(2.5 hrs away)

Nothing like ice cream and Mimi!! :)

Feeding the ducks at the drying up pond

Muddy feed after feeding the ducks! 

Had to walk so far in order to reach the ducks

Making breakfast with Uncle Travis

Making Koolaid PlayDo

Mixing her Pink Lemondae playdo



Of course Bodie is making a BLUE TRAIN!!

His next creation - a train going through a snowy forest



My FAVORITE creation - he said, "I am making a story.  It says, Jesus love you!!"

Riley's snowy house

Making ice cream in bags!

Riley REALLY got into it!! 

And hers was the only one that actually turned it into ice cream!

Other two got too cold before it happened.  AND it was 100+ outside!!

Yum!! It WORKED!!

First Tooth lost in Texas!!



Bodie turns SIX!!

I cannot believe my sweet boy has turned SIX!!  Before we left New York, we made sure to have a party with all his buddies from church and Little Lamb.  And what was the theme????? 
LEGOS!!
His favorite thing!!  After searching on the web, I gather some ideas to create a "Lego Olympics."  He LOVED it!  Since it was 2 weeks before the move, I keep food simple - rectangle pepperoni pizza to resemble a LEGO block, his favorite veggies and rance dip, mandarin oranges and a gorgeous cake in the shape of a blue Lego block!!  So  much fun!!  Everything he got was a LEGO product and he couldn't have been happier!!

Ten days after arriving in Texas, he REALLY turned six!! :)  Since he shares a birthday with my sister Terri (AND his great grandma Rosie but she is in Idaho), we drove 2.5 hours south to spend the weekend with her and her family.  They have an awesome house on some land - a new trampoline, a playscape, a dog, and sprinklers - what more could the kids ask for!!
We celebrated his birthday at noon after they jumped in the trampoline with the sprinkler running for THREE hours!!  (I tried it for 5 minutes and was wiped out!!) We served buttered pasta, barbequed chicken and his favorite vanilla cupcakes with "trusty blue sprinkles."  Somewhere along the way, he learned that phrase "my trusty __"  Makes me crack up!! That is an old man term!
He had a baseball theme of gifts - a glove, balls and a pitch back net.  Now if only it would cool down enough so he could use it!?!?!

A WET cousin Lydia! :)

After everyone had a rest, and the mommies went to get coffee, we all headed to dinner at Japanese Hibachi restaurant to celebrate Terri's birthday!! :)  Everyone LOVED it!!  Quite the entertainment and REALLY good food!

 (Due to the lighting, not best pictures)

Birthday girl and Uncle Travis

Mimi and Granddaddy

The traditional Mint Chocolate Ice Cream Cake

Aunt Terri and cousin Lydia  

Day Two - Amish Farms in Lancaster Co

After our yummy breakfast, we headed to the Amish country! First we headed to a wooden toy shop. Being the “Fancy” person that I am, I didn’t even consider them NOT taking credit cards!!!! So next stop is the ATM. :{


The toy shop was amazing! Kaylee has fun playing with the kitchens, cribs, high chairs, feeding the dolls, etc. We got her a school desk since she already had the other things! She wanted the wooden food but they didn’t sell it as it was made in China and they only like to sell American made things. Bodie loved seeing the marble mazes. He just jumped up and down as he excitedly watched the marbles race. Riley loved the horse stables so we got her one to play with her horses. It was amazing how detailed it was! She had been using a moving box that Daddy D drew on to look like a stable.

Then we drove on to Plain and Fancy Farms. We bought buggy ride tickets and while we waited, did a tour of a one room school and Amish home. The Amish believe that it is sacrilegious to have their pictures taken so that was not allowed.

In the school room

propane powered washing machine

The farmhouse

The bathroom - they had gravity powered running water
 so can flush toliets and take showers

They have 1 kerosene lamp that is on wheels that they move from
the family room to kitchen.
Their entire premise is that the family should remain together.
They have a lot right, I think!

Boys work clothes and church clothes

Little girl play clothes and church clothes

Teenage girl room - they are the only ones allowed with curtains

Pantry - I was surpirsed that they are allowed to buy commercial things
like diapers!  Slove and refrigerator are powered by propane

Kitchen

Family room

My Mules :)

Love the sign!

It's a "truck"!!

One our buggy ride

A farmer working his  field - truly beautiful

Riley got to drive!!  She was so excited!
Erv was our Mennonite guide