Our New 2-Year-Old

Happy Birthday to our sweet snuggler, menace-in-the-kitchen, mischievous Dallas Mark!

The birthday festivities started a week early. While we were at Nana and Papa's last weekend,  we had a little birthday celebration for Dallas. Sadly, he was sick that day with a terrible cough and cold. Due to the morning full of fun and stimulation, Dallas went down for a good, long nap. One that he had to be woken up from in order to have time to celebrate! He wasn't particularly interested in his party. He mostly clung to Steve. In fact, there were only two moments when he perked up a bit: during Ring Around the Rosie and when it was time for cake! (He was thrilled to blow out his candles :)

First, we had planned to play a few of Dallas' favorite games. Instead,  we only played Ring Around the Rosie. We attempted to play London Bridge, but it turned into a madhouse, so we let the kids run around crazy for a few minutes before Dallas (really it was Daddy) opened presents.

 Poor Dallas just didn't feel well - this is pretty much how presents went.

Always willing to snuggle :)

We quickly moved on to cake!

Dallas loves balls. I was just thrilled that everyone could tell what the cake was (a ball pit). The kids loved all the extra candy on the cake.

The funniest part was when Dallas went  to blow out the candles on his cake. No hesitation; just a good hard blow and the lights went out! (We get lots of practice blowing out candles at our house...)

Today was the actual birthday! It was a day full of fun:

Ellie remembered that birthday kids don't have to do their chores, so she did Dallas' silverware for him this morning. She's such a little sweetheart.

Dallas started the morning by ripping the balloons off of his chair and sharing the other balloons with the kids. It's amazing how much fun kids have with a balloon.

Dallas was excited to help Daddy make a chocolate shake for his birthday breakfast.

At breakfast, Dallas looked at his birthday cards and opened his present.

 (Ellie had made Dallas about eight birthday cards.)

 I love the concerned, concentrated look on his face as he opened his present.

Thomas the Train shirt!

Just for fun, we took cupcakes to the park to celebrate and play with friends.

Most  kids prefer the frosting...not Dallas. He has always preferred the cake to the frosting.

Such a beautiful day to celebrate this sweet boy!

The fun didn't stop there. We made personal pizzas for dinner and then sang to Dallas for the third time after dinner. Everyone was excited to get another cupcake :) We love birthdays!!

What a perfectly fun day for a new 2-year-old!

Staycation - Part III

THURSDAY

Due to the rain, we improvised and headed down to the Louisburg Cider Mill. We'd never been, but heard great things about it. It did not disappoint!

 First we watched the apples being turned into apple cider.

 Then we went outside and saw the huge amount of apples being cleaned and put on conveyor belts which led into the room we'd just been in.

 Next we visited the tiny general store where we snacked on apple cider donuts and fresh apple cider!

Mmmmm....

In the afternoon, Daddy took the three big kids to the park.

 I absolutely love that these three are the best of friends! They love playing together.

 Do you suppose she feels a bit like I do when I used to "play" Anne of Green Gables as a kid?? With the wind in her hair, chilling on the dock over the lake?

FRIDAY

We visited Cider Hill Apple Orchard, a favorite fall activity of ours. It had rained the night before, plus it was a weekday morning, so it was not crowded, a little muddy, and we had very good personalized service!

 The magical blue fountain

 Family selfie on the wagon ride out to the apple orchard

Dallas mostly enjoyed picking up apples off the ground and throwing them.

 Half the fun is eating the apples we pick!

Headed back from the orchard

We've since made caramel apples with our fresh-picked apple treasures! Next treat will be apple pie :)

Staycation - Part II

Kansas is the sunflower state. There is an amazing sunflower farm/field just 30 minutes from where we live. The farmer opens his field to the public for two weeks every year when the sunflowers bloom. This was our first time visiting - we will definitely go back every year if possible! We were also really lucky in our timing. We went last week on Wednesday morning.  That afternoon and evening, the rains started...and the roads were basically a muddy mess for the next three or four days.

{My favorite family selfie of the day for sure!}

Such a gorgeous field of sunflowers for beautiful pictures!