Brothers = Friends... Sometimes.

Mason & Morgan like to horse around a bit - here was a photo of one such time:

...and before you scold me, Dad, the 4-wheeler wasn't even turned on. :)

I love it when these two get along...

Michele

Hiking 3 Sisters Again

We went back to 3 Sisters one day last week for the big boys to ride with Dad and the little guy to go hiking with me... I tell you what, I have never been hiking on trails as beautiful as these. Maddox and I took a different one this time (there's several trails to choose from in this park) and like the first one, this one took my breath away.

Maddox is an old pro at this now... notice the hiking stick? He found that himself!

He insisted I take a picture of him at just about every rock we came to. See his serious "mountain man" look?! Oh, and you simply can't go hiking unless you're clutching a dandelio... er... yellow flower.


I wanted to prove that I was actually along for this beautiful hike...

And what a gorgeous hike it was... at one point, we came out of the woods and saw this...

No simple photograph can do it justice... you simply have to come see for yourself!

And at the end of our hike, Maddox presented me with the most beautiful "yellow flower" he could find!

Life is good... (have I said that already?)
Michele

Momma's Favorite Spot

There is a charming porch swing out in our front yard between two big trees. Here's a photo of it from when we came house-hunting...

But now it's MINE! I just love it there. Especially when I have a cute little guy who wants to cuddle & blow bubbles!


The next best thing is to escape the real world right there on that swing with a blanket, a cup of cocoa, and a good book! When the little one is napping and the older two are... doing whatever... this is one of my favorite places to go. I have my very own retreat right here on this mountain in the midst of all these trees... won't you come join me?!

Ahhhhh... this is the LIFE!!
Michele

Boys & Boxes

Anyone who has moved knows just how many boxes you end up with... we're still emptying them and probably will be for another couple months!

But when you have boys, extra boxes just mean extra fun!

Besides playing this trick on Mom... "Michael, where are the boys??"... these three had a good game going. While one of them hid their eyes, a second one would climb into one of the many boxes we had on the driveway that day and hide with the help of the third brother. Then the first brother would have to guess which box the second one was in without looking. They were popping out of boxes all over the place.



The joys of childhood!
Michele

The Zip Line

We're not wasting any time in making this place a kid's paradise... as soon as Michael found his tools again, he and the older boys got right to work on a new zip line in our back yard.


Here's the finished starting platform:

And let the fun begin!!



And yes, even Moms can have some fun.

Here are two very happy boys:


Unfortunately, however, if you're too small to ride it, you get stuck with the job of retrieving it. :)

Alright, so now we have tractors, motorcycles, 4-wheelers, a zip line... WHAT'S NEXT?!

Michele

A Comparison

Since we're comparing kids... I thought I'd share this too. The photo below is of Morgan in October of 2001 - about 2 1/2 years old:

And this next one is of his little brother, Maddox, in September of 2008 - just over 2 years old:

Two peas in a pod, huh?! They both have the same "mean" look! Actually, to make the story even cuter... this is Maddox "closing his eyes". It took him forever to understand how to do it and he was just so stinkin' cute when he tried!

Michele

Where the Cat Sleeps

Most every night, you will find our beloved Katie in the exact same spot - with her beloved Morgan. The photo below was taken within the last month.

Of course, this is nothing new... this next photo was taken 7-1/2 years ago, in December of 2001 when Morgan was only 2 1/2 years old:

These two have had an ongoing love affair from the very beginning. The picture below was taken in July of 2002, when Morgan was just over 3 years old.

Now, since we're taking a glimpse back in time, is there any question that this kid is Maddox's older brother? They look identical!

Michele