More backyard fun

A&E love to play with Daddy. He is the best to wrestle with and do the crazy, fun stuff.

Our new backyard

Our new backyard is very big! There is plenty of room for A&E to run and play and we take advantage of it when it cools off enough to be outside!


Andy recently put together a storage shed in the back. A&E loved the flooring that went underneath. They used it as a stage and a place to relax!


Awww A just loves E!


They love Joey too!



Of course they also love to slide!

Big kid beds

A&E are in full-size big kid beds now. We took the big step and converted their toddler beds and now they are big kids for sure. No more baby stuff at our house! I was pretty excited to be able to get boy and girl bedding until I took on the task of looking for it!
Evan ended up with airplane bedding (he LOVES it!) and Avery has horse bedding (she LOVES it too!).

We ended up taking the actual bed apart and putting the mattress and boxsprings on the floor for now until we find a conversion kit that we can attach the headboard and footboard to. The beds were SOOO tall anyways and they both needed help to get in them. They can climb in on their own now that they are on the floor.

I think they really enjoy having more room to spread out and now they can take their million toys to bed with them each night and still have room to sleep!

Here are their new beds!

Kline Picnic

Our last fun-filled day in PA was a picnic with the Kline side of the family to celebrate Andy getting his wings and Rachael completing her RN degree. We are proud of you both!
A&E were a little overwhelmed with all the new people but warmed up at the end and played with Taylor and Emily.

Picnic with Great Grammy & Great Grandad

While in Pa, we got together with Grammy's side of the family at A&E's Great Grammy and Great Grandad's house. They also haven't seen A&E since they were 3 months old! A&E are so lucky to have Great Grandparents that they can go play with and visit! They had a great time playing with everyone and checking out their little fish pond.

Great Grandad even let them feed the fish!



Great Aunt Nancy with A&E

Evan showing Great Grandad and Great Uncle Mike how to blow the bubbles

Playing with Grammy

Showing Taylor how to play catch

Great Grammy showing them how to use the bubble blower

Taylor & Avery

Visit with Pappy Jay

We also went to visit Pappy Jay and his new family while we were in PA. Jay's mom even made it down to see us! Great Grammy Metzger hasn't seen A&E since they were 3 months old.

The kids had a great time running around and playing. Avery enjoyed the pool but Evan wasn't having it. He wouldn't even get too close. He did play catch with Pappy Jay out by the pool though.

Avery & Andy playing in the pool

Pappy Jay and Evan playing catch

Avery hanging out with Andy, Pappy Jay, and Great Grammy Metzger

Knoebel's

While in PA, we went to Knoebel's with Grandpa Wayne, Aunt Vicky, Rach, and Taylor. It was pretty hot for PA weather but A&E enjoyed the rides. Evan actually wanted off the first time and just watched Avery and Taylor ride. After he saw they survived, he was fine with riding. I was actually surprised at how fast these rides went. A few more times around on the carousel and I would have been nauseous!

The kids in their initial shirts


Rides!





Taking a snack break



We had a great time but A&E were definitely ready for a nap afterward. We were on the go every day in PA!

First airplane ride

When we went up to PA last month to visit family, it was A&E's first airplane ride. To say I was nervous about getting 2 toddlers and all of our stuff through the airport and onto a plane would be a gross understatement. I was stressed from the minute we decided we were flying.

I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't so bad and A&E were very good on the flight up. Evan wasn't as impressed with flying at first but Avery enjoyed it. They both enjoyed the flight home! Here they are on their first plane trip.



Thankfully Andy is strong. He was able to push Evan in a stroller and carry both carseats. I was pushing Avery and had our carry on stuff. We ended up gate checking the carseats after thinking about how we would get the carseats strapped in on the plane and then unstrapped to get off the plane. I am glad we did because A&E enjoyed having their own seat and being able to get up and move around. Our lifesaver was the dvd player for Evan. That kid will sit through anything as long as he is watching a cartoon! Avery enjoyed putting stickers all over me and some of the dvd as well.

In NC, we visited the USO in the airport. I didn't even realize they had them in airports but they are amazing. Free food, play area for kids, and wireless internet. We could have hung out there all day.

I am getting all our PA pics together for a post. We did ALOT in the short amount of time we were there!

You tell 'em Evan

Well I posted about our sassy girl and now let me tell you about Evan. His favorite words lately are "No!" and "Stop!" which is good and bad I guess. Well yesterday he and Andy were playing around and they play this game that I call "fumble". Evan drops the football or Andy tries to knock if out of his hands and they yell fumble and try to get it. Well I guess Evan didn't want Andy to knock the ball out of his hands anymore because he jerked the ball away and yelled "Gosh!". Then when Andy tried again he shook his finger at Andy and said "that mean!". I was cracking up! I guess he was finished with the game.

Oh my sassy girl....

Today we were going to make a trip to K-mart. A&E were playing nicely so I snuck off to get ready in peace. Of course as soon as I make it to the bathroom I hear "Mommy....wheeeerrrreeee aaaaaarrrreee yoooou?". Usually I just hear mommy a million times so this was a nice change and a much longer sentence. lol

So we were at K-mart and A&E are riding in the double cart. Avery grabbed a couple baby toys off the shelf for herself and Evan. I told her that was a toy for babies and she needed to put it back. She told me "not for babies, for Avery's!". What am I going to do with this girl?

Hands On Museum

While we were in TN, we visited the Hands on Museum. I remember going there when I was younger and thinking how fun it was so I knew A&E would love it. I was right. We went with Papaw, Granny J, and Nana and we needed 5 adults to keep up with A&E in there....well maybe it was more like the adults wanted to play too and got distracted. :-)







This was double the workout for Papaw!


Don't tell this guy your secrets! lol


This was like a giant operation game






We have to start training them early....




Avery the banker


She is my daughter....She went right for the pom poms at the dress up stage!

Visit to TN - the Simple Life

Words cannot express how excited I was to find the photo editing program that I use on the laptop tonight. I guess it came with the printer and when Andy installed the printer, it also installed this program. I was able to edit all of our photos from our trips last month and upload them. Here is the first batch from TN.

A&E LOVED, LOVED, LOVED TN. Avery is such a farm girl and Evan even had a good time (as long as it didn't get too hot). They absolutely loved "Papaw's Horses" and asked to see them as soon as they got up every morning. They even got to ride on them with Papaw! Avery is still talking about papaw's horses every day.

They played with their cousin Layna and second cousins Breanna, Allie, and Jayden. They had alot of fun with them.

We also went on a hayride with Papaw. How many kids get to go on free hayrides? Rural life isn't so bad....

It was so nice because we went to Andy's 10 year reunion and A&E stayed with Papaw, Granny J, and Nana. Free babysitters?! I had no idea how nice that concept could be!

Anyways...here are pics from our fun time!

Petting their horses Joe and Pete. Papaw said they are A&E's!



Swinging (how cute are these swings?)


Riding on "Paco" with Papaw. This horse is the "son" of one of my previous horses. Would that make me it's grandmother? lol



Avery playing with Layna


The hayride




Playing with Papaw after the hayride


A rare pic of me with both A&E!