Fun at the State Fair...

Yesterday, Tony took the afternoon off and we checked Regan and Riley out of school early and went to the Fair. It was a beautiful day for it. We had a fun time riding rides, seeing a bike stunt show, watching pigs, goats and ducks race (that was a hoot), saw a bunch of animals and had lots of food (pizza, chocolate covered bacon - yes, you read this right - peanuts, sweet corn, and cotton candy). The food is great but the prices are NOT! Well, I did not care for the chocolate covered bacon but Tony and the girls liked it. Tony even got his flu shot! We got to the fair around 1:30 and did not leave until 8:00 pm. The kids did great and by 8:00 we were broke, cold and tired. Here are some photos of our fun day.... (click on the photos to see them better.) Reece riding a pony. For some reason Regan and Riley did not want to do it.

Reece and Daddy rode the big Ferris Wheel. Reece is definitely our child with no fear. Her older sisters would not ride this but Reece loved it. In this photo, Tony and Reece are in the middle car. You can see Tony's hat in the photo.

The girls on the Dizzy Dragon ride. They liked this and rode this twice.

Another photo of them on the dizzy dragon.

Check out this bike stunt guy. He could really catch some air. He was pretty crazy and did some cool stunts.

This motorcycle stuntman was doing handstands off the back of his bike. It was incredible. He is 6' 8" tall so it was even more amazing because he could stretch out so far. I think this was my favorite part of the fair. Well, that and the sweet corn. YUM!

Check out this stuntman in the air - he has his legs through his arms over the handle bars of his bike and was able to sit back down before the bike landed. Amazing!!

Daddy and the girls riding the Spinning Teacups.

Riley on the bumper boats. The workers forgot about her and she got quite a long ride. She got on first (in front of her sisters) and was still on when both of her sisters were done.

Reece enjoyed the bumper boats -she rode this twice

Regan on the bumper boats bumping her sister, Riley.

I am trying to get food out of the machine and the goats literally took the food right out of the dispenser before it reached my hand!!! Greedy goats!!!

Feeding this sweet animal - which I think is a llama - cuter than what most llamas look like. "Mama is this really a Llama??"

The Fair at night - so pretty. This is the Ferris Wheel Reece and Tony rode on.

Pumpkin Patch...

Regan and Riley had fall break this weekend so they did not have school friday or today. We were planning to do something fun as a family on friday but we all got sick. So, we decided to let Reece skip preschool today (shhh) and went to Hill Ridge Farms. We have made this a family tradition each October and every year it gets more fun. There is a lot to do as you can see from all the photos.

They have a playhouse filled with corn and the girls and I really enjoyed this! I was amazed at how comfortable it was. I told Tony forget our Temper-Pedic Mattress, I will just sleep in a pile of corn. And boy did the corn feel good on the feet, very therapeutic. Regan buried herself in the corn. Riley and Reece enjoyed making "corn angels."
This is a very fun pipe slide. Unfortunately, children 4 and under HAVE to ride with an adult - pull my arm! Ok, so I admit I was happy they had to because Reece wanted to ditch me and ride by herself. I was having a great time! :)

It was amazing how fast this slide was. We went on it last year and it was not as fast. But, they had sprayed it with something and we were flying today. In fact, Riley went on it once and it sent her down so fast she would not go back on it.

Regan loved this slide and kept going again, and again, and again.

We tried to get a good shot of the girls in the pumpkin patch but it did not happen! This one is good of Regan...

This one is good of Riley...Starting to lose them...

We have definitely lost all 3!!!! Reminds me of when my sisters and I gave my parents fits trying to take photos of us. My mom would say we still do!

Regan took this photo of Tony and I. She does a good job with the camera.

Reece searching for the perfect "small" pumpkin.

Reece and Daddy on the hayride.

The girls on the hayride to the pumpkin patch

Amazing how good they smile for these kinds of photos!!!!

The fam getting ready to ride the train.

The girls in the hay jumping house taking a break.

Regan in the hay jumping house. This was new for the season and the girls really enjoyed it.

Regan was a good big sister helping Reece through the maze.

Cousins' Love...

Aunt Abby and the cousins left for Georgia at the beginning of October and will be gone for 3 weeks. So, we got the kids together before they left so they could love on each other and so Abby and I could catch up. It is a long time to be away from them. Regan and Josh smiling at each other. Is Josh really eating or just charming Regan?!

Regan likes that she is big enough to carry her cousins around. Regan is our helper in keeping Lizzie out of things she is not supposed to be in.

Josh chillin' in Riley's arms.

A Weekend of Anniversaries....

Today, Tony and I are celebrating 12 wonderful years or marriage. The Lord has really blessed our marriage and we have so much to be thankful for. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband and father to our children. We have had such an amazing journey so far and look forward to the years ahead of us. Thank you Tony for making me the happiest wife! I LOVE YOU!!!!We had a fun day as a family celebrating Tony and I's marriage. After a great sermon at church we enjoyed lunch at Jason's Deli. Then, we came home for a nice relaxing afternoon reading and resting together and then headed out as a family to Aye Mount in Hillsborough to walk/run. And then we headed down to Burlington to Olive Garden (one of my faves) and then to the Great American Cookie Company to pick up a cookie cake (another one of my faves). Tony actually proposed to me with a Great American Cookie Cake that said, "Will You Marry Me." The girls enjoyed hearing about how Tony proposed to me and then we were all craving a cookie cake. So, we got a yummy cookie cake to share together. This was the only Anniversary cake they had (did not really care for the picture but had lots of icing so we got it).

Tony and I will celebrate (w/o kids) next weekend. Our friends are keeping our girls overnight and we are going to dinner and a comedy show at the Durham Performing Arts Center. One of our favorite comedians, Brian Regan, is on tour with his new comedy act. We saw him a few years ago at a Chick-fil-A seminar and he is hilarious. So, we are looking forward to next weekend.

This weekend we also enjoyed celebrating Trinity School's 15th Anniversary. The school had a school wide Fall Fun night to celebrate. They girls enjoyed face painting (Regan was a Lion, Riley was a Tiger and Reece was a cat), fossil digging, a Cake Walk, inflatable slide, and watching our talented friend juggle knives, fire torches, tennis rackets and more. And of course the girls enjoyed seeing their classmates and teachers too. It was a fun night. They also did a balloon release (some of the Senior Class - this is the first year to have Seniors at Trinity- and other students held 15 balloons in the school colors) and after everyone yelled, "Happy Birthday Trinity" the balloons were released into the sky. The girls enjoyed watching them drift up, up and away!

I did not have my camera at the Trinity Celebration but here is a photo with the girls' faces painted and sporting their Trinity Anniversary shirts.

Reece Starts School....

Reece started preschool this week at St. Luke's Preschool. Wednesday, Sept. 9 we had "Meet the Teacher Day." Tony and I went with Reece to meet her teachers, Mrs. Sharon and Mrs. Stathelson. Reece ended up being very shy and apprehensive that day. She stayed very close to Tony and I. I think Reece envisioned being in the same classroom and having the same teachers as Riley had last year. So, when we got there and she realized we were going to a different room, with different teachers, and no children she knew she was not happy. I was worried about how the first day of school on Thursday would go but she did great. She was very excited and did not even want to hug me goodbye or even pose for a photo. She walked straight into her room and did not turn back. Her teacher said she had a great first day. When Reece woke up Friday she said, "Am I going to school today?!" She was not happy to hear that she had to wait until Monday. Reece playing with playdough at "Meet the Teacher Day."

Reece likes this cash register

This is Reece's favorite place in the classroom - the class kitchen. The teacher said she spent all of playtime the first day of school in the kitchen.

Reece with one of her classmates, Kate, on the giant slide

St. Luke's has new glider swings - very neat.

Reece's first day of preschoolReece is very excited to finally start school!

Off we go to school...

Reece in front of her class - she was ready to go play and did not want to pose for a photo. I did not even get a goodbye hug because she was off and running for the classroom kitchen. I guess this is a good problem to have since she was apprehensive at "Meet the Teacher Day."