Notre Dame Weekend

Last weekend we were excited to head out of town for the opening game at Notre Dame. My father-in-law went to ND and is a huge fan - Bj was excited to go back and I was excited to explore the campus and see a game in the stadium. I love college campuses and it always fun to explore a new campus. It was gorgeous and the history was so neat - I of course said it was no Elon, but really what is?! :) I loved looking at the chapel and the grotto (we lit a candle and said a little prayer, bj said it is FULL on game days). The main campus building with the dome was SO pretty with a huge open rotunda looking up to the dome. The dorms were so neat and so was the stadium. They needed more seats so they built an upper level around the excisting stadium which was just so cool. I learned this weekend when we were watching the game that it was modeled after the stadium at Michigan.

The grotto was so neat, as a Catholic it was really cool to see the Catholic elements all over this Catholic school. The dorms all have a chapel in them, and there are no fraternities or sororites because they are all one big family. For the first time they let people walk through the tunnel that the players run through in the stadium. It was so fun to walk down and imagine what game days must feel like for the players. We saw the "Play like a champion Today" sign - though my hubby was being a stick in the mud and wouldn't pose for a picture :)

It was so neat to be down where all the action takes place and then see it again for game day the next day. We walked around for awhile but it was HOT. After lunch and a few purchases for Connor in the bookstore we were off to get ready for dinner. We went to Tippecanoe Place and it was SO NEAT. It is the old Studebacker mansion turned into a restaurant. You eat in all the different rooms of the house, we ate in the library that was pretty much the size of our house :) It was then time to get rested for tailgating bright and early the next morning.

We started tailgating at 8:30 - and it was HOT, really hot. By the time we left the stadium at almost 10pm it was almost cold! After extreme heat in the morning, half of the football game, a two and a half hour rain delay followed by more football and another rail delay - we said it was the longest day of tailgating/football we had ever had!

We were dipping wash cloths in the cooler to cool ourselves off and I had a water bottle in my shirt between my boobs, it really was that hot!

It was such a fun weekend - we are so thankful we were invited to go! It was such a neat experience and definately makes watching the games a little more exciting when it's a place we have been. We were so excited to get back home to our sweet Connor and the doggies - Nonny was a saint and watched all three of them for us this weekend! We are so thankful for amazing parents who take us places and watch our "children" :)

First Day of Preschool!

Ah, I can't even believe I am typing the words "first day of preschool" in association with my baby. Wasn't he just born like 6 months ago?! The time has come and we couldn't be more thrilled with his new school, but it's still a little tough for this momma :) We have been talking SO much about school and he has been so excited. We went to the grocery store Monday afternoon and picked up his requested breakfast (2 eggies, saugit (sausage), cinnamon rolls, and oranges.). Sounded good to me! I woke up before everyone Tuesday morning and got everything started (how I wish, wish, wish I could do that every morning) while my boys were still snoozing away. Then it was off to wake up the little man and get our day started! 

We went to a preschool play date last Thursday so it was fun talking at breakfast about his friends and who he would see again at his first day. I also told him we were going to take some pictures like Momma and Uncle Davey did before their first day of school every year - with the dreaded paper bag, haha! He was actually SO excited about it and was cheesing it up for the camera. 

He wanted his first picture taken with Frankie Doggie - totally happy to oblige :) Doesn't he look cute in his first day of school outfit? I have seriously had it out and ironed for like two weeks :) He had on his little tennis shoes and was just looking too sweet for words!

There he is, my sweet, sweet little boy - all ready for the adventures of a new school, new friends, new teachers - so many exciting things await my sweet Connor!

He wanted a picture with the doggies - the smile was too cute not to share, I loved that he was waving his sign in the air so fast, haha!

He was getting tired of the pictures by the time I made him stand on the front steps at school - he would only sit and I was going to take what I could get! He loved his little school bag, it is getting his name and a little car on it this afternoon. I was not about to pay $7 for monogramming when I can do it myself, haha!

Meeting Dottie the fish and checking out the classroom. We literally had to drag him out of there to go outside, which is HUGE because he loves playing outside. We met lots and lots of really nice friends, teachers and parents. We are so excited to be a part of the ECNS family.

They have cozy coupes, need we say more?! The playground is so fun and since it's in an older part of town there are lots of big trees with great shade and coverage. We are just so excited, nervous, proud and happy for our sweet boy and this big milestone. We know he is going to LOVE school and I can't wait to hear all about his adventures! I asked him as I was putting him to bed last night (he was so tired he was sound asleep at 7:15)! what his favorite part of the day was: seeing his friends, playing outside and watching Dottie the fish. TOO SWEET!

The Park

Bj and I have always loved camping, going to the park, taking the dogs to the river, etc. It is something that we haven't done much of the last two years with moving both years and getting settled in St. Louis and then our house. So, we decided one day a few weeks ago to find a little place to maybe do some hiking, and letting Connor and the dogs run around. We thought we had a spot in mind but after driving for awhile couldn't find it and then happened upon this little place. We had the best time playing in the water, watching the dogs and eating a little picnic.  

I just had to throw this one in there - he cracks me up with his hands in his pockets. Sweet little thing.

He pretty much loves terrorizing the dogs and being able to do it out in the open was heavenly for him, haha! He was jumping over the logs and having the best time. I seriously love that little stink pot.

Sedona is like a little old lady swimming in the water - she loves it. She just can't get enough of it, she just kind of glides through the water and you don't know she is there. Scout on the other hand doesn't love the water, he looks like a horse jumping through it and he prefers to bark at/make sure his sister is safe from the shore! Connor loved throwing the sticks in for them to "fetch".

Doesn't he look cute in his Elon shirt? (thanks Bush!) I just love it. I asked him if he was going to go to Elon for college and he said yes. I then said but you are never going to leave your momma, are you? He said YES (I think he was mistaken, ha!) and said he was going to leave me for high school. Silly goose - he cracks us up.

I finally pulled our good camera out for the first time this summer and had a lot of fun taking pictures of the little man - I laugh because you never know what you are going to get when you tell him to say "cheese!".

It was such a nice little morning spent with my sweet family. We had the best time and already can't wait to do it again! Oh, if you are wondering what he is doing in this picture, he is asking Daddy to go and get his shoe that he threw in the water, even though we repeatedly told him not too - stink pot :)

Grants Farm!

As you may have noticed I have been a terrible blogger this summer. I have just been having too much fun with my Connor. I have found myself going back and forth with blogging lately - some days I want to stop because I feel guilty when I don't update, but ultimately I am doing this as a way to remember our life at this time. So, I have decided I am just going to update when I feel like it and not worry about it, ha! I started looking through pictures from earlier in the summer that I haven't gotten around too and I couldn't resist these pictures from Grants Farm. We had the BEST time spending two whole weeks with Mags and Bella - we wish they would hurry up and move here. The highlight of this trip for me was watching Connor feed the goats. To say he loved it would have been an understatement - he was ALL OVER IT. He has been a little shy lately with new things - not the goats though he was all up in their face, double fisting it while he fed them and they were nibbling on his shorts. Too fun!

He was seriously double-fisting it, I was dying laughing. We were in the "pen" with them for the most part but we had come out to buy two more bottles so we decided to feed from the outside. He was too cute, he made sure that everyone had a little drink out of the bottles and he was just laughing away. The bottles are $1 and I would have seriously spent $100 just watching him have fun!

How cute are all these kiddos in their strollers?! It was a HOT day and we were all done by this point. I always love taking Connor places that I remember as a kid, there really isn't much better than watching him have fun!

The "Yake"

 We went to the Lake aka "Yake" with Nana for a week at the end of July! We had the best time! We went down on Tuesday and the boys joined us on Friday - so they could take us out on Grandpa's big boat :) We just enjoyed eating, playing and hanging out! We love going down to the Lake and actually went this past weekend and we are going next weekend, ha!

 We took Connor to Big Surf for the first time and he loved it, so did we! They had this great area for kids and kids 3 and under were free, it was great! He loved being able to run around and all of the water toys squirted water, so he loved squirting all of us :) We also went on the "yazy" river and he thought it was so fun to float and watch the big kids go down all of the water slides!

 Nana always finds C great treasures at Goodwill and she brought some new ones so he had some fun stuff to play with at the condo. This fire house set and the big mac were his favorite :) He loved mac so much we had to bring him home with us!

 We always bring a bag of cars with us wherever we go - he kept wanting to carry both his bag and Nana's purse - but they kept falling off so he would walk with his hands up in the air like this - it was cracking us up!

 There was this little "kid's town" at the lake, but it was more of a ghost town and they 1970's cars didn't even work, but it didn't stop C from taking a little ride - hahaha!

 We enjoyed eating out a lot and having ice cream while we watched the sunset on the balcony - it was wonderful!!

 We also enjoyed sleeping in bed with Mama - Mama loved the snuggling :)

 Cap't Connor driving Grandpa's big boat - he seriously loved the boat ride, it was way too cute! One day we went out and had a picnic lunch and some swimming and the other day we docked and had some yummy lunch.

 I love this picture of my sweet boys :)

 He loved putting his feet in the water and having us dunk him! When we went this weekend he had fun swimming all over with his friends Harry and Annie!

 He had so much fun he conked out RIGHT after nailing his cheek on the table - poor guy had his first shiner! I think all the excitement wore him out and he slept until 6, ha!

 He loved feeding the fish - he would yell at us if we ate too many french fries because he was saving them for the fishies :)

We had such a great week - this kid only napped once! He had to catch up on sleep on the ride home. He was out light a light before we even pulled out of the condo and slept the whole way home. We just had such a great time and love that C will grow up spending lots of time at the Lake!!

What we have Been up to: In pictures!

 We have kept ourselves nice and busy this summer! I think the only camera I have pulled out is my phone, so my apologies :) I am actually impressed with the pictures it takes and it's nice and easy :) Ha! We went to see Circus Flora and it was great!! They do a one hour kids show and we loved it. I remember going when I was little so it's nice to be able to start this same tradition with Connor!

 We went to the boat house for lunch and loved it! It is just the cutest little place and Connor loved feeding the ducks and turtles!

We have gone to story time at the library, swimming at the pool, the park and we have loved spending lots of time at home - and waking up from naps all over the place in our new big boy bed :) We also took a week long trip to the lake, a whole 'nother post coming on that one! I can't spoil anyone with 3 posts in one day, haha!

Happy Father's Day!

I am so behind! But, we have just been having too much fun this summer and blogging has taken a back seat - and I find nothing wrong with that :) We had a great Father's Day celebrating a great daddy! We just hung out around the house and grilled some steaks for dinner. It was a great night and we hope Daddy knows how much we love him!