Fall Festival at Cox Farms

This past Sunday we met up with the Rose's to explore Cox Farms. It was a hot day, but everyone had a blast! Andrew was not a big fan of the slides,

or walking through this part of the corn maze, but, he did enjoy seeing the BIG momma pig and all her babies,

and kissing himself in the crazy mirror. (YUCK!)Nathan, of course, enjoyed the slides,

but he said his favorite part this year was the corn maze.
We also enjoyed the hay ride where Conner and Zack had the opportunity for an up close encounter with Cinnamon.

What a fun way to kick off the beginning of Fall!

I Want to Wii, too!

Recently, Andrew likes to do whatever his big brother is doing. The other morning we let Nathan play a few races of Mario Kart. Pretty soon, we noticed Andrew had picked up the other wheel and was trying to play as well. It was really cute!

Happy Birthday Grandad!

On Friday night, Dan's parents came over for dinner and we celebrated Grandad's brithday! It was a beautiful evening to eat outside on the deck.

Frying Pan Park

Recently, we met up with the Korsvalls for a quick dinner and play time at Frying Pan Park. While there, we heard an announcer over the loud speaker, so we headed over to the main building to see what was going on. There was some type of equestrian competition going on and we got to see a few people race their horses around the barrels. We also got to see the tractor version of the Zamboni level out the field. The boy (and yes I mean boy) driving the green tractor could not have been more than 12 years old.

After our fill of racing, the kids enjoyed time on the playground.

T is for Tiger

Jus wanted to share this cute picture of Nathan with his face painted!

Cakes

At the request of a friend, I am posting pictures of the birthday cakes I made for the boys over the last few years.

For Nathan's 1st birthday, the party was farm themed...
For Nathan's 2nd birthday, Sesame Street was the theme....

For Nathan's 3rd birthday, the theme was Winter Wonderland ....

For Nathan's 4th birthday, I was lazy and purchased the cake from Chuck E. Cheese. :)

For Andrew's 1st birthday, the theme was Cinco de Mayo.... (sorry the picture is sideways)I also made Maraca cupcakes for the party at Andrew's daycare....

I have definitely enjoyed making these cakes. But I think doing it twice a year is plenty.

Soccer Begins Again

On the 11th, Nathan's soccer started up again. This year he is on a team with several of his friends from the Discovery Station. Here he is warming up with his team in their new black shirts.

After warming up and working on their skills, the kids scrimmage another team.

One Last Getaway to Lake Anna for 2010

For Labor Day weekend, we made one last trip to Lake Anna to celebrate my dad's birthday and to see some of my relatives. My Uncle Sam and cousin Sue were visiting from NJ. My brother was also able to get away from work for part of the weekend and my Aunt Carol and cousin Lisa were there as well. It was a pretty big group. We managed to get Andrew off the dock and away from the food for a little bit.

Lisa was even able to get him in the water for a bit, which is no small feat.My brother Matt agreed to pull Big Mable behind the jet ski and made Nathan's day!

Nathan also wanted to test out his surfing skills.

On the way home, we made a pit stop for a treat at one of our favorites summer places.... Pickle Bob's in Haymarket. As usual, the ice cream was delicious.

Goodbye summer! See you again in 2011.

First Fish, Last Fish?

After our week long vacation at Deep Creek Lake, work had piled up for Dan. So I decided to take the boys to Lake Anna the next weekend so Dan could catch up on some things. As usual, Nathan enjoyed some more time in the kayak and on the jet ski and big boat.

Andrew also enjoyed the usual pleasures of lounging at the lake house, such as stuffing his face with watermelon and whatever else he could get his hands on.
But this weekend, we did try something new. My cousin, Nekije and her boyfriend, Billy were visiting from NJ. In the middle of the afternoon, Billy wanted to try fishing, so my Dad brought down the fishing rods and they used bread for bait. Unbelievably, the fish were biting and before we knew it, Billy had caught 3 fish.

Here's Nathan, leisurely licking his lollipop and waiting patiently for the fish to bite.

It wasn't too long before Nathan had caught his first fish, a good size catfish. It was not one of his favorite moments at the lake. He still enjoys casting his rod, but it must not have any bread on it! After dinner, we enjoyed a ride on the boat and watched the sun set. It was a beautiful summer weekend.

Outdoor Adventures

This trip, we also tried out some new outdoor adventures. Ryan, Dan, Chad, Crissi and I braved one of the newest attractions at Wisp Resort, the Flying Squirrel Canopy Tour. After strapping on our helmets and safety gear, we were ready for the agility challenges and zip lines.

As if that wasn't enough adventure, Chad and Crissi decided to sign up for white water rafting at Adventure Sports Center International. It is truly an amazing man-made white water course. Check out ASCI's website for more specifics about the center: http://www.adventuresportscenter.com/

While Chad and Crissi were gearing up, the kids enjoyed climbing on the rocks at the top of the mountain and a picnic lunch.

Soon enough, Chad and Crissi were ready for action and began paddling.

At first, the water was nice and peaceful, but as they moved along, the water got a little more turbulent.Crissi lost her grip one time and ended up in the water. Not bad for first timers!