Mr. Successful

When I picked up Tyler today at school, his teacher had a huge smile on her face. She then whispered something to Tyler to tell me. Tyler walked over to me, also with a huge smile, and said he was in Club Success today. He was the only one in his class to be selected to attend a reception sponsored by the school's business partners. When they came to pick him up at his classroom it was a huge surprise. They asked why he thought he was being rewarded and he said because of his good behavior in class. This is the second time Tyler received an award at school during the past month. We are super proud of him!!! Way to go, Tyler!!!

Train Show

How lucky were we that a train show just happened to be going on the same weekend that Grandpa and Grammy were in town?! Sunday morning after breakfast we drove to the convention center in Virginia Beach where we attended an awesome show filled with all kinds of cool trains. It was 10 times better that Walt was with us since he is the train expert.

Walking around the big train show gave us quite the appetite, so we decided to go downtown Norfolk for some lunch. Fortunately, we couldn't find the restaurant we were originally looking for, which was a good thing because if we did we probably wouldn't have come across this quaint little diner. The boys ate at the lunch counter while Wanda and I sat together at our own table. I thought it was a cute photo of them together. On the way home, Steve took us for a scenic drive through more of Norfolk. This was our last adventure before Grammy and Grandpa said goodbye this morning to continue their journey down south. :(

The Smiths Go to the OBX

After shopping at a few yard sales, we traveled down to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Our first stop was the Center for Wildlife Education since the Currituck Beach Lighthouse was closed for the season. Then we headed north to the other side of the island, however we stopped along the way for lunch where we enjoyed some yummy hot dogs and fries. Before proceeding on our little adventure, we decided to browse through the antique shops nearby. Steve, Tyler and I ended up finding a homemade ice cream shop for dessert. Soon it was time to get back in the car again and we ended up on Roanoke Island where we enjoyed learning about the lost colony at the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. By this time, the sun was starting to set and we started back home. The sunset was incredible and a perfect ending to our wonderful day with Grammy and Grandpa Smith. Thank you to Grammy for taking the photo. :)

After we got ready to go to school today, we all of a sudden had a set of twins appear.

Tyler Turns 6

He melted my heart 6 years ago and he continues to do so today. My baby has grown into a smart young boy who is always curious about learning about the world around him. He is full of love for others, especially for his family and friends . There are not too many days that he doesn't make me laugh with his fantastic sense of humor. Mommy and Daddy are forever thankful for the blessing we received when you came into our lives 6 years ago, Tyler. We will forever and always be proud of you.This birthday was especially special because we had Grammy and Grandpa here to celebrate your special day. :)

Celebration

Friends and family got together to celebrate Tyler's 6th birthday. This year's party took place at the nearby family fun center where the kids had a blast bouncing on all the many different inflatables and driving the miniature vehicles. Tyler's guest list included Brady, Kyle, Rachael, Yuki, Danny, Samara, and Hanna. Unfortunately, Casey was too sick to be able to attend.

In preparing for the party, we always start out with what kind of cake Tyler wants me to make him. Originally, he wanted an alien head and then he changed his mind to a rocket ship. This was the very first time i had ever attempted to make this type of cake, It was fun, yet a little challenging. Steve suggested the idea of adding an actual photo of Tyler to make it look like he was inside the rocket. It was a great addition to the cake. It turned out super cute!!!

 After pizza, cake, gift opening and a little more playing, the kids had a great time playing the big foot game. This was a lot more difficult than it looks, but the kids had fun and the adults had fun watching them.

Before the party could end, we had to get a group photo of all our little friends that help make Tyler's special day a blast. Here are some more photos.

Grampy and Grandma Surprise Tyler

We've been super been ever since Grampy and Grandma from Rhode Island arrived Thursday afternoon to surprise Tyler for his birthday. Highlights of their visit include touring Steve's ship, going to some yard sales, eating at a Japanese buffet, browsing through some antique stores, and of course celebrating Tyler's 6th birthday. We are enjoying their visit with us, especially since it's been so long since we last saw them (2009).Here are some more photos from the tour of the USS Enterprise.

Vintage Photos

Below are some photos from 1989 that my friend Rhonda took. So hard to believe that was over 20 years ago!!! I was in the 9th grade. The first one was with my friend, Christine. The other one was with my friend, Janna.

It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's...

Superman, err I mean, Tyler was super excited about going to school today. His class and teachers won the chance to wear their PJs after raising more than the required amount to be donated to the American Cancer Society. It was a fun day indeed.

Best Ever Valentine's Day

This morning Tyler discovered his Valentine stuffed dog and card. He named the dog, Kisses. Then Steve and I exchanged our Valentine's gifts. I gave him chocolate dipped strawberries that I made especially for him, a box of chocolates, a Valentine's Day card, and a bottle of wine to go with the chocolates. He gave me beautiful red roses, a box of delicious chocolates, and a sweet Valentine's Day card. After we dropped Tyler off at school, we did some errands and then he took me out for a lovely Valentine's Day lunch at a super delish Japanese buffet. We then picked Tyler up at school. A local grocery store donated carnations to the kids at the school. Tyler gave his to Dad since I already had flowers. We thought this was super sweet of Tyler. The best part of my Valentine's Day was just being able to spend the entire day with my husband whom I love with all my heart. This is what made it the best Valentine's Day ever.

Thank you, Auntie Erika!!!

Today Tyler received a parcel from one of my best friends, Erika. She sent him a chicken book, farm animal figurines, a water ring toss game, and a funny card that plays the Chicken Dance song. Tyler absolutely LOVES everything, Auntie Erika. Thank you sooo much for always remembering Tyler's birthday. You definitely put a smile on this little soon-to-be 6 year old. :)

SNOW!!! :)

Sooo happy he's home!!!!!!

While most of us would see this as being a dump truck with an attached canoe, Tyler sees it as an airplane. Gotta love the imagination of a 5 year old!

Tyler Says the Darndest Things

So, the other day Tyler and I were discussing the different jobs that some of his friends' dads have, 90% of the families here are military. While we were talking about friend's dad who is in the Coast Guard, Tyler asked whether he was the Coast Guard that goes on the ship or the kind that sits on the beach. LOL

3 more sleeps!!!!

I love yoga.

Took this short video while we were at Kangaroo Jacs today. Decided to celebrate Tyler's terrific report card and we also had a coupon for free admission. Spent over 4 hours there, definitely got our coupon's worth. In the video, Tyler is wearing a bright yellow shirt. He starts off at the top of the slide.

Practice Makes Perfect

Tyler had quite the workout tonight at gymnastics. He not only did his regular class, but he also went to an hour long practice session just before his class started. The gym started providing practice classes at no additional cost, which is totally awesome. Tyler absolutely loves it. So, tonight he got extra work on the high bar.
Both him and his friend, Rachael, worked up quite the appetite so we went out for pizza and dessert afterwards. Overall, it was a nice evening spent with our good friends. We love Fridays for so many reasons. :)

Congratulations, Tyler!!!

I am very pleased to announce that our son has been recognized for his academic accomplishments. Tyler has been placed on the Assistant Principal's List for his grades. Today he brought home his ribbon. Mom and Dad are super proud of you, buddy!!!

New Calendar

With a busy schedule, I find it essential to keep track of it all on a calendar. A fun way of doing so, is to make our own custom calendar. Tyler loved this idea and did a great job on our first month. Of course, the theme for his artwork this month is his birthday.