A Happy Mother's Day...

This weekend was Mother's Day weekend, and I always love this weekend because I usually get a little pampered and the freedom to do whatever I want.   This year I just wanted to spend time with family and friends...so that exactly what I did! 

It started with my husband (err...I mean my kids) sending me flowers to work... 

And although the card was poorly typed and the boys' names were spelled incorrectly (notice I named my child "Copper"), I thought it was very sweet..

On Friday nights I really don't like to cook, so we generally go out.  Usually it's Mexican night, but this night we opted for something different and it worked out well.  

Gramdpa joined us and the boys loved it... 

And provided some entertainment with his hat...

 And then I pulled out my "bag of tricks" to keep them calm while we waited for the food...

We enjoyed a good dinner and the boys tried Toasted Ravioli for the first time...

And the waiter was nice enough to bring the boys ice cream.  They're starting to get really good with a spoon...

Notice there are no pictures of Coleman, because the kid doesn't like ice cream!  I know, Cooper, I don't understand it either...

I'm honored to be a bridesmaid in Allyson's (my girlfriend from college) upcoming Wedding.   

On Saturday we celebrated by throwing her a shower at a nearby pottery painting shop.   What a great idea!   We all painted tiles that will be mounted around the edges of a mirror that she can keep forever.   I've got to be honest, we have some real talent amongst our friends...

I remember when Jay and I got married (almost 5 years ago!)...it was fun to get all new things for the house and start building our "home" together...so happy for you Ally! 

The whole group...

And just the bridesmaids...

I have three girlfriends that are pregnant right now...and I just can't wait until all of these babies arrive!  Here are Robin and Laura..aren't they the cutest?  

 While I was at the shower, Jay and the boys took advantage of the mild spring day in the Lou and played outside on the playset... 

Their cousin Merrick came over to play...

And Jay pushed them so many times in a circle that when Merrick got off, he was so dizzy that he fell flat on his face.  Hilarious.  Funny thing is, he got right back on and wanted more...

Cooper and Cal are getting so good at swinging on their own...

 That night, I went to spend some well overdue time with my family.  You see, my first cousin, Ali was diagnosed with breast cancer at the young age of 31.  It was stage 2 and very curable and this week she started Chemotherapy.  Unfortunately the doctor told her she would, in fact, lose her hair...

So we all got together to support her while she bravely took the plunge to get used to a shorter look...

and my sister Stefanie, who has a salon in her basement, created a lovely style for her..

 Then, we finished the night with some good wine, food, and laughs together....

The next morning was Mother's day and it was such a beautiful day with sunny and 70 degree weather...we couldn't have asked for a better day!

So we ventured out with a picnic full of goodies for the kids and headed to a STL favorite market to get the adults some gourmet sandwiches for lunch. Coleman got a kick out of the giant pig out front...

We were lucky enough to land a picnic bench in the shade right next to the playground.  So after lunch the boys were ready to play.  Ready, set...go!

Nana and Grandma Murch came along to play...notice Nana's hand coming through the slide? 

No wait, that's not Nana...that's the "Tickle Monster"!  They boys got it good...and I can still the hear the echo of their belly laugh in my mind...

Then everyone had suckers...

Then we rode the carousel...this is them waiting with a look of true excitement and amazement...

Coleman decided he didn't want to ride the horses, so he hopped in the sled...

And afterwards, Nana spoiled each one of them with a balloon each...

And they provided lots of fun, even after we left the park...

Needless to say, they fell right asleep on the car ride home.  Once we got home and napped, they were ready to go again...so they played in the sandbox... 

While daddy grilled...

For all of you Mother's out there...parenting is surely a thankless job, but at least there is one weekend per year where we get reminded of our sacrifices.   

Happy Mother's day to you all!  

Off to the Races...

This is our fourth year of celebrating (in "true Derby fashion) the Kentucky Derby at Arlington Heights Raceway in the Chicago suburbs.  Our good friends, The Peters, were nice enough to host us yet at their house again this year...

So we packed up the car (with plenty of movies, toys, blankets, binkis, drinks and snacks) and hoped for an uneventful 5 hour drive down Hwy. 55 North (one long and boring highway) from STL to Chicago...

We arrived in time to get to hang out and play before bedtime.   Kim and Steve's oldest son, Justin, had a baseball game, so we headed to the park next door and the boys got to climb and slide.  I dread the day one of them breaks something..but I know it's bound to happen as daring as they are...

I've also found kids can find the fun in the littlest things...like this fire hydrant...they probably jumped over it like a gazillion times...

And sure enough, while I was making sure Coleman didn't fall off onto his head...there goes Cooper, off and running...

This is their youngest, Jillian, but we all call her "Jillybean".  Coleman and her got along so well on this trip!

The sun was out and it was a beautiful afternoon...

Then we headed back for ice cream sundae's (with all the fixin's) before bed...

Although, Coleman had two bites and said he didn't like it.  What kid doesn't like ice cream??

But he managed to eat lots of the toppings...and after their sugar high of cherries, M&Ms, Brownies, Heath, and chocolate chips, wore off, they were very ready for bed.

The next morning, we made breakfast and then played for a while.  Kim has a very organized play room, but as usual, they discovered a way to destroy it...

Then the limo picked us up and we were off to the races! 

There were ten Arlington Raes and the actual Kentucky Derby started around 5 so...it was a long day, but we had a great time...

We were happy to have our friends from Dallas, Wendell and Eisha could join us this year!

The party went on long after we returned home...

Coleman stayed up way too late...

And the guys ended up heading the Casinos and stayed out way too late...but I was okay with it (because Jay won! And Wendell got rolled)

On Sunday we got home in time to enjoy the 90 degree weather and play some tee-ball.

Coleman was hitting some heaters!

 And teaching Cooper how to tee it up...

and then run and fetch his ball...

Again, as usual, someone is trying to sneak off...

This time it was Cal, headed up the stairs...but Momma caught him!

And we headed back inside to start our nightly routine of bath, reading and bedtime.   The weekends fly by and next thing you know, it's Monday...and we're off again to the races...