Pictures Galore

Here's what we've been doing...

Eli's First Birthday

The Birthday Boy

Uncle Ryan flew in from San Francisco

Eli loves to play with cars

But, he doesn't care for cake

The Gentry Safari
Alissa and I took all six of our kids to the safari one Friday (unaware that it was an official field trip day for all the local schools). The kids loved it and we had a great time! (I would like to see the daddy's attempt something like that)
Will and Caleb (the sweet ones)

Kate and Eli (the ones with attitudes)

Easy going Eli just taking it all in

They loved petting the baby animals. Will's favorite was the snake. Kate loved the bunnies. Eli loved this calf.

The highlight of their trip, however, was chasing these chickens. They ran around for at least 30 minutes (good way to wear them out!).

Devil's Den
We celebrated the Kilpatrick's departure with one last family outing to Devils Den. We hiked around, explored the caves and finished the evening with pheasant fajitas...thats right, I tried pheasant for the first time and it was really good (tastes like chicken). Well done, Jordan!
My cavemen

Jordan and all the little troopers

Water wars

Throwing rocks in the river...always a hit with kids.

Mommy and Eli survived the hike!

Canoing on the Elk River
For Memorial Day, we took the kids canoing. They had never been before, and they loved it. Just the right amount of swimming, fishing and boating. The water was high from all the rain so there were even a few little rapids which thrilled the kids...and Daddy.
The family (Eli stayed with Grandma and PePa...not quite ready for the rapids!)

Kate loves the water

Will is our little fisherman

They liked to ride in the very front of the canoe with me...they kept getting frustrated with me for hitting them in the head with my paddle.

Me and my sister-in-law Kristin. We had a great weekend together!

Lazy Days at Home...we have enjoyed having time to take it easy.
Playing out back on their John Deere

Will is Daddy's official helper. He has become pretty handy when it comes to yard work.

Kate dancing in the puddles while helping Daddy wash GRANDMA'S bike. :)

All the little helpers...we are so blessed!

A Promise of Things to Come

I apologize for my absence from the blogging network over the last couple of months. The weeks have flown by and we have been taken with them. Since I last posted, we celebrated Eli's first birthday. Its hard to believe he is already one. My tiny 6lb. 12oz. baby is now a 20lb. 4 oz. little boy. Although his looks and weight have changed, he is still the most content, happy bundle of joy a mom could ask for. His smile continually brightens my day. To celebrate we had a small, family party for him which was extra special since Uncle Ryan and Aunt Chi-Chi were able to fly in from "the bridge" (Golden Gate) and attend. Eli had lots of fun being the center of attention at the party, but strongly disliked the cake. Much like his older brother, he did not appreciate having his fingers and face covered in icing...i thought boys liked making messes; maybe that comes with age!

On a different note, we have also had to say goodbye to our closest friends. Over the last year and a half, we have greatly enjoyed having Steven and Brooke live so close. Always in the past, they have lived a good distance away, and we were only able to see them once, maybe twice, a year. Needless to say, we have been spoiled having them in Fayetteville. Every week we spent countless hours talking, playing with the kids,eating out, watching movies and enjoying our moments together. The kids always looked forward to the next time they got to see them. Brooke and Steven poured a lot of time and love on our kids, and the kids love them. This last Sunday, the Johnson's packed up and began their journey back to Charleston, South Carolina. They always enjoyed living there and just felt it was a good fit for their family. For us it is bittersweet; we are happy for them, but we will greatly miss their company. The kids are already asking when we can go to the beach and see them and the doggies again. Please pray for them as they begin moving in to their new house and start new jobs. They have already faced many setbacks and frustrations, but nothing that cannot be overcome. We look forward to going out their to visit. We loved the Charleston area, its history, beauty and southern charm...who knows, maybe one day we'll end up there ourselves!

I promise to post some pictures of of Eli's party and the kids soon. Its feels good to be back!