Mr Happy is 7 today!!

gotcha day video

Soo...Happy Thanksgiving...Merry Christmas...and Happy New Year!!  Lol, I think that brings me up to date!  I have been neglecting my little blog lately :/ Instagram is just faster and simpler for now - my name is skitkat19 if you want to follow me and see more pictures more often.  I will still write on here when I can.  :)

After my trip to China this past summer, I fully intended to share more about it since I wasn't able to post much while I was there, however a trip like that requires some processing once you get back and then life got busy and well, I just never got around to it.  But finally, for part of Anastasia's birthday present, I made a Gotcha Day video and I will try to put it below.  It will give you a glimpse of what the trip was like and you will get to see not only our two gotcha moments, but also a few of the other families that traveled with us.  They are moments I am so privileged to have shared with these sweet families and moments I will never forget. (sorry for missing your moment Lara, since your son and our second one came at the same time...!)

If you have questions about anything you see, just ask! I love to share about the country I left a piece of my heart in.  :)  Oh, and watch for the "bloomin' fish"...definitely one of the most interesting things we ate! Ha!

pumpkin patch fun

On Halloween I knew I wanted to get out and do something fun with Superman and it turns out we had a very busy day!  His grandmother took us to hear the Knoxville symphony for a little while.  They put on a program for the local elementary schools.  My kids were actually there too!  I saw where their school was sitting and I think I saw Mr. Happy although of course I couldn't actually go say hi.  Superman loved the music!  

After we got home and his grandmother left, we turned around and headed to Oakes farm.

 (Ok I don't know why blogger is being dumb and won't let me reposition these to pics...ugh. oh well.) 

When we were driving there it started sprinkling so I just kept praying that God would let it stop raining while we were there.  It sprinkled until we got on the hayride...and then it stopped until we got back in the car to go home!! :)  A sweet reminder that He cares about the little details. :)

Superman looved the field of pumpkins!!  He tried to pick one up...

...and it threw him off balance and he plopped down.  :}

Then he found one with a longer handle...much easier to pick up! lol 

Back on the hayride.  He loved this too.

Wearing the squeaky shoes I brought him from China.  They get lots of fun comments.  :)

 Some of the other adults on the ride were impressed that he wasn't scared. What's there to be afraid of as long as you have your Kiki with you?  :) 

Next we went to see the animals and he walked right up to them like they were no big deal. 

But when you have a dog the size of a small horse at home, these are nothing!  lol 

 This funny pig kept wagging it's tail like it was just a happy little thing.  :)

  Don't worry...I was holding on tight and standing much closer than it looks in these last three pics.  :)

Giving this goat some lovin'...

Last we explored just a little part of the corn maze.  He thought the crunchy corn leaves were very interesting.  I wore him out this day so much that when I put him down for his nap at home, he didn't even bother rolling over onto his stomach like he usually does but just fell asleep where I lay him down!  :)

Happy Halloween!

so sweet. :)

So Superman likes to look at the pictures on the TV stand and pull them down and point to the people he knows and have me tell him who they are. We were playing this game for the fiftieth time this afternoon (reminder to self: toddlers LOVE repetition...!)...and then he decided to give everyone kisses!!

             My sweet Superman!  :)

on the farm

  This week we went down to Atlanta because daddy had a short business trip there.  On Tuesday we had some time to kill so we looked up going to an aquarium near by.  It was going to cost $30 per adult and $25 per child!!  Ack!!  So I suggested a pumpkin patch.  We found one that would cost $16 each...better...but still a lot when you add up mommy, kiki, and four boys!  Finally we found one that was free to walk around and had a hayride that cost $2 for people 3 and older - so $6 total for all of us - muuuch better!!  It turned out to be the perfect little farm with just the right amount of simple activities for four little boys.

    

                          

Little Monkey was terrified...as usual...of this new situation and gave his best sad crying face until he realized everything was ok.  Little Lion here was all excited and climbed up into the wagon for the hayride mostly by himself...then realized his brother was crying and that maybe there was something not so good about to happen - but I say he has the courage of a lion :) and just looked minorly nervous and was asking "yap? yap?" in this picture (meaning "lap?") so I plopped him on my lap for a minute until we started to move and then he was good to go!

Not so bad!  And Big Brother loved every second of it!  :)

                         

We got to stop and walk out on that dock and feed the fish - another highlight of the day!  I mentioned that the fish had to be pretty big after being fed multiple times a day and sure enough! they were pretty good sized!

                       

                    

                    

                   

blowing hay at kiki was funny.  :)

                     

Here is an example of Little Monkey's sad crying face. Lol Precious silly boy! 

                     

The tractor that pulled us had BIG wheels!!

Lunch time!

                  

          

                         

Both Little Lion and Big Brother touched the goats.

and apparently petting them was hilarious.  :)

                         

The cows were a big hit too.  So was their dirty water.... boys...  :}

I love the way Little Lion's hands are clasped behind his back.  :)

                    

Next the boys got to pull and wagon and pick out their very own tiny pumpkin gourd!

                           

Little Lion couldn't decide if he would rather ride or pull...

Hmm...strangest granny smith apple I've ever seen!

We all had so much fun on the farm!  Next time we'll have one more!