Welcome Home Daddy

Daddy was away in India for 2+ weeks.  We all missed him so much!

To help count down the days until his return we made a "days until Daddy comes home" paper chain.

We were able to talk to him with video calls usually 2 times a day.  What a huge help and awesome technology to be able to talk to and see each other from so far away!

 Jack was the man of the house while Daddy was gone.  He liked sitting in daddy's chair and drinking "coffee" out of his little coffee cup...just like daddy.

 We painted a "Welcome Home Daddy" sign to bring to the airport.

We were leaving for the airport to pick him up and Amelia came walking to the back door with all her gear on...the helmet and a sword. :-)

 It was a little cloudy the morning we went to pick Daddy up.  Jack was sure hopeful that he would be able to use his umbrella.  He at least had to try it out in the airport parking garage. Silly boy.

 Jack and Amelia waiting for Daddy with their sign and smiley face balloon at the airport.

 Jack was sure patient standing around with this sign while waiting.  But the second he spotted Barrett walk through those doors, the sign dropped to the ground and Jack went RUNNING and gave his Daddy a big welcome home greeting!  It was the most precious thing ever! 

 Re-united at last!

 Kisses for the baby girl.

* I must brag on little Jack.  Right before Barrett left for India, we showed Jack where India was on the globe.  While he was away we looked at the globe a time or two and pointed out India then never looked at it much again.  Well now about a month later (just a couple days ago), Jack was playing with the globe, said "India" and pointed right to it.  He has done this over and over since then.  It looks like now is the time to start teaching this 3 year old his geography because he is catching on quickly! I'm one proud Mama.

The Zoo with Friends

This past November we bought a membership to the Dallas Zoo.  So with a couple nice weather days recently, we went to the zoo with some of our friends.

The first visit we went with our friend Lorelei and our cousins Ollie, Griffin & Eliana.

Lorelei & Jack looking at the giraffes and elephants

 Amelia liked seeing the animals too.

 Thank goodness this was an alligator statue!

 Oliver, Griffin, Jack & Lorelei going for an alligator ride.

 For whatever reason, Jack thought it seemed like a good idea to kiss the gorilla statue.

 Momma and Jack looking at the chimpanzees

This was my favorite part of the children's area of the zoo.  It was a giant birds nest in the play area.  Worked perfectly for letting Amelia walk around some but also kept her contained. This was just what we both needed at the end of our busy day at the zoo.

 Our next trip to the zoo (just yesterday) was with our friends Grace & Noah.

 Grace & Jack climbing the fence to peak over and see the elephants.

 Amelia checking out the giraffes.

 We got to see the gorilla pretty up close this visit.

Another alligator ride.

Right before leaving Jack got the chance to pet a snake.  He LOVED being able to do that and kept asking to pet it over and over again.  Such a brave boy!

Some things we've been up too...

I'm taking the easy way out by updating with pictures from the last couple months...one massive post of pictures!

 Baby girl had to take a trip to the doctor one afternoon in the end of December.  Hard to tell here that she wasn't feeling well.  She sat in this big kid chair (for a few seconds) waiting for the doctor to arrive.

 Fun at the park together.

 Checking out the train display at Northpark Mall 

 Jack at his 3 year check-up

 Bedtime with Bear.  Love seeing that happy face at bedtime!

 Amelia has had an obsession with babies recently.  This doll is bigger than Amelia is but she loves it.  She will carry her dolls around, sway back and forth with them, and say "baby, baby, shhh, shhh."

 Jack had his first visit to the dentist right after turning 3!  He did a great job and got a good report on his teeth.

 Amelia eating her first whole apple. She loved it!

 Eliana & Amelia

Party time at Chuck E Cheese's for Griffins 3rd birthday.

 Jack loved going on all the rides and playing lots of games.

 At just over 3 years old, this big boy is now potty trained (as of about 2 weeks ago.)  I really can't believe how awesome he has done!

 Going for a walk on a beautiful evening

 I love how these 2 play together in the big red car and how they have converted it into a 2 seater.  They take turns with which side they each sit on.  Whoever sits by the door has one foot in and one foot out of the car.  It seem completely normal to them and they just love it! Makes me laugh.

 Best friends

 Spinning in circles

 First time practicing cutting with scissors.  Jack really caught on quick and enjoyed this activity.  It was perfect to keep him busy - while I sat cutting out coupons, he cut out pictures of things he liked.

 Now is this some awesome bedhead hair or what?!?!

 A trip to Barnes and Noble

 Jack had a chat with mom-mom on the phone while they were on their way home from a cruise.

 Party time in Houston for Pa-Pa's birthday!

 Jack and "Spot"

 Look how much these cousins have grown.  Crazy!

 Superbowl Sunday.  The boys were in charge of making the cheese dip.  Jack loved helping out in the kitchen as always.

Amelia in her football outfit

 Jack's had his first time working on the computer with a mouse.  This skill is gonna take a while to master.  He got a little frustrated getting it to work right but was very proud to be working on a computer like Daddy.

 We just recently had another snow fall.  It has been a cold winter with more snow & ice than usual, but we have really enjoyed it all.

 Playtime with Daddy

 Bathtime! The kids just started having baths in the tub upstairs together and they are loving it.

 Valentines Sunday

 We went to a valentines day party at our friends Mason & Maggie's house.  The kids decorated valentine bags, exchanged cards, went on a heart hunt in the backyard, decorated cookies, and had a picnic lunch while watching a mickey valentines movie.  So much fun!

 We took Daddy to the airport on Valentines Day so he could go on a business trip to India.

 Here are a few of the things we did to stay busy while he was away.  We took a walk to the corner store for hotdogs and had a picnic outside with the cousins.

 Amelia and Eliana having a picnic in their strollers.

 We had lots of outdoor playtime with so much nice weather!  Amelia and her friend Lorelei in their cozy coups.

 Yup...she has a big white flower bow on her head and she is playing in the dirt.  This crazy girl sure doesn't mind getting a little (or a lot) of dirt on her.

We went to the playground with Ledger and Griffin.  They found the perfect hide out!

 After lots of playing they stopped to rest and eat sugar!!

Picnic and playtime in Lorelei's backyard.

We have been having too much fun!  Crazy that we are nearing the end of February.  Sure seems to me that it was New Years just last week. So thankful for the gift we are given with each new day together and treasure all these memories we are making.