As Promised...

I know... 2 in a row... I am on a roll!

But I did promise pictures of our finished product so here they are. It's still a little incomplete ~ the burners are still waiting for knobs ~ but it's almost there. The boys LOVE their kitchen, and have already spent a ton of time down there cooking. So far today I have had an egg and sausage sandwich, cheeseburger and fries, chow mein, rice, cake and ice cream, and macaroni and cheese - that's all in addition to the actual toast I had for breakfast and real mac-n-cheese for lunch. Must have been hungry! I went down to check on them just before lunch today and found 4 boxes spread out and covered with their little red kitchen towels. Sam then welcomed me to his restaurant and pulled out a tiny little chair for me to sit at one of his tables. :) I am so glad they are having fun with it! It was a lot of work but definitely worth it. Plus, we've been recycling all kinds of food packages... they've been grabbing up every container imaginable the last few days.

Zoo Day!

In the last couple weeks we've had so many sunny, beautiful 50 degree days, with just a little snow in the middle. We've really been enjoying every moment of sunshine that we can. The boys have spent so many hours outside running, swinging, digging, bike riding, etc.

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On St. Patrick's Day, after a breakfast of green eggs and sausage (of course!), we loaded up and headed to the Zoo. We had a blast! I always let the boys choose the area they would like to visit since we can't fit it all into one day. So... we chose the monkey kingdom for Aaron. He loved it! They were active so he was able to actually see them, point, and growl (because every animal growls... monkeys are no exception for him). Sam chose the reptiles, and Seth chose the Giraffes and Elephants (as usual). We took a picnic lunch and just enjoyed the whole afternoon. Aaron sat in the stroller pretty much the whole 4 hours without a single complaint, just kicking his legs and singing away. And, he kept his hat and socks on for the entire time also... a huge accomplishment for him. We came home and cooked up a yummy Corned-beef dinner and collapsed. I was so exhausted the next morning. Pushing a stroller around for 4 hours, up and down hills, while carrying a small watermelon is some good exercise!

Crazy, Cute Hairdo

This is what Aaron looked like when he woke up from his nap this afternoon ~ so cute I just had to share =)

I just love this kid!!!

Seffer's 3rd Birthday

Well, I think we really made his day.... sausage and eggs for breakfast, McDonald's for lunch, custard at Culver's, and tacos for dinner. Yes, our lives revolve around food here :) We all just love to eat!

We did presents and cake the next day... and once again, I think we made his day. For the last few weeks, anytime I have asked him what he wanted for his birthday, his only response was "Cake!" so it was pretty easy to please this little guy. For his gift this year, we made him a kitchen... pictures to come when it is complete... hopefully soon! We turned an old entertainment center ($15 on craigslist) into an amazing little kitchen. Along with that, we got him his own dishes, pots and pans, and I made him a very cute chef's hat and apron. He actually picked out the fabrics himself.

We've decided to do a cake swap from now on... homemade one year and store bought the next. With Aaron and Seth's birthdays so close together and Sam and baby girl's so close we thought we'd do a trade off each year. With the amount of work Adam always puts into them, I am thinking 2 cakes a year is plenty. So Seffer's got a cake from Sam's club this year, and there were no complaints about that... it was YUMMY! By the way, we have found a new favorite kind of ice cream ~ Blue Bunny's Double Strawberry... if you haven't had it you should definitely try it.

3...

Tomorrow is a very big day for our little Seffers... he's turning THREE!!!

It's just amazing how fast time goes when you are so busy, chasing little boys. He has been the sweetest, most loving little person, and I have fully enjoyed every moment of those 3 years... well almost. He has definitely made that a challenge the last several days (I think he turned 3 in his behavior just a little prematurely). He gives me hugs and tells me he loves me all day long... what's not to love about that?!! I had made the goal of having him potty trained by 3, but that's just not going to happen apart from some crazy miracle. He is on his own schedule and will not be budged. Sooooo, my next goal is July :)

I am hoping for some sunshine for his special day... he has been begging to play at the park for months. So if the sun shines in the morning... we'll be off for a picnic at the park or maybe the zoo. Adam and I have been very busy preparing his birthday gift for a few weeks now, and we are so excited to give it to him. I hope he loves it! I'll post all about it sometime soon =)

Hope you all have a terrific day!