V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

~Vacation~ (Part 1) To say the least...I kinda got the feeling Vacation is over!:( I just wanted to share a few things, memories of our Vacation!
~Amy's~ We spent 4 nights with Amy at her apartment. She made us feel right at home! My boys loved the apartment, the steps are their FAVORITE thing. Brayden actually named that as one of the highlights of vacation. LOL! Thankful they didn't get hurt in all the climbing up and down. Also Amy has the coolest patio, we spent a lot of time out there. It's cool because you are outside, but the brick walls surround you so you have privacy. Another plus is the boys were fenced in for the most part we didn't have to chase them.:) We used a lot of sidewalk chalk, set up a kiddie pool and had the bubble machine. So they played while we relaxed.
~Swimming~ Then there is the POOL!:) Loved it! Kids loved it! Husbands (Tim & Michael) seemed to enjoy it too! In one of my blogs earlier I stated how Brycen was content to sit in the baby float. Well...not any more! He learned to swim with the swim vest and is doing awesome. He is getting to be such a big boy and growing out of the baby stage (a little). Brayden, Brycen & Carter also learned how to do cannonballs. I have this on video, I watched it tonight and it is very funny.
~Fireworks~ We were a little undecided where we were going to watch the fireworks but finally decided or rather Amy decided to just watch them in Hickory by the Crawdads stadium. We parked and then walked a little and actually found a great spot to watch from. We spread the blanket and had a cooler of snacks, drinks, glow sticks & camera's. Most of all we had a awesome time together! The fireworks were LOUD, VERY FAST but really GOOD!!! Brayden, Carter & Brycen really enjoyed watching them this year! Michael and Tim were cracking up the whole time, they are def. worse than giggly school girls sometimes.:)
~Museum~ We went to the science museum. (By the way we all got in without paying. We have a membership and Amy got in with her Corning badge.) The kids really enjoyed this and us adults had a good time too. We found out how over weight we were, how strong we were and we were even on the news and in the paper. LOL!
~Shopping~ After the museum we went back to the apartment and put the boys down for a nap. Then Amy, Amanda and I went shopping for a little bit. Had a little sister time together and Alaina we missed you!!! Wish you were not so far away!!!
~Baseball~ Take me out to the ball game...Hickory Crawdads! The Wilson's got a special welcome to the game (thanks to Amanda). ROFL! My boys enjoyed the game. Tim bought all the boys a wooden bat, they are still playing with them. Brayden ate pop-corn and Brycen & Carter ate lots of cotton-candy! Of course what is a ball game with out a rain shower so we got a little wet. We watched the fire-works after the game. All in all it was a blast!
~Walgreens~ Hmm...got you thinking about that one? Well, I just couldn't leave it out because it was a eventful trip there and back after the game. Michael & Amanda decided to stay after the game and they needed some necessities and we needed milk, juice and stuff. Amanda tripped and fell in the parking lot and all of us in the car missed it...but it was late, we were sleep deprived and I am still laughing about it!!! Guess you just had to be there.
~Carters party~
Carter had a really cute Thomas birthday party. I still can't believe he is 4 yrs. old!!! All the kids seemed to have fun and really enjoyed the party. (It stormed really bad right before the party, but it cleared up just in time.) The sun was shining the whole time and of course the kids enjoyed the puddles! After the party Carter, Brayden, Brycen & Ayden played in the creek for a while. They were real muddy but hey what else do you expect from BOYS!:)
~Bradshaws~ We spent Monday night with Michael, Amanda & Carter. The boys enjoyed going through all of Carters toys! (Sorry for dragging everything out Amanda.)
Tuesday about lunch time we headed for Pigeon Forge. I was sad to see this part of the trip end because it meant Vacation was half way over.:(
~Vacation~ (Part 2) Coming soon...

Kids in my bed...

Since we have came back from vacation I am having a hard time getting the boys to sleep in their beds. While we were gone for 11 days Tim & I took turns laying down with them at nap and bed times. So of course they got spoiled to that real fast!
We always put them to bed in their room but if they wake up during the night they are allowed to climb in bed with us. Usually one or both of them end up in our room before morning.
So the first night home we put them in bed and we went strait to bed , about 15 min. later here they both came. So I told them they had to go back to bed and tried to explain that vacation was over. They said they didn't want vacation to be over! LOL! Neither did I, so we let them stay.
Last night Tim was already asleep as well as Brycen. I was up waiting for Brayden to go to sleep so I could go to bed. Finally Brayden came sneaking out the hallway and when I looked at him, he said "What are you doing up"? My reply was, I am waiting for you to go to sleep! He said "Well, I am waiting for you to go to bed and go to sleep, so I can get in bed with my Daddy"! All I could do was laugh!!!

Watching the fireworks!!!
Coloring Amy's bricks together!
Amy on the patio.
Carter Michael Bradshaw
Don't even ask!

Our 4th of July!

We headed to North Carolina on Thursday before the 4th! Carter Michael had stayed with us after youth camp for 5 days. He was such a big boy and we had a blast together!I am sooooo thankful for the time the boys all got to spend together. Carter was ready to see his Daddy & Mommy and boy were they glad to have him back in their arms again. I can't really say that I blame them but I sure enjoyed my nephew!
We spent the 4th with Michael, Amanda, Carter & Amy. We went swimming at Amy's pool. My boys and Carter loved the BIG POOL as they called it! The men grilled out for us, or Tim grilled and Michael was his moral support! LOL! The food was good and that is all that matters. We spent a lot of time out on Amy's patio, I love her patio! We used sidewalk chalk to color her bricks and just hung out together. We all went to watch the fireworks in Hickory. They were good but we had never seen any fireworks that were set off so FAST! Michael & Tim were laughing their heads off, what else is new? All the boys loved the fireworks and we pretty much had a front row seat.
I have always loved 4th of July, and there is no better way to spend it than to be with family!!! I wish our whole family could have been together...but we had a awesome time!