First Ride

Today was the boys' first day to take their new bikes for a ride together. I think Lee was more excited than Matt. They waited for Wade to take a nap, and then they loaded up and headed out to the 218 Bypass.

• 3 miles later, they were back full of details. They had a great time, got a little chilly, and can't wait to go again!

Birthday Boy

 They boys and I got Matt a road bike for his birthday. I wasn't sure Lee was going to be able to contain himself until Matt got home. He was SO excited. He immediately started planning their rides together on the bypass.

 We practiced Matt's arrival and how the boys were going to have him close his eyes, as they guided him to his prize.

 I would give a million dollars if I had the video camera ready. Wade ran to the door, and before Matt was even inside, he started chanting, "We got you a PRIZE, Daddy! It's a BIKE! Close your eyes. It's a prize. It's a bike!" Matt was overwhelmed. Lee and I were laughing hysterically, and Wade was wondering why no one was closing their eyes or following him.

Matt was a great sport and was surprised. I think he loves it, but I think the boys might love it more. They were a tad disappointed that it wasn't red like theirs. I told them Daddy would like it, because it was Skyhawk orange. Sure enough, the first thing Matt said was, "I love that it's UTM orange!" That's my boy! I'm thankful each and every day for UTM and being the place that brought us together. Most of all, I'm thankful each day for this Birthday Boy! I love you!

President's Day

We woke up to a beautiful sunny day ready to head to the Memphis Zoo today. As we entered Shelby County, the sky became darker, and by the time we were close to our exit, we had light sprinkles. So we abandoned that plan and headed to the Children's Museum.

 

 I'm pretty sure Plan B was a hit!

 I remembered pretty quickly that I had never gotten good pictures here, so I had low expectations. Any decent pictures are a result of pure luck.

 Of course my 2 bookworms found the reading room and settled in with books.

 I hope this is not a preview into our future!

Lee has been here several times and easily remembered all of his favorites. Wade was a first timer, and he overstayed his welcome at each station. But Lee was a good sport and was rewarded with his favorite Chik-Fil A for lunch and ice cream. It was a fun day!

Birthday Week

 Birthday Week kicked off today at Nam's for this almost-37 year old!

We had a fun day celebrating Matt and look forward to spoiling him all week long!

Blue and Gold Banquet

Lee's Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet was tonight.

 I was so proud of our Wolves for making all of their decorations. They cut out and glued the decorations for the placemats.

 They used their last den meeting to put these fans together.

 Finally, these didn't photograph well, but the boys painted these popsicle sticks, which were then put on parchment paper and turned into lanterns.

 A certain cub scout legacy was ready for the show to get started!

 Our cute Wolf!

The Dynamic Duo

 I got to pin on his newest badge.

 They were so proud of all their new awards and patches.

 The leaders were recognized and presented with gifts.

Mawmaw was in town for a visit, so she came too! Matt and Brian have been amazing leaders, and we have a great den and pack. They boys love it. What a fun year we have had, and we are looking forward to Lee becoming a Bear next.

Playdoh faces

 Wade was Batman.

Lee was Harry Potter.

 

These were only a couple of the many faces they made for themselves.

Valentine's Day

After the boys went to bed last night, I filled their rooms with Valentine balloons. They were so excited when they got up this morning. Lee said, "Daddy must have gotten up extra early this morning to do all this work for us." Matt loved that he got all the credit. I love that Matt does fun things for them, so that wouldn't be completely nuts for him to have done it. I'm a very lucky gal for sure!

 

 These precious boys have been lucky enough to celebrate Valentine's Day several places already,

 so it felt like we have been gearing up for today for a week.

 I love when this spontaneously  happens. A lot of times, it is the beginning of a tackle, but this time, it was all in love.

 These guys bring us so much joy that I truly feel like we celebrate Valentine's every day.

 We love them so much!

 Wade didn't understand his "ticket." He was more excited about the movie, which was his clue.

 

 Lee was quick to fill him in on how amazing "The Lion King" is and how much he is going to love it. We saw it 2 years ago, sans Wade, while we were in Las Vegas. Lee was literally on the edge of his seat the entire performance. I can't wait to see how much they both love it this year when we see it at TPAC.

Lee had a Valentine party in his class today with special snacks, and then they exchanged Valentines. I asked him who liked his Valentines best, and without missing a beat, he said, "Christine." "Christine? Does she like Star Wars?" "No Mom. She said Pixie Stix are her favorite candy." Ha!