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Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Nerf Gun War Party!

Tommy went back and forth on what he wanted to do for his 7th birthday party. He finally decided on having a Nerf Gun War Party. I was all for that because the decorations were easy and most kids love Nerf Guns!


Since the weather was kind of iffy, we decided to rent the Benton Community Building just in case it was too cold to be outside at our house. We knew we wouldn't be able to entertain a bunch of rowdy boys in our house for very long. It actually worked out perfectly in the community building--we just rented it for the whole day on the day of his birthday and had his family party right after his friend party. We got it all done in one day and I didn't have to clean my house! Double yay!


On his birthday eve, I stayed up late blowing up balloons to fill his room (the older they get, the less I enjoy this tradition. I was actually considering not doing it this year, but right before he went to bed, he said, "Yay! My room is going to be full of balloons tomorrow!" How could I NOT do it after he said that?).




 I hung the birthday sign above his door....

 He had requested a chocolate donut with sprinkles for his birthday breakfast, so that's what he got! My little man is SEVEN!
 
The days are long, but the years are short....
 He opened presents after breakfast. We got him some Nike shirts, some Star Wars stuff, a nunchuk for the Wii, a Ripstik, some dirt bike gear and some Nike shoes. He loved it all--it was actually fun this year because in the past, he was just more focused on opening a present and then immediately moving on to the next thing. This year, he actually looked at stuff and APPRECIATED the present before he moved onto the next one.


Once he as done with presents, we got around and headed to the community building to start decorating. He had a basketball game at noon, so we had to hustle a bit! They didn't win, but he had a lot of fun playing!

 
 After the game, we hurried back to the community building to finish up a few things. The day was so crazy that this is the only picture I got with my birthday boy.

We decorated in blue and orange and served Tommy's favorite snacks...he wanted cupcakes, Doritos, popcorn, skittles and yogurt. Super simple and easy--my kind of party!


 
 
 
We just used a bunch of cardboard boxes, chairs and tables to set up a Nerf Gun War range. We had put on the invitation for each kid to bring their own Nerf gun, but we brought some extras and had also bought a zillion extra bullets. We set up the extra guns and bullets on each side of the range so the boys could refill as they needed to. We handed out safety glasses and glow bracelets as favors.

I love this picture--this group of boys was SO fun and they were all so well behaved and said please and thank you. It made my heart so happy that he has such a fun group of friends!
 We let them run free for about an hour and a half. They played capture the flag for quite awhile and then just ran around shooting each other. It was fun and crazy and LOUD! After they were done playing, we did cake and presents. He got all kinds of fun stuff!


Once all the parents came and picked up their kiddos, we cleaned up a bit and set everything up again for his family party. We served dinner at the family party--chili, hotdogs and chips. All of his cousins brought their Nerf guns too and they had a blast! There were a few tears (because sometimes those stinkin bullets HURT), but overall, they played so well together and had the best time!


This little girl in particular was having the time of her life!
 We ate dinner and opened presents. Tommy loved all of them! He got a basketball, football, money, a bike, tickets to Monster Jam and more that I can't remember! He had so much fun!

 
He blew out candles again and we all ate some cupcakes....YUM.



After cake, we started the clean up process. We're blessed with some pretty spectacular family that stayed and helped us clean it all up. We were all exhausted by the end of the day but Tommy had SO much fun and really enjoyed his friend party and his family party. He said it was one of his favorite birthdays ever! And I have to admit, it was one of my favorite too!

Saturday, January 20, 2018

To Tommy, on your 7th birthday

Thomas James-


You just turned 7. And my momma-heart is in disbelief that my baby boy has been alive for SEVEN YEARS.

At 7 years old, you....

Wear a size 7 pant and size 7/8 shirt.
Wear a size 2 shoe
Are just a little over 4 feet tall
Weigh around 52 pounds

Your personality has fully developed into a slightly sarcastic sense of humor with a dash of cockiness. You can be so very sweet and kind but oh man, if you get mad....we all better look out.

You make me laugh and cry in the time span of 5 minutes. You’re my little sour patch kid!

You love Jesus and Alvin and the Chipmunks and Cheez-it’s and Nerf guns. You’re all boy and love nothing more than farting on your family or having some kind of sword fight.

There are so many things about you that remind me of myself--your stubbornness, your aversion to vegetables, how you think milk smells too weird to drink, that you get SO grumpy when you're tired but refuse to lay down in fear you'll miss out on something. Luckily, there are also so many things about you that remind me of your dad (he gave you your better traits--ha!). You're determined like he is. You LOVE to be outside--any chance you get, you're riding your bike or playing with the dogs or shooting baskets. You ALWAYS have a ball in your hands and I can't count the number of times I've heard a huge thunk on the roof or wall and finally figured out that it was just you throwing a ball around.

You've finally started to make some more friends. You were SO shy when you first started preschool, but you've really started to come out of your shell and you have a lot of fun with all the boys in  your class and on your basketball team. I've heard some....interesting....stories about things that have happened at recess that make me laugh and cringe. It's going to be so fun watching all of you grow up together!

Tommy, you are just the best little boy.....excuse me, I mean best guy (you don't like to be called a little boy anymore) a mom could ask for. Even when we drive each other nuts, I love you more than life itself. You're such a fun, smart, silly, quirky, sarcastic dude and we truly enjoy our time and conversations with you! Happy 7th birthday buddy!!

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

New York City 2018: Day 4

Saturday was our last full day in NYC. Time was flying and we couldn't believe it was already almost time to go. Not gonna lie--I was kind of excited because I was SO ready to see my babies. But I was also excited for the day we had planned!

 We hopped on the subway and headed to China Town and Little Italy. My mom really wanted to see the court house and the police station right by it because they're both on her favorite show ever--Blue Bloods. She's a hardcore fan and was SO excited to be there. She's the tiny brown dot at the end of the stair railing!

  Just a few blocks later, we were in China Town. This MIGHT have been my favorite part of our trip! It was so fun and there were so many little shops. Granted, they were all selling the same touristy stuff, but the atmosphere was bustling and fun! We got stopped every few feet by women whispering in our ears, "You buy purse? Michael Kors, Coach, I have. You come look." We had to just keep on moving or we wouldn't have made it anywhere! I picked up a cute stocking cap for myself and more junk souvenirs for the kids.
 After looking around a bit, we stopped for lunch at Big Wong's. Because....where else would you eat in China Town? It was delicious!
 After lunch, we shopped some more and then made our way to Grand Central Station. My mom and sister wanted me to see it. To be honest, I wasn't really sold on the idea and thought it would be boring. But I'm so glad we went! It was beautiful and there were so many little shops and SO many people.
 We had to get a snack at Melissa's Bakery (of course). I chose the coconut cake that was just as good as it looks and Brooke had cheesecake. We sat and ate and people watched for quite awhile.
 On our way out, we stopped in the whispering room. It's amazing! It's a huge room in the middle of Grand Central Station that has a domed ceiling. If two people stand in opposite corners and whisper directly into the wall, you can hear what the other person is saying! It's very cool in person--kind of hard to explain on here. Grand Central Station was LOUD. I could barely hear what my mom and sister were saying when they were standing next to me. But you can whisper and as long as you're facing the corner, the other person can hear everything you say!

We went to our room for a bit after that to rest. Then we decided to go to another movie. We picked Downsizing (WORST. MOVIE. EVER.).  My mom slept during most of it and we seriously considered leaving in the middle of it but decided to stick it out since we paid $17 to see it. 

After the movie we decided to grab a few slices of pizza from 2 Bros. My mom went ahead of us to the hotel and when we got there, she was just sitting in the lobby. We asked her what she was doing and she delivered THE most annoying news. 

The elevator was broken.

Now....in hotels I've been in in the past, that wouldn't have been THAT big of a deal. But in New York.....every building is skinny and tall. REAL tall. 

We were staying on the 29th floor (insert worlds biggest sigh here). 

We stayed in the lobby for a few minutes before we realized the elevator wasn't going to be fixed any time soon. The lobby was tiny and everyone was waiting, so it was crammed full. We finally decided to climb ALL 29 FLIGHTS OF STAIRS. 

I have nothing nice to say about that, so I'll just summarize and let you know it took us about 20 minutes and we were sweating by the time we got to our room. SO annoying. And we carried our pizza with us the whole time! Because we're THAT dedicated to pizza.

Once we had finally gotten settled in our room and we weren't panting from climbing all those stairs any more, we started packing up. It was sad, but I was glad to know I was a few hours closer to seeing my kiddos! We had a bit of an issue checking in for our flights the next day, but Brooke finally got everything figured out and we had a car service lined up to take us to the airport the next day. I prayed and prayed that night that God would go before us so our flights would go smoothly and safely.

 Here's our last picture in New York...
 Our car came on time and we got to the airport WAY earlier than planned. Thank God, because when we walked in, the line for security was inSANE. Like.....500 people in line.
 We started to get a little worried that we would still miss our flight. But after we'd been standing in line for about 10 minutes, Brooke looked at our tickets again and noticed that we were TSA prechecked! Say whaaaaa?!? That meant that we could basically skip the long security line and go through the MUCH shorter (maybe 10 people in front of us) TSA precheck line!! We were so thankful! Our flight showed up on time and we got boarded to head HOME.
 Those two fell asleep while I tried reading to pass the time. Luckily, all of our flights were super short--2 hours or less.
Mom woke up in time for our "complimentary snack." It was our favorite one we'd been given, so I had to snap a picture. Those little things were DELISH. Brooke was still sleeping, so we voted to eat hers for her. Oops.

 We had a layover in Chicago for a few hours, so we grabbed a bite to eat there. We all called home to touch base with our families. Nick ended up having to go into work unexpectedly, so he was SUPER irritated, but promised that he'd be there when I got to the airport! Michael picked up the kiddos and brought them with him to get Brooke.

When we boarded our flight from Chicago to Wichita, I realized it was the worlds SMALLEST plane. I'd sat by my mom or sister on each previous flight, so I was super bummed to have to sit by a stranger on the way home. My claustrophobia and introvertedness made for a sucky last flight. We also sat in the plane on the tarmac for about an hour before finally taking off. But before I knew it, this view was out my window....
And my heart got all fluttery and excited! Because as fun as it is to see new places, there is NO place like home! As soon as we landed I got this picture on my phone....
Uncle Michael said they were excited to see me and I was SO excited to see them! It seemed like it took forever for us to get off the plane and grab our luggage. But once we finally did, it was SOOOOO good to see their little faces and hug my hubby! Tessa just kept saying, "Mommy! I'm SO glad you're home!"

I was only gone for 5 days, but it felt like an eternity. Once we pulled into our driveway and I stepped out into the fresh air, I couldn't help but think how quiet it was compared to NYC and how big and open it felt! Everything was so busy and cramped there and to be home in the middle of open pasture with green grass and trees felt weird, but amazing!

Overall, I'm so glad I went. The time spent with my mom and sister was the best part of it all and I'm glad I got to see NYC and all the fun and beauty that it holds.

What an adventure!

Sunday, January 14, 2018

New York City 2018: Day 3

On Friday, January 5th, we woke up to SUNSHINE! It was nice to not have to worry about getting soaking wet from the snow......but it was still COLD!

After we got up and around, we hopped on the subway to head to the 9/11 museum. Funny side note: we had bought subway passes that were good for unlimited rides for one week. My mom had the hardest time keeping track of her pass. On this morning, Brooke and I went through the gate first and then were waiting for mom to find her pass. She searched and searched for that thing and could NOT find it. So she had to go to one of the machines to get a new subway card. Brooke and I were having to yell instructions to her of how to use it and load money on the card. Funniest thing ever! She finally got it figured out and made it through the gate.
 We tried to go to the St. Paul church where a lot of the firefighters and 9/11 family and friends went after 9/11. It was closed for some reason, so we decided to grab some breakfast at a deli nearby. Brooke was too cool for the camera....
 After we ate, we headed over to the 9/11 museum and to see the One World Center and the monuments. All of it was so beautiful! It was amazing to see how tall the One World Center was. And sobering to see all of the names on the monuments of the people who died.

 We started the 9/11 museum with a few movies that they were showing. They were really good and informative and helped to show the point of view of the government officials while 9/11 was happening.
 Everything in the museum was super informative and interesting. There was SO much to see. I feel like I could go there every day for a week and still not have seen it all.
The museum is actually underground and this wall was one of the original walls they put in to retain water from the Hudson river from seeping into the foundation of the World Trade Center.



This flag had the face of every 9/11 victim on it.




 I think the thing I liked the best at the museum was this room they had that was completely darkened and lined with benches. You could sit in there and watch while they announced a person's name and then showed a paragraph about their life. Sometimes, it included voice clips of their family members saying things about them. It was a beautiful tribute, but incredibly sad at the same time.

There was also a story that really stuck with me. A lady that worked at the World Trade Center had been an employee there when the bombing in 1993 happened. She managed to escape, but was really hesitant and scare to go back. But she loved her job and her employer, so as an incentive and reward for herself for going back, she bought a gold and sapphire ring for herself. She was there working on 9/11 and lost her life. I'm not sure why that one particular story sticks out so much to me. Maybe because of her bravery of going back after 1 tragedy. Maybe because she just seemed so normal and I could picture myself doing the same thing. But it's a story that I think will stick with me forever.

The only thing I didn't love about the museum was that it was so full that it was hard to read some of the plaques or to really take the time to appreciate all the exhibits. I almost wish they only had guided tours with groups allotting a specific amount of time at each exhibit so it didn't get too overwhelmed.

After the museum, we headed to the Oculus. It's a really cool train station right across from the museum. There's all kinds of shops and places to eat. We just walked through it to get to our next subway stop, but it was cool to see. Mom couldn't remember what it was called, so for the rest of the day, she called it the Octapula. Close, mom. Close.

We took the subway to the Staten Island Ferry. All I remember about the walk from the subway to the ferry was that it was SO cold and SO slick. The sidewalks had mostly been cleared, but there were some places that hadn't and I was still having a shoeware malfunction drama, so I was getting super frustrated. But once we actually got ON the ferry, it was great!
 

The spots on the picture below are because the window I took the picture from was SUPER dirty.
 We passed the Statue of Liberty so I got to see that up close. So pretty and neat!
 A selfie with Lady Liberty waaaaaaaaaay in the background.
 Once we got to Staten Island, we walked up Mount Everest (Brooke says it's just a tiny hill....but it felt like Mount Everest to me) to a restaurant called Enoteca Maria. It was the cutest little restaurant and the cooks are all grandma's! Most of them are from Italy and the food was SO delicious.


 They served bread with a zuchinni and squash relish and a beet relish, both of which I surprisingly liked.

 I had vegetable lasagna with bechamel sauce that was to DIE for. Highly recommend it if you're traveling to that area any time soon.
 We relaxed after dinner for a few minutes and then headed back to our hotel. The New York City skyline was so pretty at night. Obviously, the picture doesn't do it justice. We tried to go to the outside portion of the ferry to get a good picture, but it was SO incredibly windy and cold that we could only stand out there for a few seconds before I got nervous we'd be knocked overboard.
After we got back to the hotel, Mom decided to stay in the room and rest and Brooke and I went to see Jumanji 2. It was really funny, but the best part of the night happened after the movie. We'd gotten a large popcorn because it had free refills. Our mom LOVES popcorn, so we decided to refill it as we left the movie to take it back to our hotel room. So we walked 3-4 blocks through Times Square with a huge bucket of popcorn. But it was SO windy that night that it kept picking up the popcorn out of the bucket and tossing it down wind of us! We were crossing a road once and I looked behind us to see a huge trail of popcorn pelting the people behind us--it was the best!

And mom was so excited to get her popcorn :)