Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my baby boys!

On August 10, Clayton turned 3 and on August 13, Levi turned 1! We celebrated the weekend before with a Fishing for Fun party with our friends the Tolers! The kids played. We did a craft. We ate cake. We opened presents. It was a blast! Thank you Angie, Austin and Ashley for celebrating with us!
For his birthday, Clayton got to go the pet store and pick out two goldfish. He also requested lobster for supper. So we went to Wal-Mart and purchased two live lobsters. On his birthday evening, Clayton helped Cyle butcher (is that what you call it?) the lobsters and grill them. While he enjoyed the lobster, he really loved the corn on the cob best.
Levi really enjoyed tearing paper off of presents and much to Clayton's dismay preferred playing with the paper rather than the gift inside.
They both had great birthdays. I'm so blessed to have my children!

Grandma and Grandpa G Visit

Grandma and Grandpa Grossheider came to visit us in July. They took Clayton to Luray Caverns to do a little exploring.

They also took a drive along Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park, where they got to see BEARS! One day we visited the Manassas National Battlefield Park. (It is the site of what most know as the Battles of Bull Run, but is also named the Battle of First and Second Manassas.) We saw a really interesting demonstration about the type of weaponry used at the time. But the biggest event of all was...

...the building of the tree house!

For the boys' birthday, Grandpa G. built them a swing set perfect for their size! Levi loves the slide.

So does Clayton... We had a great time visiting with Grandma and Grandpa!

In Loving Memory

Cyle's grandfather, Cletus Huck, passed away on July 14.

Those we love must someday pass beyond our present sight
Must leave us and the world we know without their radiant light.
But we know that like a candle their lovely light will surely shine
to brighten up another place more perfect...more divine.
And in the realm of Heaven, where they shine so warm and bright
Our loved ones live forever more in God's eternal light.

A Trip to the ER

Tuesday evening we had to take Levi to the ER. He tripped over his own two feet while playing in the garage and landed right on a car part Cyle had on the floor. He had a gash from the middle of his upper lip all the way to his nose. Four stitches later he was doing okay. I don't know if it was more traumatic for him or me! My poor little baby! Today he was doing just fine. You wouldn't even know it had happened, except for the big cut on his face.

Thank You!

We're sending out a BIG THANK YOU to our families for all of your help moving us!
We couldn't have done it with you!

Next week my dad and step-mom will be here and have I got a to-do list for them! (well, Dad mainly...)

Riding Toys

Levi just cannot wait to be big. He wants to be a part of everything that Cyle and Clayton do. So when Clayton got to go on a go cart ride, Levi wanted one, too. And he couldn't have been more excited!


Cyle and I are not people that go out an buy new things. We take hand-me-downs, we shop craigslist, we try to get the best deal, so it was really exciting this past weekend for Cyle to go and buy a NEW lawn mower. Just a few short weeks ago, Cyle bought a 12 year old Craftsman lawn mower off of craigslist. While mowing our yard for just the 3rd time, the engine threw a rod. (I don't really know what that means, but it's totally irrepairable.) So, tired of dealing with lawn mowers that needed constant repairs, Cyle and Clayton went to Lowes and bought this beautiful new John Deere ZTR. The boys were almost as excited as Cyle. I'm excited that he's cut his mowing time in half. Yeah!

Cows N Corn

This past Saturday we went to Midland, VA to a great farm called Cows N Corn with our dear friends the Tolers. We had a great time riding a cow train, eating ice cream, watching a cow get milked, eating ice cream, playing with water pumps, climbing on play equipment, eating ice cream, taking a hay ride and touring the farm, eating ice cream. It was All You Can Eat Ice Cream Day and it was a blast!
Thank you so much Jonathan, Angie, Austin and Ashley for spending the day with us! We're so blessed to be living close to you!