LEGO Mania!!

Way back in January, Landon decided he wanted to have a "LEGO" party for his 6th birthday and in the 5 months that had passed since that declaration, he had not wavered on this decision.

At last, the long-awaited day arrived. Jason and I were going to be gone on his actual birthday (June 4th), so we held a special birthday party for him and all his friends before we left on Friday, May 30th from 5-7 p.m. When he got home from school, he discovered his very own LEGO wonderland!!

  

 

 

 

 

This party was so much fun for me to plan and organize...I just loved all the bright colors and endless possibilities!!

As everyone arrived they received an official "LEGO Builder Pass" and hardhat and then headed over to our "homemade" LEGO table for free build time while we waited for all the other guests to arrive.

 

 

Our first game was probably the favorite...build the highest LEGO tower in 60 seconds!!

Time...hands up...who will it be????

I think this little boy was in heaven with all of his friends and surrounded by his favorite toys!!

Next up...the Lego Straw Game (they had to move as many LEGO pieces as possible onto their plate using only their straw!!)

It took a while for them to get the hang of this game, but once they did, they wanted to do it over and over again!!

 

Nolan couldn't quite get the hang of the straw method, but he found picking them up with his fingers was a lot faster anyway!!

We played a few other games as well (including dropping a LEGO into the jar) but they weren't quite as entertaining for the boys since they had to take turns. (Note to self and all other parents of boys: group games go over much better than individual ones!!)

Then it was time to eat (we had planned on eating outside, but it was pretty hot out there so we utilized some indoor space instead!!)

Present time!!!

(I think he ended up with about 10 new LEGO sets and has loved putting every single one of them together over the last two weeks!)

This boy is just so fun to have around. He keeps our hands full with all of his shenanigans but our hearts also burst with love for his humorous, lovable, intelligent, handsome and wonderful six-year-old self.

 

Happy Birthday Landon!!

Family Camping

Over Memorial Day weekend we went on our very first family camping trip. Jason has taken all three kids out at various times (backyard, Father/Son Campoust and Ward Campouts) but I usually take one or more children back home and sleep in my nice comfortable bed. I like the "idea" of camping but can't really get into the nitty-gritty aspects of it (sleeping outside, bugs, heat/cold, feeling dirty, etc.) We finally had a nice Friday night weather-wise with no Saturday morning obligations so we went for it.

We stayed at a campground at Caledonia State Park, just across from us in Pennsylvania. It was gorgeous and a great place to stay for our first camping trip.

There were lots of streams, bridges, and little hiking trails that we enjoyed exploring on Friday evening after setting up camp.

We roasted hot dogs for dinner...

And enjoyed a s'mores treat before the night was over!

It was a bit chilly that night, but we all stayed warm in our tent and sleeping bags. Of course we were all up before 6 a.m. on Saturday which allowed us to break camp and then do some more exploring (the kids stayed in their warm fleece pajamas since we forgot coats...whoops!!)

The playground area was a bonus...

Can you see three little munchkins at the top of this old building?

We hiked about 4 miles in the morning before driving back to Hagerstown.

This little one even walked most of the way, although Daddy's shoulders provided a lift every now and then!!

I would say our first family camping trip was a success. I think we'll try to get in one more before this baby comes, but it's heating up fast so we'll see if it actually happens!!

Soccer Superstar!!

Another soccer season has come and gone. We sure do love watching this little guy in action...

Love this action shot!!

He is so full of smiles while he plays and looks forward to every game and practice!!

 

He has decided to try baseball in the Fall. I am kind of sad that he won't be playing soccer again until next Spring, but I think baseball will be fun for him too. Now time to enjoy a summer free of any extracurricular activities!!