Tweetsie Railroad

Rebecca!

Tweetsie Railroad! So cute!

We went to celebrate Laura's 3rd birthday and we had the best time!

Tweetsie Railroad is an amusement park for small children in Boone. I had heard it wasn't worth the cost so I was expected yucky fair but it was great! It was so nice to be up in the mountains, the weather was perfect and everyone was just so excited to be there.

There were rides

Showgirls

And our favorite mining mice!

Laura and I stuck to the small rides. She tried the tilt-a-whirl with Rebecca and Matt and said it was too scary for her. Rebeca loved it! I was so surprised because she's usually so cautious. She rode several big rides with Matt and would hold her arms up and just laugh the whole time.

We had a big weekend! I went to Rhode Island to visit Mary Martha and Pickens

Matt hosted Shawn's bachelor party

And the girls got to spend the night with their Oma! Both girls, both nights, Riley was there and they got to go to two birthday parties. At one party they rode a real horse! Thank you Oma for such a big time! The girls loved it!

Performance Artist

Happy Birthday Laura

Happy Birthday Laura!

We celebrated on Wednesday with cupcakes and presents! She loved it!! When she was going to bed that night she asked  for her balloons. I said they were tied up in the den. She said, "Go get them! They are for my birthday and it is still my birthday!" I did.

Other exciting happenings include going to Costco!

Visiting with Oma and Granny Foda

Breakfast at McDonalds!

Getting supplies for dance

And haircuts at Snip-its!

Last weekend Matt's mom kept the girls so we could go to Fiddler's. Thank you Oma! We had so much fun!!

We also went to the pool with the Browns! The big girls mermaid names were Lunada, Merabell and Kickboard :)

And we started a total make over on the outside of our house

Circus day!

3rd Annual Family Camporee and the Villa at Belews Lake

Laura Lou!

The weekend before last was the 3rd annual Family Camporee at Raven Knob!

Matt gets together with the friends he worked at boy scout camp with every year for a beach trip and frisbee golf. A few years ago they decided to add a family weekend and it has been so much fun!

We go up to camp in between sessions- getting there right after lunch on Saturday and leaving right after breakfast on Sunday.

We had a great time creek stomping, swimming, paddle boarding, roasting marshmellows

And making new friends!

Matt's group has started putting their money into a foundation and were able to build this shelter at the climbing tower for the camp. It's really impressive.

Mid-town Cafe! Last weekend of friend Ashley also came to visit. It was great to see her!

Art

This past weekend we went to Belews! Our friend Jarrett got a place up there and it is awesome!!

We swam and rode the boat

And ate ice cream!

Nap time

The girls did not sleep. I was going to let Laura skip her nap so I asked her if she wanted one. She said, "No! I'm pretty much like a grown up". Pretty much.

Mess!

The Bluff

Rebecca!

Two weeks ago we took a trip to Alabama! The girls and I flew down by ourselves and they were good little travelers. Laura is almost three and this is the first trip where she didn't have a huge tantrum about anything. Progress. Matt meet us later in the week. He'd been in Iowa for work.

Beautiful Choctaw Bluff

So many fun things to do! We went swimming

Rode the Ranger

And the Air Pogo

Jumped on the trampoline

And feed the horses! When we were riding up on the horses for the first time Laura said, "Oh, that white horse is pretty like me."

Rebecca caught her first fish!

And we celebrated Jim's birthday! Happy birthday Jim!!

We had a water balloon fight

Kept riding the Ranger

And the daddies put on a fireworks show!

Choctaw Bluff is such a special place and I'm so glad we could be there. We love you Stimpsons!!