Waffles, Chocolate and Beer

I just arrived home from a whirl wind vacation in Europe. I missed the boys terribly but managed to have a great time. It was so much fun hanging out with Will and Mom.  My brother is living in Brussels, Belgium, a country that I have never visited. While getting his masters degree, he has learned every nook and cranny of the city. He showed me all over his new home and we even managed to skip over to Germany. What an interesting, unique place to live. I had forgotten how much I love Europe. Plus, Will speaks French really well although he says he doesn't. I heard him strike up a conversation with many a Frenchy. This made it super easy to get around. Thanks Will, I had an awesome time. I am SO proud of you and how you always follow your dreams. Missing you much.

Right when I arrived Will took me to the most famous "frits" shop in town. Don't call them French Fries in Belgium as they are NOT French but Belgian. Man, were they delicious!!

That night Will told me to stay up as late as I could to beat the jet lag. We toured Gran Centrale and checked out some pubs.

Mama arrived the next morning. A Belgian beer and a baguette....heaven.

Will and I doing a little sight seeing.

Most of the streets were cobble stone with cafes every where you turned.

The next day, we hopped a train to Aachen, Germany.

How cool is it that you can be in another country in an hour?!

We really went to Germany for a German beer and a schnitzel. Ahhh, mouthwatering..

It's amazing how old the buildings are in Europe. Our architecture can't touch the thousand year old cathedrals.

Crazy mama!

A beer for the road....I mean train.

The following day we checked out Ghent, a Flemish town. It was beautiful and perfect for just walking around.

I think this was my favorite beer. Who could resist a drink with a Gnome on it?

My mom and bro can make friends any where they go. These guys got a kick out of Eleanor.

Not your usual parking garage. It was for bikes. How cool.

A few beers in the street.

Each beer came with a cup of cheese. Good cheese at that.

I was so lucky to be in Belgium for their Jazz Fest. We saw some killer bands.

Ahh, the Belgian waffle. Wow, not anything like your typical American waffle. More like a sweet dessert or pastry. Yummmm. I think I gained 10 lbs while I was over there. Who can resist chocolate, waffles and great beer? Whatever, I enjoyed every minute.

Birthday Weekend

Happy 4th Birthday, Grady! We had all of our good friends over for an awesome party. Grady was so excited for his big day. The party was such a success, most of the kids cried when they had to go home....including Grady who didn't want his party to end.

Grady, Grady, Grady what can I say about this kid. He is unique, interesting, funny and always full of questions. I am constantly wondering what he will be like as he grows older. He is a constant joy in my life and reminds me what it was like to be a child again. They say children make you grow up quickly. I find that it is quite the opposite as I am a princess saved by pirates, a fearless dueling warrior or safari guide hunting for lions (or if Grady has any say in it, we are hunting tapir, marmosets, mole rats or other obscure animals) on a daily basis. You can't say everyone in the "real" world has such adventures. I am one lucky mama.

Grady and Myles decorated the cake all by themselves. A Star Wars and sprinkle theme.
Grady blowing out the candles with a little help from his buddy, Emmett.

The hit of the party was when Eric our firefighter/arborist friend brought over his kids climbing harness. He was nice enough to hoist each kid up into the tree. You might remember Eric from Myles party when he strung a chair/swing into the same tree. We have decided that he is our birthday party clown. What will he come up with next?

Myles the monkey

Lilyanne was the next one up the tree. I was so proud of her. She certainly "hung" with the boys. She even gave Eric a thumbs up to go higher and higher. You go girl!

Next was the birthday boy.

This picture shows you just how high they were climbing....and loving it. After seeing this, don't call DSS on us! I swear the kids were enjoying every minute.

The crew

Ride 'em Cowboy

Yesterday our good friend, Melissa, took us out to ride her horse. The boys love riding Vinca and were excited to head out to the farm. Even I took a turn riding around but we have no pics to prove it. Now the boys want horses...uh, I don't think so.

Melissa leading Vinca out to see us.

The three amigos. It's so great that Emmett lives right around the corner.

They love playing together. What a view. The farm is only 3 minutes away from our house but feels like it's in the middle of nowhere. It is one of the most beautiful spots in Black Mountain.

Grady getting a riding lesson from Melissa. She teaches horseback riding at the Biltmore Estate and was great with the boys. Melissa asked Grady how he felt up on the horse. He replied, with a HUGE smile on his face, "I feel happy".

Myles did a super job riding.

Playing in the horse trailer was almost as much fun as riding.

After riding horses, playing in a river and stepping in a ton of cow poop, we opted for no clothes on the way home. They were soaking wet. It's amazing how dirty little boys can get.

Good Times

We had a pretty fun weekend. It started with a picnic for Grady's school. I can't believe that he only has one more week left and it's Summer time. I know he will miss all of his buddies but they will all be back next year. We are so happy that he enjoys school as much as he does.

On Sunday, we took the boys to the Biltmore to ride bikes. What a beautiful day, perfect weather. The trails were easy enough that Grady could ride right next to Josh and I.

Josh thought it would be a good idea to show Grady some "tricks". This included, standing on the bike frame, skidding out, popping wheelies and riding with no hands. Great things to teach a 3 year old that has no fear. I heard, "hey Dad, watch this". A shiver ran through my body as I could only picture a disaster about to occur. Grady attempted to ride with no hands. Luckily, it didn't work so well and he could only get 4 fingers off the handle bars. His thumbs stayed put. Whew! He did manage to slam on the breaks and skid through the parking lot. Words that are beginning to strike fear in my heart....."watch this". I was also a little afraid for my husband. You could tell he was a bit out of practice. His tricks looked like something out of the movie Back to the Future. Circa the 1980's and hilarous to watch.

Bros in their "ship".
Playing a few games at the Montreat Morning School picnic.
This cracked me up. I looked across the field and Myles was using his "sword" (which happens to be his finger) to "chop people down". The girls all looked at him like he was crazy.

Who doesn't love a parachute? Look how happy Myles was. He isn't going to have a bit of trouble in school next year. He loves introducing himself and makes friends at the drop of a hat.

Check out who is under the parachute.

Riding at the Biltmore

Myles got a free ride on the back of my bike. You'll be riding a bike in no time, Little Buddy.

Undies

Yesterday morning, Myles decided that he did not want to put on a diaper. He refused and told me that he wanted "undies". Two pair to be exact. He could not choose between the car undies and the Spiderman undies so he went with both.

He wore them all day with the exception of nap. We hit the park and the library with no accidents. Yeah, Myles! I can't believe how big he is getting.

Hey, Good lookin'

Striking a pose. Who wouldn't when wearing super hero underwear?

We are so happy!

Happy Mother's Day

We had a very nice, relaxing Mother's Day. Josh took the boys fishing in the morning so I could finish up some painting. Then we checked out one of the great greenways in Black Mountain. Of course, Grady had to ride his bike.

I can't believe I have been a Mom for almost 4 years. I feel like I have always had these two crazy boys in my life. I cherish my time with them everyday. It has taken me a long time to fall into my role as "stay at home Mom" but now I can't imagine being away from them. I am truly blessed and thankful to have such amazing kids.

Mom and her boys

Who could ask for a better Mother's Day present?!

Myles decided to think outside the box when it came to riding his bike.

Off he goes. I swear, these boys would just keep going and not look back. They are not scared of anything. Which is very scary to me!

Wipeout! Yes, he can take a lickin and keep on tickin. He never cries, just jumps back on.

Now that Grady can ride by himself, Myles wants too as well.

Taking a break in the stream