On my birthday each year, I always ask the children to pick something for us to do together.  MK's choice this year?  The Peter Pan ballet and a special Bruster's ice cream treat afterwards.  She knows the way to her mother's heart - theatre and ice cream, definitely two of my favorites!

 After having dinner with the entire family and doing a little shopping, we arrived at the theatre just in time to be seated and begin the production.  MK was literally on the edge of her seat.  Her smile was beautiful as she watched the performers fly across the stage.  Of course, the wand and pixie dust were a must! :)

 MK and I continued our weekend together by attending Emma's party.  MK and her doll went all dressed up and a fun day was had by all!

Fall ball is quickly winding down and Pryce continues to grow with each swing of the bat.....

This picture says it all.....Pryce is ready and on the move while the guy beside him is watching him like a hawk.....

And it would not be Fall in our home without a little illness to lurk around....Maddox began the rounds when she spiked a fever and developed a virus in her throat, similar to Hand, Foot and Mouth yet only on her throat - ulcers galore and several sleepless nights....ice cream and bubble baths were a must.  We naively thought this would just effect her; however, on Monday MK, who rarely complains of pain unless it is severe, told me her throat hurt as she was walking out of our front door to tackle her day at school.  A few hours later, our phone rang, I noticed the number and my heart sank - the school.  MK, with fever and tears, was in the nurses office and needed to come home.  Note, the tears were not from pain yet from her anger at being called out on not feeling well:)  

And so our week began, Maddox all better, MK not so much.  It is Saturday and MK has eaten absolutely nothing all week.  I have purchased ample amounts of milkshakes, Icees, pudding, grits - all to be thrown away.  So how has she survived???  Publix sweet tea - she is on her third gallon:)  Ryan, who makes awesome sweet tea, was a bit hurt when she announced that his tea would not do the trick.  There have been many "down" moments during her week but one of my favorite comments, made before the ulcers really set in, was on Tuesday morning.  She woke up feverish but said, "Mom, it is ok if you send me to school but please send soft foods for me to eat."  

Now, it gets better:)  Again, naively, I thought the virus would surely end there.

Nope.

Thursday, Colin suddenly declared he was not hungry.  When my 12 year old boy says he is not hungry, something is up.  Sure enough, he had the fever.  Ack.  A stubborn fever that would not break. Lovely.  So, I called my favorite nurse at our peds office and she advised me on what to do.  Lo and behold, an hour later it was down to 102....stubborn but it was much higher than that to begin with.  And the ulcers are forming ever so nicely on his throat in a pretty little patchy pattern.  

And as if that was not enough....

the dog.  

Poor Fin.  You know it isn't good when Ryan emails after a three hour marathon night of playing doctor and says, "....and the dog needs to go to the vet.  He has a goose egg thing on his back that is raw...."  Lovely.  Poor Fin.  His is not a virus but a bad infection so on antibiotics he goes.  

And through it all, we are thankful.  When one is sick, we must stay home and rest.  So, it hasn't been what you would think.  Yes, the pain is no fun and the fever management is interesting, but in some ways it is kind of nice to just be and have an excuse to slow down.  

Happy birthday to me!  Yes, one more year of celebrating - from here on out we will just do a replay of this year:)  I awoke to a kitchen fully decorated in birthday decor and we spent the day doing what I love.....giving to others.  And, of course, I went to bed with a smile on my face after indulging in the strawberry cupcakes Ryan had purchased from my favorite little bakery....perfection.  

 On this rare evening, we were all home with no where to go and the children were finishing up school assignments together at our kitchen table.  

 With baseball in full swing, Pryce is showing off a bit.....two triples in one game made for a grasp on the ole game ball!  He was one happy guy!

 And our little Maddox Ren....October 13 marked another milestone in her life.  She has officially lived with us as long as she lived without us!  We are so thankful for our sassy little peanut.  The cutest thing she says to me lately is, "Mommy, I tell you sumpin...." and then she proceeds to inform me of her thoughts.  Our family would not be the same without this little one and we thank God everyday for her life!

Boston - Day 4

Day 4 in Boston began real early.  Every other morning, we all enjoyed sleeping in.  On this morning, we decided to make one last attempt to go whale watching.  We purchased out tickets the night before and as we were driving into the parking garage, we got a call saying the tour had been cancelled due to "rough seas."  Blah.  

 So, Plan B was installed and we made our way over to the Boston Tea Party museum.  A high school friend, who we randomly ran into the day before, suggested this museum and it did not disappoint.  

 There were actors and movies and speaking parts for our kiddos.

 The best part was when the boys were asked to throw the tea overboard.....

 Following our tea party tour, we made way to the Hard Rock Cafe for a quick lunch and then boarded the T for our ride over to the Boston College stadium to see Clemson play a little football.

Yes, the boys wore these wigs all.day.long.  The compliments were aplenty.  The Tigers scored a winning game so all three of my boys left with a smile on their face!  Following our game night, we afforded ourselves with one last bite of our fav Bertuccis and then it was off for a few hours sleep before our way too early flight home.  

Loved this time with my boys!  Thank you to Gran, Pop, G-Mom and G-Dad who held down the fort with our girls at home!

Boston - Day 3

Our third morning in Boston began with a tour of our old neighborhood.  The boys wanted to see where they used to live and we also did a drive by the hospital where P was born.  Pryce was just six weeks old when we moved from Boston to Florida so his memories are what we tell him.  The weather was less than stellar on this particular day, however, we managed to squeeze quite a bit into our tour.  

 Following our old home tour, we drove into the city to do a bit of the Freedom Trail.  Our main site to see on this day was the USS Constitution.  It did not disappoint.  

 The Freedom Trail is quite the expedition and one we may have spent more time on had the rain not persisted.  Yet, because of the rain and the slight chill in the air, we were drawn to indoor places such as.....

 Mike's Pastries.....yummmm.  Who knew we were supposed to get cannoli here?  There were so many options!

 After a day of walking, touring, reminiscing and eating yummy food, the boys could not help but ponder a dip in the pool.  

 At the end of the day, they both ended up in the pool despite the almost freezing temps!

Boston Day 2

After a wonderful night of sleeping and a fabulous morning of sleeping in late, we all ventured out to Plymouth, MA.  Our intention was to see Plymouth Rock and then embark on a whale tour - Pryce's request.  First things first, we needed to purchase Dramamine for a hesitant Colin.

 After photographing the infamous rock and taking note of a rare car model, we headed over to the whale tour site only to be told that the waters were too rough and the tour was cancelled.  C breathed a sigh of relief while the rest of us shook off a bit of disappointment.  

 Plan B was installed.  With Plimouth Plantation just around the corner, we chose to tour the site and learn about our early settlers.  The four of us took a step back in time and tried to envision what life was like sleeping in a hut with 15 other people on animal skin and no hand sanitizer. 

 After stepping back in time, we decided to take a short drive over the Newport, Rhode Island.  The New England shoreline is one of my favorites and the famous Cliff Walk is never a disappointment.  Breathtaking.

 Day 2 was finished off with dinner including some of our best friends from a time long ago in our lives.  We joined them for dinner at our northern fav, Bertuccis.  Hard to believe it has been 10 years since we lived there yet we are so thankful for our early adventures that have led to friends for life and memories that will last forever.

Boston - Day 1

Not sure if the title of this post should be Boston - Day 1 OR The Part Where I Needed A Break:)

 Either way, Ryan, the boys and I embarked on a journey back in time to Boston.  Boston is a favorite city of ours.  During our earlier years, we lived there for almost two years and, more importantly, it is the birthplace of Pryce.  If you ask MK, she will tell you that our trip to Boston was important because we were going to see "where we got Pryce."  

 Our flight was uneventful and upon landing, we headed straight over to do what the other tourists do - a Boston Duck tour.  It is the Freedom Trail on wheels and a bit of quacking is involved for added fun.

 Pryce steered us in the right direction and avoided all oncoming boats during his stint as Captain of the Duck.

 Following our Duck adventure, it was straight over to Fenway to enjoy the last game of the season for the Red Sox.  They are Pryce's favorite team and we were lucky enough to stumble upon some tickets.

 The Green Monstah, as it is appropriately pronounced in Boston lingo.  Our night at Fenway was a favorite of the trip for me.....so much history and the oldness made me feel as if I was really back in the day of Take Me Out To The Ballgame.

 The boys were all smiles too which was the icing on the cake for our first day in Boston.

Life is catching up with us!  Our down time is over and the new routine of GO, GO, GO is all in place.  As crazy as it is, I am so thankful for our blessings....thankful for the many opportunities that my children have to grow in academics, sports, dance and social activities.  Thankful for our church and church leaders.  Thankful for our friends who entertain us and help us when we are in a bind.  It is so easy for me to get caught up in the craziness and forget what a thrill it is to have everything I have ever wanted right at my fingertips - my husband who is my best friend even though we may only see each other long enough for the dinnertime prayer; my eldest son who is continuously our guinea pig child, the trial and error one that we learn through; Pryce who calms me with his loving spirit and his sweet smile; MK who is so strong, and prissy beyond my own imagination; and little Maddox, sweet Maddox who continues to do everything that the other three would have NEVER dreamed of doing - in the past 24 hours she has colored our carpet with pretty purple marker and she colored her carseat a beautiful brown color, Maddox who grabs my cheeks randomly and strokes my face saying, "Mommy, I love you too more!" My daily prayer for my four children is that they will always know love and know how precious they are to me, even in this crazy season of life:)