Why is Parker jumping for joy?

He just found out his best friend Weston's dad got accepted to the Pediatric Dental Program at U.B., so they are not going to move away this spring. We couldn't imagine Buffalo without the Beuttenmuller's, so we are very glad they are staying.

What we have been up to

My parents came to visit over the weekend. We got to do lots of fun things. The weather was absolutely freezing(I think the high one day was 5 degrees) but we still had to go see the fun sites. I think Niagara Falls is prettiest at night with the lights shining on it. Here is the lovely view:
(Next time we visit Niagara Falls we will do it in the day so we can actually see it)

The Hershey store has a pretend Niagara Falls inside, I think we all liked that view best. It was much warmer and they had great samples of fudge to try.

You can't come to Buffalo and not stop by Palmyra to see the Sacred Grove (Where God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith). Me and the kids stayed in the warm visitors center while my parents got the tour so we have no pictures.

Then my parents did what grandparents do best and spoiled the kids. We went to the grocery store and got all sorts of things I don't usually buy and decorated Twinkies and Cupcakes. I thought the only way to get a Twinkie to be more unhealthy was to fry it, but my parents showed me you can also get the same effect with frosting and sugar candies.

We ended the vacation with a trip to Chuck E Cheese's. Between Anthony and the kids they used up 140 tokens in only 2 hours, needless to say they all had fun.

Thanks for everything. We loved having you here, Parker keeps telling me he wants you two to come visit again. You are welcome any time.

The day has finally come

The other day I was trying to put Parker down for a nap and he kept telling me story after story about his exciting day I finally had to tell him to please be quiet, I thought this day would never come. Almost one year ago when I took Parker to his 2 year appointment he wasn't really talking at all and I was worried. Since then he has had tubes placed in his ears and speech therapy twice a week and it is finally paying off. I remember my dad telling me to be grateful he can't talk because one day your going to wish he would be quiet. Well, that day has finally come. I am so proud.

Is the Glass Half Empty or Half Full?

I had to laugh yesterday when Anthony had such an optimistic view on life. He was sitting with his friends at lunch and started telling them how wonderful Parker is because he peels his apples for him. Then he pulls from his lunch bag an apple that looks like this:

As you can tell Parker doesn't exactly use a peeler to peel the skin, nor does he get all the skin. Parkers strategy is to eat as much of the apple as he wants then gives the remander of the apple to Anthony for his lunch. Anthony being the great husband and dad that he is takes his half eaten apple to school with no complaints.

Our Trip

We had a great Christmas here in Buffalo then on the 26th we took off for a family vacation, we went to 2 children's museums and Pittsburgh. Our final stop was at my sister's house in Virginia. My friend Anthony(who I haven't talked to in about 6 years) lives about 3 minutes away from my sister so we got to hang out with him and his cute family while we were there. My friend Anthony and his wife Jamie were so wonderful they took my family and my sisters family on a tour of the Pentagon, out for some good D.C. food, then to the temple to see the Christmas lights. Here are McKenzie and Parker enjoying the memorial at the Pentagon. The memorial was humbling. I had no idea so many people lost their lives at the Pentagon on September 11th.

This is Anthony, Jamie and their kids Carmine and Braxton.

Here is my sister and her cute family. My sister Angie is holding the newest addition to the Robinson family Jacob. He was so fun to hold.

Thanks for the good company, free hotel and good memories. Me and Anthony(my husband) are going to practice Wii bowling and plan to beat Carmine(who was one day shy of 3 years old when he out bowled us) our next visit to Virginia. I know you can't even read yet Carmine, but you better watch your back:)