The boys in Texas

The boys were excited for Levi's arrival for a couple reasons...they were anxious to meet Levi but also ready to head to Texas to see family (Emily's side). The plan was for them to head to Texas once Levi arrived for some fun while John and I adjusted to Levi being outside the womb. It was a blessing to have that time to figure out nursing, sleeping, and making sure Levi was adjusting well.

And the boys had a blast! They did so many different things and loved hanging out with the family. Levi was born at 4:35am on Sunday morning (Pastor's kid had to arrive on Sunday) and by 2pm we were home and introducing Levi to the boys. They saw Levi for about an hour before the left for Mesquite. We were hoping for them to see Levi before they left so everything worked out really well! They got back pretty late since they had several potty stops and a dinner break on the way home. But early Monday morning the fun was to begin! My little sister, Amy, took off work on Monday since the boys were there and it was her birthday! Happy Birthday Sis! She took the boys to the Sunnyvale park and they played and played. I am sure they loved Amy doing things with them! They probably gave her a scare with all they could physically do and attempt. I know they scare their Momma! They also got to eat lunch at Chick-fil-A that day! Win! Win!

Here is Noah climbing on top of the bars...

Tuesday they headed to the Dallas Athletic Club to swim. They have a really nice pool (huge) with a couple different size slides and diving boards and also have a nice toddler pool. They were worn out by the time the day was over!

Wednesday they went to the Dallas Zoo. They love any zoo they've gone to for different reasons. The Dallas zoo has a great merry-go-round with many different animals to sit on, a great children's area to get wet, pet animals, ride horses, etc. Any time we go to the Dallas zoo, OKC zoo, or Fort Worth zoo they have a blast! That night they had a sleep over with their cousin Makenna. I wasn't sure how well it would go but my parents said they were so tired that they just hit the pillow and slept hard (they also didn't go to bed until past 10pm after a movie)...so of course they were tired!

Enjoying the zoo...

 This is the bird show that they loved. There was a bird that sang the whole Old MacDonald song and the kids loved it!

 This is one of the boys favorite parts of the zoo after looking at animals...the water. It is great when it is hot and they just play and play! It is a big rock river.

Thursday they got to ride the DART train to the Aquarium. They love trains and thought that was super cool! The Dallas aquarium is really nice too. I love how it is set up!

Friday was their last day but again they had a blast. That morning they headed to the new Forney park. It has a great park but also a nice splash pad area. Noah has recently gotten over his fear/dislike of getting his face wet. I wasn't sure when he would ever got over it...but the time has come! A few weeks ago he finally got into the water at the splash pad in Weatherford. Then he actually put his head under the water in the pool in our back yard. We couldn't believe it! We were so proud of him and he was so proud of himself! The next day I got the comment...."My tummy hurts cause I did not swim today. My body needs swimming. Going under water makes me healthy." Wow; what a bad Mom I am from depriving him of his health! Now he can really enjoy the water and loved the splash pad in Forney! One day Luke will get over that too!

That night they headed to the Mesquite Rodeo. The rodeo is a big deal in Mesquite and I remember going when I was younger. They got to do a hay ride before everything started and also participated in the event where the kids run after the animal trying to get the flag. They loved it!

Saturday morning they headed home and we were thrilled to see them! I couldn't believe how big they boys were after being with baby Levi all week! And how much the sound level in our house increased! There is never a dull moment in our home!

Thanks go to my parents and sisters for loving on the boys all week and making it such a special time. It is sad to think that those weeks will not happen as often now that Noah is starting school! Now we have holidays and summers to look forward to seeing them!