Wow, this past month has just completely blown by. We have been very busy with school, the house, and most recently a little family getaway to Branson. Several weeks ago I was able to go with Marcus and his school on a field trip to the Apple Orchard. It was a beautiful day, and so much fun to spend this time with Marcus. This week Levi is on vacation, so he is on a field trip with the school. They are spending the day at the lake, enjoying outdoor activities and learning about different things. Marcus was so excited that his Daddy could join them.
We also were able to make a quick trip to KC one weekend in September to visit Grandma and Grandpa Ballew, Uncle Greg and Aunt Alexis, and of course cousin Maven. We had a great time hanging out with them, playing at the park, watching football, etc. Maven is growing up so quickly, seems like he is changing more and more everytime we see him. All 4 boys have a great time playing together.
Another weekend we rented a huge dumpster and tore out our whole basement, walls, ceilings, carpet, etc...we knew when we bought this house it had a basement that gets wet, so one of our goals early on was to get everything out of it and take care of any mold problems, etc, and just have it be a clean concrete basement with nothing for mold to grow on. Let me tell you, it was a big job, but we did get it done. David was able to help us so much, and our Dad's were also a big help with the project. My Mom, Dad, and uncle Chuck came up that same weekend to move my laundry room from the basement to the back room off of the kitchen, which is SO nice to have it that handy. They ran electrical and plumbing out there and had me all set up within a day. A few days before they came up, I tore up the 70's shag carpet from that back room and laid stick tiles on the floor out there. It is all a huge improvement, and makes for a nice mud room/laundry area. We are so thankful for both of our families, who always are so ready and willing to help out. We are going to slow down on these projects for a while, take some time to relax and just enjoy our new home. These things needed to get done, and we are thankful they are complete.
Finally, this past weekend we took the boys to Branson for a little family time. We stayed at a neat hotel with a waterpark inside, so that was pretty much all the boys needed! We also took them on the Branson Scenic Railway train ride on Monday. That was one of the highlights of the trip! We all really enjoyed that! This week we are back home, Marcus back to school, and Levi has had this week off. He has been busy working in the yard, and stuff around here. Looking forward to a little relaxation this weekend! Not going anywhere, not doing anything! :)
I'm having trouble posting pictures right now, but soon there will be a huge variety of pictures from the past month!
Marcus we are so blessed to have you as our son. You are everything we prayed for and more, a true gift. This has been a big year for you, you have learned so many new things. You love school, waterslides, swimming, riding bikes, & playing outside. Last spring you learned how to ride your bike without training wheels, then a few months later turned around and taught your brother how to ride without training wheels. You are doing well with reading, and enjoy playing with your brothers, drawing, playing legos, video games, etc. You are a joy to love and care for. Happy Birthday sweetie!
