Tweetsie

My sister and I decided to take the kiddos to Tweetsie while Thomas the Train was there. Both Carter and Eli like Thomas, however, not near as much as Isaac did when he was a baby. Isaac had seriously just turned two and could name almost all the trains. He would sit and play trains for hours at a time. Now I'm lucky if Eli plays alone for 15 minutes!

We went mid-week and it wasn't crowded at all. The longest we waited was about 15 minutes for the Mouse Mine train. The temperature was a bit overcast and cool... but hey.. I'll take that to 90 degree weather! The kiddos were pretty good...Eli kept wanting to run ahead and needed reprimanded, Carter had a meltdown over food, and Olivia squalled like a panther on the way there and back, but Camden was as good as gold!

Mommy and Eli sitting on the horses. Eli wouldn't get up there until I did. 

Riding the chair lift! Eli sat perfectly still and I had a death grip on Olivia. 

3 excited boys and one little girl

Olivia and Carter

Camden and Olivia looking out the train

It's a Traincicle... made from marshmellows.

Thomas!

Riding the rides. Eli's favorite was riding the race cars. 

More rides

We met Sir Topham Hat

The boys loved the carousel

Olivia taking a snooze

Boo

Halloween is coming and the babies are ready!

Daddy is under my spell!

Carter, Olivia, Eli and Camden- best cousin friends!

Cam is ONE!

My sweet baby nephew turned ONE. Wow, has it been a year already since he was born! He's such a darling boy and is toddling around. My sis had a small party at her house to celebrate and I bought him a ride on truck so he could join the big boys. There are 10 months between Carter and Eli and 8 months between Camden and Olivia, so they are all close enough in age to have play buddies. I feel blessed to have my sis near me so our kids can grow up together.

Camden and Nana

Apple Orchard Adventures

Today Eli had his first field trip! We went to Stepp's Apple Orchard where we went on a hay ride, picked apples from a tree, picked a pumpkin, walked through a corn maze and walked through a soy bean maze. When we first got to the orchard we had to load up for the hay ride... Eli FROZE! He then turned around and sprinted across the corn field. You should have seen me trying to chase him down. Why he got so scared I have no clue because he loves tractors and rides his Paw-paw Gene's tractor all the time.  My mom, Audra, the kiddos and I all rode together. The adventure went pretty well considering we had a 3 year old, 2 year old, almost 1 year old, and 4 month old. We stopped and had lunch at PF Changs on the way back where we managed to eat  before total toddler/baby meltdown occurred.  

Eli with his bag full of apples getting ready to get back on the hay ride

Eli in the apple orchard. He wouldn't smile for the camera of course.

Livi and I in the corn maze

Carter and Cam 

Amber's little girl Rachel

Nana and Livi

Hug, I mean tackle!

Nana and the kiddos

A few more pics from Pawley's

Aunt Jane and Carter rescuing starfish (see all of them washed up?)

Front view of house

Our bedroom ( I put the pack-n-play in between the beds)

The house elevator! Worked great for lugging stuff up 3 stories

Upstairs living room

Kitchen

Jammin' out to Daddy's music

the 12 year old playing Xbox

It's blurry.. but it was a quick date night sans kiddos! Aunt Jane, Nana and Isaac watched all four of the little ones

Nana on the deck

Cam Cam

Livi rocking with Nana

Look at those hunka hunka legs

Cam trying on Olivia's headbands

Add caption

Olivia hanging out on the way to dinner

For more details on our trip from my sister's point of view check out her blog post
http://threecandme.blogspot.com/2012/08/pawleys-island-2012.html

Pawley's island

Nana and Olivia

Aunt Jane

Isaac with Josh and Eli in the distance

View from the beach

Daddy and his girl

Isaac, Olivia and I

This smile melts my heart

I tried to take a self portrait of Olivia and I .... not so much!

A little better except she's sticking out her tongue and saying "I'm done Mom."

Nana, Josh and Eli

Eli says, "Let me bite you Daddy"

Brothers

So relaxing.. we even found live starfish

Isaac and his sis

Hey everyone!

The babes... Olivia was not happy

Josh, Liv and I

Sweet 12 year old!