Gavins Sports Day

Last month, the day Brooklyn was released from the NICU, Gavin also had a Sports Day at his school for the pre-reception and reception classes.  Brooks and I got him all dressed up in his sports gear and sent him off to school after eating a hearty breakfast... we wanted him to be ready for the competition.  okay, just kidding, but still.    We thought we were going to miss out on all the events since we were at the hospital with B all morning so we asked one of the other moms to take pictures of Gavin "performing".  Brooklyn ended up getting discharged early so we made it to Gavin's school in time to watch a few rounds!!  Brooklyn stayed in the car with our driver while we walked around with Gavin for a little while.  It was so fun to watch him with the other kids and playing games.  He did obstacle courses, potato sack races, ring toss, and more!!  He had a blast!!!  

 

 

 
WAY TO GEAUX GAVIN!!!

Let's Go Fly a Kite

I'm always looking for and thinking about fun things to do around here in order to give our kids as many life experiences as they can possibly have.  So, after watching Mary Poppins a few months ago with Gavin and him asking us what those people were doing at the end of the movie, I began the quest to find a kite.  It was a little difficult since a majority of the ones I did find were shaped funny, didn't have string attached, or were missing tails on the end of them.  Eventually I found one and Brooks still had to do a little work on it to help it fly-- had to cut up an old t-shirt and attach to kite with duct tape and string, but it worked and Gavin had a successful first kite flying experience!!!

One evening Brooks came home from work early while it was still daylight outside and we were experience HORRIBLE winds... so it was a perfect time for kite flying.  It only took Gavin a few tries to get his kite to take to the air and once it did... HE LOVED IT!!  He really wasn't able to run around with the kite while it was in the air since the winds were so bad, he was almost falling over just standing up, but that didn't stop him from having fun and being extremely proud of himself for flying a kite.  Miles really wanted to kite to come back down and was upset it wasn't in arms reach for him.  

 

 

What a fun activity to do with your kids.  

Kumbaya

Last month, Brooks had a great idea to set up our tent and go "camping" outside on the beach with our boys.  They had a great night!  While I was cooking dinner (inside) the guys went out on the beach and set up the tent.  Gavin and Miles were big helps to daddy.  Brooks was so excited about camping with them he was kinda giddy--it was cute!

After eating dinner and getting baths, Brooks brought a bunch of pillows and blankets to the tent while the boys picked out a few toys to take with them.  They waited patiently at the window for daddy to holler to them that it was time to go camping!  

Once in the tent, they did guy stuff.  I walked onto our back porch a few times and heard them laughing and goofing off.  It melted my heart!

Brooks and I were very curious as to how Miles would do sleeping out in the tent, and around 9:30pm Brooks ended up bringing him inside the house to sleep in his crib.  The kid just wouldn't go to sleep in the tent.  They all had a fun time and made some special memories.  Gavin and Brooks came inside around 6:30am when Gavin was hungry for breakfast.

While they were outside "camping" I curled up on the couch with a blanket, a bowl of ice cream, and a book and enjoyed an evening to myself (sort of-- Brooklyn was awake off and on).  

Spring Spectacular

Last month, Gavin's school held its largest fundraiser for the year, the Spring Spectacular.  Families and kids could go to the school for games, auctions, horse rides, raffles, face painting, food, and even a garage sale.  Brooks had to work during the early morning so we headed out mid morning before lunch and after an early nap for Miles.  Once we arrived at the school, we were amazed.  There were tons of games for kids of all ages, prizes that accompanied every game-- whether you won the game or not.  There were food booths from various countries that represented that countries cuisine.  The USA booth sold good ole' hot dogs with chili or corn dogs.  Brooks and I tasted some Indian, Venezuelan, and Vietnamese dishes that were DELISH!!    The boys had a blast running around playing games.  Gavin took the games serious and Miles tried his best to play like his big brother.  I'm pretty sure Gavin's favorite part of the festival was the horse ride.  We paid our tickets and waited in line for almost 30 minutes (the horses were a huge hit for everyone) and let Gavin take his two laps around the playground.  He loved it!  He was so excited to be on a horse and wasn't scared at all.  We were impressed.  

Brooklyn came too and was as cute as could be.   

It's Been A Year

A year has passed since Gavin's best buddy, Cade, went to Heaven.

We think of him all the time and really do miss him like crazy.  His picture is up around our house, his clothes are in Gavin's closet, and his favorite types of toys are in our playroom.

We got to share so many moments with Cade.  He's in our hearts and on our minds all the time.

We're grateful and thankful for the time we had with him.  The memories we made.  The things he taught Gavin how to do.  The fun times they had playing and goofing off.  We miss his smile and his laugh, too.

What my boys have been doing

Brooks has experimented and played with his tortilla maker and really likes it.  We found a homemade flour tortilla recipe online and tried it out (we didn't use lard and it still worked).  They were pretty good.  

Gavin's starting to get a goofy personality.  He's always made amusing facial expressions but now, they're to a whole new level.

When my mom was here, she helped me tweak a few things around my house and had a great idea to hang chalkboards on the wall in the kids play room area.  Gavin, his friends, and even Miles love writing and drawing.  Gavin shocked Brooks and I when he drew a sun, house, and tree, with some grass in this picture.  At school last month, they learned about houses and whats found outside a house, thus what prompted this drawing!!

Miles, our little tornado, is living up to his name!  He made every effort to get the bowl of Fruit Loops and I've finally decided those dumb suction things don't work.  He got to the bowl by climbing up on a chair and throwing it off the kitchen table.  I was changing Brooklyns diaper while this was going on and found him eating the Fruit Loops off the floor.  

 He's also our climber.  He climbs on everything, all the time.  Nothing seems to work to keep him from climbing on things.  He could fall down, hurt himself, be screaming crying from the fall, while trying to climb back up the very thing he just fell off of.  

Gavin being goofy!

Miles eating his first popsicle.  The child HATES cold things... like hates them!  We have to fix his milk cup and let it sit for 10-15 minutes to take the chill off before he'll even drink it.

Miles also learned how to escape from our yard.  Since we live on the end of the compound (literally, the 10 foot wall of our compound is next to our house) and there is a street for cars to drive on we called the carpenters to install a fence to keep Miles in.  This has made life very easy in letting the kids play in the backyard.  

That's what my boys have been doing!!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter from the Perry's in the Kingdom.

Last Friday, Brooks and the kids celebrated Easter (since Fridays are our Sundays) and they had a very special day.  I'm sad I missed out on all the fun (I'm in the USA) but thankful that I have a wonderful husband who made the kids day fun and enjoyable and memorable. 

Brooks had the kids gifts from the Easter Bunny in a hiding place and sent them on a hunt to find it.

Gavin had a hard time finding the gifts.  He thought they were outside on the balcony, but the balcony was empty. 

Brooks had to take care of all the Easter Bunny's jobs and did a GREAT job himself putting things togeter!!  We don't have Easter Baskets so he found what he could to hold all their stuff.  Thanks to my mom for sending gifts, otherwise, my kids baskets would have been empty.  I hadn't had time to get things together before I left for the states. 

It's safe to say the boys were so excited to find their baskets and LOVED all their goodies!

 

Happy Easter to my sweet babies and to all of you.

Addison Ray Carpenter

I've tried thinking about what to write for this post.

I've tried coming up with words that could help heal our hearts.

I've tried.  I've tried.

It's been a little over a week since Addi went to be with Jesus and met up with her big brother, Cade.   Through the devastation I'm feeling, I keep imagining those two sweet kids reunited in Heaven.   That thought sometimes takes the heaviness that's on my chest away, even if just for a moment.  

My heart breaks for Susie and Darrell.  I hurt over the pain they are experiencing.

Addi is greatly missed.  

May 26, 2010- the day Addi came into this world

June 2010

 

4th of July 2010

August 2010- Addi and Cade came to our going away party before we moved to Saudi. 

March 2011-- a picture we will cherish forever

December 2011- our last visit with Addi