Are you ready for some football?

Loving these warm January days.
The boys pulled out the football.....gearing up for Super Bowl Sunday!

And took some jumps in the leaf pile.

Grant took it all in from the sidelines.

Back inside running GeoTrax after working on their train tracks throughout the day.

Playtime

Building towers yesterday

I love how the little Mustache Man is waving in the corner!

He's started walking behind his new Winnie the Pooh toy that Mimi gave him for Christmas.
He'll go from one side of the room to the other & always looks so proud after he's completed his journey. (he still only has 3 bottom teeth, so his smile looks so lopsided!)

So typical, I asked them to smile for the camera, and instead they started fighting over who was going to hold the toy ; )
They were so excited to find their playhouse swarming with little lizards this morning & they were on a "hunt" to count them all. The stomach bug has hit our house this week, so it was so nice to have a 70 degree day and that everyone was feeling well enough to get out & get some fresh air!

Play Time

Grant ready to head for the park

A couple weeks ago we checked out a new park near our house. It had a great playground & a nice walking path around the lake. We'll be frequent visitors! That morning the boys had made capes at the house & Filson insisted on wearing his all day.

Friday night we stopped by Coldstone so the boys could use their gift cards from Papa & Meme. Poor little Grant gets thrown on the floor to entertain himself while the rest of us enjoy our ice cream. Luckily, his Dad shared a little with him!

Ian & Grant working on a puzzle Saturday afternoon.

While the boys did a puzzle, Filson was taking on his dad in a serious game of "Lightning McQueen" cards (crazy 8s). He loves that he can beat both his Dad & Mom!

Grant's trying to climb up John's back

They've had fun building marble runs & having races.

And to one of the other toys the boys have been playing with....John set up an outside camera recently which is on a motion sensor & takes day & night pictures. The boys get so excited to check & see if they have had any "visitors" in the night. They've had a few different kinds! Those racoons look enormous to me!!! It is kind of cool, until I start thinking how the 3 boys will want to camp out in the yard in the very near future : )

10 Months Old

I find it hard to believe that Grant is 10 months old today. This month flew by with all the Christmas activities and traveling. He had a lot of loving and attention from all our family in Charleston, Santa found him & left him lots of cool stuff, and he spent New Year's weekend with friends on Bald Head. Not a bad month for the little guy! Filson & Ian love to have him chase them around our house, and of course he is thrilled to be playing with his big brothers. He had his 6th tooth pop through last week, so now he has 3 on top & 3 on the bottom. Even with a lopsided smile, we still think he's pretty cute to look at ; )

New Year's Eve

Doesn't Grant look excited to be ringing in the new year?
We spent the weekend on Bald Head Island where we rented a house with friends. Eight kids (ages 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, almost 2, 1, & 9mths) and 6 adults. Not a good ratio if you're looking to have a "rockin" new year's eve! We had tons of fun & all of the adults were surprisingly even awake to ring in 2012.

The island is only accessible by boat & golf carts/bikes are the only form of transportation once you get there. They went for lots of golf cart rides...this one must have been really exhausting!
On a walk around the house to collect good sticks for Smores'.
The house was gorgeous, with lots of detailed wood work, beautiful artwork, and many decks & screened in porches. It was a relief to survive the weekend without one of our children leaving their mark on the house!

Love this neat little sleeping porch at the top of the house. We had great weather, but not quite warm enough for an overnight out there.

Grant has his glow stick & is ready to party!

Filson with his beads & glow sticks & party popper in hand.

Nothing beats Smores by the fire

Happy New Year!!

3 Little Monkeys

John took the week between Christmas/New Year's off & it was so nice having him home. The boys played at their ice cream shop, one of their new play-dough sets from the Clarks, & put on their cozy matching pjs from Papa & Meme.

Christmas

Ian & Grant going for a ride

Looking pretty intense at the boy's table

Riley & Ian, who looks like he has a new hair style from his big cousins!

The cousins writing their letter to Santa on Christmas Eve

They have all picked out 1 gift & are ready to open it on Christmas Eve

All 8 on Christmas morning, anxiously awaiting the countdown to 6am when they can finally head downstairs

Santa made a big stop at the Haldrup's!

A nerf gun. Thanks, Uncle Pups...you'll get your payback someday ; )

Reece is all smiles Christmas morning

Mimi helping Grant test-drive his cool new Winnie-the-Pooh riding toy.
You can see Ian behind him with his hand on the back. Although it's Grant's new toy, Ian has hardly been off of it since it's come out of the package. I'm sure it won't be long before Little G is pushing big brother out of the way!

Kim & Neil had a beautiful tree & the house was full of activity Christmas morning

Future Pilot
Santa delivered new skateboards & gear to our little guys. Hope he's also ready to foot the bill for all the Dr. visits for broken bones that are surely in our future!

Filson

Ian

We had a very nice Christmas in Charleston with Mimi, Kim & Jenn's families. It's so fun to see all the cousins together & we had great weather so they could all get outside a lot. The long weekend went by way too fast, but we were are all so fortunate to have so many nice things under the tree & to get to be together.