Vacation with Todds

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we had the privilege of vacationing staying with Garrison during the day whiel Amanda returned to work and picking up Peyton early from school for fun and frolick outside with the neighborhood children and watching Peyton giving rides in her new birthday car! We enjoyed family dinners together. Peyton and I enjoyed decorating pumpkin cookies for dessert on Tuesday evening. One of our best vacations ever! Now we're having withdrawals from those beautiful grandchildren!

Unfortunately, I cannot seem to get pictures uploaded to the blog tonight - maybe later.

Family Pictures and Peyton's Car

Busy week - last week of Amanda's maternity leave. I spent Tuesday and Wednesday with her and Garrison - it was so nice. On Tuesday, we picked Peyton up from school early - she was so happy to see her Grammy - melted my heart. I took her to school on Wednesday. We did some shopping and had a couple of nice lunches. I'm going to miss my weekly visits to Olathe :(

Friday afternoon, my brother Mark arrived in Clinton for a visit with Mom until Monday afternoon. It was nice he has been here to spend time with Mom. We had a nice dinner on Friday night, and I fixed all of us a pork chop lunch today.

On Saturday, Ron and I headed to Olathe for family pictures with the kids. We decided to take Peyton her birthday car a little early so she could enjoy the remaining nice evenings to drive it. She was excited and was able to drive a little while before we went for pictures. She has the gas down - now needs to be a little more concerned with the steering wheel! Amanda called today and said she had driven it with some of her neighborhood friends this morning and was improving.

We went to a beautiful park area with waterfalls for the family pictures, which went well. Following, we went to dinner at Gordon Biertz to celebrate Chad's birthday a little late.

Kids Visit Clinton and Pumpkin Patch

It was a busy, fun-filled, family memory-making weekend! Let's get started. On Friday, Amanda and the kids arrived in Clinton for the weekend while Chad painted Peyton's bedroom - quite beautifully I might add! Peyton loved riding her tricycle at Grammaw's, throwing pop its and doing bubbles with Grammy and Grammaw before Grandpa, Uncle Mark and Aunt Mary arrived to have an early 83rd birthday celebration for Grammaw. We enjoyed a great meal and visiting for Grammaw's birthday.

Peyton slept well in her new room at Grammy and Grandpa's, and Garrison also slept well in what is now "his" crib. Shortly after getting up, Peyton was ready to pick up Grammaw for the day and get her regular donut holes from Flavor Maid. We played at home before going to the Methodist Church playground for some fun. Peyton loved the slides and all the climbing toys. Garrison took it all in stride. Peyton picked Pizza Glen pizza for lunch. We took her to the Aquatic Center to swim after her nap which she loved. Grammaw came back for dinner.

On Sunday, Grammaw came back to play and to have lunch with us before Grammy, Grandpa, Amanda and the kids headed to Olathe. Daddy enjoyed showing Peyton the new paint job on her room complete with Cinderella's castle stenciled on one wall, grass, trees, etc. - it is beautiful and best of all PINK.

We all headed to Gardner, KS for the KC Pumpkin Patch. It was a beautiful day, although a little hot for October and very windy and dusty, but it didn't bother Peyton. She liked all the big slides, climbing on the tire dinosaur, and picking out a pumpkin at the end. Garrison is such a trooper - he slept the entire time.

Grammy and Grandpa spent the night in Olathe and had the pleasure of staying with Garrison and Peyton while Amanda and Chad went out for a date night. We had a blast with the kids and managed to get their baths and get them to bed on time - Garrison even took his bottles without any problems. We are so blessed to have lots of time with the kids and to get to have so much fun with them.

On Monday, Peyton reluctantly headed off to school with her Daddy going to work. We had a great day with Amanda and Garrison, ending with lunch at Cheddars and some shopping at Oak Park Mall. Again, Garrison was quite a trooper, sleeping through lunch and the shopping trip.

We headed back to Clinton late afternoon with many memorable moments to discuss. Now I'm at my weekly bunking party with Mom, watching Dancing with the Stars - life is good. We are blessed.