All Aboard!

On Saturday we got the opportunity to do something that none of us have done before. We headed up to Winnsborro, SC, to the South Carolina Railroad Museum (SCRM) to take a ride on a steam train! The SCRM usually offers train rides over the summer using a diesel engine, but for two weekends in October they had a special steam engine available for rides. Kaden and Noah LOVE trains, so we knew that this was something we had to do. My mom went with us so she could share the experience with the boys as well.

The boys were thrilled to see all the trains when we pulled up to the museum. There was only one train available for rides, but they have other train cars set up for you to tour. We got to walk through a dining car, a car that had two rooms set up for sleeping, the mail car, and a luggage car. We also got to explore a cute red caboose.

The train ride itself was really neat. We got off to a bumpy start which totally freaked Noah out, but once we got moving he really enjoyed himself. Every time the train whistle blew, Kaden's face lit up! I absolutely live for that smile :) Noah was adorable when the train whistle blew as well because he would "pull" on his imaginary train whistle and say,"CHOO CHOO!" It wasn't a really long train ride and we only went up and down one section on track, but it was totally worth it to see the boys having that much fun. Lots of people were standing on the side of the road taking pictures of the train and waving to the passengers, and the boys felt pretty special getting to wave back to everyone.

I definitely see some more train rides in our future! Enjoy the pictures :)

Waiting for our train ride

The steam engine

Noah and Daddy before the train got moving

Kaden and me on the train

The conductor

Kaden smiling after the train whistle

Noah after pulling his imaginary train whistle

Kaden and Noah checking out the inside of the caboose

The dining car

Kaden posing in the mail car

My little daredevil

My boys posing in front of one of the non-running engines

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

We celebrated Patrick's 26th birthday yesterday! Fortunately, he had the day off of work, so he got to finally relax a little since he's been so consumed with work and school lately. He spent the morning at home with Noah while Kaden went to preschool, and I took care of some things at the church.

On the way home from preschool, Kaden asked me what we got Daddy for his birthday. I told him but also told him that we had to keep it secret! Well, he did a great job of doing that and made it through lunch and naptime without spilling the beans. After naptime we ate cake and let daddy open his present. As soon as we finished eating cake and started to make our way into the den, Kaden said, "Daddy, come open your three shirts!" It was absolutely the most adorable thing ever :) Patrick pretended that he didn't hear him and acted very surprised when he opened his 3 shirts!

We enjoyed dinner at Olive Garden and then came home, did bath and bedtime, and then Patrick got to pick what we watched on TV! Usually Monday night is one of the nights I hog the TV, but I was nice this time :) It was a very relaxing day where we got to celebrate another year with the most wonderful husband and daddy that God could have blessed us with. Enjoy the pictures from our day!

Like father, like son

My healthy boy preferred string cheese to the cake

Kaden was a big fan of the cake!

It is next to impossible for me to get a picture of them all looking at the camera, much less smiling!

The boys love checking out what color the horse is on all of Patrick's Polo shirts

Noah had to peek at the horse too

Kenny McKinley 1987-2010

Yesterday, we received the tragic news that former Gamecock wide receiver Kenny McKinley took his own life at his home in Colorado. He was signed on with the Denver Broncos at the time. This news came as a complete and total shock to Gamecocks and Broncos everywhere. McKinley was truly one of the most memorable Gamecock players of all time. Not only did he have a natural talent for the game, he had a million dollar smile that lit up the stadium.

I, along with most of my Gamecock friends, am taking this really hard! It seems weird that I would be so upset over the death of someone I don't technically "know," but I had so much respect for McKinley. For awhile there, it seemed like every time you turned around there was a Gamecock player in the headlines as a result of doing something bad, but McKinley always represented the Gamecocks in a GOOD way! I loved when the news channel chose to interview him because he was such an eloquent and intelligent person. He made me proud to be a Gamecock fan.

McKinley's death is also a hard pill for me to swallow because it brings back so many memories of when my sister died. Her death, like McKinley's, was a total shock. Nobody saw it coming. I have learned the hard way that you just never truly know what someone is going through. McKinley seemed to have so much going for him, but apparently he was tortured on the inside from something we just don't know. I feel for his family, friends, and all the Gamecock and Bronco fans that fell in love with his talent and his character.

If you have a minute, whether you are someone who prays regularly or not, please PRAY for the McKinley family! They need support now more than ever before, and I think out of respect for Kenny, we should all take a moment and just PRAY for comfort, strength, and peace for his family. Rest in peace, Kenny... you were and still are truly loved by many. You will always be my favorite Gamecock.

Dear God, please wrap your arms around the family and friends of Kenny McKinley today and in the days to come. Give them strength, comfort, and peace to know that you are with them always. Help them to lean on you and turn to you during this nightmare they are living. Thank you, God, for giving them 23 years with him in which they were able to build memories that they can hold onto forever. Please help all of us remember and honor the legacy that McKinley left behind - of his skills on the football field and of that awesome smile and heart that he shared with people everywhere. Thank you, God, for giving so many of us the opportunity to get to know and watch such an incredible person. Amen.

First Day of Preschool 2010

Today was a very important day in the Todd house. It was Kaden's first day of preschool for this year! We have had a great summer, but I think everyone was ready for a change of pace :) Kaden is still going to preschool at our church, and this year he is in Mrs. Shaver and Mrs. Gina's class.

Last year, if you can remember, we suffered three weeks of Kaden crying ALL DAY at preschool. Oh what a difference a year makes! This year he was ready to go! While we ate breakfast this morning he kept making sure that I realized that Noah and I were supposed to come home during preschool. We took some pictures at home of him in his "first day of school" clothes and we were off!

Once we got to preschool Kaden walked right into his classroom, hung his backpack up on the hook with his name, and sat down to begin coloring a picture of teddy bear. There were no tears (him or me!) and he was perfectly happy to be there! I know some parents might feel a little rejected when their child doesn't seem to care if they are there or not, but I love it! Not only does it make my life a little easier, it also makes me feel like I've raised a confident, secure little boy who knows that his mama is going to be back for him AND that he knows I would never leave him someplace if it was not good for him.

I was excited to pick him up today, and he had a great day! When he got in the car he told me, "I had so much fun! It was EVERYTHING!" I'm not totally sure what that last part meant, but I'm just going to assume that preschool is awesome and that it's EVERYTHING he dreamed it would be! I love my preschooler :)

Labor Day 2010

We had a busy, yet fun Labor Day weekend this year! Saturday we went to the Chapin Area Firefighter Appreciation Day. We went last year and Kaden really enjoyed it, so we decided to go again. They have firetrucks and an ambulance the kids can get on, and they have a bouncy house. They also have hot dogs and snow-cones and lots of other things that make it fun for kids. I was really glad we got to go again.

We had a great Labor Day as well. Fortunately, Patrick was off of work, so we were able to attend the Chapin Labor Day parade. Kaden had only been once before, and this was Noah's first time, so we were very excited! We got there early enough to park at the church and found a great spot to set up camp and watch the parade. Kaden did all right during the parade but had a major melt-down when he lost the balloon he was given by one of the politicians who came by. That pretty much ruined it for him! Noah, however, was a natural. He caught on very quickly that when a big truck or car comes by, 9 times out of 10 they are going to throw candy! Both boys ended up with large bags of candy, koozies, and other goodies. Afterward, we grabbed some chicken from our church's chicken sale and went home to rest!

After naptime we headed over to my mom's house where we grilled hamburgers and hotdogs for supper. Kimbo and B-bo were there, so we got to enjoy time with the whole family. The boys and I sat back and watched the rest of the family play a game of basketball. It was pretty entertaining :) I am so happy that Patrick had the day off (and didn't have any homework to do) so that we were able to do so much fun stuff. We hope you all had a great Labor Day as well!

Firefighter Appreciation Day Pictures

Labor Day Parade Pictures

Mom and Dad's House - Labor Day

Is it Autumn yet?!

Hi Everyone! I have been a slacker lately, but we really haven't been up to much. Mostly we've been staying inside and trying not to melt from this killer heat we've been having. Patrick has been working a lot and gearing up to start grad school later this month! We are really excited to get that ball rolling. I feel like I haven't given updates on the boys in a long time, so I'll fill you in on what they're doing these days...

Kaden is doing really well. He is such a smart, sweet boy. He LOVES to sing! Some of his favorite songs right now are "Smile" by Uncle Kracker and "Lover, Lover" by Jerrod Neiman; but he occasionally throws in a song or two that he learned at church over the summer. He is busy being a great big brother to Noah. He loves his "baby brudder" and knows just what to do to make Noah happy. He is still really into trains and his new favorite thing is Toy Story. My mom took him to see Toy Story 3 last week, and he had a blast. He's already decided that he wants to be either Buzz Lightyear or Woody for Halloween! Otherwise, he is just enjoying his summer break. I know he'll be really happy for preschool to start back.

Noah is busy, busy, busy! He is learning some new signs and words. Some of the words he uses now are: mama, dada, car, dog, juice, and "hush!" He loves animals. We went to the zoo a few days ago and Noah had a ball looking at all the animals and practicing some of the signs he knows for them (fish, bird, frog, etc.). He is still super tiny. He has broken 20 pounds finally, but he is still wearing his 12 month clothes with some room, and he'll be 18 months next week. He is a picky eater, and he just never stops moving so I don't think the calories he eats even have time to settle in his body before he burns them off. His skin is doing MUCH better! We've been to the dermatologist twice now and he has been able to find a medicine regimen that actually works. His skin isn't perfect, but it is amazingly better than it was before. He is becoming more of a little boy everyday and less of a baby. It's definitely a sad thing to see my baby turning into a big boy, but I'm just happy that I'm getting the chance to see both of the boys grow into healthy, happy kids.

We had family pictures taken a few weeks ago, and we should be receiving those soon, so I will post again with some of those pictures! Here are some recent pictures I've taken of the boys. Enjoy the pictures, and enjoy the rest of the summer! Before you know it, we'll be cheering on the Gamecocks and complaining about it being too cold!

Kaden and Noah playing in our new microwave's box

Kaden and Noah with their cousin, Evan, on GrandJohn's golfcart

Bobo's the fun aunt!

The boys taking a break during our recent nature walk

My sweet boys - I didn't even make them hold hands!

Noah Toah!

Dataw Island 2010

For those of you have been keeping up with us since at least last year, you know that every year we travel down to the Beaufort area for a small family reunion my grandmother holds on Dataw Island (the island where she lives). This is an opportunity for us to get together with the family of my late step-grandfather (aka: Farmer Jim). Once again we had a fantastic time enjoying family and the beautiful area around Beaufort.

We left on Friday with plans to check into our hotel and then go to Hunting Island Beach with A.J. that afternoon. Noah slept for a good portion of the drive there, but Kaden was a trooper! He did not sleep a WINK the whole three hour drive! Kaden was very excited that we got to stay in a "hoteller" and once we checked in he climbed right into the big bed and made himself at home :) Once we had a chance to sit down for a minute and relax we loaded back into the car to go pick up A.J. who was staying with my mom at my grandmother's house.

The beach was so wonderful! There were hardly any people there since we got there so late in the day, and the ocean breeze made it just the perfect temperature. Patrick, A.J., and Kaden headed straight for the water when we got there, but Noah was not sure. He would not let water from the ocean touch him! He would take off running toward the ocean but make a dead halt once he saw the water running onto the beach. It was really cute, and by the end of our beach visit Patrick convinced him to at least get his toes a little wet :) For dinner that night we went to a place called Groupers to eat. It is right on the water across the bridge from Beaufort, so we got to see some awesome fireworks that went on at the annual Water Festival that was taking place in Historic Beaufort. Kaden and Noah loved the fireworks :)

Saturday was a HOT day! My grandmother rents the gazebo that is located at the marina on her island for us to hold the reunion at. We had a wonderful time visiting with family that we hardly ever get to see. The kids played with the giant bubble mix that my mom made and spent lots of time on the nice playground and looking for fiddler crabs down by the marsh. Patrick and I took our boys out on the dock to look at some of the huge boats that residents of Dataw Island own. We had a great afternoon, but we were all ready to get back to my grandmother's house and relax because it was stifling out there!

This weekend, once again, reminded me of how awesome my children are :) Not to brag, but we spent a LOT of time in the car with a one year old and a three year old over the course of 24 hours, and we honestly couldn't have asked for a better turnout. They either slept through the driving or played together in the backseat. They adjusted really well to being on a different schedule and just helped make the weekend so much more enjoyable than it already was. I love having opportunities to expose the boys to things they don't get to see or do here at home, and that is one reason why I love our annual Dataw trip. They get to see the beach, the marsh, big boats, and fiddler crabs - all things that they will hopefully look back on and smile about. Enjoy the pictures!

Kaden enjoying his bed at the "hoteller."

Noah getting out some "I've been in the car for 3 hours" energy

Kaden P. checking out the ocean

Noah watching the pelicans

Daddy and his boys

Kaden giving Noah a big beach-loving hug!

Noah found something else to keep him entertained at the beach :)

Kaden enjoyed building sandcastles too

Some of the fireworks from Friday night...

Mimi-mama and Sheriff Kaden at Grandmama Peggy's house

Patrick and Kaden checking out the boats

Noah joined the big boys

Grandaddy and Kaden on the golf course behind Grandmama Peggy's house

Kaden had been DYING to go on the golf course while we were there!

Noah had to have a turn on the golf course too

Noah playing in Grandmama Peggy's fountain

My two sweet boys - so happy to be back home!