Our Duck Pond

Right around the corner from our home we have this great duck pond.  Usually, there are just mallards there but this week I took the boys and there are a bunch of new birds!  It was really exciting and fun to see!  Today was beautiful so we went to feed them.

We now have a blue billed ducks.  They can dive into the water and stay under water for a very long time.

We now have to sets of male and female swans.  Beautiful!

We also have a bunch of seagulls.

Mallards

This is called a wood duck and it is the only one in the group.  Beautifully marked.  All the other ducks stay away from it. 

So fun to be outside enjoying the beautiful weather with our boys. 

Tulley's Farm

Today, we went to Tulley's Farm with another family here.  It was a great day!  Fun to get out and enjoy the crisp fall air.  We are going to have to work with Nate, he does not like to wear a hat.  So funny how different brothers can be, Ben loves to wear hats and Nate can't stand them! 

They had this fun excavator that you would put money in and dig into the sand pit.  Ben waited very patiently to get to do this.  He was so excited.

Then Ben and Allen shot corn with air guns. 

Ben and his buddy, Wyatt, climbed up and slid down the slide.  I was really surprised that Ben would climb up that high.

He was a little anxious at the top and it took him a while to decide to slide down. 

But he did it!  Big boy!

Nate watching from the stroller.

A cute little puppet show.

Gr. Ma Richardson

Isn't she beautiful?!  My Gr. Ma Richardson was born June 15, 1919.  Wow, can you imagine all she has seen through the years of her life.  I am working on some picaboo books for the last couple of years and came across these pictures from Christmas 2009.  She was 90 years old then and 92 now!  Just amazing the life my Gr. Ma has had.  I have been so blessed to get to introduce my two sons to her and I have no idea how long she will be here on this earth with us, but I am so thankful for the times we have had.  Oh, I hope I look this good at 90!  A long and blessed life!

Randomness

Before we went to Dartmoor we had some really beautiful weather.  We went to the park almost every day that week.  This is one afternoon, playing with Isaac.  Isaac is Ben's closest friend here.  They are pretty cute together. 

Nate joining in the hide and seek fun.

Have I mentioned that I love our Phil and Teds stroller?!  Well, this is the newest addition, the buggy board.  It is a really big deal here to teach your children to walk long distances!  A lot of my friends 2 year olds will walk to town with them.  Anyways, this is the next step, going from sitting to walking/riding.  So, Ben can hop on and off to walk.  He doesn't have to walk all the time but can. 

Sad day...our babysitter Emily went back to the states this past weekend.  Before she left she made this Mater cup cakes for the boys because Ben LOVES cars the movie and always asks to watch it with her.  Oh,  Emily we will miss you!!!

Love my guys!

Allen has be really great recently at buying me flowers and taking extra special care to be romantic.  Hard to believe that we have been married for 8 years and sometimes it is so easy to get into the ebb and flow of life that we forget to take care of our relationship.  Anyways, just have to brag on the guy!  He is wonderful.  This past weekend, I went outlet shopping with some ladies here.  I spent a whole day away from these guys and it was wonderful!  I needed the day and I am so thankful for a hubby that is willing to let me go and spend some money. 

This is Benjamin and Benjamin!  They are a pair!  Redheaded Benjamin is a year older than Ben.  They have a great time together and have LOTS of energy!! 
And this little guy!  He is growing up every day, becoming more of a little boy.  He is at that fun stage where he understands what you are asking and will say, "yay" if he wants it.  Or if you ask him to give you kisses, you get big open mouth kisses!  Love it!! 

One Blessed Wife and Mommy!!

The End of the Holiday

Well, all holidays must come to an end.  We had a great week and are so thankful for the opportunity to get away.  We took a family photo on the steps to the tent.  Ben is not picking his nose in the above picture but I think it looks like it.  Nate is of course, intent on watching his brother.  The second picture turned out better!

The roads in Devon are really narrow.  We had to back up this road to let a horse pass us at one point.  It was really fun and different. 

So you can see just how close we tight the roads are.  We have a smallish station wagon.

When we went camping to Nottingham we saw this sign and it made us all laugh.  We were not able to get a picture of it at the time.  So here it is...I think that every mom with little ones needs this in their house. 

On our way down to Dartmoor, we thought that we would pass Stonehenge.  But we were not prepared to come over a hill on a highway and it just be sitting there off to the side in a field.  So, on the way back we decided to take a picture and check it off of our list of things to do in England.  We will go back if someone comes to visit and has a burning desire to go.

Holiday Day 4

Day 4, we went back to Dartmoor and explored the middle and southeastern part, which is where the water is.  Unfortunately, Allen was not able to do any fishing but he did enjoy the water. 

Some guys kayaking.  The water is really cold!

The boys were asleep in the car, so we enjoyed a little walk along the river.  Don't worry we did not wanter too far from the car.