This year we made two trips to The Kiddie Park in Bartlesville, however, the first trip was very disappointing… we drove there on Saturday, August 4th, had dinner at Frank and Lola’s and when we got to the Kiddie Park we found out that it was closed due to weather!  (A storm had just passe when the park opened but they were concerned that more storms would develop.) We were so disappointed.  However, the kids were champs and pulled it together.  Robin had the idea to head to a Custard stand for some yummy treats.

We decided to go back to the park this week on Thursday night, Aug. 9th.  It was really our last option before school starts.  It turns out it was the perfect time to go!  The weather was beatiful and the crowd was minimal.  The kids hardly had to wait in any lines!  We had such a great time.

A big thanks to Aunt Judy and Uncle Ron for going with us!  (Nana and Boom went with us on the first trrip but we unable to go for the re-do!)

Foster shocked us on the rides- last year he was pretty timid, pretty scared of a lot of the rides.  What a difference a year makes!  Foster wanted to ride EVERY ride and we let him ride all but the tilt-a-whirl because kids were just flying around in there.

Here is our cool dude before the park opened, ticket in hand- ready to go!  We think he thinks he is supposed to have a “cool” look on his face anytime he has his sunglasses on.

 

This is some serious car driving!

 

Emma making sure her little brother was doing ok- last year he cried on this ride.

 

I just had to throw in this picture from the cars LAST YEAR…. Emma looks a bit younger, Foster looks a bit more scared!

 

Emma’s classic grin- she’s having fun!!

 

The boats!

 

Uncle Ron waiting with the kids at the swings

 

Foster and Emma have always loved swinging!

 

 

Foster on the airplanes- Emma passed on this ride.

 

This was one of my favorite memories of the night- Emma rode the tilt-a-whirl with Uncle Ron and Aunt Judy.  (she rode it with Judy and Boom last year.)  They were so sweet to ride this with her!  Judy always holds on to Emma really tightly so she doesn’t fly around.  Emma giggles so big on this ride!  They said she was spinning the wheel really hard to make them go faster and faster!

 

Video from the ride… I love hearing her giggle.  Please ignore the 15 seconds or so where I am filming the ground!

 

Riding the horse carriage…

 

 

 

Train time.  Foster was so excited to ride the train!

 

Uncle Ron was so sweet to buy all of us treats at the concession stand.  Foster insisted that he wanted a grape snow cone.  When Ron handed it to Foster he said, “It’s too COLD!”  Well, of course it is!  He never even took a bite of it!  Robin got a Rootbeer float, Emma got a snow cone AND ice cream, and Mommy got cotton candy (my favorite!)

 

While eating our treats, a bee decided to target Robin and his rootbeer float.  It stayed away from the rest of us- it only wanted Robin’s drink.  I kept flying in his float and swarming right around his head.  It was hilarious I have to admit.  Robin kept trying to run away from it and finally just had to set his drink down and leave it there.  The bee won.

 

Emma’s rainbow snow cone!

 

Emma and Foster loved riding this turtle roller coaster with Daddy.  I loved seeing all 3 of their smiling faces on this ride!

 

I know some of these pictures are blurry but I just love their expressions.

 

 

 

Carousel ride with Judy and Daddy

 

Foster insisted that he wanted to ride the BIG roller coaster.  We really thought he would back out as he got closer but he didn’t!  Here they are in line!  Daddy rode with Emma and Uncle Ron rode with Foster!

 

Riding the bi-plane together- they loved this!

 

They wanted to ride the cars one more time!

 

Last ride of the night- the ferris wheel!  It was kind of funny to see them caged in on this ride- they loved it!  We had SUCH a great night at the Kiddie Park- we can’t wait to go back next year!  Best part of the night- we spent a total of $14 on tickets for all of the rides. :)

Throughout the school year, Emma brings home SO much artwork!  I love every bit of it!   It amazes me how much work teachers go to to create such fun projects.   I struggle with what to do with all of it.  My current system is that I hang up some of Emma and my favorites on the art line in our hallway and on the refrigerator throughout the school year.  She loves showing off her artwork to family and friends!  I put the rest of it in a big pink tub.  All summer I have been needing to go through it but just got around to it this week… I decided I better empty the tub before she begins to bring home Kindergarten artwork this year!

The picture below is about 1/3 of the pieces of work she brought home this year!!  These were some of my favorites.  After taking these pictures, I put my absolute favorites in an art portfolio to keep forever.

 

This was one of her first “home” projects- a family pennant.  They put their last names on it and then put family pictures, stickers, etc. to describe their family.  These were displayed in their room for the entire school year. The little paper plate was a “mirror” that they made during the “All About Me” Unit.

 

All of the artwork coordinated with the Unit/theme they were working on that week.  These are some from the “Barnyard Animals” Unit.

 

Emma LOVES patterns.  Here are some of her “ABAB” patterns…

 

These pieces are all from the “Nursery Rhymes” Unit.

 

These cars were made during the “Vehicles” Unit.

 

Snowman made during the “Winter” Unit.  I really love that the started writing the words on the pictures.

 

Butterfly during the “Spring” Unit.

 

Practicing the letters of her name…

 

More Spring animals

 

“Bear in a Square”

 

“Cat in the Hat” during Dr. Seuss’s Birthday week!

 

Emma’s self portrait at the beginning of the year. :)

Thursday July 19th, 2012 was such a fun day that will forever be a special memory for me.  Robin and I went to my OB appointment at 9:00 that morning.  This was my big 20 week ultrasound and I was very excited to not only find out the gender of our baby but more importantly I wanted confirmation that this was a healthy Curry baby.  Working in the NICU sure makes a Mommy paranoid when pregnant.  The Ultrasound tech was absolutely fabulous and spent about 45 minutes going over every organ, every vertebrae, every vessel in the heart.  I had tears in my eyes just praising God for the miracle of life.  I know that a healthy baby is not something to take for granted.  It is a miracle EVERY time.

VERY quickly, the tech announced that this was a very PROUD baby boy, revealing his “parts” very obviously!  I’ll spare you that picture. :)

Robin and I were so excited.  Honestly, I think we both thought it was a girl because I had been pretty sick, and everyone and their dog kept telling us they thought we were having another girl.  I truly did not care either way.  Before we had kids, I thought I wanted to have 4 boys- I just see myself as a “boy mom.”  I am so excited for Foster to have a brother and I pray that they are as close as Robin and his brother, Craig.  I am also secretly excited that Emma will be the “only girl.”  She is just so special, so unique and I know that she and I will always share a special bond.  Praise the Lord for another baby boy!!!

I had planned a very small “gender reveal balloon release” that evening for close friends and family.  Let me just say that God has such a sense of humor.  This summer we are experiencing one of the worst drouts in history- it hasn’t rained in weeks.  There was NO RAIN in the forecast.  I had planned for us to meet in the field behind our church at around 7:30pm.  I’m going to go ahead and admit that I’m a big nerd and I had gone to the field the night before to check out the lighting to make sure we got the “perfect pictures.”  7:30 seemed like the magic hour.

At 6:21pm my friend Jamey (who was coming to the balloon release to take pictures for us) texted me and said, “Honey, have you seen the weather?”  I had seen the clouds in the sky and heard the weatherman say on the radio, there is small chance of a brief shower but it would pass by about 7:00 so I brushed it off and told her yes, but we’re still planning to meet at 7:30.  Then I really started checking out weather.com…. as I was driving… picking up balloons and cookies.  Then I started crying.  A HUGE storm was headed our way and it looked like it would hit about 7:30.  I was so sad- I wanted the gender reveal to be simple- just everyone come to the field, we’ll release the balloons, have a special moment, have a yummy cookie and go home.  Now, I had to figure out Plan B.  I knew we couldn’t just wait another day! Robin remained calm and kept saying the storm would pass.  Then at about 6:37 Robin said, “I think we better go now.”  So… I texted the 5 family members and friends that were planning to come and said, we’re gonna go NOW.”  Mom was about 5 miles away, Judy was about 8 miles away, Boom was about 8 miles away and they all made a mad dash for the church.  Looking back, it is just hilarious to remember each person speeding into the parking lot- my Mom even hit the curb when she parked.  We quickly threw out a blanket (not in the spot I had originally planned because I knew it was too far from the car and it was about to downpour.)  We started snapping some pre-pictures.  Then it started lightning and thundering badly.  SO, we made the decision to release the balloons even though Judy wasn’t there yet- she had told us we could.  I am so sad- she pulled up 1 minute after we released them.

After we released the balloons and snapped a few quick pictures we went to the back of our car and had cookies and blue “Jones Bubblegum” sodas.  Then it started pouring rain.  And lightning. And thundering. The kids started crying. We decided to call it a night.  That storm was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.  I’m really wondering if that means anything about the way Cash’s life will be???!!!

Jamey texted me that night and said, “Everyone knows it’s good luck when it rains on your gender reveal.”  :) (kinda like raining on your wedding day, right?)

SO, here are our pictures from our “Emergency Gender Reveal.”

The sky.

 

Foster and Emma were so excited to find out if they were having a brother or sister.  My talented friend, Jamey, made this box for me.  I sent her some pictures from Pinterest and she came up with this adorable design.  She also took all of the pictures for me.

 

What’s it gonna be?

 

Getting ready to reveal…suprised I was smiling!

 

It’s a boy

 

Some of the balloons floating off…

 

So, what did the family think?

Some of the responses that I remember:

Brandon, “I was right, I knew it!”

Jamey, “Whatttt??????”

Nana was shocked.

Emma, “Yeahhh!  I wanted a boy, I knew it!” (this was her coping mechanism- she really thought it was girl.)

 

Watching the balloons… and the storm.  He was pretty nervous I think.

 

 

 

Then we announced the name! CASH FRANKLIN CURRY

Robin and I have always loved the name Cash- we considered it for Foster’s middle name.  When I went to the Dr. that morning and found out that it was a boy, the nurse Sylvia asked if I had a name.  I told her, “We’re thinking Cash.”  She said, “Ooooh, Cash Curry, I feel like he would do something really special with a name like that!”  It made me smile.  I smile everytime I say the name.

Franklin is a family name on Robin’s Dad’s side of the family.

I ordered these cookies from Barbee’s cookies and they were so delicious!

It was a fabulous, very memorable day.  I am very excited to start getting the nursery ready and going through clothes.  Praying that the remainder of my pregnancy goes well and Cash arrives healthy and happy in December!

Thank you so much to our family and friends who rushed to 103rd and Sheridan on July 19th and endured a torential donwpour to share this memory with us!

A few weeks ago we made a spur of the moment trip to a nearby park to have a picnic for dinners and take some pictures.  I am getting very nostalgic realizing that Baby #3 is on the way and my first baby will be starting Kindergarten this year.  It’s a bit much for me to take in.

I love Emma and Foster more than I could have ever imagined.

Here are some pictures of my 51/2 year old and 2 1/2 year old.

 

 

Man, sometimes I glance at Emma and see my Dad… she has my Dad’s eyes for sure!

 

He always has his tongue out. :)

 

Emma was hiding behind Foster trying to get him to smile.

 

 

This is one of my favorites- Foster has the best smile.

 

Sassy Emma… growing up way too fast.

 

Daddy tickling Emma…

 

How is Daddy going to push three kiddos?

 

Emma has learned to “pump” on the swing by herself this summer- she just needs a little push to get started.

 

 

One of my favorite joys of Motherhood is watching these two become such good friends- they love each other so much.  I pray that they always have a good relationship.