Vale's 3rd Birthday

 My sweet precious boy is always the first child awake, no matter what time he went to bed.

So at 6:40 I had a little 3 year old climb up into my bed and say 'Mommy wake up! I'm three!!' :)

We started off the day with painting some superman posters while mommy made breakfast!

Vale got to pour his own syrup on his french toast cause he's a big boy now!

This is right after he said, "This is yummy mommy! Thank you!"  He's so sweet!

I tell you what, it was yummy especially after eating stripped down health food for the past two weeks!

This little kid is such a stud... :)

 So Vale wanted to go for a horse ride for his birthday like his brother did!  Fortunately we have a wonderful lady in our church who owns a horse on a little farm and said the boys were welcome to come and ride.  

It was perfect!

She was a sweet Tennessee Walker named Piper.

Vale got to brush her before we put the saddle on.

He was very serious about being a good cowboy. :)

He was LOVING it and the best part is that as she was walking him around he was singing!  It was adorable!

We are trying to teach Connor that life doesn't revolve around the oldest child so he didn't get to ride, only Vale did but he got to sit on the horse with Vale for one lap around the paddock. :)

He was so happy there... I like it that my kids aren't completely city-fide from living in LA!

He and Piper having a little chat... 

They even coordinated outfits... :)

We brought some carrots to feed to her when we were done.  HAHAHA Vale was a little concerned about the huge lips headed towards his hand! hahaha

There was also a bunny named Strawberry.

... and a goat named Summer, who Connor rode :) not a very smooth ride... 

 She had 5 chickens as well and we found out this summer that Vale's out little chicken chaser so he had fun with them too!  One of them even laid him a egg!  He got to take it home as a birthday present!

This little one thought he was the new sheriff in town... He'll learn :)

There was also a tire swing shaped like a horse that Vale had a blast on... :) It really was a fantastic morning and so much fun!

Then Vale wanted to go to Chick-fil-a for lunch. Oh. My.  It was veterans day so all the kids were off school... It. Was. Packed.  Had it not been his birthday I would have said forget it kid! 

He was happy though! :)

 Then we came home and there was a big surprise!  His Nona and Bis Nona came down for the day and left the next morning!  He was very excited!

Then he got a nap while we all got things ready for his birthday 'party'/dinner.

He asked for green cake with white icing and chocolate ice cream... ok!

Then we went upstairs and he saw the PRESENTS!!! :)

I think he was a little excited!! 

I suppose I would be too if I saw a table like that and was told they are all for me!

He had a blast with the punching bag and gloves!

He was so thrilled and very grateful which also made it fun for us as parents!

Shay was just happy he found something to chew on... 

He got this giant soft spider-man blanket which he loved!

Lots of other fun toys which he loved!

And even some money that was directly deposited into his bank :)

He also got a balance bike but those pictures will have to come later when there is daylight outside! :)

He had a fantastic birthday and is such a sweet, loving and wonderful boy! We are so blessed!

Celebrating my Marine!

Celebrating my Marine today on the USMC's 239th birthday!

I love this man so much and am so proud of the service that he did for this country.

My boys love and respect their daddy so much and I also love that!

Shay thought the whole thing was a joke and a game... come on... grow up kid! :)  j/k

He's so cute. :)

Vale continually tells me he wants to go to war... oh boy... :-/ not sure my heart could handle that.

I'll end this post with a prayer from General Douglas MacArthur

Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak; and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be pround and unbending in honest defeat and humble and gentle in victory.Build me a son whose wishes will not take the place of deeds; a son who will know Thee -- and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge.
Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail.
Build me a son whose heart will be clear, whose goal will be high, a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men, one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.
And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, and the meekness of true strength.
Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, "I have not lived in vain!"

 

Halloween!

 We had fun in our neighborhood with our cousins dressing up!

They loved the whole going up to the door and our neighbors give you candy thing... :)

They were so adorable!

My little monkey was adorable and snuggley!

HA he looks so scared and vulnerable!

Obi-wan Kanobi was ready for battle!

When the tricker treaters came to our door we had this sign by the front door... we had a couple of people know what it was and some looked it up on their phones :)

One kid said, "When the Germans and Martin Luther King nailed a paper to the door of a church" another kid said, "When the Christians left the catholic church" :) hahahaha

They were so tired but had so much fun!!  I don't know if I've ever let them eat that much candy... Vale was just tasting everything!  Schafer looks petrified again... :)

Quick Trip to SC and other shanannagans

 So my dad had to go down to SC for business, just for one day, so we decided to hop in the car and go with him to see Jimmy's grandpa!!

Grandpa Allen got to meet baby Schafer ALLEN Mahon! :)

And the boys had fun exploring the property behind their house!

They found all sorts of fun things!

 They got to play on toys that Jimmy played on when he was a boy!

And Grandma Jette helped them figure out how to use it.

Vale is always a character... sometimes more than others... sigh... Daddy was NOT impressed... 

Again, the token picture of Baby Shay... this kid's just always happy... 

My three little dapper men... :)

We took all three boys bowling for the first time together! 

(kids aren't allowed to bowl in L.A. county... LAME!)

They had a blast!

Vale would rejoice every time he knocked down any pins... 

This is a face of pure joy and excitement!

They wanted to touch EVERYTHING and run around everywhere... but for the most part, they were very good and enjoyed it.

Yeah... they wanted to wear a cape while bowling... whatever... 

Connor was actually really good at it and took it very seriously :)

... and it's off!

They also very much enjoyed the bowling alley food... yuck. But they were happy!

Shay's 9 months old!

Schafer Allen is:

26" long

19.0 lbs even

Has 2 bottom teeth

Sits and scoots on his bottom

Feeds himself food and holds his own bottle

& loves to play with toys!
 

He loves to rest his head on his hands... it's really cute.

In short, he's cute as a button, sweet as can be and very loved by us!!!  He's very even tempered and loves to watch his brothers all the time!

Funny stories about the boys from this summer

Oh I love my kids... :)

The best words that my kids say:

Connor counts and says: twelve, thirteen, fourteen, FIVEteen, sixteen :)

 When Vale wakes up in the middle of the night to go potty he always yells: 'moooommy, I has to go peeee pee!'

When Vale wants something he puts his hands together and says, "Pwweeeeaaaase!!!' It's great!!

I was out in the living room with Connor and heard a terrified cry from my room where baby schafer was sleeping.  I go in there to see Vale with a flashlight terrified, guarding baby Schafer.  He was freaking out!  I told him to calm down and asked him what was wrong.  He said, 'Get baby schafer out!!  Get him out!'  There is a monster in the bathroom!!!' He was shining the flashlight into the bathroom and he thought the shadow was a monster but instead of running away he was gonna stay there and make sure that baby schafer got out and was ok! :)

I was explaining to Connor and Vale why we pray before we eat and I asked them, "Do you know why we pray?" Not waiting for a reply I just delved into the reasons (so we are grateful for the Lord's provision etc..) after I was done, Connor piped up and said, 'No mommy that's why YOU pray, I pray to make sure that my food cools down enough so it doesn't burn my mouth.'... oh... well at least he knows why he does what he does... :)

I was walking in an underground pedestrian tunnel with all three boys and it was very empty and very quiet.  Down the escalator comes a man of middle eastern decent with two women dressed in burkas.  As we are walking towards each other, Connor all of a sudden gets VERY excited and starts saying, VERY loudly and VERY clearly, 'Those are Jesus' disciples!!!  Those are the women who found Jesus' empty tomb when he rose from the grave!  Look mom!' With this declaration came pointing and jumping up and down... I'm not sure I've ever felt that awkward before in my life!  They were definitely not amused, the women were glaring at me... sigh... oh well!

Connor just said,"Mommy, Vale and I are closed on Friday so if you need us to do anything you'd better ask now." Where does he get these things!??

Jimmy was praying for our group at a restaurant for breakfast one morning and Vale was eating eggs while Jimmy was praying.  After we were finished praying, Jimmy's cousin asked Vale why he was eating eggs while Jimmy was praying.  Vale looked at him for a moment, thought a minute and looked at Jimmy and said, "Daddy, why were you praying while I was eating?"

We were on a road trip and Connor asked how long until we get there and I told him it depended on the traffic.  He then asked what 'traffic' was.  I told him it's when your stuck in the car and can't move.  Connor looked at his car seat then looked at Vale in his carseat and exclaimed loudly, 'Then Vale and I are ALWAYS in traffic!!!!!!' :)  Yup...

Vale was just trying to get Shay to hold a sward and it was taking him a long time to get a grip on it and Vale stepped back and shook his head and said 'How am I gonna make a man out of you??' :) hahahaha

We were driving in the car and Connor was making up a senario in order to capture the green eyed man (the evil guy from the movie Bolt).  He suddenly asked me, "Mom is it ok to lie to evil people if they are going to do something bad?"... I mean really what parent is ready to answer that question when their kid is 4!???! ugh... I told him to ask his father.  Jimmy was excited to answer.

We were out at dinner after church the other day and Connor was playing with his little friends, running all around causing a ruckus... we were about to leave and all of a sudden we look over and one of the little girls is planting a big ol' kiss right on Connor's lips.  When she pulled away Connors eyes were about the size of quarters and his eyebrows were in the middle of his forehead with his jaw dropped and mouth gaping open... His arms were stretched out and plastered against the door she'd pinned him to...  sigh... welcome to life with women Connor.

Vale slept in one morning and when he woke up instead of getting up he just sat up in bed and started calling for me.  I came into his room and ran at him, jumped and tackled him.  We both fell back onto his pillow and I started giving him kisses.  He got real serious and looked at me and asked 'Mommy, is this how it will be when I have a honey someday?' hahahaha I just busted up laughing, I couldn't even answer... he's too cute!

In June Connor asked me, "When I'm a man, I'll be called Connor Jimmy." I asked him why and he said, "Cause when you're a REAL man you get called Jimmy!!!" :) Cute.  So the boys watched The Man From Snowy River for the first time in October and the main character's name is Jim.  At the end the other characters are saying how Jim was a real man now and he'd earned respect and is the MAN from Snowy River.  Connor looks at me and said, "I TOLD you when you become a real man they call you Jim!" :)

Vale's version of the classic kids song, "Who built the ark? No one, no one." (Instead of Noah). I'm not sure he really gets the theme of the song...

Connor and Vale were talking outside my room and they started to argue over something and this is what I heard:

   Connor: I was going to do that first!

   Vale: no you wasn't!

   Connor: WEREN'T, you weren't. But YES I was. 

My four year old is a grammar Nazi! 

Connor asked the pizza delivery person who came to our door why he talks like a man but has a ponytail like a woman... I just awkwardly laughed, paid the guy and shut the door... I really do love my children.

Connor LOVES to play this game called 'who would win'.  In this game, someone picks two animals and everyone picks who they think they would win in a fight between the two, giving their reasons for this choice.  We often have matches like a hippo and a crocodile or a female dragon and a lion (not sure why 'female' is pertinent but he likes to be specific).  Well my brother was playing with him and the match-up between a salmon and a falcon came up.  They established that the fight would not be in the water but would be in the air (as the salmon jumps out of the water).  Trevor then asked if it was an adult or baby salmon and Connor looked at him and started to laugh uncontrollably saying, as if EVERYONE knows this, "HA Baby salmon can't FIGHT!!!! HAHAHA"  Totally condescending and in disbelief that Trevor didn't already know this.  Oh it was funny!