Crazy Red

   

        Love my crazy, curly, red head

Is it a bird? Is it a plane?

No, it's Super Nolan and Super Lucas!  

Nolan's 4th Birthday Weekend Celebration!

Monday was Nolan's 4th birthday and we celebrated the entire weekend! :)  The weekend started with a trip to Columbus, OH to visit the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.  We headed out Friday evening after work and school.  Nolan was so excited about staying at a hotel.  Saturday morning we had breakfast and then headed to the zoo.  We arrived there around 9:30 and we were there until about 3 in the afternoon!  It was a full day, but such a fun day!  If you haven't been to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium I highly recommend a trip.  It's nicely laid out and the animal habitats are awesome.  It was fun seeing animals that we don't have at our zoo.  

These kangaroos were just hanging out on the path you walk on.  So cool being that close! :)

Checking out the orangutans...we will be getting some at our zoo in the next year. 

Loved the gorillas.  There was a baby too and Nolan said "awww, he's so cute!"

Loved this guy.  We have one at our zoo but it's always up in the tree and hard to see.

Had to stop for a cool snack.  It was a hot day!

Lucas zonked with all the excitement.  

Nolan enjoyed the petting zoo

We don't usually buy anything from the gift shops but decided since it was a birthday trip Nolan could pick one thing...and he just HAD to have this huge snake!  What a boy!

After the zoo we headed back to our hotel for naps/quiet time.  Nolan, his snake, and I then spent some time at the hotel pool while Kevin and Lucas hung out in the room watching the Notre Dame game.  It was then out for dinner, back to the hotel for bed and we left Sunday morning to come back home.  Great trip!  One that we will definitely do again.

After we got home the boys and I headed to a birthday party for a friend of Nolan's from school (her mom also happens to be one of the doctors that I work with) and Kevin stayed at the house to help our contractor put in the new microwave and stove and get things back to a functional space before Nolan's party on Monday.  I will do a post later about our home remodel but you can see some of the changes in these pictures.  Sunday evening my mom and sister, Julia, arrived to help get ready for Nolan's party.  It was great having them here to help clean and entertain the boys.

Monday was the big day!  We had a superhero themed party and enjoyed celebrating Nolan's birthday with a few local friends as well as family that took the time to drive down.  It was a fun afternoon of playing, eating, making superhero masks, and chasing boys around.

(The island is where we used to have two walls....we have new floors in the kitchen, new countertops, and backsplash.  We also have new floors in the dining room and living room)

Superman and spiderman cupcakes

Superhero mask making station

Making their masks (wish they would have dried faster so I could have gotten a picture of all of them with their masks on together....).  Nolan's two friends Landon and Isaac came to his party.

Taking some of the energy outside!

Singing happy birthday

Nolan hid!  haha

Present time

Kevin and I gave Nolan a big boy bike with training wheels and a helmet....this is a bit blurry but I would say he was pretty excited to see it!

Later  Monday evening after everyone left we went for a family walk/Nolan's first bike ride.  Kevin walked beside him and he did a good job for his first time!

It's hard to believe that my dear Nolan is 4!  Happy Birthday Buddy!