Family Fun Friday!

We've had a few odd weeks in a row with work being busy for Doug, Tavin and I being out of town, Koen starting school, etc. It's been a whirlwind and Doug and I had really missed just spending time together as a family having fun. So, yesterday, we made up for it!

After Tavin's nap we went to the Strip District to run an errand and get lunch together. We ate at the Enrico Biscotti Company. Yum! Brick oven pizzas and salad. So perfect! It's a tiny, old shop that used to actually be a garage for fixing cars (Koen liked the sound of that). It was a very quaint spot for lunch. Koen did a great job being a big boy and enjoying the more adult ambiance of the place. Tavin also did well enjoying his baby food there and keeping pretty quiet (not to mention all the looks and comments he got from all the women in there).

Doug being the fun dad that he is suggested ice cream on the way back to the car, and how could I resist since it's my personal favorite treat after an Italian meal? We had gelato from Mon Amie Chocolate. I got their dark chocolate. Delicious!

I always feel a little bad for Tavin on these outings as big brother gets a much bigger kick out of this stuff, but I guess soon enough Tavin will be joining in on the fun. He did get some special Daddy time before nap...

It was so, so hot yesterday. A record 90 degrees. It had been high 80's for the few days before too, so the house was just an oven with the sun flowing in in the afternoon. After laying the kids down for naps Doug and I had no energy to move, so we napped too. (I never nap, so this is a really big deal!). It was a good thing we all rested well in the afternoon though because we had a full evening!

We woke the boys up from their naps and got them in the car around 4:40pm. We headed through rush hour traffic (which wasn't too bad) far into the South Hills to visit our friends' farm. It was amazing! By the time we got there the sun was low enough that it wasn't uncomfortable outside anymore, although still balmy. A few of our neighbor families came with us and we just had a blast letting the kids enjoy the countryside. Tavin and Huck were troopers and just enjoyed riding around in BabyBjorns and sitting on blankets watching the older ones enjoy all the activities. Aren't they so cute?The farm had a fishing pond with a little row boat. When Koen saw the boat he kept saying, "Daddy, do you want to go across the sea with me?" Eventually Doug got in the boat with him and 3 other kids! I gave him lots of credit for taking on that camp counselor role!Koen between activities spotted a tractor and spent some time pretending to be a farmer busy at work.They had 4 horses and each of the kids got their first horse ride! We had an amazing steak/chicken dinner with delicious sides and fresh veggies and fruit. Then they had a bonfire down by the pond. Finally, we all came in one last time for dessert (chocolate cheesecake and triple berry pie). Our hosts were so generous letting us enjoy their beautiful home and property and showering us with all the delicious food. It was a really fun night to just enjoy ourselves. We host so often (which we absolutely love), but every once in awhile it feels so good to just sit back and relax and let someone else host and these friends have a gift for it!

We didn't leave until almost ten and Koen didn't get into bed until almost 11pm (Tavin slept in the pack'n play there and then went right back to sleep at home, so had a relatively normal night). Koen did pretty well sleeping almost until 8am this morning, but I'm sure we will see the tiredness hit at some point today. He and his friends all did very well staying up late and staying pretty well-behaved. It was a great night with friends and family!