Great Wolf Lodge

For James's birthday he asked if instead of a big party he could have a couple of friends go out to dinner with him and then we could take him to the Lego store. It ended up that we had the opportunity to also spend a night at Great Wolf Lodge as well and we had the best time!  We told both boys it was to celebrate their birthdays as well as to say farewell to a great summer before school started. 

On the way there we stopped at the nicest McDonald's I have ever been to in Cary. The play ground was awesome! These boys probably would have been happy just to have gotten to go to McDonald's (not our normal place of choice to eat) and to play on that play ground. They were so sad when we left, lol. 

We made it!

Family wolf ear selfie

Our "wolf" faces, haha! 

I was impressed that Harrison went down this slide by himself

James loved this thing- he probably did it 30 times 

Our moms along with Granny Baker pitched in to take care of the babies back home. I feel bad they get left out of a lot of stuff but this trip would not have been possible (or any fun) if we had brought them.  Their time is coming! 

The boys had a blast playing putt putt. They played the course three times. 

We let them pick a dessert. James chose dippin dots and Harrison chose a candy apple.  That right there sums up how different these two kids are!

I went to work out while Ryan took the boys to the arcade. Apparently they blew through $20 in about five minutes. 

Too much excitement and sugar makes it hard to settle down for bed. Harrison was so proud of his candy bracelet he won at the arcade. 

The next morning we went to the Dunkin Donuts for breakfast for the kids and coffee for the parents.  It was right by the lobby so we snapped some pictures. 

They also joined in some kid yoga

 Then it was back to the water park!

James convinced Ryan to do this thing 

And I convinced James to go on this tube ride 

I'm getting too old for this stuff 

Our boys have loved the pool this summer so they were thrilled to be here 

After we checked out we headed to the mall that was close by that also has a Lego store 

It even had a carousel!

Ryan has a dippin dot obsession so he convinced me they needed one more helping before we hit the road 

Next we got to spend a few hours with Rod, Whitney, and Davis. We got to see their new house, hang out for a bit and then headed to a yummy Mexican restaurant where the kids were actually pretty well behaved so we had an enjoyable dinner!

Oh Harrison...

As we left Raleigh to drive the rest of the way home we saw this rainbow- a perfect way to end a super special trip together! I have told many people that this trip gave me a glimpse into life with young children versus life with babies/toddlers and there is a lot to look forward to!  The boys did so well traveling, sleeping at the hotel, etc- many things I would not have been able to say even a year ago.  There is hope for family vacations in the future! :) 

James Turns 6!

James wanted a smaller, low key party this year for his birthday so that he could go to the Lego store in Raleigh to pick out a present instead with the money saved from not having a big expensive party. He asked if he could still go to dinner with a couple of his friends for a small birthday celebration though- gotta love the kid, he managed to convince us to do both of his requests, lol.  He really wanted to go to Buffalo Wild Wings which is his favorite place to eat dinner because you can watch sports and they have these tablets that the kids get to play games on.  It was the easiest, simplest party ever! And the kids' meals were half off so it was also cheap! James is super obsessed with Lego Ninjago and wanted a Ninjago themed party. We had to get creative but Ryan's mom and Granny worked together to make the kids these Ninjago costumes and they went crazy for them!   

On the way to dinner!

For the record we do not do technology at the table any other time but we do make the exception here

I cannot believe this kid is 6!!!

I ordered this cake topper from Etsy and slapped it on a Harris Teeter cake and the kids thought it was amazing

You may notice two members of the family missing- sorry Andrew and Kate, maybe next year you can come.  That early bed time is a bummer! 

The next morning was his real birthday and we had a few more surprises for him. 

My mom made him this elaborate card. 

She is WAY more creative than me

I let the boys have breakfast in bed (or in the case on the floor) and James requested chocolate chip muffins 

Had to get at least one picture of these two cuties. They were excited for James's birthday as well

Showing off his new watch 

Birthday hugs from Nana and Granny Baker 

Dear James,

I can't believe another year has sped by and you are now SIX!  So much has happened in our family this past year, and you have amazed me with how much you have grown up and how well you have handled all of the challenges we faced.  You are kind and compassionate, always willing to help me when I ask, an incredible loving big brother and you have the most tender heart for others and for Jesus.  You love school, playing games, building with Legos, and any kind of sport.  Your favorite foods are still chicken, applesauce, and ice cream and your favorite color is blue- nothing has changed about those the past few years!  As I always tell you- you were my first baby, the one who made me a mama and I love you more than you will ever know.  Happy Birthday sweet boy!