Max is TWO! (Part 1!!)

Can't believe my little guy is turning two!  Gone are the baby days. Now it's talking non-stop, being fearless and imitating Mason any chance he can get!  His actual birthday isn't until September 8, but since it's so close to the Labor day holiday it's hard to get both sides of our family together at one time.  So, that means two birthday parties for Max.  I'm sure he really hates having two parties!!  This weekend we celebrated with Brad's side of the family.  It was so much fun watching Max finally keep up with the big boys.  I think he has  longed to play along side Brandon, Tyler and Mason.  This weekend he really interacted with them the best I've ever seen him.  I think it helped that he loved having lots of help opening his presents!  Happy (part one) birthday to my little big guy!!

 The Good stuff!!

 I LOVE cake and ice cream!!!

Love this guy!!

Up in the Air!

A couple of week ago Brad passed his private pilot test.  YAY!!!  It's been a long process but we are now getting to benefit from all his hard work.  That makes perfect sense, right?!?!  We have been able to do a couple of family trips in the plane already. The boys love flying and I'm hoping this is something we can all enjoy together for many years.

 Our pilot!

Enjoying the ride

The view

We got lucky to see this from the plane in one of our trips.  It's kind of hard to see but it's an army helicopter carrying a load of cargo.  Mason thought this was great and as soon as we got home re-played this scene all afternoon.

Beach Vacation!!

The first week in August we headed down to New Smyrna Beach (just south of Daytona) for a week of fun in the sun with my mom and dad.  What can you say about a vacation on the beach but WONDERFUL!! Mason and Max were hilarious on the beach.  It took a day for them to get used to the sand and ocean but after that day it was wave jumping, sand digging and well sand just about everywhere.  The beach where our condo was located was a drive-on beach, which I had never seen.  It did work out great for us because we could just drive the truck down to the beach spot  loaded with all our stuff.  No multiple trips from condo to sand just to bring down the million things we seemed to drag out every day.  This was the first trip to the beach for the boys that they could remember.  Mason had been at 3 months old at his first beach visit but it was the very first visit for Max.  "Vacation" brings on a whole new meaning with little one's. Gone are the days of lounging all day reading a book, possibly taking a nap listening to the waves crashing. I can imagine it now :) But, I would not have changed this vacation for anything. So I may have had more sand in my swimsuit than I have had since I was 10 but hey that's okay.  It was all totally worth it!  I think Brad and I even got to relax (a little).  Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for a GREAT trip!!
(Sorry for all the pictures, can you tell we had a REALLY good time!!)

What a crew!

Max swimming by himself for the first time!!

Enjoying the BEACH!!!

My little Pirates

Ice Cream with Papaw

Ready for an ADVENTURE!

Maybe my goggles are a little too tight 

Kennedy Space Center

WORN OUT!!

Hooper Family Reunion 2011

So...It's been a little bit since our last blog.  Needless to say, I'm a little lot behind. But, I WILL to catch up.  First thing that hasn't been posted was the Hooper Family Reunion.  This is a week long camp-out at McCormick's Creek with Brad's mom's side of the family.  It is SOOO much fun.  Brad and I haven't gotten a chance to stay for the week but this year both boys stayed for the week long camp-out.  They had a BLAST.  They loved all the attention from Grandma, Aunt's and Uncle's, as well as, playing with all the cousins.  What's better than spending the week swimming, riding tractors, walking the trails, horseback riding, getting dirty and all the s'mores you can eat!  The weather this year was wonderful which allowed for a lot of outside time.  The boys are already asking to go back again!

Mason with the big boys!

Our favorite mode of transportation

Reading for the trails.

Horseback riding!!

Whew...What a month!!

We have been incredibly busy this past month.  Which, has led me to be extremely behind on blogging.  It started with the Hooper Family Reunion, which is a week long camping event with Brad's mom side of the family.  Followed by a week vacation in Florida which consequently was followed by 10 loads of laundry, two little kiddos in need of home re-grouping, me trying to re-certify for work and Brad studying for his private pilot exam.  Sad to say, I have not even gone through the hundreds of pics that were taken over the past few weeks! My vow, to get things together this next week.  I promise, many fun pictures to come!!