I wanna go back!

We set off this summer for a vacation in the woods with my Dad, step mom, my brother, step brother and his two sons. We rented a cabin in Trough Creek park, a beautiful state park near Raystown Lake. They call it God's Country and boy is it ever true. Just the most beautiful surroundings for the week, I loved every day. We kept the kids really busy; boating, swimming, biking, hiking, eating, cooking on the fire, playing outside. It was a great week, sitting by the fire at night was the perfect way to end each evening, that has to be one of my favorite things to do!

little cabin in the woods

jelly face

swimming in the lake, we couldn't believe how warm it was

down by the fire for s'mores, mountain pies and popcorn

we spent monday out on the lake for the day, it was awesome! we rode around, rode the tube, swam in the lake, fished and just loved taking in the beautiful scenery

a perfect and memorable week, the kids did so great, I am sure they are naturals! it was so wonderful to share something that we love so much with our children and to watch them enjoying it as well. camping was such an important part of my childhood and I can't wait for many, many more family camping trips like this one!

Look Out Summer Here We Come!

We

have definitely made

the

M-O-S-T of summer vacation so far! We have been keeping super busy and we have had a blast together so far. Please summer last a long long time! We ventured on a big walk down town to the farmers market and watched the trains, we sure have been putting the miles on our stroller these past few weeks! We frequent the Penn State Altoona campus, and the ducks love to see us and our Cheerios a'comin'. We left for Eastern PA for a few days and enjoyed time with Thomas the Train and Pappy and Nanny too! What a fun trip! We got to visit with our friends we haven't seen in quite a while, it was so wonderful! We set off to camp for the day to Raytown Lake, what a fun day! Bikes, running, cooking out, marshmallow roasting, swimming, the sand, catching bugs...all of the wonderfully fun things you can remember about camping in a fun filled day! Just ask Tanner, he slept in until 11 o'clock the next day!

I feel so lucky to have this time at home with my babies and I am soaking up every moment! They are so fun and funny and full of life and curiosity. What a fun post, on to the next adventure!

Funny Bunnies!

These are from last weekends egg hunt, hence the winter coats.

What a difference a week can make!

WE had breakfast with the Easter Bunny,

hunted eggs and played in the park.

This is Ethans first ever egg!

The boys Easter gift from Uncle Josh!

It is the cutest table and chairs set ever!

I can't wait to use it this summer.

Can't you just picture lunch on the deck this summer!

Please sun, come out every day!

They loved this statue at Nana's house.

Score! Bath toys, teddy grahams, and gummies!

We tried the wisk idea, but hands are much easier

according to Ethan!

Off to church, looking mighty handsome!

A truly blessed Easter filled with fun and family memories! It is so wonderful creating our own family traditions and just watching the kids experience it all! WE couldn't ask for more!

Wintertime, snow much fun!

Got out to play in the snow, it was all a little overwhelming for Tanner. I sort of can't blame him considering it is as tall as him! He loves icicles, or popsicles as he refers to them. He just kept saying snow evwewhere, he says it so cute! I kept thinking of all of the fun winters we will have in the yard with the kids running around in the snow. I can remember spending hours outside and coming in for hot cocoa just to head back out again. I bet our Mom loved it!

Ethan Michael's Birthday!

Ethan had a great time at his party! All of his family and friends gathered around to celebrate. We had a fun time! It was a football themed party, supposed to be for superbowl weekend. He was so funny visiting with all the kids and charming his guests of course!

Tanner got to the letter T while no one was looking.
T for Tanner, we always say!

As we were singing Happy Birthday Ethan starting swaying and dancing in his chair. It is a moment I know I will never forget. He is so funny!

The gift opening was a little chaotic but fun nonetheless.

My class made those jerseys for the archway, they did a pretty good job!

Love the one that says Ethin, he is a phonetic speller!

Walking the hall

It's so neat how Tanner and Ethan are very different yet so alike at the same time! They both have found the very same things to get in to. As kid friendly as the house is the same things have attracted both of them; plugs, drawers, my shutters inside and electronics. Pretty run of the mill attractions for most toddlers. Ethan loves to run our long hallway like Tanner did as well. He barrels down, full speed ahead as fast as his little legs will go. I remembered the pictures of Tanner doing this and thought it was fun to compare them. They are the same ages in these pictures. This is the fun I get to have on a snowday while both kids are napping!

Our Christmas Tree Tradition

Each year, since we have bought our houses, we have trekked out the weekend after Thanksgiving for the Reffner/Bassler gettin of our Christmas trees family tradition. It is amazing to think back how different this year was from the first time, I believe it was five years ago. Kelly is my best friend and our husbands have become very close friends also over the years. We had our little guys with us this year and they both loved it! Austin and Tanner both loved the wagon ride and looking for the pumpkins leftover in the pumpkin patch. We did leave Ethan with Grandma, it was a rather cold day. We searched and searched and had a difficult time deciding (as we always do, ask the guys about the search for the perfect tree!) We did settle on blue spruces this year, the frasier furs were slim pickins. The kiddos were getting rather cold (why do kids not like to keep gloves on?) and tired of walking so we thought we should decide.
It was just the four of us and the dogs the first and second years, now the dogs stay home and the kids come along. I was pregnant last year and Kelly is this year with the same due date as Ethan!
WE love this tradition so much and we just kept laughing and thinking what it will be like in five more years and five after that!