Gallery

Lucas’ 4th!

Now that I revived the blog, I may be doing some “throwbacks”.

Last November, we celebrated Lucas’ 4th birthday. Here is his last night as a 3 year old!

img_2955

Donut surprise for his birthday breakfast and Paw Patrol decorations.

img_2956

img_2961

It’s amazing how much different he’s changed since then. He’s loosing that baby/toddler look in his face. So not ready for 5!

img_2964

For dinner we went to Mesquite BBQ so he could have a corn dog and fried okra.

img_2977

img_2978

Then is was back home for cake and gifts.

img_2979

img_2989

Pink cake, of course.

img_2992

img_2998

img_3001

img_3012

His big gift was a scooter from us. He also got some map and maze books, a helmet, a marble run and butterfly wings.

img_3019

A little about Lucas….

He likes fruit, graham crackers and cream cheese, breakfast tacos, toast, cereal, waffles, pancakes, yogurt, cheerios, raisins, chips, pretzels, tomatoes, donuts, cupcakes, ice cream, popcorn, pecans, almonds, granola, kombucha and cheese pizza when he’s in the right mood.

He LOVES his stuffed animal friends. All of them have to be in bed with him and I think there might be about 20. Bears, dogs, alligator, fox, school bus, Roxy (a shrunk T-Rex), Gold (a monkey), his other monkeys, turtle…..all of them. But I especially love how he makes up stories about them, how he cares for them and their feelings. It’s the sweetest thing that I never want to end.

He loves to play LEGOs with brother which usually means finding all the tiniest pieces there are and hoarding them in a bag or his pockets. His favorite are LEGO men.

Last fall he was super into dominoes and marble runs. Now he just likes to carry the marbles around. We find them everywhere.

He really enjoys books with lots of details and things to study. He will sit for a good while staring at the same page, just studying. Both he and William are into LEGO City books and the Bernstein Bears plus Mo Willem’s Gerald and Piggie books.

He is doing awesome on his balance bike and I think we’ll be moving him to something bigger by the fall. His legs just need to be a bit longer. But he can really keep up! He loves the park, taking walks and climbing the thunderdome in the backyard.

He’s really at a point where he wants to do so much more and a lot more by himself. I try to allow that but he’s my mischevious kiddo. If it’s too quiet, time to check on him!

He’s done so well at school this year and loves his teachers. The best thing is to hear him singing songs he’s learned in chapel. When he is at home with us, I try to include him in our school as much as possible or have some work all his own. He’s just beginning to read 3 letter words and does a great job sounding them out!

Lucas, you are Mommy’s sunshine boy. I love your happiness and how you can quickly loose the blues and be back to all smiles. You are so sweet and caring and I hope you never loose that. I love your imagination and your snuggles. I hope you always dance to the beat of your own drum and never worry what other’s think of you. You are a free spirit with a zest for life I envy but love to see. Love, Mommy (I can hear you calling from your room so rest must be over!)

Gallery

LBJ | Part II

More favorites from our visit to the LBJ Ranch.

Scenes from the Sauer-Beckmann Farm.

img_5278

img_5279

img_5280

img_5281

img_5283

img_5284

img_5285

img_5286

img_5287

img_5290

img_5295

After the farm we drove to the other side of the Pedernales River to visit the Texas White House. The cattle were a big hit with the kids.

img_5299

img_5300

img_5303

img_5304

img_5305

img_5308

img_5309

img_5311

It’s funny how much the boys loved driving over the cattleguards. William was excited to walk over them too.

57316753100__ce48b87a-7442-4806-8306-0babf6e3dd79

img_5314

img_5320

img_5326

Johnson’s home, the Texas White House.

img_5328

img_5332

Taking the oath to become Junior Rangers.

img_5334

img_2440

We loved our visit to the ranch and I love experiencing these adventures with my boys. They had a hard time leaving!

LBJ State Park and Historic Site | 3.1.2019

On March 1 we joined some homeschool friends in Stonewall near Johnson City to explore the LBJ State Park and Ranch. I think the last time I had visited was back in my own homeschooling days with my siblings and Aunt Virginia. I still remember posing by LBJ’s statue with her, all of us pointing our fingers. I need to see if I can dig up the original print.

Anyway, I enjoyed being able to take the boys out there to see and experience this amazing space of Texas. I don’t remember a whole lot from the previous visit so I was almost seeing it for the first time as well.

We spent most of our time at the Sauer-Beckmann Farm seeing what rural life was like in the early 1900s. I liked how they had the dining room in the breezeway between the main house and the kitchen.

The all important front porch and swing which a few of the boys really enjoyed.

We got to see the sweetest cow, a newly birthed lamb, horses, a large pig, a turkey and some chickens. It’s a living history farm so park rangers are dressed in period clothing tending the farm, eating lunch and taking care of the land.

There is also a herd of bison on the property but they were in a pasture farther away so we didn’t get a close up look unless you count this statue.

Visiting the ranch can fill an entire day with seeing the farm, exploring trails and then driving to the other side of the river to see Johnson’s birthplace, the Texas White House and family cemetery. I have another post coming with a few more photos that I grabbed on my phone.

Oma and Opa Visit | April 2017

We had a great visit with Oma and Opa in April. There was lots of playing, eating and fun. I feel like having visitors and going places is getting to be so much easier with the boys now, especially since we are past the newborn stage. I feel like I am a less stressed mom and can enjoy the visits more.

We didn’t have a whole lot planned while they were here. They visited William’s school, we had BBQ, went to Hays City Store and had good late night chats. I know the boys had a wonderful time too. Lucas asked for Oma for a couple days after they left. Then he would say, Oma went home?

I have more photos of the visit on my IG feed but made a point to get non-phone photos too. I especially wanted some good photos for our walls so the boys could see pictures of Oma and Opa all the time.

Stealing a sip of Oma’s almond milk.

We had a lot of rain during their visit but also some lovely weather for sitting outside.

A few of these will definitely be on the walls. Love them!!

Be sure to follow me on IG and see the awesome picture of all the Hafner boys ready for a bike ride.

And why does William look 13 in this photo??

Lucas’ Second Birthday | 11.27.16

For Lucas’ second birthday, I used one of his favorite books as the theme. The Little Blue Truck. There is a link in the back of the book you can go to, to download the cupcake toppers, hats and bunting. Even though I kept it pretty simple, it was still a little time consuming cutting it all out. But in the end, I really love how it all came together and was really sweet, perfect for our little dude.

We kept the bunting up for a while after the party and Lucas loved saying beep, beep, beep all the time.

He’s closer to 2.5 years now and looks so different from this little face!

The frosting was a hit. I don’t think he ate much of the cake.

Showing Oma and Opa his messy face.

We had so many wonderful friends and family members come to celebrate with us. It was a fun evening followed by a mini pizza party.

Sweet Berry Farms | Fall 2016

I’ve been wanting to take the boys back to Sweet Berry Farms for a while now and it just wasn’t working out until this past fall. We met Jessica, Nathan and Sofia there for some pumpkin, hay ride, barrel train fun.

These are all big plants now that you can go pick from! Maybe another trip for strawberries is in order?

Lucas rode the train too….as I walked along beside him and held his hand. It was cute.