April 2019

April started off with some change around our house. The kids enjoyed their week off of school for spring break and I started my new job in clinic. I didn't want the kids to not have any fun on their time off, so we improvised with some fun in Lexington. 

After working my first shift I came home and took the kids out to play mini golf at Malibu Jacks. Jennifer didn't get to come with us because she had to work. So it was just me and the kiddos.

Brinley was so excited that she had got a hole in one!

Not but a few holes later and Landon hit a hole in one too! I was the only one to not get a hole in one.

Aunt Andrea and Olivia came to visit for a few days. The kids were so excited to be able to see her again. Landon and Brinley couldn't get enough time with her. Landon read her a book and Olivia was mesmerized.

Uncle McKinley came over and we had a family game night. Olivia with the clutch high five.

One of my new favorite games is Hare and the Tortoise 

The kids also introduced Olivia to the kids workshop at Home Depot. It was so funny seeing Olivia make her birdhouse. She was holding onto the hammer and yawning all at the same time.

Nice little family photo of us at the park.

Through work I was able to get some tickets to a rodeo that raises money for pediatric cancer in honor of one of my former patients. Everyone enjoyed the Cowboy Up for a Cure Rodeo. It was a lot of fun. The kids enjoyed riding the mechanical bull and ice cream the most. I enjoyed the bucking broncos and the calf roping the most. 

My crew!

The next day we got up and took the kids to Keeneland for their first ever horse racing experience. It was kids club day so they had all kinds of fun activities for kids and an even special bonus we all got in free!

It was a pretty nasty day, but we wanted to make the most of it. Here the kids were the only people out near the rail watching the horses head out to the gate.

Grandpa placed a few bets for the kids and Landon won on his very first race! He bet on the seven horse.

The kids favorite part was the cookie decorating station. I have never seen so much icing and sprinkles on a cookie in my life!

Landon and Grandpa with his winning ticket. When we were actually watching the races live Landon would keep changing who he picked depending on who was in the lead at the time. The boy does not like to lose at all!

They also had a face painting table and of course the kids wanted to participate. Landon got a Pikachu and Brinley got a unique cat face. Whatever they got made them happy so it was well worth the time standing in line.

Our race crew for the day. Olivia mostly slept through her first Keeneland experience. 

Brinley finally got in on the winning too. Here she is with her bookie, Grandpa.

We decided to leave before all the races finished because Grandma and Grandpa had to get back home and the kids were over it after the first couple of races.

One last meet and greet with a horse before heading out.

A couple of times a year they hold a special breakfast at the kids school for dads. With my new job I was able to participate and still get to work on time. The kids were excited to have Chick-Fil-A for breakfast. Landon wouldn't pose with this cow though.

I am super frustrated with the process at these breakfasts. We have a great time right up until the end when they think they need to give out door prizes. This is the worst mistake. Brinley won last year and this year. Well, guess who hasn't won at all? Every time after breakfast and spending time with my kids I have to take an almost crying kid to his classroom. It almost ruins my morning. 

The next weekend they had another fun morning planned at Keeneland. Sunrise Trackside is a pretty cool event. They have a breakfast and all kinds of kid's activities. One of them was a dress up like a jockey. Don't these two look cute?

The kids even played a game of HORSE and Brinley won.

This time we got to bring mommy along for all the fun. The kids once again ended up with face paint. Brinley got a tiger print and Landon is a zombie.

We left Keeneland and headed back home to western Kentucky to celebrate Easter a little early with Jennifer's family. The kids were excited to see and play with Elam.

Great Granddaddy was giving the kids some driving lessons on the golf cart.

Landon and Great Granddaddy.

We really enjoyed seeing everyone out at Great Grandaddy's house.

I found out about a free little carnival that was being held at the UK football stadium on a random Sunday afternoon. The kids were excited about it so we stopped in for a quick minute. Landon and I rode the scrambler together and the girls rode together. 

The kids rode the big swings too.

They really enjoyed the cotton candy. We couldn't stay long because we had other places to be, but it was an awesome 30 minute carnival experience.

We headed over to KSBar to meet the graduate transfer, Reid Travis. It was a lot of fun to watch him play in the blue and white this year. It would have been nice to have had him longer than just the one year though. He was a nice young man and I wished him good luck in the pros.

Part of the kids Christmas presents were tickets to see a couple of shows at the Lexington Children's Theatre. We went and saw Charlotte's web. They did a really good job with this production and both kids really enjoyed it. Here Brinley is with Wilbur the pig.

And the star of the show, Charlotte.

We also started our first season of T-ball. The kids have picked it up really quickly and have been great teammates. I quickly decided that I had messed up in not starting them out a few years earlier. It was fun to watch them get out there and try their hardest.

Unfortunately, we got placed on the Red Sox team. It is probably the only team in baseball that I can't stand, actually maybe it is just all Boston sports teams! But these two do look awful cute with their eye black and uniforms.

Awkward family photo.

Nick and Sarah came up to visit so we went out for a little kid free time. We ended up having dinner at KSBar and then playing some games at Malibu Jacks. This was a really interesting game of 4 person air hockey.

We also got in a few rounds of 3 point shoot-out.

The Easter Bunny was really nice to the kids. They racked up all kinds of goodies.

My Easter tradition is cooking the kids pancakes in the shape of  a bunny. The kids think it is great. Brinley loves everything bunny, so this just makes her day.

We had planned on meeting Grandma and Grandpa in Elizabethtown for a little Easter lunch and to have an early celebration for Grandma's birthday. I woke up early and just decided to make the extra drive to surprise mom and dad at home. We first went to Buck Creek Baptist Church where we surprised them both. 

Then we headed over to Greenbrier to hear Grandpa play the music.

We also made a pit stop by the hospital to see my Aunt Ruthie. 

Then headed back out to Grandma and Grandpa's house to hunt some Easter eggs.

We celebrated her 63rd birthday with her before heading back home to Lexington.

This is the first time that I was happy to get this kid McDonald’s! I usually despise the place but this was well earned. I told the kids about lent this year, no we are not catholic, I just think it is a really awesome concept. After explaining it to both kids I asked what they wanted to give up. Landon said McDonald’s. Easy enough, I pay the bills so I just wouldn’t take him there. Well he also threw in that he wouldn’t eat any candy. Brave undertaking for a five year old. He had many opportunities at home and at school and he always declined. He would bring it to Jennifer or I and ask that we keep it for him until after Easter! What will power he has! It will serve him well later in life. So when we were driving back home on Easter I treated him to McDonald’s and I let him eat candy, and I couldn’t be more proud of him!

The kids and I meeting Keldon Johnson. Very nice young man and I wish him all the best in the rest of his basketball career and can't wait to see where he will be drafted in a few weeks.

The kids and I went out to watch the UK Women's Softball team play in one of their final regular season games. The kids are always excited to meet the wildcat.

Brinley was helping me fill in my baldness. You think I should make this a permanent hairstyle?

We were so excited to see Loco Ice open back up in Hamburg. It is the best version of Hawaiian Shaved Ice that I have had outside of what we had in Hawaii!

Mimi and Pap came out to cheer on the Red Sox.

We also went to meet the bucket himself, Tyler Herro. I would have definitely liked for him to come back for a couple more seasons, but wished him all the best in the NBA.

The kite festival got cancelled due to poor weather, so we had our own kite day later that week. We flew kites for about an hour. This airplane kite is by far the best one that we have ever owned.

The first 2 games of the year the Red Sox got destroyed. Our 3rd game of the season is when we turned it around and won our first game. The team was super excited and they looked like they had won the world series. It was fun to see all of their emotion.

The Lexington Legends baseball team hosted the Northern Little League baseball teams. The kids and I went to watch them play the minor league Boston Red Sox team, and we didn't even know that was the opponent.

The kids met the starting catcher for the Greenville Drive. Landon even got him to sign his baseball.

The kiddos and I during the "parade" around the field.

Brinley was also really excited to get a baseball thrown to her by one of the players. She was a little jealous of how Landon had gotten one last year at the Legends game. I was so thankful that one of the players threw one to her this time.

April proved to be a lot of fun and full of change for our family this year. I started the new job that was Monday-Friday and the kids started a new sport, baseball. It has been hectic trying to rush out of work to get to the ball games. I have really enjoyed watching them play. Landon has enjoyed it more than Brinley, but both kids are really good. We were also able to make it back to western Kentucky on a couple of weekends which is something we haven't been able to do in a few years. Weekends have definitely changed for me now that I am off every one of them. Thanks for reading and God bless!