Goodbye to the Stone Family

A couple weeks ago we said goodbye to the Stone family.  Laurie and I have been friends for 15 years. Best friends!  Their kids and our kids are really, REALLY close buddies.  Connor and Samantha go to preschool together and for the past 4 years we have lived just a few short blocks from them.  We have a lot of great memories together with their family.  And now they are off on a 2 1/2 year adventure living in Holland.

Here are some of my favorite candid shots through the years:

This last photo is from the Bon Voyage party we threw the Stones.  Marina, Holley, and Laurie posted pictures and details of the wonderful time we all had.

Lucky for us we got to spend a few more days together - more photos to come!

Breakfast of Champions

After a fun sleepover with Connor last weekend we treated the kids to a "healthy" breakfast at IHOP.   We walked to the restaurant from our house, actually more like ran.  All three kids were beside themselves with excitement at the thought of PANCAKES!

Wait for me guys!

Sweetest picture ever!

Elings Park

Last week we headed over to Elings park to run the kids and the dog.  We brought Connor along to join the fun.

I think they were telling secrets

I hope they were just telling secrets..
.

 

They ran for two hours straight.  I am not kidding.

And while Sam and Connor (and Lollipop) were running all over the park, Thatcher had more fun just hanging around.

Special House Guest

Last week we had the pleasure of hosting little Connor for FOUR days!  His Mom and Dad went on a fancy spa vacation to Arizona and we lucked out by getting to spend some time with Connor.

Connor is such a smart, polite, sweet and very imaginative little boy.  Several times throughout his stay he told us he was no longer Connor but a baby komodo dragon and then began to tell us EVERY SINGLE DETAIL about a baby komodo dragon.  Then he became a baby condor, and then a baby wildcat which then would somehow transition into a very lengthy discussion on how the dinosaurs became extinct. Todd and I would try to keep a straight face when Connor was telling a story, but his arms were waving all over the place and his eyes would get real big and he was dead serious about what he was saying.  It was both hysterical and impressive at the same time.

We kept very busy during his stay and had so much fun.  I would say that Day 1 and 2 were easy.  And then on Day 3, Connor began to realize he was away from Mom and Dad for a little longer than he is used to and by Day 4, Samantha and Connor were like an old married couple bickering and she was literally packing his bags for him and helping him out to the car.  Ironically, the moment the door closed behind him she asked, "Is Connor going to come nap at our house now?"

 

Riding home from Preschool

 Nap time!! Although they never did actually fall asleep that day

 which meant an early evening getting cozy and watching movies. 

 On Day 2 our babysitter Veronica took the duo to the zoo

After the zoo they both napped and Todd took the kids and the dog to the beach (no pictures, phone died)

and then for dinner, Holley joined us for Pizza at Taffy's  (it felt like I was driving a mini-van with all the seats filled in the highlander).

 On Day 3 we went to the Film Festival showing of the Disney movie "Tangled" in 3D

 Both kids napped and were ready to go out to dinner to Brophy Bros.  

Thatcher was thrilled having a big brother in the house

 (P.S. that night we noticed Thatchey had TWO molars we never noticed before).

 Day 4 Todd took the duo to Costco

because, who doesn't like a Costco hot dog??

Laurie and Chris,

Todd and I are going to drop off Sam, Thatcher and Lollipop tomorrow and we will be back in March. 

Have fun! 

xoxo, 

The Fallons 

j/k in all honesty he was the perfect house guest and we can't wait to do it again.

Little Swimmers