Visiting Santa

Today we attended the Taylorsville, KY Farm Toy Show.  I know I have blogged about this particular show before, so I'll try to keep it short and get to the pictures.  We love this show because there is more than just the vendors selling farm toys.  There are vendors selling crafts, there are farm toy displays, there are tables with crayons and coloring pages, there are pedal tractors, and there is Santa and Mrs. Claus!

Julianne was not excited one little bit about visiting the Claus family.

I think Mrs. Claus was a little terrified of my crying little one!

Until next time...

Taylorsville Toy Show

Julianne was able to attend her first toy show today!  We loaded up early this morning and made the drive over to Taylorsville, KY.  Shortly after we arrived, Dallas' name was drawn for a door prize, and then Gram and Pa arrived!  The FFA chapter puts on the show each year, and they do a great job!  They have lots of vendors, an amazing amount of farm displays, a play area for kids, and Santa!

Julianne really didn't know what to think of Santa...

Like I said, they have a play area for kids.  One section is a sand corn box, and the other is full of pedal tractors!  It took a little convincing to get the kiddos out of the corn box and hop on a pedal, but then we couldn't get them off the pedals to go get some food!

After leaving the show, we crossed the road to grab some food at Dairy Queen!  I was able to capture a good picture of Julianne with Gram

Until next time...

Dallas' New Room

On Thursday, after one last follow-up doctors appointment for Dallas' bronchitis - that did in fact turn to pneumonia, Dallas and Reba headed up north with Pa, Gram and Aunt Josie for a few days.  While they were gone, Doug and I were busy redoing Big D's bedroom.

You might remember, his room had a sports wallpaper boarder and white walls.

I was never really thrilled with his room, and I had been wanting to do something different, but I wasn't sure what I wanted.  I knew I wanted something tractor related, and after seeing various tin signs at tractor and toy shows...I started to develop a plan.

First thing up - get the wallpaper off the walls and fill in holes

The wallpaper was a bit of a struggle at first.  I had scored the paper with a specific wallpaper removing tool, and used a combination of warm water and vinegar to help break up the adhesive backing.  That wasn't working too well, so we got out a wet rag and the clothes iron to create steam.  That took the paper off, but it also took the paint off underneath the paper!  I might add that Doug and I were doing this around midnight, so we were getting rather frustrated.  We chose to stop and get a fresh start the next morning.  We then learned that we needed to use the hottest water we could stand along with the vinegar.  That got the paper layer off, and then we reapplied the hot water mix and used a putty knife to scrap the remaining glue off the walls.

Here is what the room looked like right before painting!

 We chose a slate gray for most of the walls and an antique red accent wall.

Dallas also asked for some shelves for his tractors, so his wish was granted...

The Big D had fallen asleep on the way home from my aunt's house (Christmas with the extended Robertson's), so his reaction was a bit delayed when he saw his room for the first time...

The next morning, he woke up, walked down the hallway, got a huge smile on his face and went right back into his room to play!

Until next time...

Taylorsville Toy Show

We headed to Taylorsville, KY, for a farm toy show today that is put on by the local FFA Chapter.  Doug had told me that when he has been before there has been a kids play area that included pedal tractors!  Sure enough, they had it set up this year too.

Go, Reba, Go!

I barely caught Dallas going by...that kid is fast on a pedal!

Until next time...

Fun Friday Fotos

Last weekend, Pa, Gram and Aunt Josie came down to spend a few nights.  On Saturday, we headed to Hopkinsville, KY, for a toy show.  The show was held on a family farm, so the kiddos really enjoyed looking at all the equipment.  When it was time to go, Dallas didn't want to leave, so I took some pictures of him with some of the equipment so he could remember it :)

and, of course, Little Miss had to pose as well!

The kiddos also loved the donkey...

...and the donkey loved Reba!

And because the weather was crazy warm, we stopped for lunch and ice cream - and ate it all outside!  Mind you, it was December 1st!!!

Gram and Dallas

Aunt Josie and Reba

Reba and Momma sharing an ice cream

Until next time...

National Farm Toy Show

Early last Friday morning, Doug, Dallas, Pa and I loaded up the van and headed towards Dyersville, Iowa.  We were on our way to enjoying a weekend at the National Farm Toy Show!  We have been a handful of times before (remember we used to live in Iowa), but we didn't go last year and really missed it.

 

We arrived at the show a little after 11 a.m., one of our first stops was Scale Models - the home of American made toy tractors!

 

The cool thing about Scale Models is that they run their assembly line on Friday.  We were able to see them package pedal tractors.  Look at all those pedal tractor boxes looking for a home...

After spending all afternoon at the outside portion of the show and grabbing some dinner, we headed back to the hotel room to examine the day's purchases.

We headed back at the show Saturday morning to see all the inside vendors (if you have never been to the National Show, they have tents and trailers set up in the parking lots around the toy museum, as well as two other off site buildings that have vendors set up; then the high school gym and class rooms are full of vendors, as well as the gym inside the toy museum!)  Dallas made it through the high school gym and classrooms before crashing for a nap in the backseat of the van.  He slept for almost 2 hours (Pa and Momma took turns sitting in the van with him)

We had such a wonderful time, and Doug and I were able to get a lot of Christmas and birthday shopping done!

Until next time...

More of Dallas' Birthday; Plus Our Weekend

On Friday afternoon, Mom, Dad, Granny, Lisa and Dallas headed north to go to Katie's house. Doug, Reba and I went up on Saturday. It was very quiet around our house Friday night...we sort of missed the little guy. Saturday morning, Doug, Reba and I went to a toy show before going to Katie's. We then all went out to dinner on Saturday evening. Sunday, we slept in, went out for breakfast, drove out to see where Katie works, and then drove around trying to see a wind farm. We weren't so successful at that because a heavy fog came in. Oh well...better luck next time...

On to pictures...

Miss Reba thinking spring!
Dallas and GG reading a tractor book

Dallas' new Oliver hat from Doug and I

We also got Dallas a couple Thomas the Train videos

and a new pair of cowboy boots!

Dallas showing off all his gifts from us

Reba watching Dallas open gifts...she is pretty fasinated by him these days

Dallas helping Aunt Katie on the computer

The "Easter Bunny" was at the resturant Saturday evening.

We only have one pack 'n play to travel with, and Dallas uses it. Luckily, Reba doesn't roll yet...so I just built a nest for her to sleep in (in one of Aunt Katie's closets!)

Daddy and Dallas self-portrait

Aunt Katie, Dallas and Aunt Lisa at breakfast Sunday morning

Playing farm with Grandpa and Daddy (while they watch the selection show on Sunday)

Reba playing with the new tractor we bought Saturday morning

Grandma and Reba

4 Generations

One last shot with Grandma and Grandpa before heading home...do you know how hard it is to get everyone looking?!?!

Thanks again for coming to celebrate Dallas' birthday! Thanks also to Aunt Katie for letting us crash at her house!

Until next time...