August Adventures

We said goodbye to our trusty corolla. After 8 years of being in our family, it was time to join the mini van club so it had to go.  Justin sold it on craigslist quite quickly for a pretty decent price.  And because we could only handle being a one car family for about a week we got on the hunt right away for a mini van.  The toyota seinna was our top choice and we ended up finding an AMAZING deal for our 2011 sienna in Chicago (fyi: every car we have purchased in our married life has come from Chicago)

We really, really, I mean really, love our new van!!

Took the boys to a their first build and grow at Lowes.  They had fun using their hammers and building their airplanes.  

We pass by this little mini golf course all the time and the kids had been asking to go over and over.  We finally made it over there one afternoon and had a fun time watching them play putt putt.

Justin's latest home project: blacktopping the driveway.  (He decided next time it would be worth the little bit of extra money to pay someone to do it)

Jackson started KINDERGARTEN (a post to come on that next).  Getting kindergarten shots broke this mama's heart.  I think it was harder for me to watch this one than it is for the baby shots.  I think the reason was because he knew it was coming and I could just see the fear in his eyes.  He tried to be so brave, but when he started crying I couldn't help tear up as well.  This trip to fro-yo was well worth it this time! (such goof balls!!)

Since Jackson was at school I took Jonah to the library story time for the first time.  It happened to be a farm animal theme and they had someone bring in some animals for the kids to touch.  Here is Jonah with the baby chicks. 

And yup, this happened.... thank goodness it was washable, cause I have to admit I was pretty impressed with the sideburns he had going on, and couldn't help snap a picture.  Bad parenting?!? Eh.

Chillaxin

Most of the days were spent hanging out together, relaxing around the ranch, eating food, and enjoying these type of scenerys.  Doesn't get much better than that!  

Pulling hoses and watering the flowers...

Catching water skippers in the ditch (grandkids are the only ones allowed to do this!)

Being Silly

A mad word feud tourny going down.  So no, this was not idle phone time... this was important business

We had all the big tents still up from the celebration and made our food and hangout quarters under them.  We all tried convincing Grandpa Blake that he needed to invest in one of these.  It was so nice!

The two babies hung out on blankets together.  These pics cracked me up of these two...

And evenings and nights spent around the campfire eating ginormous smores!

One afternoon the boys decided all on their own that they were going to put on a "show" for us.  It was the cutest watching them set up for hours, dragging the chairs over for us to sit, and making up stuff on the spot.  I really loved it.  

Getting "autographs" and pictures taken with the performers.

Jamie and I were in charge of the kids craft.  (Although really she gets all the credit.  She came up with the idea and provided the goods) Tye-dye shirts!  The boys LOOOVED them.  

We also went into town one evening to have a picnic in the park and catch the gun show.  My boys are pretty sensitive to loud noises so they really didn't enjoy all the shooting and spent the whole time in the back covering their ears.  Greyson wasn't having it either, so I walked around the square pushing him in the stroller.  Oh well, it was the thought that counts.

We "won" some passes to the Rec center at the fundraising raffle so instead of the lake we decided to go to the pool.  Everyone really loved that, and decided it may have to become tradition.  Here is my man climbing the rock wall.  

Justin and I got first and second place in the word fued tournament and won some sweet prizes provided by Lane and Whit.  They did a great job with the reunion!  

Poor Greyson got sick.our last night there and did.not.sleep.a.wink.  Seriously, it was the worst night of his life.  I ended up waking my parents at one point who graciously took him for an hour drive in the middle of the night to allow me to get a little bit of sleep. My mom also tried laying with him for about an hour and he never did sleep very well.  We took him to the urgent care as we were just certain something horrible had to be wrong with him.  Ended up just being a cold.  We still flew home and the poor baby was miserable, but still a good traveler.  Way to end the trip! ;)   

THE hike

Hiking up the Butte is always a family favorite activity.  

I hiked with baby boy strapped on the front on the way up and Justin took him on the way down.  Here is the before and after...

And since I had a baby strapped to me, Justin was also in charge of gathering the bouquet to lay on Dayle's memorial.  I think he secretly enojoyed picking out the flowers and making it pretty, but he had to flex his muscles to show he is all manly man ;)

Making it to the top!!

Justin caught this adorable moment between these cute cousins.  These four really are the best to have together!!

And what are these weirdo's doing you ask??  This is what it takes to get a picture of Great Grams and ALL the grandbabies to look at the paparazzi! :)