Summer Travel

Our summer travel is done.

We spent a week in Hilton Head with Tara, Jackson, mom, dad, Mollie (the dog) and Sadie (the dog).  We had an awesome time.  We rented a 4 bedroom house so everyone had their own 'space' and took both of the dogs down with us.  We stopped near Asheville NC on the way down as we wanted to go and see the Biltmore Mansion on Saturday as we couldn't check in until 4pm.  We got to the Biltmore and the tickets were $65 each!  The boys just wanted to see the outside and aren't really at the age to appreciate the true beauty of the mansion so we took a pass.  We went to the McDonalds right outside the gates as we saw this on the travel channel as one of the top 10 McDonalds in the country to visit (whatever that is about, be we watched it didn't we??)

Biltmore Mansion McDonalds

We finished the drive to Hilton Head and got stuck in traffic trying to get on the island.  It took us an hour to go 5 miles!  This is where Sadie was most of the drive.

Evan's riding partner

Our first night there we rode bikes to dinner and Hayden tried to scratch his face and bit the dust.  He had a road rash on his face, elbow and knee.  His head bounced off of the pavement, thank goodness for the helmet.  We are really lucky he didn't injure himself.

Showing off his 'road rash'

After a great week of fun on the beach, in the pool and riding bikes we headed home.  We drove straight through on the way back and go home about 9 pm on Saturday June 30th.

Is Hayden really drinking beer?

After a quick day at home on Sunday the boys were off to grandma and grandpas on Monday and Tuesday as the sitter was off the week of July 4th.  We spent the 4th of July with friends, watching the parade, eating at their house, going to see fireworks, etc. 

Ready for bed

Thursday July 5th we were off again.  This time we drove to Chicago to visit the Howard family.  We got to their house around 9 pm and all of us stayed in their son Connor's room or aka 'The Bat Cave' because it is decorated in Batman stuff.  The next morning John fixed breakfast for everyone and we just hung out and talked and laughed.  Around noon we were off to our next adventure of going to Key Lime Cove in Guernee IL.  This is an indoor waterpark.  We were supposed to go to Six Flags but it was going to be 105 that day so we bagged it.  All 5 boys (Evan - 10, Hayden  - 6, Connor - 5, Graham - 3 and Ian - 1) swam for about 6 hours!!!  We grabbed dinner as the Howard boys, well mainly Graham, was in breakdown mode, and off they went.  The next morning Hayden said the bottom of his feet hurt soooooo bad.  No more pool, we were headed north to Wisconsin. 

We were staying in Sturgeon Bay, WI.  Daddy had a work meeting on Monday so we all tagged along.  Saturday evening we just grabbed dinner and hung out at the pool.   Sunday we ate breakfast at a place called Al Johnson's in Sister's Bay Wisconsin.  We had heard we must go to this restuarant if not to eat then just to see the goats on the roof.  Yes you read that right, the roof is made of grass and the goats keeps it 'mowed'. 

'Best hot chocolate EVER'

Yes these are goats on the roof of the restaurant

After breakfast we took a schooner ride around the bay  that lasted for about 2 hours.  Wasn't the best 'kid' activity but they managed.

Hayden helped bring the sails in

Evan napped

View from the Eagle Tower in Peninsula Park

We then drove to the Peninsula State Park and went to the top of Eagle Watch to look out over the bay and then hiked a trail. The following day was daddy's work meeting so we dropped him off and then went exploring on our own.  We ended up at a beach after eating more ice cream than 3 people should consume for lunch at a place called Wilson's.

Wisconsin was BEAUTIFUL and we can't wait to return!

Bike Parade

Every year I wonder where time goes as our neighborhood gathers for the annual bike parade.  The kids continue to get bigger and the parents stay the same - how is that possible :).   This year we had a special guest and Jackson joined us.  A fire truck comes down and the kids can crawl all over it and then it leads the kids in a lap through the neighborhood and the kids follow on their bikes.  This year was special as well because Hayden has been trying very hard to learn how to ride his bike without training wheels.  Well I guess it just takes some peer pressure as he would never start for us but once he got to the parade off he went on his own!

Jackson getting ready.

About 1/3 of the parade!

Hayden RODE BY HIMSELF (no training wheels)

Zoo Concert

Not to be out done by the 3rd grade pioneer day concert the kindergarten classes gave a stellar performance of their own.  They sang animal songs from A-Z and dressed as animals too!  I found it funny that the information that was sent home to parents explaining the program said 'please remind your children that spiderman and sponge Bob squarepants are not animals.'  Hayden had a very moooooving performance.

Pioneer Days.

Evan just completed a field trip to Conner Prairie today which ended their studying about the pioneers.  This has involved reading Little House on the Prairie, which Evan has enjoyed and is amazed that it was a TV show.  Singing 'pioneer songs' at the 3rd grade concert and participating in pioneer day at school.  This involved candle making, rag doll making, tin pressing, making corn bread, making butter, peeling potatoes, square dancing, listening to a fiddle player and dressing up as pioneers!  He said it was a blast and he wished he lived in the pioneer days.... whatever.

Kindy 500 Part 2

Hayden participated in Kindy 500.  This is an event where you build/create a car out of a card board box. Well lets just say that Hayden's car was so similiar to Evan's car it was scary.

Evan May 2009

Hayden May 2012

I know we are bad parents.  I just call it recycling.

Just got this picture from another parent that was looking out for us in trying to get pictures of Hayden at the Kindy 500.  She said he is a little 'pre-occupied'.

Good bye old friend.

Evan developed an attachment to a pair of his old pajama's when he was about 12 months old.  They were red and we named them 'fleecy'.  We had a pair an identical pair of green pj's too and those went to Mamaw Linda's house so we didn't have to remember to take the coveted item home every night so Evan could go to sleep.  Fast forward to Sunday.  Evan has decided he no longer needs fleecy.  (insert sigh and my little boy is growing up here).  Now Chris and I have asked Evan several times over the last two years when he was going to give up fleecy and he said 'never', 'when I go to college' or 'someday'.  Ok, we didn't push the subject knowing that he wouldn't really take fleecy to college (or we really HOPED he wouldn't!).  What did it take for fleecy to be tossed aside?  A comment from his brother.   'Evan why do you still have fleecy you are almost 10.  I don't have taggy any more.'  That was it.  Fleecy was cast aside.  When he told me this I said OK and took them.  He did say 'don't throw them (both green and red) away, daddy says they are a mento'.  A memento?  'Yes a mento'.  Ok I won't throw them away.  So in they went to the 'retired' baby stuff that I will one day get out (can anyone say High School Graduation) and wonder where time went.

Farewell to Fleecy and part of his childhood, sniff, sniff.

Pregnancy to Baptism

While eating dinner Evan asked, 'How does a man have kids if he isn't married?'  After picking my jaw up off of the table and giving Chris 'the look'.  Chris answered with 'when a man gets a women pregnant and they aren't married.'  Wow, didn't expect him to be so straight forward and then my thought was here come more questions.  Nope, conversation done, well so we thought.  Then Hayden asked 'am I Baptised?'  We asked Hayden why do you ask?  His response 'because I want to part of this family forever'.  Ok good answer.  Dinner conversation from pregnancy out of wedlock to baptism in the span of 90 seconds.  Awesome.