Learning to bike

Peter got this tricycle for his birthday last year but sue to lack of practice room and time he has not learned to peddle it yet.  One afternoon a few days after his birthday he wanted dad to take him riding so that took off to explore the cul de sac that we live on.  After about 15-20 minutes he was doing pretty well with the peddling

...just not so much with the steering.  (I don't know which makes me laugh more, Peter's expression or Alan's reaction!)

It's a good thing there is a big handle on the back because Peter is a crazy driver!

Isaac hung out on the swings with me while they had riding lessons.  It still amazes me how big he is and how much he can do all by himself now.

Self Reliance

So we have wanted to start our home food storage for a while but while we were in school money and space were a problem.  So after we got settled here we did some research, made a plan and started the process.  Here is Alan sealing up our first #10 can of food!

An hour or so later here was the beginning of our food storage! 

A suprise visit

After we got back we had a surprise visit from my sister and her little girl.  The boys had so much fun entertaining them and while Peter was at school we met up with my cousin and headed to the zoo.

 

One of my favorite exhibits is the polar bear and the kids had a fun time watching his antics.

We couldn't miss an opportunity to ride the train especially since Emma loves them.

We made a stop at the playground for some monkeying around

and some snack time

Then we went to visit the birds and they had just been fed so they were super friendly.  The one visiting with Isaac and I liked zippers which was a good thing because we both had them!

Isaac was totally fine with them unless they landed on him or touched him.  It is funny that he is always trying to chase down birds and other animals but when he actually had the chance to to touch one up close and personal he kinda freaked out.

Table Rock continued

Our last morning at the lake we packed up and packed in as much last minute fun as we could.  Here is Peter with his "treasures" from the lake.

The kiddos hanging out together.

Isaac multitasking on the seesaw and trying to blow up a balloon...

And then showing off his superhuman strength and body mass!

And of course after watching the kids having so much fun the boys "boys" had to give the seesaw a try and they agreed it was as much fun as it looked!  Isaac of course was watching to make sure they were following the rules.

 On day two of trying out the zipline I was better at taking pictures and the kiddos acted like ziplining pros!

 

We built one last fire and roasted up the last of the marshmallows and Isaac was thrilled to be able to join in the fun.  After a little apprehension and a lick test he decided toasted marshmallows were his new favorite thing!

 

 

Table Rock Vacation

The weekend before Peter's birthday we met up with our really good friends the McBride's for a little relaxing vacation on Table Rock Lake at a little cottage.  I was excited for many reasons but most important to visit and chat and relax.  And that is just what we did!  We got in on a Friday evening during a torrential downpour and fun exploring the cottage and catching up.  The next morning the rain was gone and for the rest of the trip the weather was perfect.  A nice reprieve from the heat of the summer. 

Peter and Cole were like two peas in a pod by the morning and were ready to explore!  Here they are looking out from our patio and seeing who could spit the farthest.

 There was  a huge sand pit with all kinds of things for the kiddos to play on and that is where we headed first.

 And then it was on to the zip line.  The kiddos had SO much fun I just wish I was 10 pounds lighter so I could have enjoyed it as well.  I was so proud of them all for hanging on tight and not falling off!  And they did great at waiting to take their turn.

 After the excitement of the zip line we headed down to the lake.  For a Missouri body of water, this one was really clean which was awesome!   The boys had fun being boys and throwing rocks in the water.

 They got brave and got their feet wet in the water. 

And it wasn't too long after that Peter and Cole were all up to their bellies in it!  They had so much fun digging for shells and jumping in the waves when boats would go by.

 

 Isaac preferred to sit with mom for a while after he took a tumble on the rocks.  And I loved soaking up the not too hot sun.

 A relaxing pic from the cottage of the cute sisters.

 Maren brought some pipe cleaners-and they spent hours twisting them together into odd things.  Who knew they were so entertaining!

 After lunch we headed to the boat dock where they had paddle boats, canoes and kayaks for their visitors to use.  We were either crazy or brave and took both the boys for a ride in the paddle boats.

 They also had this awesome trampoline on the water that we let the kiddos play on for a little bit.  If they were a few years older I wouldn't have been so nervous, but we still had fun.

 Then because we didn't get enough water we headed to their pool to test out the waterslide.  The kids wore the stairs out taking turns on it.  As you can see it was a big hit!  It was the first time I had been in a saltwater swimming pool and I must say I am a huge fan.

 After a yummy dinner and the little ones were asleep we made a campfire and roasted marshmallows and had nutella smores.  Yummy, is all I have to say.  It was Peter's first smores' experience and I think he is hooked.

 Learning the art of marshmallow roasting...and exercise in patience.

 What a perfect way to end a perfect day.

Labor Day Weekend

We had a lot of visitors over Labor Day weekend which was so much fun.  Friday and Saturday Alan's sister and her family stopped in to stay the night on their way up to Iowa.  It was raining which we loved, but was not so good for kiddos to play in the yard so we did bubbles instead with cousins.

 Saturday I watched the kiddos while Erin and Jason went to  the temple.  Once they came back the kiddos had fun playing with Jason.  I think that Jason really enjoyed our little rough and tumble Isaac.

 Later in the evening on Saturday my parents and little sisters came to visit for the rest of the weekend.  The boys had a fun time reading stories with Pa Pa before they had to go to bed.

The boys had so much fun playing with their cousins, even if the girls probably didn't appreciate all of their boy energy!