We recently returned from our first "real" family vacation. We had traveled a couple of hours away before, but this time we ventured 4,500 miles in a minivan. Talk about some family bonding time!:)
I thought about trying to make a trip book on Shutterfly with my 400+ picutres. Sounds like a nice idea, but in case it goes like my kids' baby books or other picture books I've dreamed of creating, I'm going to document it all in detail here for the time being.
Day 1: We started out bright and early and headed for our first stop at the John Deere Museum in Iowa. Jon laughed because I was munching on our trip treats before we made it out of the driveway. I justified my actions...1) It was my breakfast. 2) We have a longish driveway. 3) A kid asked, "Are we there yet?" before we even made it to the road, and I started to stress out.
(I found out later that Jokester-Grandpa had put them up to this.)
I told the kids that we would save the electronic devices for the afternoons and try to do some summer learning/reading/flashcards/alternate activities during the morning drives.
That went as planned for the first hour. However, by 9:00 a.m. of the first day, we had succumbed to this...
Scott had high hopes and as we were walking into the John Deere Pavilion he said, "I hope that we see an articulated quadruple track grader." Ummm...yeah...let me know when you spot it, Scott. ??!?
He informed me that they did not have one on site, but they did have several other cool machines to explore and climb on.
They even had a few simulation machines in which you could try to drive an excavator, bulldozer, or backhoe. We laughed as we watched our totals for machine damage go higher and higher as we bumped into fences and dumpsters. Scott would like for me to note that he did not cause equipment damage while driving the bulldozer.
It was a fun, first stop. Free, air conditioned, on the way, and perfect for our tractor-loving son!
Shortly after leaving, we were trying to find a place for lunch. I was navigating and Jon was driving in traffic. He then said a line that haunted me the rest of the trip. He needed to make a turn and I was supposed to tell him which direction. It doesn't help that I am directionally-challenged, plus Siri kept screaming, "RECALCULATING" every two seconds at me. I was panicking and couldn't figure it out. Jon said, "But honey, YOU are looking at the map!" For some reason, the kids thought Jon's line was hilarious and kept repeating it to me throughout the remainder of our vacation. :/
Jon was excited to spot a KFC Buffet for dinner. The girls requested a picture with Colonel Sanders. :)
We ended almost every night with a trip to the pool.
This first pool was one of the kids' favorites since it had a waterfall separating their indoor/outdoor pool area.
Squeeze! The three rascals shared a bed each night, and they discovered that Kate likes to kick and do acrobatics during her sleep. I think they were all grateful to return to their own beds at home after 10 nights of snuggling.
Natalie's been on a home-video kick lately. Her nostalgia is rubbing off on me. I really miss the baby days (but not the baby nights!).
7-4-2013
7-4-2014
7-4-2015
Happy 4th- 2016!
I recently told Scott that I saw a Meijer "Back to School" coupon. He responded, "That's just sad."
Scott told the nurse at his well check that his favorite vegetable was corn, and she said that it didn't count as a vegetable and was considered a grain. Boo! We count it as a vegetable at our house. Check, check.
Corn on the cob is a bit more difficult when you're missing your front teeth.
Natalie worked extra hard and got the job done! She loosened another lower baby tooth in the process.
Scott LOVED this remote control helicopter. Unfortunately, it lasted for less than a day before breaking. Guess you get what you pay for. :(
Good influence
Bad influence
Watch out! Gator driving lesson!
Yay for a Costco that is close by! Natalie and I enjoyed a trip there together. She was torn between this giant teddy bear and a jumbo bottle of ketchup. :) I liked the price on the ketchup better.
Sunday Smiles
Holiday World was great this year. I'll limit it to 16 pictures!:)
We've discovered a new strategy for this place. We try to go early in the season and on an overcast day. 50% chance of scattered thunderstorms...we'll take it. Last year, we waited too late in the season to go and spent much of our day waiting in long lines in the sun. With the scattered thunderstorms, the crowds were down quite a bit, and we hardly waited in any lines. We were able to ride our favorites a few times each. It was perfect!
Downside of a five person family- somebody has to ride without a partner :(
We did have to wait out the storms for about 45 minutes in the afternoon. It wasn't bad at all though. Once they reopened the rides, we felt like we had the place to ourselves!
Scott's favorite ride...(see what I mean about the place being empty?)
Natalie's favorite ride...
Kate's favorite...who needs rides when you can hug alligators and give high fives to puppy dogs?
Fun day!
I love having all three of the kids home. I'm already secretly sad about next school year when two will be gone all day. :( Trying not to think about it too much yet and just enjoy each day together. I've been enjoying listening to all of the silliness and giggling that the three of them share.
Hooray for friends, and hooray for friends with pools!
Hooray for more friends, and hooray for friends who invite us to be their guests at a skating party.
Hooray for swim lessons! These fish LOVE it!
Hooray for Magna-tile towers that do not get knocked down by the three year old! Such restraint!
Hooray for more garage sale costumes, and hooray that Jon was gone when I snuck them into the house. ("But Jon, we really NEEDED bumblebee and Clifford costumes.")
Hooray for making slime on a hot afternoon, and hooray for kids who still think it's great even when it doesn't turn out correctly.
And as always, hooray for fun, busy days that lead to this...
Scott turned 8 years old a couple of weeks ago. He requested another John Deere/Gator birthday party.
He had some kind relatives who showed up to our ticket booth to select a ride.
Brave Aunt Kristen even went for Round 2 on the gator rides. Scott
enjoyed it (although this year, instead of sitting on the guests' laps
during the ride, he had to ride in the dump bed.) My baby isn't so
lap-size anymore.
Both Scott & Natalie chose birthday cookies this year instead of birthday cake...I think my plan worked...start them young and win them over to the best birthday treat around!:)
A couple of years ago, I hung something from the ceiling to surprise Natalie on the morning of her birthday. Each year since, both Scott and Natalie have expected something to be hanging from above when they wake up. They both drop subtle hints the night before...just to make sure I don't forget. It's a tradition that I kind of wish wasn't started, but is going to be hard to break since they both seem to associate it with a birthday morning. Soooo...as pictured below, Scott woke to find tractors hanging from the fan.
Someone was enjoying the great view we had of the tractor planting the field!
Happy Birthday, Scott!
