Sunday, July 14, 2013

July Catch-up

Holy Cow!!!  Almost there!!!  Make sure you scroll all the way down and check out all the posts I've had to do to catch-up, you may even have to go to the next page (click older posts) to see them all.  Sorry for being so behind! 

But here, we go!!  After getting back from Indiana we had quite a busy week!!  Mostly for Mommy.  I've been trying to play catch-up this whole week!!  While we were gone I got behind on my Project Life 365 stuff, so I had to cram a bunch of photo-taking in over the next couple of days.  But I also had to get somethings crocheted for my show I had this past weekend.  So I was doing both of those in every spare minute I had.  But of course, I also planned play dates all this week, so we had busy days away from home too!!!

Tuesday was Daddy's Birthday!!!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!!  So the boys and I spent the day trying to do some special things for him.  (most of them flopped).  Sorry Daddy, you're lemon dessert was upside-down!  The boys were being monsters, the homemade french fries took longer than expected (and were an hour after dinner), but we tried our hardest to make it the best day for you!!!  We hope you enjoyed it!!  We love you!

Wednesday we headed out to see our friends Nicole, Hayden and Dylan, and go swimming with them.  Another fun-filled day!!  We were swimming from about 10:30 to 2:30 (and mommy got super sun-burned), and it really wore the kiddos out!!!  She lives in longmont, so we had a nice 50 minute drive back home for them all to nap during! 
Riley can do somersaults underwater now!!!
Nicole and Dylan
Wetting his hair . . .
Spiking his hair . . .
Now he has a "ho-hawk"
Amara and Dylan
Love at First Sight!!

Wednesday Night, I took Jayce on a Mommy-Date to get some ice cream.  We had a blast!  He really needed the one-on-one time (he's been very clingy since we got home from indy) and it was so much easier for me to just keep track of one kid!!  I was able to let him run around like he likes to do without having to split my focus and be afraid to loose track of him.  He's so cute and funny at this age, and I miss a lot taking care of the other two (as I do with each of them) so it was nice to be able to just sit back and take it in! 
Ice Cream date with Mommy
Playing Peek-a-boo
Raaaahhhh!!! (scaring me)
Checking out the statues
I see a balance beam in his future
And maybe a set of Rings! 

Thursday we got to hang out with Cathy and Ryder, and on Friday Ryder joined us again for Chick-fil-a's Cow Appreciation Day.  Every year in July they have Cow Appreciation Day and if you dress up like a cow you get free food!!  (to be honest I would dress up even if it didn't include free food!  So fun!!)  I've never been able to make it before this year, so I was so excited to participate!!  I crocheted cow hats for everyone (and most of one for Ryder - I ran out of time on the face), and stenciled t-shirts with cow spots.  I must say, we looked pretty darn cute for a cow herd!! 

Yesterday (Saturday) was my craft show.  It was done by a local craft boutique, and called Christmas in July.  I wasn't as prepared as I had hoped, and I think it hurt me a lot.  There are three things that I have that sell really well, and I didn't get the chance to make any extras for the show.  It may have hurt me.  Oh well.  Severance Days is coming up in a month, so now I can prepare for that!  And I did really well at that last year, so hopefully this year is a repeat!  ;) 

Enjoy all the pictures, hopefully I can keep everyone up-to-date better so there isn't so many each time.  Have a great week everyone!!!!

Indiana in July

What were we thinking?  Going to Indiana for the 4th of July, and driving there with 3 small children?!?!  We were thinking we love our family that's what!!  ;)

So yep, we packed everything up in the van, made the almost 1200 mile journey across 5 states to see them all again!  It really wasn't that bad.  We left Thursday afternoon around 4 stopped for dinner, and then the kiddos slept most of the rest of that night.  We had planned on stopping in Kansas City for the night, but with the later start we got we didn't make it that far.  Our new goal was Salina, KS.  Aliy was driving so Cam could catch some z's and was feeling pretty good around midnightish when we rolled through Salina.  So we kept going.  Topeka was still a ways out, so we decided the halfway point of Junction City would be a good resting place for the night.  BIG MISTAKE!!!  We arrived in Junction City about 2 am local time and pulled up to a hotel Cam had checked out online.  Only to find they didn't have any rooms.  In fact, NONE of the hotels in town did!!!  There was a Country music festival (Country Stampede) nearby and there was no place at all that we could stay.  So we drug ourselves back onto the road and headed to Topeka.  Yuck!!  Arriving at 3:30 local time meant it was 4 am before we got in our rooms and in bed.  Only to get up and hit the road again at 8.  It was a rough night.  We hit some other "bumps in the road" that next day too.  A couple accidents and traffic jams delayed us more than we had hoped, and we had to add a few extra stops to git the kids breaks towards the end.  Everyone was just done being in the car.  So it was around 9 Indiana time when we rolled into Grandma and Grandpa Louie's house. 

The next day Saturday, we spent at a cousin's birthday party and the Marion County Fair.  The boys have been to the Larimer County Fair here in CO, but it's just not the same as a good ol' Midwestern County Fair!!!  One of Cam's high school buddies was in the demolition derby, so we left the little ones with G&G and took Riley to the fair.  He had so much fun!! It was the best one-on-one time he's had in a while.  He really enjoyed the derby!  It was pretty short though, so we were able to check out some rides too.  I think that was his favorite part!  He wanted to ride nearly all of them!  We did the Ferris Wheel, the fun house, some "teacups" version of a dinosaur, and a little kiddie roller coaster.  We also had some amazing funnel cakes and Elephant Ears!!!! Yum!!! Cam was so excited for the elephant ears (I think he ate 3 the whole week we were there) because we can't find them in Colorado. 
Elephant Ear
Watching the derby
#9 Steve Cullingford
Lawnmower derby between heats
Good Job Steve!
Ferris wheel

Sunday was a great day with Family.  After visiting some friends, we headed out to dinner with Cam's brothers and the "cousins." Riley and Jayce just love playing with their cousins, and their cousins Love playing with Amara!!!  ;)  And when it got dark they all went outside in the rain to catch lightning bugs (another thing we don't have in Colorado!)  With it being new to Riley and Jayce we had to stick them in Jars and let them be nightlights for the boys the rest of the week.  They were so cute! 
The boys LOVE playing with Grandpa's Mustangs
Grandma Louie's yummy raspberries
Grandpa's Birdfeeders . . . we actually saw some hummingbirds too!
Digging out Daddy's old toys to play with
Daddy tried re-living his past too . . .
. . . I think you're getting to old for that Daddy!  ;)
Just Hanging out on the Circle City Party Bus
Catching Lightning Bugs
I GOT ONE!!!

Monday was spent with Aunt Anna.  We had planned on going swimming, but the rain thought otherwise.  We got kinda close to going a couple times, but after looking at the radar and the time, decided against it.  But . . . we did get some shopping in (Mommy and Aunt Anna liked that!!!)  and were able to find some Colts stuff for the fam!  Tuesday we got some professional photos done of the grandkids with their Grandparents.  It was slightly stressful, but I think Kate did a wonderful job!!!  You can see the sneak preview here if you "like" her page on Facebook.  I can't wait to see the rest of them.  Wednesday we went to Unkie Rodger's and Auntie Kathie's.  The boys played outside all morning, rolling down the big hill in the back of their yard, Aunt Anna and Grandma Wilson came for lunch, and then we went to a carnival for more rides and dinner later that evening.  It was so fun!  It was great that Jayce got the chance to ride some rides too, and he loved them as much as Riley did.  Even crying at one point when Cam came to take him off.  Ahh, 2 year-olds!!!  :) 
Amara got a sink bath for pictures
Amara and Auntie Kathie
Rolling, Rolling, Rolling . . .
Shadow was having as much fun as the boys!
playing with Aunt Anna
Me and my Sissy
Grandma and Amara
The Scrambler!!!
Jayce's first ride
The motorcycles - He cried because he didn't want to get off!!
Did Daddy poo his pants on the Gravatron?!?! No, it's just dirt from where he tried to stand up and fell!
With Unkie Rodger and Auntie Kathie

On the 4th we had Cam's family over to G&G for a BBQ before heading downtown to walk the canal and watch fireworks. 
Eating Roasted Marshmallows
Happy 4th
Pre-fireworks nap on Grandma Louie
Walking the Canal
Waiting for fireworks
I think this one looks like a flower!!  so funny!!

Then we headed back to Colorado!  It was another mostly good trip back.  We stopped in St. Louis for lunch to see the Arch, and just happened to catch an AirShow at the same time.  That was really cool.  None of us had ever seen one before, so to catch by chance a free one, in front of the gateway arch was really amazing.  The boys LOVED it!!!  (all Three of them!) ;) 
Do you see the heart? 

We did a little more research when looking for a place to stay that night, and got a better nights rest!  And the second day was fairly uneventful, unless you count the fits by kiddos who were sick of being in the car.  Needless to say, it will be a while before we do that trip again!!  At least next year.  Anywho, it was a good trip overall.  Much more relaxing to see mostly only family.  And so glad we got to see so much of them! 

So who's coming HERE for Christmas!?!?!  ;)