Swimmin'

 This boy has really taken off in swimming. He is all over the shallow end swimming and even diving down to the bottom of the pool.  Today he even did three flips in a row underwater. We're so proud of our boy

 His goggles were also the envy of all the little boys today.  The girls were a little afraid of Colin.  Maybe thats why the boys kept begging for a turn with the goggles :) 

Joel has been a handful at the pool.  He thinks he should be able to swim like Colin and has just walked right into the pool several times. He likes to "cannon ball" and will jump whether you are ready or not.  He doesn't want you to hold him and you have to try to make him think he's swimming on his own.  He is also too cool for water wings or an inner tube.  Bubba doesn't need one so neither should he.

But he's so stinkin cute in his goggles that I just want to eat him up. 

I was also going to take a video of Joel swimming in the baby pool but my battery died.  He tries to do just what Bubba does and is so cute kicking and splashing.

3:30

Yesterday at 3:30 Joel fell back asleep on the couch after his nap. 

And I walked into the kitchen after taking this picture to see Colin under the table eating a giant hershey bar.

Today at 3:30 the boys are watching a disgusting show an insects. 

Did you know there is a spider that is as big as your hand and can eat a bird? 

Little Entrepreneurs

 This morning my friend Laura and I had a garage sale.  The kids had a bake sale.  I think it was Noah's idea. He's saving money for big water gun and Colin is saving his money for all the Legos in the world.  Although Colin thinks he should go on all these game shows (like Wipeout and Family Game Show) to win $50.000 then he can buy a ticket to Japan and go the the Lego store Aunt Angela went to.  (he tells me this everyday) Noah's idea was more realistic so we went with that.  The kids made the cookies yesterday - Noah and Adah made oatmeal chocolate chip and Chocolate chocolate chip and Colin made chocolate chip and brownies. 

 Noah was really into it and got the other kids out there with him selling cookies.

 Joel just wanted to eat the cookies

 And was told no - that they were for the customers. 

And then he became a customer so he could eat the cookie. After that I think all the kids ate some.  But they made over $14 selling cookies.  Amazing.  I think next time instead of a garage sale we will just have a bake sale and put the kids out front :)

Happy Fathers Day

Happy Fathers day to my dad. Thanks for being such a great father and now that we have kids a great example to follow. 

The kids wanted to do a video for Grandpa.  Don't worry Joel was fine :)

Summer Days

What Joel does for fun on hot days. 

 

What Colin does for fun on hot days:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daddy workin

 Every day Joel asks to go to work with daddy.  And he refers to himself in the 3rd person too - "Joel work daddy.  Joel help Daddy"

He will try to get his shoes and a hat on like daddy when he knows its time for daddy to go to work.

And then every day the poor kid melts down that daddy left without him.  He will tell me "mommy no coming" when I have to get him out of Brents truck when its time for Brent to leave.  Meaning he doesnt want mommy to come get him.  I'm thinking a trip somewhere with daddy in daddys truck this weekend is just what this kid needs.  Since he melts down most days when Brent leave for work without him. 

 

Swimming?

 Joel will put his goggles on and ask "swimming?" I had to put away his goggles because he would get so upset and not understand why we couldn't go swimming.  We can't wait until the pool is open every day.  Just one more week. 

He's so cute in his goggles.  Even with his fat lip.  Poor kid busted his lip one day, bit through his tongue the next.  Good thing for popsicles.

Botanical Gardens

I'm on a roll with the posts - 3 in a weekend. We went to the Botanical Gardens yesterday afternoon.  This is what I want my back yard to look like one day:

We went earlier this week and spent the whole time in the kids section but this time we walked through the trails. 

The kids really want to see an  eagle. Or Echo as it sounds from Joel. 

 I took this picture for Jeff.  Its where the eagles lived.  Sadly the mommy got hit by a plane and then the babies were taken to an eagle sanctuary.  At the top of the tree is the nest. I think the daddy eagle is still there.  Maybe?

 

Colin enjoyed the splash park.  Joel was really tired and spent the time clinging to mommy. The picture above is really blurry but its what Joel was doing.  Sweet boy. 

Take me out to the ball game

 Yesterday was Colin's last tball game. 

 He's had a great time and done great. There is a lot to remember in baseball. Even Mommy has trouble with the positions :)  Maybe more than Colin. He will quickly correct me if I'm wrong. 

 Colin got a kid out this game.   He was very excited.  Its so much better tagging someone out than getting out yourself. 

 It was also the Leagues trophy day.  I thought he was going to get a medal like last time but he got an actual trophy. And is very proud of it.  It even has his name on it. 

Brents dad - aka Pops came to watch.

Here are some videos of Colin playing and warming up. 

Another project finished.

 When he wasn't taking popsicle breaks with the kids last weekend Brent was finishing a project we started maybe in April :) 

Joel loves to help. We needed something to keep the heat off our back room and also the patio so we could enjoy it in the afternoons and summer.  But the way the sun is positioned in the summer we needed almost a wall of some sort. So this is what we came up with.  And we love it so far. We've been eating our dinner outside all week and have enjoyed it. 

I still need to stain it and then I want to build some flower boxes at the bottom there where all the weeds are. And then maybe grow a pretty climbing vine on the other side of it.

Our plan is to extend the patio out in an L shape where those ugly bushes are. We are going to put the grill where that big bush is.  And we have ideas of building a fire pit onto the patio.  Our picnic table (that I would love to build) will be under the window.  We're pricing it and seeing if we want to do it ourselves or hire someone to do it.  And then decide concrete vs. pavers. So that may or may not happen this summer but its a start.  And its fun to plan and dream. 

Visit from friends

Last week we had some great friends come visit. We hadn't seen them since I was pregnant with Colin.  Hard to believe we now have 4 boys between the both of us. Becky was on our summer project to Kazakhstan where Brent and I met.  I think Becky saw it all coming long before I did :)  Most of my days were spent with Becky in KZ.  I still miss those days of walking everywhere and talking with Becky.   It was a great visit with the Kings.  We loved it.  Becky and Toffer are wonderful and we loved getting to know their boys.  Poor Becky and Toffer drove 12 hours (it should've taken 9) had a boy throw up 4 times (turns out he gets car sick) and then got pulled over in Emporia.  I hope they enjoyed their time with us.  I felt awful and hope they thought it was worth it. I'm not sure when we'll be seeing them again.  They are moving overseas this fall so we were glad to get some time in with them before they left.  Since they left Joel keeps pointing the their picture on our fridge and saying "friend" when I point to Samuel and Benjamin.  Thanks for coming!  We hope the return trip was much easier :)

http://www.tofferandbecky.com/wp/the-kings-go-to-asia/(this is what they will be doing the next few years)

Driving

This is how Joel likes to drive around town.  The cuteness of his little hand gets me every time.  That and how he likes to yell "hi peep hole " to everyone he sees.  (peep hole= people)

Summer Fun

Bring on summer!  We just got back from our first trip to the pool this year.  I wish I had brought the camera because seeing Joel in goggles was so cute.  And as for us it is summer - even though its not officially here for another few weeks.  Now that its hot and the pool is open summer has arrived for us.  Colin and I made up a list the other day of fun things to do this summer.  He likes to add more to it and in fact he mentioned a few more things today in the car that I need to write down. 

Its going to be a really fun summer. Joel added the red scribble on the paper and his contribution was go to playgrounds.