A Birthday + Friends + Museum + Dad = Best Day Ever!

During Jayce's Spring Break he turned 8.  On his special day, Jason had to "Stand Duty" = not coming home. So, in an attempt to make Jayce's day special we decided to go to Jason.  I of course talked Jayce into eating lunch at Gino's East (my favorite Chicago Style Pizza - oh yum!).  We had friends (The Hawley's) meet us for lunch and then we headed to the Kohl's Children's Museum for a few hours before dinner.  The kids had lots of fun, but they didn't burn off enough energy!!  After we were done at the museum we met the husbands at Chipotle and then took the kids to McDonalds for happy meals.  I had also made some Apple Pie Caramel Apples for the occaison.  (Do not keep the apples in a cooler with ice up until you are ready to eat them - they don't cut or eat too easily!!).  The kids were sent to their own area of McDonalds to eat, it was pretty funny and made for a nice quiet dinner for us.

Here they are at the museum at every kids favorite part - the Grocery Store!!

This is Jayce in his new Percy Jackson T-Shirt -more about that later!!

Grahm made me a Potbelly Sandwich!

The other favorite - Water!!  I didn't realize what Grahm was doing with the geysers until it was too late!

I couldn't resist a picture of the squished cheeks!!

Early Easter Egg Hunt with Friends!

It seems I am always trying to catch up these days.  One day soon I hope to be back on top of things!

A few days before Easter we met up with friends at a park to let our kids play and have an Easter Egg Hunt.  It was a gorgeous day!  My kids loved this, because we hide real eggs at our house and they don't have candy in them!

Waiting for the hunt to begin and protecting our ears from a motor bike!

So much fun and yummy candy!!

More Pics of Northern Wisconsin!

More pictures from our hike.

I think Grahm caught 3 or 4 toads - yuck!

This is the pile of treasures the boys collected. We have fungus in many varieties, pine cones, moss, acorns, leaves, twigs, birch bark, flowers, feathers and more...

Fall in Northern Wisconsin!!

The first weekend of October we were invited to go north for the weekend to enjoy the leaves changing color. It was beautiful.

The first morning we went for a boat ride!!

Then a nature hike - gorgeous!!

Then the boys went for a swim - did you notice the jackets and sweatshirts - YIKES!! Count the ribs!!

Sunday morning I was talked into a dip in the lake before church. Jason went right in and under! We girls took our time getting all the way in (I was not washing my hair - that would mean I would have had to pack blowdryers and curling irons). Side note - I have done the Polar Bear swim in RI - so I am not a complete wimp.

Backyard Camping

Summer is over, school has started, so we went camping. Jason somehow forced an invitation out of our good friends the Petersen's to use their backyard on a Friday night.

We arrived at about 6pm. Jason hurried to set up the tent and then we cooked!!! We had dutch oven potatoes (oh- yuuummmm), steak, and dutch oven peach cobbler. So yummy. We roasted a few marshmallows and told stories. Well - Jayce recounted the entire movie Zuthura for our friends (it might have been faster to watch it!!). Then we slept - and surprisingly well - Thanks to the Petersen's Therma rest - I have to get one of those for these bones!!

Dewey Morning!!