Missing these days of summer

 Since school is back in session...I sure do miss these fun days of summer!

 Exciting friend filled day at Kenwood Cove with the Koeneke's!

 Beck jumping off the diving board at the Country Club!

 Two tuckered out kiddos!

 Pool glow time with the besties!

 GNO for my 43rd birthday!  I would have a birthday every day if it meant I could see these girls each day!

 Go Cart Racing at Jumpin' Joe's

  Laser Tag, sister style!

Lake time with the Shamburg's!

Fair Fun

Riley County Fair is NEVER a favorite time of mine...I think rodeos are animal abuse at its best and I always feel sorry for all the animals that have to sit our in the trailers all week long...however, I am trying to be open in allowing my kids to be involved to the extent they are interested...soooo...

  One of our fav teachers took the girls to watch Claire and Laura show their calves

 

And we had a blast at the carnival with our cousins and friends...even with the head injury we sustained on the way in...

Beckham and Ayla

 Kingston, Ayla and Beck take a cruise

These girls rode and rode and rode rides....we  got home at 11:15!

 Grayson and cousin Kale

Can't believe that Claire acyually talked Grayson into the egg carton...

...although this is what they looked like afterwards!

Summer time means lots of band-aids

While we have had LOTS of fun this summer...a lot of that fun has resulted in a few injuries.  Nothing serious but here are our latest set of ouchies!

Wesley's broken and lifted nail thanks to the batting cages! 

 Grayson's skinned knee from jumping over a puddle and

her ankle and toe wounds courtesy of a fall at Kenwood Cove waterpark.

Beckhams injuries were the worst! He fell running down the road in great anticipation of the Riley County Fair.  Needless to say we brought him home, cleaned him up, went back to the fair and then a great friend came over to to glue the gaping wound.  He was not about to miss the rides!

Playing in the Rain

What's that saying...?

...Life is like a rainbow. You need both the sun and the rain to make its colors appear...

        Well, we have had our share of rain this summer.  And while our farmer friends and relatives really appreciated the showere...we have also tried to make the most of those rainy days and nights!!

                                                  Now...bring on those rainbows!!!

Frog and Toad

 Wesley was uber committed this summer and joined the cast of Frog and Toad, a city produced play.  She practiced June 12th-July 12th for 3 hours each morning and loved every minute of it!  She landed the role of a turtle...a nerdy turtle... and I think she fit the part perfectly!

Wesley and her bestie Saylor the night of the second performance. 

The music from the play was so upbeat and energizing.  

The turtles all performed in group settings and amongst the other snails, birds, lizards and other creative animals on stage.

All of the costumes were created by each student and we were all just given suggestions and perameters...I think everyone looked so amazing and cohesive!!

Our friend Avery was a bird and so was our friend Leslie.

Group shot during the finale!

Grayson and Avery

Our favorite art teacher,Miss Smith and one of Wesley's favorite friends Linley the lizard!

Cupcake Wars

Our fun and exciting friend Lindsay S (creative and ambitious mother of 4) invited us to a cupcake decorating class at HyVee.  The class was so fun and the kids got to make a cupcake and decorate 2 cupcakes and a cookie.   

Cute little aprons for all of the decorators and Lennon hanging out in the background

 Making a rainbow colored cupcake

 Beckham made this cute monkey cupcake just prior to his first ever complete meltdown....perfect timing since we were doing such a fun activity.  

 

 A little frsoting lickin' going on

 Wesleys cute monkey.  She is so creative and made a pig too!!

Always love hanging out with the triple S team!!

Lennon was 10 months old...

...on July 17th!  I am getting so far behind!!

 This little lamb has been our favorite "prop up the baby bottle" toy...now we finally have a baby that holds her own bottle so the lamb is just fun to play with!

You love it when your big sisters read to you and you love to unload your reading basket!

The crib matress has been lowered and you love to pull yourself up.  You still take 2 naps a day and sleep almost 11 hours a night.  

Your hair sticks straight up no matter what I do (thanks to the top hole of your helmet) and you have one EXTRA long piece of hair on the top of your head.  No haircuts though in the near future.

You are pretty curious and very active.  Had to snap this shot as you were actually sitting still.  You are constantly on the move and now climb stairs...UGHH!!

 

Just another example of how you like to dig things out of baskets, cabinets and closets...I can't keep anything clean with all of your rearranging.

Love so much about you...your funny faces, your spits, your pudgy thighs, your chubby cheeks, your punk style hair and the way you make me feel each day!!