First day of second grade

We love this kid! He is going to just soar!

New backyard

While I was gone in Wisconsin, Ken worked hard to do this!

The grass went in a day or two after we got home. The kids loved watching the process.

Lots of blood, sweat, tears, and teenaged labor went into this paradise!!!

It brings me such great joy to have luscious grass, where there was once dust and sagebrush!!!

Cool Pool

We have loved playing with the Gosneys this summer! They are great relatives!

And not just because they have a pool.

Exotic Petting Zoo

Not far from my parents' home there is a petting zoo, with some interesting animals.

Of course there are goats and llamas.

The best part is that on your way in everyone gets a loaf of bread to share with the animals.

Bison

Peacocks

Sika deer

Porcupine and tortoise

(These guys were my favorite set of roommates- quills paired with a protective shell)

The camels were a favorite!

And they followed us for quite a while, hoping for more bread!

Sika fawn

One creature we did not see!

Emu

Donkey

And boy, was he loud!

My sweet toddler eating day old bread meant for farm animals off the ground.

Rosie took a picture of our group

Papa walked the whole place with us the day before his knee replacement.

This animal and I have the same hair style!

Wisconsin Adventure

This summer, we needed to take a trip to visit my parents in Wisconsin. Unfortunately, Ken can't take two to three weeks off to drive cross country and enjoy the midwest with us. So, I packed the van, loaded the DVD player, and set out with the kids.

We were able to make a lot of fun stops, not list of which was Mount Rushmore!

At least half the fun of traveling was hotels and pools.

Seeing the relationships between cousins grow and flourish is worth every hour in the car.

Just as soon as we got to Wisconsin, we got to go swimming!!!

Peter supplied baby Kate with a fly accessory.

My mother has the most amazing garden. This was one day's harvest!

Norah just LOVED being at her Grandparents. Much mischief was made.

Including this wicket necklace.

Dress up

Getting into my mascara

Overenthusiastic watercolor

Eating the "gooberries" off of every dessert within arm's reach.

The kids loved going to all new parks.

Rosie got a few quarters from Grandpa and then all three gumballs went into her mouth at once!

Norah and I chatted with some missionaries and Norah got her first lessons in how to share the gospel.

I made one of my dessert obsessions Boccone Dolce.

I'm not sure I have seen her happier than this!

Norah was playing in the sprinkler (that was watering the flower garden) and when she saw that a car was getting wet, she seized an opportunity.

Unequivocally, the kids favorite activity was going to Bay Beach, which is a little amusement park by Green Bay.

I got to have fun too!

Jared went on his first rollercoaster, the Zippin' Pippin'

We found an amazing toy store that the girls adored.

Jared did not dress up, but found lots of books and crafts to captivate him.

This is how I had to get Norah out of the store, but is fairly accurate about how she felt about leaving Wisconsin too. She often requests that we get in the car and drive back!