A camping/fishing weekend!

After taking a weekend off after Memorial Day, we were back at the camping-thing two weekends later. The weekend was spent fishing, playing, dodging a few raindrops & swatting mosquitos!

We got a couple trips out riding/fishing in the pontoon on Friday morning, Saturday afternoon & Sunday morning. The boys both caught fish but they were really little ones that weren’t big enough to keep – although each caught one “keeper-size” fish that grandpa ended up filleting with a few other bigger fish caught by the rest of us. The boys really enjoy fishing & just being out on the pontoon, in general. We are so lucky to have the opportunity to enjoy fishing/boating trips like this.

The local lake support group threw a pancake breakfast on Saturday morning that we enjoyed & timed it perfectly, as just as we were leaving the breakfast it started to pour. That gave us some movie time together in the camper – watching Planes!

The mosquitos were pretty bothersome, but as long as you had any skin covered up, it was bearable to sit out & enjoy the campfires each night.

All-in-all, we really enjoyed the weekend (even if it was too cold/rainy/ mosquito-y to make it to the beach). We came home Sunday to unpack & do laundry, just to get started over re-packing a couple days later, as we were headed out camping the weekend following as well!

Colton fishing.

Wyatt fishing.

Colton's first catch!

Wyatt's first catch!
(I think he was trying to kiss it here!)

Captain Colton.

Watching his bobber.

Fishing advice from daddy.

Strong man!

Colton helping daddy drive.

Playing with the waxies.

Colton's little waxie friend.

Saturday evening fishing.

Fishing with dad.

Colton caught a "whopper"!

Playing in the minnow bucket.

Wyatt helping daddy drive.

*I also had my first scary running situation. Saturday, after lunch, the rain stopped so Cory stayed & laid down with the boys for naps and I took Bailey for a short run. Cory had run 1.5 miles to a stop sign intersection & back the day before, so that was my goal as well. The run was going well until we were almost to our turn around point…less than ¼ mile before the stop sign, as we were right in front of a house, I heard a dog barking (Cory had not mentioned anything about any dogs he had encountered) but it sounded like the dog was inside. As we passed the house, a dog came out of the garage, barking & running after us. Talk about scared – that was me! The dog did stop at the edge of the property. There was only one problem – my only way back to the campground was back past that same house, with the barking, unknown dog. I called out loudly (as the garage doors were both open) to see if anyone could hear me & come outside to restrain this dog. Nothing. We ended up waiting it out about 15 minutes until a car with a dad & small boy finally arrived home. I yelled about the dog charging at us & he (unsuccessfully the first couple time – great pet owner) got the dog by its collar & went inside. Bailey & I headed back to the campground with no further issues. This situation has made me think more about running in unfamiliar areas & taking more precautions.

Softball season begins…

...finally! After taking last year off, Cory’s friend got their slow-pitch softball team back together in a league on Monday nights again this year. They were supposed to start back in May but their two of their first two games were rained out & the other Monday was off because of Memorial Day.

The boys have been excited to see Cory play, so we really lucked out in having an early game the first night they were finally able to play (games start as late as 8:30 PM, which is after their bedtime). We bring our lawn chairs down, as well as their gloves & balls. The boys do fairly well, watching daddy off & on through about the 4th inning and then we usually head over to the playground.

We’ve been to two games so far & the boys get excited every time we tell them that it’s daddy’s softball night.

Playground time!
(Colton making mommy nervous.)

Wyatt on the slide.

Rumble bridge!

Great for balance!

Playing catch with daddy after his game.

Colton loves anything softball/baseball related...
...can't wait to get him into t-ball next summer!

Adding two more boys to the family…

…my youngest sister is pregnant with twin boys & due the first week in September – CRAZY, isn’t it??!!! This news was a big surprise to me & totally unexpected but I am so happy for her and can’t wait to meet these two little guys.

My mom, sister & I put on a baby shower for my youngest sister the first weekend in June. I love party planning & had a blast putting together her elephant-themed afternoon. We had a good turnout on a warm, rainy summer day. Good food, fun games, tons of friends & family and lots of gifts!

MoM-to-be!

Beautiful cake made by my talented friend "D"!

Party!
(these two refused to nap & wanted to join the party instead!)

Colton enjoying some cake.

Cake time for Wyatt.

She has had a fairly uneventful pregnancy so far & I’m praying it stays that way. We don’t want to see these two little boys make an appearance until at least August but we are excited & patiently awaiting to welcome them to our family!

Family 5K

The boys have been so pumped this spring with the races Cory & I have done. There are a few they came with & a few we did solo – they are so sweet & always ask us after every race if we “won”…too cute. They always talk about wanting to run in a race too so I stumbled upon a fun 5K, that was not timed, at a local resort on a weekend where we had nothing planned & signed us up.

They were so excited that I expected them to walk/run most of the 5K by themselves (they did this at the March of Dimes 5K back in May), but they just weren’t in the mood that morning. Of course, they don’t know how to pace themselves, so they’d be running next to the stroller, all-out for a few minutes and then be wiped out & want a ride. They seemed tired out (we had a late bedtime the night before) and ended up riding in the stroller for most of it.

We had fun regardless. Wyatt did get out of the stroller & run with daddy for the last part of the race and I tried the same thing with Colton but that ended in major meltdown instead of the fun finish line I had imagined. Oh well…we got out of the house on a beautiful day, got exercise & spent the morning together…that’s still a win in my book.

Daddy & Wyatt enjoying their snack after the race.

Mommy & Wyatt eating our apples.
(Colton was sitting in the truck with Cory
at this time, still melting down...
shortly after we finished our snacks
he recovered enough to come out and
play on the playground a bit before we left.)

Little Gardeners.

That Friday was a busy one. After we were done enjoying our ice cream cones, we headed out to my parents’ house to help them plant their garden. My sister & her boys were able to join us as well!

The boys really got into it & were great helpers. They helped with peas, zucchini, potatoes & peppers. Colton & cousin “I” had a really good time helping Papa water the potatoes after they were planted. Wyatt kept asking for a “safe spot” to do his own digging (approved by grandpa & grandma so he didn’t start digging up plants/seeds we had just planted). They had looked forward to helping all week & really had a blast!

Ready to start...

Planting peas with Papa.

Colton using his spade to dig.

 

Wyatt's turn to dig with his spade.

Colton watering the potato mounds.

By the time we were done planting, they were dirty from head to toe (isn’t that how little boys are supposed to be??!!) so we quickly rinsed off in the shower & headed to our next event of the evening – a campfire with friends.

We have some good friends that live a neighborhood over from ours & they had invited us to a grill out & fire that Friday evening. We passed on the grill out since the boys had their hearts set on helping out with the garden, but we swung by to enjoy the campfire & friends on our way home.

Our group of friends has kids all the same age, so they have a blast playing when we get together. The boys played their hearts out until it was dark enough for sparklers. They each got a chance to have one lighted sparkler & then we headed home, as it was way past bedtime at that point.

It was a jam-packed Friday evening full of nothing but fun!

Summer begins!

The weekend after Memorial Day was shaping up to be a beautiful one and we enjoyed it by doing everything we loved outdoors!

Friday kicked off the weekend. After I picked up the boys at daycare (usually daddy does pick up but during the summers I can leave work a little early on Fridays) we headed to our favorite local drive-in for a couple of ice cream cones.

A couple visits to this drive-in is becoming a summer tradition for us. Daddy was up north, helping do some work on grandpa’s cabin but we’ll have to bring him along next time!

Colton enjoying his cone.

Silly faces!

Wyatt being goofy.

Smile!

Swim Lessons – Session 2

We enrolled the boys in a 6 week long course that was two nights per week beginning in March. We ended up knowing a couple other kids in both their class & the more advanced ones going on at the same time. The boys loved their teacher & (after a couple of nervous little kids with a few tears the first night) they did great and really grew their water skills. Since the first session went so well, we decided to enroll them in one more 6 week long course that would take us to the beginning of summer…we even asked them if they wanted to & they were both excited to. (Colton had passed their first class so we made the boys aware that they would be in different classes this time & Colton would move up to the next level – we questioned if splitting them up was the right thing to do, but it turned out good for both.)

Day one of the second session went about as well as the first session, but we survived. Wyatt was disappointed when his teacher from last session was not his teacher this time around. Colton was sick on the first night of lessons but picked right back up in his new class the second night. Both boys were also disappointed that the other kids that we had known during the first session had not signed up to be in it this time around.

This past 6 weeks has been more of a struggle than the first 6 weeks were but the boys had fun & did warm up to their new teachers. Colton really excelled and has quite a few new water skills under his belt – swimming with a kickboard, swimming without a kickboard, jumping off the “big block” in the deep end, floating on his back & swimming on his back. Wyatt really didn’t advance much this time around…the little charmer would talk his teacher into not making him do some of the skills the other kids were doing – mostly just jumping into the water with her help – so he could have definitely used a teacher like Colton’s that wouldn’t have taken “No.” for an answer but helped him ease into the skills he was a little more afraid of. (Both boys did jump off the “big block” in the deep end on their water safety day – Colton’s teacher talked Wyatt into doing it with her help!)

I’m proud of them for sticking it out and growing their water skills & knowledge.

We will take the summer off & re-visit swim lessons next fall/winter again.

Wyatt in his class
(he is on the very left side)

Wyatt being...Wyatt!

Colton in his class
(he is in the middle)

Colton waiting on the ledge.

Memorial Day Weekend – Part 2

Another thing we always do while camping Memorial Day weekend is take Bailey down to a near-by pond for some hunting “training”. Cory throws bumpers & runs Bailey on a couple “blinds” and the boys love to help out too – also throwing bumpers for her. She lives for retrieving & loves the water – so it’s a win-win for everyone.

My favorite picture of the weekend!
(brotherly love!)

Wyatt's funny face

Colton's funny face

Waiting for daddy to get back from hiding the "blinds"

Watching daddy...

At least one picture with mommy is needed!
Colton & mommy

Watching daddy.

Helpers!

Colton's turn to throw...

Colton

Wyatt's turn to throw...

Wyatt

My three guys!
(& my pretty girl, Bailey!)