Summer Fun . . .

Yep, we're all still here, happy and healthy - just been neglecting the blog! And having a very busy summer - it's whizzing by WAY too fast. We had a great 4th of July weekend - headed to Spearfish for a long weekend camping trip which was tons of fun - time in the pool, some good naps, chatting with great friends, a couple good campfires, a small-town parade, a spectacular fireworks show up high in the Hills - what else do ya need? The campground we stayed at had a small petting zoo/farm, so the kids had a great time at the regular lamb/baby goat feedings. Here's one of the cuties - I wanted to take him (her?) home . .

And the kids loved the old-fashioned waterslide at the pool . . . .

The Spearfish parade was cute - the kids loved collecting all the candy that was thrown.

This past weekend, I was back in Spearfish (we seem to be spending a lot of time there!) where my sister and I hosted a shower for our brother's fiance, which we think turned out nicely and was lots of fun for us to do - here we are with the guest of honor:

We decided that we should be able to have ANOTHER shower after you've been married 10 years . . . that means I'm two years overdue . . . .anyone want to throw one for me? I need some new knives . . . .and kitchen towels . . . and pots and pans . . . .

Meanwhile, Grandma and Grandpa Roisum were also here over the weekend - we held them hostage for 5 nights this time - their longest stay here ever!! Yeahh! And we kept them busy - or I should say the KIDS kept them busy. Jack and Noah have them wrapped around their pinkies - the kids can con them into almost anything. :) One thing being the CLAW machine - you know, this thing:

Jack happens to be obsessed with them - I think I've mentioned that before, and we still haven't figured out how to handle it - other than "everything in moderation" - ? Anyway, moderation flies out the window when Grandpa Paul is in town - on Monday he took them to partake in this addiction, and after donating $7 of his own money to the cause, the kids came home with these:
(Jack got THREE):

(And Noah, who had only four to date, came home with TWO):

I think this particular machine was broken - either that or Grandpa spent a lot more than $7. Getting five animals in one shot is unheard of. Amazing!! Mark and I could hardly believe it. Anyway, this event got the kids all fired up and we decided we needed pictures of their collections. Here are the animals Noah has obtained from claw machines in the past year or two:

And Jack's collection:

And here they ALL are together - - one big happy claw machine family. Our house is going to be overtaken -I've tried to get rid of some, but NO, mom, they are each very special!!! (The kids can tell you exactly where they won each one).

(This is how bad Jack has it: when Mark and I were out on a "date" without the kids on Wednesday night, Mark thought it would be really funny if HE came home with a claw machine animal. So, he spent a couple bucks and actually got one - a cute dinosaur from our usual grocery store machine. We get home from our date, Jack is still awake, and it literally took him 1/2 a second to see the dinosaur and collapse in a heap on the floor in tears. After many more tears and wailing we finally got him calmed down. Evidently he had wanted THIS particular dinosaur, but never got it (he only got THREE others!) -he even knew the position it was laying in. So our little joke wasn't so funny. Total backfire. Uggh - we've got to do something about this kid.)

Anyway, once Jack and Noah's claw machine adventure was over, grandpa thought the boys should build something. So, off they went to the hardware store for some lumber scraps, hammer, nails, etc. and they immediately got to work . . . and worked and worked and worked - until we eventually had to drag them in from the 95 degree heat in the garage. Jack finished a chair (impressive, actually - and he figured it out all on his own - I now think he'll be an architect) and Noah is still working on a bench.

This is what Noah does when he's focusing:

Needless to say, it was a big BUMMER when Grandma and Grandpa had to leave Wed. morning - they always seem to come up with some cool idea to do with the kids (I guess 35 years of doing daycare has something to do with that!)

Now we're getting ready for our Arizona adventure - taking off for a week to see the sights in Arizona - a couple days at a resort in Phoenix, a few days in Sedona, and a couple at the Grand Canyon. We are SO looking forward to some great family time, just the four of us. The laptop is coming with so I can keep a travel journal - stay tuned!!

Funny quote from Noah: One night at supper we were talking about how we were going to move to France if a particular individual wins the Presidential election - the kids asked if we were serious, and we played it up a little, saying yes, wouldn't that be cool? Noah then promptly bursts into tears saying "But we don't know how to speak Paris!!"