Trains, Planes, and lots of swimming!

I think it was last year when I decided that my boys *need* to see their cousins at least once a year. I wish it could be so much more frequent but it is what it is.

So this year we made our trip to Tennessee again to visit my brother, my sister-in-law Ana, and their kids Kayla and Orion. Kael, Orion, Kaiden, and Kayla are ages 3, 4, 5, and 6 respectively. At least they are at the beginning of this post.


My boys enjoyed the flight down. Sipping on apple juice in style.


And before we headed to my brothers we stopped by one of my dearest friends, Rebecca. I love seeing her. She is like a friend that I wish was one door down from me. For a year, we shared an apartment together while on a college work co-op and I loved those days with her. Wonderful memories. She's this cute country bumpkin on the outside. Her voice sweet as southerns get.... but don't let that fool you. She is a firecracker inside. Passionate about animal, a recycler, a breast feeder, a photographer, an engineer, and just an amazing thinker. Now mind you many people care about animals. Many recycle. And many breastfeed. But Rebecca.... well.. she doesn't go just half way. She goes all out with passion. She'd drive you crazy if you didn't think like her. But I do, so I love her. Well.... we don't talk about politics. :-)


Anyway, a couple of hours at her house chatting isn't enough but it has to do. Our kids ran around and enjoyed each other like they have known each other forever. I love this age. And after being tired from the running and the 90 degree heat, they sat on the porch for some popsicles.


And on to Cookeville....

Man these kids are growing.



This trip with my niece and nephew was filled with lots of swimming. I think it was 90+ degrees every day. We swam, swam, and swam some more. All the kids are getting pretty good.











And we stopped at the train museum in Cookeville to play on the trains. The kids love that place.










And by the end of the week it was close enough to Kayla's 7th birthday that we threw her a mini party. I love that girl. She is, after all, my only girl. Happy 7th Birthday Kayla!




Until next year.....

T-Ball - proud, buggy and boring

Kaiden did T-ball this year. He looks so grown up in his uniform. The season was short, which didn't bother Kaiden at all! He didn't really like going. Although once he was there he enjoyed it... reminds me of hockey but to a lesser extent. :-) His coach was very nice and great with the kids.

He did make me proud though because at the end of the season they pitched to the kids and he just kept trying and trying. I thought his arms were going to fall off from swing the bat. I was starting to get a pit in my stomach thinking... what if he can't do it, he will be crushed, but just as I began to worry... whack. He hit it. A releif. He was so excited. Not as much as I was though.

In general, he says he doesn't like it because it is buggy and boring. I see his point.

StoryLand with the Farrs

We headed north to StoryLand with our new found couple friends, Dave, Shannon and their adorable daughter Lexi. Ian did the planning (which I love!) and he found us a great condo just minutes away from StoryLand. Dave and Shannon are so fun to hang out with (unless they are debating on whether or not she can go to Japan or not).



The kids loved StoryLand so much. They have this new area called the “Loopy Laboratory” and the boys could have spent all day just in that one place! It is a crazy and very well designed dome with two levels. The kids (and adults!) on the first floor work very hard to get the balls to the second floor and visa versa. Hard to describe, pictures may help a little.












So as you work like mad to get these balls in all different kinds of contraptions, all the kids upstairs are working just as hard to get them back down to you! Fun chaos!


The kids just had a great time! And so did we.




And it is so neat to take the kids to a place that I remember as a child their age.

And some things never change....

This is Kaiden when he was almost 2 years old! What a cutie.

And here he is now... man does he look big on this tree stump.


And can you guess who this might be???


My dad emailed me some photos of my brother and I at StoryLand. I think I am 4 years old in this picture and my brother Andy is 8.




What a great place! Great trip Ian!

Father's Day Survey

Click here to read Kaiden's survey. I just love this!

OOB Camping 2009

Mid-June we started off with a family camping trip to Hidden Pines in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. My uncle stays there year round. Last year I just really missed him and wanted to visit so we packed up the camper and stayed the weekend. We let family know and it turned out that my parents, cousins, and aunt and uncle could go. We had such a great time… not to mention I was the inaugural cribbage tournament champion…. we decided to do it again this year. Again we had a great time. Kaiden and Kael enjoyed the wicked cold pool with Adam and we had another Cribbage Tourney. And as crazy as it may sound… Liz won the championship game against Uncle Paul. Hummm…. I am not sure how it happened but it did. We all are still in shock.


The boys had a good time especially building a fire with grampie...


...I think the fire was my favorite part too!


Fun times. Mostly dry, except as we packed up Sunday morning. Little did we know that it would rain 30 of the next 38 days! Wet wet summer!!!