SEPTEMBER 2015

Finishing out the summer...welcoming in the fall!

Off on another adventure!

Jack's free standing tool sculpture

Our friend Donna had a garage sale and invited the boys to have a lemonade stand.  Jack had been wanting to have a lemonade stand, so he was thrilled to get a chance.

He suggested he pose for the picture...goof!

I don't think he was posing here. :/
After this, and the following photo, which we
caught them doing shortly after, we closed up shop!

Making apple turnovers with Alisa from apples we picked at Chad's.

We went on a bit of a park binge to finish out the summer,

trying out a whole bunch of parks in the area that we hadn't been to.

It was a lot of fun to explore...the boys loved it.  I realized I may have

gone a bit too far though when I got a whiny, "Oh man, we've already been to this park", when we returned to one we'd been to at some point in the past month!

New Ankeny park...it's HUGE!

What fun is a park without a friend to enjoy it with?!

This guy's gonna be trouble!

Talk about trouble...these five!!

Cookin' with Mom...

We were back in Rolfe for wedding--Jana and her kids were too, so we organize a "field trip" to the local dairy owned by friends.

Milking a cow :)

Ashely and Jason's wedding

I attending the ceremony and dinner with family
and then Ryan and the boys joined me for the dance.
Perfect plan...we had a blast!

August 2015

We met up with Jana & the kids, Bopa & Grandma,
and Kara & Erin in Story City for a ride on the carousel.
We also got some good park time and a picnic in.
So much fun!  (...even for Lane, who only wanted to
"ride the bench" both times on the carousel. :))

Jack has a kid cook book that I let him choose recipes from to make.
Not the typical summer cookie, but he chose gingerbread men, so that's what we made!

Jesse loves playing in his little house.

The big boys are getting a house of their own, which they are helping Ryan build...

Working on the loft...an exciting development!

Watching and learning

 The boys sometimes pretend to "snorkle-dive" (possibly a form of freediving...?).

Last night Ryan got out some real gear for them to try, which eventually got tested in the bathtub.

A friend and I switched kids a couple times in the last few weeks.  Two of hers are in middle school now, which comes in quite handy! :)  Her daughter entertained the kids for a LONG time with activities she brought, while her son was great, but not quite AS helpful (see middle window) :)

Little trouble maker!

This is how this guy rolls...as much food outside as inside the mouth!

July 2015

Another month in the life of the hooligans...

Jesse loves the bath...whether watching or participating

4th of July weekend in St. Louis...boating at John's,
baseball w/ Darren & Melissa, fireworks with
extended family.  Always fun to see everyone!

 Jesse Daniel

Jetpack-Jesse

Dad's doing :)

"Worker guys" in their safety glasses
(They might be welding...?)

Most people think these two look a lot alike.

This kid will find ANYTHING with a "ribbon"
so he can suck his thumb.  He took his jammie
shorts off this particular morning because he
knew there was a tag in the back.  Oh Baner!

Jesse on the other hand likes his cucumbers.
He usually sucks on them by the slice, but he was
quick to grab the whole thing when it was offered.
(Not posed :))

This little dude is on the move...

(Looks like Jesse was the star of July!)

VBS week

We had a BUSY week the last week of June, helping with both Lakeside's VBS and the VBS our youth put on for a Burmese church in Des Moines that we are involved with.  HUGE thanks to Grammi & Papa for coming to help with the boys so we could help with both.  Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures from Lakeside's VBS.  This was the first year Jack got to go and he LOVED it.  The kids did an awesome job putting on the VBS for the Burmese kids and I got to spend some good time with some of the women who came with their kids.  It was a great week...even if it did take me almost a whole 'nother week to recover! :)

The whole gang...Lakesiders and Chin together

This is my always happy and quick to laugh, friend Cing Cing and her son, David.

Both VBSs had a space theme.  The kids made jet packs,
which were adorable...especially on itty-bitty cuties like this one!

Ryan teaching

My friend Sui and I

And my sweet new friend Par Sui.  She was so ready to talk, which
was fun, as I haven't found that to be typical due to the language barrier.

JUNE 2015

Jack really got into picking...and eating...mulberries and black raspberries.

Sorting and sampling parade candy

 Jesse has been getting in on some of the big boy play lately, when his brothers request his presence.

Playing boat on the bed frame

I think this is another boat...

Trying to rack up those summer reading program minutes ;)

I was told at Jesse's last doctor's apt that we needed to do a "TP tube test" and put up anything that can fit through a TP tube because anything that can fit, Jesse could swallow.  This is a bit of a sassy thing to do, but I was curious as to what all could actually fit through the tube.  So here is a sampling of some of the toys that Jesse could swallow.  I do appreciate their concern for Jesse's safety.  I just think a little common sense mixed in with the "TP tube test" will save us having to put up half the boys' toys! :P

 John and the girls come for a visit... :D

WRESTLE TIIIIIIIME!!

Good thing I have nieces to do things like blind-folded make-up with!
(We won't tell who did whose make-up!)

 The girls paddle plenty on their lake, but hadn't been down a river before, so we found a sitter and took them down the Raccoon River.  It was great to be on a river again!

Swimming and skipping rocks on a sandbar

Their latest construction project out at "the dirt pile".
It's a house, complete with a chimney.

STOMP

I downloaded some pictures from our old camera, and for our own memories, have to include this one of Jack waiting for STOMP to start.  Ryan got Jack and I tickets to STOMP this winter.  What a date!  We both loved it and Jack was making music on all sorts of things for a long time afterwards!