Camping

We went camping this past weekend.  For those keeping track this was our second camping trip for the summer.  This was near the spot Josh used to camp as a child with his family.


I have to admit I did beg ask to check into a hotel after our tent flooded in a torrential downpour that lasted about 6 hours Friday night!  Everything dried out the next day and Saturday night we slept great!  



It was an eventful weekend.  I am lucky to be a part of a handy family.  A fuel pump broke on one of the vehicles at camp.  The guys pitched in to pull the gas tank and change the fuel pump.  I make it sound easy, but it didn't look simple or easy at all.


On Saturday we ended up at the Buckley Tractor Show.  It was a huge event.  We rode a steam train and saw some really old tractors.






There were lots of little trails to ride motorcycles on and the kids rode a lot!  I even got to try my hand at learning how to ride while shifting with a clutch.  It was a lot of fun.  I might have to break down and buy myself a bike.


We also went swimming in a little creek by the camping spot, climbed some trees, ate some smores, and had a great time overall.

The family was great for letting me take pictures all weekend long without telling me to stop or making faces like this (except for Audrey):

Sewing & Swimming

I've been doing some sewing on the down low.  My new neighbors across the street are super.  We like them a lot.  They have the two cutest little girls.  The oldest has a birthday next week and the Mom said they were throwing her a Fancy Nancy party.  We were invited, but can't attend.  I sewed up two twirly skirts for the girls.  The Mom tried to hide them, but the girls found them.  They came to show them to me before they headed off to church.  The birthday girl loves to TWIRL!  The skirt needed the "twirl-ability" factor.  They loved the skirts!  I loved that they loved them.

Aren't they the cutest?


We went to the water park today.  Audrey liked the big water slide until the inner tube flipped her on her exit of the slide.  She struggled a bit to get her head above water.  She sobbed, "I almost drowned!" after I fished her out of the pool.  She vowed never to go down the slide again because she can't swim.  I love that drama queen of a daughter I have.  Hudson continued down the slide with his buddy while Audrey just watched.



We have a big weekend planned so expect some fun pictures next week!

Construction

Hudson has a set of Zoobs that are similar to a construction type toy. It came with detailed instructions on how to build many different vehicles. Hudson wanted me to take a picture of his latest creation which he didn't use the instructions for. He wanted to post the picture on our blog for his Grandpas (Grandpa Eugene & Grandpa B) to see. So here you go Grandpas!



We had an egress window installed in the basement. Josh and I were planning on installing it ourselves. We knew we would have to dig down to the drain tile, 8 feet down. We started digging and realized that we didn't want to spend our summer burrowing through 8 feet of clay.  I had a crew come in and do the dirty work for me.  They were fast AND they entertained the kids!


My Mom and Aunt came into town this past week. We hosted a small dinner party. Hudson and Audrey were very helpful when setting the table. Hudson wrote out the place cards and Audrey drew pictures on them. It wasn't until right before everyone arrived that I realized Hudson had enhanced his card! Right now in our home I hear "boys rule" a lot. I'm sure I'll be hearing that a lot more.


Josh and Hudson went up north to ride their dirt bikes.  Audrey had a birthday party today so Marshall, Audrey, and I stayed here at home.  We love to eat popcorn and watch movies when we have a "girls + baby night".

Little Things are New Here

Nothing HUGE is new here...just little things such as:

Josh's sister, Jill, had her baby last week. She had a big baby boy, Levi. He weighed 9 lbs 3 oz! So he was a few ounces bigger than Audrey and a few ounces smaller than Marshall. He is adorable and if you are her friend on FB then you've seen some really cute pictures so far. They are supposed to make a trip out here in Sept or October so we can throw her a baby shower in Coleman. So I'll post lots of pictures of our new nephew/cousin Levi then!!

Josh's birthday was last week.  We made cupcakes.  They were supposed to be really cool, but I realized I am not good at decorating cupcakes.  We settled for just sprinkling M&Ms on them and calling it a day.  This was Audrey's first turn at the mixer by herself.  She was a pro and kept the beaters in the bowl while they were on.  No splattering of the cake mix on the walls!



Hudson's last baseball game was last week. He had a great time this season. If he wants to play next year then he'll play machine pitch.


There is a water park here in town. The kids love it and we've visited two times this summer. I wish it opened earlier in the morning, but it opens at 11:00 am. We pack our lunches and head over there when the gates open. The first time we came to the park Marshall wouldn't nap and we had to leave around 2:30 because he was losing his MIND! So we packed up our stuff and we weren't even out of the parking lot by the time Marshall fell asleep. I formulated a different plan in my mind for our visit last week. I vowed that my "baby" would take a nap at the water park so the older two could swim a little longer. I walked Marshall around in his stroller while he cuddled with his blanket. Sure he only slept for an hour, sure he sweat THROUGH his stroller, sure he was in a sore mood when he woke up, but we got to stay a few extra hours!


We have a new friend visiting our backyard. I saw a small tear in one chair cushion. I thought it was made by a raccoon that smelled something that spilled on the cushion. Josh called me outside and I found this:


Mind you that Audrey was in the sandbox right next to this chair and Hudson was sitting beside this chair.  The squirrel could have cared less as long as he got his cushion filling. It must be like crack to that guy because nothing scared him away. Even my ferocious dog in the window didn't chase him out of the chair!  I've hidden my other cushions away and I think Mr. Squirrel has finished padding his nest with his cushion stuffing because I haven't seen him back lately.


Not much is happening this week or next, but I'm sure I'll find something to blog about. Don't I always? Aren't you glad?

Baseball, Coleman, and Troy

So, Hudson is playing baseball.  He loves it.  This Wednesday is his last game.  Audrey and Marshall just wander around or take a rest in the stroller while Hudson plays.




We went up to Coleman a few weeks ago.  Jeremy & his brood came up with their motorcycle.  Everyone had a good time swimming in Jean & Ted's pond and riding in their backyard!  Hudson has started to shift the bike into second gear.  He goes way too fast for my taste!


Whenever Marshall sees me pull out the camera he tries to look into the lens.  The pictures come out so cute!

Jean took Marshall and Audrey out for a ride on their mule. She let Marshall steer. Luckily she grabbed ahold of the wheel as Audrey stomped on the gas! I didn't get a picture of that.



Marshall's hair is starting to get a little longer and getting a little curly. Here is a pic that his hair when it was all spiky from his dinner being rubbed in it. My Dad & Stepmom came for a visit. We had such a great time. I didn't get a lot of pictures as evident from the only pic of them posted below.


No pictures or events are in the hopper so I'll just post next time I have something fun to share.