Another week of fun...

The kids took turns spending the night with Grandma Elaine last week...both of them on Monday, Nick on Tuesday and Gabby on Wednesday...making our week without Chad a little easier for me! They both enjoyed their alone time with Grandma and Grandpa and had fun running errands, pruning bushes, making homemade doggie treats, visiting the neighborhood donkey and dogs and splashing in the wading pool. They visited again Thursday evening while I got my haircut. Afterwards, we took Grandma to visit our puppies.

Friday morning we had a play date at the park with our friends from the Twins Club.

The kids then spent Saturday night at the Farm with the Farm Grandma and Grampa so Chad and I could go to a Summer Soltice party that evening. The Farm Grandma and Grampa are busy acid staining the concrete floors in their house and have a little 'studio apartment' set up in their family room. The kids loved the 'fun' of all this! They loved camping out in the family room and even took to using the porta potty outside! I don't think they wanted to come home.

When we arrived at the farm to pick them up, poor Chad was greeted with a whiney "We don't want to leave!" instead of a cheerful "Happy Father's Day!"

Here are a few photos from our week...

Gabby feeds Lucky homemade doggie treats!

Gabby and her friend Cheyenne at our play date.

Cheyenne, Gabby and Nick enjoy a picnic.

Nick too these photos of me and Gabby.

Puppies, Sprinklers, Eating and Dancing

Chad's been out of town Monday - Thursday all month so we're having some weird weeks. Last weekend, we had a garage sale Friday and Saturday. We did really well and got rid of a lot of stuff! Yay!The kids entertained themselves during the garage sale by building a little fort out of old crib rails and covering it with blankets. They also stuffed it full of blankets, pillows and toys.

Chad also managed to find some time on Saturday and Sunday to mow the lawn and finish the fence out back. The fence is now finished...we just have to level the ground in the newly fenced area and figure out what the heck we're gonna do as far as landscaping! We're thinking of putting in a little slate or brick patio with a fire pit.

We went to visit our puppies again Sunday evening. They are getting bigger every week and are so cute and fun! The kids just love them.

Lucky & Bingo

Nick and Gabby (holding Lucky & Bingo) with Michael (holding Spunky, the mommy beagle)

Our weather has been back and forth lately...we'll get a few nice warm and even hot days...and then a few overcast days with scattered rain showers. The kids have been beating the heat on the hot days with the sprinkler. They love running in the sprinkles and playing with the hose. Nick likes to get his entire face and head wet and Gabby likes to have the sprinkler on low and daintily hop through it, getting just her legs wet. We haven't filled our pool yet, but they have been using the pool at Grandma Elaine's house.

(below) She's watching carefully to make sure Nick isn't going to POUNCE on the sprinkler ring as soon as she runs up, causing the water to jump up into her face...

Here are a few photos from last weekend's visit to ArtFest. The kids had fun working on crafts and eating and dancing to the music.

MMMMM....ice cream. Gabby chose vanilla...Nick chose Huckleberry.

Learning to use Chopsticks...Gabby thinks she's "really good at it"

Fish prints...you paint a dead fish and then press your paper over it. They had cute little ocopusses too...but Gabby wanted a fish.

Wood sculptures

Sand Candles

Painting

Dancing to the Bluegrass!

Long weekend!

We had a nice long weekend filled with fun activities! We all went to ArtFest friday and enjoyed looking at all the art, visiting with artists (including my high school art teacher), eating yummy food (huckleberry ice cream, soba noodles, sweet & sour chicken with rice, and funnel cake!) and playing on the playground (the kiddos played with Dad while Mommy enjoyed the art at a more leisurely pace than the children allow!) Mommy worked at an auction on Saturday while Nick and Gabby and Daddy went to the Cow Plop (a fundraiser for the school behind us...they make a grid on the play field and a local farmer brings in a pair of cows...people buy the squares in the grid and if the cow 'plops' on your square you win $...they also have carnival games for the kids - Nick and Gabby each won a goldfish!- pizza from David's pizza, ice cream, a beer garden, music and more) Chad played soccer Sunday morning and then it was back to ArtFest where the kids got to partake in the kids art activities (we missed them on Friday) They made fish prints, painted, made wood sculptures and created sand candles. We also listened to some music and watched Gabby dance on the grass. I think the highlight of the weekend for the kids was a visit with our puppies. They will be home in a few weeks (we'll take them home when we get back from our vacation at the beginning of July) They have grown so much in the last few weeks and were full of fun and mischief.

The kids had a blast...and I think Bingo and Lucky did too!

Gabby holds Bingo...look at those cute speckles on his tummy!

Lucky...he's a mellow little pup! (maybe he and Nick will balance each other out!)

Bingo dozes in Gabby's arms

from left: Bingo, Lucky and sibling tussle with their toy

Gabby and her Bingo

Lucky sniffs around

I think she's in love.

Gabby runs to join in the fun with Bingo

A boy and his dog

Bingo

tails a'waggin!

Fish Story

Chad went to cousin Spencer's bachelor party the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. They were camping at Lake Roosevelt, so he was gone the entire day and then spent the night. So, the kids and I went fishing with my dad. It was their first time fishing and they had a blast. We rented a little boat and spent the entire day fishing...with a little break for a ride around the lake and then about an hour of swimming and playing on the beach. We went home with 14 fish. I threw almost all of mine back, but we kept almost every one the kids caught.

They were so proud of themselves!