IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR!

 

The boys gladly picked out their own pumpkins and 

then 6 more for the rest of the family including our dog.

MISCELLANEOUS MOMENTS

After over a year of not being on a horse because of Covid and Jonah being sick, the boys are back in the saddle!

Tucker camped with us this weekend and loved it!

BACK AT THE RACES

After over 18 months of not being to see Stephen run in a race, we were back at a race today!  

NO MORE DORA THE EXPLORER

Way back in Fall 2015, Stephen bought my brother's Ford Explorer.  Since Stephen didn't have his license yet, Abigail got to drive it for the first few months. 

The kids nicknamed her "Dora the Explorer."  

The above photo is the kids on the first day of school in 2015.  

When Lydia got her driver's license, she bought Dora from Stephen.  The legacy continued....

 

But the photo above is from yesterday when we all said our goodbyes to faithful Dora.  

Her last drive will be to the junk yard.  

Funny how our dog Tucker is still facing backwards for the photo...

This is why Dora's time has come to an end.  She is almost rusting through on the bottom plus her brakes are almost non-existent.  Since the spring, Lydia has only been able to drive her around town, nothing over 25 mph.

Yesterday's family photo with Dora the Explorer

End of that adventure.  

New adventures start this week: 

Abigail headed back Sunday to Minnesota for her job, Stephen returns to school in Minnesota on Wednesday, Ben and Jonah start middle school on Wednesday, and we bring Lydia for her 1st year at UW LaCrosse on Friday.  

Oh where did all the years go...?

MORE CRAZY THAN LAZY!

 

Coming home from our all-family 4 night camping trip, we had a week to regroup, and then Andrew and I took the little boys on a 3 night camping trip.  Then from there sending Stephen off on a 8 day trip to Colorado with college friends, starting to get Lydia ready to bring to college, continuing to work with the boys on their bike-riding skills, preparing for another 4 night camping trip this week, and just all around trying to do as many summer things as we can before school starts for the boys on 9-1.  

All this activity means we are definitely having a more crazy (but fun) than lazy end to our summer! 

Peninsula State Park- Beautiful and so much to do!

Boys biked with us for 5.5 miles.  They did great! 

Best bonding experience with Ben.  He's been very cuddly and sweet to me since our 2 hour bike ride together...hmmm?

1st time mini-golfing for the boys.  Ben was super-competitive, aka cheating the whole way thru.    

Jonah was very distracted by all the sights and sounds.

Kid in a candy store- for the 1st time in his life.  Ben thought he was in heaven!

Jonah, not the candy lover, appreciated the stuffed animals and toys also for sale in the shop.

This week, Ben after a busy day of physical and speech therapy appointments,  

takes a snooze on the way home.  

How he can sleep sitting like a pretzel is beyond me!

FAMILY CAMPING VACATION

These 3 words have the potential to cause total chaos and disaster within the family unit.  But we are braving the odds this week and attempting all 7 of us camping for 4 nights.  So far so good..and lots of fun!

RANDOM

Summer fun!

Camping at Harrington Beach 

Surprise 50th Birthday party for Andrew

Another movie in the making by Stephen and his sidekicks

Family wedding- Jonah takes over the dance floor!

OUR OWN AIRBUD

 

The boys new favorite movie is an old favorite when Stephen was little: AIRBUD!  

Little did they know our own Tucker is a bit of an Airbud too!

Beach day yesterday to beat the heat!

HEAVY HITTERS

 

Miracle Baseball is back after a 1 year hiatus due toCovid.  The boys are now considered heavy hitters.  This means when they are up to bat, the buddies have to protect their players in the outfielder so they don’t get hit.  This means our boys are hitting farther and harder than ever before!

MI SS ISS I PPI

 

Camping at Wyalusing State Park 

near Prairie Du Chen, WI- where the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers meet.

Beautiful and great hiking by the little boys!