What a week!!

Ben is on "Block Leave" for two weeks and we are soaking up the time as best we can.  It's been a very busy week so the time has gone so fast.  Here's hoping that this next week slows down a bit!!

I decided to purchase a pool from a friend who's 2 boys have outgrown it's use.  It's harder to store than an inflatable but it's SO much tougher and seems to be a lot of fun for the boys.  I love that it came with a slide and is easy to drain, no lifting it full of water!  The boys squealed with delight when Ben unloaded it from the truck and washed it up. Lea, the neighbor girl, came over to see what the excitement was all about. They had asked to swim in it every day last week.

It seemed we had a lot of doctors appointments for every one last week that took up a lot of precious time but Ben and I were able to fit in a Tuesday night date where we enjoyed a nice dinner without the boys and a trip to Home Depot.  Ben spent Wednesday building us a small deck off the back of the house (I am sure it's against the "rules" but oh well, we love it!).  I'll post pictures next time I post.

After all that, we met some friends near Helen, GA for a weekend of camping in the Georgia Mountains.

We went tubing down the Chattahoochee River on Saturday.  It was a little longer than a 2 hour trip and we all had a great time.  Brent especially enjoyed the little bit of rapids we encountered.

Ben picked out a great campground where we spent a lot of time at the playground and even got in 9 holes of minigolf.  Ben was the coolest dad at the campground when he pushed the Merry Go Round faster than any big kid there.  All the kids kept asking him to PLEASE do it again.  Brent loved it.  Brody tolerated it.

Sunday we spent some time in Helen.  Helen is an old town that was recreated in the 60's to resemble an Alpine Village with many German influences.  We spent some time at a Model Railroad shop where the boys were so happy.  They talked about it all afternoon and begged to go back.

Per the recommendation of the Model Train owner, we ate lunch at Hofer's German Bakery & Cafe.  Ben & Mike took part in a German beer before we headed out on the town for the afternoon.

It was nearly 100 degrees this afternoon so when the rain began to fall, the boys were ecstatic to get wet.  They had so much fun that they slept nearly the entire ride home!

We enjoyed our weekend so much that we are already planning our camping escape for next weekend!





Two!!

Today Brody turned 2.  When he woke up this morning, he came into our room and we said "Happy Birthday Brody!!"  He said "it not my birthday."  When I said yes it was, his reply was "at the party my birthday."  Guess it's not official until the party.

We had a really nice get together at the Bunn's, a neighbor of the Walker's.  They were kind enough to let us host a pool party at their place.  We ate brats & hotdogs and spent a lot of time cooling off in the pool.  It was a great afternoon.  While most recent days Brody insisted on a Spiderman or Tinkerbell party, we settled on Cars instead.



Brody was wiped out by the end of the afternoon and was asleep within minutes of getting into the car.  Must have been a good time :o)

20 Down, 19 to Go!

I had my 20 week ultrasound yesterday.  Ben is out of town so I had my Aunt Carol and Chelsea join me.  It's nice to have someone share the experience.  Baby looks good but was extremely uncooperative.  The technician said every time she went to take a picture, a leg, hand or foot would end up in front.  While everything looked as it should, I have to go back in a month for another look and was told to "bring a cooperative baby next time." 

I've never had a 3D Ultrasound before so I was excited when there were a few minutes of this.  From what I could see, the baby's face looks like Brody so far.  Chelsea swears it's a girl but that may be just wishful thinking on her part :o)  I didn't see anything that would tell us one way or the other but the technician said that she knew.  It's so fun walking away guessing.

While these aren't the best pictures, I thought I would share them anyhow.

Time in Wisconsin

Father's Day 2011

Ben went fishing for the morning of Father's Day.  It was a much deserved break away from work and family duties for a few hours.  Once he got home, the boys were so excited to give him their cards that they opened them before he could even get through the door.

The morning after Father's Day, the boys and I headed to Wisconsin for a couple of weeks because Ben was due to be putting in a lot of hours at work until the 4th of July weekend.  It was so nice to spend some time with the cousins and the rest of the family... in cooler weather I must add!!

The boys loved going out on "Grandpa's Boat" and frequently ask to go back for more.

We were able to join the Johnson's at the Antioch Firehouse Pancake Breakfast.  The boys had so much fun climbing on all the trucks.

After going to see Cars 2 with Grandpa & GrandpaGrandpa, the Jones' boys were finally able to try out Grandpa's sandbox for themselves.

With all the Cars 2 excitement, Brent was thrilled to see "Doc" at Gurnee Mills.

More time with the cousins at Aunt Irm's and GrandpaGrandpa's house.

Ben was able to join us for the 4th of July weekend where we were able to get in a full day of boating with the Strub's, Johnson's and Grandma & Grandpa.

It was a nice visit and we look forward to getting back in time for the Kenosha County Fair for some more Cousin Time.