Fun on the Mississippi!

What a fun river day! It was a combination of good weather, light river traffic, and good company which made our Mississippi River day perfect. Thanks again to Grandpa Mark and Grandma Bonnie for making the effort to trailer their boat to Winona to meet our family...

And, it was a special "bonus" to have Grandma Clare (G.G.) join us!...

Heading into our chosen sandbar for the day - "Mosquito island" - not named for its infestation of mosquitos (thankfully), but rather, just an oddly named sandbar for whatever reason. We did have a horrible time with the flies on this sandbar however...the only negative thing I can recall from the day.

Enjoying a picnic lunch...

Tubing Mission: Mississippi River (should you choose to accept it) - "hold on tightly, and don't fall off!" Thanks to Grandpa Mark's expert boat driving skills, this mission was completed. Way to go, Jackson, Jessica, and Dad --especially Jess for this being her very first tubing experience!

Look at this big girl! Lia got pretty brave out in that water, wanting to play and splash around in the water independently...up to her waist anyway.

I'd like to add a few pictures of our old boat house (which I took today during our short boat cruise down memory lane) This was built by Grandpa Mark, and is part of some fond childhood memories I have of the river...

Treats! Treats for sale! 50 cents a treat.

We payed $10 at a rummage sale for an aleady made lemonade stand structure. Took it home, painted it, made a couple of signs, spent a few hours baking bars and cookies in the kitchen, borrowed a shade umbrella from a friend, and Voila!!

And, due to a conversation we had with our 4-yr-old and 6-yr-old about the flood damage to the city of Duluth, MN --specifically, the flood damage to the Duluth Zoo and its animals-- it was decided to donate the money raised from the kids' treat stand to the Duluth Zoo. We wrote this on the bottom of our sign. The kids ended up raising $50 for the zoo! Almost impossible to say "no" to those adorable faces...

The before picture...

The kids painting their treat stand:

Great learning experience, and fun too! Way to go kids!

Happy 4th of July, 2012!

One of the most memorable occurences from this 4th of July holiday was the HEAT! We knew it was going to be a hot one when there was a heat warning issued for our area by 9:00a.m.. The peak air temperature was recorded at 103 Farenheit, with the heat index reaching as high as 114 degrees! Fortunately, the kids and Jason and I were able to do a lot of swimming! We spent a few hours swimming in our neighbors' pool during the day, and then again at grandma Barb's and grandpa Terry's pool for a family swim later in the afternoon. Then, Jackson ended up spending the night at grandma's and grandpa's house with cousin, Logan. Jessica was upset about this arrangement (she wanted to stay with Jackson and Logan too, instead of going home), but, she found some comfort when we got home and pulled out the ponies, littlest pet shop animals, and castles to play with. Jessica, Lia, Jason, and I spent 45 minutes of uninterrupted "girl play time" on our living room floor. Jessica had her ponies and littlest pet shop animals going to Jellystone (located on our couch), playing mini golf (on our area rug with foam blocks as the obstacles), and seeking shelter from "the tornado" - a.k.a. sister, Lia! hahaha! We sure do love your creative play, Jess! After getting into our PJs, We turned on the Macy's Fireworks Spectacular show on NBC. Jason and I aren't sure which was more entertaining, the fireworks on TV or watching Jessica and Lia dance to the music. Very funny! It was a little bittersweet; however, not having Jackson with us to enjoy the TV fireworks show was a little sad. Come to find out the next morning our lucky little guy was able to go to the REAL fireworks show down at Riverside Park! Jackson says he had so much fun watching the fireworks from the big blue bridge. The fireworks gang included: Grandma Barb, Grandpa Terry, Uncle Ryan, Uncle Zach, Logan, and Jackson. The six of them were able to park their vehicles and walk up the sidewalk on the La Crosse bridge for a better view. Sure sounds like a fun time. We're happy Jackson was able to enjoy the show "like a big kid" as he puts it. Happy 236th birthday America!!

June 2012

Summer vacation definitely started off with a bang at our house. Our days have been filled with outdoor fun, outings with family and friends, and household projects. Busy?--yes. Few skinned knees?--yes. And, a few sibling rivalries?--you bet. However, the first month of our family summer vacation, as a whole, has been wonderful. It was the new "summer schedule" (or lack there of) that left Jason and I feeling a little overwhelmed at first. But, once we were able to get organinzed with our calendar of scheduled summer events, and once we managed to get a "normal routine" in place for the kids, Jason and I feel like we can breathe a little bit easier! Even so, it has been difficult for me to find the time to blog; so, I've decided to post a summary of important June events: * First note-worthy event for the month of June--My daycare 2011-12 ended on a good note; we had a fun water day on June 6!

Here are the two "busy bees" at work during our water day at daycare...

* Second important event--Lia made an effortless transition from her crib to her big-girl bed. On June 11th, Jason and I decided to switch the kids' bedrooms around. Jessica and Lia now share, and Jackson has his own room.

Other "blog-worthy" important events for the month of June: *Jackson completed his first year of school with an excellent report card, several new friends, and a DVD filled with picture memories of his kindergarten year in school. Last day was June 5, 2012. * Jason completed his 9th year of teaching in West Salem. Two major changes underway for the 2012-13 school year - 1) Technology upgrade for all students to receive individual iPads, and faculty to receive apple TVs; and 2) Block scheduling - lengthening class periods from 41 mins to 85 mins. * We went to the Minnesota Zoo, which happened to be all of our kids first zoo experience...and they loved it! Komo zoo and Madison zoo are now on our "list of places to go this summer." * Our family celebrated three family members birthdays in the month of June: Uncle Ryan, Grandma Barb, and Grandpa Mark. Happy birthday! * Jason and I chose to do some re-decorating in our living room space--hung new curtains, new wall decor, new lamps, etc. * Jackson practiced his swimming skills in Grandma Barb's and Grandpa Terry's pool, and in a friends' pool. He is now able to swim independently across the length of a 20-foot pool, without any flotation devices! Way to go Jackson! All your practice is paying off. And, he is now able to retrieve diving toys from tbe bottom of the pool, and swim a short distance underwater as well. * Jessica has been practicing her swimming skills this summer too. She feels more comfortable wearing a life jacket, and with her life jacket on, she is able to swim independently across the length of a 20-foot pool. Jessica is also able to independently jump into the pool, and slide down a slide into deep water, while wearing her life jacket. This is big progress for her, considering she wouldn't set foot in the pool at the YMCA for her swim lessons last summer. We ended up taking a "credit" for our money loss in hopes we'd be able to sign her up for a free class this summer. Although we have not done that, we are very happy with the progress she is making on her own. Good job Jess! * And, our always-cautious-highly-reserved-Lia almost made it through the entire month of June without so much as setting foot in a pool! It wasn't until the final few days of the June she worked up enough courage to sit on the side of the pool and stick her feet in the water. Lia just began to feel comfortable being in the pool with an adult. Stay tuned for July's update...there's no stopping her now! I have a feeling she's going to surprise us all with her water skills next month! * On a more serious note, Jason's Aunt Rose passed away this month, after battling cancer for almost a year. It was our kids' first real-life experience with death. We went to the visitation and funeral services, which were both lovely celebrations of Rose's life. Jackson and Jessica blew kisses to her body, and they seem to have an understanding Rose is now up in heaven. Rest in peace, Aunt Rose. We will continue to speak to you in our prayers at night. * And finally, we decided to have a rummage sale on June 29th and 30th; stories and pictures to follow...