Fun before Daddy leaves

So, Cole decided to get the kids a little something before he left to help them pass the time while he is gone.  I'm not sure who had more fun with the new purchases :)

Happy 4th of July

We had a GREAT forth of July!  We went to the movies and saw Despicable Me 2 and enjoyed some fireworks as we sat in a school parking lot.  It's fun to watch fireworks here because they are EVERYWHERE :)  The kids also insisted that we make a birthday cake if it was the USA's b-day...so we made a 4th of July funfetti red-white and blue cake (we also made red-white and blue funfetti pancakes with star sprinkles for breakfast!).  

 

Fishing with Daddy

Good old Manhattan Kansas is apparently a great place to fish.  We decided to take the kiddos last Saturday morning to check it out.  When we got there, Cole realized he didn't quite have the right equipment.  So he rigged up what he had, and threw it in the water to see if it would be sufficient...and low and behold he caught a fish is like 2 seconds....  WHAT?  We are not in New Mexico anymore :):)  

Allison's first catch!  She thought the fish were "so cute" and told them "Bye-bye fishy...have a good day..." when we released them.  She had to touch each one too.

 Our little lake

Brett's first catch

and ANOTHER catch.  Can you tell he's excited :)

Micro Soccer Time

Every summer Manhattan Parks and Recreation hosts a Micro Soccer Camp.  This year Allison was old enough to play.  Each team is a country, Allison was on team China!  She really loved it at first, then she started swimming lessons, and at age 4...decided that is all she wants to do.  Little does she know, she will be playing soccer for a while :)  

 

 

Our little trip :)

So one of my all time favorite places to visit is the good ol' home of Connie and Jack Leigh...aka Grandma and Grandpa.  I'm so blessed to call them that.  My kids are also hooked and didn't want to leave.  I can't blame them:)

 

Allison got car-sick in the curvy roads of Colorado....How lucky were we that we had to pull over at this spot?  Can you feel the Rocky Mountain air just looking at these pictures?  After this experience, Allison informed us any other time she got car sick that we needed to pull over by some water so she could get out and look because that is what you do when people get sick :)

 

Our trip to the Dolores River.  I've decided Cole and I are moving to Dolores Colorado when we are done with the army (don't know if anyone else agrees or not..but I don't care...hehehehe).  Our river trip was complete with good food (Grandma's turkey and home-made rolls), good company and unsuccessful fishing :)

 

  

Allison thought she was pretty cool digging her toes in the mud...did I mention the water was FREEZING?  the kids didn't care :)

 

 

 

Cole and I got a little excited about some glow sticks and glow glasses we found at Wal-Mart...so we bought them :)

 Brooke, Dylan, Allison and Brett are in this picture wearing the glasses

Aunt Dalena, Me and Grandma thought we needed to join in the festivities

We engaged in glow stick bowling, and my favorite: glow stick run-way in Grandma's hallway....notice the "planes" flying down the hall

 

 not so patiently waiting for waffles :)

After our trip to Grandma and Grandpa's...we headed to Albuquerque for Thomas and Ruthie's wedding.  I was fortunately able to spend some time with my good friend from college...Lisa....she is having a baby July 4th

Thomas and Ruthie's wedding was super fun.  These are the drinks the bartender made for Brett and Allison.... they thought they were big stuff :)

 We are gonna miss these two so much.  Just the other day, Allison asked if we could go out to a restaurant.  I told her not today.  And she said, but Ruthie and Thomas could come.  I had to remind her that they have moved to New Mexico.  Let's just say I had one unhappy little girl on my hands.  They have been SO good to our kids and we just love them!

Allison bravely jumping into the swimming pool, and Brett cautiously sitting on the steps :)  Swim lessons should be interested this year!