A Few of our Favorite People

We love Todd and Christine and their family.  They are some very dear friends of ours who moved away last summer to go somewhere really far away and a lot hotter than it is here.  It's rare to find a couple that Greg and I are individually great friends with as well as couple-friends with (does that make sense??  I'm friends with Christine/Greg is friends with Todd, but we all like hanging out together).  We have missed them!  And their kids. 

While they were back in the area recently, our families got together for the day to have a picnic and see the zoo.  It was awesome in the shade.

These monkeys were checking out the flamingos.  Amanda, Trenton, Aaron, Owen & Sophie.

Waiting for the seal show--it was starting to feel warm.

Grabbing a drink after the new polar bear exhibit.  Sophie complained that it was "super boring hot"  that day.  And it was.

This picture with the giraffes is a family tradition.

That is Sophie's "super boring hot" face.

They must have been cooler by now.

Way cooler.

We visited the butterfly house.  It is Sophie's dream to have a butterfly land on her.  But you aren't allowed to grab them.  They can, however, land on you of their own accord.  She walked around with her finger out (to land on, of course!) the whole time.  And look...

...what...

...happened!  It was very exciting for all of us.

Owen wanted a piece of the action, but that butterfly would have none of it.

We finished up with ice cream at DQ to make up for the "super boring hot" and crazy-crowded zoo experience (on a Saturday... in July...what were we thinking??!!).

It was great to spend the day with you guys!  We love you!

Owen's Kid Party

We had a kid birthday party for Owen on his actual birthday.  The weather was beautiful, which is a good thing because the party was at our park!  I did not have a suitable back-up plan.  But things worked out.

Owen is still practicing "three."

Sophie and Owen helped fill up our water table while waiting for the kids to arrive.  They ran back and forth to the water fountain to fill up the buckets to fill up the table.  Owen's shorts were dripping before the first family go there.

Owen and Drew.  We had some playtime.

McKenzie--one of my very favorite babies.  She and I are working towards becoming friends.  I'm slowly wearing her down.

Sophie and Keira.

Caden, Owen, Lydia and Drew.  A huge semi came and unloaded a giant mountain of fresh woodchips while the kids looked on.  It was a boy's happy birthday wish come true!  The kids were so fascinated!

Then, when the coast was clear, they got to play on the mountain.  They were in kid heaven!  And covered head to toe in woodchip-debri.  But it was so worth it!

The party theme was Woody and Buzz from the Toy Story movie.  Inside, the cupcakes were blue (Owen specifically requested that).

Owen and Drew.  Singing "Happy Birthday."

And blowing out the candle.

Anna, Lauren, Owen, Drew & Sophie.

Matthew, Keira, Caden, Jack & Lydia.

The water table was fun!

Our neighbor "Mary with the Dogs" (that's what my kids call her because there's another neighbor Mary) even innocently got into the action while walking her dogs.  This is the first time in our several years as neighbors that I've ever seen those dogs be more frightened than the kids!

Present-opening was kind of (totally) chaos.  Owen got a lot of nice gifts--very boy-type gifts--that he is LOVING!

It was a super fun party on a beautiful day.  We had a great time playing with our friends and celebrating Owen's third birthday.  And then, to stay within the theme, we came home and made this for lunch...

What a perfect day!

4th of July

This year, we spent the 4th with my family.  While we were there, we celebrated July birthdays...my mom and Owen!  Owen has been requesting a Spiderman cake since Sophie's birthday (in February!), so I did my best to oblige.

We had a picnic outside, finished off with presents and cake.

He liked it!

It was blue inside.

Lots of Woody and Buzz stuff for this birthday.

Gerrit posed for his senior pictures.

Cassie gave Sophie a festive manicure--flag themed.

And the boys played with all of Owen's new cool stuff.

The kids and I, spur-of-the-moment, decided to stick around a little longer, so Cassie and Gerrit took Greg home.  On one of our extra days, we went to a nearby children's museum.  It was cool!  Sophie dressed up in multiple outfits.

There was a hospital area.

Sophie made sure Owen was healthy.

Then she changed outfits.

And Owen roasted (pretend) marshmallows over a (pretend) campfire.

Wardrobe change.  Love the shoes!

This place had it all.

Even fishing!  This was Owen's favorite.  They were catching (fake) real-looking fish wth magnetic fishing lures.

Another day, we headed back to the beach where we constructed a pretty fabulous sand castle, if I do say so myself.  We were the envy of the other toddlers.