This is What Summer is All About

We had the best summer vacation week ever! Thanks mom and dad! There are LOTS of pictures, so proceed with caution. :)

Monday:

I bought kites for the kids a while ago, but forgot about them. We finally remembered to pull them out on Monday. Kevin and Jenna had a great time with them. Jared couldn't really figure it out.

Kevin with his kite

Jenna with her kite


My mom bought a kiddie pool for the kids to swim in. They loved it, even though the water was freezing!




Tuesday:

I decided to try a new hair style for Kevin. We both really liked the way it turned out.

For dessert the kids had ice cream Sundaes. This is how Jared finished his off. I think he liked it. :)


Wednesday:

We ran errands on Wednesday and went to the library and the park. No pictures of any of that.

Thursday:

I finally made it to Boston! I have been trying to go there since high school. My mom and I took the kids to the Aquarium. We took the subway in, so we wouldn't have to drive through Boston. The aquarium was awesome! They have this huge ocean tank in the middle of aquarium that is 4 stories high. There are other smaller tanks and exhibits on the sides. The aquarium sits right on the harbor. It was beautiful and we got to walk outside and eat lunch overlooking the harbor. The kids had a great time. When we asked them what their favorite part was, they all said the subway. Should have known. :)

Jared and Kevin watching the penguins. They were warm water penguins. Jared loved them. They were very loud.

Kevin, Jared, and Jenna looking at a fish in the huge tank

A Shark in the huge tank

A huge sea turtle in the huge tank - that was my favorite part

Kevin, Jenna, Jared and Mom on the dock outside the museum

Jenna, Jared and Kevin

Kevin and Jenna watching the large boats turn around

Jared, Jenna and Kevin looking at the boats in the harbor

Jared, Kevin and Jenna eating lunch in the harbor


Friday:

Friday night Derek and I took the kids to the Children's Museum in Boston. Every Friday Target sponsors a $1 night. We were able to take all of us for $5 as opposed to $53 which is what regular admission would have cost. Everyone had a great time. At the end the kids kept saying they wished the museum was their house because then they could play there all the time.

The bubble room:
Derek showing Jared a bubble

Jenna attempting to encase herself in a bubble. Unfortunately it popped.

Kevin's bubble.


Peeps Room:
Jared thought this bird was awesome!



Energy section:
Kevin pulling himself up. He made it almost all the way up. I was impressed.

Jenna pulling herself up. OK, that is a bit of an exaggeration. I pulled her up. :)

Kevin on a "bike" that you peddle with your arms. It makes some lights light up.


Climbing Structure:
This is the first thing you see when you go in the museum. It is a really cool climbing structure. The kids start on the main level and climb to the third level.

Kevin on climbing structure. He made it to the top on the first try.

Jenna and Kevin on climbing structure. Kevin agreed to take Jenna with him the second time, and show her how to get to the top. He is a good big brother.


The Building Room:
Kevin on the bobcat.

Jared on the bobcat. He was in heaven. :)

Jenna on the bobcat


Outside:
This is the view as we exited the museum. It wasn't as dark as the first picture makes it appear. It was more like the second picture. Boston is a beautiful city. I love all the water.



Saturday:

Kevin got to go to a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's. Jenna was green with envy. No pictures of the party or a green Jenna. :)

Sunday:

Derek was trying to get Jared dressed. Instead he found him in his room with the stool flipped upside down and Jared sitting in it. Derek asked him what he was doing. Jared said he was in his boat. He sure is creative. :)

Jared's boat

Youth Conference and Tall Ships

I am really late posting yet again. I feel like the traveling queen lately (and I am not done yet). This past week I went back to Virginia for youth conference. Youth conference was a two and a half day conference for the 14-18 year old boys and girls from our church. Being that I am in charge of the girl youth, I went as their leader. I left on Wednesday of last week and drove 11 hours to Virginia. Youth Conference went from Thursday morning until Saturday afternoon. I had a really good time. We went on a few different hikes, cleared a trail as a service project, did a high ropes course, built a "boat" (it floated and carried us across a pond and back), had some free time, two dances and performed skits. The youth seemed to have a pretty good time too. My children stayed in New Hampshire with my mom. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Derek would come home from his internship in the evenings and help. He was also home on Saturday and Sunday. They all survived me being gone, and we were happy to be reunited on Sunday night. I have no pictures from youth conference, which is too bad because we stayed at a boarding school (out for the summer) that has a beautiful campus.

These are pictures of the kids eating dinner one night while I was gone. They are a bit dirty as they had been helping grandma out in the garden.

Jared loves to strip down to a diaper

Kevin really does love salad, which we think is great.

Classic Jenna. She can be a very moody girl. I can't wait until she is a teenager. (Yes, I am being sarcastic).


While I was gone, Derek took the kids to see the "Tall Ships." That is the name of the exhibit in Boston (I believe they are gone now). It had a few big ships in it that had been used in wars. The main ship I saw info on was the U.S.S. Cassin Young. The kids had a really good time. Unfortunately Derek forgot the camera. He took some pictures with his cell phone, but they are not very good.

These are the pictures from the "Tall Ships"







In other very exciting news: Kevin has his first loose tooth!!! He is very excited. I am actually surprised it hasn't fallen out yet. He knows all about the tooth fairy, so he is very anxious for the tooth to fall out. :)

The 4th of July

We had a great 4th of July. Kevin and Jenna had stayed in Ohio with Grandma and Grandpa all week, and had the time of their life. Thank you mom and dad!!! Derek, Jared and I drove back to Ohio for the weekend of the 4th. We had a blast. I remember many 4th of July's at the lake growing up. We always had a bonfire and fireworks. Usually my uncle would shoot the fireworks from the end of the dock. This year someone from the association did them from his boat in the middle of the lake. They were pretty impressive. The kids loved them, even Jared who is usually afraid of all loud noises. :) Thank you to everyone for having us, and making this such a great weekend!

Below is how we spent our weekend. I hope yours was as enjoyable as ours.

Jared helping me clean so we could go back to the Lake

Jared playing with an old VW Bus. This belonged to my uncle when he was about Jared's age. All of the kids loved playing with it. An oldie but goody. :)

My aunt braided Jenna's hair and I thought she looked so cute when it was done.

Jenna buried in the sand. The kids had a great time playing in the sand.

Kevin playing in the water. I love this picture!

The Lake at Sunset. It is so peaceful there.

The boat decorated for the 4th. There was a boat parade at 2:00p that day. Unfortunately we thought it was at 3p and missed it. Most of the kids were still napping. Oops!

Enjoying the festivities

Kevin and Jared

Kevin with a sparkler. When I first saw the pile of sparklers I thought there would be a bunch left over. Boy was I wrong. The kids blew through them.

Kevin with a burnt out sparkler

Mom and Jenna with sparklers

Kevin enjoying the bonfire

Kevin roasting marshmallows so that he can make a s'more

Me roasting marshmallows so Jenna and Jared could have s'mores (I don't care for s'mores). Not the most flattering picture. :)

Jenna enjoying her s'more


Jenna and Kevin watching the fireworks

The fireworks. I thought Derek did a good job taking these pictures.

Jenna and Kevin watching the fireworks