A Slip-n-Slide Kind of Night

It has been HOT HOT HOT here in KC, so last night after dinner we headed out back where it is shady and set up the slip and slide.  The boys had a blast while Brian and I enjoyed a cold beverage on the patio and watched them be silly together.  It was the perfect night.  :)

Trucks Galore!

On Sunday we took the boys to "Touch a Truck" - an event at the Overland Park Convention Center where they have all kinds of big trucks, tractors and diggers the kids can look at and get in.  Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Kevin, Uncle Brad and Aunt Rachel all met us there to play with the boys!  Afterwards we all had lunch before Grandma and Grandpa headed back home.  It was a little boy's heaven - Jack loved the fire truck with the big ladder and Drew's favorite was the huge excavator!

Riding the little train

Playing in the corn!

My little trash men!

Did you know excavators have horns??  Oh yes, Jack found it right away.  :)

Happy Birthday, Great Grandpa!

Saturday was Great Grandpa Spotts' 86th Birthday!  We celebrated with dinner and birthday cake at Uncle David's house.  The boys and I made Great Grandpa a concrete stone with their footprints in it to put in the rocks by his patio.  He loved it!  (Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for helping us make it!!)  Great Grandpa is very special to us - the boys love playing at his house and he gets the biggest kick out of just watching them!  He has called them "million dollar babies" since before they were born.  :)  We love you, Great-Grandpa Spotts - Happy Birthday!!

Fun with Grandma and Grandpa!

Grandma and Grandpa came up last week to spend a few days with us!  The boys were very excited to have them here and kept them very busy playing trucks and tractors.  :)  On Thursday we headed out to Worlds of Fun with them - it was a hot one, but the boys both loved riding the rides with Grandma and Grandpa!  At times they were even fighting over who got to ride with who.  Daddy took the morning off work and went with us, and then we stayed for awhile after lunch when he went back to work.  We also watched the Peanuts Gang do their show in Planet Snoopy - Jack loved the characters and went up to have his picture taken with each one!  Thanks for a fun day, Grandma and Grandpa!

Notice Drew with his face buried in Daddy's shoulder!

Jack was pointing to us all each time he went around on the horse!

Hugging Snoopy!

Lucy

Linus

Charlie Brown

Swimming Lessons

Drew has been taking swimming lessons the last few weeks at Liberty Commnity Center.  He has been doing great - especially with putting his face in the water, which he does not like to do.  They have practiced with the kickboards going back and forth across the pool, kicking and putting their face in every few seconds, and also floating on their backs.  They also get to jump off the diving board and go down the slide at the end of the lesson.  Drew hasn't gotten up the courage to do that yet, though - he says he will on the last day next week.  :)  We will see.......

Fun at the Lake!

We spent last weekend at the lake with Mimi and Papa.  The boys love swimming in the pool and riding in the boat!  We hit two huge milestones with Drew this time - swimming across the pool without any floaties and getting in the lake!!  He has been adamant up until now that he will NOT get in the lake to swim or even float on a raft.  We tried talking him into it last time but he wouldn't do it.  This time he started out the same way, and just stood on the dock for the longest time while Brian, Papa and I were in the lake trying to coax him in!  It took forever, but finally, slowly but surely, he stepped down the ladder - then back up the ladder, then back down the ladder, then back up - but eventually he got all the way in and stayed in!  He didn't like it much the first day, but Papa had promised him they would ride go-karts if he got in, so we went to do that!  The next day he said he didn't want to again, and I promised him a triple dip of ice cream if he would get in with me (Gotta love bribery...)  Wasn't long before he got in and then he was swimming like crazy!  Loved it!!  So a triple dip of ice cream it was (with extra sprinkles).  :)  Jack got in the lake a few times, too - he didn't mind it, but was content to play with his toys in the condo and swim in the pool.  On Monday we took a boat ride over to Franky and Louie's to have lunch and play on the beach they have for the kiddos.  It was HOT, so we didn't stay too long, but I think the boys could have stayed there and played in the sand all day!  We had a great time - thanks, Mimi and Papa!!

 Swimming with his kickboard like he has been in swimming lessons

 Swimming to the side by himself!

Not happy as we were trying to coax him into the lake!!

This is how Jack spent a lot of his time!

Can't even see little Jack's head!!

Jack isn't too sure about the lake...

Still thinking about it...

HE'S IN!!!!!!

His triple scoop of ice cream!!  It also happened to be his half birthday, so now he can officially say he is 5 1/2!!!

Heading out for a sunset cruise - my favorite.  :)

We are thinking about buying this house on the lake. HA!