Wisconsin Part 2, Chapter 2

No trip to Wisconsin is complete without a visit with Grandma Ruby. She and Sally came to the cabin to hang out with us. I never cease to be amazed by my grandma and she is less than 3 months away from turning 100 and she is still as sharp as ever. The whole fam hung out at the cabin, it wasn't the warmest of days but we still made the most of it. Cameron loved hanging with the "boys" (and Syd) and we got to meet Keri & Brian's foreign exchange student Jan (yawn) who is Lennard's cousin from Germany!

Wisconsin Part 2, Chapter 1

Phase 2 our our trip meant it was time to head to the lake and to see Papa & Kathy's newly remodeled cabin. Of course the weather wasn't perfect every day, but we made the most of it and it didn't seem to effect the kids at all. They were in the water for hours. It's amazing how much fun they can have jumping off the dock, over and over and over again. We also had a great time fishing (the kids will have to learn from their Papa, not their dad), going on the boat, kayaks and paddle-boards. They also enjoyed trying to "bait the bear" but didn't have any luck. When we weren't outside, the kids were busy practicing a song with Papa on the guitar. It was adorable to hear them sing but now I absolutely cannot get the song out of my head.

Wisconsin Part 1, Chapter 3

Other highlights of the trip included Addy getting to take Grandma's sewing machine for a test drive. She got to test out different stitches and really enjoyed seeing how the sewing machine worked. She wasn't afraid to use the pedal and probably put the machine to a test, but loved it.  The kids also loved going to the pool and Addy went down both slides this year, including the tube slide. Other highlights included the children's museum in LaCrosse. This time the big kids (Brian and Dennis) got to have some fun as well and did the climbing wall and successfully summited the peak! And of course, Grandpa's favorite, the play Kwik Trip complete with bags of milk, donuts and drinks. Part 1 of the trip was a huge success!

Wisconsin Part 1, Chapter 2

No trip to the Midwest would be complete without multiple crossings between states and this trip was no exception. We drove down to Iowa (via Minnesota, from Wisconsin) to see Great Grandma Elaine & Great Grandpa Bill. We got to see their new place, play at the nearby playground and made a stop on the way back to go for a hike and see the beautiful bluffs on the Mississippi River. It was wonderful to see them and the kids drew lots of beautiful pictures for them and enjoyed more yummy desserts, because no trip is complete without at least 3 desserts a day.

Wisconsin Part 1, Chapter 1

The first part of our trip was spent at Scott & Wendy's and the kids got to spend 4 days with their cousin Etta. It was non-stop fun for the cousins and Addy & Cameron loved being the big cousins with Etta. They were so sweet with her and literally followed her everywhere she went. They were all perfectly spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa who had all of their favorite toys out and even surprised them with some new ones.

Where Did August Go?

Clearly I'm behind this month on posts, but now I have tons to catch up on. We just got back from our annual trip back to see family and we had a great time. Tons of fun with family, friends and So.Much.Food! The kids had a blast and were exhausted every night after playing with cousins. It was a great trip and we can't believe August is almost over. More photos to come, but here are some funny ones from the airport. 

Beach Time!

Two weeks ago we spent the weekend with Chuck & Robin at the beach cabin. We all love spending time there. Sunday morning was low tide so we went for a walk along the beach. By far my favorite part is seeing the geoducks. I absolutely love walking along and seeing the water squirt out of the sand. The kids had a great time playing in the water and Brian and I got to go out in the kayaks & took the kids in the rowboat. It was a quick weekend but we loved every minute and I am always amazed at just how beautiful the views are from that cabin.  Thanks to Chuck & Robin for the invite and for the new kickboards for the kids!