The Puddles

New pencil box for Ben!

Do you think we have enough glue for the year? Probably not.

Part of our supplies for the year.

Afte her bath, Ainsley gets to pick out all of her supplies for the year.

I keep all of my school supplies in my upstairs closet.  So after getting everything on the list . . . we lined up the supplies in the hall and went “shopping” with the kids.  They each came with their bags upstairs and their lists and we went through each list and they got to pick out all of their supplies.  This kind of shopping with the kids is so much more fun then actually taking them to the store!

Their faces are covered in ice cream. But they all had a good time and we had a great turnout!

Never get between a girl and her gun.

We were buying shoes at Academy when Ben saw the toy aisle.  He insisted that he needed to show me some toys.  We walk down the aisle and saw this pink gun.  Ainsley saw it and said, ” I want that gun, and I want to use my Papa birthday money to get it.”  There was no arguing with this girl. The gun even has a blow up deer that you could buy to go with it for target practice.  We didn’t get the deer, but I think that it is next on her list of things to get.  Trouble is. Ben’s gun is broken and he is having “issues” (as he puts it).  He “NEEDS” one.  He is desperate.  Good gracious.  My kids and their guns.

Ben took this picture. Pretty good!

Twister Fun!

Peace!

Pizza was good.

Yes. There are children inside those sleeping bags as they race from one end of the room to the other.

Everyone made friendship bracelets.

The gang.

Don't forget me!

My Madie wanted an ice cream bar with angel food cake for her birthday. Awesome!

It was a lot of fun. Madie had her first slumber party and enjoyed herself tremendously.  Even Kamry got to come up for the party.

Was so much fun.  We had a great time with everyone that came.  The kids loved getting to bowl and it was a great way to end the summer!

when playing Barbie.  Can’t reach the third story?  Climb up and hold on!!

A day with the girls in the Austin area. My college roommates and I got together for some catching up, fun and shopping.

This is where Ben preferred to hang while we hunt for family

My totally awesome hunters!

Like a needle in a haystack

Found one!

Our last day in Kansas was spent looking for family headstones.  Four cemeteries on a very hot Kansas day.  It was tough.  But a lot of fun. Every time we found a grave stone Chris marked the exact spot with his iphone and GPS, so we could find it again.  My Madie took a picture of the headstones just like her Grandma Lake taught her.  We will have to go back we didn’t find them all.  But Chris promised me another visit.  He said he and I would go together and hunt (not in the summer and not on a Sunday like this time).

Marsha teaching Ben to dive

We travelled to Kansas City today to see Marsha.  We were able to hang with Lonnie all week, but the kids did think it was odd to see one without the other.  It took awhile to drive to Kansas City from Geneva because every little bridge across the Missouri seem to be under repairs along our route, but we made it and enjoyed an evening with the Lonnie/Marsha, Kate/Jim, little Ben, and Cody (the dog).  It was wonderful.

Don't you just love the way his ears flop over because of the googles.

Daddy's giving them all a ride

Ainsley's mad because no one will catch her

Luckily she put her puppy eyes to work on Lonnie and he finally went over to catch her