JULY 2016

July was the busiest month of the summer!

IOWA

The boys went back home to Iowa to visit Charlie's family for a week at the beginning of July.  They had a blast helping Grandma clean windows and visit cousins on their farm and play with their nephews!  Seriously, the boys are growing up way to fast!! Zachery is going to be taller than Grandma within the year ...  Ha! Look at that bed hair! We try and comb it, but nothing really helps.  Zayne and Zachery both get so sweaty throughout the day their hair always look messy.  We love dogs!  The boys wish I would get another dog, but I remember all the work behind having a dog (or two).  It wasn't fun! Anyways, I tell them that they can have a pet when they go off to college :) 

Zachery helping Grandma clean her windows

Zayne helping Grandma clean her windows ... look at that hair!

Zachery and Zayne with second cousin Gage

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

We normally miss out on Vacation Bible School each year, but we were actually able to make it this year!! Their sister, Allison, helped me get them there and pick them up ... we went to Family Night on Thursday night and the boys were able to sing along to their favorite songs as a group of kids told us what they learned that week.  It was fun!  The theme of the week was Submerged.  So when I trimmed the video's of the boys singing and dancing ... the music was cut out of the videos.  But the dancing is still entertaining!

JACKSON HOLE, WY

A few years ago we were able to bid and won a beautiful cabin to stay in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  We were finally able to schedule a family vacation this summer.  We rented a "conversion" van, which is just a fancy word for a van that has four captain chairs, a 32" television with a satellite and blue-ray DVD player.  The kids were set and I guess us parents were set for the LONG 20 hours drive to Jackson Hole, WY!! Jay and I drove through the night to Estates Park, CO the first night (we are NOT 20 anymore, that was VERY difficult .... every time we stopped to take a short nap Zylie would wake up and we would have to keep going).  Ha! So we were able to check into our hotel room early and take a much needed nap ... that evening the decorative trim piece on the van stuck onto the concrete curb and it pulled away from the van ... you will see a picture of us duck-taping (with white Duck tape) the decorative trim onto the bumper.  Needless to say it didn't seem to be the best start to our vacation.  The road that we were suppose to take to our cabin, was closed due to a forest fire, therefore, we had to go on a 3-4 hour detour.  Ha! The tension in the van was increasing ... "are we there yet?" "how much longer" ... We honestly had no idea when we were going to get there!

Fun crafts, to help make the time pass-by faster!

Finally we arrived, was able to scramble food together let the kids pick their rooms and put everyone to bed! I thought this trip we will "just wing it" ... do what we feel like doing each day, instead of planning each day for the family.  Seriously, that didn't work very well! I found out quickly, EVERYONE works better with a plan, including mom! So we attempted to investigate Warm Springs, which was actually closed to swimmers due to a bacteria outbreak ... so we ventured to the nearby streams to take a dip.  We spent a long day in Yellowstone State Park, where we say a black bear, roaming buffalo, Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces, and waterfalls.  Side story here: Caution, Zayne can NOT have full loaded Gatorade!! Especially in a moving van that you have been in all day ... he will throw-up!

The next day we spent the whole day at the Jackson Hole Ski Resort were we enjoyed the rope course, taking a tram ride to view of the Grand Tetons (getting caught in a hail storm), bungee jumping (on a trampoline) and enjoying a nice picnic lunch in a play area!!

We took a boat across a lake to hike to Inspiration Point, the next morning.  Then that evening we enjoyed a picnic dinner at a very cool park in downtown Jackson Hole, then ventured over to the Snow King Ski Resort where we literally raced down from the top of a ski run in a sled like cart to the bottom (it was called the Alpine Slide or maybe the Cowboy Coaster).  This was probably the highlight of the boys' trip!! It was truly alot of fun!! 

 

The boys at the cabin, playing with a camera!

The boys outside the cabin, playing int he forest.

The finally day before we left to drive the long trip home was spent in downtown Jackson Hole, WY.  Looking at all the fun shops and touring through museums. All-in-all, we can't wait to visit again!

Duck-taping the decorative to the bumper in Colorado!! Ha!

SWIMMING
We actually decided to join a community swim team for the summer, through the City of Richardson.  The boys actually had a blast and found a joy for swimming again!  As you can see, they won alot of awards!! It was fun!!

AROUND THE HOUSE
You can't deny, the boys love their baby sister, Zylie.  I mean look at that smile Zylie is giving her brother Zayne.  So sweet! They really are good big brothers, it has been fun to see them interact with her and encourage her to do her best!! I am so thankful for how supportive and encouraging Zachery and Zayne both are toward their sister.  PROUD BIG BROTHERS!