Mommy the Brave!

Thursday I decided that I was going to take the kids to the zoo, by myself. It was a major feat and I was a little nervous about the whole thing, but I got mentally prepared for what might happen and off we went.

Every morning I find Danielle and Bree cuddling. This morning was no different! Once I told them we were going to the zoo they were up and moving!

Arriving at the zoo, I was thrilled to see they had left our zoo passes at the front gate that I had been trying to get for over a month! Later I wished I had taken a picture of the nice man who finally gave us our passes.

We always eat lunch in front of the giraffes. After lunch a man walked up holding the neck bone of a giraffe right as I was trying to take a picture.

A picture of me with Bree! Ten months today!

The kids were so good! I had told them in advance that we had to stay together, no running, and no screaming or we would go home. They really followed the rules and we had a great afternoon. With our passes we were given a few ride tickets, so the kids each got to go on a few rides before we left.

In preparation for Disneyland, I wanted Hannah to go on the little roller coaster with Danielle. Dani LOVES them and Hannah has never been brave enough to try.

Here they are before. Hannah a little nervous.

And after with smiles!

We drove home, all took showers and Danielle and Bree ended the day the same way they started. So cute!

Camping in Columbia

We took a few days in July and decided to do a little camping with some friends. It was our second time using our trailer and I have to say I don't think I'll ever go back to a tent. Our campsite was was 1/2 mile from Old Town Columbia and our site was nice a big.

When we arrived the boys got set up right away.

The kids ran around and did some much needed climbing!

Once set up Brent cooked dinner for everyone.

Tuesday morning we got up and went into the old town. Hannah and Camden were very cute all day.

The kids had fun climbing on the rocks, dressing up, and walking around.

We found an old bowling lane where the kids could throw really heavy balls at real pins. We had to take turns setting them back up for everyone.

The kids enjoyed an ice cream cone while the adults browsed the candy store.

It was a great start to a wonderful day!

Thank you Lora for sharing your pictures with us. Our second day in Yosemite we left my brand new camera sitting on a bench outside the bathrooms. We realized in just a few minutes that we had left it, but that was all it took. We lost our pictures of Columbia and a hike we took to Natural Bridges. We did get a few pictures at Yosemite with a disposable camera which I will sneak in once I have had them developed.

Welcome Home Daddy!

Saturday's we are always trying to pass the time. The girls decided they wanted to really let their dad know how much they missed him! I printed out the letters and they spent the whole afternoon coloring and decorating them. He was very pleased when he got home!

This was just a cute picture of Bree. She kept trying to 'help', but we kept her a safe distance away from the crayons!

Happy Birthday Boy

Benjamin has turned 4. I can't believe how fast the time has flown by. Ben is a sweet, loving little boy, that only has one volume: LOUD. It's almost like he doesn't understand how to be quiet in any aspect of his life. He is loud when he tells you a story, when he gives you a hug, when he is upset with his sisters, and when he is happy. I have a special place in my heart for this little guy. Every day he tells me he loves me, sneaks in to cuddle in the mornings, and wants to sit on my lap as we read or watch a cartoon. He will share anything with anyone if they ask him nicely and is one of the only kids I have ever known to walk up to kids he doesn't know and just start talking. He is very curious about why people do what they do and how things work. He will start preschool Sept 1st at Montessori School and will attend 5 afternoons a week. Soon he will be off to Kindergarten and a little piece of my heart will break once more. I love you BEN!

Ben's favorite things

Play animals

Toy Story - Buzz and Woody

Cars

Swim

Run

Jump

Wrestle with Daddy

Color - blue

Food - Fruit Snacks

Ben's 4th Birthday Party

Summer fun

Summer is one of the hardest times for parents. We are grateful to have a month with our kids, but sometimes the week with no plans is REALLY long. I decided to look up what was going on in the nearby areas and found that the Bass Pro Shop in Manteca was having a kids camp. We met Brent over there one afternoon, just to get out of the house. All of the extra things were free. They had free shooting galleries, crafts, smore making, lessons about the outdoors etc. We got there during a lecture and found out the the crafts and smores weren't until 4. We still had a good time at the shooting gallery and walking around. I then took the kids to McDonald's to have lunch and play at the play place. One afternoon down, 15 more to go!

Proud to be an American!

Happy 4th of July!

We went down to the annual parade in town. They moved it from 9am to 1pm in order for people who attend church to still be able to make it. (We hope they move it back to 9 because it was really hot!) We kept the kids hydrated with otter pops and water.

After the parade we headed home, cooled off, and rested up. We then headed down to Tracy High. We do this every year. There is always music and you can run around on the field. We meet friends and family there for a relaxing evening of football, gossip, and food.

This is Kyler. Danielle and Kyler have been friends since they were in diapers. They don't get to see each other much because of schedules, but they always get to hang out on the 4th at the stadium.

Hannah with Grandma Riddle

Bree did great at her first fireworks show. No crying and she even made cute little noises while they went off. We were happy considering it was 2 hours passed bed time.

The only picture of me! (I hate it, but what can you do...) This is our friend Dawn. We have been friends since high school and we have made this our tradition since we have been married. It's fun now that they have a son Duncan, that our families will always remember growing up together and having this tradition!