Enjoying Summer

The past few weeks have gone quickly and we've been staying busy enjoying the last bit of summer before we're back to school.  Nick has been gone quite a bit coaching the Iowa National wrestling team, but we're managing to keep up.  I can't believe the kids go back to school in two weeks!  Nick took Gracie to get her school supplies last night while I was doing my online supervision for school.  She is pretty excited.  Owen is also excited to be going to preschool this year!  They are both looking forward to their birthdays and football season!

 

 Gracie and Owen helped pick, snap, and freeze beans!  They got tired of it after awhile, but they were pretty good helpers!

 

 Hanging out at the Slater Pool.  This has been fun this summer, as Owen and Gracie are both becoming more independent and better swimmers.  Gracie can usually find friends at the pool and Owen loves going down the big slide over and over again.

 

 Gracie has continued with gymnastics and still says that she loves it.  We'll probably keep doing it this fall in addition to ballet, tap, jazz, tumbling, and now soccer.  We'll see how soccer goes.  I'm not sure if she'll like all the running.  That starts in September.  We would still like her to start taking piano lessons, but she is adamantly against it still.  However, she will sit at the piano and sing and play all the time when she is home. 

 

 Gracie says the bars are her favorite part.  She likes to swing around them.  They have the girls doing conditioning and she can climb about half way up the rope. 

 

 Not sure what was going on here...After getting dressed like this, Owen proceeded to run around the front yard kicking the volleyball in 80 degree weather.  He has on Gracie's cleats and shin guards with long socks, baseball shirt, winter gloves, spiderman hat, and a volleyball.  I think he's confused.

 

 Owen on top of the climbing tower at a park in Ankeny

 

 Gracie climbing up to meet him.

 

Adventureland!!!!

 

We took the kids to Adventureland for the first time this year and they had a blast!  We were at the park for nine hours and they still wanted to do more.  Gracie was tall enough for most of the rides and even went on one roller coaster.  Owen only had one meltdown when they wouldn't let him go on the roller coaster.  We spent about 4 hours in the amusement park before lunch, then after lunch went to the water park for a few hours.  On the way back out of the park, we stopped so the kids could ride a few more rides.  It was a great day!

 



 Nick riding a ride with the kids.  I don't do the ones that go around in circles...

 

 Owen and Gracie on a ride

 

 Gracie in the wave pool at the water park

 

 Owen in the wave pool.

Both kids loved it!  I'm guessing this is an indication that they will like the ocean if we ever get a chance to take them.

 

 Nick and Owen riding the Ferris Wheel.

 

 Owen laying in the sun at the water park.

 

 Riding the train

 

 The Frog Hopper.  Gracie looked bored on this one, but said she wanted to do it again.  It's kind of a miniature Space Shot, but she wasn't big enough to do that one.  Owen looked happy the whole time.

 

 Gracie and Me on the Ferris Wheel.  This ride ended our day before going to a pizza place close by.  We will definitely be doing this again.  What a great day!

 

Nick found a snake while mowing and Owen wanted to show our neighbors.