Summer......

We LOVE summer....well summer that is not plagued with 112 degree temperatures...so far so good!

 We have been swimming A LOT!  Kael finally decided to get in the water...now he jumps off of the side of the pool.  He is ready to swim!

 We like to enjoy the "Sodapalooza"  they have here in Texas.  All of the gas stations have .49 cent drinks.  It makes it real hard when you have given up soda.  Sometimes you just have to have to give in.

 We still have lots of messes around here...and 99% of them are caused by Kael.

 We NEED rain here in Texas.  But sometimes it is a little inconvenient when it starts to pour on our way to Target.  So we have to wait it out in the car.  And then it is mad-humid...which is always fun.  BUT...this summer has been exceptionally cooler than last summer so I can't complain.

 And these little bugs have made their return.  They always make such nice sounds.

 Peyton loves to write letters to family.  Sometimes his dad helps with the content of the letters!

 My cute friend Caryn is having twins!  It was so fun to celebrate with her before she moved back to Canada.

 My cute friend Kara also had a baby.  Lots of babies.

 The nights have been cooler this summer {we're still talking 90 degrees} but cooler, nonetheless! 

We like to visit a variety of parks at night to get out all of their energy.

 And the messes continue....ranch dressing all over the floor mat. 

 Awesome.

 I guess Kael misses his binkey?  He found a puzzle piece to suck on.

 He found something that Grandpa HAS to have in his yard.  "Now that's what I'm talking about. This is what Grandpa needs in his backyard!"

 They're still destructive.  This is the third time the curtains have been ripped down.

 And his Dad seems to be just as destructive. 

{trying to fix things}

 A new obsession with baseball has come about.

Sandlot is his favorite!

 "Minga" came down to visit!

 Kael thought that he was going with her.

 We had to say "goodbye" to some more friends.

People need to stop graduating! :)

 Peyton graduated from preschool!

 Kael was a little tired of the ceremony.

 So proud of this cute boy!

 Peyton and his favorite friend Macie!  She is a year older than Peyton and was in our old ward.  Her dad is going to chiropractic school too!

We had a celebratory lunch a Chick-Fil-A!!

And the countdown until our trip to Utah has begun.  My cute mom sent the boys some Tootsie Rolls for the boys to countdown with.  The boys {and I} ate most of them the first day.  

We love summer!  We are so sad that it is half over but we have some fun things coming up!!

Peyton was so excited for his first preschool field trip to the fire station back in March.  It was a little rainy outside but luckily the fire station was next door so it was a short walk.

 

 Mamau was still in town so she was able to go along with us

They all looked so tiny next to the fire trucks.

 Kael looked so tiny next to the wheels!

 Fireman Cody showing the kids all of the parts of the fireman's uniform.

 Peyton's class walking to the fire station.  Of course while holding onto his class rings he also had to hold Mamau's hand.

Kael got to ride in the wagon on the way back!!

I think he looks so old in this picure!

 A couple of months later Peyton got to go on a field trip to the library.

Kael always wants to be a part of the class. Whenever I drop Peyton off for school he always tries to sit down at the activity tables...he wants to go to preschool with his older brother so bad.

Trying to hold hands on the walk over to the library.

They got to go behind the scenes at the library.  I think they thought that the fire station was a little more entertaining...so did I. :)

{ps blogger is being dumb.}

They got to have a special story time.  About two seconds after this picture was taken they lost interest in the book....maybe that's why we don't frequent the library's story time.  ;)

It was fun to be able to go on his preschool's field trips with him....I am sure there will be many more to come....hopefully not to the library. {sshhh! I didn't say that....it's a nice place...just not with 4 year olds}

SeaWorld San Antonio.....2012

 Peyton has always loved characters ever since he was little.  Peyton gives wonderful hugs!

 Hugging Cookie Monster.  Kael would have nothing to do with the characters.  

 I was surprised that Kael actually went on some of the children's rides.  He loved them.

 This however, was a little too much for Kael.  It was hard to climb up the nets. 

But Peyton loved it!

 Kael loved the splash pad.

 So did Peyton.

 Awww....brotherly love.  Sometimes they get along. ;)

 Splashing around was so fun.

 Watching the dolphins swim around.  I am glad that this year they stayed away from Peyton, two years ago he was pretty ticked!

Family picture with Sesame Street.  Kael was not too sure about this but Peyton loved it!

We took a picture like this one 2 years ago!

Crazy how time flies.  And we visit SeaWorld a lot.  Bryan has been 8 times in the last 12 years.  I think that he has a closet obsession with this place! ;)

May Vacation.....

 Kael packing his suitcase for the trip....all toys.

Bryan's parents came into town for Bryan's May break to vacation with us and to help us move.

I wanted to bring my BOB stroller along on the vacation because we were going to SeaWorld.  Bryan said it would be impossible to get all of the luggage and the stroller in the back of the rental van.  I made him try....and guess what?  It could be done.  Major tetris skills he has. 

We went to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, TX.  It is only about an hour and a half from our house. Bryan found a souvenir at the gift shop.  He thought his sisters would love this picture!

 They have a dinosaur fossil park nearby but we didn't get to that park, only the wildlife park.  But they decided to decorate with dinosaurs for good measure.

 The park allows you to drive through the park and feed the animals food from your car.  

It was very cool.

 They also had a petting zoo that you could visit halfway through the park.

I thought this sign was funny.

 And this goat was the naughty goat.  About 2.3 seconds after I took this picture, Bryan's mom got bit by the goat.  Her finger was actually bleeding.  That was the end of the petting zoo for my children...they are now terrified of goats.

 I sat down on the bench and the naughty rebel goat jumped up on the bench next to me.  Then he tried to eat my shorts...literally.  This goat needs to learn some manners.

 We came upon this elk-deer or whatever he was.  He wanted to take a ride in the van.  My kids were freaked out yet again.

 This giraffe was not going to let us pass by without some food.  

 We got to feed the giraffes!  It was so awesome.

 Even Peyton got brave enough to feed the giraffes...and he loved it!

 Battle over food between the giraffe and the elk-deer.  We wanted the giraffe to win. 

 The boys trying to put on a brave face but secretly terrified that the elk-deer was going to actually jump in the car. He he!

 We then came across these cool Zebras.  

Loved them!

 

And last but not least....the rhinoceroses! 

This park was awesome....unlike the hillbilly zoo that we thought was going to be cool. 

This park is totally worth visiting if you are ever in the DFW area! 

 I am sure we will return!

We then stopped at Hammond's BBQ.  Bryan's cousin's last name is Hammond so we thought it was fitting that we lunched there!  It was delicious.  I will miss this about Texas.  I love all of the little BBQ places that are around!!