Ice Cream Sandwiches and a Sleepover

On Monday night we checked off number 14 on our summer list:

Have A Sleepover

It also happens to be the last thing we needed to check off of our list!!

The boys wanted to invite their cousins Tabitha & Alyssa over.

To make the sleepover extra fun, we decided to make ice cream sandwiches.

First we needed cookies.

We had chocolate, chocolate chip, and peanut butter.

The next thing we needed was ice cream!

Then we needed stuff to roll our ice cream cookies in:

They spread ice cream on a cookie, smooshed another cookie down on top, then rolled it in their choice of candy.

This was really messy, but a lot of fun!!

And really yummy!

Here are a few that the kids made:

After they ran around, running off some of that sugar,

We settled down for a movie.

They did stay up pretty late, but they didn't get up until 8:15.

That was just fine with me! ;-)

Thanks Taby & Alyssa for coming over to have a sleepover!

Now all of the things the kids wanted to do are crossed off of our list!

The boys start school next Wednesday and Lily starts on the 24th.

Everyone is super excited!!!

Two more down...One more to go

We checked off number 19 on our list of summer things; going to the zoo
We went with my mom.
The kids were excited that Grammy was going with us!

In the Chimpanzee house, we got to see a baby!

So cute!

The kids were not as interested in him as my mom & I were though.

They preferred the coin thing where it makes your coins swirl around and around......

They also really liked the misters!

They were soaking wet after this one. =)
The kids had fun, but hopefully the next time we go to the zoo it will be a little bit cooler.

Jeff and the kids checked off number 7 last weekend.

Sleeping in a tent!

Jeff set the tent up on the deck this year.

Even Lily slept in it.

ALL night too!

Mommy still did not sleep in the tent.

Even though I was asked to LOTS of times.....
I am sure someday I will want (be forced) to sleep in a tent with them.

But for now, I am perfectly OK with sleeping in my nice, comfy bed in my nice, air conditioned, bug-free house. ;-)

So now we only have one more thing to check off of our list and we are doing that this week!!

We have all of the boys' school supplies and uniforms, and Lily picked out a new backpack.

Just a few more care-free weeks left.

On a funny note, we took an impromptu trip to Oklahoma this past week for a day and a half.

Jeff had to go out to one of the crews for his work and we decided to tag along with him.

We made the decision on the spur of the moment and I had 15 minutes to pack.

When we only had about a half an hour until we reached our destination I discovered I am NOT a good spontaneous packer.

I NEED lists!!

As we were nearing our hotel, I remembered that I did not pack my deodorant, toothbrush, shampoo, conditioner, or hairspray!!!

I don't know why I forgot those essential things!

So next time we decide to just up and leave with Jeff, I will have to take a little bit more time to think about what I am packing. =0

Picking Peaches

Number 13 on our summer list was picking fresh fruit.
While we could have counted picking the watermelon from our own garden,
we decided to go to a peach orchard and pick peaches.
We went to Sergeant's Berry Farm in Haysville.
The kids' favorite part (I think) was getting to eat the first peach they picked.

We tried to help them pick ripe ones, but Lily liked to just pull them off of the tree.

It was really hot the day we went.

But then the sky started to turn gray......
That was OK, it was starting to cool off.

Then it started sprinkling.

That was OK too.

It was actually refreshing.

Then it started POURING!!!

That was not so much fun.

Luckily there were some workers in the same part of the orchard we were in, so they helped us pick ripe peaches quickly so we had some to take home.

Then we rode back to the barn.......

soaking wet!

Poor Lily was so cold.

We were going to pick blackberries too, but we did not get to do that.

We did get plenty of peaches though!

One whole box full.

We made peach crisp out of some of them.

Mmmmmm!

The kids were eating them like crazy!!

I had bought some fruit fresh so I could freeze some,

but I wasn't sure I was going to have any left to freeze!

They ate them for breakfast and with lunch, and in between.

I am glad that they like peaches so much.

I was able to freeze some, so now we have a yummy cold treat for these very hot days!

Next time we will have to get more!

#8: Family Picnic

On Monday night, we were able to check off number 8 on our summer to do list.
I packed a picnic for all of us, and when Jeff got home, we went to QT to get drinks.
The kids think it is a really special treat to pick out their own drinks from the row of choices.
They usually pick slushes, which is OK with me......no caffeine that way.
We headed to a park we knew would be shaded.
It really wasn't too bad, we were in the shade and there was a nice breeze every once in awhile.

After we ate, Zach headed to this big tree stump so he could climb up it.

Then we all played on the equipment.

Lily decided Daddy needed a push. =)

Riley and Zach had fun on the slides and firemen poles.

It really was a nice way to spend our dinnertime.

Checking Things Off Our List

After we came back from Branson, I realized that we had lots of stuff to check off of our Summer List, and not too many more weeks of summer left to do it.
So, for the past week and a half, we have been busy checking things off.

The first thing we did was turn in our Summer Reading Club sheets at the library.
This was number 12 on our list.
The kids had already met their goals, we just hadn't had time to turn them in before we left for Missouri.

As you completed your goal, you could show the librarians how many books you read, and they would give you ducks to put in the Polar Bear's bathtub.
Last week they got their prizes!
Then this week, Zach got his very own library card!
He was SO excited!!

Number 17 on our list was catching fireflies.

We didn't have too much luck the night we did it though. =(

Riley caught one, but it got away before we could put it in a jar.

The picture I have here is one that their cousin Taby caught.

Jeff did catch one as we were getting in our car to go home, so at least they had one in a jar at our house for one night.

Yesterday, we checked off number 18; taking a nature walk.

We went to my parent's house and walked around the creek and woods that are behind their house.

We didn't go too far in here......

there is poison ivy in here somewhere......

This was what they did the most on our "walk".....

Play on the rocks in the creek.

Since I didn't let them actually get in the water, my dad told them to come back another day and he would let them have fun down there.

They usually come back soaking wet after having fun with Granddad. ;-)

This morning, we checked off number 4 on our list.

This is the one I have been dreading.

It was to ride their bikes/scooters to the park.

We go to the park all of the time, but I wasn't too sure how Riley riding his scooter to the park would be.......he tends to be on the whiny side sometimes. =)

It worked out great though!

Zach sped along on his bike

(getting a tad frustrated that we were much slower than him.)

Riley was not too far behind him, and Lily rode in the wagon.

I made Zach stay with us until we got past all of the busy streets, then he was free to speed to the playground.

Then he was WAY ahead of us!

When Riley saw that Zach was that far ahead if him, this happened:

No more scootering, just dragging it behind him. =)

Then we made it to the park!!

The ride back home was also uneventful. (yeah!)

So, we will probably do that more often now!

Four more things checked off our list!!

We have a few more things to do and only a few more weeks before school starts.

So we will be busy getting stuff done!

Fishing

While we were in Branson, we stayed at the condo that Jeff's parents get one week each summer. Behind the condo there is a creek that feeds into Lake Taneycomo. There is a dock that we can walk down to and people can fish off of it. One of the things the boys wanted to do this summer (and number 9 on our summer list) was to go fishing. So this was our chance.

Look at these two eager fishermen.

Once Jeff got their poles ready, they were off fishing!

This was Lily's first time fishing, so she got some extra help from Daddy. =)

She figured it out pretty quickly though!

Our plans were quickly dashed though when it started pouring down on us!

The kids hadn't caught anything either!

As we walked back to our condo, the rain began to let up a little and the boys thought they might try fishing from the bank right in front of our patio, but it started raining hard again. =(

We decided to give up and go to dinner.

By the time we got down to the Branson Landing, (it is a new water walk that is a really cool place for shopping and eating) the sun was shining and there was not a raindrop to be found!

After dinner, we walked to the fountains.

They have a fire and water show every evening.

Lily liked it until this started happening:

The boys however, loved the fire shooting high up in the air!

After we came back, it was still clear, so we decided to try fishing one more time.

They didn't catch any fish, but they had a lot of fun.

(Don't feel too sorry for them, they all caught fish later on in the week when we went to Table Rock Lake.)

More on our vacation to come soon!