Daddy Dog Pile

6 Years!!

This Friday Jim and I celebrated our 6 year wedding anniversary. Jim's parents came to stay with the boys Friday afternoon while we headed downtown. After checking into our hotel we did a little shopping and relaxing before we went to a yummy Italian dinner. After dinner we climbed into our bathrobes and watched a movie in bed together. The next morning we got to wake up all on our own and have breakfast in bed. Thank you for a wonderful six years together Jim. I love you!!

Muddy Boys

Last week I had both boys at the park after dinner and we got caught in a downpour. Tyler didn't mind the pelting rain but Calvin was unhappy so we started for home. The Axe boys had also been out across the street so Tyler joined them while Cal took cover on their porch. Next to their house is a hill that, at the bottom, always collects a good amount of water when it rains. This night there was not only water but mud and debris as well. Boys being boys they were drawn to that puddle like a magnet and soon they were covered head to toe in dirty water and mud. When I say covered I mean it was in their ears, nose and even between toes! I had to strip Ty down and hose him off before he could come in the house and the bathtub was still black by the time he got out. They had the best time though!

Lay Still Hobbes...

In the past several months Calvin and Hobbes have become quite attached. Hobbes used to "live" on Cal's blue chair in his room. Then Calvin started going back upstairs to bring him down with us for the day and now he must sleep with Calvin at every nap and night time. So cute! Recently, Calvin has started treating Hobbes like a baby and wants to wipe and diaper him. I'll find him in random places throughout the house taking diapers on and off Hobbes with an entire tub of wipes nearby. For those of you that think this caretaker act is Calvin's way of saying he's ready for a baby brother or sister let me reassure you this is not the case. Whenever we jokingly ask Calvin if he wants a new baby he answers with a resounding "NO! Calvin is baby!" Ha!

Father's Day

This Father's Day Jim's parents came over to play and grill out. Tyler played baseball in the backyard with some friends then we had a yummy steak dinner. Jim, thank you for all you do for our family, especially for being such a great role model for our boys. We love you so much!!

5th Annual Hayward Trip

This year we joined the Axe family for our fifth year at the cabin in Hayward. As I was making Trash (my grandmother's snack mix recipe) the night before we left I realized why I get so excited and nostalgic about our trips to Hayward; it reminds me of my summer trips to my grandmother's house in East Texas. Like the cabin her house is a rustic getaway plunked right in the middle of the woods on a lake. As kids we spent our time there playing all day out in the woods, exploring and building forts or in the boat fishing. One year we even declared a "No Pants Day" and ran around the entire day in our underwear. If you look closely in the pictures below you'll see my boys have carried on that tradition!
For the first time we didn't bring a bag of toys, just fishing poles, a baseball bat and a couple balls. The kids filled their days fishing, throwing rocks, playing ball, swinging, looking for bugs and playing many other imaginary games. For the second year our husbands joined us so Meg and I decided to let them bring up all our gear and we squeezed our 5 boys into her car for the trip. Yikes!!
Due to our slow start to summer up here and how early we took our trip we had colder weather than usual. We had a fire in the cabin as well as outside! On Saturday the daddies took the older kids into town for hot dogs, miniature golf and a trip to the candy store. By that afternoon the sun showed up and stayed with us for the rest of the trip. The kids were finally able to get in the water and a good time was had by all. Thank you so much, Meg, for sharing your family's cabin with us. We look forward to this trip every year!!
Enjoy the slideshow :)

Perfect Summer Day

This Saturday we were finally able to welcome Summer to Minnesota. This was the first weekend we've had truly beautiful weather and we took advantage of every moment!

This year we added chairs and a fire pit and new flower pots to our patio. On Saturday morning we moved around some shrubs to accentuate the area and did some other lawn work.Both boys had to take their shirts off to mow like Daddy. It was all I could do to keep Cal's shorts on. He wanted to mow in just his diaper!

That afternoon was all about water play with lots of neighborhood friends.

What's better than an ice cream sandwich after a long day in the sun?Cal didn't want to get his hands dirty!

That night we built our first fire in the new fire pit and it was a success! Meg joined Jim and I for a couple drinks and great conversation. It was the perfect end to a perfect day. Can't wait to do it all again!!