Roughing it!

So from the 11th to now we have been going so fast I hardly have time to download pictures. Last Saturday we went to Slam Fest with the three boys and my sister's two boys. By mom and dad came along too. We had a blast! The boys loved it and so did the adults! Can not wait till next years!

Isiah, Calvin, Clayton, Xavier, & Cameron at Slam Fest!!!

I am enjoying each day I have off with the kids because soon school is going to be starting. Last Monday the kids and I went and did all their school shopping. Cam is getting ready to start 4th grade and the twins will be going to 3K. All three of the boys got to pick out new back packs. That was really funny. After Cameron and I convinced Calvin not to pick the Hanna Montana back pack he settled on a Buzz Light year one. Once Clayton saw it he wanted the same one. So yet again they have picked out their own matching stuff. Oh, well - sometimes it is just easier that way. They did pick out different color scissors and folders! Anyway, when we got home they had to load up the backpacks and walk around the house in them. It was too cute. I don't have pictures of this yet but I will make sure to take some on the first day.

The rest of the week we kept busy too. One day we went by my friend Jen's house. We had a absolute blast. She also has four kids and the kids get along GREAT. They have a lot of fun together and we like to visit, which is so nice to do. Another day my friend Sara and her daughter came here to visit which was also very cool. I love getting the chance to have adult conversation, laugh about my crazy life, and still hang out with my kids all at the same time.


So this past weekend we went camping with all the kids! Ha- We camped out at my in-laws house and Friday with the rain and the storms the only tent that made it up was ours but the only ones who actually slept out there was Ben, Cam and Calvin. The rest of us stayed in the comforts of the house!!! Saturday Mom, Kenzie and Calvin wimped out and stayed in the house but everyone else tented it. The weekend consisted of great eating, games, some swimming for the kids, relaxing, trailer rides, a HUGE campfire, and even some smore's. Saturday we also celebrated Ben's Birthday!!! He turned 36! Overall a very nice time and the kids LOVED it.

Kenzie, Elsa & Clayton

Lauren, Kaylee & Calvin riding on the tractor.

Now only one more week of summer vacation and we will be getting back into school mode. Hope this week does not fly by as fast as the rest of the summer has!

Not getting behind again!

Just so I don't get behind with my blogging again I thought I would share our week so far! Cameron's official 'golden birthday' was Monday and I enjoyed it as much as he did. Monday morning Cameron asked to go to Cabela's because he had some gift cards and wanted a new tackle box. So I took all four kids and it turned out to be a lot of fun. Monday evening Grandma Grace and Grandpa Dick babysat for the little kids and Ben and I took Cameron to see the movie 'Despicable Me'. It has been a really long time since I have been to the movies and really enjoyed it. The movie was super cute and it was just fun to do something with the three of us. Although I now want to take the twins to a movie also because I think they would like it also. Then today was Kenzie's 1st birthday. I had to work in the afternoon for a big work event so we just hung out at home this morning and built a huge train track with Geo Tracks. I did take some cute pictures of Kenzie today so I just wanted to show them!! Enjoy -

More Birthdays - TONS OF PICTURES

We have been crazy. We are having so much fun this summer. Since my last post we have been going non stop. After the twins birthday party we kept busy going to parks and swimming by Gigi and Papa. We got a new patio door ( this was real thrilling as now we can go in and out the back easily and have a screen!!!) We went up north for 8 days. That rocked. All the kids did some fishing (including Kenzie) and spent tons of time hanging out by the lake. Cam got to do water skiing again and he is a real ham. He also loved Grandpa Gerald's new 'little boat' and spent half our vacation rowing the new boat around and fishing. The weather was great the whole week. GiGi and Papa even came up for 2 days to experience our Up North. We got to spend a lot of time with all of the kids and I actually felt like I spent some time with each of the kids on their own - which is rare and really fun too. Came back from vacation had a busy week and then this weekend we celebrated Cameron and Kenzie's birthday's! Cameron turns 9 on the 9th and Kenzie will be 1 on the 11th. Because it is Cam's golden birthday this year we decided to let him have a Friend birthday party (his first one). We booked the party for bowling because I did not want all those kids at the house and I don't ever trust the weather. We had the party Saturday until 2 and then at 3 we had our family party at the house. It may not have been the best plan to have the parties on the same day and it was a little busy but overall I think they both went well. I did have a pretty big headache after bowling with 12 8 to 9 year olds for 3 hours but the kids were good and it actually was a lot of fun. Then home to have another party. I absolutely love our families. They are both super helpful and we could not do the things we do without them so that party went off without a hitch also. Sunday should have been a lazy clean the house day but that did not sound like any fun so Ben and I decided to take the kids to the Betty Brinn museum and then went out to dinner at Olive Garden. It was super fun to see Clayton and Calvin explore everything at the museum. Cameron seems to have a really good time also and Kenzie was her usual 'happy about everything' self. She did get to explore a bunch and really liked the little kid areas. It was really fun and only a few minor issues of repeatedly losing Calvin (who takes off every chance he gets) held us up. Just makes me aware that I would not be able to take the kids there by myself for quite a while. Enjoy the pictures they are much more interesting then my typing!!!!

Kenzie driving the boat Up North!

Clayton driving!

Cameron driving

Calvin driving!

The kids with GiGi and Papa

Cameron fishing on his own!

Ben & Grandpa Gerald take Kenzie, Cal & Clay out fishing in the boat!

Kenzie's first fishing trip!

Ben and Cameron catch some Bass!

Clayton, Calvin and Grandpa Gerald in the "yittle boat"

Cameron tubing!

Cameron skiing!

Kenzie laying on the beach! (eating the sand)

Cameron JUMPING in!

SUPERMEN!!! Calvin, Cameron & Clayton
Cameron taking Lauren for a tube ride - Rowing the boat!

Cameron giving more tube rides (to Calvin and Lauren).

HAPPY 9TH CAMERON

HAPPY 1ST KENZIE

Cameron and the Pinata!

Clayton gives it a try!

Calvin's turn!

Cam and the pinata

Our Clan - Kaylee, Calvin, Isiah, Lauren, Elsa, Cameron, Kenzie, Clayton, Xavier

Cameron

Cameron's new cane pole!

Birthday PRINCESS!

Kenzie riding her new horse!

Kenzie enjoying her cake!

Kenzie loved her cake - She even licked the plate!

Cameron hanging out at the museum.

Clayton tries some golfing!

Clayton does some shopping!

Calvin drives the bus!

Calvin milks the cow!

Kenzie harvesting some corn!

Kenzie checks herself out!