July 2010 Archives

Best zoo ever!  I love the "Homaha" Zoo in Omaha, and this year, we went with our pals, the Anderson's and Bumsted's.  It wasn't perfect - we got lost (or took the scenic route, or whatever!) and had to backtrack to our hotel, we didn't get our adjoining rooms, one room wouldn't go to bed, one room got up waaaay too early, Carter's a zoo super-speeder, Collin's a zoo slow-poke observer (so we had the speediest and slowest kids in the zoo, and were always yelling at someone to get back to the group), and GOD was it hot!  But it was fun!  I'd do it all again, in it's lack of glory and all, cause I love the zoo and I love our pals!



At the hotel, Charlie and Nora (11 months) tried to devise a plan to break into the fridge.  They only succeeded in being adorable!



Carter loved the pool.  Go figure!



Where's Charlie???



PEEK a BOO!!! 



That's our crew (minus Madi), ready to run the zoo:
Nora Bumsted (11 months), Carter Kay (nearly 5), Collin & Grant Bumsted (4 1/2 years), Carter Anderson (5) and Charlie (9 months)



Whether it be Des Moines or Homaha, Carter loves the fish!



Seriously, Charlie made it, like 10 minutes, then he was out!  MAYBE YOU SHOULD HAVE SLEPT IN, Round Man!



I kept telling the kids if they'd HOLD STILL, the butterflies might land on them.  YEAH RIGHT!  Total waste of my breath to try and get these four to hold still!  This is as close as any of them got!



Butterfly Garden



Carter, Cactus, Carter



This is our traditional family picture spot.  Minus an Andy.  Added a Charlie.



Gorilla hand.  Carter Kay hand.



My monkey, riding the monkey



The new face of starvation!



Carter is so intrigued by the various monkey skeletons.  She loved them last year, too!



Riding the carousel



Charlie's first carousel ride, which he LOVED!



Ahhhh!



"I'm fixin' to EAT mama!"  Love this guy!



Collin, Grant, Carter J and Carter Kay at the zoo



Carter Kay and mama at that zoo



That's all she wrote for Collin, Nora, Grant, Charlie, Carter Kay and Carter J!



Charlie hooted, and Carter immediately gave him a lovey-hug.  They were both hot, tired, sleepy and she was a bit hungry.  I think she needed the love just as much as he did! 

Charlie, showing off his muscles (watch his little face shake when he flexes!!!)



Beef cake!

My goofy kids - being goofy, silly, and irresistibly wonderful!

We just arrived home from spending four days at Honey Creek State Park, on Lake Rathbun.  It was easily the most peaceful trip we've ever taken!  Primarily because I couldn't plan anything for us to do - we were in the middle of nowhere!  Andy and Corey golfed, while Amber, Owen, Carter and Charlie and I hung out, played, swam and did a little crying.  We grilled wonderful food (and ate too much!), we played in the water (and went wild in the water park), we had a bonfire (that produced amazing s'mores), and I got to spend time with my wonderful family without worrying about a million other things (that really aren't all that important after all).  It was great!



Who's bigger: Charlie (9 months) or Cousin Owen (6 1/2 months)?  Easily Charlie!!!



Carter already in hot pursuit of butterflies behind the cabin



Lake Rathbun - how beautiful is this place?!



Monday night we played Uno.  Carter and Amber tag-teamed, and Carter won game one!  WOO HOO!



Pals Charlie and Owen, playing



Bonfire Tuesday night.  Corey and Andy discussed manly, brotherly things!



Carter enjoying (and wearing!) her s'more



Wednesday, Charlie, Carter and I attempted to go to the beach.  It's a lake, after all!  Well ... Sunday night it rained 2 inches, and Tuesday night it rained another 7 inches, so the beach was flooded out ...

These are my cheesers.  Being cheesers.  For which I love them so dearly!



Playing Hide and Peek behind the curtain



My cheesers!

Our good friends, the Anderson's are staying at Trigg's Bay in Okoboji for the week, and they graciously invited us to come stay with them.  I had some tutoring that I couldn't rearrange, but we were able to go up Monday morning and stay through Tuesday evening.  It was the best time, and we were fortunate to share it with wonderful people!



Who drives 3.5 hours to play in the pool at LAKE Okoboji?!!  Oh well, this one loved it!



Miss Brave, with her life jacket, in the 8 foot deep end



"Introducing, Carter and Carter Anderson.  You may now kiss the bride." 
Crazy!  Carter Kay adores Carter J - what do we do in 20 years when they get married?!  Oh well .. until then, they'll just have to settle for snuggling under a Tinkerbell blanket sharing cookies!



Playing Ladder Ball with Madi (and not sucking, by the way!)



The beautiful sunset on night one at Okoboji



Carter found ducks at the lake shore.  She was intrigued.  Of course she was!



Snuggling with my Carty



Perfect end to a perfect day: popcorn AND ice cream, with the best friends ever!



Bright and early, these two are at it again!  Carter J squirts water into Carter Kay's mouth - something you'd only do for (or put up with!) the one you love!



This kid has never seen an old-school merry go round (probably because they're vomit-inducing and unsafe!).  She loved it!  The faster, the better!



After a stressful day of working on the boat (Janine's birthday, in fact!!!), Jason finally got it running (YEAH!), and we headed out.  Destination: Barefoot Bar, coolest restaurant/bar/boat shop in Okoboji!

Best part of living in Ankeny: SUMMERFEST!

We hit the carnival Thursday.  Carter loved the swings and the strawberry ride (like a kiddy-version of the Tilt-a-Whirl that about made mama puke!). 

Saturday, Andy and Rory joined us for the parade.  We enjoyed the Ankeny High School band and Miss Evie and the Encore girls.  And, of course, anyone who tossed candy Carter's way!



Riding the stawberry ride (that nearly made me puke!  I guess I'm getting old!!!)



She loved the swings
(LOOK at those FEET!  Sheesh!)



"Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!" she'd yell every time she circled around to me!



Parade cutie



Happy camper with crackers and parade fun



Carter loved the "pretty girls" from the AHS cheer squad



Charlie liked the music



... so much, it put him to sleep (yes, he's wearing beads!)

I filled the pool up, busted out the chalk, and Carter, Charlie and I spent the afternoon playing in the yard.  It was the most relaxing, enjoyable afternoon ever! 



Two sunscreened and crazy babies, ready to hit the zebra-pool!



Mr. Man, trying to escape



My Freckle-Face

Our buddies, the Anderson's and the Bumsted's, came up this afternoon.  We played at the pool, and had a great time!  Love y'all!



That's my gang!  And I love 'em!
Collin, Carter Kay, me, Charlie, Carter J, Janine, Tabby (Madi's pal), Madi, Grant, Kelsey and Nora



Baby Cakes & Baby Pants (aka Charlie and Nora), hanging out



Budda-Baby, enjoying the shallow end (LOOK at that BELLY!  I just love it!)



Swimming's hard work, and it wiped little Charlie OUT!



We wrapped up the adventure with ice cream:
Chocolate with gummy bears for Carter
Vanilla with M&M's for Colly
Chocolate with gummy bears for Grant



Round Man shared my black forest ice cream!  And we both loved it!

I can't keep "weeks" straight and certain in my head any longer, so I'm officially tracking months. 

"Little Bear" isn't so little anymore!  He's growing so quickly, and everything is a new adventure for him.  Thankfully, he's still a snuggler, and he is typically pretty happy when being held (he wants for you to hold him and stand, which we're not big fans of!).  He's eating crackers now, and gets to try a lot of "big people" food we probably shouldn't be giving him (like tiny bites of pizza crust and ice cream!), but he still has no teeth.  He's been working on his front ones for some time now, but he just can't get them to come through (poor guy!).  He's pulling himself up to things, and over things!, and he enjoys standing when supported by his fingers.  He's started taking steps, with much support, but it's another mode of mobility!  He has a frog crawl that can take him anywhere!  He gets up on his arms like he's going to crawl, the pushes himself forward, in a sliding motion.  A few times he's gotten too ambitious, and plants his nose in the ground!  But he's learning.  Charlie continues to be our social butterfly, loving people, but always watching and observing before jumping in (just like sissy and Daddy!).  He is definitely our "lover," not the "fighter."



Crawling up on Daddy ... and everything else!



Mmmmm ... crackers!



I love this picture!  Maybe it's the toughs of red hair, those big ears from Daddy, those curious, loving eyes, or that silly zerbert-pucker of his, but I can't resist this little guy!

We celebrated the 4th in tradition: FOOD, FRIENDS & FIREWORKS!



We attempted to take the kids to the Iowa City Freedom Festival rides, that were supposed to open at noon (per the paper and internet).  Turns out both sources (published weeks prior) we wrong, and there were no ride-rides.  But there was this really cute picture!



Grant and Carter playing in smoke bombs (yeah ... say it with me ... ICKYYYY!)



Andy tossed the frisbee-ball for Collin and the kids to catch.  They loved it ... until Grant tackled Carter.  She was officially done at that point!



My babies!



Collin, Carter and Grant: Let the SP*AKL*ERS begin!



Carter, lighting up the night!



SO LOUD!

Carter participated in Red Cross swimming lessons this week and last, and she did a great job!  A month ago, she was scared to put her head underwater, but now she's splashing and dunking with the best of them!  She's able to complete all of the skills necessary of a level one swimmer, and she's graduated to level two (to be completed at the Y this fall/winter or next summer).



Our little fishy



Playing on swimming lily pads in the DEEP END!



"MAMA!  LOOK!  I crossed the lily pads!"  Congrats, Big Girl!