Turkey Run

One of my favorite places to go in the summer was Turkey Run State Park. We used to go there every year with our youth group and tube down Sugar Creek. When Matt saw Sugar Creek, he said, "Well if that's a creek, I'd hate to see a river!"

Before we headed out on a hike, we enjoyed a yummy picnic lunch along side the squirrels. Braden wasn't really happy to be there, so he used the blueberries for a pillow.

And Shea was wiped out from the busy week, so she spent most of the afternoon looking like this on Matt's shoulder:)


And just to prove that I do exist...here's a picture of me on the hike through the beautiful forest.

And stairs. Lots of them. While we were hiking, some random person stopped us and asked if we were the people with the Idaho plates they had seen in the parking lot. Just wondering what it is that makes us look like we were from Idaho...was it the six kids we had with us?! Just curious. I didn't realize people from Idaho had a "look". And if they do, she was a bad judge. We are one state to the south.

Thanks goodness for rest stops! At least we knew we had an ice cream parlor just waiting for us to stop by and say hi to motivate us to finish the trail. Thanks Dad and Brenda for the fun day!

Red Neck Cruise

Fred offered to take the kids on a ten cent tour of the river bottoms. Let me tell you what...when a Wilson does something, they do it in style!

The kids were in for a real treat! Fred hooked his Rhino up to his boat, loaded up the family and they were off on a red neck cruise.

The princesses of the cruise--Meghan and Rachel--pose with Captain Fred.

Unfortunately, where they were cruising was out in Dad's flooded fields. It was just two years ago when they had another devastating flood, that not only wiped out 80% of their crops, but also flooded all 30 rental houses. Not good timing. Dad says this late June flood is the latest flood they have ever experienced. At least in the flood of 2008, they were able to replant most of the crops, although is left them unable to fulfill a corn contract. This year, the rains continued and they were only able to replant a very small percentage.


Brian, Rachel, Braden and Meghan along for the ride.

The motor on the boat had a hard time with overheating. The kids were certain they would die stranded in the water...even though it was only knee high.

And this, my friends, is why Michael wanted a flooded farm cake for his birthday.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

The vacation our kids look forward to most of all is a trip to the farm. Who ever knew Indiana could be such a choice vacation destination? We were not really excited about the 24 hours in the car (and yes, that is ONE way!), but it was not as bad as we had anticipated. That's what I always say...anticipate the worst and you'll always be pleasantly surprised. Just kidding. I am grateful for technology that has come a long way...like my phone that has a buck hunter game and Matt's laptop with a monster truck game and the portable DVD players...sanity savers!

And yes, that is Johnny Depp in the back seat with Michael:)

We arrived late Friday night in anticipation of the plantation party to celebrate Dad's March nuptuals at Oak Alley Plantation in Louisiana. We got right to work helping prepare for the party. The boys loved helping Grandpa plant the flowers. It sure was a hot, humid welcome to Indiana! The temps were in the nineties with 1000% humidity! The party was grand, the company great and the food delicious! It was fun to see some of our old friends that I hadn't seen in twenty years.

Sunday we were all wiped out from the long party day and Michael was sick, so Matt stayed home with Michael while the rest of us went and played at Fred's. Monday we got to go on the softball/baseball circuit. The kids got to go see Toy Story 3 with Grandma Karen and then we all headed over to Farmersburg to see "The Meghanator" in her final tournament game of the season. It was really fun because one of her teammates is the daughter of one of my old softball teammates.

After Meghan's game, we headed over to Wilson Field in Prairie Creek to watch Tristan's game.

It was fun to revisit where I played softball when I was a kid. It was great to see all the improvements...like smooth fields and lights...that I always wished we had when I was a kid. I do still miss the out houses. Those were replaced many years ago with flushers (At least we can still go visit one of them at Dad's cabin on the water shed.) There was a pick up softball game going on the open field. I enjoyed watching my kids playing there with their cousin Meghan and one of my childhood friends as the pitcher. It was also fun to see many of my other old friends who are now the moms and dads and umpires...I sure miss that small town atmosphere.

Party Season!

Around here, we have a party season. It starts at the end of March with my birthday, Rachel's in April, Brian's in May along with our wedding anniversary (which was 15 this year--what?!) and Mother's Day, Shea's birthday in June as well as Father's Day, and finally Michael's and Matt's birthdays in July.

My birthday was discontinued when I turned 29, so we'll just skip ahead to Rachel's 4th birthday in April. She loves princesses, so for some silly reason I saw this castle kit and thought a tiered cake would be a piece of cake. Well, it was a piece of cake (or two), but I'm not talking about the making of it! Fortunately, she was more interested in the princesses surrounding the cake than the actual castle. She also got a fun treat to have Grandpa Fred visiting for her birthday party! Her favorite presents were the additions of Sleeping Beauty, Ariel and their respective Princes to her Barbie collection!

Brian's age leaped into the double digits this year...he turned the big 1-0! It's hard to believe...have I really been a mom for a whole decade? Where has all the time gone? We started his birthday at our favorite birthday celebrating restaurant--Brick Oven. Balloon Guy was there and made Brian his own set of elk antlers, made Michael a fighter jet and made Belle for Rachel. Brian requested a trophy cake...an elk trophy that is. He wanted riding gear for his motorbike this year to go with the gloves he got last year...it sure was cheaper when he was happy with a new Hot Wheels truck!

After watching patiently as birthday after birthday was celebrated, Michael was very excited to have his turn to be the birthday boy! Michael celebrated his 7th birthday...once again, we started our party at Brick Oven--YUM! After he enjoyed his lollipop sundae, we headed home for the best part--CAKE and ICE CREAM! Since we had just gotten home from the Hoosier Homestead, he wanted a farm cake. He had specific instructions that his field be flooded. (The fact that the farm has been flooded two of the last three years we have been there has given him a warped sense of reality...) So, here was his flooded cake! He wanted riding gear like Brian's, so that's what he got!

And last, but not least, it was Matt's birthday. We had a tastey BBQ steak dinner and fresh corn on the cob...YUM! The boys made Matt a house cake out of graham crackers. On top was an Oreo satelite dish and an Oreo tire leaning against the garage. Rachel sprinkled it with flower shaped sprinkles for the garden and Michael used sprinkles to make a road. He dismantled two Oreos and placed them on a graham cracker to make a car for the driveway...I always love to see what creativity is going to come out of that cute little mind! We ended the evening with a private pool party. Matt picked out his birthday present while he was at the UTV ralley in Moab...an over-priced side view mirror for the Rhino. Of course after two months, he forgot that's what he got himself and said that was for my birthday...I guess that means no more early birthday presents for Matt.

Ahhhhh...no more birthdays this year!

Shea Turns 1!

We were on the road on Shea's official birthday, June 25th. With vacation, followed by birthday after birthday, it was getting hard to find the time to fit Shea's in. (I guess that's the bummer about being the youngest!) So I decided today was the day. I threw together this lollipop cake in no time flat. I was afraid the kids had used all the candles on Matt's cake, but luckily I found one in the back of the cupboard...and that was all I needed!

After dinner, we sang a lame rendition of Happy Birthday and let her dig in! When Brian was one, we had to give him a spoon (because he was always afraid of getting dirty) and feed him. So Shea must be my most brilliant child because she knew just what to do...she dug right in! Before we knew it, cake was EVERYWHERE!

Shea was up a lot of the night with teething pain, so it wasn't very long until she was all done...and of course the thumb went straight to the mouth...cake and all! Shea is now officially one. And that, my friends, is the end of our family's marathon season of birthdays...until March anyway!!!

Go Giants!

We all know treats are the best part of baseball!


Well, our treat was that Michael was our only baseball player this year! That meant the kids could ride their bikes to the games a little early to play on the playground and we didn't spend every night of the week rushing around. Can't think of a better treat than that!

Catcher

Mighty Stance

Ready to run!

Princess Rachel at the Princess Festival

Rachel has always LOOOOOVED princesses...always been a girly-girl, unlike her momma! She loves to sing and dance and wear dresses. So, when the Princess Festival came to Lindon, I decided it would be great fun for just the two of us...and it was indeed! (And it waaaay beat standing in line for two hours at Disneyland!) She started the day off with a chance encounter with Belle!

All the princesses then had to begin a journey to help save the day!

After the princesses saved the day, they got to go on a treasure hunt and get the signatures of the other princesses.

"Cindebrella" has always been Rachel's FAVORITE!!

Of course, all that princessing wore Rachel right out...what a fun day!