Visit to Grandma and Grandpa Pitcher

In August me and the kids (Reed had to work) headed north to visit Grandma and Grandpa Pitcher.  They took us to Calaway Park for a fun day. 

Brooklyn riding the train:

Micah driving the bumper car:

Brooklyn trying out the bumper cars.  She couldn't really figure it out so she mostly stayed in one spot:

Conner crashing into Micah:

Grandma and Alan on the big ship that swings back and forth:

There they go!  They are sitting on the very back row:

We separated into two groups for awhile - the big kids and the little kids.  Brooklyn and Micah enjoying a boat ride:

Micah and Brooklyn on the airplane ride:

Alan and Conner on a spinny ride:

We stopped for a break to watch a 3 D show.  As soon as the lights went out Micah climbed onto my lap and fell asleep about 30 seconds later.  After the show I put him in the stroller so he could finish his nap:

Me and my littles on an airplane ride:

Alan and Conner on a ride that lifted them up and dropped them back down.  My stomach doesn't handle those kind of rides very well so it was nice that they are both tall enough to ride by themselves.  Alan was making a silly face:

We met together in the afternoon and tried out the new log ride.  It was pretty fun and a nice way to cool off.  All of the kids liked it except for Micah.  So Alan, Conner, Brooklyn and I decided to go again.  We waited in line for a while and finally got on a log.  Brooklyn had been excited up to this point.  As the log started to move she suddenly announced that she wanted off.  Too late.  After the first drop she started to cry and beg to get off.  I tried to explain that we couldn't get off.  On the way down the last drop they take your picture.  Brooklyn wasn't happy but the rest of us enjoyed it:

Then we stopped and let the kids try one of the games (something they were dying to do all day):

Then we headed into the city and went to Peter's Drive In.  They have amazing shakes.  I got a chocolate, coconut and caramel one - so good!  Then it was back to Grandma and Grandpa's house.

 

While we were there Reed and Steph came to visit and they brought their dog, Ace.  Brooklyn LOVES Ace.  He was very patient about having a little girl follow him everywhere and she made sure that he had enough to eat and that he was let outside/inside whenever he wanted:

It was a fun trip!

Walker Family Reunion 2015

Towards the end of July we went to Wyoming to the Walker family reunion.  This was for Reed's Grandparents and all of their descendants, so there was a lot of people there.  We camped out in Aunt Mona Lee's backyard with Ken and Shelly and Russ and Kristie.

Our tent city:

Brooklyn "walking" Aunt Mona Lee's dog and Aunt Mona Lee out in the back yard with us:

Before the reunion got started we went to a park to play.  Micah, Gracie and Bentley:

The reunion was a ton of fun.  They had a blow up bouncy house in the front yard.  Brooklyn, Kelcie and Hudson bouncing:

In the backyard they had a blowup water slide that the kids loved.  They also had some wading pools for the little kids and a small water slide for the little kids.

The big water slide, with Caden sliding down and Alan beside him:

Brooklyn and I tried it out.  The water was freezing!:

Conner:

Reed and Brooklyn:

Alan:

Caden:

Boyce:

Micah:

Micah climbing up to the little blowup water slide:

Brooklyn enjoying the little slide and wading pool:

They had a slushee/snow cone station that was a big hit.  Here is Reed taking a turn running it:

All of our kids went back for multiple cups.  Conner liked his flavor choice:

 

Alan and Caden:

There was also an above ground pool.  Kristie swimming with Brooklyn:

Chase:

There was lots to do and lots of people to see.  It was nice to sit and talk and get caught up.  Here are Shelly (holding Hannah), Lynn, and Grandpa and Grandma Walker enjoying the shade:

Micah fell asleep, which is probably good because we stayed up late and watched a movie outside:

Hudson:

 

It was fun to see family!

Happy Birthday Brooklyn!

 Brooklyn's birthday fell on a Sunday this year.  We opened presents before church. 

Here is Brooklyn with her fairy wings, necklace, magic wand and princess shoes from Gma and Gpa Bassett.

 

 

Brooklyn got a lot of My Little Pony stuff.  She is a big fan of MLP.

Conner showing a card he made for Brooklyn:

 After church Brooklyn took a nap while I decorated her cake.  The boys were very eager to lick out the frosting bowl:

She wanted a butterfly cake.  It was fun to make and I really liked how it turned out (Brooklyn really liked it too, especially the pink and purple decorations on the edges):

When Brooklyn woke up we put on our party hats, blew up some balloons and put up some butterfly decorations.  Then we were ready to party:

Brooklyn blowing out her candles.  She blew all 3 candles out by herself (she's getting so big!)

Brooklyn always eats the frosting.  Then she eats some of the cake.  Mmmm, delicious:

Playing with her new train right before bed.  

It was a fun day.  It's hard to believe my baby is 3!  Happy Birthday Brooklyn!

Swimming lessons

Swim lessons this year were full of successes, I think partly because the kids swam so much while we were on our California trip.

This was Micah's first year doing lessons.  Before he took lessons he had no interest at all in putting his face in the water.  And for the first couple days of lessons he worked diligently to avoid getting his face wet.  Then I sent him to his lessons with a pair of goggles.  It was so amazing to see him change.  Once he tried the goggles and put his face under the water he loved it.  He would constantly call me over to watch as he held onto the side with one hand and pushed himself underwater as far as he could (and still hold the side).  Then he would just float down there for a bit before coming up.  I was really impressed at his progress.

In the last week of his lesson he even got brave enough to jump off the diving board.  It was pretty funny to watch when the teachers first took his class to the diving board.  Micah climbed onto the board and then he started taking tiny, tiny steps toward the end.  All the while the look on his face said "I'm walking the plank to my doom".  He walked till he was about 2 or 3 feet from the edge and then he just crouched down and grabbed the sides of the diving board with both hands.  One of his teachers came and picked him up, walked him to the end of the board, and gently dropped him to the teacher in the water.  He never cried or protested but he definitely didn't love it.  But by the last day he would walk to the end of the board (still very slowly) and then he would crouch down and kind of fall to his teacher:

At the end of lessons Micah passed level 1.  He got so confident that he started swimming short distances with no support.  He was so confident in his abilities that when we went swimming later that month he told me to put Brooklyn on his back and he would swim her to the side.  I had to smile (and remind him that he needs to practice a lot more before he can try that).

Conner didn't pass level 2 last year so that is what I put him in this time, even though he had improved.  He stayed in level 2 for half of one class and then the teachers bumped him up to level 3.  He was so excited to be in the same level as Alan.  His strokes improved a lot and he was able to practice swimming unassisted for greater lengths.  Even though he did well, I did not expect him to pass level 3.  Last year Alan didn't pass level 3 and he could swim better than Conner could at the time.  However, on the last day Conner's progress report showed that he passed level 3!  I was completely surprised and Conner was over the moon happy. 

Alan was in level 3 again.  His strokes improved too, especially his side stroke.  At the end of the lessons Alan passed level 3 too. 

Alan and Conner were the only boys in their class.  Here they are in a canoe during safety day:

Getting dumped out the canoe:

Brooklyn was not too happy to be sitting on the side.  I traded off with my friend Naomi and sometimes I would go to lessons and take her kids with me and drop Brooklyn off at her house and sometimes Naomi would drop off her toddler and take my kids to lessons with hers.  It worked out nicely.  Next year I think I will put her in lessons though - she loves the water.