Sea World

With everyone off work on July 3rd, we drove down to SeaWorld and had a great time. It was a beautiful day and we did a bunch of things we hadn't done before. Nicky got to do all of the rides in the Sesame Street Bay of Play, we did the Tower Ride, and the Gondola Ride. Oh, and Nicky had his 1st Shamu ice cream bar. He loved it and ate the whole thing! Here are a few of the highlights...

Catelyn was a gem and slept most of the time with of course the exception of eating. Mimi & G were there too and made the day much more enjoyable. Nicky didn't want to go home but could hardly stay awake since he missed naptime. We'll be back soon I'm sure...that's the beauty of season passes :).

Pool Time

Last week we finally broke out the kiddie pool. It's been cool this summer so we haven't really needed it but the heat got to us last week and Grant pulled it out and set it up. Nicky had a great time playing in the water and Catelyn enjoyed watching :).

Hanging with Gramps

On most mornings, Nicky likes to follow G around asking him a million questions and eating G's breakfast after I've offered a million times to make him whatever he wants for breakfast. I suppose it's just better when it's someone elses :). The two of them usually end up in G's room reading their Bibles together. What better way to spend the morning together?

The Kids' Rooms

I have finally taken pictures of the kids' rooms. It's taken me over 3 months to do it but I finally did it today. Nicky loves his big boy room with the camping theme - complete with glow in the dark stars on the ceiling & a giant bear to share his bed. I even made a bear wall hanging to match (with a lot of help from Ron, of course). Here are a few pics...

As for Catelyn's room, it has been a work in progress. My Mom came in January to make the crib skirt & curtains which turned out beautifully to match the bumper & blanket. The painting is of course one of Ron's (and one of my favorites), called Under His Wings. It looks great on her wall and is a constant reminder that God will always take care of her. Here you go...

Unfortunately in order for me to get these pics, the kids had to be no where in site :). So I rallied them up earlier today and finally got a picture of them together smiling. I had no idea it was so hard to get 2 kids together in a picture smiling! Today must be my lucky day...

Buddies

Here's a picture of Nicky and his buddy, Ella-Kate at his birthday party last Friday. A few weeks ago, Laura (Ella-Kate's Mom) and I got the kids together after a long time of not seeing each other. The kids played together so well and this picture is so cute of the two of them. After the playdate, I said to Nicky, "Ella-Kate's pretty nice, huh?" and his response was "Ella-Kate's pretty!" He keeps asking me when we'll see Ella-Kate again and as soon as I get over this stinkin' cold, I'm sure we will soon :).

Blueberry Picking

One of our favorite things to do this summer has been blueberry picking. We go every week and Nicky has a blast. Grant and I have a great time too and we get to do something that shows immediate reward for our work. Nicky runs around the bushes and is always on the lookout for the "honkers" (the enormous blueberries that are usually hidden in the middle of the bushes) and he is sure to be the one gobbling them up as soon as one is found. We go to the Temecula Berry Co. and always come home with between 6 & 10 pints of blueberries - sure to be gone before the next trip to go picking. We've made blueberry crisp, blueberry muffins and a summer berry pie that were all delicious although Nicky prefers to eat them fresh out of the carton. If you live nearby, you should try it. You are sure to have a great time and some yummy berries to snack on later.

Aunt Michelle Loves Me

I had to share this picture of Catelyn. My long time best friend, Michelle, made this for her and it is so cute. We call her Aunt Michelle as she is such a dear friend to both Grant & I and Nicky loves her too. Catelyn hasn't gotten to meet her yet, but I hope she does soon. Here you go...