The Great Outdoors

A minor break in the heat meant for some time outside this weekend. We hung out by the river, did the splash pad and pedestrian bridge on Saturday. Then on Sunday, the twins hopped up into their jogger and we hoofed it to the playgroud, ran the bases on the t-ball field, wandered to go buy our Sunday papers, then headed through town to Bayliss park and played in the splash pad there for a while before heading home for lunch. Whew - I don't know how much it wore them out put pushing around the extra 70 pounds of kids and, supplies and stroller in the heat sure did me in.

Weekend Favorites

A few hours at the lake, a picnic in the park, visits from our BFFs Sydney and Ava (and Aunt Kristin), Nana and Papa, Honor, and Aunt Bo and Uncle Dave...all in one very hot, exhausting weekend. Thanks for everyone that came to hang out with us this weekend. It went by fast but boy was it fun! Here are some weekend favorite shots!

Hot...Hot...Hot!!!

Thanks to the unbearable heat we've been trying to keep a low profile.

We've been having picnics, baking cookies, and chilling at the house.

Parker's been showing off and proving that he loves cheeseburgers. He downed a whole one last Friday!

And Payton is still on the mend after surgery. She hasn't had any complications but has developed a cold. We just keep staying on top of the Tylenol and she is loving the extra popsicles.

Stay cool!!!

Payton...sans tonsils and adenoids

Payton was able to have surgery on Monday. Things went well. We did not have to be admitted which was a huge blessing. New tubes in both ears, tonsils and adenoids gone and a scope all done. We follow up in 2 weeks with the doctor. No complications, just a slightly cranky girl, who thinks that I'm putting lady bugs in here ears when we have to do her ear drops now.

Before...

 After...

I came...I got colored...I got rad

Sunday morning, I snuck out as Chris made the babies waffles and sausage for breakfast and met up with my Quiet Light partners at the Mid-America Center for Color Me Rad. Weaving 5k and getting nailed, sprayed, wiped and dumped color on. All in the name of Special Olympics and Quiet Light Foundation. It was fantastic!

Thank you to all the QLF people that ran, and all the volunteers that came out and donated your time and your morning. You're all amazing and we wouldn't have had this opportunity without you!!!

Jason - thanks for coming in for the weekend to do the run from Colorado.

It was so fun to do this with my QLF partners, who are just as crazy as I am and who willingly got painted in the name of preemies. It was amazing...you guys rock!

P.S. - Here's the World Hearld's photos in case you missed them -
http://odc.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=5002&p=3741

4th of July Recap

We stayed pretty mellow for the 4th. They don't do so well with loud noises (especially Parker) so we hit a local gathering at the Dodge House, then came home for lunch, water fight and fireworks that consisted mostly of snakes and smoke bombs. Some people who have seen these have asked where the hats (and Parker's vest) came from. The answer is my wonderful mother-in-law, Nancy...otherwise known as Nana.

Here, there and everywhere

Lots happening around town means we've been out and about seeing as much as we can stand. We went to the Rails West Railroad Museum and climbed on the trains and played games in the train yard.

We had our first ever dinner at Village Inn.

We hit up the park in the morning before the crazy heat came.

Aunt Cindi helped make us some brand-spankin-new tie-dye shirts.

 And we braved the heat to check out Architects of Air. It was like walking in a giant bounce house, but the floor wasn't bouncy. The colors made just from light and fabric really looked like lightbulbs. The kiddos had a terrific time and are still talking about the "like a bounce house" and that they got to touch the colors.

Busy, busy, busy. And more to come! Stay tuned...4th of July recap!

Peter James & the Dirty Rotten Pig

Parker got a little turtle in his gift pack from the zoo on Dream Night that he instantly liked. It's easy to hold for him. He took it to school with him a few weeks ago almost every single day. When I picked him up one afternoon, Matt, one of their teachers, asked me if the turtle had a name. I told him I didn't think so, we hadn't decided on one or talked about it yet. Matt then informed me that Parker had woken up from his nap and informed him that the turtle's name was Peter James. Apparently this is correct, because since that day I've been constantly informed that the turtle is in fact Peter James. I have no idea where it came from, but it stuck.

A few weeks ago, Payton decided to adopt on of the dogs toys - a pink pig. I think it was because she's all about pink and purple stuff. Linus didn't seem to mind. He didn't do much with it except bring it to us sometimes when we came home from being gone. Mamaw tried to discourage her from carrying it around by calling it the dirty rotten pig. It didn't work. I finally had to cave in and give it a bath (a.k.a. throw it in the washer) much to her terror. She carries it everywhere. It is wearing one of my headbands as a belt. It is infamous at school and everyone knows who it is. And the name is Dirty Rotten Pig.