Happy Birthday Nick-Josh

Can you believe it? My brothers are TEENAGERS! I still think of them as 4 years old, which is younger than Kadie is now. It has been so much fun to live close to them and continue to watch them grow up. They are such great Uncle's to Kadie and Laney, despite the fact that Kadie and Laney have ruined many of their creations. I love how brutally honest Josh is, and how Nick already lifts weights.

They have been building and creating things since they learned how to draw a turtle on blue's clues when they were only 18 months. I am totally serious. As adults - I imagine them being computer programers, architects, or something that requires that they have the need to create.

For any of you who don't know them...Nick is in the red, which has basically been his signature color since he was born, and Josh is on the left (his color is blue...but he isn't wearing it).

Back in the Day...

Discovery Kingdom

This will definitely keep us busy this summer. We bought season passes to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. Josh took the whole week off last week, so we went! Twice!

First Day Trip:

We stopped at McD's on the way, and this little baby bird landed on our window right in front of me. That never happens right? Weird.

The cool thing about Discovery Kingdom that many of you may not know is that it is Sea World + Zoo + Theme park all in one. The only thing it is missing is the Disney Princess stuff. So we went and saw tigers, lions, dolphins, whales, sharks, birds. The girls couldn't get enough!

There were even a lot of little rides that Kadie and Laney were able to go on together. (What you can't see is that I am in the back seat with my knees up to my chest).


I think that this picture sums up how much it wore the girls out. :)

Second Day Trip:

The second day we went, we took my brothers. So to give Josh a chance to test his manly fear factor abilities on some coaster rides, I took the girls to see the Shouka show (killer whale). I think Laney was more interested in making sure that she drank ALL that there was to drink.

I couldn't figure it out. Every other two year old at the park was terrified of these huge stuffed animals walking all over the place. Laney wanted to hug each and every one of them AND get her picture with them.

Shnick and Snosh with the girlies...I don't know why we call then that? Anyone, anyone?

No this is not inside the Shark Attack tunnel, this is actually in the Butterfly garden, and yes...Laney was terrified of all of the "fuh-fwies" flying around.

Kadie, Daddy Josh, and Nick & Josh went on the water rapids ride...so I took Laney to the playground. She was upset that I even attempted to make her get ON to the water rapids ride (hey she was tall enough!). So it took her a little while to warm up to the idea of getting wet, even if it was somewhere less questionable and with other children all soaked from head to foot.

She warmed right up, and even made a performance out of it!

Shelter Cove: Episode 2

We went to my parents' cabin again last weekend. (June14-16). I have decided to post these trips as "episodes" because so much happened this last time.

Day 1: Golfing

After we got to Shelter Cove Saturday, Josh, my Dad and the boys decided to go golfing. The golf course is a small 9-hole course right along the shore next to the town's airstrip. You don't have to call ahead either, you just take your $10.00 and put it in the wooden box and you can golf as long as you want. Apparently 9 holes was too long. After the 7th hole, Josh (my brother) got whacked in the head by Nick. I have no hope that there is any safe sport now. They had to rush him home where my mom did minor surgery with liquid stitches. (super glue).

It wasn't all bad, Josh got spoon fed by me and Kadie while he played his Nintendo D.S.

That night Big Josh did a little "birding" off of the deck.

Day 2: No Church? Let's hit the Beach.

On Sunday we really tried to make it to church on time. It was Father's Day. Big Josh stayed at the cabin with Kadie because she was sick, and the rest of us high-tailed it on the twirly 45 minute road trip to the branch building. Alex was sitting in the way back not feeling so hot...so when we got there to discover that there was no church that day, this is how she looked.

Morgan got a kick out of the "Visitors Welcome" sign. Laney was bummed, the branch only has about 20 people that come regularly, and really no children. I think she wanted the nursery all to herself.

The Beach

We found the regular crabs and starfish, but also some new friends. Big Josh and Morgan hiked over some rocks to get some snap shots of the deer grazing along the waters edge and some fat seals living it up in the waves.

Laney was proud of her "baby frock" (little rock) that she found and took care of.

Nick and Josh made up after the golfing episode and had fun exploring the shore.

Day 3: First Time Fishing

Kadie was able to go fishing for the first time this trip. The guy at the bait shop told us that the best fishing that morning would be right off of the boat dock. I really didn't think anyone would catch a thing.

Wait a minute, what is going on? Is that Josh and Kadie reeling something in? "It's Probably just some seaweed" Dad told Kadie. Look a little closer...that is the Perch that Kadie caught!

While Josh was getting the hook out, Kadie's fish had a few baby fish! It actually grossed me out a little, but was interesting to learn that Perch are one of the only fish that actually birth their little fishy babies live.

Being the sensitive girl that she is, Kadie spent about 10 minutes crying because she felt bad for the baby fish. Then she decided to feed the mama fish some squid and then put the babies out to sea.

Here is another Fish that Josh caught, it looked bigger in person, I swear!

Laney didn't catch anything, but she had fun holding the rod.

That's all Folks! Until next time for episode three!