Independence Day and Other Fun

This summer the kids participated in four reading programs.  We didn't care for the reading programs in our city, so we did the ones in the city we used to live in.  Once they'd completed all four programs we took an entire day to go down there, retrieve all of their prizes, and have fun using their many coupons.

One of our activities was bowling.  Fun fun!

While at the bowling alley, I remembered that we didn't have a picture of Annie's first lost tooth.  Notice the crying child in the background.  He was SO upset that the bowling alley didn't have shoes in his size that he wouldn't bowl for the first 45 minutes we were there.  

He eventually cheered up and had a great time!

On Independence Day we started our morning with 'Red, White, and Blue Parfaits'.  Yum!

After breakfast, we hopped in the car and drove to Omaha to meet up with Jim's brother, Terrance.  We spent some time on the river walk there and later watched fireworks together.

The next day, we visited the Winter Quarters Visitor Center as well as the pioneer cemetery next to the temple before heading home.

This picture is in the cemetery with the temple in the background.

 Abby was sweet as usual.

This pioneer memorial stands in the middle of the cemetery.  It's hard to see, but the couple is mourning a baby that they've laid to rest at their feet.  So many young children didn't survive; it made me want to hug my babies close.

At the visitor's center, Annie and I dressed up as pioneers.

We had two weeks of 'normal' summer activities (swimming, playdates, yard work, etc.) after that before life sped up again. 

During those two weeks we sampled a yellow watermelon.  The kids thought that was neat.

Alex frequently falls asleep in the car and doesn't want to come in the house when we get home.  After one busy afternoon (swimming maybe?) I realized I hadn't heard him come in the house after we'd been home a while.  I found him asleep on the garage floor.

The kids have had some fort building fun.  

I've had to wake Abby more often than usual with our busy summer schedule.  I think it's funny how she falls asleep like this.

Annie lost her second tooth a couple of weeks after the first.  It was VERY dramatic.  She asked Jim to pull it out, but it wasn't quite ready so he loosened it a lot more with the first pull.  It bled a little and she freaked out, but it was hanging by a thread at that point so she still wanted it out.  She wouldn't let anyone help her, though.  Amidst many tears we finally convinced her to let me finish the job.  Once it was out she was all smiles.