Great Midwest Adventures

Whew! What a busy ten days it has been. We've had long car rides, a short boat ride, lots of family and friend visits, hours of playtime outside, and even a couple of train rides. It started off last Friday with a long drive to Moline to meet up with the rest of the Luth family. Everyone was at my parent's house to celebrate my niece Lauren's baptism. It was so great to be home with Brother John and Sarah along with their spouses. We had a lot of driveway time thanks to Grandfather Sir (we think he might be transforming into "Papa" since Jack is starting to figure out this talking thing and that's what he calls him right now).

On Tuesday, John left to go back to KC on the train. It was his first Amtrak ride. Turns out, he kind of liked it and had a relaxing trip back. On Wednesday, Lulu and I made a road trip to Milwaukee to see Sarah and Marc and their new house. It's a wonderful new home with a beautiful big backyard and a long driveway. Both great for exploring. From Milwaukee, we went to Appleton to visit my Grandmother and had dinner at my aunt's house.

Saturday morning it was time for the kids and I to head back to KC. Lucky us.....we had a driver! My dad drove us back to KC and took us the scenic way through southern Illinois. He had his first experience traveling with 16 month old twins who on occasion don't like being strapped in a car seat. We had some vocal adrenaline from time to time. This morning dad jumped on the train and headed back to the Quad Cities. I'm certain the train was quieter than the car yesterday.

Two important lessons I learned this week regarding car travel with toddlers.
#1  Baby Einstein is genius! Why we didn't want the entertainment center in the Swagger Wagon is now beyond me. Thank you Nanny Jessy for loaning us DVDs that bought us some quiet time on our tour of the midwest.

#2 Ignore all grumbling, whining, and complaining in row two. Eventually it will pass. The more you look over your shoulder, the more you hear.

Getting the driveway party started

Uncle John gives good rides

Aunt Sarah sure knows how to make this thing play music

Kisses for Lauren

Family All Play.....Grandkids making stepping stones for Lulu's garden

Hanging out with Brother John and Lauren

The Triple L - Lauren Lillian Luth

Luth Family at Lauren's Baptism

Family dinner celebration

We were so excited to celebrate with Lauren, we starting screaming after dinner

Eating Corn on the Cob with the Wegscheids

Playground Time

Lulu even has a Rabbit to ride in her garden

Getting ready for our boat ride

Away we go!

I kind of like this breeze

I'll just hang out here and help you drive Grandpa

So this is the Mississppi River

I think you need an appetizer Aunt Sarah

Checking out the cool guitar in Waukesha

Heading to see Grandma First

High Five Great Grandma First

Kisses for Great Grandma First

Grandma First and her Grandkids: Leah, Sarah,  Hope, Jack  & I 

Aunt Carol this is a really cool water feature

Thank you Aunt Carol for letting us invade you for dinner...we had a great time!

Baby Yoga with our friend and old neighbor Karen Cumlad 

Just talkin' to the gnome at Aunt Sarah's 

This is a really great pond you have Aunt Sarah

Home to Grandma and Grandpa's for some more playtime in the driveway

Grand Finale in the driveway.....SPRINKLERS!!!!!!

I'll just check out this water for a little bit

Reaching for the cool spray

Fun & The Farm

Time is sure flying this summer. We continue to have some really fantastic adventures each day. The third week in June brought another first.....a Burley Ride! Thank you to the Bradburys for passing down this fun ride. The kids weren't too crazy about it but they are going to learn to like it. In this family cycling is not optional. I have a vivid picture of Mary's twin girls riding in it the first time. If I remember correctly they weren't too sure about it either. The good news is that Courtney and Sarah did indeed learn to love it and even tried to keep the flag as a memento.

We also met the Kenneys at Deanna Rose. Hope and Jack had fun checking out the animals and playing on the playground with friends Tanner and Taylor. We beat the crowds and attempted to beat the heat. What a fun morning we had!

Ready to go!

Mom is smiling but we are a little grumpy and scared

Thank You Pinterest.....Playdough and Froot Loops

I think the Froot Loops taste better than playing with them

Chillin' at the Farm with Taylor

This goat looks hungry

Thank you Tanner for sharing your goat food

Jack, it's not scary come on over

Snack time in the shade

Happy Father's Day!

As predicted, we did have a full weekend. Yesterday was great as we celebrated Father's Day as a family. Here are few playful pics with Dad. We love you!

Happy Father's Day to Grandfather Sir too! We are looking forward to sharing time with you in a few days.

Brunch at our favorite spot, Cafe Europa

Dad, I didn't know green alligators ate books!

This new book is pretty neat, it plays music! 

Relaxin' with Dad....perfect afternoon at home

Field Trips & Fun

We've survived week two of summer break and are ready for the weekend. Not sure what the weekend will bring but I know it will be full. Here are a few highlights from our week at home.

A very Happy 85th Birthday to Mimi! Hope you are having fun celebrating today!!!!

Ready for the Chicken Dance

Todd really is a giant!

Friend Grace and Babysitter in Training

Quality control at Costco

Snack-in-the-Box

Mom gave in and FINALLY let me watch the iPad

Ta-Da! He may be watching  Big Bird but I can do tricks with straws

We always knew our kids would be the ones wearing buckets on their heads

The forgotten son

Thanks Liz for a great walk! We love our Wednesdays with you.

First visit to the library - This Caldecott puzzle is a tricky one

Look Mom...I found a great reading chair