Ring bearer

We got my little brother married off.  Tristan

had the honor of being the ring bearer and Luke
had the honor of being a groomsmen.

I was so impressed with Tristan and the flower girl Charlotte.

They did so well at rehearsal and on the wedding day.

At this age you just never know what to expect but Tristan

was told to hold her hand and he didn't let go and Charlotte just 

led him right up there.  

I brought my camera for the rehearsal and then forgot

it for the actual wedding.  ugh!  fail!

 I did get one in his suit in the hotel room

(ordering room service I'm sure)

Thank goodness Grandma K got some good shots for me in

his suit and I can't wait to see all the professional photos.

It turned out to be the perfect day for a fall wedding.  

Congratulations Tanner and Courtney.  We love you both!

End of Summer Wrap Up

The end of summer is always so bitter sweet.

Did we soak up every ounce of sunshine that we possibly could?

Hours spent mowing...

Plenty of time at the park...

Rolling around in the grass with prehistoric creatures...

Swinging on the "big boy" swing in the backyard...

Giggling with Grandma S...

Playing with cousins...

and splashing in Grandma and Grandpa K's pool

Did we take advantage of the long days?

These pictures make me seem to think so.

Como Zoo

We took a trip to the Como Zoo this holiday weekend.  

We had never been there and were impressed by the beautiful 

gardens and fountains almost everywhere you looked.  

It is free will donation which in this day an age is pretty remarkable.

The only down side was driving around for 20 minutes finding a parking spot.

In the future it may be worth it to take the shuttle.

Tristan of course loved the animals.

Then he had fun feeding the animals in the learning workshop.

Then we ended our day with a ride on the carousel.  

The carousel was celebrating 100 hundred years.  

Wow!  Just think of the joy and

childlike wonder it has brought to countless riders.

Shark Week

Shark week had taken                         over our house      

ealier in August.

                  

                      Bath time

   

  

                   Coloring and art work

 

                    At supper we ate 

                     What sharks eat

               And sharks could be 

              Found in this little guys   

                    wardrobe too

            

My little craftsman

Props to my husband for this one...

I found this beaten up kids craftsman bench and all the tools for $2 at a garage sale.  I'm not sure what the kids who played with this toy before us did with it but let's just say it seemed to be drenched in maple syrup and motor oil.  After meticulously washing every piece with dawn dish soap and vinegar I asked my husband to make a new base for it since the old cheap plastic one was completely cracked in half.  He took our old fence posts and some plywood we had laying around and voila... 

A new favorite outdoor activity to keep his attention if only for a 15 minute window.  

The cups on the side were an ikea purchase from April.  They were intended for garage storage but got a new found purpose here.  

Oh, and let's not forget about the adorable tool box daddy also made-(which was originally a 6 pack beer prototype that Tristan sorta took as his own)

  He's a working man now. My next project... Make this kid a tool belt. 

All American Boy

Summer is about Red, White, and Blue...

about icy pops and hot little cheeks...

and rolling around on a picnic blanket...

about fireworks...

and giggles...

and trips to the park...

about finding a cool place in the shade...

to sneak a kiss from an all American boy!

Summer is about the pursuit of happiness!  

It is our God given right to be happy and we

get to live in a country that stands to protect that.    

God Bless America!