{ on wisconsin?! }

Chop goes out of town for 3 days for work and this is what happens. At least he is wearing a Gopher t-shirt!

{ wordless wednesday: george love }

{ father's day weekend }

We hit the road and headed to The Lodge for what is becoming a Father's Day weekend tradition, as the Saturday of this weekend marks the annual Fireman's Golf Scramble at the Cumberland golf course. The four guys head out to drink beer, talk trash and maybe play a little golf.

Last year Stella and Oliver were too little to really appreciate most of the outdoor activities that being there has to offer. This year was MUCH improved and both seemed to actually enjoy the boat.

Oliver was in heaven in the driver's seat and he took to the boater etiquette very seriously by waving and saying hi to all passer bys.

 

While the Miss Stella was in her element soaking up the scenery and enjoying her Pirates Booty. 

  

After boating in the morning on Friday, grandpa pulled out the big guns and showed Oliver something he loves.

 

That night they were treated to a camp fire must - marshmallows. Too bad neither of them were big fans. What?!

 

While the guys played golf Saturday morning, the moms and kiddos went to the strawberry farm.

 

I wasn't sure what Oliver and Stella would think of it, but they loved it.

 

Especially this one who was covered in red by the end!

 

Amazing how much tastier fresh picked strawberries are compared to store bought (even organic)!

 

Sunday was a lazy day. It doesn't get much better than waking up from a nap and enjoying milk, Doritos and baseball on Grandpa's lap.

 

Or in Stella's case, Park Plaza pizza on daddy's lap.

 

We are incredibly blessed with all of the dads and grandpas in our lives. Happy Father's Day today and everyday!

{ reunion }

What do you get when you put 7 kids (really cute kids at that!) under the age of 3.......

in an awesome house......

on Lake Michigan?

A lot of fun!

We reunited with our IU grad school friends over Memorial Day weekend in Kenosha, WI. Yes, Kenosha is a random place to meet. No, there is nothing exciting or interesting about the area. But it just so happened to be the most in between location for all of us to drive to and we found an amazing house on VRBO to rent.

And for a little trip down memory lane, this is how the group has evolved over the years.
One of our very first gatherings in Bloomington (September '07)

Graduation day (May '09)

Indy Reunion (April '11)

Wisconsin Reunion (May '12)

There isn't really a whole lot to say about the weekend. We did a lot of hanging out at the house, catching up, cooking, eating, and chasing kiddos around. Perfect, if you ask me!

We did manage to get out and head to a nearby park.

And hit the beach. I forgot how beautiful Lake Michigan is!

The guys went golfing one of the days while the moms stayed at the house. It was a dreary day but we pulled out all the stops, including a dance party, to keep the kids entertained inside.

One highlight of the trip was seeing a bathtub filled with SEVEN kids.

O & S enjoyed the view of the lake from the tub as much as adults would. It's too bad the kids were the only ones who set foot in it and enjoyed it!

An added bonus of having friends with nice cameras is that we were able to get some great photos of our family (thanks Jessica & Lora!).

Clearly some (i.e. Oliver & Stella) of the kids didn't get the memo about cooperating for a photo with the moms.

The group has noticeably grown over the years and we already know that one more baby will be present next year if we can all make this gathering happen again (congrats, Browns!). It has been fun to reunite and continue our friendships even though we are all miles apart. Here's to hoping we can make it happen in the years to come!

Go Hoosiers!

{ potty time }

Stella has recently developed a new game. It's called "take off my diaper and run around". It has involved cleaning pee and poop off the floor and numerous fits because she doesn't want a diaper put back on. This too shall pass. 

She has the right idea though, as I found her like this the other day.

 

For right now there has been no going on the potty, it's just cool to hang out there. Which is fine by me as I'm not quite ready for the challenge of potty training!

{ visitors }

This past weekend we were blessed with a visit from Grandpa and Grandma Krueger. The best part is that they were able to stay with us for the first time ever since we actually have a guest bedroom in the new house.  O&S were also extremely excited to have a dog in the house again, as their pup Oscar also came along for the ride!

I had to take advantage of a certain someone's wood working skills and kept him busy building a raised garden bed and book shelf. If only I had his gardening skills, I might actually have a chance of growing what is now planted in the garden! It will be a challenge for me but I'm hoping to have success with the peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, and peas.

 

Although a lot of projects were completed, there was still plenty of time for grandpa and grandma to visit and play with O & S.

We're hoping our neighbors didn't mind O&S hanging out with Grandma & Grandpa in the backyard at 5:45 AM and we look forward to their next visit! 

{ water }

With HOT temps for June last week and weekend, the sprinkler, pool, water table and hose were put to good use. We're fully expecting a hefty water bill all summer long if this was a preview of the backyard fun O & S will be having the next few months.

 

And then I got lucky with snapping this next photo. Did Oliver think Stella was thirsty? Hot? Or my theory that he has just been waiting almost two years to finally pay her back for all the times she ganged up on him?!

{ choo choo }

Tickets for the Lake Harriet trolley: $4
Overpriced picnic dinner at Bread & Pickle: $23
Concert & dancing at the Lake Harriet band shell: $0
The fun that Oliver & Stella had: priceless