Labor Day Weekend

For Labor Day, September 2, 2013 we were invited to attend breakfast on the water with the Wheelocks. They have a boat and 2 jet skis. We went out on the Missouri River and found a great little inlet to dock at and then set up a portable stove where omelets were cooked and the kids played in the sand and caught minnows and small fish.  Ryan also took each of our kids out on the jet ski for a few rides...

Ryan and Emily

Emily

Emily and Ryan

Christopher fishing with Dr. Wheelock

Emily and Ryan

Emily watching the fish that Ava caught

Christopher holding a fish that they caught

Emily holding the "big" fish

Emily and Leo playing with the fish in the sand

Nathanial and Ryan

Nathanial and Ryan

Christopher and Ryan

Christopher and Ryan

Christopher and Ryan

We had a really great time out on the river.  We are talking about when we will get our own boat and go out ...someday...

The Rest of August

I have been trying to do various projects/crafts with Emily since she is home without anyone to play with and her favorite activity is water colors.  On the 28th she decided that not only did her paper need some color but also herself and her teddy bear...

Emily and her teddy bear

She painted her own fingernails.

Her finished painting

It has been a hot summer here in Iowa.  The boys had several "heat" days where they get out of school because it is too hot in the school for them.  This year they had a total of 8 heat days.  One of the days that they were out (August 29th) we were invited over to the Wheelock's house to go swimming in their pool...

Emily Swimming

These are large foam circles that you try and stand on, it is a lot harder than it looks, just ask Ryan

Ava and Nathanial, they are good little friends

Christopher is jumping off the diving board while Nathanial watches

On the 30th of August Emily and Christopher brought back the garbage containers...

This is a bridge over the Missouri River that connects Iowa to Nebraska.

Christopher's 5th Birthday

Christopher was very excited for his birthday this year.  He was set on having a Ninja Turtle birthday party.  We really missed all of our Cleveland friends!!  It just wasn't the same. 

Christopher's birthday was on Friday, August 23rd so we took Ninja Turtle cupcakes to share with his class.

After school Christopher opened his cards and presents from everyone.

Christopher's "Happy Birthday" banner

Ryan and I had a really neat birthday present for Christopher but we needed to give it to him at his party so for his presents on his birthday were clothes (something that he needed!)

This was Christopher's reaction when he realized that all of his presents were clothes.

We went to dinner at Red Robin for his birthday.

On Saturday the 24th we had his party.  We weren't sure how many people would come since we didn't know a lot of friends yet.  We invited a few people from his Primary class and our neighbors that they play with frequently.

All ready for the party!

Christopher's cake--This is where Christopher's presents from us came in.  Alex and Angel gave him a Ninja Turtle last year and ever since then he has wanted the rest of them.  So for the top of his cake he got the rest along with Shredder.

pinata

We started the party off with a small ninja training exercise...(They had to "pop" the bad guys)

Someone had popped Emily's balloon

After the exercise they all earned the rank of "Ninja Turtle" and received their shells and masks...

After our training we had pizza (of course) and bread sticks along with cake and ice cream

Blowing out candles

After our tummies were full we had another training exercise...A ninja obstacle course...

They had to get to the "gold" ninja

The bad ninja

Christopher-Mission Complete

Emily-Mission Complete

James-Failed

Nathanial-Failed

The Ninja's would not let go of Nathanial

After the attack of the ninjas we went outside to attack the pinata

Christopher

Christopher

Nathanial

After the pinata we came inside for presents...

A ball and bat from the Cleary's (James and Shannon)

A painting project from Anne

We had a great time and we think it turned out to be a fun party.  Christopher was happy with it and asked for a Ninja Turtle party again for next year.