While Mom rushed to pack for Wisconsin we spent lots of time getting to know our cousin. We only had one day with him but it was sure fun having a baby around the house again.
Waking up at 4 am was difficult, but we could hardly wait to get to Wisconsin. Mom was sad when she dropped us off at the airport that morning, but was also incredibly grateful that we had the opportunity to spend quality time with Dad and his family.
We were sad to be leaving half our family behind but promised to send lots of pictures. We boarded the plane with excited faces.
In just under 3 1/2 hours we had arrived in Wisconsin and were greeted at the airport by Grandpa Jerry and Grandma Joanie. After tons of hugs we loaded the car and drove to Culver's where Macie and I stuffed our faces...
Back at home the little ones were up to their usual shenanigans. According to Mom they kept looking for Macie and I, but it looks like they were doing just fine on their own...
Mom told us that she took them to Chuck E Cheese the first day we were gone and says they had a blast!
By the second day we were gone Mom discovered just how useful it is to have Macie and I on patrol around the house. While she was doing laundry downstairs (and talking to Miss Elizabeth on the phone), Presley snuck Nixon into my room and they played beauty shop with my fancy makeup kit.
Apparently Presley was VERY proud of the job she did on herself and on Nixon. According to Mom she also did a great job on the bed spread, walls, door frame and stairs.
While Mom was at home cleaning we were exploring the zoo and park next to Grandma Joanie's house.
We spent the day playing non stop, and passed out early from all the excitement.
The next few days were filled with fun time with family. Each morning and night we enjoyed playing with all the Legos.
We spent some time at Uncle Shawn's house touring his garden and sampling the goods.
and had lots of fun with Uncle Brad.
He even let us play beauty shop- we sure made his hair look pretty fancy!!!
While we goofed around at Grandma Joanie's Dad and Uncle Shawn spent lots of time together fishing on the lake.
We also got to spend lots of time with Grandpa Jerry. He has all sorts of fun toys and stuff for us to play with at his house!
Although Mom kept telling us that we were missed a TON, judging by all the fun they had in their pictures I think they fared just fine. Over the 10+ days we were gone not only did they play and swim at home, but they took numerous trips to Chuck E Cheese, the Children's Museum, and the pool at Lifetime.
No trip to Wisconsin would be complete without a trip to Fleet Farm, so before we went to the cabin up north Dad took us shopping. We had to buy life jackets for the boat,
but couldn't leave without buying some Wisconsin gear.
It rained a lot during our trip and our new hoodies kept us warm and cozy.
Macie was thrilled about all the rain because she was able to find tons of bugs and other creepy crawly creatures.
When the rain let up we drove up North to Dad's families cabin and couldn't have been more excited to see everyone and spend time outdoors at the lake.
Despite his inability to fish much during the last 10 years of non stop work he proved that he was still a boss...
While we were at the cabin we spent lots of time hunting and finding frogs.
Hanging out with our cousins was one of the best parts of our trip. The older girls were all so nice to us and we were very grateful they made us feel so included.
The first day out on the boat we went tubing. Both Macie and I had so much fun. It was just as fun as we had remembered!!!
That same afternoon I watched the older girls water ski and they made it look so fun that I had to give it a try.
I was a little nervous, but thanks to everyone's help, I found myself up on two feet cruising through the water.
Our second day on the lake was just as fun as the first.
With a little more confidence I tried water skiing again. My second day was far more successful than the first.
I was really proud of how well I did and couldn't wait to call Mom and tell her all about it!!
Spending time at the cabin with family was more fun than we could have hoped for. If it was up to Macie and I we would have stayed up north forever!
With only a few days left before we had to fly back to Las Vegas we spent as much time as we could with Grandma, Shawn, and Brad.
On our last full day in Wisconsin we drove out to Jelly Stone Campground to spend the day at Uncle Dave and Aunt Nancy's campsite.
Everywhere we looked there was something fun to do. From playing games,
to miniature golfing,
to swimming and water slides,
our day was full of fun activities!
Our two week trip flew by way too fast and before we knew it we were heading back to the airport to fly home. We all had a fantastic time with our family and were sad to be leaving. Grandma Joanie and Grandpa Jerry drove us out to Appleton and had some breakfast with us before we had to check in.
Saying goodbye was hard, but we were fortunate to spend lots of time with them and have many wonderful memories that will last forever!
After making it through security we shopped around to kill some time.
When we were finally seated on the plane Dad let us pull out "the electronics" and we settled in for our trip back home.
Although we had a fantastic time in Wisconsin it was nice to be back home our family. Mom, Presley, and Nixon all missed us SOOO much (as we did them). We spent the next day lounging at home relaxing and catching up with each other.
The relaxation didn't last long because the next evening the Ketcham's came to town and it was NON STOP fun for the entire weekend!!!
Our Saturday began with an obligatory trip to the Las Vegas sign for a few photo ops...
We opted to spend some time indoors thanks to the 100+ degree heat and went to the Children's Museum. We arrived shorty after opening and discovered Mom had forgotten that it was "Disney Day." The parking lot was full and the line went out the door. We were grateful to be members as we were able to bypass lines, but it was definitely busier than normal. Despite the crowds we still had a ton of fun running around the museum. A few of us slowed down long enough for some photo ops with different Disney characters.
The hurricane simulator was one of our favorite things. Inside the winds reached a high of 78 mph!
When Macie saw Jack Sparrow we just had to stop and say hi. With her crooked loose tooth and his weathered hat she would have fit in with the other pirates on the Jolly Roger.
We spent the remainder of our afternoon at Flippin' Out Extreme. From the ninja warrior course to the rock walls, tight ropes, laser tag, we stayed in motion right up until our little bodies ran out of steam.
Macie had so much fun she lost her tooth when her face slammed into the parkour wall. She handled it like a champ!
After a dinner at Fuddruckers we crashed on the couch and watched a few episodes of Scooby Doo. The day was long and exhausting, but full of fun with our favorite brothers!
Before they drove back to Arizona we spent the morning at Lifetime swimming and playing on the water slides. We had the best weekend with our favorite brothers, but saying goodbye never gets any easier.
That night we started to clean up the house and pack for our final beach trip of the summer. While Mom was sorting clothes she got a phone call from Grandma Judy. Apparently her house was undergoing some major last minute construction and wasn't going to be finished before our trip. That meant we had no where to stay. Poor Mom panicked; her and Dad had tickets to a concert that she had been waiting to see since she was in middle school (in other words, a long time ago).
Thank goodness for the internet because in less than an hour we had found the perfect vacation rental less than a half mile from Grandma Judy's house located right next to the ocean! Macie and I were bummed that we weren't staying at Grandma and Paul's but Mom promised we would still see lots of Grandma.
In the following days before leaving we kept busy around town.
We left for San Diego late in the afternoon and spent our first night at Pa's house on Mt.Helix. In the morning we spent the early hours running through his yard chasing the chickens. By 8am the sun was up and Macie and I decided to take an impromptu swim in Pa's pool. We weren't all that interested in swimming, but we really wanted to jump off the diving board. Our swim suits were packed under yards and yards of tie downs with the rest of our beach stuff, so Mom suggested we go skinny dipping. Until that moment we were unaware that such a thing existed. After she explained it you us Macie couldn't wipe the smirk off her face. Dressed in only our birthday suits we spent the next 30 minutes diving, flipping, and cannon balling.
Around 9 am we loaded the car and drove out to the Umbarger's for a day of family fun. We arrived in Jamul to find a full spread of food and toys. With Cousin Avery and Lawson, we spent the morning eating and playing.
I took Nixon on lots of rides in the car,
and so did Presley. Luckily, for Nixon, her driving skills had drastically improved since our last visit and he no longer had to fear getting whip lash.
We celebrated Macie's upcoming 7th birthday with a song and cake and then Macie opened her gift from the Umbarger's.
One of the many reasons that Aunt Connie is so much fun is that she understands our inherent desire to dig into a cake without plates or utensils:
It was evident, as Nixon sat at the table with TWO plates of cake in front of him, that he inherited Mom's love for chocolate...
Macie was THRILLED when she opened her fancy package and found a bug catcher with a built in vacuum and bug house!!!
Her and Presley spend the following hour catching whatever insect they could find in the yard.
We stopped at Grandma Judy's to pick up a crib and some other items. While we were there Macie kept us entertained with her unorthodox antics...
With Grandma Judy in tow we drove down the street to our vacation rental. It was the perfect place for our family of 6 and the commute to the beach was less than 2 minutes!!! While Mom and Dad unpacked the car and set up the house Grandma Judy took the 4 of us to the beach for a late afternoon romp in the sand. We were having so much fun playing in the water and building castles in the sand that we ended up staying at the ocean until the sun began to set.
Back at the rental that night we enjoyed a casual dinner on the patio as we watched the waves crash on the shore.
Bright and early (I mean, EARLY), we woke up ready for some more beach fun. After breakfast on the patio we packed the wagon and took off for the beach. Mom was beyond grateful that we didn't have to walk far- the wagon was filled beyond its capacity with a tent, towels, boards, toys, food, etc. The weather was great and the water was warm so we spent the whole day at the ocean.
During our breaks from the waves we built some art in the sand. I sculpted a replica of Lighting McQueen (with Mom said looked strikingly similar to Curious George),
and Macie perfected the art of the "drip castle."
Our second day was spent much like the first, but after nap time Grandma Judy met us at the beach while Mom and Dad got ready for their big concert that night. Mom had been waiting almost 25 years to see one of her favorite bands growing up, GUNS N ROSES! Apparently their tour brought them to San Diego with Metallica (another favorite of hers at that time) in 1991 and she begged Grandma Judy and Pa to let her go to the show. They unanimously said No (which is fair considering she was only 11). Shortly after that tour Guns N Roses "broke up" and so did Mom's little heart. Form the sound of it she has held onto that petty resentment all this time. When it was announced earlier this year that the band, with most of its original members, were touring this summer Dad knew that he had to buy tickets for him and Mom.
So, long story short, Mom was REALLY excited! They left a few hours early to get there with enough time take their time getting to their seats. Their plan was foiled when the saw the insane amount of traffic leading to, and inside, Qualcomm Stadium. They knew that it was a big show, but they didn't realize just how many people would show up. The crowds were just as bad as they are on NFL Sunday when the Chargers play. After an hour of chaos they finally made it into the parking lot. Judging by the huge smile on Mom's face the traffic fiasco didn't hinder her excitement at all...
Mom had spent lots of time making her outfit for the concert. She made her shirt, skirt, cuff, and shoes- the shoes were everyone's favorite:
Mom and Dad had a FANTASTIC time at the show, and it lived up to her expectations. It wasn't the same show she would have seen in the early 90's, but she wasn't the same girl either (by midnight she was ready for cozy jammies and a blanket on the couch).
Mom and Dad were grateful to have Grandma Judy at the house the next morning. They both slept in while Grandma took us on a morning walk to the pier on the boardwalk.
During Presley and Nixon's nap time that day she also took Riley and I out for lunch and a spa pedicure!!!
The next morning we celebrated Macie's big day; her 7th BIRTHDAY!!!!
Mom made Eggo Waffles with Kit Kat Bars and syrup- a diabetes inducing breakfast choice from Macie herself.
We dressed quickly and took off to spend Macie's Birthday at Sea World. Her ONE major request (aside from the breakfast) was to ride all the big rides over and over and over. Inside the park we made a quick pit stop at the "petting" tanks before speeding over to Atlantis.
We rode the roller coaster 5 times in a row and each time was just as fun as the first.
From there we tore over to the Mantis which we rode over 8 times!!!
While we stayed busy lapping rides, Mom took Presley and Nixon through some of their favorite exhibits; polar bears, penguins, and sharks.
One of Mom's favorite exhibits of the morning was her silly children...
Around noon the little ones got sleepy and drove back to the house for naps. Nixon didn't make it out of the parking lot before he was snoring in his car seat.
While Mom was gone Dad stopped at Dippin Dots and bought us our first treat of the day...
With our sugar levels sufficiently through the roof again we frolicked to the next ride stopping at every photo op...
We rode a bunch more rides and were grateful that Dad was such a trooper!
I guess the sugar went straight to our heads because after the treat we were all sorts of silly...
Well rested and ready for more fun, Mom brought Presley and Nixon back to the park.
I went with Mom and the little ones to meet up with Grandma Judy so that Dad and Macie could have some time alone.
All 5 of us rode the sky ride over the bay and gazed in awe of the beautiful views.
After the ride we went to Elmo's World to visit with Elmo himself. Nixon pouted after having to wait in a line for 5 minutes and when our turn came decided to give both Elmo and Cookie Monster the cold shoulder.
We met up with Dad and Macie at the Sting Ray exhibit.
We stopped at a few more exhibits on our way to the exit. The park was closing and we were all exhausted from a long day. Back at the house we ate dinner while celebrating the remaining hours of Macie's birthday.
Because we had eaten more sweets during the day than one individual should eat in a week, Mom skipped a birthday cake and instead put a candle in my burrito.
It was a great day and all Macie "had hoped for."
Very early the next morning we began the insanely exhausting act of packing, cleaning, and saying our goodbyes before hitting the road to head back home. We were in a bit of a rush because Back to School night started at 3:30 that afternoon and Mom wanted to make sure we got home with enough time to get to school and visit every classroom. The drive home was infuriating for all of us. The traffic from 3 different car accidents caused our usual 5-5.5 hour drive to take over 8 hours. We arrived home at 5:40 pm. Dad took his car and blitzed over to the school to meet as many teachers as he could before the doors to the school closed at 6. Luckily he made it to 2 out of 3 classrooms so we weren't total slackers.
With the start of school only a couple days away Dad took Macie and I to Wet n Wild with Cari and Davis. We had a great time!
Presley and Nixon enjoyed a quiet and mellow day indoors while Mom unpacked and cleaned up around the house.
That night we celebrated Macie's birthday with Uncle Will and she was thrilled that he bought her an art kit!
With only two days before the start of the school year we lounged at home and prepared our outfits, backpacks, school necessities, etc. Dad and Nixon didn't have much interest in our craft projects and holed up in the man cave listening to music and watching football.
Check back soon to see the neat stuff we made and to hear all about our first few weeks of school...
