Haenni Time!

Nothing compares to time spent with special friends...and we enjoyed every minute with the Haenni's tonight. The kids have been a constant in each others' lives from the start and are so cute (and rambunctious!) together.



Kathryn's eyes speak volumes...she is an amazing little girl -- one of my favorites!



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Kathryn taught Miles how to do a flip on the play-set bar, all of the kids had fun on the slide, and Griffin ate his dinner in a little chair (for the 1st time!). Awesome!




The kids enjoyed a little hopscotch...Miles decided to "just watch" since the hopscotch numbers weren't set up in order. That's my Miles. :)




This was Austin's "funniest-face-ever". Funny indeed!



Austin looks deep in thought, doesn't he? I'm sure he was just preparing to trample down the slide. Definitely all boy!...LOVE him! :)

Jack is 3!

Our sweet godson, Jack, turned 3 on August 2nd and we all celebrated the big event at his Pirate Pool Party. Jack was so excited for his party and the kids had so much fun playing on the slide and eating his yummy pirate cake!

You can see Trish's pictures (including Griff in a pirate bandanna!) at: http://picasaweb.google.com/redish76/JackSPirateBirthdayParty




Miles and Noah had so much fun that they continued to "play pirates" until they went to bed that night. Miles named himself "Captain Sweet Tooth" and immediately gave Noah the name "Captain Helper" (then he handed him a Swiffer and told him to 'swap the deck!'). Both boys woke up the next day saying that they want their next birthday to be pirate themed --- certainly the sign of a great party!

US National Whitewater Center

With one day left of our vacation, we decided to check out the US National Whitewater Center. What an amazing place for active fun! This nearby Olympic training spot offers zip lines, hiking & biking trails, rafting, kayaking and rock climbing. Miles and Noah both said that they 'can't wait to grow bigger' so that they can raft themselves. (Miles also added that he'd like to come back when its 'much cooler'.)



It was so much fun to watch the rafters go by!


There is a kid-sized "boulder garden" for the kids. Miles & Noah loved it!


Mike was anxious to try to the adult rock-climbing course. This will certainly be a great date-destination!

Our Beach Week: the Moments In-Between

We spent so much time at the beach and the pool each day that its hard to believe we had time for anything else...but we squeezed in so much more!




Miles and Noah appeared to be preparing for an endurance coloring event. Anytime there was a moment of downtime, they leaped to the table and got to work.


We introduced the kids-free Schuberts to Noggin. Jason immediately whipped up this Sportacus-style mustache for Lindsey. Work it, girl.


These three amigos hunkered down and completed a 500-piece puzzle in just over 2 hours. Impressive start to the day!



Turns out Uncle Jason still carries a torch for the ninja turtles. He created costumes and story lines all week (here Jason and Noah are fighting bad guys on the deck....this was a reward for Noah finishing his dinner -- nice touch!)




A large collection of my dad's photographs from Ghana were showcased at The Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum. His photographs are amazing -- he has a way of capturing people's eyes and facial expressions -- its as if you can see their souls. We are all so proud of him and are excited that his work was shared with so many.




Rock Band was an all-around favorite. Miles loved it almost as much as Gram did!



My dad just got back from a trip to China. He arrived at the beach bearing gifts for everyone...and the boys could not have been more excited. During prayer-time that night, Miles said that it was his favorite part of the day. The next morning Noah said, "Mommy, I want Pop to go to China all the time...so that he can keep brining us presents."



We had an early birthday celebration for Lindsey. Dig in, Noah!


Could my sisters be any cuter?....



......or these boys?

The Pool! The Pool!

Most commonly heard from the boys during beach week? "Let's swim in the pool!"

Most commonly heard once they got into the pool? "Can we get naked?"

For some reason the boys loved swimming sans suits. Dana was just the opposite -- she earned the name, 'crazy aunt dana', after she did a cannonball into the pool with her clothes on. It was great!


Noodles...pool toys...this 3-year-old couldn't be any happier!



Miles continued boogie-boarding in the pool. Some tries were more successful than others.


Noah manned the super shooter. For Miles, the weapon of choice was a cannon that propelled water 40 feet (yep, Pop brought that one). The camera was under cover whenever it came out!


Jason's noodle-splasher...he's so resourceful!


Mike was the cannonball master -- he practically emptied the pool with each one.



Griffin loved being flipped by Mike. We were amazed that he never let go of the basketball (in fact, whenever he wasn't holding a ball, he let out a high-pitched scream until we gave him one.)

FUN!

Sharks at the Pier!

One morning the Brown family checked out the pier. The fisherman were all very friendly and would yell to us whenever there was anything worth checking out. We rushed around trying not to miss a thing!


Miles and Noah were in awe over sharks swimming near the pier!


We also got to see a baby shark-- UP CLOSE!


One fisherman unhooked his catch to show the kids. Noah was daring enough to touch it. Miles said his favorite part was when the fish was released back into the water.


Scoping out the best surfing spots, Mike and Miles?

Miles and Noah both said they couldn't wait until they could go fishing....we'll have to work it into next year's trip. Wonder if you need a fishing license if you're sporting a spiderman pole?