Basketball

This summer Cameron has really showed an interest in sports, mostly baseball but recently basketball.  Ryan lowered the hoop so now the kids can make baskets and they even have a running total of how many they've made.  It's fun to watch them get in to something and enjoy their success. I love their facial expressions in the pictures after they've taken a shot.  Note the soccer ball in the pictures, we only have one basketball so they had to improvise.  It was good though because they took turns with the real basketball on their own.  Yippee! 

Someone's first haircut

Even though she's almost 3, Lauren just got her first haircut.  She is very familiar with the salon since she always goes with us when Cameron and Aubrey get their hair cut but she was very excited to be the one sitting in the chair this time!  She did wonderful and so did Aunt Shannon!

Before:

After:

Aubrey and Hannah's County Fair

Once again Aubrey got to share a birthday party with her best friend Hannah.  They had so much fun planning their party and I think their ideas changed about 10 times before they settled on County Fair.  Emily and I had fun coming up with games to play and Greg even built a Plinko board (I think that was the favorite of the party).  We had tug-of-war, balloon stomp (FYI-don't try this if the grass is dry, the balloons pop very easily!), face painting, bobbing for apples, Plinko, ring toss, penny toss, weight guess and knock over the bottles.  We let the girls have free reign of the games and it worked really well.  It was fun to see their personalities come out in the race for tickets with a special prize being awarded to the top 3 ticket earners.

Tug of war-both teams really got into it!

The birthday girls with their siblings (minus Cameron who got to spend the day with Ryan)

The many faces of the birthday girls:

With their sunglasses

I love Aubrey's face here, she's so excited!

Present from Hannah

Trying to keep her candle lit

Getting ready to pass out the cupcakes

Emily found this idea online, isn't it so cute!  It really looked like popcorn

All Aboard!

In school the kids have been learning all about trains so we decided to take them to Boone to go on the train ride there.  I remember going on it when I was young and thinking how fun it was, so it was something I'd wanted to do with the kids for awhile.  They were excited about seeing the train up close and actually getting to go on a ride.  The weather was gorgeous so we opened the windows and the kids hung their heads out the window.  Cameron rode like this for at least half of the two hour ride!  

 Waiting in expectation for the train to start.  The seat backs could move so we faced them towards each other to ride together.  It wasn't crowded, so we even moved around a bit.

 A look down the car

 Cameron hanging his head out the window.  He didn't say much, but just took it all in in typical Cameron fashion.

 There was a very high bridge that looked out over a beautiful valley.  I'm sure in a few weeks when the leaves turn it will be even more gorgeous.  The kids thought it felt like riding on an airplane since we were so high and they couldn't see the tracks.

 Aubrey getting in on the hanging out of the window watching

 All three kids hanging out the windows.  Lauren made me a little nervous because I felt like she had to have so much of her body out the window to see anything. 

 In front of the train

 Back at the station

An old engine at the station

Roofing

Ryan helped my dad re-roof the shed behind their house and when I went out to check on them someone else was on the roof with them, someone short...Cameron!  I wasn't too surprised, he follows my dad around doing whatever Grandpa is doing.  Of course my dad told Cameron, "Don't let your grandma see you!"  I guess he wasn't too worried about me finding out, just Mom.

I love this picture of Dad showing Cameron how to do it, and Cameron concentrating so hard.

Later in the week we went to Mom and Dad's for something else and Cameron said he was going to help  with the roof.  I told him that Grandpa and Daddy were at work, but he said that he could work on it by himself.  I reminded him that it had taken two adults to do the work and he replied, "Two adults and one kid!"  Yes, his work was valuable.

This is what happens

When you give a 5 year old and a 7 year old a tub of water and a hose to water the grass seed with-they water themselves instead!

Aubrey is 7!

My little girl is now 7 years old!  Where has the time gone?  I feel like I say that every time one of the kids has a birthday, but it's so true.  She is growing up so quickly and is a pleasure to be around.  This year she chose a s'mores cake and s'mores to eat with her cake instead of ice cream (Jeremy wondered if she was really my child!)  I wasn't stressed about the cake this time because it was fairly easy.  On the day of her birthday Ryan took her out to eat and she chose Cactus.  I took her for ice cream after lunch and she got a pillow pet from us.  We had her party with family on Sunday at mom and dad's church.  

The s'mores cake

Aubrey wanted a pinata and it was very fun to watch all the cousins take turns.  It was a bit hard for Aubrey to comprehend that she couldn't be the first one to hit it and the one to break it open.  She settled on being the first one.

Ian, Rachelle, Joe, Grandma Miller, Grandpa Miller and Maggie watching the action

Grandpa Gugel and Lauren watching the action

Trae taking a turn

Maggie was so cute!  She tromped right up to take her turn.

Shannon and Great Grandma Marner 

Lauren and Maggie making their choices.  Lauren chose Starburst and Maggie smarties.  It was funny to watch them choose exactly what they wanted.

Aubrey and Ashlyn with their candy

All the presents!  This year she wanted a picture of herself with each present after she opened it.  I didn't include them all in the blog, but she didn't let me forget each time she opened another one.

We gave Aubrey a Barbie house that was mine when I was young.  Thanks to my parents it got a new life with new flooring, paint and window treatments.  My Grandpa Marner and Dad made it for me and it stands out as one of the best presents I ever received, so it was so fun to give it to Aubrey.  It also made me miss Grandpa Marner all over again thinking how he would have loved to be at Aubrey's party with all of us.  Don't get me wrong, I know he's enjoying a great party in heaven!

Blowing out all 7 candles

                                 Amazing student

                                 Usually cheerful

                                 Ballerina

                                 Reader

                                 Eager helper 

                                 Young but strong

Vacation in Eagle River, Wisconsin

We spent a wonderful week in Eagle River, Wisconsin at a cabin to end our summer.  Ryan did a lot of research and found an area of Wisconsin that he thought looked inviting.  He also found the cabin that we rented and even got an off-season price!  The kids kept saying that it was the best vacation ever and that we should come back next year.  Ryan and I agreed.  It was relaxing and we had lots to do right outside our door.  

Most of the houses on our lake were not rentals, so there was virtually no one else around.  The people who owned the cabin we stayed in had a house right beside us, but they were only there for the first day we were, and then we were all by ourselves.  It was very peaceful.  Every afternoon was spent swimming and the mornings were spent fishing and canoeing, reading, playing games, etc.  One morning we found a local trail and went bike riding.  

The cabin came with a rowboat, a canoe and a paddle boat, all of which we used almost daily.  The water was so clear, you could see to the bottom all over the lake.  Ryan said it was frustrating for fishing because he could see the big ones pass by his hook.  Thankfully there were lots of little bluegill that would bite quickly; this kept the kids interested.  We fished off the dock as well in other parts of the lake.  Ryan and Cameron found a sweet spot where the fish would bite within 20 seconds.  One night Ryan took Lauren and Cameron fishing and he caught a bass.  It was feisty and fell out of his hands when he was taking it off the hook.  It flopped over by the kids and they both started crying!  Lauren kept talking about it, I think it made an impression!

There was a swim platform out a little way past the docks and Aubrey enjoyed swimming out there with Ryan.  Cameron and Lauren went out there too, but didn't enjoy it as much as Aubrey.  She even swam part way out into the lake with Ryan one day.  It was so much fun to watch the kids swim and make up games to play.  They lived in their swimsuits most days.

There were so many small fish right around the dock and we fed them small balls of bread. One night when Aubrey and Ryan were fishing the rest of us got to feed a turtle.  It would swim up to us and eat the bread, then swim away and come back. Finally it got full and went away.  That same night Aubrey saw a deer while they were fishing.  We saw loons on the lake all week.  The other wildlife sighting was a black bear.  The bad thing about that was that it was while we were driving.  We were almost to our cabin on the first day and I saw this bear coming out of the ditch.  I yelled, "Look at the bear!"  But just that quickly it turned around and went back into the woods.  Only Ryan and I saw it so that was a bummer since that would have been something new for the kids.

Unfortunately, my camera battery died after the first day, so we had to use Ryan's phone.  The pictures aren't the greatest, but it was better than nothing!  They also aren't really in order so bear with me.

 Lauren on the beach area

 Another picture of Lauren at the beach

 Cameron jumping off the dock.  The water at the end of the dock was just right for Aubrey and Cameron, they could touch, but barely, so it felt deep.

 Inside the front door

 Another view of the kitchen

 The VERY steep stairs to the basement.  The stairs were a little scary, but the kids learned to navigate them well.

 The view from the deck

 Aubrey coloring in the loft

 The "master" bedroom

 There was a can crusher right outside the cabin, and it was the highlight of the day for Aubrey and Cameron to take turns crushing the cans.  The simple pleasures of life!

 Lauren with her first fish.  Disclaimer:  Ryan did most of the work, but Lauren was the official catcher.

 Got to love goggles!

Aubrey and Cameron swimming

Our cabin

Getting ready to fish

Getting ready to go in the boat for a fishing adventure

It turned out a little hard to see, but the water was clear so you could see all the little bluegills

A family outing in the rowboat

It was cool to see the loons on the water and hear their call in the evening

Aubrey's fish

Fishing off the dock

Cameron and Aubrey enjoying the water

All the kids enjoying the water