#9 Go to the park

I knew we would be going to the park quite a bit during the summer, but we decided to add it to our bucket list anyway. We had a group of friends meet up at Lake of the Woods park the first week of June. The kids love to go there because they have great sand to play in. On this day they loved burying each other in the sand. Benny just really loved eating the sand.

#2 Finish a Triathlon

About the middle of April Shad decided he was going to sign up for a sprint triathlon with his friend James. James had completed a few triathlons, but this was Shad's first. They signed up for the triathlon in Muncie, Indiana on June 11th and we added it to the summer bucket list. He had a little less than two months to train for it. He said it was one of the hardest things he has ever done. He really mainly struggled with the swim portion of the race. He isn't a great swimmer and we don't have regular access to a pool, so it made it kind of difficult for him to practice. He really only went to the pool a handful of times for training.

When it came down to the race he struggled with the swim, as anticipated, and came in pretty much last. He had to hold onto the kayak they had available a few times just to catch his breath, but he did finish and didn't get disqualified. He must have made up the time in the run and the bike because he actually ended up with a really great time and got 3rd place in his age category and 48th overall. His friend James got 2nd place and friend Reza got 8th place in their age category too. I think they felt ok about that. One of Shad's YSA members (Jason) did the Olympic triathlon and also did very well.

We didn't end up going to see him finish like we had originally planned because we had a baptism of a friend to go to that afternoon and I knew it would be difficult for us to get back in time for the baptism. Shad just barely made it back in time even without kids.

I'm so proud of him. I'm glad that he is setting such a great example for our kids to follow of making fitness goals and achieving them.

#10 Go to the pool

On June 9th we made our first venture of the summer to the public pool. The great thing about Champaign/Urbana is that there are actually quite a few pools to choose from and they are all pretty great (or so I have heard).

This time we went to Crystal Lake in Urbana because I bought a discounted punch pass which made it less than half price of what it would have cost us ($4 a person instead of $9!) Haken brought his friend Seth with him. I am so glad that we brought him because it gave Haken someone to do the "big kid" stuff with while I watched the littles in the smaller pools. I honestly didn't see them hardly at all unless they were hungry. Jack still isn't tall enough to ride the slides, although I know he would go down them if he were.

Taylor Morefield (one of the YSA from the branch) came with us. She actually had been staying at our house for the last week and a half before this. Her sister was in the hospital in St. Louis and the rest of her family was there with her, so Taylor stayed with us so she didn't have to be alone.

Jack and Gracie also had friends to play with. Our neighbors the Junge's and the Cunningham's both ended up going the same day coincidentally. It made for a really great day.

This place had everything...splash pad, water table, slides, playground, whirlpool, climbing wall...you name it. The kids had a ball. We will definitely be going back since we didn't use all of our punch pass yet. Summer just needs to slow down a bit so that we can find another free day!

Playing with friend Troy

Benny LOVED the water

Benny is SO close to walking but still refuses to take steps. He can stand up all by himself, and then just stands there. 

Haken getting dumped on with Seth

Little fishies

2016 Summer Bucket List

This summer we decided to make a summer bucket list at the beginning of the summer. The kids kept telling me all of the things they wanted to do this summer and I just couldn't keep track of them all. So we wrote them all down and put them on the cabinet. As we check them off we will be taking them down and putting them around the door frame.

1. Summer camp

2. Finish a triathalon (Shad)

3. St. Louis

4. Ward pool party

5. BBQ

6. Flea Market

7. Bike Ride

8. Golfing

9. Go to the Park

10. Go to the pool

11. Go to Arthur

12. Get Benny to walk

13. Swim at the Holmes'

14. Build a sandbox

15. Roller skating

16. Farmers Market

17. Nauvoo

18. Plant a Salsa garden and berries

19. Swimming lessons

20. Chicago

21. Bowling

22. Washington D.C.

23. Homer Lake

24. Run a 5k

25. Plant Trees

26. Drive in Movie

27. Finish "Around the world in 80 days"

28. Read "Lord of the Rings"

29. Rent peddle boats and Lake of the Woods

30. Open gymnastics

31. Go to the splash pad

32. Meet Ruby

Indiana Dunes

One of the huge advantages of having a daddy that travels is that sometimes we get to go with him. Because it is the end of the school year, Shad has been attending a lot of Seminary graduations. His last one was over Memorial Day weekend (May 30th) and was the furthest away (Valparaiso, Indiana), so we took advantage of the holiday and decided to do some family exploring. We stayed the night in a hotel Sunday and then headed to Indiana Dunes State Park in the morning which was only about 25 minutes away.

We had a fantastic time on the shores of Lake Michigan. I always knew it was a big lake, but you don't realize how big until you are there. It really does feel almost like an ocean without the huge waves and without being salty. You can't see the other side of the lake (although we could kind of make out the Chicago skyline in the distance). The sand there was so amazing! It was the finest most beautiful sand of any lake I have ever seen.

Benny was in love with the sand. He loved throwing it along with the rocks. We had sand in every little crease by the end of the day.

One thing that really made the day awesome was the friends that we found on the beach. We set up all of our stuff and then another family (with 5 kids) set their stuff up next to us. I could tell almost right away that they were Mormon just listening to their conversations. Our kids were about the same ages and they became instant friends. They live in Chicago and were just there for the day too. The other great part was that the father and one of the sons is also diabetic and have pumps. So, while Jack was plugging in his pump and checking his blood sugar, they were too!

Before we left we got their phone number and became friends on Facebook so that we could keep in touch. The next week we also found out that they are cousins with Bill Holmes who is in the branch presidency with Shad! It's such a small Mormon world! It was actually really great because Bill had lost touch with them after going to school and we found them for him.

Although I really do enjoy our outings together just with our little family, I thought it was a huge tender mercy that the Lord sent us some "Mormon cousins" for us to play with that day and especially ones that we had so much in common with. The Lord really is watching out for us as we are away from so many of our close family and friends.

One funny story while we were there: Some of the kids were playing about 10 yards from our "base camp" on the beach in a small stream leading into the water. Gracie wanted to go over there to join Shad and the other kids. I told her to start walking that direction and you would see him. I was watching Benny and didn't want to walk over there. Then, about 15 minutes later I looked over there and didn't see Gracie. I went and asked Shad where she was. He said he thought she was with me. Then, right on cue, the loud speaker for the beach comes on and we hear "We have a lost little girl. Her name is Grace and she is wearing a purple seahorse swimming suit and carrying a blue bucket. If she is your child please come and pick her up at the life guard station." Shad went running and hitched a ride on a 4-wheeler to the life guard station. He found her there, surrounded by 10 lifeguards, doing a coloring page, and talking their ears off. They thought she was the cutest thing ever. Apparently she walked in the other direction, someone noticed she was wandering by herself, and brought her to the lifeguard station. Later  as we were walking to the bathroom and passed the life guard station all of the life guards said "Hi Grace!" She had made some pretty good friends. It's going to be a little joke for a while.

There are lots of great hikes to do in the Indiana Dunes park, but by the time we were done with the beach, the kids were beat and ready to go home. Next time we will have to try out some of the hikes before we hit the beach and cool off in the water.

School spelling bee

On one of the last days of school Haken participated in the school spelling bee. They held a class spelling bee for each class and then took the top two from each for the school wide spelling bee. Haken was one of the top two from his class. I'm actually not surprised though, because he has always been a great speller. He must get that from his dad.

Shad went and watched. Haken did really great. He got out on a word that a lot of other kids got out out: "piece" Very easy to switch up those "i's" and "e's" right? He wasn't too disappointed. Although he would have liked to have gone farther, he was really proud that he got to the school wide bee.

Nauvoo

April 15th and 16th we went to Nauvoo as a family. Susan Easton Black, who is a BYU professor and an expert on church history invited the Young Single Adult branches from a few surrounding areas to come and tour with her. We took advantage of the opportunity and decided to go as a family. We stayed in a house that we rented with our friends the Noonan's and enjoyed spring in Nauvoo. It was beautiful.

*Note: Shad was put into the branch presidency as the 2nd counselor the week before this trip. This was quite a surprising calling for both of us. We do a lot with the branch already with Shad being the institute director. It was almost as if he was a 3rd counselor. We were both curious to see why the Lord put him into this calling and what would actually change (besides me being alone at church now with the kids). We have been amazed already at the way the spirit works and the blessings that we have already seen from Shad being in the presidency. There really is power in having and exercising priesthood keys that he did not have before as the institute director.  

Shad had an early morning observation on Friday morning in Galesburg (about an hour away) so we went with him and stayed in a hotel there and then headed to Nauvoo afterwards. Haken stayed at the Noonan's house so he could go to school on Friday and then he rode out with them Friday afternoon.

It was a perfect weekend. Shad and I attended the temple on Friday night while the Noonan's watched our kids, then they went with the YSA the following morning to the temple. Shad was able to go and do baptisms with those that were not endowed. When he got out we went to the park and played with the kids until the endowment session was done.

Gracie loved the swings at the park

Picking "flowers" at the park

There's my happy boy... even though he might be eaten by daddy

Gracie was obsessed with these "bleeding heart"
flowers on the temple grounds

That afternoon was the tour with Sister Black. I stayed at the house with the kids since they wouldn't be as interested in the tour. I had a lesson to prepare for Relief Society the following day anyway. Shad said the tour was really neat because she took them to places that you don't normally go on a typical Nauvoo tour. I'll let him write the details about that tour.

My two favorite parts of the weekend were attending the temple with my sweetie on Friday night and jogging with him past the temple and around historic Nauvoo as the sun was coming up Saturday morning.

There really is something special about that temple. There is so much history and sacrifice that was involved in the building up of that temple and the surrounding city. I could actually feel the spirit of those that built the original building as we moved throughout it. We were also able to be the "witness couple" for our session which made it extra special. I was nervous being pregnant, but I know the Lord blessed me so that I would be able to do it without passing out, as I have almost done before being pregnant and doing sealings.










I am still in awe that we are only 3 hours away from this beautiful place. We will be returning often.

Overlooking the Mississippi river from the temple grounds