Futures in motorsports?

Karis is big enough to sit on my dirt bike and still touch the passenger foot pegs.  So I may be checking out kid helmets so I can give her a ride now and then.  While the gloves may be a bit too big, the helmet fit well.

We had to try out many sizes before we found one small enough for Kyle.  But we found one!

I didn't practice this with him.  I promise!

Our Last Days of Vacation

On our last day, we took the kids to a splash park. We were going to take them to a big water park, but it was a bit too chilly (partly cloudy in the 70s). Even the splash park was a little too cold (so I heard, I didn't get wet!). But the kids enjoyed it, especially when Daddy went in with them. 

Kyle is not a big fan of splash parks where water is shooting out from all different unpredictable directions. He stayed by Daddy's side the whole time. 

While we were all at the water park, Makena went over to the playground and tried to master the monkey bars. It was very unlike her as she's usually a little more timid and would only do it if we were near by to help. She did a great job and almost made it across. 

After the park, Kyle took a short nap while Aunt Stephanie took the girls shopping. She wanted to buy them new bathing suits. The girls came back with new suits, a couple dresses, a watch AND clothes for Kyle. 

While the girls were gone, Kyle took a short nap. He was still tired and fell asleep in my lap while we watched TV. Such a rare moment for him to fall asleep in my arms! I loved it! 

Here are some of the things the girls got on their shopping trip.

  

We finished off the day with ice cream treats at Oberweiss. It was a chilly, rainy night but we didn't mind!

The next morning, we were back on the road. It took another 16 1/2 hours to get back home. The kids did great in the car. We all had a great time on our vacation, and the kids have been asking to go back to Aunt Stephanie's house since!

Vacation - Our Time In Indiana

On Tuesday, we headed to Aunt Alice's house. Carrie and the girls were there. The kids colored, painted nails and played in the sprinklers. 

Later in the afternoon, Aunt Mary Lou, Uncle David and Aunt Penny, and Mark came to the house.

After dinner, everyone headed home and we stayed the night. The next morning, Aunt Alice made us a great breakfast and even went out to buy some O'Rear's cinnamon rolls that Derek has been wanting for a long time. The last time we had it was on our wedding day when someone hand-delivered these Indiana treats!

We spent the morning playing outside. Aunt Alice has two dogs that Makena was afraid of. She stayed in the safety of Aunt Alice's lap for most of the morning. 

Karis loved the dogs and now wants a dog of her own. 

Blowing bubbles with Dad.

Finally it was time to say good-bye. We had a great time and enjoyed seeing everyone. 

Afterwards, we dropped by two different cemeteries. First stop was the Robinson grave sites. 

  

And then we headed to the Locks grave sites. 

Vacation -- The Fun Continues!

On Sunday, we drove around Derek's old neighborhood. We stopped at a playground where Derek used to play. The kids loved Rocket Park!

We then visited Derek's friend and his family. We had lunch and spent the afternoon hanging out at the house. 

Makena wanted to take the baby home.

Kyle was a bit bashful around the cute girl.

The kids learned how to play bocce ball. Kyle got in on the action too. Check out Derek's face as he protects Karis from Kyle's ball. Who knew where the ball was going to land!

We left our friends' house to meet Derek's stepfamily for dinner at Ach n Lou's. It was a nice evening of catching up and having them meet our kids. Unfortunately, we didn't take any pictures.  

The next day, we took the kids to Blackberry Farm in Aurora. It was a perfect place for our kids. They had pony rides, a carousel, a train ride, an ice cream stand and a playground. What else does a kid need? It was a hot and humid day, but the kids had a great time. Unfortunately it closed at 3:30 pm so we didn't have as much time as we would have liked. 

That night we ate at Portillo's, one of Daddy's favorites. Here is a picture of our well-behaved kids at the restaurant -- right before they started fighting over the purple crayon!  =)

We got back in the car right as the rain started. After the rain, a cool front moved in and it was in the 70's the rest of the week. We loved the cool weather!