Bells Canyon Hike- Take 2

We tested out this hike on fall break and really enjoyed it. That time we didn't end up finding the main trail so we set out last weekend to find the creek and the waterfall. These good hikers did pretty well most of the way.

The lake is much more beautiful when the water level is high like it was this time.

 Finn had a very good time riding in the backpack. He loved to catch his brother's attention and get a good laugh out of them.

 These two were just chewing some grass like good Iowa farmers.

 The leaders of our hike. They sometimes had to be told to slow down for the slower and shorter-legged of the bunch.

 Once Wyatt started to wear down a bit, I decided that carrying Finn was the lesser of two evils. That was probably before he started ripping out my hair. The creek was really beautiful on this hike and a nice surprise after hot and dusty trails.

 Always hunting for more rocks to throw in the water.

 We made it almost 4 miles on this hike, when didn't quite get us to the top of the waterfall. Maybe that is our goal for next time. We had a very eventful last mile in which Henry ended up bleeding in 3 places, from some constant falls, excluding one fall onto a stick he was carrying that scraped his rib cage. It was a good thing we turned back when we did. We barely made it in one piece.

Cousin Time

We love that summer gives us more time to get to see so many of our cousins and spend time with them. We especially love having our Cardon cousins so close. Wyatt and Jaren really love to play together. They love it so much that sometimes they fight about who loves it more... or anything else they can find to fight about. They are quite the pair.

They played in this puddle for almost an hour one day. They were so happy.

 Then they moved on to some scissor practice. They spent a surprising amount of time sitting still cutting paper into tiny scraps.

 Time to beat the heat with some Otter Pops. It is weird how much kids like those things.

Busting into Summer

We are diving right into our summer break. The weather has been great and we are loving spending a lot of time outside.

We have also hit up the Children's Museum several times already (and will continue to go almost weekly with Anne). There are some new fun things there that keep the boys happy and busy.

 Wyatt loves the kitchen in the little house, he makes meals with food from the grocery store and then serves them to any random kid he can convince to pretend to eat with him.

 He also gets a real kick out of cleaning up.

 Finn also loves going to play a lot more, now that he crawls everywhere and crawls on things. He recently discovered the funny mirror. He sits in front of it forever.

He also found a great place to climb into a sit with a few dolls.

 These 3 little fish are also going to be spending some time working on their swimming skills. They are all taking swimming lessons and then we are trying to get in some solid practice and pool time at other times too.

 Henry's first big leap to deep water.

 At least someone gets some use out of the baby float when Finn freaked out and wouldn't sit in it.

School's Out

Well, even though it seemed that we were in school so much longer than any friends or cousins, we finally made it to the last day of school. Both of the boys were so excited for summer. We have lots of plans. They each designed their own sign to commemorate the occassion. I love the personal touches.

 I think they really look so much older than when school started... this may call for a comparison photo soon.

 Henry had a great Kindergarten program for the last day... during which he showed his true personality, but trying to attract the least possible amount of attention. There were a few moments when he looked like the exaggerated hand movements might cause him physical pain to participate in. You can't see where he is hiding in this photo, unless you magnify it a million times and know where to look, but Caleb and I thought we should at least document the occasion.

 Despite his expression in this photo, Henry really did love his teacher and love his first year of school. Posing for photos, not so much love.

What a group

Wyatt and Potty Training

I have to say for all of my fears and apprehensions, this potty training experience has not been as bad as I expected. Wyatt has been talking a lot of getting out of diapers, as he is very eager to go to preschool in the fall, and potty training is a requirement. So, I guess all of the talk got him ready. After day two we felt confident enough to leave the house, and he has been going strong. He still struggles a little with one aspect, but hoping we can get that figured out in the next week. He loves his underwear and loves being big enough to tell everyone that he uses the potty now... if only preschool started before September. He now considers himself ready.

 For some reason, this new change just makes him seem so grown up to me. Good thing he is still having a serious tantrum now and then to remind me that he is not yet even three.

Finny McGregorpants

Our little Finn is growing up. He is such a fun guy and loves to show his personality every day. Here are just a few fun shots of him from the last month or so.

He loves to be under foot while I am getting dinner ready. It is worth it to trip on his dishes when he stays this happy.

 He loves to go outside for walks and is very happy to be in the stroller or wagon checking out the world.

 Finn's other obsession is trying to get his hands on some electronics. I can see a pattern forming here. He loves to watch Wyatt play games. These two are quite the pair in the mornings when they are alone with Mom.

  He loves his pacifier. That is going to be fun to try and cut back in a couple more months.

 Oh look, going after a computer again... well at least it motivates him to stand up for a while.

So when Finn was just a few months old, Gavin was playing with him and one day called him "Finny McGregorpants." We all laughed, but some how it stuck. Gavin continued to call him that and the rest of us seem to have joined in. Even some of the kids friends use that nickname. When I call him Finn William, Wyatt sometimes asks who I am talking about.

First Pinewood Derby

Will Gavin turning 8 we have officially entered the world of Cub Scouts. It is a very foreign place for us, and it is probably going to take us year to figure out what is going on with all of this... the pinewood derby was prime example of how unskilled we are. 

Caleb and Gavin spent a weekend crafting a fancy car. They took it to the inspection and were told that it should probably weigh more, but it was late the night before and so we added a little weight with tape to the bottom and called it done. The next day at the race, (Caleb was gone on an overnight) I was quickly schooled in how much the weight of the car mattered. Gavin's car had a hard time even reaching the finish line. Some nice parents pulled out all of their pocket change and we started taping it to the car. The results were improved, but I was given many pointers that night by all of the seasoned scouts and leaders about things to do in the future for a much more competitive car. Gavin was pretty bummed, but he had a great time at the event anyway.

Spring Sports

 We had a fun season of spring sports. Our Saturday mornings were busy running from game to game, but we were lucky enough not to have two games at the same time. Gavin decided to continue on with soccer and joined a team that had played together in the fall. He was the oldest and the biggest kid on the team, but there were a lot of great skills in this little group. He learned a lot from a couple of great parent coaches and is looking forward to playing for the same league next fall. He loves to play goalie and spent some time learning to be more aggressive, which is much more fun to watch.

I didn't get a picture at the last game with his medal, since I had to rush off, but this is one of the many things we used to keep Finn busy during the games. Letting him play with garbage.

 Henry continues to have a soccer aversion, so luckily there was a spring basketball league at a nearby rec center that we could sign up for. There turned out to be some kids from his school, though not from his class, on the team. He still spends a lot of time on the court just running around and cheering as his team members make baskets. He did also get a few more chances to touch the ball and had some good dribbling runs and even took a shot in the last game. He is excited to play again next year.

Corn Fed Boys

 These boys may not be from Iowa, but they do love some good ol' sweet corn. Wyatt would have eaten all five ears if we had let him.

 Nothing like a good group shot, some of them love to pose more than others. Looking forward to some delicious summer eating.

Finn's Haircut

Finn recently got his first haircut. His stylist is none other than his mom. We had all be in love with those scraggly baby hairs until he got into the habit of wiping his hands, covered in food, through his hair every time he had a meal. It was time for a change.

 He was a great sport about sitting on the counter and entertaining himself with a toothpaste tube while I did the quick trim.

 And I must say the results are pretty handsome.