More SuMMeR FUN!

Bear with me as I have a long post. We have been keeping pretty busy, and I just haven't gotten around to blogging so here is more of our summer fun in one big post!

We went to the Orange County Fair one day. We went during the week and during the day so it really wasn't that crowded.

The boys enjoyed seeing all of the animals the most. Here are James and I next to the huge Ox. You wouldn't know though because Craig didn't take a picture of their heads!

The boys as Ox!

Jake jumping off the hay!

Goats...

Baby chicks...

Turkeys...

Clydesdale horses...

The pig races...James loved this, Jake had fell asleep.

Jake's HUGE corndog, as big as him! He could hardly hold it!

Thank goodness James only wanted to go on the ferris wheel and that was it for the rides!

Funnel cake, a must at the fair!

Somebody is worn out!

Jake is his sunglasses!

Family Bowling

Jake's first time...he was really good!

A Day out on the Duffy

We went to the Newport Beach Museum for the first time. It was really cool. James loved looking at the Sea Stars and Sea urchins.

Jake wouldn't touch them.

James and Craig with their pretend catch of the day!

Took a ride on the merry-go-round.

And on the ferris wheel.

Driving back to Nonna's house.

I am so happy we have an understanding dog that lets our kids do whatever they want to him! Even while he is eating!

Craig has been taking James fishing at this little lake by our house. One Saturday he went with our friend Marc and his daughters.

Marc, Ava, Mikayla, and James. Ava was the only one who caught a fish!

We had a nice family day at DJ & Robyn's house.

Craig and Jake swimming.

Jake jumping in the pool, he is a nut! He just keeps going and going!

Playing...

Jade, and Dj.

Jade

Ian

Vince and Michael

Nonni and Brianna

Ava and Lisa

Jade and James reading

Nonna and Grandpy went out of town for a few days so we went and spent a few days at their house! It was a nice little stay-cation for us!

We walked to the pier...

Watched the people fish

Someone caught something...

Happy boys...

Played in the ocean...

James got tumbled by the waves, he is getting so brave but at the same time it is scaring me! The yellow flag was up and the water kept going out far and in far and he would go out further and the all of a sudden the water would be at his neck! Can't take my eyes off! Makes me nervous!

Craig went surfing for the first time in about 5 years!

The boys watched him...

Our friends Lindsay, Zoe, and Ayden came down for a visit.

The kids had a blast...

Such a nice little get away for us!

Brianna started school on the 17th. She is now a Junior!! My how times flies. She drove herself to school on the first day! It was kinda nice for me not to load the boys up in the car and drive for a half an hour! Here she is, I didn't get a very good picture...

We went to The Discovery Science Center. It was a pretty crazy experience! Lots to do with lots of kids running around. I think our kids were a little young and very much over-stimulated!

Jake in his jungle hat!

James in the jungle hat

Driving the jeep...

All of our handprints...

Working the conveyor belt

Pumping water...

Taking a break, watching a movie.

Doing the grocery shopping game...

Our picture after we were done!

Blasting off in the rocket ship!

In the wind tunnel. The wind went up to 85mph!!

In the dinosaurs belly

The kids loved it but I think we won't be going back there for awhile!!

We have had so much fun in the past couple weeks! Brianna already in school has put us more on a schedule but James still has a few more weeks of summer!

Summer Fun!

I feel like I haven't blogged in awhile! Well that is because I haven't. We have been busy! Here are a few of the things we have done this summer that I actually have pictures of! I have been so bad about having my camera on hand! Most are taken from our phones!

We went to a Water Park with our good friends Ayden and Zoe.

Best Buds...

And since one time when we got together for a park day we went to McDonald's for lunch, now the kids ALWAYS want to go to McDonald's when we meet! So off we went!

We made some fun summer treats...Frozen Bananas!

I am a big frozen banana connoisseur and these were delish!

The boys loved them too!

Craig and the boys painted little wooden cars and street signs...

It was Jake's first time painting!

James had fun playing with them after they were painted...

Jake on the other hand did not...

It was a little windy and his stop sign kept blowing over, he didn't understand why. :(

James went to Vacation Bible Study Day Camp at the church where his school is for a week and he had a great time! He was SO excited when he found out he was going and some of his friends from school would be there! It was a nice break in the summer for all of us! Jake got some alone time with the toys and I didn't have to keep two kids preoccupied!

They did crafts every day and this was our favorite one! They made a cross out of clay and then put sea shells in it! We had to let it dry on the counter over night and the next day James picked it up and dropped it! He was SO devastated and so was I! I have never seen him so sad! He was bawling! So we went and got stuff to make a new one. :)

He was sad camp was over and can not wait to go back to school!

We went and stayed the night at Nonna and Gramp's house for a mini vacation. We went down and took the boys to the beach and then Nonna and Grampy babysat while we went out to dinner for our 6th Anniversary! Then we got up the next morning and went to the beach again! So fun being so close to the beach! James is making such a big difference in his willingness to go in the water. That is all he wants to do! James always wants to get his feet buried, but never his whole body. This time he did! And of course then Jake wanted to as well!

A few times we have eaten dinner early and then headed out to the park to tire the boys out before bed, or if it has been a day of no running around just to give us something to do! :) We all think this is a great idea!

So far we have had a fun filled summer with family and friends!

BOWLING

For about a week now James has been asking us to take him bowling. We have no idea where he has heard about this and came up with it. I love bowling so on Tuesday when Jake went down for a nap I took James bowling. On our way there he asked me if he had to wear bowling shoes and I was still bewildered on how he knew this! I told him he did and he startred to freak out. He didn't want to bowl now and wanted to wear his own shoes. When we got to the bowling alley there was a camp and a league going, so we had to wait a bit. But it was a good thing because we were able to watch all the kids and see that everyone HAS to wear "special" bowling shoes. He finally agreed and wanted to bowl. The lightest ball they had was a 7 so it was a bit difficult for him to carry. He wanted to put his fingers in the ball but it was very hard to hold the ball with his fingers in and carry the ball. I was helping him carry the ball while trying to show him how to throw the ball. He drops it straight smack down and it barely rolls. It rolls so slow I thought someone was going to have to go get the ball in the lane. After a couple trys like that I decided to have him hold the ball with both hands and underthrow the ball between his legs. I was able to help him a lot better this way. The ball went a little faster! After about two times that way I noticed some people down the way that were using this little ball ramp/slide thing. I showed it to James and asked him if he wanted to do that! Thankfully he wanted to and it made the bowling process a lot easier and more fun!



He LOVED it and was so excited when he knocked down the pins! The first game he scored a 85 and the second game he BEAT me with a score of 93! I scored 92! I couldn't believe it! We will definitley be doing this again and we can't wait to bowl with the rest of the family!

Happy Father's Day! (oops)

Wow, I was just looking through my blog and noticed that I never posted my Father's Day pictures! Oops, sorry to the most important man in my life! You are such a wonderful Father and I am so happy you belong to our kids!
The best picture I could get...you notice Jake is always crying in these types of pictures!?

Daddy is SO into his garden we thought he would love this handmade stone from us! And he did! James wanted to put mostly green stones because he knows that is Daddy's favorite color!

We had a nice, relaxing day of going to lunch at Ruby's and then going down to have dinner at Grampy & Nonna's.
The boys...James, Patrick, Jake, & Mitchel

And the boys love playing with Grampy! James showing Grampy his puppet show!

Since James was out of school for Father's Day I asked him the same questions that were on my Mother's Day card about Craig. Here is what he said:
My Dad is special because: he likes to go to Disneyland
I like when my Dad: does an obstacle course with me
Daddy is best at: fixing everything (oh does he have James fooled!)
I like to make Daddy smile by: playing games
My Daddy is smart and he even knows how to: play video games
Happy Father's Day! xoxo

Beach Day

Thursday it was so hot but so beautiful so we went down to the beach to enjoy the warm weather!
James and Craig dug a hole, a favorite thing to do at the beach!


To my surprise James went in the water a bit! Just got his legs wet because there were 100's of sting rays! Craig said in his whole lifetime down there he has never seen anything like it! It was pretty crazy! Craig and James found sand crabs and James held one! My boy getting braver I told you!


Jake loves the sand just as much as his brother does!

Making sand angels

Trying to pull Jake in the wagon, didn't go anywhere.

Jake chasing the birds! Why do kids love to chase birds??

Beach Boy

Our friends Chad and Carrie came down with their little boys...
James, Conner, and Jake. (Their other little one is only 8 weeks!)

A little video of our crazy boys who LOVE the beach!

We Have a New Driver!

BRIANNA GOT HER LICENSE! June 29th!!
It was a bittersweet moment for me. I am glad she got it, it has been very convenient, she can now drive herself to her summer job, she can go run errands on her own, but I am also quite nervous every time she leaves the house! I am so glad we have cell phones now a days and I can txt her or call her to make sure she has reached her destination! I don't know how our parents did it with no technology like this! I would be a nervous wreck all the time! I guess I finally get it Mom! Sorry for all those worrisome nights! :)

Palm Desert

Last weekend we went to Palm Desert for our little annual get away. I am so glad my Aunt and Uncle let us use their house out there. It is really the only vacation we get, it is so hard to go anywhere with the kids. Everyone has a blast! The guys golfed two days and we got to hang out and relax! When we are there we never want to come home. James cried when when we had to leave!
Brianna brought two friends with her...

My Niece Sabrina and her friend Abby

The girls got their tan on...

While the boys played in the pool all day!


We all enjoyed going in the pool!



Jake helped sweep the ground, although there was nothing to sweep!

We went out to the driving range to hit a few balls


Fun times...


We have had such June gloom at home I was so happy to get out to the sun and the heat! Such a nice vacation and way to start out our summer of sun!