Backyard camping....and OUCH!

We've made it a tradition of camping in the backyard on the weekends in the summertime. Sometimes Juliet heads back into the house, but she seems to be staying out with us more often.

In this last picture, it was probably the last time that Juliet was smiling that night. :-(  She decided she wanted to sleep inside so I sent her into Peter. 15 or so minutes later I could hear her crying and assumed she just wasn't ready for bed. Then Peter came to the window and asked me to come in. He was holding her and as I was walking back into the house I could see something dark running down her face. She had tripped on her way into the brush her teeth in our bathroom and clipped her eyebrow on the corner of a nightstand. The bleeding stopped and she was able to sleep (Peter and I didn't though). But by Sunday morning it had started bleeding again so I took her to minor emergency where she ended up with 5 stitches. She was a trooper (I was directed by the Dr to rest afterward to let the blood rush back to my head. Whew!). 

Hoot n Howl at Happy Hollow

We were guests of the Schoennauers at the Hoot n Howl fundraiser at Happy Hollow. Food, drink, drink and drink, playing on the play structures, riding in bathtubs, and NO KIDS. It really was a hoot.

Posing with Danny the Dragon 

Peter driving a bathtub. He should have been pulled over for a DUI.

Art camp!

Claudia did the SJ Museum of Art art camp with the twins again. At the end of the week they have a showing and reception of the art work. It's fun to see what the kids produce and Claudia takes us around the museum to talk about her favorite art pieces in the museum.

The monkey's monkey 

Super Claudia!

Show us your guns

Juliet looks a little suspicious of me taking a photo of them in front of the artwork...

Outside the museum

Would you believe....

...that Juliet and her friend JULIET dressed alike with no planning? (at least no planning amongst the parents, maybe the two Juliets knew what they were doing...)

Twin Juliets

The midwest trip

No weddings this summer, but we still took a trip to the midwest to see both fams.

At the lake, having breakfast with Gralu

The girls on the bridge near the mouth of the Mississippi

The traditional picture at the marker. I'm not sure why everyone dumps their shoes and socks off RIGHT THERE.

At the end of our trip to Itasca. Whew! We made it through the fallen trees!

Our anniversary boat ride and fishing trip

Claudia was all geared up for fishing. 

Juliet wasn't quite ready. Juliet didn't seem to enjoy the boat ride as much as Claudia. She seems to be clinging to Peter a bit!

If the girls are lucky, they'll inherit my fishing skills. Look how jealous Tim is!

Family portrait at the Logging camp

Playing yahtzee with Gralu, Karolina and Allie

Looking at pictures with Rachel (and Cooper)

Sorry? with Uncle David, Gralu, Rachel and Aunt Loree

On our drive down from the lake to Lawrence, we stopped in Ames to have dinner with Jillian and Jo and then we stayed at Jo and Mark's in Des Moines.

Visiting Aunt Joey and Mark

Now in Kansas, hanging with Chandler

Dogpile Chandler!

The mosquitos in Minnesota LOVED Juliet. Poor thing, by the time we got to Kansas her mosquito bites were infected. We made a trip to minor emergency so that she could get some steroids for the swelling. The steroids also made her a little crazy!

Legoland in Kansas City just opened in April. It was small, but lots of fun!

 After Legoland we went to a restaurant that delivers your food via train. The girls loved it. So did the big kids.

Engineer Juliet

Engineer Claudia

2 big sisters

Juliet climbing up Uncle Darren 

With Poh Poh and Gong Gong

 Erin Kaci was doing an internship in Texas so we only got to see her at the airport when we were flying out and she had just landed. 

Goofing around in SJ

I got my new camera so practiced taking different shots. We took a couple trips to our local faves. 

On the merry go round at Happy Hollow 

On the merry go round at Happy Hollow

At the diorama at the Children's Discovery Museum

Putting balls into the water

Say CHEEEEEZ!

 We met the Powell-Russells at the Discovery Museum and then had lunch outside. These are some silly kids!

With the warm weather, it was time to break out the splash rocket!

Waiting for the light rail to head to Campbell (soup)

I tried to take a picture of the girls for Father's day. I think the girls look adorable, but the sun is messing up the picture.

At our park. Claudia is helping Juliet get across the monkey bars. Who knew my two monkeys would be such monkeys? 

Best Buds!

Juliet and her friend Abigail have known each other since they were ~8 months old. Abigail doesn't go to Juliet's preschool anymore so we try to meet up for play dates and birthday parties when we can. Here are the little cheese balls.

Juliet and her buddy Abigail

Claudia had a sleep over with her friends (and twins) Kennedy and Landry. They've known each other since they were 6 months old. The teachers at daycare/pre-school referred to them as the triplets.

Kennedy, Claudia and Landry

Bennie and Juliet

Ollie and Claudia have been buds since they were 2ish, and Ben and Juliet have been buddies since Ben was born. :-)

Claudia and Ollie

But we can't forget the best buds of all - each other!