Good Times in Wisconsin

In July in we were able to take a fun vacation to visit our family in Wisconsin for 8 days. The first event (of many) on Saturday was going to a Milwaukee Brewer baseball game with Chris's side of the family. Jake and Casey enjoyed spending time with their Grandma and Grandpa Webber, Uncle Paul, Aunt Becky and Cousin Cordelia along with 2nd Cousin Nick. Uncle Paul tail-gated brats and sausages for all of us before the game. Delicious! On Sunday we enjoyed an afternoon BBQ with my family and friends at Aunt Carli and Uncle Mike's house. The day was perfect, sunny and low 80s. We setup the backyard with horseshoes, washers and ladder golf for all to play.


On Monday Jake attended Grandma Wes's prechool (Ginger Bread House). Other than spending 4 days at Vacation Bible School this summer, this was his first preschool day. He was able be with Gavin in his 3 year old class. He did great and made some new friends. His favorite part was dancing and singing in the gym along with racing his new friends on the big wheeel track. While Jake was at school Casey got to spend some quality time with Grandma Wes. They ran some errands together and came home with a surprise. Grandma bought Casey a gigantic Dora balloon. It was Casey's new best friend. She would lay on top of it, hug it, carry it around and just couldn't get enough of Dora. It was very sweet. Later that afternoon after a good nap we took the kids to the swimming pool. They loved playing on a small slide and splashing in the water.



To continue the high pace we were rollling with, on Tuesday we took the kids to the Madison Children's Museum (first time we've been there) with Grandma Ruthie, Aunt Becky and Cordelia. It was well designed and very educational. So many neat things for the kids to explore. Our favorites was the music area (Jake's enjoyed making some tunes on the African drums and xylophone), the Cow milking area (Casey enjoyed pretending to milk the cows), the Dinosaur Dig and the Construction Zone. Definately a place I would want to go back to again. For lunch we enjoyed pizza and salad from a neat restaurant on State Street.




Wednesday was OUR BIG FUN DAY!!! We took the kids to Noah's Ark (one of the largest waterparks in the Midwest). Carie, Gavin and Grandma Wes joined us as well. We camped out by a small children's water play area. It was shaped like a octopus with 4 different walkways going up and 4 slides coming down from the middle. Jake and Gavin probably went up and down those slides over 100 times. Casey had her fun riding in a baby swing that was partially in the water and she also got wet in the wave pool. Carie and I took Jake and Gavin on some of the bigger slides where they allow you to have a child sit on your lap. Gavin was thrilled and excited about it, Jake was the opposite. But he did have some moments where he yelled out a "Yippee", so I'm confident next year when he's 4 he'll be wanting to go on them more.




Thursday was a quiet morning for us spent with Grandma Ruthie, Aunt Becky and Cordelia at the library, then lunch at their house and out for some ice cream. After naps, Chris, Jake and Casey visited the old farm house that Gma and Gpa are renovating. If they can keep up with all the updates they are working on they hope to move in next summer. I enjoyed some free time with Aunt Becky and we went to the movies to see the Harry Potter movie. Later that evening we enjoyed some swimming in Cordelia small pool in the backyard. Cordelia is 3 months younger than Casey and hopefully they will become best of friends. Right now they still fight for attention but as they grow older together that will change.





Friday we enjoyed another relaxing day at Gma Wes's house playing inside and outside. Gma has fun toys in the basement that Jake, Casey and Gavin played with along with the floor hockey game Jake received for his birthday. They were all scoring lots of goals. Later the boys ran in the sprinkler and played wtih Monster Trucks in the driveway. Casey played with her Dora balloon and went on walks outside. That evening we enjoyed a yummy dinner at a Mexican restaurant with Gma Wes, Aunt Carli, Uncle Mike, Aunt Carie and Gavin.



Going back to visit family is always a good time. Thanks to everyone we saw for all the time they spent with us. Jake and Casey are starting to develop some strong relationships with their family members in Wisconsin.