the great big dishwasher mess...

Noah thought he would be helpful and fill the dishwasher soap for Mommy. When I went to run it that evening, I didn't realize if was full of Dawn dish liquid! I came into the kitchen a while later and found a flood of suds.

I've heard the phrase about raising toddlers, "If you don't laugh, you'll cry!" So in this moment we chose to laugh. We played and played in the soapy suds for most of an hour while I started to figure out how to clean this up. We "ice skated" all around the kitchen.

And Noah had fun making "snow angels" in the mess!

lake time

We made a trip to Berne recently and spent some time on the lake lot for some swimming, boating and fun times playing in the sand. Noah rode the boat a few times and played in the sand with his second cousin Leah and his friends Mia and Layla.

Isaac is blinded in the bright sunlight!

Jason has fun playing on Jeff's jetski.

What are you building, Noah?

My friend Amy stopped by with her girls to hang out for a while. She is pregnant with their third child (their first son!), due in November.

Jason took Mia on her first tube ride, and I took Noah on his first tube ride. They both really liked it!

Isaac ate and ate all day long (even including some sand, as usual!)....As tiny as he is, you wouldn't think he would have such an appetite! Though I have to admit, he is growing a little belly...Time to cut back on the graham crackers, Isaac! :)

Once again for the fourth of July we camped at the lake lot. It was a hot day but a very mild and pleasant temperature for the evening. Somehow the old sleeping bags didn't get packed, so instead of giving up our camping plans, we headed over to Wal-mart and picked up a pair of new bags!

fun at the waterpark

We enjoyed a pleasant Saturday afternoon at a water park with most of my family to celebrate my dad's birthday.

Isaac was not too sure about the water that kept shooting up from the ground...

The boys liked playing in the pool and splashing around. Isaac fell down several times but it didn't slow him down a bit. That child is fearless.

What would a water park be without the trip around the lazy river? Jill and baby Joshua stayed back in the shady tent but everyone else joined us on the water.

Funny note...We got a lecture from the park staff for bringing in our lunch coolers. Jason didn't ask if it was ok; he just smuggled them in the stroller under a beach towel. I guess we didn't hide them so well when we were eating our lunch!

A few more camping and hiking

Here's the last of our camping and hiking pictures from the Dunes. We had a great time overall (though the rain the first evening was NOT fun), forgot to bring important things along, and just tried to be flexible.