Zoo School

RyAnne recently participated in "What's for Lunch?" a class offered by the Henry Vilas Zoo. This year she learned about animals and their various diets. She got to go behind the scenes and see the various animal kitchens at the zoo and feed several animals!

Here she is (in the middle waving) with her class!

Since we were there we enjoyed the beach and seeing the animals too!

We are SO lucky to live near this beautiful (& free) zoo!

After class all smiles and with a new friend!

CARS 2

Dad took the kids to see Cars 2

Dakota's first movie in a theater - SCORE!

Lucky Seven

RyAnne turned 7 on July 10 th!

She never had an interest in getting her ears pierced, which was fine with us because she even tears up when we pull her hair when combing it, until about 3 months ago. We were in a mall in Milwaukee and out of the blue she announced, "I want to get my ears pierced!" So we checked out a place that does ear piercings and I told her if she was still interested in 3 months she could have it done for her birthday.

Three months later.........she was still interested! A couple days

before her birthday we took her to the mall and had it done.

I'm not sure who was more nervous......Dad or Mom! Below is a picture of her audience (Dakota and Bailey) looking on. I love the look on Dakota's face - it's like "ARE YOU CRAZY!"

RyAnne did a great job sitting VERY still. She walked around with a big smile on her face the rest of the day. Dakota? He was glad she was okay!

Then it was time for her birthday party! She decided on an Ariel "Under the Sea" theme this year.

For lunch we served octopus (hotdogs), shells (mac & cheese), fruit, and ocean water (blue jello with gummy fish and worms. YUMMY!

Bailey has no problem eating worms :-)!

We made "beach in a bottle" necklaces.

Cake time - always a favorite!

Leave it to RyAnne to read every card word-for-word! Note to self: remind everyone to buy short cards next year!

Silly Great Uncle Terry who always make us pies. RyAnne had the "Cow Pie" for snack that night and really liked it!

Adorable earring tree for all her new earrings!

Lastly, the gang was all ready to SWIM!

The big kids even enjoyed themselves!

Fireworks 4th

It was a perfect day to go swimming - HOT, HOT, HOT!

Dakota and Bailey kept dad busy...they can go down the slide and off the diving board now!

Then it was time for MORE fireworks! The kids enjoyed doing their snaps, smoke balls, chickens that lay eggs :-), cars etc.

Keeping those pesky mosquitoes away with sparklers!

And then it was time for the big boy fireworks! Dad and the neighbors put on quite the show...... I'm not sure who enjoyed it more - the kids or Dad!

Celebration

We spend the weekend before the 4th celebrating at the cabin!

Dad, Zachary, and Grandpa enjoyed playing cards on the deck.

Dakota and Sylvester relaxed on the deck.

Bailey found a new friend.

RyAnne spent an entire day in the water swimming and boating with her cabin friends!

Dakota and Bailey are not quite tall enough for the lake yet so we bought them a kiddie pool to splash in.

The kids with Grandpa on the pier watching the boat parade!

Later that night we all sat on the pier and watched the fireworks from two different directions. This was Dakota and Bailey's first time watching...there was a lot of ews and ahs!