Caught the Bug?

We've caught the bug. 

While I was growing up, we called it "Slug Bug".  Volkswagon revised the whole punching thing to accomodate a new generation where you call out the color of the VW you see.  My kids (and husband) took this and ran with it. 

At first it was funny. Well, not so funny anymore, now that it's become a reality for me. The short trip to daycare each morning has now become a slugfest. 

I swear that my children know where every Volkswagon is in town. 

They anticipate it. 

They hold there fist high in anticipation.

They shout "Blue One!", "Yellow One!", and so on as they punch each other.

Guess I need to preach a little more "Love thy neighbor as thyself".

The game has now expanded to include the PT Cruiser.  Everytime they see one they punch and yell "Cruiser Bruiser".

A couple of days this has been banned from my car, for no other reason than my sanity or for the crazy days where I decide to haul five kids to Salina.

Update on Dedric

Dedric had his appointment at Children's Mercy today.  Prayers were answered and all major concerns were eliminated.  Dedric will continue with some occasional monitoring by the doctor.

More Construction (or Destruction).

We recently had some major work done on our basement walls.  This is what the back yard looked like for 2 weeks.

The contractor has completed his work.  The project created two additional parking spaces however we were ignorant and said we would finish that part of the job.  This weekend we will finish moving dirt and place the rest of the rock.  Hopefully, Mother Nature will be kind with the heat index tomorrow. 

Hannah's First Train Ride

Hannah finally got her wish.  She got to volunteer on the train with her dad.  This was a big deal for her since she's watched her brother the last two years get to go.

 For a 4 year old, she listened very well and really go into the train operations.

Big brother waiting to watch his sister board the train.

Fourth of July

We celebrated the Fourth of July at home. This is the first year that the city has allowed fireworks to be shot off in the city limits. We ended the night sitting along Mud Creek watching the fireworks display.

Dot.

Summer Hobby.

The Steam Engine is running again this weekend. Todd has invested a lot of time with the railroad this summer. Pretty much every spare minute. It's become a family affair. The kids love hanging out at the railyard. They know all the volunteers. They also learn a lot of responsibility. Todd probably wouldn't admit it but this has become a wonderful hobby for him, plus it's quality time with the family.

Our neighborhood.

I love our new neighborhood.  Not to brag or anything.

Now that summer is here it is pretty evident we made the right decision. 

Now, I know the house has been more work than we planned on.  But on a brighter side, we are outside all the time.  I literally have to drag the kids inside each evening.   Not something you saw much at our old house.  The yard just wasn't condusive to a lot of outdoor time. 

We take walks down our nice, quiet, dead-end street.  Yes, dead-end means most of our traffic is neighborly.  No cars zipping up and down our street.  The kids ride their bikes all the time. 

We have a freedom here that we didn't in our old neighborhood. 

Prayer Request

My nephew, Dedric, is scheduled to see an endocrinologist at Children's Mercy next Thursday because of an abnormal x-ray and bloodwork. Please keep D and his family in prayer for safe travel, strength, and rest. May the Lord guide his doctor's through this trial.

The Walter Grandkids

All 13 of the Walter Grandchildren.

Front Row: Matthew, Hannah, Michael, Connor

Middle Row: Morgan, Emily, Mallory, Shelby, Brenna

Back Row: Colton, Tyson, Ryan, Jacob

Golf.

Instead of baseball, Matthew opted for a mini-session of golf this summer. Being a lefty- our first challenge was finding a set of clubs. Not knowing if he would like golf, we were hesitant to purchase a set. Thanks to our friends, the Schiffner's, we had a starter set for our left-handed boy.

The session lasted just three weeks but Matthew had a lot of fun. We'll see if he decides to pursue any additional lessons.

Hannah's Horse Riding Debut

Jackie has instilled a love for horses in my little Hannah. She lives and breathes them. Her day revolves around what the horses are doing. She loves the days that she gets to go help with chores. She knows them by name, what they are fed, in what order.....well you get the idea.

Jackie decided Hannah was ready for a parade. She took her to the Herington fair and let her ride.

Jackie, Macy, and Hannah headed out for the parade.

Hannah riding Patty in her "buddy" seat.

Jackie, Macy, and Hannah

Hannah and her favorite "boy", Giz.

More fun at the park.....

After the quick bike ride to the park, we let the kids play for a while. The weather was nice. Not too hot. We stayed till the kids got tired.

Michael

Jacob (Lil' Rockstar)

Mallory headed to the playground with Jacob.

Hannah digging for treasure. Sad to say but she did not find any.

Michael trying his hand at digging for treasure.

I loved how Michael would curl his toes in the sand everytime he would lift to move the sand.

Jacob making his way up the steps. With Mallory's help, of course.

Michael headed down the slide.

Hannah's turn.

And Jacob!

Bike Ride.

My sis-in-law, Ashley, and I took the kids to the park while they were visiting. Michael rode on the trike.

I was amazed at how well he did. You can tell that he has practiced.


Hannah showed off on her two-wheeled ride. We're hoping to get rid of the training wheels by this fall.

Hannah's Summer

This is how Hannah has spent most of her summer. Hanging out with the kids at daycare. She loves it. No fuss. No rush. Life is good.

Visitors.

Todd's brother, Kevin, and his family made the 20+ hour drive to come visit. It was great to get to spend some quality time with our nieces & nephews. The last time we saw Jacob he was just over 4 months old. Now he is a walking, talking 17 month old.

Michael is now almost three. He reminds me so much of Matthew. Such a smart, inquisitive boy. He LOVES trains and was so excited that he could watch them pass through town from our house.

One of the few pictures I got of Morgan. Such a beautiful girl and ""gasp"".......a high schooler. She is great with kids and so easy to be around.

Sad to say but Emily was VERY good at avoiding my camera. I'll be better prepared for the next time.

Summer Times.

Matt & Casen

We have been spending a lot of time at the local swimming pool. It doesn't help that the pool is a quick two-block walk from our house. Two hours spent at the pool makes for some pretty tired kids that mom has to drag home.

Summer List

This summer we created a list of all the things we wanted to do before school starts again. We had a lot of fun making this and everyone had a say. Climbing a mountain may seem a little extreme, but Matthew is referring to the hill at Ft. Riley with the cannons on it. :)