Logan's bday party

We finally managed to have a birthday party for Logan in August. We were on vacation on his birthday & it took us a while to get it planned. The weather was so cold, even in the middle of August, the kids were cold.

Our new boat

We started a new hobby this summer on the river with a new boat. Of course, the weather didn't cooperate much, so we're hoping for more time out there next year!

The Pursleys come for a visit

The Pursley Family are our friends who live in Minnesota. We became friends when they lived by us years ago. Lindsey & Hannah were best friends at their daycare when they were 2. The family friendship has evolved into something wonderful that we treasure. Each summer we get together, taking turns making the long drive. This year they came to our house.

Hannah & Lindsey are bff's, Katie & Hayley are buds,

& Logan just likes rough-housing with Dick & Daddy

while Eileen & Jen get lots of girl time hanging out & talking late into the night when it's quiet throughout the house.

A day trip to Yellowstone

We were so sad at what we saw when we got to Yellowstone. There was a huge fire in 1988 that burned nearly 40% of the park & it still hasn't recovered. The new trees are probably only about 5 - 10 feet tall. Here is a photo of what most of it looks like.

One part of the park we really enjoyed is the "Grand Canyon of Yellowstone". It had 2 waterfalls that were really beautiful. Check out the photo of Dave's bravery!

OK, I admit it....I doctored the photo - he didn't really climb out on the rock! Here are the real photos......

Float trip down the Snake River (more of the Teton trip)

The next morning, we woke up at 4:45 a.m. to take a sunrise float trip. On this day, it was just Dave & me and the tour guide, so it was basically a private trip. We put in at about 6:30 a.m. and saw a moose first thing. Further down the river, we got a very special treat - normally you can't go very close to buffalo, but in our case, he was grazing along the shore, so we got a VERY close-up look at him with NO RISK of being trampled! Other things we saw were beaver, antelope, geese, ducks, a bald eagle, and don't forget the SCENERY!

Dave & Jen head to the Teton Mountains

For our 15th anniversary, Dave & I flew to Jackson Hole, Wyoming! The first day we just putzed around the town of Jackson & drove around checking out the area. The town is a bit touristy, but kind of rustic. The view can't be beat. We stayed in Teton Village, which is a group of hotels, restaurants, shops, & even a gas station at the base of the ski slope. You can practically walk out of your hotel & ski straight to the lift. You can see the resort town in the distance of the last picture.

Trip to Milwaukee

We drove to Milwaukee to visit Minal & Matt and kids. We had a great time, as always. Jen & Minal managed to squeeze in an early morning latte & a round of golf, while the dads & kids slept in & had breakfast at home. The kids had a lot of fun hanging out, playing basketball, video games & playing in the pool. In the photos, you can see our family and theirs: Minal & Matt, and their kids Alex, Ryan, & baby Maya (who isn't such a baby anymore). Minal & Jen met in college & have been great friends ever since.

Summer Vacation 2008 - Chicago

We went to Chicago for our family vacation this year. On the first day, we went to Six Flags & had a blast! There weren't very many people there & most of the time, we didn't wait more than 10 minutes to ride.

The girls loved the rollercoasters, especially going through the upsidedown & sideways loops. They rode the American Eagle & Viper twice. Logan loved driving the cars, especially when he got to drive his own - he just met the height requirement. Dave also convinced him that he would like the log flume, but forgot that there is a very big drop at the end. Logan screamed the whole way down that hill & was not a happy camper afterwards. You can see him pasted to Dave behind Mommy.

After Six Flags, we headed to downtown Chicago. Our hotel was right on Michigan Avenue, close to the bus stops. It was a great way to get around & not have to navigate traffic & look for parking. We went to the Field Museum & saw Sue, the T-Rex. It was the highlight of Logan's trip.

Some of the other things we did were to go on an architectural boat cruise, visit the Museum of Science & Industry, & the Shedd Aquarium. We also went to the Hancock Building Observatory, which is north of the skyscraper district. We enjoyed it much more than the Sears Tower Observatory. It is glass all the way around & they have audio stations that tell you about different things that you can see. In the photos, you can see Navy Pier & the city skyscrapers.


Oh, it's also nice to have the kids help with the window washing!

Logan Goes Off The Diving Board

This will be Logan's first summer playing t-ball.
Here are some pics from his first lesson.

Hanging out in the driveway

We like to just hang out together in the evenings when the weather is nice. This was one of those evenings. The girls love tossing the football with Dad. Logan prefers to go off to his fort behind the bushes.