Summers end

 Dallas is becoming quite the lego creator

 We had the pool to ourselves the other night

 N - holding it in... you can see her in the picture above in a similar pose

 The pool has been our everyday constant.  We go after nap and stay for 1-2 hours. 

 We borrowed this bounce house from a friend for a week.  Of course as soon as I set it up, all kids want to play in the sandbox all afternoon.

 Zoodles:  Noodles I made from zucchini.  The kids find them slurpable, and don't seem to notice that they are not spaghetti.

 Everyone keeps asking me if we have started school.  I guess it is a typical and interesting question to ask.  We haven't. Time to dive in. 

She needs a trampoline or a hammock to lie on outside.  I kicked Dallas out to the sandbox this afternoon since it was so nice.  Emily just wants to read all afternoon, Dallas just wants to play with Emily.  So I had Emily go read outside next to Dallas.  In the picture above she is finishing Little House in the Big Woods.

Since Ames schools started today, the pool was not open until 5:00.  We had to find something to do with our normal after nap period.  Puzzles, snack and cloud gazing fit the bill. 

State Fair 2013

What better way to see the fair than to meet up with our bestie's!  I had fun trying out Back Pocket Brewing beer, our other bestie's parents company.  The kids loved the giant slide, the traveling Lego display and seeing the baby animals.  Rob goes for the food. 

He actually took Dallas and Emily back on Saturday.  One day at the fair per year is good for me!

Emily turned 7 and we celebrated over and over again!

Emily chose a puppy party theme for her 7th birthday.  It was pretty easy to please her.  We had all of her friends bring a puppy or other favorite stuffed buddy.  The girls sat down and made their dogs some beaded jewelry.  Emily had planned a game where each girl takes a turn hiding a little puppy and then the group finds it, she wanted to play until everyone won! This also morphed into a game of hid and seek.  We stopped to open presents, spin the bottle style.  You place a bottle in the middle of the group, Em spins and if the bottle points to you, she opens your present.

 

Em actually had three parties.  She invited 7 friends, three couldn't make it to her party.  We decided to have them over a couple days early for a pre-party play-date.  Em still wanted to have cupcakes and play games, so essentially it was party #1.  Saturday on her birthday four other friends joined us for party #2.  Party #3 happened on Sunday with the grams, gramps, aunts, uncles and cousins!

 

 Emily made a dog house

 She received tons of gifts!  It took her a couple days to write thank-you's.  She is one lucky girl!

 Trying not to peek

 Emily made the doggy cupcakes, this was the day before.  Turns out you should not put tootsie rolls out on frosting 12 hours early.  They cannot handle the moisture!

 Emily knew she was getting this Emily doll from Grandma Barb for her birthday, but she still had the best glow, I can't believe it face!

Still can't get over the fact that she can read all of these.  In fact, the Ramona series is finished, at the time I type this up. 

 

August...

Nashville, TN Dukes Fest 2013 (the real reason for our trip)

 Dallas was having a bad day.  He was done traveling and just plain tired.  He throw a massive fit, MASSIVE people, he just couldn't take it anymore.

 He did get a new hat.

 Eating BBQ at the Boar's Nest.  This girl loves meat, and really loves chicken wings.

 This car drove around on two wheels