We took the boys to the Greys River in Alpine, Wyoming while camping and enjoyed the same area we had come to when Raef was tiny. They loved it and dared eachother to get into the freezing water. Then Erin decided to start a mud fight that eventually involved everyone except for Grandpa. He looks pretty smart now! It was very fun but very messy!

Raef surprises me everyday with how big he is getting! Such a little man!

We decided to just stop and find a hotel whenever we ran out of energy so we never had many choices of rooms. This was the last room available on our last night before Cleveland and we opened the door to find a huge suite with a jacuzzi surrounded by mirrors and a fireplace. Of course, Trent and I looked at eachother and he thought I was up to something. I can assure you I wasn't. We desperately wanted to sleep as it was around 1 or 2 in the morning but the minute the boys saw the hot tub they were determined to take a bath. We convinced them after much wailing and gnashing of teeth to go to bed and swim in the morning. We all crashed in our giant bed and slept terribly!Adventures!

The 4th of July Celebration!!!!!

Let the party begin! I think we did everything but huge fireworks! We were planning on going to the local show but found out that most of them were canceled due to financial cuts so we did some sparklers and smoke bombs and the boys seemed satisfied. This is one of, or maybe my favorite, picture I have taken of Ryan. I still can't believe I captured my favorite look he has. I melt each time I look at it.

I feel like this may be a famous picture someday. The only picture taken of the now famous professional photographer, Mr. Lowell Harris, or Grandpa as we call him. We will be interviewed and books written about our relationship. Books could really be written. What a hole has been filled by the Harris while we have been here in Ohio and it's even easier to leave knowing that they get to go back home to the West with their children too.

Trent made an insane amount of ribs with a sauce that the Harris' got from somewhere and is to die for! That went right into my cookbook! I am licking my lips just thinking about it! This was our first go at ribs and we luckily had some leftover to cook up later also. Delicious! I'm sure we owe it to the cook!

We had a full house for the 4th of July celebration. I think 13 people maybe?! We had people sitting everywhere. It reminded us why we always want to live by family. It's hard to be away from everyone. Yes, Cam you can shoot me later for putting this on here. Nice face!

Raef calls Ryan a vegiesaurus and says he is a meateater. Ryan loves vegetables! Everything except for tomatoes, which I believe is due to his father persuading him to the dark side. Anyways, he is the only child I have ever seen eat so many and so much. One of his favorite foods is salad and we laugh watching him eat it everytime. It just looks kind of wrong. Corn is his other favorite. He gnaws on those things for an hour but he will get every piece.

We had this dessert that Grandma Harris made and the boys got to sample first and then we had homemade icecream. I just can't resist making my Grandpa Singer's recipe once a year. The only bad part about the icecream is that it is not exactly what I would call healthy and I seem to end up eating whatever is left in small, but very steady helpings during the next few weeks. Have I worked out yet today? Yikes!

Kisses galore! Goobers loves to give kisses, especially when he has a very wet, messy face!

Grandpa Harris?

Pittsburgh

We spent the evening going to the usual Pittsburgh hangout for the alarm system crew--Roadhouse, of course. We ate and then went for a tour of the downtown and found a quite lovely and friendly city. It was alive with people and very clean. We took a ride in a tram? up a "mountain" to overlook the whole city. Despite waiting forever to get on the tram instead of just driving the five minutes and then getting to sit on the most uncomfortable chairs I have ever sat on, it was worth it and lots of fun. It was really beautiful. We stopped for icecream on the way back home but just at the grocery store as the little ones where out for the evening. The next morning we went swimming (freezing) and headed home to get stuff ready before everyone came over for the 4th of July party.

Way too cute!!!!

We spent the day at Pittsburg going to the zoo and discovered a place we will never go back to. Wow! I can only think of a few places that I would say were a worse experience than the zoo. We took the boys to the acquarium and although we spend hours there, probably only saw a few animals. Talk about a good reason we don't want to live in an overcrowded city. We were forced to move with the giant mass of sweaty, stinky people through the maze. AAAhhhhh!!!!

We met Rilee's boyfriend, Tommy, this weekend and learned why she loves him so much! He was so much fun and for the first time ever, all of her brothers agreed they would hang out with him and enjoy it. That's a big deal! Great catch!

Dinosaurs!

The dinos came back to the zoo and we actually made it all the way through them without a little one running, screaming back to the entrance. The boys loved it, although some tears were definitely shed.

Trent was obviously having more fun than Ryan. This giant t-rex growled very loudly and moved toward you while gnashing his teeth. I'm surprised it scared Goobers! Just kidding! Trent was nice enough though to make sure and torture Raef too so he didn't feel left out.

First try with rock candy was a success!

Summer Days!

I came around the corner to find Raef in his own little imaginary world. He had taken sidewalk chalk and drew on his body "like people in Africa do" he told me, his rescue pack loaded with walkie talkies and a cell phone, and of course his net to rescue animals. He was busy rescuing all day and exploring Africa and the jungle.

Ryan escaped after I stripped his suit and swimmers off. I couldn't help but take a picture of this. I still don't know if he was peeing or just in exploration mode.