Gabe's First Sleepover!!!

Gabe had his first sleepover-style birthday party on Friday Night!! The boys were absolutely wonderful...we could not have asked for a better group of boys for Gabe's first sleepover! There was not a single fight...the only fighting were staged wrestling matches...they didn't even fight over the Wii!!! They took turns choosing games and taking turns to play!! Gabe has a great bunch of fellas for friends!!! As everyone was arriving they started the party with the Wii...of course!! They played some heated games of Excite Truck, Tony Hawk Skateboarding and Madden Football!!

If it were up to the boys, I'm sure they would have been content with spending the whole time in front of the Wii....but with the beautiful weather we have been blessed with.....we shooed them outside!! We had hotdogs, mac & cheese, cantelope, grapes, and chips.....Gabe's menu of course!

After supper, we had marscapone cupcakes....I saw this recipe on the Food Network....and thankfully I have a very adventuresome child...he let me experiment at his birthday party....they were a hit!!!! Someday this experimenting on company will backfire...keep your fingers crossed it won't be YOU!!!!

After cupcakes of course came the gifts!!! Gabe received the Everyone's Hero DVD and movie snacks and popcorn, ethnies finger skateboard, motocross bike, and snowboard, a swimming pool lacrosse set, football, and frisbee, and probably the show stopping gift.....Football cards!!! Gabe has just recently really gotten into collecting Baseball and Football cards.....these were definitely a huge hit!!!

Next, we sent the boys on a scavenger hunt through the woods....this was killing two birds with one stone...Shawn and I could clean up and they would use up some of the 8 year old boy energy!! They had a great time....but I guess I made the hunt a little hard....I had to give them a couple of hints!!!

While Shawn and I were making the smores the boys played a game of tackle basketball!! Amazingly noone got hurt.....although we aren't sure how!

About 9:30 they finally started slowing down...they all decided to watch Gabe's new movie, Everyone's Hero! We popped some popcorn and vegged out for movie time!!! I was really impressed we didn't lose anyone to the sandman during the movie....I had intentionally turned off most of the lights...wishful thinking!! After the movie they headed out to the back yard to camp out in the tent....well, that lasted all of about 45 minutes!! At 11:30 they came in saying the coyotes were a little scary!! Truth be told...they were telling ghost stories in the tent and I think they scared themselves silly!! So with sleeping bags and pillows in hand they headed up to the play room to "sleep"! Two hours later...I think everyone was finally asleep....Shawn and I were very happy until 6:30 a.m. on Saturday!!! It seems these little fellas only need 5 hours of sleep before some more Wii time!! So needless to say, we sent home some little zombies at 10:00!!! Gabe had a great time!! I am so happy everything went so well....I knew this experience would either make or break us.....it looks like there will be many more of these!!!

This was just too precious to leave out!! I walked in to check on Grady when the boys came upstairs to sleep...and this is what I found!

I guess the big boys were being a little too loud!!

Willis Tucker Park....Let's give her a whirl!!

So, today was new to us park #2 for the week...this one came as a recommendation from some gals at church...and yes, these were the naysayers of Green Lake! We got there just a few minutes after the spray pad opened, so there were only about 20 people there....the boys had a great time getting soaked...they had fun squirting each other and other unsuspecting passersby and running from one dumping bucket to the next! The nice part about this park was that the playground was just a few feet from the spray pad, so the kids could run from one area to the next..and if both of them weren't in the same place, I was still able to keep my eye on both of them! Gabe found his favorite part of the playground right away....the spider web, he climbed all the way to the top and sat there perched for the longest time...obviously Gabe does not share his Mom's fear of heights!! Grady on the other hand loved the teeter totters...and especially loved them when he got me to ride on them with him....oh how my legs got a work out!!! On the way home, the boys and I were having one of our conversations....these are coming a lot more often, becoming a lot more enjoyable, and actually resemble an adult conversation...anywho, the boys started comparing the two most recent parks...Green Lake and Willis Tucker! This was great to listen to...they were weighing the pros and cons of both parks, by the end of the conversation they had decided they liked both parks equally....they liked Willis Park because they could run from one area to the other and they liked Green Lake for the wading pool....hmmmm, they sound a little like their Momma!! So, I kind of strayed from the topic...but I have always said whatever age my kiddos are in at that moment is my very most favorite age...well, I'm saying it again....I am loving hanging with my fellas RIGHT NOW!!

Watch out....Gabe's got the water gun and he is on target!

Grady couldn't get enough of the teeter totters....and yes, I am on the other end!! That must be why he is so high up.....no wonder he wanted to teeter totter with me!!!!

Mr. Explorer at the top of the Spider Web!! How is the weather up there, Gabe?

A Pleasant Surprise = A Change in Attitude!

Today we headed down to Seattle to the Green Lake park! I have driven by this place several times and heard about it, but we had yet to go...so when our church started their weekly outings, I was happy to see this one on the list! Well.....that was until I started talking to people at church on Sunday---the few people I spoke of this to said that parking was hard to find and it was always busy no matter the day or the time that you went. That sort of bummed me out, plus when I woke up this morning it was foggy and did not look to be a promising day...so my mood started out crummy!! Fortunately, I had talked our friends, Carla and Josiah, into joining us on this first time adventure...so I had something going for me...at least I wouldn't be alone if this totally bombed! So, the boys and I headed out on the 30 minute trek to Green Lake and found that indeed parking was a bit of an issue! We circled the area a number of times and finally resorted to parking in a neighborhood approximately a quarter of a mile to the north and east of the park, but the sun had come out, so I took the parking in stride and headed to the play ground. Well, our church people are supposed to meet at 10:00...and at 10:20 no one besides me was there...obviously the fog, parking, and overcrowding kept all of these others home....and I was thinking to myself...rightfully so...those intelligent people! But, as I came out of my mood and we had our picnic lunch, I began feeling a little better...after all, we were there with wonderful friends, the sun was out, and it was warm---not a bad combination...even if I did trek half way across Seattle for parking and lost my kids I don't know how many times in the swarm of other children at the playground! So, with my new outlook on the day we hiked around the lake to the wading pool.....now this was worth it! The boys had a blast! The water was only about knee deep or so, but the boys splashed and soaked to their heart's content! I can't say I would visit this park for the playground alone, but throw in an afternoon in the wading pool and I am in---Even if I do have to park at home and walk! HA! Amazing how one thing can totally change your outlook on a place---Thank goodness I didn't just turn around and go home...look what I would have missed!

Watch out Gabe....Here comes Grady monster!

A direct spit hit from Grady to Gabe....Ahhh, brotherly love!

The Crab Pot!

Since the fellas didn't have much luck on the crabbing front on Saturday afternoon...we headed down to the famed Crab Pot for dinner! Actually we had this planned with our friend, Nate, long before the guys went crabbing....but it seemed like a good start to the story! The Crab Pot has been on the Food Channel and the Travel Channel both not to mention it is on the waterfront, so needless to say this place would be considered a tourist trap! Knowing all of this we still were dying to try this place out! The Crab Pot does not take reservations....so we got there at 7:00 and started waiting it out....we were told it would be an hour and a half, but to check back in 30 minutes! Not thinking too much of that we headed out to take in the beautiful Seattle summer evening...we walked down the pier outside of the restaurant and made fun of the tons of tourists snapping pics here and there---let's not mention we were one of those last year! The first 30 minutes flew by, so we headed in to "check in". No doubt this is a ploy to weed out the weak....amazingly our 1.5 hours turned into a mere 45 minutes...wow! So, finally Fox Party of 5 was called and our Crab Pot adventure began! We were lucky enough to be seated outside with a view of the sound, so that made the experience just that much better! We started off with 3 different appetizers...Nate is just as much a food junkie as Shawn and I.....we had crab and artichoke dip, oysters on the half shell, and calamari!!! Delicious!
Yes, if you order the Crab Pot you must wear a bib...thank goodness I take my camera everywhere....I will probably never again see these fellas in a bib...and them allow me to take a picture! Priceless!
The Crab Pot is known for their pot of seafood that is dumped directly on the table---no plates, no silverware....just a mallet, a board and a roll of paper towels! The guys had fun surfing their way through the mound of crabs, mussels, clams and who knows what else!!! I decided to order the Captain's Platter...I got to try everything, but had the opportunity to use silverware!! I did however try both the snow and dungeness crab---I may just have to go with the Pot next time!! We left the Crab Pot completely stuffed to the gills.....Can't wait until next time!

Guys Day Out!

So, while I was off galavanting the town with Carla, Shawn and the boys headed out to go fishing! They stopped off at the sporting goods store and purchased a fishing license and a crab pot and off they went! They headed down to Edmonds Marina, where it was Standing Room Only on the pier....obviously others had the same idea! With all the prep that went into fishing....they came up with only a scary looking crab - ask Grady about the crab!- and oodles of seaweed! But rest assured a great day was had by all!
The Scary Crab! I'm sure if we had video on this you would be hearing Our Brave Grady screaming and running in the background!!

Girl's Day Out!

On Saturday my best gal, Carla and I enjoyed a girl's day out! We headed to the movies and of course had to see a girly flick....we chose "My Sister's Keeper"! It was a fabulous movie...thankfully, Carla is a planner---yes, even more than myself!- and remembered a package of kleenex for each of us! They were definitely put to good use----it was a great crying here and there type of movie...definitely not a gusher the entire time! After the flick we headed over to Panera for lunch and ended up sitting there for 3 hours....my, my how we can gab!! We had an absolutely wonderful day.....this definitely needs to happen more often!!!

Happy 4th Of July!!!!

We spent the 4th of July in Fredonia this year! We started off at Mom and Joe's and ended the weekend at the Foxes'! The boys, or should I say Gabe, had a blast shooting off fireworks...he just couldn't get enough! We did get Grady to shoot off a couple of smoke bombs, but that is just about where it ended! By Saturday, he was at least watching the fireworks....a vast improvement from Thursday! We spent Friday with Mom and Joe, just chillaxin' around their house, doing laundry, working in the frame shop, checking out their new property, and feasting on some yummy catfish for dinner....we of course had to shoot off some fireworks...twice! On Saturday, we hung out at Mom and Dad Foxes house! All of Shawn's brothers and their families were there--so we had an extra special time! Shannon brought his new game "Guitar Hero", so we all had to try that out!! Unfortunately Ang and I will have to keep our day jobs---we were booed off everytime! The guys all caught on pretty quick---that was hilarious...I'm thinking we may have to invest in a version of this for the Wii!! On Saturday morning the guys took all of the kids fishing at the Fox Farm! Gabe and Grady both caught a fish! After fishing, Shawn and Grady decided to take Misty--mom and dad's horse--for a ride! I guess all started off fine, but one thing led to another and Grady and Shawn both ended up on the ground! Grady reassured all of us that he had a soft landing, but unfortunately the same could not be said for Shawn! As of today....3 days later, he is still sore---thankfully they both were okay...nothing serious, only some bruises and sore muscles! After that excitement they came home and it was time to celebrate America!!! While the boys were fishing, the ladies stayed behind and cooked!!---We also managed some time for coffee, gabbing and relaxing though! We had a yummy cookout---hamburgers, hotdogs, mountain oysters--Shawn's addition from a Vet Clinic find on Thursday!, salads, deviled eggs, chips, hummus, jello, cupcakes, and homemade icecream!!! YUM-O! We ended the evening with the Fredonia City fireworks!! What a great way to spend the 4th!!

Rock River Rapids!

So, after 2 full days of working on moving....we rewarded ourselves with a trip to the Rock River Rapids Water park in Derby! We met up with Shannon, Erin, Gideon and Mia and also ran into 2 of my cousins, Beth and Rebecca! We had a great time....the boys tried out the slides, floated along in the lazy river, had a gun fight with Dad, and splashed and swam until our hearts content!