And we are off......

Mom, the kids and Auntie Jen headed into town to meet Daddy and Grandma for supper before wheaded down the long road. to Dallas.

Here we are all smiles before saying good bye and getting into the vehicle.

The good byes start......

a big squeeze for mommy.......

one for daddy.......

I think he was telling him to be a good boy for G'pa and G'ma.

A hug for Gracie....

and one more for Jerrin.

We'll miss you Jay and love you so much.

All piled in, ready to roll.

Good bye everyone. We love you.

Fun with our Favorite Cousins!!!!

There is just nothing like spending time with those you love,

playing games,

taking turns,

figuring out the best strategy, and

having fun with each other.

We had a blast playing the games in the park, but his year instead of winning a whole bunch of candy, we took home a couple bags full of stuffed animals. When we were done playing games, it was time for the tractor pull. Each one of us had a chance to pedal as hard and as fast as we could. Gabi even got third place and qualified for state.

This kiddo was SOOOOOO excited to get to pedal the tractor.

The winning smile.

He was working so hard to get to the finish line.

Who would have known you could have so much fun in such a little town.

Summerfest the final day!

Saturday tends to be the best Summerfest day... not only is it at the heart of what makes small-town-living the BEST, but it's also that once-a-year day when you find yourself answering the question, "Just how many activities CAN one person squeeze into 20 hours or less???" Let me show you:

Parade starts at 11AM
However, in order to get good seats, you MUST be there MUCH closer to 10:00.
Jay was still a bit puzzled by all of Papa's bandages and missing limbs.... "Papa? What happened to you?" was asked several times pre-parade. :)
Here comes the parade!
The streets are lined with peeps!
Checking their bags for holes one last time as they wait!
I must say, the waiting was done quite patiently this year!
And so it begins....
I love this photo, so precious.

Our very own Gracie Rae threw some candy at us with the Girl Scouts!

Jay was sure to point out and wave to EVER piece of farm equipment that passed by.
Jerrin David also threw some candy at us off of the church float! Stuffed animals?!?!?! Who knew?!?!?!

Jay kept Papa filled with tootsie rolls...
Like father, like son: the highlight for this farming duo was definitely the farm equipment!
Gabi and Gaven were stellar candy chasers!
Directions: Hunt down some candy.
Put it in the bag.
Repeat!


Community Lunch: Picnic Style after the parade. Approximately 12:00 PM
Dad needed a bit of assistance.... reminder: Less than 24 hours after surgery. He was doing quite well, to be honest.

Everybody say, "Tacos in a Bag!"
It's usually during lunch when little tykes start to show signs of sleepiness...

But no worries! Dessert is always a quick diversion!
The kids were able to get a little target practice at the Cass County Wildlife venue. They loved it!

And, they did a pretty good job!

Firemen's Rodeo: 1:00 PM starts with Kid Wars
I would assume, based on my observations, that Gaven and Gabi had never seen anything quite so crazy before. But, it didn't take long for them to give it a whirl!
Warming up from the cold water between rounds.
Logan and Gracie VS.
Gabi and Gaven!
Proud Mommy and Daddy watch every move...
And, they're off!

Look at these little champs! They rock!

2:00 PM: Leave for baseball! Regional Championships
(This was only for a few of the family members - dad, grandma, grandpa and Auntie Jen. I stayed back with the kiddos because there was a carnival in the park that couldn't be missed. I am adding these photos thanks to Jen... Oh yeah, this whole blog entry is thanks to Jen.)

After a good win, the boys were named Region Champs!

Yay! On to state we go!

We rolled back into town and scooped up the troops to head out to the park for a

7:00 Peanut Drop.

Apparently these were big back in the day, when helicopters would drop peanuts and kids would run around to see who could gather the most. It's making a comeback! While they were scooped out of the back of a gator, rather than a helicopter, it was still fun for all!

Gracie and Gabi filling their bags!

In the end, there was a hidden golden key to be found. With no luck, Gramma finally stepped in to give Jer some advice.

Boy was he proud to tell her that her advice was PERFECT!

"Look, Gramma! I found the golden key!"

They make a pretty good team, eh?!?

And I think he felt as though he won the summer swimming lottery when he turned in the key!

Everyone's a winner, however. After showing their bag full of peanuts, each little scavenger was awarded a bag of goodies. This event was the best part of the entire weekend.

Next Stop: 10PM Street Dance!

Mom decided to stay at home while dad hit the town to see who he could run into from the past.

It's always a favorite to head uptown and hang out on the street listening to great live music and running into people that you only get to see on that occasion each year. Fun! Fun! Fun! Now, don't get me wrong, I love all three of these people, but this picture is AWFUL, but it is the only one taken of Joel and his sisters while they were all three home together. Seems that the camera takes MUCH better pictures of little people!
This was a very fun, fun day.