Continued Summer Fun

Bridget has been doing very well at potty training this summer, but she finally overcame her fear of going anywhere but home. Erin sent me a text on the 15th that Bridget had used to potty while picking Abigail up from theater camp. I wanted to make a big deal out of it so I took her to her favorite place for super, Pancheros.

Cheese!

Last weekend was Father's Day. On Sunday afternoon, Abigail and I hooked up the boat and headed out to Big Creek. The weather was nice and I'm pretty sure every other dad in the area must have had the same thought because the lake was BUSY. I'm glad we took the boat because I'm not sure there was an unoccupied shore fishing spot. Abigail started catching fish in the first spot we anchored. She caught several small bluegills as well as a 14 inch drum.

Ready to fish

Waiting for the fish to bite

Caught one!

After about 45 minutes Abigail complained that her arm was too tired from catching fish so we cruised around the lake for awhile before loading the boat to head home. 

Driving the boat

Abs helping to unhook the boat

This past weekend went by very fast and I ended up spending a lot of extra time at work. The weather did get a lot nicer so I planned to spend Saturday playing outside. Erin was gone to a women's retreat so it was just me and the girls. I showered quick after getting home from my morning run and we headed outside until after lunch. My sister stopped by with her kids later in the morning to play as well. 

Abigail beat me in bags twice

The Bridge heading down the slide

Snack break

After an afternoon nap, we headed back outside for more fun, this time with Aunt Jess and Uncle Ben in tow. It was a picture perfect day to be outside and a lot of memories were made. I hope that we have a lot more days like that in the future. 

Fun with Jess and Ben

This coming week brings vacation bible school for Abs along with a planned trip to see the ICubs on Tuesday. It also marks the last week of June (how did that happen?), which means that I will officially be off work when I leave next Friday!

Big Changes And Summer Fun

Erin's last day of school was June 5th and as of June 6th she is officially a stay at home mom. I don't plan to go into details in this blog post, but it is an understatement to say that we are all very excited for this new adventure.

Abigail spent June 4 - 8 at my parents house in Evansdale with her cousin Aubree. It is my understanding that they both had a great time although I don't know all of the particulars. What happens at grandma and grandpa's house, stays at their house. During those days Bridget got a lot of one on one time with mommy and loved every minute of it. They went to the zoo, walked to Casey's for donuts, and spent time at the library.

Bridget with her donut

Abigail returned on Thursday and all of the real summer fun began. Erin took the girls to a program at the Urbandale library where the got to climb in and check out all sorts of trucks. 

Checking out a fire truck

Last Tuesday, I took Bridget fishing for her first time (with me at least). She did a good job listening and we actually spent much longer fishing then expected even though we didn't catch any fish. On Thursday evening I took Abigail. My initial plan was to take the boat but with the temperatures heating up I ended up deciding to just head to Big Creek and fish from shore. We caught a few fish, but after about an hour Abigail had enough of the heat and asked to go home. 

The temps kept on heating up, so on Sunday I got out the water table and our inflatable pool. Bridget was not behaving so she lost her chance to play in the pool, but I spent a couple hours with Abigail playing outside while Bridget and Erin played inside. Swimming was about the only thing worth going outside for with temperatures in the 90's and high humidity. 

This week Abigail is attending theater camp and absolutely loves it. They are planning and putting on shows which is a passion of hers. While she is at camp, Erin and Bridget have stayed busy by going to the zoo and playing at a splash pad. Of course, just because I'm at work all day doesn't mean that I miss out on all of the fun. After work today Abigail and I headed to the Clive aquatic center to do some swimming. We had a blast playing in the pool and floating on the lazy river. We even bumped into my nephew, Ethan, while we were there. 

I do hope we get some cooler temperatures in the next few weeks so that we can spend more time outside in the afternoon when I get home from work. 

Memorial Day, Dance Recital, And The End Of A School Year

After spending last Sunday working at the cabin, Erin and the girls drove down to spend the day with me on Monday. It was a beautiful day to play outside. I took several outdoor games with me to the cabin and had them all setup and ready to go when they arrived.

All ready for a fun day!

Rolling the ball down the slide

Hunter getting some attention

After playing for awhile, I grabbed a shovel and we headed down to the garden to plant some watermelons. I dug the holes, Abigail planted the seeds, and Bridget played in the dirt. 

Playing in the garden

Before lunch I hooked up the wagon to the ATV and we all went on a ride around the big field. Then the girls took turns taking a ride around the yard with me. 

Mommy and Bridget riding in the wagon

For lunch I cooked hot dogs over the camp fire. After lunch we started packing everything up before heading home. It was just about the perfect way to spend the holiday. 

It was a good thing that we enjoyed some relaxation time at the cabin, because the rest of the week was crazy. Abigail had her last day of Kindergarten on Wednesday. She also had rehearsal for dance recital on Tuesday and Wednesday evening followed by the dance recital on Friday evening. My mom and mother-in-law attended the recital with Erin and I. Abigail did a great job in both the ballet and on her tap dance performance. 

On Saturday morning Erin and my brother-in-law, Ben, ran the Dam to Dam half marathon. My mother-in-law, Mary helped me take the girls downtown to watch them both finish. It was a miserably hot and humid day but luckily we had a spot to watch that was in the shade of the buildings. Ben and Erin both ran great races and we had a great time cheering on all of the runners. Well, Abigail and I did at least. Bridget spent most of the time playing games on the Kindle.

All of us are very excited for the start of summer vacation!