Reiman Gardens 2015

On June 29th we made a trip to Ames for our annual visit to Reiman Gardens.  It was a beautiful afternoon and a relaxing time.  My mom was here to visit us for a few days so she joined in the fun.  Afterwards we headed to Hickory Park for some delicious BBQ.  Another Ames adventure is in the books.    

We love Cy!  

Roy and his baby girl checking out the butterflies in the butterfly house.  

Beautiful.  Unique.  Delicate.  

A creative "pumpkin house" was on display...

A "love squeeze" for Hudson from Mimi...

Mimi with her "little peanut" (as she often calls her).  

Posing for a picture in the "text house."  

There is no place this little guy would rather be than right by his Daddy's side.  

Hudson and I pose together in this spot almost every year.  

Love. Love. Love.  

Maybe this will be our annual "picture spot" together at Reiman Gardens.  

Treasuring moments like this with these two.  God is good.  

Hudson has fun jumping on these chimes and making music.  

Ames will forever be a special place for us...its where we met, fell in love, went on our first date, had our proposal, enjoyed our first kiss...  Oh the memories!  :)  

driveway car wash...

If I could choose Hudson's single "most favorite thing of the summer," it would be WATER.  He is obsessed with water.  He enjoys the pool, of course, but loves spraying and playing in the water even more.  If water is involved he is busy and happy.  Any chance he gets to spray, water the plants, or run through the sprinkler he is ALL IN.  Its usually a battle when he is asked to turn the water off.  :(  It was a Saturday afternoon and Roy was working.  I was desperate for a new outdoor activity to keep Hudson occupied, so I suggested we wash the van while sister was napping.  It turned into a fun and productive activity that both of us enjoyed.  Need your car washed...send it on over!     

a delicious summer activity...

On a Friday morning in June I took my little buddy strawberry picking.  It was a fun little outing, just the two of us.  Picking strawberries is a memory I have from my childhood.  My sister and I usually went with my mom and/or grandma.  We would always pick WAY more strawberries than we needed, but it forced us to get busy and creative, making all sorts of yummy things with the sweet red berries.  Hudson's interest in searching and picking strawberries lasted for about 15 minutes and then he just wanted to wander around the field and explore.  None the less, I had fun.  We came home with just under 7 pounds of berries and it only took us about 40 minutes to pick them.  We enjoyed several ourselves and shared the rest with people we love.  Has anyone else gone berry picking this summer?        

i created :: oat, raisin, and sunflower seed cookies

I recently got this cookie recipe from a friend and I fell in love.  They are the right combination of sweet and chewy and they make a small batch (about 16 cookies).  It makes just enough to share with a group and there aren't too many left over.  :)  

Oat, Raisin, and Sunflower Seed Cookies

6 T (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup craisins

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup oats

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir until completely combined.  Shape into walnut-size balls and flatten them onto a nonstick baking tray with your hand.  Bake for about 15 minutes until golden.  The cookies will be soft but will harden a little when cooled.    

Ellsy Is One!

On June 10 our youngest niece, Ellsy Lucille, turned one.  We made a quick trip to Sabetha/Morrill, Kansas to celebrate, over Father's Day weekend.  They did her dedication during the morning worship service and had a birthday party at the church afterwards.  It proved to be a delicious, memorable, and entertaining event. 

  

Hudson and Clara working hard at the word search.  

"Hey Clara, I found a letter H, now lets look for the letter C."  

An ice cream sandwich proved to be a delicious birthday treat.

"This was definitely worth the wait."  

Ellsy + Granny Sheri = snuggles and love

Big sis Clara showing Ellsy how its all done.  

"Trust me, you are supposed to read the card before opening the gift.  That is the polite thing to do."  

Hudson was very proud of the art work he made for the birthday girl.  

Ellsy, checking out all the gifts after the damage was done.  

"I sure hope I don't have to share all this fun stuff with my sister."  

Ells = 92 years

Ellsy = 1 year 

Swinger Family Pictures

My sister-in-law, Jenna, coordinated getting our family pictures taken when we were all down in Kansas for Father's Day weekend.  There are currently six "babes," ranging in age from 4 years to 2 weeks during the time of this photo shoot.  

Hudson - 4 years

Clara - 2 1/2 years

Milly - 1 1/2 years

Ellsy - 1 year

Greta - 7 months

Mylo - 2 weeks

A goal of the photo shoot was to capture the "moment" and document our growing family.  Each of us had a baby within the span of June 10, 2014 to June 4, 2015...Ellsy, Greta and Mylo.  The pictures certainly have some fun personality, yet I think we were successful, none the less.  Enjoy!   

Everest VBS

Hudson attended Vacation Bible School at Westview Church in June.  Last summer it was his first VBS experience and he LOVED it.  He had been anticipating this event for several months and he was "so excited" when the day finally arrived.  This years theme was Everest - Conquering Challenges with God's Mighty Power.  The daily themes were all about God's POWER.  God has the POWER to comfort...God has the POWER to provide...God has the POWER to heal...God has the POWER to forgive...God has the POWER to love us forever.  Hudson mastered memorizing all the daily themes as well as the words to most of the songs.  :)  He received a song CD along with a t-shirt, and he has been singing the songs EVERY SINGLE DAY.  I only got a few pictures, but I wanted to document the event, as it has been a highlight of Hudson's summer.    

water baby girl

I LOVE the water...Hudson LOVES the water....and Greta LOVES the water too.  Greta got her first swimming experience at the YMCA back in May.  She wasn't hesitant at all and just chilled in her baby floaty for most of the time.  She has always liked her tubby so I wasn't surprised that she enjoyed it so much.  In June we set up our pools (a big one for Hudson and a mini one for Greta) in the backyard.  Greta enjoyed splashing and exploring in the water for a solid 60 minutes.  A few weeks later she had her first aquatic center experience.  She was happy and content, even when she got splashed in the face by her big brother.  Oh Greta...you are an adorable water baby girl.