And this one cracked me up. While looking at a power washer for our many upstairs windows, upstairs siding, and plans to fix the settling walkway to our house, they pretended to have a fort back in there. Those boys make me laugh!
And these are for me. I spend hours in the summer outside and our back deck has no shade whatsoever. Jed and I set up a pergola for some shade. And Jed fell in love with the couch, I picked the random pillow. But it is so nice to sit there now.
And I did this, or started this, and poor Jed had to bail me out of yet another crazy scheme. It was a rainy week and I wanted to get out of the house. I went to Menards to get hardware stuff and saw all these cool home improvement projects. On impulse I decided I, and I alone, could make my own firepit pad. So I picked up 25 40lb blocks to make a firepit area. Without talking to Jed either. But he was a trooper. He jumped in and helped me complete the project. He actually knew how to do it too. That helps a lot. So after we dug, realized it was too small, got more blocks, bought tons of sand to make a base, leveled it all, and cemented it. 14 hours of labor later, we now have a firepit. What would I do without that man?
And I love it! Every summer night we can I want to be out there. And we decided its still too small. Sheesh! Lesson here: measure first, then buy and don't go shopping at hardware stores alone. Especially when you have spring fever and everything is on sale. You will mistakenly take on some project you can't do alone and will need someone to bail you out.
This little helper was bribed with donuts while we kept making runs for more sand and blocks. I love his powdered sugar face. And hair. I swear, I forget to comb his hair most days.
On April 16th we went to the Wisconsin Dells! It is an hour away but a super touristy spot. Great for us that it is the off season so we got a killer deal on a hotel and waterpark place called the Great Wolf Lodge. This time I paid almost half of what we paid last time so I was more impressed. It sure is pricey during the on season.
This time our room had a cool kids cabin area with bunk beds for kids. They really liked it.
First things first, swimming in the indoor heated water park. That was nice, and this time it was warmer. Or felt warmer. Either way, I enjoyed it more. Less crowds, warmer water, and more relaxing. It was a super nice min-vacation.
They had a pool with water balls, a basketball style net, and a floating plastic log. These two spent hours there. We had to force them to go to other areas.
Jacob chilling by the stairs. Still can't swim. Time for lessons I think.
They have a huge splash-pad style area with a climbing structure that has tons of water interactive areas. Ash wouldn't go up but Jake loved it and also went on the kiddie slides over and over. In this shot a huge bucket of water slowly fills. When the water reaches a certain level an alarm is triggered and it tips over. All below are drenched.
Then we camped out in the tidal beach area, it had a small splash pad off to the left, tidal pool in the center, and two slides on the right. We spent the rest of the day there. These are Ashton's feet, with Jed's. Aren't they so cute!
After much sulking, Jed convinced Emma to try a slide and she loved it. Then we all went over and over. They have the funnest slide.
Lounging in beach chairs,
Boys warming up after swimming.
After swimming on the second day, we got dressed and decided to go check out other sites. Jake passed out within five minutes. Poor worn out boy.
So I woke him up and made him ride the Ducks! He wasn't too sad, not after we gave him a sandwich and a bunch of granola bars.
Isn't he handsome? Anyway the ducks are cars that go on land and are also a boat. They go 55 on land (which we went 40 and it feels so unsafe!) and about 12 knots on water.
My awesome selfie!
We loved it, the weather was nice, my boys sat and watched and ate it all up.
The grinchy girl even enjoyed herself. She really had become rather moody lately.
Beautiful scenery
The tour takes you along the border of an estate which chose to purchase old gargoyle statues from the Chicago Tribune building. They stand alongside the road. They are very interesting.
You plunge into the river, and the rocks here are very pretty. They were carved by the river and glaciers that moved through the area making the striations in the rocks.
See, eating it up! Didn't once have to scold them for running, or not sitting.
See, no grinchyness.
This is quite cool - the rock that fell on the right side looks like a piano!
This one is called Hawk's Point because the end looks like a hawk's mouth with the right wing shoulder going into the rock.
And the tour comes out on the other side of the estate, giving you a front view of the house. Apparently its is an average house but filled with antiquities so now the estate is valued in the millions. The gargoyles are a nice touch I think.
Our picture taken at the beginning - gosh it turned out nice!
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