(Spring) Summer Round Up

 Here are some pictures to capture the boys activities since the end of Spring through the Summer.  I am typing this the day before Lucas starts Kindergarten!  Time really does fly!

The boys are still talking about the fun camping trip Daddy took them on in May with some of the families he works with (sans Mommy).  Mommy got a weekend at home with Thomas when he was just 2 months old.  Now he is 5 months!

I believe the boys are listening to some rules about the water toy fight they are about to have.

  Looks like Marcus is in his element.

  Boys and dads.  There was just one mom along.

 Playing in the forest.

 Daddy and the boys!

 They loved it!  Making s'mores, sleeping in a tent, running around all day.  No Mommy to bring out the healthy snacks.  I heard there were a lot of hot dogs and junk food eaten very few fruits/veggies ;)  Hopefully as Thomas gets bigger we can do family camping every Fall and Spring.

Memorial Day weekend I suggested we meet up with Tia Laura and Cousin Diego the new Perot Museum in Dallas.  Very neat place but soooo crowded.  Plan to go on a week day next time.

 These two pics are of Diego and Marcus racing against a digital picture of an Olympic runner or T-Rex something really fast.

 Just some random pics.

 The boys loved the big sand box it was shaded and they played there quite a while.

 Tia Laura and Thomas.

 May 26, 2013 Giam and I celebrated 11 years of marriage.  Gigi watched the boys and we went for a dinner out.  I never would have guessed how our life would change together over the past 11 years.

 We got a new pet Wizard the Lizard a Leopard Gecko.  He doesn't like to be messed with and has tried to bite the boys.  We are looking for a new home for him.

 Daddy went to Paraguay for Abuelo's 85th birthday in June.  We me up with "Aunt" spring at a wild life ranch north of Fort Worth.

The boys took private swim lessons at the YMCA this summer.  It really helped prepare them and increase their confidence for a summer full of swimming.

 Marcus is in the yellow/green shirt, Lucas is in the black shirt.

 Father's day we went to Outback, Giam's pick.  Daddy and all his boys.

 At the end of Spring we did our butterfly garden again.  We watched butterflies grow from the caterpillar stage, to cocoon, to butterfly.  Then we released them in a garden at a local school.

 Tortilla came over one night to make empanadas.  Marcus was her assistant chef.  They were almost as good as Abuela's ;)

 Mother's day.  We had brunch with Gigi and went to church.  It was a beautiful day.

 The last week of June the boys went to vacation bible school.  They got to be together and had a great time.  Anna went too.

 Our only road trip this Summer.  We went to the Austin area to celebrate Jeri Anne turning 1!  We also met up with our good friends the Rey's in Gruene, Tx.  Julie is pregnant with her fourth baby.  They are a precious family.  I think of Julie as a mom mentor.  She is a great mom!

 Here are the boys with Jeri Anne.  Long before she turned one she was walking.  She is a little spit fire climbing up things and moving around.  She is as sweet as she is cute.  I think she keeps Helen and Uncle Michael pretty busy!

 I did a terrible job of taking pictures hoping to get some from Aunt Kelli.  Beautiful Jeri wish we saw you more.  I know you'll be able to keep up with your boy cousins when we do see you.

We took advantage of a free kids bowling program this summer you just had to pay for shoes.  The boys really enjoyed it for something different to do in the heat.

 Marcus broke a 100 (using bumpers) in his first game.

A little time was spent working on "school" outside of their two day a week school program.  Lucas loves to do his math book.  Marcus works really hard but doesn't like sitting for too long.

Fun free event at the Amon Carter museum at the end of the Summer.  Anna and Haven came out for the fun too.

 Marcus often wants to build houses.  He had an indoor pop up tent that broke but he always wants to build something.  Giam spent one Saturday constructing a house out of a cot, sheets, and zip ties.  Marcus loved it so much he even slept in it.  Lucas and he also became obsessed with constructing a bowling alley.  They weren't satisfied with some cups for pins and a ball to roll on the floor.  They wanted some automatic mechanical device to pick up the "cup pins" after they were knocked down.  Zip ties couldn't quite create this

 We used up a Groupon at Pump it Up.

 They love chasing this light more than anything.

 Can you guess my goal for most days with 3 boys is to try to exhaust them?  Believe it or not with all this activity they still FIGHT bedtime.

 I took Lucas on a Mommy date to buy school supplies before starting Kindergarten.  First breakfast at the Corner Bakery then shopping a Target.

 We celebrated Gigi's birthday with hotdogs by her pool.  Here are some cool pictures of the Uncles throwing the boys and throwing Anna.

 Gigi has been watching Thomas for me when I am at work.  This has been a blessing for the transition back after my maternity leave.  He will start daycare at six months.  Thanks Gigi!

 Lucas became really interested in money and the cost of everything.  At the store he will call out prices as we pass things.  We have talked some about earning money and told him about having a lemonade stand to earn money.  He was all for it.  He worked for about a week coloring poster to put up to advertise the lemonade stand in the neighborhood.  We went to the store and he was responsible for reminding me to buy cups and lemonade.  Lucas and Marcus both helped make the pitchers of lemonade and set up the stand.

Gigi and the Bruces came by after after church for a glass of lemonade and some cookies.

  Lucas loved collecting the money from people passing by.  A good number of people stopped.  It was a hot day and who could resist such cute kids.  One lady even gave them a $6 tip!

 Marcus was a great salesman waving at everyone and asking if they wanted to buy a cup of lemonade.  Lucas was the money man.  They ended up earning $34 about $17 an hour!  Great first job pay rate.  Subsequently Lucas wanted to have a lemonade stand every weekend after.  The neighbors thought it was cute once.  I'm afraid they would think we were doing child labor if it was every weekend.

 The Hernandez family came over for a visit one Sunday.  The boys had a great time with Diego on the Slip and Slide then when no adult was watching they make a mud pit.  They were trying to dig a tunnel in the mud under the patio.  AHH! Boys will be boys.

 Just a cute pic of Thomas he is starting to teeth and loves his teething banana.

 We were so proud of Lucas he passed the swim test at the YMCA so he got a green band to swim in the deep end.  Lucas had to swim the length of the pool, tread water, and answer 3 questions.  What is your name?  Where do you go to school?  Who is your favorite super hero?  The lifeguard said Lucas was the youngest kid he had ever had pass the test!