Lake Joy

So we decided to go to a lake today.  We haven't been to any of the lakes up here and had heard lots of good things about Lake Joy, so we decided to try it out!  Well and it's named after me, so yeah we gotta check it out!  Haha.  Well, and I know I'm gonna offend some fellow Wisconsinites, but that was the lamest lake ever.  Seriously we were sooo disappointed!  There was barely ANY "beach", no parking, way to many people, and it was pretty pricey.  We were determined to have a good time anyway though!  We stayed for almost two hours and the older kids got some good swimming in.  The saving grace was this lake has a slide IN the water.  I will admit that was pretty cool, and the kids LOVED it!  I do have to admit though that the saying everything is bigger and better in Texas certainly rang true today!

Before we left, I ran to Dubuque to get some Old Navy $1 flip flops!!  and ended up getting some sunglasses for the kids while I was there :)  The kids were SUPPER excited about their new glasses and flip flops, and then promptly fell asleep in the van.  Haha, they were up late last night at the fireworks.

We staked out the very corner of the beach, here's a couple pictures

Lancaster Fireworks

After Adrienne left us :( we moped around the house a little missing our friends, fell asleep on the couch,

or went wild and crazy with our hair and a brush.  (I have no idea peeps, none)

Then later that night we went to the Lancaster Fireworks!
Sparklers while we wait for dusk

Chatting with an EMT and checking out the ambulance

and failed attempts at pictures with Mommy were all fun activities until the fireworks show!

Happy Weekend Before the 4th of July!!

Adrienne part 2

Today the kids spent as much time playing together as they could squeeze in before it was time to leave.  We LOVED having our visitors and it was hard to say good bye!  We'll have to come visit you guys next time!

Here are three from last night I forgot.  We had popsicles :)

Two cute diaper boys!

Jumping on the trampoline

Playing on the swings

and in the sandbox

Then it was time to go :(  We tried to get some shots of all the kids together.  Who's surprised that Evan didn't cooperate? 

I love the sequence of pictures, we really had a blast with these guys!

And me and Adrienne!!!

ADRIENNE!!!!!

So over Christmas break Adrienne met me when we stopped in Kansas City on our way home from Texas. It was WONDERFUL to see her, but way to short!  So, a few weeks ago we set up for her and her cute boys to come visit us!  I literally couldn't stop skipping!  :)  I am so excited to have her come up here!  So Tuesday night Adrienne and her boys got here!  So fun!  Mostly we just hung out, kept it low key and enjoyed spending time together.  It was perfect!

Wednesday morning we went to the local free summer movie.  They were showing Winnie The Pooh.  I sat at one end and Adrienne sat at the other with our 7 kids between us!  I just remember thinking man things have changed since we'd go see movies in high school!

Thursday we went to the pool!

We took a lot of pictures :)

Before we left I had to get a few pictures of Brayden's outfit.  I am a Ford after all!  (My mother's maiden name)

And tons of fun pictures of the kids playing at the pool :)

The kids wore themselves out :) Here are all of them but Evan who refused to participate (doesn't sound like him at all! (-; )