Two pooped out kiddos

I have two pooped out kiddos, that's for sure!! We are recovering from a super busy week last week. There was a trip to Noah's Ark in Wisconsin Dells, lots of play time with cousin McKenna who was in town from Chicago, the county fair, all day swimming in Nana and Papa's pool and of course sleep overs! Sometimes I don't know who has to recover more, the little's or the big's!!

Noah's Ark Wisconsin Dells 2016

McKenna, Kynzley and Benton ready to splash in the water all day! Everyone had a blast and the girls did all the big water slides!

The temp was in the 90's the day we went, this water bucket was very popular as a cooling off point

Another day in the pool

La Crosse County Fair 2016

We ran into a classmate of Kynzley's and she was able to join the girls on some fun rides!

Kynzley performed for dance at the fair

 Front and center ready to do her thang

 Kynzley and Lilly

Kynz and cousin Zoie

Kynzley's very lucky to have a great dancer to look up to! It's always fun to watch them perform together!

Cousins

Trouble makers! Grandpa and Benton

Benton 2, Kynzley 6

2016

Winner winner chicken dinner! Benton also got a prize but all he wanted to do was fish, ha!

This is where it started! Kynzley gave this pretty horse some loving and he wasn't going to let her go after that!.....

The goal was a nice picture, the horse had other plans!

She's giggling don't worry. It's more of a look of joy that the horse loves her so much that it wont leave her alone!! Benton, on the other hand, doesn't think it's so cute!

The fair is her world! We prepare ourselves every year for this week! Every day she talks about moving to a farm and wanting horses and cows. On this week every year it comes on a little stronger. We hope that some day we can make her dream come true .... or at least daddy hopes ;-)

4th of July Shenanigans

Busy, busy, busy! That describes our weekend to a 'T'! We were on the go from Friday afternoon to Monday evening. We had a blast spending lots of time together!

Friday afternoon we packed up and headed out to hike. We chose a destination new to us - it was beautiful! We enjoyed exploring, rock climbing, looking for wild life and occasionally stepping off the trail to explore deeper! At one point we found a very old abandoned car in the middle of the woods, Kynzley had a great time coming up with a story on how it got there and what happened to the people that drove it. She has a great imagination!

*Wildcat Mountain State Park, Ontario, WI

It was neat that the kiddos (and us too) got to see a baby fawn

She says bear

Kynzley made the whole hike with Julie on her back! This was her favorite part - rock climbing

She said badger

After a day of hiking the kids got to us their Buffalo Wild Wings certificates for dinner. They have been doing a summer reading program and have earned lots of prizes along the way. Three months worth of reading and Kynzley finished it in two weeks. She loves to read!!! Benton has officially finished his reading this week! 

On Saturday we packed up the boat and hit the river for an afternoon in the sun and water! We had a great time! Kynzley tubed a bit, we explored up and down the river and found a sandbar to splash in. 

On Sunday night, Francis took Kynzley on a date to see fireworks in a near by town. The two of them had a blast! #daddysgirl

We spent the actual 4th on our local lake with our neighbors! We all had a blast! Kynzley introduced the girls to tubing. Benton even got out of the tube! It's great having such good friend so close by :)

Happy 4th of July 2016! Kynzley 6, Benton 2

Ready to hit the lake - with their pups! Elise, Kynzley, Aubrey and Benton

Aubrey's first time out!

Elise's first time out!

Watching Kent get tossed around

The trio :)

Benton's first time out

Benton and Daddy

Elise and Kynzley doubled up

Another successful weekend in the books!!!

(Terrible) Two!

Last week Benton turned two! Two! Seriously?! The past two years have gone so fast, it's crazy! For the longest time we've been told that Benton seems so much older than he is, maybe that's why time has seem to go so fast.

Oh Benton, what to say about Benton. He's our "drama queen". EVERYTHING is exaggerated and emotional and has hand movements and facial expression that would make the best actor out there super jealous of his skills! Since birth he has been the one that needs extra squeezes, extra attention and reiteration that what he's doing is great. He also has a heart of gold and is our lover! His favorite person is his sissy with (great) grandpa as a close (very close!) second!

Benton is a jabber jaw!!! He talks and talks and never stops talking! Most of the time you have no idea what he is saying, but he still makes it sound very important :) He loves to be bossy and tell you what to do - "stop it!", "watch out!", "move!", "sissy, no!", but he's also polite and loving - " 'ove you!", "thank you!", "please!", " 'xuse me!", "pretty, pretty, please!"

Trains are the number one toy when it comes to Benton! We hear a lot of  "choo, choo!" around the house. If he's not outside causing trouble he can be found in the basement playing with his train table. We also watch a lot of train movies - I'm pretty sure he has all of Netflix memorized! He also loves his sports - basketball, soccer, baseball and wrestling! He's super active and never stops moving!! Like the rest of the family, Benton is a water baby! LOVES the water! He loves the water so much he's one that you have to keep a close on eye. He hates help, hates it! Needs to do everything on his own and that's no different when it comes to being in the water. He, at times, can make a day of swimming not so relaxing! Ha!

We could not imagine our family without Benton! He makes us smile every day!!

Fun Benton Facts:
* Doesn't like ice cream
* Very opinionated - even when it comes to clothes. If he doesn't like what you picked for him to wear for the day he will tell you
* Obsessed with trains
* Eats like a bird
* Wearing all his clothes from last summer - he's our petite little guy
* Loves his toe nails painted
* Not as big of a dare devil as sissy was or is!
* He's a lot like his cousin Mckenna, hesitant and reserved when it comes to doing anything different
* Mama's boy
* Hates change
* Great traveler
* Still has his nuk
* Never goes anywhere without his lion tag blanket
* Doesn't require as much sleep as his sister did/does  (because of sissy's busy schedule naps for Benton are very seldom, he adjusts great!)
* When a camera is present, Benton know's exactly what to do!

On Benton's birthday the kids and I jumped on our bikes and hit all the parks in town! It was a fun morning of running around!