Smiley Baby

At 2.5 months, Ryzen has become a smiley little guy.  He's now weighs 14 lbs 3 oz. and is 24.75 inches tall, which the doctor says put's him in the 77th percentile for weight, and the 95th percentile for height.  

Grange Fair

Little Painters
During the move, the kids' bookcase got scratched up, so Tara thought they might as well redecorate it, which they thoroughly enjoyed doing.

The things that come out of Zade's mouth during a single day

Zade's comment on why he sleeps with such a big blanket and multiple pillows at night....
"I like to get sweaty.  It drips down my face and feels like rain."

In a serious voice, Zade looked at me and said, "Hey mom, you should sign me up for clam jumpers."
"Clam jumpers?"
"Yeah clam jumpers."
"Okay, Zade, sure."

Zade has an imaginary friend named Carmen.  Carmen does all kinds of crazy things, and Zade likes to tell us all the things that she does.  Today Zade said that Carmen is 6 years old and that she can do flips off the wall and she's a lot better at doing flips than he is.

I told Aria that I would miss her when she goes to kindergarten. Zade said, "When I go to preschool, I'm going to miss myself."

Kids Workout Routine

The kids one night decided they needed to exercise.  Here's the footage we got:

After Aria became a hard core fitness fanatic, Zade decided to follow suit:

Penn's Cave

Since I spent the last week in Anaheim California at the annual accounting conference, I came back and made sure I spent some time with the family.  We decided to go to Penn's Cave, which apparently is a popular tourist destination, because when we got there, we were informed there would be a 2 hour wait before we could get in to see the cave.  In the mean time, we took the kids through the Miner's Maze, which was kind of like a corn maze.  They found all the hidden letters on their own, while I followed them to make sure they didn't get scared or lost.  

Penn's Cave was different from other caves we've visited in the past.  This one could only be viewed on a boat, because the water inside was 38 degrees and ranged between 3-16 feet deep.  Here's a view from our boat as you head into the cave.

And here's the view looking back at the entrance as you head into the cave.

Probably  the best views in the cave are in the beginning.

Although, it was interesting to see the light show they put on inside.

Little Zade passed out half way through the cave, so I had to carry him back to the car afterwards. Apparently the cave wasn't exciting enough for him.  The rest of us enjoyed it though.

DESPICABLE ME 2
We generally never see movies at the theater, given the cost. However, we've all been excited about seeing Despicable Me 2, so we decided to go see it with our neighbors.  It was worth it. Lots of laughs.  Phrases like "lip-stick taser" will be heard within our house for years to come. :)

"Rams bottom"

RYZEN UPDATE

Little Ryzen is now 2 months old and is a stout lout.  He eats a ton, and is a very good natured fellow.  He seems to be growing out of the reflux phase, and is sleeping a lot better at night. He's also beginning to smile when you talk to him, and loves to be carried around in the Baby Bjorn facing forward so he can see the world.  

Shannon & Brandon come to visit

While Dane was out in Anaheim California attending the annual academic accounting conference, Tara's sister Shannon and her husband Brandon came to visit.

Hanging with the Neighbors

BOX FORT

After we moved in to our new house, we had lots of empty boxes lying around, which the kids decided to put to good use.  They drug them out to the front yard and created box forts.  Not only that, but they created a fortress out of boxes in the basement.

NEIGHBORHOOD GATHERING
We live on a cul de sac with a little island at the end that is perfect for neighborhood gatherings.  We had a nice one recently, where we got to know most of the neighborhood, and cooked some s'mores.

Ryzen played the burrito in his kid-a-potumus wrap.

AARON'S 3rd BIRTHDAY

Our next door neighbor Aaron recently had a superhero birthday party.  A few days later he had his actual birthday, and his family invited us over for ice cream cake.  Here you can see Aaron blowing out the candles with a little help from his older brother Cooper. Aria, Abby, and Tiffany are also looking on.

Here are our neighbors Tiffany and Brian having fun roasting marshmallows in their backyard.

And here's the little bouncy house they have, which our kids love to play in.