Memorial weekend!

We really had a great memorial weekend! I always feel like I have to get away and go on vacation to get the most out of a holiday weekend. But it was really nice to just stay closer to home this time. I guess I am going to have to get use to it anyway since traveling is just way to mcuh money these days!

On Saturday we went to the Toledo Zoo. This is a really great Zoo and bigger than the one in Detroit, so we have wanting to go back since we went last year. It is about an hour away, so not to bad of a drive. The weather was in the 80's so it really was a great day to be outside!! The boys favorite part of the zoo was the fish. There was an aquarium there full of fish and it was full of people so I couldn't hear them well, but every time I looked down they were making the fish noise I taught them where the stick there finger on there lips and move it up and down, I kept seeing there finger and there lips moving and then a lot of pointing and saying "fish". The boys love animals and making there noises so we got a zoo pass this year and it has been a lot of fun taking them. Ava was as sweet as ever and did really well. The boys are usually the ones in the stoller and Ava is in a sling on either me or Jordan, but since the boys wanted to walk around Ava got a turn, she looked so cute. She is growing up so fast, I can't believe she is already 4 months! At the end of the daywe went to my favorite ice cream place Friendly's!! There is not much more you can do to top the end a day like going to Friendly's!!

Sunday was also a really fun day. So, I have been really wanting to get the boys a sand box for the backyard. the little plastic ones are expensive and the bigger ones are even more expensive!! So I have been trying to keep my eyes open on craigslist and at stores for a cheap one, but I realized by the time I get some great deal, summer will have ended since they don't last long here in Michigan anyway. so I decided we could build one. I got the wood, borrowed a few tools and got to work. Jordan did a great job putting it together, it turned out really great! So that afternoon is when we finished it while the boys were sleeping and then we invitied some friends and family over for a small barbeque. I got a cheap little slip n' slide and set that up and just let the kids play, again this day was great weather as well! It is fun to watch our boys interact with other kids, it's nice to watch them play instead of being the one playing all the time! Later that night we had a little camp fire in out little patio woodburner. We didn't have wood, and it was a Sunday, an most stores were closed early anyway for the holiday. So Lucky me, found a bunch of wood from a tree that had been cut down at the end of the road. Gavin didn't like the smores to much, he freaked out when the marshmellow got on his hand, but Ayden just dug in and got it all over. Ayden was also our little pyro and kept plauing with a stick in the fire pit and catching it on fire for us to blow out and pound it on the ground, while Gavin sat in his daddies lap. The kids were all so tired and sweet little Ava did so well and sat away from the smoke in her bouncer all bundled up. It was a long but fun evening!

Don't worry we, have a tarp and cinder blocks to go on top to protect the sand from cats and rain!

Ayden trying to drink the water from the sprinkler

This is my favorite look that Ayden gives. He gives it when people are talking to him and he doesn't know who they are, or when he just doesn't know what to think about something. In this case, he is watching Uncle Travis put together our fire pit.

Messy Ayden has marshmellow every where!

Our little Pyro. He was so interested int he fire he didn't care if he was in the middle of the smoke, and the wood we had made it smoke pretty bad!

Travis made the Tee-pee for the wood so high that when we started the fire it was huge, Gavin got scared and was tired on top of that, so he was in his Dad's lap for most of the time.

And then on Monday after a morning of cutting Jordan's hair and twisting Gavin's we went to a ward picinic for a little bit and to a park close by later on that day.

This has been my favorite lately for when Ava falls asleep and we are out and about. I love my Bjorn as well, but she doesn't seem to sleep as well in it. This just cradles her perfectly and keeps her close and arms free!!

This is how he was holding on at first...

Then he got his twizzler and decided this was a better way!

Gavin

Ayden

They are starring at a bird they spotted on the grass

Gavin ended his day by loving and helping his sister