Trip to Canada

We just got back from an amazing vacation. We spent 6 days with Max's aunt and uncle at their remote lodge on Lake Timiskaming in Quebec. It was definitely one of the top vacations of my life. Jonah has already asked to go back several times and actually cried when we were leaving, "I just want to enjoy Scott's 'clodge' for a few more minutes." The setting was spectacular, the boys played hard every day, we played games every night with Max's aunt, uncle, and cousins, I got to read 2 books, Max and I went repelling and cliff jumping, Max went kayaking, I went water skiing, Jonah and Wyatt swam through the "tunnel" under the dock, Jonah and Wyatt went for tractor rides behind the riding lawn mower, I took the boys tubing down some little rapids, and oh so much more. Here are a few pictures. 

Me and J tubing

tractor rides

 

can you believe how gorgeous this place is?

can you believe how gorgeous these two are?

"The Lover's Jump" as Scott called it, or "Frog and Praying Mantis" as Max and I call it, only days before our 6th wedding anniversary. Congrats to us! 

Cliff jumping at the Grande Chute

This trip reminded me how much fun I can still have.

Max and Scott kayaking the Kipawa River

Johnson County Fair

Something that I am really coming to appreciate about Iowa City is that lots and lots of things are free. There are free concerts and outdoor movies all summer long. The arts festival was free. Maybe Utah was an anomaly or I didn't know about all the free stuff in Utah, but really, have you ever been to a free fair? We went to the Johnson County Fair yesterday for kids day--admission was free, there was free popcorn, free ice cream bars, commercial booths giving out stuff left and right. The boys loved it so much that we went back in the evening with Max. 

Wyatt is 2!

Me: "How old are you Wyatt?"

Wyatt:

"2!"

Wyatt just recently had his second birthday. (And last night he threw his first 2-year-old tantrum--it was pretty intense.) We thought about going out somewhere for his birthday, but decided he would have just as much fun at home. We were right. Swimsuits, sprinklers, slip-n-slide, cake, ice cream, and presents. He was very happy. 

The Boot Scoots Work! They Really Really Work!

Now, I had faith that they would work and I had seen that they had worked on other kids, but it was really exciting to see Jonah go directly from his Boot Scoot Bike to a pedal bike with such ease. I only had to hold on long enough for him to get his feet on the pedals, and we had to talk about how pushing the pedals backwards would make him stop, but that was it! 3 1/2 and riding a pedal bike with very little effort on my part. It was even less effort financially--I found this bike at a good will store and the price tag said $5.38. I thought, "Sweet! $5 bike." Then I took it to the cashier and bikes happened to be 50% off that day. Even better! It needed a new seat, but I happen to have a few of those lying around, so he was good to go. I love the sequence of these photos.

The Slightly Unsure Face

The Determined Face

Too bad it's not in focus, but doesn't that just say it all!!

4th of July, Midwestern Style

We had a really fun 4th (and 5th) of July. We started out going to the Coralville Parade. We found a great seat in the shade and waited for the 133 parade entries. Some of our favorite entries included 2 different funeral/cremation services, baton twirlers, the 3-Wheelin' Shriners, and the Horseshoe Club. Nearly every group was throwing out something--mostly candy, which meant that we came home with more candy than Halloween with none of the dressing up and walking from house to house, but also crayons, water bottles, go-green shopping bags, and more. The boys were LOVING it. 

(You might not be able to see it, but the sign on the back of this old fashioned funeral hearse says, "Coming Soon: Faithful Companions Pet Cremation Service 338-HUGS)

We were all pretty tired after the parade so we came home for a nap and in the evening, we went to a picnic party at our bishop's house. He lives outside of the city and has horses. After eating, all the little kids got to have rides on the horses. Turns out, our kids love horses! The Bishop even said, on Wyatt's third ride, "Looks like you'll have to get a horse now."

On Saturday afternoon, we went to the pool. Jonah has been taking swimming lessons and is much braver about holding his breath--here's an example:

 

Wyatt likes to splash--a lot!

There is a really funny tube slide at this pool. I call it the toilet bowl, because after you go down a dark tube, you end up in this big bowl that flushes you down the center into a pool. Max snuck his camera into the slide--who knows if the teenage lifeguard would have said anything or if he did see it and didn't say anything--to catch this video. 

We ended the day with sparklers that we forgot to do on the 4th since the boys were too tuckered out from riding horses.

A Pretty Great Day

Yesterday, Jonah had his first day of preschool. He'll only be going for the month of July so I guess that it could count as a summer camp. He seemed to like it. It's an old farm converted into a preschool so they get to go out to the barns and feed the horses, Ms. Piggy, the goats, and the chickens. Wyatt was a little confused when we got in the car without Jonah though. He got this worried look on his face like, "You forgot someone!" I was fighting back tears right then. I wasn't ready for that. I thought I would be so excited for Jonah and for the fact that I could spend some time just with Wyatt, but I felt really sad leaving Jonah at the preschool for a couple hours. Weird mommy emotions!

Yesterday we also got a special surprise from Grandpa--a Spiderman slip-n-slide! The boys loved it. They liked the spray--which comes out of Spiderman's wrist like a web, but when they didn't want water in the face, I just turned it off and let them run up and down the slippery slide. I think they were a little confused when I said it was a slide because at first they wanted me to put it up on the deck so that it would be on an incline like a slide. Max was studying, so he didn't get to join in the fun yet, otherwise I'm sure there would be some photos of Max sliding into Spiderman's arms as well.

White Coat Ceremony

Tonight was Max's White Coat Ceremony. He and all his classmates were given a white coat to mark their entrance into the healthcare world. After everyone got their coat, they all recited an oath that had to do with helping people, commitment to learning, and such. (I was mostly trying to keep the boys quiet.) Doesn't he look cute in his University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine coat.

Jonah and Wyatt were really glad when the speeches and ceremony were over and we got to go eat some cake. Jonah's words as he's licking thick white frosting off his fork: "I didn't like that class part. I felt just awful."

Class of 2010