Playset and yard part duex

Here is a before picture and now picture. The playset is up, but there is landscaping to do yet. Being that our back yard is on a hill we dug a flat area. Well we have two outcrops of rock veins. So we did not get to finish with the backhoe we rented and we have been trying to get the rest out by hand. (to save money... we have already gone way over budget) We also ran out of money to build retaining walls. Maybe next year.

New find at East Cobb Park

Ok I might regret this, but between East Cobb Park and Fuller Park there is a bridge that crosses the creek. On the Fuller Park side they have steps going down to the creek. Last week I brought Caleb's swim suit and a net. We looked at the fishys and tried to catch them. Just a warning the water is a tad on the cold side. But on these hot days and a good hard playing at the park, the water feels sooo good.

Olivia's Birthday Party

Well across the road (as much as you can have across the road in a cul-de-sac) there is a little girl, Olivia, a month or so older then Caleb. She had a great birthday party. Theme based on a circus, or carnival. Caleb loved the games. And for the 1st time he loved bouncing in a bounce house.

Trip to Minnesota in early June

Sorry for taking a while to post this. Our trip to Minnesota was a long wonderful long great long awesome. Did I mention long? It probably seemed longer due to the fact that my wonderful caring husband had to stay home.

It is a 3 day road trip with a toddler and a dog. Caleb and I road with my parents (Gamma and Pappy) and their German Shepard (their 3rd child) Shadow in their Suburban.
So OK night one brought us to Mt Vernon, Illinois. We stop at a Motel 6. Let me just not recommend the Motel 6 in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. My Parents have had good luck with Motel 6s in the past. And they are pet friendly. But this one.... Well lets just say the rooms were soooo small and we had to ask for clean linens.

Night 2 we end on in Dubuque, Iowa. My brother Nathan and his wife Joyce live there. Now if you know anything about Iowa... it is that they grow corn. Well not in Dubuque. Dubuque is on the Mississippi River. It is on the border of Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois. It is quite hilly. It has this beautiful park, Eagle Point park, which over looks the Mississippi. It's building have a Frank Llyod Wright feel to them. It is only a $1 for a car to get in. (A season pass is $10.) Which for all it has.... well is cheap.
We stayed the weekend here in Dubuque. My mom and I went Garage Saleing to help find baby stuff for Joyce. She is due in mid November. They are expecting a baby girl. This is their first.

Our last leg of the trip was through Amish country.

Caleb was such a trooper. We had no dvds in the car. (it blew a fuse) And schedule. Well there was none. And he met so many new relatives.

We did get to do some fun things too. We went to Como Park and MOA (Mall of America).
At Como Park we had a picnic lunch, a boat ride we saw some muskrats, zoo, and went on some rides, and then met the bride to be and family for a picnic dinner. This is a way cool park and if you are looking for something to do that is relatively inexpensive I totally recommend como park. http://www.comozooconservatory.org/como_park/index.shtml
At MOA we went to Under Water Adventures, an aquarium. We walked around Nick Universe, but didn't ride anything. Then we had a late lunch at Rainforest Cafe.

My cousin Jennifer's wedding was beautiful. Caleb napped during the ceremony. He called all of the ladies princesses.
Ok this is a funny story. While we were at the reception Caleb decided that he needed to go to the bathroom with me. So he is in the stall with me and ask what I got on my legs. I tell him panty hose. (Anyone know where this is going?) He rubs my panty hose and tells me that it feels good. The lady in the next stall starts to chuckle. And he starts to look under the stall and ask who is there. More chuckles from next door, as I'm picking him up and telling him that we don't do that. Then he states, " Mommy, your pantys feel good." (She might have laughed out loud at this point) I corrected him and told him it is mommy's panty hose. And ushered him to wash hands.

The next Sunday we are back on the rode to Iowa. On the way back it is raining off and on. We find out there is road closers due to all the rain. We saw a couple of twisters form and dissipate (thank you God!). That was scary. My mom and I both saw it at same time and we started to yell drive faster. That rain front must have been going at 60mph if not faster. The other twister we saw was when we were at my brothers. Again it formed as the storm front started to cross the Mississippi and dissipated when it reached the other side. (Personally I was ready to go to the cellar.) Needless to say if we had left Minnesota a day later we might have been stuck in there a good while longer.

The rest of the trip home was uneventful. We were all glad to get back to our own beds.
But the next morning we woke up it was hot, compared to what Minn. had been. (One day the high was in the high 50s/ low 60s.)