cousin time

The Lacayo boys (and Monika) spent almost 3 weeks with us this summer.  It was a fantastic time.  It's so sweet to see how well the kids get along and how creative they are together.  They spent time swimming, playing in the sandbox, Lots and LOTS of Trio building, playing Lego Batman, and just relaxing together.
All the kids did well on the road trip and all our little adventures back in Ohio.  Our fun together culminated with a trip to a local park for a nice hike and walk along Sugar Creek!  So much fun.
Once the boys were gone... the house was quickly too quiet and they are so missed already.

 

  

  

 

 

we feel so very blessed to share so many special memories.

4th of July fun

We had a very nice and laid back Independence Day.  It was unusually hot outside, but the kids managed by cooling off in the little pool and some ice cream treats courtesy of Bapa!  After a wonderful grilled dinner we headed out to Bay Days and the annual firework display there.  All the kids LOVED it.

Will is SIX !!!

Really really wish time to slow down a little for us.  Will has been enjoying so many milestones.... graduating pre-school, getting ready for Kindergarten, losing his 1st tooth, and now he's six.  Is it really possible that the little 4 pound 14 ounce little boy we brought home is a grown six year old?  Yep.  Today on his birthday we were blessed to have many of our friends and family join Will to celebrate his special day.

 Will chose a transformer theme and was so excited to help out with some of the pictures used for the decorations.  He was smiles all day long.  Starting with his cream of wheat breakfast with whipped cream and sprinkles, to the pure enjoyment of the bounce house with all his cousins!  It was a wonderfully relaxed and enjoyable day (despite the heat).  We even kept the bounce house an extra day for the kids to enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

since Will turned 5 he has been asking for a fish tank...thanks to his Daddy's hard work, he finally got it!

Idlewild and Soak Zone

On our return trip to Ohio, Monika and I decided to make a little overnight pit stop in PA and visit a kid's amusement park.  It turned out to be a great day!  Idlewild was so much more relaxing than Disney and the kids could go on almost all the rides (there were some that Gabi couldn't, but the older kids could go with an adult).  We made a whole day of it enjoying the park and the attached Soak Zone area.
The kids all marveled that it was one of their best days ever.  Will and Aidan loved the Roller Coaster (Will and Isa's first REAL coaster ride), they loved the water tube slide, and the Toboggan!  Isa and Andrew were fond of the Caterpillar and kids water area.  Gabi loved all the little rides (wanted to go on ALL of them) and had a great time with Andrew in the baby splash area!  They kids even ventured into the wave pool.
It was an AWESOME day with our little ones with so many little memories!  

on our way through Mr Rodger's Neighborhood!

 

 

 

 

 

Isa has really been wanting to go on a hot air balloon since watching The Wizard of Oz... 

she was happy with this substitute!

 

 

 

goodbye DC

 Day 4:  We took our time getting out the door to head back home.  We can't even begin to describe what a great time we had and what absolutely amazing hosts we had.  The Love family opened up their home to us, gave us amazing accommodations (like staying in a resort), provided spectacular meals (more on this later), and lent us their children to help us out with our lil ones!

Sofia and Adam Love are amazing cooks (they even owned a restaurant at one point).  So when I say we we were spoiled... we sure were.  Dinners ranged from fresh Clams, to home-made Pizza, to flavorful pesto sauce on spaghetti with rotisserie chicken, to Quinoa, and finally ending with an amazing Paella.  Each dish was more dilectiable than the previous (and taking several hours to make).  We gathered around with a few glasses of wine and enjoyed the company while the food was prepared.

 The kids had an amazing time with Andreas, Elise and Bella.  They were great sports watching over and playing with all 5 little ones!  Thanks for a great time, and we hope to do it again soon!