Summer 2012

Let's be honest: The kids aren't as cute as they once were.  I really don't need to post things as often.  Now, they're mostly annoying.  Ha!  Just kidding...kind of. 

The Evens are saints and came to hang out with us for 5 days over the 4th of July. 

 We had so much fun!!!!  I still laugh just thinking of the nervous breakdown I nearly had as Sue and I were alone with the kids as the guys golfed and I listened to someone critique everything I did in the kitchen as I tried to make lunch and the kids were starving and then Marie pooped on the floor and Toni ran to the neighbors that hate us already; all at the same time.   So I had "Bud-liter-aids" (as Chuck called them) for lunch and everything was O.K.  And VERY FUNNY.  Sue and I became immediately HILARIOUS. 

This is not Sue and I.  Imagine we're this cute.  But funnier. 

Chuck's mom, Judy, came for a couple of nights over the 4th.  It was great to have another grandma around to help with kiddos!  Look to the right of the picture and you can see the awesome beverage holders my dad made for us.  No more kids kicking over the drinks!

 The Middle Cormorant 4th of July boat parade! 
Grandma Judy said that was her favorite part of the day. 

Travis and Eva helped make this flag cake. 
We put candles on it and sang Happy Birthday to America. 

 It was HOT on the 4th of July.   They all went slip and sliding...

And the slip and slide got "Chuck Evens-ed" to be long enough for the adults.

Chuck and Chris decided to take the kids fishing (well, more Chuck than Chris.  But, Chris was a good sport).  Much more time was spent getting ready for fishing than actually fishing. 

 Norah was the cutest fisherwoman.

 It was rainy one of the days, so we headed to Fargo to hang out. 
Some rode the "fairest" wheel at Scheels.

We all thought the safest bet was to put Luke in his own seat.

Bunk beds are for fort building, right?  You can see Travis trying to bring Norah to tears with boredom as he shows her his bounty hunter story. 

He named a bounty hunter after her just to keep her interested.

Sadly, I have many pictures of the fun that the kids had during the day. But, not any pictures of the fun board games and bon fires that the adults enjoyed when the kids went to bed.  So, I'll just post this picture pre-children and tell you we all still look this youthful.   Thanks for coming Chuck, Sue, Andrew and Norah!

After Eva broke her arm in June, I got a taste of how fun it could be to do very little in the summer vs running around.  Much fun was had in the "hood" in Fox Run.

Allison took great pictures of my children...

 Marie did not go to sleep, but instead put on a swimsuit...

 Luke cuddled with dad as they watched golf...

 Luke and Mi-mi dressed up as princesses...

 Marie got her face painted....

 By Liv and Eva...

Travis wrote and illustrated story after story involving droids like this

 and Star Wars and Ninjago characters.

 Travis also did some cooking...

Which is funny because he opened the craft sticks for his popsicles just like his mom would by cutting off the resealable ziplock closure... 

 There were multiple lemonade/face painting stands this summer...

And the "Rockin' Lites" performed at Allison's 18th Birthday party on Karnik's patio. 

Travis was the DJ.  Marie keeps asking to go to the "concert."

We also had a great time at Sheila's "pick-pick", as Marie called it,

with our daycare friends we don't get to see much in the summer.     

Instead of camping, we had the Buckhouses out to the lake for a 3 day weekend. MOST of us brought our shirts from the 125th Hankinson Centennial last year to take the picture we forgot to take.

 Marie taught Halle how to drink juice boxes, which there seems to be a
never-ending supply of at the lake.

 This weekend was HOT as well.  Nolan (aka: Uncle Pickle) floated...

 ...Chris tried to splash him.

Adam pulled Eva and Travis around and around as they barked-out orders at him so lovingly. 

Marie, Sheena and Halle fed bread to the fish... and to Halle.  

Since it was vacation, we all did relaxing things.  Sheena and I sat around in Clint and Lois' recliners and read while the others finished their Mooseluck Olympics. 

 Grandpa Gerry fished. 

Grandma Tree relaxed and enjoyed an "udder one." 

I am not happy at all that we only have a video of this occurence vs a picture.  Adam, Nolan, Sheena and I headed to DL with Chris while he did a remote at the Holiday Inn on the beach while grandma and grandpa watched the kids.  I am typically the hulahoop champion in all bar competitions I enter.  At the Rock in 1997 or so (not 2003 as Chris says), I was not typically competeing against little kids or people 15 years younger than me that all grabbed the good hoops.  My back hurt so bad and my abs were burning so bad that I had to stop!  I tried to blame it on them getting the good hoops.  But, it hurt.  Bad.  You'll see me practicing in the "hood" from now on. 

We also had a very fun extended weekend when the Kemp's visited from Shanghai.  This is Luke, Hugo Hoffman (Jen's oldest) and Jack Kemp (Ingrid's oldest), who are all similar ages.

 These are 7 of the 11 kiddos between Ginger, Ingrid, Jen and I that we had watch a video so we could drink margaritas.  I took 5 pictures; this was the best one. 

As with the Evens, these 11 kiddos were so time consuming, we didn't get any pictures of us adults together. So, again, I'll just post these and tell you we look exactly as youthful.

  But, with coffee in our hands as we suffer from extreme fatigue from staying up way too late and

then having to get up with the kids in the mornings. 

 It was a great time Jen (and Chris), Ginger and Ingrid (and Dave)!