Where are We?

Can you guess where we spent our Saturday???




Can you guess now?



Sometime, somehow, in the last year we came across a show on the History channel called American Pickers, featuring these guys. We were excited to find out they're based out of Le Claire, IA. So, we planned an adult day out with friends. Le Claire is a cool, fun, little town. It was a great road trip!

She's Home!

Layla is home from Camp Grand-Oko. She is exhausted, cranky, emotional and sad. All signs she had a great time! Luckily, I get to go to work in the morning and leave her transition back home up to the babysit! Sorry Michaela!!

We were getting ready to go outside tonight and check the pumpkins and here was the conversation between Layla and Cooper coming from the mudroom as they put their shoes on.

"Layla, I love you. You're the best sister."

"I love you too buddy."

"I missed you Layla. I missed you a long time (Cooper's phraseology for "a lot")"

"I missed you too buddy."

"Layla, you at Grandma Faye's? You tell me, I won't feel sad."

"No buddy, I was just at a meeting." ("Meeeting" is Dave and my code word for "we're going to do something really fun, but we're not telling you because you're not going")

Running from the Law

Sunday night Dave and Layla left for a few days. Dave...to work, Layla...to Camp Grand-Oki. This meant that Cooper and I had a few days of togetherness ahead of us and I was really excited! He is no maintenance and so easy going. He has enjoyed actually playing with his toys rather than being bossed about how to organize his play and what the rules are going to be!

One big project that we took on this week was cleaning kidland so that I could rearrange some stuff. Wow, 6 garbage bags full of donations later, the kids have a clean organized space they can mess up and fill again. During my cleaning, I found 14 packed bags. I've always know my kids are packers, some part of their play always includes packing a bag for a trip, a baby, a hunting expedition in Africa or a plane ride to somewhere (yes, they're a product of always being on the go!). But seriously...14 bags stashed all around the basement? It's like they're on the run from the law and have to be ready to flee at any given moment.

Cooper's tool box was packed to the top. Here are a few of the things I found....

a pair of underwear
a wisk from my kitchen
staples
a few of Layla's fake press on nails
a dead flower
rocks
a dried up worm
a stick
Layla's socks
hot pad
books
bandaids
mousse
swim floaties
pumpkin seeds
a CD case
a microphone
a boarding ticket
a piece of gum
a glue stick
3 markers
legos
a hotel key card

A little paint...

...a driveway....and 3 year old with complete freedom equals this

4th of July

We started a little tradition on the Kellen side of the family...not on purpose. But, it happens naturally when your mom and dad live on a lake. My brothers and their families and Dave and I and the kids, head to Lake Okoboji to my parent's for
4th of July festivities every year. This year was especially fun for Dave and I because our kids are old enough to jump off the dock and tube by themselves (instead of us being in the water with them or following 2 inches behind them as they navigate the dock). Layla has been trying to ski by herself, but just can't quite seem to get up. However, she had a smile on her face the whole time she was trying! Thank you Uncle Ben for tirelessly working with each child in the water as they tried over and over and over again! The most monumental moment of the weekend was when cousin Sam got up on the skis and skied his little heart out! He is the first cousin to accomplish this! It was a wonderful, wonderful weekend! It was a reminder of the awesome brothers I have. They have married amazing women and have brought terrific kids into this world!

JAM!

I grew up with homemade strawberry freezer jam. Once you get used to it, there's no going back to Smuckers! Luckily, I married a man whose mom made the same thing and she has continued to gift us with such yumminess since. This year, I decided to put on my big girl apron and learn how to do it myself. I cleaned 6 quarts of berries, Layla sliced and mashed them and mom did the measuring and mixing. We made a great team! Now, if only I hadn't left it all in mom's freezer!

Go, See, Do

I love summer! I love traveling, going, seeing and doing. Lucky for me, I have a husband who likes to do the same and kids who have learned to keep up. We've been able to maintain the "no organized activity rule" in our house again this summer (I'm fully aware this may be that summer I get away with it) so we've been able to travel, go, see and do. This week, we're enjoying Okoboji with my mom. The lake is COLD, but I still swam with Layla yesterday, The things a mom will do for her kids! I figured I could always get warm again and I did...eventually! Layla thinks she would like to snorkel, but I don't know that I want her seeing what lies under the surface of a lake, I'm not sure she would ever swim in it again.