The Wheeler Family

I know it’s late, but it was such a fun day and such cute pictures, I had to post about it! So, my mom had brought up this idea to me after Chris’s graduation party when my cousin Will brought some of his kids to the party and they wanted to ride. My mom thought it would be super fun to have my kids and Will and Callie’s kids come for a day of FUN on the Staley Farm! I thought this sounded like a fabulous idea, so the plans were made!

The BEAUTIFUL day arrived (seriously, it was SO nice that day) and the kids and I arrived to Grandma and Grandpa’s house. We were a little late, but relieved to hear that Callie was running late too, so I didn’t look as bad! Soon the troops arrived! They were decked out to the NINES!!! Everyone seemed to have some sort of “horsey” paraphanalia and I felt kind of bad that my kids only had blue jeans and sneakers on!

Our first order of business was RIDING of course! We gathered up the horses and headed up to the arena where the kids had to brush the horses off and saddle them up! For probably an hour and a half the kids took turns riding horses and complimenting each other (Thanks, Michael) on a job well done! After awhile a large portion of the children started speaking of the immense hunger that they were experiencing so Grandma/Aunt Linda went and started the BONFIRE for our hot dogs and SMORES! The kids were excited to cook their own hot dogs around the campfire, while the adults found the bonfire fun, but very hot!

After lunch, Aunt Linda/Grandma got out the hose and let the kids play in the water for awhile before starting the next phase of Cousin Kamp which was tie-dying t-shirts and scrapbooking! Each of the kids got to tie-dye their own t-shirt with the help of the AMAZING Callie (check the link above to get your OWN shirt) and make their own scrapbook!

The kids had SO much fun! And of course… I have pictures!

Audrey and Grandma/Aunt Linda discussing the plans for the day…

Audrey, Alex (One of the 4-H Helpers) and Audrey cut out the boards for the scrapbooks…

The Valets ARRIVE all decked out…

Grandma/Aunt Linda talking to the kids about how to behave around the horses…

Will having a talk with Sy…

Brandon and Aunt Linda cleaning Sy’s feet…

Nora and Michael cleaning Ruby’s feet…

The well designed and safe saddle held on by twine…

Brandon riding around the arena in Ruby…

Isabelle riding Ruby (ALL by HERSELF!)…

Gabby on Ruby…

Michael and Brandon on the “compliment chair”…

Michael riding Sy…

Lunchtime!!!

Playing with the water…

Tie-Dying!!!! (forgive me if I’m spelling that wrong lol)…

Scrapbooking!!!

It was such a FUN day and I look forward to Cousin Kamp 2009!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, we’ve been fairly busy lately… the week before last the kids and I spent a week at the Thraps house and had lots of fun as you can see on their blog. We returned Friday morning and then Saturday spent time with my nieces and nephew at my parents house… just lotsssssssss of stuff going on. Monday and Tuesday were our “vacation” days. Sweet Cousin (or as the kids call her, Aunt Sue) Sue had invited us to come visit so that she could take the kids to the zoo and the children’s museum! Before we headed up there though we stopped to see Kurt and Missy and play some Guitar Hero!

Then we headed up to Aunt Sue’s (and Pat of course ). Sue’s main goal for the short time we were there was to spoil my children rotten to the core! Audrey and Michael were LOVING the special attention. First, she gave Audrey the spare bedroom and deemed it the “Princess Room”

It was a cute room with a daybed and a TV (complete with a stack of children’s movies)! After rooms were handed out, Audrey, Michael, and Aunt Sue poured over their scrapbooks during which Aunt Sue exclaimed at almost every page how the children got cuter and cuter! After the scrapbooks were looked at (and MORE than adequately swooned over) Aunt Sue picked up on Chris’s subtle desire/obsession for Harris Pizza and decided to order in for dinner… and, as though it could get better… THEN Sue and Pat revealed that they love EUCHRE! The children were put to bed (don’t worry, not REALLY to bed, Aunt Sue would have none of that… the only rule at Aunt Sue’s house is that there is no rules, which of course takes care of bedtime) and the adults played EUCHRE! The girls kicked butt on the first game, but sadly the last two games the guys took it… but we had fun anyway!

The next day we got ready for a full day of fun! First stop was Naibi Zoo in Coal Valley, IL

The kids enjoyed the Koi pond where Aunt Sue supplied them with lots of quarters to buy the fish/duck food

Then we prepared for the train ride around the Zoo it was Audrey’s big hope that she and Aunt Sue would snag a back seat on the train, but sadly they were beat by another couple! They still found a good spot! I sat by Chris and Michael rode with Grandpa Wheeler

We enjoyed a leisurely ride around the zoo until the scary tunnel… everyone kept it together except for Chris luckily he survived and moved on! Next up was the petting zoo which everyone loved…

Aunt Sue had to run a quick errand so Grandpa Wheeler led the way into the Australian Walkabout where we saw Kangaroos and Dingos! Then we made our way into the Aviary where someone handed Michael a cup of nectar to feed to the birds… this enticed a bird to LAND on Chris and enjoy the snack. This is Chris’s pirate face don’t worry, he won’t give up his day job!

Then it was on to Africa where we saw a Giraffe trying to do the SPLITS so he could reach the yummy grass!

Near the lions, poor Audrey got tired and hungry so we stopped at the Desert Oasis for a quick snack and break! On the way back to the front of the zoo we spotted a misting fan and the kids (and Chris) enjoyed a quick jaunt in front of the fan to cool off. As we made our way to the front of the zoo to leave, Chris decided his tootsies needed some pampering so he had a seat and let the foot massaging chair do its $0.25 job but to his horror it TICKLED! He could NOT stop giggling the entire time and EVERYONE around us was staring at him! Luckily, we were ready to leave the zoo and rejoin Aunt Sue back at the house for lunch! After lunch Aunt Sue, the kids, and I set off for the Children’s Museum! Once we got there, we realized we only had one hour to play because we had to get back for Grandpa Staley’s birthday dinner (Happy Birthday DAD!!!). We checked in
and then set out to discover all the fun stuff! There was SO much to do including the centrifugal ride and the kids’ favorite the Magic Mirrors Room! Sadly, my camera’s battery had given out on me after a loooooooooooooong day of picture taking at the zoo!

After the museum, we headed back to Sue and Pat’s house to pick up Chris to head home. Audrey was beside herself with sadness, she just did not want to LEAVE! I had to PROMISE that I would let her and Michael come back again sometime WITHOUT me and Chris so that she and Michael could have Aunt Sue all to themselves! We were sad to leave too, but we sure had a fun time!

Michael, Audrey, and I have been trying to get into this summer by doing different things to keep busy. We are LOVING the newly remodeled Coralville Library . It is so fun to go and pick out new books and hang out in their sunroom enjoying the warm sun, cool a/c, and a good book…

We are also enjoying visitors! Grandpa Wheeler came over yesterday to visit. Michael and Grandpa had a great time playing the wii…

I think that Grandpa even WON! But Michael was a gracious runner up! Today we took another trip to the Library and then came home to play some Frisbee! Right about when we got outside, Daddy (Chris) returned home from clinicals and threw around the frisbee with Michael a little…

and scored a hug from Audrey…

Yes, it is the blessed day where Chris is finally the same age as ME! Today Chris is 31!!! What a YEAR!!! I know that I don’t say it enough, but Chris, I am really, really proud of you and all that you have accomplished this year!

You have been working so hard to be a better dad and spend more time with the kids

You graduated from the University of Iowa! Such an amazing goal to reach, and I know it felt like forever, but I believe that it will all be worth it someday soon!

You got to see the President land at your school (well, this was exciting for you)…

AND… you are FINALLY working towards your dream and working REALLY hard! I can see it and means so much to me and the kids to see you work so hard, it really shows how much you love us! We are so blessed to have you in our lives and we love you very, VERY much!

Drew calls my phone, here’s basically how the call went….

Drew: HEY! I was wondering if you were going to take the kids to the carnival?

Me: Uhhhh, it hadn’t even occurred to me so not likely…

Drew: Really? There are some really fun rides here, and if you want, I will go on the rides with them so you don’t have to!

Me: Drew? Are you just looking for a reason to ride the rides and trying to use my children as bait?

Drew: {long pause} Basically…

Me: Yeah, I think we’ll pass this time.

Drew: Allll right, but be forewarned, I may try to go behind your back and convince Chris to bring them!

Sooo, I put up a fight for awhile, but after Drew *did* go behind my back and convinced Chris who finally convinced me that we need to give the kids MEMORIES… so we met Uncle Drew at the carnival where he bought a fistful of tickets. We walked around and discussed which rides they wanted to use the tickets for. In the end they decided on the flying swings called “Swingers” (this concerned me lol), The Dino Slide, and The Scrambler. Drew graciously let the kids ride on the Swingers and the Dino Slide and then he tagged along for the Scrambler in case Audrey freaked out. And… since I am me… of course, I had my camera, so enjoy some of the shots…

Audrey and Michael on the Swinger….

Michael and Audrey preparing for the Dino Slide…

On the DINO SLIDE…

Drew and the kids waiting for the Scrambler to become available…

Michael and his friend Connor on the Scrambler…

Drew and Audrey on the Scrambler…

Quarter Games at the Carnival (i.e. hey… give us your money!)

All and all, my feet hurt and I have a little less money but the kids have a wonderful memory and they are already bugging Uncle Drew to take them again next year!