Fall Football

Nothing says Fall at our home like the Flag Football we all love to play at the Helgesons. Shawn and I play football and the girls play with their chickens, the horses, on the swing set, or run around chasing the cat and dogs through all the grass. This week was really hot- almost 90 degrees. So, Shawn still played but I hung out with the other wives who didn't want to play in the heat and the kids had water gun fights and did the slip and slide.

After all the football, everyone got cleaned up and we had a corn feed. (It's a midwest thing to call a big dinner a feed) We had wagon rides and eat some of the best of what everyone had grown in their gardens. Fabulous salads, the sweetest corn, pulled pork and chicken sandwiches and wonderful desserts. What a great why to spend a Saturday!

Trip to the Zoo

We're trying to squeeze every last minute of summer into our final weeks. This weekend we hit the fair and the zoo and have a birthday party for a friend tonight. The zoo today was a ton of fun. We have a great zoo up in the Twin Cities. We can never get everything done so each visit is a little different than the last. Today we got to spend some time in the new play area by the grizzly bears. Em and Lily loved the splash park and playground as did our several of our friends. Charlie humored us, but as only an almost 14 year old can.

The animals are always fun to see and Lily was estatic to see the butterflies in the butterfly garden and the dolphins. The girls all loved the grizzlies and tigers as well as the aquarium. Em was especially happy to have been able to touch 2 sharks in the touch pool. I don't remember what kind of sharks, except they are non aggressive :) It was a great day and a ton of fun.

The Fair

We had a good time at the fair. We decided to go to Godfathers for dinner before the fair. It cost $15 for a jumbo pizza with 12 huge slices vs $3 a slice at the fair. Then we hit the fair and the rides. The girls always start with the ferris wheel and then they moved on to more daring rides this year. Next year all 3 want to do the bracelets so they can ride all day. After some rides, we viewed the animals, had some treats and visited with friends. We didn't stay too late because we're leaving for the zoo early tomorrow morning. It was a lot of fun.

So Special

I'm glad that we live in a time when we can use the internet so that our children can keep in touch with their grandparents. They can send emails, facebook, and chat with them all the time. This is incredible and so beneficial for them. But, if you took our cells phones and internet away, our girls would still know that their Grandma loves them and thinks about them often. The need only to look in their closets or snuggle the Raggedies and they know. From the time Charlie was 1, Shawn's mom Kathy has been making her dresses. Beautiful Christmas dresses, fun summer dresses, and pretty Easter dresses. In addition to dresses, she has made them shorts, pjs and Raggedy Anne and Andy dolls. Each girl has received her own set, with Lily's just arriving yesterday. Here are a few shots of some of the great things she has made. In the shot of all 3 girls and Shawn, she did not make Lily's dress, but she did make Shawn's tie. And really, how cool is that? So thanks again mom, for always thinking of our girls.

Splish Splash

Nothing says summer like bathingsuits and water. This weekend Lily enjoyed some slip and slide/pool time with her friends, and then all 3 and some of their friends enjoyed a day trip to a nearby pool. Lily loved the slide- she did it over and over again. She is beginning to swim- enough to make me very nervous- and so very proud. She would swim from the wall to me and back again for as long as I was willing to play.

The older girls loved the lilypads (green platforms) as well as the slides- especially the ones that shot you out into the air. It was a great way to spend a summer day- especially when we're starting to make the count down to school......

Flying by so Fast

It's hard to believe that the summer is almost over. I know it must be because I have to take Lil to school tomorrow for school pics and kindergarten assessments, and all 3 for registration next week. I know it is because I'm going crazy trying to get everything done at work so I'm ready to meet all of my new preschoolers. Sometimes I swear I can hear each minute ticking by. I know summer is coming to end, and I know I will miss it. I hope the next 9 months just fly by so it can be summer again and I can enjoy each and every minute with my girls. The slower pace, the sounds of their laughter as they swim, and bike, and hang out with thier friends. It never seems the same during the school.