Splish Splash!

Summer is such a fun time to enjoy the fun of the outdoors. This summer has been a little challenging to get in the swimming days at the beach so we have resorted to swimming lessons.  Our family has spent a lot of time outside, just enjoying other activities.  We hope your family has had a wonderful summer also even though the weather doesn't always cooperate.  July happens to be one of my personal favorite months since there usually is good weather, school is out and its a great time to reconnect with friends and family(plus Jeff and I celebrate our birthdays too).

Happy 4th of July!

Our neighbor Beck(next to Jayden) loves that his birthday is on the 4th of July.
 
We were able to celebrate this year with their family and another neighbor along with my brother-in-law and his family.

Isn't this funny how the kids are all wearing their bike helmets while running through the smoke bombs?

Stephanie and I enjoying the fireworks.

Jeff and I and little Kraus to be.

 

The kids loved riding scooters/bikes in the dark with there glow sticks.  So much fun that Gabbi spent the night and loved her little sleepover since it was so late.

Love a day at the park to play.  Took the kids to Rocket Park in Neenah. (We don't know who the random kid is in this picture though).

Jayden had a blast looking after Gabbi, especially on the slides.

Babysitting for Nicole's kids Grant took advantage of a little Auntie time.  Toss all the stuffed animals in the crib and play.  What a goof!

Jayden and I met my friend at Derks Park for a little play date.  Pretty sure Jayden has no fear of heights.

We love to go and pick berries.  This year we changed it up and didn't get a chance to get strawberries.  Jeff found this Raspberry farm so we thought we'd check it out.  It was so clean and the people there were so friendly and nice.  Definitely will be checking them out for strawberry season next year.  Excited since they have a fall harvest of raspberries too.

Jayden did get to go swimming at SunSet beach with Gabbi.  They had a blast!

Swimming lessons have been a blast this year.  Jayden was able to take his lesson at the same time my sister and her son took there parent/child class.  Pretty excited to be swimming at the same time.

Jayden so proud!

Every year Jeff and I like to get away for our birthdays. This year we invited Jeff's brother and his wife.  We had a lot of fun.  Here is how we started our weekend off...celebrating Stephanie passing her literacy test!

Being goofy!

Stephanie and I just hanging out!

A day at the beach (Chad and Steph).

Jeff and I after a nice cool swim.

Over the weekend we were able to have some fun playing poker.

The reward!

Jayden loves that we plant a garden every year.  He was so excited that he could peel the freshly picked cucumbers.

Swimming lessons again...life jacket and no hands!

Bowling at Badger sports park with friend Talan.  Great fun with friends!

Claudia with Samm learning how to text...think she has it down.

Another cool storm picture Jeff has recently taken.


So that is our last month of fun and hope to have more this month.  We hope that everyone can fit in some fun adventures before the summer is over and school begins.  Enjoy!

Until next time,
Jeff, Heather, Jayden and Baby

Summer is here!

School is out for summer!

We are in full swing of summer break now that we are 1 month into it.  Jayden is half way finished with summer school, which he loves. This year he is taking an Arts and Crafts class, Reading and Computer lab.  Thinking back, I'm pretty sure we didn't have these options when we were growing up.  So glad that he loves school so much.  3rd grade will be here before we know it.

This month has brought us on some new adventures and we hope that you all enjoy the ones we share.  Towards the end, you will find our very happy surprise that should put a smile on your face.
Enjoy!
 

Before the school year ended, Jayden's Teacher had an award ceremony for the kids.  It was so cute!

Jayden received the Gobstoppers Award...For always having "gobs" of great work and ideas!

Jayden getting his award from the kiddos for being a "Super Scientist".

What better than to make hand prints on the red carpet.  Such a great idea!

Our Annual cottage trip with my family took place the 2nd week in June and it was a fun week away.  Jeff wasn't able to join us with starting a new job, so we made the most without him.  This deer in the picture, as you can tell, came up real close to the cottage.  Sometimes the deer brought her fawn too and they took time to enjoy the grass and sometimes a drink from the creek.

My good looking fishing buddy!

Jayden was so proud that he learned this vacation to take his own fish off the line.  He mastered it!

Grant and Jayden having a little sugar to get them through the day.  These kids are attached to each other.  Pretty sure they are best buds for life.

Jayden was all about rescuing nature.  This turtle was crossing the road, so he coaxed it into the bucket so he could release it into the creek.

Our attempt to take a selfie at 10pm after walleye fishing.  We did have an exciting ride to the walleye fishing spot; we seen a black bear on the side of the road. After we were done fishing I was mad that I didn't make my dad stop so I could take a picture of it.  Oh well, at least there was 5 of us that seen it and it wasn't a "bear" story.

Uncle Ronnie enjoying his nice bass on a pan fishing pole.  We decided to let it grow up a little and released it.

The almost Claffey Family.  Don't think I even got a picture of poor Claudia the whole vacation.  Pretty sure she was snuggling with Grandma when we took this.

The snuggle buddies.

Fishing with Grandpa with the "lucky pole".  Pretty sure any pole the kid touched turned lucky.

Jayden's attempt to take a picture of my big catch of the day.  Wish we would've found more of these guys. Pretty sure my pole was "lucky too".

Getting set up for night 2 of walleye fishing.  Another late night for us.

Jayden's lucky night.  16 in Walleye!  Pretty proud of his catch.

Pretty sure the smallest fish we caught.  Jayden actually snagged this one in the top fin.  Don't know how he did that, but guess that is his new talent.

What do you do on a cold and rainy morning?  Check out the creek where it goes under the road.  It was a successful fishing spot.  Jayden hoped to catch one of the large mouth bass that was swimming around, but caught tons of pan fish and 8 rock bass.

It stopped raining, but continued to be pretty windy.  We headed into Eagle River for some fun riding the go carts and hitting a round of mini golf.  Uncle Ronnie had a blast since it was his first time.

We finally put our pool up that Jayden got as a birthday gift.  I'm sure you guessed that he couldn't wait to swim in it.  He is in his clothes swimming as it was filling up because he just couldn't wait. It was freezing cold, but that didn't stop him.

Gabbi stopped by for some swimming fun and the kids had a blast.

Nicole and Mike brought Grant over to swim and he was more interested in the snack I had for him.  He ate half of a bag of puffy popcorn and laughed as we swam in the pool.

The kids being goofy on swim day 2.  Jayden swam for 6 hours straight and didn't want to get out.  When he finally gave into me having him get out, he was starving.  Nothing homemade strawberry pancakes can't fix.

So our month of June has been so wonderful with family.  Now we have a picture to share with you that Jayden made that hopefully will put a smile on your face.

Are you smiling?
Every time I look at this picture, it makes me smile and giggle at the same time.
Jayden is so proud that he is going to be a big brother.  Pretty sure Jayden wears the big brother glow.  Our lives will change in January as the baby should arrive early that month, but we look forward to our growing family.  The joy we get from being parents is wonderful with our amazing son, but can only get more wonderful sharing it with another bundle of joy.

We hope to see or hear from everyone soon.
Enjoy the 4th of July!
Until next time,
Jeff, Heather, Jayden and Baby