tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87143824543775418482023-11-16T08:48:13.778-06:00The Kauth FamilyBecause the world cares about what we do.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10277535844811085692noreply@blogger.comBlogger219125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714382454377541848.post-59829894438361180992016-06-25T22:47:00.000-05:002016-06-25T22:47:18.061-05:00Chicago Lego TripFinn turned nine in April, but had to wait almost two full months to really get his gift. A few months before his birthday, Amanda and I saw that a Lego convention, Brickworld, was going to be in Chicago in June. We looked into it and decided to inform Finn on his birthday that his present from us was going to be a trip to the Chicago suburbs to take in the brick-y festivities. He was excited and he handled the seven-week wait well.<br />
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Julia was afraid her beta fish, Chance, would forget her while she was gone. To ensure that wouldn't happen, she taped a picture of herself on the outside of his tank. She said that this way he would know (in a creepy voice), "Mommy is always watching!"<br />
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We left pretty early Friday morning so that we could get to Chicagoland early enough to utilize the remaining part of the day. We stopped for an early lunch south of Madison at Lake Kegonsa State Park. We have a Wisconsin state park pass, so we try to check out some places we've never been when we travel. The weather was already getting hot, but it was still cool enough in the shade near the lake for a picnic lunch and some selfies for Amanda and the kids.<br />
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Next, we finished the drive to Schaumburg and arrived at the hotel. We got checked in and decided to head to the local Legoland store: we booked a package at the hotel that included four tickets. It's a retail store and also a mini-amusement park of sorts. There are interactive parts, large Lego constructions, a couple of rides, areas to build things, and a movie.<br />
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The kids posed with the great physicist at the entrance to Legoland.<br />
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A replica of the Chicago cityscape...complete with an alien invasion.<br />
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Finn posed with a number of the life-sized Lego creations.<br />
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We all took part in making a few little additions to a Lego city. And later we each built a vehicle to test run down a ramp to see if it would hold together.<br />
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After Finn made some purchases at the Legoland store, we headed back to the hotel. Near the entrance was a nicely dressed Lego man, greeting people for the conference that was held in the attached convention center. The convention had actually started a few days earlier, but the first part was for the people displaying their creations to get together, share ideas, and start to set up their displays.<br />
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The hotel had a really modern feel to it. The kids lounged in the one of the sitting areas.<br />
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Finn has a tendency to dig right in on putting together his newly acquired Lego sets.<br />
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Julia tried out one of the surprise amenities in the room - a television in the bathroom mirror! I discovered another bathroom surprise when I got out of the shower later: a square of the mirror was heated so that it never fogged up.<br />
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Friday night we decided to go the Medieval Times. If you're not familiar, it's a dinner theater that takes place in an arena made to look like a castle. Real horses are used, knights joust and sword fight, and a story is presented in front of you over the course of two hours. We ended up having front row seats so we were close to all the action.<br />
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They bring out courses of food, but NO silverware, so you have to drink the soup by slurping and eat the chicken and other food with your hands. Whether it was because of the close proximity of the combat or the food, each time Finn looked at me, his eyes were large and he had a smile on his face.<br />
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As a family we had been to Medieval Times once before. We went during Julia's Make-A-Wish trip to Florida. Julia remembered parts of it, but Finn didn't recall it at all (although, in his defense, he was only four at the time). It didn't help that I accidentally deleted all the pictures from that first experience. I still feel awful about that... <br />
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The area you sit indicates which knight you cheer for during the festivities. In Florida it was the Green Knight, but this time we called the Red Knight ours.<br />
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He did well in the choreographed battles and ended up in second place. We had a great time, and as you can see, I didn't destroy the evidence this time.<br />
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Saturday was Lego day! The convention hall was attached to our hotel, so it was just a short walk to where the doors were. We waited in line a little while to get in, and then everyone was set loose!<br />
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There were all sorts of different types of displays. Big ones, little ones, realistic ones, scenes from TV shows and movies, and anything you could imagine someone would try to create it with Lego bricks. The snails below are a good example of the time, effort, and shared work that goes into these displays. I asked the man putting the finishing touches on this one some questions. At last year's Brickworld, a group of people came up with the idea to build a snail race cooperatively. One person designed the snail and then they each built one in whatever colors they wanted. Then each person also designed their own structure to go on top of the snail and when they arrived, they set it all up and put together the building in the center together. A year in the making and it turned out great!<br />
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A number of Lego artists displayed their versions of framed works, all made with the plastic bricks, of course.<br />
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Many of the people found unique ways to enhance their displays. I loved how the use of plexiglass in this one was used to indicate the surface of the water and how the islands and other objects under the ocean were built.<br />
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Different spins on known objects and colors could be used for interesting creations.<br />
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There were a number of large castle setups. Pictures don't do them justice because of all of the tiny details people put into their work.<br />
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Julia found a table with all Harry Potter-themed items.<br />
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A couple of TV shows I watch had displays built for them. I knew exactly which two scenes from The Walking Dead they were showing in the pictures below. It's pretty cool the kind of minutiae people can get out of little plastic blocks.<br />
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From Game of Thrones, Castle Black, the Wall, and the area north of the Wall were built and displayed. Very well done!<br />
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Not everything was huge and grandiose. This well known scene from The Lion King was a good example of simple but well planned.<br />
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This Smurf village one of the biggest as far as square footage. The Smurf sign in the front slowly spun too.<br />
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This huge mountain scene was probably my favorite. It was tall and had a ton of detail. Waterfalls with froth where they hit bottom, vegetation all over the place, a volcano, and a ninja temple and pagodas built halfway up the mountain.<br />
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Making something from your imagination takes creativity, but making something that's real or historic takes accuracy as well as creatively figuring out how to put it all together. The Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument were included in this display of the National Mall.<br />
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This one aimed to be an accurate representation of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.<br />
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This display was probably four feet across and twenty feet long. It was showing the D-Day invasion of Normandy. I spent a lot of time walking around it in amazement.<br />
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We stayed at the Lego event all day except for a break to leave for lunch. We had to go to Portillo's for Chicago-style hotdogs. We ate too much but it's hard not to when it's so good and it's not something we can get all the time. At the end of the day, the kids and I planned to go swimming. Unfortunately, our hotel's pool was closed. The hotel made a deal with the neighboring hotel to let people swim in their pool instead. Finn didn't want to make the trek. So Julia and walked over. We told Amanda and Finn to watch for us and then we all waved at each other from a distance. You can't see them in the window in the picture but I squared our room in red.<br />
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The pool was, not surprisingly, pretty crowded, so we didn't stay very long. We did stop long enough on the way out for me to get a picture of Julia in front of a fountain at the other hotel.<br />
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One tradition we do when we stay in a hotel is to order pizza from a local pizza place and watch a movie while we eat it. We chose deep dish from Lou Malnati's this time. We couldn't agree on toppings so we ended up with two small pizzas to split among us. While in the lobby to get the pies, Amanda stopped at the front desk to casually mention how the unexpected pool closing threw off our evening plans. They compensated with a free pay-per-view movie. We watched Zootopia with our pizza.<br />
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Sunday was our day to drive home. Amanda and I chatted about some different ideas of something to do along the way home to break up the drive a bit. Since it was ridiculously hot out, we opted to spend some time in the cool air under the earth. We toured Cave of the Mounds to the west of Madison.<br />
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Afterward we bought a few bags of sand that had fossils and mineral rocks in them. They had a panning site setup to run the sand through to see what you were left with. They had a special Father's Day bag for the dads to do too.<br />
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It was late afternoon by then and we hadn't had lunch, so we opted to try a place with an interesting name and ate at the Grumpy Troll in nearby Mt. Horeb.<br />
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We finished the second half of our drive and made it home. We had a great time but there's always something nice about getting home to your own house and your own bed again.<br />
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Finn had a bowling birthday party with a couple friends (and family).<br />
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Julia had some art displayed at the River Falls Public Library (next to her shoulder).<br />
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For Mother's Day, the kids made Amanda breakfast in bed and presented her with cards. Skippy attentively watched the card presentation. I'm sure it had nothing to with the food sitting in front of her.<br />
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Each spring at Westside is a day of end-of-the-year outdoor activities and competitions. It's a time of hanging out with buddies and participating with your class. Julia did well and won the hula hoop competition - <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQIIHIRjJOE">video evidence</a>. Both <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvVG4wYraB0">Julia</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yn22dLBus4">Finn</a> participated in the three-legged race with friends (more video evidence linked on their names).<br />
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We always get a state park pass since we have two nice state parks close to us. We took a hike at Kinnickinnic State Park and walked down to the St. Croix River. The hill back up is much larger than it looks in the picture!<br />
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Julia crossed over in Girl Scouts from being a Junior to a Cadet.<br />
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We took the kids to their first Twins game at the end of the school year (and our first time at Target Field).<br />
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There was a great fireworks after the game. I wonder <a target="_blank" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcJuGphc3Uluzvwd1EGRiOaUQKwM25S2AbYSlzQpJdr2IO8K5KZyAczjcGJlKnyLf1m0eoVuN6SjEw6zPmbje0ji_5uFRwiPIVOtNfeJ5S5dIO4WIGfDQFlVEEklYk4t7wVdoNf6I1Q/s1600/35.JPG">how we looked during the fireworks</a>...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uRDvh75SaNBtRn3A9RIXwu6mI9mJ7dP742fcsaDleHSoRZjPujsdG4qyKoMTJZu0JleGu9aHxXSam0rtLpa4amf7hJcsHOpUjGGTbzWPNYhjMhd0jcKJO1E-CmYnXJi9W36zBB0Syg/s1600/34.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uRDvh75SaNBtRn3A9RIXwu6mI9mJ7dP742fcsaDleHSoRZjPujsdG4qyKoMTJZu0JleGu9aHxXSam0rtLpa4amf7hJcsHOpUjGGTbzWPNYhjMhd0jcKJO1E-CmYnXJi9W36zBB0Syg/s320/34.JPG" /></a></div>Toreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01381378881198915291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714382454377541848.post-85589420665664289602015-04-15T23:14:00.000-05:002015-06-21T23:15:53.143-05:00Supercallifragilisticex-tra Close-up PicturesIn April we took a weekend trip to Chanhassen Dinner Theatre to see the musical Mary Poppins. At the start of the trip, I had the idea that we take a bunch of family pictures throughout the weekend. I was pleased with how it turned out.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Before we left.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKqAMtExcUXVZO5WgkIfVJl2DjQ1yf5L-fGBVz4riNSfHKpe3pcC0Khun6kpNp1zbQ7mCUXLfD3HXt-kWnN7EfQS7MNuuDx744lfzi13nlpjv_03qhSfYm-RKgtyFvCrOkWxQVwc7bIA/s1600/DSC03597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKqAMtExcUXVZO5WgkIfVJl2DjQ1yf5L-fGBVz4riNSfHKpe3pcC0Khun6kpNp1zbQ7mCUXLfD3HXt-kWnN7EfQS7MNuuDx744lfzi13nlpjv_03qhSfYm-RKgtyFvCrOkWxQVwc7bIA/s320/DSC03597.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">In the car, heading out!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16yFHrQhWepQQjGDCxUK-t_8QVopl3bW9Dm-wyDGmo3fixiwgvzAscwWov77DmqDTkwLnmzsR07-JnQf1aLcc9PLWPeYB5Yfe_Zc64wwBhCPMdkCZx2jK098E2T9hTWT2CavpVW0Zvw/s1600/DSC03601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16yFHrQhWepQQjGDCxUK-t_8QVopl3bW9Dm-wyDGmo3fixiwgvzAscwWov77DmqDTkwLnmzsR07-JnQf1aLcc9PLWPeYB5Yfe_Zc64wwBhCPMdkCZx2jK098E2T9hTWT2CavpVW0Zvw/s320/DSC03601.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">At Eddington's, our favorite soup place.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ZhOGldB6LxvUSCnaI-ZuMij2arIOzeZk_3NQCtIfXOIEnL33Tu0SMLxfoxAsHE_i1Jxgn-4ntj3puRLewTkyCKNZ3Lv1LJ9Eh4jsCf53MD13IbuGztNnu6jGHDKRQHWy6_ItCvvfmQ/s1600/DSC03602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0ZhOGldB6LxvUSCnaI-ZuMij2arIOzeZk_3NQCtIfXOIEnL33Tu0SMLxfoxAsHE_i1Jxgn-4ntj3puRLewTkyCKNZ3Lv1LJ9Eh4jsCf53MD13IbuGztNnu6jGHDKRQHWy6_ItCvvfmQ/s320/DSC03602.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Silly pic at the hotel.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFRrQNOaVuyPuKOcqXeINCdInvb3Ew_NAvK9_9LHdZxJT4rj5T8LXzW1CKLvT0PED3H-oXgTrjmkmzZU54gyD3G2EuUfeznlOMQbFoJk0HaNviq4_6kGnk-12yd1teXLzFtMKyQxeSg/s1600/DSC03604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFRrQNOaVuyPuKOcqXeINCdInvb3Ew_NAvK9_9LHdZxJT4rj5T8LXzW1CKLvT0PED3H-oXgTrjmkmzZU54gyD3G2EuUfeznlOMQbFoJk0HaNviq4_6kGnk-12yd1teXLzFtMKyQxeSg/s320/DSC03604.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hotel bathroom mirror shot.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1ss5qZ7sLNkx6uWa8CNNir6-7tYGGg01VbqLoDJqpis0NHNDKe07HwLZwcNwhjxcM6Uv8nzh9kYVsV-OAE97SsMlSCw-8EpfOu_KSWqCysxL3P3dh7fmnmYuKBPsEmNw6I9ExriRKg/s1600/DSC03606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1ss5qZ7sLNkx6uWa8CNNir6-7tYGGg01VbqLoDJqpis0NHNDKe07HwLZwcNwhjxcM6Uv8nzh9kYVsV-OAE97SsMlSCw-8EpfOu_KSWqCysxL3P3dh7fmnmYuKBPsEmNw6I9ExriRKg/s320/DSC03606.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Intermission at Mary Poppins - great show!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUReMGeP-v8GhaOsFvcqL72W5eJqRfGr8VtZ9coHw9RPsq9FOv_-muRcEUiVwccTQWCvn5EOSw5A3WsVE3iQ0dQ06jtHBEnx71e5oSF6-9YfStmamqm1qi4Z6UApb_eYLShJt9mewLMA/s1600/DSC03616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUReMGeP-v8GhaOsFvcqL72W5eJqRfGr8VtZ9coHw9RPsq9FOv_-muRcEUiVwccTQWCvn5EOSw5A3WsVE3iQ0dQ06jtHBEnx71e5oSF6-9YfStmamqm1qi4Z6UApb_eYLShJt9mewLMA/s320/DSC03616.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Quick hike at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCQ9yCjOdIGtMwEP7rJLf_4s-r5xGGPOS6t42T4FW8DfbDJIve8Bcb_2a5C9-t7_nhdvCInpk74kre2NQONVg_S77ffhu9GxqS50vqH9whnyfxLZnwVeZijk8_XBuOQuDY9lSrTYgHw/s1600/DSC03623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCQ9yCjOdIGtMwEP7rJLf_4s-r5xGGPOS6t42T4FW8DfbDJIve8Bcb_2a5C9-t7_nhdvCInpk74kre2NQONVg_S77ffhu9GxqS50vqH9whnyfxLZnwVeZijk8_XBuOQuDY9lSrTYgHw/s320/DSC03623.JPG" /></a></div>Toreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01381378881198915291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714382454377541848.post-51842880738239380202015-04-02T15:43:00.000-05:002015-06-20T15:45:58.272-05:00Relay for Life, 2015The Kauth family participated again this year in Pierce County Wisconsin's Relay for Life. 2015 had another good turnout.<br />
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Julia had company on the survivor's walk, neighbor and fellow cancer survivor, Lee.<br />
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It's very touching to see people cheering everyone on and to see Julia take it all in.<br />
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Luminarias are made to remember friends and family lost to cancer and in honor of those who've survived. We collectively made a few to add to the hundreds of others around the track.<br />
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We put Julia's Luminaria and one we made for Carina together. Carina was a friend Julia had met in the hospital while they were both undergoing treatment. <br />
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Finn and a friend shared some music.<br />
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The kids can act civil to each other at times...<br />
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...and put on a good show of sibling love too.<br />
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We grabbed a family picture before the kids took a ride around the track on a stretcher pushed by the EMTs on site.<br />
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Julia used the 80's theme to try out a new hair style.<br />
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Last year Julia lost out on the silent auction to win a giant stuffed horse. This year was her year - and she was thrilled to have her two new pals join her family.<br />
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Both kids stayed all night this year. I did make them lay down for a few hours and rest though.<br />
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"Juliaaaaaa! Look out behind you!"<br />
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"Peace, Finn. Nothing bad could happen."<br />
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There was an optional science fair at Westside and Finn decided to participate. His experiment was to understand why raisins sink and float in pop and if grapes will do the same thing. First things need to be set up.<br />
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Then data must be collected.<br />
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And if you get thirsty, you can always take a sip of your experiment.<br />
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The night of the science fair, each kid set up their results and had to explain their work to the judges and other interested parties.<br />
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Finn explained to a judge that the bubbles from the carbonated beverage stick to the raisin causing them to rise to the top of the glass. At the top, the bubbles pop and the raisin sinks back down. This repeats as long as carbonation remains. Finn's hypothesis was that grapes would not have the same thing happen because their skin is smooth, unlike the wrinkly raisin's skin, and so the bubbles wouldn't have anywhere to hand on to. His hypothesis was wrong because the grapes rose and sunk with bubbles as well. SCIENCE!<br />
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Finn chatted procedures (I'm sure) with one of his classmates.<br />
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March started out with snow, but ended with bare ground. Julia looked good in shades while picking up Skippy's winter waste.<br />
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The bare ground very evident while Julia and I went on our go-to, close-to-home hike to Foster cemetery and the Kinni.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQoaj85RGWNP53lZVrWG8fsZi8dgnIpsOswkVxc6bA4Jl3TF12vtf_UqSaJReJwmvX5VL0xx7GKZW8lRbvxdUGKWx-m0VlIsRIonBrIiTySG8Q8YOIuciHxl5RHtpXjtxbPSL0H80EUw/s1600/M12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQoaj85RGWNP53lZVrWG8fsZi8dgnIpsOswkVxc6bA4Jl3TF12vtf_UqSaJReJwmvX5VL0xx7GKZW8lRbvxdUGKWx-m0VlIsRIonBrIiTySG8Q8YOIuciHxl5RHtpXjtxbPSL0H80EUw/s320/M12.JPG" /></a></div>Toreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01381378881198915291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714382454377541848.post-41187576710074474932015-02-25T16:58:00.000-06:002015-03-29T19:11:20.567-05:00JanFebJanFeb would be the celebrity couple name if the months of January and February were celebrities and they dated. It could happen.<br />
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Finn and Skippy have always had a good relationship. She frequently gives him "lick attacks," which consist of Finn sitting on the floor, the dog jumping on his chest to knock him down, and then furiously licking his face while Finn giggles. They're buds.<br />
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And as buddies, Finn will sometimes build Skippy a fancy bed or a fort. If she finds them cozy and comfortable enough, she'll give her stamp of approval by sleeping in it.<br />
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Skippy didn't get to have anything out of this giant box of snacks, but I was excited to open this gift from my family for my birthday.<br />
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We had to improvise on the candles. One of the complications of getting older!<br />
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At the Westside Elementary musical production of Mary Poppins, Julia played in the xylophone ensemble and sang in the 5th grade choir.<br />
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Finn also participated in his first musical. He was a chimney sweep for the song Step in Time.<br />
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In the below video, I zoomed in on Finn after about 30 seconds. With all the kids dressed the same, it was hard to spot him.<br />
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After the last performance of Mary Poppins, we hung out with my parents at the after party, complete with cookies and punch.<br />
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Julia's bed seems to be 75% stuffed animals. She (after much prompting) set many of them up in her closet instead.<br />
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After what likely turned out to be the last snow of the season that was playable, the kids took to making a snowman in the backyard. I helped them a bit with lifting the big snowballs to put the guy together. The snow was perfect for packing too so we had a parent vs children snowball fight.<br />
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I can clean up nicely when I put my mind to it!<br />
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It was our last year attending the Daddy Daughter Dance as Julia will be too old to go next year. We made sure to get some posing in before we left.<br />
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Toreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01381378881198915291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714382454377541848.post-47026009127071931082015-01-31T21:33:00.000-06:002015-01-31T21:33:43.032-06:00Twelve Months of 2014Even though 2015 is already a month old, I've decided to do a review of 2014. I've gone back and chosen one picture from each month of the last year. The leading off picture is a gift we got showing the whole family. It's detailed enough to have my beard and glasses, Julia's Harry Potter shirt and scarf and Skippy too.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXT-FO3og6upmsX8GeL6ZxxcatVKdrBinF7usbr7Q_wrHPCdjE6_wYGhpt1Nx0bHFHZZPvcwgks_FfowW7wWNgQvPDMc5iWLgS4LW6M3174TozVIIMl9XH3pvOj1s8e0WFMsE2XIzPrA/s1600/2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXT-FO3og6upmsX8GeL6ZxxcatVKdrBinF7usbr7Q_wrHPCdjE6_wYGhpt1Nx0bHFHZZPvcwgks_FfowW7wWNgQvPDMc5iWLgS4LW6M3174TozVIIMl9XH3pvOj1s8e0WFMsE2XIzPrA/s320/2.JPG" /></a></div>A common winter scene of the kids playing outside for the January, 2014 photo.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjCoCHGVcq2EM8gSxDddaznocwSAThATx0h7B17qM6Uw6UR10dmex_QHiJXzszYRPu4HF4PMDXYAMDssNmPvVf5IZle9z_OQHDJgo3FQ0nYvgGs7NoqICSfFM_ppi8kdGVJeU0fz-7DQ/s1600/3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjCoCHGVcq2EM8gSxDddaznocwSAThATx0h7B17qM6Uw6UR10dmex_QHiJXzszYRPu4HF4PMDXYAMDssNmPvVf5IZle9z_OQHDJgo3FQ0nYvgGs7NoqICSfFM_ppi8kdGVJeU0fz-7DQ/s320/3.JPG" /></a></div>Sometimes you just gotta get through the winter with a bit of snuggling.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDeTY1kXTEeqJ-ahxEvex4GRcIRvY0X5H8lBQ-lCjToZO6slyQzsOifofDuXjvCPpbSuPzmLrMdi5g9xP5w0j3dYetXejQ1yxmw6vz2vamWNzVgMhUIIXHjsCizH3IqNrBubMPGUhYg/s1600/4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDeTY1kXTEeqJ-ahxEvex4GRcIRvY0X5H8lBQ-lCjToZO6slyQzsOifofDuXjvCPpbSuPzmLrMdi5g9xP5w0j3dYetXejQ1yxmw6vz2vamWNzVgMhUIIXHjsCizH3IqNrBubMPGUhYg/s320/4.JPG" /></a></div>Sometimes the snow doesn't look terribly deep until you try to walk through it - then the walking turns to trudging.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-sCA_9blZHffdQUwNzH3X8qnpxVBjWFNqGWbSc5-nVnPkQb1YSpg3MAiijDHZzmfuyf82ouPSQld9ejO9q8qCDuSkYExzvad71DOpFHQYvMJKRAyv4f7R9DAMWwLZ1rKDSlFEF0in7g/s1600/5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-sCA_9blZHffdQUwNzH3X8qnpxVBjWFNqGWbSc5-nVnPkQb1YSpg3MAiijDHZzmfuyf82ouPSQld9ejO9q8qCDuSkYExzvad71DOpFHQYvMJKRAyv4f7R9DAMWwLZ1rKDSlFEF0in7g/s320/5.JPG" /></a></div>As the snow was turning into slop in April, we took in a Minnesota Swarm Lacrosse game.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQEgkfSCZSKAE55mQXGs-NtTVZ2Q_k0VagnfJPwq_4IqlJ0bO_S0d4oRN145_QhGVi2sO4xxSKiknJb7qDduGPZkoJ3I2e9nGOqjsKvjB_kh9LVDK72k6ngmll-2V1BmZiaP6CgfevGQ/s1600/10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQEgkfSCZSKAE55mQXGs-NtTVZ2Q_k0VagnfJPwq_4IqlJ0bO_S0d4oRN145_QhGVi2sO4xxSKiknJb7qDduGPZkoJ3I2e9nGOqjsKvjB_kh9LVDK72k6ngmll-2V1BmZiaP6CgfevGQ/s320/10.JPG" /></a></div>Skippy plays this funny game where she sits at the top of the stairs and gently drops a ball on the edge of the step. It then slowly rolls and bounces down the steps. If someone is there to throw the ball for her, she fetches it back to the top and drops it again. She does this all year, but it was the September picture I liked the most.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJEQ1ZX6_8BOXa3PfF2SjuoIqqu1Y5P-3zkDaS784aVo-HHeUjR-iGer4ODd0bLw1y4VbfTaA0zjQFhOIyX3APv47MS_xoqxfVVjdgA3562rn-f42XrdkBI_TVE5BL4jg9g09LFjjhQ/s1600/12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJEQ1ZX6_8BOXa3PfF2SjuoIqqu1Y5P-3zkDaS784aVo-HHeUjR-iGer4ODd0bLw1y4VbfTaA0zjQFhOIyX3APv47MS_xoqxfVVjdgA3562rn-f42XrdkBI_TVE5BL4jg9g09LFjjhQ/s320/12.JPG" /></a></div>After reading Watership Down for her book talk assignment for school, Julia also designed a board game as part of the project.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9lHfRCRlV2L_0eHHR4erenuHqvFV2UyoluZKrVEzpVjSona4QVowpStW_5FzMT5F-9Q9SuGbrGRMa5EyiNtpGgdSiYnpDQDp0Zn7q2uuk9jvA92hamIx3oV-QKjZ95Eh6rNuvf-lluQ/s1600/13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9lHfRCRlV2L_0eHHR4erenuHqvFV2UyoluZKrVEzpVjSona4QVowpStW_5FzMT5F-9Q9SuGbrGRMa5EyiNtpGgdSiYnpDQDp0Zn7q2uuk9jvA92hamIx3oV-QKjZ95Eh6rNuvf-lluQ/s320/13.JPG" /></a></div>Our Christmas time at our house is the always the first one we do. It's a nice tradition for just the four of us that we enjoy.Toreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01381378881198915291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714382454377541848.post-72717215762516210312014-12-29T16:50:00.001-06:002014-12-29T16:50:29.302-06:00In Before 2015Because I dragged my feet on getting last summer's vacation pictures posted, I'm now in that familiar place of playing catch up. So here goes...catch up lightening round - GO!<br />
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Julia turned double digits in August!<br />
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She posed with her cake and ate it too!<br />
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Finn was also allowed to fill his face with cake!<br />
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First day of school: Julia in 5th grade, Finn in 2nd!<br />
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Llamas!<br />
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Llamas wearing scarves!<br />
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Pre-season Packers game with the family!<br />
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Regular season Packers game with my parents and brother!<br />
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Finn finishing lunch and working on violin music.<br />
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Finn making scrambled eggs!<br />
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Halloween costumers: Julia a Gryffindor wizard and Finn a shadow!<br />
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Playing Settler of Catan with Grandpa Dayton!<br />
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Bathroom hijinks with a stolen camera!<br />
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Standard autumn hiking picture!<br />
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Flitting with butterflies at the Science Museum!<br />
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Finn controlling a T-rex!<br />
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Makin' a list...!<br />
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The kids with Great-Grandma Laverne!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWMDn05SkMMpnMWmb-4-x-eBf5Yc-FXQvUobrB3sSCl_ErDRzbI1PBnIipcGQf3Wtc2T__BWlAMkrNLLQMIJqWiPs6Ph-LT1YZg4ztn1YsczCqJfr17W2UZHfQu96FEIr2olP0L0isew/s1600/25.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWMDn05SkMMpnMWmb-4-x-eBf5Yc-FXQvUobrB3sSCl_ErDRzbI1PBnIipcGQf3Wtc2T__BWlAMkrNLLQMIJqWiPs6Ph-LT1YZg4ztn1YsczCqJfr17W2UZHfQu96FEIr2olP0L0isew/s320/25.JPG" /></a></div>Toreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01381378881198915291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714382454377541848.post-68055766054301465612014-11-30T20:27:00.000-06:002014-11-30T21:19:57.821-06:002014 Vacation, Part 4: SeattleAfter our excursion to the coast, we headed north on the 101 toward Washington. The kids had to occupy themselves in the car multiple times during the vacation. They had music and audio books on their MP3 players. And snacks can help too.<br />
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As referenced in <a target="_blank" href="http://kauthfamily.blogspot.com/2014/08/2014-vacation-part-1-arrival-columbia.html">Part 1</a>, Dick Anderson had told us about a cool place to visit along our route. Fort Clatsop was the final camp of Lewis and Clark on their journey west before heading back home. Located south of Astoria, it's been rebuilt into a national historic park. We explored the replica fort, listened to the actors dressed for the parts, and checked out the hiking trails.<br />
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We explored Astoria for the afternoon. Situated where the Columbia River meets the Pacific, the town offers some seaside attractions and an old downtown. We ate lunch at a restaurant chosen for the view. We were rewarded by diving sea birds and a seal that hung out in the waters outside the window.<br />
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We walked around on the pier jutting out into the harbor. After getting some warm drinks at a coffee shop, we found the hangout for the local sea lions.<br />
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Julia and I posed in the wind with our next destination, Washington state, in the background.<br />
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Before leaving Astoria, we had to check out a special tourist attraction: The Goonies house. The house is a private residence, but it shows up on maps and a sign informs visitors which house it is (and to be respectful). While we were checking out the exterior of the abode from the movie, there were a steady stream of people. We exchanged photo-taking favors with another group for this family shot.<br />
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We left Astoria across the nearly four-mile-long bridge over the Columbia River leading into Washington. We continued following the 101 north for a twisty, scenic drive before heading inland toward Seattle.<br />
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We were only about 90 minutes from our hotel in Seattle, but we needed a break. Olympia is the capital of Washington so we decided to stop and walk around the capital building. It was nice to get out and stretch our legs and the capital grounds were really nice. Julia is in the below picture, even if a little hard to find.<br />
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There was pretty much no one else around since it was getting well into the evening, so I had to resort to the timer on the camera to get a family shot.<br />
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My deep thoughts were about to be disturbed by a maniacal mini-me. <br />
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We caught a glimpse of Mount Rainier as we approached Seattle.<br />
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We took a harbor cruise of the Seattle downtown area of Puget Sound. It was a great way to see all angles of the city.<br />
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We made it a point to stroll through the famous Pike Place Fish Market. I was expecting the fish, but was surprised at how it was essentially a year-round farmer's market. The huge crowds of people seemed about equal parts tourists and locals picking up fresh food. We witnessed one of the famous fish-throwing incidents and got some fresh seafood of our own at one of the restaurants there.<br />
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We had less than two full days in Seattle so we ended up focusing on just the surface of what the city had to offer. The Space Needle was another tourist attraction we felt we couldn't pass up. It definitely allowed for a unique view of the city!<br />
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One of the buildings below the Space Needle has these spiders on its roof. I mentioned the spider sculptures to the worker in our elevator on the way down and she explained they are actually just painted on. I still find it hard to believe they're just paintings - shadows and all.<br />
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We flew home late in the day, so we squeezed in a trip to the Seattle Aquarium before flying back to the Twin Cities.<br />
Finn finished eating first, so we let him wander around and check out the large tanks nearby.<br />
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The aquarium had quite a few exhibits you could touch. The sea urchins' spines would squeeze your finger when it sensed you poking around.<br />
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Riding an orca!<br />
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For some reason we were being goofy and asking each other in a silly, deep voice, "Have you seen any river otters?" So when we saw an otter bench, we had to get a picture on it.<br />
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Like all things, the vacation came to an end. It was a good one and as the kids get older, I look forward to being able to travel with them more!Toreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01381378881198915291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714382454377541848.post-51898328137785643292014-10-07T21:10:00.000-05:002014-10-07T21:10:03.995-05:002014 Vacation, Part 3: The CoastNow finished with the Portland leg of our vacation, we headed ninety minutes west to give our greetings to the Pacific. We spent the day and that night in Seaside, tested the cold ocean waters, explored a tide pool, and walked the beach.<br />
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It was mid-morning when we arrived at the endless expanse of water. It was a normal, cool day on the Oregon coast. The daily fog hadn't yet been burned off by the sun.<br />
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Even though it was chilly, it's hard not to wear shorts and a t-shirt if you're going to the beach. And once clouds let the sun come through, it warmed up to nearly 70. The kids (and I) had fun getting our feet wet and dodging waves.<br />
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We took a short drive south from Seaside to Cannon Beach so we could poke around the tide pool beside Haystack Rock during low tide.<br />
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It's a popular tide pool so there were volunteers around to share information with people and make sure they don't damage the wildlife. They were helpful in explaining things like how to safely touch an anemone and how if you put certain barnacles in shade, they will slowly close up.<br />
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We saw a few giant sea stars - one hanging out on a rock and another lounging in a shallow pool.<br />
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A gull was using the exposed animals to get himself a nice meal.<br />
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Haystack Rock is also known for being in several scenes from The Goonies, including the opening car chase scene that goes onto the beach. After looking at what the tide pool had to offer, the kids decided to get themselves in the water - at least as much as the cold ocean would allow them to.<br />
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After the salty dip, the kids posed by an equally salty sea captain before we headed back to Seaside.<br />
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We had found this place (notice the sign) earlier in the day and had to come back later to eat there. Finn got a t-shirt to commemorate "his" restaurant.<br />
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We enjoyed the view from our hotel room, but the best part was opening the patio door and hearing the waves.<br />
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"Julia, which way to the beach?"<br />
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Bucket head!<br />
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Sunset frolicking in the waves.<br />
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Julia really wanted to perform her famous back float in the ocean, but it was just too cold. Finn attempted it.<br />
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And finally, contently warming up in shades.<br />
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The next morning we headed north back towards Washington and where we started the trip.Toreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01381378881198915291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714382454377541848.post-51046868703074498602014-09-20T15:40:00.001-05:002014-09-20T15:40:42.268-05:002014 Vacation, Part 2: PortlandFinished with our excursion around Mt. Hood, we were back in Portland for a few days. Ember played tour guide and we did a combination of things we had done before and enjoyed, and new things.<br />
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We parked in one place and did lot of walking. We strolled along the Willamette River waterfront as well as hiking around downtown. Powell's bookstore was a must-stop place, of course.<br />
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I had always heard a lot about Voodoo Donuts but in my handful of trips to Portland, had never been there. The kids each picked donuts with cereal, Ember had a vegan chocolate one, mine was maple with bacon on top, and Amanda's was the best apple fritter I had ever had.<br />
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In the hills overlooking Portland is the International Rose Test Garden. It's a multiple acre garden where new varieties of roses are grown. There are <a target="_blank" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMxf618JfP5clEvZM6O6uMynQOCkZitWTHEqdZ5_X2Ck0w9nPp1m-3WFWTvMKPN7Ny-Ye61rIF_C2FOtXlAamPUamysxHUVCMmHEJ0Hol5k_uTzUq4b1Wd2l5zFQWH7Z-T5DdZw90mw/s1600/8b.JPG">some truly spectacular colors</a> and shapes! I also like it because it's a great place to get up close pictures of honeybees doing their work.<br />
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Ember and I staged a picture together that was in the same location as <a target="_blank" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBsZh5FcEP10B9NtXfjhu1x4LE9bycd1hr3HrR9MSYX-khpO0mD68CfLrdmWeUKUM-_wjDODiuKyr_WxtD8SHBvUWuiSPtGMm4GoF1bSCuuJyiTo5AxPOUPdRdp95OCMBCRExX_vqeXA/s1600/12b.JPG">one we took five years earlier</a>.<br />
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We took the opportunity to snap some more group pictures, not all of them serious.<br />
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The kids decided to do some individual poses as well.<br />
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We finally got the kids settled down enough for a family picture, even if it ended up <a target="_blank" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqMRHJA75yuPPQwApLYIfrVZRWPlIyxhipHo4REdirO9T-IDhJ0VtqnbnZK-oorsly6T-QKbCHOtQ2S6wi75G9PeIaQNLomPj6jUkK0FSiHHGbsx9XAL_Omxfm8mjnnlMCICjnv1GtA/s1600/19b.JPG">degrading into silliness</a>.<br />
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That evening Ember took us to her favorite Thai restaurant. Finn isn't terribly picky, but sometimes he has his moments of stubbornness when it comes to trying new things - not this time!<br />
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The next morning we went to OMSI, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Lots of variety of things to check out and explore. We did the planetarium show and another highlight was a room with different contraptions that blew air out and had hoses to connect things together. There were soft blue balls that you then put in the devices and they got shot out from different places. We did a lot of aiming at each other from across the room. Below picture is unrelated: they had dinosaurs too.<br />
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There were a lot of hands-on activities. No surprise that Finn took to the Legos.<br />
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Julia opted to build with dominoes.<br />
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This one required some teamwork. I was tall enough to hold the blocks while Julia and Finn and a little girl figured out which ones to put next as they built an arch.<br />
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Her blond hair doesn't lend well to seeing it, but static electricity did make it stand up.<br />
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Our last evening in Portland, we went out to eat with Ember and Rob to one of their most frequented restaurants. We walked there and stopped for a quick pic on this mural in the middle of an intersection.<br />
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The kids chose an impromptu sprinkler romp after we ate while we hung out for a while at Rob and Ember's place. The next day we were headed to the ocean!<br />
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Our first stop was Ember and Rob's place for a much celebrated sibling reunion! Finn got in on the silliness too.<br />
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We had a great time hanging out in their backyard and grilling out. And shocking to all...Finn found a suitable place for Legos.<br />
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Ember and Rob were spectacular hosts - they hooked us up with a place to stay while in Portland, advised different things to do, and Ember was our tour guide for our upcoming excursion.<br />
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The place we stayed while in Portland was at a friend of Ember and Rob's: an older gentlemen with a basement apartment for guests who we only ever heard referred to using his full name, Dick Anderson. We adopted the habit too. Dick Anderson was the type of guy who seems to know everything about anything. When we first met him he happily greeted us as "The Wisconsinites" and he started rattling off different history and facts about our home state that I had long forgotten. He filled us in on all sorts of interesting tidbits about the area and mentioned some must-sees for later in our trip when we headed to the coast.<br />
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It was reassuring settling into a place that felt homey.<br />
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Finn didn't take long until he started in on rough-housing mode with his aunt. Ember's head and Dick Anderson's pillows didn't know what hit them.<br />
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Ember planned for us a two-day journey through the Columbia River gorge to see some waterfalls, south around Mt. Hood, and then back to Portland. Click <a target="_blank" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8YTnPCPjyedF6VXLnWIdRhlWieR2vfIW5sPNbtTOANxc2XRAbKImK8046nkF9C0BE5MqXjyY6qbZY4NaUtSRVmYS5R7tQbIolSggjB0knVUQhyphenhyphenYN5QuBnF-2kG-2y38_ZVr0heZzt3Q/s1600/PDXmap-complete.png">here</a> to see the map of where we went.<br />
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A brief stop at an overlook provided us the first morning views of the Columbia River and the beautiful surroundings.<br />
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Our first waterfalls was an impressive one. Multnomah Falls is the 2nd tallest year-round waterfall in the United States. You can see the upper falls in the background, a bridge going over the stream, and then the lower falls.<br />
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We took a few group shots at one of the viewing areas. Ember squeezed in some bunny ears on Finn. We got there early enough so there weren't a lot of people. When we came back down later it was significantly more crowded.<br />
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The walk up the bridge between the upper and lower falls wasn't too long or too strenuous.<br />
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The bridge the kids are on is the one seen in the group pictures above, between the upper and lower falls.<br />
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Ember explained to us that the hike to top of the upper falls was pretty tough and probably not something the kids would want to do. Julia and Finn said otherwise. It was steadily uphill and had eleven switchbacks over the course of more than a mile. The trail was plenty wide and safe, but that didn't stop me from being nervous about the edges of the path and kids getting too close to it. The kids stopped a few times to rest.<br />
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Once at the top we followed a winding trail and stream amongst old growth, moss-covered trees to a lookout at the top of the waterfall<br />
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The bridge we stood on earlier could be seen over 500 feet below us.<br />
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Next waterfall on the agenda was Horsetail Falls. Not nearly as tall as Multnomah, but awesome nonetheless. Finn found an opportunity for a little payback.<br />
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The upper falls of this one included a trail that went behind the waterfall.<br />
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The kids are sitting on a rock on the left side of the picture.<br />
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I was in awe of the constant amount of water coming over these edges of land. It seemed endless and it was hard for me to wrap my head around how there was enough water to keep these creations flowing.<br />
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A shot on the way back from the upper Horsetail Falls of the distant solid green landscape.<br />
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As we finished our hike back to the car, we found some moss and Ember, Julia, and I wondered how we would look with a moss beard. I'm not sure who looks the best:<br />
<a target="_blank" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYMV2SGJU9tpA67s_DJgAxhAHvmJomhk8Ed5PRid6qUJWROdueg-q-VRQW1aCz7hnVvaI8csr7jmpTpVZPGk-56I7_JCsnDLjpkeuL2LdojI9530OFXOuCkCw5k-IiBn-c-eTA18uHQ/s1600/36a.JPG">Ember</a> - <a target="_blank" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQZEJ-FOOGSO4PKG-k-qkjj_3DQKZEnzkOBPdFhQgFKYZ3SXI7YLZtC94uvTJDNsD1roneEqiGq4EkdljR6XXP7uaUhZ9MBkmE-Tach1X9VMKkFnkReqSchYUJhHu7NIPVuULJBr-0g/s1600/36b.JPG">Torey</a> - <a target="_blank" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZaL2ojDXmN-evVdHbenQ5Znp944fY1tsmFKHt_K9hlWXUfhXPT8dc2k3ewSheLsk9I7PL3XgqvVMJoddPv9wPgR08zMd7ph3vQdiHYCI6opnvZgnSVuEoSIyaRcwM5O9M01T-KL6SQ/s1600/36c.JPG">Julia</a><br />
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We continued east and as we did the landscape slowly changed to drier and less green. We stopped in Hood River for lunch along the river at a popular place for windsurfing and kite sailing. The kids also cooled off at a beach and played in the sand for a little while.<br />
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On the road south now, we slowly started seeing glimpses of Mt. Hood. The mountain became clearer and bigger each mile we went. Not used to being around mountains, it was pretty crazy seeing one just sitting their nonchalantly looming on the horizon. We stopped at a fruit farm and got fresh peaches, apple cider, and the best cherries I've ever had.<br />
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At the base of Mt. Hood we checked out Timberline Lodge - a national historic landmark. Timberline Lodge offers the only year-round, ski lifted skiing in North America.<br />
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Finn carefully plotted his path to the summit. Or maybe he was looking for the quickest way to the cabin we were staying at that night.<br />
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Just like Dick Anderson's place, we scored another great lodging with this cabin Ember found for our night away from the city.<br />
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The Zigzag river was just a few minutes away down a narrow path behind the cabin. Ember, Julia, and I walked down there in the evening. Ember assisted Julia in braving balancing on a downed tree over the water.<br />
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All five of us went back the next morning, with Julia leading the way.<br />
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In the morning we headed to Mirror Lake and took a short hike. The views of the mountain were stunning.<br />
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We took a nice family picture and then <a target="_blank" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmoUD68fwNB_gw6vWLVi9DTE0XLD69qDOXCdEp_P5G3EdrEbmBWNDIQG52OSzKDdS4fvMLyXapxC_VfByfUq5B4s75MdZHW5cINgsfOKAGL2SLwBogvjnJQQSbbABDZ-k0vKseUILIMQ/s1600/62b.JPG">a slightly goofier version</a>.<br />
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We came across several animal acquaintances while at the lake.<br />
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Finished with that leg of our vacation, we headed west back to Portland and left the mountain behind.<br />
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Even with the distance, it's great to see how quickly the kids take to each other.<br />
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Being the new girl, Claire obviously got a lot of oooh'inh and ahhh'ing attention from Julia and Finn.<br />
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Julia attempted to help get her baby cousin dressed after a diaper change.<br />
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Even at meal times, they were close.<br />
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Finn showed Johannah how to really eat a piece of pizza - the bigger, the better!<br />
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The three oldest did things outside the house too: At the zoo the three fed animals together.<br />
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There are some things that a baby just doesn't get to do. Walking to the park with her cousins is one of them.<br />
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Julia and Finn gave Johanna plenty of attention once they got to the park.<br />
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Though they don't live near to each other, the kids always make the best of what time they do get to spend together.Toreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01381378881198915291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714382454377541848.post-63834057738637808622014-07-31T21:00:00.000-05:002014-08-01T14:09:39.468-05:00Milwaukee TripWe had several things planned for the kids' first trip to Milwaukee:<br />
Zoo, Discovery World, Brewers Game.<br />
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Julia likes to refer to these carotenoid-digesting birds as flaminguinos (FLAH-ming-gwee-nohs). She makes the same adjustment to penguins.<br />
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Speaking of penguinos...<br />
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I hadn't been to the Milwaukee County Zoo since I was a kid. The one thing I vividly remember was being amazed at how the peacocks just walk around like they own the place. I was glad to see the birds still rule the roost.<br />
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It's interesting that they can go into different animal enclosures at will. There was a peahen with peachicks (yes, that's the proper terminology) on the wall near the bears.<br />
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I took a lot of animal pictures, but since the main purpose of this blog is to share family pictures and happenings, I'm not going to post many of them.<br />
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Not sure what Finn's facial expression is all about or whether the big cat approves.<br />
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Discovery World is on the lake front and is part science museum, part aquarium. We did the science part in the morning and the aquarium in the afternoon.<br />
They had several music-based exhibits around the history of music technology. Julia the guitar player needed to get next to the larger than life instrument.<br />
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I was looking for improvements from this mirror, but things went drastically wrong.<br />
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Amanda and the kids pumped the giant buttons to make the fan spin.<br />
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Julia and Finn played tic-tac-toe against each other. They picked their moves and a robot made the moves for them.<br />
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The kids each laid on a bed of nails. They laid on a platform with holes in it and then the nails came out of the holes and slowly lifted the person.<br />
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Julia looked quite competent in the driving simulation. That makes me feel better about thinking about her turning double-digits in a few weeks and approaching the age of some of those adult activities.<br />
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Finn had to go to a museum to play a video game I played as a kid. It was cool and made me feel really old at the same time.<br />
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They had an arts and crafts area where some fairly complex items could be built. Julia built a hand purse and Finn a shoulder bag.<br />
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The kids tried out the different hands-on activities that demonstrated uses different scientific principles.<br />
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We took a break and for lunch headed north along the water. There was dragonboat festival going on in the lagoon near Veteran's Park that sounded interesting.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2paSBwCNId1fQfa_tTC5bLk5cvi9cHFfVYAqKQXgTV6MLiH3ZxiRcfX1uwR0XN1JE_8hI3y509FV_-kjna1nTp5aIBLdmlBV53Zceu4kU-gBMM2DU6slo6tU-cFn4p-un_f5_Si_9mQ/s1600/30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2paSBwCNId1fQfa_tTC5bLk5cvi9cHFfVYAqKQXgTV6MLiH3ZxiRcfX1uwR0XN1JE_8hI3y509FV_-kjna1nTp5aIBLdmlBV53Zceu4kU-gBMM2DU6slo6tU-cFn4p-un_f5_Si_9mQ/s320/30.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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We found something to eat and watched some of the teams rowing the long boats. Then we headed back to check out the aquarium.<br />
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Finn found a catfish that seemed to be fond of him.<br />
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Having tanks on all sides of you is always an immersive experience.<br />
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There were also exhibits to check out the insides of submarines.<br />
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The touching tanks are a good way to learn that stingrays are squishy.<br />
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The Brewers game that we attended was much more than just a baseball game. Before the game was a tailgating party for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Wisconsin to celebrate their granting of 5000 wishes over the last 30 years. We were all given blue t-shirts, with Julia's being a darker color to indicate she was a wish kid. There was a great turnout for the event and fun activities and good food.<br />
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There are hundreds of pictures from the event, found <a target="_blank" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/makeawishwisconsin/sets/72157645653485876/">here</a>, if you're so inclined. Here's one of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/makeawishwisconsin/14661475702/in/set-72157645653485876">Julia and me</a>. They took a group photo of all the wish kids in attendance - you can see it <a target="_blank" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/makeawishwisconsin/14475204447/in/set-72157645653485876">here</a>.<br />
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Though we weren't the droids they were looking for, these folks let us snap a picture with them anyway.<br />
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<a target="_blank" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxK6mdQ16kiHgTXxfJoYp9wg0ztMnK-wk6UI6Bv4E-eFcBEW8EKv1QVoiZJUSpd47zbNSUs2mbst0VJyianoz91yCeU-JznHOXJOu6Cnjf9h97TEwIm7tZDwhkbTxGS43q-K2stt6XQ/s1600/99.JPG">Julia</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR7H9zihoGDb6QnEgwaA-Bq6N9znwBeq-_WksfoT14C72uj8pVk8rR_XHIVboGJBzO5rDw9pscVIMWo4MQ-jNmrE5i-DX6hVqeAR4D_Kiv-kaQL_7_yS8fAWbFl8jRLpez-KI27vY8Tg/s1600/98.JPG">Finn</a> each go their names created into a piece of art. This guy stayed really busy!<br />
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Finn had to try his strength out.<br />
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It was the first time for all of us at Miller Park and the kids' first major league baseball game. We had a good time (and the Brewers won)!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShqA7umGqjIoeZDziHuMex3KMsNZV0TSIoFhyphenhyphencA-FnXoLlri1NDtog3JvJ9Z7G6zrM5AufrYrhi81qDZtZjz9e8EDA-eXiv_PkYWLD-GQ0qUIGuVB95eNdzjUcn0QrKA9u54BO1vQzQ/s1600/46.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShqA7umGqjIoeZDziHuMex3KMsNZV0TSIoFhyphenhyphencA-FnXoLlri1NDtog3JvJ9Z7G6zrM5AufrYrhi81qDZtZjz9e8EDA-eXiv_PkYWLD-GQ0qUIGuVB95eNdzjUcn0QrKA9u54BO1vQzQ/s320/46.JPG" /></a></div>Toreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01381378881198915291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714382454377541848.post-62058704196944815372014-06-29T16:38:00.000-05:002014-06-29T16:38:13.456-05:00Summer UpdateA number of years ago, the flow of blog posts tapered off. It was likely a combination of me not finding time to write them and just not having too many exciting things to talk about. The posts drastically picked up at the end of 2010 because of the C word. After Julia finished treatment the tapering started again. I guess it's not a bad thing that there aren't as many cancer-related blog posts anymore. But it also means that our lives are just kinda plugging along and maybe there's not always a lot of excitement to talk about. Although, I could probably always find some funny kid story to share... so maybe it's on me.<br />
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School's been out for a while and we're moving right along with summer activities. Finn has soccer - he's been coming home sweaty, tired, and happy. Both kids had a fun summer school class that just finished: Julia took French and Finn took a class about nature in Wisconsin.<br />
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Julia has never been much of a swimmer. It didn't help that she missed a whole summer's worth of lessons and playing in the water in 2011 due to cancer treatment. She's been taking individual lessons for a few weeks and has been enjoying herself. The one-on-one attention is really what she needed to help build her confidence and let her figure things out at her own pace. After her lessons Julia has usually been beaming with pride and talking about what she was able to do. She felt good enough that she's now signed up for one of the standard group lessons. We're excited that she found what worked for her!<br />
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About a week into summer vacation Finn announced that he wanted to play the violin. We had been thinking about having him take music lessons of some sort so we ran with it. I kind of wondered if it was a fleeting desire, but he's really taken it seriously. He has a few lessons under his belt and really concentrates while he practices at home, as evidenced below.<br />
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During the second half of the school year, Finn's reading really took off. I remember Julia's reading ability having a sudden growth spurt like that too. It's pretty cool to witness it. But that doesn't mean they don't still enjoy being read to.<br />
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We get outside and go for walks as a family fairly often. Finn was checking out the water at one of the lakes in town made by the Kinni.<br />
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Even the dog came along on a tour of the trails at UWRF.<br />
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Every once in a while, I would find a ton of pictures on the camera from Julia getting a hold of it and going nuts. Recently, Finn did the same thing. This is his first (of hopefully not many) bathroom selfies.<br />
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He had a number of these crazy-eyed close ups. It was a little disturbing.<br />
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And of course, a boy and his dog.<br />
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And to get a little bit more of Julia, here she is posing near one of our gardens with one of the many puffed dandelions. The dandelions have been gone for weeks already and we have a nice spread of clover instead.<br />
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With all the rain we've been getting, it's no surprise we found a spectacular rainbow. This one was the brightest and clearest one I had ever seen.<br />
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The kids helped out at the wedding by handing out glow bracelets. That, of course, meant they had a great supply for themselves. While being handcuffed with a glowing chain, Finn made his famous sad face.<br />
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Julia's red cheeks and sweaty hair indicates she had a good time! We all had a wonderful evening and it was great to see family again.<br />
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The next morning, before we headed to Chicago for the second leg of our trip, we stopped at the capitol building since we were in the capital already. Julia was excited because the week prior, she had gone on a field trip to St. Paul to visit the Minnesota capitol building.<br />
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We all enjoyed exploring the expansive building.<br />
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Once in Chicago, everyone made sure to get their turn holding the new baby, Claire. Amanda and I were excited to see our second niece.<br />
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The kids were happy to now have twice as many cousins!<br />
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The pictures reminded me of <a target="_blank" href="http://kauthfamily.blogspot.com/2012/10/new-cousin-trip-to-chicago.html">another time, about a year and a half ago.</a><br />
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It was also Finn's seventh birthday while we were visiting. We had stopped at a Lego store on the way into the city and he used some of his birthday money (Ok, ALL of his birthday money) to pick out some sets. He blew out all the candles on the cake from Uncle Jason and Aunt Tracie and even shared the dessert with the rest of us.<br />
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We had warned him that he would be hard pressed to find time and a place to play with his Legos. He found a time and a place.<br />
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Johannah, the kids' 20-month-old cousin, really enjoyed playing with Julia and Finn. Finn would hide from her and then pop out and she would giggle and act really surprised. It may have been mildly adorable.<br />
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It was an overcast, dreary day, but we got outside with Johannah and the kids blew bubbles and did some sidewalk chalk.<br />
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We followed it up with a walk around the block.<br />
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Julia really wanted to take the train downtown, so the four of us did that. We had lunch and then walked to Millennium Park. The kids had been there before, but it's always fun to check out "the bean" again.<br />
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Finn insisted on posing as a statue.<br />
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Chicago has been a fun destination for us. With Jason and Tracie moving this summer, we probably won't get back there as much. We just may have to follow them to Atlanta as another place for us to visit and explore.Toreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01381378881198915291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714382454377541848.post-87148327835461380662014-04-19T22:40:00.003-05:002014-04-20T07:19:05.793-05:00Short Hair, Big MomentsMany months ago, three ladies decided to embark on a journey together. The journey was more of a waiting game, and they were playing it at the same time. Julia had the idea to grow her hair long enough to donate to be made into wigs for kids with cancer. Her mom and grandma joined in too and so they all began letting their hair grow to at least ten inches. <br />
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In some ways the journey started over three years ago. In December of 2010, Julia's hair was starting to fall out. She decided to get it cut short so that her transition from hair to completely bald over the next few months wouldn't be so drastic. Julia got her hair cut into <a target="_blank" href="http://kauthfamily.blogspot.com/2010/12/with-sprinkling-of-pixie-dust.html">a cute little 'do</a>.<br />
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Julia's hair did eventually all fall out, but like hair is known to do, it grew back. Sometime while the growing was occurring, Julia thought about letting it grow long enough to cut and donate. The next two older generations decided it was a good idea too and so the three - child, mother, grandmother - started down the road of waiting for their hair to be long enough.<br />
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Well, the day finally came. Grandparents made the drive to River Falls. A stylist was called. The newspaper was alerted (why not?). Julia, Amanda, and Beth were more than ready to have short hair.<br />
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It seemed very much like a coming together of past events, a convergence of storylines. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.raineokeefehairandmakeup.com/">The same person who donated her time and expertise</a> to help Julia feel better about her hair loss three years earlier was again volunteering to help us with this next chapter. And the reporter from the River Falls Journal was familiar with Julia's story already; <a target="_blank"href="http://dev3.riverfallsjournal.com/event/article/id/99344/">she had written about Julia before</a>.<br />
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Amanda and Julia posed for a before shot from behind.<br />
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Julia's smile wasn't forced at all. She was very much looking forward to NOT having to take so long brushing her hair multiple times a day.<br />
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The three of them talked through short haircut options with the hair stylist, Raine.<br />
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The actual cutting of the ponytailed hair was a little strange. It almost seemed like a body part being lopped off.<br />
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While getting the rest of her hair touched up, Julia was asked questions by Gretta, the reporter from the newspaper.<br />
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I think she enjoyed the sudden feeling of nothing hanging from the back of her head anymore.<br />
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Even before the cut, Julia said she would have to wear more scarves to keep her neck warm.<br />
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Up next was Amanda and then her mom, Beth.<br />
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All three ponytails - ready to be shipped off to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.locksoflove.org/">Locks of Love</a>.<br />
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Of course we needed to see a back and front shot of the finished products! For another before and after, click <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=435884709888783&set=a.240626372747952.1073741831.239695146174408&type=1&theater">here</a>.<br />
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I'm curious to see if Julia will start thinking about growing her hair out again soon. My guess is that she'll wait awhile and just enjoy her new look first.Toreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01381378881198915291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714382454377541848.post-90252669236401781322014-04-05T17:24:00.000-05:002014-04-05T17:24:18.346-05:00Relay for Life, 2014Just a couple of things before we get to the title topic...<br />
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Sometimes when I get pictures off the camera I find some selfies and other oddities. I think this one falls in the "seflie" category.<br />
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Julia and I participated again in the Daddy Daughter Dance last month. We did a little photo shoot at home before heading out for the evening.<br />
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Amanda has taken up crocheting and she finished this brightly colored blanket for Julia. It's been fun watching the slow but steady progression of the growing rainbow.<br />
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I couldn't help but smile at the kids playing a quiet game of chess one weekend morning.<br />
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It was our 3rd year actively participating in Relay for Life (see here for <a target="_blank" href="http://kauthfamily.blogspot.com/2013/04/march-into-april.html">2013</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://kauthfamily.blogspot.com/2012/03/relay-for-life-2012.html">2012</a>). We had planned to get creative this year with some fundraisers, but we never found the time to expand on those good intentions. We did end up raising $752.55 which was a small part in the Pierce County total of $150,000 raised.<br />
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Seeing the survivors walk in together and the subsequent survivor's walk is always emotional. We're proud of Julia for putting herself out there.<br />
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Finn and Amanda were going to stay the whole night too. The plan was derailed slightly when Amanda wasn't feeling well. Both kids and I stayed all night and had a lot of fun. While we were all there though, we did some things together. Our little tent was made into our home for one night.<br />
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The ladies posed by our team's pennant - Relay had a sports theme this year.<br />
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While walking the track, we spotted a picture of Julia on the wall from last year.<br />
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Luminaria bags are put out by people in honor of or in remembrance of lost loved one. We found one with Julia's name on it that someone had made in honor of her.<br />
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Julia made <a target="_blank" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrktNH3lU47MBpK58-o9F3n-NKFxhsl2onQ7ci2oiMa0ANv7rBWJyhc7zQkoD-Hk-PuumrEjFbggXYoPYqWG_vtAAL22ZtMQLYR2LdreEZ-xOscWHiGCmm42dVFu2DVrV0OMPIwEClw/s1600/19.JPG">a luminaria in remembrance of her friend Carina</a>.<br />
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Julia was thrilled to see her teacher in attendance and I was glad to get a nice picture of the two of them together.<br />
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At one point while walking the track, I looked down and noticed Finn having quite a long conversation with three middle-school girls. I'm not sure what he would have been holding their attention with and I'm not sure if I should be worried. (He did know one of them from day care.)<br />
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Finn had a good time and was a good sport. He participated in Dude Looks Like a Cheerleader. Julia was content to help him hold his purse while we walked around and collected donations.<br />
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I had to get a picture of the biggest and littlest cheerleaders around!<br />
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There were only five brave guys who participated in the event.<br />
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Finn collected over $69 and that was good for a 3rd place finish.<br />
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Finn also participated in a number of very late night activities. It was mostly college-aged folks and Finn. He did scooter races, tug of war, and musical chairs. There were close to 30 participants in musical chairs and Finn made it to the top ten.<br />
<iframe width="425" height="239" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/VxKy0VshbJw?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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You can hear the people watching let out a big groan when Finn lost.<br />
<iframe width="425" height="239" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/BlkpqQcwgjs?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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I had been able to talk the kids into laying down around 3:00 am so they did get a couple hours of sleep. The evening that started with a spaghetti dinner ended with a hot, but tired breakfast. Amanda came back in the morning to have breakfast with us and pack up things to head home.<br />
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Easier said than done for me, but the kids seem to have a better time of it. I'm glad some neighborhood kids will sometimes stop over and Julia and Finn will go play as a group.<br />
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Giant piles of snow alongside driveways seem to be a common wintertime gathering place for kids. Julia and Finn first built a fort in ours and then they kept fixing it as more snow fell and temperatures fluctuated.<br />
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A solo hike along the Kinni when the temperatures weren't terrible allowed for some nice cold-weather views.<br />
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We do a pretty good job of staying busy in the house too. Finn's been finding computer games to play online as often as he can.<br />
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Skippy is always on the lookout for sunny patches. She likes to bring something to chew on to pass the time soaking up the warmth.<br />
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Sometimes family time in the living room works wonders. All three ladies are somewhere on the couch: Amanda, Julia, and the dog. Meanwhile, Finn enjoys an umpteenth perusal of his Lego magazine.<br />
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Finn participated in the Westside musical this year for the first time. And for the first time, Julia didn't. She decided to take a year off and just enjoy watching it. The pictures taken during the performance were quite pulled back and so you can't see Finn individually very well. Instead, you get to see him getting his makeup done by a 4th grader.<br />
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The kids are usually ready in the morning well before I am. Not only are they surprisingly on top of things on school days, but they aren't at each others throats either. I sometimes find them sitting in Julia's room like in the picture below. Julia playing on her tablet and Finn perched behind her eating breakfast and watching.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVw7uwYZRsJqFRiyZxtlAKKKYXUjO5cY3kBuA8ZRHPZ-KDcqS87fCXpoTAxjiW9FrkbM6X6bbNvL8BkQ1tYLczEBtNZOrqxyPszyEVBy024oWhrlpZx-_8OnkSaqTaF_cWVbiinEBX7A/s1600/s9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVw7uwYZRsJqFRiyZxtlAKKKYXUjO5cY3kBuA8ZRHPZ-KDcqS87fCXpoTAxjiW9FrkbM6X6bbNvL8BkQ1tYLczEBtNZOrqxyPszyEVBy024oWhrlpZx-_8OnkSaqTaF_cWVbiinEBX7A/s320/s9.JPG" /></a></div>Toreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01381378881198915291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714382454377541848.post-53238588095248271382014-01-01T15:28:00.000-06:002014-01-01T15:28:13.518-06:00The Kauth's Christmas: A Ten-year Look<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2004</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKlqKbxe7ICsps17yaBCzf4H1O_2EafYY4wkOhIwJAndWs3hIFNYmvjN4AhLOfcEsSJuhPfxlY0tutN7giklxxPPc7EObqpH_qH77q-7wUGddtq7McsMe7ojTDYObtGIek8iNiAt2p7w/s1600/2003-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKlqKbxe7ICsps17yaBCzf4H1O_2EafYY4wkOhIwJAndWs3hIFNYmvjN4AhLOfcEsSJuhPfxlY0tutN7giklxxPPc7EObqpH_qH77q-7wUGddtq7McsMe7ojTDYObtGIek8iNiAt2p7w/s320/2003-1.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">2005</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOSYO742RZ1w-SoY2mnQiAsOuPZxFCCjVXn716EDR0mgSRPlFA8eSGyhqFsqiGp3mGL0omo3IFHiFVFlOaaf8sFnLHQ4_rk4fWAkJxY8lK9sit8tLQ96j_GQpH-ovgNpMmVgCmTWc8Tg/s1600/2004-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOSYO742RZ1w-SoY2mnQiAsOuPZxFCCjVXn716EDR0mgSRPlFA8eSGyhqFsqiGp3mGL0omo3IFHiFVFlOaaf8sFnLHQ4_rk4fWAkJxY8lK9sit8tLQ96j_GQpH-ovgNpMmVgCmTWc8Tg/s320/2004-1.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">2006</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXFZf6CkPrzfvh1cO14vqwnatZxWOS4NOJ7f8ESTPPoZD_BY59Emb_YpkLnbNctL6jJkt51dVhdRBSHH-dkhEC7xw-IIXlt7cJrzWKAdR2atC-PLUEjRPPegfy6Bj3TRnIJS2EYRShg/s1600/2006-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXFZf6CkPrzfvh1cO14vqwnatZxWOS4NOJ7f8ESTPPoZD_BY59Emb_YpkLnbNctL6jJkt51dVhdRBSHH-dkhEC7xw-IIXlt7cJrzWKAdR2atC-PLUEjRPPegfy6Bj3TRnIJS2EYRShg/s320/2006-1.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>2007</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTAZ-SyIjJTqnItsCr-mSfpvnSK8dAF9deOSHJffQf3KVGW7UlXwbZ6qfoZO76mVJ_mGWsHO8CRw_H110pAMpHNtP7XtiFK_VGXKpBG-y1tfIXQRNpqaETalPNS4GF0wC4wx1-TWx9g/s1600/2007-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTAZ-SyIjJTqnItsCr-mSfpvnSK8dAF9deOSHJffQf3KVGW7UlXwbZ6qfoZO76mVJ_mGWsHO8CRw_H110pAMpHNtP7XtiFK_VGXKpBG-y1tfIXQRNpqaETalPNS4GF0wC4wx1-TWx9g/s320/2007-1.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">2008</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdGRqv2dx8u2IzJ3AsN8AP3TK36a6XdE0xB_dfemAgu4goHv0FQX0p18r0PXJX1N4X03TQ30O15Rp558VC8uL-SILato4dY7h5hHJFfKCkzFwB3NTAlK7p6gDFXlF5WE0YQtgyt-DOjw/s1600/2008-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdGRqv2dx8u2IzJ3AsN8AP3TK36a6XdE0xB_dfemAgu4goHv0FQX0p18r0PXJX1N4X03TQ30O15Rp558VC8uL-SILato4dY7h5hHJFfKCkzFwB3NTAlK7p6gDFXlF5WE0YQtgyt-DOjw/s320/2008-1.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">2009</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFtMjoCjBJNKE2YgwFhIDknlZ9S5OWq5xaaQ-d-ksYeElJMxpBey75B2CFObU3JbWRDHY-zSC8sQZrTlw_2Vnq1r-fV1A1U3bY4hjol1VjG5bDag7-xHYh-BYJPZk2dVW_U6mmMZdRw/s1600/2009-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFtMjoCjBJNKE2YgwFhIDknlZ9S5OWq5xaaQ-d-ksYeElJMxpBey75B2CFObU3JbWRDHY-zSC8sQZrTlw_2Vnq1r-fV1A1U3bY4hjol1VjG5bDag7-xHYh-BYJPZk2dVW_U6mmMZdRw/s320/2009-1.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">2010</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZaNBFBJn2tJtMXcpS2c5RfHb9_KVr_N_zfrTg0Kmrt1Vvpx36Yyan3SRdS8Fjfy-znBXfQS2ubZz90R36bvDAywDHYRCglCTTEeCjLfuy6CO8zHba13G-Lv7E9XuHvaCTVywgRlueA/s1600/2010-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZaNBFBJn2tJtMXcpS2c5RfHb9_KVr_N_zfrTg0Kmrt1Vvpx36Yyan3SRdS8Fjfy-znBXfQS2ubZz90R36bvDAywDHYRCglCTTEeCjLfuy6CO8zHba13G-Lv7E9XuHvaCTVywgRlueA/s320/2010-1.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">2011</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7geOw8QfiOp-dGOhD4vWh-VZwoeLx3C5u39GD-FO6RmMVnW13Pcl-ig8Uz94xn3fEGZQn-iB2QRa3-2DbpeLzG53V8GZEY08A62hpRmwTx4DvrsvC-ohoK1MiMFekNIBBWHPWNvudA/s1600/2011-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7geOw8QfiOp-dGOhD4vWh-VZwoeLx3C5u39GD-FO6RmMVnW13Pcl-ig8Uz94xn3fEGZQn-iB2QRa3-2DbpeLzG53V8GZEY08A62hpRmwTx4DvrsvC-ohoK1MiMFekNIBBWHPWNvudA/s320/2011-1.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">2012</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUNshfSbr2R35rZlwPn2LcRdTnpMRcBB2A2YeJCnqQYOwLjyes003lPPHmHQAARbR-qVQaw1RvJSBl4e77SG56uK2W2I-CyE45RO6dK_NwUtjNsMaSPxyx3kRpGuJ4lO72TL5X6MHzjg/s1600/2012-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUNshfSbr2R35rZlwPn2LcRdTnpMRcBB2A2YeJCnqQYOwLjyes003lPPHmHQAARbR-qVQaw1RvJSBl4e77SG56uK2W2I-CyE45RO6dK_NwUtjNsMaSPxyx3kRpGuJ4lO72TL5X6MHzjg/s320/2012-1.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">2013</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwq9Xj64yPeiXW1WSTXdeIXFIhlsfvAcq8Tn9WwGg_5yn1bxQHFcOCvSmjPgCNtIV8K09iAV36kzibTdOTVR0H3Bqg7C6l_BzoHysOWc3Td0P3gxIfXUhV917wQ3yvEAsAOuzMU7iJA/s1600/2013-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwq9Xj64yPeiXW1WSTXdeIXFIhlsfvAcq8Tn9WwGg_5yn1bxQHFcOCvSmjPgCNtIV8K09iAV36kzibTdOTVR0H3Bqg7C6l_BzoHysOWc3Td0P3gxIfXUhV917wQ3yvEAsAOuzMU7iJA/s320/2013-1.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUHCFWyGO9jK6BXNnfaB4BaACIjmQY1b7BgbyoOQtAifQjoXhckrd49cM-Vdpq6EA_FkBeEOJhbg2az126ivolPawzyKj5QFelHVA2ZL_q6VWfY5OFARLVPqe9B7SaGWRd48fBCnLmog/s1600/2013-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUHCFWyGO9jK6BXNnfaB4BaACIjmQY1b7BgbyoOQtAifQjoXhckrd49cM-Vdpq6EA_FkBeEOJhbg2az126ivolPawzyKj5QFelHVA2ZL_q6VWfY5OFARLVPqe9B7SaGWRd48fBCnLmog/s320/2013-2.JPG" /></a></div>Toreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01381378881198915291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714382454377541848.post-87579824723776684502013-12-31T19:04:00.000-06:002013-12-31T19:04:06.958-06:00NovEMBER VisitIn November, Ember visited Wisconsin (hence the ultra-clever blog post title). It had been awhile since she had seen the kids, but they quickly bonded and made up for lost time.<br />
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Ember brought some rocks for the kids that she had collected on a number of her mountain climbing adventures.<br />
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Julia had to show off her long candy wrapper chain.<br />
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After posing for a nice picture, the kids and their aunt had more fun with the crazy shots.<br />
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I needed to get in on the fun too!<br />
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Though she only stayed with us for a little over a day before she headed to central WI, we found some time to do a little fall hiking around River Falls and nearby.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-UTbSzQSpZ-YTuTTeg0W5txbS2B0VeT1fcgl3LDQndvbi4HdKur3KRKDUSMtvujzjdcR2K4242-OM7gcsdM-GH2YL4QlesFknp8TqzKZRWrONyUe-evrqTwFyx_H7HxgZAX3bZyZDg/s1600/14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-UTbSzQSpZ-YTuTTeg0W5txbS2B0VeT1fcgl3LDQndvbi4HdKur3KRKDUSMtvujzjdcR2K4242-OM7gcsdM-GH2YL4QlesFknp8TqzKZRWrONyUe-evrqTwFyx_H7HxgZAX3bZyZDg/s320/14.JPG" /></a></div>Toreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01381378881198915291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8714382454377541848.post-89309399675756728822013-11-08T22:06:00.000-06:002013-11-09T08:53:22.882-06:00Scooting the Scans and Scads of ScamperingWe hit a milestone with Julia's October scans. She's been going to Children's every three months since Summer of '11 for post-cancer treatment procedures and blood work. This now marks the stretching of that time-frame out to six months. Of course the real good news is that the abdominal ultrasound and chest x-ray showed nothing of concern. She also finished up a two-year physical therapy study by getting a good workout.<br />
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Julia's way too big for the toys, but since there was no one else around, she had to give 'em a whirl. <br />
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Because she couldn't eat anything until after everything was done, we let her choose whatever she wanted for breakfast. She waited, somewhat impatiently, for her late morning breakfast of Pringles. <br />
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And back to the regularly scheduled hiking! Earlier in the Fall, before the leaves started to change and while we had one last burst of warm air, the kids and I had a picnic at Kinnickinnic State Park.<br />
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Post-picnic, we walked down the hill to check out the busy St. Croix River.<br />
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We dried off by hiking some of the trails before heading home.<br />
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We make sure we never neglect the hiking within city limits either. Foster Cemetery is fun to check out during each season.<br />
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And along the Kinni always provides for a quick, scenic walk.<br />
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Julia saved up to buy her first MP3 player. She was so excited to be able to get her own music and listen to it whenever she wanted.<br />
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Finn still lives and breathes legos. He also dreams them. He fell asleep while looking through a catalog for the hundredth time.<br />
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<a target="_blank" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR3__Qk38U44AyU5fLIzIjDPLdVZtomtPkD2aCw8Fzn8MXklm6wnjeO6AROi0f4DZe2QVhyX2NT9FJVLaTvTupHL6ur9bMPfNNAOlqqVjgl1ogV5_x_HLDbiqqvFY9ACyhvk2WurPahA/s1600/20-1.JPG">Click here</a> to see what Julia looked like when she found out what animal she was posing with at Como Zoo.<br />
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Up close and personal with a big cat is always a treat.<br />
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And while the leaves were falling outside, even a few giants ones fell in the conservatory.<br />
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There was quite the spread of snacks laid out for the girls. The rest of us enjoyed it too!<br />
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After presents, cupcakes, and more giggling, the girls hoisted the birthday kid for a group picture.<br />
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We met up with family at the Sun Prairie Corn Fest to share in good weather, good food, and spending quality time together.<br />
The kids always enjoying goofing around with their aunts and uncles.<br />
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And Julia and Finn's one cousin is sure to get a lot of their attention.<br />
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We had a nice picnic to top things off and to celebrate both Julia and Johannah's birthdays.<br />
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On the same trip we were also able to see the other side of the family. Along with the visit, we were fortunate to get a great tour of a fire station. <br />
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It was hilarious seeing each kid put on ALL the firefighter gear!<br />
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This is Julia giving a thumb's up.<br />
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We've camped in the backyard with the kids and Julia has camped with Girl Scouts, but our whole family hadn't gone real camping together...until recently. Our family and three others spent a hot (but fun) weekend at Willow River State Park.<br />
We spent a lot of time by the water to try to stay cool.<br />
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Finn and I went kayaking for the first time. I wasn't sure how Finn would do, but he was enthusiastic and handled the vessel quite well!<br />
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Even with the heat, we still enjoyed a campfire in the evenings.<br />
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At the end of summer each year, the kids get shipped off to split a week at each of the grandparents. They excitedly call it the Kids' Vacation. Amanda and I get excited about it too - extra free time in the evenings is a great treasure!<br />
Taking in some mini-golf is always a treat for the kids.<br />
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An evening at the ballpark with extended family made for some nice generational pictures: Julia and her Great Grandpa Ronnie.<br />
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Finn was chosen for a race around the bases dressed as a piece of pizza. He didn't win, but I think anyone who gets to dress like pizza is a winner!<br />
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A quick lunch before we got going.<br />
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Fortunate to see the herd of horses out and about.<br />
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Random sprinklers cooled off the kids.<br />
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Finished up with grabbing at fish in the South Fork.<br />
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We had numerous summertime activities going on to keep us and the kids busy.<br />
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Swimming lessons seem to be a staple.<br />
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Having a nearby park to ride 'round and around.<br />
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Acrobatics on playgrounds.<br />
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Strawberry pickin' and the subsequent pies.<br />
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Visits from friends and the little ones that come along looking up to the older kids.<br />
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Julia was thrilled to be able to go back to Camp Courage for a 2nd year. She had another great time and came back with many fewer bug bites than last time.<br />
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Finn had his first experience with tee-ball. He enjoyed the games, the friends, and the snacks afterward.<br />
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At bat.<br />
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Running the bases.<br />
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Safe!<br />
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At a regularly scheduled appointment at Children's Hospital, Julia fulfilled a promise and brought her guitar along.<br />
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Erin, the musical therapist, had wanted to play with Julia - so they finally got to!<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Dq3mimT8UV4" width="459"></iframe><br />
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A zoo outing seemed to have a lot of focus on funny faces with animals that weren't really alive.<br />
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Finn's first time seeing and touching the Pacific Ocean!<br />
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The rest of our drive didn't seem to take as long. We made it to our hotel (the same one Amanda and I stayed at five years prior) and the next morning we went to explore San Diego harbor.<br />
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After a bit of walking, we set off on a one-hour harbor cruise. We had considered whale watching, but it wasn't an ideal time of year and we thought the kids would get bored with a 3+ hour excursion.<br />
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We did some more walking then and found a nice seafood place overlooking the water. Great view and great food!<br />
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Julia sometimes complains that the trees in our yard are too small to climb. So she gladly takes any opportunity to climb one when she can.<br />
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Our hotel in San Diego had a pullout bed for the kids. They didn't want to sleep together though, so Finn opted to sleep on a bed made of couch cushions. They traded off after a few nights.<br />
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This is what would have happened if the kids had forgotten that it was Father's Day.<br />
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We went to Old Town for Mexican for breakfast and then walked around the historical sites in that area. Finn measured up well to the local flora.<br />
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A short drive to La Jolla was very worth it. Awesome views of the ocean along some rocky cliffs. Lots of seals, sea birds, snorkelers, and kayakers. We had a picnic lunch in the shade and enjoyed the cool breeze.<br />
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That afternoon we drove to Coronado Island. We walked along the beach, checked out the historic Hotel del Coronado, and played in the ocean.<br />
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Heading out to Point Loma is a beautiful place to reflect on those who gave their lives in service to our country.<br />
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Our last full day in California was spent at the San Diego Zoo. As crowded as the entrance and a few other hotspots were, it's amazing how at times you would look around and hardly see a soul. There are lots of twists and turns and something interesting around each of them.<br />
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The kids enjoyed themselves. It's always fun when you're the first person to spot something exciting.<br />
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We made sure to ride the sky tram to get a bird's eye view of things.<br />
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Julia became enamored with one particular goat named Freckles.<br />
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Her newly purchased monkey clung to her neck during the bus tour of the zoo. The ride was a welcome late afternoon break.<br />
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Julia has adored capybaras ever since doing a report on them in 2nd grade. They have quite a large exhibit of them at the zoo and she was in heaven. There were a few adorable babies in the mix.<br />
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And of course, Julia and Finn had to climb on anything that was supposed to be climbable.<br />
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Our last night in San Diego was spent back at Old Town at a different Mexican restaurant.<br />
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While at Disneyland, Amanda had picked up a brochure for a Harry Potter themed store called Whimsic Alley in Los Angeles. Since we were flying home from LAX, we left San Diego early enough to be able to check it out. Traffic wasn't an issue so we had plenty of time. Amanda could hardly care less about the place, but the other three of us thought it was pretty awesome. Even though Julia had done a good job of rationing her spending money, she didn't have any left at this point in the trip. As an early birthday present we let her pick out a few things.<br />
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As we left, we saw a newly opened little cookie store, <a target="_blank" href="http://milkjarcookies.com/">Milk Jar Cookies</a>. We had extra time so we stopped in for a snack. The cookies were probably the best I've ever had.<br />
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The trip came to a close and though we had a good time, we were all tired and looking forward to getting home. Well, maybe not Julia if you go by the look on her face.<br />
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