Thurs. July 21, 2016 - Staycation!

Riley finished a fun summer school session which included making a birdhouse in woodworking

 At the Bonham Family reunion the boys were thrilled with all the tractors

 And tractor rides with Grandpa Leon

 On Sunday we spent some time on the U of I campus, Hail Alma Mater!

 Some future Illini on the quad in front of the English Building

 Daddy and his mini Illini

Mommy and Riley in front of the Illini Union...but notice the storm clouds rolling in

A cool shot of the front moving in over Follinger Auditorium

 So we had to take shelter in the Union; the girls were fascinated by the idea that we sat in these leather chairs and studied when we were in college

 The boys just wanted to run and push things

 Checking out the rain

 After choosing some souvenirs, we had to stop at Papa Del's

 It was delicious

 Go Illini!

 Chad took the week off for a staycation. First stop, Bay Beach in Green Bay

 The guys

 Tristan on the Merry-Go-Round

 Micaela was so excited to ride on the pink bunny

 The last ride was the swings

 Daddy took the girls camping!

 Riley, queen of the rock

 The boys and I visited the campsite for a while

 We hiked to the lake

 High Cliff is known for the tall limestone cliffs. This geological feature continues east and becomes the Niagara escarpment of Niagara Falls

 Lake Winnebago in the background; photo courtesy of Micaela

 Sweet Micaela

Daddy had lots of help prepping the fire pit. This is probably the biggest challenge of having the twins near the campsite, their interest in the fire pit.

The crew eating dinner

Since having the twins, I have become better at accepting my limitations. This week, I realized that I will never be able to catch up on the blog in the way that I've been trying. Since I don't want to forget the funny stories and milestones that happen each week, I've decided to go back to my weekly blog on Thursdays, starting this week. Let's just say that we've had a busy/crazy/fun/loud/rewarding/awesome couple of months and catch up.

This weekend we went to Rantoul, IL for the Bonham family reunion. It was held at Leon and Cheryl's farm and was a wonderful day. It was great to spend time with our extended family, some of whom we haven't seen since before Riley was born. Riley and Micaela had the best time riding in the four wheeler and playing with their cousins. There were lots of kids their age and many older ones to help keep them safe. Chad and I were happy to catch up with everyone; that is, when we were in one place long enough to have a conversation. Tristan and Logan LOVED the farm. They climbed on tractors, went through tools, drove a tractor with Grandpa Leon and ran, ran ran. 

On Sunday we took all 4 of the kids to the U of I campus for the first time. We enjoyed some time on the quad before a storm rolled in. Then we wandered around the Union. Not surprisingly it has changed a lot. After buying some souvenirs we indulged in Papa Del's pizza before the drive back to WI.

Chad took a week of vacation this week. Honestly, taking all 4 of our children away from home is not much of a vacation. Having the twins in a non--childproofed location is especially stressful, so rather than travel, we are doing a staycation. Our first day was spent at Bay Beach, a local amusement park that somehow we have never visited. The kids loved the rides, especially the Ferris Wheel. Chad rode with Logan and Riley while I was in a car with Tristan and Micaela. I was worried that they may be scared but Tristan laughed every single time the wheel went over the top and we started to fall down. 

On Tuesday-Thursday Chad and the girls camped at High Cliff State park, about half an hour from our house. The boys and I visited for breakfast, a hike, and came back again for a dinner but they are not ready to camp yet. Logan was afraid to go in the tent, Tristan kept trying to "hike" away from us and both of them were way too interested in the fire pit. We had a great hike together as a family and I'm glad we got to spend some time at the campsite. They did enjoy hanging with their sisters, playing in the dirt and eating outside. I may be optimistic but I'm hoping that next year all 6 of us can camp together.