Dan had a mission trip last week to Chicago. I decided to take the kids up to Dan's parents' house in Eau Claire. We usually go to the lake in the summer when we go to visit so I thought it would be nice for the kids to actually spend some time at Grandma and Grandpa's house.
I wasn't sure how the 4&1/2 hour drive was going to go by myself, but God answered my prayers and helped us have a good trip. We made 3 stops on the way and made it in 5 hours...not too bad. I was most thankful that Elise slept most of the way and went back to sleep after each stop!
We arrived at Dan's parents' Friday night and the kids went right to sleep. That was a huge blessing. We stayed very busy all week.
On Saturday, we just had a relaxing day as it was really hot. Dan's dad got out the go-cart and I gave the kids rides around the yard. Even Elise enjoyed riding on it. We walked down to the Sherman school that evening and the kids had fun swinging and playing at the playground.
On Sunday, we went to the Altoona beach. We went in the evening and packed a picnic lunch to eat for supper. The boys had fun jumping off the dock into the water. Levi had no problem going under the water and getting wet. After dinner, the water ski team performed a show so the kids had a lot of fun watching that.
On Monday, we went to Carson Park and let the kids play on the playground. They have 2 huge tunnel slides there. The boys found those and immediately went to investigate. They must have gone down them a dozen times. Elise had fun watching and going on the swing.
Dan's sister Cindy arrived Monday night after dinner. She was excited to spend the week with the kids too. We planned to go to the pool on Tuesday but the weather was actually a little chilly. We decided to pack a dinner instead and go to the Irvine Park Zoo in Chippewa Falls. They have lions, tigers, and bears (oh my!) and also some buffalo. The boys were excited to see the animals. While we were there, we ran into Dan's cousin Steve and his fiance. Cindy had fun catching up with him.
On Wednesday, Dan's Aunt Shirley and cousin Bobby came over for lunch. They enjoyed seeing the kids. That night,we went to the pool. It wasn't the warmest of days but it actually worked out well since there weren't a lot of people there. The water was warm so it was fun. Cindy and I took he boys down the slide several times. It was fun but very cold walking to the top! Elise was fearless and kept crawling right into the water. She didn't care if she went under the water. She loved splashing in the water. Isaac and Levi kept watching the kids go off the high dive in a separate pool. We decided to go over and watch them and when we got there, they all left. So, I got roped into going off the high dive! It was actually a lot of fun!
Cindy is quite the garage saler. I went with her 3 mornings and we left the kids with Grandma and Grandpa. We had fun exploring Eau Claire and finding a bunch of good deals.
Thursday was kind of a rainy day but we managed to go to Rod and Gun park and explore the creeks. Cindy showed the boys the things she used to do when she was a little girl. They would put a stick in the water and watch it go under the bridge and down the stream. Cindy's daughter Bethany came to town that evening as she and her boyfriend attended a wedding on Friday. Isaac and Levi had a lot of fun playing with her.
Friday was another rainy day. Dan's Uncle Vernie came over for lunch. Thankfully, we had planned to take Isaac and Levi to the opening showing of Winnie the Pooh that afternoon! We arrived a little early and got ice cream at the mall. Levi had it all over his face...he definitely enjoys his food! They were so excited when we went in to the theater. That was the first time they had sat through a movie at the theater. They both did surprisingly well. I figured Isaac would be glued to the screen but wasn't sure how Levi would do. He actually sat still the whole movie and gave his typical commentary about what was going on.
My aunt and uncle also live in Eau Claire so we got together with them on Saturday night. My parents were heading back from South Dakota and had picked up my grandma and her husband. They stopped through Eau Claire on their way home so my mom and grandma could ride back with me (that way I didn't have to travel at night again). We all went over to Uncle Dave and Aunt Donna's for a cookout. They have a huge Golden Retriever named Dakota. It's like a horse compared to the boys. We had fun hanging out and eating dinner.
We had a great week up at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Now I just need to get some rest :)
Isaac and Levi hanging out with Uncle Dave
