Well – we had another successful trip to Wisconsin and back! I am tempted to send you to last years post because we did many of the same traditions BUT… that would never suffice. We have over 500 pictures from the trip, I just went through to pick out my favorites and that was still 100 of them! So now we will see how many of them actually make it on the blog…

Our view from the condo

Our Condos on the Lake

THE DRIVE

 

she did great - took a bottle - minimal crying

Happy to be "OUT" - soaked his diaper a few times - Overall a Good Traveller

100 questions about where we are and where we were going - as long as the answer was a number that he could count to then he was happy.

Ben driving like my mom! - sorry mom but you do sit really close

THE NETTESHEIM FAMILY

The REUNION started on Saturday - It was great to meet up with alot of extended family, (red definitely dominated in numbers)

The Rick and Kris Nettesheims (we missed Em and Schys family)

Happy 4th of JULY! We went to bed before the show this year, the boys were exhausted.

Family Picture - Packer would not cooperate

Got him Smiling!Â

 On Sunday we all hung out on the grass and visited. Benji requested a game of Duck Duck Goose before he had to go in to bed – it was a big hit.

 

Duck Duck GOOSE

Benji is SOO fast! and all the kids kept picking Uncle Ben so he got his workout

Al Johnsons

Every Year we go and eat at Al Johnsons for breakfast. They have swedish pancakes and they are yummy – they are very thin and seems like it might not fill you up but… it does. I couldn’t finish mine this year. Their sausage is also a winner and I love the hot chocolate!

Yummy Pancakes

HORNY GOATS The OTHER reason we go to Al Johnsons!

THE FARM

The best thing about the farm is the hungry little goats that attack you as soon as you walk in the door. They give you a bottle to feed them and its a little scary but LOTS of fun.

 

Adorable! Benji is such a good brother these days.

ScareCrows are Awesome

THE YUM YUM TREE

This is a local icecream shop that we invade – or rather take over for the night when we go. Extended family and all went on Tuesday Night so around 70 people! The big talk is the “Blue Moon” flavor… I personally think it is kind of gross – which it is hard to have gross icecream BUT the kids all getthe yummy blue stuff and seem to like it so…

Have you ever asked a Toddler to do thumbs up? Most of them have a hard time figuring it out - this is Packer's attempt!

THE KITE

We finally got Bens kite up in the air. It ended up being a lot of fun. Everyone took a turn and some were even good at it after a few attempts.

SICKNESS

We had a little sickness going around throughout the week. I had a touch of it and Packer was down for a day and then Ben got it the day we left.

I'm Sick!

Ben was too sick to even go inside the Packer Pro Shop!! that's how we know it was real.

I did go to the Pro Shop - and found some good sales!

During the week we had a Tennis Tournament, Volleyball Games, Soccer, and Shuffleboard. We snuck in a bit of Softball and Frisbee as well. I must say that I married into the right family. My dream vacation invloves tons of sports and that’s what I got – Loved it.

 THE FAST BOAT

Uncle Norb brought his speed boat again! Our boys actually wanted to go for a ride and then Packer even went on the tube with Ben and I! After that I got to ski which was tons of fun even though my muscles were sore the rest of the week. Later in the week we went out again and did some knee boarding – Good Times!

Our boaters! Cali slept most of the ride.

 

That’s about it. We did tons more – the whole trip was just go go go and then there were 4-6 days of driving and hotels. We’ll definitely go back next chance we get – the next big reunion is in 2012 – seems far away but the way time flies these last few years I’m sure it will be here before we know it.

We went to the Hogle Zoo on Monday – the 5 of us and Grandma and Grandpa. It was a little over cast with a chance of rain but no rain so the people stayed away but we were dry but not roasting – Hence.. the perfect zoo day! and boys and baby did great – that helped make it perfect.

New haircuts and ready for the zoo…

……………

Some of our favorite animals… Packer says his favorite is Elephants.

Did you know Giraffes have Blueish tongues - Benji's new favorite animal!

Me, Cali and the Bear

The boys were obsessed with their Zoo Maps – Benji made sure that we found all of the animals and he did really good at figuring out where we were.

Where to next?

Two Grumpy Monkeys

The Home of the LOUD Monkey

This is the cage that had a very loud, talkative monkey in it the first time we went to the zoo – now when we go back we keep looking for him but… no monkey this time.

Our other fun was when we were stopped and waiting to look at the wolf, we saw a bird and out of the blue it started talking to us. It said Hi and Hello but then it said “Packer” or atleast it sounded like that but Benji will tell you that he was just saying “Cracker” because that’s what birds say 🙂

Cali after the zoo

Is anyone else worn out? We’ve had Ben’s parents in town for these 2 weeks and have been on the go… parks, games, campouts, sheepshead, kites, zoo, eating and hanging out. Then you add in our regular stuff… meetings, playgroups, appointments, my family, shopping, and cleaning. No wonder I am tired. I think Cali is trying to catch up on sleep for all of us… she is still in bed this morning… been there since the baby sitter put her down at 7:30 last night. Going on 15 hours!

the 15+ hour sleeper

Here are my boys this morning – if they could be in charge every morning and decide their own fate this is where you would find them…

Packer watching Disney Channel with Milk and playing toys at the same time.

Benji playing old school Nintendo on the computer - finding secret doors and stuff and with milk and cereal.

Pics of time with Grandma and Grandpa Nettesheim COMING SOON!

We did a Thursday night camp out in Matt and Jamies backyard! I love camping and this may have been the cleanest wimpiest camping ever but we had a lot of fun. We ate our tinfoil dinners and roasted marshmallows. Kids rode bikes and played soccer and ran around with glow sticks and they watched a movie on the projector outside while the adults enjoyed the campfire. Perks of camping in the backyard: bathrooms!, didn’t have to pack a bunch of water or drinks, when we got marshmallowy fingers we could clean them easily, no dirt, and that grass was a lot more comfortable than pine cones and rocks. I did miss the dirt and nature of real camping but this was great. We had a wasp, a mosquito Eater and a moth in our tent this morning so we were the first ones up. All of the Dads got up and went to work leaving cleanup and breaking camp to the ladies – THANKS boys. And now I am enjoying a quiet afternoon because all of my children are sleeping soundly. I vote we do this every Thursday night!

On Thursday we spent some time at the Falabella’s house. Benji wanted to bring Lalo a balloon to help him feel better.

Alessandro, Benji, Luca, and Packer.

Mia and Cali also had fun playing together.

And Packer and Luca even got along for  a little while.

Kris and Cali

Cali got to meet Grandma and Grandpa Nettesheim for the first time on Monday. We’ll be sure to get a picture with Grandpa before they leave – we’ve got lots of plans with them for the next week and a half.  Last night we got in a game of Sheepshead and tonight we’ll be doing Brats!

Yesterday I went to our ward playgroup and had a good time with my neighbors. We took this picture with all of the babies that were there – this is about half of the 2008 – 2009 baby boom.

Northfield Babies -oldest on the right and then down the line from there.