Gardner is Great!

Grandma and Grandpa planned a fun 48 hours including a visit to the Gardner Aquatic Center and KC-Cousin sleepover!  Lexi and Sam were very grown-up at the pool and mostly stayed together on the water slides.  Grandma and Grandpa were total troopers - going down the family slide several times and exploring the Lazy River!

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Girl's Night Out

Lexi and I headed to Emporia Friday evening for our first annual girls' trip!  We ate pizza buffet (guess who picked that one?!), rented a movie from an actual video store (I wasn't sure there were any still in business), and ate Tropical Sno Friday night.

Saturday morning Lexi finished watching her movie and made scones with Shanna.  We went to Emporia's "mall" (seriously, Sutherlands is one of the anchor stores!) then spent 2.5 hours at the public pool.  It was overcast and nearly empty so Lexi was able to do the two water slides no less than 50 times without hardly waiting in line!

We're already making plans for Girls' Weekend 2014.  Who knows what mischief us three ladies can find!

Book Club Part 2

Lexi's Summer Book Club met to discuss the second book, Lemonade War, today.  We had an even better discussion about the book (those girls felt STRONGLY about a few of the characters!) than the first time and the girls made "comment cards" for each other as in the book.

For the culminating activity, we had a lemonade stand with the money donated to charity as was done in the book.  Each girl chose a charity they are interested in and presented it to the other girls: two animal shelters, the Ronald McDonald House, and Heifer International.

The girls' efforts were supported by so many friends and family members!  They sold out of lemonade (2.5 gallons!) and cookies in just one hour and earned $21.25 for each charity!  Thank you!  Thank you!

The sale begins (with a photo bombing brother!)

Even the girls' Kindergarten and 2nd grade teacher,
Mrs. Z, drove across town to buy lemonade!

What Will Little Bear Wear?

Frankie has become quite the little reader.  He knows enough sight words now to be able to read "real" books (as opposed to the "fake" books Mom printed off the internet!).  His favorites are the Little Bear easy readers and he'll read them to anyone who will listen!

Want to know what Little Bear wears in a snow storm?  You'll have to ask Frankie to find out!

Reading to Nana as her birthday gift

The perfect trio: Aunt Lisa, Frankie, and Little Bear!

Happy Campers!

Aunt Lisa is the bravest woman I know! 

She voluntarily took Lexi and Frankie camping last night with Andrew and his cousin, Alex.  They hunted for toads, collected shells on the "beach", drank soda, and slept in a camper!  It was a late night but the memories will stay with them forever!

On Frankie's bed

Caffeine before bed - yikes!

Toad hunting

Found toads!

We'd follow Andrew anywhere!

Clams

Happy Birthday, Nana!  We found
you shells!

The brave chaperone!

T-Ball

Frankie finished his T-Ball season with one of our favorite fans!  He loves his medal but is glad the season is over.

Grandma & Papa came over for dinner and ice cream after the game.  A perfect ending to his first season!

Toothless!

Happy Birthday to You,
Happy Birthday to You,
Happy early-Birthday to Lexi,
Happy Birthday to You!

The Clark family found yet another box turtle and, since Lexi's been wanting one for awhile, gave it to her for her birthday!

She'd lost a tooth just moments before they surprised her with it so named her Toothless!

She loves to eat worms and we're coaxing her to like fruits and vegetables! Her beta fish died just a few days later but having Toothless really softened the blow!

Thanks Kristian, Kaden, Kenadi, Kellen, & Kamryn!