We Love Tanners (In the Summer)

Yesterday, the boys and I had a free day with no summer activities, so I took them to Tanners Orchard to play around and enjoy the perfect 70 degree weather.  We always used to go to Tanners when I was growing up to pick some apples and drink some apple cider in the fall.  Since I was little, it’s amazing to see how much they’ve grown their business.  They have added a huge kid area and really big store/restaurant.  These new additions are great, but draw huge crowds in the fall, which kind of ruin the experience.  So to avoid all of these people, I take the kids in the summer.  Not only are there hardly any people there, but they have fresh peaches, some apples, and wonderful corn on the cob.  And sadly, we stock up on the fall favorites like cider donuts and apple fritters, too.  The boys and I stayed there a long time yesterday and had a blast!

  

Hayden’s in the Newspaper!

This past Saturday the four of us rode our bikes to downtown Morton for the track show.  It’s a fun little show that has tractors for the kids to ride on and play around with.  It was a beautiful evening so we stayed to get ice cream and enjoy the nice weather.  Hayden found a friend from preschool and they had a blast checking out the tractors together.  Our local newspaper’s photographer got their picture and asked if he could put it in the paper.  We had no idea that he’d make the front page.  How fun.  Gotta love small town, USA.  A cute little pic for the scrapbook.  Grandparents, you’ll be getting a copy very soon.  :)

A Fabulous Red, White and Blue Vacation

On July 4th, the four of us headed down to Nana and Papa’s house again for a fun filled Florida vacation.  This marked a very special trip for Hayden, because he’s officially without water wings.  He can jump in the deep end and swim from one end of the pool to another.  He’s such a big boy now.  He and Bennet also had another milestone and went down the big slide at the clubhouse all by themselves.  We headed to the beach this time and the water was my perfect temperature (86 degrees).  (I’m obviously a wimp about cold water.)  The kids loved swimming in the ocean and couldn’t get enough.  We also did our usual while in Orlando and took a Monorail ride and played in the water at Downtown Disney, which will soon be called Disney Springs.  It was wonderful and can’t wait to go back at Christmas time next year.

The kids had fun building sandcastles and playing in the sand.

More sandcastle building with Nana.  
Boys had a serious frisbee game going.

 

 

Nana makes the best and biggest pancakes.

Jamie and his favorite Holiday sandwich.  
Fun at Reuben's pool for the World Cup Championship.

No trip would be complete without me taking a picture of some wildlife.

Jenny’s Birthday – Bennet’s 1st Metra Ride

Pure Cuteness – Saved the Best for Last Though