Sparkle Sparkle!

Im not going to lie I was a little sad that I wouldn't be with my family on the 4th of July.  We have a long standing tradition of eating muffins, playing tennis and going swimming on the 4th.  But since I would rather make new memories with Tyler we decided to make the 4th a big deal in Kansas!  While the day didn't total go as planned it was a holiday to remember.  We started off going swimming.  Well at least we tried to.  When we went down to the pool it was closed.  So we called the office and they said it was supposed to be open and that someone was on his way to open it.  After multiple phone calls and 2 hours later we decided just to hop the fence and go swimming.  It worked out great because we pretty much had the pool to ourselves.  With Tyler working so hard we rarely see him so it was a special treat to go swimming with Tyler let alone have a whole day with him!

 After swimming we got ready to have a bbq with Tylers office.  I did Aspens hair like a star and Im pretty excited with how it turned out.  I love getting the kids all festive for this fun holiday!  The BBQ was a hit and the kids had fun playing with all the adults talked.  When it got dark outside we headed to an abandoned parking lot to light off fireworks.  Since Kansas has no laws on what is legal or illegal we got a pretty awesome show.  Each family bought there own set of fireworks and then the boys had a blast lighting them.  Aspen and Danny were quite scared of them if they got close but they enjoyed them from far away.  We did finally convenience Aspen to hold a sparkler but if you look closely you can tell how scared she was.  Well the day couldn't quite compare with the Sperrys traditions back home, but I loved every second of having Tyler home!  It was a special day and I am grateful for the freedoms we have in this country!  I love the USA!

Get the Heck out of Dodge

Tyler number one place to visit was Dodge City, an old western town.  So we decided to go on Fathers Day.  It was a 3 hour drive but it was worth it.  This town really was so cute and a great visit for one day.  We got to see some old trains.  Then we went to the western museum.  We saw the old graveyard, played some old western games and took a tour of what main street used to look like back in the days.  The kids got to see old historic buildings.  One was an old church.  I had the kids sit on the hard wooden benches and put their hands on their faces like they were bored.  We even got to dress up and take a western themed family picture.  I must agree the boys look pretty cute in their cowboy gear and I could totally picture our family living in this time period.  Tyler does always say he was born about 200 years to early!  At the end we even got to see a real shoot out.  What a perfect fathers day for Tyler.  

The Nature center

The nature center was another fun place we visited a few times.  I wish there were cool places like this in Utah. At least that were close to us.  The nature center had a fun building to visit with all different nature facts and stuffed animals to look at.  There are also miles and miles of paved walkways that connect about 20 different ponds.  Everything is green and beautiful.  But the kids favorite part is feeding the turtles.  We went there a few times with the crew.  Tyler and I also took the kids fishing there.  This was both Danny and Aspens first time fishing.  Aspen fished for a little bit and than told us she didn't want to anymore.  When we asked her why she said she didn't want to kill any fish.  When we let her know that we would release the fish after we caught them than she was happy.

Downtown Wichita

Our first Sunday in Wichita we went exploring.  We found this great park downtown called Riverside Park.  I love that it has foam instead of wood chips!  We ended up spending a lot of time at this park through the summer.  It was probably our favorite park.  I loved all the shaded trees and the kids loved how big the park was.  There is a great little wildlife park with some fun animals to check out.  If we lived there I would go jogging at this park.  I loved all the paved trails that run through the park.  The river runs parallel with the park and is beautiful.

After the park we walked over to the riverwalk and the Keeper of the Plains.  This is a must if you go to Wichita!  Here is a little history on it:

"It was Bosin's gift to the city. The five-ton sculpture was placed at the confluence of the little and big Arkansas Rivers which is considered a sacred site by Native Americans and was home to the Wichita tribe for many years. The 5-ton Keeper has recently undergone a renovation and now rests atop a new 30-foot pedestal facing east. The Keeper Plaza incorporates the history of the Native Americans and embodies a "sacred hoop" and the four elements that make up life (earth, air, fire and water)."

We walked along the bridges and enjoyed the view of the Little and Big Arkansas River coming together.  The kids loved running around and seeing the keeper of the plains.  We also went down by the river and feed the ducks.  Before we knew it the sun was setting and it was the perfect day to watch the beautiful sky.  Late at night they light the four different pillars.  It was definitely worth staying for this part!  I couldn't think of a better way to spend our first Sunday in Wichita.





 

May happenings

May was very busy!  Tyler was already gone in Kansas and I was trying to pack-up a house, see everyone before we left for the summer, plan and host Sarahs bridal shower and get ready for Disneyland!  All in the mix our normal everyday things!  Don't get me wrong it was a wonderful month, but I went to bed exhausted every night!  Aspen started the month off with her field trip to the fire station.  She loves this field trip and it is done really well.  Her favorite part is the obstacle course.  

Than we got to hang out with Grandma at the Zoo.  They had the lego exhibit which was really fun.  This was the first time Colt really enjoyed the animals.  We watched the animal show this time and Aspen and Danny were so brave to pet the animals!  If you can't tell we had a blast!



I threw Sarah a princess bridal shower.  I had a blast creating the invites and Kathy helped me do the decorations.  Before the shower Sarah and I got to go to dinner!  We had the "talk" and it was fun to spend some time with Sarah preparing her for her wedding night!!  Lol.

 

Aspen also had her last day of school!  Since we are going to Kansas tomorrow she missed her little graduation, but luckily she will still have lots more since she is just in preschool.  Aspens teachers were Miss Jodi and Miss Jennifer.  She absolutely loved them!  She learned so much from them.  We gave these cute little gift cards to Aspens teachers.  We will miss them!  Aspen has also loved being in school with her friend Lola.

San Diego

We had just as much fun in San Diego as we did at Disneyland!  Well except that Kathy, Allen, Danny, Aspen and Tyler got the stomach bug.  It was a nasty bug that lasted about 12 hours and put whoever was sick totally under with awful cramps and throwing up.  The sickness came in 2 different waves and somehow I was exempt.  So I took whoever was feeling good with me.  We had a blast at the beach.  This was Colt first experience with the beach and he loved the sand.  He did learn the hard way not to thrown the sand because then it ended up in his eyes.  He also liked the waves, but only from a distance!  He wasn't a big fan of the water getting him wet!  Aspen on the other hand found a new love for the waves.  We spent a lot of time in the water this time which was a new experience for Aspen.  Of course lots of sandcastles were made and it wouldn't be a beach trip without someone getting buried in the sand! After the beach we got to go swimming for a bit!  I could take a quick vacation to Southern California every couple of months.  I was born to be at the beach and swimming in the pool!



 













On our last day of our trip everyone was finally feeling good enough to go to Sea World!  Tyler and Allen were still a little sick, but they still had a good time.  Aspen was so brave and went on the Atlantis ride.  The dolphin show was a big hit and who doesn't love shamu!  Sea World is low key and the kids loved it!  Colt even loved getting out and seeing all the animals.  It was the perfect end to our trip!