John Ball Park Zoo

This morning we took the kids to John Ball Park Zoo in Grand Rapids. It was a great time to go because there was hardly anyone there, the weather was cool, and the animals were very active. Usually when we go to the zoo it is very hot and the animals are sleeping. Anyway, we had a great time. Kyle's favorite animal was the tiger, and Clara liked the turtles and fish. As usual, Clara (our timid one) was afraid of the bigger animals, such as the tiger and mountain lions. She didn't even like my favorite animal of the day - the tamarins, which look like baby monkeys. Oh well, at least I was there to protect her. I think Craig's favorite animal was the camel because he and Kyle got to go on a camel ride. Overall, it was a great morning and we left the zoo just as it started to get busy and hot.

Another Fun Cookout

This past Sunday, my parents invited us over for a cookout at their house. Aunt Susan, Uncle Dave, Reilly and Addie were there as well. It was a beautiful day for a cookout. We ate outside on their deck, and then afterwards, the kids played on a slip-n-slide that Aunt Susan brought with her. This was Kyle's first time on a slip-n-slide, but he knew right what to do. It was fun to watch all the kids play in the water . . . . . . I think they had a great time. Then, Grandma Connie took us all for a ride in her and Grandpa Bill's new motor home. That thing is huge, but she knew just how to drive it. Way to go, Grandma!

Thank you Grandpa Bill and Grandma Connie for having us over. We had a great afternoon. :)

Independence Day - Cookout

The fourth of July was a fun day for us! It was packed full of activities, which is why it's taken us so long to report on everything we did. This posting will conclude our holiday celebrations . . . . . . . . .at least for the 4th.

After the parade, Aunt Susan, Uncle Dave, Reilly and Addie came over for a cookout. The kids also swam in the pool and played with our beach ball sprinkler. See photos below for our fun in the sun. :)

Independence Day - Parade

After Craig and Kyle ran their races on the 4th of July, we headed to the parade in Allendale. We go to this parade every year. It is on the campus of GVSU, so it is very pretty, safe, and overall - very well done. We enjoy it very much and look forward to it every year! This year, Kyle loved the parade, with one exception . . . . . a HUGE tractor, which he was afraid of (see picture below). As for Clara, she was scared throughout most of the parade because she does not like big trucks or loud noises (see picture below, also). She kept saying, "I scared, I scared" in her frightened voice, so Craig and I took turns walking with her . . . . . away from the action.

We noticed that there were a LOT of John Deere tractors in the parade this year. I think they let anyone who owned a John Deere tractor, and wanted to be in the parade, enter. Craig agreed, and said maybe next year he will enter and ride his John Deere lawn tractor - ha, ha! :) Seriously, if anyone would like to go to this parade with us next year, just let us know. We would love to have you join us. Enjoy the pics.

A Deer Family

On the way home from the 4th of July parade, we saw a family of deer at the end of our culdesac. Fortunately, we had a camera. Check out the buck with velvet on his antlers.

Independence Day - The race

Today, Kyle and I ran races. I ran the Gina Van Laar 5K in Allendale and Kyle ran the kids version, which was about a 1/2 mile. We met our friends, Steven and Malea, and their two girls there as Steven was running the race too. They drove all the way up from Durham, North Carolina for the holiday!

The race is billed as a European Cross Country course, which basically means it has obstacles. I have run this in years past where the obstacles were pretty minor, although there was one creek crossing where your feet would get a bit muddy. This year there was a different course with many new challenges. Much to my (and Steven's) surprise, there were four creek crossings, a bog crossing, some log jumps, and about three gigantic hay bales to jump over. By the way, the hay bales were the big round kind stacked two high - they were taller than me! And the creek crossings were deep. Each of them was about up to my waist! Needless to say, I was very wet and muddy by the end. It was fun! I ended up with an 18:30, which was good for 1st in my age group!

As for Kyle, he ran really well. I think it is safe to say that he finished ahead of everyone that was his age. He had one log to jump, which he did with ease, and ran a great pace the entire way.

Check out the photos from the race!