Crown Center

Friday we spent a fun day at Crown Center. We ate at the train restaurant and enjoyed the new Moneyville exhibit. They did a good job of teaching basic economics to kiddos and also taught about money. (things like how to spot counterfeit, what other cultures used for money, and you could even make your own money with your picture on it) Then we headed to Hallmark's Kaleidoscope. The girls were almost overwhelmed at all the creative options available.

Lauren made a banner with her name.

Jackson and Deb make father's day cards.

Lauren and Erin work the bank of Moneyville.

Stanley Cup

The Detroit Red Wings lifted this very cup last night. Debbie and I caught the cup a few years back while John and Jackson were on spring break in Boston. I kissed that baby. With so much enthusiasm that Deb thought I had lost it. "Do you know how many people's fingers have been on that thing- there could be boogers!" Well.... every great hockey player has touched it.

What an amazing memory. Did you catch Dallas Drake's face last night. He's played 14 seasons. It was his first cup victory. And he was the first person that Nick Lidstrom handed it to once he received it from the commissioner. I don't know if Dallas has ever been the best player on any team he's played for. But he's played with the most heart on all the teams he's played for. By the way that's former Blues captain Dallas Drake!

One Last Gift

Jack and John hit the bike trail today. Jack used the bike for the first time that his Grandpa Jack bought him for Christmas 4 years ago. It was way too big for him at the time. But he said "someday you'll have another gift from your grandpa." We had no way of knowing that he wouldn't be here when Jack used it. But it was a such a sweet thing for him to take it from the back of the garage where it has been waiting.

Taking Cover Part Two

The storms came rumbling in again last night. Out of the blue the sirens went off. We in the midwest watch a show called "current weather conditions" and last night it was on from 6:30-10:00. Lots of drama and suspense. So when I say out of the blue. Well Katie didn't call it. No national weather service has issued..... Just the sirens. Which is waaaayyy spookier. And when they announced that a funnel with rotation had been spotted. We got our butts in the closet and fast. In the interest of fair journalism, I should tell you that this pic was taken the second time we hit the closet when the sirens went off the second time. But notice that one closet fits one boy and two dogs comfortably. It's like a dang clown car when you add the Mom and Dad and the cat. One goofy puppy still goes into the closet whenever he sees anyone else go in there. But one smarter border collie lady remembers it was hot in that closet and they shut the door.

It's a Jungle Out There

Since the house has been such a zoo lately ~ we decided we might as well visit the real zoo. Jack and Daniel rode the train. While Erin snoozed!

The best part of our day was hanging out with the kangaroo's. We all sat under the same set of trees with the roo's about 5 feet away. It was a strangely peaceful experience.

That's a bird that Jackson is feeding. Yikes. One even landed on Daniel's head. If you look real close that's me in the yellow shirt in the background trying not to have a heart attack. I'm deathly afraid of birds.

Erin got a kick out of these little monkeys. And the monkey seemed to get a kick out of Erin too. He kept jumping up on the glass getting nose to nose with my favorite three year old.

Cool Time at the Pool

Nothing tops off a Sunday better than a dip in the pool.

Lauren's still on the mend. But she was a bathing beauty.

Erin isn't afraid of anything.

Aunt Renie knew all the fun stuff. Pop goes the weasel. Motor boat motor boat.

Jackson hung out with his friend Daniel.

purple power

Check out the team's new mascot. Some how we were assigned a team sponsor whose logo is purple and gold. We are officially the pirates. But somehow one Barney made his way to the fence to the great amusement of twelve 12 year olds. And the team played so well that the coaches deemed that it should return!

Archie and Jackson pulled this Barney from the claw machine at the pizza place. Archie isn't his real name by the way. When he first joined the team his last name was to long to go across his back so it arched through the uniform. This year the name actually does fit- but he'll always be Archie to us!

John was the head coach for the game. Bill was celebrating his parents 50th wedding anniversary in Indiana.