building and taking apart

Our house has been busy lately with projects building and creating all kinds of things. As well as taking apart stuff for fun and for parts to build new stuff with.

 Yesterday's creation was a megaphone designed by AC with parts picked out from the hardware store. Sure it looks like a beer bong and would work well if used in that capacity. But it's nothing but a megaphone to him so I just let it happen. I do wonder what the guy at the hardware store thought about the dad and eight year old kid buying beer bong supplies from him on a Saturday afternoon.  

While AC found his beer bong parts, B ran all around the hardware store with this miniature plunger. I'm sure we were among their favorite customers that day. We didn't buy the plunger and he later recounted the story in front of his mom saying, "I wanted to get the sponger but you said no". 

This was at various times a car, airplane and boat. 

LT built two different vending machines that actually functioned pretty well. Well enough to dispense goldfish and oyster crackers to himself and enthusiastic little siblings.

Two very old laptops were taken apart and even B got in on that effort. And of course one wears a magician's hat for that kind of work.

the 4th

These guys will have memories of 4th of July celebrations at the pool much like we do.  

A few Wedding Pics

 B was hilarious at the wedding (though incredible through the ceremony sitting still).  

A left the wedding with a 75 foot long picture the kids all drew.  Luckily it didn't fit in his carryon and managed to just stay in KC.

 And this picture cracks me up of B with no shirt laying on the stairs with his cousin glaring at him, I am sure in her head she's thinking, "What is he doing?!?!"

 Its impossible to get a pic of all of us, but this was the best we could manage.  Brian looks tired (understandable given he was traveling all week and met us in KC) and B, who knows...

 Uncle Tom gave a wonderful toast to these two amazing people.

B has managed to perfect saying, "cheese" when we take pictures, though it never amounts to a smile.

40th Birthday!

 I had the best birthday this year and the celebrations aren't even over!  It started with a 5:30 AM run with a good friend.  She insisted we went for coffee afterwards (never hard to twist my arm for that one) and I realized she had been running with candles and a lighter in her bra the entire 7 miles.  There is an old actor (maybe 75 year old man) who is always at the coffee shop at 6:30 when we finish our runs, and always drinking a beer.  He sang Happy Birthday to me and all the staff and clients joined in.  I haven't had happy birthday sung or blown out candles in 20 years.  So fun to feel like a kid.

 At night 3 of my friends planned the most incredible evening filled with good food, laughs, drinks and my closest friends (and family).   I am such a lucky person.

 And I got to blow out a candle again.

 Unfortunately we didn't think to take a picture until several people had left, but we did manage to get a few with most of us.

I can't wait for all the fun adventures we have planned for this year, the other 40th birthdays we get to celebrate and this decade in general.  Its such a privilege to get older!

Ice Cream post vaccines

 One of the traditions we have is that after vaccines the kids get to get to Little Man Ice Cream (or another treat of their choice).  Yesterday LT needed two vaccines at his 11 year appointment.  I had originally had a babysitter lined up to watch the other two, but she got sick and so everyone ended up coming.  It was incredibly bright out, but the pictures get the point across well enough.  

 When I asked B what kind of ice cream he got, he yelled, "SCOTCH!"  (butterscotch)

Museums with cousin friends

 We managed to pack in a lot of museum fun while in Kansas City.  It was hot and there are a lot of fun things to do in KC, plus cousins to explore with.  We definitely took advantage.  I have 9 first cousins on my dad's side and we each have 1-3 kids.  These kids truly consider each other first cousins.  We grew up spending a lot of time together and so we are happy that our kids enjoy each other and think of each other as close cousins.   We spent one morning at the Science museum with my brother and his boys. 

 Our last afernoon there, we went the Arabian steamship museum with those of us that were left.  It is a museum with artifacts that were uncovered from a sunken ship in the Missouri River.  I didn't have high hopes, but it was really fascinating for all of us and one of the better museums I have been to.

Lunch at Howards

 My cousin Cory and her now husband Craig, own Howards, a reaturant/grocery store where they source locally grown food and have a garden where they grow what they can to serve.  Its truly some of the best food we've ever had.  Unbelievably, the day before their wedding, they hosted all the Imig's at the restaurant for the most amazing meal.  As always, I wish I had taken more photos on the entire trip, but I did get a few. 

 I am 8 years older than Cory, and I remember her birth and meeting her for the first time a few months later. She not only co-owns the restaurant, but she's an incredibly talented artist, and amazing person in general. 

Old Cars

 We spent the last few days in Kansas City, celebrating my beautiful cousin, Cory's, wedding.  The Imig's will use any excuse to get together and this was no exception.  My dad and his three brothers, as well as every spouse, child and grandchild was in attendance.  29 Imig's.  My dad's next youngest brother, Tom, collects old cars and restores them.  None of us are entirely sure how many he owns, but he arrived at the hotel one night in this 1940 Cadillac and let us sit in it.  On the eve of the wedding, we all went to his house for dinner and drinks and he took whoever wanted on rides in his 1937 something.  Definitely a hit for kids and adults alike.  

Melanoma 5K

 The boys and I, and several family friends, did the melanoma 5K this morning in memory of a friend's husband who died of ocular melanoma a few years ago.  It was the boys first experience with an organized 5k.  LT came in 3rd in the under 13 category (though would have probably done much better had he not walked/run with A and I in the beginning).  

 These two are just 2 weeks apart and have been buds since birth.  They were so cute when they saw each other at the event and held hands everywhere they went (when they were allowed out of the stroller).