Kerplink, Kerplank, Kerplunk

Today we went blueberry picking. I heard about Tammen's Berry Farm through our park district. It was a little over an hour away, but the thought of reliving Blueberries For Sal was irresistible. So, I got my mom, and off we went! I probably should add that it was about 96 degrees out with very high humidity. When we got there, we got our pails, and headed for a very bumpy tractor ride.

Then the picking began. I was surprised that the bushes were so tall. I was expecting them lower to the ground because of the book. I was wrong! Some were so high I couldn't reach them.
At first, the kids had a great time. We picked and picked for about 15 minutes. Then they melted, as did my mom. We went to the water cooler. The kids drank and drank as we waited for the ride back to the car.
Here they are on the ride back. I made the HUGE mistake of allowing them to sit in the front row. The tractor wheels kicked up a ton of dirt. We were filthy by the time we arrived back. We ended up picking about 3 pounds of blueberries. Supposedly, these can be frozen. I certainly hope so! We will be eating the yummy berries for awhile! Yum!

When we got back to town, the kids happily went swimming and had their swim lessons. Terry surprised us by cooking chicken satay. YUMMY! Another fun, hot summer day.

Birthday Parties

It was a birthday party weekend. On Saturday, we went to Isaac's 6th birthday party. This was a huge party to celebrate his life before he begins his cancer treatment. It was really well done. First there was a reptile show and later there were police, fire, and ambulance cars for the kids to look out. I love this photo of the kids watching the reptile show, snuggled in the same chair. They are at such a sweet age. Caleb and Kendall hold hands together when we go out and about and are truly best friends right now. I wonder how long this will last!
Isaac was all smiles during his party. It was awesome to see, after such a rough time with his brain surgery. He was full of laughter and life. I think he will always remember this day.
Caleb loved the reptile show. He was very proud of himself that he knew that herbivores eat plants. I guess his nature classes have paid off! Kendall kept a little distance between herself and the animals. Caleb always went up and touched the animals as much as possible.
I was very impressed with the show. They did a great job talking about the animals while interacting with the kids. He had a great sense of humor. Dan, who did this show, was a childhood cancer survivor himself. He not only donated the show, but rearranged multiple other shows to be able to come to Isaac's party. That was amazing of him. I think it was great to see a survivor who is living and loving life as well. It is a great reminder that hard times can be followed by great times.
On Sunday, we went to Jayden's birthday party. The kids loved seeing both Jayden and their former sitter Heather. They had a blast playing with a slip and slide and having a water balloon fight. I think all of these parties has Kendall very excited for her upcoming birthday!