Adventureland

We spent a Friday at Adventureland a few weeks ago.  Luke went a few years ago with my cousin's family and he's been begging to go back ever since.  The kids are all finally at a good age to enjoy the rides and handle a full day at an Amusement Park.  Ryan's parents came along with us, so we could hit the rides man to man.:)  It worked out well because we always had someone who could stay back with the kids that didn't want to ride something.  I was curious how Lauren would do because she is not a very adventurous child, but she actually went on quite a few rides.  We had a great day and it wasn't super busy, so the lines were manageable.  We missed out on the waterpark, because about 10 minutes after we got there it started to lightning, so they had to close it down.  It then proceeded to pour down rain for the next 20 minutes.  We got drenched but were able to take cover under a large gazebo type thing and wait out the rain.  Most people left during the storm, so the kids were able to go on a few more rides that they had missed out on and not have to wait at all.  It was a fun day and the kids are already asking when we can go back!

Drew & Lauren liked these little ladybugs.

The hot air balloons ride.  Lauren is sitting beside Grandpa Mike in this picture and she actually liked the ride.

Drew & Lauren opted out of the Raging River, so Grandpa stayed back with them.  I was really hoping to not get so wet on this ride and we manged to stay fairly dry.  Too bad we got even more wet a few hours later from the rain!

Lauren didn't want to go on the Log Ride either, so she hung back with me.  This was one of the few rides that had a larger line, so we had to wait a while.

Luke, Reagan, and Grandpa

Ryan, Drew & Grandma

This water ride was a little more Lauren's speed.:)

Reagan is our child who has no fear.  She was bummed that she couldn't go on any rollercoasters at first.  Ryan checked to see if she wanted to go on the Tornado with him and she jumped at the chance.  The lines were short so they went twice in a row.  Luke went on it with Grandma, but he wasn't quite as big of a fan.  This is the best picture I could get of them on the Dragon.  Reagan wasn't sure about going on that one because of the loops, but once Ryan convinced her to try it she loved it.  They proceeded to go 3 times in a row.:)  Reagan said the first time she closed her eyes, the second time she had them open and the third time she yelled "wahoo!!!".  She definitely does not take after her mother.

Lauren did not like the ride below.  She went on it and started to get more and more nervous as the ride proceeded.  The ride attendant kept looking at us to see if she should stop it and we kept telling her she was okay.  We finally did have her stop the ride, because we were afraid she was going to totally lose it.  At least she tried!

Happy 4th Birthday!

Drew & Lauren celebrated their 4th birthday this June.  They've really grown up this past year and are definitely not toddlers anymore.  They are two of the funniest people I know and make me laugh daily.  They are really excited about attending preschool this fall (I'm not so sure if I'm ready for it!).  They still continue to have a special bond with each other and are quick to take care of the other.  That's not to say they don't have their fair share of arguments.:)  It's fun to see them encourage each other when one is a little nervous about trying something new.  I tried to convince them to have the same theme for their party this year, but they are definitely their own people and wanted their own things.  They were okay with having one cake though and thought just putting the characters on the cake was great (phew).  We had VBS everynight that week and went to Adventureland all day Friday (I'll do a separate post on that), so there was no time for this mom to make a cake.  Thank goodness Costco makes some great ones!

 Drew is still a huge fan of Toy Story and Lauren loves the princesses.

 Excited to open presents! Drew would open one and then Lauren would have a turn.  They very patiently waited for the other one.

 A new Toy Story learning game.

 Their very own stepstools with their names on them.  Hopefully this will help them learn to spell their names a little better!

 They got to go to Build a Bear with G & G Van Mersbergen earlier in the day.  Drew picked out a Buzz Lightyear Bear that sings "Under the Sea" and Lauren has a fluffy princess bunny that barks like a dog.:)

 Happy Birthday to you!

 Lauren enjoying her cake and ice cream.

 Drew got a new stomp rocket so all the cousins had a fun time trying it out in the driveway.

Drew helping himself to more food.  That must be why he weighs 5 pounds more than Lauren.