Cedar Point

We had a very long and very fun day at Cedar Point.  We met Reeve's friend Josh there and rode gobs of roller coasters and had a big, fun day with lots of fun.  Daddy even went for Top Thrill Dragster -- the second tallest rollercoaster in the world -- or something insanely crazy! 

After taking a view of the scene, we decided it wasn't worth taking the camera inside, since we'd be in lines and on roller coasters for much of the day.  But from a few shows (Xtreme Sports was sure amazing!) to lots of rides, we had a long, busy day. 

Dirt Track Racing

The boys spent Saturday evening at the race tracks.  How fun to see some great racing.  In the final marquee race, the winner passed on the final lap coming out with a big win. 

Sidecut MetroPark

We took a delightful Saturday to check out Toledo's SideCut MetroPark-- the site of next week's Renaux Reunion.  It should be a fun time -- and what a beautiful setting. 

We had fun skipping rocks in the Maumee River, climbing trees, and even playing "mommy branch" and "baby branch" with grandma!

On the way home, we stopped at Grandpa Dick's gravesite, which is just down the road. 

Imagination Station

 

We thought we were really clever by getting a coupon to the Imagination Station via Group-On. Of course, when you read the fine print, it became obvious that it was after May 11 and we had, indeed, not redeemed the coupon.  Nevertheless, we decided to splurge on a family membership and see if we could enjoy a fun science museum in downtown Toledo. The wind tunnel was especially fun when you got to Hurricane force winds at 95 mph!

Oak Openings

One of the best things about our place in Maumee is being only a few miles from Oak Openings.  What a spectacular place to hike and walk. We so much enjoy getting out in the beauty of nature and having a nice hike or exploring a new trail. 

What a treat to be so close to such a great park!

Rainbow

What a treat to look outside and see a rainbow.  I don't think I'd ever seen such a "narrow" rainbow.

Sprinkler

How fun to get the sprinkler out!  

View from the Balcony

We sure have enjoyed using our balcony -- especially with some cool weather and a great view, it makes for a delightful part of our new home.

Father's Day

For Father's Day, we tried (again) to visit Abuelo's.

It was a big group with everyone together; even a few presents for daddies to celebrate the day!

Keeping Up With the Smiths

How great that Melina was passing through town-- and the fun of Facebook connections.  We were able to get together for a play date in the park and reminisce how fun it is that we've had good connections in Toledo.  We got to hear about Asher's latest fellowship in orthopedics (which I should be able to spell?) as well as fun chances for the kids to play and reconnect.

Melina is quite the saint for making the trip with all the kids in the van!

65th B'Day!

We had a fun birthday celebration for Julie and enjoyed the presents, the delicious gluten-free cake that Tracy made, and some fun laughs.

Especially notable were the placemats which looked a lot like an apron!  

 We've also been reading Stacey Wasmuth's book Mamarazzi, which has been insightful and challenging -- hence a few tips (photograph near north facing windows, focus on the eyelashes -- those were part of playing around with the camera. Still a LONG ways to go, but fun to read and learn a bit more, especially considering how many photos we take!

Zoo Trip

We made our first trip to the Toledo Zoo and had a delightful time.  Seeing the new baby elephant was a highlight, and the kids had fun just playing and being together. 

S'Mores

The kids have been begging for a fire, and since the weather has been absolutely perfect, Grandpa Barrie made all the preparations, and a delightful fire was made.  The kids were anxious to make their s'mores, and best of all - test them.

Yum!

Mr. Bullfrog

We had heard complaints about the challenges of sleeping with the huge bullfrog spending much of the night seeking his mate.  Since we were staying in the front part of the house, we could hear the distant sound of Mr. Bullfrog croaking away -- but nothing like being on the back of the house with the window open!

So Grandpa Barrie set out on an expedition seeking to find the Bullfrog.  Sure enough, with a bit of trickery, he captured the bullfrog (the secret of putting a fishing hook in front of him to mesmerize him while then grabbing him.

Figuring that Mr. Bullfrog has caught his share of mosquitoes in his life, the kids opted against frog legs and a short drive let him find another pond to seek his happiness until his dying days.

But what a HUGE bullfrog! A hit video detailing the event was also filmed, but we'll have to create that at a later date.