Summer Vacation 2013

 Day 1 in Wisconsin Dells

My kids wear these things way too tight. I don't know why, but they do. It makes them look like someone else's kids.

Maggy

Johnny thoroughly enjoying life. It's so nice when you are young and can live carefree in the moment. I can't believe he'll be 5 soon. Age 5 was my favorite place to be. Life was good.

I'm generally not a huge fan of posed photos (action or random photos are the best), but I'm left with no other choice now that the first wave of kids are much older. They are here, there and everywhere either solo or with Daddy. "You come over hear and let me take a photo of you all. Right now!" I'm considering purchasing this GoPro for the future when the baby is no longer nursing and I have a bit more freedom to be with the older ones. Then I can be on the run with them and take photos in rain or shine with a camera attached to my head. Sure I'll look like a geek, but who the heck cares? We'll have fun. Lots of fun! Not that they don't have fun without mom. Who am I kidding. I like to think they would have more fun if I were with them;-) Because I know my friend fun!

Jojo's first time touching his toesies to pool water. He didn't take to it. He lifted those feet right back out of the water as he stiffened up and started to make a fuss. Brrrrr- not like a warm bath at home!

I'm not buyin' it, Mom. This is not my idea of fun.

Take two. No can do.

I'm not sure how I feel about inch worms in the water either.

LUNCH BREAK

View from our balcony to the left and center

View from our balcony to the right

View below

Sleeping baby. Always precious. I never ever tire of these photos.

Here's one of the people who contracted a super nasty bug (from one of us) prior to leaving home. Gabe had it. Mag had it. Jojo has it. Andrew has it and I am on day number 6. It is icky: fever, chills, body aches, scratchy throat that turns into a hacking cough, watery eyes, nose, etc. We are vacationing anyway; sick peoples and all. Lizzy is spending almost all of her vacation time sleeping it off or doing her schoolwork.

Andrew admiring his abs and drinking coffee. Really? He's been bored without Nathan. He is sandwiched between girl siblings with no older guys to hang out with.

Showing off his abs again. Vanity of vanities. I wish he'd let me take a sincere photo of him.

Franseca's latest hairstyle. A bun.

Chapstick before going back out to the water rides

I made her take a TON of vitamins today that I brought with.

People watching at lunch time while waiting to go back into the water. I like to try to keep the same color scheme going with the younger kids when we are in public so I can keep better track of them. I can't get away with this type of organization with the older ones anymore. Cellphones usually do the trick;-)

Maggy on body slide

Chessy on body slide

The Knight

Our favorite place to eat in Wisconsin Dells is Moosejaw. We ordered either elk burgers or ribs. No one counted calories=)

We did something different this year. We walked the downtown area at night vs. day. Here is a crappy picture of a guy that was downtown juggling at a corner. We first saw him standing on the sides of that grocery cart juggling BIG knives. Here he is juggling torches. He was a one man show and quite the jokester encorporating people from the crowd in his act that had gathered around him.

One of a plethora of t-shirts they sell downtown Dells. I really think John wanted this one. NO WAY. NOPE. I have some dignity. We walked away with freshly pressed Despicable Me 2 Minion shirts for the three little kids that begged for them.

Timely quote for the day posted to my facebook wall. (Yes, I checked my facebook while on vacation. There is free WIFI here.) "Little people, who seem insignificant, have as much need to be heard and helped in their affairs as the great people in theirs." ~St. Francis de Sales