Everyday Moments

June 10th

Zach and Tony had fun swimming in Grandma & Papa Palmer's pool today. Summer has officially begun!

It's pretty slow at work these days. The wheat shipping season doesn't begin until July 1st, and soybean conditioning is 99% done. Today I snuck out (actually no sneaking required) of work at 4 and picked up my Little Man. It felt like "bonus time" with him, so I wanted to make it special. We stopped at Union Park to ride the Heritage Carousel. He loves the Pirate Kitty and for $0.25 you can't go wrong! We rode twice, played on the park equipment, and then spotted the Splash Pool. I am by nature a planner. I normally have at least 2 extra outfits packed along with anything else we might need at any given moment. This particular day I had nothing...but we rolled with it. Who needs swim trunks, sunscreen, or pool toys to have a good time? Apparently not us! I think spontaneous fun might be my new favorite thing!

June 5th

Zach is finally getting his energy back from being sick last week. When we got home from Karen's, he wanted to jump on the trampoline. I think I had just as much fun as he did.

He doesn't alway want his picture taken. He kept putting his foot up infront of the camera, so I grabbed it and took a picture. He thought it was quite funny!

June 4th

Zach loves an adventure. We have been taking 2nd Ave home from Karen's at night because Beaver is closed. Everyday we drive by Margo Frankel Woods State Park, and everyday Zach asks if we can stop and play. Today I finally said yes. We played on the equipment and explored the "jungle", as Zach called it.

June 3rd

Chris, Craig, and I participated in Coach Paul Rhoads' Alzheimer Ride to Remember on Sunday. There were over 500 bikes, and more than $35,000 was raised. We left Ankeny with 2 bikes, but came back with 1 bike on a trailer. Coach Rhoads was right...it was a ride to remember! :)

The view from my seat behind Chris.

That's Craig behind us in the mirror.

June 2nd

Saturday there was an epic Spiderman battle at our house. Zach and I both wore masks and got "bad guys" and put them in jail. He would call the "commissioner" on his fake cell phone to get our orders and we would sneak around the house and capture the "villains", as he called them. We even had Spiderman mac 'n cheese for lunch!

June 1st

Zach is starting to feel a little better. He plays for about 10 minutes, and then needs to rest for about 20 to recover. He has recently latched on to my teddy bear Truman. When I was pregnant with Zach and full of anxiety and worry, I would cuddle him to feel better. It is quite a sight to now see my big boy cuddle with that same bear.

May 31st

Zach woke up this morning with a fever. I have to admit, I did enjoy the extra cuddles!

May 30th

The many faces of Zachary Tate!

May 29th

Happy Birthday Great Grandma Bailey & Uncle Kyle! Tonight we went to Kid's Night at Valley West Mall. Zach had a great time jumping in the inflatables.

May 28th

We had a great Memorial Day running errands and spending time as a family. When Zach wears these sunglasses, he pretends he is the police and tries to put us in jail. He is developing quite the imagination.

May 27th

Sunday was a beautiful day for boating! The lake was packed. Zach played at the beach and made me soup and a birthday cake out of sand & rocks. I look forward to many more hot summer days like this one!

May 26th

Saturday night we had a BBQ at our house to celebrate Chris' cousin Christine visiting from Chicago. There were 8 kids under the age of 10 plus 13 adults. It was a tad chaotic but the kids got along great and everyone had fun. It was a great way to kick off the holiday weekend!

May 23rd

Jumping is hard work!

May 22nd

Tuesday night we got a trampoline and set it up in the backyard. Zach is in heaven, but I think Tony is even happier about it! Chris was reluctant because he is just sure someone is going to get hurt. It has a safety enclosure so hopefully that will help. Putting it together Tony & I each cut ourselves and Chris pinched his finger...so hopefully those are the last injuries to report.