Vacation July 2012 Lawrence/KC

Our family vacation to Topeka/Lawrence/KC July 2012

The boys were so excited and have been talking about going on vacation all summer!  Daddy has been so busy at work because of all of the 100 degree days, but was finally able to take a week off!  We started our venture strong, only to hear "Are we there yet?"....we were only at Hillsboro!  The car ride really went well though and I have to give credit to whoever invented DVDs in minivans...lifesaver, especially when we were stuck in downtown KC rush-hour traffic!  First stop at the Kansas Museum of History in Topeka.  We knew Kaleb would love it because he loves history and reading, however we weren't sure about the other two.  Total success!  Three thumbs up from all the boys!  Kaleb wanted to read EVERY single thing, which I think is wonderful, except the younger 2 had different ideas.  Braden wanted his picture taken by 1)A cow head, 2)An old tractor, and 3)A horse saddle.  However, Braden was scared of the stuffed buffalo and wouldn't get near it.  Kaleb was into discovering what Kansas animal he was most like, and it was the buffalo...strong and stubborn.  Blake enjoyed the real train which we got to sit in and play around.  They also had a play place that was perfect...it had a cowboy dress-up box with horses and trains to ride.  Tractors with loads of hay kept Braden occupied, a tee-pee, a baseball throwing game for daddy and Blake and Kaleb enjoyed the "When I grow up I'm going to be....." wheel in which it told him he would be the President!  We swam with cousin Kelcie in Lawrence later that day, topping off the evening with a sleep-over at Kelcie and Riley's.  The next day was a trip to KS City, first stopping at Legends outlet mall.  The beautiful fountains were a hit, many wishes with coins were made, wonder what they wished for!?  Mommy was happy because we found school clothes and new shoes for everyone!  The boys were SO excited to eat lunch at T-Rex, full of huge, moving, growling dinosaurs and mammoths.  Tanks of live fish kept them occupied while we waited for lunch: dinosaur nuggets.  They had me take their picture with the real live shark and "Dori", the fish from Nemo.  The big attraction for the trip was "Sea Life", an aquarium adventure in downtown KC.  Kaleb touched a starfish and hermit crab, and of course the sharks swimming all around were the biggest hit.  Stingray pools, a quiz to take along the way, glass bubbles to stick your heads in and a playplace at the end with fossil digging made the day.  Lots of swimming, good food, and the best souvenir?  KU backpacks for school and buying all of our school supplies.  The week ended with a sleepover at Aunt Leslie's, with swimming in the dark and a movie.  By the last day everyone was exhausted.  We swam at the indoor aquatic center, sitting on sharks and logs, and crossing the floating logs.  I thought for sure all 3 boys would be sleeping before we even left Lawrence, but they all stayed awake the entire drive, except for Braden falling asleep at Goessel, 15 minutes from home!  A wonderful vacation, full of wonderful memories.  Thank you Aunt Leslie and Kelcie for making the trip even more fun!

Lake 2012

Lake 2012...
Another fun day at the lake!  The boys swam for hours, playing football, floating on floaties, playing in the sand. Wow, was it hot!  102 degrees, the water didn't even feel cold!  Then, their favorite part...riding on the tube being pulled by the boat!  They got daring and stood up, Kaleb and his friend Ryan's favorite part of the whole day?  Falling off the tube!  Even Chase enjoyed his baby pool in the shade!

"Sucker Seeds" June 2012

 One of the many amazing, imaginative thoughts from Braden....June 2012...Braden enjoying a tootsie pop at Blake's T-Ball game.  Cindy explaining to him that when he gets to the center he will get the tootsie roll!  Braden says "That's not a tootsie roll, that is a SUCKER SEED".  Wow, is that what they make suckers from?  "Yep, the sucker seed".  Further questions...So, if you eat the "sucker seed" do suckers grow in your stomach?

The Masked Men of July 2012

The Masked Men....July 2012
This photo is taken at 12:36 AM while having a friend sleepover.  When daddy called them to come to our room (so he could remind them to be quiet) they begged and pleaded...."Ummm dad, I have to go to the bathroom first", when told to come now, this is what was discovered.  My response? I hope those are washable!  Kaleb's response: "Mom, I read the box...it said WASHABLE".

Car Wash June 2012

Car Wash June 2012
Braden spends a lot of time in his little red car....he has hauled his golf clubs like daddy does, using it like a golf cart, puts various toys in the back (probably practicing hauling a load like Grandpa Bob), this day we caught him washing it up.  He was very meticulous and probably spent a good 30 minutes bending over, washing the undercarriage, and making sure every spot was clean.

The Value of a Dollar July 2012

The boys are learning about "the value of a dollar".  Kaleb is painting horse fence for his Aunt Cindy and Uncle Russ, earning an hourly wage.  He is keeping track of his hours and hoping to earn enough for an iPad (that would take a LOT of horse fence)....so we have him convinced for a $30 PSP game.  Kaleb and Blake also enjoy helping Grandma Judy clean the church.  Blake's first time cleaning with grandma was last week.  He came home so excited and when asked what he did he said "I swept with my hands and used a wet wipe".  Not thinking much about it, grandma later interpreted he dusted (swept with his hands) and used a clorox wipe (wet wipe) to wipe things.  Life lessons...love them!

Swim Lessons 2012

Swim lessons of 2012 wrapped up today with both boys passing on to the next level!  Kaleb succeeded treading water for 2 minutes while Blake learned to do the back float, and American crawl.  Kaleb learned to dive off the diving board while Blake decided to do a "flip flop" as he calls it!  Proud Kaleb finished level 4 and Blake completed level 3!  Teachers' comments included "A joy to have in class....works so hard....lots of fun!"

Kelcie's Wedding Update 2012

Kelcie's Wedding Professional Pictures...by my friend Brittni who is an amazing photographer.  My alltime favorites are the top one and bottom one.  The top one daddy is telling Braden "You can do it!", encouraging him to do a good job holding the sign.  The bottom one are my three handsome Hansen boys, looking so grown up.  Other favorites include playing the iPad and PSP before the wedding ("Lifesavers" as Kelcie called them!) and the boys looking "tough" with Riley.  PhotoBooth fun at the reception Kaleb and his cousin Jace, "Mommy princess and her 3 silly boys".  Cool dudes Kaleb and Riley.  A special day captured beautifully!

Baseball 2012 Update

Baseball 2012 update.....several homeruns hit, many balls caught, a great season for both.  So proud of how hard they play, how well they listen to their coaches and how successful they are!  Bottom picture is with their best buddy Casey.  He is moving to another town soon, as Blake puts it best, "Mom, that makes me sad Casey is moving".

4th of July 2012

4th of July 2012...
The Hansen traditions continued with Aunt Leslie and Uncle Matt staying with us and providing firework fun!  Aunt Leslie completed her usual spoiling including a trip to the water park, lunch in the park and ice cream afterwards!  The weekend ended with the 3rd annual party at Grandpa Hansen's.  My favorite picture of the night being Grandpa Hansen helping Braden shoot a firework, the look on their faces of happiness and excitement is priceless.  What a wonderful weekend, the boys were less scared of the fireworks this year and more excited about them...not sure if that is a good thing or bad thing!