San Diego

Will surprised me with a trip to San Diego for our Anniversary. It was FABULOUS!!! We went to a Padres game, the zoo, the beach, and got massages & pedicures. We also went on an Arctic Adventure at Sea World and swam with the beluga whales! It was absolutely amazing!! We also got to go to Beer School where you taste different beers learn what foods to pair them up with. Sea World is a completely different experience without kids!!

Pupa Ed Visits!!

Pupa Ed came to visit and everyone had WAY too much fun. We showed him around "Rural" America, went to the College Football Hall of Fame, and had several battles in and around the house. He made quite the impression on the neighbors, of course! They're still talking about him!

First Day of School!!!

Thank God! Bad things were about to happen in this house if school didn't start. They won't let me take pictures anymore, so here are the few I could get.

OMG...Colin started middle school!!!! I'm feeling old now. I was giving him a pep talk as we were walking in and my voice cracked. Little Will looked at me like I was a lunatic & told me he was not walking with me if I started crying. I saw him in the hall later and he acted like he didn't see me. He's such a tween! He says he likes all of his teachers & was first to successfully open his locker 5 times during locker practice.

Reis likes his teacher and the kids that sit at his table. He says the ceilings are slanted in his new classroom, not straight like his old classroom. He said, "the day went by too slow because all they talk about are rules and stuff...boring." Reis also likes lunch because he can sit anywhere he wants. I'm not sure how long that will last.

Getting Ready for School

Reis getting ice cream from his new teacher

Colin practicing opening his locker

Pupa Terry & Vicky Visit

Pupa Terry & Vicky came for a visit. We had a good time showing them some of the sights.

Terry & Vicky at the Notre Dame stadium

The boys under "Touchdown Jesus"

Colin & Pupa Terry in chilly Lake Michigan

Pupa Terry helping Reis build a castle.

Reis & Pupa Terry's finished product & Colin trying to take the credit.

In-Line Skating

Colin & Reis decided they want to learn how to in-line skate. It's a good thing they can practice in the privacy of our basement!

Warren Dunes

The Kennedy family went to Warren Dunes State Park on Lake Michigan with their friends, Nicole Torres & Ryan Prindle today. They all gasped when they turned the corner and saw one of the sand dunes ahead of them.

Colin, Reis, & Ryan had fun climbing up the dunes and rolling, sliding, and running down them. The boys swam in the lake, but Nicole & Amber would not go in past their shins because it was FREEEEEZING. The boys had a sand castle contest, but had to be innovative - they went to the beach without shovels and pails.

Ryan, Colin, & Reis climbing one of the dunes

Surprise in Chicago!

The Kennedy boys received a super duper surprise in Chicago. They didn't know their buddy, Ryan P., was coming for a visit!

While in Chicago they went to the Field Museum, Millennium Park, and strolled the Magnificent Mile. The fountains and bean at Millennium Park were a HUGE hit! Reis got soaked and Colin and Ryan had to drag him back (surprised?). I must say, these Kennedy boys are getting more and more handsome every day. I think they know it, too. The day ended with some fabulous Chicago stuffed pizza & a nice quiet drive home.

Harry Potter Mania

Like thousands of other Potter fans, Amber, Colin, & Reis Kennedy attended a Harry Potter party. They hobnobbed with some of their favorite characters while anxiously awaiting the release of the 7th and final book at 12:01 am. Reis seemed especially excited casting spells while Colin ran around collecting autographs. Once they got their books, Colin & Reis Kennedy stayed up to get started on it.

Dino Fun

The Kennedy boys were Paleontologists for the day exploring "Dinosphere", digging up bones, and researching and outlining fossils at the Children's Museum.