Our first T-ball game

Finally I had time to sort through the 100 some photos I took at Ben's first t-ball game (okay maybe not that many but it was a lot, could you tell I was excited?).  I also had a hard time choosing which ones to post so there are a lot.  He had a great time, he was the first to get to bat at the practice/warm-up.  Of course then he had to wait a long time to do it again and batting was his favorite part.  He got one ball in the field and threw it back in.  We have had 2 weeks now and he listens to Coach Bill much better than when mommy or daddy try to tell him how to bat.

The girls were so excited to watch Ben!

Ready to hit a home run!

Ben and Coach Bill

Showing Ben how to hold the bat and choke up 

It's a hit!

Running to first base

Fielding the ball

Throwing it home

Kicking the sand around, a favorite thing to do while we wait for the ball

Getting instructions from the coach 

Entertaining the girls during the game

It was hard to keep them off the field.  Samantha really wanted to play!

Samantha playing with mommy's phone....the next day I found she deleted one of the sitters phone numbers!

Allison passing the time digging everything out of mommy's purse

Week 2, the girls sitting right next to the Tan team.

We did bring along their own chairs this week hoping it would help keep them off the field....maybe helped a little.

Samantha...wants to play but I think the helmet is on backwards sweetie?!

Our little fashionista

Samantha like to play dress up with hats, shoes, daddy's ties, you name it, she loves it.  Here are a few recent pictures of her :)

Dressing up at Grandma's house

Daddy's tie

Baseball helmet on backwards

North Mankato "Fun Days"

The weekend after the 4th of July was Fun Days in North Mankato.  We always went every year as kids so Grandma and Grandpa thought it would be fun to take the grandkids!  I thought it would be a blast to watch the kids on the rides and have a little of my own "blast from the past" so we all went together.  The kids loved the rides, although the girls would smile when they were on the ride they kept wanting to go on more :)

First ride was a train of course and Ben was the driver!

The girls 

Another ride, a car with 3 steering wheels, perfect!!

Allison wanted to ride the horsey

Ben and daddy on the bumper cars 

The girls watching, Samantha really wanted to ride too

Ben would point to the cars he wanted daddy to crash into

One last ride, the motorcycles!!

and there was room for 2 on the motorcycles!

4th of July

We started by celebrating with our neighbors on the night of the 3rd.  It's recent tradition our neighbor puts on a good fireworks display for us.  It was so hot and still that night.  We were sweating even though we were just sitting there.  The kids played adults chatted.  Neighbor Doyle had some of those snaps that the kids could throw...they loved that.  Fireworks in the backyard.  Ben loved it, the girls liked it at first but then I think wanted it to stop so I went in the basement with the girls and watched from inside.  By the time we got them home it was late but they needed baths because they were drenched with sweat.  We decided then we didn't need to see fireworks on the actual 4th and do the whole late night, hot, mosquito's, bath way to late at night.

We celebrated most of the actual 4th of July indoors since it was too hot outside!  The kids didn't seem to mind too much, they got to play with Uncle Nic, PaPa, MaryJo, Grandpa, Grandma, and Grandma's ipad which they all love :)  We had some picnic fare even though most of us ate in the air conditioning. That evening another neighbor put on a good fireworks display that we were able to see from our screened in porch.  Ben wasn't asleep yet so he heard them so we went and got him and let him watch with us :)

Frozen icee pops

Asking for more snaps

Neighbor kids...can't believe we got them all to sit down and look!

Watching the fireworks

Playing together....which they don't always do very well.

Love this picture....Ben does love his sisters.

Samantha does very well with the ipad....seriously technology is amazing.

Gotta love those big brown eyes :)

Allison...happy because she has lots of people willing to hold her

Another willing grandparent to snuggle with Allison

The 3 kiddo's and their Uncle Nic