Kool-Aid Stand

Tyler has been asking to set up a kool-aid stand for a couple of weeks now, but I was afraid it was too hot, so I kept telling him to wait until it cooled off. I then realized that it could be a couple of months before it cooled off, so I lathered them up in sunscreen and we set up our kool-aid stand. We had sugar free cherry kool-aid, Dora and Diego cups, and ice in the cooler.
Thirty minutes into selling the kool-aid, Tyler was getting bored and hot.
Drew came out to offer support, while Loralai and I watch from the window. He ended up making $3.50, which he was very happy about. He asked me if he could buy a baseball stadium. He happily settled for three toys from the dollar store instead.

Loralai at church

I just took this picture of Loralai during the nursery class at church. I was in the nursery that day during the worship service and we had just finished a snack of goldfish crackers. Loralai and three other kids her age were sitting around the table and I took a picture of each one, they were all in especially good moods that day. It's funny how different boys and girls react to certain kid songs. After this photo was taken we sang "Jesus Loves the Little Children" and I gave each child a baby to hold thinking they would hug the baby or pat the baby or something like that. Loralai was the only girl in class and she hugged and hugged the baby. One of the little boys just pushed the baby away. The other two boys threw there baby across the room and laughed and laughed. Then when we sang "Lord's army", the boys really got into the song and tried to do hand motions and even sing a couple of words. Loralai just shook her head no, and reached for the baby doll.

Nashville/Fall Creek Falls

We spent a few days visiting friends in Nashville and then we went to Fall Creek Falls, TN for a family vacation. We got to see our friends Will and Linda Frye who we knew from Indianapolis but they recently moved to Nashville to retire. We met our good friends Frank and Andrea Spiceland and their three boys at the Frye's house and spent a few days there catching up and playing a lot of chicken leg! Tyler loved seeing JD and Josiah again and Loralai and Jeremiah got along really well. In fact Loralai tried to kiss Jeremiah a couple of times, and he didn't seem to mind!

After our visit we headed over to Fall Creek Falls. We rode horses, saw waterfalls and got to sleep right next to the lake....in the morning we would wake up and walk right out to the lake, it was really beautiful. Tyler rode a horse by himself and did a great job hanging on. We also got to go to a snake show put on by the park and Tyler got to touch one of the big snakes.

I don't know how to flip the picture around, but the picture of me, Drew, and Tyler was taken after we drove to the main waterfall, seen above right. We drove, then walked about 10 minutes to the lookout point. Loralai was asleep in the car....no of course we didn't leave her alone! Tyler said he liked riding his horse but that the one in front of him kept pooping and he didn't like that. Loralai is still a little young to ride a horse but in a few years we will get her on one. I enjoyed it for about the first 30 minutes. I told Drew I was pretending like I was in a romance novel. Then after 30 minutes I was drenched in sweat and my knees were really sore and the romance ended and I was ready to get off. I didn't say this to anyone, I didn't want to whine, and if I had the opportunity I would definitely ride a horse again!

Trying to catch up

I am so far behind with blogging! We have had a busy summer, so I want to post pictures from our day trip to Yellow River Game Ranch. We went about a month ago and it was so much fun, better than the zoo. When you arrive at the Ranch, you go inside a small barn and buy your tickets, which are very cheap, and then you can buy food to feed the animals. We bought carrots, lettuce, peanuts, and graham crackers. Then once you open the back door of the barn, you start the trail and waiting at the door are deer. Loralai was not that impressed with the deer. She was scared at first. She eventually got a little more comfortable with all the animals around, she just didn't like to share her food. She held onto the same carrot for an hour looking around, not even eating it, just making sure none of the animals came for it. Tyler fed donkeys, black bears, goats, horses, buffalo, foxes, doves, rabbits, and others I just can't remember them all.

We had one deer that followed us around the entire ranch, it was the sweetest animal. I asked Tyler what his favorite animal was and he said the deer and I asked him his least favorite animal and he said it was the donkey because his teeth were too dirty. Loralai can say deer and a few other animal names and I asked her her favorite and she just shook her head no and said "deer". I think Loralai could do without going to the game ranch for awhile, but I think she will enjoy it when she is older.