Our week without daddy

This past week Andy headed off on the mission trip with our high school youth group from church. We had many adventures while daddy was away. Here are some of the highlights from our week. I was so greatful that my parents were around that week!

We began our week heading to northeast Iowa with my parents to visit some family and for my dad to attend his class reunion. We stopped at the Schwartzhoff family farm for a look around and the boys got to see the big cow barn. This is a working dairy farm with LOTS going on.

After we finished up in the main barn we headed down to take a look at the calves. Brady thought they were really great. He laughed whenever my dad let them suck on his fingers and was even brave enough to pet a couple of them. He is still talking about it!
The next day we headed to my Uncle Joe and Aunt Kathy's to see some family for lunch. It was so good to see them! My Aunt Kathy is always so creative. She gave Brady fly swatters for bubbles and they were awesome! He had so much fun!

Out in my Uncle Joe's shop, he has two tractors. This one is an Allis Chalmers WD45 - the tractor of my dad's dreams. Brady got to sit on it. He then kept telling my dad, "Grandpa, you can't have a tractor in town!" I think he has been listening to my mom and me!

Wagon rides at my aunt and uncles - Alex didn't want to sit. :)

As we rolled into town he headed over to find Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater. Yep, the ones from the movie Cars. Someone in Eau Claire has fixed up these two vehicles to look just like them. Brady was transfixed. Here he is checkin' out Lightning.

My dad, Alex, and Mater

Brady with Lightning - a little boy's dream

The boys with grandpa and grandma, Lightning and Mater

Lovin' every minute of it

Our little excursion was only over the weekend. We spent most of the week at home, playing outside, and running a few errands. Here are the boys enjoying some swingset time. I swear, Alex would swing all day long if I'd let him.

Grandma and Brady playing in the fort

Brady thinks it's fun to try and push Alex. He has a hard time reaching, but Alex always gets the giggles and they both have fun.

Brady has gotten really good at our climbing wall. Just like a monkey, he is up there in no time.

He also loves to swing.

Late in the week my mom treated us with an outting to the children's museum in Eau Claire. We had a great morning playing there. Here are the boys preparing and eating a vegetable lunch.

Water Works is always Brady's favorite. He wouldn't even look at me for a picture he was so engaged.

It was pirate week so we painted a picture of a pirate, made a parrot, and did a pirate ship project!

Both boys loved the playdough.

Cookin' up a storm in the kitchen.

Alex was all smiles. This was his first trip to the museum.

Brady had lots of fun in the grocery store too. Here he is scanning a can and ringing things in.

Grandpa spent some quality time with Brady playing baseball one afternoon. They began with catch...

Soon after Brady wanted to bat. Forget the tee, he wanted Grandpa to pitch. He's getting lots better at keeping his eye on the ball.

Brady got his first real home run this evening. He wacked the ball up across my parents yard, through the trees and half way into the neighbors yard. He was so excited as he ran his imaginary bases. So cool! I don't know who was more excited, Brady or Grandpa!?!

Alex had lots of good play time inside with mommy and grandma while Brady was playing baseball.

There were some tender moments during the week when Brady was a great helper. One morning as I got up to get something from the kitchen while feeding Alex, Brady came over and just picked up where I left off. Yep, he is feeding his baby brother his yogurt. It was so precious!

We sure are glad to have daddy back home. The boys just followed him around the house the afternoon he arrived back. It was adorable. You could tell how much they missed him.