Just being gentle

My boy is getting so big. Everyday he picks up something new, is able to communicate a little more and shows a little more understanding of the world around him. Because he's a typical boy, I'm always telling him to be gentle...with things he's touching, with his brother, with just about everything he comes into contact with...be gentle. Today he was in our bedroom touching the little beads that hang down from our lamp shades. While standing in the hall watching him, I called in "Jack? Whatcha doing in there?" He looked up at me and said, "I just being gentle in here."

Picnic in the Park

Jason and I decided to walk the boys into Broad Ripple to feed the ducks along the canal and stop for a picnic in the park on the way back home. It's been so beautiful outside we needed to take advantage of the last days of summer.

Jack drawing in the dirt with a stick he found

My three men

Checking out the ducks from the bridge...already a "Ripple Bridge Kid"

I love them

Here comes another one!

Family afFAIR

Today was the free day for the State Fair so Jason and I decided to take the boys with just us. It's still hot hot hot outside and I know the boys were sweltering because I was pretty hot myself. But they pulled through like troopers and we enjoyed some time as a family.

Pig petting in the FFA building

He was a little skittish around the horses

Graham's so excited...can you tell?!

Catching the parade with Daddy

His "big stick" he won spinning the wheel.

He was so excited!

Happy Birthday Mamaw Ruby

Ten years and not a day goes by that I don't think of my grandparents and how they influenced my life. I'm so sad they did not get to meet my family. I am so sad my boys will never get to play chess with Papaw at the kitchen table or complete a cross word puzzle with him. I am so sad that Jack will never get to climb in bed with Mamaw and read books with her or that Graham will never be rocked and bounced by her as she makes up silly songs about him. Ten years and not a day goes by that I don't miss and love them terribly. Happy Birthday Mamaw.

Cousin Tyler!

Jason's brother Daniel and our nephew Tyler (who is 4 1/2) flew in to Indianapolis this past Friday. Dan had some work in St. Louis but decided to fly in here, drop Tyler off at the lake house for the week and drive to St. Louis for work, then come back and spend the weekend with us before flying back out. Jack was so excited about having Cousin Tyler (or JUST Tyler as Tyler informed us!) here to play with for the week.

The boys shared some play time around Jack's train table the night they flew in from L.A. What fun to watch the boys warm up to one another through their mutual love of trains, trucks and all things wheeled.

Saturday we got up and headed up to John and Karen's lake house where Tyler was going to spend the week. Saturday the boys enjoyed helping John prepare dinner by shucking corn. Welcome to Indiana Tyler!! No Indiana boy is allowed to grow up without shucking an ear of corn at some point in his life!

After dinner Jack introduced Tyler to his favorite game at Grandma and Grandpa's house...throwing rocks in the lake. They were so funny to watch. They started picking up rocks from around the patio to toss in the water until they got side tracked by pill bugs. Tyler was not too fond of them so Jack started sorting through the rocks to make sure there were no bugs.



After tossing some rocks into the lake, they decided to try their hands at a little fishing off Grandpa's boat.

Later on in the evening Grandpa built a fire and made the boys some s'mores which they totally enjoyed.

After spending the week up at the lake, John and Karen brought Tyler back down to Indianapolis to meet up with Daniel. We were able to enjoy a member's only night at the Children's Museum where Tyler and Jack shared a "ride" in the Indy Race Car.

The final day before Daniel and Tyler headed back home we braved the 90+ degree temps and went to opening weekend at the State Fair.

The boys braved the midway with their dads...

Got up close and personal with some goats...

And posed for pictures.

It was a long but fun filled day which ended with a visit from Grandma Ravenscroft. How wonderful it was to see Grandma again. We sure have missed her since she moved to Tulsa were glad she was able to make the trip back to Indiana.

We can't wait until Christmas when all the Ravenscrofts will be back together again!! Look out Tulsa...here we come!

Any old day...

Just another day around the house...

Kids waiting at the bus stop...

The farmer telling the kids to not knock down the fence...

An unattended tractor, a pilot laying on the ground and a bird

And of course...Thomas pulling train cars...

2 Months!

He's sure got a lot to say for a 2 month old baby!

CANOE WEEKEND!!

This year marked the 5th year that Jason and I have been traveling to Grayling, MI for the Au Sable Canoe Race. Each year we've stayed with our gracious hosts Bob and Wendy Reycraft. Bob and Wendy are Jason Farrior's in laws and Leigh Ann Farrior's parents. Jason Farrior and my Jason went to Wabash together. So...now that that's all clear! We absolutely Jason and Leigh Ann to death and wish we got to see them more often, so Canoe Weekend is something that we really look forward to each year. Bob and Wendy are wonderful. They treat us like family and have allowed us to stay the night in their spare bedroom since having Jack. This year with two boys though, we decided to stay the night in a hotel down the street, which worked out pretty well since Leigh Ann's cousin Lance come this year with his two boys.

Jason and Jason

Leigh Ann and Mandee

So just what is the Au Sable Canoe Race? It's the longest, non stop, canoe-only race in North America. The race is always held the last full weekend in July during the annual Au Sable River Festival. The race starts at 9pm in Grayling in a LeMans-style start where the competitors carry their canoes in a footrace four blocks through town to the Au Sable River entry point. Upon reaching the Au Sable River, they begin paddling non-stop throughout the night. In addition to paddling for 14-19 hours straight, competitors must also make portages over six dams along the river race route.

Mandee and Bob

The starting line is just a bit up the river from Bob and Wendy's house which is located right on the river. So we get to see the racers near the beginning of their journey. I'd say they pass by Bob and Wendy's around 9:10...usually just before it gets dark. Bob has cleared out a sweet little spot down by the river bank for everyone to stand and cheer on the racers. This was the first year Jack was allowed to stay up "late" and see the race. After all the canoe-ers pass by we head back up to the house for the best Canoe Party in Grayling.

Our little family (Graham 8 weeks)

sitting by the river waiting for the race to start

Tuckered out boy

As I said earlier, Leigh Ann's cousin came this year with his two boys Blake and Dylan who are just a little older than Jack. The boys all had a super time playing with one another. One of the big traditions when ever you get together with the Farrior/Reycraft clan is the non stop shots of Jager. For each shot everyone holds up their glass and yells "Jaaaager BOOOMB" This year even the little guys stayed up late enough to do some shots of their own. (With apple juice of course!)

The first shot's always the hardest Jack!

Cheers

Canoe weekend is one of the big summer highlights we look forward to each year. It's changed and evolved over the years and I know it puts a lot of pressure on Bob and Wendy to host this amazing event. It really seems like the whole town shows up at their place throughout the course of the evening and they welcome everyone with a warm fire, a cold beer and good times to be had by all.

Indians Game

Another outing for The Great Summer of 2010. Lincoln and Bowen got Indians tickets for the birthdays and I picked us up some tickets from the Indianapolis Marion County Public Library's Summer Reading Program. This was the first baseball game we'd ever been to. Quite interesting. I couldn't tell you what the score was or even who won, but our seats were terrific and the game we watched was hysterical as usual.

Our view from our seat under the scoreboard

Our three families

Clark bought cotton candy for all the kids

Jack met a new little friend

And then told Lincoln his plan for hooking him up with her sister

And by the end of the game...Jack and Lincoln had both scored