As always when we have visitors in town, we love trying to add a variety of out-of-the-house activities into our schedule. Here were our outings with Grandma and Grandpa:
Jason's Youth Group
On Wednesday evening, we journeyed out to the school where Jason holds his youth group once a month (the other Wednesdays they gather at the church). We caught the tail end of Jason's devotion and song time. What a great DCE he is!
When the boys started to get a little restless, Grandpa entertained them in the school gym.
The primary reason we came out to Jason's youth group night was to witness a special event. Jason had been challenged (by Amy's brother Andrew AND by his friend Jonathan) to participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Jason knew that his youth group would enjoy helping out with this challenge. Grandma and Grandpa kept the boys at a safe (and dry!) distance away.
Jason had his entire youth group surround him with buckets (nearly 20 of them!) of cold ice water.
One of Jason's youth joined him in the drenching...
It was a LOT of cold water!!
Here's the entire video.
Cody and Jaden liked seeing that their Daddy was still okay after getting so wet!
We ended the school outing with a little playground time.
Ice Cream Time!
Immediately after our school visit, we headed over to this local ice cream shop for a special treat. This hole-in-the-wall shop is a local favorite with its tasty soft-serve, huge servings, and GREAT deals!
Cody and Jaden LOVED their first taste of Softie's ice cream.
Library Storytime
Now that Jaden and Cody are sitting still longer for stories at home, we were happy to "graduate" them to the next level of library storytime. The toddler time (geared for 2's and 3's) includes 3 short stories with interspersed action songs and rhymes. It's perfect for our little guys! Grandpa helped Jaden learn some of the new actions.
Cody snuggled in next to Grandma to listen to the story.
Afterwards, the boys showed Grandpa and Grandma the hands-on learning center while Mommy picked out some new books. (It's SO great to have extra helping hands!)
Shopping
The boys still love (short) trips to the store, so we all went together on a few errands during Grandpa and Grandma's visit.
Play Place
Grandma and Grandpa gave us a wonderful gift during their visit-- babysitting time! Mommy and Daddy had requested a few hours together one morning sans boys in order to organize Jason's office a bit. Grandpa and Grandma graciously consented. The four of them spent quite a bit of time playing at home and then visited McDonald's for some playtime and an ice cream treat. Jaden and Cody loved it! Thanks so much for this gift of time, Grandma and Grandpa! Jason's office thanks you too! :)
Classic Car Parade
Each Labor Day weekend, our community hosts a classic car show, with a downtown parade to kick off the event. Jason and I had never attended the parade before, but we figured our car-loving boys would enjoy the event.
We were right! Jaden and Cody enthusiastically pointed out all the different types of cars (car, jeep, pick-up truck, motorcycle, etc) and all the car colors as well.
Cody's unwillingness to turn his head around for the picture shows just how excited he was to watch. :)
In fact, the first thing the boys did after arriving home and finishing their bathtime was to line up all their vehicles in parade fashion! The boys kept imitating the sound of the revving engines as they pushed their own car parade. How cute!
Farmers' Market
Jason and I have become big fans of our downtown farmers' markets this summer. This weekend made for our third summer visit. We picked up some tasty flavored tortillas (delicious with breakfast burritos), fresh green beans, and some sweet, juicy peaches (which made an excellent cobbler!). Grandma and Grandpa treated us to some yummy caramel rolls, too.
It was a beautiful morning to be outside!
Thanks for sharing all these adventures with us, Grandma and Grandpa! You are caring, fun, and thoughtful grandparents. We were so happy you could come visit us!
You found some really neat things to do together! I'm sure Ian and Ryan would've loved the classic car show, too! How fun! It's super cute that your boys tried to re-enact the parade at home, too. And your picture helped me locate our missing green plastic loader that Ryan's been asking about :). It's no problem that you have it. We'll have to get you the scooper part that's currently in our sandbox. Ha ha! :)
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