Air Force Academy

Most of you know that my younger brother Ben is at the Air Force Academy in Colorado. The Air Force has a website that they post pictures of training so the families can see what is going on. The blogger is known as Webguy and he and his team do a great job. This is where we get the picutres from. I usually post pictures to Facebook but some of you that look at this may not be on there. I have put some of the pictures on here for you to see. I didn't post them all because I have too many and it would take forever to upload them, but you will get the idea from the ones I did post. I am so proud of him! This past week was his last week of BCT (Basic Cadet Training). August 4th they have a ceremony to get their shoulder boards then they start school. He will go to the Academy for 4 years then he will be 5 years active. I'm not sure if he has is mind set on what field he wants to be in but he is leaning towards a pilot. I'm hoping for something halfway safe..if he does choose to be a pilot I would like him to fly cargo planes!! During the 2nd week of basic training they went to "Jacks Valley" which is where they do all of the physical/ combat training stuff. Like you see in the movies, climbing over walls and under barb wire...etc. The pictures that say "Jacks Valley" are from that training area. Oh and they can't wear their contacts so they all have standard issue glasses..very ugly. We did get some pictures without them because I belive he broke his near the end of BCT.

So handsome in his uniform!


Finally a smile. BCT is over and they are getting their computers before school starts! (he is in the middle)

Tents being setup at "Jacks Valley"



"Jacks Valley"...he is on the right of the picture



"Jacks Valley"...again he is on the right of the picture


These next pictures show him crawling out of some stuff at "Jacks Valley"




Pic #1 "Jacks Valley"



Pic #2 "Jacks Valley"



Pic #3 "Jacks Valley"




Haircut time

"Jacks Valley"

"Jacks Valley"

"Jacks Valley"

"Jacks Valley"

"Jacks Valley"

During basic they had to eat at attention. He said this was very hard so he didn't eat much during this time.

"Jacks Valley"

Rod n Gun Club picnic day

It was that time of year again for the Rod n Gun Club picnic day. We got to see Aunt Kathy for the first time after her surgery and she looked great! Dirk and Ryan were in charge of the kids games and prizes this year. They did a good job and each kid left with at least 3 different toys. After eating and games we let the kids get in the lake. Hunter and Lexi loved it and had so much fun that we went back on Monday and swam for most of the day. Mommy even got in the water with them! Enjoy some of the picture from our fun weekend at the Club.

Peanut playing with the sand.
Lexi being a big girl and jumping off of the dock!

Hunter fearless as he jumps into the water from the dock.

Hunter and Emma playing in the sand.

Grandpa took Lexi for a ride on the 4-wheeler. She loved it.

Grandpa took Hunter for a ride on the 4-wheeler.

Grandma and Lexi in the water.

Daddy and his two fish.

Aunt Erin and Lexi

Food time. See Aunt Kathy on the left. Doesn't she look great!

FIREWORKS

We went to 3 different fireworks shows this year. We had Altona Fireworks, Oak Run fireworks, and then Galva fireworks. We were very busy! I have just posted a few random photos from all of those shows.

The kids waiting for the show to start in Galva.
Lexi and Great Grandpa watching the Galva fireworks. We sat in their back yard and could see them at the park. Lexi kept telling Great Grandpa he needed to cut a tree down that was blocking some of them. She loves Blaze the dog and wanted to sit and pet him during the fireworks.

Hunter ready for the Altona fireworks to start. The blue thing on him is a bug repellent fan. He swells really bad and gets red with mosquito bites, so before we went to the fireworks he had to have several doses of Benedryl and lots of bug spray. Uncle Ryan calls the blue fan is portable bubble.

Peanut ready for the show to start.

some shots from the Altona show.

We had fun at the shows but by the 3rd one I was ready for them to be done with for the year. Hope everyone else had a great 4th of July weekend!!

Fishing with the Kids

We took the kids fishing at the cabin this Sunday. They loved it. We didn't really fish too long because it was so hot out and because of that we were not catching very many. Hunter did a really good job casting his pole and Lexi was super cute waiting to reel hers in. We can't wait to go again.

Hunter ready to go (and yes that is my beer he is holding so I could take the picture)
ready to catch some fish

Daddy and Lexi

Me and Hutner

Lexi was very interested in the worms

My 3 favorite people

Lexi with the fish she caught, she was very proud

Hunter finally got one too!

At first they didn't want to touch the fish but Daddy talked them into it

Lexi throwing her fish back in, she had to hold it with her hands out because it was too slippery for her to grab.

Hunter throwing his fish back in, he had to hold it with his hands out because it was too slippery for him to grab.

Chuck E. Cheese Time

We had planned on going to the Zoo this weekend but it was cold and windy. We decided to go to Chuck E. Cheese instead. The kids had never been there and let me tell you they loved it. Mommy on the other hand probably won't try it again without Daddy. Trying to watch 2 kids go in the opposite directions does not work too well. I know they stamp your hand so noone can leave with a kid that shouldn't but I am not the kind to let my kids go more than a foot away from me.

They actually rode something together!
Lexi eating

Hunter eating

Lexi wanted to ride the horse like bubba did. She started to freak out when it started moving though.

Hunter riding the horse. He loved it.

Girl Time

Lexi wanted to paint my nails so I let her. She tried very hard to stay on the nail but of course that didn't happen. It was fun to have the girl time with my lil peanut.

Lexi painting her nails after she did mine.
working on Mommys nails

very serious about her work

Easter at Great Grandma/Grandpa Scott's House

Easter Sunday we went to Great Grandma and Grandpa Scott's house. The kids love to go there and play. We had the Johnson Easter first so we missed eating but we got to egg hunt and fly kites.

Papa waiting with Lexi and Hunter for the CooCoo Clock. Lexi loves that thing. Usually Great Grandpa moves the hand ahead so she can hear it more than once.
Great Grandpa with Lexi and Emma

Great Grandpa helping Lexi find her egg (they each had one with their names on it) the egg they found was Uncle Bens not hers.

Uncle Ben helping Lexi fly her kite.

All the kids flying kites

Everyone helping Lexi find her egg.

Uncle Ben racing Hunter for the eggs. Ben would shake them and if they had money he would keep them and toss the candy ones back down for the kids. Little did he know some of them had dollar bills in them so he missed them. HA HA.

Easter 2010

Everything was setup nice and neat until the kids woke up!
They started to dig in before I could get the camera out.

Hunting for eggs.

Peanut found one!