Sunflowers & Ninjas

Grandpa has played a pivotal role in the revival of our downtown. It's been challenging, but his hard work is paying off - there are great things happening! One of his projects, Haymarket Landing, is a mixed use building w/ retail on the lower level and apartment-style dorms that will house 400+ university students starting September 1st. And the ribbon was cut this week! (Grandpa is in the white shirt/tie holding the ribbon on the right.)

We are SO proud of Grandpa's dedication into making our downtown a place people want to be. When one looks, the other doesn't ;)

I want to say Finley's school, but it's really Their school hosted an Ice Cream Social to meet the teachers and visit w/ friends as a kick-off to the upcoming school year. Introducing our two special teachers for this year...Mrs. Hrudka...

...and Mrs. Conlin!

Finley & Nicholas recruited new Cub Scouts too.

Fresh haircuts for the start of school..

...he loves it!

I want to do some updating around the house, the kids and I started cleaning/organizing some stuff downstairs. I asked Finley to move his lego house, he totally complied and then accidentally dropped it - leaving me feeling like a schmuck as he cried and tried to reassemble it.

Liam & Rory spent the week at their cottage and invited us up for a day - it was perfect day of fishing and swimming w/ friends.

 The full crew for the day!

Finley hadn't had enough fishing, so Patrick agreed to fish some more that night at Grandpa & Grandma's house. They caught a gross-ass Northern, ick.

A couple weeks ago Finley helped Nicholas celebrate his birthday at Action City.

Last year I waited too long to visit Babbette's Seeds of Hope and all of the sunflowers had been cut. This year they made a sunflower maze, so the kids, Allie, Lily & I took a field trip - literally to the field of sunflowers.

We went in the morning and the sunflowers were just starting to fully stand up towards the sun. But it was pretty and fun...

...and obviously bright w/ all of these squinty faces.

 It was totally worth the short drive for a good cause!

Hadley showed up on the Danz Kraze ad for the 2016-17 season...even though she isn't even participating this year. But she made for a cute poster-girl!

I took this crew to the Ninja Warrior gym in MN.

It was full of obstacles/challenges just like the TV show American Ninja Warrior, the boys had a blast!

The running wall was the favorite!

Finley was SO proud of himself!

The definitely were tired by the end...

...so we refueled at McD.  

Hadley & Nolan were too young for the gym, so they went grocery shopping w/ Auntie. 

And this just made me laugh...Hadley told me she made up a new game and it looks an awful lot like beer pong?!  No idea where she got the idea, but she'll definitely be the cool kid in Kindergarten if she sets this up during choice time in the classroom ;) 

Three more days and it's game-on for school! Finley's first full day is Friday and Hadley's is next Tuesday - so watch for a post on Tuesday when I'm officially a daytime empty-nester ;)