I took Ben to the Leo-Cedarville park this morning. Our friends Patty and Olivia met us there. The kids had fun playing on the playground. After a snack, Ben enjoyed his new hobby of picking up trash and handing it to me...yuck! I wish that there wasn't stuff like that for him to find on the ground. I guess the parks need Ben to help keep them clean. :) Wheeee! Trying to reach a steering wheel that is a little too high. Olivia and Ben on the tire swing. Ben is ignoring the camera...like usual. :)

Saturday morning we drove up to Lansing, MI to celebrate some birthdays with Curt's family. In the evening all of the adults got to go out to dinner at PF Chang's. I was really excited about that because I haven't eaten at one since we moved from Indy. The kids stayed home with two babysitters that did a great job watching all of them! It was nice to get out and have some "adult" time. Curt's mom with all of the grandkids on her birthday. The kids had fun playing outside. It was very warm out and they got very sweaty. I thought it was sweet how Peyton pushed Ben on his car through the grass on such a hot day. The birthday girls and boy: Curt's mom, our niece Jenna, and Curt. Jenna opening up some clothes that she received for her birthday. Curt holding up a new shirt. Curt's mom showing some of her new Vera Bradley stuff. The kids getting ready for some birthday dessert. My sister-in-law Betsy made really cute flower pots for everyone with cake, ic...

Ben and I tried out Shoaff Park for the first time today. We met my friend Bekah and her three kids Tiana, Isaiah, and Amarah. They had a little splash pad there, but after we got all the kids settled over there, none of them really seemed to want to be in the water. So, they played mostly on the playground before we had a picnic lunch. Ben riding on a frog. I'm not sure what he is doing with his lips. :) Ben watching Tiana climb the stairs. Isaiah coming down the slide. He looks like he's ready for a roller coaster. :) Ben coming down the slide on his tummy.

Last night, Ben and I joined Curt at his softball games. The weather was nice and it was the last 6:00 starting time, so I figured we should go. :) The games ended up taking 3 hours, instead of 2. Ben was really ready for bed by the time we left! Curt looking at a book with Ben right before the first game started. Ben watching Curt (in the blue shirt) out on the field. Patty came with Olivia a little bit into the first game. Ben was happy to play with Olivia. They had fun shuffling their feet in the dirt and making clouds of dust. Their feet were filthy! Ben went right into the bath tub when we got home.

THE ZOO! We seem to be at the zoo quite a bit lately. Today we met our friends Glenda, Jillian, and Evan there. Ben had fun seeing the animals again. He never seems to get tired of going there. We are getting our money's worth out of our pass this year! Ben banging away on the drum. Evan and Jillian playing on the drums too. A giraffe sticking out its long black tongue trying to get a leaf. We tried to get a posed picture, but of course Ben would not sit still. :) Ben liked how Jillian could climb and sit on the head of the statue. Trying out a hammock in the rain forest part of the zoo. Ben looking at an orangutan. We took a ride on the train. It was our first time. I'm not sure why we never rode on it before. Ben looking at the front of the train "Little Poof." Evan and Ben sitting on "Little Poof" together. I tried to get Ben to sit longer than a second, but all of my attempts failed. :)

Yesterday Ben enjoyed a popsicle for the first time at home (he tried one once when we were visiting family). He seemed to enjoy it, but didn't finish very much of it before he said he was done. Every time a drip fell onto the ground he would say, "uh oh." This morning, Ben climbed into his sandbox and had a fun time playing in the sand. He liked to fill up his shovel and let the sand pour on himself.

We spent Saturday evening at the TinCaps game. All week the weather forecast looked great (80 degrees and sunny) and of course, the day before the game it was changed to cooler temps and rain. As we arrived it was sprinkling a little bit. It didn't seem too bad, until it started raining harder during the 5th inning. If it had been up to me (yes...I was the party pooper) we would have left at that time. But, we stuck it out through the whole game! I'm glad we did because the fireworks were great and all the kids loved them. Ben wasn't scared at all. I just covered his ears for him, because they were so loud. Curt and Ben ready for some baseball! Derek, Rachel, and Luke Jackson staying busy with his coloring book. Ben really got into the cheering. Whenever people around us would clap, he would start clapping too. The three of us...before the umbrellas had to come out. Parkview Field Umbrellas were out everywhere! It was a really wet game. Overall it was a fun time, but it w...