Take Two

After our adventures at Hersheypark we came to the conclusion that Lucy's favorite rides had been when she could ride along with other kids. So I arranged a Hersheypark playdate with our good friend Marla and her two grandkids, Emi and Matthew. They had a blast together. I also couldn't have survived the day alone as Marla put all 3 of the kids on and off every single ride they wanted to go on. Everything is better when you have a friend to go along with you. Lucy had been having a rough 2 year-old morning and I debated whether we should go at all but in the end I am sure glad we did.

This is the mini log ride they went on.

 The after effects.

And here is our happy tag-along. Maxwell is so good natured, he is happy to go along with whatever adventure we decide to drag him along to.

We have also been trying to introduce cereal to Max. The first attempt he just gagged and spit it out. After a few attempts, I knew we needed to try something different. So I added some formula to his cereal and now he looks more like this when its time to eat....

Today I couldn't get it in fast enough. I just love that smile!!

(Also, to get a good idea of how chubby this adorable guy is take a look and how tight his chair is around his legs. It takes two hands to get him out, one to hold him and the other to keep the chair still. But those legs are sure fun to squeeze.)

Hersheypark

This past weekend we took a day to go to Hersheypark. The park is huge and there is a lot to do. So we decided to split the day in two. In the morning we went to the Boardwalk which is the water park inside of Hersheypark. It was a blast. They had a huge wavepool that Lucy loved and also a toddler section with a smaller wavepool and a slide. She was too small to take on any of the tube rides. She loved the slide and could have spent all day there. By the end we had her going down all by herself, and she continued to love it even after she took a dunk all the way under the water. It was difficult to take pics in the water so we don't have any from the morning. We then headed home for a nap and some recooperation. After nap it was back for some fun on the rides. Here are some of her faces of joy and fascination.

This is the first ride we put her on and we were pretty unsure about how she was going to react. The mother of these two kids offered for her to ride with her children and I think it made all the difference. She was able to see that they loved it and that it was okay.

Checking out the carousel with Daddy.

What's going to happen??

The picture is a little blurry, but it shows her pure enjoyment. This was a mini pirate ship and was her favorite. She giggled and smiled to whole time.

Family Pics

With a new addition to the family we thought it was time to get a nice family picture. Here are some of our favorite shots.

The photographer attempted to have the kids sit together in the chair, but Lucy wouldn't have any of it. Max did an excellent job of sitting in it all by himself.

This is an attempt to keep Lucy's attention and give Max a kiss.

We had a hard time catching a shot with Maxwell's fists out of his mouth.

Doesn't she look so innocent??

Happy Birthday Lucy!!

Well, our little girl is now 2! She was spoiled rotten for her birthday. I planned a little birthday party for her and her nursery friends. She had a blast.

We had a butterfly theme. So I had butterfly nets for all the kids and they went on a butterfly hunt.

The cake turned better than I had hoped.

She loved playing at the park with her friends, blowing bubbles and opening her presents.

We also had a family celebration with our good friends the Fultz's. We had her favorite food, pasta and a delicious ice cream cake. Lucy loved the ice cream, but left the cake behind for someone else.

Mom and Dad got her a train set which she was very excited about.

The Fultz's were so kind and got her a drum and a few other musical instruments. The neigbors and Mom and Dad are so happy about it. The drum came with a harmonica which she managed to figure out. She is actually quite talented at it.

Happy Birthday Lucy!! You are the joy and the challenge we love so dearly. Thank you for being apart of our lives.

Hoodoo Hopping

Yes this is a real thing. When I told Chad about my childhood memories of going Hoodoo hopping at Writing-on-Stone Park he thought that I was making it up. So I had to prove him wrong. Here is the Rumsey family hopping in the Hoodoos.

A Day at the Zoo

Chad managed to work the end and start of his jobs so that he could have two weeks off. The first week he spent at Scout Camp and the second week he joined us in Canada. So when we went to pick him up from the airport we planned a day at the Calgary Zoo.

Eloise, Ethan and Lucy excited to go to the zoo.

There was a dinosaur exhibit where the animals moved and made noises. Very fascinating.

Canada Day

The kids and I got to be in Medicine Hat for Canada Day. Chad was so happy to hear that his daughter carried around a Canadian flag and sported red and white all day.

Here is Lucy being a monkey with Grandma.

Leanne and I decided that the kids could handle staying up for the fireworks. So we got them dressed and ready for bed and had them watch a movie until it was time to go. It doesn't get dark until 11:00. We were in the grass and there were mosquitoes EVERYWHERE. Lucy was so covered in bites the next day that she looked like she had the chicken pox.

Enjoying the show.

This was how Maxwell and Anthony watched the fireworks. They both slept through the entire thing.

Crazy Summer

Our summer has just flown by so far and now it almost over. But we have been having a blast. We started off the summer by flying out to Utah for a Rumsey reunion in Moab. It was great to see everyone. We spent our time jeeping, hiking and going to the Manti pageant. I will have to post more later as my pictures haven't caught up to me yet.

After the reunion my mom came to pick me and the kids up from Utah and Chad flew home to PA alone. The kids and I headed up to Canada for a nice long visit. I only have half my pictures from our adventures there.

Just a quick update on life since we have been home. Chad started a new job. He works for United Concordia and is only a short 15 minute drive from home!! We hardly know what to do with ourselves as we sit down for dinner at 5:30 as a family. We love it. He has even made it home for lunch a few times. He is excited to be there and is enjoying the work.

Max continues to grow and is already rolling over. He is going to be crawling around before we know it. He loves to watch Lucy play and thinks she is the greatest entertainment. Lucy is now 2 and her vocabulary grows bigger every day. She is becoming a little parrot and we are watching closely the things we say in front of her.