The Sedlak Family: Summer Fun in 2011

What a summer we had! Walt Disney World was amazing and exhausting all in one! Here is a shot of Bella on our way home from the airport. She looked like this about 10 minutes after getting in the car. She gabbed and gabbed and gabbed about princesses, Mickey and Minnie, the pool, the castle and then she was silent. I looked back to see this! Now if this isn't the sign of a jam-packed fun filled vacation, I don't know what is!

After we got home, unpacked, did many loads of laundry, grocery shopped and got back into the swing of cooking our own meals we jumped head on into our summer! We had a busy summer with lots of fun activities, family visits and trips across the midwest! Ryan's first project was to put together the swingset for the kids. At the birthday party Bella kept telling everyone she had a swingset. Most people looked at her like she was crazy but then she would say..."It's laying in my garage in a box!" She was right and now it was time to put it up! Ryan had lots of offers to help but in true Ryan fashion, he planned and plotted and tried to do most of it on his own. I think he did get it done in record time and the kids have been enjoying it ever since. Brady is a little dare devil on the climbing and the sliding forcing Bella to be a little braver so she can still be bigger and braver than Brady!

Like every project, Ryan has his little helper! Bella came inside to get her own Handy Manny tool box because she was getting in trouble for stealing Dad's toys and lumber.

We also got to celebrate another Father's Day for a very deserving Dad! We made him pretzels and gave him lots of homemade gifts because he loves them soooo much!

Then back to the swingset!

Another one of Ryan and Bella's projects was to straighten out our trees! The wind storms from the spring had put a little tilt in our trees so Ryan (and Bella) dug them up, replanted them and then staked them into the ground with ties! They have held up pretty well.

Since I had a goal to be intentional with the kiddos in making memories this summer we copied yet another pinterest idea and made up a Summer Fun List! We did almost everything on our list except camping and swimming at the lake. I think that is pretty good and maybe camping will happen this year...or maybe not! Ryan and I really dislike camping but I know we need to take the kids so they experience it on their own. I did like it when I was little!

Some items on the list we got to do a lot and continue to do through out the rest of the year like

...build a fort!

Watching Tangled in our fort!

Learn to swing by ourself...still working on that one!

Go to First Friday's on the Square. Bella riding the Sam Walton truck outside of the Walton 5&10 when Grandma Bev, Papa Ted and Kaitlin came to visit.

Bella having a tea party with Grandma Mary Carol and Ellie using the Mrs. Potts teaset!

Making peanut butter chocolate chip cookies with Papa!

Gotta love cookie dough balls! One of lifes little treasures!

Brady making me breakfast in bed! I like my eggs over medium Brady!

Girl time with my cousins Ellie and Briley watching movies!

Boy time with my cousins Baylor and Lincoln helping Papa unload the dishwasher!

Or getting into trouble! Another favorite activity!

Lazy morning on the couch together with crazy bed head!

Popsicles in the warm morning sun!

Chocolate chip pancake breakfast! Yummy!

I made edible gack paint! Brady realized it tasted disgusting but it wasn't poisinous!

They did have a blast though!

Taking Loosie Goosie...our pet...for a ride. She doesn't move very fast though!

Maybe we will try Bob the horse! Wait his feet are stuck on a track!

Bella found a horse to ride. She prefered this toddler toy over the bounce houses

during a MOPS playdate at Jump Zone. We know - she is sooooo brave!

Brady found a new girlfriend. He just loves Charolette from The Princess and The Frog. I have a feeling he will have something for blondes with southern accents when he grows up! This picture also got me closer the TV armoire I had been wanting desperately!

They both love their strollers and we spent a lot of summer mornings taking our babies for walks around our sidewalks with these strollers! They also enjoy using them as wheelchairs!

Bella on an adorable bench outside of a cute store downtown! I think it is called Pink Paisley!

Brady getting a new hairstyle with Dad on the slide!

Bella got very brave this day on the slides! She did all three! Even the big twisty one!

We had a great time at the Ozark Botanical Garden in the children's garden with Maddie!

We also had fun hanging out by the pool and having picnic lunchs with Maddie and Suzanne!

We got to go to a pool party at the Fogarty's home which was a blast!

We had fun exploring Grandma Mary Carol and Papa Mike's back yard!

Eating popsicles by the pool with Papa and cousins!

Another fun event...but you wouldn't guess it to look at this picture...

was going to see the new Winnie the Pooh Movie!

Another car ride after a fun trip to the next spot!

A chance to see the Sedlak crew!

Brady, Colin and Louie found a creative way for three boys to use one toy truck!

Just another day of haulin Miss Daisy around town!

We also got to go and play with Ro and his mommy for awhile which is always so much fun!

Naptime! This isn't going so well!

Snuggles with Aunt Kristian!

Back home and out on the boat with the Criders!

What a great way to wind down a day! It is beautiful out on Beaver Lake!

In St. Louis again we got to visit Kim for another haircut! This was Brady's last calm haircut. After this he has gone balistic each time but lucky for Kim he did this to a gal in Bentonville!

Fun times at Forest Park with Aunt Lis in our shades! It is actually about to storm and ruin our trip to the park but we always have fun with Lissy regardless!

Proof that we had fun!

More cuddles with Kristian!

Grant's Farm with our cousins, Grandma Bev and Aunt Emily and Aunt Kaitlin!

Brunch with Papa Mike and watching some construction across the street!

Lissy came to visit us in Bentonville and we found some lovely alternative dresses for Caroline and Jared's wedding! We were thinking the bridesmaids could wear with red one and Caroline could wear the white since it has white and lots of fancy plaid!

Brady just chilling on Bob and watching some Little Einsteins!

Dress up with Maddie!

Brady taking a break after dunking his head in the water table!

A trip to Kansas City and a chance to watch Briley play soccer! Entertainment at it's best!

Bella has very true brand loyalty!

See what I mean.

More pictures from the Ozark Botanical Gardens.

One of Bella's proudest moments!!!!! She rode a horse! A real one!

Actually it was a pony but who cares! It gallops and says neigh!

More fun on the Crider's boat!

Brady is still deciding how he feels about fireworks on the fourth of July.

Turns out he actually liked them!

Just two pals watching some tv together!

Painting her birdhouse!

We watched Dispicable Me and we had twinkies so we HAD to make our own minions!

Tim, Kelly and Olivia came to visit and we had a great time go around town and hanging out by the pool but this is the only picture I got. I thought it was pretty cute though!