Lucas's First Camping Trip

We took Lucas camping for the very first time over the Labor day holiday & we're happy to report it was a huge success! He really enjoyed the outdoors and the fresh air, and especially being snuggled up all the time. It was really windy at our campsite, and the night got pretty chilly, but Lucas had lots of blankets and love to keep him warm.

Lucas loved being with all "the boys" and it was a special moment for me as a mom to see him with his dad & all his uncles-they all just love him so much!


Alex and his brothers went on a "guys' ride" on their 4-wheelers throughout the mountain. Because of the terrain and the wind blowing so hard, the guys came back packed and covered from head to toe in dirt and sand. My sister-in-law, Sara, and I were just cracking up! You could tell they really had a great time though! All the guys, along with Alex's dad Bart and some extened family, played almost an entire afternoon's worth of horseshoes. I'm proud to say-and brag- that Alex came out on top! He and his brother Ben made a great team!



Sara was heaven-sent on this camping trip! She was always so willing to help me with Lucas & he gets so excited every time he sees her. I can't tell you how many times she was able to get him to sleep/nap when I couldn't, but I am so very grateful for her & the love she has for him. Thank you Sara!!!

Trent, my bro-in-law, was also so wonderful with Lucas. In the picture below, Lucas was zonked out in Trent's arms, and I remember Alex coming over to me and saying, "Lucas is so comfortable right now that he's drooling!" Lol. I love my in-laws! We had so much with the family!

Fun at the Fair!

What a fantastically fun and enjoyable weekend! Alex, Lucas, and I went to the State Fair with some of our cousins, their kids, and our grandparents, and it was a BLAST!! We got up early & drove up to the fair. Lucas did great for the car ride and once all the family met up, we knew it was going to be a wonderful day. The sun was shining, the fair grounds were packed, and the smell of cotton candy, tiger ears (scones), and corn dogs filled the air. We walked by countless shops and vendor stands, and even entered a few prize drawings. We saw some of the biggest cows I've ever seen and also got to look at some of the most beautiful Clydesdale horses. We passed a really neat, authentic, cowboy hat stand. At first, we just had Lucas try on the cowboy hat for a picture, but as you can tell, he looked so darn cute we just had to buy it for him! He was able to wear it for most of the day because it fit so perfectly and comfortably.

I always wanted to get a caricature picture done for each of our children, so when I saw this woman's small stand for caricature drawings, I just knew we had to get one done. Lucas sat so still & good for the artist & we're so pleased with how it turned out. ( See pic below).

My cousin Claudia brought her two girls & they were so adorable and did so great all day! They had the cutest pink cowboy hats at the same stand we got Lucas's, so we knew we had to snap a picture of them in theirs. So fun!

My cousin Kory & his wife also brought their baby girl to the fair. She also did so well all day & her and Lucas looked quite the pair in their cowboy hats.

The main event (and the big reason we went to the fair on that particular day) is because they had the Indian Relay races & championship going on. They have to be THE most exciting, heart-pumping, adrenaline rush-ing thing out there to watch. I captured a quick video of one of the races and posted it below. (My camera fades out for a moment in the beginning, but then it clears up I promise lol). Lucas absolutely LOVED the races! The stands would get so loud and you could just feel the excitement in the air! So very glad we were able to go!