Memorial Day 2009...

Happy Memorial Day-

We have had a fantastic Memorial Day weekend and one of the best parts is that the weather has been so nice and the rain held off!!

The past few weekends have been busy for Dylan! Last weekend for mommy's birthday we took a trip to Jordan Creek Mall in Des Moines. It was a perfect day for some shopping, a nice dinner and we even stopped at the Build - A - Bear Workshop where Dylan made himself his own 'Monkey' that we call George! Dylan loved stuffing the monkey and picking up a heart to put inside him, then we watched him get all sewed up and Dylan created a birth certificate for 'George'. It was so much fun and Dylan enjoyed his first Build a Bear experience, this monkey goes everywhere with Dylan, we even have strapped him into the stroller on a few of our rides!

This weekend we took advantage of the nice, long weekend and ventured to Dubuque. Dubuque has a lot to offer and we really enjoyed ourselves and Dylan had a great time as well!!

We went to the Fenelon Elevator and took the Cable Car to the top of the hill. WOW, Dylan's eyes got pretty big when we were in the car. It was especially fun for daddy to take his kids there since it is something that he frequently did with his Grandma when he was a kid. The view was amazing from the deck once we reached the top, and on the way up we tried not to look down!

We then went to the Mississippi River Museum

and Aquarium. Dylan loved seeing all of the fish and walking around outside to all of the boats and even a stop at the bouncy duckie!

On Sunday we went and celebrated with Cassie her High School Graduation! We are so proud of her and her family put together a great party and it was fun to see lots of family especially those who got to see Danielle for the first time. Dylan was able to play with his cousin Harrison, they kicked the ball and swung on the swings! It was a beautiful afternoon and we were for sure in great company!

We then decided we would go back and spend the night and take Dylan to Grand Harbor resort and water park! It was a huge success. Dylan is such a little fishy anyway and to have lots of water toys and water slides was right up his alley! We sure got our fill of the water park on Sunday night and Monday morning. To say that Dylan loved the water is a bit of an understatement ;) He pretty much couldn't wait to get his feet wet. He started in the little kids area and soon he was going down the big kid slides with daddy and LOVING every minute of it! Then we went back to the room and relaxed a bit, Dylan made himself at home in his own bed and had everything he needed, snacks, books, his cup and of course his monkey!

We thought that Sunday night he would be super pooped out and want to sleep in Monday before going at it again....not so much! He was up and got his trunks on and kept saying, 'fun, water'. So after breakfast away we went for more fun at the water park. On Monday daddy and Dylan were even brave enough to stand under the huge bucket when it dumped gallons and gallons of water down on the brave souls below! The water slides were a huge hit with Dylan and the little tiny slide he preferred to go down on his belly! He is so daring...We definetly think that Aqua Tots has really helped him love the water even more. Neither of us ever thought he would like a big waterslide!




Monday we took our time venturing home after the morning at the water park. Daddy and Mommy have a favorite restaurant in Dubuque called Bricktown, so we ventured there for lunch. It was a great lunch and good to relax after a busy fun filled morning we had already had!

After lunch we drove home and made one last stop..... at the cemetery. We can't forget the true meaning of Memorial day, to celebrate those who have given their lives for us. We especially remember Great Grandma & Grandpa Kinney, Great Grandpa Holub. The cemetery is always beautifully decorated with flags everywhere. We also celebrate the life of our first born, Dalton James. It is always very important for us to take the kids to the cemetery so Dalton knows that we will never forget him and to see the beautiful life he is living thru Dylan & Danielle. We said a family prayer and I caught a couple priceless shots of Dylan staring down at his Great Grandparents & Big Brother's grave, and even giving the flowers a precious kiss :)

Thank you lord for blessing our family with a wonderful weekend of togetherness. It is always nice to get-a-way with the kids and relax for a few days. We also enjoyed the company of great friends and family. This was truly a Memorial Day we will always remember.~