F is This Week's Letter

As I downloaded the camera this week, I realized that today was the only day I took pictures of the boys.  This was a busy week for us and I guess I didn't grab the camera until today!

This week's letter is F.

We attended a funeral for my Grandpa Roy (my mom's dad).  We picked up the boys at noon from Bonnie's on Friday to head to Augusta for the memorial service.  The boys had the chance to meet him a couple different times in the past years while we visited him in the nursing home.  He will be missed, however we all agree he is in a better place as we hated seeing him at the nursing home for the last 8 years and he wasn't too happy there either.

Friday evening we had plans to go to my assistant Principal's home for a staff get together.  While at the funeral, Aiden complained that his belly hurt and he came down with a fever.  So while Ashton still wanted to play with some friends, Adam stayed home with Aiden.  We had fun, but Ashton was more worried about bringing his brother home a Popsicle after a hour or two.

Saturday it was Ashton's turn with a fever.  While I golfed with some friends for the UW Stout Hockey fundraiser, the boys hung with Nana.  It turned out to be a beautiful day to be outside with 3 good friends!  Playing best ball, the team managed to use my ball three times, which is more than I thought they would use ;)

Today we enjoyed the fall weather and played in the leaves that have began to fall off our trees.

 

Burying each other.

 Running and jumping in!

 This is just the beginning of the leave piles in the back yard...

 They chased each other and threw the leaves after dad raked them all into a pile.

We missed Sunday School today because of the recent fevers.  Last week, they made themselves at Sunday School.  I can't possibly keep all the art projects they make, so in attempt to take pictures of what they make and make an art book, I share their pictures below.

 Aiden takes a little more time coloring and adding more details in his work.  Ashton doesn't have the patience or interest to sit that long. ;)

I can't believe this next week is the last of September!  Maybe we'll find time to go to an apple orchard before the season is over!

~The Wamboldt's

Day With the Dozers

This was a week of milestones and memories!

After waiting and waiting, the boys FINALLY had their first official day of preschool.  It seems like weeks ago we had their orientation and now this week they eased their way into the full two hours.  On Tuesday they went for an hour and Adam stayed with them.  Then Thursday they went for a hour and Adam left.  There weren't any tears until some other kiddos cried.  Then Ashton thought he would cry and get a bit nervous.  They had a blast and preschool is just what they need this year before 4K next year!

 The two goof balls all ready.

 They helped me make their posters for the front of their binders.  They were pretty excited to take them to school, but sad when they had to stay at school!

 Ashton wants to be a baseball player.

Aiden wants to be a excavator driver.

 Both said the "Snow Table" was their favorite part of the first day.

 Saturday we headed to MN for the "Day With the Dozers!" 

We were invited by the Giertz's and it was a day the boys will talk about for a long time!

 We had two excited little boys ready to drive the 28+ pieces of equipment!  Even better - all proceeds went to the Children's Hospitals of MN.

 Ashy was a bit nervous and unsure, but with a little prompting he was brave.

 Aiden had pure excitement.

 First up was the backhoes.

Ashton was first up and not shy at all with this one.  The guy let him have full control of the machine and with a little help they dug a hole and filled it back in.

 A dream come true for this little man!

 Next up was Aiden.  He also got to dig a hole and fill it back in.

 He made the arm go "way high."

 I can't say enough about this event, how organized it was, how many volunteers there were, and how excited the volunteers were to share their equipment and love for dirt with all the kids.  They are just bog kids that still like to play in the dirt too!

 Wasting no time, next up was the dump trucks, loader, and grader line.

 While waiting we found our friends.  

Caz, Tatum, Jaxon, Aiden and Ashton

 Best of both worlds... while waiting in line they were in awe watching the machines, and then they got to drive them!

 Ashton wasn't too sure about the loader and HUGE dump trucks so while Aiden rode in the loader, Ashton watched.  He said he was hungry...

 There goes Aiden in the Loader!  Gramma and Grampa were available over Facetime, so they got to be a part of some rides too!

 I'm glad it was the volunteers putting them in the trucks and taking them out because I don't think they would have listened to me when it was time to get out of the trucks.

 After a little snack, we headed to the excavator line.  Jaxon's dad, Tucker, said we were going to rename this event next year to "Stand in Line for Your Kid Day."  The lines went fast though for the most part.

 Aiden was first to drive the orange excavator. 

 Then it was Ashton's turn.  He wanted the orange one too and needed a little prompting with a promise of a ring pop.  He was nervous, but we knew he would feel bad if he went home without doing it. 

 IT was fun watching the volunteers handle the kiddos.  You could easily tell who had kids of their own and who did not in the way they carried the kids. 

 The bulldozer line was the longest and slowest.  This is where the parents really did stand in line for the kids.  There was no way they could stand that long.  Good thing we brought some trucks with to play in the rocks and wood chips!  There were times we had 10 kids around playing with our 7 trucks we brought...

 We were lucky with great weather.

 Jaxon, Ashton, and Caz.

 The kids played so good together.  They were in Heaven.

 Tucker found a new friend with Aiden.  He would have sat and watched the truck all day.

 It's funny, Aiden took to Tucker and Jaxon looks forward to seeing Adam everyday when he drops off the boys at Preschool.  He wasn't too worried about Ashton and Aiden coming to his Batman party last spring, as long as Adam was coming.

 Playing on the tires.

 Waiting...waiting... waiting for the bulldozer!  Patiently.

 Finally!  The best part was they got to go together.

 They are off to push some dirt!

 They thought it was cool that this excavator was stacking the tires like blocks.

 After the Dozers, we waited in line one more time for the dump trucks.

 They got to ride in the biggest one they had.  The articulating dump truck... I had to ask them the names of all the trucks they were riding in.  With nap time and lunch time approaching, it was great that they could go together again... otherwise Ashton might have skipped out.

 They are off to get filled up by the excavator!

 They made a loop around and then dumped the load back by the excavator.

 I could see their smiles from here.  As they were waiting you could see them pushing buttons and making the wipers go. 

 I give the volunteer a lot of credit being able to drive this machine with two little excited boys on each knee!  I couldn't even drive my car with them on my lap!

 Next year the boys need to try the grader and the roller.  Those are the only two they didn't get to ride on (beside the tractor that we aren't too worried about.  Many friends have tractors around home).  After an awesome morning with the trucks, we were hungry.  We went to a Alien themed restaurant close by.

 With 7 kiddos, the arcade was perfect while we were waiting for our food.

 Taking turns throwing the balls and playing basketball.

 Adam cheated and helped the boys get a few baskets for extra tickets... Doesn't he know that cheaters never win, and winners never cheat?

 Blasting off in a space shuttle...

 "Wack - A - Mole Shark"

 Today marked a milestone at church.  

The boys and their preschool class were recognized and given their bible at the later service.

 Once outside, they wanted to pose in the tree.  I wanted them to stand by the brick wall... it's getting harder and harder to take posed pictures of these two with their own ideas.

 After church Nana and I escaped for a bit to do some shopping.  With the cooler weather and needing to dig out long pants, they boys looked like they were waiting for the floods.  Looks like we needed to buy jeans and new sweats before I wanted too... I was hoping for a few more weeks of shorts!

They boys hung with Dad and settled in for some Star Wars tonight.

The perfect end to a great weekend!

Our house is decorated for fall and I am not carrying my flowers in and out... so it might be time to say goodbye to summer?!?  Now let's just hope we get some fall and it doesn't go right to winter!