Father's Day and baseball

(sorry for the poor photo quality--Layne took my camera on her honeymoon, so all I had was my phone)

Although we couldn't spend Father's Day with Zach (he was at his brother's house in Missouri during his road trip), we loved spending the day with Grandpa!  Since Dan and Ben aren't the most well-behaved at restaurants, we went to Five Guys and had burgers and fries, followed by Grandpa's favorite, Baskin Robbins.  They sure do love their grandpa (even if Ben calls him Grandma).

Zach arrived in Wichita the next day and we were thrilled to see him and to finally be together again for good.  It's been so wonderful for him to be on leave and not answering texts/emails/phone calls about work 24-7.  He doesn't have to report to school until mid-July so we have a couple more weeks of freedom.

The day after he arrived, we went to a Wichita Wingnuts game.  It was cool because a guy named Nate Robertson was pitching for the 'Nuts that night.  He was the year ahead of me in high school and has pitched for several teams in the major leagues, including for Detroit in the World Series.  He's rehabbing from surgery and injuries, so he's back home and just pitching with Wichita until he gets picked up again.  His younger brother (the year behind me in high school) is the pitching coach for the Wingnuts and his older brother is the general manager.  So it was neat to see people that I hadn't seen in a really long time.

Dan and Ben really liked the game (and they LOVED the ice cream social beforehand).  Last year, we made it through about 2/3 of one inning but this year we stayed for four whole innings.  Maybe next year, we'll actually see the whole game!  

Layne's wedding!

(Only two weeks late!)

Layne and Alex were married on June 8th in the courtyard of Alex's parents' home.  It was a gorgeous ceremony and a really fun dinner and reception.  I was a bridesmaid and Dan was the ring bearer and we both did a great job!  Well, Dan especially.  I had arranged with the best man to give Dan a new train when he handed the rings over, so Dan had a little bit of incentive to get up the aisle.  After he traded the rings for the train, he walked over to Zach, who was waiting at one of the doors to the courtyard, and said loudly, "Look, Daddy! A new train!" Everyone chuckled at that one.

During the wedding and reception, Dan and Ben stayed in the basement with the baby-sitters and the other kids.  They had tons of toys and movies and food down there, so it really was a great situation for everyone.  Zach and I got to enjoy ourselves without worrying about the boys breaking things or falling into the pool or hot tub.  And they got to play with new stuff and new people.  We had a wonderful time and are so happy for Layne and Alex as they start their life together!

Check out that gorgeous flower arrangement!

"So, can I get your number?"

Dan did try to steal one of those chocolate strawberries.  Too bad about 25 people were watching.

Proof that Ben was there too!

Swimming at the Babst's

A few weeks before the wedding, I took the boys over to the Babst's house (Layne's in-laws) to go swimming.  Dan and Ben are getting spoiled with all this swimming so I hope Leavenworth has some pools for us to use!  It's kind of challenging to take them by myself because they both want to jump in and swim around by themselves.  This pool was little enough that I could grab one or both of them before disaster struck but swimming with them is not exactly the most relaxing or enjoyable experience (for me, at least).

Exploration Place, etc.

I know, I know, I've been a blog slacker.  But I have a good excuse: my baby sister Layne got married last Friday!  So things were pretty busy around here, with lots of family in town (including Zach!) and tons of wedding-related activities.  Now I just need to play some catch-up on this here blog.

Two weeks ago, I took the boys to Exploration Place, a children's interactive museum near downtown Wichita.  Dan and Ben had a great time, even if a lot of the activities were geared toward slightly older kids.  (A new Star Wars exhibit just opened, but I didn't get tickets for that since neither of the boys have even heard of Star Wars and I've only ever seen the original movie once.)  So we just climbed on things, explored the nature exhibits, and checked out Kansas in Miniature (a model train display).

We've also been doing "nature walks" (as Dan calls them) through a little wooded area near Sedgwick County Park.  I like it because it's shaded and quiet and not so long of a walk that Ben's legs get tired.  The boys like it because they can jump off the benches and pick up bugs and just explore.