Summer Has Begun

Sadly enough we started the summer with my Grandpa passing away. It was a bit of a shock to all of us but he was 89 almost 90, and went fairly quickly so I couldn't have asked for it any other way. 

Gabriel was on a business trip the week of his funeral so just the girls and I went. We got to spend lots of time with family and some we probably won't see for awhile!

So here are a few pictures of my grandpa while serving in the Navy that I had never seen until the funeral. He had them all stashed away and now looking at all of pictures of even from when he was young I have so many questions. We grew up with 11 siblings and now only his youngest sister survives! I did get to talk to her about what it was like growing up and that was really interesting! I really wish I would have found these pictures before he passed!

 We got to spend some time with Uncle Travis...he didn't get to stay long but we still had fun!

 And of course we can't go to California without having Chinese! We don't have any good Chinese here so Chinese is always a must when we go out of town!

 Violet approves too!

To kick off the summer in Hutch the library puts on this carnival type day...We braved the crowds and still had lots of fun. There wasn't much to do for toddlers but we liked watching other people. Brigitte got to play on a real firetruck, we got out hands painted, made rocket ships, and even helped paint a picture!

Color Me Rad

Once again I am way behind and I need to catch up because we have a few things happening the rest of the summer and want to blog about them but not 6 months after they happen! 

So anyway a group of us girls from church have started working out occasionally (schedules don't usually always match!) and in May some of us went and did a Color Run down in Wichita. If you have never done one I really encourage you to do one even if you don't run! A lot of people walked it! There were so many people there I couldn't believe it. We got there at 9:30 and people were already leaving because they had already ran. Then we were leaving around 11:30 and people we just starting to run. There were just people everywhere! 

So here is a before picture...

And after...

Army Graduation

Gabriel's brother graduated basic training just 6 hours from us. So me and the girls went to watch the festivities. Gabriel was on another dang business trip and didn't get to come celebrate with us. Traveling 5 days with 2 small children and staying in a different place every night is not something I will do again any time soon.

The girls love staying at hotels because they know that that usually means swimming! My children really did inherit the "dolphin" name because the love the water. Of course I was by myself with 2 children in a pool so I was a responsible parent and didn't take any pictures but we did have lots of fun.

The army base was 2 hours south of St. Louis so before the graduation we spent the day at the zoo, the pool, dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory (my fav!), and the Arch.

So if you go back to one of my very first post it was the St. Louis zoo. Brigitte was under a year old and the giraffe's were her favorite so I tried to  re create the same pictures because once again they were inside not outside. 

The giraffe when we were there last time was just a little baby and it makes me wonder if this is the same giraffe...

We couldn't fit the double stroller in the rental car so we comprised. At first Brigitte didn't like it but after awhile she was asking Violet to sit on her lap and never wanted to walk!

The closet thing we found to a horse

It was so hot this day and they are standing on the air vents it felt so nice in there and the seals were entertaining to watch swim over our heads.

I love walking down to the Arch along the river it is so pretty and there is so much grass for girls to run on.

Violet's new little buddy Charmaine

 We stayed at a really neat hotel called the Cheshire. Every room was themed after an old English poet or author. We had the guy who wrote The Wind in the Willow. Of course they also had to give us a room with the view of the pool! The pool was a warm 68 degrees and of course didn't bother the girls one bit!

Graduation

 The only picture I could get the girls to take with Uncle Austin in uniform!

So this is Austin's group. The graduation was so fun and of course I had never been to one. If you ever get a chance it is a pretty neat experience.

 Austin was one of 6 out of 124 that graduated to get an award. He got the fitness award which he score a 295 out of 300.

Mama Dauphin and her baby! 

 The youngest and oldest Dauphin

Sister love!

My favorite picture of the whole trip I think

 Violet got to go bowling with Uncle Denny and had a BLAST!

 Park fun right before we had to go home!