Mullet's

Last weekend I had the opportunity to visit Mullet's, Des Moines' most happenin' bar/restaurant managed by none other than... MY BROTHER! Mullet's has a fun atmosphere, a two-tier deck with a GORGEOUS view, and some ultra-hip wait staff (one guy had a rockin' mohawk). Plus Mullet's has a cool googly-eyed fish in front... And it's right next to the I-Cub Stadium and the bike path. I loved it!

The view from Mullet's is stunning!

Jane was lovin it too...

Aunt Joni was there in all her possessed glory.

And my Grandma was wielding her MAMMOTH sandwich with a vengeance...

And drumroll please... My brother WAYNE, one of the creative geniuses behind the scenes at Mullet's.

Eat at Mullet's today! Yum!

Visiting Family

My sister-in-law is expecting a baby in SEPTEMBER! Yay!! We traveled to my parents' house for the week and one of the fun events of our trip was attending Tiffany's baby shower.

Tiffany and the two grandmas-to-be.

Double G (my grandma, Joanne) and my mom
Grandma, Tiffany, and my Mom share a good laugh

My aunt Linda. I LOVE this photo of her because she has such an earthy, natural look.

My aunt Joni (known as 'Hello Joni' by our kids). My grandma Bertha (Dad's mom) and aunt Patty.

Becky and Taylor (my cousin's wife and daughter)

Everyone enjoying some great food

Aunt Joni and Lorelai sitting together

And their feet. Love this!

Jane enjoys her feet

Hi Jane.

My dad and Jane share a nap together

In addition to the shower, we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows, went swimming at the new local pool, went swimming at the old and even-more-local pool, enjoyed a farewell party for my cousin Travis, his wife Becky, and their kids Taylor, Jordan, and Brady. They're moving to Germany for 2-3 years. We had a great time with my family!

Next, we're planning a trip to visit MM's (US-based) family on the east coast. Can we survive so many hours packed in our van? If only our kids permanently stayed like this when we travel:

Swimming and the Illegal Car Ride

More documentation of the fleeting moments of summer. We have been swimming many times this year. We love the mosquito-free, cool, sunny outdoor experience. So we repeat often.

Azael

Silas

Silas interacting with friends during his lesson

Lorelai relaxes poolside. She had a fever that day. And a big bandaid on her nose to shield her from scratching another mosquito bite.

Azael and Ephraim have fun

Ephraim

I was there. Poolside with Lorelai. At least I got some great photos.Ironically, while we enjoyed the pool, MM was buying a snow blower. We swapped cars at the pool so he could load the sb in the van. I forgot to swap carseats, however. Here's evidence of our illegal 2.5 mile ride back home. Yes, that's a 9-month-old in a (overly loose) lap belt. Luckily Azael and Ephraim got a ride home with friends.

Yes, I feel shame. I won't do it again.

Tennis, Treats, Friends, Food

It's time to document our summer. A little. Here goes:

Azael and Ephraim took tennis lessons this summer. They had a great time! However, judging by this picture, you wouldn't know that. Azael is definitely becoming a pre-teen and had an attitude about me snapping this photo. To "get even" he crossed his eyes. Nice.

Silas and Lorelai hanging out on the bleachers during tennis...

A trip to McDonald's with friends afterwards...







Jane and I were there... Jane learned the art of the straw today.


These great friends played tennis, too!
Don't you love Carla's (aka 'Nilla') flaming red hair? She's a Twilight fan, can't you tell?

Some other friends. And I won't name names. Because there are killers out there. (this one's for you, OE/TL! Show your hubby this one. :) But Silas LOVES these guys!

Yes, they're hiding under a table. I think it was part of a game... Another great friend, Marianne. She *loves* ice cream. :)

There are so many other great friends and activities (like the tie dye party, etc etc) but I forgot the camera on those days. We love our friends!

A Bit Too Much

Azael to the rest of our family: "I know Heavenly Father created a life with lots of challenges, but I think mosquitoes are a bit too much."

The REAL Photo

This photo has all the right faces. Phew!

Which is Your Favorite?

We took some cute photos tonight. Everyone wore the tie-dye shirts they made last week with our friends the Van Horns (thanks Valerie!).


Which is your favorite photo? (I'm thinking 'Christmas Card Photo.' Hmmm...)

1.

2.3.
4.

I'm so glad they all behaved for the photos. Although they all had lots of mosquito bites afterwards. Poor things!