FL Beutel Family: July 2008

Special Olympics??

Tyler shows off his pyrotechnic prowess by building a sparkler tree.

He follows up with a lap on an impossibly small bike.

July 4th

Scott and Heather got engaged a few months ago. We were all on hand to toast the happy news and officially welcome Scott to our crazy family.

Tyler, Sam, Katie and Ben horse around after dinner.

A July 4th celebration would not be complete without fireworks. After one pina colada too many, I suggested we go get some. This is Ben's first sparkler!

Katie and Tyler setting off smoke sticks.

King's Island

While in Ohio, we made a trip to King's Island theme park. They have a great kid's section and this year, Ben was old enough to enjoy some of the rides as well. Here are Sam and Abby on the Blue's Clues ride.

Sam, Katie and Scooby Doo.

Abby tries to show Ben the correct way to steer.

Katie and Aunt Heather seek some mild thrills on the kiddie coaster.

Here, Fishy-fishy!

The art of fishing is lost on Katie. She would much rather play with the worms than actually wait for a fish to land on the hook.

Still, she's pretty excited when a fishy gets reeled in. Just so long as she doesn't have to touch it.

The Backyardigans Show

We went to see The Backyardigans Live with my girlfriend Kristin and her kids Olivia and Jake. Here are the four kids (Olivia, Ben, Jake and Katie) en route to the show.

Me and the kids waiting for the show to start. They had a GREAT time and all four kids did so much better than we had hoped. We even made it home in time for naps!

Bathing beauties

Okay, I'll admit that we take fewer baths in the summer since the kids are in the pool often (if not daily), but I still can't resist a good shot of them splishin' and splashin' in a good bubble bath. How long do you think we'll be able to put them both in at the same time?

What a vacation!

We rarely remember to stop for a moment and take a family picture. Often, we get home from vacation and find out that we have a million picture of each of the kids, maybe a handful that include us lowly parents, and usually none with all five of us. Although Katie looks like she's catching flies, I think it's pretty clear that we were all enjoying ourselves on this fine day at the lake. All vacations should be this much fun!

Fun in the Sun

Paddle boating with Grama.

Daddy and the kids enjoy a ride on the tube.

Tyler's graceful exit.

S'mores, please!

No lake vacation would be complete without a campfire and s'mores. We quickly found out that Katie and Ben had zero interest in roasting marshmallows, and only wanted to eat the chocolate bars. But Tyler kept a steady supply of roasted marshmallows coming our way.

Captains in training

Driving the boat (with our without Grampa's help) is always a popular activity. Ben, in particular, seemed to have the constant urge to hop behind the wheel. Fortunately, it's not illegal (yet) to drive under the influence of a Capri Sun.

Fun @ the lake

Katie and Momma hold on tight at the back of the boat.

Katie was tiring of the boat, so she decided to take a little rest.

Daddy, Katie, Grama and Ben taking a dunk in the lake.

Ben and Ty catching some rays.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen

We have a million pictures of Tyler wakeboarding and on the slalom ski. Here are a couple of my faves. From high...

to low!

Look carefully...

At the end of a fun evening, it was time to get the kids headed towards bed. A bath makes for a nice segue between outdoor activities and jammies. We attempted to get all four kids facing the same direction but were not successful. From L-R, that's Sam, Katie, Abby and Ben. Looks like we're starting our own little Arian Nation, huh? For the record...we AREN'T. Now...zoom in and look at what is holding Katie's interest. I'm happy to report that Sam was holding a "tubby toy" and was simply squirting water out of it when this pic was snapped. You should be ashamed of yourself for thinking othewise.