Who sleeps like this? ;)

Blunn Creek Greenbelt

So Austin has these things called "greenbelts" (areas of open land around the city). There are at least 16 of them, with the most popular being Barton Creek. 

Well yesterday we decided to go for a little nature walk through the Blunn Creek Greenbelt--just south of the downtown area:

Selfie!

Tunnel!

Butler Park

This park is downtown, right on the river. There's a a big pond filled with turtles (well over a dozen) and a fountain / splash pad that never seems to be working.

These aren't the best pictures--sorry. I think the kids were disappointed because they think park is synonymous with playground, which in this case it's not.

Downtown Austin

Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree

Fireworks

Today for Independence Day we had a backyard BBQ and played with a few small fireworks:

Our Garden

Our zinnias turned out to be our most resilient plant.

See the butterfly?

The corn and sunflowers are taller than the kids now.

Lizzie, the Artist

Liz made this cheetah mask this week. She did it 100% on her own. All I did was give her some paper so she could color. I was impressed with what she came up with:

The spots are made from electrical tape (which she found on her own). She tied it with a cord she took from the window blinds. She made the eye holes with her finger and some "drool."  ;)

Backyard Fun

Heidi and Daddy picked up a tee ball set at Target on their date last night:

And check out how our garden's coming along:

The squash is flowering, which means we should be able to harvest soon.

And the corn and sunflowers are getting really tall. (I need to weed, but I'm nervous about it. I'm afraid I'll pull up the wrong things.)

The zinnias look like they're about to bloom any day now too. Our peppers, onions, radishes, and carrots don't seem to be doing well though. We'll probably just give up on them and plate salvias and snapdragons instead.

Mayfield Nature Preserve

Three peacocks greeted us as soon as we arrived. Then we went for a nature walk through the preserve, along the creek and lake.

Bartholomew Park and Splash Pad

This park with splash pad is just 2 miles from our house, so we'll probably have to work this into our weekly routine:

Bunk Beds

We bought bunk beds for the girls a few weeks ago. Over the last two weeks we've been using them as guest beds, but we moved them into the girls' room over the weekend:

(And now that the girls have bunk beds, Owen has graduated to Heidi's old toddler bed.)

Guess who hit her head on the fan blades on her THIRD night in her new bed and had to go to the ER for stitches?

Five stitches, folks!

Grandma Party

Jessie and Fancy Nancy dolls

Planes and Pirates (He also got a cool Planes lunch box.)

Jessie from Toy Story and dog Slinkie. Grandma made the dress herself!

Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy

I love this picture! 

Bats

Aunt Sarah wanted to see the bats:

The bats roost in those cracks on the underside of the bridge. When we went this week, they left their nests later than usual (after 9:00) because it's birthing season. The momma bats have their babies during the first two weeks of June.

A Few Videos of Owen

The Birthday Boy, Take 2

Cousins

At the funeral luncheon

Mesa Temple

The kids were having a hard time being reverent at the viewing, so we ducked out early and went down the street to visit the temple.

The Birthday Boy

Grandma and Grandpa's Farm

With the new colt

Heidi REALLY likes the horses.