Happy Birthday National Parks, can't wait until we meet you all!

My second summer at Boy Scout Camp, 2002, I got to lead high adventure trips. I lead scouts sea kayaking in the Apostle Island National Lake Shore. Technically the Apostle Islands aren't a National Park, but they are run through the National Park Service. I remember thinking often, "I'm getting paid to be outside sea kayaking" and to this day my answer for the best job I ever had was that job.

Sea Kayaking in Apostle Islands

In the summer of 2003 I got a call from Kimberly Clark while I was doing a summer semester at Michigan Tech. I was having a hard summer because I missed working at camp so much. I jumped at the chance to get work experience in my engineering field and then they asked me where I wanted to work- Utah or Wisconsin. My grandpa Cyrl told me Utah was the most beautiful place and I had never seen the mountains so I choose Utah.

Badlands

Dave drove with me to help me get settled in Utah and on our way we camped and stopped in the Badlands which was my very first National Park I visited. While I was in Utah I went camping, hiking and backpacking nearly every weekend. I went to the Tetons, Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon, Arches and my favorite Zion Nation Park. I was hooked on the beauty of the National Parks and loved visiting them.

Sawtooth Mountians- not a Nation Park but my first Mountain Backpacking Trip

Tetons

Yellowstone

Zion

Brice Canyon

Mountain Biking- Arches National Park

Dave and I both backpacked on Isle Royal National Park while at Michigan Tech, but different years and different trips. Hence the no pictures of us together. 

Glacier- 2007

A year after my graduation Dave and I and two friends went backpacking in Glacier National Park which is another awesome park, but our decision to see all the parks really solidified when Dave booked a trip to Seattle for just us when Adam was a year old. We were both worried we would miss Adam and get homesick so we scheduled ourselves very busy. We got bored with the city and wanted to get to the National Parks. We spent a day in Olympic and a day in Mount Rainer. A few months later Ken Burn's PBS special "National Parks America's Best Decision" aired and we got even more serious about seeing all of America's national beauty.

Every time we book a trip we look to see how close the nearest National Park is. We've been to the Grand Canyon, Accadia, Congaree and Sagauro in the last 3 years mostly because of other trips planned for other reasons (weddings or hockey tournaments- you know the two things that get us to travel). Last Christmas I got Dave a map of all the national parks and every time we visit one we get to color in the symbol. As I write this I realize this is just the #HutchParkTour on a National scale!

Grand Canyon- 2013

Accadia- 2013

Saguaro- 2016

Congaree- 2016

So I've been to 13 National Parks, Dave's been to 12, but really together we've been to the same 10 National Parks and 49 left to go! Happy Birthday National Parks, can't wait until we meet you all!

Oh Yeah, School Started... In August

So I'm a little behind in posting our back to school pictures, especially considering the Hutchinson School District Started School in August this year.

It was just as hard to send Eli to Kindergarten as it was to send Adam.

 Adam's first day of school was a day before Eli's. The big 2nd grader headed off to a new school this year.

 Adam getting on the bus the first day.

 Eli's first day of kindergarten.

 The toddlers including little brothers and sisters watching for the bus.

 Brothers!

 Eli is ready to get on that big bus!

 They never look back and I always cry!

 This is my little guy getting off the bus after the big first day.

Annual Cousin Visit

Nephews, nephews everywhere. We had a great visit to Chicago over MEA break. We drove to Madison on Thursday to see my cousin Vanessa and her family and new house. The men also got to watch a Packer game while the kids played. Then Friday we drove to Chicago and road the train to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Saturday we went to the Museum of Science and Industry- always a big win to see the trains, planes and a submarine! We got in one park visit on Sunday before driving to Kenosha to visit with Ann, Ricky and our nephews James and Nathaniel. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and the kids had a great time playing in the backyard as we caught up with Ann. Our weekend was jam packed with cousin time, but we were really happy to be home after the long drive!

Cousin Birthday Party- 2, 3, 5, 6 & 7 Years Old

The cousin's all have birthdays pretty close together. Elliott is first in the beginning of April, then Eli at the end of April, Isaac and Nate are a couple of days apart in June and then Adam the end of June and Jame's in the middle of July. So to celebrate the Red-Schwed birthdays we got together with Dave's parents house.

Along with the great cousin time and big birthday party we got to take Adam and Eli golfing for the first time with Dave's Dad and it was so much fun!

Okay Who Let Them all Get Older!

So in June all of the boys went to their well child checks because someone let them grow and get bigger again this year.

Adam nearly 7 years old is- 47 pounds and 6.4 ounces 32nd percentile for weight and 3'11" tall and 34th percentile for height and 38 percentile for BMI.

Eli was just over 5 years old is- 34 pounds 12.8 ounces which is 8th percentile for weight (such a peanut) and 3 feet 5 inches and the 12th percentile for height, and 21st percentile for BMI.

Isaac practically went on his 2nd birthday and was 28 pounds 3.9 ounces which is actually the 53rd percentile. What, I have a kid who is in the middle of the curve, but wait his height is 2 feet 8.75" and 16th percentile that sounds more Schwedskala. And 89th percentile for BMI!

Cabin Time

We spent a couple weekends at the cabin in July. The majority of the weekend was spent swimming in the lake and enjoying slowing down.

Adam is 7

I tried to talk Adam into staying 6 or maybe aging backwards to 5. Although two 5 year olds might not be the easiest. His birthday fell on a Sunday and despite my best efforts Adam is now 7.  We had our typical decorations and Happy Birthday breakfast with an extra friend Ryan here. Dad and Ryan's dad were hiking in the woods, but Adam still had a great birthday. We had lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings and then we went to the 3M picnic and there were lots of rides with our friends Nate and Josh.

Adam's birthday is so close to the 4th of July that I struggle planning a birthday party for him in a timely manner. This year he instead of wanting to invite everyone and their brother Adam decided he just wanted his friend Nate and his brother to come (along with my parents and brother Henry). He watched Hook recently (my favorite Robin Williams movie) and decided on a Peter Pan/ Hook theme. With only having one family over it was pretty simple party to plan that we literally threw together in a couple days.

The party was hosted at "Neverland". Pirate swords, sling shots, tinker bell and a pirate ship pinata and pretend food cake, plus snacks and pizza rounded out the party.

The pinata was so cool looking we almost didn't want to break it open. Okay no the boys love hitting the pinata and so did Gretchen!

We made the boys walk to plank! And then of course it ended up being sword plank fights and the plank had to go away. 

So they changed into swim suits and had a water balloon fight! And that "as seen on TV" balloon filler is worth every penny.

Adam we love you and enjoy watching you grow up and mature. Happy 7th Birthday!

My Baby isn't Much of a Baby

Last week Isaac turned two and my last baby is not so much a baby today. He's full of so much excitement for life. He knows what he wants and tells us exactly what it is. We love this little guy so much and he will always be my baby!

We decided to celebrate all the birthday boys this weekend in Dave's hometown. So we spent a lot of Isaac's birthday driving in the car through Wisconsin. So we made sure we had a breakfast treat with a "2" candle and a "Happa Birfday" song. The flame from the candle was too much for the Isaac but once it was out he was back to his happy self!