On the first day of summer vacation the kids and I made a list of all the things they wanted to do over the 2 1/2 months they had off.  Visiting the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma was high on the list.  Visiting Grandpa and Grandma Tractor in Gig Harbor was also high on the list.  The kids were able to earn enough money to pay for a trip to the zoo from their bake sale--yeah!  We especially had fun in the aquarium exhibits.  There were divers in the shark tank, which was kind of cool to watch. 

 The pot belly sea horses were fun to look at.

 It was a blue Friday--still a pre-season game, though.  And a Mariner's game that night as well--back when we still thought the play offs might be a possibility.  Sigh.

 I think it's pretty easy to tell that they are brothers.

 At the end of our time at the zoo the kids realized they still had a little bake sale money left over--so we bought some delicious ice cream to cool down with.  Nora had an appropriate shirt for our little treat.

 We spent a lot of time watching the giant walrus under water.  I was trying to get a picture of the kids with the walrus coming up behind them, but he kept teasing me and veering off to the side of where the kids were whenever I had my camera ready.

 He's the large blob there on the left.

 Back home the kids remembered why we call him "Grandpa Tractor". Henry became a riding lawn mower addict right off the bat.  As soon as the mower was turned off and parked he would go over, climb on it and start rocking back and forth to try to make it go. 

 Daddy came to Gig Harbor to join us for the weekend.

 Ole Flower Face.

 Ezra got a quick driving lesson...

 and then took over on his own.  So sad, wasn't it just yesterday that he was taking his first ride with Grandpa on the mower and making up the name "Grandpa Tractor"????

 We're all scared of the day when she becomes a driver!

 Aunt Lynne and her family came over for part of the weekend.  It was fun to see them all.  Her daughter Erin came and brought her dogs as well, much to the delight of our kids.

 "Planking is easy, Mom!  I don't know what everyone is complaining about"  says the boy with incorrect form : ) 

We were glad that we could fit in these fun activities from our list of thing we wanted to do over the summer!