Step 1 of Ulrickson Invasion

Our good friends from ABQ, Dave & Jess, and their 2 kids, Sam & Steph, have cooked up a good little plan for our two families.  Every other year, they go to her sister's farm in WI for a week's visit.  This year, we are going to join them for a small portion of their visit.  They flew into CHI yesterday, spent the night with us, went to church today w/ us, and then left after lunch for WI.  The kids got along real well, and we were set for a few days adventure in WI. 

After church on the 4th of July (!!), we went over to NWern to feed the ducks and fish and hang out a bit.

One of the best pics I've seen showing both the fish and the ducks, eager for our stale bread

Zach, DaU, Sam, Steph, Dave feeding the ducks/fish 

Sam & Zach heading down by the water

Feeding the animals was not nearly the hit that I thought it would be, and the kids got bored fairly quickly (our boys did this just a week or so ago), so we headed around the little lake to check out the rocks and views at Lake MI.  Jess and I were both wearing strappy shoes, so we did not have to walk around on the rocks.  Had Art been thinking, he would have asked me to go barefoot and help out with the boys! :)

CHI skyline

Sam, Art, Zach, Dave & Steph climbing the rocks

Art helping little Wyatt, Dave helping little Steph

Attempt at a family picture until the kids were ornery - Jess & Dave

Steph checking out the weeds around the rocks

Zachary, Art. Shayna, Wyatt

After the rocks, the kids were hot, tired, hungry, and irritable, so the Dads went back to get the cars and bring them around to save the kids the long walk back.  Jess & I took the kids over to play in the shade under some trees.  Fun abounded...

Wyatt agreeing to let Mom get in the picture with him

Zachary posing the tree he climbed himself!

Zach hanging from a branch for an inordinately long time

After that, we headed to our house, had some quick lunch, then they took off (w/ our sleeping bags, huge help!) to her sister's farm in WI.  We were planning on joining them on Tuesday evening and leaving late Friday evening.  We're all looking forward to it!

After they left, we had to scramble to get ready for the rest of the 4th of July - I had to make a Heath Bar Trifle for a cookout at the Mangrich's.