Busy Busy Busy

Fireworks on Friday

Cowboy Dave in the parade

Ice cream cones at DQ

At the mall

Maddie's school picnic

More mall pictures "Yes, Sir!"

At home

At the carnival

Happy Birthday!

Lots to report. Last weekend Saturday we went downtown. We had a picnic in Gene Layhee Mall. I got POOPED on by a bird. It really wasn't a big deal. It was off with one wipe but it was funny! I remember my mom telling me a story about a time she was pooped on right on her head. Thankfully mine was just on the back of my shirt and must have been from a very small bird. Either that or only part of it hit me. We stopped at some art studios and watched glass blowing and met another woodcarving artist.

Last Sunday we celebrated Mary and Ryan's birthday at our house. It was a potluck style dinner. We grilled brats and made burgers and dogs. It was fun and the girls enjoyed having the family over. Mary, Ted and Maddie jumped in the trampoline with the sprinkler. I got pretty wet myself, especially when Mary and Maddie chased me with the sprinkler. Well, that and the supersoakers.

Last Friday we had a picnic lunch at Maddie's school after which she came back to my work. She was a little bored but enjoyed driving my co-worker Michelle nuts.

Saturday our friend Eileen came over for lunch and to the city parade. It was roasty and I have a nice sunburn to prove it. We surprised Ryan with an hour long massage before the parade. We left the parade a little early and ended up at Dairy Queen for ice cream before we went to PF Changs for dinner. Eileen was able to come out to dinner too. It was a fun day!

Today we spent several hours at the carnival. Maddie rode every ride she could. She's now 42 inches which, in the carnival world, is like the Golden Ticket into everything cool yet not scary. Her next milestone will be 48 inches when she can go on scary rides too. She told us she wanted to go on the Zero Gravity ride but after watching it briefly she changed her mind. It wouldn't have mattered because you have to be 48 inches to ride that one. After the carnival we headed over to the pool and spent a good 2.5 hours swimming. Anna had fun playing in the water. We're now extremely POOPED! Happy weekend to everyone!

This week should just be a boring ole week for us. Nothing exciting going on that I know of. :)

Oh, almost forgot! Anna started saying mama last Wednesday or Thursday (I can't remember which). The garden is doing well. We harvested peas a couple of times already. We have peppers and yellow squash and the kalrhabis are getting big. The beans are blooming so we'll have beans in about a week. We did have a casualty. Yesterday we found a ground squirrel tied up in our netting around the berries. He was strangled. It was sad and Maddie requested a burial.

Celebrating DAD

Happy Father's Day Dad!

Anna's new scrunchy face look

When I was 6 I started T-ball. I continued to play softball on through elementary school and college. I loved playing ball with my dad. It was one of his favorite games and was something we enjoyed doing together. We played on a team in Michigan until he couldn't play anymore. I really miss playing ball with Dad. We played a lot of games together too. I used to sneak in on his "poker night" games too. The guys always loved that. I can still picture all the guys from Dad's work sitting around our dining room table in the house on Bison Court. Cribbage and Boggle were two of our routine games. He taught me so well that I eventually started to win. While it was invigorating to win, I had a hard time with it. I had a hard time knowing that in my youth my mind was at its peak and his mind was on the decline. I didn't try as hard to win because it made me happier to see him win. I don't know if he was also trying less to win; he probably was because as a dad he wanted to see his daughter happy. I was happy just playing with him. The last time I played Boggle was with him. I still have my Boggle game but I haven't played it since my dad died. I don't know if I will ever play Boggle again, I hope so, but maybe with Madeline or Annalise when they're older. Right now I want to hold on to his memory and our special Boggle games together.

Like my dad, Ryan has a special way with the girls. He plays golf with Maddie and can toss Anna into the air with much more vigor than I. Dads and daughters have a special relationship that cannot be replicated by a mother and for that I am grateful. The girls will have a wonderful time growing up with the wonderful man they call Dad.

Vacation Bible School

With her teachers and a couple of kids from class.


Pastor Riley and his sidekick.

Madeline looking happy, the kids behind her; not so much!

Cool scene for setting the mood.

They start out the morning with music and dancing.


Maddie is at her last day. She LOVES it. Today they're having an avalanche of balloons. She's been working on crafts. She's brought home a cool vest, necklace and some horse puppets on sticks.

Ear Infection

Ryan took Anna to the pediatrician yesterday. Anna has her first infection that necessitates an antibiotic; an ear infection in her left ear. She has a cold with lots of boogers. She seems to be sleeping and feeling better since she started antibiotics. Hopefully she doesn't get anymore infections.

In other news: Madeline is enjoying a week of Avalanche Ranch: Vacation Bible School. She loves it. It's in the mornings this week. She's learning new songs and will perform at church on Sunday during "kids time". It's a nice break from the routine. She's also started swimming lessons twice per week. She's still doing very well with her reading.

Anna is just doing the crawling thing. Her vocabulary is expanding to include yaya, baba, dada, gaga, hiya and other "aaaa's" and some "eeeee's". Anna loves to stick EVERYTHING in her mouth, including pieces of carpet which must be nice to chew on. Ick!

Ryan spent a day in Vegas this week too. He said it's an interesting "facade".

Officially crawling forward

Anna decided to put her body into "drive" and go forward. She can really move herself around. If I knew how to post the video I would. She took her first few forward crawls last Sunday.

Happy June!

Working on the gardens

Maddie helping to plant

Ryan assisting the kids

Madeline watering the finished product

Katherine, Delaney, Madeline, Jane and Emma at Zio's Pizzaria after gardening

It's a beautiful day out and I am happy to report that we are forcing Anna to drop a night feeding. The little booger just loved her mama too much. She's dealing with it moderately well. She's such a soft warm cuddlemuffin that it's been a hard decision to make, but I am cutting her off! Hopefully by the end of 8 months I can wean her off of all night feedings. We'll see. Ryan will be mighty happy once we accomplish that milestone.

My eight month old booger is 18 pounds, moving all over the place, pulling up (a little) but much prefers the hip of her mama or dada. She started saying dada on Ryan's birthday. (He asked her for that (as his birthday gift from her) the previous day, and she obliged)

Madeline has gone through some rigorous testing on her ears the last week. We've been to an audiologist and ENT. She's on a nasal steroid temporarily to see if her ear pressure reduces. It doesn't bother her, but it does impact her low level hearing. She may ultimately get tubes to reduce the pressure but we won't know until her birthday. She's still reading her Bob books very well and has started writing words too. We're gearing up for her birthday party which will be a tea party with a clown (she does great face painting and balloons). Ryan finished the retaining walls and seeded so we hope to have the grass fill in soon. Once that's done we'll be able to move the trampoline and buy the new play structure. The goal is to have the backyard ready for her birthday party. Ryan is also building a fire pit and arbors but those will not likely be ready until later this summer.

This weekend we're enjoying LaVista Days, strawberry and pea picking (in our backyard) and lounging around. This afternoon Maddie's school is installing a series of gardens for the students. Ryan is in charge of the effort. Money Magazine is coming to my work on Monday. We don't know why for certain but suspect we made the top ten places to live/work. We made the top 25 last year.