Night at Grandma and Papa's Farm

We spent the night at my parents house before my friends baby's baptism.  The kids loved playing in the water at great grandma Arlenes house and getting buzz cuts was fun for all.  Nora and Jackson loved being on the farm and chasing Lucy (the dog) and Wally (Daddy's cat).  We had fun breathing fresh air and playing in the water at grandmas house.  I love these photos from the weekend. 

Buzz cuts all around

Before Haircut

After Buzzcut

Papa Lee before his buzzcut and Jackson after his buzz

Butt Butt

Grandma Debbie buzzing Jackson's hair

now he is a little man

We were at my parents for Harpers, my HS friends baby's, baptism.  We spent the night at my parents house and the kids loved hanging out with grandma and Papa and Jakcson needed a haircut so my mom brought out the clippers and buzzed his hair off.  While we were buzzing, Matt got a cut and my dad got a cut.  It was a nice night where the wind blew the hair away so we didn't even need to clean up after our clips!

Trying to get a good photo for a Father's Day gift

I was trying to get a cute photo of Nora and Jackson with the signs I made that said "we" (heart) "daddy" but my kids had other plans of fun and running and loving each other so Matt ended up with a computer game of Diablo which he probably wanted anyways! 

Book Group BBQ

We had our church book group's bbq tonight.  it was fun getting all the kids together and seeing everyone.  Great food and fellowship.  Wow, 7 years ago we were just getting into this and now we have 2 kids, the Brannons have a 2 year old and a baby on the way and the Aielts have almost 3 year old.  wow how time flies.

1 Year Photo, 1 month late -OOPS!

Big baby boy who doesn't want to stay still for photos.  I finally got around to taking a 12 month photo on our turqouise blanket and red backdrop.  He would not still still but here are a few of my attempts!

Nora singing the alphabet....finally-sort of- captured in video

Trying to capture a toddler singing the alphabet.....ha ha!  Nora sings it all the time but will not sing for the camera.   Here is my best attempt.

Baby Boy Sleeping

This is how he sleeps.  Nora has her 'lovey'.  Jackson has his puppy (which is a stuffed animal that I gave Matt when he went to Japan)  We tried giving him a 'lovey' and he didn't like them and they all made a rattling noise.  He somehow found this puppy that I gave Matt as a parting gift when he left for Japan back 8 years ago and now Jackson loves it.  He cradles it when he sleeps and doesn't fall asleep unless it is in the crib with him.  I love it!

Water Table Fun

The kids are loving our pool and water table.  Nora loves dumping water on Jackson's head.  Jackson loves splashing water all around.  They love being outside.

Work BBQ

We traveled north to Champlim to Matt's boss' house.  We had a BBQ with some new coworkers who were in town from Texas.  The kids loved running around in the yard and playing in the sandbox.  Nora would get a whole shovel full of sand and dump it on Jackson's head.....he was COVERED in sand and LOVED it!  It was fun catching up with Matt's coworkers and talking about the kids.  The kids were pretty good in the car and Matt actually drove home with the kids so I could have a half hour of 'calm' which was so needed.

Found my tongue

Jackson seems to have JUST found out he has a tongue.  He keeps sticking it out and biting it and touching it.  Weird because Nora 'found her tongue' when she was 7 months old - it was at her baptism so she has photos sticking her tongue out there. 

my watermelon girl!

Do I even need to write anything?  Oh Nora!!!  I brought out the butt of the watermelon to scoop out some for their lunches, I went to help Jackson with something and turned around to Nora's head in the watermelon.  I love!

First Family Vacation

We got a deal we couldn't pass up on 3 bears lodge in Warrens WI (on the way to the Wisconsin Dells).  Nora, Jackson and I were all at the Como Zoo so Matt worked a half day and then picked us up at the zoo and we continued on to start our vacation.  Nora was very excited for the 'water park'.  We got checked into our hotel room around 4 and immediately went to the pool.  What a great experience - perfect pool for our little tikes but they also had water slides which Matt enjoyed and a lazy river and a big kid pool.  Most of the pools and fun were inside but they also had an outdoor pool with slides.  The kid pool had 10" of water so we could let Jackson crawl around and Nora run and play.  Nora was afraid of this pail that dumped water every 15 minutes so we finally trained her that when the whistle would blow that meant the water would dump.  She thought that if she went over by the pail it would dump on her and she clung to our legs.  She finally got her stride Sunday morning at about 10.....yep checkout was at 11.  We are definitely planning on going back next year.  Thanks Brian and Michelle for the deal!!

in the hallway on our way to the waterpark - day 1

Jackson and Daddy

Jackson, Mommy and Nora

While in wisconsin - dip everything in CHEESE!

There aren't words to describe how cute I think she is!!

How does this ice machine work?

outdoor pool - daddy and jack playing basketball

Nora playing on the step

Jackson and Nora and Daddy

Playing with our screen door in our hotel room

liking the innertubes - finally SUNDAY!

hanging out in our hotel room before bedtime!

Nora and Jackson's First field trip

Ready to go to the zoo.

Taylor and Nora on the bus

Taylor and Nora looking at the giraffes

Jackson -who didn't really know what was going on at the zoo

All the High schoolers with their borrowed toddlers

Taylor and Nora

Exhausted and HOT!

We were invited to go to the Como Zoo with my brother in law AJ's girlfriend through her child development class at Chanhassen High School.  What a cool idea-they have a pretend daycare and then their end of the year activity is bringing a toddler to the zoo.  Taylor, AJ's girlfriend, would've taken Nora without Jackson and I but maybe I was feeling a bit worried about my little girl riding on a bus and being away from Mommy so I chaperoned a group of girls.  It was fun seeing all the toddlers and high school girls (shocker that there aren't any boys in the class!!!)  It was so fun seeing Nora in the morning when we told her it was finally 'Zoo day!"  It was a very warm day so we drank lots of water and tried to wear hats to help us with the heat.  Nora and Jackson were exhausted by the time we left the zoo at 2.