Savannah Chronicles

Home

2011-02-20T14:29:00.002-05:00

It is good to be home! We had a really great time with Nana and Papa last week, and Daddy got lots of work done, but now we are home. I got to sleep in my own bed last night and I missed my toys. It is nice to be home, but I'm looking forward to seeing Nana and Papa again soon!

Playing at the park

2011-02-18T16:35:00.001-05:00

We went to the park this morning!! It was sunny and nice outside, and I got to play on the slides and the swings!

Nana even pushed me!

There was a cute little playhouse at the park and I got to play in that too!

(I see you Nana!)

I showed Nana my 'plane'

When Papa was done with court, he came and played with me! We had a good time on the swings together!

I had a lot of fun at the park!

Science center

2011-02-17T17:37:00.003-05:00

Today, Nana took Mommy and me someplace special, the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science! It is part zoo, and part children's museum, so there were lots of things for me to see and do! I learned about weather and the space program and germs and play with balls and bubbles and lots of other things.

Here I am checking out some turtles!

Nana dropped a coin in and I got to watch it go around and around and around!

I got to roll the balls down the hill!

I pushed down on the lever and made lots of bubbles in the tube!

This was one of my favorite things. It played music and the music changed depending on how I moved the squares in front of me. It was really neat to listen to the music that I was making!

Mommy had me stand on the feet closest to my shoe size and stuck a dot right above my head. (I think some other people must have been playing around, because some of those dots can't be in the right place.)

Once we were done inside, we got to see a bunch of animals, like cows and goats and pigs, and then, we rode on a train!!!!!

Nana and I, all ready for our ride!

I was really excited!

Then we went to a butterfly house. It was a great big room with lots of plants and flowers, and there were butterflies flying all over the place. One landed on Mommy, and another tried to land on me! Mommy took lots of pictures of all the different butterflies, and these are my favorites...

(Mommy tried to chase the pretty blue one around, but whenever she was close enough to take a picture, he wouldn't open his wings, so she got a picture when he was up on the window.)

This yellow one was so pretty sitting on the purple flowers!

Thank you Nana for our trip to the Life and Science Museum. I had a really good time!

Grandaddy and Linda!

2011-02-16T17:59:00.002-05:00

Today was a special day, Grandaddy and Linda came to see me, and Daddy and Nana too, I guess. While we were waiting for them to arrive, Nana played Play-doh with me! I really like playing Play-doh!

When Grandaddy and Linda got here, they helped me put together a puzzle!

And Linda read me a story!

We took a 4 generation picture!

And then Grandaddy read me a story!

We had a nice lunch and I got some really neat presents. I had a lot of fun with Grandaddy and Linda!

Reading with Nana

2011-02-16T12:45:00.003-05:00

Nana was reading me Go, Dog. Go! And since I know the book so well, I was helping her with a few pages. (Turn up the volume, and you can hear me telling Nana what a few pages say!)

When my aunts give me a bath...

2011-02-15T20:57:00.002-05:00

I mentioned before that I have a lot of fun with my aunts and uncles. And they have a lot of fun with me too. Tonight, Anna and Lindsay decided to give me a bath.

And this is what they did to me!

They couldn't even wash my hair, they were laughing so hard. Mommy wasn't much help, she just grabbed the camera.

I did eventually get clean from head to toe, and my hair no longer sticks straight up from my head. And I had a good time with my aunts, and I think they had a good time too!

Grammy's House

2011-02-15T18:52:00.003-05:00

Today we went to visit Grammy at her house! I got to see her dog Maggie, but she wasn't a big fan of me.

Grammy gave me this really neat giraffe! He is very soft and is nice to snuggle with!

Grammy even helped me put him in my doll backpack!

I thought that was pretty neat!

I had a really good time at Grammy's house, playing and enjoying Grammy's yummy food! Thanks for having us Grammy!

Playing at Nana's house

2011-02-14T19:50:00.004-05:00

We are at Nana and Papa's house!! Daddy has a bunch of work to do in Southern Virgina this week, so we are staying with Nana and Papa for a while! The weather has been pretty nice, so I have been playing outside a lot!

No, there aren't three of me, Mommy was just playing around in Photoshop. Silly Mommy!

See, she is at it again. This is pretty neat to watch the tower fall!

One nice thing about staying with Nana and Papa, is that they like to spoil me! One mention of ice cream and we are on our way to Dairy Queen, not that Mommy minds at all.
I like just the plain ice cream cone, and here Papa is helping me. It was dripping faster than I could lick it!

Papa was amazed at me! Who wouldn't be!

I sure do like spending time with Nana and Papa. And seeing Uncle Philip and Aunt Lindsay, and Aunt Anna and Uncle Bryson is fun too!

More Snow!

2011-01-26T19:41:00.002-05:00

Yup, it snowed again, and not just a little!

Pretty, soft, fluffy snow. Too bad it's time for bed and I won't get to play in it until tomorrow.

Good night snow!

Time with Daddy

2011-01-20T21:39:00.002-05:00

Just hanging out with my dad, showing him all the things that I can draw. I love my dad, and I really love spending time with him!

Monkey Joe's

2011-01-19T13:42:00.001-05:00

Today, the play group I go to went somewhere special, Monkey Joe's, an inflatable playground! It was so much fun! I got to climb and slide and bounce and laugh and then do it all over again.

See, I'm having a great time!

This was one of my favorite slides.

This one had an obstacle course to get to the slide. (I'm in there, just a little hard to see.)

I finally made it to the slide, and it was a big one!

My friends were there too, so I got to play with them, and even slide with them. Here, my friend Sarah is climbing up with me.

She went down first, and I was right behind her.

We had a good time sitting on the ice cream truck, even if it wasn't on.

Just being silly!

Posing for my picture.

Back to my favorite slide, and here I come!

I had a really great time today, and I hope we can come back really soon!

Popcorn!

2011-01-16T21:38:00.002-05:00

When Mommy was growing up, she often had popcorn with her family on Sunday nights. Now it is a tradition in our family! Tonight, I was a little impatient about the popcorn, so I pulled my stool up to the cupboard and tried to reach the popcorn popper. Unfortunately, it was on the top shelf, and I couldn't reach it. Daddy came in to see what I was up to, then called for Mommy to come see.

This is what they saw!

Mommy realized it was time for popcorn, and I got to help her make it! I sure do love popcorn!

Our wonderful neighbor

2011-01-15T21:37:00.003-05:00

Tonight was really special, because our wonderful neighbor Mr. Larry had dinner with us! Mommy and Daddy wanted to say thank you to him for watching our house and taking care of things for us while we were on our trip. Mommy cooked a yummy meal, and then Mr. Larry played with me until bedtime!

Here is Mr. Larry and Daddy helping me with my puzzle!

Mr. Larry is my friend, and I really like that he lives next door!

Snow!

2011-01-12T16:25:00.003-05:00

It snowed last night! That means Mommy and I got to go outside and play in it today! This year, I actually liked riding in the sled!

Even down the little hill behind our house!

I had fun on the slide, even with the snow...it just got a little slipperier!

I even rode on the swing in the snow! I was bundled up nice and warm and had a great time playing outside, even on the swing set, in the snow!

I wonder how long the snow will last, and if it will snow again sometime??

2 1/2 years old!

2011-01-09T17:23:00.003-05:00

Can you believe how big I'm getting?? Neither can Mommy and Daddy! I am growing up so much; I'm becoming a big girl. And now, well for a while now, I am completely diaper/pull-up free. I'm a big girl in big girl undies! Look out world, here I come!

My imagination and vocabulary are growing faster than Mommy and Daddy can keep up. I have quite the memory, and can repeat lots of stories about my day to Daddy, or anyone else who will listen. I love to sing songs, and often make up my own. I love listening to music, especially when I'm eating breakfast.

I'm still (slowly) working on my teeth, but my hair is really starting to grow. Mommy likes making it all curly, with ringlets!

Theme of the week and my favorite pastime!

2011-01-03T11:29:00.003-05:00

As Mommy was going through all of the pictures from our trip, she was a little surprised at how many pictures she has of different people reading to me. (And there were a lot of times that Mommy didn't take a picture!) I really like books, and I love to have someone read them to me. Its practically the only time I will sit still for an extended period of time, but I really enjoy it.

Gigi got down on the floor to read me this book!

Both Great-Grandmas reading to me!

Here Aunt Becky was reading to me when I didn't feel very good. But I really liked that book and it made me feel better.

Grandma got in on the action too, and it was nice and cozy next to the fire!

Aunt Becky again, because she loves to read, and I love to be read to!

We had a really great time with family last week, and have lots of lasting memories. It is just too bad they live so far away.

Heading home, for real

2011-01-03T10:12:00.004-05:00

Once again, Mommy packed up everything and we drove to the airport in Omaha with Grandma and Grandpa. Grandma was trying to take a picture of me before we went through security, but I wouldn't stay still, I was ready to get on a big airplane!

We made it through security, again, and this time, our flight was on time. We had a short flight to Minneapolis, grabbed some lunch, and were on our final flight home! I decided it was a good time to get a little nap.

We arrived safely in Baltimore, and then we had to go find our car, since Mommy and Daddy weren't too sure about where we left it, remember! Once we found the bus we needed and got on, the driver called ahead and found out exactly where our car was parked. He stopped at the gate to get the keys and then drove us right to our car! Mommy and Daddy were relieved that our car was in the same parking lot we had left it, and it looked totally fine.

Once all of our stuff was loaded in, we headed for home. After Daddy paid to get out of the parking lot, Mommy figured it up, and except for the extra day due to not coming home yesterday, we paid about the same price we would have paid in the airport long term parking, and we wouldn't have been driven right to our car. Mommy said that we might use this parking lot again some time!

After the drive home, it was so nice to be in our house again, and I was so happy to see and play with my toys, especially my new ones. Visiting family is fun, but it is nice to be home!

Leaving, on a jet plane...or maybe not

2011-01-01T19:22:00.001-05:00

So, we were supposed to fly home today. Supposed to, but, it didn't happen. Mommy got everything packed up, we drove to the airport in Omaha with Grandma and Grandpa, grabbed some lunch, said goodbye, made it through security, and then found out our flight was delayed by more than an hour due to a lack of necessary airline personnel for the incoming flight. That delay was going to cause us to miss our connecting flight and not make it back to Baltimore tonight.

So after meeting back up with Grandma and Grandpa, waiting in line to get rebooked on another flight (for tomorrow morning) and finally figuring out it will be easier to drive back to Paullina for the night, that is what we did. So we made it back to Nick and Becky's house. Now it is time to crash before getting up early in the morning to try once again to go home.

I'll keep you posted.

Fun with Max

2010-12-31T19:38:00.009-05:00

So last night Mommy got the awful stomach virus, and she was up most of the night. The good news is that by the time everyone else woke up, the worst of it was over for her. The bad news was that she hadn't slept much and still felt pretty crummy. So Mommy slept on the sofa most of the day, and I got lots of time to play with Max!

Here is Max checking out my baby. I wasn't too sure I wanted to share with him.

We made a choo-choo train with Grandma!

Grandma with the grand kids!

A rocking horse, where has this been all week and why am I just finding it now? I love rocking horses!

Taking a turn with Max!

While Mommy was sleeping, I made a card for her, and a little angel. After my nap I gave them to her, and she felt a lot better after that!

Max and I were a little spunky after our naps, so we started wrestling!

Then Uncle Nick decided to take me on. I showed him how I pounce!

By the end of the day Mommy was feeling better and she mustered the strength to try and celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the day Mommy and Daddy met! The day didn't turn out quite like Mommy had been hoping, but overall, it has been a good day and a great week!

Family Time!

2010-12-30T21:20:00.003-05:00

After recovering from the stomach virus, everyone was feeling much better yesterday. We had to say goodbye to Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Erdmann, as it was time for them to head home to Minnesota. I had a good time seeing them again, even though we didn't get to spend as much time together as we had planned (silly stomach virus). Here are Max and Uncle Nick. You can tell that Max looks like his daddy. But Mommy says that Max looks very similar to Uncle Nick's baby pictures! (Maybe I need to see those for myself!)
Max was getting his weekly picture taken with his sheep, Monty, and I got to join him for another cousin picture.

After we were all dressed for the day, we went to Gigi's house. I got to play with Max, Uncle Nick and Daddy and I had a good time. Mommy, Aunt Becky and Grandma were helping Gigi go through her clothes and decide what she needs to take on her trip. (She is going to Arizona with Grandma and Grandpa to get away from the Iowa winter!) We had lunch at Gigi's and then it was nap time, so me and the boys headed back to Uncle Nick's house so Max and I could take our naps and Daddy and Uncle Nick could watch football. The other girls finished helping Gigi with her clothes and meet us there later. We spent the rest of the day relaxing, watching football, and playing games. Today has been a pretty good day too. I've been having lots of fun playing with Max and my silly uncles. And of course, getting Grandma to read to me!

Tonight Aunt Carol (Grandma's sister) and Uncle Gerald came to have dinner, a really yummy steak dinner prepared by Uncle Bubba, Uncle Drew, Uncle Nick, and Daddy, with just a little help from Mommy, Aunt Becky, and Grandma!

We also got to enjoy some yummy Christmas cookies, and I got the frosted snowman. He was really tasty!

We also took a family picture with Gigi!

It sure has been fun spending time with family!

Not my best day

2010-12-29T13:58:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was not my best day. In fact, it may have been my worst day, ever.

I woke up fine and got to watch Mickey Mouse, and then Mommy made me an egg (my preferred breakfast, every day). I only ate about half of it, and it wasn't sitting well with my stomach, so I _____. (I'll let you fill in that blank.) Mommy thought that I just had too much snot in my tummy, since I've had a runny nose (and I've had tummy trouble before because of that), so she made me some toast. I only had a few bites of that, and then I _____. Mommy and Daddy decided that there was more going on with my tummy than they thought, and breakfast was over. I was starting to feel pretty bad, so Mommy let me watch my new Winnie the Pooh video, and I vegged out on the couch with her.

Grandma and Grandpa came and they were sad to hear that I wasn't feeling well. We learned that Grandma had been up part of the night because she wasn't feeling well, so she was really tired. I hadn't been watching my movie for long when I _____ again. Mommy was prepared and had a bowl ready for me, so that was nice (I didn't mess up Nick and Becky's sofa).

I continued the pattern of ________ about every 30-45 minutes all morning long. I was getting really good and knowing when it was about to happen, but I couldn't even keep water down. I finally fell asleep around 11 and got a nap. Meanwhile, Daddy decided that he wanted to join the sick party too (although his stomach wasn't as mad at him as mine was of me).

Needless to say, no one was really in the mood to do much, so everyone just hung out and watched football and played a few games. After my nap, I was able to keep a little Pedialyte down (what the doctor's office recommended when Mommy called, because she was worried since I couldn't even keep water down.)

Here is the only picture of me that Mommy took yesterday. I was happy that Aunt Becky was reading to me, but I still felt pretty rotten, as you can see on my face.

I only ______ one time during the afternoon, and by suppertime, I was able to eat a few crackers and they stayed down. Daddy was finally able to eat a few crackers, and Grandma was feeling better too. I went to bed early, hoping that I would feel a whole lot better in the morning. And thankfully, yes, I do feel better (and so does Daddy and Grandma).

So, I am very glad that yesterday is over, and that the awful stomach bug was the 24 hour kind. Now, it is time to play!

Grandma's Birthday

2010-12-29T08:51:00.006-05:00

After a good night's sleep Sunday night, I was ready to start the day Monday morning, a little earlier than Mommy and Daddy, since I was/am still on EST, while they have switched to CST. Luckily, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, my favorite show (and one of only a select few Mommy lets me watch), was on when I woke up. Mommy and Daddy snuggled on the couch while I watched Mickey Mouse, and then they were ready to get up once my show was over.

After breakfast, Grandma and Grandpa, Gigi, and Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Erdmann came to Nick and Becky's house. Before we left on our adventure for the day, I got Gigi to read to me!

Once we were all dressed and ready, we set out for Steve, Audrey, and Clint's house. I'm not really sure how, but they are family*, so we went to see them. Audrey had all kinds of wonderful food for us. We played a few games, ate, and celebrated Grandma's birthday! (I even got to help her blow out her candles! However, Mommy forgot to take any pictures while we were there.)

I got a short nap on the way home, and then it was back to Nick and Becky's house to watch football and play some games. Before bed, I got to take a bath with Max!

Max has a really neat seat for taking a bath, and I had fun playing with his bath toys. (I really liked the football!)

Grandma scrubbed me while Aunt Becky scrubbed Max.

Then, it was time for bed. What a fun day!

*Mommy's family tree is a little confusing, so I'm not even going to try and explain how we are related. We just know who is family, we love them, and that is all that matters.

Gigi's house!

2010-12-27T11:57:00.004-05:00

We went to Gigi's house after church for a wonderful lunch of ham and cheesy potatoes, and a few other things. Daddy got to give Max his bottle while Mommy and Aunt Becky were helping get everything ready.

After lunch, it was time for my nap. I didn't want to take one, but it didn't take long for the busy day and short night from traveling to catch up with me. Mommy came up to check on me, because I was so quiet right away, and this is how she found me!

After my nap, I got to play with cousin Ward and Uncle Drew...

and with Max!

Then it was time to open more Christmas presents, in honor of Baby Jesus' birthday!

Here Grandma is telling me about my Aqua Doodle from Uncle Lowell.

Uncle Ward and Daddy showing me the clothes and Winnie the Pooh movie from Grandma and Grandpa.

I got a lot of really nice things, but Mommy forgot to take pictures. Thank you to Aunt Darla for the My Little Pony things, and my purple stocking!

After all the presents were open, I got to play with Uncle Drew and Max again!

Uncle Bubba joined in too, and he liked to tickle me!

While I was playing, so were Mommy and Daddy...Speed Scrabble (which is similar to Bananagrams), Mommy's new favorite game.

You use little tiles with letters on them to make words...not exactly my game of choice.

All in all, we had a really fun day yesterday, spending time with family!

We are in Iowa!

2010-12-27T11:36:00.005-05:00

Yes, we are in Iowa, and since yesterday was Sunday, that meant we got to go to church. I was fine with this, until Mommy tried to take me to the nursery, and then I wasn't having it! Mommy ended up staying with me for a little while. I didn't like it when she left, but I managed, and in a little while, she came back and got me!

Then I got to see my friend Wilson, and Mommy took a picture of Uncle Nick holding the two of us, because that is what she does every time I see Wilson.

(You can go here to see the first two pictures. We've both grown a bit since then!)

Mommy also wanted to get the very first cousin Christmas picture, so Max and I sat in front of one of the pretty trees.

Mommy also wanted a pretty picture of me in front of the tree. I was being a little silly.

And of course, the three of us, all dressed up for Christmas.

We also took a picture of all of the Erdmanns, with Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma, as well as my great-uncle James.

Once we were finally done with all the pictures, it was time to go to Gigi's house!

Baby Jesus' Birthday!!!

2010-12-26T13:11:00.004-05:00

This is the pretty Advent calendar that Mommy made. Every day, Mommy has helped me add a picture, until yesterday, when we finally got to put Baby Jesus up. Because it was Baby Jesus' birthday!

When Nana and Papa were here, we celebrated Baby Jesus' birthday with a cake and I got to blow out the candles! (I really like birthdays!)

In honor of Baby Jesus' birthday, we give each other gifts. When I came downstairs yesterday morning, there was a really big present waiting for me! When I unwrapped it, it was a basketball hoop! And it is bigger than me!

It won't be long, and I'll be dunkin'!

I got this really neat puzzle that has lots of animals, including three dogs, on it! I had to try putting it together right away and it was so much fun!

I also got some really fun art supplies...markers, new crayons, and finger paint!

I also had a stocking that had some small presents inside. Here I'm trying to unwrap one, one small piece off at a time!

All the fun things I got in my stocking!

Of course I had to have Mommy read me my new books right away!

After all the presents were open, we ate breakfast, got dressed, packed the car, and drove to the airport! And the trip to the airport went much better than last year! However, once we got to the airport, Mommy and Daddy discovered that all of the long-term parking lots were full. They did see a private long-term place close by, and they let us in. But, we had to leave the keys with them, since we parked in one of the aisles, right behind other cars (this made Mommy and Daddy really nervous, wondering if we would have a car when we got back). I got to ride on the little bus, and that was fun. While on the bus, Daddy saw a little sticker that said that AAA members get a discount at the parking place, so that made him and Mommy feel much better.

We made it to the terminal, dropped off our luggage, had some lunch and made it through security without too much trouble. Once we got to our gate, we learned that our flight was going to be delayed, because the incoming plane was delayed due to weather in Boston. This made Mommy very nervous, because we were supposed to meet up with Grandma and Grandpa in Minneapolis and all fly together to Omaha. We had less than an hour lay-over before our delay, so we knew that making our flight was going to be difficult.

Once we finally boarded our plane, we realized that we would have about 10-15 minutes to get to our connecting flight. Mommy worried all during the flight, and I didn't want to take a nap, but gave in and got a little nap.

As soon as we landed in Minneapolis, Mommy called Grandpa and found out that our connecting flight was also delayed, we would have time to make the flight, and they were waiting at our gate for us. I got off the plane with Mommy and went to meet Grandma and Grandpa, while Daddy waited for our gate checked suitcase and my car seat. We went to grab something for me to eat and then hurried to our next gate. We got there about 3 minutes before they started boarding, and because of Grandpa's frequent flyer status, we got to board first. It was nice to get settled on the plane, next to Grandma! Grandpa was across the aisle from me, and Mommy and Daddy were in front of me!

I ate my pizza and played with Grandma. I also got a special treat, my first candy cane. I really liked it!

Yup, candy canes are really yummy!

We finally made it to Omaha, and Mommy and Daddy were a little frazzled by the days events. Once we got to baggage claim, they realized they had forgotten one of our suitcases on the plane. Daddy went to find out how to get it back while Mommy and Grandma got our checked luggage. The missing bag came with the rest of the checked bags, but Mommy forgot about one of the checked bags, since she was trying to find Daddy to tell him that we had the first missing bag (but we didn't realize the second bag was missing).

While we waited for Grandpa to bring the rental car, Grandma got me changed into my pajamas, and I sure did look cute!

Especially with my back pack and my suitcase!

Grandpa showed up in a big truck (the only 'big' vehicle the rental place had left) and we got everything loaded up, my car seat installed and everyone piled inside. As we were pulling away from the curb, we counted the suitcases and realized we were missing one! So Daddy ran back inside and rescued the missing bag (that had most of Mommy and Daddy's clothes) and we were finally on our way to Paullina!

I stuck it out for about an hour, and then finally fell asleep. We arrived at Nick and Becky's house an hour after they had gotten home from being in IL visiting Becky's family. I got tucked into my bed, but didn't want to go back to sleep. It took a few visits from Mommy, before I finally calmed down and fell asleep. (I was just a little uneasy, because I had never been to this house before.) Mommy and Daddy went to bed too. What a long day.

Why are our travel days trying to get to Paullina for Christmas so eventful? This one ranks up there with last year's!

Christmas with Nana and Papa!

2010-12-18T16:07:00.004-05:00

Nana and Papa brought us lots of presents! This morning when I woke up, I got to help pass the presents out to Mommy and Daddy, & Nana and Papa, and I got a big pile too! We all took turns opening our presents, after I got a few out of the way, since my pile was the biggest! (Everyone laughed at me, because I am very meticulous in how I opened my presents, one small piece of paper off at a time!)

I got a lot of really nice things. Grammy gave me some new clothes and a CD that has my name in every song! Nana and Papa got me some pajamas and matching slippers, a fun Winnie the Pooh game, and some new clothes.

Aunt Anna and Uncle Bryson got me this new jacket and some pajamas!

Mommy and Daddy got some nice things too.

When all the presents were opened, Nana told me I had one more! Here is Daddy and I waiting for Papa to bring it in from the garage.

Catching a glimpse of a BIG present!

Trying to figure out how to unwrap it.

Finding the opening in the bag.

Seeing my new MOTORCYCLE!

Trying out the seat! (And yes, it's a Harley!)

My test drive! (Not enough room in the house, and I might need a few lessons on steering!)

So I took my new ride out to the street!

Wow, what a fun day, and what great presents!

Fun with Nana and Papa

2010-12-17T15:06:00.001-05:00

That's right, Nana and Papa are here! They came up to see me this weekend, since we won't be able to see them on Christmas. I am having a really good time with them. Papa even watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (my favorite show) with me!

Here I am helping Nana make a special treat, Sausage Balls! They are one of Daddy's favorite things, and mine too! (I liked helping Nana, and rolling the balls, but I wasn't such a fan of getting messy.)

I sure do love spending time with Nana and Papa!

Making cookies with Mommy

2010-12-03T18:03:00.002-05:00

Today I got to help Mommy make Christmas cookies! Every year around her birthday, Mommy makes cookies, often having friends over to help. This year I got to be her helper!!! With all that we have going on in the next few weeks, Mommy decided to simplify and only make one kind of cookie, the Wester family spice cookie (aka Leaf Acorn Cookies).

We used all sorts of Christmas and winter themed cookie cutters and I got to help push them down!

These cookies don't usually get decorated (they are delicious just the way they are), Mommy wanted me to be able to help 'decorate' some, so I got to put the pretty colored sugar on them!

I really liked helping with that!

And then it started snowing, really big fat snowflakes! (And the first snow of the winter!)

See them all over the table!

I think I like Mommy's birthday tradition of making cookies, and now I get to look forward to her birthday every year too!

Oh Christmas Tree!

2010-11-28T18:52:00.006-05:00

This year, Mommy and Daddy decided to go pick out our Christmas tree on a sunny day, instead of snowy one like last year! We went to the same tree farm as last year, and it was fun walking around the trees, looking at them and comparing. Mommy and Daddy finally decided on this one!

Daddy cut it down, all by himself!

Then he loaded it up on the little cart.

And then I got to help him pull the cart with the tree!

We got it home in time for lunch, and then I had to go take my nap. When I got up, Mommy and Daddy had the tree in the stand and all the lights on it! It looked so pretty when I came down the stairs!

Daddy helped me put the star on top!

We put a star on top of our tree to remind us of the star that shone over the stable where Jesus was born. I learned all about that star from my book,

Then I got to help put up the ornaments!

Daddy says I'm a good helper.

And here is our pretty Christmas tree, all decortated to help us get ready for Baby Jesus' birthday!

Happy Turkey Day!

2010-11-25T21:47:00.004-05:00

Today was a great day. Daddy didn't have to go to work, which meant he was able to play with me, our friends are still here, and Mommy finally cooked the turkey she has been talking about for over a week (with a bunch of other really yummy stuff)!

This morning, Daddy watched Micky Mouse Clubhouse with Will and me! (He got caught in the middle of our playing footsie too!)

Mommy and Carolyn worked hard all morning getting lots of yummy food ready for our Thanksgiving meal. We had turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, bread, and cranberry relish!

After our naps, we had a good time playing with Play-doh, cars, blocks, musical instruments, and reading more books. Shortly before bedtime, we even got to color, and Will and I each got our own coloring book all about Thanksgiving!

I have had a really good time with Will the last few days!

It sure is too bad they have to leave tomorrow.

Good friends!

2010-11-24T09:44:00.002-05:00

So this morning, Daddy took these pictures, because he was a little nervous about what was going on. Will and I were patiently waiting to pray so that we could eat our breakfast. As we were waiting we were holding hands, because that is what we do when we pray. Well, we had to wait for a while (I think 5 minutes, which was a really long time), so we just kept holding hands.

Daddy thought we were cute, so he took a couple of pictures of us. Then he went to show Carolyn, "What your son is doing with my daughter!" Carolyn just laughed.

We were still holding hand when she came into the kitchen, so she got a picture of us too.

I'm not sure what it means, but I heard the term arranged marriage quite a few times today. Hmm, I may have to find out what that means!

After breakfast, I got to play with Will and Ben for a while, and then they left to go see another one of Carolyn's friends who lives in the area. I was really lonely while they were gone, but excited when I woke up from my nap and they were back!

We had dinner and played the rest of the night. I think I could get used to having people to play with and read to me, besides just Mommy and Daddy!

Fun with new friends!

2010-11-23T21:39:00.004-05:00

Last night I got to stay up past my bedtime, so I could meet some new friends! Mommy's college friend Carolyn and her family are staying with us for a few days. They live a long ways away (Central Asia) and Mommy hasn't seen Carolyn since before I was born.

When Mommy got home with James, Carolyn, Will, and Ben, they plopped Ben on the couch with me while all the suitcases got carried in and the beds all situated. Ben and I just sat there looking at each other, neither of us really moving, for about 30 minutes while everything was getting settled.

Then it was time for bed, for me and Ben, Poor Will never really woke up when he was carried in from the car, so he was already tucked in upstairs. I think Mommy and Daddy stayed up for a little while talking to James and Carolyn, but they went to bed not long after I did.

This morning we had breakfast together and then we got to play outside! I got to show Will and Ben the swing and slide and hill that I like to play on, and the weather wasn't too bad, considering it is the end of November!

Ben really liked the swing.

Will and I did too!

After being outside for a while, it started to rain and we started to get a little cold, so we came inside. I got Carolyn to read to me! (She doesn't mind reading book after book with me. I think I have a new friend!)

This afternoon the rain had stopped, so we went back outside to play!

Will learning how to push me on the swing.

Ben enjoying the grass.

I taught Will how to swing like and airplane!

After dinner, we took everyone to Krumpe's to get some donuts! Here Will and I are really enjoying ours! (And we are enjoying having our own table too!)

Ben is a little monkey and likes to climb. Here he is climbing through my table.

Still trying to get through!

It has been a really fun day, but now it is time for bed. I hope we have this much fun tomorrow!

My first hiking trip!

2010-11-13T16:20:00.003-05:00

Today is a beautiful fall day, so Mommy and Daddy decided we should go on a little adventure. We went hiking this morning at a state park near by, and I got to see a waterfall!

Here's Mommy and me, with part of the waterfall behind us.

Now you can see most of the falls. (This is the tallest waterfall in Maryland!)

Me and Daddy!

We all had a really good time getting some exercise and being out in the nice fall weather. It was really fun for me to see what hiking is about. I think we will have to do this again next spring when it warms up!

Daddy's Birthday

2010-11-07T21:16:00.003-05:00

Did you know that today is Daddy's birthday? It is! And we went to Nana and Papa's house to celebrate! We left after lunch on Friday to drive to NC, so that we could have dinner with Nana and Papa, and Philip and Lindsay.

On Saturday, we went to Bojangles for breakfast (a tradition now, since Daddy misses it so much). Then we went to see the house that Uncle Philip and Aunt Lindsay are going to buy. It is really nice! Then we went back to Nana and Papa's house so the boys (Daddy, Papa, Philip, and Bryson) could get ready and leave for Greenville. Daddy wanted to go to a Pirate football game for his birthday. Unfortunately, it was cold and windy, and the Pirates didn't play very well. (Actually, they got clobbered by Navy.)

But, today is a new day. And its all about Daddy! This morning I got to help Nana make Daddy's special request lunch.

Daddy and I, all dressed up for church. (Look how cute I am!)

Chatting with Grammy.

Helping Daddy blow out his candles. (He helped me on my birthday, so I got to help him!)

After cake and presents, it was time to drive home. It was a fun weekend, but I'm really looking forward to my own bed. Goodnight!

Lexi's Halloween Party

2010-10-30T16:18:00.002-04:00

Lexi had a party at her house this morning, so I got to dress up as Elmo again! She had invited a bunch of her friends from day care, as well as her cousins, so there was a good crowd with a wide range of ages.

We played a bunch of fun games. One game involved eating a small donut off of a string and using only your mouth. I was very excited about this, because I LOVE donuts, but it was a little difficult for me. I had fun anyways, and the donut was really yummy!

Another game was wrapping one person in toilet paper until they were completely covered so they looked like a mummy. After the game, I got a chance to be the mummy.

I actually stood still long enough to get all wrapped up!

By the end of the party, there was a lot of paper all over the floor, and it was really fun to play in!

I had a really good time at the party, meeting new kids and playing new games. I can't wait to do something like this again!

Trick-or-Treating

2010-10-30T14:12:00.002-04:00

Here in Hagerstown, they do things a little differently for Halloween. See, trick-or-treating doesn't actually have to be done on the 31st. I actually went last night, on the 29th. It has to do with the huge night-time parade that is always the last Saturday of October. It doesn't really matter to me, because I don't know the difference. I do know that it was cold yesterday, so Mommy and I made a quick run to Target to get a hat, mittens, and a turtleneck for me to wear under my costume.

And here I am, all decked out in the "keep me warm" layer! (Mommy had to take a picture because I was running around the house like this and wouldn't be still to put on the rest of my costume!)

Me, finally all dressed, with Mommy. Yup, I'm ELMO!!

Daddy helping me remember to say Trick-or-Treat, and thank you. (I got better as the night went on.)

I went with my friend Lexi and some of her family. Lexi brought her Gator so she wouldn't have to walk the whole time, and I got to ride!

Me and Lexi! (She was a cheerleader!)

I got a chance to drive too! (Lexi's cousin Victoria is riding with me.) Daddy thought I needed some help steering.

Having a great time! Not sure what everyone keeps giving me, but I did see a sucker or two!

Even though it was cold, I had a really good time last night. Daddy was a little disappointed that I didn't get any M&M's. (I guess he thought I would share them with him, haha!)

Pumpkins

2010-10-24T15:06:00.002-04:00

Today after church, we went to a near-by pumpkin patch, and I got to pick out two pumpkins!

I got a short, fat one...

And a taller, round one!

We brought them home and they are sitting in our front window, and I really like to look at them. They are my favorite color, orange!

Trying something new...

2010-10-18T15:04:00.002-04:00

Like putting myself down for a nap, before lunch!

(Mommy was working on the computer and I went upstairs to play. After a few minutes, Mommy realized that I had gotten really quiet. She came up to check on me, and found me asleep in her bed. I slept for about 45 minutes, and then was ready for lunch.)

What can I say, Mommy and Daddy have a really comfy bed!

Pumpkin chucking and motorcycles!

2010-10-16T14:53:00.005-04:00

Yes, that's what I said, pumpkin chucking. Our church holds an annual contest to see who can chuck a pumpkin the farthest, using some crazy looking machiny-thing called a trebuchet. To go along with the pumpkin throwing, there is also a car and motorcycle show! And it was today!

I got to hang out with my buddy Landen today, which was really fun. We looked at some of the cars, and then watched the motorcycle stunt show. It was really neat!

(That's Landen on the right.) The guy on the motorcycle is doing a wheelie, while standing on only one leg!

Burnout!

After the stunt show was over, Landen and I went to play a few games! This game was called Ring Toss, but Landen and I thought it was a lot more fun to see how many rings we could stack on each peg!

I'm not sure what the next game was actually called, but Daddy kept calling in Plinko. I don't know what Plinko is supposed to be, but it was fun to watch the rings bounce around the little pegs on the way down.

Next was the basketball shoot. The silly guy running the game wanted me to shoot from a long ways away.

That didn't really work for me, so I got a little closer. OK, a lot closer, but it was a lot more fun this way!

After the games, it was finally time to watch the pumpkin chucking!!!! They had two sizes, this small one, and two big ones. It was fun to watch them, even though I didn't really understand what was happening at first. It wasn't until the 3rd or 4th pumpkin that I caught on to watching where they would go.

You can go here to watch a video of the big trebuchet test launch a rock. Today it launched a pumpkin 650 ft, at about 150 mph!

I had quite a fun morning!

2-1/4...years that is

2010-10-01T14:51:00.005-04:00

Mommy decided to take quarterly pictures of me now, instead of monthly ones. So, now I am 2-1/4 years old. I'm getting bigger, cuter, and smarter every day. My vocabulary is quite extensive, and I am constantly surprising Mommy and Daddy with the new words I pick up.

My imagination is budding, and I am starting to do some pretend play, and I have even started "seeing" animals and shapes in unusual places (my bread looked like a dog and a horse the other day as I was eating it).

I love books, and I'm always asking Mommy and Daddy, or anyone else who is around, to read to me! Sometimes, I will sit and look at my books all by myself. My favorite books are about Elmo and Winnie the Pooh, and a few classics from Dr. Seuss too.

Big shoes to fill!

2010-09-19T18:59:00.005-04:00

Today I decided to try on Daddy's socks and shoes. Boy, they are some big shoes to fill! (And yes, I am wearing my Pirate shirt, again.) I tried Daddy's flip flops, but that didn't work very well.

And yes, I was able to walk in Daddy's shoes. Not a mile, but a few steps, anyways.

And yes, Daddy's ankle socks come up to my knees. A little big on me, but they would keep me warm!

A day in the park.

2010-09-18T18:56:00.003-04:00

Today there was a festival at one of the parks Mommy, Daddy, and I like to go to, so we had a fun time seeing all the extra things that were there. There were some craft vendors and a few historical reenacters. We spent a few minutes in the museum that had artifacts from the early settlers of Hagerstown. And then we found something really fun!

A petting zoo! My very first petting zoo!

A nice soft sheep. A baby cow. A couple of goats.

A few ducks!

And two ponies. And I got to ride one! My very first pony ride!!

Me and Mommy, we are cool!

After my very fun pony ride, I got my face painted!

I got a purple bear! And I did really well letting that nice girl paint my face, because it tickled, but I didn't squirm at all!

Our trip to the park was extra fun today! Then it was time to head home for lunch and a nap. When I got up, I had a fun new experience. I got to ride my trike beyond the driveway! I went on a tour of the neighborhood!

It was really fun to actually be able to ride my trike more than just 30 ft at a time. I had a little trouble with the incline on one of the streets, but it was still really fun. Hopefully I can stretch my wings, I mean my legs a few more times before it gets too cold, because riding my trike is really fun!

Mmmmm...cookies!

2010-09-14T18:52:00.003-04:00

Tonight I got to help make cookies with Mommy! Chocolate chip cookies! My favorite! I love to help pour and dump and stir!

I'm getting pretty good with a spatula.

And when Mommy turned her back to get out a cookie sheet, I snuck my very first taste of cookie dough! Mommy turned back around to see me grinning from ear to ear, and I told her I ate it! She laughed at me, because apparently lots of people in my family like to eat cookie dough! I snuck another bite later, and then Mommy told me I couldn't have any more, at least until they were baked!

I can't wait to make cookies with Mommy again!

My Friend Ava

2010-09-08T18:50:00.003-04:00

On Monday, we went to see our friends, the Emersons! I was really excited to see Ava, and Mommy and Daddy had a good time with Ava's parents. (Apparently they spent a lot of time together before Ava and I got here, and now we are a good excuse to get together when we can!)

Ava has this really fun bounce house, so we got to jump and bounce for a while! It also has a slide, which is always a good thing to me!

Ava's basement is a big play room, so we went down there to play too. Since Ava's parents are track and cross country coaches, they have been teaching Ava to run hurdles and she taught me!

(The blankets were the hurdles and we jumped over them as we ran from one end of the room to the other!)

We played with a lot of other fun toys, and then it was time for lunch! After a little more time to play, Ava and I were both pretty tired, so it was time for us to get on the road and head for home. I had a really fun weekend with family and friends, but it is nice to sleep in my own bed again!

Go Pirates!

2010-09-07T18:48:00.002-04:00

Sunday was Pirate day! Daddy's team had their first games, so we were dressed to support them! I got a new shirt, a football, and a pom-pom from Nana and Papa for the occasion!

I missed most of the game due to my nap, but the Pirates won a hard fought game and Daddy was happy. That meant we got to go get a special treat! A new doughnut shop just opened up in Chapel Hill, not too far from Nana and Papa's house, so we went to get doughnuts! I had never had a Krispy Kreme doughnut, but I was excited to try one. After all, a doughnut is a doughnut in my book!

Two year pictures, a little late!

2010-09-07T18:30:00.007-04:00

Yes, September is a little late for my two year pictures. But better late than never. Besides, it was my fault that I didn't have them taken back in July. See, when Mommy and Daddy went to the beach, Nana took me to get my pictures taken. I, however, was not in the mood, and put up a huge crying fit. So, this was the first time we were back, and I was much more cooperative! (Mommy hasn't found a place close by in Hagerstown that has as good a deal as the place we like near Nana's house!)

So, here is the cuteness!

Being a North Carolina girl, a few "beach" type pictures are a must!

And check out how much my hair has grown! Go back and see what it looked like a year ago!

This one to remember how old I was!

Letting a little of my wild side show!

And having some fun! Gee, why didn't I do this well last time?

Wow, this is fun! Look at meeeeeeeeeeee!

See, I can be sweet and cute too!

And even sweeter.

With bright eyes and a big grin!

I really am the sweetest thing, ever. Just ask Daddy!

Nana and Papa's house!

2010-09-07T18:15:00.004-04:00

We went to Nana and Papa's house for Labor Day weekend! I was so excited to see everyone and play with Ru-Ru (Nana's dog Rudy)! I got to sleep in a big bed, because I'm a big girl now, and I remembered all of Nana's toys, and went straight to them as soon as I had my breakfast on Saturday!

After a little play time, all of us girls (Mommy, Nana, Aunt Lindsay, Aunt Anna, and I) went on a little outing (more on that in the next post)! We came back for lunch and a nap, and then it was time to head outside and get wet!

Yes, even though it wasn't as warm as I would have liked it, Nana's pool was calling my name! I had a lot of fun using the big cups to water the grass all around the pool.

Aunt Anna got a little too close, so I watered her leg too!

The cold water finally won, and I was done. But Uncle Boo carried me inside, so that was fun!

Then it was time to get dressed so that we could go to a special place, the race track! I got to go to my very first race! I watched the cars go round and round in circles. The cars were pretty loud, so I got to wear my ear muffs, but I could still hear them go voom voom voom!

Me and Nana clapping at the end of one of the races!

It was a long, but very fun day. Daddy will always remember the first race he took me too!

A day with Lexi!

2010-09-02T18:59:00.004-04:00

Today was a very special day! My friend Lexi spent the day with me, the whole day! Lexi's mommy works with Daddy, and Lexi's sitter had a funeral to go to, so she came to play with me! We have a lot of fun playing together, even though she is older than me (she just turned 4). Mommy took us to the park, and we had a lot of fun on the slides! It was fun chasing each other!

We also raced down the slides!

We played on the rocker/animal thingies.

I really liked the motorcycle one!

We also played on the swings and the merry-go-round!

When we got back home, Mommy filled up my little pool so we could go swimming after nap time, but we were impatient and wanted to get in right away. We did, even though the water was a little cold. We still had fun!

Lexi was showing me how to dump water on my head! Then I tried it!

She did it again, and then...

... she started dumping water on MY head!

So, just like when Daddy does it at bath time, I grabbed a bucket and was trying to catch the water as it came off my head!

Mommy got some cool actions shots of the water!

After about 45 minutes, we were getting cold, and hungry, so we went inside for lunch and a quick nap for me. We played inside for a little while, then decided to try the pool again, and the sand box too!

Here we are, all wrapped up and trying to dry!

Then we had to get dressed, because it was time for Lexi to go home. She didn't really want to leave, and I didn't want her too, because we had a lot of fun! I hope she can come back to play really soon!

Oh what a party-filled day!

2010-08-30T14:22:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, we got to go to two parties! After church, Mommy and Daddy's Sunday School class had a pool party! Sarah and I got to swim for a little bit before we ate. The water was a little cold, but we still had a good time.

We even got to race across the pool a few times in our little 'boats'!

Then we went home for a nap. But I was all excited about our first party that it took me a while to fall asleep. When it was time to leave for the second party, Mommy had to wake me up! I wasn't fully awake until we arrived at Landen's grandparent's house for a surprise birthday party for Landen's dad.

After the big surprise, we ate, and then I got to go swimming again! This time Mommy got in with me. (The water was a little cold again, and Daddy said it was Mommy's turn!) Sarah was at this party too, and she was swimming also!

I'm getting a little more comfortable in the water, but I like to have more than just my life jacket holding me up!

I was doing a good job of kicking me feet and learning how to get into a 'swimming' position!

We got out of the pool and had some yummy cupcakes that Landen's mom Jen made, and then I got to play in the sandbox. I'm not sure who the two boys were, I never caught their names. But Sarah and I played very well with them, and never even fought over the toys!

After a fun evening, we headed home, so that I could get some sleep. After so much excitement and a short nap, I slept really well last night!

Daddy and me!

2010-08-28T14:20:00.004-04:00

Yesterday while Mommy was making dinner, Daddy and I were playing together in my tent. Mommy peeked in to check on us and thought it was funny that only part of Daddy fit in the tent, so she took this picture.

Then she peeked in to see what we were doing, and noticed that Daddy had two horses on his chest!

Oh, the things a daddy will do for his daughter!

Mommy's new phone has a camera!

2010-08-24T14:06:00.001-04:00

So now she can take even more pictures of me!

Last week I got to go to my friend Sarah's house to play, and Mommy used her phone to take these pictures!

We played very well together, for the most part, and I had a really good time with Sarah!

Mommy has also taken some pictures of me swinging. Here I am pretending to be an airplane!

Tonight after dinner, we went outside to play for a little while. I got out the chalk and Mommy helped me trace around Daddy. Then I laid down in the same place, and Mommy drew around me!

Daddy is a little bigger than me!

My friend Sarah!

2010-08-22T19:19:00.001-04:00

This afternoon our church had a special picnic, so I had the chance to play with my friend Sarah again! Here we are in our matching chairs! (Yes, of course, mine is purple!)

We have a lot of fun together, and our parents seem to also!

I'm a big girl now!

2010-08-13T20:19:00.005-04:00

That's right. It's official. Not only am I potty trained, mostly, but I now sleep in a big girl bed! Mommy and Daddy had been waiting until after I got over my waking up multiple times a night back in May and June, and then my birthday, and then their trip to the beach to make the transition.

Then Mommy was trying to find flat sheets that would fit my bed (converted crib, so had to be smaller than twin). That was a difficult task, so G-ma decided to make some for me! Today they finally arrived, and that meant Mommy had to convert my crib (ie, take off the front panel and put on the smaller rail so I won't roll out)!

My first nap in my big girl bed, and it was smooth sailing. I went right to sleep, just like I usually do, and when I woke up, I waited for Mommy to come and get me. I like my new bed, and I think that this is going to be a really good thing!

I have hair, lots of hair!

2010-08-09T20:16:00.004-04:00

Mommy likes doing pretty things with my hair way more than I like her doing it. She has been putting my hair up in pigtails a lot recently. Today, because it was so hot, Mommy decided to try a pony tail in the back as well.

It's hard to see in the picture, but all on its own, my hair made a cute little ringlet-type curl! Yes, humidity does amazing things with my hair! And did you notice how long it is getting?! That is why Mommy has been putting it up so much, because otherwise it gets into my eyes!

Mommy's wish is finally becoming a reality...I have hair long enough to put bows and such in it!

Friends!

2010-08-01T14:11:00.004-04:00

Last night my friend Sa-sah, aka Sarah, came over for dinner, and brought her parents and baby brother with her! We played, we ate, then we played a whole bunch more, and even got to swing together. See...

(Strange coincidence that our daddy's have matching outfits!)

I got to show Sa-sah how I fly like an airplane!

Sa-sah taking a turn on the big swing!

I think our parents had a good time talking too, and baby Ben was a happy little guy, until he got hungry again, but he is only 6 weeks old, so who can blame him.

I had a really good time, and I hope Sa-sah comes to play again really soon!

I'm an Iowa girl at heart!

2010-07-24T19:12:00.001-04:00

Ever since I was introduced to corn on the cob at Nana and Papa's house, I have been talking about it, and asking for it! I was really excited when Mommy got some at the store!

I told you I was excited, and I ate the whole ear! Mommy and Daddy thought I was super cute, eating away at the corn. (I'm a little random with my bites, one here, one there, not a row across like Mommy and Daddy do.)

I kept asking about the corn, so Mommy and Daddy took me to the Farmer's Market this morning to get some more, and I got to help Daddy peel it!

(I'm even pretty good at getting the silks off, but most of them ended up on the floor. Oh well, that is what the vacuum is for!)

Mommy Daddy beach!

2010-07-19T16:11:00.004-04:00

That's right. Last week, Mommy and Daddy went to the beach, without me. But that was just fine with me, because I got to stay with Nana and Papa!

Daddy got off work early on Wednesday and we drove all the way to Nana and Papa's house, stopping a few times so that I could go potty (I didn't have any accidents!) We made it there in time to have dinner, and Uncle Boo (Philip) and Aunt Lindsay came too! When Mommy put me to bed that night, she told me that she and Daddy wouldn't be there in the morning, because they we going to the beach (Mommy had been telling me that all week, and I kept repeating it!) I was going to stay with Nana and Papa for a few days, and then Mommy and Daddy would be back. I was so excited!

Mommy was right, when I woke up the next morning, she and Daddy were gone, but Nana and Papa were there! Nana even made me my favorite breakfast (an egg with cheese and blueberries)!

I had such a good time while Mommy and Daddy were gone! I got to play with Rudy, the dog, plus all of Nana's really fun toys! I even got to go swimming with Aunt Anna in a special pool that they got for me!

I had a little trouble getting the slide figured out, but it was fun!

Playing with Aunt Anna!

Another really fun thing I got to do was eat corn on the cob for the first time! Once I watched what everyone else was doing, I decided to try it. I like it so much, I had two!

I also got to play with Uncle Bryson, and that was really fun!

I even got to go see Uncle Bryson at work, and see his fire truck! (I was a little confused, because I thought fire trucks were supposed to be red, but in Chapel Hill, everything is Carolina Blue, even the fire trucks!)

I didn't realize just how big they are, and I wasn't too sure about them. That tire is bigger than me!

I did get a sticker, so that made my day! (And I still have it in my room!)

After a few days, Mommy and Daddy came back from the beach. (They went to Hilton Head, SC, because Daddy had a work meeting to go to.) This was the view from their room (it wasn't hazy, that's just the humidity!)

In the lobby of their hotel, someone built a sand castle, and it was as tall as Daddy!

Mommy and Daddy said that they missed me, but that they really enjoyed a few days by themselves. I missed them too, but I had a lot of fun staying with Nana and Papa. I wonder when they are going back to the beach?

I'm ready!

2010-07-12T20:10:00.003-04:00

Daddy wants to take me to a race. A stock car race. And here in Hagerstown, that means a dirt race. Mommy has always said that I can go when I am old enough to wear earmuffs.

Guess what Mommy, I'm old enough now!

Note: when Daddy put these on me, I thought they were great, and I wore them around the house for half an hour!

Typical Sunday Evening

2010-07-11T19:06:00.003-04:00

For many years, Mommy's family has talked on Sunday nights, to catch up on the weeks events. Usually, this meant that Gma and Gpa would talk to each of their four kids at some point during the evening. In the last year or so, it started to be a bit of a competition between Mommy and Uncle Nick, who got to talk to Gma and Gpa first. (Of course, with Uncle Nick, just about everything is a competition!)

Now, thanks to technology, web cams, and a program called Vsee, we can all talk and see each other at the same time!

L-R, T-B: Me, Uncle Nick and Aunt Becky and Baby Max, Gma, Gpa, Uncle Drew and Uncle Bubba.

Yes, even when Gma and Gpa are in the same house, they use two different computers in two different rooms to talk. (It actually works better that way.) And some times, we even get Gigi on and we get to talk to her too!

This has been a really fun way for me to get to see and talk to my family on a regular basis. Plus I get to show off all the new things that I am learning, for a very encouraging audience!

2 years old!

2010-07-09T14:04:00.005-04:00

So Mommy finally got around to taking my picture with my zebra. I really am growing, and so is my hair! It gets really curly when it is wet or when it is really humid outside. Mommy loves that I have curls, she just isn't sure what to do with them all the time. As you can see, Mommy is starting to put pretty things in my hair, but I'm not sure I like them. They don't usually stay in very long!

I'm getting to be a big girl. Mommy says that soon she and Daddy are going to make my bed into a big girl bed. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I think it will be a good thing.

My personality is definitely shining through. When I am in a comfortable environment, with people I am comfortable with, I am pretty loud and rambunctious. But when things or people are unfamiliar, I tend to be a little more reserved and observe what is going on around me. What can I say, I'm a people-watcher, just like my daddy!

I'm now talking a mile-a-minute (also just like Daddy), and I'm learning new words faster then Mommy can even count! And speaking of counting, I can count to 10 in three languages when I repeat after Mommy! (And my friend Sarah's mommy is going to teach me a fourth language!) I know all of my colors, and I love to call them out when I see them, especially when we are driving! I'm really good at pointing out what color the big trucks are, and I love to point out all the yellow and orange cars!

A couple of phrases that Mommy and Daddy hear all the time:

Ucky trash.

I fall down.

Ut-oh, stuck.

Elmo's nose orange.

Eat it all up.

I do it.

No touch.

Mommy and Daddy still have a hard time understanding me sometimes. I guess it is a little difficult when I have three words that kind of sound the same.

Pa-to = potato

Pi-to = pillow

Pa-do = Play-doh

It doesn't help now that I have a Mrs. Potato Head, so I ask for my potato and my Play-doh when I am standing next to my toys.

This afternoon I was being silly and decided I need my shades and my hat. I put them on and started running around the house. Mommy was trying to take my picture, but I wouldn't be still long enough...got to get my groove on!

Cheese Mommy!

I know, I'm the cutest thing you have seen all day!

New presents!

2010-07-08T16:03:00.002-04:00

This is the baby doll bed that I got from Nana and Papa. I thought that I should try it out first, to make sure that my babies will like it. I think they will!

This is a picture of Mommy, at Christmas, when she was two years old. Gma and Gpa made this cradle for her to use with her dolls.

Gma and Gpa surprised me and Mommy, when they had Uncle Bubba send me the cradle for my birthday! (Uncle Bubba sent it because it was back in Iowa, where Uncle Bubba lives.)

Here I have my doll Violet, as well as my new Elmo, trying out the cradle. They both really liked it!

It sure is fun to get lots of neat birthday presents. I must be the most loved little girl in the whole world!

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-05T10:22:00.003-04:00

Yesterday morning we had to take Gma and Gpa to the airport so they could go home. Gma had to take one more picture of us, so here we are in our patriotic apparel!

After we got back home, and I had another good, long nap, we went over to my friend Lexi's house. I got to go swimming for a little while, which was really fun!

After we ate, we went to some friends of Lexi's family to watch fireworks. (The friend's house was really close to the park where the fireworks were being held.) It was really fun playing with the other kids, especially since I got to stay up way past my bedtime.

Here I am with Lexi (the one on the right) and one of her cousins. We were trying to wait patiently for the fireworks, but it was hard.

Mommy's attempt at a night shot of me with my glow stick jewelry!

At 9:40pm, Mommy and Daddy decided that I should put my pj's on, so that I would be ready for bed when we got home (and they knew it would be a good distraction until the fireworks started). Just as I finished getting my pj's on, they started! I didn't know what was going on, but it was really loud and I got scared. It was a good thing Mommy was holding me!

Then I saw the pretty colors in the sky, and realized that no one else was scared, so I calmed down. Mommy had me call out the colors that I saw with every burst, and that became a fun game, trying to keep up with all the bursts. After a few minutes, I realized that fireworks, although loud, are really fun to watch. By the time the finale came, I was clapping and cheering with everyone else!

Once the fireworks were over, we quickly packed up our stuff and headed home. There was a lot of traffic, so it was slow going in the beginning. I only lasted about 5 minutes in the car before I fell asleep. It was two and a half hours past my bedtime, and I was exhausted. I woke up when we got home just enough to realize that Mommy was carrying me into the house, and that she put me in my bed. What a great day!

A new day

2010-07-03T16:20:00.004-04:00

So yesterday was fun, but today is a new day. I got to show Gma how I ride my trike, while sporting some of my new presents, a shirt Aunt Becky made for me, and some shorts from Gma!

(Practicing my pageant/parade wave. You never know when you might need it!)

Since I was being a bit of a stinker, and Mommy didn't have time to get it all wrapped before the party, I got to open my presents from Mommy and Daddy today. Check out my purple chair and my big purple ball!

The ball is really fun to roll across the floor!

I think we are just going to have a quiet day today. Uncle Nick, Aunt Becky, and Baby Max left really early this morning to fly home. Nana, Papa, and Aunt Anna left a little while ago to drive back to NC. Gma and Gpa are leaving tomorrow. It's been a lot of fun having so much family here, but I think I'm ready for a long nap!

It's party time!

2010-07-03T09:39:00.006-04:00

Yesterday was a very busy day! We spent the day getting ready for my party! I got to play most of the day, and there were plenty of people to play with. Papa went outside with me and pushed me on the swing for a long time, and that was really fun.

Nana and Aunt Anna worked together to paint my nails, so now I have pretty purple fingers and toes! (Yes, it took two people, because I don't like to be still, remember!)

I got to help with Baby Max, which meant I got to hold him. That was really fun!

Mommy and Gma spent a good portion of the day decorating my cake. Uncle Nick put in his two cents a few times, but that was the extent of his help with the cake (which is probably a good thing!)

My cake!

The weather has been perfect all day, and as everyone was arriving, I was already playing outside.

Gma came and blew bubbles with me! I really like blowing bubbles!

I got to eat at my table with my buddies from play group, Landen and Sarah!

And here I am, with my beautiful cake!

Here I am with the Eckardt kids. (They were our neighbors when we first moved to Maryland last fall.)

Me with Sarah and Landen!

Mommy, Daddy, and me!

First of what I'm sure will be many pictures of the cousins with the cake. (We had to have Uncle Nick and Aunt Becky, and Mommy and Daddy in the picture too, because they wouldn't let me hold Baby Max by myself.)

Everyone was singing to me, and I was ready to blow out my candles! (Mommy had helped me practice last week!)

I bent over a little too far, and almost burned my forehead! Daddy helped me blow the candles out.

Me and my buddies eating our cake and ice cream...well, I ate the cake, Sarah just licked off the icing, and Landen ate it all!

I was having a really good time playing with my friends, so I was not happy when Mommy and Daddy told me it was time to open my presents. I wanted to keep playing! However, even after much protesting, they told me I couldn't play until I had opened my presents, so I got my buddies to help me!

They did a really good job getting all the paper off and opening the box...

but once I saw what was inside, I didn't need any more help!

I was sad when it was time for Sarah to leave, so I gave her a really big hug!

And at the very end, a quick family picture, even though Baby Max wasn't too excited about it.

And then it was time for me to go to bed!

I had a really good time at my party. I got a lot of neat gifts and it was fun to see so many of my friends, all at my house, for my special day!

Happy Birthday to me!

2010-07-02T17:15:00.010-04:00

The last few days have been great! Gma and Gpa are here (they came Tuesday evening) and it has been so much fun to play with them! And yesterday was my birthday, and it was full of fun.

In the morning, Mommy took me to the doctor for my check-up. I'm doing great and growing lots. I'm now 25 lb, 6 oz, which puts me just above the 25th percentile, and I'm 36 3/4" tall, which puts me above the 95th percentile. Yes, I am very tall for my age! I did very good when the doctor was examining me, and I didn't cry at all! (This is a BIG improvement over my past check-ups, when I would start crying when the nurse weighed me, and proceed to cry the rest of the visit!)

The nurse did a finger prick to test me for anemia and lead. She had to get about 15 drops of blood out of my finger, but I did great when she was doing it, because she gave me a sucker! (I'd never had one before, but I really liked it!) My iron level is great, but we have to wait to find out about the lead. Then, I got two shots, one in each leg. That part wasn't too good, but it didn't hurt for too long, and I had my doggy to snuggle with, so that made it much better!

Mommy and I then went home, so that I could have some lunch and take my nap, but those plans got a little interrupted. When we got home, Gpa came out and told us that Fed-Ex had brought me a present! This was the present...

And this was the reaction of Mommy and me when we saw the present!

This picture was taken by Aunt Becky. She and Uncle Nick brought Max to my house for my birthday! No one knew that they were coming, so they had surprised Gma and Gpa while we were gone, and surprised us when we got home!

Oh, and the story behind it all...
Gma and Gpa were so disappointed that they weren't going to be able to meet Max soon after he was born (they were traveling and had meetings) and they were hoping that Max would come for my birthday. When that wasn't going to happen, silly Uncle Nick said that maybe they would send Baby Max Fed-Ex, so that Gma and Gpa could meet him.

So when Nick and Becky decided at the last minute to come for my birthday, they made a little Fed-Ex onsie, made out a delivery tag, and actually had our neighbor Larry deliver Max to the door! (For more details from Uncle Nick, and more pictures, check out Max's blog!)

Mommy got to hold Baby Max, and I got to give him hugs!

I got to give Uncle Nick hugs too! I was so excited that they came for my birthday! (I had been asking about them all week, wondering if they were going to come and see me, but Mommy kept telling me they weren't.)

More hugs for Baby Max, before I had my lunch.

Mommy holding Max again, and making eye contact!

Max was getting hungry, so silly Uncle Nick was trying to keep Max content while Becky was getting things ready to feed him.

Yes, Baby Max really was sucking on his nose!

After all the excitement, lunch, and my nap, Nana, Papa, and Aunt Anna arrived. Yay! I got to play with them for a little while, then we surprised Daddy when he got home with the unexpected guests! We ate one of my favorite meals, spaghetti, and then went to play Putt-Putt!

Here is Daddy trying to help me!

Daddy helping me again, with everyone watching!

I think I'm going to need some more practice, but we all had a good time!

After we finished playing Putt-Putt, we stopped by a local donut shop, Krumpe's. Everyone here in Hagerstown has been telling us we needed to try some, and Mommy and Daddy thought my birthday was a great first time. (It is a little odd, because you have to go to the alley behind the family's house, where they have the bakery, to get fresh donuts, and only from 7 pm to 2 am (you can buy them at some local convenience stores too).

Then it was home, and time for me to get to bed. It was way past my bedtime, and I needed to get some rest, because today is going to be a big day!

Curls

2010-06-27T17:14:00.003-04:00

Once again, Mommy thought that I was so cute all dressed up for church this morning that she had to take a picture. Plus, she had put mousse in my hair, so now you can really see the curls!

For those of you wondering, there is a little bit of curly hair in Daddy's family, and a little bit in Mommy's family, and I apparently got all of it. Lucky me!

Silly me

2010-06-26T17:13:00.004-04:00

This morning while Mommy was trying to fold laundry, I was being a little bit of a stinker. (That only happens on very rare occasions, and usually when Daddy puts me up to it. But this one was all on my own!) Even though I was already dressed, in shirt, undies, and shorts, I felt the need to take the clean undies that Mommy was trying to fold and put them on. Yes, multiple pairs!

It's a little hard to tell from this picture, but I have on undies, shorts, another pair of undies, and then a third pair of undies, because you can never have enough clean undies on, I say.

Yes, Mommy thought this would be a great photo opportunity, one that I'm sure will haunt me in my teenage years. But I was having to much fun running around and climbing on the bed, and Daddy, to think about things like that.

(It's hard to see all the layers, but here is a hint: first pair of undies are covered by the purple shorts, second pair are white, and the third pair has Elmo all over!

Then, once I was up on the bed, I decided to try out something new...pouncing, on Daddy! And since Mommy already had the camera, she got a video of it!

Daddy is so much fun to play with!

Friends came to play

2010-06-23T17:12:00.006-04:00

On Wednesdays, Mommy and I go to a playgroup, so that I can have some social interaction with kids my age, and Mommy can have some adult conversation, with some moms, to help keep her sanity. Today, we had a very small group, and so afterwards, Mommy invited Landen, Lexi, and Miss Jen over to our house! We had a fun time playing together (and I got a good lesson on sharing) and we had lunch too.

Just before they left, we got a greet group shot on the stairs!

Yes, Landen is wearing my purple Gingham sunglasses!

I have such a good time with my friends! Even if they are a little crazy!

Bows

2010-06-19T20:09:00.001-04:00

Today was our friend Amelia's birthday and we went to her house for a party! It was really fun, especially since we hadn't seen her or her family for a few weeks. As part of the festivities, all of the girls put bows in their hair, including me!

Check out how good Mommy and I look!

We had a great time with friends. Happy Birthday Amelia!

So pretty!

2010-06-13T16:34:00.002-04:00

Mommy wanted to take a picture of me in this outfit before church. She has been so excited about all the pretty dresses I have, that she wants everyone, not just the people at church, to see how cute I look! And once again, I have my hair all done up!

Aren't I just the cutest thing?!?!

I'm a big helper!

2010-06-08T17:32:00.002-04:00

This afternoon when Mommy started making dinner (Scalloped Potatoes with Ham), I told her I wanted to help. So after Mommy peeled the potatoes, I got to help slice them with the slicer thingy (a mandolin, and don't worry, I was very careful)! Once all the potatoes were sliced, I got to help put them in the pan. We were about half way done when Mommy realized that this was a photo worthy event, and got the camera out!

Here I am, putting the potatoes in the pan.

And more potatoes.

There were a lot of potatoes!

Mommy put the ham in and spread the sauce over top, but I was a big helper with the potatoes, and I learned how to say potato too!

23 months

2010-06-06T13:13:00.002-04:00

So, instead of taking my picture in the chair with the zebra, Mommy decided to use the pictures of me in my pretty ladybug dress that Nana gave me. I wore it to church today, and even had pretty barrettes in my hair!

What a good looking pair!

So, in case you couldn't tell, I'm growing, a lot! I'm also learning a lot too! Some of my new words...door, clock, my, bird. I'm learning new ones so fast Mommy can't keep up with all that I can say. It is so nice to finally be able to tell Mommy and Daddy what I want and what I'm thinking!!

I am working on my colors and making a lot of progress. When Mommy asks me to find a certain color, I can almost always get it right. I have a harder time coming up with the right word when asked what color something is, but I'm sure I'll master that soon too. I can say the eight basic color names!

I love to run and climb and I'm getting really good at jumping. I have strong arms and can pull my feet up over my head when I hang on the rings on the playground! I love to swing almost as much as I love slides, which is a big change for me!

I can walk down the stairs without holding on, but I'm not very confident about it, so I still hold on most of the time. Going up without holding on is a little tougher, so I'm still working on that.

I am doing a really good job of using the potty and I'm working on giving up diapers! In just a few weeks I have come a long ways, and now I get to wear big girl undies! I only wear diapers when I sleep and when we go out sometimes. I wake up at night when I need to go, and so Mommy and Daddy have to help me, but that means I am making progress there too!

Mommy told me that I am getting so big, that soon I will have a birthday, and a party! I'm so excited to turn two! I can say two, but I'm still learning how to hold up just two fingers. I'll get there soon!

Gigipa's Birthday

2010-06-03T15:03:00.004-04:00

Today would have been Gigipa's 88th birthday. We miss that we cannot celebrate this day with him, but we know that he is in heaven, and therefore he is able to celebrate more than we can even imagine!

Here is a video clip from the first time I went to Gigipa's house, when I was seven and a half months old. I think Gigipa smiled every time we were in the same room!

I'm a cousin!!

2010-06-02T17:47:00.006-04:00

Today at playgroup, Mommy got a call from Gma and Gpa, letting us know that Nick and Becky were at the hospital, and that I would soon be a cousin (and Mommy & Daddy would soon be and Aunt & Uncle)! When we got home, Mommy tried to get caught up on all that was happening with Aunt Becky. Then, while I was taking my nap, Mommy got the news that there had been some complications, and so Aunt Becky was having an emergency C-section. Shortly after that, my new cousin was born!

We new that it was going to be a boy, but Uncle Nick and Aunt Becky hadn't finalized a name...they wanted to meet him first. The family thought we knew which name they were going to choose, but they surprised us all!

Here is Maxwell Roydon Erdmann! (His middle name is a combination of my two great-grandfathers' names.)

Welcome to the family Max. I can't wait to meet you!

You can follow Max as he grows!

Fun at some friends' house

2010-06-01T10:00:00.008-04:00

Since Daddy didn't have to work yesterday, because it was a holiday, we got to spend the morning playing together! Then, after my nap, we went over to Jenel, Danny, and Lexi's house! (Daddy and Jenel work together, and Lexi and I have played together a few times. She is a little older than I am, but that's OK, we still have a good time together.) We went to their house and got to go swimming, in a big pool!!

It took me a little while to get comfortable in the pool, because it was just so big, so I stayed on the steps and played for a little while. Then Mommy put me in this floater thingy, and I still wasn't too sure about it all. I was having fun on the steps. Mommy tried a couple of times before I was comfortable just floating around with her and Daddy, but then I realized how much fun swimming is!

After we got out of the pool, while Daddy and Danny were grilling, Lexi took me for a ride on her Gator! I wasn't too sure about it at first, but I quickly got the hang of it, and realized that it is a lot of fun!

Lexi got on her bike, and I thought I'd try driving, but I could hardly reach the pedal, and I don't really understand how to steer, so I didn't go very far.

After a yummy dinner, Lexi and I played on her playground while the parents talked.

Have I mentioned that I really like slides?

Later, I did decide to try my hand at driving the Gator again...

Just after Mommy took this video, I did straighten out the wheel, and took off for the front yard. Mommy came running after me, and it was a good thing, because then I turned and ran into the side of the garage! (The brick was fine, the Gator was fine, I was fine, Mommy had a hard time trying to help me back it up so we could get out of the mulch bed and drive around to the backyard.) I guess I still need to work on steering, and stopping. When do I get to have a Gator, Daddy??

Birthday Party!!

2010-05-30T20:00:00.005-04:00

This afternoon we went to my friend Landen's Sesame Street birthday party! He turned 2 a few days ago, and I got to help him celebrate today. Here we are playing with Play-Doh (a new favorite activity of mine)!

Our friend Sarah came to join us! I was so glad that Sarah was at the party, because I really like playing with her. That's Sarah's mom on the left (she is going to have a baby soon) and Landen's mom on the right. They are part of the Wednesday morning play group that Mommy and I go to!

We were playing a game here, where we had to pass the block around while the music played and whoever was holding the block when the music stopped got a prize. I got a really cool bubble wand!

One of Landen's presents was this really nice playground. It has three swings, a fort, and a slide! It was fun to play on, especially the swing!

The birthday boy and I were having a discussion of the difference of the swings. It was a friendly talk.

Here is the birthday cake! Landen's mom made it, all by her self! She did a great job! There were even cookies in the cookie jar, and they were really good!

After a fun time, it was time to say goodbye. Landen's cousin Lexi gave me a hug. (She comes to playgroup too, so we are friends.)

Sarah and I hugging!

Hugging the birthday boy, with his dad watching. (Calm down everyone, it was just a hug, and there was plenty of parental supervision!)

I had a really fun time at the party, and I think that Mommy and Daddy did too. Parties sure are fun! Mommy said that I will have a party soon, and I can hardly wait!!

Some days...

2010-05-28T16:21:00.001-04:00

...you just have to sleep when you can! Of course, if I hadn't been up most of the night, I probably would have been able to finish my lunch without having to have a nap in the middle, but that wouldn't be any fun.

Pool time!

2010-05-27T18:33:00.002-04:00

It is definitely starting to feel like summer here, which is a good thing since it is almost June! Mommy thought it would be a good idea to get out my little pool, as a good way to keep me cool and entertained, and to get me reacquainted with pools and water, because we have been invited to a friend's house to go swimming this weekend!

It took me a few minutes to warm up to the idea, and I didn't want to sit in the water. Mommy tried to have me sit on an upside down sand pail, but I missed and ended up in the water. That was OK though, because I realized the water felt good!

Mommy had me lay on my stomach and kick, so that I would start to feel comfortable with that position, and I even started blowing bubbles in the water! (I sucked in a good bit of water too!)

Here I was just being silly, because Mommy was taking my picture!

I had a really fun time playing in my pool, so much so that I didn't want to get out, even after almost an hour! I can't wait to play in my pool this summer!

Flip flops!

2010-05-20T13:30:00.003-04:00

Nana gave me these flip flops for Easter, and Mommy has been trying to get me to wear them, without success. I just don't like the funny thing in between my toes. Today, I decided to give them a try, so Mommy had to take a picture, to prove that I had them on. I still didn't really like them, but it made Mommy happy, and hopefully it will make Nana happy also.

But I'll take a pair of Crocs over these any day!

My first trip to the Zoo!!

2010-05-16T22:28:00.007-04:00

Since we only live about an hour outside of Washington, DC, Mommy and Daddy thought it would be fun to take me to the National Zoo. They were right! And getting to go with Nana and Papa made it even more fun!

We started at the Kid's Farm, where I saw goats, alpaca, pigs, and I even got to pet a cow!

Then we went to Amazonia, which is like a tropical rain forest. I saw fish and stingrays, birds, and tiny frogs! Can you find the frog in this picture?

Next, we went to see the big cats! I saw a tiger lounging in a pool (it was pretty hot) and these two lions. I roared at them, but they didn't respond.

We wandered over to the Great Apes, and saw these Gorillas!

The big guy (Mommy says he is a silverback, the head honcho of the group) got upset and took a swing at one of the other gorillas. He was pretty scary looking!

I also got to see the baby gorilla!

Inside, there were lots of different kinds of monkeys, and I figured out pretty quick how to say monkey, and point them out. This is one of the Golden Lion Tamarins that we saw!

We didn't get to see much of the elephants, except for this, because they are working on their habitat. It was still really neat for me to see them in real life and see how big they really are!

Next, we went looking for the Panda Bears, but they were all napping, and since it was that time of day, I decided to do the same! The zoo sure does make a girl tired!

Since I fell asleep and everyone else was hot and tired, we called it a day. We didn't get to see all the birds, or the African Savanna (which I did want to see, so I know what a savanna is). I guess we will just have to go back sometime soon!

More family = more fun!!

2010-05-14T19:24:00.003-04:00

So, we made it home from Iowa, and I finally got in my bed at 12:30 am. I slept really well, because I was worn out from being gone and travelling. I have just been relaxing since we got home, but Mommy has been working on unpacking and getting groceries and such for this weekend, because Nana and Papa are here!!

They got here just a little while ago, and I have already warmed up to Papa! (This isn't my usual way of interacting with him, I'm usually a little standoffish, but hey, not today!)

And Nana brought a huge box of fresh strawberries!! I have discovered that I LOVE whole strawberries, but I don't like them cut up! YUMMY!

These are really good! Thank you Nana!!

After my little snack, we went to the park to feed the ducks! Two swans decided that they were hungry, and they weren't afraid to let us know! They actually ate right out of Daddy's hand! (I thought they got a little too close for comfort.)

Then I got to go play on the playground, and of course went down the slides multiple times. Then, I discovered a new feature, the merry-go-round!! It was fun when Daddy was pushing me around, and even more fun when Daddy and Mommy got on and Papa pushed us all!

It's so much fun spending time with family!

Four generations!

2010-05-12T13:16:00.002-04:00

I can't believe our week is over and now we are on our way home. Gma, Gpa, and Gigi took us to the airport in Omaha, and we were there a little early, so we sat and watched the planes go by. Unfortunately, Omaha isn't a very busy airport, so there weren't many planes going by, but that was OK. We did get this picture of four generations of loveliness!

We have a long day ahead of us, flying to Dallas, reasonable layover there, then the 3 hour flight back to Baltimore. We are supposed to land at 11:15 pm, so it will be well after midnight when we get home, and way past my bedtime! But I'm looking forward to seeing Daddy, and sleeping in my own bed. Sure hope we get to come back to Iowa soon!

They do have slides in Iowa!

2010-05-11T18:14:00.003-04:00

After being here for almost a week, the weather finally wasn't awful, and I got to go to a park and play! Finally, I got to slide and swing! We have just spent way too much time inside, especially since it is spring. (Someone forgot to tell the weather that its time to warm up!)

Yeah, pictures of Mommy and me! Mommy is usually the one taking the pictures, so we don't have that many of us together.

The airplane was fun, but I like the car better!

I really liked this curvy, tunnel slide. It was a lot of fun! Uncle Bubba got done with work and came to see me. I asked him to go down the slide with me, but he said he wouldn't fit. I think he was just scared!

Hear I come!!

I'm so glad I found out that they do have slides in Iowa, because I know that we will be going back there to visit many times, and it wouldn't be near as much fun being there if they didn't have them! I wonder how soon we can go back?

So many fun people to play with...

2010-05-11T13:04:00.001-04:00

Over the past few days, I have had the privilege of being the center of attention. A lot of attention. Everyone wants to play with me, and why not. I am cute and fun, and then they get to feel like a kid again!

Here I am playing with Mommy's cousin Ward, while my Great-uncle Loren watches. It took me a few minutes to warm up to Ward, but he just got down and started playing, and then I joined him!

Gpa has been wanting to play with me for days, but I just haven't been very comfortable with that. He finally followed Ward's example, and just got down and started playing and let me come up to him. Then I played with Gpa for a long time. I love Gpa!!

Hey, you aren't supposed to tickle me all the time!

I got to play with Uncle Nick and Aunt Becky quite a bit. Uncle Nick is so silly...he always makes me laugh. I learned how to say Nick and Becky, so now I can call them when I want to play!

Uncle Bubba (Chris) came by after work and he got down and played with me! Uncle Drew did too, but somehow Mommy missed getting a picture of us together.

I can say Bubba and Drew also! I'm so smart!

This morning, Aunt Becky even watched Sesame Street and Elmo's World with me! I really like watching Elmo's World!!

I have really enjoyed spending so much time with my Iowa family. I can't believe that we have to leave tomorrow. I do miss Daddy, since he left on Sunday, but I'm going to miss everyone here too.

In honor of a wonderful man...

2010-05-09T12:54:00.009-04:00

Although I didn't get to spend very much time with Gigipa, I know, and have heard a lot the last few days, that he was a wonderful man. I wish I would have had the opportunity to know him better, but Mommy says that he is happy in his new home in heaven, waiting for us to join him there one day.

Gigipa loved Gigi. Here are a few pictures from when they were young!

Gigi loved Gigipa! A few years ago, she wrote a tribute for Gigipa, for his 75th birthday/Father's Day...

A Father’s Day Tribute

I’d like to share some data not yet recorded in a modern-day computer, but just in my God-given computer about yours truly, Roy Elmer Wester.

He was born on June 3, 1922 in a private maternity room in an Iowa farm home near Cleghorn. His parents, Elmer and Mabel Wester were both descendants of Swedish immigrants. Events of his childhood have only been mentally recorded as bits and pieces of information were shared by his parents and seven siblings. No doubt much information has been lost or forgotten through the years, but we all know about his lifetime ability to figure out how things work and to fix them if they didn’t.

School was not his first love, but farming was. He just couldn’t wait for those eighth grade county exams and freedom. His skill at milking cows, pitching manure, harnessing horses, slopping pigs, stacking bundles and straw at threshing time, bailing hay and picking corn by hand was not to be outdone by anyone.

At age 21 Uncle Sam had other plans for him. This physically fit young man was a choice inductee in the U.S. Army’s First Cavalry Division in November of 1943. He “marched in the infantry, shot the artillery”, was shot by the enemy and is still “in the Lord’s army”. He was rewarded with a Purple Heart, Bronze Arrowhead, Presidential Citation and four battle stars after serving 19 month in the Asiatic Pacific theater during World War II. He was on board the Missouri battleship off the shores of Japan when the peace treaty was signed and a short time later he received an honorable discharge after two years and 2 months of military service.

After returning home, he recovered from a number of bouts of malaria and tried to adjust to life on the farm after the war. He batched and farmed and waited for me to decide to be a farmer’s wife. That took awhile!

But after the I do’s on February 14, 1953 and a honeymoon trip to Florida, life really began. We had four kids in the next six years and wonder now how we ever made it. His patience, my management, and help from the grandparents were all necessary those early child rearing years. It took some changes to become a farm homemaker and mother of four after almost thirteen years of being a college student, teacher and career woman with paid vacations. Maybe now by this time Roy was thinking bachelorhood wasn’t so bad after all—at least he was his own boss then!

What busy years the 70’s were! We were FCYF sponsors, had countless parties, four high school graduations, built a new home, helped Loren start farming, Colleen and Paul, Loren and Darla and Carol and Gerald were married and Lowell was off to college and a teaching career. Lots of fun and excitement have been added to our lives since the eight grandchildren arrived. There were birthday parties,
swimming parties at the pond and now we’ve seen half of them graduated from high school.

Roy bought his first car, a Model T Ford, for 5 dollars so he could drive his siblings and neighborhood kids to school. Roy owned a black Ford Coupe, a Chevrolet, ’51 Crown Victoria Ford, Mercury, Buick Le Sabre, Roadmaster Buick (with electric windows), a maroon Wildcat, a blue ’70 Buick, three Shaklee cars (Monte Carlo, Buick Le Sabre, and a Buick Regal coupes) and is presently driving a ’98 Oldsmobile and a Ford conversion van both ’86 models. He’s determined to make 200,000 plus miles on both of them so don’t look for a new car in his garage just yet.

In case you are interested in more data, Roy has also driven horses, mules, ponies, cars, tractors, trucks, combines, bicycles, and spends a lot of time now driving lawn mowers (since I’ve retired from that job).
He’s ridden on ponies and horses, cattle train cabooses, troop trains, El and subway trains, street cars, buses and roller coasters. He did remark that after riding five one evening at Sandusky, Ohio in ’95 and the last the highest in the world at the time, that he was retiring from roller coaster riding at the age of 73.

He’s sailed on a rowboat, speedboat, sailboat, schooner, the Queen, a river paddle wheeler, a troop ship, LST boat, ferry, and a dug-out canoe. He’s flown on a seaplane in Canada, Jesse Schlicting’s private plane to Minneapolis, 747s to San
Francisco, Toronto, Hawaii, Austria and Zaire, an MAF plane over the grasslands and jungles of Africa and in a hot air balloon in Colorado.

He has driven in all 50 states and 8 provinces of Canada, been in Mexico, the Admiralty Islands, New Guinea, the Philippines, Japan, Holland, Germany, Austria, France, Central African Republic and Zaire. He’s crossed the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Arctic Circle and Equator, the Continental Divide, Rockies, Cascades, Sierras and Appalachians and traveled in the Alps of Europe. He has driven to Alaska and visited over 50 of our national parks.

Throughout his lifetime he has farmed, raised cattle, hogs and chickens, cut down and planted trees, dug ditches and bull thistles, tore down, moved and built buildings, and done lots of electric wiring and fencing. He has had no fear of heights, but has little love for swimming, golf or other sports. He excels at all kinds of puzzles, 3-D and jig saw puzzles and table games that challenge his strategic mental skills. He has not mastered the typewriter or computer but can do mental calculating that the younger generation can’t do.

Roy still has the first tractors that he bought as a young farmer…International Harvester B and M Farmall, and a lot of junk that he sees as treasures that could be used sometime. The challenge now is knowing where to find it. He has spent his retirement years on the farm helping Loren with machinery and tractor repair work, traveling, and if we can’t find him we know he’s probably playing with his acetylene torch in the grove. The iron pile is getting higher and I’m looking forward to the day when it gets moved!

Although he has not been an avid reader in the past, he finds time for that each day and has read the Bible through twice in the past two years. He served on the church board at Oakdale as missionary financial secretary and trustee for many years. His hearing and eyesight are failing, he’s missing some hair, tonsils and gallbladder, knees are wearing out, but he still has a HEART OF GOLD and is NUMBER ONE in my book at age 75!

Written in 1997 by His Wife of 44 years,
Elsie J Wester

This was the first time I met Gigipa...I was only seven and a half weeks old!

I got to see him again when I was seven and a half months old! I had a fun time playing with his cane, and I think he had a fun time watching me!

And this was this past Christmastime. I remember rolling a little red car back and forth across the table with Gigipa, and him smiling from ear to ear!

And if you want to know just a little more, here are some words Uncle Nick had to say about Gigipa, and some memories from my uncles, Mommy, and her cousins...

I don’t think Grandpa ever thought to brag about anything in his life. So it is a good thing God gave him a grandson with a big mouth. I am both thrilled and honored to have this opportunity today to brag about one of the greatest men ever known.

Grandpa was a man who I believe could do anything if he wanted to. If something could be built, he could build it. If something couldn't be built, he would find a way to build it. And if something was already built, he probably tried to find a way to build it better. I am pretty sure he has already made a gadget for God that makes something work more efficient in Heaven.

Grandpa was a man with a memory. It seemed like he could remember anything. What year he bought this tractor or that one, what year this building was built or that building burned down, and so on. He also was a man of memories. We all have so many great memories of him that we could be here for a very very long time just to scrape the surface. So I would like to take a moment and share just a few memories with you from each one of His grand kids as well as a tribute from his wife.

Chris – “Grandpa taught me to weld, fix tractors, and many others trades that I cherish and I use every day of my life.”

Drew – “On Easter day, when I was 8 years old, Grandpa started an annual Easter Tradition with Chris and me. He took us out to hunt the Easter bunny. After that, Grandma's garden never looked so good.”

Lara – "I have many fond memories of summer days at Grandpa's pond. I also remember Grandpa designed a contraption to make a fishing net 12 feet deep by 100 ft long to seine the pond. I was fascinated by his ingenuity and patience to complete the project. It was an exciting day the family all gathered to try out the net on Grandpa’s pond for the first time. "

Nick – "Grandpa used to tell me, 'If you don’t wash your hands before you eat, you don’t need salt and pepper.' Grandpa kept a spoon in the deep freeze so we could eat a scoop of ice cream on the way upstairs from his wash room."

Jenn – "Grandma and Grandpa came to visit us in North Carolina for Christmas of 2003, and as we spent time together Grandma and Grandpa were sharing memories of how they met, their courting period, and their wedding. Grandpa began a series of animated playful banter with Grandma as they attempted to get their versions of the stories to line up. I saw a playful side of Grandpa which I had never seen before."

Leighton – "Grandpa had a kind of childlike curiosity as long as I knew him. You could see his brain working right in front of you when he was thinking about something, which made him very interesting to me. He taught me how to solve more puzzles and toys than I can remember and he also gave meaning to the phrase ‘strong silent type’."

Janel – "Whenever Grandpa came over to our house, he would sit down and read World Book Encyclopedias. And I also remember that he could eat a pint of ice cream easily in one sitting."

Ward – "When I was much younger, I came up with dad to do chores at Grandma and Grandpas, and Grandpa had just gotten a new electric hedge trimmer. Grandpa showed me how to use the trimmer and then left me to work as he went with dad to work on something else. After about 5 minutes, I cut through the power chord with the trimmer. I went to find Grandpa and he said, 'now that you have learned to use the trimmer, now we are going to teach you how to splice wires'."

If you knew Gigipa, please leave a comment with a special memory, so that through you, I can know him better!

Oh, what a big family I'm part of!

2010-05-09T12:37:00.005-04:00

And I saw a lot of them this weekend! Friday night was the visitation at the funeral home, and lots and lots of people came. There were lots of pretty flowers from friends and family. There was a really neat slide show of pictures, as well as a big display of candids that Gma and her siblings helped Gigi put together. I got to meet a lot of my extended family, and see many that I hadn't seen in a while.

I was finishing up my dinner when we first got to the funeral home, and Daddy brought cousin Henry over to say hi. (Henry is the son of Mommy's cousin Leighton...not sure what that makes us, so I'll just say we're cousins.) Everyone was a little curious to see if I would be jealous when Daddy was holding him, but I wasn't. I was even OK when Mommy held Henry...I love babies, so I thought it was great!

Saturday afternoon was the funeral, and I got to play in the nursery with cousin Henry and two others cousins, Vivi Ann and Noel. (They are the granddaughters of Gma's cousin Joanne, so again, I'll just call them cousins.) We had a good time playing together, and then it was time for the lunch. I had barely finished my sandwich when Gpa whisked me away to meet lots of people. I didn't get to meet too many though...missed nap+full tummy+snuggling with Gpa=late nap, even during the lunch! I woke up just in time to go back to Gigi's house!

On Sunday, we went to church, and then stopped at the cemetery. Everyone was surprised to see the headstone was already engraved. We were able to say our final goodbyes with just the immediate family.

Goodbye Gigipa. You will be missed.

Checking out the farm

2010-05-06T12:36:00.004-04:00

Even thought it is cold and windy here in Iowa, Mommy wanted to show me some cows. Unfortunately, most of them were out in the pasture where we couldn't see them. I did get to see the two bulls. They were really big!

We walked around the farm for a few minutes, remembering Gigipa, then went inside to warm up. Someone forgot to tell the weather that it is Spring, and therefore it isn't supposed to be this cold! (It is only about 48 degrees, with a good 15 mph wind!) I hope it isn't like this all week!

Oh what a day...

2010-05-06T12:33:00.001-04:00

...or two!

On Tuesday morning, we found out that Gigipa, my great-grandpa Wester, had died early that morning. We were sad, but also relieved, as he had been ready and waiting for his Savior to call him home. And now Gigipa has a perfect body and is no longer troubled by the things of this world!

But, there is a funeral to go to, in Iowa. And we had to leave right away! So Mommy spent about 4 hours looking at every conceivable way to get the three of us on a plane to Iowa yesterday, for as little money (considering) as possible. She was on the phone with Daddy, on Skype with Gma and Gpa, calling the airlines, all while looking online. She was also trying to coordinate with Gma and Gpa so we could all ride back to Paullina (where Mommy grew up and Gigi and Gigipa live) together from the airport in Omaha (a 2 and a half hour trip) and so Daddy could ride back to the airport with Great-uncle Lowell. I helped out by falling asleep in my highchair during lunch, and then taking a good nap, so that Mommy wasn't distracted by me!

Finally, just after I woke up, Mommy had it all figured out and tickets bought. Then all she had to do was laundry and pack, because we had to leave the house yesterday morning at 7 am!

So, we left bright and early, on a bit of an adventure to take the back way to Dulles Airport, outside of DC (which we have never been to), and try to beat the morning rush hour traffic. We did beat most of the traffic and got to the airport in plenty of time for Mommy and me to make our flight. (Yes, I said Mommy and me!) We had a bit of a time finding our way through the maze of security and trying to get to our gate. Since I was in my stroller, it involved 3 elevators and a train (of which I was NOT a fan)!

We boarded our plane and luckily we had an extra seat next to us, so I had my own seat! I got to use the seat belt and everything! We ate a quick lunch Mommy bought before we boarded, and Mommy tried to get me to take a nap, since that is what I usually do after lunch, and it was a 3 hour flight. But I wasn't having it!! I was having too much fun being on a plane again!!

Mommy wanted to see what a difference a year makes...quite a lot!!

In the mean time, Daddy was on his way to Baltimore, through rush hour traffic! Yes, Daddy flew on a different airline, out of a different airport! He made it there without any trouble, and had plenty of time before his flight.

Since I didn't take a nap on the plane, I succumbed pretty quickly once we got to Dallas and Mommy was pushing me through the terminal. Once we got to our gate, Mommy propped me up like this, so my head wouldn't kept bobbing, and I could sleep.

I took a decent nap and did great on our second flight. We actually landed about 10 minutes early, and we were happy to see that Daddy had just arrived, about 10 minutes before we did. Gma and Gpa had landed about 3 hours earlier, but they had been able to run a few errands before coming back to the airport to get us. Didn't Mommy do a great job figuring out all these flights!

It was getting close to dinner time, but we decided to try and get part of the way to Paullina before stopping, which would allow us to eat at Olive Garden. I have only had the privilege of eating there a few times, but I really love the bread sticks! After a big day, a full belly, and getting into my PJ's, it wasn't long before I fell asleep. We made it back to Gigi's house, I was put in bed, and slept peacefully. Mommy and Daddy got a few minutes with all of Mommy's family while they made sure I was asleep, then they went to bed too.

Things were a little crazy, especially for Mommy, but we made it and now the family is all together.

More fun at gymnastics!

2010-05-04T12:31:00.003-04:00

We got to play on the blow-up slide at the end of class today! I really like bouncing and jumping inside, before I climb up the slide!

Here I go!

Opps! I went a little too fast! But that was fun!

Can I do it again, Mommy??

22 months...can you believe it!

2010-05-01T12:29:00.004-04:00

I'm growing up so fast! I'm still working on potty training, just haven't quite caught on yet. I'm learning new words all the time, so many that Mommy can't keep up with how many I know! My hair is growing, and it still has lots of curl!

I have so much energy, Mommy and Daddy have a hard time keeping up with me!

I am a very sweet girl, Mommy and Daddy tell me that all the time! They also tell me that I am silly, but so is my daddy!

Mommy says that I am mimicking a lot now, and I like to play with my baby and pretend that she is sleeping, or going for a walk with me (as I push her in her stroller or shopping cart).

Daddy is trying to teach me how to kick, but I like throwing balls better. I am getting more comfortable on the swings though. It is really nice to have swings and a slide right behind our house!

I play very well with other kids my age, most of the time. I'm learning to share and take turns. I'm a little more shy when I'm around new people or groups, but once I warm up, I like to join in! I have a friend named Sarah that I really like to play with. She is the same age as me, and it works out nicely, because our mommy's have become friends too! She is going to have a baby brother soon. I wonder when I will get a baby brother??

The pretty girl and the pea!

2010-04-23T15:20:00.003-04:00

I scared Mommy today. Really scared her! I kinda scared myself a little too. Here is the story...

I was happily eating lunch, while Mommy was doing dishes. Mommy finished the dishes and came to sit with me. I was eating one of my favorite foods, peas. Only Mommy noticed that I wasn't eating them any more, I was sticking my finger in my nose. Mommy thought that was a little strange and asked me to stop. She pulled my hand down, and I put it right back up.

Then, a light bulb went off in Mommy's brain! She pulled my hand away, tilted my head back, and looked into my nose. One nostril was clear, the other was green. Not boogie green, pea green. I had stuck a pea up my nose!!!

Mommy ran upstairs and got a big book (something about children's' health) and looked to see what they recommended for such an incident. "Hold a tissue up to your child's nose and have her blow her nose." So Mommy did exactly that. The only problem is, I haven't quite mastered blowing my nose, so when Mommy told me to blow, I blew out my mouth...not much help.

"If the object doesn't come out, contact your physician. Do not try to remove it with tweezers or a cotton swab. This could damage the inside of the nose." This was Mommy's fear, needing to go to the doctor, because Daddy had the car today (we still only have one) and he was at a lunch meeting.

Mommy decided she needed more advise before taking me to the ER, so she wheeled me (in my highchair still) over to the computer. She went to Google and typed in "pea in child's nose" and a whole bunch of web sites came up. Can you believe that? Other kids have done this too!!

Mommy read a few sites, most said to try and have the child blow it out (haha). Then one said to have the child sneeze, and to make then sneeze, have them sniff pepper. So Mommy went and got the big jar of pepper out of the cabinet and put it under my nose. My response..."Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm!" Yes, it was lunch time, I was still hungry, and I love pepper! Every time Mommy uses it, I have to have some too! So much for me sneezing.

By now, Mommy was starting to panic a little, so she called Daddy and told him he had to come home and take us to the doctor. Then she tried to get me to blow out my nose again...no good. Mommy started reading the next website, trying to find another idea. She looked over at me, and could see the pea at the end of my nostril!

Now you have to understand, once I got that pea up my nose, I realized that it wasn't a good idea, because it didn't feel very good. That was why I was trying to get it out when Mommy saw me sticking my finger up my nose. Then, when Mommy was trying to help me get the pea out, I really realized that it shouldn't be there, so I was trying to help. So while Mommy was calling Daddy, and looking at the computer, I was trying to blow that pea out of my nose! And I got it to the end of my nostril, thank you.

So, Mommy saw the pea, and with her nice Mommy fingernails, she grabbed it and pulled it out. It was a little slippery, so it fell into the pocket of my bib. Mommy took a deep breath, and so did I! I could breath again through my nose!! Then Mommy called Daddy back and told him that everything was OK. Mommy looked over at me as I picked that silly pea out of my bib pocket and ate it! (Hey, I was still hungry!!)

Now Mommy says I can't have peas for a while. I hope she doesn't mean it. I really like peas, and I've learned my lesson. Mommy has made sure of that. PEAS GO IN THE MOUTH, NOT THE NOSE!

Sunny days!!

2010-04-23T12:22:00.004-04:00

The weather has been getting warmer, and we have been spending more time outside! This morning, Mommy introduced me to sidewalk chalk and I am a big fan!!! Now I have lots of room for drawing, and Daddy won't be able to miss seeing it when he gets home!

I really like playing outside. I would play outside all the time, if only Mommy would let me!

Fun at the city park!

2010-04-20T19:53:00.002-04:00

This afternoon Mommy took me on an adventure!! We went to a park that has a big lake, with lots of ducks and geese. Mommy brought some bread, and I got to throw it (with a little help from Mommy) in the water for the ducks!!!

One duck seemed hungrier than all the rest, and stayed pretty close to me.

Then he even came out of the water and tried to get into the bag of bread! Mommy had to shoo him back into the water!

Then I got to play on a really fun playground! It had lots of slides and a tunnel! I really liked this tube slide!

After I played for a little bit, it was time to go pick up Daddy, but I didn't want to leave. I like slides way to much...maybe even more than Daddy, but don't tell him that!

Gymnastics!

2010-04-13T13:15:00.003-04:00

Mommy enrolled me in a gymnastics class a few weeks ago, and I am really enjoying it! I am learning all kinds of new things, getting to run and jump, climb and hang on things besides Mommy!

Here is a picture of the gym that I go to!

Today, Daddy came to watch me, and see all the fun things I do! (So he got to take some pictures!) Here I am walking on the balance beam, and behind me is Zoey!

Here I am working on doing pull-ups on the bar. I'm getting pretty good at them!

I can even pull my feet up to the bar!

This is the 'pit'...it's filled with foam blocks and we get to jump and play in here! It is a little hard sometimes, but it is fun!

I really like gymnastics, and my teacher says that I'm really doing well for my age! I often get to be the class leader (the first to do each activity) and I really enjoy that! Daddy says this is the first step toward the 2024 Olympics!!

21 months

2010-04-12T15:45:00.002-04:00

Growing, growing, growing, that is what I'm doing! And my hair is too!

Still just 10 teeth, but I'm working on one...it will be here soon!

I haven't been very interested in potty training recently...just having too much fun playing to worry about it. I'm fine with things the way they are, and Mommy is learning to accept that. Don't worry Mommy, I promise not to wear a diaper to prom!

My new favorite activity, and an old favorite!

2010-04-10T13:08:00.002-04:00

We've been staying with Nana and Papa all week while Daddy works with some of his colleagues here in NC. It has been really fun! We haven't been able to play outside much, because the pollen is really bad, and is making my (and just about everyone's) allergies act up. We have managed to do some fun things though. Nana took me to get pictures taken one day, and I got to go shopping with Mommy. I went to Aunt Lindsay's parent's farm and got to see a puppy, two little dogs, and bunch of big dogs, some miniature cows, and two horses! I even got to pet the horse's nose!! I've had fun playing with Ru-ru (Rudy, Nana and Papa's dog), and especially spending lots of time with Nana and Papa!!

My new favorite activity Nana taught me...pulling the yellow flowers off of dandelions. Now, every time I go outside, that it what I do!

And an old favorite activity, flying!!

Watch how high Daddy throws me!

Weeeeeee!! Look at me!!

That's so much fun Daddy! Do it again, please!

Well, now it's time to get on the road and head home, back to Maryland!

Easter Sunday...all dressed up!

2010-04-04T15:01:00.003-04:00

Here I am, all dressed up in my pretty Easter dress. It was hand-made by a friend of Mommy! Don't I look so pretty!

I have my hair all done up too, and my new shoes!

Aunt Lindsay, Uncle Philip, me, Daddy, Aunt Anna and Mommy. (We missed Uncle Bryson, but he has working.)

Family photo!!

It sure is fun being at Nana and Papa's house!!

Egg hunt #2

2010-04-03T22:27:00.003-04:00

Today I got to go to another egg hunt, this one at Nana and Papa's church! After some games, and the pastor reading us the Easter story...

the hunt was on! I wasn't as excited about this hunt, because there wasn't any hunting to do, the eggs were just laying on the ground.

I did get a basket full, after a lot of prodding from Mommy and Daddy. (And the other girl in this picture was so funny, she only picked up pink eggs. I let her have them!)

I did enjoy opening all of my eggs and finding what was inside of them!!

Look at my hair!

2010-04-03T10:23:00.005-04:00

Mommy got a little silly and put a whole bunch of little clips in my hair.

Its OK, I'm still cute as ever!

Nana and Papa got me a golf set and Daddy was trying to teach me the finer points of how to play. I liked the balls, but the clubs just seemed unnecessary...throwing the balls is much easier!
But Daddy wants me to use the clubs, so I'm trying!

Nana and Papa's house and an egg hunt!

2010-04-02T10:09:00.005-04:00

Last night we drove back to North Carolina, back to Nana and Papa's house! I fell asleep on the way, but it still felt like it took forever! It was worth it though, when I got to see Nana and Papa this morning!! Mommy says that we are going to have a fun day today...

My very first egg hunt!! And it was on a farm! I got to see lots and lots of sheep, and even a big black bunny!

It didn't take me long to fill my basket. I did need a little help finding some of the eggs that were hiding in the tall clover.

Checking out what I found!

It's hot out here Mama, but look at what I have...eggs!!

I had a really good time finding the eggs, just like I had practiced doing at home. It was fun to run around with other kids, and even more fun to pull the eggs open. What I didn't like so much was the melted chocolate that got all over my hands from the chocolate eggs that were inside (I HATE having messy things on my hands). Daddy helped me out by licking the chocolate off for me!! What a great Daddy!