Mt. Park

After church on Sunday, June 28th we headed up to Mountain Park in the Poudre Canyon for our annual church picnic. M&D like to tell the story that this is where they fell in love! It was the annual picnic weekend that M first attended the church in Ft. Collins and D did invite her up. After eating, it is tradition to go on the nature hike, so M&D started off with the group, ended up pretty much by themselves (with future sister-in-law Renee as their chaperone!!), and spent the whole time talking, which led to their marriage 10 months later!!

Anyhow, for this year, the water was super high so M brought my lifejacket since she knew she couldn't keep me away from the water. I was well behaved though, I never went in past my ankles! It was too cold to go further in!!Notice the rafters behind me!
After playing in the water, I wanted to go on the hike D had already left on. So M figured she would start at the end of the loop and just hike until she met up with the group. I hiked about 1/2 mile before I started getting really tired, so we sat to wait for just a few minutes. We were just about to head back down when we saw D and the rest of the hikers coming.
It was a good day!

Daddy's birthday

Wednesday, July 1st was D's birthday. I hid a card in his cooler so he would find it at work, because I wasn't going to be awake when he left or be home in the evening. I was going up camping with G&P a whole day earlier than M&D. So M&D were able to go out to eat and to a movie to celebrate D's birthday. The best part (at least for M) was that they got a free movie out of the deal. Apparentely someone in an earlier movie had decided to throw their pop at the screen and so there were drip marks all the way down the right side of the screen. The manager came to try to wipe it down after someone in the theater pointed it out to him, but even with the ladder and being on the top rung, he couldn't reach the highest splashes. So to compensate, they gave a raincheck after showing the movie. However since Transformers was such an action packed movie plus the fact that M&D were sitting on the left side of the theater, their view wasn't hindered by the pop at all. So good Transformers movie + free passes for when M wants to go see Harry Potter!!

Adventures in potty training...

I was pretty proud this past weekend. I used the potty at G&P's house, so G let me run around in pretty panties. So M&D decided they needed to buy some also. I was with M when she bought a package of toddler underwear and I tried to rip the bag open in the store so I could put them on. She told me if I used the potty at G&P's house again (we were heading right over there), I could wear the pretty panties. As soon as we entered the house, I went straight to my training potty and used it. So I was able to run around all evening in my "pretty panties". I stayed dry for 4 hours!!! Granted M took me to the bathroom every hour or so, but I stayed dry!!! However, Sunday morning M tried again, but I had an accident. It's not entirely my fault...I used the potty before my bath, so M thought it was safe. But then D left to get breakfast and M jumped in the shower, so there was no one to tell that I needed to go again. So when D came home I greeted him at the door saying, "Phew" so he proceeded to get ready to change my diaper and then realized M's mistake. So needless to say I jumped in the shower with M to clean up again. Then I stayed in a diaper until after my nap!!!

We just wanted to follow up with this cute picture of me....M calls it the "hickville" picture. Overalls with no shirt underneath, but it was supposed to be 95 degrees out that day and M thought an extra layer would be too warm!!

Two years old!!

Turning 2 is a lot of work. I celebrated pretty much all week. Tuesday (my actual birthday), I had a cake for lunch with all my cousins. Then that evening, M let me do all my favorite things..I had spaghetti for supper (even though I had already had it for lunch), went to the park, took a bath and then watched a Curious George eposide with D before bed (i even got yogurt for breakfast--another one of my favorite).

D even let me dress myself..... Sasturday (june 27) we had my 2 year birthday...here's a little flashback to last year.

Then this year just before my birthday--exactly one year later. Both the tree and I have grown. I wouldn't keep still enough for M to take a picture...so this is as good as it gets.

Don't I have a cute family... the party was somewhat for all 3 of us...M had her "last" birthday ever earlier this week and D will turn another year older next week. So I shared my birthday party with them. However, all the activities were geared towards me!

We went to Lake Loveland and played on the beach. I got to eat cake and pumpkin pie and then open all my presents.I wasn't quite ready to be done when we left, so when we got home I played some more with my new toys. I got the pool last year, and the slide this year.

The buckets were presents from today.


I can't quite hold up my 2 fingers to show how old I am, but I do a pretty good job of separating them from my other fingers. I know that I am supposed to only have 2 up.

New Tricks

Since turning 2, I have learned a few new tricks. M was picking up the house and heard my muscial mobile going off. Since it is in my crib, M figured I had climbed in somehow. (hey she had mentioned night, night....so I thought I would save her the trouble). Anyhow 2 more times I got in without M seeing how. Finally she got the camera out and just waited. D chased me in and I started climbing.

Not quite how M&D thought I got in my crib...they were guessing I was using my toy box or something. M is just thankful I haven't quite yet figured out that I can get out of the crib!!!

Big night

A week ago was M&D's sixth wedding anniversary. They made a whole day of it. In the morning, we all went on a nature hike. It was 2 miles roundtrip and I almost made it all the way to the top. However, once I stopped to watch a boy and his dad walk down hill, I realized it was much easier (and faster) to go down!! I did take some time to stop and smell the flowers (I wrinkle my nose up and say "ahhh".

Then we all went out to lunch before coming home to take a nap. After I woke up from my nap we had a birthday party to go to. Then M&D planned to go to a late supper and movie. Since they wouldn't be home until really late, I stayed the night at Uncle S. & Aunt S's house. My first night away from home without M&D (also D's first night away from me--M's had 3 girl nights). Here's me getting ready to go. I have all my important things...George, blanket, fussy and my sippy cup.

MN Trip

I just got back from my first long car ride trip--up to MN and back again in 5 days. Uncle W. flew in from CA on Thursday evening so that he could visit a few CO friends before we took off to MN. We left after M&D finished work on Friday. I was awake the first few hours, then I slept most of the way--although I woke up when we stopped for gas the first time. But I was so sleepy I just wanted to stay in the car and I fell right back to sleep as soon as the car started moving again. With only 3 stops (to get gas & switch drivers), it only took us 13 1/2 hours to get to Fergus, so we got in just in time for breakfast Saturday morning. M slept most of the way with me (until it was her turn to drive), but D doesn't sleep well in cars, so he went straight to taking a nap. Meanwhile, I was busy exploring. G&G got us a lakeside cabin while G had to go to meetings all week. I soon learned how to get from the cabin to the beach, so M was busy chasing me for 2 days (G chased on the 3rd day)!! G even bought me a life jacket, so I would be safe playing by the lake.I had the time of my life. I got to play on the beach all day and get as wet and dirty as I wanted to. M and Aunt M even took me out on a paddle boat with them.

On Sunday, a lot of G's family came to spend the afternoon with us. We rented a pontoon and spent the afternoon on the lake. I even got to drive!!

M and Uncle W took a swim out in the middle of the lake. D even jumped in for a while. I was interested in getting in, so Aunt M helped me jump in. BUT it was cold, so I didn't like it very much at all!

We had a BBQ supper in front of our cabin (ours was the top level of the big white one....had 3 bedrooms, huge living room and a sun porch overlooking Ottertail Lake). M forgot how much she enjoyed Rhubarb desserts....we had 3 different ones in 4 days!

On Monday, I got to play with Aunt M, G & Uncle W while M&D headed to Minneapolis to see some friends. I played outside some and also was a big help around the cabin. I hardly noticed M&D were gone all day!Our last full day there, it rained on & off all day and was very cold. M didn't want me playing in the COLD lake water, so we went on a hike instead. Coming from CO it wasn't a very long hike & didn't climb a lot of elevation, but it was just about perfect for me. I ran up the whole way and tried to run down also....Uncle W and Aunt M tried to get me to hold hands so I would walk going down though! The only time I was carried was when I got too far off the trail and had to be brought back.Back in the parking lot, Aunt M was walking the "balance beams", so I tried to be just like her!

After such a tiring hike, I had to get a cold drink of water.

Wednesday morning, D woke me up early to put me in my carseat for the long drive back home. With only M&D driving on the way back, they figured daytime driving was safer. But I was awake a lot more (since I only slept for 3 hours of the drive), a bit more restless, so we stopped a few more times. It took us almost 15 hours to get home. However, M was very proud of how I traveled. I only complained about my carseat once, so M&D got out the DVD player for me and I settled in to watch Curious George for the next hour and half. Other than that I played hide n'seek with M&D, colored, read some books and sang to a CD. But I was ready to be home and play in the park and run up and down the halls of my house. I think I will stick to plane rides for now (much shorter!!), but I'm sure I'll go on another car ride soon.

Big sister.......little???

Over Memorial Day when we were camping, some friends brought along a Karaoke machine. M&D decided to do a little duet....

LISTEN TO THE VIDEO FIRST....but just in case you missed the message, they were announcing that I am going to be a big sister come December!! I am pretty excited, so I've been practicing so that I can be the best big sister ever.

Changing diapers.....

Feeding time.....

Reading up on how to make a baby happy.....

Whenever we say our bedtime prayers and M mentions "bless M&D and baby" I interrupt and say "Ice, ice, baby" (remember the new song I learned just before camping!!). So I guess our little one is nicknamed ICE.

Here's the sign I made when we told G&G and P&G!Here's the first picture of my little sibling!

Silly fun

I am always a little silly. Hey, when you have as much exploring to do as I do, you can't help but get into a few silly situations. I recently discovered that if you put a car down your pjs, the only way to get it out is for it to drive back up your belly. It tickles but sure is fun!!

I also decided that not all my toys should be downstairs, so I was doing a little rearranging and bringing some of my favorites upstairs.

M has a table full of stuffed animals in her guest room. Most are hers (that D gave to her), some our childhood toys of both M&D, and a few are mine. I decided sitting right among them, trying to do a puzzle was just the way to spend Sunday afternoon.

I didn't like the outfit M put on me the other day, so I changed myself. I think I did a fairly good job---other than the shirt being put on backwards! My hair is finally long enough to put into pig tails! Now I really look like a little girl and not a baby anymore!

2 year pictures

We just went and took my 2 year pictures. A little early I know, but I am heading up to MN at the end of this week to see G&G, Aunt M & Uncle B, and Uncle W. So M thought I should have my pictures taken and be ready to hand them out. Here's just a little sampling of my cuteness! The photogopher's comment was that I am easy to get to smile, just hard to keep still enough to capture it!! So a few of my shots are actions shots or not quite the "pose" I was put in!

My Easter dress!My best friend George. I love to give him hugs and kisses!!Coloring is one of my favorite activites to do. My purse always has a ready supply of crayons and paper!Just a cute one of me looking through the back of the chair!

Warm weather and friends

It was so nice the other Saturday and M still needed to clean off the tarp and carpet from the camping weekend. So while she was busy working, Cousin L and I played in the waterand helped water some plants. It was a beautiful day out. That night we went on a picnic to the park with some friends. We rode the little train around the park and played on all the equipment. It was a fun evening.

On Sunday, M and I got up to go to Denver. We met a friend from work at the museum. After spending a few hours there (with M chasing after me through most of the exhibits), we went and had another picnic in a nearby park. When it was time for my nap, we left to go to Aurora and visit another friend. M realized that she had forgot my diaper bag, so we had to stop and pick up some diapers (and M had to use the restroom). Well, I fell asleep on the way, so M carried me in. She multi-tasked and was able to use the restroom while also holding me. However, when she flushed the toilet I woke up and was a little confused. I continued to lay in M arms on the way to get diapers, but when it came time to check-out I sat up to look around. Then I was awake!! Even the 20 minute ride down to Aurora didn't put me back to sleep. So we met up with M's friend and went on walk by Cherry Creek Resevoir so I could run off some more energy. Afer getting back in the car and drinking lots of water and finishing off my grapes, I fell asleep hard. I didn't even wake up when we stopped to pick up M's friend from a wedding. When we got home, M had to wake me. While M & her friend talked, I played some. That night M was exhausted--something about chasing me all day tired her out. Since I had a late nap, I didn't fall asleep the fastest, but I sure slept good that night once I fell asleep! All that playing is hard work!

Camping!

For Memorial Day we went camping up near Red Feather (about an 1 1/2 hours away). The first evening was terrible because I smashed the same finger twice! First as M&D were setting up the camper, I was playing near the hitch and got my fingernail stuck in the hitch lock. Then 2 hours later, while D was cooking supper, M headed out of the camper and told me to stay, but I wanted to follow, so I went to catch the door and got my finger caught on the inside. That one really hurt and I got a pretty deep cut. M put ice on it and gave me some medicine, but in the middle of the night I woke up crying, "Owie, owie, owie", so I got more medicine for it. The rest of the weekend, I talked of nothing else but the owie and the door I caught it in.

But once morning came, everything turned around for the better. I got to play outside for 4 days straight, I rode ATV's (both the little one with P

and D's big one!). I played with my cousins and chased them around. I also fell numerous times on the rocks and uneven ground as I was chasing cousins or dogs. But I'm resourceful...if M or D aren't around to kiss my owies, I will do it myself!
I made new friends (mostly with dogs, but also a few kids I hadn't met before---there were 6 campers, 2 tents, 7 dogs, 35 people, and 16 ATV's around our campsite!!!) Mostly D's family, but also some friends.

(notice in this video with the dog, I am singing my new song....M needed to remember to buy ice before we left, so she started singing "Ice, ice, baby" and I picked up on it really quick. I sing it twice in this little clip!)

It was a little chilly out, but the rain only interfered Sunday afternoon (the other times I was already in the camper asleep, so it didn't matter!!). We didn't have any heat the first night though, because both propane lines were leaking. So while I played the next day, M&D headed back down to the valley to get it fixed. Finally they came back and we had heat the rest of the nights. Since it was so cold, we had the fire going from dawn to after dusk. This was the 3rd pile of wood that was gotten and only lasted less than 2 days!

I entertained myself a lot also. If my cousins were busy and everyone was out ATV'ing I would hang around the campsite with M or G. I played in the dirt a lot,

hosted my own cooking show, lounged around some and just had all sorts of fun.

One night, a bunch of the people had a crab boil. Here's a picture of them with all their food. The one ride I went on with both M&D was to a mud pit to watch Uncle B try to conquer it. It was actually a fairly nice day, so M took my coat off when we arrived. When I saw the pit, I tried to take my shirt off also...I thought it was a swimming hole!!