Rolling Hills Waterpark

I am starting to really like Facebook.  This morning a friend posted that they were going to Rolling Hills Waterpark.  We have never been, the weather looked good, our original plans with a friend got cancelled and I told myself that if I got the beans picked for dinner than we would go too!  

Emily was so excited to go swimming, and when we got there she walked right into the water (although it was a little cold).  Emily went down the small water slide (Sydney White pictured going down it) and we took a ride in a tub down the lazy river.  Also, they have a wave pool, and Emily liked standing at the edge trying to jump the wave when it rolled it.  It was so cute.

Here is a picture of Emily eating a snack before more fun in the water.

4-H Fair on Wednesday

Emily is not afraid of any animals, yet.  In fact she loves to get up close and personal, in the first picture she was about to kiss the lamb, but then changed her mind.  

Wednesday morning we went to the 4-H Fair which is FREE!  We met our friends the Cabble's there and the kids just loved seeing all of the animals.  We saw cows, lambs, goats, horses, llama's to name a few.  I just realized we missed the chickens, bunnies, etc.  

There was llama story time, and we enjoyed a quick lunch together before going around to the animals a second time to say goodbye before the animals took their naps.  :)  We'll that is what we told the kids seeing they were going home to take a nap.

Music Together

We went to the best class today called Music Together.  There was a free demo at the library.  I have been trying to go to free classes, the only thing we have paid for is swimming since Emily has been born.  So we often go to storytime at the library, play group at church, get together with friends or go to other free events around town.  There are many free events to chose from so we have not missed out!

This Music Together class, was so good.  Emily was following along, copying almost everything the teacher did and it was so fun to see what Emily did next.  Emily really seems to love music. 

During the instrument time, I thought it was so cute how Emily lined up the drums all by herself and started playing them.  It's like she had this idea in her head as she gathered several instruments when most children took only one.

I had a great time too, we might just have to sign up for this in the fall and include it in our budget!

Wolfgang Farm

Emily was so excited when we went to visit some animals last night.  When I ask Emily what she wants to do lately, her answers usually consist of the following:

1.  Go to the park

2.  Go see Blake, Julie, Erik & Megan, Caleb (Cabble) & Joshua or Grandma & Pa Pa

3.  See Animals

After I told Emily we were going to go see animals, she ran around the house so excited, she could hardly eat her dinner and our friends the Cabble's were over.

Emily was so cute talking and feeding the animals last night, she was real hoot.

Grandpa's New Toy Tractor

My dad absolutely loves tractors, and any opportunity for him to buy a new tractor to add to his collection, then he is in heaven.

Sunday night my parents stopped by after being gone for a week up north with some friends.  I thought they were going through withdraw from not seeing Emily, but my dad also had to show off his new toy tractor he bought "for the grandkids."  My dad was beaming and smiling from ear to ear, and of course with Jim loving tractors too, it was pretty fun.  The men were like to kids in a candy shop, they may have liked the tractor more than little Emily.  

The tractor is a little Farmall, which is like one of my dad's tractors (I think he has 13 tractors, this would make 14 if we count it).

Emily was in her PJ's when my parents got to our house, it was right before bed time.

Aunt Linda's house

Getting ready to go swimming
Snack at sports camp
playing the piano
hugs
more hugs
This week Emily and I went and stayed with my sister Linda and her family.  We got there on Wednesday and enjoyed a couple of days of fun and then left Friday at nap time.  

Emily just loves her cousins, she gave them so many hugs and kisses, I think they got sick of them by the end of the visit.  We had a great time, Wednesday the boys had swim lessons so we watched and cheered from the side of the pool.  

Thursday the boys had sports camp, we went for a little while, but then with the rain we decided to check out the library.  Then it was lunch, nap and open swim at the Rec Center.  The Rec Center has a lazy river, water slides, spash zone, hot tub, it was fun for everyone.  

Friday was sports camp and the park, lunch and then back home at nap time.  The three days flew by!  

Claire's T-Ball Game,

<



Emily is really enjoying sports lately, I can't wait until she is old enough to play t-ball like Claire.  

Last night we went to Claire DeVoogd's t-ball game, and Emily was having a ball cheering for Claire as she hit the ball and ran around the bases.  Emily wanted to do it too, and couldn't wait to grab the bat after the game and put on Claire's hat.

We had a great time with our friends watching the game and enjoying some ice cream.    Claire was so cute playing first baseball, she really does a good job getting in front of the ball.  Once in a while she would peek over at us to see if we were watching her.  Blake told her that she looks cute in a baseball hat, it was so adorable.  Blake and Emily went and sat down by Claire when she waited for her turn at bat, and of course Blake and Emily got a few hugs in too.

The top picture is of Emily, Megan and Claire after the game.

Potty Training

Potty training is tricky.  Emily was probably ready to potty train a  month or two ago, she was dry after naps, and sometimes in the morning too!  I kept putting it off because we were going to my brothers for the 4th of July and I didn't want any accidents in his house.  

We'll we are back and we are in panties, but I can't decide if it's the right time to potty train.  Emily tells me about 50% of the time that she has to go to the bathroom, the other 50% of the time I am taking her to the bathroom and she will go on the potty.  But we have had a couple of accidents and I just can't decide if she is ready.  I don't want to go backwards, but it's so hard to understand why she sometimes doesn't tell me she has to go and has an accident?

Emily likes wearing panties, in fact this picture is from last week, she was so excited over her new panties, she couldn't decide on one pair so she put on Dora, Hello Kitty and Elmo - ALL BY HERSELF!   Emily wants to dress herself now, and doesn't want my help.  She is getting good at putting on her clothes, but gets upset if I need to fix her shirt because it's on inside out or her pants are on backwards.  Snaps and zippers are still a little tricky.

Salem Church Picnic

Sunday we went to Camp Killarney which is out by Irish Hills for the Salem Church Picnic.  It was really a great picnic with games and awesome food.  Emily had a good time fishing in the baby pool, and didn't know why you were suppose to stop after getting just one.  :)  Although she was really happy when she found out the next thing was choosing a toy out of a bin.  I still think she thought the fishing in the water was the best part.

I got to play a little sand volleyball before we had to end home for her nap, which she did not take.  I could have stayed and played more volleyball!

At the Pond

It was chilly out again tonight.  I think today's high was 69, at least that is what the car thermometer read.  We went to my parents for dinner and after dinner Emily wanted to check out their garden and of course walk out to the pond.  

At the pond Emily was so cute feeding the fish and sharing some of the fish food with Abby my parents black lab.  I think Abby may have gotten more of the fish food than the fish!

Kevin's Baseball Game

It was a cool night last night for July 17th, but that didn't stop the fans for coming out for Kevin DeVoogd's baseball game.  Kevin had fans in the double digit's, I can think of at least 10 people that came to see him play.

Emily and I were among the crowd watching Kevin's team add another win to their record.  Kevin had an awesome catch at second and scored a couple of runs to help the team to victory.

Emily enjoyed playing ball with Claire and running the bases after the game was over.  Today Emily has been asking to play baseball, hopefully she will love sports like her mommy!

Blueberry Picking

My cousin Diane asked me yesterday if we wanted to go blueberry picking today.  I was a little unsure how Emily would do seeing lately she wants to dash off and have me chase her.  

This morning I decided we would try and first I would start with Emily in the backpack and then when she couldn't take it any longer I let her down and she was an angel.  Emily picked quite a few blueberries, ate most of them, but put a few in her bucket.  After she got about 5 in her bucket she would go pour them into Claire's bucket.  

We had a few bumps along the way, I didn't realize how long we had been out there and Emily had an accident so we had to go to the car and change her clothes.  No wonder Emily kept taking off her shirt, she usually starts to undress when she has to go to the bathroom, I just figured she was hot seeing I dressed her in long sleeves (I didn't want her getting scratched up).   After she was in her shorts she was much better and enjoyed picking some berries.  Of course she would be pick a few berries and then call for Claire, "Claire where are you?"

Plus I have to tell you Diane's neighbor Pam was there with her kids.  They were much more  productive at picking berries than Emily and I.  Near the end of the morning they gave a full bucket of berries they had picked for us to take home!  It was such a relief because I wanted to get more berries than what I had picked but with Emily and our trip to the car my bucket wasn't quite full.  So we came home with 12.23 pounds of berries which is perfect for our family of 3.  I plan on making blueberry muffins for dinner and maybe blueberry pancakes for breakfast tomorrow!  I think I will get fresh veggies out of the garden, and maybe try a new recipe for Kale Chips too!  Eating fresh real foods are the best!

Manchester Chicken Broil Night

Sometimes you may wonder if the Cabble's are part of our family.  They are great friends of ours and we see them a lot, they are such wonderful people.  That is why you see Blake, Emily's best friend on our blog all of the time, along with Megan his little sister!  

I have to tell you something from the other night.  Blake and Emily were sitting on our tractor in the garage and Blake had his arm around Emily and he said "best friends sitting together on the tractor."  It was so precious.  

Yesterday Julie and the kids came over and I went to the Manchester Chicken Broil to get take outs without the kids.  Julie stayed at our house with the kids, and it made it so much easier than for us to go down there with the kids.  Plus we didn't have to make dinner either!

The first picture is of Julie with Blake, Emily and Megan at our house.  Then the next picture is of Blake and Emily on the swing outside.  The last picture is of Emily playing with Megan, who she just adores!

Cabble Park

Yesterday we went to Cabble Park.  It's our friend Julie & Erik's house.  They have a baby pool, a ball that squirts water and so many fun things to do.  

Emily and Blake took turns pushing each other on the swing, you can see Emily wasn't done yet and Blake was done pushing in the last picture.  "Where did Blake go?"  

Most of the time they spent working together, Emily would fill the bucket with water from the baby pool, walk over to the dump truck and poor it in.  Then Blake would empty the dump truck and Emily would go get more water.  It was cute watching them work together.

Emily and Liam

Wednesday morning we went to my grandmother's house for a visit.  We shared some of the fresh vegetables from our garden and I picked up our Manchester Chicken Broil tickets (from my Aunt).  My cousin Amy's son Liam was at grandma's so Emily got to play with him.  Liam drew Emily a picture and so he is holding it up in this picture and Emily is nursing her baby.  Emily loves to nurse her baby, it is so cute!

Independence Lake Splash Park

We had a blast today at Independence Lake Splash Park.  Emily loved running through the fountains, sitting on them, jumping like a frog and just being silly.  

It was the Peace Play Group weekly activity and we were joined by my cousin and her kids, Diane, Kyle, Kevin & Claire and our good friends the Cabble's - Erik, Julie, Blake and Megan.

It was such a beautiful day and we packed our lunch and had a picnic which was also so much fun.  The first picture is of Emily and Megan before our picnic.  

Unfortunately Emily got a rug burn on her nose on Sunday at church which she was rolling around on a big ball and slide off.  Today it looks much worst than when it actually happened.