Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Weekend Visits

On the same weekend, Uncle Jay, Aunt Elizabeth and girls came to visit while Karl and Annika drove to Columbus.  They overlapped in St. Louis for one night. 
All 6 girls loved "sleeping" in the same room.  

 The 3 year olds chatted it up as they enjoyed pedicures. . .
 It was a cold and rainy day but we knew the ducks would be hungry. . .  
 Quiet time - a.k.a. Dora time
 A trip to the Magic House. . .painting, 
 zhu zhu pet racing, 
 baby nurturing, 
 snack time, 
 and giant bubbles!  
 A trip to the zoo. . .carousel ride, 
 sea lion sound, 
 giant roach, 
 otter puppet, 
 and rock climbing.
 By the third day, quiet time consisted of sleeping bags and a couple of kiddos actually falling asleep.
 Botanical Garden. . .stone path, 
 pumpkin patch, 
and birdhouse construction.  
 Karl and Annika made a visit to Columbus while I stayed home with Jay, Elizabeth and family.  Grandma and Grandpa took Annika to a festival complete with zip lines and go karts.

 Hanging out with Uncle Bill.
 Worn out after a couple of fun-filled days.  
 Karl's best man Matt drove in from Omaha to join him for the Nebraska/OSU football game.
 Bring it on!
Hanging out with Great-Grandma Hall.  

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

September Happenings

 The girls loved dressing up in the clothes Grandma and Grandpa Pollack brought on their visit.
 An alternative use for pot holder loops. . .
 Investigating a new sculpture at Laumeier Sculpture Park.  It would be REALLY cool if Grandpa could build one in our backyard. . .

 "Preschool class" with Grandma.  Big fun!
 Grandma can teach piano no matter what size the keyboard.
 Annika's latest thing is working on head stands.  Guess who needs to be like big sister?
 A glimpse into the future?  We may need a bigger bathroom.
 On a beautiful Sunday afternoon we checked out Columbia Bottom Conservation Area.
 Duck blind.  Can you find 4 girls?
 Hiking with Grandpa and Grandma. . .up, up and away!

 Checking out the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi.

 Annika and Lauren enjoyed riding their bikes ahead of us.
 While waiting for car pool, Grandma helped the girls pass the time with Uno.
 Pioneer Days at Shaw Nature Reserve was a big hit.

 We were hoping that their would be more of a carryover from softball throwing to axe throwing.

 Let's just say there was a lot of hunting for axes in the weeds. . .BUT both Annika and Lauren hit the target with their last throw.
 Stilts brought back lots of good memories from my childhood.  Where are those stilts of ours, Dad?
 Hay ride with the Ryans.

 Karl's first time ever on stilts!



 Only at Prairie Days does one get a handful of black bear conservation tattoos.
 Forest Park hot air balloon race from our back deck.
 Daddy . . .a.k.a. p90x man (with fan club).
 A fun night at the zoo through Wells Fargo.


 Audrey's "star" day.
 First in line!
 Audrey wanted "the bug game" in the mystery bag.  Miss Baker is helping out.
 Lunch with 3ker's. . .lots of encouragement to finish sandwiches before eating dessert.
 Neighbor Jenn gets creative again!
 Sami's star day.  She chose the snowman for her mystery bag.
 Daddy camped out in the backyard with the girls.
 Suddenly the neighborhood girls were over to play.
 Evening indoor break to make some s'mores over the gas stove.
 Snug as a bug in a rug!