First Half of Summer is Gone? Whoa.

I have been MIA on the blog for over a month. Just too many fun things going on to sit at the computer. We just got back from several days in Park Rapids with my family, those posts to come - the pictures aren't even off the camera yet - and have some other fun things on the calendar. We are hoping we have better weather for the second half of summer... Here is a quick recap of some of our summer highlights this far. Lots of stuff didn't make it on here, but in the interest of catching up, this is what I could get done in one sitting. I am hoping to stay better on top of things, but let's be real, you will probably be seeing one of these monster posts again in a few weeks. Hope everyone is having a great summer!

Strawberry Picking

We went strawberry picking this year with our friends and it was so much fun! I was very worried about Maria and she did great! Julia filled her bucket all by herself and did a great job finding the red ones. Maria liked me to hand them to her and she put them in the bucket. She had a hard time getting them off with out squishing them. I got some great pictures too. Super fun day!

Berry Berry Cute!

Notice Maria's red little fingers from some strawberry squishing...

Jules showing off a good one

Look at the concentration

4th Of July

We had a very low key fourth weekend this year. Just hanging around, had a BBQ with some friends, went to the beach, had dinner with Andy's mom and saw fireworks from the park by our house. It was very fun and very relaxed, which I think is exactly what we needed. I loved the dresses the girls had on too. They looked so cute!

Our Little Firecrackers

BACKYARD FUN

The girls love running through the sprinkler and playing in the backyard. We are hoping to get some kind of patio going back there so that we can sit and watch them play. The deck is just to high up and too far away to sit on while they are in the backyard. We are big on plans and short in moola!

What a ham!

Popsicle Princess

Maria's 1st Time Bowling

We took the girls bowling at the Brunswick Zone and it was so much fun! Julia did awesome and loved using the ramp they had. It was a riot to watch her heave it up there and then shove it down the ramp. Maria did pretty good too. Definitley something we will do again!

I'll take this ball!

Maria "bowling"

Julia and the ramp

BUG BITES SUCK

We have discovered this summer that Julia is allergic to mosquito bites. She got one way up high on her forehead and this is what happens. It was awful but she was such a good sport and now we know what to do if this ever starts to happen again.

How awful does that look? Poor baby!

On our way to urgent care. She is still smiling? Didn't seem to bother her at all.


THE POOL
We have spent a ton of time up at the neighborhood pool. Julia pretty much can swim on her own in her swimming vest and Maria thinks she can - uh oh! It makes for some creative holding on to when we have her in water. Julia is even jumping in from the side with out anyone catching her.

Little fish

Playing with daddy in the pool

Maria in her "boat"

BUBBLES

My kids love bubbles. Maria tends to always eat them, but Jules has become a pro. Bubbles make my kids happy! ♥ I love this picture! I think it really shows how much Maria loves Julia. ♥

Giant Bubble Wand

THE PARK
They love it! What more can I say? Julia can do everything herself and I am not worried about her breaking her neck anymore. Maria, is a whole different story. She is fearless and needs to be watched like a hawk. Here are some of my favorite park pics!

Swinging Sisters

Here comes trouble!

Cutie climber

All in all it has been a great several weeks of summer!

Happy 2nd Birthday Maria!

June 15, 2009 - Today my baby is turning two! It has actually been very hard on me. I can not believe how fast the time has gone and that she is really not a baby anymore. She has brought Andy and I a whole new set of experiences, a whole lot of joy and a whole lot of love. Happy Birthday my beautiful Maria! Mommy loves you soooo much!

Maria's Birthday Party

This weekend was crazy busy, as usual. Friday night Julia had soccer. She is playing with Kendall and 2 friends from her dance class, Ava and Laci. The girls did pretty well - Julia still doesn't seem that interested in soccer - and we went for pizza after. It is nice to see Ava and Laci and their parents at a non-dance event. I am sure we will be seeing a ton more of them this summer.

Kendall, Laci, Ava and Julia

Saturday we had 2 birthday parties. One for Maria's little friend Hazel, her parents are our friends Ambee and Andy, at a park in Stillwater. It was a Hula theme and the girls had a great time. We also went to Maren and Ethan's party at Pump It Up. Their parents, Kari and Lonny are really good friends of ours. The girls had a blast and needless to say, slept well...

Sunday we had Maria's birthday party. It was a Pooh-a-palooza! She loves Pooh and all his friends. It was just immediate family and we had a BBQ. Some gifts highlights were a ride-on Bumble Bee from my parents, a Aerial Big Wheel that blows bubbles from my sister's family, and a playhouse for our deck from Andy's family, among many other things. We are all set in the toy department for a VERY long time! Thanks everybody for making her birthday so special!

Maria and her pile-o-gifts

The Fam

Blowing out the candles on her Pooh cake

My baby - oh say it isn't so - two years old. Blows my mind.

Pooh Cake

Dance Mania!

We had a crazy week full of dance, dance, and more dance. All four of us were in the show this year and we had either a practice, dress rehearsal or show every night of last week. Exhausting? Yes. Worth it? Most definitely. Here is a photo recap.....

A family affair

This was Julia's second year of recitals and she did awesome! She knew her songs and even smiled. We were so proud of her. I got to watch from the wings one night when I was "room mom" and she looked over at me and smiled and waved and it just melted my heart. Yes, I cried all four times she took the stage. I think that is just how it will be forever. This has been a great year and the recital was the perfect ending. Way to go Jules!

Julia's ballet dance - "Neverland"

My beautiful ballerina

Making their grand exit

Julia's tap song - "Candy Cane Jane"

more cowgirl action...

This was Maria's very first recital and she did wonderful! The first night her little group got out there and the curtain opened and they are supposed to stand up - well, all the little "blue jays" just sat there except one little girl who wouldn't sit down to start with. Then, all the sudden, Maria stands up and crowds cheers and she starts rocking out. The louder the crowd cheered the more she jumped! It was the cutest thing I have ever seen and I was beaming with pride when she was done. No one else stood up! The group as a whole did much better on their second song and then the second night, but my not quite 2 year old was a shining star!

Maria's tap song - "Hey, What Did the Blue Jay Say?"

Getting ready to stand up!

Maria's ballet song - "Shoo Fly"

More fly swatting action...

I loved Maria's little class. All nice kids with nice moms and the smaller class meant more attention. It was great! Way to go Bailey, Teagan, Malania, Maria, Keegan, Brooklyn and Gavin!

This was my first recital, performing in anyway, in a very long time and I am happy to report that I loved every minute of it. Yes, my kicks are lower, my waist line larger and my feet a little slower, but once a dancer always a dancer. Andy was in our jazz dance. He only did it because I asked him to. I think he had fun, although he will probably tell you otherwise. I took the class with my friend Kari, who had no previous dance experience. Not even as a little kid. She took the stage for the very first time, ever, at the age of 36 and rocked it! I was so proud of her and so happy that this is something we got to do together. It would not have been the same without her. I am hoping that when we are 60 we still head to class every Monday night together.... (Lonny, Kari's husband was also is his first recital and you didn't hear this from me, but I think he and Andy will be joining the dad's group next year.)

Kari and I in our "Candyman" wigs

My jazz dance - "Candyman"

The Dancing Fearless Foursome!

My tap song - "Dancin' Fool"

All in all a wonderful weekend! Thanks to my sister and her family for coming to support us, my parents, my mother-in-law Pat and Andy's Aunt Karen, and my friend Lynn. We loved having you in the audience! I know they won't see this, but thanks Kara, Taylor, Dannica and Katy for a great year!

Maria's 1st Playdate

Today Maria had HER first official playdate. Yes, she plays with other kids all the time, but usually as part of one of Julia's playdates or when we get together with family friends. Her friend Hazel came over this morning while Julia was at preschool. They are only a few days apart. They had so much fun and played really well together. Who knew a laundry basket could entertain two almost 2 year-olds for so long? We will definitley have Hazel over again soon!

Racing

Buddies!

Peek-a-boo with a laundry basket. They did this for a VERY long time! I had to try and snap at the right angle at the right moment. Luckily they did it so many time I a lot of chances!

Two heads are better then one?

More race action....