Visiting Tizita - April 25-26, 2009

Grandpa and I came up to babysit and play with you. We arrived on Saturday afternoon and played all afternoon in your playroom. We ordered Rocky Roccoco Pizza. You seem to like it as much as we do! We did a special mother's day project with you before bed which didn't turn out all that great, but you were a trooper despite Grandpa and my blunders. I will post pictures of it after we give it to your mama.
Bedtime was good. You got up early on Sunday and spent time with Grandpa and I while your mom and dad slept in a bit. We did some art projects. You especially liked when we traced your body. You wanted us to trace your feet, your knees, your bum, and your back. I gave you a bath before church. We went to church and then had lunch at Red Robin.
It was a very fun two days! We just love spending time with you and watching you change and grow!

Today you put on a fashion show for us wearing three dresses that you mama wore when she was a little girl. This first dress was one she wore when she had her 18 month picture taken. It seems a little short on you. It has pretty smocking on the top with a cute duck. You liked dress number one the best.

Dress number two, your mama wore this dress for Easter when she was about 16 months old.

Dress number three, your mama wore this to your Great Aunt Lynn's wedding. It matched the bridesmaid dresses.

Here you are snuggling up with Grandpa. We played in the playroom with you all afternoon. You told us just what you wanted to play with and were the perfect activity director. We had lots of fun!

Here you are modeling your pajamas from Lisa and TJ. We were getting you ready for bed. You went to sleep very well for grandma and you slept soundly all night long.

Here you are saying a prayer for you papa in Ethiopia. His name is Desta and he is in the picture behind you. Isn't this just too precious! You are such a loving little girl and we are so lucky to have you here with us.

This is the new dress that Grandpa and I bought you for Easter. It looks so cute on you!

Here is a very cute picture of you and I before we left for church. I gave you your bath this morning and washed your hair, then we just combed through it and let it go natural. You chose this headband and kept saying, "Pretty?" You know how cute you are!

Here you are loving up on your mama before we left for church!

Here you are before church modeling your coat that mamaw made for you rmama years ago. You just love to strike a pose and model! Your papa played in church today. As we were sitting in the pew you would call out, "Papa" and wave to him. then you would tell me he was playing his guitar. After church we went out to Red Robin for lunch. The waiter spilled soda all over your papa!

Easter 2009

Here you are busy dyeing the Easter eggs for us! Your mama and Mallory helped you. You had so much fun with all the pretty colors. You know your colors so well now! Here you are checking if the egg was the right color yet.

Washing off all that egg dye! Look at your pretty hair. It is getting so long!

Having Good Friday dinner at Moose Jaw.

Here you are helping me make egg salad for lunch with our colored eggs. You would drop them down on the floor to crack them and them peel them. After that you would use my egg slicer to cut the eggs. You did two dozen eggs for me and never got bored with it! It was the best egg salad ever, too!

You and Gigi reading the paper together.

Papa and you. You are wearing the Easter bonnet I bought for you.

Grandpa and I took you to the park. Here you are sitting on a rock along the route.

You hunted for plastic eggs filled with little surprises. Mama, Papa, Aunt Alissa, Uncle Cheddah, and Mallory also hunted eggs. Grandpa and I hid 74 of them all over the yard.

Here is the big duck you got from Gigi in your Easter basket! You named it Verna.

You actually took this picture by yourself. You just love using my camera and here is proof that you are one fine photographer.

We spent lots of time outside during the Easter weekend. Here you are playing with sand we brought back from St. George Island.

This is you and your Mimi in your matching Easter outfits that I bought for you. You both look so pretty!

Here you are with Aunt Alissa and Uncle Cheddah

You and Gigi

Here are you, your mama, and your papa. Your happy family on your first Easter here in America.

Aunt Alissa, me, you, your mama, and Gigi all looking so nice for church on Easter.

This is me, you, and Grandpa just before we left for church. You were such a good girl in church, you actually fell asleep!
We had such a wonderful Easter with you!
You even slept with Grandma and Grandpa in our big bed! I look forward to spending many, many more Happy Easter with you!

Our first Outing to the Children's Museum March 28, 2009

Here we are ready to go to on our big adventure. We were so excited to take you to the museum all by ourselves.

Before we went to the Museum we stopped at Toys R Us and you picked out this yellow dump truck and pushed it all around the store so grandpa and I did the only thing we could, we bought you the truck and you loved it!

Here are you and I sitting in a big old lady chair reading a book.

Here you are dressd as a doctor in the Doll Hospital with a Mimi.

Here you are in the Kwik Trip microwaving your food. You can see your Mimi from the doll hospital in your shopping cart.

Here are me and you sitting in some sort of cage in area with celery and carrots.

Here you are playing in the water area. You got to wear this cute red raincoat to help keep you dry. You had lots of fun splashing around in the water!

Here you are riding a Zebra and holding the pretty butterfly you made.
Grandpa and I had such a fun time with you today. It made us feel like real grandparents because we could be with you without your mama and papa. You were such a good girl and everwhere we went people stop to admire you. Everyone says you are just so cute and so smart, which of course, you are!
Thanks for a wonderful day. I think Grandpa and I had more fun than you did!

When you gotta go, you gotta go!

When we were unloading the car after our trip to Door County, you told mama you had to go potty, so your mama got your potty seat out of the car and you sat right down in the garage and did your business. After that you got back to cutting the lawn!

Milwaukee Public Museum - March 20, 2009

Breakfast with Gigi before we left for the Museum. Grandpa and I have always enjoyed taking your mama, Aunt Alissa, and Mallory to the Milwaukee Museum and we were very excited to take you and share our favorite areas with you. We knew it was going to be a very good day and indeed it was!

We had such a fun time in the butterfly area. Here I am with a big butterfly on my finger. One landed on your pants, too. I think they liked your big flowers on your pants. You were a little afraid of the butterflies at first, but you got used to them quickly.

You were so brave by the Dinosaurs. Your Aunt Alissa was always scared to go in by the dinosaurs but you went right up there and checked it all out.

The dinosaurs were best when you were safe in Grandpa's arms~

This is an Irish storyteller in the EuropeanVillage area. You really seemed to like this old man. We thought it reminded you of Grandpa!

This is the igloo. Your mama and Aunt Alissa always liked to go into the igloo and sit in there for a bit. It was one of their favorite parts of the Museum so we couldn't wait to show you the igloo. Here we are sitting in the very spot where Mama and Alissa used to sit.

After the museum we met Mamaw and Pops at the Machine Shed for lunch. Here you are in your carseat after our lunch eating gummy worms that Mamaw bought for you. You really did enjoy those worms.

After a fun day at the museum. I think you are having sweet dreams about butterflies!

Your First trip to Chamberland Park - March 19, 2009

This was your first trip to Chamberland Park which is just down the hill from my house. I know we will go there often when you visit Watertown. You had a great time especially on all the slides which were very fast on this day!

Here I am coming down the curly slide. My leg had gotten stuck at the top so I was slow in getting down by you.

We stopped at Kraemer's Dairy to buy some fresh curds and chocolate milk. You could not wait to have a little snack so we opened that milk and cheese right outside of Kraemer's. Here you are drinking right out of the jug just like your mama always does.

After our stop at Kraemer's Dairy we went to St. Vinney's and you picked out this cute little red car. It only cost Grandma $3.50 which is the beauty of shopping at St. Vinney's. You rode your new little car for a bit on the way back to my house.

Our first trip to the Appleton Children

We started our morning out at the Children's museum with a meal served to us by you in the little diner. I think you made us some toast and cheese. It was very good.

Here you are performing up on the vegetable stage.

Here you are climbing up the broccoli slide. Now normally Grandma doesn't allow her preschoolers to climb up the slides, but I didn't mind when you did it!

Here you are driving the big fire truck.

Here is Grandma trying to drive the big crane. I had to concentrate very hard and still wasn't very good at it. You liked to run up and down the ramp and weren't any help to me at all.

This winter exhibit was your favorite place to be. You had so much fun just going down this slide with that silly penguin. You would laugh so hard while the penguin went down ahead of you and then you would follow him down and kick his bum at the bottom. You must have done this at least 25 times.