My little Fishies!

Yesterday we went to Lewiston, ID to the Jack O'Connor Museum. He's Ga-ga's favorite outdoors writer and sportsman, so when we found out that they had made a museum in his honor, we promised Ga-ga that we would get there whenever he came to visit. The kids did very well in the car, at least until the very end! The museum was very interesting and well worth the trip. When we got home, we threw both kids in the pool in the yard and let them burn off a little steam.
Monkeys in the yard
Today, we went to Clear Lake and played at the beach for awhile. It's so pretty there and so uncrowded- we just love it!
Emma and Ga-ga
Ems in her raft
Harry and Ga-ga
Emma conked out ON the table before we left.

Riverfront Park and a Baseball Game!

Yesterday morning, we took Ga-ga (Grandpa John) to Riverfront Park to ride the rides and have some fun. Turns out, Hoopfest is going on, so they had tons of booths and food vendors out and we had a great time. Most of the rides that were for Harry's age were shut down for the morning, but we rode the Carousel, the Strawberries, and even the Tilt-a-Whirl. I wasn't sure how Harry would do on the rides being that he sometimes gets motion sickness, but he did awesome and begged to do it again!
Emma swinging- she loved it!
Harry on the wagon slide
Emma conked out on the gondolas!
and missed a great view of the falls!
Mommy and Harry rode the strawberries- Harry did great!
Last night, our friends (the Aikmans) invited us to a baseball game. We were more than happy to join them and had a great time! In the middle of the second inning, a nice man approached us and asked us if we wanted to sit in his skybox since his group wasn't coming. Again, we were happy to oblige and the kids had space to play and we had a great view of the game!
Mommy and Ems
Harry and Annika
Emma and Ga-ga
Emma trying to decide who her favorite player is....

NH Trip- Part III

Grandma and Grandpa Butterfield had their 40th wedding anniversary this year. To celebrate, they had a beautiful vow renewal ceremony on the 22nd of June. This was the reason for our trip, and we're very glad we were able to attend! :) Harry eating his third piece of cake?? :) Harry and Stephie swinging! Harry and Abby Jan and Steve dancing Jay and Ems- I LOVE this picture! Harry eating raindrops during the ceremony Harry's dance moves! :)

NH Trip- Part II

We went to York Animal Kingdom (a zoo) and got to see lots of great animals. Harry saw a helmet (elephant) and got to pet its snout; lots of butterflies and cocoons; a kapyberra (his fabo-ite aminal!); lemurs (like Zaboo!); and got to feed deer and goats. We also got to take a paddle boat ride, since Grandma and Grandpa were there to hang out with Emma. Harry liked that a lot, but his little head was drooping the whole time. That fresh air really tuckers him out! So well, that he and Emma both slept through Mom's very very quick trip to Carters and Oshkosh at the Kittery Outlets!! :) Harry chasing the ducks Harry and Ed feeding a goatMommy and Harry feeding the deer

The next day, we drove up to Ogunquit, Maine to go rock hunting and throwing. Ed, Amanda, Kellie, Jess, Hannah, Abby, Stephanie, Christine, Sean, Jay, Harry, Emma and I all picked out rocks to present to Grandma and Grandpa in their renewal ceremony. It was a very cool experience, plus Harry really liked to throw the extra ones back into the ocean! :) Harry, Abby, and Hannah throwing rocks Harry and Daddy picking out rocks Mommy and Emma

After Ogunquit, we stopped off at York Beach. The water was pretty chilly, so Harry was the only one swimming. Jay and Ems camped out on the sand and I chased Harry through the waves. The fog was in when we got there and slowly cleared as we stayed. What a gorgeous place!! Harry at York Beach Daddy and Ems at York Beach- the sun was in their eyes! Isn't that gorgeous??

NH Trip- Part I

Well, we're finally home. I believe yesterday's plane ride was the longest in the history of the world. Both kids were exhausted from our vacation, plus it was really hot in Las Vegas (where we had our layover and flight delay), and they were completely disoriented from the time changes. I don't think they ever got completely on east coast time, and then we just jumped right back to pacific. Poor monkeys. Anyways, we had a fabulous time! I thought I'd do the pictures in installments to save you from inundation. :P

Daddy and Emma getting ready for the plane ride.
Emma relaxing "Las Vegas" style!
Waterslide- Abby...
Hannah...
and Harry!
Emma and Grandpa
Emma LOVED the air vents at the Weber's House!

Happy Father's Day and Daddy's Home!!!

So, Daddy came home yesterday just in time for Father's Day. We took him out to dinner and then went to the all-exciting Walmart to buy more fish, since Mommy has effectively killed all of our Memo's during Daddy's trips except one carnivore. I still maintain that he ate the rest of them. I have to say Walmart is so much faster and more enjoyable when there are two parents. Normally I have 2 options when Harry bolts: a- leave Emma in the aisle in the cart by herself or b-let Harry go and scream after him to get his cute little butt back to where I am. It's usually a combination of both, but last night Harry had a man-to-man defense on him and he didn't get to run. It was beautiful and he was not happy about it! :) Harry is extremely excited to see Daddy and was wired to the max at dinner last night. He woke up this morning and came running out to make sure that he was still here!
Harry and Ems playing with the lamb. I think Harry was trying to teach her to wrestle.
Emma waited by the door for a good hour before Daddy got home.
Harry came to join her a few times...
But she was SOO upset when he got here! She watched him walk up the sidewalk and as soon as he came in the house she burst into tears. I think he just scared her a little, as she got over it and was his best friend shortly after. She looks at him with such adoration, it's just beautiful.
Happy Father's Day Everybody!!!

Happy Flag Day

Nature Hike

Today we went on a Nature Walk at Turnbull Nat'l Wildlife Refuge. We saw a porcupine, deer, turkeys, ducks, and red-winged blackbirds. Harry said that he saw the deer eating, but who really knows? :) We met up with some of our friends from playgroup and had a picnic by the lake afterwards. It was finally a nice summer day- it got up to 65 today! We had beautiful blue skies and it was SO nice to get outside and do something other than walk around the mall. Both kids snored the whole way home- they were so tuckered out from all the friends and fresh air. Harry said to Emma as we pulled in, "Emma, you can't have my friends." :) Emma actually slept for most of the hike- I think it's the antibiotics. I took Harry in this morning to get his ruptured eardrum checked out and apparantly, he STILL has an infection. I guess the 10 days of antibiotics he took didn't do the trick. So, now he's on a quick 5 day cycle. I also had her quickly look in Em's ears also, since she's been really cranky again lately, but stopped the teething bit. Turns out, she has one too! So, now I have TWO kids with infections and on antibiotics. Whoo-hoo.... How many days till Jay comes home????? :P I think I might really need that spa day I've been hinting at....

Harry and Shane took off as soon as we got there!
Kai, Harry, and Shane checking out the rocks down below
The view from our picnic spot!
Harry and Shane on the boardwalk- this was the only way we could get them to walk with the group!
Emma got a "baby" yesterday- she's absolutely in love and gives it kisses and coos at it. So funny!!

Harry

So, my little Harry is 2 and half today. It's really hard to believe that he's that old already. Seems like just a few weeks ago that he was so little. My friend Amber and I were saying today how funny it is that we spend the first two years teaching them to talk and walk, and the next 16 telling them to sit down and shut up. Our kids are definately in the second stage of that scenario!! :P
I put together a little group of pictures to show you just how much Harry has grown... he's not so little anymore!!

Harry- 3 days old
Harry's baptism- 4 months old
Harry's pool at Ga-ga's- 8 months old
Harry reading a story- 10 months
Remember this face??? 11 months
Playing in the snow at Chrismas in MN- 1 yr
Cutie-patootie- 16 months
Driving a "dugga" at Frankie's farm- 19 months
This is Jay's favorite picture- 21 months
This is mine. 22 months
Harry and Ga-ga's b-day party! Age 2
27 months old- learning to pedal
Swimming in FL- 28 months
Off to Playdate- 29 months
My handsome little man. 30 months old!