Andrew Charles

We have a new member of our family: Andrew Charles! Our newest cousin/nephew was born on June 9th. We went to meet him a week later and he was content as could be...and super cute. I wasn't sure if Marin realized he was in the room until she finally finish gobbling some tortilla chips and started chanting "I hold the baby. I HOLD THE BABY!"

Katie wasn't far behind...

Then we tried to get the whole crew. Not the easiest task....

Notice Andrew snoozes the entire time! He's a smart boy!

Welcome Baby Drew!

Friends, Family and Fun

As the weather became warmer during May and June we've been busier and busier. But I have been taking pictures as we've spent some time with friends and family.Here is what we were up to in May and early June.

We've enjoyed some ice cream while watching the cows and goats at a local farm.



A long visit from Uncle Jeff.

Bounced around at our neighbor's birthday party.

Had our annual Memorial Day get together with the Herolds.

We went to cousin Ella's 6th birthday party. Doesn't look like her cast slowed her down at all.

Here we are at the Memorial Day parade to salute our local veterans, past and present.  Nothing says thank you to our military than Crackerjack hats, party beads and whirly flashlights.

 

A serious wave to the people marching in the parade.

Don't forget our backyard! Abby isn't the best catcher. Her stance needs some major work but she tries.

We went to cousin Adalyn's baptism and reception. Katie getting a horseshoe throwing lesson from Steve.

Baby Addie

Kevin, Addie, Katie and Marin

Me and Marin. A rare moment for me in front of the camera.



Slumber Bugs

My girls are early birds so I hardly ever catch them sleeping. They must have been really tired from a very fun Memorial Day weekend. Marin woke up and 5:45 and I brought her into my bed so we could kill 15 minutes before I got in the shower. She fell back to sleep and Katie snoozied past 7am. I couldn't help but sneak a few pictures of this rare moment.

Just Keep Swimming!

Here is my Little Nemo and Mini Minnow at their pre-summer swim class. Marin the Little Nemo gets to swim with Marlin, I mean Chad, before she goes out on her own. Getting into the water was a bit of a shock for Marin during the first class and she cried. As soon as they busted out the rubber duckies she was a happy girl. On Saturday during her 3rd lesson, she cried again...when class was over and she had to get out. I guess she likes it!

Here is our Mini Minnow taking a leap into the water with the help of a jet pack and noodle, just in case.  They had them go underwater for the first time (most of the Minnows are class repeaters including Katie) and as they finished and patiently waited for the next task, Katie yelled across the pool to me "Hey MOM! Did you see me go underwater?!" It got a chuckle for cuteness from the instructiors and other parents.

Here is Katie with her class. There are 3 girls and 14 boys!

Josh and Friends

The kids have been visiting with the animals lately. We went to see Josh the Camel last weekend who has a grassroots following and is somewhat of a local celebrity. At 9 feet tall, I guess I would stand out in a crowd, too.

Giggles and Laughs!

Nothing like a little girls weekend for some fun! Ella came to visit recently and there were alot of giggles and laughs...and hair conditioner.

Perusse Postcard Challenge

This won't be a surprise to those of you on Facebook but the Perusses have laid down the Perusse Postcard Challenge and it's starting to gain momentum.


How did we get postcardmania? We had saved a postcard that my cousin Paul sent from Australia last year and one from my friend Tamara who sent one from her honeymoon in Honduras. The girl's daycare spent February traveling to world and virtually-visiting places like Machu Picchu and Saint Basil's Cathedral. They would light up telling us about all the fun facts of where they went. Chad and I learned a few things, too!  So we, or me, decided it would be fun to try and collect a postcard from each of the 50 states and beyond! Facebook seemed liked the logical place to start. So far we have....


Of the 50 states:

1. Minnesota
2. New York
3. Colorado
4. Florida
5. Georgia
6. North Carolina
7. Hawaii
8. California

...and beyond

1. Australia
2. Honduras

We have a few more postcards promised or in route. I'm trying not to be annoying and reach out to people. That said, it looks like we are gaining some speed and people are jumping on the cause...or just anxious to see it end so I'll stop posting pictures of the girls with postcards on Facebook . I anticipate middle America and some southern states will be a challenge but we're going to give it a shot. On a side note, I've enjoyed chatting with some old and new friends who are helping us out. And the girls seem excited when they count and sort all of their postcards.


We grandfathered a couple in but here is the first one to kick off the challenge: MINNESOTA!