Memorial Day Weekend

This year we spent Memorial Day Weekend at Lake Mitchell in SD. Our usual spot, Lake Thompson has become quite flooded this year and doesn't look like we'll be going there all summer. But Mitchell was a good time & good change of scenery. The kids all kept busy fishing, playing at the park, going on the paddle boat & even kayaking. Olivia learned real fast that you can't play on camper steps :( Within the first half hour of being there, she biffed it twice on them. She got a little bump/scratch between her eyes, but wasn't too bad for as hard as she fell. We also took in Jessica's wedding shower in DeSmet that my Aunt Jackie and cousins Carrie & Becky gave her. They did a Pampered Chef shower & Jessica got lots of fun things-great idea for anybody getting married!

Sitting at the bonfire-Olivia also did her first S'mores this trip & of course loved them!

Going for a cruise on Justin's boat-My Aunt Jill, Olivia, Anna, and Jessica & her mom Jan. Olivia getting some snuggling time in with Grandma

Ryan & Olivia

Grandpa & Olivia

Grandma, Dan, and Bella in their kayaks. This trip was Grandma & Bella's first time kayaking!

The 3 of us out for a stroll

Pat, Olivia, and I on the paddle boats. Olivia did pretty good but the ride didn't last too long. I think she was just bored having to sit still in one spot

Olivia helping her cousin Bella fish

Grandpa and Olivia snoozing
Jessica's bridal shower-my cousin Carrie & her daughter Emma, Jackie, Jessica, and cousin's wife Becky along with her new baby, Tatymn

Jessica with her mom & mine

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you who are mothers, and especially to mine and Pat's mom. Hope everyone had a great relaxing day with lots of sunshine! I had a great day with my little girl, who makes me very thankful to be a Mother. We met Grandma and Grandpa Froehlich in Fairmont, MN, which is half way for both of us. We had a great brunch at The Green Mill & then waited out the morning/early afternoon rain to go fishing. Grandpa Lee was anxious to get his boat out for the first time this year. It was a little windy and cold but nonetheless, relaxing. When we got back home, we enjoyed lots of sunshine (where was it on the lake?) and played outside with Olivia. We grilled some walleye-unfortunately not from today's catch-none of us had a nibble or even a snag to get excited about.

I bought Olivia a life jacket yesterday. She was SO excited ever since to go fishing, and wouldn't let the thing out of her sight. I think she would have slept in the thing had we let her. This morning, I came out to the living room after getting ready to find her watching TV with the life jacket at her side, just waiting for us to get her ready.

At the restaurant with Grandma and Grandpa

She is just cute as cute can get :)

Playing outside-somehow Olivia tricked me into climbing up here and going down the slide with her.

Chasing the dogs around

Baby Sissy's 27 week ultrasound

Today we had Baby Sissy's (as Olivia calls her now) 27 week ultrasound done. It's quite amazing to see how much she's developed since 20 weeks. She is now 2 lbs 8 ozs and is in the 50th percentile. I'm measuring a week ahead of my due date (July 30th), but they're not changing the date b/c the ultrasound can be a week off. I'm really hoping things do happen a week ahead-I need all the time I can get to fit into my bridesmaid dress for Justin & Jessica's wedding on August 20th :)

Baby girl was turned facing down, so we couldn't get that good of look at her. The u/s tech did get this one picture of her profile.
Pic of her foot

This scans turned out pretty dark, but this is of her hand stretching out-it's a really neat view on the original ultrasound pic.

Saturday..

Today we went to our daycare, Lisa's house, to help them put up their new jungle gym for the kids. All the day care kids' parents were there to help out. Well-the women chased the kids while the men did the work. The weather wasn't the best-cold and windy-but had a good time.

Olivia and her friend, Ziva. They have such a love-hate relationship: they are the best of buds and have a blast together, but also fight like crazy. Olivia's been in more time outs for scratching, hitting, and pulling her hair.

Happy Easter!!

Happy Easter! Hope everyone had a Blessed Holiday. We spent Saturday & Sunday in Algona at Pat's parents. Olivia had a great time with her cousins, and of course getting a visit from the Easter Bunny!

We missed getting to see Grandpa and Grandma Driscoll for Easter this year so they sent Olivia a nice Easter basket filled with goodies...she loves her new bunny & froggie pj's! Thank you!
In Algona we went to the Y swimming. It took a bit for Olivia to get too far into the water, but once she braved the slide, she was up and down it the rest of the time.

Pat, Olivia, Kaden, and Chloe

Decorating Easter eggs...It looked so good that Olivia of course tried drinking the orange water!

Easter Sunday family pic

Grandma and Grandpa with Jack, Kaden, Lilly, Olivia, Jason, and Chloe. G & G had given all the kids recorded books of them reading a story to them. Olivia's book is Curious George. She loves hearing their voices reading!

The kids getting in line from youngest to oldest to start the Easter egg hunt!

Olivia on the go getting as many eggs as she can! The yard was still a little wet, so we put on her rain boots-she just loves wearing them!

Olivia and Mommy with all of "our" goodies!

Last week...

I'm doing a little catch up from last week...
**Tuesday morning we woke up with a flooded basement. The plumber's 60 second ridiculous diagnosis of a cracked toilet turned out wrong b/c we got more water in the basement Friday afternoon and it was no where near our bathroom... good times.
**Wednesday Olivia woke up with pink eye (pics below). We got to go see our friend and family doc, Dr. Steve at the clinic. She even hollered to the nurse in the parking lot, "I get to go see Dr. Steve". It was cute. So after she played with all the toys in the waiting room and probably infected 15 more kids (I couldn't get her pulled away from them to just sit and watch the fish in the aquarium), we got to see Dr Steve, get some eye drops, and spent the day together hanging out. And of course switching around the fans in the basement.
**I get to wear compression stockings already on a daily basis b/c my legs are swelling, vericose veins popping, and spider veins creeping all over my legs. It's amazing how well they work though, b/c without them, it hurts just to stand. Other than that, I've been really feeling good. I am 26 weeks now and can't wait to meet this baby girl that is so full of life inside me!

Olivia LOVES her dolls. She feeds them, changes their diaper, rocks them, burps them, hugs them, loves them, etc etc. I tell her she is such a good little mommy to her babies & her response is "I not a mommy, I Owivia." I think she's going to be a great Big Sister!

Weekend in Mitchell

Last weekend we road tripped to Mitchell to spend the weekend with my family. We watched Anna's dance, and then celebrated Ethan's 5th Birthday.

Olivia, Anna, Bella, and Ryan

Olivia LOVED finally being able to be outdoors-and especially spending it with Grandpa

Ethan had a cowboy themed birthday party at the bowling alley.

My little cowgirl

Olivia loved bowling-we've gone a couple times to watch Pat bowl on his bowling league, but now she could finally do it!

Olivia and Ryan

The birthday boy and his new DS from Heath & Kristi

Grandma cuddling with Ryan and Olivia