First piano lesson

Over the past few weeks Nolan has started to show some interest in the piano.  I found a beginner Bastien "Piano Party" for the very young beginner series on clearance for $1 a piece last summer, and have been waiting ever since!  We started with some very simple exercises on the black keys and wow, has he improved in a week!  He has been practicing every single day - sometimes even multiple times a day - and his dexterity has improved drastically.  I'm glad he's excited about it and hope his enthusiasm will continue for a lifetime!

Two Grandmas visit!

While Grandpa Jim and Great Grandpa Arnie were fishing in Canada, Grandma Marcia and Great Grandma Edie came to visit for a few days.  It was great to have some 4 generation time.  We did some shopping, took the kids to a restaurant or two, and even made it to Thursday night girls' night at the Pub.  Livi called Grandma Edie, "E," which was too cute.  I'm so happy my kids have so many opportunities to make memories with their grandparents and great grandparents. 

Sharpie

Found the missing Sharpie....

Father's Day Weekend

Father's Day weekend was pretty action packed this year.  Stacy and Camryn came up late on Thusday night and we got to spend some time with them.  The kids played together some on Friday and we headed to Holiday Acres that night.  We haven't seen them for a few months, so it was good to catch up!

Because of the chaos of everything going on lately, I asked my parents if they would want to meet us in Wausau on Saturday to celebrate Father's Day.  We met there mid-morning and had a great time walking around the downtown area and riding the train at the Marathon County Park.  And of course, we had to introduce my parents to the amazing wonder that is Sweet Lola's Bakery.  They have the most delicious desserts I have ever eaten.  SOOO yummy!!

After lunch at the Great Dane, we headed back to Rhinelander, hoping that the kids would nap on the way home.  Of course, Nolan was out before we were even out of Wausau, but that stubborn little girl of ours stayed wide awake until about the last ten minutes of our ride... So much for naptime..

When we got home, we were able to meet up with the Orys on the boat and the kids enjoyed getting the chance to swim.  Nolan was fearless swimming with Uncle Tom...that is, until Uncle Tom bounced him one too many times and Nolan puked up Blue Moon ice cream all over him...  Didn't seem to damper his spirits for too long though.

We headed to Steve and Patti's for dinner and had a nice time visiting with everyone while the kids played outside.  It was a fun - though insanely busy- day.

I feel so very fortunate that I've been surrounded by such wonderful examples of fatherhood throughout my life.  My own Dad is a man of great integrity and is one of the hardest workers I've ever met.  He's always believed in me and because of him, I'm a woman who can hitch up her own trailer (and back it up), who can run a chop saw, riding lawn mower, and a plethora of other power tools, and have pretty good aim (though not as good as his) when it comes to throwing hay bales off the wagon.  And when I get myself into a pickle that I just can't figure out on my own, my Dad is always there to help.  He is selfless and loving and I'm very blessed to call him Dad.

I also feel so very fortunate to have such a wonderful father-in-law.  Steve is truly one-of-a-kind and his hard work, charisma, and sense of humor bring so much to our family.  He is supportive and fun, and we love him very much.

One of my greatest joys of married life has been the opportunity to watch Eric become a father.  He is devoted, loving, and selfless.  He plays games with them, and snuggles them, and listens to music with them, and the after-bath dance parties are just awesome.  He spends all of his free time taking care of our family.  Our children will never once be able to doubt how much they are loved.  Happy Father's Day, Eric.  So glad to be doing this parenting thing with you.

Bundles of Joy

The last several weeks have been stressful.  With all the craziness of buying and selling our houses with no realtors, Eric being overseas, and the stress of packing up our house with two little children, I have been feeling pretty overwhelmed and anxious.  While I was perusing Facebook the other night, one of the charities I support was requesting Baby Kits for the Syrian refugees that are currently residing in Greece.  For some reason, the request for these simple and often taken-for-granted items really struck a chord with me.  They were asking for sleepers, hats, washcloths, blankets, and nail clippers for the tiny little babies in the refugee camps - nothing extravagant, just simple every day needs.  And here I was fretting over packing the boxes and boxes of *stuff* we have....more than we could ever need.  How unfair that because of the privilege of my birthplace, I have boxes and boxes of *stuff* that I don't even need and these poor mommies don't have basic essentials for their babies.  I can't even begin to imagine what that must feel like and that really humbled me.  The kids and I picked up the supplies for three little baby girls and all I can hope is that it makes the lives of three very special warrior mamas and their precious bundles' lives a little easier.

Cabbage Patch Kid

I love this little munchkin!  Here she is sporting Mommy's Cabbage Patch Kids outfit from 1985. Could she be any cuter?!

Build a Better World

Our library attendance hasn't quite been up to its usual standards with the crazy house selling/buying this summer, but we did make it to a few Storytimes and the annual Tom Pease concert.  The theme is "Build a Better World" and they're all set up with construction themed fun throughout the children's department.

We attended the Tom Pease concert and man, is he crazy and full of energy! The kids love him.  I was so proud of Nolan this year.  He was enthusiastically waving his arm in the air, volunteering to go up front as a special helper, and danced and sang along with the songs.  A year ago, he was sitting on my lap, hiding, with his ears covered.  Wow - what a difference a year makes!  Livi liked the music, too and danced and clapped along.  We're glad our library offers these special programs and hope we can attend more throughout the summer.