Trip to Missouri and South Dakota - 2012

We took our annual summer trip to visit Grandpa Pat at Lake of the Ozarks, MO in August. We had a great time again this year with Grandpa, Auntie Jen, Adam, Kellie, Jordan, and Mary. We spent some time on the water in the new ski boat and the pontoon. Addie "learned to swim" all by herself with a life jacket on - she was pretty proud of herself! We also made homemade ice cream and enjoyed some good meals on the grill. This year we had a bit of rain so we also spent a day at the outlet mall and at the arcade and shops next to the dam.

After Lake of the Ozarks, we road with Grandpa up to his house in Macon to spend a night. We had fun going through all of Jennie's old stuffed animals and other trinkets from high school. Addie was excited to come home with a few "new" old toys.

Then Grandpa gave us a ride up to South Dakota to spend a week at Grandma Kristi's house. Addie loved petting and feeding the horses, and of course had all their names memorized and could tell them apart after the first day. She didn't want to ride a horse this year, but she says she will ride one when she is 5 :)

Grandma Kristi took her to the zoo in Sioux Falls, and we had a fun night at Darci and Clay's house. Addie just loves playing with Ivy and Paisley!

We also spent some time with Grandma Dorothy and the Baumberger clan.  Markell and Julie hosted a picnic at their house in Garretson, and Addie had fun playing and swimming with all of her cousins.

It was a wonderful trip, but as always, we were ready to get home.  Two weeks on the road is a long time for anyone, especially a 3-year-old.  Addie was such a trooper though!  She really is a great little traveler, and Jay and I can't wait to take her on our next vacation!

Family Trip to Yellowstone

I'm a little (ok, a lot) behind on my posts.  This one should have been posted in July 2012.

Since Jay has been working in North Dakota, we decided to go up to Montana to visit him for a long weekend rather than him coming back home to Florida. Addie and I flew into Bozeman, and Addie was soooo happy to see Jay at the airport. It had been over two weeks since she had seen him, so it was a sweet reunion. We spent that first night in Bozeman and then headed to West Yellowstone the next morning.

We stayed in a nice cabin in Island Park – it had a loft, hot tub, and kitchen. Addie called it “going camping.” Not exactly camping, but figured we might as well have the comforts of home! The next day we drove to Yellowstone and saw Old Faithful, Yellowstone Lake, and Canyon Falls. The park really is stunning, and huge! We did not realize how much driving we would be doing, but Addie did just fine in the car. We made many stops to see things, and always kept watch for animals. We saw a lot of bison and butterflies. The next day we stayed in Idaho and went to Mesa Falls. We were able to walk right up next to the falls – they were beautiful! Addie enjoyed the visitor’s center where she learned about the local birds, animals, and butterflies.

On our last day, we drove back to Bozeman and went to a couple of City parks. Addie really enjoyed the dinosaur playground. We bought take-out from the Food Co-op and had a picnic dinner at another park. We also went to the mall and drove around the City for a while. We really enjoyed our time in Bozeman! The next morning Jay dropped Addie and I at the airport and we flew back to Florida. Jay went back to work in North Dakota, and we are anxiously waiting for his next visit back home!

Independence Day 2012

Addie and I had a busy, fun-filled 4th of July this year. Jay was working in North Dakota so he wasn’t able to join in the festivities. First, we went to the children’s parade on Longboat Key. It was probably the shortest parade I’ve ever been to, and essentially was the mayor in a convertible and all the neighborhood children riding their bikes or walking their dogs. Addie loved it though. They also had games and a butterfly release, which Addie thought was very neat. We also went to the 4th of July celebration at Bayshore Gardens community center – a small town feel with snow cones, pony rides, face painting, and little games.

After a rest in the afternoon, we went to Adam and Kellie’s place for an early dinner. They had a yummy selection of food, and Addie thought it was so fun to go to their house. We hung out there for a while and then went to the Selby Gardens for their 4th of July celebration and to watch fireworks. We met up with Teresa, Charlie, and Ellie, and the girls had fun playing the lawn games, eating ice cream, walking on the trails, and watching the fireworks. Addie was not all that excited about the fireworks, but the noise didn’t bother her as much as I thought it might. We had a really fun day!

The week before the 4th of July we went to the Suncoast Grand Prix Boat Parade.  Addie and her friends enjoyed all the beads, but Addie wasn't too fond of the noise!  We also ran into Uncle Adam and Kellie at the parade.  I just love running into family at local events!

Addie also had fun with a street performer at the local farmer's market that weekend.

First Trip to the Dentist

Addie just had her first trip to the dentist and did so well! She jumped right up on the chair and paid very close attention when the hygienist showed her all of the instruments. Her favorite was the “little vacuum” that sucked all the water out of her mouth. The hygienist counted and cleaned her teeth (with birthday cake flavored toothpaste…yum!), and the dentist was able to do the full exam with no problem. I could not believe she sat there with her mouth open the whole time without any problem at all! Afterwards, she was very excited to pick out a new toothbrush, stickers, and two prizes from the treasure chest. First trip to the dentist was a success!

Mandy, We Will Miss You!

Addie has spent a great deal of time during the past year with her nanny, Amanda Richards. Mandy started as Addie’s nanny in August 2011, and Addie has grown so close to her over the past year. It is hard to believe that a year has gone by already. In August 2012, Mandy left us to pursue her field of study, nursing.

Mandy has helped us so much over the past year and has always been so wonderful with Addie. They had a ton of fun together – going on outings, playing all kinds of games at home, and attending play dates with friends. Mandy danced with Addie at ballet, baked bread with her at Waldorf, and took her all sorts of places such as Mote Marine, the library, GWiz, music class, the park, and Cat Depot. At home, they loved to play instruments, put on “shows” with her dolls, read, do puzzles, create arts and crafts projects, and so much more. Some of Addie’s favorite weekly themes with Mandy have been dinosaurs, bugs, camping, polar animals, outer space, and sea creatures. Mandy was always so good at thinking up activities and games to go along with each theme. Addie has learned so much over the past year. We will all miss seeing Mandy every week, but are glad to know that she will still be in Sarasota so she can stay connected with Addie and remain a part of her life. Thank you, Mandy!



Addie's First Ballet Recital

Addie danced in her first ballet recital at the end of May 2012.  She was so adorable in her little costume.  Since it was a Mommy & Me class, the moms were up on stage with the girls.  We did a routine to the song "I Drive my Mama Crazy."  The song is pretty funny and so was the routine.  Addie was in awe of the crowd, dark theater, and bright lights on stage, so she spent most of the song just staring.  All the girls were pretty cute, but the moms were really the only ones who did much dancing.  :)