A White Christmas

We went to South Dakota for Christmas this year and had a wonderful time!  Addie got to see snow for the first time (that she remembered), so it was very special for her.  She spent a lot of time outside sledding and playing with her cousins.  She even got to build a snowman with cousins Paisley and Ivy.

We spent Christmas Eve with Grandpa Pat and Aunt Jennie.  On Christmas morning Addie was very excited to see what Santa brought her. We spent the morning with Grandma Kristi and Uncle Jeremy and Chelsea. She of course had no shortage of gifts!  Some of her favorites were a camping set, a stand-up microphone, working appliances for her play kitchen, and a tool set.  Santa even left her a very special note with a picture of a gift he had delivered to our house in Florida - a pet stroller that she had been wanting for a long time!

On Christmas afternoon, we went to the Parsley's farm for a Baumberger family Christmas celebration.  Most of the family was there, and we even had a special visit from Santa.  Addie sat on his lap and was so proud!  She also loved going for rides in the sled behind the "Gator" - lots of fun times with her cousins!

We also made a trip to Great-Grandma and Grandpa Mungers house and had fun with counsins there and played the traditional Bingo game. We also spent an evening with the Schoenfelders and a day at Dean and Sue Baumberger's farm. Addie still loves to see all the animals, especially all the little kitties. She also spent a fun afternoon at Great-Grandma Dorothy's house and took rides on the sled behind the snowmobile. She just loved playing in the snow!!

It was a very memorable trip and makes us think about moving back to South Dakota one day....

Halloween 2013 - The Cutest Mermaid Ever

Halloween was a big deal this year.  Addie decided what she wanted to be long before Halloween - a mermaid.  I borrowed the cutest mermaid costume ever from a friend.  Addie got all dolled up and hit the neighborhood for a big night of trick-or-treating.  She was not timid at all this year to go ring door bells and say trick-or-treat.  She even gave some people a tail swish with her thank-you :)  Dakota dressed up as a dalmation.

Addie also had a Halloween party at school complete with a puppet story and lantern walk.  She always enjoys the special celebrations and festivals at Waldorf.

   

Addie the Joker

Addie loves to tell jokes lately. This started while we were on our trip to South Dakota and Missouri. I think she loves the reactions she gets more than the jokes themselves. She loves to make people laugh!  Here are the ones she told this summer:

How do you make a tissue dance?
You put a little boogie in it!
(Learned that one from Teresa and Ellie in South Dakota)

Why do birds fly south for the winter?
Because it's too far to walk!
(Learned from Grandma Kristi)

How do you keep a skunk from smelling?
You plug it's nose!
(Also from Grandma Kristi)

She also is getting the hang of using play on words and is noticing the way words are put together. The other day we were walking Dakota and a neighbor dog ran out to greet us. We were way across an open field from that dog's house. Dakota was jumping like crazy, and I dropped his leash. He took off running towards that house, and Addie and I had to run after him. We finally found him, put him back on his leash, and started off on our walk again. After a moment, Addie asked me, "You know what it's called when a dog gets off its leash and runs away?....Dog-Gone-It!"

It was super cute, and really funny! Now whenever something goes wrong or if Dakota is making mischief, she loves to say "doggonit," with a big sigh and huge amount of inflection in her voice.

Summer 2013 Road Trip Adventure - Montana, South Dakota, and Missouri

We took a 5-week road trip this summer!  Well, we flew to Montana and then road tripped back to Florida. What an adventure. We spent a lot of time with family and friends, and it was so nice for me to spend some time away from work!

We started our trip in Bozeman, Montana. Addie and I flew there, and Jay drove up with Dakota. Poor Dakota on a 30-hour road trip! They did make a couple of pit stops in South Dakota and North Dakota along the way. While in Bozeman we stayed at a condo up in the mountains and spent a lot of time outside hiking, sightseeing, and fishing. We spent an afternoon at Fairy Lake (amazing, but 8 miles of gravel and pot holes to get there!). Both Dakota and Addie really enjoyed that spot. We also hiked to some waterfalls at Hyalite Park. The mountains are so beautiful. We also went to the Museum of the Rockies and attended a 4th of July parade and party with some friends. Addie loved their dog, Cesar, who can say "mama." Some of Addie's favorite things were fishing, swimming, and eating sugar flowers. We also were always on the look out for deer and other wildlife.

Ready for Our Trip at TIA!
 

 Hyalite Falls

 Hyalite Reservoir

 4th of July Parade - Addie is always finding a dog to pet! (That's not Dakota, but he looked just like him!)

 Museum of the Rockies

 Addie's turn with the camera

Fairy Lake

After six days in Montana, we drove to South Dakota. We stayed at Grandma Kristi's house for about three weeks. Addie absolutely loved staying there! The horses were a hit - she rode one this year! She also had fun playing with Grandma, swimming in her little pool, looking for forest fairies, and spent time with cousins when I had to work for a few hours each day. We also spent time with the Baumberger clan, the Schoenfelders, and all of the grandparents. We got to tour the farm of Uncle Dean and Aunt Sue, and went to a party at the home of Julie and Markell. We spent one night at Jeremy and Chelsea's house, and also spent a few mornings with Ivy and Paisley. I saw some friends from college, so Addie got to meet their kids.

Mom, Dad, Addie, Grandma Kristi, Jeremy, and Chelsea

Loving up little Sassy with second cousin Ali

Addie taking a picture of me with college friends

 

Cheek to cheek with Dakota

Riding Dandy with Chelsea

Swimming with second cousins at the Baumberger Cookout

Addie loved dancing to Great-Grandma Dorothy playing the piano

Pajama Day with Paisley, Ali, Ivy, and Miranda

Mom and Addie with Great-Grandma Dorothy, Sue, and Jaxon

Playing games with Jaxon

Riding Dandy with Dad and Grandma Kristi

Doing silly Mad Libs with Uncle Jeremy

Fishing at Lake Vermillion

While we were in South Dakota, our Texas friends, Teresa and Ellie, came to visit. Addie and Ellie talk about each other all the time, so they decided to come up for a long weekend. We went to Wild Water West, had a tour of Dean and Sue's farm (the girls LOVED all the kittens!), roasted marshmallows over a camp fire, and spent a day in Sioux Falls where we had lunch at Minerva's, went to Falls Park, rode the trolley downtown, and went to the zoo. The girls were worn out but had a ton of fun.

Sioux Falls Zoo safari ride

Picking the nostrils of the Falls Park Bison

Making lemonade

Roasting marshmallows on the campfire, which we could barely keep lit

Looking around the fairy house - the forest fairies always leave a gift if you leave one for them in return!

Petting kittens at the farm of Dean and Sue

Petting Baily

Love these girls!

After South Dakota, we headed down to Missouri to visit Grandpa Pat. We stayed one night at his house near Macon, and then spent about five days at his lake house at Lake of the Ozarks. He just finished his kitchen remodel, which looks great! Adam, Kellie, Jennie, and Jordan joined us at the lake too. We spent time fishing, swimming, boating, lots of cooking and eating, playing the marble game, and visiting. It's a wonderful tradition to spend time at the lake each summer. Addie saw her first fire fly, which she thought was so cool! We caught one and she was able to hold it in her hand. She also went down Grandpa's slide off the dock into the lake. She loved it at first but then decided it drops her too far under the water - maybe again next year, she said.  :)

 Hanging on the dock wires was a huge hit!

 Dakota looking down into the water...he loved swimming!

 Playing ponies with Uncle Adam

Showing off her "sea star" and swimming with Grandpa Pat

Dakota doing his flying leap off the dock 

Swimming with noodles and doing "snychronized swimming"

Addie and Mom out for a boat ride with Grandpa

Addie and Daddy hanging out on the boat

Fishing with Daddy and Grandpa Pat

Hanging out with Uncle Jordan

After Grandpa Pat's, we drove to St. Louis to drop Jay off to pick up a new truck he had just bought. He drove that back to North Dakota for work. Then Addie, Dakota, and I were off on our road trip back to Florida. They did great - only one little issue with throwing up one morning - other than that it was a snap!



We had a great time on our trip, but it was really nice to be home. Both Addie and Dakota were happy to be back into their familiar surroundings and routine.  Addie loves to tell everyone about our "three trips in one vacation" and says her favorite place of the three was South Dakota because her best friend visited her there.