more Maria birthday

 thanks again to Grandpa for some more pictures from Maria's birthday!

 I want that piece!

end of the season

Only one more game for the season, and although she has had fun, she says she doesn't want to play anymore...we'll see what next year brings.  Thanks to grandpa for these pictures!

Goodbye friend!  Anna has a good buddy Isabel that is moving back to Croatia today with her family.  We will miss you Blanka and Isabel!

We have plenty to praise God for; friendships no matter how far away you are.

3 in May

It was quite funny the last couple weeks to ask Anna how old she was, as her answer was usually "3 in May".  I am sure she was repeating my response "She'll be two in May" to the question often asked of how old she is, but somewhere along the line she got it mixed...so, here she is turning 2 in May!
(This is just a selection of the pictures, the whole album can be viewed here.)

 She wanted a caterpillar cake, so we had a Very Hungry Caterpillar...not that Anna likes to eat or anything.

 we were all singing!

 She got the candles out with one blow...she was pleased with herself!

 The birthday girls!  Mom's was today, Anna's is tomorrow.

 excited about gifts, she kept saying "oooohhhhh"

 Trying out her Mr. Potatohead glasses, so stylish!

 Maria had to help out of course!

Hanging out with grandpa.

We had a wonderful day as the weather was gorgeous for most of the day.

I'm in the moooooood for milk

I ventured with Maria's preschool to the dairy farm, which happens to be run by a family from the church.  Anna came along too, but was not very excited about the cows.  I think they were just too big for her taste.  She wouldn't let me put her down, and cried for most of the hay ride!  Maria was fine with the cows themselves, however didn't care for the smell.  I told her I thought they smelled better than Uncle Andy's pigs, but she didn't seem to agree with me.  Maybe a return visit would refresh her memory.

 a couple days before their visit we happened to crate our own farm at home...Maria had fun, Anna "tried" to be helpful, but was having too much fun smearing our fence!  Can you see the horse, goat, cow, sheep, pig, ducks in the pond, the chickens in the pen by their coop(complete with mail slot!), tractor and scarecrow.  And check out the bales of hay inside the barn.

 The cows in the big barn.  We also got to see several young calves, quite a few pregnant mothers, and some half grown calves.

 Maria(in pink) and some of her friends from class checking out the milking parlor.

 two curious cows

 He was letting them test out the milking machine, most of the kids wouldn't put a finger in to feel, but some moms were brave.

 The cooling/holding tank for the milk.  The milk man comes everyday to the farm!

They gave the kids a little bag upon leaving with a coloring book and a couple other milk related items.  Maria spent a good majority of our hour long drive up to the lake house coloring this.  Before this she has never had much interest in coloring with any patience.  It's just usually scribble all over till it's covered with color...when we asked her how she colored so well she responded, "Well, I'm Beezus, so I can color well"  Can you tell we have been reading the Ramona books lately.  Just a couple weeks prior she was pretending to be Annie from the Magic Tree House series.

heat wave

Well, after having such a cool spring we had some very hot days this past week.  It felt more like July weather, but it was fine by the girls as long as we filled up the pool.  However the water was COLD as it came straight out of the hose and had no warm up period before the hopped right in.

We have plenty to praise God for; ways to cool off when things get hot.

Happy Mother's Day

We have plenty to praise God for; the blessing of mothers and children.

just playing

 Bubble time

 Tent making

what naps will do

Maria went down for a nap with regular pigtails and woke with one side slightly resembling Pippi Longstocking...it was quite amusing!

happy soccer girl

This Saturday Maria had her first soccer game.  It was quite amusing to watch as the boundaries didn't mean much to them, and they were just this little pack following the ball around.  But if you can't tell by the smile on her face, she was having a great time.

 First they had a bit of practice/warm-up.  She's dribbling the ball, she has a hat on.

 In the goal retrieving her ball.

 Waiting.

 She's wearing the yellow vest over her jersey, but is still wearing the hat.

 "Mama", the first thing she told me was "I listened!"

One happy little soccer player.