Summer Fun

Yes, summer because it is way too HOT!!!!!  I know some of you may enjoy over 90 degree weather, but I do not.  I prefer 70s, maybe 80s, with little humidity.  Somehow we missed all of those days this year – went straight from rain, rain, rain to heat, heat, heat.  Yeah, I know – I should just move back to Colorado where the weather is near perfect :)  For those in Colorado, know that I am jealous! 

Saturday, Jeremy went on Fairfield’s Revenge Bicycle Classic arranged by his friend Mike (but Jeremy is the co-organizer apparently, too).  There were about 30-40 people biking on the given routes.  There were short loops and longer loops.  Jeremy went the full 58 miles; thankfully, it was a nice day!  Madison and I headed to the zoo.  I only have one picture, but it is super cute.  We saw these baby ducks soon after we got in the gates.  Here is the shot:

She walked a lot in the zoo – through the reptile building, in the aquarium, the trail back to the gorillas.  She took her first ride on the carousel, and she liked it.  We also went and watched the Animals on Safari show which is so fun with all the trained dogs, cats, and other animals.  By the time we got in the car, she was tired; she fell asleep in 5 minutes!

Sunday and Monday we were with family.  It was good to see Jeremy’s brother who is in from Minnesota for a couple weeks.  We went to Bob Evan’s to eat lunch with his Grandpa, parents, and brother.  Then, we hung out in the air conditioning for the afternoon while Madison napped.  For supper we dined on cold cuts, watermelon, and a strawberry pie (courtesy of Jeremy!). 

We went to my parents for the night.  On Saturday, I went to spend a few hours catching up with Sandy and eating baked oatmeal!  Then, we went to my brother’s (Nate) house for a family bbq.  It was a short, but good time to connect.  Here are a few pictures of the crew:

                  

Enjoying the Outdoors

Finally, there was a break from the rain and cold.  Since Madison is apparently a lover of the outdoors, she was super excited.  Jeremy went on a long bike ride this morning, so Madison and I headed out to Innis Woods to enjoy the cool breeze and sunshine.  I walked with her in the stroller for awhile.  Then, I would park the stroller and let her explore.  It was fun to watch her follow the path and see where she would go.  Here are a few pictures of the day:

                         

         

                                           

Mother’s Day

Yes, I realize it is not even close to Mother’s Day at this point, but I still wanted to post a few pics and tell about the weekend.  We went home on Saturday to my family’s gathering.  It was a Mother’s Day/May Birthday celebration.  It was nice to get there early and ease into the day.  Madison loves pushing this little pooh bear they have there and swinging.  Mostly, she loves to be outside.  Luke’s family and Nate’s family came around 2ish.  Many of them had brought their bikes.  So, while Madison napped, we took them to the cul-de-sac to ride.  Jen and I went to the bulk food store as well for some cheap cheese, snacks, and meat.  When Ben arrived the guys started a marathon basketball game.  And the rest of us watched the kids run, run, run.  Thank goodness that it was a nice day!  For supper, we had bbq beef sandwiches, shredded chicken sandwiches, a delicious salad, baked corn, chips, fruit pizza, and peanut butter cup cheesecake.  It was delicious!!!!  We started a fire after supper and just hung out before many started heading home.  It was a wonderful time.

            

On Sunday, we went to Salem for church, and then headed to Jeremy’s parents to celebrate with his mom.  His dad barbequed hamburgers and chicken breasts for lunch; we also had relishes, another good salad, chips, and desserts.  Jeremy’s grandpa, David and Marianne, and my parents also ate with us.  We enjoyed some adult conversation during Madison’s nap.  When she woke up, she played a little bit more with toys and blocks before we loaded her up in the car for the journey home.  Here are some more pictures from the weekend:

          

                         

Wednesday

So, it has been a long time. Last time I blogged was April, and it is now May. Honestly, I am not sure for my lack of posting - maybe because we haven't taken many pictures. We did go on Saturday to the zoo. Madison was more interested in the animals than last time, but I think she still enjoys people watching better than animal watching. I will post the picture of her facing a gorilla later. Other things:

• I just saw two more molars that have sprung up in Madison's mouth.
• She loves to try to eat her yogurt herself - it is a complete mess, but fun to watch.
• There is a 3 month old baby boy who has started coming to her daycare. She loves him and made him smile the other day and then made him cry when she startled him! I felt bad leaving the sitter with a crying baby.
• Jeremy is halfway through his botany class. I think he is enjoying it, even though it is a lot of memorization. He gets "out of work" on Mondays to go to class, which I am pretty jealous of.
• I have officially started the countdown to the end of school - 20 more days with students (3 of those are exam days). I have learned that this is not really a good idea, however, because it actually slows down time.

That's all the updates. I heard a quote the other day on my teen flick (One Tree Hill) that I thought was so amazing. (Hard to believe much substance comes from that show, but it did.) It was : "Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of us." I don't know where it is from, or who to give credit for it. I just think that is an awesome way to think of children. If God was completely discouraged with us as a human race, He has the ability to close the wombs of all women. And yet, He continues to bless us with children to raise up to worship and glorify Him. Amazing!

I'll work to add that picture (and any others I may have) tonight, and I will hopefully blog more frequently in the week to come. Have a great Wednesday!