The Last Ten Days

Lots of pictures to post, let's start with Friday, August 15th - Mike and Erin Hill's wedding day. The wedding was up in Princeton, with a reception following in Pease, MN. We all headed up to the cabin for the rest of the weekend.

On Wednesday as I was cleaning out the car Lucy climbed in, so I buckled her in while I finished.

Thursday morning we picked up my parents and headed to the Great Minnesota Get-Together (the Fair)! As usual, we had every intention of going up and down every street so as not to miss anything, but our stomachs got the best of us so we backtracked everywhere and missed half of it! All that was consumed (not just by me) in no particular order - mini donuts, french fries (my favorite), pronto pups, frozen grapes on a stick (Lucy's favorite), pork chop on a stick (well maybe that's my favorite), veggie pie (ish, don't get again), nachos, deep fried pickles, frozen apple cider, taco (a new try of ours we shared from the food bldg that we'd definitely get again), gelato, popcorn, beer, watermelon, lemonade, butterscottish "thing" (basically a frozen twinkie dunked in butterscotch on a stick), root beer...

After we arrived, Troy, Mark and Val (mom) hit the mini donut booth while Lucy and I went to go get french fries (so what if it's 9am). We had our breakfast and headed into the Grandstand. We purchased a puzzle stool for Lucy as she loves her friends' puzzle stools:

What? It's like 10:30 and we haven't eaten in over an hour?? I'm assuming it's at this time we made our first stop into the Food Building (frozen grapes for Lucy, Pronto Pups for the boys, taco for the rest). I believe after this we headed up to the Technology/Eco Building on the old machinery hill for a little rest and a quiz show. It was quite humid that day which probably explains our easy exhaustion (not from the greasy food of course) and why we backtracked and missed half the sights. We did head over to the horticulture building to get the frozen apple cider sticks (75 cents a pop, the best deal at the Fair), and then a phone call from Sam and Krista who had brought the kids to the Fair and we were going to meet up.

On our way to find them, we pass the pork chop booth and I got in line. Dang they are good, and they sure make a killing at 6.50 a pop! We found the girls, said hello, I tried that wierd frozen twinkie. Then we made a loop in the Coliseum, the boys got some beers and we went and sat down in the stadium and rested/watched a horse show for a while. Then it was over to Heritage Square for a loop, knowing full well that we always go here and leave within 5 minutes because it's the same crap every year, yet my mother insists we didn't go the year before :) After our loop in there we headed back toward the Grandstand for a root beer and the nachos (just "ok"). And then....

Lucy and daddy went on the Big Slide! She loved it and I videotaped it (not very well). Grandpa had another Pronto Pup (note, if you have your gallbladder out, do not eat pronto pups!) and we headed over to the DNR building. What's next? Mom's turn for pork chop on a stick, then another run thru the Food Building and Horticulture building. Left for home at 4, a good full day at the Fair. Home where everyone hopped in the shower to clean up.

We had gotten a phone call from our realtor that someone wanted to see our house on Saturday. D'oh! Time for major house cleaning! So Friday morning while Nana watched Lucy we scoured the house before we packed it up and headed down to Lake Benton for the weekend.

It was a 4 1/2 hour trip down there, with a stop for lunch in Hudson and a swap of drivers half way. We stayed at Uncle Duff and Pam's, our usual B&B. That evening we had dinner over at Grandma Glady's and visited. Saturday before lunch was a big group photo session in grandma's backyard. The pictures turned out great, but their not on our camera, so can't upload them here. We got some shots of us as well for possible Christmas photos. After lunch half the gang headed to the lake on Uncle Jody's boat for an afternoon of water sports. I stayed back with the ladies while Lucy napped. In the evening it was more food and visiting. Lucy and I headed back to go to bed while everyone stayed at Grandma's to play Catch Phrase. This morning was a huge brunch back at grandma's before we departed at noon. In the midst of this busy weekend, Troy and Josh took Zach and Alex golfing, Pam and I found great bargains at the Emporium, and Lucy learned how to say "Alex" over and over and over again...

Abby and Stella:

Lucy's first trampoline experience with the girls, Olivia and Kate:

August and Lollipops

July 5th at Grandpa Duffy's house in Osceola: In her usual spot, sitting in the toybasket while I read to her:
Still in the toybasket:
This lovely view of our now white-trashed west side will be covered by a wonderful privacy fence in the weeks to come (it might not seem that horrible to you, but imagine all the cars in front parked on the lawn and the police over on calls to their house once a week...):
I had no idea she had gotten these out of the cooler and was trying to "eat" them thru the bag!
Giving daddy the stink eye while we're reading bedtime stories:

A side view of the new haircut:

This girl loves pillows!

In our party dress from Aunti Shannon, heading to the Murtha wedding on Aug. 2nd:

She had been napping for almost 3 hours, so I went in to find out what was up:
At dad's favorite store, Cabela's in Rogers, MN:She loves the water. Here she is in the dog bowl...

And then she sits in it!

With her new toy from daddy, the vacuum cleaner:

I am very delinquent on updating this blog I see! The calendar now reads August 2008. I remember posting that 2008 is a nice even number like it was yesterday and now we're in the depths of August humidity? Goodness sakes, next thing you know it'll be State Fair time (Minnesota, that is)!

I found some miscellaneous pictures from July I could post and recently updated my playlist (that musical thing that plays on the side of my blog if you have sound turned on) to put my latest favorite musical discovery "Lollipop". It's a fun, childish song.

Let's see here, what is new? Lucy had her 2nd haircut last week, she's saying and signing more words than ever. It takes me by surprise when she signs something I've been doing for months and she does it on her own. I always sign "more please" so she knows how to be polite, and she's had "more" down (that was her first word) for a while. We were in Walmart on Friday shopping and I'm feeding her some Goldfish and I said "what do you say?" and she says "peas" and signs it too! She loves ice and says that word and popsicles, and anything else involving being outside, the kiddie pool (constantly in and out, cannot sit still in there!), sidewalk chalk, and bubbles.

It was so cute yesterday, we were all out back while Troy and his parents were planting hydrangeas and I brought Lucy's toys out, including sidewalk chalk, thinking she could draw in the firepit we have. Well the kid takes off to the other side of the house and here she was drawing on the sidewalk - smart girl!

Troy is now working from home on Tuesdays and Fridays so we purchased a new office set-up from Ikea last week and put our office in the craft room downstairs and the old office is now Lucy's toy room.

I have been getting some craft projects worked on - finished up a Santa cross-stitch for my mom and started a new one (it's the only craft I can work on and watch a movie to). I am working on a couple quilted table runners for holiday gifts as well as figuring out how to make felt christmas tree skirts. I love to craft!

Nana and Papa leave Friday for their 10-day vacation (an Alaskan Cruise!) so Lucy will be in various daycares the next couple of weeks. We have one more wedding coming up this month (cousin Mike's), the MN State Fair, and a trip to Lake Benton. Busy busy!