Garden Fresh

Garlic, Beets, Green Beans, and Carrots, Oh my!  We had a good haul from our garden today.  This is the first year our carrots actually look like carrots (in years past they looked more like a science experiment gone terribly wrong!)  Although Emma ate some of the garden treats...she was much more excited to pick the veggies than to eat them! :(

The Dyreson clan

Feeling the green

Aunt Deirdre introduced Addie to some cool green under my toes.  "I liked it!"

Hanging with Grammy and Grampy

Emma and Addie had a grand time visiting Wisconsin this summer!

Smiley Kids Bug Hunters...at your service!

Since we don't see many fireflies out our way, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to chase some of these beautiful creatures down.  Tate and Emma had fun spotting the bugs, and I caught a few for indoor viewing.  They only lit up a couple of times though, so it seems the bugs were not as thrilled about their accommodations as Tate and Emma were!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

From what I'm told...Addie looks a lot like Ken when he was a baby, so think of this as an age progression photo! :)

Happy 94th Birthday Great Grandma Dyreson

The girls with Great Grandma at her birthday party, celebrating her 94th birthday!  Feeling thankful for the longevity we have on both sides of our family!

"I want to go swimming"

Tate and Emma did not seem to want to take no for an answer, when asking Grampy to fill up the backyard pool on this cool July day.  So, we thought to spray them with the hose, and they would come running inside to warm up.  Oh no...Not these two!  They were shivering, but having so much fun getting wet.  We enticed them back inside with the idea of going swimming in the warm bathtub!

Meeting the boys!

Addie finally got to meet the Dyreson boys!  It appears we have a couple more babysitters on our hands!  I think Addie is waiting for the day when she gets to ride the game cycle (sorry no photos) with her cousins...maybe in a couple more years!

Domestic goddess

Emma learning the tricks to making key lime pie with Grammy.  She loves her cooking and baking adventures when visiting her grandparents!

EPIC

This was an "Epic" treehouse!  We toured part of the EPIC software company headquarters while in WI.  This is the software I use at work, so it was neat to see.  It was a huge campus, and had many other entertaining features aside from the treehouse.  Our thought was they wanted to give it a fun, home-like atmosphere, so the employees might not realize they are working 100 hours per week.  

Cookie Time

It took a mere 12 hours before Emma talked Grammy into baking some cookies  together!  They were yummy!!!

Flirty face

Addie showing off her flirty face with Grampy!

Backyard water park

We headed up to Minneapolis for a couple of days to stay at Aunt Stacy and Uncle Tom's house too.  The kids had fun playing in the backyard pool, although they were a bit spoiled by the heated pools at the water park, and thought this pool was too COLD!  They warmed up with ice cream cones though!

Addie hanging with G & G Thier

Although she didn't enjoy the rides or the water slides, Addie had one of the best seats in the house--on Grandma and Grandpa's laps!

Thier Family photos

No small feat in getting everyone to look at the camera at the same time.  I'm not sure how bigger families make this happen! :)

Arnold's Park

Lots of fun was had at Arnold's Amusement Park this year.  We have some thrill seekers on our hands I think.  I was about to have a heart attack when Emma and Grandpa (and her 4 and 7 year old cousins, and their dads) decided to go on the bullet.  Yeah...spinning and twirling in a cage above the treetops--I was sure there was going to be screaming, puking, or CPR involved---but everyone enjoyed the ride, and even wanted to ride again (which I did not allow--my anxiety was too high!)  I think the favorite of all though was the water flume.  Addie enjoyed the day with an outdoor nap in her shaded stroller. Fun day for all!!!

Bump, bump!

Fun for all on the bumper cars...but I believe it was most fun for the dads!

Okoboji 2013

The Thier clan enjoyed a two night stay at the Boji Bay Resort this year.  I'm certain this trip will be talked about for several years to come....Emma had a blast.  She got to stay in a hotel with all her cousins, and their was an awesome water park for little kids.  Emma even got up enough courage to go down the enclosed water slide on an inner tube with Mom.  Very fun time for us all!

The babysitters club

Chloe, Isabel, and Haley (my three nieces) doing some babysitting.  Addie thoroughly enjoyed having her cousins babysit for her too!

Princess Addie in her highchair

Addie tried out a new seat at the table while visiting Grandma & Grandpa's house.  So far just toys for lunch-but food is on the menu for next month!

Hugs & Kisses

Cousin Reece giving Addie a little lovin'!

1 AM face

Addie was hamming it up for her fellow passengers prior to boarding her very first red eye flight.  She was giggling, and having a grand old time!  Lucky for us, she fell asleep as soon as we boarded the plane.  

Last day of Wee Care

Family photos commemorating Emma's last day at Wee Care.