Memorial Day 2012

Memorial Day was picture perfect.  Beautiful weather, time spent with lovely friends, and an extra day of family fun without Daddy needing to be at the office or out of town!

Jack & Hadley anxiously awaiting the candy, er, Parade!

Pipey waving her flag with buddy Ava & Hadley in the background.  Piper kept her distance from the parade just a bit, but Hadley kindly gathered candy for both of them!

Making it really felt like summer, we found time to enjoy watermelon out on the porch over the weekend too. Ahhh, summer is worth the wait through the WI winter!
 

Camping

In celebration of Hadley's completion of the school year, we decided to camp out at the Land!  

While they were happily off exploring and eating clover by the handfuls, Kyle & I put up the tent.

Can't beat s'mores around the fire!

Helping Daddy stoke the fire.  

Despite an extremely sparse night of sleep for all of us, they both awoke before 6 a.m. perky as can be, and SO happy that we had actually camped at the Land!

Sleeping on a sinking air matress & using the 'outdoor restroom' repeatedly during the night was not exactly a dream night for a 6 month pregnant mama. But, the expressions on their faces while exploring, eating s'mores, catching light-a-ning bugs (as Pipey calls them!) for the first time, and waking up in the tent all together definitely made it worthwhile!

Last Day of Preschool

Hadley just giggles when I say that she has graduated from preschool.  It might not feel like graduation to her, but it sure does to me!  I cannot believe we are just a summer away from Kindergarten!  Don't get me started.

For her last day of preschool, we were treated to mini-golf.  Kyle, Piper, & I joined Hadley along with all of her buddies for an afternoon of fun.

Surprisingly, it was Hadley who needed a little 'taming' out there so she didn't whack anyone with her club!  Maybe because she had the added excitement of golfing with all of her friends :)

Piper, on the other hand, was pretty controlled and really seemed to enjoy herself.

Hadley & good buddy Jack.

I think Piper may have enjoyed the popsicle afterward almost as much as the golfing.

Back at preschool one last time to get their precious scrapbooks that they made throughout the year.  Hadley is posed at her favorite place in the classroom, the rainbow tables, as this is where all of the crafting takes place!  
 

Fairyland Fun

We spent a beautiful Thursday morning with Kyle exploring our favorite 'Fairyland' Park this past week.  A little fishing for starters.

Much to their delight, the bread they brought with attracted a mother duck and her five little ducklings!

'I can't believe the ducklings liked my bread too, Mama!'

Off to play a little together.  Being a 'caterpillar' down the slide is their favorite thing to do at parks right now.

Hadley B the monkey!

Piper really really wanted a sad picture for some reason?  Maybe because prior to okaying it (see below), she wasn't about to actually smile for a family picture!

I think that is a bit of 3 year old sass, or maybe pizazz :)  

Dance Recital Weekend

While Kyle was up in Alaska for our nephew, Brent's big wedding, the girls got to perform in their first ever dance recital.  Having watched their big cousins Paige, Brooke, Sydney, & Ava for several years now, they were thrilled to have their turn on the stage.  Grandma & Grandpa thoughtfully drove over to take it all in as well! 

Cooling off a little when they first arrived.

Dessert out on the patio with some serious silliness.

Getting a little fresh air and swinging in before the actual recital Sunday morning.

All dressed up & ready to dance (and my tummy is 6 months along now)!

This may have been one of the first hugging pictures that Piper was not only up for, but suggested herself!  Sweet little buddies!

The only person missing from the big day, was their wonderful teacher, Paige (I captured a quick picture in the studio the night of class photographs).  She was up north with Kyle enjoying  the wedding too.

Outside Fun

With such beautiful weather lately, the girls have been just itching to be outside.  Whether its eating lunch out on the back patio, playing with squirt guns, or swinging out back, they have been enjoying it all together.  The week started with a fun visit from Uncle Mike! The girls were thrilled when he chased them all over the yard, in hilarious Uncle Mike fashion.

 

Slip n' sliding with the neighborhood kids.

Dancing through the sprinklers, their hair a flying, with each other.

Getting in as much swinging as possible.







 

And even time to squirt down and free Grandpa's truck of bugs.  Grandma & Grandpa came to town for the weekend dance recital (more on that to come...)!

Mother's Day 2012

Kyle & the girls planned a lovely Mother's Day for me.  It was so much fun in fact, that Hadley told us several times during the day that her favorite holidays are Christmas, Easter, and Mother's & Father's Day!  They started by bringing me breakfast in bed (Perkins & Caribou!).

The beautiful sunshiney morning was spent at a historical fair nearby that was much like a Native American - European Settlers trading camp.  The girls thoroughly enjoyed all of it, but most enjoyed watching Kyle try out the tomahawk toss!

Time out to try a little fried Indian bread.

French artillery and a Fur Trading tent (pictured in a badger & a lynx below).

Onto a picnic lunch at Irvine Park.



















And finally, my favorite part of Mother's Day, buying & planting flowers with the help of 1-2 extra sets of hands!

Found a little time to get the garden started as well.

A wonderful meal of SD wild turkey (imagine that!) and corn on the cob to end a perfect Mother's Day. 

 

Helpers

Kyle had some 'very good' helpers this weekend while he checked off a few items on my Mother's Day honey-do list!  The big project was sanding & staining the swingset.  They had a blast helping, got lots of paint on their old clothes, rain boots, and of course in their hair!  I don't think Hadley's glasses lasted real long, as they turned out to be a paint hazard with Piper around!