A Few Firsts

Now that Marie is 1 and has 8 teeth, we decided it was a good time to introduce her to our dentist. It's never too soon to start good dental hygiene. (especially with her mom's history.) So, we scheduled her appointment with Dad so she would have some support. Andy went first in the chair. Marie was very interested in the hygienist's tools and gloves for about 5 minutes. Then it was time to move on and keep busy. So it was Mom's job to keep Marie away from all the other patients and sterile dental tools - no easy feat. Finally it was her turn to sit in the chair under the light. Dr. Jake looked and felt around Marie's pearly whites - everything looked great, although we do have a slight chip in the front left tooth.
One Disney Princess sticker, Pooh toothbrush, and latex balloon later, we were off!

Another first was painting with dyed yogurt. This was Dad's idea. Marie came down with a little bug this past week and was inside for a few days. She was sick of her books and toys so we decided to let her have some fun. It was definitely a mess, but a creative mess. Even Char wanted in on the fun!

Typical Summer Days

What do you like to do on a summer day? I like to... go for a bike ride - safety first! oh, and don't forget the snacks!

play at the pool with dad

and with mom, too!

read books in the AC with dad

jump in the pool with your clothes on!

Summer of Vacations

"What a summer!"

Our summer has been so much! So much fun, traveling, visiting with friends and family, and new adventures with Marie. It all started with Marie's birthday and D.C., and ended with Minneapolis. We had quite a few stops in between as well:

1: Lincoln, Nebraska for a wedding - Marie LOVED dancing!
2. Camping in Yankton, South Dakota with the Van Beek's.

3. Visit in Vermillion, SD to see USD Campus4. Minneapolis, MN

Twins Game with Nathan & Tina
Como Zoo with Don & Jean

Despite some rain and lack of participation from the polar bears, we enjoyed our trip to the zoo. Marie also loved spending time with Bella, Don & Jean's dog.After all our travels we feel truly blessed to be safe at home.

I am sure Marie & Charlie have often thought this summer,
"where are we going now?"

Too much vacation!

Marie takes D.C. by storm

Ahhh where to begin. First let me say that traveling with a 1 year old seemed as though it would be the most daunting task anyone could undertake. The packing, the planning, the organizing, the worrying: would her ears handle the pressure changes on the plane? what if she cries the whole flight? what will the other passengers think? what if we lose her luggage? what if something terrible happens to our plane? what if she gets sunburned while sight seeing? what if she gets heat exhaustion? what if she doesn't have enough snacks? what if she doesn't sleep well? what if she gets sick and we have to find a doctor? what if? what if? what if?

Let me just say now - Marie, you were unbelievable and all those "what ifs" were silly.

We started our trip with a drive to the Omaha Airport - Marie slept the whole way. We made it through security, ate our sack lunches, and we were off! Marie handled the first flight with sleep again and no tears from the pressure change. We had a quick stop in Milwaukee where Marie had some time to burn energy at a play place. We landed in D.C. with no problems and were picked up by Katie at the airport.

Day 1: Touring the National Mall

It was hot, hot, hot, but we stayed in the shade as much as possible. We started with a picnic lunch near the Washington Monument. We moved on to WWII Memorial, Lincoln, Vietnam, and The White House. Marie was a little sleepy, but she held on tough. We ended the evening with a trip to the splash pad near Katie's apartment. Marie was timid at first, but she got the hang of it soon. Notice how Marie is choosing to break the rules?

DAY 2: National Zoo/Museum of Natural History
Aunt Tina and Hunter joined us for the day. We hit up the National Zoo first with Aunt Katie, then we moved onto the Museum of Natural History. Marie really liked seeing the larger than life animals. We saw a whale, dinosaurs (from South Dakota), and live butterflies fluttering around us too. Once again we ended with frozen yogurt and the splash pad. There's something about playing in the water and cooling down with a frozen treat that makes that hot day of walking worth it.
Day 3: Air & Space Museum/Museum of American History
We were joined by Tina and Hunter again as we toured some more museums. It was very hot so we decided to do indoor activities with the good ol' AC. Marie loved looking up at the planes hanging from the ceiling. Also, we toured the exhibit featuring our very own Harold Neumann, father of Uncle Denis Neumann, one of the greatest American pilots. We couldn't leave D.C. without taking Marie to the Carousel on the Mall. She wasn't so sure of it at first, but when it ended she was clapping for more!

Day 4: Union Station/Capitol
This was our final day of sight-seeing. We started with a trip on the metro to Union Station. Marie picked up a souvenir panda and enjoyed a strawberry malt. Again, it was very hot out, so we decided to take a lap around the capitol and head back to the AC. Marie was pretty tuckered out from all the sight-seeing, so she took a nice nap in the stroller while we walked. We got home just in time as a thunderstorm rolled in. Another night at the splash pad rounded out another great day. While we were at the splash pad, Marie saw a black lab - she was sure it was Charlie and seemed confused as to why we were leaving him behind.
We woke up bright and early to make it to the airport for our flight home. We must have looked suspicious with all those sippy cups because we were chosen for some extra security searching. We passed (phew!) and made it to our flight just in time. Marie slept the entire flight to Milwaukee and quietly listened to stories during our final flight to Omaha. What a trooper.
It felt great to be back on land with our family safe from all our travels. Marie was such a big girl for the trip and we were so happy to take her on the adventure. I can't even imagine what she was thinking with all the new things she was able to experience. That being said, it was great to be back home! We all missed Charlie, especially Marie. The two of them spent the rest of the day cuddling. I am sure she was busy telling him all about her adventures in Washington D.C. and his adventures at "summer camp" kennel.

my special grands...

My favorite things to do with my special grands are:

Watching the ducks swim

swinging under the tree

playing with my farm and making silly animal sounds

driving the boat

and cuddling up for story time.

Birthday Month Celebrations

Marie's first birthday was full of celebrations. We decided it was only fair to have a birthday month - not just a birthday! It started a few days before her birthday with a visit from Grandpa Joe, Grandma Karen, and Aunt Liz.We had birthday cake and playtime with presents and new toys.

Next we celebrated at daycare. Marie brought in sugar cookies with strawberries and whip cream to share with her friends. This completed her first year in the caterpillar room and now we are moving on to the ladybug room. It was sad to say goodbye to her teachers, but we are excited to meet new friends.

On June 18th, Andy officially began summer with the completion of his board exam. We traveled to Sheldon and Spencer to celebrate Father's Day and Marie's Birthday with the rest of the family. This included boating with the Muetings in Okoboji and a birthday part in Sheldon. As you can see, Marie was not shy about diving right into the cake. The puppy party was the perfect way the round out her birthday month celebrations.

It is very hard to believe that our little Marie is one year old already. She is so many things: independent, funny, smart, curious, independent, caring, friendly, social, oh did I say independent? We are always amazed at how much she is learning and growing each day. What a year it has been. Who knows what this little lady has in store for us...

First Year Photo Shoot

Sunday was the day for Marie's Birthday Pictures. It started out perfectly with a good nap, good lunch, and a clean girl. Perfect combo for good pictures right? Well, that's what we thought. Marie decided it was another day to celebrate her independence. She wanted to be with mom, not with the photographer who was tickling her with a fake flower. Oh well - we got some great shots of our little one year old.