What season is it?

We love hotels!!

Seriously, I have such good intentions on keeping up with this.  It is just not as easy as one would hope/think.  We are finally hitting summer like temps (i.e. high 90s) and now technically summer is over and everyone is back in school.  Something is wrong with that!  Talking about school...since last posting, I have graduated from the Rainbow room to the Butterflies.  I gave my teachers going away presents, but really I still see them daily so it wasn't THAT big of a change.  I am already rocking in my new room as I already won "Alphabet bingo" my first week.  Seriously, novices... I will be moving up soon too...but my teacher keeps telling me she wants me to stay in there till I'm 5.  If I did, I would at least be taller than my classmates.  Yes, I am vertically challenged.

We have had lots more summer fun, in no particular order:

Our summer getaway trip started with a late night drive (in a monsoon) to Omaha where we got to stay at a hotel.  I LOVE staying at hotels.  I tried sleeping in bed with her, but she wasn't wanting to play.  Right, Heidi.  SLEEP, I wanted to sleep...not play and have you take my blankets.  It may be a while till we share beds.  Anyway, we met Grandma Elmo at the zoo for a fun filled (and a little wet) morning.  We saw SO many animals.  We even checked out the new stingray exhibit.  You get to pet them!  You may be shocked to hear that I was too afraid to do that though.  Mom, dad, and elmo told me they were really nice and felt funny.  I took their word for it.  I had fun looking at the monkeys, lions, bears, and of course riding the train. 

Are you taller than a monkey?  Some maybe...

love watermelon.  Summer can't go away!

After Heidi started getting cranky, we said our goodbyes to grandma and got back in the car and headed North to Uncle Matt's cabin.  (Too bad his name isn't Tom)  Anyway.....we had a fun couple days staying there.  I had SO much fun playing with everyone.  Since the weather wasn't as hot and sunny as we hoped, we spent a bit more time indoors.  But that was fine by me.  We ran around, watched movies, and games.  We had a lot of fun playing with Will and Jay...I especially loved the connect 4 game.  And they even painted our nails for us!  And get this....you all know my love for Frozen.  I always want Elsa's hair, but mom says that is a long time coming...well Bailey actually did braid my hair.  I loved it.  And Aunt Brenda did mine!  I love people doing my hair.  Well, unless they are mom.  Mom, I like to run from. 



We got to ride on the boat and even in the kayaks.  We also went over to the SD side and played on the beach.  Gabby, Jack, and Jay make some mean sand castles.  Oh…and guess what.  Will found a diamond ring!  No joke.  It looked like it could have been there for years….but someone was missing their wedding ring.  We took some pictures with Aunt Rhonda...and she made some super cute collages for us.  Now we will see how long it takes for mom to get things ordered and hung on our wall.  She has been more focused on making her bedroom pretty.  Mom & dad have been busy doing lots of things in there, I think it is beautiful.  I digress....after pictures we went out to dinner where I got to see all of Rhonda's family.  Including my godfather Eric.  His fiancé girlfriend Katelyn helped with pictures and hung out with us too!  We did head into H-town on Sunday AM before heading home.  We stayed back and played with Grandma and Rachelle while the others went to go check out their new house.  Have I mentioned that yet?  Nana & Papa are moving!  So next time we go there they will be in a different house.  I love going to their current house, but I guess the new one is across the street from the park so that will be cool….

A sample of one super cool pic collage Aunt Rhonda put together for us!

How fun is this floating play mat??

It has been a sporting bonanza.  We watched our first Huskers game of the season already.  Ok, I slept through it.  But I looked cute sporting their gear. Go Big Red!  But we are still in full swing of baseball and our Go Big Royals!

I guess we will keep cheering on our Royals - who are in 1st place and it is almost September!  Which I guess means that we could be going to games into October??!!!  Actually, nevermind.  Dad is telling me that I wouldn't be invited to join in those trips to the ballpark.  We have been to a couple since last blog, but I guess I am uninvited.  How rude.  Wonder if that means I still am?  Dad seemed a little annoyed that I forgot a shoe on the most recent trip so walked around the ballpark barefoot the whole time.  I guess that is frowned upon...I didn't mind though.
 

We also went to a Sporting game!  Another good team here in KC.  Yeah, Evan and Zach were there too.  We had lots of fun.  My favorite part were the fireworks they had some on the field during the game and then after when we were walking to our car!   I didn't like the dog/mascot that tried talking to me.  I don't understand the appeal of those things!  Nor do I sis....but I did enjoy eating.  Shocker, right?  I think Evan was impressed how much popcorn I could put down.   
 Hopefully all 3 of our teams are winners!

Water Fun!!  We have played on the slip n'slide lots.  We even had a family water fight on a hot day.  Yeah, that was awesome!  Mom and dad even did it again with buckets of ice water.  Unlike Heidi who stayed by mom's side...I knew to stay behind the camera and video.  Oh, she will learn.  We also had a swim party at Lucas' pool/lake.  I didn't get in the lake though because I don't like the fish in there.  See, I am like mommy in some ways!  I did have fun watching Evan/Mason jump off the diving board into the lake though.  Maybe one day.  In the meantime, I had lots of fun with Heidi in the pool 'swimming'.  And I even met a dj that I hear on the radio every day on 99.7 the point (I am singing that while I type). 


All in all, we have had a fun summer...can't believe it is almost over.  I love school, but I think Amelia hit the nail on the head when she told mom that she wishes the days of the weeks went Saturday, Sunday, Saturday, Sunday……I agree!    


Heidi has been getting so big lately.  She is going to be 2 you know…although, I'm turning 4 first (in like 6 days!).  I have been doing flashcards with Heidi so she is really expanding her vocabulary.  And you know what else?  She went potty!  TWO times yesterday.  We finally let her go sit on the potty when she told us she was going to go and she did.  Whoa!  Watch out world…..here comes big girl Heidi.  And seriously…watch out.  She may be little, she has an attitude double her size when she wants to.  And can pack a punch... I have a lot of bruises lately....maybe because Heidi tackles me and beats me up.  :(  It's all in love - sis. 


Enjoy ALL the pics!

Heidi at crazy hair day at school.  Pretty sure EVERY day is
crazy hair for her.

She LOVES playing dress up.  At home or the grocery store…wherever you allow it!

Dressing up in my new dance shoes


& singing/dancing


Oh, almost forgot to share just a few of the pics from our tea party shoot!

 

Giving Nala some rare attention.

Heidi & Amelia OUT!

The Good Life

 

Hello.  Have you missed me?  No excuses other than I am enjoying summer too much to sit around and blog.  Life has been good.  We have spent some good times hanging out at the pool, playing outside.  I love the slip n' slide (not as much as me!), swinging, picking apples from our tree, going to the park.  We even had a tea party at a park (pics of those to come)!!  All fun stuff…I actually have got a bit of a tan.  That Steffen skin tone I guess.  Apparently I do not have that gene.  I, however, have started getting some spots on my face.  I guess they are called freckles.  Just like mommy.  

Some videos of our slip n'slide fun.

I love walking Nala, but sometimes she goes too fast and I fall

A few activity highlights. Dad took me to Royals game - I guess he wants to keep me on his good side.  I think he is getting annoyed that Heidi always wants/says "Mama".  I have thrown him a bone and started actually addressing him.  For some reason he doesn't always call when I say yaya??  Anyway, we had a ton of fun.  Of course I talked daddy into buying me lots of treats to eat.  I then treated him to some mean dancing.  I mean how can you not feel some "Journey"?  I appreciate the good music.  

Well let's not go too far big sis.  The main songs she sings to us are anything from Frozen (seriously, every word), Happy, Shake your booty (I particularly enjoy this one), and the Butterfly song.  I told mommy I would sing that one for her sometime, I'm sure we will share with you.  I am pretty good if I do say so.  I sing along sometimes, but still have to expand that vocabulary some more.  So now, I just dance along.  

Mommy's good friend Katie and her kids Riley/Ursula came here.  They took a plane!  I thought we were going to go on the plane too, but was later informed the trip to the airport was just to pick them up.  Boo.  I told mom I have to be 6 till I can ride a plane.  It sounded like a good number at the time.  We took them to Fritz's so we could have the train deliver our food and had lots of fun playing here at home.  We even got to play hooky the next day and go to Deanna Rose.  I think they liked it as much as we do.  When we were done their papa and nana were anxious to see them so they came and picked them up to take them to Omaha.  Even though it was short, I'm so glad I got to meet them.  I had a lot of fun with Ursula making silly faces and singing Frozen songs among the highlights!!

 

They are all about making silly faces.  I think that is FUN.

I finally fed the goat.  It was fun!  Heidi didn't agree!

Seriously…Ursula was fun!

Outside of all of that we have just been doing lots of sister bonding.  I play with Heidi a lot, sometimes she is my baby, sometimes she is my husband, or we are just my little sister that I have taught to enjoy what I do.  Yes, I may not color as good…but I love to try.  Especially if a pen is involved.  I am also pretty good at puzzles!  And tackling Amelia.  You should have seen me tonight.  I threw down some WWF moves.  I looked something like THIS.  We are fully testing that bond tonight, because we are going to try sleeping in the same bed at the hotel in Omaha.  Fun, right?  I'm not sure about sharing, we will see.  This is my first time not in a crib....yay me.  Who is taking bets?

they sang Frozen at our church, so dad was letting us watch!

With that…..Heidi OUT!

We love our Sunday visits to First Watch.  Where we see Mae D.  all the time (great minds) I'm getting good at stacking.

We love movie nights with dad.  And Popcorn!!