Cool Kites!

Lee's Summit had a really great kite festival over the weekend - it was so cool! I guess I mean that literally...for all sorts of reasons. It was super windy (perfect for a kite festival, right?) and not warm at all! But the sun burned off the early clouds and it ended up being a really pretty day! We had never been to see the kites, but heard about it, and thought it would be neat to check out. The kids loved it! We took Siena and Brady with us and they had so much fun! There were lots and lots of kites in the sky! There were professionals with huge, really cool kites, and then there were little kids flying their own kites. The wind did not disappoint and carried everyone's kites high in the air! We packed a lunch, some snacks and drinks, chairs and our coats and made an afternoon of it! We even happened to have some bubbles in the car, so we pulled those out for the kids and they had fun eating, I mean blowing, bubbles into the crisp, windy air! We will definitely try to make this a tradition, as it was great to get out in the fresh air, spend time as a family, and try something new!! Maybe next year we'll bring our own kites!






Our Brady drop off ended up being an evening with friends. It was nice outside, the kids were playing, Rusty and Matt went out to their land to do some work...and Amanda and I just stayed outside and played with the kids. Bryce wanted to get some early practice escorting his date around the neighborhood, and Siena loved every minute of it!! Don't get too used to that, girl!! :)

We even snuck over to the neighbor's house and jumped on the trampoline and played on the teeter totter. It wasn't hot out, by any means, but we couldn't get enough of the outside! The kids played till they were exhausted and filthy. Sounds like a perfect Saturday to me!!

Little Miss.

I want to make sure that I continue to document Siena...all her little quirks and things that make her who she is. When she was little bitty, she had all these major milestones that we wanted to document and make sure we captured. Now, it's not so much about the major milestones, but rather the incredible growth in communication and personality that seems to explode right in front of us. Almost so fast that I can hardly keep up.

Siena does not know a stranger. We love that about her - and yet we need to keep our eye on her. She will go up and talk with anyone...or pull up little girls' skirts because they are pretty. She puts a smile on any face. She is sweet and outgoing and headstrong.

We are still potty training. We've actually taken a couple of steps back. When we first started during the Blizzard, she caught on quick and was all about it. Just when I thought we were close enough to start trying overnight without a diaper, she decided she wasn't interested so much. I hear this is normal, but I'm not a fan. I think she's just choosing not to do it. That little stinker. We still have plenty of success - and I probably shouldn't complain - but I just want her to get it!! We'll get there...

Siena is talking up a storm. She is putting 2 and 3 word sentences together, which is so cool to listen to! She tries to pronounce every word we throw at her and rarely do Matt and I not understand what she is talking about. Now, it's a matter of limiting the "mine!" and "no-no!" and remembering the "please" and "thank you" and "love you"! Some of the favorite words and phrases right now:

- "cuse me" (excuse me) - if she burps, toots, coughs, sneezes, or wants you to move out of her way...

- "bonk" - she loves to make it very aware to everyone when she bonks her head, knee, arm, whatever. Even if it happened 8 hours ago. And to fix the problem...she licks her finger and rubs her bonk out. (She saw me do that to get red pen off my hand one day. She thought that was to fix a scratch.)

- "poka-dot" (polka-dot) - she is obsessed with Minnie's bow and the dots on them.

- "neeky" (sneaky) - she likes to walk on her tip toes and sneak up on people...however, she can't stay quiet long enough to really scare anyone. :)

- "hop ike uh bunny" (hope like a bunny) - just in time for Easter...

- "peeka-up peez" (pick me up, please) - really quite sweet.

- "Go Jayce" - every runner we see outside is titled this. One of Matt's hurdlers is named Jayce and when we go to a track meet, that's all we say. That has become routine at home now too.

She loves to eat. Her favorite thing these days is fruit. She loves watermelon, grapes, blueberries, bananas, corn, edamame, yogurt, naked nuggets, meat and cheese sandwiches, mac and cheese, spaghetti, cereal, cookies, "Georgie fruit snacks"...just about anything we're eating, she wants a bite too. You can tell her appetite is doing her some good...she's still got just the biggest poochy stomach. It's really funny, actually.

I suppose I could write on here forever. Every day is filled with moments I don't ever want to forget. I know I'm going to look back someday and wish that I had written every single second down. What can I do?

I guess I can end this blog entry with a random couple of photos that I just want to be in here somehow...so, might as well make it as random as possible. Here's the Burrito Buddies, Siena and Brady...

Cabin Fever!

This past weekend we got to do some of our very favorite things...be outside in the WARM, beautiful weather with some of our most dear friends on Earth. With busy schedules and crazy work lives, sometimes getting together is hard to do! But it worked out wonderfully this weekend...even if it was cut a little short!
Saturday morning after Siena got up, we packed up and headed up North to spend the day at the Meyer cabin! Our wonderful friends Rusty and Amanda invited us, the Sterlings, and the Whitworths to hang out in the gorgeous weather! Their cabin is beautiful and we alway have a good time when we're up there. This time we had all the little ones with us and boy did we have fun!
The weather was absolutely perfect! It was so warm (like 80s!) and not a cloud in the sky! We were outside all day long!
The Easter Bunny was called to make an early egg drop-off for the kids. They needed a little practice before Easter! The kids scrambled all over the yard to find the little treasures...


Sweet baby Laney and Siena on the prowl for some eggs...

Mule riding is not my favorite thing to do in the world, but Siena had her first ride and she seemed a lot more relaxed on the animal than I will ever be.

We did a lot of 6-wheeler riding around the countryside. We chased cows, drove through water, about got stuck once or twice, and took down old corn stalks - all with the babies in tow! The kids loved it...and so did we. Siena even was able to take a nap in the back on one of the rides - LeAnne had to hold her head so she didn't get whiplash! :)
We cooked burgers on the grill, had a couple cold beers in the sun, had good conversation with friends, and relaxed as much as possible. That is a great combination for a perfect getaway!!! I mean, does it get any better than this...?

Please, Spring...Please?

Everyone is always talking about the weather, but seriously, it has been quite the random question mark every day. One day you take your winter coat to work for the bitter outdoor recess, and the next day, it's beautiful and you find yourself out at recess longer because "...well, it's just so nice out...!"

This past weekend, we enjoyed an 85 degree day that we just had to spend outside! We pulled out a few toys, a blanket, a chair and we were all happy as could be. Here are a few pictures of our "hope this becomes more common in the very near future" day!

Spring Break 2011

For Spring Break this year, Siena and I got to go to warm, sunny, beautiful...Michigan. And by warm and sunny, I mean 45. It's still beautiful, I'll give them that, but not exactly a typical Spring Break destination. You won't hear me complaining!

Mom and Em came to visit us is KC the weekend before our Spring Break started. I LOVE having family come in to visit, and this was no exception. They watched Siena while Matt and I finished our last day before the break. We relaxed around the house most of the weekend. Matt and I got away for a little date night on Saturday night while our live-in babysitter (Grammie) hung out with Siena. I think all parties involved were perfectly content! You know it's good when you get a little "extra spending money" to go out on a date - I think Grammie just wanted us out of the house so she could have Siena all to herself. Once again, no complaints.

Sunday after church, Siena and I hopped in the car with Em and Mom and headed back to GR. We had to leave Matt in KC to do his track coaching. We were sad to leave him but thrilled with the opportunity. Ten hours later, we arrived safely back in GR. Between Auntie Em in the backseat, a Curious "Georgie" DVD, Elmo, and plenty of snacks, we were all content and happy! Our time in GR is always wonderful...busy and always on the go...but wonderful. Siena is at such a fun stage in life right now. (Pretty sure I've said that in just about every post, but it's so true!) Siena interacts so well with other people, so it was special to watch her spend time with the family in Michigan. We tried to spend some good, quality time with Great Grams and Gramps...now that they live in GR. Those are special moments. I forget how much I love Grandma's baking! Very special, unforgettable moments at their house. Watching Siena and Grandpa play with the beenie baby animals and seeing Grandma show her books and toys that I remember playing with - it doesn't get better. Siena made herself right at home and I know she loved playing there!

On a couple days that Mom didn't have to work, we took advantage of that time and went to see other family. I wanted to make every effort to see as many people as I could - it's not everyday that I get the chance! And of course, I want Siena to know them all and love them as much as I do! :)

The rest of the week, I tried to spend as much time with my sister as possible. We of course did a little shopping, and that's where this next story comes into play. I always go to Georgie's when I'm in Michigan. It's a great little consignment shop held in a huge old house. There are always little gems in there that Em and I dig for. Well, we introduced Siena to Georgie's this time. While upstairs, Siena found a "gem" of her own. She found it all on her own (trust me, I didn't help her pick that out) and just HAD to try it on, like all good shoppers do. Proud does not do her justice - she strut her stuff all over that shop. I'll have to work on her fashion sense in the coming years...

Some "bath time" with Grammie...

A few faces of a very happy girl...



To get back to Missouri, Siena and I had to fly home. You just never know how a day of flights is going to go with a year-and-a-half old kid. The plan was to get up early, pack things up, see Pappa and Mom off to work at different times, and then relax a little before heading to the airport. Not exactly sure what I was thinking or where my head was, but I was WAY late. We cruised to the airport and got checked in. I dressed my child (who was still in her PJs) in the middle of the airport and fed her breakfast...both things that didn't happen while my head was in the clouds. Needless to say, we made the flight, hung out in Minneapolis for a little while on a layover and then flew home to Daddy.

Not sure it gets better than a little one running through the airport yelling, "Daddy!" Thanks, Daddy, for letting your girls go spend some time in Michigan. It was great to come home to you.