Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

Maren's Grandma and Grandpa visited this weekend so Mom and Dad could golf in a tournament. It happened to be Grandpa's birthday on Friday, so Maren painted him some pictures and helped Grandma make a Carrot Cake.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

Apple Orchard

We visited the same orchard as last year. Maren is still learning to put the apples in the basket gently. Maybe next year she will master it!

She really did like the apples...but this one must have had some yummy coating on the skin.

CHEESE!

Maren enjoyed the trees that were hanging low so she could reach her own apples. I got to use my apple peeler-corer-slicer and freeze some apples, make apple sauce, and a crisp!

Labor Day Weekend

While Daddy stayed home to do this....

Maren traveled to Grandma and Grandpa Klein's to play with a baby cousin...

And take a ride on this...

(So fun!)

And meet cousins once (or is it twice?) removed...

And see Great Grandma and Great Grandpa... (What's Grandpa doing?)

And make a new buddy...

Maren is happy to report that she had fun and Daddy made a lot of progress on the basement!

Hawks vs Clones - 2010

I tried completing the post for Labor Day weekend, but the picture size and placement were irritating me, so I gave up for the moment. Today is the yearly rivalry in our house. Daddy's team (Cyclones) *might* win, but the chances are low when you have these two ladies cheering on the Hawks!

So, much to Daddy's chagrin - Go Hawkeyes!

We are headed to the apple orchard this morning before the game pictures to come of that too!

Where'd She Go?

There she is! How about again?

Where's Maren?

There she is!

At first, she told me she was going to bake a cake (with a bucket of sand). Then she told me that she was going to bake herself. Ouch.

Okoboji 2010

Maren got to go to the amusement park this year! She rode the carousel two times in a row.

Riding the boat was also much more fun this year. She, of course, followed everyone else's example and required a "drink" from the cooler.

FAVORITE passtime - looking for bouys. A new word for her - she first thought I said "whoo-wee" but caught on quickly. It appeared she might jump right out of the boat when she saw "anuh-der bouy!!! I see anuh-der bouy!"

Here's a bouy going by.

Sweet girl waiting for lunch. We had a great time visiting!

Hmmm...