Pool girl

It was another hot summer afternoon and time to blow up the new giraffe pool! It was so fun showing Cassidy her new toy for the first time. She LOVES splashing in the water in the bath and the lake so we knew she'd love it. What a fun way to laze away a late summer day!This picture is blurry but we had to include it. We have a picture somewhere of mommy as a little toddler, wearing a bathing suit, hair in pigtails, and sticking her tongue out quite like this! We'll have to find that old picture!The sand bucket came in handy too. Instant waterfall!

It took her a while to actually sit down in the pool. That water from the hose isn't warm like bath water! Brr!

Daddy had fun making waterfalls for the Pumpkin too.

You need good soaker balls to play with in the pool.

I think I know how we're spending every last hot day until the end of summer!

A day at the county fair

It was a gorgeous day and we wanted to get outside and enjoy it. We heard the county fair was going on and knew Cassidy would love to see all the animals so off to Petoskey we went. She really loved seeing in person all the animals we usually see only in books! It was a fun way to spend a day but mommy was happy when it was time to head out. They should really put a warning sign on those animal barns, especially the pig and cows: Warning! Pregnant women with extremely sensitive sense of smell should stay away!!! Pheweee!!!

A new favorite pastime

Cassidy has started a new thing in the past few weeks. She'll run down the hall to her bedroom, shut the door, grab a good book and climb into her chair to read. I'll tiptoe down and peek in on her to find her like this. We're so happy that she's found a good friend in her books! (I did, however, think it'd be a few years before she'd be slamming her bedroom door to be alone! 21 months going on 21 years! Ha!)

Granny's new digs

Saturday took us to Traverse City to visit Granny in her new apartment. It was great to see her doing so well. Cassidy spent the whole visit playing with Granny's kitten, Percy. She's in love! "Niiiiice kitty."
Percy was very playful and Cassidy squealed with delight each time he reached out to playfully bat at her.

Granny even got in a short cuddle with her!

Strolling the Streets

Grandpa and Grandma F. came to visit this weekend. Friday night we had dinner in Boyne City and enjoyed a walk through town and down to the lake afterwards. Each Friday night in the summer, Boyne City has a "Strolling the Streets" event with many live musical acts lining the downtown sidewalk. Cassidy was especially intrigued by the flutist! But the most fun of all was swinging in between Grandpa and Grandma. 1-2-3, swing!

Good Morning!

So proud of her jammies and bunny slippers!

It's a small world!

We spent a quick weekend in Alpena, arriving Saturday at lunchtime. We headed directly to a favorite restaurant there and were surpried and delighted to see some friends...who also don't live in Alpena! It was Laura Perry and Jack with her mother-in-law, Marge Perry! They were visiting their family cottage in nearby Hubbard Lake and had just sat down to lunch so we joined them and had a ball catching up! Here we all are. Note: Laura and I are both pregnant again at the same time, though as you can see I'm a good bit farther along. What fun!Jack and Cassidy had fun exploring the restaurant together. "Jack, sit right here on the floor next to me," Cassidy is saying.

It's hard to get two toddlers to look at the camera at the same time, but we did it!

Are they here yet?

Standing at the window, waiting for Scott and Kate to arrive

Swimming lesson

First, stand in the water for a few minutes, acclamating yourself.Next, bend your knees and feel the nice warm water with your hands.
When you're ready, try a little splash or two.

And finally, bang the bay with reckless abandon!

Cassidy + Kayla = FUN!

It's the weekend we've been waiting for! Aaron, Sheri and Kayla are here! They brought with them some of Kayla's toys for Cassidy to borrow, including this awesome kiddie car! Cassidy got a special ride in the back from Kayla.Here they're having very "serious" fun with Cassidy's sand table.Saturday we spent the day in Petoskey, shopping and having lunch at the Noggin Room. The girls had their own special little table to eat their lunch at.A double stroller ride! And of course, wearing matching outfits. All of this activity wears out a little pumpkin!

Chasing bubbles

Ah, the joys of summer! (Not many bubbles made the pictures. She's fast, but they're faster carried off by the wind!)

Will she ever know?

Will Cassidy ever know how much her daddy loves her? This is a classic example of the way Kurt loves his little girl. On hot sunny days when they're out walking in the yard, he often follows her with an umbrella to protect her from the sun. (She has sensitive skin that tends to react badly to sunscreen.) She just jaunts around happily, almost oblivious to her ever-present protective daddy. And so this will be throughout her life...daddy and mommy always loving her and trying to keep her safe, while she goes about her business...maybe (probably) even resisting that protection at times. But we'll still do it. And she might not understand that kind of love...until, that is, she has a little pumpkin of her own. My parents told me again and again when I was growing up, "you'll understand when you have kids" and they were right. I get it now. And so will Casssidy. Someday.

Too busy to look up for the camera

Lately, it seems that Cassidy is boycotting the camera! It's harder and harder to get her to smile for a picture. But really, who has time for pictures? There's a sand table to play with...

..."flowers" to pick in the grass...

...and herbs to harvest!