Took the critters to the Critter Barn

Yesterday we went to a birthday party at the Critter Barn (happy birthday, Georgia!). It was a great place and Kyle could barely contain himself with all the animals. Okay, really *I* could barely contain Kyle with all the animals. And I said (and often shouted) "Gentle!!" a lot.

It was really a great time and we're so glad that we got invited to go. We may go back again in a couple weeks to watch the sheep shearing. As you can see in the pictures, the kids really get a chance to be up close and personal with the animals.

That can't be comfortable

Seriously, how does one sleep like this?

Awww, and this little girl's got it right. :-)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

and rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

~ Irish Blessing

Happy ten months, Erin!!

Wow, Erin is ten months old today. Time flies by so quickly! Erin continues to smile all the time, and also makes me smile all the time!

Erin has become very verbal. She discovered recently that she can make noise inhaling, so we hear all these loud high pitched noises coming from her as she sucks in air. It's rather amusing. She also still likes to growl, and makes "normal" noises as well. She's picking up some words, too, and loves to imitate. In the car Kyle likes to shout, "Whoa!" when we go around a curve (seriously, I'm not going too fast, he just likes it!) So I say it back for fun. Now Erin also will say, "Whoa!"

Physically Erin is cruising like crazy and also testing out standing on her own without holding on to anything. I think any time now she will decide she is ready to take those first few steps. She enjoys walking with the walker.

Erin is very much into table food. We pretty much cut whatever we're having into tiny pieces for her and she eats just about anything. She likes things that have a little bit of crunch to them, and toast is a favorite in the morning. My veggies-only girl is deciding that fruit has its advantages, too, and she loves meat. With only two bottom teeth, she's great at gumming.

She has also decided... drumroll, please... that a bottle is not a dreaded evil. Now that we are switching her over to the bottle she is also sleeping better at night, a change that I cannot even find the words to tell you how excited we are. We have yet to have her actually sleep all the way through the night, but we are down to getting up about once a night, sometimes twice. We were at two-three times up every night at least, so this is big.

As with anyone, Erin loves attention. Play peek-a-boo with her, pat-a-cake, or anything else and you are guaranteed a giggle and a grin. She's a super happy baby!

Lookie, lookie lookie!!

Kyle got a new big boy bike and is doing GREAT on it!!

Picture catch-up :-)

A trip to Curious Kids Museum... the first singing of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star over the airwaves, open wide dinosaur, and making a bubble.Finally a warmer day. The bikes came out, and a parking lot was created.Fun in the tub.Play ball!Some people wear their heart on their sleeve. Some people are more creative.Erin and her other buddy (Kyle is her best buddy!)And one wonders, how do you spill milk on the dog all the way from tail to nose?Farmer Erin

Hallelujah!

Oh, it is a beautiful sight when the flowers begin to bloom in Michigan!!! Dare I hope that spring may be on the way?

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy, happy birthday to my mom today!! Hope it's a great one!!

My first baby girl

Today would have been Kayla's 13th birthday. I always called Kayla my baby girl, and she was the best little baby girl pooch a girl could have. She'll always hold that special place in my heart that only a first dog can hold. I love Mulligan, and will love every dog we'll have after Mulligan, but there is still that special spot in my heart for Kayla. I know she's celebrating her birthday with a lot of really great dogs at the Rainbow Bridge today.

Here are some pictures of sweet Kayla.

And a little video clip...

Our engage-aversary

Yesterday was the anniversary of Mike and I getting engaged, and I thought I'd share the story. Rather than reinvent the wheel, I am simply posting a creating writing assignment I wrote a few years ago that tells the story. Following that are some pictures.

An Engaging Weekend

They were headed north, through Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, across the corner of the Upper Peninsula and then into Canada. It couldn’t have been a more beautiful day. The sun shone brightly, glistening off the freshly fallen snow. They alternated between periods of pleasant chitchat and comfortable silent observation.

Laura was impressed with Mike’s planning. For several months they had been taking turns planning a special date each month. Something to get them out of the dinner and a movie rut. Mike had been a little lax in planning his months, so this weekend was special enough to more than make up for the months he has missed. She was excited about their winter getaway, and eagerly anticipated the activities he had planned.

They crossed the Mackinac Bridge and looked in all directions at snow and ice. They could see Mackinac Island off to the east, and noted that there was a well-defined snowmobile path between the island and the mainland. Once in Mackinac City they stopped at a tavern for a break from the road and enjoyed talking with the sociable bartender about the area.

Hitting the road again, they continued north until they arrived in Sault Ste. Marie. Crossing yet another bridge, they went from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan into Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. They found their hotel and checked in, then ventured into town. They stopped at a local steak house for dinner, and enjoyed watching the after-work crowd looking to wind down on a Friday night. Next was a stop at the town’s large casino. While fun, they didn’t find much success at the slots.

The next morning they were up bright and early. Today was the day. The purpose of the trip. They drove toward the river and parked at the train depot. They were boarding the Algoma Central... the Snow Train. The day-long trip would take them through the beautiful Agawa Canyon.

The train began its journey and before long they were out of the city. The trees glistened in the early morning sunlight; more than six feet of snow had built up during the previous week. The train wound through forests and canyons. Frozen waterfalls could be spotted time and time again. Highlights from the 114-mile trek included towering trestles as high as 130 feet, functioning dams and lands that were once worked by miners and loggers. They enjoyed both breakfast and lunch in the train’s dining car.

Late that afternoon, the Algoma Central pulled back into the station depositing its travelers. Mike and Laura headed back to the hotel to get ready for a night out. Back into town once again, they went to Docks Riverside Grille, a wonderful restaurant along St. Mary’s River. The food was fantastic, and would have been a wonderful ending to a wonderful day in itself... but Mike had more in mind.

After dinner, he became rather serious – talking about love and compatibility and how much fun they had together. Laura looked at him, thinking it was unusual for him to embark on this type of discussion. She listened, hopeful of where the conversation may lead. In a flash, literally, Mike pulled out the most beautiful ring Laura had ever seen. She stared and listened as he asked her to marry him. The answer, of course, was an emphatic yes! She was thrilled. She looked around the restaurant, was it possible all the people here were so unaware that such a momentous event had just occurred?

Laura doesn’t remember much about the drive home the next day... she was too busy smiling and dreaming about her wedding day.

~~ I will add, Mike had intended to propose on the train, but our car had a loud, boisterous family that could best be described as hillbillies on it. While entertaining, they did not provide much of a romantic atmosphere, lol.

And a picture from the actual big day, seven months later on October 25.