Berry Picking

My parents have a garden and Addy has been OBSESSED with checking strawberries.  Everyday of the summer she would run out there when we got home from work to check for strawberries and raspberries.  Eventually she got to start keeping an eye on the tomatoes and pumpkins too!

The lighting must have been just right this day, because I captured some great pics of her on the weekend doing her "daily chore"!



Heading out to the garden....

Showing off her findings!

They grew pumpkins for the first time this year...they had a good "harvest" -- they wanted 7, for each grandchild but they probably have about 20 pumpkins!

Raspberries too....!

While Addy would pick berries, Blake would swing.  This is what he was obsessed with this summer.  The kid loves his swings, I tell ya!

Lots of smiles :)  Addy joined him after her 'chore' was done!

And then we got to go in, wash the berries up and enjoy!

Good picking Addy :) 

Cabin Pics, summer of 2012

As usual, the summer goes way too fast and I always feel like I didn't get to take in the hot weather as much as I would have hoped to.  However, considering Aaron's schedule and such, we managed to have a few short weekends at the cabin that were full of wonderful memories!!! 

 

I made it up there by myself with the kids once in June, Aaron got to have one weekend off in July that we went as a family, and then he got Labor day weekend off too.  Lots of good times...SEVERAL pictures - I tried to select some from each trip that showed what the days of summer on Lake Big McKenzie consist of!

 

 

Bathin' Beauty

All the cousins (minus Blake) about to jump off!

Swimming time of course!

FISHING!

Caught a "big" one

Blaker's caught one too!

And mom!  I LOVED fishing growing up so I decided to take in on the festivities.  The sunnies were just jumping at the bait off the dock so as soon as you would cast, your bobber would go under.  It was fun!

Fishing with Grandpa

In June/July at the cabin, Blake wanted nothing to do with the water unless he was being held...he's "sad/scared" here!

CLINGING! to mom....no hands and he's holding on tight!

Not this girl!  She was loving the water...she would pretend the noodle was a horse and jump around like this.  Once, she got caught with the bouancy of the noodle and fell forward in the water.  Aaron jumped in to get her, and when she got picked up, she giggled!!!  She won't go under yet on purpose though!

Local Cutie on Duty!

So mad at mom (crying) for putting him in the water!!!

Boat Rides!

Watching everyone swim in the water (I'm in the water here taking the pic).  We always take the pontoon out into the deep waters to dive off and such.  We have a slide that goes off of it for the kids, Addy loved it summer of 2011, but didnt' want to do it this year. 

S'Mores of Course!



Sparklers

Even Blake got to do some!

Fireworks too....Addy thought they were loud :)



Fun times and giggles with dad!

This pic is out of place...but this is after he calmed down from crying earlier in the day!  Brooklynn and Addy were playing "train" with him!  Side note --- everyone says Addy and Brookie could be sisters, I'd say yes!

Grandpa relaxing with a few of his grandkids :)

Boat Driving!

Labor Day ---- who said I didn't like the water??!!!!  This time, we couldn't keep him out of it, he would walk around and splash :)

Playing in the sand ==== D - I - R- T - Y kiddos!  You can't really see, but she has sand stuck to her from head to toe!

Played a little tee-ball (check out his tongue...concentrating)

 

 

It's fun to be me...and well, it's fun to be dirty!

Dirty boy, way past bedtime....but we stay up late at teh cabin too!

And the very last day of summer festivities (Labor Day), Addy tried tubing!  My dad hooked us up behind his fishing boat, so we were just trolling along....she liked it.  Maybe next year we can go faster!!

Road Trip!

In July, Addy and Blake took their first long vacation without mom and dad.  They went to MI!  Jean and Paul drove them there - and they spent time with all of our Michigan fam! 

 

Ready for the Road Trip

I love Addy's fist pump in the back...off we go!

 The week was spent celebrating Grandma Teresa Bertucci's 90th birthday...spending out a night at camp with Papa Lowell, bonding with auntie Tina and her kids, Auntie Tammy/Uncle Eddy and their fam, etc.  I drove up there on Wednesday night and spent 2 more days with them. 

While I was there we went and visited Aaron's grandma Barb and had a picnic outside with her :)  She always wants to feed us!

No one is looking, but I still captured the moment.  She's such a wonderful lady!!  We LOOOVE grandma Barb :) 

 I will say - if you want to feel like a rockstar mom, take a 7 hour drive (without stopping) by yourself with a 1 year old and 3 year old (who gets carsick)!  I was nervous for my trip home but it went okay, considering!

Addy got carsick around Wausau, JUST as I was exiting onto a ramp so I couldn't pull over.  But, my little Addy is a superstar when it comes to car sickness.  At the age of 3, she's got it down to use the bucket.



Addy really wasn't feeling good here, Blaker likes to have a bucket for sympathy :)

 About 1/2 between Eau Claire and Pine Island, Blake was D - O - N - E  with the car ride, and the only way he wouldn't cry  was if I was reaching back and rubbing his foot.  This is an hour and 1/2 away from home...I thought my arm was going to fall off!

But, all things considered --- we made it, and in pretty decent time!  Addy had dozed off around supper time and I just decided to drive through instead of wake her, since she gets sick on a full tummy anyway.  So, we go home around 7:30 or so...and Aaron was SUPER excited to see his kiddos that had been gone for 7 days!

Home :)

It is important to me that Addy and Blake and any future Anderson kiddos get to spend time with all sides of the family even considering the distance.  I hope we can make this a tradition so that everyone like Papa Lowell and such get to bond with the kids without us around and spend some good time together!

Thanks again to everyone that watched them and made it happen.  Here's to many more years!