Badunkadunk Battlers!

This last Saturday we participated in the Get Your Rear in Gear 5K run/walk. This is a 5K that raises money for colon cancer.

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As you all know, my sis was diagnosed last July with colon cancer. Shannon is doing great - she finished chemo in March and had clear scans at her last appointment. Thank God! We decided to form a team this year, and after much deliberation - we decided to have FUN with it all!

Soooooo, team Badunkadunk Battlers was formed. :) In case you are not sure, "Badunkadunk" is basically another word for your butt/behind/backside...or whatever you want to call it!

I had to clarify that, because my dear mom didn't know what it was when we formed the team. Love that Lady!

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Anyway - the day turned out EXTREMELY successful. We won a plaque for being the most creative and the largest team. We didn't even know that these types of awards were being distributed, so that was an awesome surprise! I must say I'm proud of it, because I was the team captain and did all the coordinating, so YEAH BADUNKADUNK BATTLERS!

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Team Badunkadunk Battlers

Shannon with the other survivors

Giggly Girl and her daddy/mommy!


Walking (riding) a 5K is EXHAUSTING!
Me with my cute little 4 year old nieces, Brooklynn (Shannon's middle child) and Ella (Angela's oldest)...walking the 5K. After about 1/2 a mile Ella's "feet were tired" - but she continued to walk and was a trooper! Eventually she jumped into a stroller, but did over 1/2 of it by walking!

Angela got first place over all for the female runners. She ran around a 21 minute 5K...I seriously would like to know what her time was with other runners there, because there weren't many women around her to push her!

I heart my family! Dad, Angela, Shannon, me & Mom -- with our team plaques :)

It was a very successful morning...I'm looking forward to next year! Now that we know there are awards for most creative and such - we are up to the challenge of topping this year! We'll keep the same name, but we have to figure out a new way to identify the team. It's going to be FUN!

Thank you to all of you that were a part of team Badunkadunk Battlers ---- we all made it a successful first year. :)

Going Private

Soooo, I hate to have to be a private blog, but I had to do it.

I had a new "follower" tonight that I didn't recognize the name of so I went to their blog to see if I knew them through someone else. I couldn't figure anything out, so I proceeded with scrolling down and reading their posts.

All of a sudden, my little baby girl (as a newborn last June) was STARING BACK AT ME ON SOMEONE ELSE'S BLOG. It was 100% withouth a doubt Addalyn, and I even went back to my posts from last year to see if those pictures had been posted. They all had been posted last June when Addy was a newborn. My heart started racing and I said to Aaron, "Oh my God that is Addy". I called my friend Rachel and my sisters to see if they knew this person...as well as looked to see if they were followers of any other blogs I follow. They were not. The weird thing is, their "daughter" has the exact same name as my niece...with the exception of the spelling - and I am wondering if that is a coincidance or not???

Soooo, I had to go private because I dont' want my daughter's pictures showing up all over the internet. I'm actually very sad about this, as I really feel like I'll lose some readers this way.

I don't mind people that I don't know reading my blog - I'll admit that I read other people's blogs that I have come across through my friends...so that doesnt' bother me. But - I would never use their pictures and claim them to be my OWN!

If you know of people that read my blog, even if I don't know them personally...feel free to let me know their email address so I can let them view my blog. As long as someone I know knows them and trusts them to view my blog, I'm good with that!

I'm pretty bummed here tonight...

12 Months and counting...

Addalyn Jane - June 2009

I've been a bit emotional lately (maybe it's 'cause I'm pregnant!)...and I'll find myself driving down the road and thinking "Last year at this time we did this or that" and thinking of different events that were going on in our lives last summer. It's crazy how quickly this last year has gone! I can't believe it.

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Like I said in my last post, I want my baby to stay my baby forever - and at the same time I LOVE watching her grow up, and learn new things. It is SO fun! I'm really looking forward to enjoying our time with Addy this summer as she learns new things and gets to play outside. Then fall will come and we'll have a ton of new adventures with our new baby! Just as I think back now and am not sure what life was like with out Addalyn in it - I'll be thinking the same thing about our 2nd child come late October early November. I really can't wait!

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11 days old

Addy's first picture with the bear at 1 month old!
Addy's final picture with the bear at 12 months old (maybe I'll do an 18 month and 2 year one or something!) She wasn't so into smiling at the camera!

Our little Addalyn is growing in so many ways. She has finally gotten her 2 top teeth...but that is it - 4 teeth total. She isn't walking yet...but she's very close. She walks around everything and will walk with you holding her hands and such. It's only a matter of time. I know Aaron walked late, and I'm not sure about me, so I didn't really expect it earlier than about now or so.

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She is seriously happy almost 99% of the time. She's not so happy when she's tired or hungry (she does love her food!), - but you can't blame her for that! Speaking of eating, she is 100% on table food and does not have a bottle anymore. The transition actually went really well. We gradually changed her formula to milk and then once it was all milk - we stopped putting it in a bottle. She didn't even seem to notice that she didn't get a bottle anymore!

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Addalyn dances to music, has gestures for "Sooo Big" (which we've mentioned before) and "all done", gives us "5", and sings "e-i-e-i-o" (Old McDonald song...) when she hears the song - which is super fun! She "talks" all the time and has increased her vocabulary. She says "hot" now and other things, but that is her latest...and it isn't always in reference to things being hot really, but it is a word she says!

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She goes to bed almost each night without a fuss - as long as she has her bear. She still takes a pacifier for sleeping, but we are going to start eliminating that - we'd like it to be a distant memory before the baby comes along so she isn't trying to pull it out of the baby's mouth or getting confused. Really, she probably doesn't need it, but we were just working on changing things one thing at a time...now that the bottle is gone, we'll start with the pacifier!

Life with our little 1 year old couldn't be any better. I'm sure every mom and dad say that. But, it's true -- and I wouldn't disagree with anyone that thinks that about their little family!

Here are her 12 month stats:

Weight - 21 pounds (49%)

Length - 30 inches (73%)

Head - 18 1/2 inches (93%) -- I actually think this is wrong, but whatever! Her head measurements have been all over the charts since she was born!!

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Bath nights are tons of fun!

Addalyn and her goofy grin :)

June Bug!

We had a birthday party for Addalyn here at our house this past weekend. I went with a "June Bug" theme, since her birthday is in June. Although actual June Bugs are not cute AT ALL, mine were pretty dang cute! I made her invites that had pastel colored bugs all over it, and I also made her cake/cupcakes to go with the theme.

I am pretty proud of how it all turned out!

The cake! As well as little June Bugs around it (that is how all of the cupcakes looked that went along with the cake)

The Birthday Girl!!

We had supper first, then opened presents. Addalyn wasn't too into opening the presents, but she did okay. For the most part Aaron and I opened most of them.

I don't know about opening this present...but the paper sure looks tasty!

Looking pretty!

Addalyn got a ton of great presents (THANKS EVERYONE!). Aaron and I gave her a water table, which I'm sure there will be pictures of later in the summer.

We also gave her a chair, that AARON MADE. It turned out AWESOME!!! It is perfect because it is low enough for Addy to crawl in and out of, yet it has lots of room for growth. All the kids at the party took their turn checking it out, and it fit our 5-year old niece just as good as it fit Addalyn!

Princess Addalyn in her new chair!

Had to take a picture of it alone to show it off! Don't you think he should market these?

This is actually from this morning, but it shows how much she loves playing in her chair. She climbs in and out of it over and over again!

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After presents came the cake eating. Just like when we were in Michigan, Addy was dainty at first but then she dug right in. So entertaining!

Family photo w/ the cake before we sang to her and dug in!

So innocent and dainty at first...but that doesn't last long!
(Yes, even her bib had little June Bugs on them. My mom and sister actually make bibs. I was buying some from them a few months ago when I already had this theme in mind, and they happened to have this one that was PERFECT for the party!!!)

I'm 1 years old, and loving the cake!

It was a messy success!

On her eyelashes and everything...it was time for a quick bath after that!

We had a wonderful time celebrating Addalyn's first birthday, at both parties here and in Michigan. Definitely a success. I can't believe how fast this past year has gone...it is pretty scary and crazy --- I want my baby to stay small and my baby forever, yet I love love love watching her grow up, learn new things, and display her cute and fun personality that wasn't there a year ago. Bittersweet moments, that is for sure.

Happy Birthday miss Addalyn Jane! We love you tons and have cherished every minute in the past year...

Visiting the Yoop!

We had a great weekend in the U.P.! I took over 200 pictures, and managed to narrow it down (but there are still quite a few in this blog). On Thursday Aaron went out to camp with his dad (a.k.a. cabin) and helped him get blocks ready - he is building a garage out behind camp.

Setting up the blocks

I love this - the floor of the garage, and Lowell drew this in it before it dried. His grandkids: Brandon, Alesha, Jeffrey, Anthony, Holly, Addalyn, and the heart is for baby #2 coming in October!

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We also had a birthday party with Aaron's family for Addalyn - she turned 1 on Thursday while we were there! Here she is enjoying being the center of attention!!

She had her first piece of pizza at her birthday party - and of course it was Congress pizza. Congress pizza is the hometown pizza in Ishpeming - and we always have it at least once when we are home. Then, OF COURSE, we had cake!!!

Everyone is singing to her here!

Starting to check out the cake...she went from being very dainty to digging in very quickly!

This is great!

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Saturday we went down by Lake Superior for a couple of hours with Aaron's sister Tina & her kids, as well as Tammy's kids. All of the times we are in the Upper Peninsula, I always give Aaron a hard time because I've never been down by the water there. Aaron's home town is about 25 minutes from the shore -- so we finally spent some time down there, so I guess I can't complain anymore!

Alesha, Addy, and Jeffrey getting ready to go by the lake!

Arrived on Presque Isle - behind us is what Aaron said is called the ore docks. They bring ore from the mines there and then huge barges come and they ship it to wherever it goes to make steel and other things that is made with iron ore.

I walked all the way out to the lighthouse with Tina! Aaron stayed back with Addalyn so I could experience all that I could that day...

Aaron & Addy walking a little of the ways toward the light house

The 4 of us that made it to the light house!

Great opportunity for some belly shots - with the NMU dome in the background! I am 21 weeks and a few days here

Back on land, but another belly shot!

When I walked back, this is where I found Addalyn and Aaron...playing in the rocks!

So I joined!

Another spot on the island

Holly & Anthony using their muscles!

Stopped for a view from the beach - I see pictures all the time with this red bldg. in them and always ask Aaron where it is, so we stopped here too.

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After that, we headed out to camp. Aaron played a FRIENDLY (sarcasm) game of softball. Uncle Aaron & Uncle Ed vs. Brandon, Tara, Anthony & Jeffrey. Yeah, you'd think that the 30 year-olds would go easy on the kids...not so much. No mercy in the Anderson household - all COMPETITION. Aaron & Ed won the series...2 out of 3 games :)

Anthony (7 yrs old) pitching to Aaron

Auntie Tina and Addy watching the game :)

After the game, Addy took her first sauna with Aaron! Saunas are VERY VERY popular in the U.P. There is basically one at every cabin up there - and they start them out young...so I had Aaron bring Addalyn in there for her first experience! She loved it :)

Playing with the water bucket on the floor of the sauna!

Aaron, Ed & Holly Sue running into the lake after getting too hot in the Sauna

Finishing up my first sauna experience!

It was a great weekend as usual, and of course went by too fast. Next weekend we are having a birthday party for Addalyn here in Rochester --- so of course more birthday pics to come (and more cake eating pictures...too fun!). She also has her 1 year check-up tomorrow, so an update on Addy as a 1-year old to come soon as well!