Girls Day Out

 I've been trying to accomplish several things blog related lately. Okay, not just lately, more like for the last couple weeks. One was posting more often. Fail. Another was posting pictures from my beautiful Sister's wedding. Fail. Lastly, if posting, I was going to try to avoid using pictures of Avery. Fail. Fail. Fail. 

No time to post lately, I don't like the pictures of the wedding from my phone, and Avery is just to hard for me not post pictures of. 

I will improve. I promise. In the mean time however...

Kathleen, Chloe, Avery, and Levi (sorry for the "Girls Day Out" title, little buddy) took a trip to the Milwaukee County Zoo a few weeks back. A trip around the zoo requires much prep with two little ones and of course alternate methods of transportation as well. 

Maybe a little red wagon?   

Avery seems to have voted yes on that one!

If there were one big enough, I'd have voted yes as well!

Although the leg room cuts down considerably with a big red cooler...

I would imagine that there was a lot of pointing at the Zoo! 

Probably followed by a lot of questioning as well!

I'm guessing who answered most of the questions by the photo below. 

I can only imagine that it was a match made in heaven for a day.

What do you think?

I thought so. 

Spending the day in the same fashion as Avery's very first trip to the Zoo was Mr. (read the shirt).

Chloe wanted some time with Mr. Little Cutie as well and how could she resist? 

That gave Mommy and Avery a chance to take a ride on a pony!

There was one other interesting adventure that day as well.

How about having a seat in this chair Avery?

You look a little skeptical...

Still looking skeptical...

What IS going on anyhow?

Concentrate now. 

Still not sure what's going on huh?

Why is Chloe laughing at you?

Awww! You're beautiful! 

Really! You are! 

Pretty face paint!

Now you believe us!

A pretty exciting day!

Thanks Mommy!

Auctioneer Avery

Ok, so Avery isn't really looking in to the auctioneer career yet. She did get a kick out of her Dad trying to imitate the auctioneer however. About 3 weeks back a farm auction took place on the weekend and far too close to home for Avery to resist going to see the goods with Grandpa and Dad. 

There was really only one thing in her mind that cold morning as Dad clipped her in to her car seat...

"Tractors!"

Little Avery is going to have to wait a while before truly getting to experience tractors the way she envisions I imagine. For there is one large problem for little Avery when it comes to tractors...

being that she is little...

 and tractors are large!

While an auction itself if only so interesting to a 1 year old, there are other VERY exciting things around to occupy time.

Try picking up stones and pretty yellow flowers and giving them to Grandpa!

Then do it again... and again... and again...and... you get the point.

There are enough stones and pretty yellow flowers around that it could last a really, really  long time.

I said it could last a long time. 

Through experience only, this little girl would tell you that the stone and flower picking stops when you find yourself in a cattle water tank.

Apparently flowers don't grow in and stones are rare in a water tank. Luckily, there is other fun to be had when a small puddle of water is found on the bottom. More on the studies of shoe meets water rapidly later... a very interesting experiment though. Look it up. 

After all that excitement it was time for the main event...

guess what it is.

Were you right? 

Apparently Grandpa guessed correctly.

Watching cattle being auctioned off can really only get better in a couple of ways.

Can you see how it got better?

No? Didn't see it?

Try now.

Avery, they're not getting it. 

Can you help them out?

There ya go!

Now the full experience has been had!

There's Been No Time

There has been no time for blogging lately. Work has consumed most of it as we are moving a major part of the store this week and last week was all prep. No time for blogging has also meant less time for family and certainly  drawing the short straw has been my lovely wife. She is patient, understanding, and accommodating whenever possible and when dealing with myself sometimes that can be an impressive feat! I'm not saying that I have been particularly difficult lately, but I certainly haven't been at my most energetic helpful self around this home. 

Kathleen is great to remind me that she loves me and is excited about spending time with me the next time it becomes available. Lately, with how work has been, the only opportunity has been the weekend for short periods. Most of my evening is attention given to my beautiful daughter... or my beautiful television... or my sleep inducing recliner. When Kathleen expresses her eagerness and patience with the upcoming weekend my response is most likely far from satisfying to her. I couldn't tell you exactly what I say as I don't rightly remember, but I do know the tone and words are that of the "ungh huh" agreement lacking the excitement and love displayed by her initiated words. Some of the ladies out there would probably say a
"token husband" response. 

I'm not proud of it and I can issue a hundred excuses to explain why, but the simplest is fatigue and if my brain is even moving at the point of the evening, it's probably thinking about everything that has to happen before the weekend actually arrives. So, while my response is less then satisfying at those moments, my beautiful bride, please know that at many other times during the week I am in fact thinking of you and still appreciating you. 

The truth is that we love Mommy as well. You are far better at making it known to me than I am to you. Please know that I am looking forward to my time with you coming up and I appreciate all that is of one of God's greatest blessings to me, 

my wife, 

Kathleen. 

Where Have All the Blog Posts Gone?

What's happened? Why only one blog post a week? Is life really all that steady and uneventful that there is only enough to cover one quick blog post a week? 

Hmmm... not exactly. So the question still remains...

Where have the blog posts gone?

Avery? Little help?

Ummm... I appreciate your efforts, but...

It's hard to see anything upside down.

Let me help you.

That's better. 

Now, what were we doing?

Oh, yeah. Looking for blog posts. 

Avery and I get distracted easily, but we make a great team.

Right Levi?

If you weren't too young to know what it was...

I'd be insulted by your sarcasm.

Mommy's Day

Yesterday I had the privilege to spend the morning with 3 wonderful mommies. I had a moment of overwhelming appreciation as I sat in the church pew in the middle of two kids and 3 mothers that all possess so many admirable qualities. How much more blessed can a person be than to be sitting in church on Mother's Day with three mothers that have made such a difference in the lives of so many? Truly an overwhelming moment. Luckily, none of the 3 noticed the quickly wiped away welling of tears from the eyes of their company. There were two little blessings present in the pew with us that provided the perfect distraction!

Ideally, now would be the picture that I had remembered to take after church when we went out to eat.

Ideally.

However, because I didn't remember to take that picture, (Hand to forehead) there is no picture. 

It seems to me that the ones always remembering to take pictures... are the mommies!

Not only that, but when looking for pictures of mommies, it becomes evident that the ones normally holding the cameras... are the mommies!

So, I offer you the next best recent (sort of recent) thing to a Mother's Day picture...

It's a picture of one of the best things you can ever share with mommies that did such a good job raising us!

I am truly humbled when thinking about the mothers in my life. I can't even put it in to words. Seriously. I've tried. It's hard to find words encompassing enough to do it justice. 

I think most of you can relate however. So, you are going to have to just nod in understanding. 

After nodding in understanding... look to the heavens and thank the Big Guy that makes it all possible. Mother's Day is special to me and I have two more little ones that will understand it more some day. I look forward to being able to tell them how wonderful their mommy is. Although, I'm sure that they will probably understand it to a certain degree without someone having to tell them. 

Happy Mother's day to those out there that I missed and to my lovely wife... you are an amazing mommy and we're blessed to have you.