September

Joshua's 1st day of Sunday School with his teacher.

On our way out to Rapid City we needed to stop and see what the fuss is all about at Wall Drug. Yes, we learned some history about all those "Free Ice Water" signs.

Our 1st family activity in Rapid City after some dinner. Adam tried to show Miriam the proper way to get the ball in the hole, but she's a smart cookie and figured out an easier way on her own!

Modern enterainment (movie in the laptop) in a "pop-up" camper.

Crazy Horse Monument what it should look like on the left and what it currently looks like on the right.

A little awestruck in the hills - never thought I'd see in real life remains of forest fires.

The kids with their fox & wolf at Bear Country USA and Miriam taking a break during the Maze.

Joshua petting snakes at the Reptile Gardens.

My favorite at Reptile Gardens was probably the crocodile show!

After we got to pet a baby crocodile... or alligator, I can't remember!

Fun with the Mirrors from the World's Fair

The screened in bonus on our camper came in handy one evening as it started raining, otherwise we would have had to be crammed in the camper while the kids napped & we tried to make supper.

The kids helping Adam clean up the yard.

...and jumping in the leaves.

CHEESE!!

August

Miriam believes she's queen and when she's finished at the table she pushes herself away and then puts her feet up on the edge of the table and gets even further away. This picture she just felt the need to lounge and eat.

We took a family trip to the Tyler golf course so Joshua could see where daddy went every thursday afternoon golfing without him! The kids had fun, mainly watching, although Joshua did get to help putt a few in and hold some flags!

Miriam had the time of her life up on Grandpa's back, sat there for quite some time perfectly content.

At the end of August we finally got to welcome dear little Macrae to our world! Sometimes I'm not sure how my friend, Becky, and I get through the week without some kind of contact. Now that Macrae is number 3, she's thinking it's my turn so that Macrae has someone to play with, too.

The kids and I just HAD to go visit Becky & Macrae at the hospital.

This picture really doesn't show Joshua's real excitement. I think having my kids along making all kinds of noise in the room and to see Macrae sleep through it all was a comfort to Becky as to how he'd do with his not-so-quiet sisters!

Grandma Hanson & Joshua hula-hooping.

Grandpa Hanson with the oldest grandkids.

Mallory's belated birthday celebration cake.

Miriam's very 1st pony tail!!!

Every night before I go to bed I check on the kids and cover them up if they need it. This particular night I had a surprise in Miriam's crib - her pink pajamas are in the top right-hand side. She does not keep the nice, warm zip-up pajamas on.

This other night the pajamas had some elastic around the ankles and she couldn't get them all the way off.

The next morning she greeted me like this!

I have even changed sheets in the middle of the night because of her undressing, it's lead to a completely undressed little girl one night! BRRRR Good thing it was only september.

July

July began with our anniversary of 5 whole years already! We left the kids at home and took off for NE Minnesota along Lake Superior. We stayed at Caribou Highlands - right next to a ski resort. Adam wants to go back up to ski, not sure when that would ever happen since the snowy season is consumed with Advent & Lent!

We tried out kayaking on a lake.


This is the view out our condo balcony. The hills in the background are ski hills.

In the background is Lake Superior. We rode a ski lift to the top of a mountain and took a ride (7 times to be exact) down the alpine slide.

The evening of our anniversary we got all dressed up and tried out the restaurant at a different resort! When we got back Adam had it all lined up with a lady to put a bottle of wine, glasses and a new ring on the table in the place we stayed. He had told her where we were eating so we think she called over to the restaurant and bought us dessert because we ordered some and it wasn't on our bill (also the waitress had a smile on her face like something was going on).

Later on in the month we went to the cities and played around at the Children's museum (it was a Target free Sunday meaning Target paid our admission that day - Bonus!). Miriam enjoyed sliding down Clifford's tail.

The reason for going to the cities was for Adam's seminarian classmate's installation, Dan Keinath.

We discovered the fun at the Underwater Adventures Aquarium at the Mall of America. May seem expense, but really, when have you ever seen sharks & stingrays swimming all around you? You walk through a tunnel and are surrounded by water.

A stingray

Adam trying to help Miriam touch the back of a live crab! Her arm was too short though.

We made a trip to my families lake cabin, they enjoyed playing on the beach.

and fishing with Grandpa!

We managed to be there the same time as the East Ottertail County Fair in Perham.

Tessa & Miriam on the Carosel - this was the first ride when we got there, I believe she may have been a bit sleepy at the time, but she loved it!

Joshua holding on for dear life! He was asleep when we got to the fair, he wore his sunglasses for awhile until he woke up more.

Joshua and Tessa went on through this a few times, it was one of his favorites, once he got up the rope ladder.

The 4-H kids had an awesome petting barn - the best I saw out of 5 county fairs this summer! They'd take animals out of cages for the kids to pet/hold and we could even go inside the stalls/pens to pet the pigs, sheep, calf, goats!

Miriam loved this train ride, her little legs were kicking the whole time!