The National Balloon Classic

Emily at the balloon field.


These were two balloons that launched from the cul-de-sac right outside of our house Friday evening. It was really exciting to see the balloons go up while sitting on our front porch.


This is a balloon flying directly over our house.


Another view of a balloon from our driveway.


Here is a view from our backyard. It was a perfect night for ballooning.


Emily and Mommy


Papa, Nana and Emily

Summer Fun

Since I was officially done with my 12 month contract on June 30th, Emily and I have spent the last month hanging out and enjoying each other. I go back on August 19th to start my new position as a kindergarten teacher. It will be a bittersweet day for sure. I love spending time with Emily and the Summer has gone too fast. I am however looking forward to my new role.


Emily's shirt says it all.

Emily loves to stand at the sliding ,glass door and watch the "puppies" run in the yard. Our two dogs, Roxie and Riley as well as the neighbor dog Tina provide hours of entertainment for Emmy.


What is Summer without some good old Iowa sweet corn. Emily seemed to enjoy it!

Look at Emily's Hair!

Emily's hair is growing so fast. I decided that is was time to take some action. I went to Target and got some hair accessories. I thought for sure Emily would pull them out as soon as I put it in. I was wrong. She didn't even seem to notice. I've waited 10 long months to put Emily's hair into a cute little whale spout.

Emily's First Play Date

Emily had her first official play date. I met up with one of my friends and her two kids for a short visit. The mall ended up being pretty empty, which allowed me to put Emily down without fear of her getting trampled by big kids. I think she really had a lot of fun and we plan to return soon.

Singing in the Shower

Emily had her first shower and seemed to enjoy it. She kept looking at the shower head and just couldn't figure out where the water was coming from. Even though the shower went ok, it is easy to tell that Emily still prefers bubble baths.

Blank Park Zoo

Emily enjoyed her first trip to the zoo today. We decided to make it to the zoo to see the traveling elephant exhibit before it ended. I really didn't know how much she would get out of all the animals but she did well at locating the animals in their cages. She did have a funny expression on her face as you can see in the above picture. She really didn't know what to think for the first 10 minutes or so. These animals sure didn't look like her puppies at home. The heat and humidity weren't too bad. We ate lunch at the zoo, saw a few more animals and then called it a day. We decided to get a zoo membership and plan to go back a few more times. It is just a really nice way to spend a weekend morning.

Happy 4th of July

Emily eating her pancakes at the Carlisle pancake breakfast.


Emily loved everything about the parade except the fire engines.

Mommy and Emily

Emily seems to make friends everywhere we go.

Daddy entertaining Emily during the long parade.

Cool in the Pool

Emily loves her new pool!

Splishing and Splashing

Wow! That swimming is a lot of work.

After her nap she is ready to go again.