Friday, July 29, 2011

Visiting Our Cousins

Lake Elmo

Anna loved sitting on the beach playing in the warm water. She enjoyed a few tasty mouthfuls of sand before she realized it wasn't as tasty as she had hoped

Owen's own little mud pool

Clara and Maggie- best buddies

Maggie and Anna building in the sand
                                              

Campfire and Smores
Anna's first marshmallow

Yummy smores! Owen is facintated with fire and can't help burning marshmallows or anything else he could find in the fire.


Como Zoo
Enjoying snowcones on a hot day

All the kids (even Jon) loved the Frog Hopper. How can anyone enjoy being jolted up and down unexpectedly?




The Mall of America
Visiting the American Girl Doll store


Owen and Maya enjoyed building with Legos


Wagon rides in the neighborhood

All the girls

Who's Who?

Can you tell they're sisters?

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Photos July 2011

Hanging out in the backyard


Getting bandaged up from head to toe by Dr. Clara
 

Owen was sent to his room because of a bad choice. This is what I found when I went to check on him. He told me he made the Arctic by shredding up a box of tissues and he had all the polar animals our to play in the snow.
 
The new way to get around if you're not crawling...sheet rides!


Who's that getting into the fridge?

Preschool Graduation

Owen with his teacher Mrs. Bowers

Anna's 1st Birthday

All the kids with their birthday crowns

Blow!

Squish it!


Frosting, Frosting everywhere!!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Goodbye Tully

 
Our sweet dog went to doggie heaven two weeks ago after suffering a sudden heart attack while barking at our back fence. He died doing what he loved most, barking at the neighbor dogs. We were all so sad we didn't get to say goodbye while he was still alive. Clara kept asking me, "Mommy, are you sure this isn't a dream and I'll wake up and Tully will be alive?" Owen said the other night, "God told me in my heart that I would see Tully in heaven." We have so many fond memories of him:  running wildly through the backyard, playing "fleecy" with his dog blanket, his licking our chairs at dinner and being right there under the table to eat anything that fell on the floor, the kids dressing him up or putting a blanket over him and calling him "Snuffaluffagus", barking at the white dog that came down the street everyday, rubbing on our couches and walls to itch his back, drinking from mud puddles, and chewing on sticks and rocks.
  
Playing fetch at the tennis courts
  
We used our big exercise ball to trap him outside the living room when the kids wanted to dance

Just exploring our backyard
  
"Tully Up!"
 
Growing up



Tully was always so gentle with all our children. He would let them lay on him, crawl under him, pull his hair and pick at his gums. When the kids were really little we'd put them on his back and they'd pretend to go for a ride.

Clara especially loved him very much
 
The path he wore in the grass

The special cross the kids painted in his memory, placed in the back corner of our yard where he loved to bark.

Family

Visiting Great Grandma and Grandpa Kelly at the Crista nursing home

Uncle Steve and Aunt Leslie came to visit
The girls joined Great Grandma Petersen for a special tea party at the Crista Nursing home. Clara and Anna were the highlight of the tea for many of the ladies

The Many Faces of Owen

Dinosaur rock star

Owen the spider

The dog catcher complete with CD player and headphones

Pharaoh, Pharaoh, O baby, let my people go! We just finished watching the Prince of Egypt and he wanted to be pharaoh the ruler of Egypt. That left Clara and Mommy to be the slaves building towers out of Lego Kinex. (Notice the pink pony that Pharaoh has pulling his chariot...very fierce looking)

The Smoosh

This is a common occurrance in our home and the reason Anna has another nickname, "The Smoosh"

Funny Face

Missy, Missy, Missy with the Wild, Wild Hair

Clara's latest comment on Anna..."I can't stand her cuteness!"

Basket rides down the hall



Getting into brother's hot wheels track