MS Walk 2010

We traveled up to Wausau to participate in the MS Walk with the family. Aunt Roxy suffers from MS, so we have made an effort to have a Walk team every year for the last 3 years. This year, our team was our largest so far! We hope to raise money for the MS Society which serves those with MS in the local area and helps to fund research. It is a fun time for our family to get together and show Aunt Roxy that we really care!

Here's the DeNamur part of our Walk MS team :)

Our whole team: Zee Rockinators!

She Plays Piano, Too!

Doesn't she looks like she might be a mini piano virtuoso?

Alena Talking on the Phone

This weekend, our little family went up to Tomahawk both for the MS Walk and to spend time with the family. Alena got to spend part of her Saturday afternoon and the whole evening with her Auntie Avery and grandpa & grandma Hawkins (without Mama and Dada). They certainly had some fun as this video shows! I (Apryl) bought her a 25 cent Care Bear cell phone at a garage sale on Thursday. She seemed to know what to do with it right away, surprisingly! Grandma and Auntie Avery thought it was pretty neat to call Alena on Avery's phone and watch her dance to the music between talking :) Such a smart little cutie!

Easter & Goofing Around

An upside down Bean!

Dada kissies

She has a love/hate relationship with hats:  She thinks they're funny on other people, but doesn't really like them when they're on her own head!

Alena's giving her cousin Aubrey Easter kisses

Cousin Easter hugs!

Goofing around at Grandpa and Grandma's house.  We're watching old home videos... this one is of Uncle Timmy practicing his trumpet at the cabin.  He looks much different now with his beard!

I think our little girl likes to be a little dominant once in a while!

Learning to Walk

Alena loves to use her walker, so instead of allowing her to crawl everywhere outside, we brought her walker out. She gets stuck easily, but will sometimes stand there. Of course, she has spills, even when attempting to start crawling!

It's Beginning to Feel A Lot Like Springtime!

This is the Friday before St. Patrick's Day. Manitowoc has a parade in celebration, so we had to attend! It was kinda cold, though! She loved the big burner that is used underneath hot air ballons... especially when he "lit 'er up" with a big POOF!

Her first swimming class :) She is probably the youngest kid there, even though the class is open to kids 6 months to 3 years old. She is much more at home in the water than quite a few of her older classmates! She LOVES it!!

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Another thing she LOVES is being outside! It's so nice to be able to spend hours in our yard without worrying that Alena is getting too cold! She loves the sights and sound around the yard.

***While working in our flower planter, she decided to try some rocks (mama took those away right away), sticks (she learned her lesson), and dirt. I figure, this isn't going to be the only dirt she eats in her lifetime, and maybe she'll learn that it tastes, well, like dirt! She didn't like it :) she actually tried to scrape it off of her tongue! It was so funny to watch! I quickly ran inside to grab the camera... I had to capture this oh so precious moment!

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Giving me the dirty look, "why the heck did you let me eat that dirt?" I'm gonna go find a better Mama!

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Next day: She met Eric in the driveway when he came home from work. All day, nearly everyday since Eric has been on days, she asks "Dada?" I always tell her, "Dada's at work. He'll be home later." I think she misses her dada daughter time that they used to have in the mornings! I used to have to tell her during the day, "Sssshhhh, Dada's sleeping!" She certainly doesn't hear that anymore :)

She is super cute, though, with her walker! We bought her some new/used shoes and she seems to like them. Maybe she'll be able to have shoes on more often! Anyway, she cruises all over the house and yard with her walker. She's still too wimpy to walk unassisted! Our neighbor, Lorraine (who's 84), commented that when she gets old, she'll need a walker again! Alena enjoyed walking over to her house the other day :)

We're hoping for many more nice days this spring! It would be a joy to have to put up a fence to keep our curious daughter in our back yard while she plays (when she gets a little faster)!

Alena Turns One!

On the day of her birthday, she got a special present from Mama and Dada! She was pretty excited to have another toy, especially one that makes music when she pushes a button.

Our guests are waiting for the real action to begin.

After a quick nap and a diaper change, she makes her grand entrance!

Aubrey says hey. They love each other and are so cute together!

Opening some gifts with Mama and Dada.

Aubrey (and her parents) gave Alena this turtle. When turned on in the dark, it shines stars in real constellations on the ceiling! Aubrey has one of these in her room, too. She was a big help in opening some of Alena's gifts!

Auntie Angie made these two beautiful cakes!

Auntie Angie is showing Alena the cake that's just for her!

She really didn't like it when we started singing "Happy Birthday!"

After she demolished the top part of the cake!