Up North Weekends

Alena on her first tube ride at 16 months or so :) See video below!

Wading in the water with her godmother, Angie Hudy.

At the cabin on a wet morning. The grass was just too wet to plan in, and Grandpa and Dada were working on building a new wood shed, so no babies allowed wandering in the way! She really seemed to like it!

Our "pool" at the cabin. Only trouble is that she took her stackers and used them as cups to drink the dirty creek water! I didn't notice any sickness, but I don't want that to become a habit, either!

Going for one of numerous rides at the cabin. This time she's riding on the mower with Grandpa.

Another "ride" with grass in a wheelbarrow. She loved it just the same!! She went for countless four wheeler rides that weekend and was always asking for more! She loves to put her hands on the handlebars to steer and to go fast with the wind in her face. We are VERY happy that she is an outdoorsy, up north kind of girl! Eric couldn't be more happy, either with how much she loves machinery and even sometimes says "tractor." Love her! (most of the time)

Here we have Alena on her first tube ride. Daddy drove and went very slowly not only for Alena, but for the "micro Cerkas" that'll be here in January. Alena wasn't too happy about it, but I really think that next time she goes, she'll love it! The first time she was in a boat she was fussy, but this time she kept on saying, "weeee" with a smile on her face. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Dada was on the tube getting slammed around behind the boat! She really loves the water... tremendously!

Around the House

Eating her first mini taco... she loved it!

She's really been into putting our shoes on and walking around! It's super funny!! I leave my shoes outside the door now. She was walking around with my sandals and chewing on them! YUCK!!!

She found Dada's headphones, so she got to try them on. We had to add her cool shades! Doesn't she look like a little DJ? Too cool for us!

Here we have her trying on Eric's zip down jacket! A little large!!

Breakfast on the Farm

After a breakfast that seriously included the most dairy products I've ever had in one sitting (a bazillion types of cheese, eggs, ham, yogurt, ice cream sundaes, bagels w/cream cheese, bread, milk, pizza, fried cheese curds, etc), we got to check out a 600 head dairy farm! They gave haywagon tours through the facility, horsedrawn wagon rides to the farm from your car, had a sweet petting zoo, parlor tours, kids games, and a display of tractors (Eric's favorite). Here are a few photos of our fun day!!

Alena gets to pet a tiny little kitty. She says "mew" super cute!

A sheep that liked to try to headbutt her :)



Sitting on one tractor...

After another... and loving it! Her great grandpa thinks that she'll be a mechanic someday (like he was :) Mama thinks she might be a mechanical engineer!!

After all the excitement, she fell asleep before we were 1/2 mile away from the farm!! I'd say that's a good day!!

Memorial Day Weekend

Trying on some pants that we were selling at our garage sale.

After her first haircut! She wasn't really that grumpy, she was just being sassy for the photos! Gotta love the face we captured, though!

Petting a goat at the Mainstreet Memories Car Show in Tomahawk.

Alena likes windchimes and Auntie Avery was happy to help her make some music.

Auntie Avery takes Alena for a ride on Grandpa's lawn tractor.

Grandma Hawkins wanted to pick some rock at Lake Alice and Alena took that time to get into the water. We ended up stripping her down and letting her take a dip. She LOVED the water!!!

Mama swished her around in the water and threw her in and out. If she wasn't held on to, she would have gone under in her exuberance.

Hanging out in Grandpa Cance's backyard.

Almost ripping the head off a a little chick at Grandma Hawkins' house.

Alena and the Toad

It has been taking me a long time to get videos on here, so instead of one long post, I'm just posting one video at a time :) Enjoy!

First Cabin Weekend of 2010

We finally made it up to the cabin on May 14! It was soooo nice and relaxing, much needed! We were all (even Lena) in a great mood upon returning, albeit very dirty :) Alena slept super well up there for both her naps and at night. We vacated the cabin during her "sleep times" so that she wasn't distracted, but it was so nice outside that we didn't want to be all cooped up inside anyway! Since Alena's pack n play was next to our bed, in the morning, she's stand up and stare at us. Sometimes she's mutter something while still keeping the nuk in her mouth. She especially liked going for rides on the various vehicles (seen below). It was even more fun for her if she was in front (not between mama and dada on the ATV), and going very fast! She thoroughly enjoyed herself, and we are thankful for that.

Dada letting Alena take a ride on one of his very favorite things... the tractor!!! She loved to go fast (see her hair flying back)

She seemed to know just what to do to get it going... shift!

We all had to cool off by the creek. Even though the creek is icy cold, she would scrunch her toes in the sand and leave her fingers in the water until she couldn't take it anymore.

Relaxing by the creek. Grandpa is watching Jack (the dog).

Another fun thing to ride... the lawnmower!

She had lots of time to read her books and play with her toys outside. It was so sunny and warm that having a hat and sunscreen was a must during the day!

She seemed to know exactly what to do with the ATV, as well. Gotta hold on to the hand grips and press the "start" button!

Chatting it up before Dada gave her a ride :)

Alena riding on the tractor with her dada.

A fun and fast four wheeler ride!

Home Time

Making sure that whatever Dada has, she has, too :) She loves to pretend she's drinking from an unopen can or bottle!

Hanging out under the coffee table with Mama

The little girl knows she's cute, even after she just woke up for a nap. She also love to see Dada!

Her first wagon ride! She sure LOVED that!

Lena's first bubble bath! She didn't quite know what to think of it!