Quarry Quest

A few weeks ago, I surprised Eric with a trip to Michels Quarry in Neenah for their annual event "Quarry Quest." They had a lot of machinery that both Alena and Eric love. We used Eric's parent's camera and their video camera to capture a few moments. They had a photo spot by these skid steer loaders. We had a tough time getting a good shot because my daughter wanted to oogle over the machines.

Playing around in one of the huge sand piles called Tot Spots. She loved it. All of the kids got orange vests as they entered, so Alena is wearing hers.

I hate seeing the nuk, or as she calls it, "noona," but she was really not a happy camper at all! We were sooo disappointed in her mood. On a normal day, she would have been extremely happy to help operate an excavator (in a video to come) or see all of the cranes, dump trucks, and loaders. But not that day! :(

Her daddy helped her to ride on an excavator and we all rode around the quarry on a huge dump truck (forgot the exact name). We agreed that it is a cool event and that we would have to return in the future when Alena is a little bigger and in a more compliant mood.

"Micro Cerkas" aka Baby #2

The first photo of out new baby. Sure can't tell a whole lot about what the baby looks like, but the doctors can tell a lot by the ultrasound! Seems healthy so far! We'll get our first glimpse in January :)

Broken Camera

We have been MIA for a while here. The biggest reason is that our camera is broken! We used to take videos and photos with it and haven't replaced it, yet. Hopefully soon we'll have a better update complete with photos/video. I'll have to upload some of the new baby's ultrasound photos in the mean time!

We're very excited for our new little one! I've been feeling the baby kick very regularly, and it seems like a very strong kid! We're hoping that Alena doesn't mind having an attention hogging baby around all the time! She likes babies, but none have been in her home for an extended period! Time will tell!

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.