What are we gonna do today?

How many times did I hear that question? I am not sure. It is fun being an aunt. Yesterday we pretty much played with Amanda's beads, walked laps around the house, and finally decided to go swimming....wrong decision...it was FREEZING!!! We did laugh and giggle a lot - but it was so cold. We were in the water for maybe 10 minutes. Sure it looks nice and warm in the photos... Oh, and Amanda informed me that I have a lot of freckles - probably 10,000 at least she says.

Not sure what we are doing today, though. I think it is going to be warmer than yesterday, so maybe we will try the lake thing again. Or maybe I will ride in the boat while everyone else does the lake thing...I am still scraping a layer of frost off my skin from yesterday....

A night time view over the lake

Yesterday was a pretty regular day. There was some sad news from home (family's fine), and it was too cold up here to get out on the water...so we pretty much played around the house all day. Mike and his parents worked on gravelling the flower-beds around the property and wore themselves out. Elli had a really rough evening. She may be teething...I am not sure what her problem was. I hope today is better. This picture is of the moon last night...it was awesome....

We have seen several bald eagles - which by the way we heard on the news last night that they are taking them off of the endangered species list (great,huh?!). They have been flying, fishing, all kinds of stuff...they are a pretty cool bird - for a bird. :) One of the photos of last night was snapped a second too early...an eagle flew close right in view and would have been a national geographic shot. We have also seen an ospry - another incredibly large bird - it landed right outside our window.

Today looks to be a beautiful day. Maybe I will get out on the boat. I haven't decided about the whole water skiing thing yet. I guess I could jet ski...that's fun too...hmmm.....

some pictures

Welcome to the North Woods!

First trip in a boat! (she wasn't this happy ALL the time)

We made it!

Oh my goodness....I wasn't sure that I would be writing this! The plane that we rode on from Milwaukee to here is one of those little planes that holds like 18 people, the props are on the outside, and the slightest wind gust shakes and drops it....I thought I wasn't going to make it. I hate flying - have I mentioned that? Landing was a whole other story! It was like riding a bad roller coaster at Kings Island - The Beast is a good example at how bad we got thrashed around! And to top it all off, Elli slept the entire way on the plane from just after take off until we landed and were stopped...she missed all of the fun! (Thank goodness)
The airport we flew into is small - SUPER small. That's fine, because I can actually find my way around! But the neat part is, when we got off of the plane, Becky was standing there waiting for us! It is cool having someone right there waiting for you and greeting and hugging you! Too bad we can't do that anymore - everywhere.
Last night Elli had more entertainment than she has had in a long time! Amanda and Josh just played and played with her. It was pretty cute.
The weather is beautiful today and hopefully I can get away for a few and play in the water. I am sure I will find a babysitter somewhere around here.....

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It's super Elli!

Well, we are half way there! Yes, I am in the airport in Milwaukee. It is 2pm..our flight is in an hour (actually Mike just said it is delayed...7 minutes). Elli did awesome the first leg of the flight. She probably did better than I did. I don't fly well. A little bit of a nervous wreck. I finally start to relax when they say we are getting ready to descend into the airport. She didn't fuss at all - well, a little at the end. We are hoping that we are not going to be "those people" with the cranky baby. So far, so good. She's just been hanging out while we have bee sitting here FOREVER. Mike is walking her around the airport as I type this. It is a good break. We are so lucky...she is so good....hoping she'll saty happy for a couple more hours.
Ha! Elli just grabbed Mike's head by his hair and started laughing really loud when he tried to pull away - now he knows what it feels like! She is so cute :) Now she is playing with Daddy's honker and lips. So funny...
We got some picks of her in the airport...I will post them later. They are really cute.
uh, oh....I have been spotted. Mommy's break is officially over....*sigh*

one more plane ride to go today....I can do this....

Today's the day

Well, I made it! The morning's not over yet - but vacation day has arrived! The cleaning got finished, sheets got changed, dishes done, flowerbeds dug (but not finished-and that's okay!). Everything that I was stressing out about happened. I decided to just relax and breathe. It's not like I am having a strangeri n my house while we are gone...it's Jackie. She's seen my house dirty, so what's the big deal....but I did clean it - I promise!
Now we just have to rush around this morning trying to remember everything we didn't pack last night, yell at eachother to hurry up, and get out the door! And then fly? Geez... I have never flown with a baby...this will be interesting.....

Vacation? What's that?

Is vacation really worth it? Sometimes I wonder. I am so stressed out, so busy, so cranky that I am making myself and everyone else around me miserable! I am running around my house trying to get everything ready to pack up on Monday, trying to get my house clean so that Jackie will have a clean place to sleep and I don't have to come home to a messy house and yard when I get back so MAYBE I can relax a little when I get home for the first day. I don't know if all that is worth it?! Seriously - I scrubbed my shower last night at 10:30. Why? And why did I decide that I NEEDED to rip up the flowerbed on the side of my house that I have neglected for two years, now? Granted, it looks a lot better than it did and I feel a lot better about it - but NOW? I still have laundry to do, sheets to change, a deck to clean up, dishes to wash,...... Aaahhh....VACATION.
In all seriousness, though. I really am looking forward to seeing Mike's side of the family. I can't wait to get out of town and be in a whole new environment. Eagle River, Wisconsin is beautiful and relaxing. I can't wait for them to see how Elli has grown, and to play with Amanda and Josh, and to sit and have coffee with Becky in the mornings, blueberry muffins (ha!), and all the water sports! We really do need this....I need this. I just wish I didn't get so worked up before it all.

Little Becky got married

Well, two down - two to go. My sister Becky got married June 10 to her college sweetheart, Travis. He is such a genuine kindof guy, and we are so happy to have him as part of our family. In one day he became a husband, brother-in-law, son-inlaw, and uncle. Big day for him! Big day for all of us! Crazy that I am old enough to have a sister be married...my youngest one at that!

It was a beautiful, perfect day (for a white wedding)! They had their ceremony up on Fort Boreman Park on a Sunday morning. It wasn't crowded and tahnkfully the people who did show up were kind enough not to walk through the middle of the ceremony to snap their shots of the view. I did Becky's hair, Mike performed the wedding, Lois took pictures, Garland provided musical support, and we siblings (Travis's included) stood as witnesses. It was a great family affair for the Riddle's and the Butler's. Here are some pics:

Parent Days

How cool is it that I (who professed my dislike for children that I didn't know and swore I would never babysit) am a mommy?! And how great that Mike (who wouldn't go near a baby) is a daddy?! Crazy how things change! I never thought that I would have so much fun. Granted, I could cry and pull my hair out sometimes (though, Elli does that for me already)...but it is great. I go to work for only 5 hours at a time and I can't wait to get home and see my little girl! I have been reading that separation anxiety with Elli is going to start soon...I don't know about her, but I have it. It is all amazing to me...I don't even know what to say.

We had our first Mother's and Father's days...here are some pictures. It was fun to celebrate this new part of our lives - and who doesn't love another reason to get presents?!

By george, I think she's got it!

I FINALLY GOT MY CAR!!!! I finally got the car that I have been wanting and whining about forever! I have wanted a CR-V for as long as I can remember! (well, as long as I have wanted a new car which has really only been pretty much forever) I am sorry to everyone whom I have driven car-crazy for the last year...or two....or..... (I've been so annoying) Anyways, it has air conditioning for Elli (and mommy, cause if I'm hot and cranky aint nobody happy), all wheel drive for these hardcore winters we have (or all that crazy off-roading I plan on doing ~right), and other cool things like a built in table (cause I constantly have dinner in the back of my car) and the back of the car behind the seats are low enough that Cali can't jump and get her (bad, muddy, crazy-wild) self all over my seats. It rocks... So thanks to all of you who have told me to be patient - you have helped more than I can say (even with my parentheses). (I know, it's a little random, but welcome to my world) Here are some pics:

So Confused

So here I go...
I have NO idea what I am doing here. I just thought that it might be fun for people to get a glimpse into my head, my life, my world. A friend of mine has a blog spot, and I thought to myself "Self, you can do this." Now I am not so sure...
It may take me a while to figure out and get the hang of this format, pimp my page, and really make it so this is interesting. So please, hang in there with me and welcome to my world!