Ahhhhh to be little again....

Here is a random assortment of some recent pictures from over the last month. We took a little day trip to Niabi zoo and Ainsley really enjoyed that. She's had lots of time playing outside, going to swim lessons, and playing with her buddies William and Kendall. She is growing up more and more each day and always saying something new that surprises us!

Kendall and Ainsley took great joy in pulling the leopards and gorillas off this stuffed animal display at Kohl's. They were roaring at each other and cracking up. We were there with them one Friday night past their bedtime and they were a little giddy. It was hilarious! Then the good parents in us made them stop and put the stuffed animals back.

Nick was quite popular with the ladies last Sunday at church.

Awwwww.....Ainsley's first kiss. After her little play date with William the other weekend they decided it'd be OK to smooch goodbye. I think later in life I will not encourage her trying to kiss lots of little boys, but this was too cute!

William smiling big for the camera in his make-shift tent. Ainsley.....chugging her milk. Had to capture that on camera!!!

More smooches at the end of their play date :)

Two peas in a pod.....or tent rather.

Mmmmmmm, strawberry.....yum.

I really wanted her to sit still for this picture, but just didn't happen!

Ainsley wasn't sure what to think of the big hippo at Niabi Zoo.

Seriously, enough with the camera already......

Feeding the ducks and fish--still her favorite part of the zoo trips we have been on. I swear those ducks and fish NEVER get full.

Reading her Little People zoo book. She's getting to be such a big girl!

We had a little confrontation with some Japanese beetles that decided to dine on our new Linden tree so I captured a few in this container and Ainsley was pretty intrigued by them!

Vacation!

Here are several pictures from our little family vacation. We had a great time venturing across Iowa to visit our friends in South Dakota for a night (see separate post for those pics) and then headed down to Omaha. We stayed downtown and enjoyed some good food and shopping in the Old Market and took Ainsley to the Omaha zoo as well. She loved the zoo. Her favorite things were the monkeys and the aquarium. She loves the fish. More than anything I think she loved the "ishies" (fish) in the hotel lobby ponds. Every time we went back to hotel and each morning she asked about the "ishies". It was pretty cute. Mommy and Daddy of course got some shopping in too. All in all, it was a great vacation but we were all happy to get home again. Ainsley was excited to see her "diddy" (kitty) when we got home!

Sweaty pig tails!

Playing in the zero-entry pool with Daddy in Carroll, IA on the way to South Dakota.

Ainsley had a lot of fun in the water and she's all ready to start her parent-tot swim classes next week!

Daddy and Ainsley

Pointing to the "ishies" in the hotel lobby.

Where are all the ishies Ainsley?

Out to dinner--I'm not sure what she was doing when the picture was taken except that I leaned over to her because she kept trying to give us hugs from her high chair!

Checking out the goats at the zoo's petting zoo. Ainsley thought they were puppies at first but then proceeded to make the goat/sheep noise the rest of the time! She was not really excited about petting one though!

Feeding the fish at one of the monkey exhibits---a definite highlight of the zoo trip!

Kisses from Mommy

Feeding the fish with Daddy. Those fish got fed well.

Daddy, Ainsley and the elephant.....another of her favorite animals!

Cuddling with the stuffed animals we got her. She now has to sleep with the purple monkey and will make the monkey noise if you forget to give it to her at bed time. She still working on saying monkey well, but she's got the noise down pat!

Big kitty!

Although we thought it would be fun to take her on the Carousell, Ainsley did not enjoy it and couldn't wait to get off that thing!

Before the ride.....looking a bit apprehensive, but still OK.

Poory baby was not happy when that ride was done. She's a little wimpy I would say.

Family pic.....no, I am NOT pregnant again. That top was not laying right!

Ainsley showing us her muscle!

Zonked out on the car ride home after a fun time as a family!

Visiting the Brownells

As part of our little family vacation we made a stop in Dakota Dunes, SD to visit our good friends and former neighbors Travis and Nicole, their daughters Olivia (Ainsley's age) and Anna (just 6 weeks old) and of course their dog Daisy (Dizzle) too. We had a great time catching up with them, admiring their beautiful new home and new daughter and watching our girls play. We all decided that newborns are actually less exhausting than toddlers! We grilled out and even had a fireworks show in the back yard over looking the pond. Good work boys! Ainsley and Olivia stayed up until about 10 that night and were tuckered out afterwards! Another triumph for Ainsley....she overcame her fear of puppies. She has always loved to see pictures or point out a puppy from afar but usually when she gets up close she clings on and whooses out. After about 5 minutes of adjustment with Daisy, Ainsley was all about the puppy and spend a lot of time making sure she knew just where Daisy was! Daisy, of course, is not nearly as interested in the toddlers as they are in her!

A very peaceful Anna Claire. She was such a good baby and I forgot how much newborns sleep!

Travis modeling his new Snuggie---the joke part of the housewarming gift :) We think he looks more like a monk than anything else! Perhaps a career change if the medicine thing doesn't work out?

Notice how nicely Olivia sits and poses for the picture.....oh well.

Awwww. Caught this one just at the right time! They had a great time playing together.

Ainsley taking Olivia on her "loop" through the kitchen and around the hall. She loved having a new place to explore!

Fireworks off the back porch.

The kiddy version of the fireworks before the boys busted out the good stuff! I think Ainsley and Olivia would have been happy with just the confetti and silly string but they liked the others too.

Cashed out in the car before we even got out of the Dunes!!!