Noah's 1st Birthday

On Friday, Noah turned 1 year old. In the morning, we went to his 12 month doctor's appointment. Then in the afternoon, we finally got to try out our new pool. We had a wonderful afternoon enjoying the weather. We swam, played in the play house and sandbox, and used the water table, kiddie pool, and sprinkler. In other words, we were very busy. Once Mike got home from work, we headed to our favorite Mexican restraunt for dinner. Noah loves mexican food! They even sang to him in Spanish! We were all pretty tired after our afternoon in the sun, but we stopped for a litte play time at the park before heading home for bed.

Noah's 12 Month Checkup

On Friday, Noah had his 12 month checkup. The appointment confirmed my suspicion that Noah's growth has slowed way down. His weight was 23 lbs 9 oz (67%), and his height was 29.5 inches (42%). He only gained 1 lb and 6 oz and grew 1.25 inches in the last three months.

Father's Day - Sunday, June 21st

We started out celebrating this special day by giving Mike his gifts. Each of the kids made Mike a stepping stone. I am so thankful Jana was able to help them make them while we were at work, so we were able to surprise Mike. After I made pancakes for breakfast, we headed off to Bay Beach Amusement Park. The park was so empty, and we rarely had to wait to get on the rides. Madison really enjoys all of the rides, and it was Noah's first time on rides. He really enjoyed them, especially if there was a steering wheel. In the evening, we took my dad out to dinner with my entire family, and then headed off to the baseball diamonds to watch my brother and sisters play baseball.

Noah's 1st Birthday Party - Saturday, June 20th

On Saturday, June 21st, we held Noah's 1st Birthday Party. It was one of our first hot and humid days of the summer. After lunch, we broke out the water table and kiddie pool to help keep the kids cool. They all seemed to have a great time! Noah did not let us down when it came to eating his cake. He was successful in getting it every where, and he enjoyed eating it along the way. The one nice thing about having the party outside was we wheeled him right outside and hosed down the highchair and Noah. We are very thankful for all the friends and family that were able to celebrate with us. Special thanks to my friend Mel http://melaniephotography.net/ for capturing this moment!

Breakfast on the Farm - Sunday, June 14th

On Sunday, June 14th, we went to the Outagamie County Breakfast on the Farm. It is such a great, inexpensive event for families! We once again got there right when it opened, so we would beat the rush. Sometimes I am thankful the kids get up so early, so we can beat the rush to major events. The first thing we did was enjoy a breakfast of eggs, ham, hashbrowns, cheese, cheese curds, and a cinnamon roll. It was only $6 for adults, and kids four and under were free! That was a lot of food for only $12! Anyways, after breakfast, we checked out the calves on the way to the hayride. After the hayride, we headed over to the kid's activites. Madison got her hand painted, went on the inflatable slide, and climbed through the inflatable obstacle course. Next, we checked out the petting animals (llamas, billy goats, ponies, and alpacas) and took a tour of a firetruck. Then we took the kids for a walk through a cow barn. The kids were getting tired, so we enjoyed our ice cream and posed for a picture on the classic tractors before heading out.

Beja Shrine Circus - Saturday, June 13th

On Saturday, June 13th, we went to the Beja Shrine Circus. I got buy one get one free tickets from work, so we thought we would check it out. Before the show began, Madison rode the ponies. Mike and I were trying to convince her to ride the elephant, but that was a little scary for her. I was shocked at how well both kids sat through the first half of the show (45 minutes). There were in aww with the animals and performers. After the intermission, Noah got a little antsy, so Mike took him to the lobby so he could walk around. When the elephants came out, Noah thought he could run right out and pet them, and he was so mad that Mike wouldn't let him. I swear that kid has no fear.

NEW Zoo - Saturay, June 6th

We started out our summer fun at the NEW Zoo for free day on June 6th. Our goal was to be there as soon as it opened to beat the crowd, and we were glad we did. We enjoyed the zoo from 9 until 11, and we were able to leave before the rain and the rush. On our way out we saw cars parked on both sides of the road for at least a two mile radius, and the traffic was backed up all the way to the highway which was about 8 miles away. The kids had a blast, and they were both very excited about the animals. We got to see the giraffes during feeding time, which meant we actually got to pet them. We had good luck getting to see almost all of the animals.

Madison and Dad pose in front of the lions.

Noah checks out the moose.