Daddy's Little Helper

These pictures are also from May. Owen is such a huge fan of his daddy.
He wants to do everything his daddy is doing. It's precious to watch.
He is so in love with Coop.
and Coop is so in love with him. LOVE it.

Back in WI in May

It still wasn't very warm here on May 9th, but apparently it was warm enough for the grass to grow and need mowing. It was also a bit wet outside, and the fresh-cut grass turned Callie into a leprechaun.
Seriously.
Check out that vivid shade of green.
But it's ok, Callie. O-boy still loves you.
Green feet can't come between a boy and his dog.

Purina Farm and Picnic with Moots

On the Friday of our week in St. Louis we got to spend the day at Purina Farms and the park with Moots. It was such a great outing! Moots is an avid dog lover, and we all enjoyed the dog's agility demonstration and the lesson on how to milk a cow. Moo.
Ava loves her moots. They were taking a tour of the barn and checking out the animals.
This is the little kiddos watching the baby pigs. I realize I did not post a picture of said pigs...but I wasn't super interested in them. Just my babies. Sorry.
Afterward we stopped at a park to picnic and play. They're both changing so much. This was really the first week we spent at parks since last fall, so I had in my mind a clear memory from 6 months earlier with which to compare these moments.
Ava is much more daring and is now the "organizer" of the other little ones she meets on the playground.
Owen is walking, running, and climbing all over the equipment.
Instead of, you know, just cruising the perimeter. Love those cutie pies!

Leader Picnic in the Park

We were lucky enough to be able to attend the volunteer appreciation picnic for the efree youth leaders while we were in St. Louis in May. It was kind of crazy to show up, seeing as how we did not volunteer over the last 2 years, but the organizers were super gracious and told us to join the get-together. I'm so glad we got to do so! I have such a love for our friends and fellow youth workers from our church in St. Louis! It was such a treat to see everyone! Here are a few pics of the kiddos at the picnic.

Play dates in the park!

During that same trip to St. Louis in early May we had a lot of different play dates scheduled with different friends in different parks. First up, Carol and Bree in Kirkwood.
I love those girls!
Owen loved Bree spinning him around. Those 2 kids!
The next day we met up with the Hartkes in Des Peres.
Ava was so proud of herself after climbing this tree! She was "taller than mommy!"
We squeezed in a group shot before leaving. Here's the whole gang! Except for Dan...he took the photo.
But here he is with Ava. She's a big fan of his work.
The next day we got to see Miss Susan in Wildwood.
My kids love Susan. I love Susan.
It was perfect outside. Ava liked it.
Owen liked it.
We ended up walking along the trails there. I had never gone the length of the trail. It was beautiful. We played with dandelions and met a box turtle. Ava and Susan worked out at the designated spots along the trail. After time at the play ground and a walk, we went back to Susan's to hang out some more and she fed us lunch. It was such a delightful day.
Later that night my sister-in-law and her hubby came out to Papa's for dinner. It was fun to see them! Owen loves his uncle. Can you tell?
It was so good to see everyone. Owen is at a pretty high-maintenance life stage when at parks due to his lightening-fast mobility, so conversing long enough to complete a thought was challenging, but it's still so good to see everyone. There are no friends like old friends.

Papa's porch

August was a wonderful, busy month! Now that the school year is back in session, we're all settling into our weekly routines and taking a breather! So, picking up on my effort to update the blog, these are some shots of the kiddos playing outside at Papa's Cooper's house during our trip there in May.
O-man loved the swing.
He also loved the stairs. Peek-a-boo!
Driving that afternoon I noticed that Ava had placed her doll into her car seat with her, you know, for safety. Very thoughtful.
I'm planning to toss some more posts up to try to bring this blog up to date! So check back, loved ones!