Giggles

Monroe loves to giggle, and we love to make her giggle.  There is no better sound in the world!

What a year!

A year ago today Zach and I found out that we were having a baby.  

We are so thankful for our miracle child!

Three months

Monroe is three months old.

Zach and I got to thinking and realized that a year ago on Thursday Monroe was conceived at the fertility clinic.  It is amazing that the beautiful blessing we get to cuddle and laugh with started in a petri dish.  What an amazing miracle!

Happy Anniversary

Zach and I celebrated our five year anniversary yesterday.  It was a wonderful day.  Zach got me a beautiful bouquet with five roses and a ring for my right hand.  The ring is a band of bagguettes.  The picture doesn't do the ring justice-it is gorgeous.  Zach got golf lessons and a trip to play golf at a nationally ranked golf course in Mullen, Nebraska.  

Dustin and Julie came to town to babysit so that we could do dinner by ourselves.  We went to the Miletta Vista Winery in St. Paul.  The food and wine were delicious.  We love their Edelweiss wine.  It was nice to relax and enjoy the view.  We want to go back again with friends and family. 

Crazy storm clouds

When we were driving home from St. Paul last night we drove into a storm.  As we drove up on it, it looked like a bowl turned upside down.  I had to share the pictures.

Other side of the road

4th of July Weekend

Zach, Monroe, and I had a fun weekend.  On Saturday night we had friends over for a barbecue.  The Johnstons, Bachmans, Rippes, Nicklins, Mays, and Aaron Duncan came over.  After dinner we had planned to go to the fireworks show, but we decided to light the firepit early.  We roasted marshmallows and made different kinds of s'mores. We used Hershey's, Reese's and Andes Mints.  I think I like the Andes the best.

On Sunday we drove to Holdrege to spend the day with some of my family.  Kaiya and Monroe were supposed to swim together, but Monroe wasn't interested.  Kaiya loved the water, though.  We then had a wonderful supper and lit off fireworks.

Getting ready to go swimming

Screaming immediately

Cousin Kaiya playing in the pool

Girl cousins

On Monday we went over to the Nicklin's for a pool party.  We again tried Monroe in the pool, but she still wasn't having it.  The adults swam and laid out.  After swimming we went back to their apartment for grilled pizzas.  Yum!

Emily and Monroe

Ready for the pool

Not interested

Posing with Emily again

Happy 4th of July!

Smiling with Mommy

Camping

Zach, Monroe, and I went camping with both sets of grandparents this week.  The grandparents planned it after they had so much fun together the weekend Monroe was born.  Doug's cousin has a cabin at Medicine Creek Reservoir near Cambridge that she let us use.  We didn't do the typical camping activities.  (The lake was too high for swimming and the cabin didn't have a place to have a camp fire.) We still had a ton of fun, though.  We ate very well, went on walks, and played a ton of cards and games.  500 and Bridge were the most popular, but we also played Scum and Bananagrams.  We all decided to get together at least once a year.

She loves to suck on everything

I've never been one to take many pictures.  Taking pictures of Monroe is easy because she's so dang cute.  Now, my goal is to get better at taking pictures of the things and people around me.  We were camping for three days, and I don't have a single picture of the grandparents, the cabin, or the beautiful lake.  I will work on this.  

When we got home, we tried out the Bumbo for the first time.  She was indifferent.