Randoms

Here's a random (long) catch up...


* Jesse recently taught Riley how to go down the slide on her belly. Now she absolutely has no hesitation about the slide and can easily make 20 trips down the slide in a short visit to the park. So fun to see her embrace this.

She saw grandpa climb up this pole and then wanted to do it herself. When she couldn't do it one of us told her it was broken. She totally bought it. Ah, the lies we tell our children...


* Someone really loves salad... as long as it has a creamy dressing.

* Menards opened! They tore down our local Menards to build a bigger and better one and it recently reopened. We survived without it because Home Depot is close by and Lowes isn't that far either, but I'm a Menard's girl. I grew up on Menards and my dad loves Menards. They even send him birthday cards.

We decided to check it out a week before they had their official grand opening celebration. Riley wanted to crawl/walk through any opening she could find and we sorta let her lead the way as we checked out the new store. 

Riley insisted on wearing her hat and glasses the whole time in the store. She received a multitude of comments from staff and customers alike. Everyone seemed to think she was fabulous. I even had a pack of employees cheering her on as she ran away from me. She sure does win people over.

If we ever move into a medieval castle this door will be perfect. Let's just say that this Menards appears to offer a larger selection than the last store did.

* My nephew, Michael, married his wife, Diana, in San Diego this past year, but recently had a reception here in MN. To start the celebrating we threw Diana a shower at Crave:

I finally gave in and decided to turn the flash on for this photo. I didn't want to be the annoying one with the flash, but I figured one picture wouldn't irritate too many people... and hey, I wasn't talking the picture anyway. Above are Jenny, Diana, Judy, and myself. Jenny and Diana are my sister, Judy's, daughter-in-laws.

On the night of the reception we had Riley with us so we weren't able to stay too late, but we still had a lot of fun. Plus, Riley wore the new dress grandma and grandpa gave her.

I bought Riley these new sandals which she told me were "pretty", but once I put them on she freaked out so she wore some other black shoes she has. I'm trying to decide if I just return them or see if she'll get used to them. I really, really want her to get used to them, but I know you can't make a kid like something they just won't.

I didn't get the best pictures at the reception, but here's a taste of the event.

The early crowd. Family was encouraged to come early to be included in pictures.

My sister, Angel, and her husband, Greg, got to sit at the 'cool' table with us.

Michael is in the Navy (hence the uniform). He was deployed shortly after they were married so hopefully, he doesn't have to go anywhere soon and they can enjoy being newlyweds.

Father of the groom, Jim, toasting the couple.

When Riley got a little distracted we pulled out the iPad. She usually knows which apps are hers, but occasionally she explores the other apps. She found this one of Jesse's where you land planes and helicopters on different landing strips/pads trying to avoid accidents. It can get a little tricky at times as the planes come faster and faster. It wish I had a shot of how she had these plans going in crazy circles. Obviously, she's gonna need a little more training before becoming a pilot.


* This weekend grandma and grandpa were going to babysit while Jesse and I went to see the Hunger Games movie, but that didn't work out since Riley was sick. Little one had a fever so she was half parts super cuddly and half parts "devil child". If I looked at her, or stood too close, or just existed... she'd freak out, but then moments later would snuggle up to me. Luckily she's feeling like her old self again.

Not happy. Oddly, she's wearing a hoodie here as she's not usually a fan. In fact, if her hoodie came off she got upset.

Luckily, monkey hugs are just the thing when you don't feel well.