A New Addition....

Presenting the newest addition to our families, thanks to Grandma and Grandpa....."Sassy" (previously known as Rhino)



Since Toby died last October and Grandma and Grandpa had no more pets they have been trying to decide who was going to run the house. They just couldn't come to an agreement so it was time to bring in a new ruler and "Sassy" is the new lucky cat.

It was hard for everyone when Toby died but I guess time can heal and when someone was looking for a good home for their cat, Grandma and Grandpa were ready to take him on as their new pet.


Grandma picked him up and brought him home on Wednesday evening so, of course, we had to go meet him on Thursday. He is a great cat, only one year old, friendly, playful and very healthy. He fits right in and Olivia loves him too. She can't wait to go back to play with Sassy. Just watch out for those claws!!



WELCOME TO OUR CLAN SASSY!!

Another Graduating Cousin

Olivia had a cousin graduate only this time it was the Pitz side. Her cousin Alex graduated from High School this year and Olivia and I made the trek down to Muskego yesterday to help them all celebrate.

Steve and Jenny were working for the Civil Air Patrol at the Fond du Lac airport all day helping with the EAA planes that were coming in and leaving so it was only Olivia and myself for the day.

There was a nice crowd and we had a really good time. It was good to be able to sit and visit with Steve's Mom, sisters and brothers and their families for once.
Barb and Brian have a big swimming pool in the backyard that looked like fun but I was a little paranoid about Olivia being around it. We were all watching her very closely and she had a lot of fun throwing the balls at her other cousin Anna in the pool.
She also loved the new fuzzy white puppy that Mike and Mary brought along. She always likes her cousin Elizabeth's little bitty dog because it is so small and just her size.


The weather was beautiful and it was a very fun day.

Camping at Wyalusing State Park

We all just returned Sunday from a 5 day, 4 night camping trip on the Mississippi River at Wyalusing State Park.

There were 11 of us on this camping trip from Wednesday through Sunday but Grandma and Grandpa Manning also drove out and joined us on Friday and Saturday. They were able to spend Friday night at a hotel in Prairie du Chien as it was their Mother's Day and Father's Day gifts from all of us. The fact that they were able to join us made our vacation even more special.

Wyalusing State Park is absolutely gorgeous and highly recommended. Since we got there on Wednesday we were able to upgrade out sites to the bluff. There were enough of these unreservable sites for all of us and it was such a treat to be able to have such a breathtaking view from our campsites. The breeze coming up the bluff wasn't bad either since it was a very hot and humid week. We were even able to see an eagle fly right past our spot. We had other furry friends among us all week also. The raccoons are very bold there and you have to be sure EVERYTHING is put away when you go to bed at night. The last night we were there they didn't even wait for us to go to bed. They came right to the edge of the long grass and only left if we purposely scared them off. They sure were cute but we didn't want to get any closer to them.


We all had a great time. We spent a lot of time hiking the beautiful (but exhausting) trails through the park. At one point while looking for what they call a cave it turned out to be a small waterfall where the walls of the cave were all different colors. The waterfall was about halfway through our trek which was great for cooling us off so we could keep going the 2nd 2 hours of our hike. The views in so many places in this park are spectacular and some of the best we have seen. It is hard to remember you are still in Wisconsin.


The park also had 2 different reptile shows where we could all touch and/or hold snakes, an alligator and a tarantula. At first Olivia was afraid of them but but very soon she was more curious and with a little encouragement from me and watching me touch them and hold them she was excited about it and wanted to touch all of them and get a close look.

Although there was no beach or pool on the park grounds we could drive 2 miles to a county park and there was a very nice beach. It was visited often since we spent every day sweating and needed to cool off. Before Grandma and Grandpa left on Saturday they even came out to enjoy the beach while everyone else swam and Olivia played in the sand.

On this trip Olivia decided that her cousin Chad would be her main focus. She stuck to him like glue, knocked on the camper door in the morning to get him to wake up and was constantly asking him to sit in the hammock with her and play. He was a very good sport about it all, especially when we spent 4 hours on the trails on Thursday. He carried her a lot in his arms and on his shoulders and she is HEAVY! She really loves everyone and was such a good girl all weekend. She was a big shot sleeping on a cot now and never made any kind of fuss about going to bed in the tent if we wanted to sit by the fire for a while. Even when it stormed on Wednesday and Saturday nights she wasn't bothered by it at all. The fact that she was pretty tired each night probably helped. Yes, we still camp with a tent but her relatives have campers. She likes to be in the tent to sleep but she also loves playing in the campers. Every time someone was heading for the camper for something she was running after them and following them in and out.









Overall it was a wonderful trip and many great memories for all of us. We are already talking about the next camping trip we can schedule together.

Summer Fun and 4 Year Old Checkups

This last week has been very hot and humid so it was the perfect time to run around in a sprinkler. We also get out the "Slip & Slide" and swimming pool. Olivia has a great time with her big sister and is enjoying her summer very much.


Olivia really likes to ride her little bike now and occasionally gives rides with her wagon. This time her new pillow pet got to go for a little ride.

Today we went to her doctor for her 4 year old check up and final vaccinations. She had to have three separate shots to get her caught up with what she needs to start school this fall. She did so unbelievably well. She is a very healthy, strong little girl. The last time she was in to see the doctor was a year ago for her 3 year old checkup. She behaved so well, doing everything the nurse and doctor asked her to do. She answered their questions and wasn't scared at all (after all...she is a "big girl" at 4 years old now). I wasn't sure exactly how many shots she was going to need and was a little anxious when they said she would get 3 separate shots. She was so good though, she just said "ow-ow" and cried a little bit but she got over it really fast and didn't have a tantrum, didn't throw a fit or anything. We could not ask for a more well-behaved, even-tempered little girl.
The doctor and nurse were amazed at how much she has grown in the last year. A year ago she was in the 50th percentile for her height and her weight and today she is in the 95th percentile for her height and right in between the 75th and 90th percentile for her weight! The nurse actually took us back down to the scale a second time to make sure she actually grew that many inches in the last year.....even without eating her fruits and vegetables!! Everything about her checkup was 2 thumbs up and the doctor was very pleased.

I was so impressed and happy with how well Olivia behaved so I told her she would get to pick out a new toy when we got to Wal-Mart. This is a rare occurance and a very special treat for her so she was very excited. After running back and forth in the toy department she finally decided on one of the most expensive ones. She had her heart set on a Toy Story "Woody" doll. She was thrilled and couldn't wait to get home to open it. It actually is very cute and she deserved it. Unfortunately I have already discovered that Tom Hank's voice can get really annoying really fast. Oh well, it's worth it. I'm sure he will be coming along camping with us so everyone should pack their ear plugs!!

And Another Birthday Celebration

Olivia's cousin Cory had his 17th birthday on July 6th. His parents ended up throwing an impromptu party for him by inviting whoever wanted to come to dinner with them. Cory got to pick where he wanted to go and chose Ponderosa. A common place for the typical teenage boy where it is an all you can eat buffet.


Olivia not only loves parties but she loves going to restaurants. She was the belle of the ball once again flirting with everyone and having a great time. The food was good and some young girls working there brought out a birthday piece of cake and sang a song for Cory. Olivia thought that was pretty neat.



Before we all headed home we took some pictures for the occasion including the Godparents, Grandparents and the Proud Parents.

Olivia was once again doing her part by hamming it up and making everyone laugh. This time she showed off her new word "camouflage" she recently learned. She was hilarious by saying she was camouflaging when she stood still in front of and behind the flower pot like a statue. The faces she made were priceless and made our full stomachs hurt from laughing so hard. She is always such a character. We can't wait for the fun we will have on our upcoming camping trip with everyone.

HAPPY 17TH BIRTHDAY CORY!!

Fourth Of July, 2010

Happy 4th of July, 2010 ! We had a very busy weekend again. Jenny had been gone all last week to her Civil Air Patrol encampment at Volk Field so we headed up there Saturday morning to pick her up. We stopped for lunch in the Wisconsin Dells and then got home to prepare for a cookout on Sunday at Grandma and Grandpa Manning's.

Although Jenny was tired she was asked to help carry colors for the 4th of July parade in West Bend so we were up early on Sunday and on our way to West Bend before the cookout. It was very hot and the parade wasn't real exciting. Olivia was more interested in the little puppy the people had next to us. I don't think she even saw Jenny when she finally marched by with her Civil Air Partrol. Jenny did a good job marching since they had been drilling it all week at camp.


Then it we ran back home to load up for the cookout. For so many threats of rain we really got lucky and were able to cook out and sit and visit outside all afternoon. It wasn't until about 9:00 pm that the rain came down hard enough to chase us all in the house.
It was a really nice day and yes, Olivia even got to be with, not only her aunts and uncles and grandparents, but also her beloved Scotty once again. She was a very happy little girl.