New Outside Fun

Our new playset

Grandma and Grandpa A arrived for a weekend visit just as it was completed, so here is Cara checking it out

Her maiden slide trip, with the help of Grandpa F (at the top in the playset), Daddy, and Grandma A

Yeah! That was fun

After spending most of the morning outside "supervising" the production of the playset, it was time to cool off in the sprinkler. Grandma A brought down this Blues Clues sprinkler for Cara to play with

It took a bit, but evenutally she got drenched and was even using it for a drinking fountain

Plus the grass needed the extra water so it was great to kill two birds with one stone

Our debate on whether or not Cara was too little to get a playset for our yard was concluded on Friday when we purchased a playset for a price we just couldn't pass up! Daddy and Grandpa F got it all put together on Saturday as Cara eagerly watched. Grandma and Grandpa A came down for the weekend just in time to help us play on the new playset. One side has a traditional ladder and the other has a rock climbing wall, plus swings, a glider, and the slide. We know she will have hours of fun on here.

Princess Fun and a Mop

Mommy and Cara playing Princess dress up

Cara hugging Mommy's neck

Last week at work I was in my patients room when an informercial came on tv for this product, I instantly knew I had to have one to clean my wood floors. It is a Shark steam mop, which through internet research I found I could get one a a local store (with a 20% off coupon) and not have to pay shipping and handling. So Thursday Cara and I had a mission to stop and get one. Our floors have not looked so good since they were new, this has stripped all the old cleaners, dirt and grime off the wood and left them shiny again. It cleans with only steam so it is very safe and easy to use. At work that night all my coworkers had to hear my talk about it and use my informercial voice to talk about how great it seems, now they can hear my real testimonial! Haha!

Summer's End Festival on Saturday

My "best" attempt to get a picture of Daddy and Cara in their matching band shirts

Self portrait of us waiting for the parade to start

After the parade Daddy was in a brass quintet on the main street entertaining festival fans

After we enjoyed a yummy lunch we stopped for some ice cream which was perfect on this HOT afternoon, here is Cara enjoying hers

Now here is Cara's shirt displaying the drips :)

All week the threat of rain loomed for Saturday, but I think it may have been welcome by the afternoon (once the parade was over) to cool things off. Cara and I enjoyed watching Daddy and his band in the parade, playing a great Beach Boys tune. Cara especially liked that nearly every float threw candy at us, even the Frito Lay company threw bags of chips! Some smarties, tootsie rolls, and a sucker made the parade that much sweeter. Then we sat and listened to the Brass Quintet play some great tunes along main street. All this music stirred up our appetite for a yummy "fair food" lunch including lemon shake-ups and ribbon fries. A little ice cream to cool off before we walked back to the car was a prefect idea. It was no surprise that Cara slept the whole drive home and then 2 more hours once we got home.

Fun on Friday

Our morning included a skype visit with Grandma and Grandpa A, although Cara was also asking for Aunt Cyndi and the cats (she doesn't realize they are not all together anymore)

Then after Grandpa F picked up Oscar to babysit for the evening they came over for some playtime with Cara. They were so excited to see each other, they yelled out each others names and then held hands to go downstairs to play with her toys.

I may be biased but these are two of the most adorable faces around, here they are playing in Cara's princess tent

Then they moved on to play with the drums from Rockband. Too bad the game was not on, with both of them drumming away they may have actually got through a whole song.

Our evening concluded with a trip to the pizza place with a train station for dinner. Cara and Oscar were both so excited whenever the train passed by our table. After dinner they played with Cara's jeep and some sidewalk chalk. Cara and Oscar gave each other a big hug and kiss when he left. Some day they will hate these stories but for now it is fun that they are best buds!

War Paint?

No, someone just found some of my makeup (lipstick I think) the other night when I went to work! Beautiful huh!

Back from Italy

Cara was so happy to be able to walk around with G & G

Running around the playground

Opening a present from Aunt Cyndi and Uncle Danilo

Using the camera with Grandma

Opening more presents

Proudly taking her new overnight luggage bag on a walk, it has little wheels on it to wheel all over

Cute story about this bag: Grandpa had gone to the car to get the presents while we were sitting on the blanket. So Grandpa had this bag hiding behind his back and Grandma said ask Grandpa for your gift. She was very excited to have her own little luggage. So when we got home and were taking our stuff out of the car she saw her bag and wanted to take it on a walk down the sidewalk to go visit Buddy. On the way our neighbors were outside and she stopped and told them that "her bag was from Grandpa Abbott". Then we got down to Buddy and she showed him her bag and held it to his nose for him to smell and said "look this is from Grandpa Abbott". So I guess since he carried the bag and handed it to her it was only from him.

Jumping off a big rock

Grandma planned ahead and thought to bring a cooler and snacks, yummy

Watching the duck in the water

Funny picture, I was holding the camera upside down and wondered if it would turn the picture or not, apparently not!

After multiple skype sessions, postcards, and a few phone calls from Italy, Cara was thrilled to learn we would be seeing Grandma and Grandpa A in person on Sunday. When I was getting her ready to go I told her that we were going to see G & G. So she asked "on skype?" and I said no, she asked "on computer?", again I said no and told her that we would be seeing them in person! So we met halfway at a Cracker Barrel for a nice Sunday brunch and then headed to a nearby park for some play time. It was a gorgeous afternoon, not too hot or rainy.

Cara was thrilled to have them to play with and drag around for the afternoon while Mommy and Daddy enjoyed the fresh air and R & R on the blanket in the shade. They played on the playground and slides, in the gazebo, jumping off rocks, and took walks to see the pond. They brought her surprises back from Italy including a t-shirt from Venice, some pajamas, and the overnight bag. Aunt Cyndi and Uncle Danilo got her a sweatshirt from the University of Bologna. She cried a bit when it was time to say goodbye especially as we were pulling out of the parking lot and she realized we were separating from them. We thought she had played so hard that she would fall right to sleep, especially since it was way later than her normal nap time. Finally after driving for about 45 minutes she finally gave in and took a nap the rest of the drive home.

Lucas Oil Stadium Tour

If you look closely you can see Grandma & Grandpa F and Cara and I in the parking lot

A view of how crowded it was on the inside, wall to wall people

An inside view of the seating and great design of the stadium

Cara checking out the turf

Cara and Mommy among the crowds of people down in the end zone

From end zone looking down to the other

A view of the Colts locker room

Another view of the Colts locker room

We were among the thousands of people that got the unique opportunity to tour the new stadium. Although a bit of false advertising gave us more hope than what we actually got to see. It was described as a self guided tour which included the suites, seating, the field and the locker room. What we very quickly found out was the the self guided tour meant shoving and inching your way through the overly crowded hallway to eventually get to the seats to be herded down the stairs across the sideline and end zone only (not the actual field) to walk past the door of the locker room and eventually get back outside. Cara started out in her stroller but we quickly decided that she would feel "trampled" down there, so Scott carried her while I carried the stroller. A little more than two hours later and we were back in the car talking about all the things they could have improved upon to make the tour more successful. We did greatly apreciate the opportunity to finally see the inside of the stadium (the new home of the Colts) we just feel that the execution of the tour could have made it a much more pleasant adventure!

Great Weather Leads to Great Fun

Friday Evening

First time to go miniature golfing (didn't realize we were sitting in front of a dead tree until now)

Hmmm...trying to line up the perfect shot

Owen and Cara checking out where the balls go

Play time on the train after our golf game

Running through the train cars

Saturday afternoon

Playing at the park, leading Maizy to where she wants to go next

Say cheese

Going down the slide with a little help from Daddy


Sunday afternoon

State Fair Fun

Lots to see and do here

On the farm at Riley Kids Park being followed by Grandma

Riding the tractor around the farm

Carrying her basket to gather more items

Time to pet a cow, wow!

And another one

We took advantage of the the great weather this weekend and spent as much time outdoors as possible! We headed up north over the weekend to get Grandma and Grandpa A's house ready for their return home! So we got to spend the evening with Chris, Amy and Owen. We went to a new restaurant and then headed to play miniature golf at an outdoor recreation center. The kids had a lot of fun (carrying their balls and dropping them in the holes). They had lots of other fun things to do, Scott and Chris enjoyed the batting cages while the kids loved playing on the wooden train.

Saturday afternoon we went to lunch with Niki and Maizy. I worked with Niki at Parkview and we continue to stay in touch. We had not seen them in a long time, but that did not stop Cara from loving to play with Maizy. She dragged her all over the park after lunch. We headed home later that day after G & G's house was ready for their return.

On Sunday we joined the probable record setting attendance at the State Fair with Grandma and Grandpa F. So much to do there and so much to eat. Cara really enjoyed having corn on the cob! We all shared some yummy ribbon fries! I had envisioned getting a caramel apple or elephant ear, but we got so full from lunch. We walked through the expo hall and then over to the Kids park. Cara loved "working" on the farm and petting the animals. I don't think I have ever seen the fair that crowded or had such nice weather to attend. It was no surprise to us that Cara was fast alseep for her nap before we even got to a main road to leave that afternoon.