July 2009

It's been awhile since the post, and we hope everyone had a safe and fun Fourth of July. We spent ours in Hackensack, MN. It was a lot of fun. We played in the sand, went for some boat rides, fished and played some games. It was great spending a week with the family. We don't get to do that too often.

Kyla made a great little fisherwoman. She LOVED the minnows. She just wanted to hold them and carry them around with her at all times. A few even got a kiss or two. And when the minnows were used to catch big fish, she got really excited. If only Mommy could touch and hold the fish like Kyla.

We've spent a lot of time at the pool this month. Hopefully August will be just as warm, so we can get some more pool-time in before it closes.

Ace and Grace both had birthday parties over the past month. Kyla really enjoyed going to those. Watching them open their presents was the best part of each party. Eating cake and ice cream was awfully fun too.

June 2009

June 25th

Kyla has had a fun and busy month. She's been going to tumbling, getting together with friends for play-dates, swimming in the kiddie pool, splashing in fountains, chasing the dogs and exploring around the house. Every day is a new adventure for her. Lately, she really enjoys chasing ants around the patio and saying "HI" to them.

We all leave to visit the Anderson clan at the new lake house on Monday. The new house is on a crystal clear lake in Hackensack, MN. It should be a lot of fun. Plus, we will get to see many family members we have not seen since Christmas. We just hope the bugs will be kind to us.

We all had fun celebrating Father's Day this year. Kyla got Daddy an apron for grilling and a grill alert meat thermometer. Neil, Heidi and Grace came over for lunch too. After napping and watching some golf on TV, we all went up to the driving range to hit some golf balls. Kyla did her best to yell and throw off the other golfers "game."

June 4th

Grammy came to visit for six days at the end of May. It sure was nice having her around. We definitely don't get to see her as often as we would like.

Scott hasn't been able to play softball the past two weeks due to the weather. He is definitely hoping the rain holds off on Tuesday's for the rest of the season.

Other than that, there is not a ton of new news to report. We've had a lot of rain, which stinks, but everything is super green out here. Greener than usual, anyway. It almost looks like home right now.

May 2009

May 19th
Aunt Michelle came to visit for the weekend, and we all had lots of fun. Kyla did her best to say "Michelle." I believe we heard it once or twice. Harley loved Michelle too. She couldn't get enough of her. After she left, both Kyla and Harley took turns going into the guest bedroom to see if she was there. Unfortunately, she was not there. However, we all look forward to spending more time with Aunt Michelle in July when we will all be up at the lake house in Northern Minnesota together.

Grammy is coming for a visit tomorrow. She will be here for six days, so I am sure Kyla and Harley will have a good time. Kyla really seems to enjoy having guests in the house. Apparently, it gives her a good reason to show off.

Scott's softball team is off to a good start. Hopefully they keep up their winning streak. Go, Trojans!!

May 3rd
Now that it is May, we are hoping our (snow) showers are behind us. Even though we did not get much snow this winter, it's definitely no fun to get dumped on several times at the start of spring. We are all looking forward to warm, sunny and windless days.

Ryder had his annual vet check-up last week, and his heart mumur has progressed. He has to go back in a few weeks for some x-rays of his heart. The doctors will be looking to see how much blood is leaking back into the lungs and how much the heart/chambers expand when he breathes in and out. We are praying for the best report possible. He's only six, and we know he has many good years ahead of him still.

Harley is doing fine. She is still a spaz. She only sits still when she is sleeping. If she isn't bothering Ryder or trying to get food from someone, she can be found dragging all of the dog toys out into the backyard. Harley seems to think no one will find the toys if she scatters them around the yard. :D

Kyla is doing well. Her music class ended last week, but she still has a lot of fun at tumbling. The balance beam and trampoline are her faves. She does not even try to hang on the bar or rings, so we are hoping she will do that before the next session ends in June.

Kyla loves opening the pantry door. She is always finding something she thinks she needs to eat. She comes back with some crazy items too - taco seasoning, walnuts, confectioners sugar. We love it! She also loves stickers, stamps, pushing or riding in her cozy coupe, walking Ryder on his leash, music and Sesame Street.

She is finally starting to say a few more things. If you are lucky, you can hear her say "hi, up, pop and ba" (for ball).

The softball season is underway, as of today. Scott has his first game tomorrow night. It will be interesting to see how the Trojans do this year. We are rooting for first place again.

April 2009

April 8th

First off, we'd like to wish everyone a very "Hoppy Easter!"

Kyla's been busy this month. She started a new class at the rec center on Monday's called, Crocodile Rock. It's a music class filled with lots of kids and parents. The teacher plays the guitar and sings. Some songs are on a CD, but they are all fun to Kyla.

In addition to her new music class, Kyla is taking tumbling classes and getting together weekly with her friends for playdates. Everything is fun and exciting. She enjoys playing at local parks, but still does not have a lot of interest in swinging or going down the slides. Hopefully that will change soon.

Scott is busy with the start to a new quarter at work. Plus, softball will be starting next month, so he is gearing up for that. Right now, he is busy designing a new team logo. Come May, the team will be called the Trojans.

Other than that, there is not a lot to report at this time. Again, we wish you all a "Happy Easter." May God bless each and every one of you.

March 2009

March 12th

We'd like to wish Ryder a "Happy 6th Birthday!" He's the best dog ever. Aside from barking, he enjoys playing tug-of-war, going for walks, getting treats and bones and guarding Kyla's snack cups.

March 9th

Kyla had her 18 month doctor visit today. She is 32 1/2" tall and weighs a whopping 21 pounds. She is right on track for her development. Unfortunately, the doctor noticed she has an ear infection. Her first one ever. She is on an antibiotic and has to go back in three weeks for a follow-up and shots. Gotta love flu season!!

Last Friday, Kyla started her tumbling class. She seemed to really like it. Her favorite part, aside from being there with Grace and Ace, was doing a somersault. Of course, she had help with the somersaults, but they were still a lot of fun.

March 1st

February was a fun, but it sure went by fast. We had some very nice weather over the course of the month, and we all enjoyed a wonderful Valentine's Day together.

We took Kyla to the Convention Center in Denver for the Children's Expo today. Grace and Ace were also there. Kyla had so much fun playing with her friends and checking everything out! She went down a big, inflatable slide, rode a pony, painted a frisbee and had the chance to pet some goats, bunnies, roosters and ponies. The pony ride was her favorite. She was grinning from ear-to-ear the entire time.

Kyla's music class will be coming to an end soon, so we purchased some instruments like the ones she uses in class; for home. Hopefully she has more musical talent than her mom and dad.

This week Kyla will start a tumbling class at the recreation center. She will be taking the class on Friday's (for two months) with Grace and Ace. It should be entertaining to watch. Who knows, maybe she will master the somersault?

Scott and I are both doing well. Softball will be starting in two months, so Scott is definitely looking forward to that. I am looking forward to Spring and spending even more time outdoors.

February 2009

February 2nd
Harley is at the vet today getting spayed. We are actually hoping she might still be a bit drugged up when she gets home, so she isn't quite so spastic. We love her to pieces, but she sure is a spunky little puppy. She always has to do what Ryder does, and if he isn't doing anything, she will try to coax him into playing with her. If she isn't bugging Ryder, she is either running through Kyla's tents/tunnel or licking Scott's face. Thankfully, she only finds me when she is ready to go to sleep.

Ryder is well. He is on a diet. Between Kyla's scraps and stealing Harley's food and treats, he has put on a little extra weight. Normally, it wouldn't be a big deal, but the vet discovered a faint heart murmur at his last exam, so we need to keep him fit and trim to help with that.

Scott is doing great. He does his best not to miss a Creighton basketball game. Luckily, he can watch a lot of them online. He did end up having a good fourth quarter, so we are all thankful for that.

Kyla is well. She can say a few new words. "Da-da" for dog (it does sound different than dad or daddy) and "va-va" for vacuum. She really likes her music class, but I think she would prefer to dance rather than sing. When music ends, we are thinking about trying a tumbling class at the rec center.

Lately, her favorite activities include playing with Elmo, sending her cars down the race tracks and crawling through her tents and tunnel. It's especially fun if she can get the dogs to go in the tents with her. If the weather is nice, she has a blast riding around the neighborhood in her deluxe cozy coupe convertible car. She can never go fast enough or far enough in that car.

Kyla enjoys being helpful too. It's super fun to throw trash away and pick up stuff on the floor. Harley always seems to have something on the floor for Kyla to find - mulch, string from a chew toy, food pieces, etc. She also thinks it's awesome to have her own piece of toilet paper to throw into the toilet. Whenever she goes into the downstairs bathroom, she needs a square of TP.

Last, but definitely not least, we would like to wish everyone a very "Happy Valentine's Day."

January 2009

January 8th

First off, we'd like to wish you all a very Happy New Year. We hope the start of 2009 has been a good one for everyone. We also hope it only gets better with time.

Kyla is doing really well. Lately, she enjoys dancing, blowing kisses, playing with her Elmo toys and helping Mommy and Daddy rock out to Guitar Hero, World Tour. She doesn't actually use the instruments yet, but she is getting close to taking over on the drums. :)

Kyla started a music class yesterday called Music Together. It's only been one class, but she seems to like it. She observed quietly for the first half, and then started showing the class some of her "great" dance moves. It was fun to watch.

Scott had a good fourth quarter at work, so that was a blessing to us all. Hopefully 2009 will be a great year for him.

Harley is growing like a weed. Girl dogs mature faster, so she is almost full grown...and she isn't even five months old yet. She loves every minute spent bugging and playing with Ryder. When she is all tuckered out, she enjoys snuggling up with Mom or Dad.

Ryder, though he won't admit this outloud, likes having Harley around. He is a lot happier having another playmate in the house (and we are not talking about the Playboy Bunny type).

I finally found a Wii fit on Sunday, so I am excited to give that a try next week. I hope it is worth all the hype!! I'm sure I will let you know.