We're going to Disney World!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are excited to announce that we are going to Disney World in October! We decided to spend out tax stimulus check on something exciting! We are able to use my parent's time share in Orlando, so it's very affordable! And Samantha and Alden get in free to the Disney Parks and Alden can ride free on the plane!! Doug & I really enjoy Disney World and can't wait to show it to our kids!

2nd Doodlebug Trip

All Strapped in and ready to go....Notice that Alden is already pulling Sam's hair and we haven't even started moving yet!!
Relaxed and Comfortable!!
Nice Shades Sam!
Alden & Daddy resting at the park.

Smantha enjoying a swing in the park.
This was Alden's 1st time in a swing and he loved it! He giggled and cooed he moved!
Showing off that she notes how to climb.
Samantha-throwing a fit because we had to leave the park. Alden is laughing at her and wondering why she is such a big baby! :)
Mommy posing with the doodlebug and notice that Samantha is still crying!!!

We went on our 2nd Doodlebug trip on Sunday, June 22nd. We rode the same trail, but went a little farther. We rode 14 miles and almost got to the Walnut Creek area. We stopped at a playground on 84th Street in Papillion. Samantha did not want to go back in the doodlebug after the playground and was very angry at us for putting her back in it. Alden enjoyed the doodlebug trip more this time around. He only slept for about 15 minutes on the way back to the car and he had fun pestering Samantha and pulling her hair this time!! We're looking forward to next weekend...

1st Day At the Lake

On the dock, ready to dive in!
Wading deeper and deeper.
Happy as a Clam.
Playing in the sand/water. Alden loved it when Samantha would fling up some sand/water and hit him in the stomach/head.
Entertaining Alden on the kitchen table...Great-Grandma McKnight, Jodi & Jamie.

After the bike ride, we went home and took naps and showers before heading out to Doug's parent's house for a little fun at the lake and to celebrate Doug's mom's birthday and Debra's birthday and father's day with the McKnights. It was Alden's 1st time in the lake and to say he loved it was an understatement!! He loved to splash the water and put the sand toys in his mouth. (I don't know if he liked the "lake" taste on the toys, or if it was just because he is teething?) Samantha had fun too. She dug in the sand with her toys and even waded out in the water pretty far, eventhough the water was pretty cold due to all the rain we've had. The lake was also really high (actually, it's about back to where it was a long time ago when they moved to Copper Dollar Cove), so it made it easier for Samantha and Alden to play in the water and the sand.

Jodi cooked supper for everyone and it was delicious! Thanks Jodi! We also had an ice cream cake and a jello cake after supper. Scott & Debbie were there, along with Great-Grandma & Great-Grandpa Mcknight, Jodi, Jamie, Grandma McKnight, Grandpa McKnight, Auntie Debra & Uncle Greg.

Doodlebugging on Father's Day

The kids were ready to go and Doug had just got everything set up!
All hooked up and ready to go!
This is how Alden slept the whole time we were riding!

Sam, Alden & I pose for a quick picture before we get the kids out to play at the park.
Alden-happy to be out of the Doodlebug!
Glowing in the sun!
Notice Sam's big feet! (Well, they are actually really small for her age, but compared to Alden's tiny feet, they look monstrous!)


We took the Doodlebug out for a ride on Sunday (Father's Day). Doug said that's the only thing he wanted for Father's Day- was to go for a family bike ride. We hadn't been able to go earlier in the summer because of bad allergies and because it was too cold! We got up really early and got set to go to Bellevue and at about 8:30am we got up to the round-a-bout in the car on the edge of Plattsmouth and saw lightning and we had to turn around and go back home. Samantha was so upset, so the only way to cheer her up was to get doughnuts on the way home from Stan's bakery. We got home just in time for the winds to pick up and the rain to start pouring down. We ate our doughnuts and watched the storm and hoped that we could just delay our bike ride for a few hours.

Luckily, the storm went through the Omaha area rather quickly, so by 10am, we were back on the road and headed towards Bellevue. We parked by Culvers/Twin Creek Theaters and rode the Keystone Trail. It was the 1st time Alden had ridden in the Doodlebug. He slept most of the ride in a very uncomfortable position. Samantha talked to us most of the time and just watch the scenery. The trail follows the Papio Creek and had flooded with all the rain the area had gotten, so we knew we'd have to ride through some puddles, but when we went under one of the underpasses, we ended up getting stuck in the mud! We had to get off our bikes and push the Doodlebug up the hill and then try to get some of the mud off that was caked on our bikes. For the next underpass, we decided to walk the bikes up and over the road to avoid mud. Well, that only led to a lot of trouble because the gate wasn't open to the road from the trail, so we had to push/lift the Doodlebug over some barbed wire and lots of weeds.

We stopped in Papillion for Samantha to play at a park and for us to take a break. Doug had to pull almost 100 lbs behind him with the weight of the Doodlebug, Samantha, Alden & then the diaper bag/toys we brought. We rode about 13 miles and had a good time being together as a family. Maybe next time Alden will be able to enjoy the ride more and sleep less!

Sam's 1st Circus

Sam & Grandpa pose for a picture before the circus starts.
Grandma, Sam and a Clown (this one was not the one she claims she didn't like)

Sam with her blinking red nose!

Last Sunday, Samantha attended her first Circus! Grandma & Grandma Merritt (a.k.a. Nebraska City Grandma & Papa) took her to the Mid America Center to see the Ringling Brothers Circus. She did very well considering the show was over about 2 hours long. She loved watching the pretty ladies on the elephants and in the air on trapezes. She didn't like one of the clowns, but enjoyed wearing a red blinking nose like a clown. She says she had a lot of fun, and today she woke up and said "I got to the circus again today?" The only problem she had was that she threw up all over in the grandpa's car on the way home! Yuck!! And she didn't even eat anything at the circus! There were motorcycles racing around in this big ball.
Some of the tigers putting on a show inside this fenced area.
One of the pretty ladies that Samanth liked!
Elephants doing tricks!

A Born Drummer

This has been Alden's favorite toy lately. (Note: this picture was not taken at Easter time-Alden just really likes to listen to the singing bunny in the background, so we keep it out all year long!)

Alden has been playing with this drum quite a bit (And no Nebraska City Grandpa---that doesn't mean that he needs a full trapset for his 1st birthday!). Samantha and Alden have "concerts" in which they play the piano or the drums rather loudly. Samantha got the idea from an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse called "Mickey's Big Band Concert." It's really cute. Alden prefers the drum and really likes to chew on the drumsticks!

Planting Flowers

Alden, Samantha & I smiling during a short break.

Notice all the dirt on the front step courtesy of Samantha!

Samantha paying more attention to the camera than the flowers.

Cute outfit/shoes right? (She picked them all out!)

Enjoying some fresh air in the exersaucer!

We finally got to plant flowers on June 1st. It seemed like either there were freeze warnings out or we were just too busy to plant flowers. Samantha got in on the action. She dug in the dirt, as you can see because our front step was covered in dirt. She also chose where most of the flowers went. She claims that all of the pink flowers are hers! Alden got some fresh air while playing in the exersaucer on the front step. Doug dug out all the weeds and planted a perennial flower in the yard.

Memorial Day at the Zoo

Family Picture at the Aquarium

Sam & Auntie Debra on the new Giraffe Observation Deck

Alden, Mommy & Sam on the new Butterfly chairs next to the

Butterfly Pavillion

Samantha on her favorite statue

A silly family picture in the Gorilla exhibit

We got up bright and early on Memorial Day and went to the zoo. Auntie Debra met us there. We started with the aquarium and had hopes of seeing the new Butterfly Exhibit, but because you can't take stroller in there, it would have been a lot of work for us. So, we postponed that for another zoo trip. After the aquarium, we walked down the new observation deck to see the giraffes and take some pictures with the new butterfly chairs. We walked to the seals and the trainers were feeding them, so that was a lot of fun to see. Samantha kept saying "I wanna see the monkeys," so we visited the gorilla and orangutans exhibits and then saw the Cats at the last minute before headed for the car.

Eric's Graduation Party

Eric & Sam

Auntie Debra, Great-Grandpa McKnight, Doug & Alden

Samantha & Uncle Scott

Jamie & Sam

Up close with Alden!

We made it to Omaha on Sunday just in time for Eric's party. It was a long drive, because the kids and I didn't sleep well the night before at my parent's house due to our allergies. But, the kids slept the whole way up and I was lucky enough to talk to my friend Kathy most of the way up to Omaha. Eric's party was fun. We got there just in time to see Tom & Evie and then Scott & Debbie & Brett stayed to see us too. Curt & Holly were there while we were too, so that was fun. Jamie, Greg & Debra helped entertain Samantha & Alden. Samantha was afraid of Skittles their dog, who is harmless.

Memorial Day

Alden with Uncle Chris

Great-Gramda Farmer with Macy (granddaughter) and Alden & Samantha (great-grandkids)
Samantha & Uncle Chris

Samantha, Alden, & I went to my parent's house in Humboldt for Memorial Day activities on Saturday night and decorated the graves on my dad's side of the family. After that, we went to Pawnee City to see Great-Grandma Farmer and my aunts Lou Ann & Karen who were back for Memorial Day. On Sunday morning we met the rest of my mom's family in Summerfield, KS to decorate graves on my mom's size of the family. Then we headed to Pawnee City for lunch and some family time. Samantha and Alden (and me too!) were suffering from allergies really bad, and Samantha was so mad at me because I wouldn't let her eat outside with the rest of the kids! We had to leave at 2:00pm to head to Omaha for Doug's cousin Eric's graduation party.