SuMmEr FuN!!

OK.  This is a GIANT blog about our whole summer so far.  I'm taking the lazy way out (although I think this acutally might have taken more time and is harder) and putting it all in 1 long post.  We have done so many things!  We have travelled every single weekend this summer for 3 or 4 day weekends.  It has been really busy, but we've gotten to do some fun things!  Now we are at home this weekend but then leaving again on Tuesday to spend a week with Paul's family in Pender.  Should be a really fun week!  We love hanging out with our nephew's Luke and Isaac!  And, Grady loves it too!

This is our first day of summer!  Captian Adorable is eating his favorite (and pretty much only thing he eats) breakfast!  Pancakes!  and cereal too....

Making music with Dominic Deaver!  We love to go over and play with the Deaver boys!

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Grady's new favorite thing to do.  Run and hide under the TV in his toy room when we want him.  He especially does this when we want to change his diaper or when it is time to leave. He has such a funny personality!  He is alwasy running away and thinks he is HILARIOUS!

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Being a ham for the camera one afternoon!

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We went to the Rodeo during Nebraskaland Days!  Grady loved looking at the cows and horses and wanted them to come over so he could pet them!

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We went to the pool/waterpark in Hastings one day.  It was really fun!  We all loved it.  I think I loved it a little TOO much...  It was awesome!  I didn't take many pictures because we were too busy having fun in the water!  I especially loved the lazy river and water slides.  Grady did NOT like the wave pool.  Too scary!

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Our FAVORITE summer pastime is going to the POOL!  We have gone pretty much every day we can.  It is awesome.  Grady loved the water the first time we went, then the second time he fell when he was walking around the water and has been too scared to walk around.  He cries if he even stands by himself becuase he is too scared.  HOWEVER, after this weekend when we went to a different baby pool that was more shallow and he could feel more comfortable he was GREAT this week at the pool!  He walks around like crazy and plays with all the toys and isn't afraid anymore!  I really, really hope it stays that way!  Although he is still quite content to run around the grass area outside the pool also...

Here are some pictures of swimming with our friends!

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I want to be just like my Daddy!  He loves to put on Paul's hat and now that he sees Paul wearing a hat, he wants to wear one too!  He also wants to mow the lawn like Paul.  He can hardly stand it when he knows Paul is outside mowing.  He stands at the door and cries until I let him out and then runs right up to Paul and wants him to carry him while he mows. 

He is very into imitating EVERYTHING right now!  Every action is copied....watch out!  yikes!

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Playing at the Park!

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Over Memorial Weekend we went to Lincoln for some family things and got to hang out with friends too.  Gradyn and Madison got to play a lot!  We went to the Zoo, played outside, took a bath together and read bedtime stories together.  :)

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More playing at the Pool!

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We went to the Lincoln Children's Museum with Aunt Cassie, Grandma Doris, Isaac, & Luke.  It was a TON of fun!  Then we went to Pender and got to see cow's on the farm, go for a tractor ride, and play some more with Luke and Isaac! 

Grady got to spend the weekend on the dairy farm with Grandma and Grandpa while Andy, Cassie, Paul and I went to Kansas City for a run weekend!  He did awesome there and we had a great time too!

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More Traveling....  Grady and I went to Wichita with some of my family for the weekend.  My cousin Heather was back from Florida for the weekend and had a baby shower.  We rented a 12 passenger van and took off with 2 toddlers and 6 adults for a fun-filled family weekend!  Grady did very well on the long trip and it was awesome to see all the family we don't get to see very much!  :)

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This is Grady's first time on a mechanical horse.  He loved it and didn't want it to stop!  It was his treat for being "good" in Wal-mart!  ha! 

Also, Paul at swimming lessons with Grady.  We have been doing parent-child lessons every Monday and Wednesday night.  Grady does awesome!  He loves the water and can do everything they ask him to.  Paul has done it 1 time and I've done the rest.  I just happened to bring the camera the day Paul did it!  ha!

Family Night at the Park!

I have a lot of other posts I should do before this one of all the other things we have been doing this summer, but I guess I'm doing this one first and hopefully I will get caught up on the others someday soon!  The 2 classes I'm taking for my master's are done next week so I should have a lot more time for blogging, organizing, etc. then!  Look for blogs to come of our trips to Lincoln for Memorial Weekend when we went to the Zoo and back to Lincoln to the Children's Museum and then to Pender, and our trip to Wichita! 

Tonight we went to Cody Park here in North Platte for the first time this summer.  I can't believe it took us until June 16th to get there!  Well, Grady and I have been there many times this summer to go to the pool, but not to the concession stand, rides and to feed the animals.  So, tonight we took Grady to see how he would like everything.  He LOVED it!  And, he was actually pretty tired and out of it tonight due to only napping about an hour all day.  So, I can't wait to take him back when he is not so tired!

First we had dinner out and Grady had corn on the cob for the first time.  He loved it!  He tore that thing apart and squeezed the life out of the cob!  He LOVES LOVES LOVES corn, so we were pretty sure he would like it......he does.

He also loved feeding the geese, but especially this little deer that came right up to the fence to eat our of his hand. 

We then tried out the rides, which I thought he might be kind of scared of, but he wasn't!  He was a little nervous when Paul put him in this first ride all by himself, but he was fine once it started and clapped his hands and waved at us!  When it stopped he wanted more!

Dancing With The Stars Here We Come!!

Gradyn LOVES to dance!  We caught him on video a few weeks ago.  Notice how about 30 seconds into the video he starts to get dizzy, but regains his composure and keeps on dancing! 
He is sooooo funny! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOyFyAVg0t4

Summer is here!

Summer is officially here!!  I was done with school for the summer on Friday, May 21st!  We celebrated by going to the park for a little bit in the afternoon.  I'm so excited to be at home with Grady for the summer and get to do lots of fun things!  We are mostly excited to spend lots of time at the pool and park!  We're going to be gone pretty much every weekend this summer for weddings, reunions, baby showers, wedding showers, and visiting family.  Should be a fun one!  :)

Grady's 3rd 5K race

Grady participated in his 3rd 5K race.  He did 2 last summer when he was 4 months old and now he started his first of the series for the summer.  Paul and I both ran it together while Paul pushed Grady in the jogging stroller.  He did great the whole time and just looked around at all of the sights while he played with his steering wheel.  It was a great way to start the summer because it was an 80 degree day, which was much better weather to run in than what we have been used to.  I was having problems breathing because of my allergies, but that was the only problem of the day! 

Grady and Mommy after the race!

Ready to get out of the stroller!

"Tailgating" with Daddy after the race while we waited for Aunt Ashley to finish the 15K.

My new cheese smile!

Happy Birthday Dominic!

Dominc Deaver had a Pirate themed birthday party for his 3rd Birthday!  I didn't get very many pictures of the day, but here are a few to show a little of the festivities!  It was a really fun day, spent with lots of good friends! 

This is Beth with Grady the Pirate.  The patch worked better as a necklace...

Dominic with his birthday treats!

This is Dominic's birthday card that Grady decorated for him.  It was Grady's first time painting.  He did pretty good with the little paint/marker things!  He loved to pound them on the card!

He got just a little on his face! 

 The 3 year old Pirate!

Our Little Lovebug

One of my favorite things about Gradyn is how lovey he is.  He loves to give big tight hugs and will squeeze so tight it hurts sometimes!  He will not hug on demand yet, but whenever the mood strikes him he will reach up and want a squeeze!  He also loves to kiss.....any form of kissing.  Mostly he blows kisses constantly.  When he wants to go bye-bye, night-night, when he sees you put on your coat, when he sees me put on my sunglasses, when he is ready to leave somplace.  But, just recently he has decided he wants to give open mouth kisses and bit your whole cheek.  He loves it and squeezes your neck so hard at the same time.  It's so funny!  I'm so glad he loves to hug and be lovey because he does not ever like to be held or snuggle, so I guess he is making up for that.  :)  If he ever sees Paul and I hugging he gets mad and runs up screaming, wanting up and as soon as we pick him up and add him to our hug he squeals with delight and throws his arms around both of us.  It is awesome.