Swimming Lessons

Here are some pics from Jocelyn's swimming lessons.  She had a blast, and cried every time we had to leave.  She was definitely not scared of the water!  Cory's girlfriend Allie was one of her teachers, so she thought that was pretty neat.  She even went off the diving board a bunch of times - my little dare devil.

Fair Hair

Last weekend Jocelyn and I went down to this little festival thing they had downtown.  It was kinda junky, but fun to be outside and eat good junk food.  I had some extra tickets left, and we had eaten enough ice cream and cheese curds by then, so I let Jocelyn get her hair done.  She thought it was fun, and sat very nicely for the hair lady.

We went over to Pat and Anita's that evening for supper and visiting - a bunch of family was in town for our nephew Elliot's baptism the next day.  She wouldn't let me give her a bath before we went over, she was very proud of her pink and purple hair.  Luckily it came out in the tub, but I had to use about half the bottle of conditioner to get all the ratted mess out!  She wasn't too happy - as you can tell. 

Time is going TOO fast

My little Jocelyn is growing up!  I was away all weekend scrapbooking (we left Thursday morning and got back Sunday afternoon).  I really think she grew up in the four days I was gone.  She can say three the right way now - no more "free"  and she can reach the pedals on her trike (maybe I just didn't notice that one - we've been way too busy this summer).  Or maybe because I was scrapbooking old pictures and spent the weekend remembering all the fun we've had with her over the last almost 3 years. 

 She loves her umbrella from Auntie Angie, and she loves her rain boots.  What a goof!

 Eating a popsicle - her 4th in the last two days.  My parents came and stayed with the girls on Saturday while Calvin was at work.  She told me tonight that she had 3 popsicles yesterday!  And she really did - Grandpa fessed up. :)

 She set up the "hotch scotch" for probably 30-40 minutes tonight, all by herself.  She told me she was going to be the teacher and get the numbers out.  She took all the pieces out of the garage, and when she took a number out she'd start singing a song with that number.  Her two favorites were (Number) Little Monkeys Swinging in a Tree and (Number) Green and Speckled Frogs.  It is so fun to sit and watch her play.  You can just see all her little thoughts and ideas come to life.  She has quite the imagination, and I love to encourage that!

 Here she is on her trike - she loves the bell, and we played Ice Cream Man so she could ring the bell a lot.  Like I said - gotta encourage that imagination!

I have enjoyed every stage of Jocelyn - but this one is probably my favorite.  She's still kind of a baby sometimes, but is very independent most of the time, and has the funniest conversations.  She still wants to be rocked and hugged and kissed.  And she randomly says "I love you too, Mama!" which just makes my whole day!

Garden

The garden is coming along nicely - I feel like it's really late this year though.  Probably because last spring was so warm we did plant pretty early.  The peas and tomatoes are wild - they both fell over and we had to help them back up!  I better get my canning stuff out for the tomatoes!

Corn is starting - we've never done corn before, and I really hope it turns out.  We did plant that and the beans late, so we'll be cutting it close.  Hopefully it will be a warm fall!

 The tiniest green pepper I've ever seen.

 The peas are by far my favorite - they are delicious!  Good thing, 'cause they're a pain to grow!

Science class

We've had quite the fun little impromptu lessons at our house lately.  While we were in Green Bay, Calvin found a baby robin that had fallen out of it's nest.  He put it back in, but kept an eye on it.  On Sunday when we got home, it was out again!  So he found a worm and Jocelyn got to help feed it.  How neat! 

Then, about a month ago we found this cute caterpillar in the yard.  Jocelyn made sure it had everything it would need - so cute.  We put it in the bug jug and watched!

 We thought it was a monarch caterpillar - we had one of those a few years ago, and it looked like this.  We found some milkweed, but he didn't care about it - just wanted the carrot stems we picked from the garden.  I should have known when he formed his cocoon that he wasn't a monarch - it looked totally different from the one before.  I didn't get any pictures of that - darn.

 Then, this weekend, he hatched!  Well, probably not hatched, but whatever it is butterflies do.  I wasn't home, but Calvin got to see it, and Jocelyn thought it was pretty neat.  He's a very pretty butterfly. 

Construction

So it all started last fall when we decided we really needed new exterior doors before winter.  They were purchased, the back door put in, and the other ones sat in the garage.  Then on Super Bowl Sunday Calvin and his dad decided it would be a good time to put in the front door (and they both look wonderful, by the way).  Since February, Calvin's been pretty busy at work, and hasn't had a lot of free time.  So, nothing has been done with the front door since then.  While we were in Green Bay, he stayed home so he could get some stuff done - working on the door was one of them.  Doesn't it look nice?  I love the dark wood colr and it matches the rest of the house perfectly.  They also put in the storm door and Cal finished painting the trim outside.  

  

 You must be fashionable, even when "building"

 Obviously the reason for the new doors was to make the house more energy efficient (and they were ugly).  Our house is all lath and plaster, and not very well insulated.  Our entry way closet was in need of a re-do, so Calvin decided (with my approval) to rip out the closet, tear out the walls in the entry way, and put up dry wall instead.  Thankfully we're having someone we know help with this project, because projects like these tend to take a while around my house. 

 Then Calvin thought it would look nice to take the trim off the door way into the living room and change the shape so it matched the other two door ways off the living room.  It's amazing to me how so many projects can sprial from one simple thing.  Not that I'm complaining - it looks awesome, and I will be SO glad to have a bigger entry way this winter (we're not putting a closet back in).  This is as far as they've gotten so far, but all this has been done in one week!  I'll be sure to post as more progress is made!

Crist Family Reunion

The last weekend in July we went over to Green Bay for the somewhat annual Crist Family Reunion.  It's my mom's side of the family, and we try to get together once a year, at least, all together.  This year my cousin Laura planned it, and did a wonderful job!  We had a great time.  Katie and Abel came along too, and it's always wonderful to see them.  Calvin stayed home - he had a lot of projects to do - more on that later.

Hanging out in the hotel, reading books to Carla. 

 It was Katie's golden birthday on the 29th, so we surprised her with cupcakes - her favorite!

The hotel we stayed at had an indoor waterpark - and Jocelyn loved it.  It was the perfect size for her, and had lots of stuff for her to do.  The weekend was in between her two weeks of swimming lessons, so she was quite the fishy after all that swimming time!

Riding with Grandma on the lazy river

Poor Abel had a fever all weekend and was not his usual happy self.  Poor Katie was traveling by herself, and had to deal with a crabby baby!  Turns out he had Roseola, and his fever finally broke the last day of their trip in WI.  Isn't the swim suit I found for him really cute?!

The highlight of my weekend (besides seeing everyone) was the Packer's stadium tour.  I have never been to a Green Bay game, but would love to go sometime.  We toured the Hall of Fame first, and then had a stadium tour, which was really good.  The tour guide was great - you could tell he really loved the Packers, and was very passionate about his job.  When the tour was over, we got to see some of the players going to the practice field across the street.  What a fun way to end the tour!

Helping Jocey do the Lambeau Leap.  Kailee and I will get her over to our side eventually (although she has on occasion said "Stinky Packers!")

Stef, Sadie, Jocey and Mom

This is where the players enter the field on game days....

 After the Lambeau tour, we went out for pizza and bowling!  Jocelyn had never been bowling before, but had a ball.  She thought the shoes were really cool, and was quite dismayed when we had to give them back at the end of the night.

 Jocey and Auntie Katie trying very hard to get candy out of the claw game....

Jocey and Laura's daughter Sadie - they played so nicely together and were even holding hands by the end of the weekend.

 Great Grandma and Jocelyn

 Laura made up awards for us after bowling - Jocelyn was so proud to get one!  Hers was for having the most fun.  And she did - every time she bowled she would turn around and yell "I knocked them over!"  And give everyone a hi-five. 

 Katie and Abel stayed at our house on Sunday night and went home Monday afternoon.  It was wonderful to spend some more time with them!  See my previous post regarding Jocelyn's hugging of her cousins - seriously, we need to work on this.

 Abel is crawling now and loves to get into everything he's not supposed to!  Never mind that there were tons of toys that were new to him - he headed right for the vacuum!

Eating sand in the sandbox.