Anika's First Day of School!

Anika started preschool!  I know she might be a little young, but we are both ready :)

Finishing her banana.

My camera is still broken so we had a little photo shoot with my sister's much nicer camera

(although I still don't take good pictures).  I didn't really pose her for the pictures.

Most of them are her interpretation of my instructions :)

She goes Tuesday and Thursday for 1 1/2 hours and she LOVES it!

I already forgot the first show-and-tell, but thankfully she had been scrambling around putting

dried leaves and some grass in her bag while I was trying to corral her into the car.  I dropped

her off and the teacher asked me if I had remembered.  First I was bummed, but then I suggested

that maybe she could show her leaves.  When I went to pick her up the teacher told me that

Anika had been very excited to show her leaves and grass.

After we got home we called and talked to Dad/Nathaniel.  She very excitedly and

articulately told him all about it:  ABC's, songs, books, popcorn.

Smile?

She is 5-6 months younger than the other 3 children participating but she fits in well
and will be in the same year of school as them anyway.  It is a neighborhood co-op
so each mom teaches for two weeks at a time, four times.

El Cabin

We went to the good ol' cabin in Star Valley.

My camera is currently broken so these are the only pics I have (so far?) from my sister.

Our first annual water fight.

There are four coolers full of water balloons surrounding a sprinkler.

You had to run into/under the sprinkler to get your ammo.

Emma and I chasing Dave

A couple of grandkids going after Granda

Notice Anika throwing a balloon at Emily (on the left) in the next two pictures.

Good form, Anika

Anika is throwing a balloon at Emily again.  You can see me getting my dad on the right.
The balloons mostly bounced off of people, so I started squeezing the balloon as I threw
it so it would break.  You can see the water in action.

Anika getting Emily yet again...

... less effective.

I'm pretty sure Emily wanted me to put these pictures in too.

Nathaniel's Savory Zucchini Bread

Savory Zucchini Bread

We sure have had a lot of zucchini lately, and we've been getting increasingly adventurous with ways to use it.  Nathaniel wanted to try out a savory zucchini bread.  There's probably a recipe out there, but he just made this up, and it was really tasty:

1.5 cups warm water
1 T yeast
2 T sugar
Let sit for a couple of minutes (proof the yeast)
1 T salt
~2 cups grated zucchini
0.5 package of cream cheese
2 T dehydrated onion flakes
0.5 cups shredded carrot
2 t dill seed
1 egg
1 clove minced garlic
~7 cups flour

Mix it all up,
let it rise for 90 minutes,
split into 2 bread pans
let 'em rise another 30 minutes
bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes
It turned out really tasty, but the next time I make this, I'm going to adjust a few things - probably reduce the water to 1 or 1.25 cups, and I think some sun-dried tomatoes would be really good in it.

Anika's Prayer

About a month ago Anika started hi-jacking our prayers.  We would start

praying and she would jump in with one of her two prayers.  Her prayers

had the usual beginning and ending.  In the middle she was either

"grapeful" (grateful) or gave "hanks" (thanks) for "this day" or "this to eat."

Yesterday she surprised us with new content prayer during dinner:

"...Hanks for eating our breakfast.  Hanks for playing at Conner's house.

Hanks for taking me to the playground..."

and another couple lines I couldn't remember :(

It was very cute.

Ssseth was sssix months...

...but now he is over ssseven months.

At his 6 month appointment he was

19 lbs 2.5 oz  (50-75%) and

28.75" long (above 95%)

Time to put the co-sleeper side up.

Seth loves to play the piano.  He'll dive toward it as we walk by,
even if we are far away.  Lately he has been sssinging as he plays.

Our Little Cowboy.  Gotta love those legss!

Random picture of Anika...
She moved the blocks and picture from the shelf and used it
to put her animals to sleep.

Ssseth loves this sssnake!  He used to ssscoot across the room to it.
But now he crawls!!

Seth, friend, and Anika at a splash pad.

Ssseth sssmiling and sssticking out his tongue.

Anika

She climbed out of her crib, so we changed it into a toddler bed...
for a week.  She's back in her crib and things are much better.

Notice the bear sitting on the chair and the monkey  in the boppy :)

Add caption

Sporting her star glasses upside down and her towel robe.

Anika hasn't been taking naps, but she likes to put her dolls and animals to sleep.
She will even turn out the light, close the curtains, turn on the sound machine and night light.
Today she even asked me to be quiet so as to not wake her doll up.

It is so cute when she carefully lays her doll or animal next to her on the pillow as she lays down to sleep.
She makes sure that the blanket covers the doll/animal as well.

We've been swimming and to a few splash pads lately.

Here she is at her cousin's birthday party.  She LOVED going down the slide!

Hardman Reunion

We went to Family Camp at Maple Dell Boy Scout Camp with Nathaniel's siblings and parents.  It was great to see and visit with so many (I think there were over 

40 of us with one family of 7 missing).

This horse was in the area where the adult classes were held.  It was nice to help
Anika pass the time since she wasn't quite old enough for her own age group.

Nothing special but maybe the only picture I have of me there.

Nathaniel making a duct tape wallet, and his sister, Anne, making a duct tape bag.

Anika got to go on a pony ride.  After finishing the loop she told the guide that she was not done yet.
Luckily there were no other kids in line at the time so she got to have two more turns.

Anika on the "beach" with dad and cousin Luke.

Anika out on the "lake" with dad.