Apologies and Pictures!

Hello, All!

I want to apologize up front for being absent the past 6 months.  I blame it on my iPhone.  I do everything on it.  Well...everything except update my blog.

This is going to be very random with a little organization mixed in.  I'm going to start by plugging in some picks from last fall.  It seems so far away now.  Days when we didn't need to be bundled up to go outside!  Ahhhhh...those days will be here again before I know it!

Anyway, here are some picks from our trip to the Carver County Fair last August...


Michael and Cousins Claire and Daniel checking out the giraffe in the petting zoo.

Michael and Tippy the cow.  He's not a fan!

Michael looking at our friend, Gail's goats!

He loves the cows! (Even when he fell down!)

Michael and Godfather Andy

We got to watch Cousin Ava show her calf with help from her Dad.




We also were lucky enough to spend some time with friends...

Mommy and Michael at the dinosaur exhibit we went to with Mommy's friend Tasha and her kiddos

Michael and Miss Maci at the zoo! 

It was too hot to go outside, so we played at the mall instead.  Michael tried to steal Maci's blanket.

The Butterfly Exhibit at the zoo.

Trying to beat the heat at the zoo's splash pad.

Michael and Maci (We like the zoo.  Can you tell?)

Switching things up and going to the zoo with cousins Daniel and Claire and Auntie Dawn.

Claire and Michael with the bears!

A day at the park!  He LOVED it!!!

September was a pretty low key month...

Mommy and Michael at a parade in Jordan.  After this parade he started making the firetruck noise.
"WooooooWOOWOOWOOOWOOO"

Michael and Daddy

Drinking, driving and giving knuckles.
Looks like we have some teaching to do!!!

In October we did the usual October-type things...

M trying to hide in order to avoid a diaper change.

Trying on Daddy's cap

M and Harley - Buddies!!! (most of the time)

Relaxing in his couch

Supper with Mommy, Daddy and Auntie Peg

He insisted on eating with his hat on!
(As my dad would say "He's got a sh!t-eating grin on his face!)

We tried to take advantage of the weather and take some cute fall photos!

M and Cousin Ava

The first attempt at trying on the costume.  It didn't go well!

M with Papa and Nana - the cop and the prisoner - at Trunk or Treat.
They had "Pieper's Portable Prison"!

Papa and Nana with 4 of the 6 grandchildren

There was a TON of other happenenings in October, mostly centering around the demolition on my Mom and Dad's barn and their 3 silos.  I have many, many pictures of that, but it will have to be in another post. 

I know that where I am leaving off is still 4 months behind, but I hope you'll forgive me!  I'll try to be back sooner rather than later to fill you in on the rest!

I know you are just dying to know more!  Hehehe!

Thanks for checking in and for the requests for updates.  Again, I'm sorry I haven't been better about keeping updated.  Who knew that having a toddler would be so much work?  Oh, wait!  I did!  And I'm loving (almost) every minute of it!

A Busy July!!!

Well, I gotta say, I'm getting a little better!  It's only August 7th and I am already posting for July! 

July was very busy, but I must have been slacking in the picture department cause I only have pictures from a few events!  Don't worry...there are plenty of pictures from those  events though! :)

The beginning of July, we opted not to go to a family get-together with my family since a couple of my nieces had been exposed to hand, foot and mouth disease.  Well, the joke was on me, cause a few days after that gathering, Michael was diagnosed with H, F and M.  It intially started with a mild temp and worsening diaper rash including some pustule type things...not good!  I took him into the pediatrician, she took one look at his rash and said it was H, F and M.  She then looked down his throat and he had "horrendous" canker sores all the way down his throat!  No wonder he was so miserable!  Thank goodness it only lasted for a short time!  Unfortunately, we missed some other fun acivities including all of Belle Plaine BBQ days festivities.  Oh, well.  There's always next year!

The good news is that since he had tubes put in his ears, he hasn't had one ear infection!  I know it's only been a month, but I'm optimistic!

We had a spur-of-the-moment gathering with all of my sisters and their kiddos.

All the cousins!

We went to the McDonald's playplace!  Michael was not too thrilled with going down the slide.

My newest nephew, Gavin!  Isn't he adorable?!?!?

We went to the Scott County Fair!  I must be a bit of a "fair snob" cause I was not impressed, but Michael had fun looking at all the animals and riding on the tractors!

The BIG Percheron horses! 

Mchael liked the goats the best.  He tried to pick this one's nose!

All smiles!

"How much does this thing cost?"

Every year, we have the Pieper Picnic to celebrate my Grandpa's birthday and have a family reunion.  The weather was perfect and we got to see a lot of new cousins!  See Gavin in the picture above?  Well, the Pieper's have been busy cause there have been 2 babies born since he arrived!  We got to meet one of them at the picnic and the other was too new to join us.  Congrats to all my cousins and their precious little ones!

Playing ladder golf with Daddy

My Grandpa and his kids!
Mike (my dad), Ray, Frank
Mary, Jean, Julie, Tony
Trese, Kathy, Grandpa, Carol



The Birthday Boy and his cake...91 years old!!!

His first taste of birthday cake!

My Family!!!
James and Wyatt, Rob and Michael, Jayde, Tony and Brooklyn, Andy and Ava
Jen, Dee, Dad holding Gavin, Mom, Katherine, Jodene

We actually got a family picture!



My Gorgeous parents!

Grandpa used to play horsehoes, but for today, the bean bag toss had to do!

It has been a very busy, but very fun July!

It was great to spend so much time with family and friends!

June in pictures...

As promised (or feared) here is a recap of June!

The night of my birthday, I went in to check on him before I went to bed.  I found him like this!

Yet another fever and ear infection.  Poor little guy just looks miserable!
 Daddy puts Holy Water on his head for a blessing when he doesn't feel good.  He grabbed the bottle and held it to  his head!
My good little Catholic boy!

Michael's First Haircut

June 22, 2012

Dawn's Salon in Belle Plaine by Auntie Dawn!!!

All set for my haircut!  Check out my rain gutters behind my ears!

He was bribed with chicken nuggets!  He also hated the cape, so we went au naturale!

All done!  Thank you Auntie Dawn!

The finished product!  He looks like such a little man now!

We got a new pool!

 We celebrated Daddy's Birthday and Grandma and Grandpa Polingo's Anniversary!

Michael and Grandma

Michael and Godfather Joey

Michael and Daddy with Grandma and Grandpa Polingo

Michael painted a surprise picture for Daddy's birthday!
(He wasn't crazy about the paint on hs hands!)

Love this one!  He looks a little devilish though :)

Checkin' myself out in the mirror after my bath!

Michael got tubes in his ears on June 28, 2012

due to too many ear infections and antibiotics!

Trying to get his ID and allergy bands off!

Playing with a new car Papa and Nana brought me after my ear tubes were put in.

I was going to add July to this post as well, but it got too long again!

At least I'm getting better at taking pictures!

Don't fear, I'm sure a July update will soon follow!

Where does the time go?

Someone mentioned that they hadn't seen an updated post for a while.

I'll admit, I've been slacking.  You see...I got this new thing called an iPhone.  Since I got it, I barely open the laptop anymore.  It's just too easy to check facebook and email on the phone!  I finally decided that I really need to update.  Too much has happened so far this summer...

I hate to say it, and feel free to turn away now, but here come a ton of pictures...

Some from April....

You were warned!

We went to the zoo with Papa Peeps...

It was still cold in April.  It's tough to remember just how chilly now that we're at the end of July!

Papa teaching Michael how to drive the tractor!

We got Michael's first pair of shoes...

He was thrilled...can't you tell???

Michael started doing tricks with his sippy cup and eating with a fork!!!

Mommy got a day/evening away with the girls!

The 6 of us can have fun anywhere!!!  Even on a pontoon under the awning while a thunderstorm keeps us at the dock!
Hence, "the drowned rat" look I got going!

Don't ask...  (told ya, Jan!)

Michael and Mommy took Cousin Ava to the zoo!

Tough "Farm Girl" Ava!

Watching the bird show

Ava showing Michael the fish in the new coral reef!

Okay, so this is already crazy-long!

Unfortunately it only brings me to the end of May.

I'll spare you the rest until a later date.

Thanks for checking in!
Rob, Jen and Michael