New York, August 2012

We had a great time visiting Papa Mike in New York and seeing where Steve grew up, meeting his friends, and making new friends. We can't wait to go back!

on the tiny plane from Chicago to Rochester--Steve was across the aisle

Day 1, already driving the boat

Day 2, driving Jim's boat because ours wouldn't start

enjoying the ride

eating a snack on the boat

Afraid in the water, thank you so much disastrous swim lessons!

tubing, after she swore up and down she never would, including throwing a fit

loving her new surrogate grandma, Linda

Emily and Jill, best buddies

The National Museum of Play is amazing. You should all go. Right now. There are no words.

First glimpse of the Street

riding in the Sesame Street taxi with Amelia and Owen

driving Owen around Sesame Street

at the theatre with Bert and Ernie

Jill is a person in your neighborhood...

puppet show, courtesy of the three amigos

shopping at Wegmans, making Daddy proud

Don't forget your receipt!

posing with Batgirl at the Superhero exhibit

Whack a Foe!

The Berenstain Bears with their two newest children

carousel riders

having a sleepover with Big Bird

riding the train

We had a ton of fun in Ithaca with our friends. Can't wait to go back to take Jill to Cornell!

Former and future Ithaca graduates

Prior to this trip, Jill had been too afraid to jump off of anything. Not anymore!

Buttermilk Falls...not really falling

swimming in Seneca Lake

enjoying a ride on the third boat of our trip

Jill, Steve, Tom

The Family Baer on a boat

Jill and Karen  "Karen," (sob), "I wish you could be my mom!"  Thanks, Jill.  Thanks a lot.

After our overnight trip we enjoyed some more time at Papa Mike's house.

sunset over Conesus Lake

driving us to dinner

naps and stories on the boat before dinner

Steve's hometown is the cutest thing I've ever seen. It's Mayberry, for real and true.

climbing at Daddy's elementary school playground

playing at school

Steve's hometown...we bought lemonade from the little stand in the bottom corner of the picture

feeding the ducks and pigeons

visting Stone-Tolan House's orchard

We couldn't leave without celebrating with a cookie cake for Steve's birthday!

None of us was ready to leave, but we had to go. Until next time, NY!

Filling the boot at ROC

enjoying her first Dunkin Donut on the plane to Chicago

sunset over Rochester

July 2012

In no particular order, since this is so late and I'm lazy, here is our July. We had some good fun last month!

New shoes on the 4th of July

So lucky to have Rachel visiting us AND going to the mall with us too!

Ready to celebrate with Dee and Pop

waiting patiently for them to arrive

preparing the corn

Enjoying the Firefighter Family Picnic at the zoo

Caspar Babypants played the picnic! Last year we went to a concert of his on Steve's birthday, and this year he played on my birthday! We are very lucky.

Good buddies

Silly girl

Ready to try her hand at fishing

Daddy, Jill, and the Tinkerbell fishing pole

swim lessons, during a nice moment

releasing the butterflies

swim lessons, day 2, getting dunked (her choice!)

visiting Daddy at work...I LOVE their expressions

Jill got an archery set for her birthday and LOVES it!

tea party with Mrs. Fisher Cat

Jill and Mrs. Fisher Cat

Putting her face in the water after a complete FREAK OUT.
This ended up being our last day of swim lessons because Jill was paralyzed by the fear of getting her face we.  We may or may not be doing swim lessons again in the future, depending upon how badly this experience scarred her.  It was my fault.  I told her she'd have a special surprise each time she put her face in the water.  It worked really well the first two times, but by day 3 she was punching herself in the stomach before class because "I am trying to get the nervous feeling out of my tummy."  No one got her face wet without her permission, but she was the only kid in class not doing it, so I was trying to motivate her.  Oops.  By day six she was screaming through half of the lesson, so we pulled the plug after day 8.  I told her the last two days were cancelled because she would have lost it had she known she was missing class, even though she didn't want to be there.  Ever her mother's daughter...

impromptu parade with recorder and triangle

Complete with sound. You're welcome.

Happy Birthday, Pop!

So proud of her writing skills

at our other zoo for a birthday party and free carousel rides

Posing with me on my birthday, after the picnic. They were so sweet on my birthday!  Before we went to the picnic, they told me we had to go to the mall to get Steve some new underwear.  :)  In truth I got to pick out a dress for my birthday.  Jill was insistent that she wanted to get me a dress and that I needed a birthday surprise.  Done and done!

on a nature hike with Daddy

making spaghetti sauce with Mommy