And So I Give Thanks.........: Dakota

Showing posts with label Dakota. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Labor Day Weekend

Can I stretch out Labor Day weekend forever?
While I would love to say that we had massive plans and did all sorts of ridiculously fun things - the reality was we did very minimal. We stayed at home, I worked Sunday, and we had a GREAT weekend.

We live in a SUPER touristy area and Labor Day for us marks the end of the CRAZY busy tourist season. I rejoice because it means I can go to the grocery store, Target, out to eat whenever we want {during the busy season we avoid going Friday-Sunday}. While I rejoice at the tourists because we get all sorts of things in town that we otherwise wouldn't be able to support without the tourists. But it is nice to see them go. We can paddle on the lake without having to worry about lots and lots of boat traffic.

Lucy has a new fascination with walking Dakota. SHE LOVES to hold Dakota's leash and walk her, thankfully Dakota is THE MOST PATIENT dog ever and for the most part walks nice and slow next to Lucy. I am not overly certain Dakota really even needs to be on a leash but she is none the less. Lucy now walks about a quarter mile or so before she is EXHAUSTED and then we put her on our backs in a carrier for the rest of the walk.

We stayed at home. We deep cleaned the house. We went on long walks and took hikes at the State Park. We went swimming in the lake. We took long bike rides (Marc went 43 miles, I only went 17 with a friend, but I was hauling a trailer w/ two kids in tow). We ate Zorbaz, as we do every Labor day for dinner. We took naps. We read books. We played with Little People. I crocheted. We went for runs. We hung out. We savored the day. We didn't have to work {for the most part}.

Summer last forever please.
Or perhaps these days last forever.

How was your weekend?

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Lucy's First Year Photobook

This past year I have been rather intentional about keeping up on Lucy's first year photobook, she also got a photobook for her baptism. I knew that there was ZERO chance that I would actually be able to keep up with a "real" scrapbook so I have opted to go with Shutterfly {which I adore}, and if I didn't do it as I went there was NO chance it would happen later. Just about every Sunday night I would update her book making this less of a task and it only took a few minutes each night. I FINALLY just got around to proof reading it and all that good stuff AND shutterfly had a phenomenal sale on books making now the time to order.

Click here to view this photo book larger

I have another book already started for her second year. I can't believe my baby is already one and not a baby any more. Hello Toddler Years! {Lord, have mercy}

In addition to this photo book, I also make one for our family each year. This year I have also begun backing up our videos to youtube and burning them to a dvd. I am afraid that something will happen to our phones and camcorder (yes, we actually still have one and use it) - so I like to back that stuff up.

How do you create scrapbooks?
How do you preserve your memories?
Do you make photo books? What program/website do you like to use?

Saturday, April 11, 2015

4 Years Old

Oh my dearest Dakota,
I can't hardly believe that you are four years old! This year your world was ROCKED with the arrival of Lucy, who you love and adore. You still love to be right next to Lucy at every opportunity. You are SOOOOOOOOOO incredibly patient with Lucy as she gets right up next to you and gets right near you. You adore her too, you follow her around the house and lay right next to her when she is on the floor. You particularly love that she is beginning to eat food and in turn drop food on the floor which you quickly inhale.

The Morris Animal Foundation's Golden Retriever Lifetime Study is now full! You are one of the 3,000 dogs enrolled. I am thankful that you are playing your roll in the benefit of golden retrievers all around the world and for years to come. You LOVE going to the vet, I think because you like to see the other dogs and love your vet and vet techs. Thank you for giving of yourself for the sake of the golden retriever breed.

You continue to be a people lover. You love to be around people, to be pet by people and particularly LOVE kids. Your tail wags and wags and wags some more when we are around people. Your best friends are Duncan (another Lifetime study hero) and Echo (both golden retrievers), and Nala (your cousin if you could call it so).

Your favorite humans are Marc, Lucy, me, KT, JT, and Vicki. You love to be with us and while you always start out the night sleeping on the floor - sometime early in the morning you always crawl up on Marc's side of the bed and snuggle in. Once we bring Lucy into bed before we get moving in the morning you crawl right up next to her and she rubs her hand all over your face and slightly tugs on your ears.

You love to go on runs with Marc and I and you love to explore in the state park behind our house. In the summer months you love to swim in the lake and alongside our kayaks. If you can be outside that is definitely your favorite. You also do well when we go camping - you love the chance to just be outside as often as possible.
You truly are a gift to our family and we wouldn't be the same without you. Love you!

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

March Photodump

She is growing up SOOOO FAST

She LOVES this ball

New favorite food: Mum Mums

Love us some baby wearing #Tula

I swear she has to be close to teething -
she is chewing on EVERYTHING

Happy all of the time

Sleepy Dakota

Last year all three of these babes were in utero
Lucy (8.5 months), Jonah (4 months), Mac (almost 1)

New Bohemia pretzel

LOVED baby

Uncle Cubby

Family

FINALLY able to get outside and get running

playing with Dad

#roadtrip

Sometimes at 10:00pm you just need brownies

Worth it to bundle her up to run outside

I can't believe that she is already 8 months
trying to savor every minute

How was your March?

What were your highlights?

Thursday, March 5, 2015

8 Months Old

Lucy is EIGHT MONTHS OLD. WHOOOP WHOOP. These monthly pictures are getting more and more challenging with each passing month - however, I am stubborn (as I fear is my sweet little girl) and I will continue - however, I make no promises on what you will get. She is now massively wiggly. SHE LOVES to play with her toes and once I get her in the onesie with her toes exposed they are all that she wants (she doesn't see her toes much these days in northern Minnesota - they are always covered by footie pjs or socks or some type of pants with feet). Some day we will once again be able to go outside and not have to worry about layering up in 12,001 layers and have to make our outdoor trek at rapid as possible.

It was a tough month around here with Lucy getting RSV as well as a massive cold and then a double ear infection. Although I must admit even given those things she was still fairly happy. She never did the pulling on the ear thing with her ear infection and despite the fever she ran for a few days she still remained pretty happy (THANK GOD). I *think* we are over it all - she still gets her nebulizer treatments a few times a day but we are working on spacing them out a bit more. I am nervous to cut them off cold turkey. Here's hoping that we are past most of this illness and we are moving onto healthier days. {I think every kid at daycare had something during this past month, Lucy getting sick was inevitable} Marc managed to get sick and stay home from work one day with a nasty cold/head/sinus deal. I also got sick for a few days but not sick enough to miss work {one day I may have considered going into work late if it hadn't been a Sunday}.

Lucy is currently rocking anywhere between 0 to 3 month clothes and 6 month clothes, if it has feet or is a one piece of any type (pjs, onesie outfits w/ full legs) she definitely needs the 6 month size because she is so long, but the width is HUGE on her. She continues to LOVE Dakota and tracks her around the room. Dakota has even taken to choosing to lay down right next to Lucy. Lucy is working on sitting up and depending on how tired she is can successfully sit for small bits of time before toppling over. She STILL isn't rolling from her back to her belly {I am convinced that if she wanted to she probably could do it she just isn't motivated enough to do it}. This month Lucy spent the night with Grandma KT while Marc and I went and spent an overnight in St. Cloud (THANKS MOM, the sleep was long overdue). Lucy continues to get up anywhere between 3 and 5 times a night to eat. Lucy LOVES daycare and loves her daycare lady as well as the other kids. Lucy also got to spend a weekend with Marc while I was on a retreat {Lucy's first time with dad for both Friday & Saturday night}. We keep exposing her to more and more foods, she does really well with them sometimes and then others she has no interest. She is still getting 99% of her nutrition through milk {which is 100% okay with me}.

Lucy LOVES taking a bath and swimming {if the pool is warm} which makes us excited for summer. Her other favorites are her Mickey Mouse stuffed animal, her stuffed baby golden retriever, a stuffed doll, her jumping/bouncy chair, little people {particularly the snow white & grumpy, the donkey & the sheep from the manger scene}, and one of my kitchen spoons. Lucy finds it hilarious still when we fake sneeze or if we have the hiccups. I anticipate any day now she will go from immobile to crawling - she is massively interested in everything that is going on around her and wants to be smack dab in the middle of it. Lucy really is a happy baby in the overall, the only things that anger her are: a wet or dirty diaper {which she will want changed AS SOON AS IT HAPPENS}, if she is hungry, or if she is being left out of the action.