Where the heck did July go...and August is 1/2 gone.

Wow, any further delay and I could have missed July and August blog updates!

For several weeks before the sandal season started, I began asking Ashley if I could paint her toes. She wasn't interested. Then Daddy's softball games started and we started seeing our friends at the games each week and Maddy and Violet always had pretty toes. Then to my surprise on June 28th, Ashley told me she wanted her toenails painted and with a flower like Mommy's pretty toes. So I set up her little Elmo chair on the kitchen floor and we began painting her toes. I told her she had to sit very still and she waited so patiently. We then painted her fingernails and again she sat so patiently while they were drying. Not even a smudge! When I told her she could get up she said she wanted to go look in the mirror and she ran back to my bedroom to look in the mirror. Then she ran into her bedroom and stuck her hands between her crib rails getting her fingernails right in front of her little kitty (named Chloe) eyes and she said, "look Chloe, pretty nails!" Then she grabbed teddy bear out of her crib and went running to our family room. She sat teddy bear on our couch and laid him down and said "put to bed teddy bear" then "want juicy?" then "Come with?" Just like her mommy does. (Occasionally when Ashley wakes up in the middle of the night she wants some juice and then she tells me she wants to come with to get it. Then we sit on the couch and snuggle for a few minutes then back to bed. It's funny... because I am writing memories from the end of June, I sit here amazed at how much has changed...we no longer get juice before bed or have any juice in the middle of the night now that we are actively potty training. She still asks though, as if she's teasing me or testing me.

Here is Ashley on the 4th of July wearing a pretty new sundress from Grandma Sue.


Matt and I took Ashley to her first parade on July 4th. We were joined by Grandma & Grandpa Johnson and Auntie Angie, Uncle Erik and cousin Jessica. We went to the annual Forest Lake parade. This was very nostalgic for me as my mom brought us kids up to the Forest Lake parade every year for many, many years. We would be joined by many cousins and our grandparents and then we would go to great grandmas house for a picnic afterwards. Great grandma's house used to be right on Broadway...now it is White Castle.

Ashley LOVED all of the candy and mini donuts and fun trinkets she got from all of the floats. The Forest Lake parade had over 100 floats...or I guess they weren't all floats but over 100 participating cars with politicians, firetrucks etc.

The afternoon of the 4th we joined our friends at the annual 4th of July BBQ at the Carlson cabin. It was there that Ashley enjoyed her first time down a big inflatable water slide. She also enjoyed swimming in the nice shallow clean waters of Green Lake. Evening quickly approached and we prepared her with a glow in the dark necklace compliments of the Carlson's and then we cooked S'mores over the campfire and watched the fireworks all around the lake - all of these things her first time experiencing them. We didn't get home until after 11pm and she did so good. She talked for days and days about April's party, fireworks and S'mores. It was a great day.

Snuggling by the campfire, wearing our glow in the dark necklaces.

To kick off the Karl Oscar day festivities, we participated in the Karl Oscar Days Kiddie Parade with a group of our friends...all with the last name Johnson. Pictured is a few of the Johnson kids. Ashley as a princess, Henry as Captain Hook, Jada as a cheerleader and Violet as Tinkerbel with a mustache like the Captain. For those of you who have never been to a kiddie parade, the kids are the ones who walk and pass out the candy to the on looking parents and grandparents. They had a blast.

At the end of the 2 block parade the kids replenished with juice boxes and cookies.

July 17th we took Grandpa and Grandma's RV to the Interstate Park for a night of camping with our friends the Brooks'. We had planned for both of our families to sleep in separate RV's, but the park only had 1 spot available so we all packed in to our RV - 4 adults, 2 toddlers and 2 dogs. Other than the late bedtime for the girls and the clickity clicking of dog feet on the linolium all night, it was very fun. Ashley now understands that rule of campfires. If there is a campfire, there is also marshmallows and chocolate. She loves chocolate.

Daddy & Ashley at the campsite.

Ashley & Maddy enjoying S'mores! Just look at these big girls in their camping chairs eating S'mores.

We didn't have to check out until 4pm from our campsite and we were right on the river so we spent some time lounging as Ashley & Maddy threw rocks into the river.

Ashley discovers the raspberry bushes at Grandpa & Grandma Johnson's. I had a bucket and showed her the ropes of raspberry picking but she didn't get a single raspberry into the bucket. She ate every one she picked...plus most of the raspberries I picked too.

On July 24th we went to support Grandma Sue in the Relay for Life walk. We made it for the opening ceremony and then stayed until the lighting of the luminary bags. It was an amazing event filled with lots of emotions. This was another event Ashley talked about for days. We referred to the event as Grandma's Party Relay for Life. On Monday the note from daycare stated Ashley loved telling stories about jumping in a castle (inflatable castle) at Grandma's party. She also told her teacher that Grandma came over to go swimming. By this she was referring to her Grandma Terry who had come over to go water skiing. Ashley watched in amazement from the boat as Grandma Terry skied on one ski and sprayed up all that water. I was so impressed when I got the note from daycare as everything she had talked about was a real event from her weekend. She now talks about her weekends. WILD! My baby is no longer a baby.

July 29th, I left for my annual girls weekend. Before I left we went to daddy's last softball game. Before we went to daddy's softball game I snapped this adorable shot of Ashley. Yes, those are hot pink cowboy boots..also known as cowboats if you ask Ashley.

My big girl.

What else is new? Well be sure to check back soon for some very exciting milestones that we have made in August but first we must catch up on July... Ashley loves to play peek a boo. She puts her hands over her eyes (and peeks through the gaps in her fingers) and then pulls her hands down from her face and says "peek a boo" which is then always followed by her saying, "want to play again"? Ashley also likes to play hide and seek, although she just likes the suspense of it. She doesn't understand who is hiding or who is seeking but she loves to hide in what ever spot I just used as my hiding spot. As I mentioned, we have been actively potty training which has made for some very funny moments in the bathroom with her. I discovered that when she goes number 2, she puts her arms out in a tight flexed position and then makes the funniest pushing face I have ever seen. She now can recreate this funny face even if she isn't going #2. On July 30th, the note from her teacher Molly at daycare stated the following: Ashley is starting to become quite the actor. She is now trying to fool me when it's nap time. She is trying to squint her eyes shut and breathe heavy to make me think she's asleep. Then she peeks her eyes open to see if I'm still next to her. Funny!

She is so much fun. We laugh and play and snuggle and this is just a wonderful age.