Munsinger Gardens

Munsinger Gardens is a beautiful garden here that is free and open to the public. It is right along the Mississippi River and it is mostly shaded by trees, so it has been the perfect spot for an afternoon out this summer. Here are a few pictures from our first trip there in July.

Labor Day weekend we invited our preacher Justin, his wife Amy, and their daughters Allyson and Lauren up to visit. We went to the gardens then had them over for dinner.

This is what happens when you try to get three silly girls to take a picture!

Amy and the girls, I could not believe I got a picture with everyone looking and almost smiling-ish :)

We came across some ducks... We heard a lot of quacking, but mostly from Brynne instead of the ducks, haha!

 

 

 

 

The girls posed really cute by this tree as we were getting ready to leave... By the time we got the cameras out this was all we got!

And of course Brynne couldn't be left out!

 

We enjoy making trips to the gardens and having our friends here. Now that fall is almost here we plan to start making trips out to St. Joseph to see the leaves changing and visiting pumpkins patches and apple orchards!



Wordless Wednesday

Crack Kills...

Last week we were playing and Brynne kept pushing her diaper down in the back... I tried to tell her crack kills, but she didn't seem to mind, haha!

Then she was making all these crazy faces...






I like how blue her eyes are here!


Brynne really knows how to accesorize... Maybe a little too much, ha!




Hopefully later in life she will learn that less is usually more :)




She was trying to get away from the camera, but I got her!


I promise there is a diaper in there somewhere!



It may be a while before I update again because I can't find my camera battery charger and both batteries are completely dead!

New Toys

Shortly after we got back from TN, I bought Brynne a baby doll stroller and bathtub.

She liked showing off her brute strength!

Apparently she thought she was the baby doll since she tossed her's aside! And notice she is washing her knee, haha!

She must think it's quite a comfy seat...

She has finally realized the baby fits in the bathtub a little better than she does and will often give her baby a bath. She is also becoming quite fond of pushing the stroller ALL over the apartment, but she prefers to leave the baby behind!

Summertime!

An area in our town, called Lake George, has a weekly concert and festival on Wednesdays during the summer! A couple of weeks ago we decided to go check it out.

There is a playground, splash pad and all sorts of food vendors. The concert started a little too late for us, but we enjoyed walking around and seeing everything.

Brynne is still not too sure about the splash pad! She seemed to love the idea of it, but wouldn't actually get close enough to get wet, haha!

They had a nice little play area for the little kids, but I couldn't figure out how to work it! At least there was a little water left to splash in!

On thing Brynne will never pass up is a swing! She loves it!!

We grabbed some hamburgers and ice cream before heading home, Brynne loves hamburgers!

Could she be any more relaxed?! Haha!

It was definitely something fun and different for a weeknight! Maybe we can make it one more time before the end of the summer!

18 Months!!

Brynne is 18 months old! I had every intention of posting this last Thursday when she turned 18 months, however this definitely did not turn out how I planned! Thursday afternoon Brynne's temperature spiked quickly and caused her to have a febrile seizure! Fortunately they are harmless and only last a minute or two, but it was still the scariest thing I have ever witnessed. She was admitted to the hospital overnight for observation and we went home Friday morning. They think a virus is what caused the fever spike. Thankfully after a LOT of sleeping this weekend, she is feeling much better and almost back to normal!

After we got home, I got her a new toy for doing so well in the hospital. She wanted to help me put it together!

She was concentrating really hard, haha!

I could tell the hospital experience made her much more upset than usual at her 18 month appointment today. She was poked and proded so much and was less than thrilled about it happening again! She had a good report and we don't go back until she's two!

Here are her stats:
28 lbs 2 oz-94%
33.5 in-91%
49.5 cm-100% (still has a big noggin!)

It's hard to believe she is halfway through her second year! We have had a busy, busy three months. We had our big trip to TN, which included her first trip to the zoo, she cut SIX teeth, started going to the big girl Sunday School class at church, and so much more!

She has also started making funny faces or tilting her head to the side when I try to take her picture, silly girl!

We had a great trip to TN, posts coming as soon as I figure out a new way to post (I ran out of space :(  )! Brynne had a great time seeing all her family and playing with her cousins.

Brynne cut three molars, plus one other tooth during the five weeks we were in TN. Then she cut the fourth molar the week we got back! Now it looks like her bottom eye teeth are about to come through. Hopefully after those and her top eye teeth, we will get a break before her two year molars!! There has been lots of drool, lots of chewing, and lots of whining, but overall she hasn't done too bad!

Her most favorite thing to do is still reading her books! I am pretty sure I could take away all of her toys and she wouldn't care as long as she had her books.

She is finally starting to say a few more words. She says hi, eye, bye bye (bye or bye, bye, bye), teeth, bubble, uh-oh, Bible, and a few other I can't think of right now. She will also try to repeat something if I ask her, sometimes it resembles the word I said, sometimes it's not even close! I know before long I won't be able to shut her up, haha!

This age is so fun as Brynne learns so much everyday!

Brynne's Room

Brynne's room is the only one in our apartment that has any sort or decoration! I have no decorating abilities so everything else will probably always be plain and boring. I do really like Brynne's room though, so maybe someday I will be inspired to do another room, haha!

It only took 16 months, but here is her room:

This shelf was made by my grandfather. The green dress was my mom's (hanging on a hanger that was hers too), the two dresses on the right and the long jumper were Aunt Stephanie's, and the other pink dress was given to Brynne at one of my showers. The big picture frame is pictures of my dad as a baby, the little one is my mom, and then Brynne coming home from the hospital. Little booties were made by my aunt and the hat is what she wore home from the hospital (made by me).

Different fabrics from her room in embroidery hoops.

Curtain made by my mom and I and the chair cushions covers and pillows made by my mom!

The memo board turned bow holder was made by one of my former co-workers. Again the pillows were made by Granny!

I am sure things will change here and there, but I am glad it's finally done!

Now tomorrow we are headed to Tennessee! I am so excited to see all our friends, family, and especially my new niece or nephew!! We are mostly packed and ready to go!