cousins

Josh and Anna watching Christian play a computer game

Christian playing with the babies

It's impossible to get 4 kids smiling and looking the same direction at one time, lol!

zoo trip

Took the kids to the zoo with aunt Megan, uncle Joe, Christian and Jackson when they came to visit this week. The kids had lots of fun running around and we got to see the new baby giraffe and the baby elephant!

petting the "kitty" 

watching the baby elephant

 

Happy birthday Anna!

Here are some pictures from Anna's birthday


She got a box in the mail from nana Cook and was perfectly happy with just the box, didn't care what was inside :)

 opening the present from mommy and daddy  (just clothes I made her)

 From nana and papa Cook, handmade Amish doll and bonnet

 and of course Josh had to try it on!

 she loved the bag that the doll came in.  we had to keep taking it away so she would open something else

 opening a tea set from nana and papa Cook

 there's the bag again!

mushing up her birthday cake.  She really wasn't interested in eating it at all.  She had a few bites while I was making it, but didn't' want any now....

We didn't get a picture before we cut the cake, so here it is with a few pieces missing....  I was going to make cupcakes but Josh cried because he wanted to make her a banana shaped cake (Anna Banana).  So I made 2 rounds, cut out a banana from one, cut the other in 1/2 and stacked it.  

 modeling the dress Aunt Vicky sent

 

 Playing with her tea set last night.  First, she dumped it all out...

Then she had to investigate it.  She was determined that the saucer should fit on top of the cup and tried for the longest time to get it to work.  It was so cute!

And of course, climbing IN the box...

Happy birthday baby girl!

I can't believe it's been a year already!  Happy birthday Anna!!  

newborn 

 

 

3 months

 6 months

9 months

1 year old!!

More pickles

I found these pictures on the camera today, Mike took them so I really don't know what was going on. He looks pretty unimpressed about those pickles though.

Oh look, there's dad

wait, that looks a little more like a boy who's excited about pickles

this one just says "mmmm.... pickles!!"

and when did my kiddo start looking so grown up???

Corn!

We had some corn on the cob tonight for dinner from a local roadside stand.  I gave Anna some of the other food we were having but she kept screaming and reaching for me so I jokingly offered her my corn.  She got all excited and started taking bites out of it.  I started off helping her...

Then she took over and did it herself...

and did a pretty good job of it!

After seeing my pictures, my mom sent me this one of me and my father when I was about the same age (1977)