John Ball Zoo

This morning Mommy and Grandma took me to John Ball Zoo! I got to see lots of animals. The first ones we saw were those silly sleepy flamingos. They stand on one leg and tuck their head under their feathers. I was just amazed that they did not fall over. The white pelicans were cleaning their feathers and not interested in looking at me. After looking at the Bald Eagles for a while we went on and parked the stroller by the aquarium.
We thought we were going to go look at the penguins but Mommy went the wrong way and we ended up walking through the explorers exhibit. We saw wallabies and one of them had a joey in her pouch. Then I talked to a bunch of different birds and a Great Horned Owl who was awake.
I played on a big wooden train and I wanted it to pull me so bad.
I saw the bigger kids going out on a cool ropes course that Mommy said I could go on when I was older. I saw goats, turkeys, and chickens at the petting zoo. Mommy wouldn't let me pet them though. Then we went off and I saw a big parrot and some turtles. I even got to go under a waterfall. I love waterfalls! I found lots of them all over the park. We then headed back to the aquarium so that we all could see the penguins. I loved watching them swim all over the place. They would dive down deep and then come up to the surface and swim around. I so wanted to jump in the water with them.
I got to see the tide pool and watch the water come in and then go back out. After the aquarium we went to see the otters but they weren't out. Mommy was sad because she likes watching the otters swim around. The Big Brown Bear and the Grizzly Bear were up and roaming around. I think that they wanted to go inside but they couldn't. Then we went past the tiger cage but he was sleeping like a lot of the other animals we had tried to see. So we moved on and Grandma bought us tickets to ride a camel.

Mommy and I got up and rode a camel. Her name was Angel and she was 7 years old. I was scared at first and I didn't want to get up on her. Mommy got on first and then I got on. Grandma took lots of videos and pictures of us up on the camel. I had a lot of fun and I even wanted to ride the other camel that was sitting there.
On our way back down we saw that the tiger had gotten up from her nap and was walking around. She was pacing in front of the windows. I got to see her up close. Then we went on to see the lions, but they were sleeping and so were most of the chimps and gorillas. We did walk through the reptile house even though Mommy didn't want to. I saw big snakes, turtles, and iguanas. Then it was back out to see the little monkeys. Most of them were asleep but one did a little swinging from the ropes.On our way out we stopped to see the pelicans again and they got up close to me and almost tried to grab my hat off of my head.
(Here we are posing by a family of penguins. A nice zoo worker took our picture.
Then Mommy said that I had to have my picture taken down by the statue of John Ball just like she did when she was a little girl.

I'm going to be an explorer too!

Party/Wedding

Me with my Great Aunt's and Grandma! It was a little windy out by the corn fields.
Me and my Krista girl! I asked Mommy the whole way to MI from WI if I was going to see Krista.
Grandma Sara and all of her brother and sister and her Mom.

I got to go to a wedding this past weekend. Okay, so I took a super long nap and made Mommy and Uncle Chris miss the wedding, but we did go to the reception. Most of Mommy's cousins and all of her Aunts and Uncle were there. I had so much fun at the party as I called it. We got to eat first, which was so nice. I had yummy potatoes, chicken, and a roll. After I finished eating Mommy took me outside to play on the big playground that was right next to the church. I went up and down the slide, played on the swings, and threw rocks. I even played with lots of my second cousins while Mommy was talking to her cousins. When we went inside for cake, I ate my cheese cake quickly and then I went running off to find Krista and Baby Belle. I even got in a few dance moves while the Bride and Groom were dancing together. The best part of the night for me was playing upstairs with all of the toys and being able to look down at everyone else.

This morning Uncle Chris and Grandpa Buck went and played golf. Mommy, Grandma, and I walked to park at Mommy's old elementary school. There were a lot of kids there and I got to play with them it was a lot fun. Mommy helped to put in that playground when she worked as a janitor at the school. She told me funny stories about what she use to play as a little girl on that playground during school.

Last night Great Uncle Ken, and Great Aunt Ruth came over for supper and a fire. I liked sitting by the fire. I wanted to go back to our campsite. Mommy told me that we couldn't do that.

Tomorrow, I think we are going to the John Ball Zoo! I can't wait to see all the animals!

Last Weekend

Mommy, Daddy, and I have been very busy this week. So busy that we didn't have time to blog about last weeks visit with Grandpa Gil and Grandma Alina. They arrived early on Friday afternoon. I had not even fallen asleep yet for my nap. Last week I moved into my big boy bed and the transition has not gone very smoothly.

I get up and play or read books for hours. On Friday when Grandpa and Grandma arrived, Mommy caught me playing in the guest bedroom closet. I jumped down from a plastic tub just as Mommy opened the door and the metal piece caught just under my eye. Another cut under the eye and it was the same eye as the last two times. Mommy was worried but it wasn't too bad just a scratch. After I calmed down Daddy laid with me until I fell asleep.

When I woke up we all went out to the our garden at the Greenfield's. I had fun playing in the dirt and swinging on the swings. On Saturday we hung around the house and played outside. I loved playing with the garbage truck that Grandpa Gil brought me. Before they got to the house I had asked Mommy if Grandpa was going to bring me a present. She told me that I wasn't going to get anything. She was wrong!

4th of July Pentathlon at the Buchholz's

Eating my yummy, 4th of July flag cookie on Great Grandma B's lap.

Blowing my whistle and playing in the water.

Grandma Sara and Grandpa Buck hosted the Terpstra family for the 4th of July. Grandma thought we need to have a bunch of games to play so the 1st Annual Buchholz Pentathlon was started. We played 7 holes of Frisbee Golf, Golf, Ladder Ball, Soccer, and Croquet. It was a really fun time.

I played all of the sports, I really like trying to hit the golf balls into the basket and croquet. Mommy feed me an early lunch and then it was time for my nap. I slept for a long time and every one had arrived. Mommy came in to check on me and found that I had some how gotten my arms out of my shirt and pushed down around my waist. A little while later Mommy came back and I was kind of waking up and Mommy asked me if I wanted to join the party. I said no at first and then I found out Bob, Marj, Ruth, and baby Isabelle were here. I had to get up and see them . My new friend of the day with Krista, I wanted to be by me when ever I did anything. I even got to show her a toad in Grandma's backyard.

We had a very yummy lunch/supper this afternoon. The best part of the flag cookie that Mommy made. I wanted to have more and more. Then after everyone had gone home, Mommy and Daddy took me on a bike ride around the neighborhood.

Sleeping Bear Dunes Camping!

Fishing for the first time with Mommy's old fishing pole. I fished off of a little dock into the Platte River.I had a great time last week camping with Grandpa Buck, Grandma Sara, Daddy, and Mommy. We did tons of fun things, like swiw in Lake Michigan, it was a bit cold. I like swimming in the Platte River better. I found tons of rocks, used my big shovel to dig holes and splash water. We even got to see a family of loons swim by. They swim really fast, Mommy has a very funny video of that. We on hikes up cliffs and looked down at the pretty water. I said it was "awesome". I chased after chipmunks or as called them "chipymunks", or "chunckymunks". We all saw deer in the woods and I got to see lots of wild turkeys. We had a raccoon try and get into our stuff. He didn't get anything and I think he was kind of mad about that.

Jumping of the top of a 450 foot drop to Lake Michigan. It looks like we were jumping into thin air!

We even went to Mommy's favorite store Cherry Republic a few different times. I love eating chocolate covered dried cherries. My favorite part of the store was the bears. I would pretend to be a bear and try to scare Mommy and Daddy back at the campsite. We even got to meet the owner of Cherry Republic he told Mommy to take pictures of her Cherry Republic bathroom and send them and they might go in the orchard report that they send out each week.

More later . . .