Practically A Year Overdue - Part One

I look at this blog and I am proud of myself for my past efforts, but then I also get disappointed in myself for giving up the fight. It's been an entire year since I last posted here. And I really wish I'd been posting all along.

When I come here and look back I realize that without the documentation I would've easily forgotten all about those fun, cute, happy times. And it makes me really glad I took the time to post it. Then the pit of my stomach drops. I feel sad. A whole year lived but not recorded, and therefore not shared with friends and family far away, or well remembered.

I will do my best to explain...so I can live with myself. And anyone who still checks this will also, hopefully forgive my absence.

Either shortly before, or shortly after that last post (see I can't remember) we put our townhouse on the real estate market. Which led to a whirlwind of showings. Life was so busy trying to keep the place clean and ready to sell, that I had very little time for anything else. Fortunately, all of that hard work paid off and we managed to get a reasonable offer at the end of April. Then we had to find a new home, and get everything packed up in about a month. We were moved into our new home by the end of May 2010. Then came the unpacking, and learning the new neighborhood.

Did I mention it was summer by then? So all we felt like doing was enjoying summer, after the hectic spring we'd had. Most of the blog postings would have been about us living the life of Riley swimming, going to splash pads, playgrounds, zoos, feeding farm animals, or even collecting cicada skins. (They leave them behind when they molt, and there were tons of them in our new yard.)

This cicada is actually alive, not just a skin.

(Just in case you were wondering what they look like.

Don't worry I've got pictures of a much cuter bug below.)

They found it on the tree in our yard:


Well, last summer was so laid back that I didn't always remember the camera. Other times I chose not to bring it along so I wouldn't annoy the Regime. The final excuse is that the camera doesn't work properly very often, it has a serious focusing issue. (It is still on the fritz and we need to figure out how to fix it.) But here are some of the pictures I did manage to take last spring and summer. And yes we did go to the Minnesota State Fair and I would love to have pictures of that to end this post with. Alas, I found out my camera battery was dead only after we arrived at the Fair. So you'll have to make due with what I've got.

Bug helping with the move:


Como Park Zoo on our 11th Wedding Anniversary (5/16/10):


Wow do I look tired here.
Must have been all of the work involved in moving.
Yep. It was definitely that.




Bug in front of our new home:


Miss Doodle enjoying the swings, at the playground on the end of our block:


Visiting the farm at the MN Zoo:


Surrounded by goats:




Enjoying a mini vacation at the Ham Lake campground with friends:










MN Zoo again. This time we went with Grandma and Grandpa.
We had to go one last time before the membership ran out:


Bug hunting for butterflies:


I think they found some:








Our new house has a lego room. Yay!
Notice Miss Doodle in her swimsuit.
She practically lived in it last summer:


We even got a dog. (you can read all about that misadventure here):


P.S. - I promise to get part two of this post to you before this month is over. It will cover our fall and winter adventures...or lack thereof.