Annual Apple Orchard Trip

This afternoon was our annual Edwards Apple Orchard outing with the Scholtens girls.
Above with Carina & Anna busily eating - I mean, picking - apples...
Below, a highlight of the day - Linnea's first horsey ride. She didn't even mind the smell.

Halloween

Linnea the Bunny Rabbit hopped around the Rockford area visiting family this Halloween. Above, trick-or-treating at Great-Gramma Branca's and below, visiting Cousin Hunter (a.k.a. Elmo).
Below, you can see that Hunter's playroom was as big a hit as any candy obtained on this outing...

The Last Three Months

I'll spare you the excuses for the three-month absence and just get to the photos... Above, a Labor Day weekend visit from cousins Jack & Chris, along with Aunt Aline & Uncle Mike. Below, a visit later that month from Great-Gramma (not pictured) and Great-Grampa Daniels from Minneapolis.
Below, a mid-October trip to Michigan to see Cousin Evan's football game and visit the pumpkin patch.
"Driving" the tractor with Cousin Kelsey...
Despite all of these visits and visitors, still bonding daily with good ol' Maya :).

Summer Fun Continues

Linnea has taken in many exotic locales so far this summer, but she remains a big fan of her very own backyard lagoon (above).
Above and below, she relishes her first trip to the Jersey Shore of the Midwest - Door County, Wisconsin. Aunt Aimee let us join her for an extended weekend getaway and a fun time was had by all.
These next two were taken the following weekend in Galena, Illinois, on the aforementioned retreat with the Scholtens (Bill and Anna pictured below) and the Mylers (Bennett pictured in previous post).

Next up - cousin Katie's wedding in Rockford this coming weekend and Linnea's first slumber party the following weekend at Gramma & Grampa Daniels (while Mommy & Daddy get away to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary)!

Stealing from other people's blogs

We have gotten so ridiculously behind in getting pictures off of our camera that I am resorting to stealing photos off of other people's blogs - of my own child?!?!?!? Above is the handiwork of Ryan's cousin Leah, taken at his other cousin Krista's wedding in Minnesota last month.

And this one is compliments of our friends Drew and Renate, parents of Bennett (cutie in the background dutifully munching mac-n-cheese). We got away to Galena with them and our friends the Scholtens last weekend. All told, there were 6 adults and 5 kids under 5. It was great.

Please do stay tuned (if you're the faithful sort) and I will make it my personal goal to download pics from some other great weekends so far this summer, including Door County w/Aunt Aimee and 4th of July at Gramma & Grampa's. Hopefully I'll get to this before the snow flies!

Summer Fun @ Gramma & Grampa's

Linnea's been blessed with two weekends at Gramma & Grampa's house so far this summer, and thoroughly enjoys soaking up the sun around their beautiful pool.

The onesie above reads, "What happens at Gramma's stays at Gramma's."

She even has a cache of toys that wait for her there - a favorite of which is the Radio Flyer wagon pictured above from Great-Gramma Branca. She loves to rattle it all around the house carrying an assortment of random objects.

And try as they might to fatten her up, even at Gramma and Grampa's house, she remains a devoted fan of her favorite food - fruit of any kind. She actually seems to survive on the stuff. It's somewhat of a medical miracle.

First Trip to the Zoo