Hillbilly Golf...only in Clinton County folks!

Grandpa has this game called Hillbilly Golf. It's quite fun actually, once you start to understand how to play and score. Katherine decided she would start her own game!

Red, Black, and Blue

There is a rumor that when I was younger, probably about Katherine's age, I referred to Grandma Jansen as the "black" grandma because her hair was black...and my Great Grandma Mumma (Grandma's mother) was the "white" grandma, as categorized by her hair color. Well, here is a picture of the girls with the "black" grandma. :) They all look like they were having quite a good time.

Where there are presents, there are Katherine and Sarah

The girls don't seem to get the idea that presents can be for people other than them! Fortunately, Grandpa and Grandma let them help open some of their anniversary gifts. They even received a glass ornament, to which Katherine exclaimed, "That is just SO beautiful!" Grandpa got the biggest kick of that! :) They got some really wonderful gifts, which were appropriate for such a wonderful couple!

Dancing with Nana

The girls and Nana spent some time dancing during the reception dancing :)

Who Would Have Guessed....

Growing up, Lynn and Tina were more like extended family than just Grandpa and Grandma's neighbors. Who would have guessed our children would end up playing together 15 years later at my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary? Funny how life is completely unexpected but completely wonderful! :) Here are some pictures of the kids playing at the KC Hall during the anniversary reception. Too cute!

The Jansen Family in 2009

Can you imagine the difficulty in pulling everyone away long enough for a family picture?? :) Either way, it turned out pretty good! It's nice to be a part of such a great family. Happy 50th Anniversary Grandpa and Grandma -- we love you!

Four Generations

When I was born I was the 5th generation on my Grandma's side of the family, and now with the girls, they are the 4th generation. It's neat for me and my children to be a part of such a great and loving family - it truly is a blessing, and I am forever grateful for it.

Happy 50th Anniversary Grandpa and Grandma Jansen!

My grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on the 4th of July, and the girls got to share in some of the celebration. I took over 100 pictures, but I'll just post the ones of the girls here. :) Enjoy!

Red, White, and Blue All Over

The girls, in addition to their new outfits, got fun flag tattoos to celebrate the 4th of July too! Needless to say, they lasted a few hours before both had attempted to peel them off and put them on something else. :) But they were fun while they lasted!

Goldilocks in Blue for the 4th of July!

Here is Sarah in her new outfit for the 4th of July!

Little Red in Red for the 4th of July

Katherine and Sarah got new outfits for the 4th of July. Here is Katherine in hers!

If Happy Little Bluebirds Fly...

We have a variety of animals friends in our backyard. We've had a lizard slither up our wall, baby cardinals hatch in our tree, a frog hop up the play set, squirrels play tag in the front yard, hummingbirds zip past the window, a turtle stroll down our driveway, and Eastern bluebirds in our birdhouse! It was difficult to get pictures of the birds, but these are the best two I've gotten of our Eastern Bluebird and his mate. They live in the little birdhouse on the old playhouse near the garage (we've never used it since there is no light or ventilation). They are absolutely beautiful!

It's especially nice to have so many windows to watch outside and see what's going on in our yard. The girls will often just sit on the couch and watch the birds munch at the feeder or the hummingbirds come up to the porch. It really is a beautiful place to live!

An Unexpected Guest

The girls and I were up yesterday morning when I saw an unexpected guest on our driveway! Katherine and Sarah had never really seen a turtle so close before, so this was a fun discovery for them as well. It was quite humorous, because Katherine would stand in front of the turtle to "talk" to him, and each time she moved in front of him, he would turn around and face the other way. She said to me, "He is being a sassy turtle Mom! He won't look at me when I talk to him." Perhaps I will remind her of this when she does the same to me..... I digress...

Then, he decided to track back through the grass to the other side of the driveway, the girls following him the whole time.

Katherine was a little worried about him, afraid he would get hurt or wouldn't be able to find his home, but I assured her that he would be just fine. She was hoping he would be back this morning, but no such luck. He must have found his way back home. :)

Ice Cream Is Even Better When It's Chocolate!

It's been so hot outside (and inside!) that ice cream seemed like a good snack for the girls. A few days earlier, Katherine went to the grocery store with me and had picked out a Double Fudge Brownie ice cream, so needless to say, it was MESSY! The girls loved every bit of it though! :)

Slurping Slushies with our Swirly Straws...

Say that 5 times fast! :) The girls got some fun straws from Great Grandma Jansen and had fun trying them out. Thank you Grandma!!

A Party Fit for a Princess!

The girls are playing dress-up today! After some twirling in their dresses, they decided to have a princess party! Perhaps they will have tea later... :)

Fun in the Sun!

The girls got to play outside with their Barbie cruise ship the other day. They also enjoyed playing at their new water/sand table (we just used water for clean-up's sake!) from Papa and Nana! What fun!

A Dip in the Pool

Pictures like this may become common on our blog - the pool is just a few minute drive down the road, and the girls (after their initial fear) enjoyed it! Neither was very happy about being in the water at first, but they finally figured out how to use their arms and legs to get around (with help of their floaties of course). Their favorite part, though, was sitting on the edge and splashing! Hopefully, once the weather clears up a little and I am finished with classes at the end of the month, we will be making the pool trips an everyday event!

Making Friends in the Neighborhood...

We seem to meet new neighbors on a regular basis now! There was a friendly lizard on the patio the other day, and, once the girls went out, he climbed up the wall. They enjoyed watching him crawl around, though they were cautious about staying a good distance away! Here are some pictures of our latest discovery!