31 weeks

Megan likes to pose for a "pregnancy" photo, too!

Next week is promotion Sunday at church, and Megan will join the big kids' preschool Sunday school class. The teachers in her current class are wonderful and always have a "graduation" party for the kids who are moving up. Here's Megan in her cap.

And here are a few pictures of a hummingbird at one of our feeders.

Preschool skills

Megan practiced using scissors today. She's getting better. Notice how her mouth is hanging open in intense concentration.

She cut and tore this paper into pieces, and I gave her a glue stick so she could glue the pieces onto another paper to make a collage. She really enjoyed it all.

Earlier this summer, I printed out some free camping-themed preschool activities. This pattern page was part of the package, and I wasn't sure how well Megan would be able to do it. She caught on quickly and had fun gluing on the appropriate pictures.

29 weeks

I have a few sunflowers growing in our garden this year, and the blooms are just about as big as my head. The stalks are about 10 feet tall, too, so the blooms poke way up above our 6-foot wood privacy fence. It's fun to see the flowers bobbing around up there. 

Josh picked up the Star Wars game of Life for 50 cents at a garage sale last Saturday, and Megan really wanted to play it with him, so they did!

A slightly larger recent purchase: a patio set with simple folding chairs on sale for $50 at Walmart. We had looked at this set online and knew it had good reviews, and it had been going for $80, so we jumped on it when we saw it in the local store for only $50. The following weekend, it was back up to $80. We feel pretty good about the purchase, and it's a big improvement over our previous old rusty metal table and one chair that we rescued from the neighbor's garbage a few years ago. Megan was really excited to eat pizza out here last Sunday evening. 

I love showing off Megan's drawings. These are ballerina dancers she drew completely by herself. I like their skirts!

Home from Indy

Here are the last of our pictures from our Indianapolis trip. This was the ride home, when Megan fell asleep.

We stopped about 40 miles from home, at the Blue Springs Cafe along Interstate 70 in Illinois. They advertise foot-high pies and food "like grandma used to make" on billboards along the interstate, and Josh and I had lunch here once when we were still relatively newlyweds. You pick a main entree, and then they bring all kinds of side dishes (mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuits and apple butter, green beans, cole slaw, etc.) to your table, served family style. The food is yummy, the atmosphere in the restaurant is nice, and we hadn't been here in years, so we had to stop!

The menu is posted on the wall.

The foot-high pies!

And here are a few photos from the past week, and with these I'm finally caught up posting ALL of our photos! Here are Megan and I reading at bedtime in her new twin bed, and Hildegard the cat often likes to sit with us. She sometimes sits at the foot of the bed, and other times she likes to perch on my shoulders like this. 

These last photos are from our church's annual baptism and pool party at our small local water park. Megan loves the kiddie water slides!

Megan's on the top platform getting ready to go down the big slide. She's hard to see, but I didn't want to take the camera any closer to the water!

Getting ready to climb back up and go down the slide again!

More Indianapolis ...

While in the Indy area in July, we attended the dedication service for my cousin's youngest son, Jackson. Here's Megan before the service with Jackson's big brother, Ethan.

Megan, great grandma, and Jackson.

Cousin Kristen, Ethan, and Megan on the playground. We were waiting for the burgers to be grilled for a special family lunch after church. 

Ethan was jumping on the merry go round and Megan did not like it!

They walked all over the church gym hand in hand.

We found cake!

Jackson and me!

Day at the campground

I'm still catching up on all our summer travel photos. Here's our mini family reunion at a campground where my parents stayed near Indianapolis.

Mom bought a bag of little dolls and outfits at a garage sale and brought them for Megan to play with. They were a hit!

Josh, reading his super-long book about Abraham Lincoln, "Team of Rivals."

Mom, Grandpa, and Grandma.

Dad and Megan. (He put soda in her sippy cup for her!)

 Grandpa, Uncle Bob, and Aunt Cathy.

Becca, mom, dad, and grandma.

Megan enjoyed playing mom's bean bag toss game.

Drinking her own bottle of root beer!

And partaking of some toasted marshmallows.

Aunt Cathy, dad, mom, and Becca around the fire.

Cousin Lisa and Uncle Bob.

Baby girl #2

I'm almost 28 weeks, and we had an ultrasound today to check on the baby. Everything looks great, and they even gave us some 3D pictures! Click on the pictures and it should bring them up a little larger.