Toddler transportation.

Hello! Since Norah never stops growing, I decided to do a little update on toddler items, since I so enjoyed writing about her baby items. Here is what we have for toddler "transportation."

-Baby Jogger City Mini GT Stroller in Sand/Stone- This stroller is by far one of my favorite baby items ever. I love it so much and we have used it so much. It folds up nicely, it has awesome wheels, and the seat can fold back if they want to nap/lay down in it. The wheels are one of my favorite parts, since they are actual tire wheels; whenever I feel someone else's stroller that doesn't have them I can really notice a difference. It also has a really nice canopy top (way nicer than other strollers I've seen), and has nice flaps so you can peek inside. I wish the basket underneath was slightly bigger/more accessible, but it's totally doable. (I'm thinking of getting the Baby Jogger City Select with second seat kit whenever we have another!) We also have the Britax Stroller Organizer (that attaches and hangs down from the handle bar) that is amazing and I put stuff in it every single time (sippy cups, water bottles, phone, kleenex, chapstick, etc.)

Verdict: Absolutely. One of my favorite baby items.

-Burley Honeybee- We got this because we needed something that could hold two babies, since we babysit often, and we got it from Scheel's on sale and with a gift card. So, it was a good option for us financially, but I don't rave about it. I don't hate it, but we primarily use it for a stroller and it's main purpose is to be used for biking. (I know that's our fault for not using it for it's main purpose.) There are more expensive Burleys that have a better front wheel, but we didn't want to spend several hundred dollars more. The front wheel is not very smooth, and the front covers do not attach very well. (We are not big bikers, but used it for biking once and it was very smooth then!)

Verdict: If you are wanting to use this for biking, yes, but if you just want a double stroller, I think there are better options.

-MAC Sports Folding Utility Wagon- This wagon is so much better than the huge bulky wagons of my childhood. I remember my family's wagon having the big plastic wheels that would split in the middle after lots of use so you had a really bumpy ride. Wagons have come so far! The wheels are so nice on this one, and it folds up easily for storage. We hang it on a hook in our garage for easy access but it's still out of the way. We also got this from Scheel's with a gift card at Christmas time, but just recently opened it. It's nice for when you have multiple kids and need to get outside for a quick walk- just pile them all in! The only thing I don't like about it is that there are no straps/seat belts and I wish there were, so this is definitely meant for older kids who understand to sit down and can sit up quite well on their own. Though I love this wagon, it's better for shorter distances. If we are going to be doing a lot of walking, I'd take the stroller because it's easier to push. 

Verdict: Yes.

-Rody Ride On Horse- My MIL just got this for Norah, and it's a fun little toy. It's like a younger version of those big bouncing balls with the handle. It's a bit of a stretch to include in the transportation category, since they don't move far with it, but it's great for bouncing around and getting energy out.

Verdict: Fun to have, but don't need it.

-Pewi Ybike Ride On Toy and Walking Buddy- This is so cool! My MIL also just bought this one too. For babies learning to walk, they can stand/walk using this as a walking buddy, and when they can older they can ride on it, sort of like a bike and pedal on the ground with their feet. So it's great for two purposes/ages! It can be used indoors and outdoors. And I love that it's small, so it doesn't take up a lot of space!

Verdict: Yes. Very cool.

-Radio Flyer Ready-to-Ride Folding Tricycle- Norah isn't quite old enough to push the pedals herself- she understands the concept, but then gives up quickly when she can't do it. She'll push her feet on the ground for a bit, so she only loves it for a few minutes right now, but I'm excited for her to grow into it. It's so cute! (Norah also got this from grandparents- she has the best grandparents!)

Verdict: Yes, it's a great little starter bike.

-Strider bike- Norah just got this for her birthday from her great grandparents. (Her birthday isn't until the fall, but they gave it to her early so she could use it this summer.) She has only gotten on it a couple times and has a lot of learning to do before she can ride it by herself, but she loves it and I'm excited for her to grow into it! I've heard a lot of good things about these bikes. It's also adjustable in several different places so it can grow with them. (She has a helmet and elbow/knee pads to go with it too!) It's also nice and small, so it's easy to store.

Verdict: Yes!

4th of July 2016 (part 2).

For the actual 4th, we headed to Sioux Falls to visit Brett and Elizabeth! We went to the water park, which turned out to be quite fun! It was pretty chilly when we got there, but it thankfully warmed up and the sun came out.

Norah loved seeing her Aunt Elizabeth and ran to her screaming for a hug when she saw her coming, it was the cutest.

Love our family of 3!

While we were waiting for it to warm up (that pool water felt like ice!), we played some mini-golf. Norah loved tagging along with her own little club. She didn't grasp that you are supposed to hit the ball with the club until the end- she kept picking it up and throwing it. 

We don't get pictures of just the two of us very often anymore!

On this hole, Norah picked up all of our balls and put them in the hole herself. Needless to say, we didn't keep score.

Then the sun came out and we headed to the water.

I love this picture.

We tried the lazy river. Norah did great, considering it was freezing cold and she looked like she was being swallowed up by her life vest.

Norah's face is so funny!

We went to Crave for dinner, which was very delicious. 

So glad we could spend time with family! We love you Brett and Elizabeth, and Brad and Jana too!

Happy 4th of July, we are blessed to live in the USA!

4th of July 2016 (part 1).

Happy Independence Day! We are thankful to live in the USA! We were home this weekend and didn't have big plans, which was nice because we are traveling for weddings a lot of other weekends. We took Norah to the celebration in a neighboring town, which was filled with games, petting zoo, fire truck/pony rides, ice cream, fireworks, etc. We only did some of the events (mainly because long lines and toddler patience don't mix well), but it was fun and glad we went!

Mama/Dada pictures while waiting for the giant slide! Norah seriously loves inflatables.

"I don't understand why I can't just walk to the front and get on the slide right now."

The wait was worth it! Kley and Norah went down about 6 times and Norah had the same ecstatic face each time.

Norah even went in the bounce house all by herself. We were so proud! We thought she would get scared and want to get out once she got in there, but she did great and thoroughly enjoyed it!

She really didn't even jump or move that much, she just kept falling over on purpose and laughing.

High five for being brave and doing it all by yourself!

Norah loves her dad!

My favorite!

Petting zoo. Or "stand and look from a distance" zoo.

Uncle Jeff got married!

This last weekend we were in Wisconsin for my uncle's wedding. Uncle Jeff has always been the fun loving uncle and all the cousins always enjoyed being around him. He has never been married before, so it has been a joy to meet Darla and watch them get married! So happy for them. 

Rehearsal dinner.

Kley did all the music and videography for the wedding. What a man!

Darla walking down the aisle!

Uncle Jeff had my grandpa as his best man, and Darla (now my Aunt Darla!), had her mom as matron of honor, which was really neat.

Family shot. Next up is my sister Karlie's wedding!

If you look closely at Norah's face, it's the perfect summation of her weekend. Unfortunately, it was a really tough weekend for our the three of us. For time reason, this trip really threw Norah out of whack- she didn't love the car ride, she slept horribly (which meant we did too), she didn't get good naps, and there were too many exhausted tantrums. Poor baby. There were good moments, but it was definitely one of the hardest parenting times we've had yet. 

Norah by the decorations. I know it looks dangerous to have her sitting so close to open flames, but Uncle Keaton wanted to try to get a cute picture of her. (She is really good at not touching things she shouldn't and she was closely watched.)

Norah loves her Uncle Keat! He will definitely be the fun loving uncle to her that Uncle Jeff is/was to us. So fun to watch them together.

Norah playing bean bags with Aunt Rose, Taylor (my cousin's daughter), and Ella (the flower girl). 

Congratulations Jeff and Darla! Glad we could celebrate you this weekend!

Dairy farm tour.

So, I learned that they have an annual dairy farm tour in June for dairy month here- how cool! Even though we don't live by a mall or Target anymore, it's really cool to be able to do things like this. Can't visit a dairy farm in many places! It's so fun to take Norah to experience new things.

Kley had to work late one night preparing for a trial, so Norah and I headed there ourselves. It was much busier than I expected, but it was fun! Norah did not like being put down, I think she thought the cows looked even bigger then, but she was fine looking if I held her. 

We got to see tons of cows and learn about how a dairy farm works. Norah also loved the ice cream cone!