Visit with Uncle Rory & Kevin

Our last stop on Saturday was in Clarissa, MN to see Uncle Rory & Kevin.

(Uncle Rory is Adie's Uncle and for those of you who don't know us or just started reading, Adie is Matthew's birthmom.  Adoption is an amazing experience.  We have added an awesome extended family!!)

They have 26 horses and some chickens (Bandee Chickens).

Then there was a tractor ride!

The little white horse was my favorite.

Emma had to meet all the horses. 

 So Uncle Rory, Emma, Matthew and Scott walked and walked and met all the horses.

I love this picture!

Matthew sure is listening to what Uncle Rory had to say!

Uncle Rory with Matthew and Emma.

Sorry Kevin the pictures that I took of you and Matthew didn't turn out.

Did I mention that they made us a wonderful supper and dessert?

Well if I didn't they are amazing cooks!

We had lots of fun!

Thanks for a great time Uncle Rory & Kevin!

Century Old Farm

Our next adventure on Saturday was all the way over in Wadena.  The farm that Scott's grandma grew up on was celebrating as a Century Old Farm.  The farm is now owed by Scott's grandma, Tillie's nephew.  It was fun to see where Grandma Tillie grew up.

Here are a few pictures:

The original farm house...

Aerial view:

Farm house after an addition and new siding....

They had an awesome banner with all the years and what was done or bought.

This is just the top part.

The Barn...

This organ was played by Grandma Tillie.

It was at my in-law's home for many years.

It was then taken to a relative in Wadena to be restored and is currently at the home of Grandma Tillie's sister.

Matthew and Scott loved the tractors!

This is the surrey that Grandma Tillie's dad owned and often brought her to school in it.

One of the earliest pictures taken of the surrey was in 1912.

The surrey was very upscale at the time.

Emma and Matthew in the surrey.

AK-SAR-BEN

I am sure you are wondering what the title of this post means?

The story of Ak-Sar-Ben:

Arnold and Hugo Vogt, two brothers from Omaha, Nebraska, came to the Minnesota lake country in Crow Wing County for a fishing trip back in 1918.  They liked the north woods so much they bought a large tract on Long Lake near Deerwood, MN.  This lake was renamed Tame Fish Lake in 1942, thanks to Hugo's success in "taming the fish."  Together they built a small summer home and called it Ak-Sar-Ben (Nebraska spelled backwards).  Real estate operators during the winter in their hometown of Omaha, the Vogts began coming north every summer to fish, hunt, and enjoy their hobbies.  Arnold's chief interest was flowers, and Hugo enjoyed making garden furniture and experimenting with rock work.  Hugo also thought it fun to try taming the fish that came to the dock for bits of bread.

 

Also read what The Star Tribune wrote by clicking here.

Here are some pictures from our visit:

The rock work was incredible!

Emma and Matthew

Emma and Matthew with Grammie and Papa

Finally a new family picture!

Emma!

More flowers and rock gardens!

Matthew and Daddy looking a the big wishing well/fountain.

The rock work was amazing!

A symbol of their hometown in Nebraska.

Emma and Matthew

Emma wanted to walk on all the bridges and of course she wanted Matthew to go with her.

A walking trail!

The Wishing Well

Making wishes!

I love this picture!

We had so much fun and the rock/flower gardens were awesome!

Did I tell you that there were alot of people? 

Ak-sar-ben is only open one day a year to the public so it was busy.

Legos

Christmas last year, Matthew got Legos.

He always dumped them out and never played with them so we put them away until he was a little older.

We got them out of storage last week and he loves them.

He will sit and play for up to half an hour.

The legos kept him busy while we prepared Saturday morning for our day of adventures.

Stayed tuned to see and hear about our adventures.

Stay Tuned....................

LOTS of pictures will be coming soon!

We had a super busy but fun weekend with lots of activities and pictures.

Reading

Matthew received a new John Deere ABC farm book from Scott's cousins from Iowa.

Matthew loves reading!

Scott's cousins sent it along with some other presents as a thank you for organizing a family gathering when they came to visit.

When I gave Matthew the book, he immediately sat on the floor where he was and starting "reading" it.

He loves it!

Thanks Bob and Shirley!!!!

Playing at the Park

Monday morning, we went to the park bright and early.

He always has so much fun at the park!

We was running at me!

These next two pictures crack me up.

Bubble Fun!

Matthew loves to use his bubble gun and make LOTS of bubbles!

A Day I'll Never Forget

July 18 is a day we will never forget!

It is a day that changed our lives forever!

Two years ago today, Scott and I were chosen to be parents!

Two years ago today, we met Adie!

Two years ago today, Adie let us feel the baby move (baby even had hiccups)!

Adoption is so amazing especially open adoption!

To celebrate, we had Adie and her family over for dinner last night!

We had a great time!

Matthew was shy at first!

At dinner, he warmed up!

After dinner, he was a HAM!

He's down to his diaper because he got filthy at dinner!

Thanks Adie and family for coming to dinner!

Beater Boy

Yesterday I made brownies for dessert!

Matthew had lots of fun licking off the spatula and the beaters!

Look at his chocolately goodness face!

It was good to the very last lick!

What a cute chocolate monster!

It was the first time that he has had chocolate on the beaters usually it is potatoes, whip cream or butter cream frosting!

Fun in the Tub

Matthew loves bath time!

He plain old loves water!

When he drinks water, he has to have ice in it!

The other night, he sure was being silly in the bath!

When it is time to get out, he hands us his toys!

And has to stay in until the very last drop of water is gone!

He likes to watch it go down too!

I think he just doesn't want to get out!