Madison Farmers Market and Union

We spent the weekend enjoying all Madison had to offer. They have a great Farmers Market that is located around the Capitol square. I am sure we will be visiting it whenever we are around on a Saturday. The UW Union is also a fun place to hang out on the lake. It is always crowded with people enjoying the day, and the sell a lot of beer! Samantha likes to sit in the "big"chair. We have even seen wedding couples get into the chair for a picture. We stopped at Ernie's office before going to the Market. He had to meet a recruit, and Samantha likes to go up to his office whenever given a chance. It has a long hallway for her to run.

We took a little break on the Capitol steps while walking around the market. It was very busy, but you cannot tell from this angle.

There was also a big block party that was held on this day, which is basically the student's last big party before finals. Of course we checked it out, which was very interesting to say the least. Let's just say we were the only with kids walking down the street and not carrying beer. This was taken around 1:00 PM.

Samantha loves to tell Bucky Badger hello. This one is located outside a local place to eat on State Street.

Woody is just being his lovable self. He had a busy morning of college girls hitting on him.

Woody: Round 1 of Testing

As many of you already know, Woody has had some stomach issues since he was born. When we took him to his one year old checkup, he was not even on the charts in the weight department. He started taking medicine for reflux, and then the testing started. On this day he went to the UW Hospital and under went X-rays. He did a very good job, and was his chill self. They came back as reflux, so bring on round 2 at a later date. He had to put on a little hospital gown, which was kind of cute and sad at the same moment. He didn't care since there were two female nurses watching over him. He is a ladies man!

We went to the Children's Museum afterwards for a little fun. It is a nice museum, but probably a quarter of the size of Birminhgam. They are opening a new one next summer, and I am sure we will be visiting both of them as much as possible.

Samantha enjoyed the construction site, and remembered to wear her hard hat.

This was the shadow room, which really could not be captured with a camera flash. This was her favorite part of the museum, and we stayed in this dark room for a long time.

Weekend Trip to Ohio

Ernie had to go recruiting in Ohio, so we went and spent some time with Grandpappy, Gramma Donna, Aunt Darcy, and Katharina. Samantha and Woody enjoyed the extra sets of hands, and Baxter was able to come along with us. We never can get everyone to look at the camera at the same time, so this is as close as it gets.

Woody and Samantha liked being around Katharina and Aunt Darcy. I am not sure how Samantha is going to take it when we go back and Katharina is back in Germany. I have a feeling that she will not quite understand what a foreign exchange student is!

Of course we fit in a visit to Schmidt's, our favorite German restaurant in Columbus. It was just as good as any other visit, and Samantha managed to make friend's with a little boy.

Madison During the End of April

Ernie has just as much fun at the parks as Samantha. I am not sure if he knows that he is a little big to be riding that horse. Samantha enjoys having a partner in crime. Woody in his favorite element: the swing!

We stopped at one of the parks on the way to Ernie's office. This is a good view of downtown from the edge of the lake. It is very interesting how the downtown rests between two very large lakes. When we first moved here people were ice fishing on this lake. It is funny how it changes so quickly in a month.

It can also be very windy up here, and the waves were crashing on this day. I was a little nervous Samantha was going to wander into the lake. I think she even knew that it was not a good idea.

Nothing like killing two birds with one stone. It doesn't get any easier in my book than this:

Easter the Wisconsin Way!

Aunt Kim and Uncle Brad spent Easter morning with us and then went back home. We didn't do much decorating considering we were still in the middle of unpacking. The Easter Bunny did make it to our house, and just decorated the coffee table for us with most of our decorations. He also managed to hide some eggs in the backyard, and Samantha was very happy about finding them. She was a little unsure of what was going on when she came downstairs in the morning. She almost acted like it was a normal day, and there just happened to be some candy.

Woody had a grand time with the soccer ball Easter eggs and ducks. Ernie is very proud of his ball handling skills at such a young age.

Imagine that, Woody is happy!

Here is what the Easter Bunny could do in a hurry. Maybe next year he will have a little more time and organization.

We went to a German restaurant for a Family style dinner. Samantha was breaking it down to the accordian player with our server. The still shot doesn't do it justice.

I didn't notice the Easter Bunny's "mouth" until I saw this picture. That just shows you how oblivious we can be sometimes. I just thought he as a little scary for an Easter Bunny.

Woody is already trying to steal his dad's beer. I guess he will be in the monestary while Samantha is in the convent during their teenage years.

Ernie had a nice Easter, he finally found the right size beer mug.

The blog has an interesting way of letting me download pictures, so this one is a little out of place. Samantha had to go everywhere in the backyard to find all of her Easter egg treasures.

April 2009

We began the month with our first official University of Wisconsin soccer matches. Aunt Kim and Uncle Brad came for a visit, and got to see Samantha roll down the hill at the stadium nonstop. Woody hung out eating his crackers. Samantha can get into the freezer now whenever she wants. It is at the bottom of the refrigerator, so who knows what I will find her eating. On this day she had taken a frozen blueberry waffle out, and thought it was the best thing ever still cold.

I had to run around to find some Wisconsin t-shirts for the kids before the first Spring match in Rockford, IL. Samantha likes her new shirt, and Woody is just happy to be outside.

We went after the match to Chicago to help daddy recruit for the rest of the afternoon. It was very windy and cold. Samantha just perched herself on Ernie's shoulders, and he did his recruiting.

She has quickly learned how to catch a ride, and that the men seem to fall for it every time! Uncle Brad is one of the bigger suckers:)

Samantha's First Snow--that she remembers;)

Samantha had a blast when it snowed for the first time. We definitely didn't have any of this in Alabama, except for the day we packed the moving van! She is tasting the snow man in this picture, she is one of a kind! She had a blast making the snow man, snow angels, and prints in the snow. It melted after a day, but it lasted long enough for her.

I forgot how much Baxter loved the snow! He may have been more excited than Samantha.

There are a lot of parks up here!

We found a lot of parks around Birmingham, but there are many more up here in Wisconsin. There is one almost every 3 blocks in our neighborhood, which means 6 in a one mile radius! Once you get in the car, the number is endless. It is really nice since Samantha has no fear and loves to play at any park. Woody likes to swing and watch Samantha. There are four parks in just this one week of exploring our new surroundings. This is a park just down the road from Ernie's office. We find them wherever we go.

Samantha was trying to get a picture with Baxter, but he was not cooperating.

It is nice when Ernie can go with us, because it makes it easier to chase Samantha. She just keeps going and going and going!

This park is across the street from the Library, so we visit it once a week. It has some crazy equipment that I am not even sure how it supposed to be used.

Woody still only has three teeth in this picture, but notice in about a month he has all of them! He seriously got all of his teeth in one month. Maybe he is starting to catch up in his development.

Samantha is happy to have a garage and a sidewalk to ride her bike. We really didn't have a great place in Birmingham for her to learn, but she has picked it up overnight up here.

This was one of her first visits to a park just on our block.

This park is just outside the Speeddway hence the race car. She has a lot of fun "driving."

Woody hanging in the swing.