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We went to the State Fair!  This is something I look forward to every year and Dustin is sweet and has gotten into it for me.   Peter doesn’t get a choice, at least for a few years, and gets to experience the fun too.  This year I was quite pathetic though.  I blame it on Thomas and it was hot.  We didn’t see or eat hardly anything on the list of usuals but we’ll try again next year.

After the marathon parking adventure and eating our breakfast burritos, we headed for the animal barns to get there before the sun completely baked the smell in.  Peter couldn’t have been more excited.  He found a little wagon pushed to the side that was full of baby chicks.  He got right in there and thought they were so fun until they kicked saw dust in his face.  We saw the big chickens too, for me of course.  Peter loved the bunnies.  Every one was more exciting then the next.  He got to pet the baby pig and the horses were GIANT!  

We did a few of the buildings.  In one, the lions were giving away sunglasses for little people.  Peter thought there were super cool.  Every time he puts them on he gets excited.  I’m not sure if it’s that he can still see things or that they look different.  He spends the whole time pointing things out.

We made sure to stay at the fair until the parade as it was fire safety day so there would be lots of fire trucks to see.  Both Peter and I were getting very tired so we found a spot in the shade to sit and wait for the parade to start.  The family that was right in front of us had one of those big buckets of cookies.  Peter thought they looked really good but they weren’t ours.  Some how he sweet talked his way into getting one of their cookies.  Nothing tastes better than a stolen Sweet Martha cookie.

Bethy and I took Peter to the zoo.  We were able to do the whole loop of outside animals and it was a lot of fun.  It was a nice warm day and apparently the a lot of the animals thought it was a perfect morning for a nap.  We did come across the bears right as a training session was about to begin.  It was neat to see the trainers work with the bears to do little tricks.  The bear at the gate didn’t want to stand though.  The funny part is that Peter had the most fun at the farm section.   We got to ride on a tractor ride to get there and then we got to see the animals up close and personal.  Overall, it was a fun day that we’ll have to repeat to see all the inside animals.

Finally, we spent the long Labor Day weekend at the cabin.  It was finally actually cool outside.  It was kind of fun to pull out the long sleeves and pants.  Jim and Sherry came up to play as well as Ashley and Eli.  It was a full house which made it lots of fun.  We didn’t take many pictures as everyone was busy having a good time but there were a few pictures of some boat work.  The carpet was more than a little tired so the goal was to replace it.  After pulling everything off, there was a realization that more work will need to be done later.  It was interesting to watch the process from the safety of inside.

And now it’s September and that means back to work and back to school.

We haven’t taken many pictures this month.  We really haven’t done much this month.  It’s been hot and I’m feeling kind of huge.

Peter has really been into books this summer.  He would read them over and over and over if he could.  Normally just looking at the pictures isn’t enough though.  He wants you to read to him but he isn’t always patient enough to actually listen to the story.  He has a big book full of different trucks.  He gets excited to read the “giant truck story.”  There’s really not much of a story but we get to point out each vehicle.  The other day he actually took the book to the floor to “read” it on his own.  It was too cute.

Because I’m feeling slightly huge, everything takes a little longer than usual.  The laundry has become my enemy.  I don’t mind actually washing it but then you have to do something with it and that’s the part that gets me.  I was really trying to be good and had a pile of shirts on the back of the couch that just needed to be put in the closet.  Unfortunately, even the dog has picked up on my slowness and made herself right at home on the top of the back of the couch right in with the shirts.  We had a mountain goat for a long while.

This has been a hard pregnancy.  There hasn’t been anything major but all the little stuff adds up.  I laugh that it’s a good thing this is round two or Peter would never have gotten a sibling.  The good part is that we officially know that this little baby is a boy!  He didn’t cooperate when we did the ultrasound at 20 weeks with the doctor.  All we found out was that it was a healthy baby.  Well that wasn’t good enough for me so we went to a private place and he saw right away!  I had to go in and drink the icky orange drink and with everything else, I kind of just assumed I would fail the 1 hour test.  Amazingly I passed.  Maybe things are looking up.

So now I have it in my head that I should get working on Christmas stockings.  I started Peter’s last summer and never finished.  It has become my goal to have a completed stocking for both boys by this Christmas.  I can do it!  I cross stitched Peter’s name for the top and a snowman to put in the middle.  The big goal now is to find a nice picture that has a similar feel for the second but isn’t just a repeat of the first.  I at least started mapping out the name to go on top.  I think it matches pretty good and looks mostly even.  I guess we’ll see once I actually get going.  Here’s the paper version with Peter’s name how I already stitched it and Thomas on top with how I think I’ll stitch.

We go to the cabin most weekends in the summer.  Peter has made himself at home up there and pretty much runs the whole time.  On the rare occasion that he’s not running, he finds himself either in the dirt or the water.  He usually has a partner in crime (a.k.a Donna).  Bethy came up with us one weekend and she ended up in the dirt too.

We celebrated the 4th of July at the cabin.  We went to the Pederson cabin for some awesome fireworks.  I didn’t get to light the warning shot like usual but it was still a good time.  The show was amazing as usual, even the mosquitoes enjoyed the show.

We had some other visitors at the cabin.  A big mama bear and her four little cubs decided to wander through.  They enjoyed the fry grease and then climbed a tree to take a nap.  They stayed up there for the morning and then wandered down and went on to someone else’s neck of the woods.  Peter was very impressed and still talks about the 5 bears.

One of Peter’s birthday gifts was swimming lessons.  We took a parent and child class.  At first he didn’t want to take off his shoes, much less get in the water and participate.  With each class he got better and better until he couldn’t get his shoes off fast enough and waiting for the teacher to come seemed to last forever.  He still didn’t always participate quite like he should but he gained a lot of confidence in the water and can kick and scoop.  The last class he got to play at the end.  He finally went down the little slide not only once but twice.  He thought it was so much fun that he wanted Dustin to take him to the other end of the pool.  We figured out that he conquered that little kid slide so he was going to try the big slide.  We’ll have to wait a few years for that one though.

Finally, we were festive and participated in Hastings Rivertown Days.  It was a fun weekend of shopping, family, going out on the town, and a parade.  The thing was that it was really hot that weekend.  Between activities, we decided to try and cool off with some water fun and bubbles.  We pulled out the rainbow sprinkler but Peter wasn’t having that.  Then I remembered Peter had gotten a huge blow up octopus sprinkler so I made Dustin blow it up and start it.  I guess we weren’t quite ready for that though as it made Peter run the other way and cry.  Finally Dustin pulled out the winning sprinkler and lots of fun ensued.

We started the month with a big birthday bash.  My baby is two already!  We planned a party with family coming and celebrating in the backyard.  The weather had other plans though.  As everything was being set up, the clouds rolled in.  So instead of plenty of space in our large backyard, everyone was squished in the garage.  It’s a good thing it was family and we like each other.  Thank you everyone for all of your help and for a wonderful afternoon.  Peter had a great time and that was the ultimate goal.

Of course we spent plenty of time at the cabin.  Paul and Donna were in Alaska for a couple of weekends.  Peter was so confused why Donna and Pop Pop weren’t there.  We told him they were in Alaska.  He heard Eliska, one of the girls that went to his daycare, and assumed they were playing at daycare instead of with him at the cabin.

We celebrated Marv and Joann’s 60th wedding anniversary!  That is awesome to have made it together for that long.  It was a nice afternoon with family.  The cool part was seeing pictures of their wedding and the family growing up.  Peter made friends right away, as usual.  Kari got a couple awesome shots of him in the grass.

One of Peter’s birthday gifts was a big boy Cars bed.  Peter was super helpful when putting it together.  He didn’t really get what it was but loved using the screw driver and looking at the pictures.  It wasn’t until it got moved into his room that he figured out what it’s for.  He had to have me reach his pillow and nuk and then pretended to sleep, snoring and all, on his new big boy bed.  Of course it still doesn’t have a mattress as Peter’s room needs to get cleaned out before he can actually use it but it’s a fun experience for now.

Peter and I went to the grocery store together.  He’s a really loud shopper.  He was having fun until we got to the produce section and I was trying to pick some peppers.  He saw the red food and was yelling for an apple.  The other ladies shopping thought it was quite funny but at the moment I didn’t seem to be laughing.  That’s when I found the section of free apples for kids.  It was at the end of the trip so I gave him one thinking he wouldn’t actually get anywhere.  When we got home I looked and he had big chunks out.  He ate almost the whole thing without me cutting it at all.  He was so very proud of his apple.

The Vatican has added ‘The Blues Brothers’ to its list of recommended film for Catholics.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127949819

Well, they were on a mission from God.

We had a couple weekends of cabin adventures in May.

Paul got a new rider lawn mower for up at the cabin.  It has a trailer that is just Peter sized.  He loves to tell Paul to sit on the seat and ask for rides.

Peter discovered the joys of a sprinkler.  At first he just got his toes wet and that was really fun.  Then he moved closer and got his belly wet.  That was really fun.  After moving a little closer, the water went over his head.  That was awesome.  One more step and the water went right in his face.  That was not as fun.  He managed to put his suit on and play in the water more and realized that the sprinkler is still a fun thing.

Peter got a sweet new camo hat.  I know he’s hard to see in the picture but that is in fact Peter 🙂

The next weekend Zoey got a little brave in the morning so the rope got pulled out.  It’s kind of funny though because most of the time you don’t even need to tie the rope to anything.  She just knows she’s in trouble and behaves.  Peter thought it was a toy for him though.

Peter was a very busy boy that weekend.  It was extra special because not only were Donna and Pop Pop there but Grandma and YaYa too.  Oh, and Unkie and Uncle Drew too.  There were so many people to play with that he forgot to sleep!  He had a little bit of a crash on the boat but then the lure of water was too strong, for a little while.

The other guest at the cabin that weekend was a momma turtle.  She worked her way up the driveway and picked right in the middle to lay her eggs in the sand.  It took her a long while to lay them and then bury them.  She wasn’t a fan of everyone watching but she kept working hard to finish her task.  Then she quickly walked to the lake.  I was amazed at how big she was and how long her legs were.  Zoey was brave and even sniffed her butt once she was almost to the lake.  The one time Zoey actually acts like a dog and it’s with a turtle.  Go figure.

Very soon I will post some pictures from the big birthday party for my big 2 year old boy.  I can’t believe Peter is already 2!

So I’ve basically slept through April and well on my way through May.  It doesn’t bode well for posts and pictures, unfortunately.  I’ll try to do better.

Dustin and I went up to the cabin in early April.  It was COLD.  There was most certainly still giant ice flows on the lake but we got the boat launched and in the water.

Peter and I hung out one afternoon and had some fun.  He is such a ham and says cheese for the camera.  I did manage to get one picture that wasn’t so cheesy.  That day Zoey got her haircut.  She looked and smelled so nice.  She wasn’t as big of a fan of the bows though.  Dustin didn’t like them either.  I did and that’s what matters.

Bethy was an awesome friend and brought Peter and I to Under Water World at the Mall of America.  It was really cool to walk through the tube and see all of the giant things swimming all around us.  Of course, Peter was very serious for the whole trip.  He talked about sharks for a long time afterwards though so he must have liked it.  We made a stop to Lego Land afterwards.  On the way over we happened to pass Diego.  From afar Peter couldn’t be more excited.  He yelled Diego and was saying hello.  Once we got close it was a different story.  I guess this Diego was a little big.  Overall, it was a great day though.

This year we spent Easter with the Bjostad family.  It was a really nice afternoon spent with the family.  Peter got a new big truck and drove it all day.  He even tried to drive it in the tree.

Peter got to go to the cabin too.  He and Dustin went up, along with Zoey of course.  From the stories and the pictures, it was still cold but Peter doesn’t ever seem to mind.  His first weekend he seem to remember everything right away from last year, including playing on the boat.  He now has figured out the joys of the throttle and going fast.  Oh, and if you’ll notice he’s wearing his sweet new life jacket in the second picture.  Grandma Sherry picked that out for him so he doesn’t have to be squashed into the other one.  He hasn’t quite figured out the new balance though and was a little top heavy.  He’ll get it.

Dear City of Hastings,

I would like to personally thank you for your prompt handling of the tree that was blocking Forest Street. The tree must not have been in the street for an hour when your crew showed up to clean up the mess – an impressive feat!
If I may make one tiny suggestion. In the future, please wait until daylight before starting the cleanup. The lights and chainsaws were a bit excessive at 3:30 this morning.

March has been a fun month so far.  We started with a party in our city!  Yo Gabba Gabba Live came to the Target Center and all three of us went.  When we got to our seats, Peter just thought that there were more friends than he’d ever seen before.  It wasn’t until the lights went out and DJ Lance Rock actually came out, that his heart started to race.  It was awesome to see the pure joy Peter had watching his gabba friends that have only been on the tv.

St. Patrick’s Day was this month.  We wore our green and went to Dee and Mel’s house for corned beef and cabbage.  Everyone but Peter thought it was wonderful.  He ate bread and then saw the bowl of peanut m&m’s.  He wasn’t expecting peanuts inside though.  He wasn’t so much a fan of the peanuts but got every bit of chocolate off before spitting them out.

March has brought some fabulous news.  Baby number two is due on Thanksgiving!  We couldn’t be more excited to have our family grow but of course it’s a little scary too.  This little baby reminds us that we really do have a whole lot in life to be thankful for.

Car troubles are another party of life.  The monte died a couple of months ago and has just been sitting next to our driveway.  Well the alero took a turn this past week.  A new fuel pump later, the alero is back in full force.  In the process, someone came over and wanted to know how much for the monte.  They actually bought a dead car.  Go figure!  So in honor of all the miles spent in the faithful old monte, one last picture before it goes.

We go to breakfast at the Car Bar pretty much every Sunday morning we’re in town.  Our morning ritual to get ready usually involves Dustin getting up and getting dressed, then Peter gets dressed, and finally it’s Annie.  Peter likes to hang out in the bedroom and watch some Imagination Movers while the process is going.  What more could you ask for?

Valentine’s Day was a good weekend at the Zastera household.  Dustin and Peter picked out beautiful red roses to come home to on Friday.  Then whole family, along with Jim and Sherry, went to the Camping Show and out to dinner.

Peter has become the pro dancer.  He has some really sweet moves and really likes going in circles.

Dustin was hard at “work”.

Karthik brought a little football with him when he visited a while ago.  He left it behind and Peter thinks it is beyond sweet.  Zoey has yet to be convinced.

And finally, Peter has found out that there really is no better way to watch tv than in his wagon up close and personal.