Hunter's First 5K

I just love this one! Marilyn's sign says it all- Her Daddy Rocks! A few weeks ago, on a very hot evening, Hunter completed his first 5K Cross Country run, and he did great. We were so pumped as we stood there cheering him on.

Coach Marilyn stretching and encouraging Hunter. Hunter did a great job and far exceeded even my wildest expectations. We are so proud of him... especially on a 90 degree plus night.

The next series of photos is a collection I subconsciously entitled "before Marilyn's first cast". She was playing on the playground while Hunter was running, and she was confident that she could keep up with the big kids. I watched for a little while, snapped a few pictures, asked her to please not follow the big kids as they climbed up the slide... then I did what every "good" mom does. I turned my head and waited for the crying to start. Amazingly, it didn't.

She played hard and had a good time dangling from the monkey bars, walking the planks and climbing up the ladders. And she didn't get hurt... at least not this time. I'm sure she won't escape her genes for long and will eventually end up in a cast- but at least this time our little daredevil prevailed unharmed.

Yes, she is in her Sleeping Beauty jammies... some battles need not be fought daily.

Princess Dress

Marilyn is such a goofy girl. She has become very interested in all things princesses. Here she is in her fancy "princess dress' spinning and twirling in her ballet shoes...

Then not even ten minutes later, she was outside driving her gator in her fancy princess dress. She is so funny!

Mennel Family Camping Trip

On Father's Day weekend we were blessed with a campground full of family! My mom's siblings and their families and our grandparents gathered for a weekend of fun and quality family time. The fun started on Thursday, and Mom & Dad took their favorite little camper Miss Marilyn with them. We arrived on Saturday afternoon from Chicago where we were celebrating Chris & Abbey's wedding. It was hot and muggy, but being able to spend such fun times with 70 members of our large family was wonderful.

Aunt Nancy brought some creative games for the kids... and the adults!

Vaseline on the nose... cotton ball on the nose transported to the plate... so cute

We surprised Marilyn with this Disney princess bag from the Disney store when we arrived. She then carried it EVERYWHERE around the campground and filled it with her treasures.

Our little camper! We had not been away from Marilyn for more than two nights, so it was a bit hard to be in Chicago for 3 1/2 days. I must say I was very excited to see how well she done with Grandma & Pappaw... and them with her. And she was in heaven! She loves spending time with them and it makes us so happy to know we can have a little couple time without worrying.

Chris & Abbey's Wedding

We can now officially welcome Abbey to our family!

Hunter's brother, Chris & Abbey were married on Friday, June 18 in Chicago. It was an intimate gathering of family and friends and matched the couple's personality just perfectly. It took place in a beautiful corner room on the 95th floor of the John Hancock Building. It was a beautiful evening and clear for miles. We enjoyed a serene sunset and then watched the night lights of Chicago come alive as we celebrated.

Our Family & The Happy Couple

The Ceremony

The wedding was perfect, and we were honored to be a part of this special day. From the heartfelt toasts to dashing out in the rain, this night will forever have a special place in our hearts.

Congratulations Chris & Abbey!

Dance Class!

Marilyn has enrolled in a summer dance class. She is in the two year old creative movement class at Stage One. Here are a few pictures from her first class.

Since she will be three in September, Marilyn is one of the oldest in the class; she is also by far the tallest. We are looking forward to the actual three year old class come Fall. Hopefully a structured dance class will prevent Marilyn from continuing with moves like her mother... poor thing already looks goofy and didn't stand a chance.

Indianapolis 500 Parade

On Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, Downtown comes alive with the Indianapolis 500 Festival Parade. This was my first time seeing the parade in person... and of course it was a very hot day. Marilyn and I joined Mom and Dad for day of floats, balloons, bands and race car drivers! Marilyn liked the horses best. She did inform Aunt Kate that to her disappointment there were no giraffes in the parade... go figure!

Such a Character

Marilyn loves dress up... she has a few dresses, several bracelets and lots of necklaces. And sometimes, she likes to wear them all together... with the sparkle headband of course!

Joel's Birthday Party

We gathered for Joel's 15th birthday party two weeks ago. It was a fun evening, and I can't believe Joel is 15 already!

Marilyn was thrilled to see "all of her friends." She is very clear that all of her friends cannot be there since Kate and Brett are still living abroad. Marilyn is quick to tell you she will see them in September at her birthday party. She was very excited to see Joel (and Joshua) but Joel ranks number one right now. We are so happy to have him as Marilyn's local hero as it makes her time without Aunt Kate easier to deal with.

She CONSTANTLY asks if she can see Joel, then comes the full family litany... Joshua, Ronna, Jim, Greg, Mark, Great-Grandma, Great-Grandpa, Mammaw, Pappaw. She always asks if Kate and Brett will be there too- just to test me. If I do not listen carefully and say yes, she will become VERY excited and I will have to backpedal.

Joshua spoiled Marilyn during the party and let her play his drums. She still tells me that Joshua is so nice and let her play. It was fun to see but not something we need to hear everyday... at least not yet. (Yes, Uncle Greg- that means you!)

Our little Rock Star!

Around Town

After returning from Nashville, we took some time to just relax and enjoy some family time. We went downtown for lunch and a stroll along the canal. Here we cheesed outside the Indiana State Museum. It was a beautiful day and was rounded out with a trip to the zoo- Marilyn's favorite.

What a hoot! Whenever Marilyn wants to play outside she puts on this purple sequin dress like a necklace, then she piles on the necklaces, rings and bracelets.

Here is Marilyn watching Dora in her new big girl glasses. I can't believe how much older she looks! (she was way too into it to smile for me)

Marilyn also had her follow up exam on May 6 at Riley. Her pressures were great! Her optic nerves are healthy and her eyes are great! It was wonderful news. The only rough part was that her eye was scratched by one of the instruments during the exam, and she was in incredible pain for the rest of the day. Thankfully she was able to sleep, but when she was awake, she just cuddled and cried. It was soooo sad. I hate it when she is in pain, especially pain we can't fix. After a good night's sleep, she was feeling better and ready to play. And we are thanking God for more answered prayers! Yeah!!