Hamilton County Fair

Grandma Jane came to town for a visit in July. Sorry for the delay in posting, but the hard drive went out on our computer and caused some technical difficulties . Here are some pictures from her wonderful visit and the Hamilton County Fair.

Marilyn loved the llamas. Having never had much experience with them- we were all intrigued. And yes, we did recite the book, Llama Llama Red Pajama... one of Marilyn's favorites.

It was a warm night but lots of fun. We had a wonderful visit with Grandma Jane, and we can't wait for her next visit. Only a few more weeks until Marilyn's birthday.

A Day of Fishing

We enjoyed a beautiful Saturday at Great-Grandma & Grandpa Brenton's new house. The weather was perfect for relaxing on the porch, and the fish were biting.

Pappaw & Marilyn fishing...

And they caught one within minutes!

And Dad caught an even bigger one!

I love this picture.

Marlyn is perfectly situated between Great-Grandpa and Pappaw all equipped with their poles and ready for an evening of fishing. Lots of love here!

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!