Still Here

It is time for the Walkers to let everyone know we are still here, so here is an announcement: we still exist. We just took a summer blogging break, followed by a being sick and pregnant break, followed by a Christmas break, followed by a no excuse break. Luckily, you did not miss out on anything major. All of the big stuff is happening in May: Randy will finish graduate school and baby Mick will arrive (hopefully not at the same time, but there is a chance). Kennedy is making all kind of big kid transitions in preparation for May: potty training, dropping naps (even though Amy still needs them), and switching to a big kid bed (this will happen soon). Here are some courtesy pics of things that have happened in the last 11 months...


Kennedy turned 2:


An owl showed up for Halloween:


We got family pics taken:


Our friends left a surprise Christmas gift on our front lawn:

Charleston!

We kicked off our summer with a Walker Family trip to Charleston, South Carolina. We went with Randy's parent's to visit his Aunt and Uncle, who are so southern and nice! It is easy to like someone who calls you Sugar! It was very fun to get to introduce them to Kennedy.

We also were able to fit in some sightseeing. We visited Fort Sumter, where the Civil War was started. It is ironic that such a big conflict began at such a small place. Fort Sumter is a tiny island just outside of Charleston. We rode a boat out to the Fort, and on the way the history of Fort Sumter was given over the load speaker. I am 99.9% certain that it was the same narrator as Disney's Magical Express, which made it even more interesting to listen to. That voice just makes me happy...

We also got to visit the beautiful East Bay of Charleston, and spend two days at the Beach. The beach was a lot of fun. Kennedy didn't love the water, but the sand kept her occupied. Most importantly, we were able to make multiple trips to Bessingers BBQ aka Heaven on Earth, according to Randy. They have awesome onion rings (see below).

Busy

April was busy. Randy was traveling a bunch for work, and Kennedy and I were left scrambling to keep up with our social calendar in addition to running errands and keeping things at home running smoothly. Here are some pictures of none of that:

Signs of Spring

Sunday was the official first day of Spring. Here are some pictures to prove that warmer times are coming:

Happy Anniversary

We wanted to make our Anniversary count this year since we have been staying pretty busy. So, thanks to cheap plane tickets and Nonnie, who agreed to watch Kennedy for a few days, we took a quick trip to Disney World. It was really fun to be in a warm place and have so many fun things to do (and no kids to answer to).

Of note are 3 silly experiences:
1. On the plane ride to Orlando, we picked up passengers on a stop-over. While Randy was out of his seat, I was able get the guy who sat in our row to agree to play a prank on Randy. He struck up a conversation with Randy, and a few minutes into it he went off about how he hated Bruce Springsteen and thought anyone who listened to him was a fool. Randy just laughed... Way to go me, and a big thanks to the random stranger who helped me out.

2. Some of our family friends were in Disney World a week before us, and left us a note in Epcot, in England, in the phone booth by the bathrooms, in the phone book under Walker. It was still there waiting for us when we got there!

3. Aunt Katie and Aunt Rachel had a fun time with Kennedy while we were gone. They taught her to eat snacks off the floor like a dog (luckily she hasn't remembered to do it since then), and dressed her up like Batman. Kennedy would be a great super hero (even though she looks so forlorn in her picture)!

Some Kid

Kennedy is a cute kid, and here is proof. Last week, she started sporting the buffalo slippers her Grandparents got her from their trip to South Dakota. My favorite part is the tail in back (which you can't see in the pictures, but I promise they are there). She also likes to hide in the cutting board cupboard. She is getting big enough that she can reach some door handles. The other day she tried to help Marley out... She's some kid. We like her!

Flat Stanley

Flat Stanley has come to Illinois! My nephew Justin sent him from Sacramento to my sister Katie, with the instructions to take him on some adventures. Randy went on a work trip to Minnesota this week, and Flat Stanley decided that tagging along would be more interesting than hanging out with Katie...

Here are some pictures of Flat Stanley and Randy's adventure in the tundra:






Flat Stanley with Woody- made entirely of Legos!!




The flight attendants LOVED Flat Stanley and gave him the royal treatment: a visit to the cockpit, orange juice, and his own flight wings!