What's In A Name

I don't know if we've ever fully explained all the thought we put into Heidi Anne's full name (some of you may have just learned that her full name isn't Heidi), it is Adeliede Annelise. So I will tell you how we picked it, why we choose it, and even how you get Heidi out of Adeliede.

Our pregnancy was a scary one and we knew our little baby was a stubborn and strong willed child. We also wanted a name that sounded sweet, what can I say, we knew from the start she was independent.

Adeliede-Of Noble Kin.

This is the full name of Heidi (well when spelled the old proper German way of Adelheid-thus the nickname Heidi). She is named after Saint Adelaide, who was a German Queen who became a Holy Roman Empress. She was a very stubborn, charitable, loved to serve others, and an important Lady in middle age history.

Heidi is also named after a very sweet childhood friend of my Dad and I just LOVED that book as a child.


Annelise-Gracious, Merciful-- God Is My Oath

Well Annelise is actually after 3 different people. She is named after two of her Great Grandmothers, my Granny Sonia Ann, and Char's Grandma Elise, the third is Anne Frank.


Anne Frank-Yes, her full first name was Annelise. She was such a smart & brave girl-hiding and surviving-yet still living at the same time. When everything was dark and hopeless, yet there was Anne Frank still writing, every little journal entry a testament to her resilient spirit, her unwillingness to give up, to keep on fighting-knowing that just by living she was fighting.---That was so our little baby girl.




Sonia Ann-My Granny was the best Granny Ever. I have so many happy memories of her, and that lady was tough as nails, a great story teller, and had a wonderful laugh. I see so much of my Granny in Heidi, the laugh, the scheming and puzzle solving, being to smart for her own good, and constant tomboy-ish attitude balanced with feminine touches. Sometimes think I see my Granny is standing right next to Heidi Anne encouraging her dare devil or messy ways. I swear I've heard "Where's your hair?" when Heidi has very, very dirty hands.

Elise-Char's Grandma, who was from England and survived the Blitz during WWII. She loves to travel and to be out and about. (Out and about-Sound like any toddlers we know?) A very wise women, very independent, and very stubborn. Whatever life has thrown at her, she just rebounds, nothing keeps her down.


So we knew ahead of time that she'd be stubborn-I just wonder at times if we tempted fate by naming her after so many stubborn and independent women all at once. ;-)

Happy Birthday 2 You-The Aquarium!

So Little Heidi Anne has now turned 2!! We didn't do much on the actual birthday day-day. She got to open a present and have some cookies. We saved the super fun stuff for when we went down the the valley to celebrate her birthday with the rest of our family (therefore her cousins) on Saturday.

The Aquarium!

We went to the Living Planet Aquarium. We'd gone before (when Heidi Anne was 5 months old) with my sister family, (Kayla was barely 1 at the time). So it just seemed right that we went with my sister, her family,(This time the Girls both 2 Years old and little Rykken was the 5 month old), and even Heidi Anne's Nana was able to come too.

It was so much fun trying to keeping up with the girls! They kept wanting to look and see different things. Kayla kept saying my favorite phrase in her sweet little voice, "Come on Heidi, Come on!" I think it is the cutest thing to hear.

They got to pet a sting ray-well almost, if nothing else, they got to play in the water with a sting ray. The girls then played in the coral reef play tunnels. We weren't to worried about the girls getting lost, Kayla's shoes have lights on them and Heidi Anne's shoes squeak,(my sister & I are very smart like that). Those two can run (Fast!)-but they can't hide (for to long).We then saw the penguins, yes penguins. Little Gentoo Penguins, which were pretty cute. They were just swimming and playing like little clowns. But unlike fish were the exact same type of fish can look completely different, all the penguins looked exactly like eachother-so the girls were off again.They had fun looking at the fish, the frogs, the huge snake, the little alligator (a caiman), and more fish! Sadly, it was super crowded, and Heidi Anne doesn't handle crowds to well. Not to mention it was nearly lunch & nap time. So while we didn't spend as much time there as we had hoped-I think it was much time as Heidi Anne could tolerate. Besides-maybe one day we'll have a real full size aquarium here in the state. (Hey, I can dream can't I?)

All in all-Kayla and her had tons of fun-and there was still plenty more to do in the day!

Daddy Realization #31

I have realized that Heidi has the most interesting perspective on life, for example at day care they have two rocking horses and Heidi wanted to have the one that looks like a snail and her friend was on it. They told her that her friend has it and she could ride the other one. Instead of being mad at the child on the one she wanted she got mad at the other horse and started yelling at the horse they were offering. she then went to play with something else and came back to the offending horse and yelled at it some more. It is so much fun to see how she is viewing the world.

Daddy Realizations #42

Today I got to spend the day alone with my daughter, she was my little shadow. I would do something and she would kneel right next to me and help out. I was putting up a shelf in our family room and she kept handing me the screws I dropped.

Also when I have been taking a drink and going ahhhh after she has started doing it to. My wife used to call her brother and sister baby ducks and it is true, Heidi would walk funny right after me and promptly fall down.

Our day care consists of mostly little girls and all the teachers are girls as well. This being said you think that she would be a princess, but this is not true, she will stay out side until the cows come home and then a little longer she has these little boy behaviors, not to be sexist or anything, most little girls I have ever known will spin and have wands, which Heidi does on occasion, but Heidi will "fly" with her arms behind her, if you say ready, she will finish it with set, go.

Lately she has been playing in the toy cars that you move with your feet and the boys will go beep, beep to have others

move. so now instead of saying move she goes Beep, Beep to get things to move, this includes toys cats, dogs, Daddies.

This is not to say she didn't learn this from me and my love of honking at people who cut me off or do stupid driving tricks, but Heidi has become a mini me.

Fourth In the North

I've determined nothing is more unique then the 4th of July that falls on a Sunday when you live in a small town. Why?? Only here can we make it last 3 full days!
We have the Cruise In on Main--lucky for me our office window overlooks the conference center where the totally awesome classic cars all register. So we get a sneak peek of some of the fun classic cars. The Friday night (normally the 3rd of July--because everyone drives to the city for the real fireworks on the 4th) we had our fireworks show.
Sadly Heidi Anne fell asleep before it started. She did get some Aggie Ice Cream and to see the military fly over. To which she pointed to it and said "Airplane". How we got pictures of that-I will never know!
On Saturday Cruise In on Main happens-most people, businesses, restaurants even, start saving spots a few days in advance. But the morning of is just priceless! RVs, trailers, chairs with rope or tape sectioned off. Nothing quite says small town then the Saturday of Cruise In-and I couldn't love it more!!

For the 4th for real-We visited Chars family. Where Heidi Anne got to play in the wadding pool. Can you tell she was a little excited? She played in the water, splashed, even put a plastic green chair in the center.
She just ran round the back yard playing between the slide, grass, and wading pool.She even helped out with some gardening and playing with her cousin Alice while we were barbecuing. She fell asleep on the drive home before the real fireworks started, but we tossed a few pop fire works earlier in the morning, which were good enough for her.