The Zoo and Science Museum in Minneapolis

This past weekend we decided to take a trip to Minneapolis just for fun. We went to the Science Museum, mostly to see the dinosaurs as Parker's loves "Rarrrrrsss" as he calls them. We also like to look at all the science experiments. Parker loves to try and figure it out and see what happens, but I'm not sure he knows what he's doing yet! Then we went to lunch and then to the Como Zoo. We had tried to find this zoo on a previous trip to no avail....but it was a great zoo to go to. It was small enough to do in a couple hours, which is what we wanted...and the animals were all awake and having fun in their winter enclosures. The monkeys were especially active. They were swinging all around back and forth. Addison wanted to be as close as Parker to the window, and would yell until we got her right up close. She is really wanting to be in Parker's business these days. The seals were great also. There was a big one and a much smaller one...they were playing. The big seal seemed to be showing off. He would talk...and it was quite loud. He or she, I'm not a seal expert, would come to the glass right where Parker was and talk to him and show him the ball he was playing with, dive down, and do the same thing. It was like they were playing with each other. Parker loves to play ball, I'm sure he would have been so ecstatic to play ball with a real live seal! In the summer they have sea lion shows, so we'll have to go back again then. We did see penguins, lions, jaguars, zebras, giraffes, reindeer, gorillas, sea lions, a giant tortoise...a real one too, not just the one you see below, and some other's I'm sure I'm forgetting...It was a great trip to spend as a family. Parker soaks up so much and watches everything. He seems to remember everything he wants to....the next morning when he woke up he asked me if we were going to the zoo.

Parker checking out the triceratops fossil.


Parker, Addison, and Daddy listening to stories on the phone about dinosaurs. Parker couldn't seem to comprehend putting it on his ear...he always wanted to have the mouth part up. Really, it's funny he knows how to use this kind of phone!

Addison is kind of bright in this picture, but she liked exploring the exhibits just as much as she could!


The was at the zoo. Parker and Addison were riding a tortoise! Addison has to do everything Parker does, so of course she got up there with him, and he gladly held on to her.

Parker and Addison checking out the tortoise before climbing up on it.

My handsome Parker

We tried to take a family picture with the time....kind of good.....at least we tried!

Micheal had Vetern's Day off, being a federal employee now and all, so took a family day. We decided to go to this place here called House of Bounce. It's a giant warehouse, filled with tons of bouncer things....Parker had so much fun, as you can see. They had stuff for toddlers all the way to adults....Parker of course went on all of them. Look how tall that blue slide is! The picture doesn't even get the top or bottom of the slide...this is just the middle section! He would crawl all the way up there by himself and slide down! (the first time daddy went with him, this calmed all fears he had, after that, it was solo) Addison just hung out with me and watched, until she was so tired she fell asleep.

It was nice to take a lazy family day in the middle of the week. Parker loves to get out and doesn't prefer to stay home all day. He's a busy boy! We then went out to dinner....Addison tried more foods than Parker did...I think she ate potatoes, bread, yogurt, pudding, carrots, key lime pie....the list could go on...she will put anything in her mouth that you let her. She loves to eat. Parker on the other hand at that age, would gag if I put something "foreign" in his mouth.

Parker loves music and his daddy!

Daddy, I love you!


Parker is 100% boy most of the time. He loves to run, play, and attack! He's become quite the climber and is fast, he can climb and attack you anytime, so be on the look out. Sitting on the floor, on the couch....he does know to stop though, so that's good, but he loves to rough and tumble with daddy, boys will be boys I guess. Addison is just hoping to stay out of it and be a spectator.



Parker loves music. He dances when it comes on TV, and has figured out how to set up a band. He sets up his xylophone and drums and sings loudly to us daily. He also has a harmonica and a tambourine, and a some maracas....he puts them to good use, singing, dancing, and making a beat. Addison is kind enough to clap along, as she has figured that out this week.

Just a virus

This past was a long week. Addison caught a virus of some type. I knew it wasn't H1N1, but it was something giving her a fever and making her just not feel her happy little self. After a day of fever, I took her in, in case she had an ear infection. Everything was normal, so it was just a virus, a couple days later a rash broke out, just like the one Parker had at that age, so I wasn't worried about it, and knew it was just part of the virus. We stayed home, missing story time, Bible study, etc, so she could rest and not expose other babies. Addison weighed a whole 15 lb. 3 oz. That metabolism is fast! She loves to eat. Now she is feeling better, and off to explore again.

If there has to be a best part about Addy being sick, it was that she was so cuddly. She usually just tells us she's tired, we put her in her crib, and that's it...she puts herself to sleep, good I know, but part of me still wants to rock and cuddle her to sleep. While she was sick, she would cuddle and fall asleep and stay asleep in our arms. But, now that she's better, she's not having any of that cuddling, she will squirm and squirm til you put her down, and that second she closes her eyes, and she's out.

Beauty Shop

Parker decided that he wanted to do Addy's hair like I do his. I normally spray it down with water, as I'm letting it grow out for the cold Minnesota winter from his buzz cut he had for the hot Texas summer. He generally screams and says no when I do this, and then rubs his hands over his head to mess his hair up, only to make me determined to start over until his hair is combed. I'm going to groom this boy into a gentleman somehow!

This Addison checking out what coming up behind her, Parker is smiling so innocently and proud of himself.

This is Addison reacting to being sprayed by the water bottle! Am I mean by letting this go on? She needs to learn what's going to happen with an older brother at an early age.

This is Parker combing it into his style, doesn't she look pretty so far!?

First snow

We got our first big snow this month on October 23. They say that it is early for the snow, but I don't know, it is the end of October, I really expected there to be snow stuck on the ground by November. All this snow already melted. Parker wasn't sure of the snow at first, but once Micheal showed him how to ball it up and throw it at me, he was quite happy. He has his snow boots, snow pants, gloves, and a Pistol Pete hat, so he is set for winter....Bring it on! We'll build a giant snowman, and perfect little snow angels!

Addison is 9 months old!

Addison is now 9 months old! It's amazing how fast time flies. She's healthy as can be, and doing well. She weighs a whole 14 lbs. 9 oz, which puts her at the very bottom of the weight chart, technically every baby is bigger than her in weight at this age. She is 26 inches tall, which is in the 50th percentile. Addison learned how to use her car walker to walk across the living room all by herself!!!! She can stand alone for a few seconds at a time as well. Can she crawl? NO! Does she have teeth? NO! but I bet in a month she'll be walking pretty much all by herself!

October Activities

October has been a fast and fun month. We did lots of activities as you can see in all the blogs. The kids continue to grow and grow and grow. Addison is showing her little personality more and more and Parker is learning how to think things through and verbally express himself better and better. They are so sweet and such a joy to be home with everyday. I wouldn't trade this experience now with anything. I truly love staying at home so far and being with my kids each day. To get to know them and watch them as they interact, grow, and learn is amazing. I'm able to show them God's love and teach them first hand about the glory of God. I have so much more want to do with them, and each week is so fun. We go to a toy store weekly for story time still and I go to a Bible study each week as well. Even going out twice a week minimum is enough to keep us busy....it's a lot of work to get them ready in the cold and carry them out and about! We did the Pumpkin Patch, a trip to Oklahoma, flu shots, had our first snow, and skipped out on Halloween, too much effort for us when they are still too little.

A good shot of Parker. He loves staying at home and not having to get up and go, on the other hand, there are times he doesn't want to come home. As soon as we pull into the driveway, he'll say "No home mommy, no home." It sounds very sad. But, he just wants to keep playing and exploring. He can say church now, and since we go there twice a week and he gets left in the nursery to play, he requests to go to church.

Parker rides his tricycle in the house sometimes, on this day, he wanted Addisy (what Parker calls her) to ride with him. He let her have to front seat, and he rode in the bucket in the back. She of course had smiles of fun doing what Parker does.

Parker took this photo of Daddy, he's learning to become a photographer...he's getting really good and aiming and shooting I think! Daddy's head isn't all the way cut off, and it's not a picture of half a leg or a thumb!

So, Daddy and Addy playing on the floor....they played so much they could take no more!

Parker saw his swimming floaties in the closet, guess I didn't hide them well enough. Well, the pool's are all empty for the winter, besides the fact that even if they were open, it is way too cold to go swimming. Parker talked daddy into blowing up his floaties, and I was talked into letting him take a bath with them! At one point, the arm floaties, the beach ball, and this floatie were in the tub. I guess this is what you do for fun in the long winter in Minnesota, and it hasn't even really started!

Addison is so ready for teeth...if only they would pop out! Some how, the two of them were in these spots, and I check on them and she has a Taquito in her hand! I don't know if Parker gave it to her or if she took it, I wouldn't doubt either....and she is just sucking away on it. Now I grind up whatever we cook for dinner for her, she loves it, and has become a baby food snob.

Look! I'm eating a biter biscuit, man I wish those teeth would come!

We were eating dinner at the table....Micheal and I were paying attention to Addison, we turned back around to look at Parker, and he had fallen asleep with his head propped on the wall behind him! He was so tired. Parker gave up his nap a few weeks ago, fighting me more than it's worth to take a nap. Usually he makes it through the day until bedtime unless we get in the car between 4 and 6 pm...and then he'll fall asleep...

A sleeping angel. She become very attached to this bear...which is hers...but Parker remembers it being around before Addison was born, so he thinks it's his. You should her scream at him if he takes it, or if she sees it and can't get to it. She definitely gets his attention!

Parker and Addison were sleeping together in my bed. They had the whole california king size bed to spread out, and here they lay, entwined with one another....bear included!

Addison learned how to use her car walker all by herself to walk across the living room!!!! She can stand alone for a few seconds at a time as well. Can she crawl? NO! Does she have teeth? NO! but I bet in a month she'll be walking pretty much all by herself!

Parker Hall

Many of you know the story, but some don't....but it's important to us, so I wanted to include it on the blog forever to be seen. Micheal and I met when we both lived in Parker Hall on campus way back when......when we were choosing a name for our Parker 8 years later, we debated and debated on what to name him. It's such a big decision, and it's a life long choice that will effect him for life! We had the name Parker on the list...it had a significant meaning to us, we loved the name and we lived in Parker, it's where we met, which clearly all led to us ending up getting married and having a baby. So, after much debate about whether or not a biblical name would be better, or a name that meant something different than "keeper of the park", or "guardian", or if we chose Parker would our other children feel like their names were just as special? We decided Parker was the best...so here's to our Parker!

First time Parker visited Parker, Homecoming 07

Parker Hall....a smaller dorm on campus, I lived on the 4th floor, Micheal on the 3rd.

Parker and Micheal in Parker Hall, Homecoming 09

Random pictures from homecoming...

There are so many pictures from our trip to sort through, probably over 100, seriously! So, here are some random good ones I wanted to include....eventually we'll put all 100 on our picasa site, so if you want to see all the house dec pictures or more family pictures, let me know and I'll guide you to the picasa site.


This is a sweet daddy son moment in the pool. Who knows what Parker was telling his daddy?!

In order to make it to Stillwater, we took 2 days to travel down and 2 days to travel back up to Minnesota. On the way down we stayed in Topkea, KS. The hotel had a pool, so we decided to take the time to swim in hopes to wear the kids out before bed after sitting in the car all day.


Parker is usually too short to touch the ground in the pools we've been in, in this one, he could walk on the edge, he loves the water.


Parker was coming up to Addison and acting like he was taking a nibble out of her each time he got out of the pool and jumped back in. She thought it was funny, and he had a blast getting in and out.

Tracy and Addison at lunch, both looking so pretty!


Jon and Parker watching the ducks and geese at Theta Pond.


Parker fed the ducks while Bristol and Addison watched.


Family photo! Addison loves to touch and grab whatever is in her reach....Parker is of course 2 and dramatic about it most of the time. He doesn't want Addison to grab at him, but of course he can grab at her anytime!

Addison showing Aunt Kelly her stuff! Maybe if I weren't so skinny, my pants wouldn't fall off, and I wouldn't get them caught in my feet when I'm trying to walk, and then I could learn to walk faster...

How old do you first discover you can roll down a grassy hill? Apparently at least by the age of two.

Kelly's all hyped up about......?

Grandpa Shields "Pa" and Parker watching a movie in their pajamas.


Grandma Shields "Amma" and Parker walking side by side, who do you think the leader is?


The Fletcher's! Thanks for babysitting for us during the game, I hope you survived!


Parker and Aunt Kelly playing piano in the lounge.