June 1 Rockford with KT

Thursday:  Kaity and I drove out to Rockford today to visit Aunt Candy's Toy Company to pick out a birthday present for Harper's 8th birthday (party on Saturday). We love this toy store! Kaity was very helpful in choosing what to purchase for Harper. We got a cool sticker set for her fingernails (!!), a super pretty and sparkly fairy puzzle, a kitty cat finger puppet, and a colorful headband that was full of pretty flowers. Harper is a "girlie" kind of girl, so all of this should please her very much.

After we were finished toy shopping, we walked on down to the dam to look around. Kaity loves it here. So do I! I did NOT bring my camera along this afternoon because I KNEW I would shoot 100 pictures that would then need to be edited, etc. and I am still exhausted from going through 541 pictures of Miss Jen's wedding. So I settled for my phone camera. Here are a few pictures:

Kaity was S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G her leg on the railing--she tells me this will help her do the splits if she continues to work those muscles out.

I was just SO GLAD to be here with Kaity today. She seemed so happy too.

I love these pictures of you, Kaity!

This little "spot" is so picturesque, isn't it? It never disappoints. 

We spent about 30 minutes on the boardwalk overlooking the dam and we noticed that there were FISH trying to jump UP THE DAM! WHAT?!?!?! We were cracking up just watching them. These were NOT salmon (at least I don't think so--they were too small) ...

We watched a duck couple just relaxing and enjoying their rather precarious "perch" right on the cement that makes up the dam.

I know this doesn't look thrilling or anything--but what brings me most joy in life are these simple things, these happy moments, carefree and beautiful times with the ones I love.