Almost Done!

Here is our brand new, shiny deck! After nearly a year of on-and-off working, Brian is almost completely done with it! Yeah! Now we can start on the bathroom ... umm ... I mean, relax on the deck! Yeah!

Small Town Livin'

This morning while Sam and I were on our walk/jog, we came across this auction in town. Sam had a great time listening to the auctioneer and was bobbing his head to "the beat". Only in small-town America!

Football Friday Night

Tonight was the "Powerade Football Scrimmage" in Story City, so we decided to check it out. We only live one block from the football field and it's fun to walk down, visit with friends and neighbors and support the team.

Brian enjoyed checking out the team and seeing what kind of talent the Norsemen will have this season. Sam had a blast running around and pushing his stroller. And my favorite part was the walk home. As I pushed the stroller behind them, I stopped to appreciate the blessings in my life.

Who Wants a Ride?

Sam absolutely loves anything with wheels, and his hippo is no exception! He learned to walk by pushing it around the house, and now he's learning to give himself a ride. I can't believe how fast my baby has turned into a boy.

Ladies' Man

Here is Mr. Manly, posing with his new t-shirt. He is quite the flirt. (I couldn't get a good pic of him and the t-shirt, so this will have to do! Sorry for the red eyes.)

Mmmm ... Bath Water!

Here are a couple shots from Sam's bath the other night. He has a thing with drinking his bath water. I guess it could be worse! I keep telling myself I should be proud that he's learning to drink from a cup.

The Kindness of Strangers

This week I have once again been reminded why we live in Iowa. For my job, my territory comprises approximately 40 counties in Central Iowa. I routinely speak to various service organizations and church groups about the risk factors and warning signs of vascular disease. Twice in the past week, I have been given food from the groups to which I've spoken. These were complete strangers, but they opened up their doors to me, and gave me something to take home! And this is not just a 'special' week. In the past 3+ years, I have received home-grown popcorn, dried cranberries, tomatoes, watermelon, an angel figurine, numerous pens and countless meals. Sometimes I get caught up in the "busy-ness" of my own life but the kindness of strangers makes me stop to appreciate that I'm glad and proud to call Iowa home.

Fun in the Car

It's hard to catch Sam for a photo op since he doesn't usually sit still for more than about three seconds. So we have quite a collection of carseat pics. Here are a couple from the weekend. He just learned to stick out his tongue, and he is pretty proud of that.

Go State!

We went to the Cyclone FanFest today at the indoor practice facility. Holy cow, was it HOT!! There were probably a couple thousand people inside and it was at least 90 degrees or so. Whoa! But we wanted to see what it was all about. Sam had a lot of fun watching -- or should I say joining -- all the people and kids running around. But when it came time to get up close and personal with Cy, he had a change of heart. Maybe next time!

Visit to Grandma B.

On Saturday, we went to a BBQ/shower and also to visit Brian's grandma. Somehow we managed to forget to take pictures at the BBQ. (Hey, it's sometimes a bit crazy running after a 1-year-old!) But we did manage to snap a few at the nursing home. Here is four generations. Sam had a lot of fun playing with his cousin, Franki, at the nursing home. She even showed him the goldfish!! And he pointed out to her -- numerous times -- the lights and ceiling fans. Oh, to be a kid!

King of the Castle

Here is Mr. Manly, working on one of his many block towers. He is always extremely proud of himself when he stacks them. And I'd say this is one of his best to date.

Gramma-Time!

One of Sam's grandmas and great-grandma came up for a quick visit tonight after work. It is fun to have company and Sam is quite the entertainer. He had fun showing off his stacking expertise, and was loving all the attention!! We are very fortunate to have most of our family nearby and are able to see them quite often. We probably don't tell people enough how lucky we are to have them in our lives. But we do love and appreciate every one of you very much!

"Sounds Like Fun!"

We took Sam to the Iowa State Fair last night. We thought it would be cooler than some of the other days since it was overcast. Oops. It was pretty muggy. But Sam got to see lots of his favorite things -- "ta-toes" (tractors) and all kinds of people. He loves to people-watch. And the fair is the best place to do it! He got to check out the baby animals in the new Knapp building. We saw brand-new goats, cows, sheep, baby chicks, and his favorite, the piglets! They were squealing like crazy, and he thought that was pretty funny. Or maybe he liked them so much because they sounded like him!!

Bathtime Fun!

One last post for the night ...

We went boating a couple weeks ago with some of my family, but all of those pics are on a disposable camera that hasn't yet been developed. However, we happened to snap a few while Lukas and Sam took a quick bath together at Grandma's. They had so much fun playing in the sand and on the boat all day. As you can see, Sam had so much fun with his cousin that he just couldn't contain himself! It will be great fun watching the boys grow up together. And I am sure they will love this picture in about 15-20 years!

Whatta YOU Lookin' At???

Although this picture is out of order, I had to post it. Sam's expression is priceless. Can you tell he is exhausted and just wants the heck out of there? This was at the wedding reception for Brian's cousin, Matt (and Andrea!).

"Ta-Toe"

Here is Sam with his second cousin on one of his FAVORITE things -- a "ta-toe". Of course, no one else can understand when he says it, but I just KNOW he's saying it!! This was taken on Sunday at Brian's aunt and uncle's farm.

I'd Like To Add Something ...

Yep ... still working on this thing a couple hours later! But I've added music and am now adding pictures! Go me, go me!

Here is a recent pic of Mr. Manly. You can really see his teeth. Brian calls him Spongebob. Poor kid. (Spongebob Squarepants is a cartoon character with gap teeth for those who may not be up on their cartoons!!)

I'll post a few more pics tonight, then call it quits for the day!!

Trying this out ...

Hello! I decided to create this blog to hopefully stay in touch better with family and friends who don't live nearby. I'm hoping to update this at least weekly with news and notes of what's been going on in the Knoll household. My main goal is to get pictures added more frequently than anything. I'm still in the learning process, so bear with me!