Tessa turns 4!

The fun begins!

Mima & Tessa

The crew makin' capes

The ultimate superhero stance

And again

Eric leads the kiddos through superhero training. 

They all passed with flying colors.

Destroy the monster! 

Well, when the monster finally was destroyed, Tessa cried, "REXY!!!"
She didn't quite understand the concept of a pinata. Oops.
I had to promise to reconstruct him to stop the tears. 

Word up!
Word Girl (aka Megan) made the party extra special. (Thanks, Meg!)

Lisa, Tyler & Tessa

We had to capture the villain by shooting him with silly string.

Joan, Tessa & Mike 

The superhero is on the run! 

She continues to add accessories to her costume...
Spider Tiger/Word Girl/Bat Babe

We're super! Thanks for asking!

And she is still peachy.

Firefly fun

We each caught a firefly!

Glow, little guy!

Mine had detachment issues.

Superhero training

Tessa's most memorable wedding dance

Most of the high school clan! {Jenna gets hitched.}

Eric & Tessa helped get the party started.

Twirly girl

Shorty got low.

Um...twist and shout?

It's all fun and games until a little girl gets her toes stepped on by a woman in wedges. :'( Thank God they were only wedges.

Tailgating on Mima's 'Special Day'

After pizza and mini golf (I got my first hole-in-one!), birthday cake in the back of Aaron's Subaru really hit the spot.

This is how we roll.

"Give us a thumbs-up, Tessa!" Must have been opposite day.

Happy Special Day, Mima! You are super special! ;)

Thanks for visiting, Kor!

Hangin' at the Diner.

The Farm

Tessa & Joan read "The Lorax," a new favorite.

Tessa loved doing the dishes playing in the dishwater.

Spider Tiger (Tessa's superhero name) spied a spider friend on the deck.

Uncle Mike helped Tessa drive the tractor—no joke— at a whopping 3 mph.

Eric & I tagged along behind on the four-wheeler.

There are so many fun "toys" on the farm.

Snack time in the tree house. Tessa always requested to sit by Mike.

Tessa's goal was to touch the tree limb with her feet like Aunt Joan.

But she preferred this superhero way. 

We took the trike into "town." This was in front of the old Catholic church.

Argh! Only 112 years too late!

Only in South Dakota...

Great-grandpa Walter and Great-grandma Loretta's gravestone.

Story time with Uncle Mike.

Joan & Tessa, one last swing. She now loves it. 

Tessa was so sad to leave.

Thanks for the wonderful time, Joan & Mike!