Hello out there! Here is what we have been up to!

Chris: LOVES first grade! He really likes his teacher and his class and even enjoys doing his homework at night! We are starting to hit the point where he wants to do everything and then some so we are having to figure out exactly what happens when and what he will be doing but so far he is going to be involved in Operation JOY (at church), YMCA soccer, Cub Scouts and possibly Midi for Kids...busy kiddo! We recently discovered he's allergic to tree nuts (severely allergic) so we are having to avoid those but no other major things going on! He's a pretty happy, busy kid!

Daniel: Really has taken to preschool better than Greg and I ever could have hoped! He can't wait to go in the morning and absolutely adores his teachers and his new friends...he does still want to be at his house with his friends but school is a good alternative! :) He finally had a haircut about a week ago without screaming his head off so that is definitely progress and tonight he ate a chocolate chip cookie...that's right...chocolate chip!!!! The boy has been refusing to eat anything chocolate for quite a while now (no M&M's, no chocolate chips, no chocolate ice cream...nothing) but tonight for some reason he decided to try and now I will have to share some of my chocolate with him in the near future I'm thinking! That boy and his quirks!

Kate: Seems to enjoy going to her babysitters but I always get a big smile when I go to pick her up! :) She loves having her hair done, loves shoes and dresses...a real girly-girl! LOVE IT! If only I were more of a girly-girl! :) She has taken to dumping everything in her room out of the containers they are in and causing a real disaster in her room...but she's slowly learning how to help me clean up! Very sweet!

Greg and I: Not much new except for adjusting our morning schedule (me actually getting back into one!) and getting the kids to where they need to be and ourselves to work on time! We have actually been early the last week and a half! :) Feels good to have things organized enough that we can all 5 walk out the door and be where we need to be with what we need to have on time...and then eventually all make it back! :) Things have been going pretty smoothly and we have caught back up with housework this weekend...things tend to fall a little behind during the week! :)

Hope all is going well out there! I still need to put up posts about our visit to the Arch and my Girls' Weekend in Chicago...but for now there is a ton of laundry calling my name! Need to finish washing and folding before our week starts! :)

Have a great night!

First Day of School!

Today was the first day of school in our school district! Daniel and Chris both went this year and the day was a success!!!!

Daniel was very skeptical this morning after having a hard time the night before falling asleep due to excitement! :) BUT his day was wonderful! He has talked my ear off about friends he's made, food he's eaten, games he's played and he has decided that he definitely wants to go back tomorrow!

Chris's first day of first grade left him not wanting to leave at the end of the day! At his Meet the Teacher event the day before school started, he was THRILLED to see that he has a real desk instead of a table! :) Oh the little things in life!

Kate has adjusted back to her babysitter's just fine...not a single tear shed over being back there and has actually started doing things that she refused to do before (such as nap in the back bedroom!). How nice for daddy who drops her off each night!

So the first day of school was a fantastic one! Here's to hoping the rest of the school year can move as smoothly! :) Hope everyone out there who is going back to school has a great beginning!!!!!

What's New!

Well, gosh! I have been HORRIBLE at updating the blog this summer!!!! We've done tons and I have lots of pictures to share and I'm not doing a great job of keeping everyone updated!

Here are some posts to come:
*Our trip to St. Louis
*Pictures of Chris in his new glasses
*Summer Fun
*New kiddo pictures that we had taken!

What's new with us? Well, here is a quick run-down!

*School starts next week! Chris is going to be in first grade and Daniel will start preschool...where does time go????

*I'm leaving for Chicago for a girls' weekend early, early, early in the morning tomorrow morning! :) Going to be so much fun!

*We have found out that Chris is allergic to tree nuts so we start a new go around of adjusting things so that he doesn't have the horrible reaction he had to Honey Nut Cheerios...yuck!

*Kate has decided that she actually likes having her hair done....by everyone! She has been walking around the house this morning giving her brothers her barrettes so that they can put them in for her! We'll see how long this lasts! :)

*Daniel has a new pet fish that he has named Max...he is always looking in on him...making sure he takes naps (who knew?) and that he in general is doing ok! :) He adores that fish!!! :)

*My sister is moving in this weekend and so our last pet (besides the fish and hermit crabs) will be moving out...she is going to give Gizmo a good home...heartbreaking that he won't be here with us but good that he will be with someone who we know and someone who knows him....

Life has been going and going well! :) Everyone is happy and healthy! I promise to update a bunch as soon as we get back from Chicago! Have a good one!

Headwaters of the Mississippi!

While up in Minnesota we also went to Lake Itasca State Park...where the headwaters of the Mississippi River are. I have always wanted to visit where this mighty river starts and now not only have I visited but I have stuck my feet in the water! :) It was a great place for the kids to play and get wet...they loved every minute of it!

Chris liked climbing across the rocks...one side is Lake Itasca and as the water flows over the rocks that is the beginning of the Mississippi! :)

Kate was not a fan of sticking her feet in the water!

Surprisingly...Daniel LOVED it!

This was such a fantastic day! We also got to see Minnesota's largest white pine tree...the kids got to play on the beach of the lake...they got to climb a fire tower....it was a great day! :)

Turtle Races!

So I haven't blogged much this summer about other trips we've been on so here it goes! :)

During the week of the Fourth of July we headed up to Big Boy Lake in Minnesota...my brother in law and his family have a cabin up there and so we went to join them for the week! While up there, we decided to take the kids to Longville...the Turtle Racing Capital of the World...not joking! :) The had such fun watching the turtles race and when it was their turn they were beside themselves! Over 400 kiddos registered that day to race turtles...it was pretty fun to watch!

When it was the kids' turn, they went to middle and each selected a turtle and went to the middle circle. When the announcer counted off and said "Go!", the kids all put their turtles down and headed out of the circle and watched to see which turtle would make it to the outer ring first...that turtle would be the winner. They also gave out a slowpoke award at each race! The kids had so much fun!!!!

The "racing" area!

Chris with his turtle:

Daniel with his turtle:

And they're off!


It was definitely a fun and interesting experience! :)