It's official

Well, it's official - my babies are now 1st graders!!! Where did that time go?? It was hard enough adjusting to the fact that they were kindergarteners, but now that I am imagining them heading off to 1st grade it makes it so official...they are growing up! I just keep picturing them as tiny little babies sitting in their carseats at the hospital and how we had to stop twice to make sure they were okay on our trip home. Man I miss those days. I try my best to absorb every single moment but I'm finding the moments are moving faster and faster!!! Thank goodness for pictures and my obsessive behavior towards them!!! HA HA I'm very sad that the girls' teacher is leaving this year - she was a wonderful asset to the school and absolutely wonderful with my kids. Miss Miller is getting married next month and will be moving.

Their last day of school consisted of the Little Irish Relays. You'll notice by their pictures that they weren't in very nice clothes but the relays are normally outside so I thought they'd be best in clothes that they could ruin since it was raining!!! Ana came home with a first place and two fourth place ribbons and Mia came home with two first place ribbons. It was so fun to watch and was even more fun to watch them all cheering for each other. There are many moments where I cherish the fact that my children go to such a small perochial school - and this was one of them - to see them be more excited for others than for themselves!!!

Now we're focusing on our summer. Can't wait!!!

The joys of 6 year olds...

I can't decide if my girls are just overly tired, or if they're just getting sassy. I joke that they're 6 going on 16 a lot because every so often they'll get a little attitude - but this whole week it's been nothing but attitude the minute I pick them up from school. We've had a couple of really crazy weeks with dance and soccer so I understand that they may be just worn out, and it doesn't help that daddy hasn't been around a lot lately either to help me out - but we're having arguments ranging from arguing with a specific girl on the soccer team (which she IS very bossy but they're still not allowed to act like that - I taught them better than that), to fighting about getting in to the shower, to who got to wear the pink pants the last time!!! Only 7 more days of school after today and then maybe their drama will slow down!!!

The girls' dance recital was great - although very long!!! We're very excited though because there will be an Impulse Dance Academy opening a branch in Emmetsburg in the fall!!! No more driving to Spencer!!! YAY! Although, I will miss my Tuesday Walmart runs!! I have posted a few pic's from the recital. I realized, a little late, that I didn't swith my camera to "action photos" before the dance started so some of the pic's have a little blur to them. Only 2 more soccer games and then that will be done!! I believe we will be playing this fall for the first time because they really enjoy it.

Chad and I have started working out again - if any of you watch infomercials, you've probably seen it on a Saturday morning. It's called P90X. I have been looking for a work out that doesn't require a lot of jumping (my knees don't like that much since the two surgeries) but still has a good amount of cardio and that offers a strength training program. Well, WE'VE FOUND IT!!! Holy Cow. My whole body aches but amazingly the pain is keeping me motivated!! Chad is amazing - instead of making me get up at 4:30 to get the workout in before he needs to get ready for work (he goes in at 6 am), he comes home during his lunch hour and we work out!! Don't worry, I don't make him starve - I always have something made for him to take back to work with him!! Otherwise, it's just been field work when the weather has cooperated!! By the time the ground dries out, we get a day of work in then another round of rain comes through. With only about 4-5 days left of bean planting, it would sure be nice if we could just get it done!!!

BIG get well wishes to my dad who underwent hip surgery this week - he's doing well and hope to have him home really soon (today I think) to complete his recovery. Love you Dad.

Our crazy life

(my little climber - she'll climb everything!!)

(the cousins)

(cousin Hailey and Kale)

(cousin - baby Addisson)

I don't know if I'm coming or going these days - every day seems to blur together. Who knew that 6 year olds would love to be involved in everything??? This is finally our last week of crazyness...okay MAJOR crazyness anyway!!! The dance recital is this weekend and then we're down to just soccer and field work! Piano lessons have been postponed until summer, I just hate that the kids are busy EVERY single evening.

This weekend was busy but nice...farming, planting the garden, mowing, and hanging out with Chad's sister Nikki and her kids. We even managed to get a little sun during the process - you'll notice in one picture, Kale's face is REALLY red. Thank goodness it was gone the next day. Kale insisted that I take his picture on every tractor in the yard while they were getting things ready for bean planting. I'm hoping that for as much as he likes tractors now that he'll be as enthusiastic when he actually HAS to be in the tractors working!!! HA

Soccer is ON...

The soccer season has officially begun and it's off to a great start!! The girls are amazing me more and more with their abilities and determination. The pictures I posted are from a scrimmage match we had because I completely forgot to grab my camera for their game on Saturday. Figures, because Mia scored 5 goals and Ana scored 3!! Both girls are playing SO well this year and tend to dominate a little since they are the only ones on their team that have played before and this is their 3rd season!! Mia was totally aggressive on Saturday and wasn't afraid to get in and fight for the ball - she even went airborne after being tripped. She cried a bit, but didn't take long to suck it up and get back in. It almost encouraged her in a way - she scored 4 of her 5 goals after she got hurt!!! The sportsmanship is so wonderful as the other team took a knee until Mia got up and walked off the field. Ana isn't quite as aggressive as Mia, but when she gets ahold of the ball, she's off and sure to make the goal. So much fun - for them and for us!!!

The rain has paused the field work for a bit but not before I got to get in the tractor and enjoy an afternoon of quiet time!! The boys made it easy on me letting me just do the middle of the field and leaving the areas along the fence line and endrows! Otherwise, I've been the grain getter - making the trips to Ruthven to pick up the corn. I'm sure I'll be on standby for the beans too!! Kale has enjoyed every single minute in the tractor with Grandpa (he didn't want to ride with me!) and has even gotten a little possessive, telling the girls "you don't go with Grandpa - MY Grandpa". The girls have put in a little time in the field, but their schedules haven't allowed much. We still have dance going on - recital May 9th, and with 2 nights of soccer practice and Saturday games, it's just been a little too much. I'm looking forward to it slowing down a little once dance is done for the season. Before we know it, school will be done and all 3 kids will be home with me again!!! I'm not sure if I should be excited about that one yet or not!!! HA

Hope you all are having a wonderful spring!!!

This little piggy...

Some of the things that come out of Kale's mouth completely crack me up some days. This was his latest...



Kale has started running around the house now with his socks off (a TRUE sign the weather is changing!!) so we've started saying "this little piggy" when he sits on my lap. While playing it last night, he says to me "no, this little piggy didn't go to the market, this little piggy is driving the backhoe!!" I busted out laughing and thought I'd ask what the next little piggy was doing. To that he said "driving the combine". The next little piggy was driving the tractor, the next was pulling the grain cart, and the last one went home in the semi!!! If that doesn't have FARM KID written all over it!! I'm hoping to finally get my opportunity to work in the field this week!! This darn illness has just about done me in. I've been sick over 2 weeks now with what the doctors said was a sinus infection!! After 10 days of Amoxicillin, I still don't have my voice back and still have a nasty cough and some head congestion. For those of you who have called - I promise I will call you back when I can TALK again!!!!



Sounds like a beautiful week - hope you all have a wonderful one!!

Only in Iowa

(outline of the girls' bodies drawn in chalk)

Well, the title says it all...only in Iowa can you enjoy 63 degree weather one day and be getting ready for 8-14 inches of snow the next!!! HA! For all of you who don't live in Northwest Iowa...you stink!!

With the weather being so nice, that has also meant that field work has begun. Kale spent about 5 hours with Grandpa Fank in the tractor on Friday and a couple hours the night before. He is in complete heaven. I can't even describe how he gets when you talk about farming, but it's so dang cute. His face lights up, he suddenly becomes all grown up in how he talks (example: "we're going to go spread the fertilizer" all while shrugging his shoulders, using hand gestures, and with such a serious look on his face - as if he's the one actually spreading the fertilizer!!!), and he can't get his coat on fast enough. The cutest was on Thursday night - I needed to run to the field to pick up Grandpa, Mike (works with Nick during spring and harvest), and Kale to run them back to the farm. When I got there, the field cultivator (or ripper, I didn't pay attention close enough) was broke down but it was still sitting down in the dirt so Kale was convinced it was stuck. As I was walking up to him he says "hey mom" with a little farmer wave and then tells me, "it's stuck mom, really stuck". Grandpa tried to tell him it was broke, but Kale wouldn't have it. As we turned to walk towards the car Kale again says to me "it's stuck mom, I'll push it" and he dug his feet in to the ground and began to grunt as he tried to push it. Such the helper!!! It was darn cute though.

My master bathroom is finally functional again. The shower is in and the painting is now done (I got that done while Kale was in the tractor yesterday!!) - so now all that's left is the storage unit going in next to the shower, trim boards, and the refacing of our current vanity to match our new storage unit!!! I'm hoping to get the room all cleaned up today so I can actually move back in to my bathroom to shower again!

With all the snow that may be moving in, I think the girls' first night of soccer practice will be pushed back a few days. First practice was going to be Monday, but we won't practice in SNOW!! They're super excited and ready to get back out there. Piano lessons have gotten a lot better. They didn't really want to see me as their teacher when we first started so whined or got mad (like they would with their MOM) if I wouldn't give them a sticker on their song because it needed to be better. We've now had long conversations about their practice habits and what I expect from them when they sit down at the piano!!! They're doing really well though and in the next few weeks we will really be concentrating on their hand placement on the piano and getting them comfortable with that. It seem so easy for me to show them, but their tiny hands don't quite cover the piano keys like mine do!!

This picture is of Daddy and Kale doing their favorite thing...looking at tractors!!! Note the concentration on BOTH of their faces!!!

Busy weekend, but so much fun!!!

We have had such a wonderful weekend here at home, but seemed to have been busy enough that it, once again, is almost over!! The beautiful weather gives me such major Spring Fever isn't not even funny. We spent SO much time outside enjoying every wonderful moment of weather that we could. I was excited to get my camera out again - I can finally get some good pictures now that we aren't stuck with "home" scenery!!

The kids and I spent most of Saturday outside while we could. The girls and I had a date planned to go and watch Grandpa Kerber at his barbershop show in Algona later in the day. What a wonderful concert it was!!! The feature quartet was unbelievable!! I grew up with my dad singing barbershop music and completely appreciate the harmony and music. It was so fun to share that with my girls - not only because they love music as well, but because it was special time with my girls!! When the concert was done, Mia looked over at me and said "that was the best concert ever" and Ana said to Grandpa, "I loved your singing!"... I think they enjoyed themselves.

While today was a little windy, we once again spent some time outside. We have spent the whole weekend trying to master hitting a ball with a pitch rather than the tee and working on our throwing. I was completely amazed at how they knew to step in to their swing and when to swing - let alone that they swung the whole way through!! We always feel like we've accomplished something if we just make it through a learning experience like that and we don't have a temper thrown because of frustrations!!! And we did it without ONE fit!!!