The time has finally come.

Yes, everyone, Ana has FINALLY lost a tooth!!! After months of watching her sister lose tooth after tooth, Ana has finally begun the process! She announced to me a few days ago that she finally had a loose tooth. Then, tonight while eating toast (as you can tell by the jelly on her cheek!), she got a funny look on her face and pulled something out of her mouth, to which she announced "Mom, IT'S MY TOOTH!!!" Everyone was so excited for her because she has been so very patient. Congratulations, Ana!!!!

In quiet moments...

See, already another post!!! After a great day with the kids today, we rented some movies - one of which I've been wanting to see since it came out, "7 pounds". Such an emotional movie, and I come from a long line of emotional people so I knew I would be crying a lot!!! It lived up to what I expected it to be and I indeed did cry. After the movie was over, it was time to put the kids to bed - Chad was already in bed because he wasn't feeling well and was very tired. Most nights Kale requests for daddy to lay with him for a little bit (a job which used to be mine since Chad traveled quite a bit for work previously). On cue, Kale looked at me when he climbed in to bed and asked "will you lay with me for a bit mommy?" So I laid down with him, leaned over and gave him a kiss and a hug, told him I loved him and that he needed to close his eyes. Next thing I knew, he grabbed his blankie and covered me up (because I lay on top of his covers for an easy escape!!!) and snuggled his puppy in to my arms as if to give me something to comfort me as well as it does him. He then put his hands on my face and said "there mommy, you're all better now. I love you too" and wedged his little arm under my neck and fell to sleep. As I lay there waiting for him to fall to sleep, I thought about how he was comforting me with his puppy...but what he probably didn't realize is that all I needed was that little arm around my neck to make my world better. The girls used to do sweet little things like this all the time when they were his age, and honestly still do - I think that's the difference between boys and girls. I'm usually conning Kale in to giving me a kiss by using bribery of some sort so I can get one!!! Every night when I go to bed, I thank God for all the wonderful moments I have been given throughout the day - even when it seems like there are few - but this was one of those moments that makes my life the most complete. Thank you God, for the most wonderful blessings in my life.

Terrible mommy

It feels like forever since I've sat to write - for some reason I keep busy!! It has proven to already be a busy summer and doesn't look to be slowing down any time soon. Before we know it, the girls will be heading back to school again!



As most parents do, you try to teach your children the value of hard work and the rewards that can follow. The girls, and even Kale, spent time with me picking rock this year!! The days were not without whining or fighting! Like all rock picking days, they were hot, so that didn't help things either. They did work as hard as I expected and even more at time, but not without reminder that they got "paid" for their work and that helped things along a little. A couple of weeks after we got done, we took the kids to Spencer to buy them their surprise, which was a trampoline!!! They have been BEGGING for one for almost 2 years now and we finally decided to give in. It's been a great investment though and many hours have already been spent on it. We were very excited to spend some time with my step-sister Carrie, and her family, from Texas this past week. It was fun to see their daughter, Melissa Grace (3), play with our kids and hold hands with the girls when they crossed streets! Hopefully she didn't leave for their journey to Michigan with too many bad habits!!!



Now we're in the process of trying to make our summer vacation plans. We had planned to go to the Black Hills the last week of July, but all of Chad's employee's are taking their vacations during that month so we're trying to figure out a shorter trip to Omaha or something for the first part of August. I'm ready for a vacation and I think the kids will be soon too. Like me, they like to be on the "go" and feel restless being home for too long. So far I've been able to remedy that by going to the park and summer reading at the library, or even just a quick trip to one of the Grandparents houses. I think we're all itching to just get out of Emmetsburg for a bit!!! I'm already bringing up options for Chad and my vacation this winter!!! When flights are pretty reasonable like they are, it's hard not to think about!



The terrible mommy that I am, I haven't taken much for pictures yet this summer!!! I will have pictures to post soon and probably many good Kale stories to tell as well! Please say a few prayers for my Grandma who underwent emergency surgery last week. She's home now and recovering, so we pray for a speedy recovery for her. Love you Grandma!!!

"Can we keep it???"

Yes, you're seeing correctly - that is a baby deer in Chad's truck!! Friday night I was out weeding the garden after mowing and the kids came running up to me to show me this baby deer stumbling through the field who was crying for his mother. We watched it run in to the neighbors grove of trees and proceeded on with our activities. About 20 minutes later, while I had Kale in the tub, Chad comes downstairs holding the baby deer. The neighbors dog was playing with it so Chad decided that maybe he should take it to a local person who raises deer. By the scratches it had, we think it was probably tangled up in something and that the mother was probably mangled in it as well or hit by a car. Such a fun moment for the kids though!!!



Thank you to everyone for the cards, calls, emails, etc. for my birthday. We spent the night on Saturday night in downtown Minneapolis doing a crawl for cancer event. Such a fun night with a really fun group of people!!! I spent my birthday on Sunday sleeping in, doing some shopping, and not cooking a meal! Doesn't get much better than that!!! It was nice to get home to the kids, though, so I could spend the evening cuddling with them.

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