Crosslake Camping

It was a lot of work this year with a newborn and a crazy Westie but worth it to see the big smiles on your faces.

We're Going on a Bug Hunt

Happy Birthday, Calvin! We had such a fun time hunting for bugs and other creepy crawlies with you.

Soon To Be Four

The last picture of my three boys before there were four.

Celebration

Dinner at Salsa a la Salsa to celebrate my Dad's 60th birthday and recent retirement...here's to many days of relaxation ahead of you, Dad.

Pumpkin Patch 2012

We helped little Miss K celebrate her 2nd birthday at the pumpkin patch early October. It was a chilly morning, but that didn't seem to bother the boys any. They bundled up in their winter jackets and raced off to see the livestock...goats, cows, and their favorite, a snorting pot-bellied pig. After meandering around the farmyard, a tractor ride was a must. The boys ended the morning picking some dandy pumpkins for future carving.

William & Kaylin Turn 2

At the end of June, we had a birthday party at the cabin to celebrate Kaylin and William turning two.  We could not have asked for a nicer day to be outside.  The boys spent hours in the water, relaxing on their floaties and jumping off the end of the dock (or in Calvin's case, face planting into the water).  When the lake got tiring, the slip n' slide was a hit.  Even William enjoyed getting in on the sliding action.  It was next to impossible to get the boys out of the water, although the mention of food and cake seemed to do the trick!

A Recent Trip To South Dakota

Just two short weeks ago I was in South Dakota for my cousin Brian's wedding. I learned a few things on this trip. My Dad likes to drink coffee, especially when he has a 10-hour drive ahead of him. Many cups of coffee means many rest stops. There isn't a whole lot to look at from a landscape perspective when driving from Eden Prairie to Rapid City, SD.  I don't sleep well in hotel rooms.  Being able to FaceTime with my boys when I am away from home is pretty darn awesome!  Wine is definitely not my drink of choice, although I didn't dislike the sweeter wines offered at the Red Ass Winery. Raspberry Asiago is the best.cheese.ever. Cherry by Neil Diamond is my favorite song to dance to at a wedding. I definitely do like to dance when I have had a few drinks. My cousin Brian and his new wife, Julia, are a really, cute couple. Spending time with my family (both my parents and extended family) is a lot of fun (but I already knew that)!

Post-Christmas Celebration

We had a post-Christmas celebration with extended family this afternoon.  It used to be so easy to find a time to get together over the holidays and celebrate with each other.  How quickly things change when "the kids" grow up, get married, and have kids of their own.  Now, the family get-togethers either don't happen or happen after the holidays when schedules have slowed down a bit.  Regardless, it was a fun afternoon with eight little ones ages five and under running around my sister's house.  The kids did a splendid job playing with each other.   Very few tears were shed until late afternoon when the lack of an afternoon nap had started to catch up with a few.  We feasted on a taco bar, were entertained by the kids, and caught up with family members we don't get to see very often.    

A Few More Christmas Pictures

We had such a great time celebrating the holidays this year. Lucas was just so darn excited about all of the festivities leading up to the actual holiday weekend...school and church concerts and holiday parties, a Santa visit, cookie baking...it made the holidays very fun. We had a wonderful time celebrating with our families in Sauk Centre and Fergus Falls. Lucas and William love to spend time with their cousins and Grandmas and Grandpas (whom we don't see often enough) and are really enjoying their new toys.  A few of Lucas's favorites are his new red tractor (affectionately called Frank after the movie Cars) and Spiderman pajamas, his Toy Story Legos (which he has slept with on occasion this week), a talking Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger action figure, and a shovel to help dad with snow removal.  William's Dirt Devil has also been a big hit (with both boys), and they have been vacuuming right alongside me this week.  

Deters Family Christmas

We started our Christmas celebrations a week early with the Deters family Christmas gathering last weekend in Sartell. Lucas and William both enjoyed ripping into their presents from Great-Grandma Anna Mae. As soon as we got home, Lucas proudly hung the Christmas ornaments they received on the tree, and we have been reading their new Christmas stories all week.  

"Why Did Your Tooth Fall Out, Gramma?"

This year, we celebrated Thanksgiving at Tami's house with a delicious turkey dinner on Thursday evening. We feasted on the typical turkey dinner and accompaniments, and it was awesome! But the most memorable moment of the day was caused by a piece of candy.

Gramma was eating a piece of Laughy Taffy when a loud crack erupted from her mouth. My Dad and I both thought one of the boys had loudly passed a bit of gas, but it was my mom's tooth (or what she thought was her tooth) cracking off.  You can imagine our shock when my Mom pulled that large tooth out of her mouth, especially the boys.  Calvin and Lucas just did not understand why or how Gramma could lose a tooth and continued to question her all evening. Tami and I decided it was an opportune time to stress the importance of good dental hygiene to the boys so their teeth wouldn't fall out. The next day my Mom was taking a look at the so called tooth when she came to the realization that it wasn't a tooth at all but rather a crown. Still...two days later the boys continue to question why Gramma's tooth fell out.

Great-Grandmas

Lucas and William were able to spend a few hours with their Great-Grandmas this Labor Day weekend. Great-Grandmas are especially great because they always have sweets in the house, and they always make sure their favorite little people are well fed.

Memorial Weekend

We had an enjoyable time at Grove Lake this weekend. Although the weather could have been a bit warmer, we were still able to spend the day outdoors. Lucas and Austin had so much fun playing together, wading in the water, digging in the sand and kayaking. William just plain enjoyed being outdoors, watching all of the activity around him. The fresh air tuckered my two out; they each took three hour afternoon naps!

Cuteness

Easter Sunday

Giggling, cousin chasing, goose watching, egg hunting, basket finding, candy eating, church going, banana split ice cream dessert loving...that about sums up our Easter weekend.