Eight is Great for Bennett

Summer is a time of cake and ice cream at our house and Bennett knew just how he wanted to celebrate his big birthday.  We had to make some minor adjustments due to Covid, but we still had a fabulous time.

We invited a few friends to play outside, eat donuts, and socialize...it had been so long since I had seen him run and play with friends and really laugh the way your friends can make you laugh.

His friends were so thoughtful and kind with the way they greeted him, celebrated him, and even found just the right gifts for him. 

We also celebrated with family - lasagna, cousin time, a difficult yet amazingly fun cake, and fireworks.

Happy birthday Bennett...you are smart, funny, and I know you will do great things!

Marie is 11!

 This girl turned 11!!  

It was only fitting that on her birthday she was able to demonstrate her variety of interests by having her dance recital (Covid style) and also receiving a new basketball, volleyball, and net!

Marie is a good student, great friend, and even better daughter and sister.  

She continues to grow and mature in ways that are astounding to us.  She loves to read, play outside, be with her dogs, make her friends laugh, and help her brothers.  

Marie - you are a delight and we are so blessed to have you in our life. 

Spring Time Happenings

It's always hard to believe how fast time flies.  This spring was unique and different in so many ways: no soccer, no baseball, no end of school year celebrations.  Even though our events were cancelled and life was a little more quiet, time still flew by.  We have been challenging ourselves by trying new things, staying active, and spending as much time with family as we can.  So one night enjoyed ourselves on the boat together with pizza and a sunset.

 Another adventure we fit in was a trip on the Queen with Grandma Nel.  The wind was blowing but the ride was smooth and fun to take in.  The last time we made time for this ride was when Brooks was only 7 months old.

The kids also learned how quickly litter can add up...we took some time on a Friday picking up litter around Spirit Lake.  They began to get excited each time they found something to pick up and often uttered, "C'mon people use the trash cans!"

Along with the end of the school year and beginning of summer, we welcome in our full month of celebrations.  Dad started us out with his birthday May 23.  Bennett made him breakfast, blueberry scones, and Marie made him a delicious pie and we all got to enjoy it together.  

With the end of May sneaking up on us came the end of the school year and the anticipation of summer!

We all learned a lot with our home school experience this spring...these kids were troopers but they are definitely hoping for a regular school year starting in the fall!

Social Distancing Living and Learning

 This unique time has given us so many adventures already even though we can't venture too far from home.  We have been working hard on learning new skills and getting better at other things.  

 After giving Papa and Grammy's boat a good cleaning, it was time to give it a spin on the open water!

Everyone got a turn driving the boat and of course honking the horn. 

 During our online learning we spent some time doing experiments together...the messier the better. 

 Marie is getting so confident in her baking even making cake pops for the first time.  It took a lot of steps to get them put together and we are thankful she did!

 Marie has also been spending time working on her dances from her dance class.  She is able to follow the routines online and gave us a show in her costume.  Even dad learned a few steps of one of the songs.

 Wood working is another area the kids have developed.  They came up with the idea to make a carpet ball table and then helped dad build it while mom helped them paint it. 

It's been a really fun addition to our house and yard!

 Brooks has been doing a lot of artwork with his school time...for earth day he got to make his favorite ocean animal and a picture of the earth.

 We have to have fun too...so one night during dinner we watched the Walt Disney World fireworks show on their blog.  It took us right back to being at that magical place!

 We learned how hard it is to NOT hug our grandparents...we paid a visit to Grandma Nel and Grammy and Papa to say hi.  We miss them and can't wait to spend more time with them.

 

We also spent some time learning how to skip the perfect rocks...sunshine and warm temps brought us to the water and it was so good to have fun at the shore. 

 Bennett has been doing some projects for school.  He even drew this amazing picture of a howler monkey after he did a report. 

 And finally....we perfected roasting hot dogs and marshmallows.   We have been able to spend so much more time together as a family around our fire pit in the evenings. 

A new way of life

On March 15 we were alerted by our school district that we would be shut down until further notice due to the COVID-10 "Coronavirus" epidemic spreading. We had just spent a weekend with family up in Minneapolis and this wasn't a complete surprise as we had been receiving updates concerning the virus spreading and precautions cities were taking through the news all weekend long. 

That evening, our thoughts were running a mile a minute...how would we tell the kids, how would they react, what would happen with our work, how would we continue to teach them at home?

Along with schools, my pediatric speech clinic would also be suspended until further notice. I notified my patients, completed some paperwork, and cleaned out my area a little so it could be used for other purposes. 
Andy would still work but his job would experience some changes as well. 

The first morning of no school, we told the kids about the virus, how dangerous it could be, and why the school was making the decision to be closed for awhile. Both Marie and Bennett were upset and confused, Brooks was a little sad about missing his friends and teachers but seemed more excited to be home with everyone. 


We were given a window of time that we could go get a few things out of the school building so we went and grabbed Bennett's boots and Marie's glasses.  It was so odd walking through the empty school building not knowing when we would return. 

As the shock of all the changes and new schedule began to wear off, we settled into a new "normal" as everyone calls it.
We are entering week 4 of everything cancelled.
We are finding our way through home-schooling with guidance from teachers.
The kids get to check in with their classes via video chats.
We work out at home with classes provided by gyms and the YMCA.

Our dogs are getting sooooo much attention they can hardly believe it.  We love to go on hikes and they of course get to come with us.

Marie did her STEM fair project at home - a rubber egg

 Andy is working but his work has changed.  The hospital and clinics have moved well and sick visits into designated areas and are limiting how many patients are in the certain areas, limiting entrances, and screening everyone who comes into the building.  Andy receives constant updates on the virus, what seems to be working, what doesn't, how to take care of patients who contract it, and how to protect himself.



We miss our family...we want to hold the new babies, play with our cousins, cuddle up with our grandparents, and laugh with our aunts and uncles.  We video chat, send cards and letters, but of course it's not the same.



 We miss our friends...the kids are learning that your siblings can become your best friends.

We miss school...our school did a parade for our elementary kids and it was adorable yet heartbreaking to see teachers wave at us and then wipe their tears away.

We are having some fun - learning new skills, getting better at others we didn't have the time for before, and we do laugh a lot when we become a bit stir crazy! 


 We are creating together - crafts, recipes, and chaos!

Brooks learned to ride his bike with no training wheels!

We are grateful...Andy is working to keep us safe, we have a home that is warm and and cozy, our families are safe and healthy, we can trust that God is in control.

 Stay tuned - this Covid Quarantine should make for some interesting blog memories!