TBall

 We recently wrapped up another year of tball/coach pitch ball for Marie.  

This was a busy spring for her as she also played soccer.  

It's safe to say that soccer is much more enjoyable for Marie than tball, but she had a fun season learning more about hitting for a pitch instead of using the tee.

 Because of our rainy spring, she didn't always get to play on the ball fields and sometimes had to play on the turf, this was kind of confusing for the kids but at least they got to play!

Bennett Boy turns 5!

Bennett has turned a "full hand!"

He has been waiting and waiting to turn 5 and he is so excited about getting older. As soon as he woke up he said he felt bigger and asked me to measure him...and can you believe that he actually grew in the last 2 weeks?!  Unreal...

Bennett asked for this long snake for his birthday. He saw it over a month ago and he couldn't stop talking about it. Thankfully, I remembered exactly which one he wanted and he was more than happy to immediately wrap it around his neck.

He also was ready for a new bike, as I mentioned earlier he has just grown so much!  So, we amped up his wheels and he took off down the driveway immediately.  

Bennett is a smart, curious, and question-asking boy who loves to figure things out. 

He still loves predators and prey, learning about different animals, and exploring outer space. 

Soccer, golf, and tball are fun for him and he also loves to fish.
He had a fun birthday party with a few friends where they went mini-golfing and played many yard games at home.

 

Bennett is kind of like a puzzle, we are always figuring out new ways to be his parent because he is always keeping us on our toes and challenging what we thought we knew.  He is very caring, likes to cuddle, and is the first kid to stop us and ask for a hug.  

Bennett, you are great kid and we are so proud of you!

Des Moines Visit

Our family enjoyed a trip to Des Moines recently and we loved our time together. 

Our goal was to reminisce and do some activities we enjoyed when we used to live there as well as try a few new things. 

We started out with a trip to the zoo. The kids love zoos and so do we!

The Blank Park Zoo is one of the best because it's small but has great animals to see. 

After a quick supper we drove through our old neighborhood, saw our old house, and spent some time with some previous neighbors of ours. It was just like old times and we loved catching up over some of our favorite ice cream at Snookies. 

We hopped into bed after a quick swim and started planning our next day!

After a great breakfast, we went to Living History Farms. It was hot, windy, and dirty, but we had a great time walking around the farms and learning about early medicine.

The hotel pool was calling our names so we went back to the hotel for a rest and swim before heading out for dinner to celebrate our anniversary.

We enjoyed dinner and some play time in the evening followed by a little driving tour around some of of our favorite places in Des Moines. 

Sunday morning we enjoyed mass at St. Theresa's Parish where Marie was baptized and then headed back home. 

This was a great trip and we will forever love our time in Des Moines. However, we are so thankful we are living in a smaller community with our kids.

 

Happy Birthday to Marie!

Every year I'm surprised and shocked that our kids keep getting older...this year is no exception. 

Marie turned 8!

As I was looking back through pictures of her growing up, I couldn't help but notice her sweet smile in nearly every picture.  She has always been such a happy girl and I pray she continues to be that happy in life. 

Recently I was able to spend some alone time with her. You cannot replace one-on-one time with your kids and as she gets older I realize this is going to get more difficult. 

We talked about everything we could - school, friends, God, college, hairstyles, her brothers, music, movies, her future plans as a farmer and singer, and we tried to make up our own 'knock knock' jokes.

What I learned during our time is that she is a beautiful, smart, and hilarious girl who loves to be silly, is tender-hearted, and is constantly one step ahead of me. She always knows when something is bothering me and her insight is well beyond her years. Her spirit is determined, but only when it is her path and her idea...this has been our Marie for as long as we've known her. 

I also was able to spend time with Marie and a few of her friends at Arnold's Park for her birthday party. I loved watching how she was so caring and attentive to her friends.  As she gets older, friendships are at times hard and I pray she can always find friends who accept her for exactly who she is.  Having a best friend who always has your back is such a blessing.

At age 8, her favorite animal continues to be a horse, but she says that it's almost a tie with a dog. 

Her favorite color is purple.

She loves sports, especially soccer.

Marie is showing great responsibility with her calf, Spot, this summer. She also is so very helpful with her brothers and our dogs.

Her goal is to be a farmer and singer.

In the fall she will enter 2nd grade. 

Marie, we love you so very much and we are so thankful God chose us as your parents.

Spring soccer 2017

Another soccer season is in the books.

It was a rough spring with cold temps and lots of rain, but we stuck it out and we all learned a lot!

 Bennett has become a master at out of bounds plays and Marie has one powerful kick. 

 Mara & I coached Bennett's team while Andy coached Marie's team. 

We are continuing to learn more and more about soccer and I don't think that will stop anytime soon. Both kids love it and honestly, we are having a lot of fun with it too!

Meet Spot

 Marie is a farm girl at heart. Always has been and, spoiler alert, I think she always will.

Last year she asked to be involved in 4-H.  I contacted our local group and they informed me that she was too young, but she could participate in their Bucket Calf program.

 Fast forward 9 months and here we are.  

2 times a day we are out at our friend's acreage doing calf chores with our girl, Marie, for our girl, Spot. 

She's a sweetie. She loves to eat, and loves to give kisses to her little friend, Hans. 

Marie is doing so well in this program. She takes full responsibility and has never complained once. 

Spot is our responsibility until the end of July when Marie will show her at the fair. 

Stay tuned,  I'm sure this will be a fun summer of Spot Stories!

Goodbye school, hello summer!

 We have officially entered summer over here and we haven't wasted any time.

 We have already made a few trips to Arnold's Park, the splash pad, boating, and the Nutty Bar Stand.

 It's safe to say that we are already a little worn out.  

Every day I think, "ok, we will take it easy today." Then, they wake up and are ready to roll on for another adventure.  

I mentioned to another mom how exhausting summers at home can be, but I know for a fact that wouldn't want to do it any other way right now. 

Some day these kids are not going to think it's cool to ride the roller coaster or run through the sprinkler with their mom so I better keep up!