4th of July Weekend 2010

We had another great 4th of July this year! We invited some friends and neighbors over to BBQ and lit off some fireworks in the rain. The party started around 2pm and we were in bed at 11pm. It made for a long day for everyone, but so much fun. There were tons of kids running in the house and outside. The adults hung out and we played some lawn golf. Dan did a great job making brats for everyone. Katelynn was so exhausted from no nap that day and staying up until 10:30pm that she actually slept in until after 9 am the next morning, too bad I had to get up with Junior!

We of course had our 4th of July shirts on again this year for pictures. As we were getting ready to take our pictures before our guests started arriving we were all rushing outside and Junior was in the front. He must have felt rushed or excited, but he didn't step down quite right and then toppled over and BANG! head plant into the cement. What a bummer, the poor little guy. If you look at his head you can see the red mark. I figure next year we may not host a BBQ because we won't have the following day off, but you never know. I would also like to try to get home next year if possible for the 4th and head to my lake cabin.

Daddy & Kids

Mommy & kids

Kids

Dan & I

Katelynn

Sneak Peak of our Christmas Picture

For those who look at my blog and are on my Christmas list you are seeing what you are getting this year, sorry if that ruins it for you?!

Another Christmas time is here, wow, hard to believe when I look at this picture how old Katelynn has gotten and that I have a new little one that is 10 months old already. I look at our last year Christmas picture that is hung up and think, this was really a year ago, just Dan, Katelynn and me.
Of course another year of photos also brings another date of headache and a very impatient husband. Why, oh why must it be like this every year? I am still boycotting Portrait Innovations after the debacle of last years photos, so I finally procrastinated long enough and called Sears Photo Studio and was surprised to be able to get in last Sunday (the Vikings had a Sunday night game, ha ha). We got there early and were able to get in to take our photos on time and our photographer was very good with the kids. We took our family Christmas picture together and then I had them take one of the kids together and one of each of them. Already at this point Dan was ready to be done, seriously, it had only been a short period of time, but he should have known better, I had an outfit change for each kiddo. We did a clothing change for both kids. Katelynn went first and we took her "4" year old photos, she was a little cheese with the posing and the lady really got her laughing and smiling, her photos turned out awesome, what a little beauty she is (am I bias?) Junior was next and we got some really cute one's of him as well. We had a little trouble with the pose that Grandma Davids wanted for her wall, which is the babies on their tummy's looking up to the camera, we could hardly keep the little turkey that way. Every time we positioned him he would look at us laugh and then start army crawling as fast as he could away, we did the best we could Grandma! At this point you can imagine Dan, but I asked that she also take a picture of just me and Dan together and he said, "really, why?", men! Then I asked that we take another family picture in a fun pose that I could hang on my wall even after Christmas and Dan is wondering why can't we just hang the picture one up if that's the best one, again I say "Men"?! That was our last picture and then we had to wait for the pictures to load to their computer and make our decisions. I sent them walking around Sears and they did, but Dan still got very impatient and I hadn't realized that it would take that long afterward and they also have the set-up there to make changes to the pictures and create collages, he about had a heart attack on me in the photo studio. I got my pictures ordered and had them print out the Christmas one for me to take home.

Mental Note to Self: No matter where the pictures are being taken we will always take two vehicles so Dan and the kids can leave immediately after the photo shoot.

Side note: Is it bad that I straightened my 4 year-olds hair so it was "picture perfect"?

Happy Halloween

We had a blast trick or treatin' this year. My friend came over and went with us; she made her sponge bob costume (isn't great!). It was so fun walking around with Sponge Bob, all the kids looked and you could hear them say "Look, it's Sponge Bob"! Katelynn was great this year, she ran right up to the houses and knocked on the door and said "Trick or Treat" and always followed with a nice "Thank you". We ended up with our next door neighbors as well which made Katelynn's day to be with her little friends.

The next morning Junior even slept in until 7:45 (6:45 with the fall back), Katelynn was up at 7am, but it was better than 6am!

4th of July Weekend

Happy 4th of July!

We had a fabulous 4th of July weekend. On Thursday night after work the kids and I went over to a neighbors house and Katelynn got to jump on their trampoline and play with their kids, she hadn't seen them for awhile so she was in her glory. Junior and I hung out with the adults and did some visiting (aka gossiping) and headed home around 8:30pm, way past Junior's bedtime, but he took a catnap while we were there. Friday we just hung around the house and Katelynn and I finally decided that we needed to run to the store because I figured we wouldn't have time or want to on Saturday, so off we went. We stopped at Lowe's first and picked up some PVC pipe and supplies so Dan could make us the Lawn Golf game and then we swung by Target for a couple of things. It didn't take Dan long to make our game and we were playing that afternoon, we normally just sit around in the backyard so it was fun to have something that Dan and I could play with as well and Katelynn likes it too. We were tired from Thursday night so we went to bed at a fairly decent time. We invited friends over for Saturday to BBQ and hang out, so Saturday morning we were cleaning the house and checking over what we may need. Dan ran and picked up beer and we decorated the backyard with some flags and got the lawn golf game out for people to play. People showed up around 2:30pm or so which actually worked out nice because it gave us time to hang out and enjoy the excitement of the day as a family. Junior hung out in his swing and we just played around the yard. About a month earlier I had picked us up all matching 4th of July shirts, so we were all sporting them for the day and took some pretty cool pictures. We didn't get a complete family picture though because when people showed up Junior was napping and then we were visiting and such when he woke up. Katelynn and I made Red and Blue jello cups and had cool whip for our Red, White and Blue treats which all of her friends really enjoyed (and of course with each group that stopped by Katelynn had to have one with them). We did get hit by the rainstorm and made due with having the kids play in the basement and us hanging out in the house and in the garage, but it did clear up and then drizzled here and there throughout the night. Dan cooked steaks and brats for those that stayed for supper. The kids were waiting and waiting for it to get dark enough out to light off fireworks and finally we just started lighting them off and letting them light some sparklers. We did have to retreat to the house and hide all evidence at one point during the night because our city has a no fireworks law and the police heard one of ours "screaming", but all was good and we lit off the rest and then put the kiddos to bed and hung out with our company for a little while longer before heading to bed ourselves. It was a really good time. Sunday was another relaxing day. We got up (both of us) with the kids in the morning and cooked breakfast, cleaned up our mess from the day before and then played outside. When the kids were napping I went out and tanned outside for awhile and then I took the kids to the outlet mall shopping for some clothes so Dan could get a nap in. Junior was basically just along for the ride. We stopped at a Cafe' and I got a coffee and Katelynn got a smoothy, she thought she was pretty cool. It was back to work on Monday morning. Here are some pictures of our 4th of July. I think we look pretty darn good in our matching attire!

(Katelynn took this picture for us)

Easter Family Pictures

I have been making sure each year since Katelynn was born that we are taking a family picture, nothing fancy, but it is fun to look each year and see how much changes in a year's time.

2009

2008

2007
2006

I think it's funny when you look at Dan throughout these pictures and he really hasn't changed, but I look completely different every year and of course Katelynn grows and grows.

Easter Pictures 2009

Coloring Easter Eggs

My Beautiful little girl.

Hoppy Easter!

Merry Christmas 2008

Family Easter Picture

Wow, I cannot people how much we have changed in 3 years, these were taken Easter Sunday.

2006

2007
2008