Summer time

Where has the summer gone, time sure does go by fast when you are having fun. We have spent a lot of time this summer going north and hanging out at our cabin. We also took a nice family vacation to the Fort Wayne Indiana Zoo. It was a great zoo and I really want to go back again next year.

My new job allows me much more time to spend with the family, which is a nice thing (sometimes?!?). The girls are growing fast and although they like to fight a lot (which drives mommy & daddy a bit crazy), I can see that they love each other. Christian has been in Detroit living with my parents and working. I can't believe he is 17 now. Where does the time go.

Picking Blueberry's at the cabin (not drinking coffee as it somewhat looks like).

Going for a walk in the woods (this is what Pat likes to do, the girls like to pick up sticks and leaves and the occasional feather).

And then they want to be carried the whole way.....they are heavy.

Christian and Lia. My mom brought him back to Grand Rapids for a visit and we all got to hang out a cute little playground by the cabin.

The Fort Wayne Zoo. The girls didn't like the mist, but I thought it was pretty neat. The whole zoo was wonderful, both Pat and I were really impressed.

Their favorite part of the zoo.....the Range Rover. Pat liked it to (this and a tractor that came at the end of our trip).

Which one is the monkey?

Kendyl and Lia had fun "hiding" in the closet at the hotel.

Happy B-Day Pat!!

Wow, it's been awhile since I've posted. Time sure does fly when you are having fun. We've been keeping busy with trips to see family & friends. It's been a nice relaxing summer so far, we don't have any huge plans...just getting the cabin cleaned up so we can enjoy it this summer.

Christian is working this summer, so we haven't seen him in a while, I really miss him. The girls keep telling me that they will go and get him from his room. I don't think they understand that he is not here for the summer.

Next weekend we will be going to Detroit for the weekend to visit Christian and friends, it should be a nice time.

Pat's birthday party!!!

Happy Easter!!!

Easter morning, before the drive to Rochester. It looks nice and warm out, but it wasn't. The deer were out for sure. They better stay away from my flowers. Lia in her pretty Easter dress.

My dad and I, me in my birthday crown (we had a princess party--Kendyl stole my crown).

Lia and Grandma.

Lia and her Easter goodies.

Kendyl and her Easter goodies.

Uncle Sean and the girls.

Cousin Lisa with Lia and Kendyl.

Eating the Easter/birthday cake. It was delicious.

Kendyl making a mess with Easter/birthday cake.

Spin

How do you spell Kendyl?

Easter Eggs

We had a really nice and busy weekend. Friday Pat went and worked at our neighbors farm, they are getting a pasture ready for the baby cows. The girls and I just hung out and watched some movies. Saturday, I went to the spa, Pat worked at the farm, my mom came over for a visit and we went over to the neighbors for a wonderful dinner. Sunday we got invited back to the neighbors house to color Easter Eggs. It was a lot of fun.

Lia wanted me to take a picture of her foot, don't know why, but I did it.

Our wonderful neighbor, Myrna with Christian and Lia.

Just for you Jackie!!

My good friend Jackie and work today told me that I needed to update my blog, I told her I would. True to my word, here's some pictures of the girls.....

Kendyl and Lia decided to play baby. They took turns pushing each other around in the stroller. Every once in a while I get lucky and they play nicely together.I decided to do a craft project with the girls, Kendyl loved putting together her necklace.

Lia loved making her necklace too. Look how happy she is.
Pat busted playing playdoh.....he loved it....as much as the girls did.

Kendyl making stars. She loves the playdoh that Lia got as a gift. I ask her who's playdoh it is and she says, "it's Lia's, but she needs to share". Huh, Lia has to share, but Kendyl never does. Such a bossy little one my Kendyl is.

Lia eating dinner, yum!

Fun at the museum!

We made plans a couple of weeks ago to meet some friends at the museum. They have the dinosaur exhibit in town, so it sounded like a fun thing to do. I was a little nervous because Lia seems to be afraid of everything these days, but everything turned out okay.

Here the girls are acting silly and waiting to go. Kendyl is my trouble maker. I turn my back for one second and I never know what she will do....here she happened to suck on a marker. Boy was she a mess.

The girls and one of their friends at the museum.

Silly Lia.

Arts and crafts. This was a hard table to get the girls to leave. We seemed to visit it often during our time at the museum. Both girls enjoyed cutting with scissors.

Dusting off dinosaur bones. This was also a lot of fun for both girls. Both of them tried to eat the rice that was covering the bones....yuck!

At the play dinosaur table. Mommy and her girls.

Lia in the play house. She just loved it in here.

Yup, this is a rare picture of Christian. He even made it to the museum with us....I did tell him that I would take away his TV if he didn't come...and I let him bring a friend. Hey bribery works, I don't have many years left before my baby will leave the nest.

My new job has been going well. I enjoy working with all my old friends, and have pretty much no stress at this time, which is great.

Tonight Pat and I are going to go out with some friends while Christian baby-sits. With such little stress in my life, I've been able to enjoy my family more and do all kinds of fun stuff. I'm working hard to put family first (I'm a work-a-holic, so this is hard but rewarding).

Happy Valentines Day!

The girls had a really nice valentines day. They loved opening their cards and eating their candy (check out Kendyl's candy necklace below). Both Grandparents sent gifts and they were a big hit. Grandma and Grandpa Nelson sent some really cute turtle hair clips pictured below.

Weekend Fun

We had a fun filled weekend. Friday, after my last day at my old job, Kendy, Christian and I went out to enjoy a movie. It was Kendyl's first movie, we went to see Hotel for Dogs. It was pretty cute and Kendyl was perfect. She sat in her own seat for a little bit and then sat on my lap for the rest of the movie. Lia stayed at home with daddy and played. Saturday there was an ethnic festival at our local museum, so the family (minus Christian...who slept until noon) went and met Uncle Sean and Grandma. We had a great time. Kendyl loved the carousel and made us go on it like 5 times.

Lia need a bit of encouragement at first, and wasn't sure she like the carousel.


Kendyl and mommy riding together.

Uncle Sean brought Christmas gifts for the girls, since we didn't make it to Rochester for Christmas last year.

Both girls got storybook pillows,


and a princess set for Kendyl and Tedd Ruxpin for Lia.

We are blessed to have many wonderful friends. Our good friends the Marquardt's sent us a wonderful Chinese New Year surprise which included these cut lanterns that we hung from our lighting fixture.

Uncle Sean spent a lot of time sleeping, he claims the girls wore him out.

Tomorrow I start my new job. I am really looking forward to it, hopefully it will be a more stable environment and I'll be able to work less hours and spend more time with my family. This last year buzzed by and I'd like it to slow down and bit so I can watch my kids grow up.