April snowshowers bring May Flowers...

A few days ago it was 70 degrees...

tonight we are seeing white, it's snowing, again!

Ouch:(

Once Upon a Day there was a six year old rounding a sharp corner of our paved driveway who was going a bit too fast on his bike, however was wearing a helmet as required at our home, and wallah, this is what happened...

The next day it was sore but with some instant cleaning and neosporin a few times a day it is healing very well!

Last Thanksgiving...

I know this post is way out of order but I am very proud of this day and I just got the pictures from my friend so here you go:) Last Fall I was so done with the weight I had gained and needed to do something about it. With help from family and friends I got on a healthier eating and exercise plan, and lost a lot of weight. My best friend, Tami, had asked me last spring if I wanted to run a 5K with her. At that time I told her no. I have never been a runner. Yes I was an athlete in high school and college but really didn't enjoy running at all. So when I was in better shape I decided to go ahead and do it. We ran in the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot for IRIS(Infants Remembered In Silence)in town. It was a lot of fun to run in my first race. It was so cold the day of the race(not the best day to run our first 5K). I think the temperature was right around 0 degrees(Brrr!!!), and it had snowed the day before, so the roads were a but slick. I was quite nervous but it helped to have Tami there to keep me running. She was in cross country in high school so I didn't want to keep her behind but she said we ran at a great pace. I couldn't believe it when we finished and I was 10 minutes quicker than I thought I would be. It was a day I won't forget for a very long time! So great to accomplish something that I didn't think I would be able to ever do. We didn't bring a camera to the race, one less thing to worry about. So we took self portraits at her house afterwards. Then we parted ways and spent Thanksgiving with our families.

Last Pictures from the Zoo

We love to go to the zoo, we don't get there as much as we would like because of the drive to the cities.

When we were at the zoo last weekend we saw a few animals that we had never seen before, including this very colorful bird and a newer exhibit with this gator

there were a couple of these leopards pacing back and forth in front of the glass

and a sleepy monkey

Water Animals

Some of our favorite animals are the water ones. This one had a clam in its hands and was banging it on the glass and picking at the shell to break it open to get the clam out. The kids were loving this newer exhibit where you can see the animals right in front of you.

This one is Alexis all time favorite water exhibit. She loves to touch the stingrays. Looks like Jason thought she was going to fall in:) What a gorgeous fish!

Farm Babies

Alexis had a great idea last Sunday to go to the zoo. The Farm Babies arrived a few days before we were there. Which meant there were only a few babies there. Piglets, chicks and bunnies. There were also these cute little goats, which were only four days old.

Farmer Brayden and his sheep Farmer Alexis and her horse

Windy day at the zoo

Alexis is still in love with horses. So when we went to see the farm babies at the zoo. The horses were of course the first thing she flocked to. "Can you tuck your hair behind your ears, Please"

Thanks! That's much better:) She even wore her Life is good Horses make it better sweatshirt

It's starting to feel like Spring

We were able to get outside this weekend and it felt so good! Saturday afternoon we picked up some of the sticks from our front yard. The kids were awesome helpers(with a little encouragement once in a while). After that we washed the caked up dirt off both of our cars. There were piles of mud left when we were done. While we did that Alexis read a book and Brayden played with outdoor toys. Later that night we saw 6 deer walking through our back yard. That is the first time we have seen any deer from our house. They were so fun to watch. Sunday we spent the day at the zoo. We had a wonderful weekend! We even grilled out a few times last week. So happy Spring has finally started to show up:)

Busy Saturday Mornings

Alexis moved up a level in gymnastics, she is now in the Hotshot class. She was super excited to be in a different class. She has improved a lot since I saw her even just a month ago. Brayden also has started to play soccer again. He has been talking about playing soccer for a year, since he was in it last spring. He is also signed up to play in the little feet soccer program this summer. We are difinately going to be spending a lot of time in the car this summer:)

We love our littles and wouldn't have it any other way:)

Kids and Cats

We went down to check out our little stream and Oreo found a fun place to play on Alexis back

Brayden is all smiles:) Sunshine trying to climb up on Alexis, his favorite spot is on anyones shoulders/neck

Our Niece and Great Nephews

Jasons niece came down to visit for a few hours, during the kids spring break,with her two boys. We did another fun project when they were here. We needed a little color on our walls so we made some spring flowers with muffin cups. The kids colored the cups and then glued the stems and cups on bright yellow paper. I didn't actually get a picture of the finished project but the kids had fun decorating them.

Emmy, Andrew and Michael

Michael was checking on pumbas heart Andrew such a cutie

Spring Break Fun

It was cold and snowy during spring break so I came up with a few fun things for the kids to do inside. I found this idea on another friends blog. Take marshmallows and set them out for a while so they harden. Then use pretzel sticks to create anything you would like.

The kids had fun coming up with ideas Alexis make this crane. We have two of them outside down by our little stream that we have been watching. The best part is they got to eat their project!

Snow Pictures

The day it snowed the kids and I went out and played in it. We saw the cranes down in the overflowing stream

Did a little sliding and Alexis pushed all the kids on the horse swing

The boys also helped shovel a lot of snow off the driveway and deck. We had a great time but still wish it was warmer:)

We thought Spring was arriving...

This winter has been brutal. Snow storm after snow storm and cold. So two weeks ago when I snapped these photos. I was encouaged with the warm sun that was melting the snow and making little sprouts of green daffodils pop out of the ground.

The Robins were coming back, we saw at times 20 in our crab apple tree
The little stream was overflowing its banks too. Usually you can't see any water from this spot. If you look close you can see the wood bridge that your suppose to be able to walk over.

and my dads snowmobile was ready to be put in storage. Looks like the track is about to fall to the ground.

And then last week it snowed a few more inches and got cold again. The temperatures were in the 20 and 30's all week. Most of the snow has melted again. But if it would please warm back up so I can see some flowers blooming, and green grass. That would be wonderful:) Thank you!

A Night at the Waterpark

A few weekends ago we used up a gift certificate that we received for Christmas. We had such a fun time at the Holiday Inn waterpark in Owatonna. The kids did a lot of sliding down the slide and tubing down the other slide. They also did some swimming in the lazy river.

Here are Alexis and Jason(We had as much fun as the kids:))

and then Brayden going down the slide by himself
It was nice to get out and have fun with the kids

Stingray Swim Team

Last Summer Alexis and Brayden joined the Swim Team in town. They had such a fun time learning to swim with snorkels and fins in the warm kiddie pool. Alexis moved into the big pool after a week, while Brayden continued in the kiddie pool learning how to do the strokes. In the Fall they both wanted to continue swimming. The current session started after Christmas and Brayden had moved into the colder big pool and decided the temperature of the water was way too chilly for him! Alexis continues on and loves, loves, loves it! She swims three to four days a week and can't get enough. She even has talked about swimming in a swim meet in May.

She loves to do the starts off the starting blocks!

Love my little readers

Reading is something we have done with the kids since they were very little. They continue to love books.

Brayden started school knowing some sight words and has improved so much he is reading Level books. Now reading is not something he will choose to do over playing with legos but he will pick up books every now and then on his own!

Alexis is constantly reading. I can't think of a day in the last year, that she hasn't had her nose in a book! She sometimes is reading two or three books at the same time. Her reading level has increased so much and has surprised me with the books she brings home from school and the library. For Christmas she received a gc to Barnes and Noble and we recently went to use it. She was in awe of all the books and had a very hard time picking one out. She came home with a 300 page book and money left on her gc. It took her only a couple days to finish the book.
I am loving my little readers:)

Birthday Boy

As I mentioned before Brayden turned six in February. He spent part of the day at school and then I got a call from school saying he had a fever. So into town I went to pick him up. He ended up having an ear infection. We did go out for supper to our local small town bar(ha that sounds a little bad!), but they also sell food:) The kids enjoyed it!

All he really wanted this year was Legos so that is what he got from almost everyone, and he plays with all of them daily!

We had his family birthday party the following sunday.

Here is my (two teeth missing) six year old!!! And the cake I created for him.

Snow Fun

We have spent a lot of time this winter playing in the snow. We have had numerous storms that have given us up to 15 inches of snow each time. On this warm day we enjoyed sliding down one of our hills and snowmobiling.

Snowmobiling

2011! Its a new year...

Dare I say I am going to start blogging again? We just got a new internet provider(after not having anything and then trying dial up!!!) and I think(knock on wood) that I might be able to do this again with this higher speed internet. Now to find the time and energy to blog...

Its been a year since I last posted and a lot has happened. I won't be providing details of that missed year because there is no way I could remember all that happened.

Its March and the winter has been a very looong one! Tons of snow and more to come. Brayden and Alexis started swimming on the swim team in town and Alexis is still swimming. Brayden thought it was a bit too cold for him. He will be starting Soccer in a few weeks, something he has wanted to do since he did the 5 day camp last year. Alexis is also in gymnastics and still loves horses! Alexis is now 8 and in 2nd grade. Brayden just turned 6 and started Kindergarten last fall.