Kvernen Family

Weekend recap

2012-01-23T13:53:00.000-08:00

Guess who got to use his snowblower this weekend.......

He has been waiting and waiting since November to use this snowblower we were given! It's pretty amazing that it's almost the end of January and this is the first significant snowfall.

This weekend Andy and the boys went to the Wild Game Feed at church so Kaelynn and I had some mother/daughter bonding time. We took in a small meal at McDonalds and then did some crafting at Clay Your Way. It's a store where you pick out an unfinished piece of clay and paint it to your liking. You leave it at the store for a week and they fire it for you.

She loved it! She of course picked out a cell phone to paint. It was quite detailed with all of the small buttons, but she worked diligently and got it done with a little help from me :)

This afternoon, the boys and friends- Micah and Tate, made a little extra money by cleaning off the rest of the driveway for us. They did a great job and were quite speedy- 10 minutes!!!!

We are looking forward to a somewhat low-key week with no Wednesday or Thursday evening activities this week. I wish these kind of weeks happened more often because they are very much needed!

The Ransom Box

2012-01-17T17:35:00.000-08:00

Just the title peaks your interest doesn't it......

A huge shout out to Pinterest for our newest way we are trying to teach our children responsiblity :)

I as a mom, can spend a lot of my day picking up after my three cherubs. They can make a royal mess if they are allowed. I do not indentify with the quote, "Excuse the mess, my children are making memories". My Type A, slightly anal self likes to have a clean house. This doesn't go so well with three kids who like to leave things all over the house. It kind of makes this mama crabby!

Insert the RANSOM BOX!

Instead of constantly nagging my children to pick up their things, I give them one warning about not leaving something out or picking something up. If they forget to pick it up, the item/s go into a container:

In order to get the item out of the box, the child must chose a task from the "task jar". These tasks include but are not limited to:
          *clean up a siblings room
          * write a note to dad to thank him for working so hard for our family
          * sweep the upstairs floors
          * do 25 jumping jacks while singing "I am a cleaning machine"
          * you are free, but this is a warning!
            ...........and many more

Oh look, we just started it and there are already items in the box:

Kaelynn will need those snow pants for tomorrow, so she better get them out of there. "Take a task Kaelynn":

She got- clean a bathroom mirror while singing any song.

Task completed and snowpants retrieved and put in their place.

Can you tell how much fun this is for me? Teaches my kids responsibility and keeps my house clean in the process. I love it!!!!

If you are interested in this for your own home, here's the link to this woman's blog.
http://madsmemories.blogspot.com/2009/08/moms-ransom-rubbage.html
She includes all of her tasks for you to copy or to get ideas from for your own. I took a lot of hers :)

Day off = work for me and fun for them

2012-01-16T13:40:00.000-08:00

We had today off to honor Martin Luther King Jr. So what did we do? Well, what I did wouldn't make a very interesting blog post. I don't think you want to see pictures of me cleaning the blinds and bathrooms. So I'll tell you what the kids did.

They started the day off with a nice competitve game of Monopoly. Andy planted this idea in their brains before he left for work by telling them that it is what he and uncle Matt used to do on days off. It took up about 45 minutes until things got heated and I shut the game down.

Connor woke up with the idea to organize the box of Andy's old baseball cards. He wanted to organize them into teams. He started at 6:55am and didn't finish until 11:45am. Of course there were a few interruptions in there, but his goal was to get it done before lunch and he did.

Even though the temp is frigid, these boys love to play together. It's Monday and we always have Micah over for a couple of hours. Some, if not all of those hours usually include outside play time with our neighbor Tate. I love it that our kids have friends in the neighborhood to play with.

Kaelynn likes to play with the magnets every once in a while and she built a holder for her marbles today.

We also got in piano, reading, a little homework,and a trip to Sam's Club to get Angry Birds cupcakes for Connor and Carson's school classes. Their half birthday is tomorrow!

Andy and I get to go out tonight, so all in all, a pretty great day off was had.

For the love of DIY

2012-01-09T17:30:00.000-08:00

PINTEREST!!!!! I absolutely love this website! This website helps me to think outside of the box- which I am not gifted in. For those of you who don't know what pinterest is, it is a website that helps you to organize ideas you have or have been given for everything from DIY projects to recipes, from birthday party ideas to styles you love, and tons more! People "pin" (post a picture and a link to the blog or website they got it from) things on this website and then it is free for anybody to see. Here are just a few ideas I have gotten from the website:

Our new key holder:

Wall art for our family room! These are simple 12x12 styrofoam cushions with scrapbook paper glued on them and then black ribbon glued around the edge. A $20 project that would have cost at least $100 had I bought them in a store already done.

I have had this sitting in storage for a few years now. I was going to take it to the thrift store, but Pinterest helped me see it in a new light. I took out the baskets, but didn't throw them away as I have an idea of how to repurpose them. I covered the back of each nook in scrapbook paper that matches my main bathroom and.....

....now it's hanging in my bathroom filled with little things guests might need.

This is one of my favorite inspirations. It's a canvas print of "our family rules". I saw this on Pinterest and decided to do my own version of it. It is now hanging in our living room for all to see! I often have to remind myself of these rules during the day as I walk past them. I love it so much!

I have gotten so many recipes off pinterest and have loved everything I have made. I'm very excited about the possibilities that lie ahead because of this website!

Girls Weekend

2012-01-01T10:01:00.000-08:00

When the boys went fishing, the girls had some fun. We started off with a lunch at Truffles Cafe. They have amazing desserts and we enjoyed delicious chocolate truffle cakes. We then went to downtown St. Paul and took in the James J. Hill House. He was the founder of the Great Northern Railroad and many other things having to do with shipping and trade. He was a very wealthy man and his house is amazing. In 1908 when it was built, it cost him $931,000. I can't even imagine what it is worth today. We couldn't take any pictures in there, so you'll just have to imagine.
After that we went to the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis. It is a mansion of some Swedish immigrants and they had it decorated for Christmas. It was beautiful and really fun to see all of the bright colors and heritage that is so familiar to us.

They had a small children's area that focused on the traditions of Christmas for children in Scandinavian countries.

The woodwork was amazing and this stain-glass window above the staircase was something you could stare at for a long time.

The next day we took in the Mall of America with the goal of enjoying lunch at the American Girl Doll Store. We arrived a little earlier than our reservation so we decided to look at a few other stores. Kaelynn had a really hard time being patient in these stores. She was so excited to get there.

We had been there before, but never to have lunch, and never with money to spend in hand. It was a bit overwhelming with a lot to look at and lots of people to wade through, but we emerged victorious.

Kit got her ears pierced and some very cool sunglasses along with a beautiful purple party dress.

We enjoyed a wonderful lunch. Kit got to sit in her own chair with her own little cup and saucer. They really gave us all the royal treatment. It was definetly the highlight of the weekend!

After the MOA we did a little more shopping in Maple Grove and then settled in for a movie night at home. We watched a classic from my past- Pollyanna. It was so fun for Kaelynn to share in that movie that we all have loved.

Thank you to both grandmas for such a fun couple of days! We love you so much!

The best I can do....

2011-12-31T15:02:00.000-08:00

is catch you up to speed on the month of December and then try to do better in 2012. Sorry about the lack of blogging, but with the pace of life with three kids and two working parents along with countless church and school activities, (not to mention all the laundry, cleaning, and cooking and extra cooking in this month) (okay I'm done complaining) blogging is the one thing that sometimes has to take a backseat.

Seriously, I do want to try to do better at recording our family moments in 2012 on this blog since scrapbooking is also non-existant in my life right now.

So, yes, December is a very busy month for us. It was full of many church activities especially. Yes, I had a meltdown or two trying to keep up with traditions and making sure that my family enjoyed the season as much as possible. Yes, I need to learn to let some things go in the future. I am writing this down more for me than anyone else, as I need to remind myself in years to come, that I can't be everything to everybody all the time (as much as I would really like to be!)

Here is a small recap in pictures of the last few weeks. Honestly I have hardly taken a picture since the last post, so there aren't that many :)

This is Sunday, December 18th- our Christmas program at church. The adult choir/orchestra/drama team/ and kids choir presented a Christmas production called Finding Hope. It was beautiful and so fun that four of the five of us were involved in it. As you can see, Connor wasn't so much into taking pictures at this point, we had been at church for almost 6 hours at this point and he was ready to go get something to eat :)

On Friday, 12/23, we celebrated Christmas with Jan and Luther in Grand Forks. We had a wonderful meal and enjoyed a wonderful time of being blessed with presents.

SIBLINGS......

I love this shot with the grandparents!

Our family....

Kaelynn's funnest gift was the American Girl Doll- Kit. She was so excited when she opened it! More about that in the next post.

On Christmas Day after our service in Fargo, we drove to Minneapolis to spend the week with mom and Gene.

Another great picture with the grandparents!

The girls playing Twister.

The cousins with the birthday cake for Jesus.

We got to spend lots of time with cousin Declan. What a precious little boy! Kaelynn loved being a "babysitter" for him and he loved having the attention!

We also went to an indoor mini-golf, lazer tag, batting cages, arcade called Grand Slam and had an awesome time!

On Thursday, the boys went fishing in Lake of the Woods while the girls including, Jan, my mom, me and Kaelynn spent some great girl time in Minneapolis. More on that in the next post........

Let's Go Bison!!!!

2011-11-12T17:10:00.000-08:00

We have become quite the Bison household this year. The Bison are having a great football season and we were very excited to take the kids to the game this afternoon. We went with two other families the Luchts and the Jonkmans.

We put on our Bison sweatshirts and got to the game plenty early to get the best general admission seats.

The ladies- Kami, Jenelle, and I

Great Clips salon was offering free hair dyeing to show Bison pride so we said, "why not!" I've never let my kids put dye in their hair, but there's always a first time for everything. It's hard to tell, but Kaelynn has gold on top and green underneath. Connor got green and gold stripes with NDSU and BISON on either side of his head.

Love this picture!

We witnessed the Bison's first loss of the season unfortunately, but it was still very fun to be there.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-06T10:05:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm almost a week late with this post. Sorry! Life continues to tick at the speed of light around here. I'm hanging on with all I can for the ride. We had a fun Halloween. We started the day before by carving the pumpkins we had accumulated over the last few weeks. We had 6 in all and wanted to try some patterns on our pumpkins this year. The kids and I scooped out the insides and Andy did most of the carving. Connor is an "outside of the box" kind of guy so he didn't want to do a pre-made pattern, but went with his own creation. He did a great job on it:

Here are most of the pumpkins:

In the Kvernen house, we don't do scary Halloween. This year we had Minne Mouse, Luigi from Mario Brothers, and Jada Fett from Star Wars. I usually don't buy full costumes for the kids, but this year found Connor and Carson's costumes seriously clearanced and figured I couldn't make costumes for cheaper.

My nieces and nephew came with us as well as a friend and her two boys and a neighbor girl and her mom. It was quite the group and we had a lot of fun together.

This was the preferred method of transportation by the girls:

We now have 3 gallon sized bags full of "fun-size" candy. If anybody needs a sugar high anytime soon, you're welcome to come by.

The love of fall

2011-10-29T17:08:00.000-07:00

I love fall for several reasons, and the pumpkin patch is one of those reasons. I love the colors of reds and oranges, the smells of a bonfire and crisp leaves, the sights of my kids having fun with games and mazes, and even the tastes of hot chocolate or apple cider on a crisp day. Love it!

We have had a glorious fall and are soaking in every last bit of it before it comes to an end soon. Today we had the opportunity to go to the DeMoss pumpkin patch with Jan and Luther. Andy was getting in his final hunt of the season, so he didn't make it.

Here are some pictures of the fun we had!

Celebration for a special little guy

2011-10-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

The kids and I got to go to Minneapolis this weekend to celebrate the 1st birthday of my nephew Declan! What a great little guy he is!

Rusty, Katie, and Declan... (and baby brother whom we get to meet in February 2012 :)

My sister Katie made an awesome brunch for us all complete with caramel rolls, pumpkin bars, lots of fruit, hashbrown casserole, a delicious pasta salad, sausages and bacon. And an amazing chocolate cake in the shape of a pumpkin.

Declan had no problems devouring his cupcake. Love it!!!!

After the party, we took the kids to French Park to play on the rope structure and take a great fall walk in the beautiful woods there.

The cousins have so much fun together and this weekend was no exception.

Playing Ring-around-the-rosy on the beach of Medicine Lake.

Fall Hodge-Podge

2011-10-09T10:59:00.000-07:00

So what have we been up to the past month??????????? Plenty! Here's a little hodg-podge of some of our fall activities.

A trip to the Chahinkapa Zoo in Wahpeton with cousins. The monkeys (the ones in the cage- not the ones pictured below :) kept us highly entertained once again. I seriously could watch them all day long.

Kaelynn keeps telling me she wants to be a veterinarian. I'm thinking it is a very real possibility. She has no fear of animals!

WHOA!!!!!!!

Yep, it's that time of year again. Ducks are invading my freezer.

Football, football, and more football! The season has now ended as of yesterday. The boys had a great time and learned a lot about the game. It was fun to see them work together as a team and improve each game. It wasn't a winning season for their team, but it sure was a fun one!

In the last game both boys had some great blocks and tackles. Carson is blocking in the picture below.

Carson was quarterback and Connor was center on this drive. They got it all the way to the 2 yard line. It was a good drive.

The Kingdom Kids Choir sang for the first time this season in church today. Last year we had about 27 students, this year we have 56!!!! There is not much that gives me more joy than being able to lead these kids in worship of their Creator!!!! The boys are old enough to be in the choir this year. They are really enjoying it and so am I!

Other than these things, the boys have started piano lessons; I am loving my job and am so thankful for it; and all of the kids are doing great in school. A little shout out to Carson- he has gotten 100% on all of his spelling tests so far.

Andy is out of town until Wednesday night so life is busy as a single mom the next three days, but I am so grateful for the opportunities God has given us to be involved in so many awesome things. More and more these days, my prayer is that we would be the light of God to those in our sphere of influence.

Oscar bound

2011-09-07T14:41:00.000-07:00

Oh boy, do we have a drama queen who lives at our house. Notice I did not say drama king.

The first week of school was great. Smiles all around! This week not so much. It started on Monday evening after having a long weekend at home as a family. We put Kaelynn to bed with the usual routine and two minutes later heard hysterical sobbing. This is very unlike her, so I rushed down the stairs thinking she was hurt or something bad had happened. NOPE!!!! Through her sobs she proclaimed that she did NOT want to go to school and that she did NOT like school.

This was quite surprising as she had not said anything or led us to believe in any way that she had not had good days.

Unfortunately we have repeated this little scene yesterday morning and also this morning.

The funny thing is, she gets off the school bus and tells me what a good day she has had. Thus, the title of the blog post :) Hopefully she learned her lesson from this morning and we will not have a repeat on Thursday morning.

First day = success

2011-08-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

We have officially started the school year and I am officially a mom of three full-time students. Oh my goodness!!! It's great to be at this stage, and yet, there is a little bit of sadness and realization that my little ones aren't so little anymore.

Kaelynn's first day of kindergarten was today.

She was the first one up at 6:30am this morning which tells you how excited she was. It was not abnormal for her to sleep until 9:00am this summer.

I thought about her a lot today. When Connor and Carson went to kindergarten I wasn't working full-time and was able to go meet them at school and get them to their classrooms. I wasn't able to do that today and it was hard!!! But, she did smashingly well. When I asked her if she wanted Andy to meet her at school, she said, "No, I can do it myself." She's my confident, independent girl. Andy is going to bring the kids to school in the morning and then Kaelynn will take the bus from Eastwood Elementary to the kindergarten center. They will all take the bus home.

Details- When asked what her favorite part of the day was, she said, "music". And my heart went "Yes!!!!" She made a friend on the bus, Sally. She said she only got to play at recess for 3 minutes (I'm thinking it was probably longer than that). She had a granola bar for snack and the class has to have a 15 minute rest time with their heads on their desk after recess (which she doesn't like). She learned a song about a ball in music and she says that all of the girls in her class are her friends. She thinks her teacher Mrs. Cody is the nicest teacher ever, and she brought home a picture of a bear driving a school bus. Overall, the day was a success and she is ready to go back tomorrow!

Here she is getting off the bus, all smiles!!!!!!!!

This was not the first day of school for Connor, Carson, or me. We started last Thursday, but I wanted to wait to put these all in one post, so I'll go backwards a little. It is really hard to believe that the boys are in 2nd grade already. Carson has Mrs. Smith and Connor has Mrs. Kingsley. Again this year I think they have the right teachers for their personalities.

On a side note- both of the boys have been growing like weeds. We are sending Connor to 2nd grade in a size 7 tennis shoe. That's adult size 7. I put his shoe up to my tennis shoe- it's bigger. Not by much, but it is bigger. He is pushing 90 pounds and stands right at my chin. It will not be long before he overtakes me.

How is my school going? Well things have been a little crazy the first few days. A lot of change has happened at Westside for this school year and the special ed staff was not prepared for how much change it would actually be. My schedule has changed 5 times in three days and I fully excpect it to change again. The name of the game at this point is to "go with the flow". I really feel like I am at that school for a reason and am excited to work with the students that I am with. There have been challenges already, and no doubt there will be more! But I am so grateful to God for providing this job for our family. It really couldn't be any more perfect!!!

It's right around the corner...

2011-08-22T06:06:00.000-07:00

Yep, fall is almost here. We have three days of summer vacation left and then it's back to the grind. It's really hard to believe that all three kids will be in school full-time and I will be working. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to work the same hours that they are in school. God has been so good in me being able to be a para this year. I'm really excited about it!

Kaelynn is very excited to start kindergarten. She doesn't start until Monday, but is more than ready!

The boys started football last week and they both love it! They have great coaches who work them hard, but are very encouraging as well. They switch positions every play so they get a taste of each position. They will start playing games against other teams next week. Andy is especially proud watching his boys participate in a sport that he loved so much. Carson is particularlly passionate about the sport and puts everything he has into every play. He loves diving to catch the ball, so he will need to learn to stand on his feet when catching the ball so he can run. Andy thinks Carson will be a wide receiver and Connor will be a tackle. I think we have a future of sitting on the sidelines for many years to come :)

We have loved spending time with cousins this summer. My sister Karrie lives in West Fargo and we have done a babysitting exchange just about every week. The kids love to play together and it has given us moms a little break in the week which is great for the heart and soul. Kaelynn and Emma have these matching dresses from my mom and just so happened to wear them last week. Their both heading to kindergarten next week and love talking about what it will be like in school. It's been fun to see this friendship blossom and grow!

I'm pretty sure my next post will be about the first day of school :) Here we go...................

Amazing!!!

2011-08-13T15:28:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we went to the Fargo Air Show and saw some pretty amazing skills displayed. We didn't actually go into the airport, but sat on the campus of NDSU and had an amazing view. The highlight of the show was the Blue Angels. It is unbelievable to see the precision with which they fly. When they fly by, it takes your breath away (and your hearing :). We had plenty of opportunity to get excited for the afternoon as they have been practicing for the past two days. It really is awesome to hear the roar of the jets and see the speed with which they go. I don't have a real great camera for these sorts of things, but I think I got some okay shots.

My mom used to love to go to air shows, so I thought about her a lot during the afternoon.

Most of the kids thought it was cool. Of course our "glass half-empty" child had plenty to whine about, but we didn't let it ruin our time. This was Connor's pose for most of it :(

The other two had plenty of smiles and we heard lots of "That's so cool!"

We got some okay video to give you a little glimpse of what it was like. Kaelynn kept telling me her heart was shaking. I whole heartedly agreed with her.

We got to see three stunt acts. This stunt plane was amazing in how it would stop and then nose dive.

I tried to take lots of little videos of the Blue Angels as they flew by. This is probably the best one. If you get dizzy easily, I'd skip it :)

Connor and Carson's first sleepover

2011-07-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Connor and Carson's 8th birthday this year we decided it might be time to try a sleepover. They have never had one before so as soon as we pitched the idea to them, The excitement started to build. They each got to invite two friends for a total of 6 boys. Kaelynn was going to have Emma sleep over too, but plans changed and she ended up sleeping at Emma's place instead. That worked out quite well!!!!
This was one of the best ideas for a birthday party- all of the noise and mess were outside. I highly recommend it for a boys birthday party! Loved it!!!!!!

Sam, Micah, Ryan, Oliver, Carson, and Connor

The evening went very well! The boys arrived at 6:00pm with much anticipation. It was the first sleepover for three of the boys who came. Here they are getting set up in the tent:

I love our backyard!!!! There was plenty of room to have the tent, fire, and chairs, food/eating area, and room to play football, ladder golf, and tag.

We roasted hot dogs for dinner....

and then opened presents....

Carson and Ryan with a Nerf gun!

Sam and Connor with Doodle books (I loved these and they are perfect for Connor's love for drawing and creativity.)

Carson and Oliver with a new basketball for our new basketball hoop from Grandpa and Grandma.

Micah and Connor- He came through with some new Lego sets!!!

Carson and Micah- Gotta love those Legos! Especially police sets!

Connor and Ryan- Bring on the Nerf wars!

After presents they had a water balloon toss and water balloon fight.

We made s'mores and they played football and tag in the dark until 10:00 when it was quiet time.

Sleep was a bit of an issue. Most of them didn't fall asleep until 11:00pm or so. Some were awake until 12:00am. Sleeping in a neighborhood is not quite as peaceful as sleeping in the woods of northern MN. At 1:00am Andy received a phone call from one of the boys' dad (who is a Fargo police officer and was on duty) stating that severe thunderstorms were headed for Fargo. Andy watched the radar on his phone for a while and decided at 2:15am to bring everyone in. It didn't take too long to get them settled in and they were able to sleep until about 7:30am.

Breakfast was served at 8:00am- chocolate chip and sprinkles pancakes and bacon.

Parents picked up some tired but happy little boys at 9:00am. It was a very positive, fun experience. One that I'm sure we will do again!

Camping with friends

2011-07-27T06:02:00.000-07:00

We went camping with 5 other families Sunday-Tuesday at Maplewood State Park in MN. There were 24 of us all together. The families make up Andy's staff team and we love hanging out with them. We named each camp: Kvernenville, Shay Lucht, The Hood, Rogers Neighborhood, Williams Retreat, and the Honeymoon Suite. There were 12 kids and they are very close in ages. They had a great time together!

This hammock provided hours of happy swinging. You could choose to be pushed in regular speed, super speed, or warp speed. Most of them chose warp speed and the adults were amazed there were no injuries from it :)

Our campsite was right by the lake and there was plenty of fishing going on. They caught a few crappies, sunnies, and a couple of bullheads. It was pretty wooded and there were quite a few rods in a small area, so we did hear a lot of "I need help, my line is snagged."

This is our second year camping as a group although we added a few members from last year. The entertainment last year was a big game of softball. This year fishing was the main source of entertainment, but we did get in another game of softball.

Lauren and Emma are two months apart and provided many hours of entertainment for the moms. They were hilarious together and sweet, sweet little girls. Lauren (left) has a special liking for Andy. She loves to say his name and be around him. It was very cute!

On Sunday evening we did a potluck. We enjoyed beef brisket, chicken kabobs, fruit kabobs, roasted corn on the cob, pasta salad, cookie pops and cookie bars.

We had a s'mores smorgesboard. We brought lots of different toppings including, toffee bits, Andes mints, frostings, peanut butter cups, cookies or banana bread instead of graham crackers, almond joys, strawberry marshmallows or giant marshmallows. I prefer the good old-fashioned kind of s'more, but it was fun to see the creativity.

These girls love playing together. Zoe is a sweet, sweet girl and she and Kaelynn loved running around and looking for pieces of nature to treasure.

We had a great time and are looking forward to next year already. We love these families and feel so blessed to have them in our lives. Thanks for the memories!

Minnesota fun!

2011-07-18T06:14:00.000-07:00

We retreated to Minneapolis for a little mini-vacation with my family last Wednesday. We drove from Fargo straight to the Mall of America. Kaelynn and I really wanted to go to the American Girl store and Connor and Carson really wanted to go to the Lego store. Both were accomplished as well as some lunch and a special treat.

I was given the American girl Samantha when I was in high school and have now passed her on to Kaelynn. She is very responsible with her and I love that we have both shared her. She just had to bring her with. We found out that she was retired in 2008.

At the Lego store there are statues made out of Legos of course. Here are the kids with Woody from Toy Story. This was one of the smaller statues. On top of the store is a huge 50 ft. or more Transformer. It was amazing!

Here is one reaction in the American Girl store.........

And here is the other.........

On Thursday we went to Valleyfair. As a kid I grew up going to Valleyfair every summer. It has changed some since my growing up years, but it always brings back great memories. Memories which I am grateful to be able to pass on to my children. The kids love most of the rides. We went on a perfect day when it was a little overcast and a little cool. It was a little too cool for the waterpark so we weren't able to enjoy that, but it didn't stop our fun. Here are the boys on Thuder Canyon. If it would have been about 15-20 degress warmer, Kaelynn and I would have joined them.

Getting our Cotton Candy fix.

There is a ride there called the Mad Mouse. It is a mini version of a roller coaster, but in some ways, just as thrilling. There are several turns right away where you feel that you are going to go right off the track.
The kids loved this ride!!!! We lost track of how many times the boys went on it and Kaelynn went at least 6-8 times. She was amazing!

I used to love roller coasters, but after I had kids something changed inside me and I'm not so much about rides that involve risk. I went on it with her to show my bravery and she took me through the whole ride. I did not care for the sharp turns at the top of the ride, and I told her that I was going to close my eyes until we got through that part. She just giggled and said, "It's okay mommy, we're almost through it. Just a couple more turns. Only one more now, you can do it." She was so cute. It wasn't her screams you heard throughout the ride, it was mine. I took a video of Kaelynn, Andy, Connor, and Carson going on the ride, but it is not uploading very well, so I will have to have Andy downsize it and get it on later.

We got to spend lots of time with Katie and Declan. He is now 9 months old and is the sweetest little boy. He is very laid back- he hardly fussed. He is also very relational. He loves to sit and look at people and touch your face. He was really fun to be around. He even brought me some birthday balloons and a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

On Saturday we went to the Bunker Hills waterpark. It is a huge waterpark with lots of waterslides, a kids play area, lazy river, huge wave pool, water basketball and rock climbing, and a sand area. We spent several hours there and had a wonderful time!

Saturday evening we celebrated most of the July birthdays in our family. We were missing my nephew Brendan whose birthday is July 12th. Katie made a delicious cake for us and even got all of our names on it. Thank you Katie!!!!

The boys received Twins jerseys from grandma and grandpa and Katie and Rusty and Declan. They have been wearing them with pride. Connor quickly picked up on the phrase "I'm a twin wearing a Twins jersey." They look pretty handsome if you ask me.....

We had a great time in Minneapolis! Thank you to grandma and grandpa for hosting us and loving on us!

8 is great!!!!!!

2011-07-17T18:28:00.000-07:00

The boys turned 8 today!!!!

Connor- He is a boy who loves to learn. He reads very well and one of his favorite things to do is read his Bible before he goes to bed. He really likes food although he would much prefer anything sweet over anything healthy. We try to balance him as much as possible. He loves his friends and is a great big brother to Kaelynn. He is loyal, responsible, truthful, caring, friendly, funny, and witty. He has found a new love of fishing this summer. In fact, his rod broke a week ago, so we got him a new spinning rod for his birthday. He cried when he saw it. He really did!

Carson- He is a boy who is passionate about much. Things he is passionate about include football, fishing, and hunting. He also loves to read and has very much enjoyed the Hardy Boys series. He also loves food, but he likes to savor his. He loves to play trucks, hunting, legos and would prefer to play them by himself. He is sweet, loyal, responsible, inquisitive, friendly, and funny. He has a question in his brain at all times and loves to be in the center of it all.

We love these boys so much and cannot imagine our family without them. They bring so much joy to our lives! Happy Birthday Connor! Happy Birthday Carson! We love you!

Cousins

2011-07-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

This summer my sister Karrie and I have taken the opportunity to do a little exchange each week. She takes my kids for an afternoon so I can do errands on my own, and I do the same for her. The cousins love playing together twice a week and it's great for our hearts and minds to be able to go to the grocery store by ourselves :) Yesterday we spent a lot of the afternoon at the park. It was a hot day so we found some great shade to eat our popcorn snack in.

Ava, Connor, Carson, and Kaelynn on the merry-go-round

There is a great hill at this park that is used for sledding in the winter and rolling down or running down in the summer.

Emma and Kaelynn are two peas in a pod. They both love wearing dresses, purses, and shoes. They love to play wedding or house together and are very good moms to their babies.

Enjoying a snack! Ava of course has her mouth full of popcorn.

Happy July 4th! (5 year-old style)

2011-07-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July!!!!!

Lake week 2011

2011-07-02T17:10:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of every year is our "week at the lake" with Jan and Luther. This year was no exception! This year was a bit different in that it was marked with many "firsts". The first "first" is that it was the first year that it was just Jan and Luther and our family. We didn't particularlly like this first as we would have loved to have more cousins and aunts and uncles with us. Matt and Laura and Krisanne and Paul- we reminisced a lot about last year and talked A LOT about what it will be like the next time we are all together again!

Another "first" was the location. We tried Eagle Beach resort this year on Eagle Beach. It is aptly named as we saw many bald eagles soaring above us. The resort was great with many activities for the whole family and a great pool and wading pool. They also had awesome ice cream cones!!!!!

Carson experienced a "first" in the pool. He was able to swim in water over his head without his life jacket on! He's the first one of our kids to be able to accomplish this. He's in 9 ft. of water in the above picture.

The resort had a high ropes challenge course attached to it. Jan and Luther convinced Andy and I to try it. This was definetly going to be a "first" for either of us. The course was about 30 feet off the ground and was made up of 4 challenges. On all but one of them we were walking on a cable- like a tight rope. My heart was beating so fast. The pics below are what Connor, Carson, and Kaelynn took of us. I think Jan and Luther got some better ones, so when I get them I'll put them on here.

To say my heart was beating fast was an understatement. I think the hardest part of each challenge was the first step off the platform. It was definetly a lesson in faith and trust! We were very safe with many harnesses and caribeaners (sp???). The reward for making it through the challenges was a 100 yd (?) zip line ride through the evergreen trees. Now that was fun! I know Jan and Luther got video of that so I'll get it on when I can.

To start, we had to climb up a large ladder and then climb up ten or so clips in a tree to get to the first platform. One of the people in front of me had trouble getting connected to the cable so I had to assume this position for quite some time. You can't see it, but my knuckles were white from holding on so tightly.

This was the last challenge and the one I thought was the most challenging. There were no ropes to hold on to except the one right above us. Those steps were pretty far apart and it was not easy to hold your balance.

Andy went behind me and was a great encouragement. He did really well throughout the whole course.

Another "first"- Kaelynn held a fish for the first time.

One thing we loved about Eagle Beach was the kayaking. There was a channel that connected Eagle Lake to Potato Lake and it was a beautiful 15-20 minute kayak ride through typical MN lake country scenery. It was peaceful and beautiful.

We went to the Logging Camp for dinner one evening. A "first" for the kids.

We always go to Itasca State Park and were able to get there before the MN governement shut down the parks. It was a perfect day and we had a great time. Another "first"- We all made it to Douglas Lodge on our bike ride!

Oh how I love those bright eyes and sweet smile!

One of the activities the kids participated in at the resort was the scavenger hunt. Kaelynn and I were on a team together and Connor joined another team. Kaelynn got 3rd place and Connor's team got 2nd. We had to find things such as 40 pinecones, a Dorito, a four-leaf clover, an Eagle Beach t-shirt, a Lifesaver, and much more. It was a lot of fun and the kids were very proud of their ribbons.

There was a family staying in the cabin closest to us that are on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ in the MPLS. area and we had many connections with them. They worked with or knew quite a few people whom we knew from our days involved with Crusade. It was really fun to get to know the Brun family. They had children similar to our kids ages and they had a great time together. They kind of filled in for the missing cousins. They even played the watermelon toss game with us (the pic below). Did you know watermelons float in water?

Carson, Connor, and Everret Brun

(Yes, that is part of the broken watermelon on Connor's head!)

It was a great week! We are already dreaming of next year :)

Are you kidding me??????

2011-06-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

My sister Katie just posted on her blog about some amazing deals she just got including a cute summer dress. The funny thing is that I was planning on posting about the exact same thing today. Great minds think alike!

So we had two weddings this weekend. One Friday night and one Saturday night. I have lots of dresses and was thinking I would be have no problem picking out two of them for the weddings. On Thursday I had some time to myself and needed to go to the mall for something, so I thought I would just look at dresses to see if there were any great deals, knowing that I really didn't need one. I didn't see a whole lot and was getting to the end of my time, but decided to try Herbergers just in case.

I immediately spotted a dress I really liked, but it was a size smaller than I normally wear, but thought I'll try it on just in case. I tried it on and loved it!!!! And it fit perfectly!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!

One big problem there was no tag on it and no tag on the other one hanging on the rack! It was on the clearance rack though so I thought it surely can't be over $50.00. Which by the way, I still wasn't willing to pay.

Anyways, I took it to the girls at the counter and asked if they could help me figure out how much the dress was. They put in quite a few numbers and proclaimed, "It's ringing up as four ninety-nine."

Confused I said, "As in $499.00". She said, "No, $4.99." To which I almost shouted, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Surely this dress had to be originally over $100.00. I don't know how in the world they could sell it for $5.

I told her to make sure that was the price because I felt a little bad getting such a nice brand-new dress for $5. She checked some more and said, "That's what it is ringing up at so that's what you will get it for."

Whether I needed it or not, $5.00 for a new cocktail dress could not be passed up. To say that my day was just made was an understatement! SO without further ado- my $5.00 party dress:

And it has pockets- so fun!!!!

Our favorite family activity

2011-06-14T06:37:00.000-07:00

Andy is back from a 12 day trip to Israel. He had a great time and we will post pics and more details soon. Until then, I can try to keep up with the rest of the summer. He was at home yesterday and today so we of course took the opportunity to go fishing- our favorite family activity!!!! We went to Lake Sally and fished from the shore. We enjoyed a picnic supper and got some little fish which keeps the kids plenty entertained.

Kaelynn caught the biggest fish of the day! A good sized bass!

Kaelynn's attention span with fishing is okay, but she enjoyed walking on the rocks and looking at the waterfall more. She wanted to do a photo shoot so here's one of the pics from that.
We are looking forward to many more of these outings over the next few months!

Better late than never....

2011-06-05T19:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm a month behind. Here is an update of what happened in May......

Connor and Carson had a music program at school. They performed dances and many songs. They played instruments and did a great job! We were very proud of them. Look for a video at the end of the post.....

Andy and his dad got out for MN fishing opener. They did pretty well and we enjoyed some delicious walleye that week!

We got a fire pit for the backyard and have a enjoyed a couple of evenings of smores and are looking forward to many more once Andy returns home.

Kaelynn graduated from pre-school and is officially a kindergartner. They had a small program where they performed songs they had learned this spring and the Lord's Prayer. They had a ice cream party afterwards. I can't believe she will be in school full-time in three months. It is really hard for me!

One of Kaelynn's teachers- Miss Randa

The proud parents!

Great friends- Grover and Zoe!

Andy sacrificed his dry clothes to bar-b-que for my mom's birthday. The weekend was pretty rainy, but we were determined to make hawaiian chicken sandwiches anyways.

My mom with most of her grandchildren! Happy Birthday Grandma!

I even got a little baking done in the midst of the craziness of the month. I made this strawberry shortcake with almond glaze and was told by one of the members in our small group that it was the best dessert we had ever had at small group. I had to agree with him. It was pretty stinkin' good!

As of this week we finished school and Andy is currently in Israel. We have VBS this week and I am really looking forward to leading the worship for that. I love it!!! Andy is having a great time in Israel and returns on Saturday afternoon. After next Sunday, the pace of life should really slow down which I am going to be so thankful for. We have been on warp speed since February and I am really looking forward to a slow, relaxed summer. I won't even put hopes up that I will post more this summer. I'll post when I can.....

Catch up.....

2011-05-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

The blog and I do not have a positive relationship right now. Sorry!!! We have had full weeks the past month or so with lots happening. I have also started working full-time and am feeling like the blog needs to take a back seat to laundry and cleaning for the time being. I'm gonna do my best to update the past month here. Hold on for the ride:

The event that has dominated our time the last two months was the Easter musical at church, My Brother's Keeper. We performed it April 15-17 and it was so much fun. I never thought I would ever be in a leading role, I was perfectly happy in the chorus, but I had such a blast. I continue to be so humbled that God would use me in this way. What a blessing!!!!! Close to 3,000 people heard the message of Jesus' sacrifice for them that weekend. We believe lives were changed and we are so grateful to be a part of it. Here are a few pics from the musical. Hopefully we can send some of you a DVD when it is finished.

Easter Sunday pics....

The boys finished their second book in Sparks and earned the second year award on Wednesday. Next year they will be working toward the Sparks plaque that hasn't changed since I was in Sparks. We are very proud of them and pray that the verses they are learning will be forever in their hearts.

We finished this month with a spring dance recital for Kaelynn. They got to wear the same outfit they wore for the winter recital- which was a nice gift. Kaelynn did a beautiful job!

Hopefully it won't take me another month to get update this, but don't hold me to that. We have 4 1/2 weeks of school left, and then a much needed break from everything. June 11th is the magical date- school will be done, Andy will be back from Israel, Vacation Bible School will be done, and we will be officially on summer break. Hopefully I will do a much better job then :) I hope everyone reading is doing well.

Blessings

2011-03-28T12:55:00.000-07:00

I would say music is absolutely one of the most important ways I feel closest to God. Music stirs in my heart such a desire to know God more and to give Him everything that I am. The following song has been an incredible encouragement to me in the past day or so. I love the words of the last chorus that say:

What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise?

Happy 5th Birthday Kaelynn!

2011-03-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

Five years ago today at 2:00am our sweet little girl, Kaelynn Grace Kvernen, was born.

1 year old

2 years old

3 years old

4 years old

Today at 5 years old!

One of her presents from Andy and I was her very own Bible. She's been asking for one for a while so we thought her 5th birthday would be perfect. She loved it!

Last Friday evening we had a party with some of our family here. Grandma from Mpls. and Karrie and Justin and family were here. As well as Grandpa and Great Grandma Ruth. We had stuffed shells- Kaelynn's favorite meal, strawberries, spinach salad, and garlic bread. She chose a Hello Kitty cake with vanilla ice cream.

The girls table with Emma and Ava.

Kaelynn loves clothes and she got some very cute ones. She got this cupcake nightgown from Grandma in Mpls.

Look what she got from Auntie Katie, Uncle Rusty, and Declan. She loved the princesses, but wasn't sure about how they felt on her nails. Fun for in the house though!

Today she was supposed to celebrate at pre-school with cupcakes, but we are having a snow day from a GREAT winter storm last night. UUGGHHH!!!! Oh well. She'll celebrate tomorrow. She opened presents this morning and we have church activities tonight so she will celebrate with her friends at Cubbies.

On Friday evening she is having a friends party. The theme is Dora the Explorer and we have lots of fun Dora activities planned. It should be fun!

Happy Birthday sweet pea! We love you so much!

Update!!!!!

2011-03-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

Goodness! It's been almost 2 1/2 months since I've updated. I'm sorry, but it's just been difficult to give it the time right now. Life is on warp speed for us right now and it shows no sign of slowing down until school is out. I have taken maybe two or three pictures in the last 2+ months, and those were nothing special.

So what has kept us so busy? Well I directed a children's musical in February. It was a ton of fun and it went well. A few missed lines here and there, but the dancing and singing were awesome!!! What a blessing to have that opportunity.

We are in the midst of preparing for our church's Easter production which is an original Broadway-style musical written by Andy and his team. I have a speaking/singing part this year which adds on several extra rehearsals, but has been a learning experience and another great opportunity.

I am working 3-4 days a week and am going to be taking a long-term paraprofessional position at Connor and Carson's school starting mid- April through the end of the school year. I am excited about the position and am looking forward to being able to work with these students.

All of this on top of small group, kids choir, adult choir, AWANA, and worship team make for full weeks.

Oh yeah, and we have the most AWESOME kids in the world. We could not do all of this stuff if they were not so self-sufficient and self-entertained. They have been amazing during all of these rehearsals and meetings. They don't complain and find things to do (for the most part).

We had conferences for the boys this week and both of their teachers talked about how great they are. They are both excelling in school and are leaders in their classrooms. They both talked about how they make wise decisions and are model students! We know that this is truly a testament to what God has and is doing in their lives. We are so proud of them and I just had to give a little shout out to them........

Kaelynn turns 5 next week and I promise to get up some pics of her parties! Until then.........

Girls just want to have fun!

2011-01-01T09:58:00.000-08:00

These girls have had so much fun over the past week together! Dress-up and dancing have been the main activites of choice! From ballerinas to brides, it has been a flurry of pink and ruffles! So fun!!!!!

Christmas Program

2010-12-19T16:55:00.000-08:00

Kaelynn's preschool Christmas program was on Thursday. She did great. They did 8-10 songs and it was precious! Here are a few snapshots:

They learned how to say "hello" in many different languages. This is one of Kaelynn's favorite songs!

Oh man!

2010-12-15T12:17:00.000-08:00

I feel like December is flying by us and I'm trying to hang on as best as I can. Yes, life is busy. I would venture to say very busy right now, and I am looking forward to the day when I can say that I have nothing to do. Will it ever come? At this point I'm not sure. But there's always hope right? So, this might just be the only blog post in December. So here's my attempt to catch up:

My most favorite tradition we have for Christmas is this advent calendar. It was given to us from Andy's brother and sister-in-law and I absolutely love it. It is a daily reminder of the true meaning of Christmas among all the hustle and bustle of life. I have it on our front stairway and love that I see it several times a day!

Grover spent a day with us last week and we made sugar cookies together- another favorite tradition of mine!

We have entered the world of dance, and last Sunday was Kaelynn's first dance recital. Her class was the Snowflakes and they danced to Point of Grace's "Let It Snow" medley! She did an awesome job and we were very proud of her. I will have to put the video on here later. I don't know how to get it off of the video camera and onto the computer- that's Andy's job and he won't get to it until at least this weekend, if not next week!

On Sunday, we had Barlowe Girl at our church for a Christmas concert. I worked their merchandise table and was able to meet them briefly. They gave us a signed Christmas ornament. The ladies in the row with me are Anissa and Kari who worked with me. It was a great concert!

So that's just a tiny bit of what December had held for us. We have Kaelynn's pre-school program on Thursday and our Christmas program at church this weekend. We hope you are having a blessed Christmas season!

Thanksgiving in Minneapolis 2010

2010-11-27T14:12:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving 2010 in Minneapolis and what a wonderful time we had. We left a little early as we were to have bad weather in ND and MN on Wednesday. That gave us a little extra time to do some fun things. Here's a brief picture diary of our days there:

Day 1

Andy made a Kaelynn a guitar and mic stand out of tinker toys. It kept her entertained for most of the day. That's a good thing because she is getting something along those lines for Christmas :)

The baking began early on Wednesday. Kaelynn helped make the popular pumpkin pie. It was great. Maybe if her singing career doesn't pan out, she can become a baker. That profession is in her geneaology too.

Because we came down early, we were able to do something super fun on Wednesday evening. We took the kids to their first NBA game. We saw the Timberwolves play the San Antonio Spurs. The game was very exciting and went into overtime. Unfortunately the Wolves couldn't pull it out and lost the game, but it was a fun experience. All of the kids really got into the game. Connor was standing up screaming and cheering the entire last quarter and Kaelynn really got into the "howl-o-meter".

Enjoying a snow cone treat!

Day 2

Thanksgiving Day was a great day! Gene's parents and sister came over to celebrate with us. We had all of the traditional food including homemade Italian mostaccioli. That's a tradition in Gene's italian family. We have missed it the past few years, boy was it good!

This is the best family picture we got :) Looks like we will try a professional in the spring :)

We had the opportunity to spend lots of time with my sister Katie, her husband Rusty and their new son Declan. He is so precious!

Day 3

Friday found us downtown at the Macy's 8th floor Christmas display and at the Holidazzle parade. I (Kristi) grew up going to Daytons (now Macy's) to see their Christmas display. It is animated and tells a story. You walk through scenes and can't wait for the freshly made gingerbread cookies at the end. This year the theme was A Day in the Life of an Elf.

The elves baking the Christmas goodies!

After the Macy's display, we walked around downtown for a while and got something to eat. We then sat in the skyway for an hour and half waiting for the parade to start. Brave Minnesotans stand outside to watch a half hour lit up parade. We were not so brave as it was in the single digits. In high school, the chamber singers group I was in performed in the parade. I was able to show the kids which float I was on which looked the same as it did 15 years ago. It was a fun way to start the holiday season!

Here's a picture through the skyway window of one of the floats. Not great, but you get the point!

We have so much to be thankful for! We are very aware of the grace we are given each day, and for that we are thankful beyond words! We pray your Thanksgiving was blessed!

Spelling

2010-11-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

The boys have homework every night. Most of it is practicing spelling words. As part of their homework they have to create a sentence for each spelling word in their best writing. We are not supposed to help them with the spelling of any words in the sentence so they come up with some pretty interesting interpretations of words.

In the beginning of the year the sentences were very basic, but they have evolved over the last few weeks into the following. (The spelling word to be used is above the sentence and I am spelling them as he did.) Here are some of Carson's sentences for this week:

let
Let us play at the purk.
Interpretation- Let us play at the park.

get
Get us help cus a lin is runin loos at the zoo.
Interpretation- Get us help because a lion is running loose at the zoo.

make
I make bred to eat for brefcist.
Interpretation- I make bread to eat for breakfast.

of
Specin of lins i like lins a lot.
Interpretation- Speaking of lions, I like lions a lot.

Pretty funny!!!!

Pumpkins- in one form or another :)

2010-10-31T17:31:00.000-07:00

Warning: Lots of pictures in this post. Proceed if you dare!

Yesterday, Grandma took us and Julianna and Lydia took a pumpkin patch in town. It was a bit chilly, but fun was still had by all. This is the same pumpkin patch that Kaelynn went to with her preschool class. There is tons to do and we had a great time.

They have a small petting area with chickens, ponies, bunnies, goats, and this mini-bull. Cute in a funny sort of way!

Lots of picture opportunities abound! What a great looking bunch!

What I love about this photo is the flames coming out of the stocking cap. It really compliments the chaps and boots!

Riding the wagon to go to the corn maze and pumkin patch.

This afternoon we painted or carved the pumkins we got from the patch.

Here are the costumes the kids chose:

Connor, the alligator wrestler

Yes, we made the alligator. Connor had seen this idea on the Family Fun website. This is as scary as we get for Halloween!

Kaelynn, the cheerleader

Carson, the mighty hunter

It wasn't too hard for Carson to pull this one off!

The kids went trick or treating with some friends from church. In fact they are still out as I sit here typing! I think I see chocolate in my future :)

This picture has nothing to do with Halloween except that it was taken today. I just thought she was adorable in her Sunday best today! She's one of the cutest little pumpkins I know :)

Say What?

2010-10-28T17:10:00.000-07:00

I was downstairs catching up on Facebook when I heard Kaelynn making some noise in the cubby under the stairs. She opened the door a little and here's how the conversation went:

Mom: What are you doing in there?
Kaelynn: I'm the lost captain!
Mom: You're the what?
Kaelynn: I'm the lost captain and I'm waiting for the boys to come find me.
Mom: Do the boys know you are the lost captain?
Kaelynn: Yes I told them where I was.

She then closed the door very loudly and shouted, "Let's see who can be the lostest captain in the whole world!"

You can't say that she doesn't have a vivid imagination..........

What's in a name?

2010-10-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

I just got home from school where my identity was on double duty -Mrs. K and mom. I subbed in Carson's class this morning and it was so much fun.  Carson is a GREAT student and I knew that it would be easy to be his mom and also his teacher- and it was. There were a couple of times when I heard, "Mom, how do you spell _______?"

When I didn't know something about their routine, he would tell me quietly what I needed to know. He was so excited to have me there, as was I to be there. I get to be in there in February for 4 days and am looking forward to getting to know some of his friends better.

I know this opportunity is short lived and not often possible so I am going to enjoy it as much as possible.
In a few weeks I get to be in Connor's class and know that my experience will be the same!!!!

Pumpkins!

2010-10-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

Kaelynn's class took a field trip to the Dakota Carriage Pumpkin Patch this morning. It was one of the best pumpkin patches I have ever been too. They had tons of things to do and great picture opportunities.

Here are some of the kids in her class

Do you like the wind blown look? It was slightly breezy.....

There were a couple of stagecoaches the kids could climb on and in. Kaelynn and Ava went for a ride out west somewhere.

They had a great hay bale maze with a little slide. The kids loved it!

They even had mini-golf.

Teeter-tottering.....

Grover rode with us so he did all of the activities with us too. Kaelynn plays at Grover's house when I am working on Mon, Tues, and Thurs so Grover and Kaelynn are good friends. It was fun to get some pics of the two of them.

We even got to pick out a pumpkin. Kaelynn did a great job picking one out. It was pretty much perfect!

Going through the corn maze....

Sitting on a hay spider with Blake and Sawyer.

Fall fun- for lack of better title :)

2010-10-03T15:52:00.000-07:00

Yes we have been busy with life, but we have had time to do some fun things in the midst of all of it. Hunting season is upon us and so far it has been very successful. The boys also had the opportunity to do some fall fishing with grandpa. They got some good looking fish:

Hunting season has been great for Andy and it's not over yet! You know it's hunting season in our house when you walk into our garage and see blood spattered on the floor! A few more weekends filled with ducks and geese are yet to come. Can you imagine the excitement I feel as I write this?

Kaelynn needed to get in on the action too. Just in case that goose wasn't already dead- she needed to shoot it with a pretend rifle.

One thing I remember about fall in our house was caramel apples! My mom would buy them from Byerlys and they were so good. We don't have Byerlys, and I think it'sfun to make our own, so we do! The kids love to unwrap the caramels and it keeps them busy for a while. HHHMMM!!!!!!!

Our last preschooler (sniff, sniff, sniff)

2010-09-13T13:35:00.000-07:00

I know you are all wondering- Did I really cry when I dropped off Kaelynn at preschool this morning. The answer is ...........NO!!!!

She had a great first day of preschool. I was a little worried about her crying since she cries every time I tell her she is going to Sunday School, but she didn't cry and said she had a good day :)

All ready to go at 8:15am....

Hanging up her backpack in her cubby.

Kaelynn and her friend Ava. Ava is moving out of state sometime soon, so we were surprised to see her there. Kaelynn was excited to say the least.

The proud parents and a little girl who was thinking "Enough with the pictures. I just want to go play."

Playing in the pretend play room. It is set up with house and store toys. I'm sure she will spend most of her free time in there.

Playing with playdoh. A favorite activity!!!

She is wanting to go back tomorrow so that is a good sign. We are very excited for this year and the things she will learn and experience. We love you sweet pea!!!!

Cutest Ballerina Ever!

2010-09-12T19:17:00.000-07:00

Kaelynn started ballet lessons last week and it has been so fun to watch her do something she loves. She is the youngest in the class and has had to work hard to keep up, but she is doing very well. It is an hour long class- for a 4-year old that's a long time. She is learning the positions and how to point and use her arms gracefully. She is so precious and loves it.

Miss Joni, her instructor and owner of Messiah Dance Theater is on the far right. Kaelynn is just to the left of her in the pale pink leotard.

This is a video of a game they play. They each get to take a turn being the fairy and waking up the others in the class. When they are awakened- they are to dance around the room until the music stops. Kaelynn loves it!

Tonight's plans.......

2010-09-09T07:26:00.000-07:00

Guess what we're doing tonight........

San Diego

2010-09-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday thru Sunday, Andy and I had the priveledge of traveling to San Diego with 5 other staff from Bethel. We were there to check out a church that has some great ideas- ones that we are hoping to adapt and implement at our church in the near future. I won't go too much into that right now, but want to show you some of the fun time we had too.

I'd never been to California, and haven't expereinced the ocean that much, so it was a ton of fun to experience. We flew in Thursday morning and tooled around the harbor a little. We ate shrimp with the seagulls and saw some pretty amazing aircraft carriers.

The team- Andy, Ginger, Pastor Matthew, Wendy, Jodi, and Jonathon

Remember this picture???

Well, in the harbor area they have a very, very large statue replicating this pose.

Of course, since there was a married couple in our group (us), we were the ones chosen to pose in front of the statue. I don't think we do it justice, but it was fun anyways:

I needed to have my arm down, but I felt like I was going to fall over!!! So much for trusting my man huh???

The hotel we stayed at was in Carlsbad which is just a bit north of San Diego. The beach was just across the street. I don't think I could ever tire of the sounds of ocean! The waves were beautiful and sand was so soft. God never ceases to amaze me through His creation!

We also got to eat an infamous In-N-Out burger. I had never heard of the place before, but was told that you can't leave California before you have one. In fact the book I was reading (an autobiography of Mary Beth Chapman) on the way home from San Diego mentioned them. Weird huh? They were good, but I think I would take a whopper over them anyday :)

This trip was a blessing and we are so thankful we were able to go. Thanks mom for helping us with the kids so we could experience this together! We love you!

First Grade- First Day

2010-08-31T05:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is the first day of school. To give you a hint of the excitement in our house this morning, I am posting this before the boys even walk out the door to catch the bus. They were both up when I got up at 6:20 and Connor was already dressed and had brushed his teeth twice.

Last night we went to Back to school night. They met their teachers- Mrs. Krogh (Connor) and Mrs. Buck (Carson), brought their supplies, and saw where their lockers were. Both of their teachers have taught for many, many years and are really great! Their classrooms are right next to each other, but they are on different lunch/recess schedules, so they won't see each other very much. I think it will be just fine though!

Here they are last night in front of their lockers:

And here is 20 minutes ago:

We can't have a first day of school without chocolate chip pancakes.

They look so old to me in these pictures! I'm excited for them and all that they will learn this year.

Ranch hands and power plants

2010-08-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

The rest of our trip out west was filled with new adventures and learning opportunities. On Thursday we drove to Belfield, ND to the ranch that uncle Paul grew up on. We rode horses, fed sheep, collected eggs, rode on 4-wheelers, rode in tractors, shot trap, ate good home-cooked food, celebrated two birthdays and were exhausted after it all. Here are the pics to prove it....

Uncle Paul gave a little lesson in roping a calf.

On Friday we drove to Center, ND where Minnkota's power plant in located. I often take electricity for granted- it was amazing to see how it all works. I still don't fully understand it all, but have a new appreciation when I flip the light switch on.

Hard hats and safety goggles were the apparel of the day. Not so great for the hair, but better than a concussion or worse!

Inside the plant was hot and noisy. We had to were headset and grandpa wore a microphone so we could hear him talk.

A sub-station in the background- don't ask me what it does- at least I got the name right.

This is the mine where they get the coal from. The machine in the background is called a drag line. It removes the dirt and soil so they can get to the coal. It was absolutely huge!!!!! The angled white arm is longer than a football field.

You better watch out or that piece of coal could end up in your stocking in a few months.....

This is one of the buckets the drag line used to scoop the dirt with. The size was yet again amazing!

We got to ride in a haul truck. This truck is loaded with coal at the mine and then drives it to the power plant where it unloads it into a holding tank in the ground.

Those are tires of the haul truck. Gives you a little perspective of how huge the trucks are.

This is one of 3 female drag line operators in the whole country. Kaelynn also showed us how dirty you can get in a coal mine.

We had a great time in Bismarck and beyond. We are now looking forward to our trip to San Diego tomorrow. Hope you all are doing well!

On the road again....

2010-08-22T19:00:00.000-07:00

We have been on the road in the month of August more than we have been home. We had a great trip to IA and MN and last week we had the opportunity to go to Bismarck for Grandpa in ND's company picnic. It was special for us all to be there- especially for grandpa. It was held at the zoo in Bismarck which also has a small amusement park. The kids had a blast- as did the adults. Here are some highlights:

Taking a trip on the zoo train- a great way to see the whole zoo :)

No explanation needed....

One of the grizzly bears at the zoo. He was sweet from behind the glass!

Driving the go-karts. A scary picture of what is to come. At least I have 9+ years to prepare myself.

Grandpa even got in a little golf lesson. Kaelynn's first golf outing was pretty successful!

The fun didn't stop there though. The next day was filled with more adventures. More to come.......

Family and Friends

2010-08-16T14:05:00.000-07:00

We have been home for a couple of days now and I am getting caught up on cleaning and laundry. We spent last week in IA and MN and had a great time! It was so fun to be able to attend the weddings of two special couples. We felt very blessed to be able to celebrate with them. We were able to see so many people that are so special to us while we were there. It felt like we had just seen all of these people a couple of weeks ago. It's hard to believe that we have been gone from there over a year.
The Martin family is a family that is very near to our hearts. We stayed with them while we were down there. The girls- Kelsey, Mary, and Ashley babysat our kids while we lived in IA and no one compares to them. Julie and Tim are good friends and it was great to catch up.

Ashley let Kaelynn wear this flower girl dress that she wore when she was Kaelynn's age. Kaelynn loved it!!!!

We also got to spend some time with my family in MN. We went to some really fun places including the Maple Grove Maze (a big indoor play area with lots of tunnels and slides) and Valleyfair. We got to see my cute pregnant sister and spend great time with cousins.

We couldn't leave Valleyfair without devouring a bag of Cotton Candy. HMMMM so good!!!!

I would have taken more pics at Valleyfair except that it was so hot and humid that my camera lens fogged up. It was like that for a majority of the day. I was slightly bummed :(

We are headed out to Bismarck for Minnkota's company picnic and then next week we head to San Diego for a couple of days with some others from church. We are excited for these times, but also looking forward to the end of travels and the beginning of routine and school :)

Football camp

2010-08-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the boys got a cool opportunity to start thinking about the sport of football and to start working on some football skills. Phil Hanson a previous NDSU football player and a Buffalo Bills defensive end from 1991-2002 puts on a free football and fitness camp every summer for kids at Fargo South. Everyone got a T-shirt and then they were put into groups and went through stations to practice football skills for each position on the team. It was very hot and humid, but the boys worked hard and really tried their best.

Andy had a meeting, but I kept thinking how much fun he would have had seeing his boys playing the sport he loves so much! I took lots of pictures and some video so he could get a glimpse of it.

Here's the best picture I could get of Phil Hanson. He walked around to each of the stations and tried to give some pointers. He was a big guy!!!

Here are some action shots of the boys doing some of the skills:

Kaelynn got in on the first skill, but didn't do much after that. Somehow I don't think her future lies in football :)

Carson had a great catch!

They had to practice tackling. They were told to wrap around the dummy and push through it- not jump on it. Both of them did really well with this.

This was the quaterback exercise. They had to pick up the ball from that orange table and step back. They were told which color to throw it to and they had to do it before the beep or they would be "sacked". Carson did very well with his aim.

They had to practice being handed the ball and tucking it in and then running to the right or left in order to not get tackled.

Connor has a great 3-point stance! He might follow in his father's footsteps!

They even got to practice kicking and punting. Who doesn't like to kick a ball?

It was really fun to watch them. It got me pretty excited for the possibility of sitting at high school football games every Friday night cheering on my son/sons!!! We'll see what God has in store!

Party animals......

2010-07-27T18:38:00.000-07:00

Yes we are still celebrating Connor and Carson's birthday! Matt and Laura treated our family to the Redhawks game on Sunday for the boys' birthday present. It was hot and sunny, but a lot of fun too. And the Redhawks won!!!!

Snowcones were the treat of the day! Lydia really, really enjoyed her first taste of one!

Tonight the boys had their friends' party at Space Aliens. They each invited two friends and of course Kaelynn was there trying to keep up as best she could. Lots of pizza, pop, tokens, video games, prizes, cupcakes and ice cream, laughter, and noise makes for one fun birthday party!

Isaac- a friend from church

Caleb and Lukas- twin friends from school and the bus

Ryan- a friend from church

So the fun has come to an end. It's been great to celebrate these two awesome 7 year old boys! We love them so much and are excited for their future year! We love you guys!

Cousins, Cousins everywhere

2010-07-24T15:21:00.000-07:00

We just got back from the week at the lake and we had a great time! Of course the best part of the lake is being with family and this year topped all others so far! Andy's brother and family are home from overseas on furlough for 6 months and have three children ages 4, 2, and 1. Andy's sister and family are also home from overseas and now have a 4 day old little boy. The cousins have such a great time together!

Isaac, Connor, and Carson

Kaelynn, Lydia, and Julianna

The whole gang!

Julianna and Lydia with their first caught fish!!

And introducing the newest cousin: Jonah Paul Emch
born 7-21-2010 at 1:17am

We are home now and are looking forward to some more family and friends time in the next couple of weeks. We are going back to Iowa next Friday and can't wait to see everyone down there! We are also spending a couple of days in the Cities and can't wait to see grandma and grandpa there too! Can't get enough!

Happy Birthday Connor and Carson

2010-07-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that 7 years ago today these handsome young boys started as..... 8 week premature babies! They came into our lives with surprise and excitement and they haven't disappointed since then.

I unfortunately don't have any digital pictures of their 1st birthday since we didn't have a digital camera then. I guess someday I'll have to get around to scanning them in. They are in the scrapbook though.

2 years old:

3 years old:

4 years old:

5 years old:

6 years old:

We are so proud of both of you and who you are becoming. We love you so much and can't imagine what our family would be like without you both! Happy Birthday buddies!

Love, Dad and Mom

Things are moving right along....

2010-07-16T13:00:00.001-07:00

Well summer's half over- I know that because my birthday has come and gone. My birthday is July 15th and it has always been a bittersweet event- exciting because it's my birthday, but sad because school was in sight. Now that I have children in school the thought process is definetly reversed. School is in sight- yeah!!!! It was a good day. I got to go out for lunch with my sister-in-laws and got to have a great Paradiso dinner with the family. Now on to bigger and better though- Connor and Carson turn 7 tomorrow! AND- we leave for a week at the lake with the Kvernen's. The summer is moving right along and we had enjoyed every minute of it!

Say What?

2010-06-27T17:22:00.000-07:00

Connor came into the bathroom a few mornings ago and proclaimed, "Mom, you really need to go to the grocery store. We only have 4 boxes of cereal left!" If that isn't a picture of the typical American kid, I don't know what is.

Update

2010-06-23T05:32:00.000-07:00

Well, we had a little talk on Monday evening with Kaelynn about having self-control and respecting and trusting her teacher. I also talked to her teacher on Tuesday and asked her to hold off on making her put her head in the water until she was a little more comfortable with the situation. The teacher was very receptive to that and I am very happy to report that swimming lessons were 100% better on Tuesday. There were no tears, no screaming and she actually laughed and had fun a majority of the time. I think I've convinced her to try to put her mouth in the water and blow bubbles today- we'll see!!!

The fun begins.....

2010-06-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

After two weeks of rain-outs, we finally had T-ball today. When I woke up the sky looked pretty dark, but it blew over and the sun came out. The boys are on the Red Sox and they are one of 3 sets of twins on the team. One of the coaches is the mother of one of the sets of twins so she's doing a pretty good job at keeping them all straight. It's not easy though! The boys really did well! They hit the ball well, made a couple of catches and threw the ball to other teammates to get a couple of people out. It was fun to watch and cheer them on. Carson did really well at catching grounders as seen below. The ball Carson hit is not the one on the ground in the bottom of the picture. He had a great hit here :)

Connor is left-handed, so catching is a little more tricky for him, but he did really well!

Connor also did really well hitting the ball. Thanks for all the practice dad!

By the end, Connor was pretty warm and tired. He was put on third base and decided to take a little break.

Connor as 3rd baseman and Carson trying to get home.

We also started swimming lessons yesterday. Connor and Carson had a great time and did very well. Kaelynn on the other hand didn't have a great experience. She has never dunked her head under the water- not even in the bathtub. The instructor pretty much forced her to do it and it did not go over well. She screamed and cried the whole rest of the lesson. She upset one of the other little girls in her class and there were quite a few comments that I overheard from others in the stands talking about her and why she was freaking out so much. It's hard to know what to do in that situation. Do I remove her from the situation or do I make her push through it? I decided to make her push through it. There's something to be said for teaching her self-control in that situation, but she also was pretty scared.

I'm going to talk to her instructor today and explain why she was freaking out and hopefully she can have a better day today.

Buffalo River camping

2010-06-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

Iam happy to report the camping trip was a success. The Tylenol PM did help and I was thankful that I remembered to pack it at the last second- especially since there were very active train tracks less than a mile away from the campground. I still heard the birds, but was able to go back to sleep. We did have a fun time! We went with John and Kami and their three kids- Sam, Oliver, and Lauren. We also went with Kenyon and Ginger and their two kids Talia and Aiden. The kids are very close in age and they all did very well together. While we were setting up camp, the kids played some whiffle-ball and had fun exploring the woods and hiking trails a little. Carson, Aiden, and Sam were on a whiffle-ball team. Kaelynn and Talia

Sweet Lauren.....

Andy, John, Kami, and Ginger

After a dinner of beef brisket and all the fixin's (absolutely delicious) the kids and men went to explore the river for some good fishing. They did catch a couple of river fish.

Kaelynn stayed very entertained with all of the caterpillars around the campground. There were lots!!! She has two on her hand...

We ended the evening with a good fire and yummy s'mores!

On Saturday we took the kids to the man-made swimming hole in the campgrounds. It was great and we will be coming back here since it's free and only 20 minutes away.

Making a habitat for the caterpillar

It was a great trip. This was the scene when we pulled into our driveway Monday afternoon.

Optimism

2010-06-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

We are soon heading off for a night of camping with two other families. I am very much hoping this camping trip will be much more enjoyable than the last one we took. I will have some great company and there are lots of kids for ours to be entertained by. With those two things alone, I am very optimistic about this overnight........... One thing I am still not optimistic about is the singing birds at 4:30am. Once I am awake, I am awake. I am not one to fall in and out of sleep very easily. I'm hoping Tylenol PM will be the one to conquer the singing birds until at least 6:00am....... Check back, pics to come......

Summer of leisure...I'm thinking not a chance!

2010-06-08T13:02:00.000-07:00

Remember the days when the word summer evoked thoughts of boredom and lazy days? Not anymore!!!!! We are in the full swing of summer and the thought of a lazy summer day sounds really, really good right now. With T-ball, swimming lessons, VBS, library activities, playdates with friends and lots of family time to come, things keep hopping at our house. I'm having a blast!!! And at the same time am looking forward to October when life MIGHT be a little slower at least until the holidays :0). My intake of caffeine has increased exponentially from a year ago! I am sooooo very thankful for the opportunities that God is giving me to pour into some lives in all of these happenings. We had our first day of VBS today and it was pure joy to stand on the stage and watch 200+ kids raise their hands in worship of the God who created them. It gets me sooo pumped up to teach them what a life of worship looks like and to get them excited to worship God in a new and fresh way. Thank you God for using me! I am very excited to meet some other T-ball parents and to see what opportunities God might give me in that sphere of influence. So as we press on through the busyness of life, I pray that my focus will not turn inward on my circumstances, but will always be looking to how God might use me to serve someone else or to teach my children more about him, or to tell someone about the greatest gift I have ever been given!

Celebrating 10 years of marriage!

2010-05-29T16:56:00.000-07:00

Andy and I celebrated 10 years of marriage on May 20th. It's hard to believe it has been that long. In the beginning of our marriage I had dreams of going to Hawaii for our 10 year anniversary, but 3 children later am thinking it might be more realistic to celebrate 40 years there. We decided to go to Duluth, MN and the north shore which I think at this stage of life is even better than Hawaii. It was so peaceful and quiet. It was absolutely beautiful and was so refreshing for our relationship and for our souls. We drove to Duluth last Sunday evening and stayed one night in the Radisson Hotel. We enjoyed a good dinner at the famous Grandmas including their famous onion rings (the half order is plenty for 2 people, by the way). On Monday we enjoyed a drive up the north shore. It was pretty foggy, but the drive was still beautiful. We hiked at Gooseberry Falls and Cascade State Park. We saw beautiful waterfalls and gorgeous views. Our resort was absolutely beautiful. It was right on the shoreline of Lake Superior and had some really pretty views! On Tuesday we went to Grand Marais and enjoyed a little shopping and sight seeing there. We enjoyed a peacful afternoon and a very beautiful sunset that evening. We drove home on Wednesday through the Superior National Forest. Andy had to move a tree that was blocking the road and we got to see a black bear and a wolf.

This was the view from our resort room. A lot of the day was foggy, but it cleared off at night and was so pretty!

A lighthouse in Grand Marais

A waterfall in Cascade State Park.

Gooseberry Falls

This was right outside our resort room as well.

It was a perfect way to celebrate what God has given to us. We are so incredibly blessed and are more in love today than when we said "I do". We know that it is by God's grace that we can say that and give Him the glory!!!

Let Them Be Little....

2010-05-27T05:55:00.000-07:00

because they grow up way too fast! It's hard to believe that our "little" boys are going to be first graders as of 2:15pm this afternoon. Connor woke up pretty sad this morning. He loves school and loves being with all of his friends. He is so social and is not looking forward to the summer being away from his friends. Carson was excited that it was the last day of school because he is so excited for T-ball to start and to go fishing. Last Friday they had a graduation ceremony. They sang several songs and received diplomas. There was a little reception in their classrooms and we got to watch a video of all of the fun things they got to do in kindergarten. They each will get a copy of those videos. What a fun keepsake!!!! Because they are in different classes, they had different ceremonies- so there are lots of pictures! Here are the graduates: Carson (with his two best friends CJ and Colton) Connor receiving his diploma from his teacher Mrs. Kensok.

The proud parents!!!

Carson's class

Connor's class

Mrs. Kensok- Connor's teacher. She was a great teacher for Connor. She is so caring and loves her job. She was firm with the class when she needed to be. She allowed them to be creative in their projects and let their own individual expressions come out. Connor is going to really miss her.

Mrs. Redfield- Carson's teacher. Mrs. Redfield is a wonderful teacher. She is gentle and yet very bubbly and happy. She really made the classroom a fun experience for the kids. Carson absolutely loved her and is also going to miss her!

Some of the grandparents that were able to be there.

We are so proud of Connor and Carson. They really excelled this year. They love to learn and it was so fun to have them come home and tell me with excitement the things they did in school. They made wise choices and are good examples to their friends. We are excited for what lies ahead! We love you so much Carson and Connor!

Running the race set before us

2010-05-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

The 2010 Fargo Marathon was this weekend. We had the priviledge of making it a family event and it was a ton of fun. They had a kids mile or 1/2 mile run on Thursday evening. The kids got T-shirts and official race numbers and even got a medal at the end. The weather was beautiful and there were hundreds of kids running from age 2-12. We chose to do the 1/2 mile since this was our first year. We were so proud of the kids. They didn't complain once and just kept going. Kaelynn walked for a little while, but she never quit. She just kept a smile on and kept going. Here they are pre-race... A family picture before the race begins.

Connor and Carson with their friend Colton from school.

Here they are after the race- a little red-faced, but still smiling and very proud of what they accomplished.

Carson was on the preview story of the marathon for the 10:00pm news. They showed him running past three different times in one hour. It was so fun to say, "There goes Carson!", every time we saw it. Andy did the 10K this morning. I was had intentions of running with him this year, but my training got cut short when I got hit with a cold that lasted weeks. I hope to participate next year.

The weather was rainy and cool, but actually was pretty good for the runners. His race started at 7:00am so Carson and I got up and stood in the rain at the 3 1/2 mile point to cheer him on to keep going. It was really neat to see the first runner come through the course and pretty soon to see the road full of runners. It was a blessing to be able to encourage them and to spur them on.

Andy finished the race in 1 hour and 1 1/2 minutes. We were very proud of Andy and he was very happy to see us standing there cheering for him. He met his goal and is thinking of doing the half marathon next year.

I did not do so well at taking pictures this morning since I was holding an umbrella and trying to cheer, so this is the only picture I got.

It was quite the experience. I think Carson was in awe of the whole thing. It really is something to see thousands of people running together and to see thousands of people cheering them on. When the winners of the 1/2 marathon came into the FargoDome to cross the finish line, the crowd cheered so loudly. It was a moment that wells up emotion within you.

We had some great moments to talk to the kids about what Hebrews 12:1 talks about- running the race set before us with perserverance and setting our eyes on Jesus. That verse was on the back of all the medals which the kids thought was pretty cool.

So we have goals for next year- Connor and Carson want to do the mile youth run. Andy is thinking of doing the half marathon and I will hopefully do the 10K. Let the training begin!!!!

I don't understand it!

2010-04-28T19:19:00.000-07:00

So Kaelynn has this thing about Filet-O-Fish sandwiches from McDonalds.... She LOVES them! She will eat only 2-3 bites of a cheeseburger, but she'll down her fish sandwhich in less than 5 minutes. What is up with that??? In fact I would say fish is her favorite meat. I can hardly get her to eat chicken, pork, or beef, but she will eat to her heart's content on fish-sticks or fresh Walleye or Crappie. Kind of strange for a 4 year-old girl!!!!

The element of surprise... not a chance!

2010-04-26T16:43:00.000-07:00

The element of surprise does not exist in this house!!! It has been that way since the beginning of our marriage. I am referring to the buying of gifts whether it be for birthdays, anniversarys, Christmas, Valentine's Day, etc. Gifts are usually purchased either by the giftee or with the giftee present. Today was Andy's 31st birthday! Last weekend I was gone helping a friend with a large dinner. I came home on Saturday evening to a very happy husband. Why? Because he had already purchased his birthday gift for himself. He said it was the last one and that it was a really, really good deal. He was willing to take it back, but really would a good wife make her husband do that? I hadn't purchased his gift yet, but wasn't planning on getting him what he bought. Oh well! I guess there is always Father's Day. Maybe I should purchase it now and make him take back anything he buys for himself this time!!!!!! Happy Birthday honey! We love you!

Spring is really here

2010-04-19T13:47:00.001-07:00

The weather has been absolutely beautiful! Spring is here and I believe it is here to stay. As I write this the kids are playing in sprinkler in the backyard. I myself will not be going in, but they are having a blast! Yesterday we went to Lindenwood park. They have a great playground area and some great walkings paths. The river is still pretty high so the walk wasn't very pretty as everything is pretty dirt covered still, but it was so good to get out! Kaelynn found this great walking stick! Yes it is about 3 times the size of her, but she had fun carrying it. I absolutely love this picture of Connor. It captures his personality to a T.

Notice the leaves on the trees!

We cut off about 2 1/2 inches of Kaelynn's hair last week. It looks so much healthier and makes her look older!

The Ten Year Itch

2010-04-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have it! What exactly is it? It is the realization that we have a lot of household things that are ten years old and are very much past their prime. It is the desire to replace those things as quick as possible. Yep, Andy and I will celebrate our 10 year anniversary next month. As I look at my kitchen counters and in my drawers and closets I am often reminded of that beautiful day we said "I do" because we are still using the same towels and sheets and kitchen towels and utensils and dishes, etc. Now, the dishes and utensils don't really need to be replaced, in fact they won't be, but the towels and sheets it might be soon time for. I am very proud and slightly embarrassed to say that this past weekend we finally replaced our coffee maker at the ripe old age of ten years old. It was soooooooooo ready to be pitched. I'm not sure why we didn't do it a lot sooner. A programmable coffee-maker is the spice of life in our house right now!!! We didn't know what we were missing! Wait, yes we did! I can also say that I finally threw away the crustified pot holders and oven mitts after ten years as well. Oh, it was so freeing! Can't wait to see what's next!!!

A little difference......

2010-04-11T11:30:00.000-07:00

This is the result of Kaelynn dressing herself somedays: And this is the result of mommy dressing her (most days):

Easter happenings

2010-04-04T18:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter! We have had a wonderful weekend celebrating the risen Lord with our family. Andy and I had the awesome priviledge of leading the church in worship of God two times this weekend and they were sweet, sweet times! What an amazing gift! Most of my family was able to come up this weekend from Minneapolis. We missed Auntie Katie and Uncle Rusty and Brendan, but we know they needed to be with family :) It is so fun when the cousins can get together. The kids had a lot of fun together. We had some great times hanging out and playing outside. We went to Grand Forks to spend time with Kvernens and had two very fun Easter egg hunts! I didn't cook Easter Sunday dinner since I was at church at 6:00am this morning, so we had dinner at the Ramada hotel. It is really the way to go! Way less stress! The following pics are from the weekend. They are not necessarily in order but I hope you'll enjoy them.

Getting ready to hunt Easter eggs....

How many eggs do you have????

Ava the great hunter!

Brothers...

Playing hopscotch....

Even Auntie Karrie got in on the action.

This afternoon was absolutely beautiful and we were able to go on a long bike ride together. Connor just learned how to ride without training wheels, so we are all on two wheels. Kaelynn loves the trail-a-bike.

We hope you all had a wonderful Easter as well.

Worthy is the Lamb! Seated on the throne. Crown you now with many crowns. You reign victorious! High and lifted up, Jesus Son of God. The Darling of Heaven crucified. Worthy is the Lamb!

Music to our ears

2010-03-29T12:26:00.000-07:00

The boys had a spring concert today. Connor's was first at 9:15 and Carson's was second at 11:55. Grandpa and Grandma were able to come down . The program was the same. Both of the boys did a superb job. They knew all of their songs and sang very well. They each got to play an instrument to accompany the choir which was a special treat. To say we are proud is a bit of an understatement!

Connor is playing the drums on this African welcome song.

Carson's second video wouldn't upload for me! I had it upload for over 10 hours and it still hadn't done it. I'll have to have Andy help me with it and we'll get it on soon!

Four years old

2010-03-23T05:10:00.000-07:00

Four years ago today: Kaelynn Grace Kvernen 3/23/06 2:00 am 7lbs. 9 oz. 20 inches 1 year old:

2 years old:

3 years old:

A beautiful 4 year old:

We love you so much sweet pea! You are a joy and blessing to our family! Happy 4th Birthday Kaelynn!

Giggles and Grins

2010-03-19T18:33:00.001-07:00

Tonight our house was known as Kvernen castle and in it dwelled 5 lovely princesses. They had lots of curls and there were lots of giggles. It was a great evening! We celebrated Kaelynn's birthday a few days early as her birthday is actually next Tuesday. Tuesday's during the school year don't lend themselves to good birthday parties, so we invited 4 of Kaelynn's closest friends to come and celebrate tonight, dressed in their best princess attire of course. Here's our little princess: And the princess giving her daddy a pre-party kiss on the cheek!

Emma Kaelynn's cousin was the first princess to arrive.

Here are the rest of the beautiful ladies: Ava, Zoe, Kaelynn, Emma, and Finley

We started the festivities with crown making 101. The results were stunning!

After a dinner of pizza, watermelon jigglers, strawberries, and cherry Kool-Aid, we played a couple of games. Pin the Tiara on the poster:

And, how many gems can you find in the bowl of rice while blind-folded.

It was then time for a cake fit for a princess. Kudos to Sam's Club. I could not have made this cake for cheaper than they sell it for. I love them!!!!

Of course there was present opening. She received some very nice gifts!

And she had her cards read to her, even though Emma can't read anything yet :) She did a good job pretending though!

It was so fun! We celebrate with family tomorrow! I'll post those pictures soon!

Happy Birthday Sweet Pea!

Little update

2010-03-15T15:18:00.000-07:00

I know, I know! It's been a while again! We are officially through the sickness! It took us about 3 weeks to get through and it is very good to be on this side of it. I just ended it this morning. We each had a version of the stomach flu and they came about 4 days apart. Connor and I were a little closer together as he had it on Friday and I had it yesterday! But we're all feeling pretty good and are in the process of deep cleaning everything! We're gearing up for a full weekend and glad the germs are gone! We celebrate Kaelynn's birthday this weekend with two very big and important parties. Friday night she will have her first friends party and Saturday will be the family party. We have lots of family coming from out of town and are so excited to have them here to help celebrate her FOUR years of life! Hope you all have a great week!

It finally happened!

2010-02-27T18:52:00.000-08:00

I should have knocked on wood last Friday when I was talking to a friend about how we were so blessed to not have had any sick kids this winter yet. Just 3 hours later I came home to the beginning of the madness. Carson had a fever and was supposed to go with his brother and sister to grandpa and grandma's for the weekend, but instead got some really great mommy and daddy time. He's been hacking up a lung ever since. Connor stayed home from school on Wednesday and too is coughing like an old man I stayed home from work on Thursday with a achy/coughing nasty bug, and should have stayed home on Friday too, but duty calls. I am now barking like a seal. Andy is now hanging his head over the toilet and I am wondering if the stomach flu will hit us all this week. I guess it's just our turn!

Warms my heart

2010-02-18T18:13:00.001-08:00

A friend of ours took this picture of her at the Christmas Eve service. Andy had it in his inbox for about a month so I got it a couple of weeks ago. I've got to figure out where to put a copy of it in our house! A couple of quick laughs this little one has given us this week- I asked her what is her favorite song to sing to God. She thought about it for a minute and said, "You move my salvation." I of course said, "What??? I don't think I know that one. Did you make that one up?" (Side note- She makes up a lot of worship songs throughout the day.) She sang the melody of it and I immediately knew what the real words were. They are from the chorus of Mighty To Save and the words are supposed to be "Author of salvation". She loves this song by the way and has almost all of it memorized, wrong words and all! We were sitting at the table playing a game tonight and out of nowhere she proclaims, "I just love my grandmas! They're so fuzzy, soft, and sweet!" I'm pretty sure you can take that as a compliment! I would take it as one!

Snow day

2010-02-17T08:55:00.001-08:00

So what do we do when it looks like this outside and school is cancelled? We paint!!!

We play store and house...

We play with lots of cars...

We make forts in the living room... We even get in a science lesson... Measuring with a tape ruler... Yes, it's a full day! And fun to be together...

Battling it out...

2010-02-08T19:17:00.000-08:00

My prayer at 6:15pm was "Okay God, I'm done battling without You!!!" This is how the day looked to bring me to this point. I battled with 1st graders as we made Valentine's bags, went ice skating (yes, real ice skating- there's a rink next to the school) and broke up too many minor issued tifts to care about. FYI- Subs really don't get paid enough to deal with these things!!! I battled with a 2 foot mound of snow at the end of the driveway when I returned from my glorious day with 1st graders. The wind blew most of the snow that I threw over my head onto the 5 ft. snow drifts on either side of our driveway back into my face. AAHHH to be in North Dakota again! I battled with one of my son's as I asked him to pick up some toys and he didn't want to and proceeded to throw a 6-year-old fit! I battled with my daughter as she brought books and dolls to the table and didn't want to bring them back to her room and obey the rules. I battled with the issues in my brain of, "where is the money going to come from?" and "this is so unfair". And after thinking that, I battled with my selfish thinking because it wasn't fair that God had to give up His one and only Son to die a horrible death for me! That's not fair!!!! So, all that to say, I'm done battling without God who deserves glory and honor for who He is, just because He is a good God. He never fails us!!! Oh how I love those words! If that's too honest for you- sorry. I just needed to be honest today!

My new favorite song!

2010-01-31T18:34:00.000-08:00

Andy and I sang this song in church this morning. It is our new favorite song!!!! The words to it are so great- God never fails us!!! Here are the words in case you don't catch them all in the video: Fail Us Not Failure doesn't phase You, worry doesn't win Loss doesn't leave You afraid to start again Our sin doesn't shock You, our shame doesn't shame You at all Mistakes do not move You, terror doesn't tame Death doesn't doom You to life in the grave Our suffring doesn't scare You, our secrets won't surprise You at all There is nothing above You, there is nothing beyond You There is nothing that You can't do There is no one beside You, there is no one that's like You There is nothing that You can't do Whatever will come we'll rise above You fail us not, You fail us not No matter the war, our hope is secure You fail us not, You fail us not, You fail us not Hatred doesn't hide You, evil doesn't ail Despair can't disguise You and tell You that You've failed Our doubt doesn't daunt You, our darkness won't defeat You at all You're bigger than the battle, You are bigger than the battle You are bigger than the battle has ever been! ">

Say What???

2010-01-31T14:39:00.000-08:00

While watching a video about cowboys, Connor declared, "I wouldn't want to wrestle a bull. Only a cereal bowl."

Retry

2010-01-27T18:18:00.000-08:00

I don't know why this video didn't work in the previous post, so I'm trying again :)

Brothers

2010-01-26T19:15:00.000-08:00

Connor and Carson have something really special. They just don't always know it :) Somedays I have to remind myself that brotherhood is a gift too. Yesterday was one of those days. It was a snow day and the fighting and craziness started to drive me nuts after a while. I was going through some pictures and came across this video. I definetly took a jog down memory lane. What's funny, is that things haven't changed a whole lot from when this was shot- October 2005.

I love them so much!

Say what??

2010-01-12T11:06:00.001-08:00

Kaelynn was looking at a Hoops and YoYo birthday card that has sound. She loves to open it and listen to them. One of our favorite things to do is go to the Hallmark website and watch the Hoops and YoYo e-cards. They are hilarious and we laugh and laugh. Anyways, she was listening to this and she burst into laughter and said, "They are funnier than pigs rolling in the mud." Where in the world??? In the middle of putting up the Christmas tree this year Connor stated, "This tree doesn't look very good." I said, "Well it's not done yet. How about you find something positive to say." He looked at me with a very serious look and said, "I am positive this tree doesn't look very good." Funny, funny!

A little help please....

2010-01-11T19:38:00.000-08:00

I'm not one for New Year's Resolutions! Why? Because I know that I'll fail 2 months after setting them. I have not been blessed with an ability to set goals and STICK with them. However, Andy and I are spurring each other on this spring to run a 10K in May. AAAHHH! Even writing that down scares me. I do not enjoy running, and have never run over 3 miles, but I CAN run over 3 miles so the 5K is out of the picture and the 10K is the next option. Andy and I did run this past summer and into the beginning of the fall, but then busyness hit and we took a hiatus. We're both back on the treadmill and I'm upping the speed and distance slowly, but surely. I don't want to fail this one! So I'm telling you all hoping that you will help me to keep going all the way to the finish line on May 22nd! I'll keep you posted!

Christmas (Part 2)

2010-01-04T14:46:00.001-08:00

We made it down to Minneapolis on Sunday afternoon and got to spend a couple of days there with my family! The whole gang was there so we had to take advantage of the picture opportunity! We had a great meal of ribs and ham and all the fixings and then the kids got to open presents. Kaelynn and her cousin Emma. Emma will be 4 tomorrow!! Happy Birthday sweetie! Grandma made hats and scarves for all the grandchildren. Kaelynn got Disney princesses! They love wearing them! Auntie and niece bonding time. Ava loves to snuggle- especially if it involves her thumb and blankie!

Auntie Katie made these adorable aprons for the girls! SO FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Go forth and conquer" is one of Ava's mottos at this point in life.

On Monday we enjoyed some hours at the Minnesota Zoo. They have some great indoor exhibits.

They also have a great aquarium!

There is an exhibit where kids can touch sting rays and sharks as they swim by.

We didn't touch this shark! It was huge and very much behind a lot of thick glass!

The water was a little too far away, but she was so close to touching a shark. Maybe when she's four she'll be able to reach.

Grandma gave the kids many crafts for Christmas so we were able to stay busy while we were there. The boys are painting bird houses and the girls are painting jewelry boxes. It was fun to see their personalities come out in their projects!

We had a great Christmas and were so blessed to be able to spend it with family! We love you all so much!

Christmas (part 1)

2010-01-01T12:58:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!! We had a wonderful week of celebrating Christmas with family and friends. So wonderful that I will have to post two times to get all of the pictures on. We traveled to Grand Forks on Christmas Eve after our Christmas Eve service. The snow hadn't started falling yet, so the drive was pretty easy. We enjoyed some goodies and went to bed wondering what we would wake up to. We were predicted to get 18+ inches of snow. Christmas day was beautiful. The snow was falling and the scene through the new windows of grandpa and grandma's new sunroom was straight from a Christmas card.

We were given so many wonderful gifts. Among them were these Brett Favre Viking's jerseys which they are still wearing with pride :) They are quickly learning the up's and down's of being Viking's fans.

One of Kaelynn's favorite gifts was this baby. It eats real food and then pees and poops it out. It says all kinds of things and goes to sleep when it isn't being played with. Here are some pictures of her learning to feed her and change her diaper. Her name is Ashlynn.

We ate some wonderful meals of course. The kids and I decorated the traditional snowman Jello. We sure missed Krisanne's expertise with the decorating, but I think we did an okay job!

Grand Forks ended up with 23 inches of snow. We were planning on leaving on Saturday afternoon, but the Interstate didn't open until Sunday at 8:00am. So we left on Sunday, threw our dirty clothes in a basket, quickly packed some clean clothes and headed to Minneapolis to celebrate with the Rampi's for a few days. I'll post those pictures tomorrow! We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!