family – Page 27 – I only have 5 minutes

Uncategorized / October 2, 2015

Happy 5th Birthday, Shecklet #3!!

My sweet, sweet girl –

Wow! Five years have gone by so fast! I can’t believe how you continue to grow! Your love of Jesus, others and yourself truly does bring JOY to all of us! Your dad and I pray that you keep that spark about you that draws others to you. We love to see you extend a friendly hand to new faces, try new things, play, experiment, cook, swim, scooter (with your unicorn helmet, of course!) learn, write and be the wonderful young girl you are! We love you so much and can’t wait to see all that you do as a 5 year old!

XOXO

Mom

Uncategorized / June 5, 2015

Friday night physics

Another Pinterest idea (from Frugal Fun 4 Boys) brought to life. Jake thought it would be fun to paint the catapult boards, so he sprayed the girls’ pink and the boys’ green. The kids stuck down grip tape so their shoes wouldn’t slide off when they stomped on the boards. (Brilliant ideas by their dad, if I may say so myself!) They all had a lot of fun figuring out where to place the fulcrum to get the best ball launch!

I originally pinned the idea to let the kids use the catapults as water balloon launchers, but tonight was a bit cool too get wet. They gladly settled for launching wiffle balls and playground balls. Still tons of fun!

Uncategorized / May 24, 2015

Sunday Night Science

I’ve been pinning things to a “Fun for Kids” Pinterest board and was able to finally do one of the activities with the kids tonight. Jake was the photographer, so I also have photo documentation of what we did. We decided to try making slime. The kids all selected a glitter color and we made 4 batches.

Everyone thought it was one of the coolest things they’ve played with. Even Shecklet #4 enjoyed it. So much so, she broke out her hilarious giggle (that Jake was able to capture on video.)

Uncategorized / May 17, 2015

Post-birthday/First Communion day

The whole family slept in this morning. It was a treat to be able to get up and have a leisurely day around the house. Shecklet #1 assembled the weather station he received for his birthday. Later, the 4 kiddos played with the saint dolls that a group of ladies (myself included) painted. (They turned out pretty fantastic if I do say so myself!)

Uncategorized / April 19, 2015

Twins Win!

My SIL won the office ticket lottery for today’s Twins game. She brought my FIL, Jake and me. Best seats I have ever had at a sporting event! (Complete with a too-close-for-comfort foul ball hit by the catcher, Suzuki.)

At the end of inning 6, we switched spots with Jake’s cousin & family (they were there to celebrate a birthday :)) Pretty sure they enjoyed the seats as much as we did. (The birthday boy even got a souviner game ball!) The field looks so different when you’re that close to the action.

Uncategorized / April 4, 2015

Holy Saturday Egg Hunt

We took the kids to an egg hunt at our old parish this morning. We arrived slightly after the event began and it looked like there were plenty of eggs to go around. Unfortunately, by the time we went inside, dropped off our food shelf donations and went back outside, all but a couple of eggs had been collected. I felt pretty bummed for my kids (especially since other children were walking around with baskets over-flowing with eggs) but they didn’t seem to mind. I really am proud of their behavior in situations like that. They could have easily thrown a tantrum or gotten emotional over not being able to find any eggs, but instead, they just rolled with it and moved on. Perhaps one silver-lining that they discovered once we went back in the building to have a treat and work on a couple of crafts, is that this year, they had REAL bunnies for the kids to have their photo taken with.

Uncategorized / March 23, 2015

Shecklet #2 is 7!

Seven years ago, we met this little guy:

He captured our hearts immediately and life has been full of fun, laughs, and joy ever since!

Lincoln –

We are so proud of the young man you are becoming. You’re a confident, SPARK-filled, leader who is on his way to doing great things in this world! You love to be outside, riding your bike, scooter, or running around playing Nerf guns with the neighbors and your brother. Laser tag is one of your favorite things to do and you are currently having lots of fun in the pool at your swimming lessons. You continue to learn about Jesus and your faith and are asking really good questions along the way. I love the way your little mind is always thinking! I pray you will always know how much your dad and I love you, but more importantly, how much God loves you and wants to be central in your life.

We are excited to see what your 7th year holds for you!

XOXO

Mom & Dad

Here are the answers to the questions I ask you every year:

What is your favorite color? Lime green
What is your favorite toy? Wii
What is your favorite fruit? Kiwi
What is your favorite TV show? Odd Squad (on PBS Kids)
What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Doughnut
What is your favorite outfit? Shorts with a shirt
What is your favorite game? Rayman (on the PlayStation)
What is your favorite snack? fruit snacks
What is your favorite animal? Stingray, Cheetah, Great White Shark
What is your favorite song? Dancing Hamster (aka Hamster Dance)
What is your favorite book? Dragonbreath
Who is your best friend? Zander
What is your favorite cereal? Peanut Butter Cheerios
What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play with K&T (neighbor boys) with their Nerf guns
What is your favorite drink? Root beer
What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
What do you like to take to bed with you at night? All the stuffed animals
What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Cinnamon rolls with caramel
What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Noodles with hot dogs (aka homemade mac-n-cheese with hot dogs)
What do you want to be when you grow up? “I don’t know.”
What is your favorite movie? Penguins of Madagascar & Big Hero 6 & Pinocchio

Uncategorized / March 14, 2015

Pink or Blue?

My brother and sister-in-law recently shared the exciting news that they are having a baby! The new addition is slated to arrive in late July. They had an ultrasound this week and found out if it is a girl or boy. Keeping us in suspense a few days, they made a special trip to our house this afternoon to share cupcakes with us. Topped with yellow frosting, we had to bite in to the middle to discover whether the filling was pink or blue. Shecklet #2 was the first to make the discovery – PINK! Shortly after Shecklet #2 reported what he found, Shecklet #3 piped in and said, “I hope mine is pink too!” Lucky for her, it was 🙂

Uncategorized / December 24, 2014

Christmas Eve 2014

We attended our first Christmas Eve mass at our new parish this evening. (We made the change back in July and have gradually been experiencing several “firsts.”) My parents joined us again this year. We have been able to attend mass with them on Christmas Eve for at least the last 3 years. It’s a tradition I hope we’re able to continue.

After mass, we attempted to get group shots of everyone in their Christmas attire. We gave it our best shot!

Uncategorized / December 12, 2014

Christmas #1 2014

After Shecklet #2 lost his tooth, we loaded up into the suburban and headed for Grandma & Grandpa’s house. We gathered early this year since Jason and Bri were in town from out west. Great Grandma Lois and Papa Dale also joined us for the evening’s festivities. (Unfortunately, Stacie couldn’t make it home to be with us.) We had a delicious ham dinner with tasty side dishes and wine – just the adults 😉 After dining, we gathered in the family room to open presents. This year, Shecklet #4 had a much better idea as to what was going on. She was more than willing to help everyone with their gift opening! Once the kids had a chance to check out/play with their new things, we had desert – peppermint ice cream pie – delish!