The Beranek Blog

Potty!!!

2012-01-30T21:31:00.000-06:00

12/31/2011...

This little girl LOVES to go potty like a big girl...

Snowman

2012-01-29T21:27:00.000-06:00

12/30/2011...

It finally snowed enough to build a snowman!

Morgan... the kitty cat

2012-01-27T21:30:00.000-06:00

Chloe and I went over to Laura's house for something and Chloe was intruiged with her kitties. Lucy doesn't like kids so she took off as soon as we got close but Morgan was okay with the attention...

Christmas @ The Lind House

2012-01-26T21:29:00.000-06:00

We celebrated Keith's Grandma Cele's Christmas at the Lind House. It's the perfect size for our group.

Jared brought his new Battleship game with and Uncle Jeremy helped him beat dad!

Lily and Brianna...

Katie and baby Isabel...

Aaron...

Morgan loved climbing the stairs...

They sat still for about a second...

Then the "big" kids wanted their picture taken...

TWELVE grandchildren...

Grandma Cele watching all of the little ones open presents...

Christmas Day 2011

2012-01-25T21:44:00.000-06:00

Crap! I'm a month behind on updates!

Here are the pictures from Christmas Day. We spent the whole day at home!
Jared was SO pumped to show the girls the new Gator...

Just what he needs... a new tractor ;)

The girls thought it was fun to just hang out in the Gator...

"Yes!" Jared loves Legos...

Morgan was not happy that she couldn't take her new barbie doll out of the box...

Jared with his JD collector. He gets one every year from the Precision Key Series...

Chloe got her very own purse...

What a mess!

After opening gifts it was time to go outside and try out the new Gator...

The weather was amazingly warm.

Jared wanted to clean up the mess the reindeer left behind
but we convinced him to not get the new Gator dirty just yet...

Moe moe...

Christmas Eve 2011

2012-01-13T23:30:00.000-06:00

Before we left for the evening church service in Lafayette, we had to make sure we had the house ready for Santa's arrival... just in case! Cookies and milk for Santa and hay on the driveway for the reindeer. Everyone needs a snack on such a busy night! ;)

The letter reads: "Dear Santa, There's a glass of milk in the fridge. Hope you enjoy the cookies. Merry Christmas and have a safe night. Love, Jared Chloe and Morgan"
I love that he added a little picture of Santa coming to our house. :)

Nine piles lined up in a row so they can land on the driveway and eat without having to unhook...

After church we headed to Terry & LaNaye's house for the Kral family Christmas.
Santa was in a hurry so he just pounded on the window and dropped off a bag of presents for the kids outside. Great Grandpa Kral handed out the gifts...

Jared was excited to get another Nerf gun...

(Morgan is on the left opening her gift)

Chloe hopped up on Great Grandpa's lap to have him help open her gift...

Our family picture...

Morgan was NOT in the mood to take a picture... she wanted to keep playing. :'(

The adults do a white elephant exchange and it's always entertaining to see what kind of ~~crap~~ treasures everyone brought...

Some of the great grandkids playing in the spare bedroom...

It's fun to see all of the kids play together just like we used to. =)

We got home a little before midnight and wouldn't you know it... Santa came while we were gone!
I recorded everything on my iPhone but it was pretty dark but the audio is priceless. When we came in the driveway we noticed that the piles of hay were messed up so we knew that the reindeer had enjoyed their snack. Jared jumped out of the van and shushed us. He swore he saw the tops of the evergreens moving and heard sleigh bells ringing (like we almost caught Santa!). When he came in the house and saw everything he shouted "It's true!!! Thank you, Santa!" Keith and I were cracking up! The pure joy on that little boy's face was absolutely priceless!!! The girls slept through it all and stayed sleeping while we put them in their beds so they missed all of the excitement.

The living room was full of presents that Santa brought us...

Jared's favorite was the JD Gator. Technically, it was for the girls but we didn't have the heart to tell him (can you tell he's a little too big for it?!)

Another highlight of the night... he lost another tooth! What a busy night... Santa and the Tooth Fairy were coming to our house!

This picture reminds me of the Home Alone Kid ;)

Santa enjoyed his snack and even left a note for us...

For those of you that are wondering how Santa showed up at our house while we were gone... Santa's elves (Grandma and Grandpa Beranek) came over and worked their magic. I think they enjoyed it just as much as we did! They did a great job!!!

Christmas Dec. 23rd

2012-01-11T21:19:00.000-06:00

Christmas at the Beranek farm!

Our godson, Aaron, opening his John Deere gifts (tractor and movies). Shari's side of the family are Case fans so we need to make sure the kid has plenty of green ;)...

You'll notice a lot of half naked kids in this post. They were a little warm from all the activity! Once one kids starts stripping they all seem to follow suit. :)

Chloe waiting patiently for daddy to open her princess doll and dress-up dress...

The girls LOVED their princess dolls and matching dresses...

Chloe, Morgan and Ashlyn...

Jared got a set of golf clubs...

And he was SUPER excited!!!
I always wondered what he did when he went to the farm with Keith for an entire day. I guess he spent hours and hours whacking a golf ball around the yard with some clubs that he found there. With all of the nice weather lately, he's been able to use them and he's actually pretty good! I guess we'll have to take him to a real course this summer so he can see what it's like to play for real.

Silly girls...

Morgan (diaper only) checking out her new baby doll...

Grandma and Chloe were dancing...

Keith grabbed the camera and started shooting. This was one of the few that actually turned out. ;)
Chelsey and Ryan...

Chloe LOVES to jump off of anything and everything. "Catch me, Jesse!"

Aaron looking cute in his PJ's...

2011 Christmas Card

2012-01-07T18:07:00.000-06:00

I designed our holiday card again this year. It wasn't anything fancy but I just love this picture of us so it made my job pretty easy! Not to mention the deal I got... 10 cent 5x7's from Winkflash!

Family Collage

2012-01-07T18:06:00.000-06:00

I designed this collage and had it made into an 8x10 plaque. It was one of Winkflash's daily deals so I thought I'd try it since it was cheap. It turned out really nice... just wish it was bigger. Might have to have it made into a canvas if I find a good deal. My walls need some redecorating / updating anyway.

Silly Siblings

2012-01-06T05:19:00.000-06:00

December 22nd...

Jared came up with a 'ride' for his sisters. He pulled them all over the house on a blanket and they squealed with excitement! I love how they look at each other and giggle cuz they know they are being so silly.

Baby Isabel

2012-01-05T07:15:00.001-06:00

December 21st...

There's a new baby in the Beranek family!
Katie (Keith's sister) and Jesse had their first baby.
Isabel Marie Nosbush was born at 3:08am weighing 7lbs. 3/4oz. and 20" long.
She's absolutely perfect!

She's grandchild number 12 for Roger and Patty... #13 is due in February!

I do my hair pretty!

2012-01-05T06:51:00.001-06:00

December 19th...

You know those little bottles of shampoo and conditioner that hotels have? We brought them home from the water park. Chloe found them and decided to do her hair! She put almost the entire little bottle of shampoo on her head and combed it in... AFTER I had just gotten done giving her a bath and washing her hair! It was another moment where you just have to laugh and go get the camera. :)

"I do my hair pretty!"

Thumbs up!

The new rule in the house... keep ALL doors closed if no one is in those rooms.

You can't leave these little gremlins alone for a second!

Pretty lil' Penguin

2012-01-04T08:33:00.000-06:00

Morgan loves dressing up and dancing just as much as her big sister does!

And since I've been playing with my new camera, there's lots of cute shots of her.

Strike a pose...

Shake it!

Water Park of America

2012-01-03T23:45:00.000-06:00

December 17th & 18th...

Grandma Deb and Grandpa Jim treated everyone to a weekend at the Water Park of America for Christmas this year. What a great idea, Mom! Everyone had a great time!

Hanging out on the balcony with Gabbie...

Gabbie and Chloe went down this slide over and over...

This is totally against the rules but it was SO much fun!!!

Jared on the Lazy River...

Grandma Deb helping Kaelyn practice walking...

The fountains were a hit...

I think he was trying to cover two fountains to make the other ones shoot higher...

Hot Tub...

Can't tell these two are related...

Jared's 7th Birthday

2012-01-02T20:53:00.000-06:00

December 14th...

Jared got the special treatment on his birthday. I took a few hours off of work in the morning so I could take him to school instead of riding the bus. We stopped at Walmart to pick up cupcakes for his class... one of his favorite treats! I got to hang out in his classroom for a few minutes and observe their morning routine. I'm always in awe of teachers and how they can get a class full of kids (that are full of energy) to behave... and make it look easy! I was also greeted by his class with a "Good morning, Mrs. Beranek. God bless you." How cool is that?! I had to giggle... nobody calls me Mrs. Beranek!

Mrs. Esser and the birthday boy...

Jared's 1st Grade Class...

(minus a few that were sick)

Silly faces...

To finish off the day I made his favorite food for supper... Spaghetti. I also surprised him with one of his other favorite treats... donuts from the Backerei! I'm not really a cake baker and I'm pretty sure he'd pick a donut over a piece of cake any day. He thought it was pretty cool when I brought out the box of donuts with a candle in one while we sang Happy Birthday to him.

Look what I found!

2012-01-01T17:32:00.000-06:00

You never know what this little stinker will get

into when you leave her alone in the office...

Gotta love how proud she is of herself!
Thankfully it was a washable marker. ;)

Jared's 7th Birthday Party

2012-01-01T17:11:00.000-06:00

December 11th...

We had Jared's party a few days early. The house was full of family to celebrate... 44 people! Kinda makes our house seem small. Jared had a great time and got lots of greats gifts. Thanks to all of you that were there.

Jared, Nick and Luke ate while playing Play Station 3...

Kaelyn and Morgan hanging out...

He wanted Dirt Cake this year so Grandma Deb made it for him...

... and it was delicious!

Opening gifts (with his eyes closed so he could be surprised)...

Just a little excited about his Lego set from the Loulas...

Chloe and Uncle Ryan finishing off Jared's cake...

Awesome Giveaway

2012-01-01T15:36:00.000-06:00

For any fellow photographers out there that want a chance at winning some awesome prizes.

Check out Crave Photography for a chance to win!

Their work is amazing and I think it would be fun to win any of the prizes!

Daycare Christmas Party

2011-12-31T10:59:00.000-06:00

I am seriously behind on updates but should be back up to speed shortly. Bear with me... I took over 300 pictures in December so I've had lots of editing to do! :)

December 10th...

Donna and Wally hosted their annual Daycare Christmas Party. It was a good time, as always, and the kids had a great time. Santa came to visit, sing songs and hand out presents.

Owen, Jared, Santa and Ben singing a song...

Jared showing Santa his that he lost his 2 front teeth...

Chloe was NOT interesting in getting anywhere near Santa but Wally thought he could talk her into it...

As you can see, it didn't work. ;)

Morgan wasn't interested either, especially after watching her sister's meltdown...

Or at least until Donna sat on his lap. Then it was okay to get a little closer...

Donna and Santa...

Hannah and Chloe playing Airplane...

I just love that smile :)

Hog-pile!!!

Feel the Love

2011-12-19T22:13:00.000-06:00

Chloe fell asleep on the bean bag so Morgan decided to give her 'big' sister some love...

Going in for a hug...

Of course, Chloe slept through it all. Go figure!

Dress Up!

2011-12-18T21:02:00.000-06:00

It might be an understatement to say that Chloe LOVES to dance.
She also loves getting any sort of dress or skirt on when she dances.
Check out her latest outfit...

I have to post a video of her bustin' a move because she's pretty good... and totally hilarious. She came with to Jared's Christmas Program the night before and was dancing along to all of the songs. Several people around us commented on how entertaining she was. =)

Holiday Train

2011-12-17T22:20:00.000-06:00

The Holiday Train came to town again this year. It was here 2 years ago when Chloe was a baby. I remember it well because it was extremely cold and windy that night. I stayed in the car with her while Grandma Deb braved the weather and took Jared a little closer to see the train. This year it was much nicer and there was a pretty big crowd gathered.

Grandma Deb and the kids...

I had to convince Jared that it was okay to stand in front of the train. It sounded like it was running and the air compressors kept letting off pressure so it sounded like it was ready to take off any minute.

School Christmas Program

2011-12-16T22:27:00.000-06:00

December 8th...

Jared's school put on their annual Christmas Program... "Arrest These Merry Gentlemen"

Grades K - 4 participate and it's always entertaining to watch the kids perform.

The 1st Grade Class...

Jared is in the top row, 4th from the right
Lily is in the 2nd row, 3rd from the left
Brianna is in the front row, 2nd from the right

It's always fun to watch them scan the crowd to find their families...

I got permission to use my Christmas present (new camera) so I got a lot of this...

Take a picture! Take a picture!

Jared's cousin, Brianna...

Jared's other cousin, Lily...

She's the one in the middle with the big smile... in case you couldn't guess. :)

All I Want For Christmas...

2011-12-15T21:17:00.000-06:00

...is my two front teeth!

Happy 7th Birthday, Jared!!!

2011-12-14T06:54:00.000-06:00

At 5:17pm today Jared will be SEVEN years old. It's gone by so quickly! I can remember going to the hospital early in the morning to get induced because I was at least 2 weeks overdue. We didn't have an accurate due date but since he was 10lbs. 6oz. I can guarantee that he was "well done". I had Jared step on the scale this morning... 64lbs. I told him that he is 6 times bigger today. His eyes got wide like, whoa!, that's pretty cool! As a special treat, I took him to school today instead of riding the bus. We stopped at Walmart to pick up cupcakes for his class... his favorite. I have a few pictures of his teacher and classmates to post later but those are on the 'good' camera. This is the picture I took of him this morning with my cell phone...

Love that smile :)

15 Year Reunion

2011-12-07T21:02:00.000-06:00

November 26th...

I was one of the 4 ladies on our class reunion committee this year. We had it at the New Ulm Country Club and had a pretty good turnout. It's hard to believe that it's been 15 years already!

This is a picture of all of the classmates that were able to attend...

The Class of 1996

Cool Glasses

2011-12-06T20:59:00.000-06:00

At Thanksgiving, Great Aunt Trudy gave everyone these cool glasses that make LED lights look like snow flakes when you wear them. The Chamber of Commerce was selling them for the Parade of Lights on Friday night.

Play hard... then relax!

2011-12-05T21:58:00.000-06:00

I've been slacking on updates lately. Sorry!
Here's a cute pic of the girls from the week before Thanksgiving...

As you can see, the living room is a mess of toys. They work very hard at getting every possible thing to play with out and then leave it lay... moving on to the next thing. After all that hard work it was time to sit on Jared's bean bag chair and watch a movie. Life is tough!!!

Go Vikings!

2011-11-16T22:20:00.000-06:00

The kids were dressed and ready to cheer on the Vikings for
the Monday Night Football game against the Packers.

Too bad it didn't turn out in our favor. =(

New Hiding Spot

2011-11-15T22:17:00.001-06:00

I couldn't figure out where the giggles were coming from until I went into the living room and found these two behind the couch. There are a bunch of blankets back there so it's the perfect little hiding spot.

Family Photo Shoot

2011-11-14T21:25:00.000-06:00

I asked our friend, Rachel Hoffmann, to come over and take our pictures. The last family picture I have of us is the one they took for church when Morgan was 6 weeks old. It was a perfect day... except for the 30-40 mph wind. We headed for the grove behind our house and lucked out... no wind! I love the trees back there and it turned out to be a great backdrop. She asked her sister-in-law, Nicki, to come over and help with setting up the poses and getting the kids' attention... which is quite the task! The girls were a little leary of the 2 strangers so you'll see it in their blank looks on a couple of shots. All I wanted was one good picture and we definitely got that and more. We LOVE how the pictures turned out!

Our favorite...

Halloween 2011

2011-11-06T21:28:00.000-06:00

Darth Vader, Pretty Lil' Witch and Vikings Cheerleader...

Great Grandma Lappe, Chloe and Great Uncle Daryl...

Added Jared, Great Aunt Lois and Morgan...

Waiting for daddy to get home from work so we could head to town to trick-or-treat...

We got to Great Grandma Cele's at the same time the Brennans did...

Jared, Ava, Chloe, Cele, Morgan, Alec and Lily

Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Kral...

Chloe was being shy and wouldn't go to Grandpa so mommy got to be in the picture.

Grandma Deb and Grandpa Jim...

In case you're wondering... I'm holding Chloe up (little stinker wasn't cooperating again:))

Family Picture...

Keith dropped Jared and I off by Turner Hall so we could go down State Street. After 12 or 13 stops at family's houses the girls were done... and hungry. So, while we did more trick-or-treating, they went to McDonald's and got some food. It worked out perfectly!

One of Jared's classmates was Darth Vader too... There were lines at almost every house...

Grandma Patty and Grandpa Roger...

Chelsey had a hat to match Morgan's outfit and Jared gave Ryan the scary mask...

This was the pile of goodies that we dumped out of their buckets and bags...

Whew! What a busy night! Everyone did really well and behaved (even Keith! Ha!)

Naughty Girls

2011-11-03T22:07:00.000-05:00

You know they are up to something when it's too quiet for too long.

I was in Jared's closet in the basement trying to get his old clothes organized when I realized that I had not heard a peep out of the girls in a while. They usually follow me everywhere I go so I knew they were up to something that was keeping them content. This is what they did to their room...

I could've choked both of them but I took a deep breath and just had to laugh (and go get the camera). They were having a blast coating their room in baby powder (as you can see by the big smile on Chloe's face). It was everywhere... can you see how they started by climbing the changing table to get it and then sprinkled it all over.
Good grief!!!

My Employer

2011-11-01T21:31:00.000-05:00

I've worked at Parker Hannifin in New Ulm for 4 years. It's amazing how many people from New Ulm have no idea where the building is or what we do. So, I'm taking this opportunity to share some information about the company that I work for. We had an Open House last weekend. The public was invited to come and tour the plant. Here are a few links to check out and a picture that was in The Journal on Monday...
http://www.greatermankato.com/documents/TOMPages_01-244.pdf

http://www.nujournal.com/page/content.detail/id/526406/Public-tours-Parker-Hannefin.html?nav=5009

Parker Hannifin Product Manager Jeff Nazzaro, left, explains gear head parts to Don Brand of New Ulm Saturday during a plant tour.

Journal Staff photo by Fritz Busch

Combine!

2011-10-30T21:33:00.000-05:00

October 21st...

Bobby showed up to combine the corn around our place. The kids go nuts over farm machinery but it's really exciting when the equipment is at work right in our front yard!

They got out of the van and immediately sat down on the driveway to watch the show...

If you know Moe moe, you know she doesn't sit still for long...

Hmmm...

2011-10-28T21:25:00.000-05:00

October 18th...

I can't think of a good title for this post. Chloe was tired after we got home from daycare so she plopped down by the door and snoozed while I got supper ready. Morgan saw me grab the camera and decided that she needed to be in the picture so she plopped down next to her sleepy sister.

I asked her to take her nookie out and got a big cheesy smile...

Never a dull moment around here! ;)

Pumpkin Carving

2011-10-26T21:23:00.000-05:00

Jared wanted to carve a pumpkins so we brought some in the house. He designed the face and I helped him carve it. He was having a great time until it was time to dig out the guts.
The picture says it all...

The cold, slimey stuff was bad enough but the smell just about made him puke. How could my tough little farm boy be such a big wuss?! Oh man, did I laugh! I even got him a bandana to cover his nose but he still couldn't stand the smell so I had to finish gutting it.

Then I baked the seeds... yum! It was another thing he thought was SO gross!

Feed Truck

2011-10-22T21:21:00.000-05:00

Keith stopped at home on his way back to the feed mill in Klossner so the kids were excited to see dad's BIG truck! Jared, of course, has to hop in and blow the air horn. It's LOUD when you're standing near it and the girls were not a fan but they giggle when they hear it from the house. ;)

Chloe just liked being in the cab "up high"...

Morgan wanted nothing to do with it. She would cling to me and start shaking as soon as we got near it so she stayed a safe distance away and just watched. Her signature move when she sees a semi is the arm pump and says "berr, berr" (air horn sound). It cracks me up every time she does it!

Park!

2011-10-20T21:33:00.000-05:00

October 15th...

It was a beautiful Fall day so I decided to take the kids park-hopping. As soon as Chloe found out we were going to a park that's all she talked about. "Park! Park! Let's go to the park!!!" The plan was to hit a few parks but we only got to two. Keith called and we had to pick up plow parts at Potter's before they closed. Which worked out fine because it got chilly and windy later in the afternoon.

Morgan and Chloe on the tire swing...

1st Grade School Picture

2011-10-19T21:17:00.000-05:00

Our handsome little man is growing up!

Picture taken October 4th, 2011

Here's a link to his Kindergarten picture to show how much he's changed in just one year.

Family Farming Day

2011-10-18T21:15:00.000-05:00

October 9th...

It was a beautiful day to combine corn! Our whole crew spent the afternoon in the field.

Morgan and Chloe waiting to get the show on the road...

The sky looks gloomy but the sun shined on us all day...

Keith, Jared and Morgan...

I'm driving the combine with Morgan. Keith and Chloe are in the grain cart...

Pictures turned out pretty good considering we were unloading on-the-go. ;)

She absolutely loved riding in the combine...

Chloe had to have her baby and her sippy cup...

As you can see, we did a lot of swapping to keep everyone awake
(Chloe is the only one that fell asleep for a few rounds in the combine).

Jared helped Grandpa Roger haul loads...

Grandma Patty, Chelsey, Ashlyn and Gavin brought us lunch...

Haunted Corn Maze

2011-10-16T09:24:00.000-05:00

October 7th...

I took Jared and Brianna to the Haunted Corn Maze Friday night. It's a fundraiser for NUACS (their school) and it's at the same farm that has Pumpkinfest. Shari watched the girls for me. She had her hands full but it sounds like everyone had fun! Jared was so excited to go that he made his own scary mask to wear. What a goof ball!

They found their class scarecrow on the path to the maze...

Ready to go into the maze...

They found Uncle James and were definitely frightened by the chainsaw!
It took a few seconds for them to calm down and pose for the picture...

Over the river and through the woods...

2011-10-13T21:23:00.000-05:00

October 4th...

...to the Helget Farm we go!

We moved all of the equipment over to the farm that we rent near Hanska. It was quite the event... Grandpa Roger, Jared & Chloe were in the combine. Keith and Morgan followed with the tractor and grain cart. I was in the pick-up pulling the bean head and Patty followed in our minivan so we could get a ride home. :)

We had time to take a few pictures while the guys were getting everything situated...

Grandma Patty was making popping noises with her finger in her mouth
to get them to look and smile. The girls were trying to mimic her...

My lil' farmer...

He covered every square inch of machinery in about 3 minutes...

And then it was okay to take a picture with his sisters...

Swingin'

2011-10-11T21:20:00.000-05:00

October 2nd...

Here are a few cute pics from my iPhone that I snapped of the girls...

They LOVE to swing!!! =)

Shari's Blog

2011-10-10T20:08:00.000-05:00

My sister-in-law, Shari, had a cute post on her blog so I thought I'd share... http://csberanek.blogspot.com/2011/10/friends-my-size.html

Pumpkinfest 2011

2011-10-07T21:17:00.000-05:00

October 2nd...

Each class makes a scare crow. This is Mrs. Esser's (Jared's teacher)...

Pumpkin Rolling Contest...

I didn't have the heart to tell him that his oblong squash-looking thing wasn't going to roll as well as a round pumpkin but that is what he wanted!

Ava and Alec...

Chloe and Lily...

"All Aboard!" Jared and Morgan...

Chloe found a baby calf and fell in love...

They both have big brown eyes!
Petting her wet nose...

I attempted to have Morgan sit by the pumpkins...

But she decided to sit ON the pumpkin...

Actually caught all three smiling at the same time...

Can you say full load???

And so it begins...

2011-10-04T21:32:00.000-05:00

September 22nd...

We started moving machinery to get ready for harvest. Chloe and Jared got to ride on the "A" about 4 miles to where we rent a bin to get the auger set up. It was a little chilly (hence the winter hat) but that didn't seem to stop anyone wanting a ride on the putt-putt!

A few days later the girls needed another ride when Keith took the grain cart to the field...

Can you tell how excited Keith is to have ALL three kids in there??? ;)

How does the saying go? "You reap what you sow"
Yep, that's how I can best describe Keith's situation...
I can't think of any other kids that LOVE farming as much as these three. =)

New tricycle

2011-10-03T21:33:00.000-05:00

September 20th...

I found a great deal on a tricycle on woot.com so I had to get it for the girls. The one that we have that we bought for Jared is a little too big right now. Chloe can pedal it buts she has to stretch to make the full rotation. It came in a box so I had to assemble it... not usually an issue unless you have an impatient little girl sitting there staring at you and asking if it's ready every 2 seconds. ;) It was pretty cute. She'd stand up every time I'd complete a step and say "ready?!"

Morgan was pretty excited too! It's nice that it has a seat belt and foot rests for littler kids...

Of course, Jared was upset that he NEVER gets anything new. Seriously??? I almost lost it. All he ever gets is new stuff cuz he's the oldest but of course he doesn't remember it now that it's all used and abused.

State Pedal Pull

2011-10-02T22:45:00.000-05:00

September 10th...

Jared qualified for the State Pedal Pull in Hutchinson when he
got 1st place at the Brown County Fair. There were boys
and girls ages 4 to 12 competing so it was a busy place!

This is one of the tractors that 11 or 12-year-olds use...

Getting ready to pull...

There were 55 6-year-old boys... wow!

GO, Jared, GO!!!

They only announce the top 3 pullers so I have no idea
how he did but it wasn't as good as he was hoping but
he still had fun. He was pretty bummed that he didn't get
a trophy like last year but he got a participation medal
and a new cap so he was over it pretty quickly.

I think Keith was a little relieved that we weren't
making the trek out to Mitchell, SD for the Nationals.
I told him there's always next year!!! ;)

1st Grade!

2011-10-01T10:35:00.000-05:00

September 6th...

Technically, Jared's first day of school was August 30th

but this was the first day he got to ride the bus.

This is the traditional picture that I take every year...

Morgan was half asleep and Chloe just wanted her pudding. Ahh... memories!

Walking down the driveway...

Here comes the bus...

Have a great day, buddy!

Getting off the bus at daycare (I left work a little early to meet him)...

I wonder how many more years he will be that excited to see me. ;)

iPhone Photography

2011-09-30T21:30:00.000-05:00

Jeez... I'm only about a month behind on updates. Wow! Where did summer go???

I got an iPhone 4 for my birthday (in August) and have slowly been learning all of the fun stuff I can do with it. Here are a few of the pictures that I have taken with it and edited them with an App (PhotoStudio) that I downloaded for a few bucks. Love it!!!

Chloe on our front steps...

Grandma Deb and Chloe at the St. George Harvest Festival...

Jared at the State Pedal Pull in Hutchinson...

Sibley Park

2011-09-20T21:29:00.000-05:00

September 5th (Labor Day)...

The kids and I picked up Grandma Deb and headed over to Sibley Park since it was such a beautiful day! Krystal and the girls joined us too and we had a wonderful afternoon.

Chloe LOVED the little horsies...

Hi!

Morgan was NOT a fan...

By the look on her face, you'd swear Grandma was trying to feed her to the horsies. ;)

Chloe and Ashlyn...

Chloe loves her moo-moos

2011-09-15T22:44:00.000-05:00

September 4th...

Happy 1st Birthday, Aaron!

2011-09-14T22:51:00.000-05:00

September 3rd...

Our godson, Aaron, and Morgan hanging out at his birthday party. The One-Year-Olds...

Roger pointed out that there will be 7 grandkids age TWO and under by next February.
I had to make a list in my head and think about it for a minute...
Chloe, Ashlyn, Morgan, Aaron, Gavin, Baby Nosbush and Baby Beranek (Craig & Shari)
WOW!!!

Checking out the Ducks

2011-09-08T22:25:00.000-05:00

September 5th...

Laura and Derek were up north bear hunting so we went over to their place to check on the ducks.

They really didn't need to be checked or fed but the kids think it's just the greatest so we went anyway.

The are 10 of them...

Chloe pointing to them. They swim away if anyone gets close...

And then Jared came at them from the other direction...

Jared had on my knee boots so he thought it was pretty cool to get in the creek.

The ducks took off towards the girls but then stopped like "Crap! Now what?"
It was quite comical from my perspective up on the bridge but the girls didn't think
it was very funny. There was a moment of panic but the ducks shot through the
tubes to escape and then they headed downstream to hide.

Morgan's looking at her like, "I'll go in if you do!"

"It's cold!!!"

"Whoa!"

Super cute!

Pretty little lady!

They found Laura's garden cart and had to go for a ride. Jared and Morgan's
pants were soaked so we took them off (in case you were wondering ;))

That was fun!

Guess what's on mommy Christmas list???

Nukie Girls

2011-09-07T06:19:00.000-05:00

Flandrau

2011-09-06T18:50:00.001-05:00

September 1st...

We went to Flandrau for the first and probably last time of the season.

It was the perfect day for it so we decided to take advantage of it since the pool closed on Labor Day.
We had a fun time and I'm hoping we get to go lots more next summer.

The sand was almost more fun to play with than the water...

Silly Dozer

2011-09-04T22:09:00.001-05:00

August 25th...

The girls were trying to escape from Dozer's "kisses" by climbing up on the well.

Silly puppy!

Fairfax Bike Trail

2011-09-03T22:12:00.003-05:00

August 20th...

I took the kids for a bike ride on the bike trail from Fort Ridgely to Fairfax and back.

It's a nice, flat trail so I knew Jared would be able to make the trip...

and me too since I was hauling both girls behind me. Ha! ;)

Chloe made it a few miles before she was snoozing...

Then I put Morgan in the seat for a different view

and it wasn't long before she conked out too...

When we got to Fairfax we decided to bike to the

Casey's gas station for a break and have some lunch.

Then we headed back to where we started.

The trail runs along the Highway and there was only one spot that

went trough a grove of trees so we stopped for one more picture...

According to the odometer on my bike it was 10.6 miles! What a fun day!

I can't wait until the girls are big enough to pedal themselves. ;)

Garden

2011-09-02T22:04:00.000-05:00

August 22nd...

Jared loves picking tomatoes in the garden.

The tomato plants are at least 6 feet tall... thanks to Keith special mix of fertilizer.

Demo Derby

2011-09-01T21:43:00.001-05:00

August 13th...

We took Jared and Chloe to the Demo Derby at the Brown County Fair. Chloe loves everything and anything that goes vroom so we thought she'd have a great time... and she did! We got pretty muddy sitting front and center but it was nice to have room for the kids to get up and move in between heats.

MaKenna and Chloe hanging out waiting for it to start... literally!

The "big kids" - Afton, Jared and Hunter...

Had to take her shades off to wear the muffs. It was sunny!

Keith brought me a beer in this goofy cup and Chloe wanted it so after I

finished my beer I put pop in it for her. I wonder what people thought. ;)

Fun with hair!

2011-08-28T23:07:00.006-05:00

August 9th...

Laura came over to do my hair so the girls wanted a turn in the chair to get their hair done too!

Chloe's first french braid...

Morgan's first ponytail (Ha!)...

Pedal Pull at the Brown County Fair

2011-08-27T08:55:00.003-05:00

Pedal pull at fair - NUJournal.com | News, Sports, Jobs - The Journal, New Ulm, MN

Jared's picture from the Journal photographer

Pedal pull results:

4 years old: Mason Wilmes, 1st; Dieberick Sorenson, 2nd; Dillon Armstrong, 3rd

5 years old: Bryer Lang, 1st; Jenne Hotovec, 2nd; Kolbe Platz, 3rd

6 years old: Jared Beranek, 1st; Dalton Langseth, 2nd; Brayden Suess, 3rd

7 years old: Cassidy Williams, 1st; Caylie Kopesky, 2nd; Anesa Fluegge, 3rd

8 years old: Noah Wilmes, 1st; Kya Krzmarzick, 2nd; Kayla Goblirsch, 3rd

9 years old: Cole Hesse, 1st; Katrina Vogel, 2nd; Kyla Fischer, 3rd

10 years old: McKray Schmidt, 1st; Kyle Tauer, 2nd; Cassidy Platz, 3rd

11 years old: Courtney Jakes, 1st; Cole Krzmarzick, 2nd; Conner Foxey, 3rd

He was very excited to get first place again!

His pull was 32 feet 5 inches

Camping at Kiesler's - Day 3

2011-08-25T23:24:00.008-05:00

August 7th...

On Sunday morning almost everyone in our group went for a bike ride on the bike trail around the lake. It was another perfect day... the sun was shining and everyone was in a great mood!

"Let's go for a ride!!!" Chloe needed to bring her baby so she got strapped in too...

Keith really needs to learn not to scrunch up his face... it's ruining my pictures! ;)

The owners of the campground gave all of the kid campers rides in their homemade train...

Needless to say, it was a HIT!!!

The kids took several turns riding in different cars...

Madden and Jared...

Lexi and Morgan...

One of my favorite pictures from the weekend...

We were attempting to get a picture of all of the kids

(minus Lexi and Jared... she was being shy and he was off biking... again!)

Chloe, Peyton, Morgan, Avery and Madden...

Lexi, Peyton and Avery...

Someone's a little too big for the baby floatie!

Jared was bugging us while we were trying to get the camper packed up to go home so he decided to hang out in the truck. I think all of the biking and swimming and bike ride around the lake that morning finally caught up with him. He was out cold! ;)

It was a nice, quiet drive home...

What a great weekend!!!

Even though it started off a little rough (I forgot to add this story to the first post)...

Keith's cell phone rang when we were half way to Waseca. It was the Brown County Sheriff's office. Apparently, when we stopped in Klossner to get gas, Keith set his billfold on the bumper of the truck while it was filling up. And, of course, he left it there while we drove away. Some very nice gentleman saw it on the Fort Road (credit cards, cash and receipts strewn everywhere) and stopped to pick it up. UNBELIEVABLE!!! He even went to the effort to take it to New Ulm and drop it off at the LEC. I was a little nervous leaving it there all weekend not knowing if there were credit cards missing. Thankfully there was only $20 or so in cash. The rest was in the truck... in my billfold! I picked it up after we got home Sunday night and it turned out that 2 credit cards were missing so he cancelled those right away and got replacements ordered. At least we can laugh about it now but it really scared the crap out of us. Lesson learned! =)

Camping at Kiesler's - Day 2

2011-08-25T22:55:00.005-05:00

August 6th...

Keith and Jared tried out the mini golf course...

It was a nice course. Jared like all of the fun obstacles.

Jared actually won a free game on the last hole when he hit his ball in a certain hole!

The girls and I got to watch...

This picture captures one of each of their signature facial expressions...

Chloe = ornery "what?!" --- Morgan = excited "ooh!"

Morgan reaching for her new buddy Madden...

(She's 20 days older than him)

Supper time...

The girls spent a fair amount of time in their diapers and the Fluegge girls

were a little perplexed by it. Peyton would get a very concerned look on

her face and would ask me "why is she in her diaper????" I just had to laugh.

Eating topless = easy clean up and less messy clothes for mom to wash! ;)

"Look what I found!" Mommy's shades and Daddy's beer!

Playing at one of the playgrounds...

Mr. Madden is too stinkin' cute! Just want to squeeze those cheeks!

Keith put the girls down for a nap so I went in to check on them and grab the monitor.

It took me a minute to find Chloe... Little stinker was under the table!

The campground's themed activity for the weekend was Halloween so the

kids got to dress up in costumes and go trick-or-treating if they wanted.

We started grilling so the kids missed out on that part (except Jared...

he went for a little while by himself) but that was fine. They had games

and a DJ in the main hall so the kids got to put on their costumes

and enjoy that part of the festivities. I didn't really have

costumes for the girls so they wore their dress up clothes.

They were enthralled with this girl's outfit and hair do...

This guy showed up in a gorilla suit (and it was hot out!)

All of the kids were a little freaked out by him but Morgan was curious...

Chloe kept a safe distance and didn't take her eyes off of him...

Chloe is sitting next to me as I'm typing this and she's freaking out and starting her

whiney-I'm-gonna-start-crying-soon whine. I asked her if she thought he was cute

(she usually answers everything "Yeah") and she thought for a second and said "NO!!! He's yucky."

Emily moved Madden closer in an attempt to get a picture...

And it didn't go over well with the little man...

Kori and Lexi played the hula hoop game...

It was hot in the building so we moved to the playground...

Love that beautiful smile! =)

Morgan's turn...

I finally slowed Jared down long enough to get a picture of him in his Batman costume...

The whole outfit is 2 years old so it was nowhere near close to fitting so I just pinned

the cape to his shirt so when he zoomed around on his bike, it flew in the wind.

Camping at Kiesler's - Day 1

2011-08-25T22:11:00.000-05:00

August 5th...

We went on our second camping trip of the year to Kiesler's Campground in Waseca.

http://www.kieslers.com/index.html

We went with two other families... the Fluegges and the Hagbergs. 6 adults and 7 kids!

It was a great weekend but it went by too fast. We decided that next time we are going to do 3 nights instead of two. The 3-day weekend goes by too quickly! It's a lot of work to get ready for the trip so we need to make the most of it!

The campground was really nice and our campsites were close to all of the action... the pool, playgrounds, mini-golf, etc. We brought our bikes and Jared covered every inch of the campground... several times. =)

The kids were excited to get in the pool right away when we got there Friday afternoon so I had Keith get the girls' suits on. Sounds like a simple task, right? Ha! The guy tries hard but seriously fails in the "attention to detail" department. This is what Morgan looked like...

First of all... the straps are all screwed up.

Second... it's Chloe's suit.

No big deal... they're the same size so just gotta fix the straps and we're good to go!

Or not...

this is what Chloe looked like...

It's backwards!

He seriously didn't notice that her "privates" were showing!!!

I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Poor Keith. Just gotta love him!

We got the swim suit situation fixed and finally made it to the pool!

The kids could have floaties in the pool so that was nice!

Jared LOVED the slides...

I think Morgan is part fish! We had to keep a close eye on her.

She'd walk right off the edge of the pool if you let her... no fear!

When she was in the floatie she would tip herself so she could dip her head in the water...

I even plunged her completely under water just to see

what she would do and she came up with a big smile! :D

Chloe likes the water too but she's not a fan of getting splashed or going under.

She thought it was a blast to throw the ball at daddy and Morgan...

Love that smile!

Lafayette Park

2011-08-15T21:34:00.006-05:00

August 2nd...

UFC hosted an employee picnic in Lafayette so we enjoyed grilled steak and chicken (and hot dogs for the kiddos). Keith is on the "Eagle Squad" this year so he had to help with the meal... grilling.

Since he was busy working, we ate and went to the park to play...

I have no pictures of Jared since he only played for a short while and decided to walk back to the picnic and "help Dad grill". Which was about 4 blocks away. When we finally decided to leave the park and go pick up Jared he was nowhere to be found. I got a little nervous since he's easily distracted so I was picturing him wondering around Lafayette getting in God-only-knows-what! I started back towards the park thinking we missed him somehow when I see him getting into the back of someone's Ranger ATV. WTH?! As I got closer I realized it was my uncle Mark, aunt Kim and cousin Kassi out for a drive. Jared waved them down and asked for a ride. Good grief! He still wanted a ride so he hoped in the box and got a ride to their house. That kid is something else!

Checking out the new cement

2011-08-14T21:30:00.004-05:00

August 1st... (Yikes! I'm seriously behind on updates!!!)

Grandpa Roger had more cement poured for the shop so we had to go check it out...

Chloe and Jared were busy biking on the new cement

so Morgan had to figure out how this thing works...

As you can see, they aren't done pouring yet...

Voluntary Child Labor

2011-08-12T21:28:00.001-05:00

July 30th...

Keith finished spreading gravel in the machine shed so Jared jumped at the chance to run the packer. I think Keith said he spent a few hours doing it... and loved every minute!

Who needs to play when there's work to be done?!

Double Stroller???

2011-08-12T21:19:00.000-05:00

July 30th...

The girls and I went to my cousin's, Jenny Kral, bridal shower. I didn't want to bring the double stroller so I just grabbed the little umbrella one... thinking that Chloe would want to walk... like she always does. Wrong. But at least she was willing to share...

She wanted Morgan on her lap... like "I'm the big sister so I'll hold you!" Ha! =)

Cooling off in the creek

2011-08-10T23:23:00.002-05:00

July 18th...

The girls and I went over to Laura & Derek's place to visit and see the ducks. They have 8 or 10 of them and during the day they go down the hill and hang out in the creek that runs through their property. I was another HOT day so we decided to stand in the water and it felt very refreshing!

Morgan was loving it...

Chloe was too! Laura was picking wild berries and Chloe stood there asking for "more!"

Just a little humid

2011-08-10T22:22:00.001-05:00

July 17th...

The record breaking heat has been taking its toll on all of us. We spend very little time outside because it's SO hot and humid. The little plastic kiddie pool has been getting used on a daily basis... the kids usually strip down and hop in it right away when we get home from daycare.

The girls were being silly, as usual, so I went in the house to grab my camera and this is what the picture looked like... I think my camera went into shock!

Chloe is standing and Morgan is getting in or out.

Naked girl on the well...

We need one of these!

2011-08-09T21:26:00.002-05:00

July 29th...

Our daycare lady's son has a JD Gator and he gives the kids rides around the yard and in the grove. Jared must've been an extra good boy because he got to drive it for a little bit!

He said that we should get one... I told him to start saving his pennies! =)

Snoozing during supper

2011-08-06T21:20:00.003-05:00

July 16th...

Morgan was struggling to stay awake during supper and finally gave in...

Chloe thought it was pretty funny...

Loading Calves

2011-08-05T21:12:00.001-05:00

July 14th...

We helped Keith load up the 20 calves that we had in the grove.

Once they are big enough (about 6 weeks old) they get moved to the farm.

Little Miss Attitude and my handsome little man...

Loaded and ready to go...

I'm Gonna Kick His Ask

2011-08-03T22:35:00.001-05:00

I heard this audio played on the KQRS Morning Show and it was so funny...

I had to look it up for myself to see what the little girl looked like.

I can picture Chloe in another year saying something very similar. =)

Iowa Auction

2011-08-01T21:37:00.004-05:00

June 24th...

My dad, Frank, went down to Iowa for an auction at the farm of his uncle, Gerald Lappe, that died at the end of 2009. Gerald's son, Larry, worked very hard to get all of the equipment and household items ready for the auction. Here is his website if you're interested in checking it out... Larry Lappe Website. Gerald collected everything and anything so the pictures he has on the website are very interesting.

Gerald on his 1947 Knucklehead Harley Davidson Motorcylcle...

Larry took this picture of my dad sitting on the same motorcycle that sold at the auction...

for $41,000!!!

Here's the original picture...

Larry edited out all of the stuff in the background and sent copies to us. Thanks, Larry!

Kinda wish I would've gone down to Iowa with dad just to see the farm.

I was there many, many years ago but I was too young to remember anything.

Itty Bitty

2011-07-30T21:47:00.001-05:00

July 11th... I'm really falling behind on updates!!!

Chloe's outfit is 12 month size. Technically, her top is a dress

and her pants are capris but it works on her little body!

Belly Bouncing

2011-07-21T06:50:00.000-05:00

July 11th...

I've been playing with my mom's new iPod Touch to see how everything works (and ofcourse, now I want one! :)) I was testing out the video and the girls were being silly so since it was pretty entertaining, I thought I'd share...

I have no idea how Chloe can giggle while her sister

(who is the same weight) is bouncing on her belly!

YouTube Video: Belly Bouncing

Fun at the grocery store

2011-07-18T21:23:00.001-05:00

July 12th...

I usually try to do all of my grocery shopping without the kids. It's just quicker and easier that way. Jared had to get his haircut after daycare so after I dropped him off at Kelly's I took the girls to get groceries. They had a blast. We even got to use the cool cart with the car on the front. They're a pain to push around but kids just love them. Several people commented on how cute they were and I even had one elderly man ask if they were twins. LOL! He was sweet and called Chloe a little doll. She was walking the aisles waving and saying hi to everyone.

Goose Egg

2011-07-18T00:32:00.003-05:00

July 4th...

Jared was goofing around on his bike driving through a mud puddle that he created on the driveway. Somehow he swerved and fell off his bike. His head bounced off the wood fence rail (which I could hear from 30 feet away). Ouch! Maybe next time he'll wear his helmet!

Cambria Fireworks

2011-07-17T22:28:00.003-05:00

July 3rd...

We went to the Cambria fireworks like we have been for a fews years now. The kids had a great time, as usual. Chloe and Morgan loved the fireworks. I was a little nervous that they wouldn't like the loud booms but they were pointing and ooh-ing and aah-ing like the rest of us. =)

We had the kids lined up on the side of the street since the grass was pretty

tall where we ususally sit. We didn't even get all of them in the picture.

Brogan, Carly, Emerson, Avery, Afton, Chloe, Madden & Morgan

We're missing Hunter, Moxan, Jared, MaKenna, Abby, Blake and Cole!

Hunter and Jared put on their own little fireworks show...

Sleepy Girls

2011-07-16T10:27:00.001-05:00

July 3rd...

I was busy in the kitchen so Chloe plopped on the floor, cuddled her blankie and took a nap. Morgan walked in, looked at her for a second and decided to join her.

They absolutely crack me up!

I could've left them there for their entire nap but moved them to

their beds without either one of them even slightly waking up.

Remembering the Bohemian

2011-07-15T22:34:00.000-05:00

I'm sure everyone that reads this blog knows about the Bohemian Bed & Breakfast tragedy. I wanted to share some of the pictures from our wedding day. I stayed there the night before our wedding with my sister and maid of honor, Krystal, in the Bockus room. We got ready there on my wedding day and Keith and I spent our first night as a married couple there. It was an absolutely amazing house and I'm deeply saddened by the incredible tragedy and loss of life.

November 19th, 2005...

Laura (personal attendant and musician) doing my hair...

Kelly and mom helping me get dressed...

Final touches...

The staircase was amazing...

The main entry...

Chlesey, Katie, me, Krystal, Kelly and Kristin

Front porch...

Flash forward to the present...

Flames engulfed the Bohemian Bed & Breakfast

house early Saturday morning, July 2nd, 2011...

New Ulm Journal photo

Six die in Bohemian B&B fire Article from The Journal

Flowers, balloons and a photo montage of

Bobbi McCrea (48) and her daughters, Abby Wood (15) and Savannah McCrea (3),

pay tribute to the three outside The Bohemian Bed & Breakfast,

where they perished in a fire early Saturday morning.

After fire Article from The Star Tribune

I took a few pictures when I drove by Saturday evening...

New Machine Shed

2011-07-11T17:59:00.005-05:00

My father-in-law is putting up a machine shed / shop at the farm. They have outgrown the old one so this one will be perfect for all of the equipment and Roger's seed sales business. Patty and I joke that we'll never see our husbands once it's done. It will have a heated shop, bathroom, office and kitchen with a TV so they'll practically be able to live in it! ;)

Once the construction crew started to build, I stopped every morning on the way to work to take a picture. I was the crazy lady in the white minivan. I think they thought I was some weirdo. Ha!

June 28th...

June 29th...

June 30th...

July 6th...

July 7th...

July 8th...

July 9th...

They are doing the plumbing themselves so they rented a back hoe to dig the trenches for the drain pipes.

Yard Work

2011-07-10T22:14:00.000-05:00

July 2nd...

We've been re-doing some landscaping around the yard so I was using

the 4-wheeler and trailer to haul away a few loads of bricks.

The girls wanted a ride but I didn't trust them to stay put while I was driving so

I put some old car seats in the trailer and they thought it was the great!

Swatting

2011-07-09T22:10:00.002-05:00

June 29th...

Jared heard that Grandpa was swatting the road ditch so I had to take

him to the farm immediately when I picked the kids up at daycare.

Camping @ Wildwood (part 3)

2011-07-08T22:20:00.000-05:00

June 23rd - 26th...

Sunday morning we got up, ate breakfast and got ready to head home.

The kids slept like rocks and if you know my daughters, they toss and turn all night long so you never know where they'll end up in the morning. I thought for sure one or both would end up rolling out of bed but the wall of pillows did the trick.

And Jared didn't roll out of the top bunk!

Had to snap a picture of the Metrodome (or what's left of it) when we drove by...

Camping @ Wildwood (part 2)

2011-07-08T22:18:00.000-05:00

June 23rd - 26th...

On Saturday we went to the Como Zoo.

Jared had to have his picture on the turtle since everyone else was doing it!

The girls watching the ducks and pink flamingos in the pond...

Chloe checked out what was in the tank in the Tropical area...

She tends to squat when she's checking something out...

Morgan pointed at the fish...

Jared like the ants. You could see them carrying pieces of leaf...

The baby orangutan peeked at us...

Looking for the gorillas but they were inside taking a nap...

In theory, this was going to be a cute picture (the girls decided against that idea)

Jared is always ready to pose for the camera...

Watching the seals swim...

Mr. and Mrs. Lion...

Big yawn... the tiger was kinda sleepy.

It started raining at this point so the girls had to stay in the stroller...

Jared got to go on a few rides so Chloe wandered around...

Jared on the fire truck ride...

Train ride...

Chloe got to go on a ride!

Waving "Hi!"

We ate some lunch and headed back to the campground.

Jared wanted to check out the pool so I volunteered Keith to take the kids swimming.

The brochure said 'heated pool' but it felt chilly to me when I dipped my foot in.

Again, the kids didn't seem to mind.

Morgan is a splashing machine!

Chloe is a little more timid...

Jared is a swimming machine!

Hanging out in the camper...

Grilling supper...

Our campsite (C7)

Campfire!

Roasting marshmallows...

Blow it out!

Mmm...

Camping @ Wildwood (part 1)

2011-07-08T21:24:00.001-05:00

June 23rd - 26th...

We went on our first camping trip with the camper we bought earlier this year. After lots of internet searching we decided to try out the Wildwood Campground near Taylors Falls, MN.

Wildwood Website

About an hour into the trip...

We're here!

Hanging out at the campground...

Chloe reading books to herself in the bunk...

Morgan is always one step behind me and pulls on my pants so this is from my point of view...

The first night went really well! Jared slept on the top bunk

and the girls slept on the dining table that converts to a bed.

For our first full day we went to the waterpark, alpine slides and go-karts at Wild Mountain.

In the winter it's a ski hill and tubing area and it was only 10 miles from the campground.

Jared wasn't quite tall enough to go on the Alpine Slides by himself so Keith or I had to go with. It's the first thing they did when we got there and it was a hit!

Then it was mom's turn. We rode the lift chair to the top of the hill where the slides start.

He had it all figured out so I was just along for the ride...

Then we headed to the waterpark. It was a sunny day but the temperature was

only in the high 70's so the water was a bit chilly. The kids didn't seem to mind.

Then it was back to the Alpine Slides...

And the girls ate some lunch. They were too small to go on the Alpine Slides. :(

Morgan napped for over 2 hours...

Jared was excited to drive the go-karts. He wasn't tall enough to drive the big ones

by himself but they had kiddie ones that were just his size. The track was just a

circle and there weren't any other kids to race at that time but he had fun!

Then Keith and Jared had to try out the big Go-Karts...

I love their faces on this one...

It was pretty serious racing. They even spun out at one point.

Then it was my turn to show 'em how it's done...

Jared was a great co-pilot, always letting me know how close the car behind us was.

Another round on the kiddie go-karts. Chloe had fun watching...

Watching Jared. Morgan was still passed out in the stroller...

Cute shot of Chloe running around...

The view of the water slides from the chair lift (water park is further off in the distance)...

Half way up the hill...

Back to the water park.

Keith wanted to stand under the big splash bucket so I caught it in action...

Chloe's behind him (far left)

Here it comes!

Drenched...

Whoa! That's cold!!!

Chloe loved the kiddie pool...

Morgan finally woke up!

Jared guided us around the freezing lazy river. It took my breath away

when I stepped in but Jared said it didn't bother him.

Chloe's turn for a nap...

We put the life jacket on Morgan and she hit the water slides with Keith and Jared...

There they go...

Finally a ride Jared can go on by himself!

She liked it... really... even though both fists are clenched. ;)

This kid cracks me up!

Chloe had a nice, long nap too...

Happy girl!

She had me laughing out loud... she was trying to climb over

the fence even though she could easily fit under it.

How does the saying go??? "Like father, like daughter"

The girls' first bath in the camper...

Slugger

2011-06-28T22:00:00.001-05:00

Monday, June 20th...

He's doing great and loving it!

Gotta love the expression on his face...

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-23T21:26:00.004-05:00

Sunday, June 19th...

We celebrated Father's Day with the annual party at the farm.

Keith shined up the "A" to pull the hay racks for the hay ride.

Happy Father's Day!!!

Jared and Chloe got to ride to the farm on the tractor...

It was a 2 on 1 water fight... Uncle Jesse vs. Jared & Brianna...

They used umbrellas as shields. It was pretty entertaining.

Jared is trying to shoot from behind the "shield"...

Morgan was intrigued by Keith's beer bottle so she stuck he nuk in it...

And then, of course, she had to have a taste...

Trudy and Aaron...

The Power Wheels got a workout that day.

Jared figured out a way to give more kids rides... pretty smart kid!

Ashlyn enjoyed her ride in the wagon...

"Look what I found!"

Uncle Dave, Grandma Cele and Uncle Dan...

This one cracks me up.

She's like an old farmer taking a break from a hard-day's work...

I take this picture every year...

Morgan being silly...

The whole crew...

Pretty soon it will just be Jared driving...

It wouldn't be complete without the stop at Wilson's in St. George to drop off a few gifts.

Usually it's just empties but Craig added a diaper (it was clean) filled with dirt to get the full effect. Good thing Cory and Julie are good sports! ;)

Another one of my favs from the day. Sneaking away...

Wedding Dance

2011-06-21T21:25:00.003-05:00

Saturday, June 18th...

We went to Kory & Nikki Hague's wedding and reception. Keith and I brought the kids to the dance and they had a great time! Jared is a dancing machine and it cracks me up! I always tease Keith that his son has better dance moves than he does. ;)

Jared heard them announce the dollar dance so he wanted to do it... even though he didn't have a clue what it was. Krystal gave him a dollar so I took him out to the dance floor to get in line. I had to explain what the dollar dance was and who he was going to be dancing with. He didn't care that he didn't know Nikki... he was just excited to dance with the bride!

Dirt Work

2011-06-20T21:21:00.001-05:00

Monday, June 13th...

Roger is putting up a new machine shed at the farm. They needed to bring in fill with big scrapers from Lafayette Excavating. Jared was in heaven!

Morgan enjoyed the view from the wagon...

And I was having fun playing with my camera...

"Hi, pup-pups!" Chloe was waving at the tractors...

Uncle Dan came out to run the goat's foot packer...

All three scrapers made a "round" in 8 minutes...

Roger got stuck... multiple times. The track tractors definitely had the advantage...

Chloe had to have a turn getting a ride too...

Matt's Graduation Party

2011-06-16T21:08:00.000-05:00

Saturday, June 11th...

My cousin, Matt Eilertson, graduated from Elk River High School

this year so we went to his graduation party in Ramsey.

I only took these two pictures.

Jeffery had his work cut out for him pulling the girls in their wagon...

He reminds me of Jared... watch out Scott & Jenny! ;D

Sleepy Girl

2011-06-15T05:06:00.001-05:00

Friday, June 10th...

It's tough work being ONE! ;)

Little League

2011-06-14T21:05:00.001-05:00

Monday, June 6th...

Jared decided that he's bored with T-ball I signed him up for Little League in Courtland.

They hit off of a pitching machine instead of a tee. Jared loves it!

He'd rather hit for the whole hour than go out in the field to work on those skills.

This is his first at-bat. The ball is coming in right next to the power pole...

He's a slugger!!!

Pup-Pup!

2011-06-13T05:27:00.005-05:00

Saturday, June 4th...

That's how Chloe says putt-putt (tractor).

She gets wide-eyed and excited when she's hears one.

The land around our house finally got planted with corn. Jared has been impatiently waiting.

The farmer has all of the biggest and newest equipment... and it's John Deere so that helps. =)

I've never seend anything like it. I think the planter is 32 rows (Roger's is 12... and it's big to us!)

Jared and Chloe spent quite a while in this position just watching contently...

We'd be lost without the front porch. All of the kids love it out there...

New Calves

2011-06-12T21:30:00.002-05:00

Friday, June 3rd...

We got the first batch of 20 calves this year.

It's later than usual but it's been extremely wet around the

huts so Keith decided to wait a while. No need to get them

and then end up loosing a few when they get sick.

Jared was super excited!

He loves helping with calf chores...

The girls, on the other hand, were not fond of them (at first).

We visited them before Keith got home to feed them so they

were all bellering loudly. Poor Chloe (excitedly) walked up to one with her

hand out and it bellered right at her and she ran a way crying. She absolutely

loved them last year so it might take a few tries to get used to them again. ;)

Morgan was NOT a fan at ALL!

I'm so cruel to leave them there crying just to take a picture. Gotta document

all of these "firsts" so we can look back one day and get a good laugh. ;D

Memorial Day

2011-06-08T21:14:00.001-05:00

Monday, May 30th...

It was a hot, windy day but we enjoyed spending the day at home.

Morgan relaxing in the stroller...

Chloe shared her juice...

Morgan tried out the 'big bike'...

Keith and Jared built a well for the pump I got from my mom for my birthday last year...

I LOVE it!!!

Jared really wanted to run the power tools but was content with just posing for a pic...

The wind was insane! Check out that hair-do...