Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Back to School....

Tonight we had our "Back to School" night where the kids get to see their classrooms and meet their teachers.

Kinzie has Mrs. Ronning. Last year she was Ms. Watts, and had a morning Kindergarten class, so she was the aide in Kinzie's kindergarten class for the afternoon. Over the summer she got married, and movied into 1st grade. Both Kinzie and I were super excited that she got Mrs. Ronning (althought I am having a hard time not calling her Ms. Watts). It is just so nice that she gets to start her year knowing her teacher well already!

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Malichi got Mrs. Benson for 4th grade. She seems so great, and I have heard great things about her! I think this year is going to be a really good one for Malichi!

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Both kids are looking forward to starting school again!

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Monday, August 29, 2011

Kinzie and Malichi's birthday party!

We had a wonderful time celebrating Kinzie and Malichi's birthdays with all our closest friends and family!

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This year Kinzie requested a barbie cake. So, I attempted. This was my first time making a cake like this, and using fondant. But I must say, I think it turned out pretty okay! And she was SO excited about it!

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Malichi first requested a Harry Potter cake. Um, what? Not sure what to do there. So he gave me his second choice. Mario themed. I can work with that! Malichi was so excited about his cake too, and couldn't believe that I actually MADE it!

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The party was a blast!

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Kinzie and her new glasses!

At Kinzie's 7 year check up, she had a hard time with the vision test, so Dr. Erickson recommended we do a regular eye exam. Sure enough, she needed glasses. All that time that she would get up and move so close to the tv, I though it was because the twins were being loud and distracting and she was moving herself in front of where they play. But nope, she just couldn't see the tv!

That night we went to target and she picked out her brand new glasses. Here is what she picked out! Doesn't she look so much older with them!?

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For her birthday, Kinzie's BFF, Kennedie gave her matching glasses for her American Girl doll Maddie!

Kinzie and Maddie with their new glasses and their matching dresses from Nate and Joan!

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Monday, August 22, 2011

SCFF

Highlights from our annual Steele County Free Fair week!!!

This year was especially fun because the twins were big enough to go on a lot of the kiddie rides, and they LOVED it! The two of them and cousin Thor had a blast going on rides together. Malichi tried out the bigger rides like the Zipper. He was not so much a fan...yet. He said he needed to get "thicker" before he can ride it so he doesn't slide around so much! LOL! Kinzie loved the tilt-a-whirl!

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Petting Zoo, Llama rides, and fun houses!

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A new attraction to the fair this year was the WowBalls! They are big clear balls that they zip you up into and fill it with air, then they roll you into a pool of water and you try to keep yourself upright. NOT so easy, but SO much fun!

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Kinzie posing and showing off her new feather for her hair.

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Prizes we won (or just paid way too much money for) at the games.

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More fun at the fair...

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That's it...until next year!

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Kinzie's 7th birthday!

Kinzie celebrated her 7th birthday this year, and the day was all about her!

We started the day out with a breakfast of eggs, pancakes and toast. Then we spent the morning at the park, and had lunch at "Sub-a-way" as Kinzie always calls it.

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In the afternoon, she and I made her birthday cake and decorated it. Chocolate cake, with chocolate whipped frosting. Her favorite, just like her Mama.

After Daddy got off work, we went as a family and with her bestie, Kennedie, to the theater to see the Smurfs Movie.

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Then we came home to open her gifts....

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A Selena Gomez CD, and vanity mirror and table. She loved both! Our little girly-girl loves sitting at her new vanity and doing her makeup, hair and singing Selena Gomez songs in the mirror!

After spending some time in her room dancing to her new music, we enjoyed the cake she worked so hard on!

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And she ended a wonderful birthday with a game of cards with her brother, and returning some important birthday phone calls!

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Happy 7th Birthday, Kinzie! We love you!

Monday, August 08, 2011

VACATION 2011

Vacation with my family every year is always adventurous!

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Day one-Sat: We arrived at the cabin, and just after we got there the hail started. Pretty soon the sirens were going off and I had all the kids in the basement waiting out the storm. There were funnel clouds in the area so we called Nate and Joan to tell them they were driving straight into the storm cell. Not surprisingly, Nate just kept driving straight into the blackness. Luckily, they got here safely and the storm eventually passed. We even had a little time left before dark to swim in the pool!

Before vacation I bought these life jackets that had great reviews. They are supposed to be good for 2 to 3 year olds in helping them "swim" on their own. Scout absolutely loved it and within a few minutes was kicking her feet and swimming all over the pool all by herself! Finley was a little more hesitant and stuck by the ladder where he could touch, but still did great!

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Day two-Sun: We rented a pontoon and spent the day relaxing out on the lake. Not of course without some type of boat issues. The jet ski got a rock stuck in it, and the pontoon had to be returned early because it wasn't running right. But we had fun while it lasted! Kinzie went tubing with Kelsey and mom road on the jet ski to watch the tubers. Sunday night we had a campfire, and made smores. The area was not well lit, and Grammy almost fell again this year believe it or not!

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After the kids were in bed some of us sat down to play the game of things(Grammy, Me, Joan, Rachel and Mom). But we instead spend the evening trying to catch a mouse. As we were all sitting at the table ready to play our game, we saw a mouse run past us in the kitchen, and we all jumped up on top of the table and screamed. I texted Aaron, asking him to come and help us, but he didn't believe us. So Rachel called him, and begged him to come help. Finally, he came up, laughed at us, and looked for it, but we didn't find it. Not on night one anyway....stay tuned...

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We tried to lure him in with our high tech trap, but it didn't work...

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Day three-Mon: We had another rainy day. We made a Walmart trip for groceries for the rest of the week. The guys went golfing and we had a Fooseball tournament after dinner. Daddy was the champion! During the fooseball tournament, Kinzie lost her other front tooth that was SO ready to come out! Love her cute toothless grin!

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Mom and Nate enjoying their banana baby food we picked up at walmart!

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The mouse was spotted again and we chased the mouse out of the house. We went out for ice cream after the mouse fiasco. Then we came home and played game of things, with much inappropriateness (Question: What should you never say in front of your grandmother? Answer: Twat. And every answer thereafter had something equally inappropriate and the word twat was banned for the next game night! Oh, and also we signed mom up for seniorsmeetpeople.com. HAHA Her name was FunHotTammy! LOL

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Day four-Tuesday:
Poolside all morning. Rented a pontoon again for the afternoon and did some tubing and swimming at the sandbar.

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For dinner we went to Moonlight Bay on the lake. The kids love going there and playing all the games!

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Day five-wed: We spent all day relaxing by the pool. Mr. Mouse was spotted throughout the day. Tiff and Eric came in the afternoon, But that evening Rach had to leave. We had a campfire and made smores again. Played game of things and minute to win it. Spotted mouse again, but of course after all the guys were in bed.

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Scoutie was apparently practicing for a pageant or something???

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Finn and Scout were going around giving foot massages.

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Scout and Kinzie getting made up by Auntie Tiffy!

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Oh and Finn too...

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Day six-thurs: We went to Pequot lakes and Nisswa shopping while the boys went go carting. While in Nisswa we went on a carriage ride. That night we went to look at lisa's aunt's cabin in Hackensack and then got ice cream after. It was supposed to be a secret since only a few of us went, but oops, I slipped. We finally caught the mouse on a sticky trap...and had to um...get rid of it. Micheal Meyers made an appearance at the screen door outside, but Mom just smiled at him when she saw him. And then it was drinks and late night pool for the adults :)

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The girls got eye glitter put on at the Fun Sisters store!

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Day seven- Friday: Our last full day at the cabin. Sad. :( We caught a baby mouse in the morning had to also dispose of it...

Poolside...
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Jet skis and tubing. Eric's 2nd time tubing EVER and first time jet skiing. It was pretty great to watch. But I am thinking he did not enjoy it.

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We went to Zorbas on the lake for dinner. Then we went for more ice cream afterwards.

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Micheal Meyers made an appearance to stand in Todd and Lisa's window and scratch on the screen. Too bad they didn't see him! They just thought the screen apparently fell out for no reason! So then Nate got Shan and Tiff. Tiff got Shan and Shan got Tiff back. I think we maybe all slept with our eyes half open that night?!

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Saturday morning we got up, cleaned and checked out of the cabin, and headed to Glenwood for the Anderson Family reunion.

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The Fish pond is always a highlight of the reunion

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Scoutie showing off her new watch!
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Sout hoarding the chalk...

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I love my family and I cherish this time we have with them!

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