Happy Birthday Mom!!

Mom, hope your day was as fabulous as you are! We had so much fun hanging out with you on your day. Here are some pictures of mom and her granddaughters, hopefully here in a few weeks, we can get a picture with you and all four of them together?! Hope you have a great week!

We have a butterfly!

Last week, we had a monarch butterfly "hatch" out of it's cocoon in Ryleigh's butterfly garden that she got for her birthday! I have learned so much about monarch butterfly's and their life. If you get a minute, you should google it. It's quite interesting. Caterpillars have caught Ryleigh's attention and seeing this new butterfly appear from its cocoon, has amazed both the girls and I. It's been quite a fun thing around here. The neighbors that gave this gift to Ryleigh are out of town and Ryleigh has gotten the privilege to "babysit" their butterfly garden as well. They actually have the milkweed plant that we have been using to feed our caterpillars and about every other day, Ryleigh runs over there to get some "food" for the critters, courtesy of the neighbors! Then, Jason and the girls went for a bike ride yesterday and what did they find in the middle of the road, but this HUGE caterpillar. Jason googled it and thinks it's some sort of moth. Ryleigh was so excited, she had to run over to the other neighbors to get their boys, Henry and Owen to check out this awesome, huge caterpillar. Those are Ryleigh's hands that the caterpillar is next to. It had some sticky feet and I think this one scared Landree a little, but Ryleigh had no problems picking it up. The kids had fun playing with that one for a little bit until we released it back into the "wild"!! It's kind of a pretty and ugly creature all in one. Enjoy the pictures of Ryleigh and Landree's newest adventures in "pet" raising!

That's about what we've been up to! I will have to get pictures up of our new fire pit! Jason and I used it one evening after the girls went to bed and it is nice and will be awesome for fall! Jason was gone a couple of days last week and was in Indiana for work. He has another work trip coming up in Oct. Ryleigh starts Kindergarten here in a week. All school clothes and supplies are bought! Yay! I am so excited, but am sure I will be a little emotional the closer it comes! So far, that's what we have coming up! Oh, and a double baptism! Can't wait to see my brother, Kelli and little Zoee!!

Reese is 5 months!

Reese turned 5 months on the 18th. I have some other pictures, but here is the one I did have time to look at. Who knows, the days are going by so quickly, this may be the only one you get to see! She is weighing in at 14 lbs, 10 oz. Just a few more ounces and this child will be as big as I was when I was a year old. She's definitely a good eater and is loving her baby food. Likes her cereal mixed with apples, speaking of, I need to get to the store and get some new foods for her to try. She just got over a bad cold and is teething to go along with that. I was kind of worried about her last week and brought her in as she was tugging at her ears and they were bright red, but thankfully she is free of an infection and her teeth are just bothering her--good news! I think I feel a tooth coming through, only time will tell. She is the happiest baby when it comes to not feeling well and teething. Always has a smile on her pretty face. If only I could capture it more on camera. The thing is, she smiles and then as soon as she sees this honking thing, she gets all focused on seeing what it is and trying to get a hold of it! It's a good thing though, her wheels are a spinning upstairs! :) She is also a very good hugger. You may think I am crazy, but when she gets excited to see you and you pick her up, she will snuggle right into your chest and wrap her arms around you, it's the best! She is liking her jumperoo and her walker as well as this exersaucer thing at daycare. More pictures to come soon, I hope!

Meeting Miss Zoee!!

This past weekend, thanks to my mom and dad, I got to meet my new niece, Zoee Rae! She is one of the most beautiful babies I have ever seen. And, even though she weighs 10 pounds, she looks and feels like a peanut next to my Reese! I took a bunch of photos, but don't have time to play much tonight. Maybe tomorrow or soon. I have a couple I will share! Anyways, Kelli and Zoee it was so good to see you and Kelli, it was great to see your family again too. Can't wait to see Miss Zoee again here in a few weeks when her and Reese will be baptized together....which also brings my brother to town!!!! Yay, I miss him so much. I haven't seen him since December, so it will be a good time! Ryleigh stayed home with daddy and was okay with it at first, but sad when we were leaving, even though she didn't really know who we were going to see. But her and Jason went to where he has permission to hunt and walked around, looked for a good spot for the blind. They also finished the fire pit. What else, they had a bonfire and "camped" (slept in a tent in the backyard)! She also bought the movie, Angry Birds, which reminds me of hanging out with Ryan and Ana (just because Ryleigh loves playing that game on your Ipad). It's actually a really cute movie! Then on Sunday, those two went swimming with some friends of ours who have a new pool! Landree also went swimming at the hotel pool with her aunt Kelli, grandma and grandpa and Kelli's niece, Madelyn and sister, Jenny! We hung out by the pool and visited most of Saturday, went out for supper and just hung out as we had joining hotel rooms. It was so hard on Sunday morning to have to say goodbye. I was trying so hard not to cry, but a little tears came out. I thought I did good covering it up, but apparently mom and Kelli did notice. Sorry guys! So here are a couple of pics and then I promise I will add more!

Miss Reese and Miss Zoee - 1st Cousins (3 months apart):

Miss Landree and Miss Zoee - 1st Cousins!

Supper time entertainment!

If you know Jason, you know he'll do about anything to make ya laugh! And, well, if he's never made you laugh, you just haven't quite hung out with him long enough. Apparently a long time ago, according to his family, that's all he ever made me do.......GIGGLE! But, really, who can resist. He's hilarious, he's witty, he can make you smile when you've had the worst day ever. He's just plain fun to be around. The girls think he is the funniest man alive and you can see him making them laugh on a daily basis. They say laughter makes you live longer.........just 15 minutes of it every day. Maybe that means Jason and I will live a long, laughing life together! (I hope so)! So, here is what had us all giggling last evening after supper. Fun with grapes! The best part is when the girls beg him for more........"MORE, MORE, MORE, Daddy!!" They will say this to him on a nearly daily basis! You can see he, himself, is trying so hard not to laugh so I can get a picture of his goofiness!

And, here's another thing that had the girls laughing one night in Menards! "Daddy, you look so little in that big chair!"

What's been going on!

What's been up......lots and lots. So much so, I've had some troubles getting to the computer to blog. I have some updates on the girls, some more pictures, and some stories! I forgot to mention some cool coincidences at our Alexandria trip. First, when I signed up Ryleigh for her manicure, the gal at the desk asked for her name. I told her Ryleigh and then she asked me to spell it. When I spelled it she looked up at me and said, "you're kidding?" Turns out, her 6 year old daughter's name is Ryleigh and spelled the same way! Then, the girls and I were leaving the water park and heading back to our room, when we went past this hallway, 2 girls were running down the hall and I heard the mom yell, "Landree, wait up". I backed up and asked her if she just said Landree. Yep, I wasn't hearing things. Her Landree turns 3 in September and she spells her name: Landri. Cute. Anyways, it was just crazy.

So, I will start off with my Ryleigh Grace:

She is obviously turning into such a big girl. She is ready for Kindergarten, however Jason and I are not......in many ways. We thought we had things figured out, but now deciding what school to send her to. She however, has been working on these Pre-K and Kindergarten books she received from our next door neighbor and has almost gone through them all. She calls it her "homework"! She was such a big girl after her birthday party and thanked Jason for decorating the garage and she thanked me for making her cake without being told. I can't remember what I said this to Ryleigh for, but I said to her the other day, "Thank you princess!" She looked at me and said, "I am not a princess, I am a FEMALE!" HAHA. Had to write that one down. She and Landree have said some funny things lately and my pen and paper have been far away, so I have just a few things that I remembered and that was definitely one of them. Ryleigh is weighing in at a whopping 36 pounds and has grown and 1 1/2 inches since December! And, she has an 8 pack! That girl is constantly on the go and her and Landree are outside all the time. They definitely like to get dirty and play in the mud and with bugs. Of course, Ryleigh has this all of a sudden fear of some critters. Another new thing she has developed this summer is hiding while changing. She's got to be hidden or indoors to change out of her swimsuit for example. Except then, the other evening, her and Landree were running around in their "chonies"! Oh, and she is rolling her eyes at us. Not cool, but hilarious at the same time.

Landree is also becoming such a big girl. She is learning her ABC's and counting and colors and all kinds of things. If you start something out (like the ABC's or counting), she will finish it for you! She is in love with Reese and is such a good helper for me. She gets me diapers and wipes and even takes everything to the trash. She has even started getting in on wiping and pulling the tabs closed on the diapers. She is so gentle and sweet with Reese and gets so excited when Reese smiles or talks or laughs at her. She goes on and on telling anyone who will listen about what Reese is doing or has done and uses gestures as well. She has also become quite the poser for pictures, but most the time I get goofy looks. It's a work in progress and since I have started to have to bribe Ryleigh to take pictures, Landree really works hard for the prize. Ryleigh and Landree really are good friends, but let me tell you, they have their moments with each other as well. Ryleigh is such a good big sister, though! This little turkey loves pop. Something I have never offered to her or Ryleigh (probably why Ryleigh hates it), but one time Landree needed a drink bad and the only thing we had was a pop and now she will steal Jason's if he has one. Therefore, we have to keep beer out of reach if we are drinking that, cuz she will go for that and call it pop! A funny story I remembered to write down about Landree: at Ryleigh's birthday party, Shea was changing Thatchers diaper. Now, I know there are boys at daycare, but really no baby boys, so she was a little curious. I was in the same room changing her out of her swimsuit and into her clothes when she kept peeking at "herself". I couldn't figure out what she was doing and that is when she pointed to Thatcher and said, "Mama, what's THAT?" Hmmm, had to explain that that was a boy part and she is a girl, so she doesn't have "that", that's why she couldn't find it between her legs! haha. Had to crack up at that one too!

And, Reese?! Well, she has been going through some sleep training. Which worked for a while. She was sleeping from 8-6 for about 6 nights in a row. Then, it was a hit or miss for a few days, and now it's getting better. I think she went through another growth spurt or something. She is loving to play peek a boo with us. Loves to snuggle with Jason or I. She gets so excited to see me when I pick her up at daycare. She is doing great with mama's milk from the bottle at daycare and has started to eat cereal! Now, the first two didn't like the first time I gave them cereal, but miss Reese got upset when she was finished, so I made her more and a little thicker and she ate that entire bowl, too. In fact, when I held the spoon up to her mouth, she leaned her head forward and opened her mouth. It's like this girl can't get enough cereal. She's also had some apples and prunes and has done great! She loves her toys and loves to have something constantly in her mouth whether it be a rattle, teether or just her plain ol fingers! I think she might be starting to work on some teeth as she is constantly drooling and her shirts are soaking wet within hours of dressing her. She has also been using the jumparoo and walker and loves standing.

That's about it for now. Sorry it's been a book. I get to meet my niece, Zoee this weekend and can't wait. Reese, Landree and I are going to tag along with my parents to WI to see them. Jason and Ryleigh are going to have a father-daughter weekend here at home and finish our fire pit! Ryleigh also got a butterfly garden for her birthday. Our neighbors got it for her and they are always releasing these monarchs. I've learned so much about what a monarch caterpillar looks like and that they love milkweed. So, since the neighbors have milkweed, they started us off with that and a caterpillar (banded black and yellow) on the milkweed. So we now have a cacoon (very pretty with gold wrapping, shines in the sunlight), ready to "hatch". We've been snapping pictures of it as it progresses. And, soon, we should have a monarch ready to show you! Here's what the caterpillar looks like:

Ryleigh Turns 5!!

Nope, the party wasn't over with the Alexandria trip! We decided to have a little party for Ryleigh. When I say little, I mean what was supposed to be a little get-together, turned into a huge 5th birthday party. What was going to be family, turned into be family and friends (most of which are our "adopted" family/cousins anyways, since ours live so far away)! Ryleigh requested to invite some preschool friends and since she was 5, why not 5, right? But that turned into 6 as she had to have her friend Colin there. Only 2 plus Colin came. But, the following were also guests of Ryleighs and thank you all for coming and making Ryleigh's 5th birthday so special: Grandma and Grandpa Zabka; Grandma and Grandpa Quint; Auntie Shea & cousin Thatcher; Ryan, Ana, Lila & Elaina; Jerhod, Nicole, Grace & Evelyn; Josh, Amy, Aurora, Isabel, Ava, Estelle, Axel & Osbourne; Eric, Amy, Abby & Emily; Jim, Becca, Alexa & Brian; Cristen & Henry; Emily, Colin & Hailey; Preschool friends: Avery and Natalie! HOLY COW, was it a big guest list after all!!!! But, it was tons of fun. I was a little worried that we wouldn't have enough stuff to do for all the kiddos, but then Jason's friend lent us this blow up water slide thing and it was a big hit and I don't believe anyone was bored! I didn't know if I would have enough cake, so I made 3 (one was left over)! So, it was fun filled and HOT. With the heat index it turned out to be 102 degrees. We had lots of water and icees for the kids and then had cake and ice cream and little treats. It was strawberry shortcake themed, as a year ago, Ryleigh asked for that and didn't forget this summer. We had pinata, which we forgot about until there were only about 7 kids left, so they all got lots of candy and toys. We had the big pool, the water slides and a little kiddie pool. After most everyone went home, we had pizza's with family. So glad this year's "water" party turned out better than the one we planned for her 3rd birthday when it was only 73 degrees and only one kid got in the pool! She wore this swimsuit with a tutu attached. We have one in a 4T and one in a 5T, so in the pictures before the party it looks huge on her, we changed into the 4T one after I looked at some of these pictures! Anyhow, I didn't take any photos during the party, so these that you are viewing are thanks to my dad for taking the camera and non stop taking pictures. Thank you dad!!! What would we have done without you capturing some of these great memories!!!

Ry's birthday weekend!

So, I think this is where I left off with our lives, but if not, here's where we will start up again! It's been a crazy past few weeks. We spent Ryleigh's birthday weekend at Arrowwood Resort in Alexandria, MN. It was TONS of fun. Very cool place with lots of things to do. We "landed" in Alexandria Thursday the 21st and came back home on Ry's birthday (the 24th)!! The Resort had it's own pool/hot tub area with indoor and outdoor pools, a separate water park, located on Lake Darling with it's own beach area for swimming, playing, laying out, tennis courts, ping pong tables, 18 hole golf course, put put golf course, paddle boats, canoes, kayaks, spa, restaurant, bonfires nightly and I'm sure I am probably missing something here. Let's just say we were busy and it was fun! I relaxed and took naps every day. Ryleigh and Landree loved the water park, Jason also took them put put golfing and paddle boating while Reese and I took naps! I also got a 60 minute free full body massage and for Ryleigh's birthday, we let her get a kids "mani"! Her friend Grace was there and was getting a kids "pedi", so what the heck, you only turn 5 once! They both went for the rainbow colors with glitter! It was so cute and she was in heaven with them massaging her arms and hands! We spent two days at the water park. The first one was Nicole and I with our kiddos, while the guys golfed and the second day the daddy's joined us. Which was nice as Ryleigh wanted to go down the huge slides and I didn't really want to leave Reese and Landree alone with Nicole and put extra work on the 9 month pregnant mama. Landree loved going down the water slide, but only with Jason or I. NOT ALONE! I don't blame her, the water was going up her nose when she was sitting on our laps! I didn't get as many pictures as I thought when I was going through them, but I did get in a lot of rest and relaxation, so a few is all we have. Some of the pictures, I'd like to play with on the photoshop fun stuff, but here's what you get to see for now, since I haven't had a chance yet! When we pulled into Mankato, we stopped by Dairy Queen to grab a quick cake for Ryleighs birthday and some stuff to grill out. So we spent the rest of her birthday celebrating. Then on Monday evening we took Ryleigh to the store and she picked out a new bike for her birthday. Now, this bike is a little larger then the one she was outgrowing, so she couldn't quite go without the training wheels like she was on the smaller one, but I think she might try again here soon with her new bike! You will see also how curly Landree's hair is getting. The humidity here just makes the girls' hair "boing"!!! I think they are just destined for curly hair (I've already cut Landree's twice and it gets curlier and curlier)!

As Jason and I were walking to supper one evening, he said "do you know what this place reminds me of?" I had a thought in my head, but I wanted to see what he said. Sure enough, we were both thinking of the movie dirty dancing. That's what the atmosphere was like that certain evening. I LOVE THAT MOVIE!

Congrats Adam and Angela!

Congrats go out to our friends Adam and Angela who welcomed a daughter, Ada Marina on the 26th!! We can't wait to meet her.........have a little "birth"day gift coming her way!! :)