I haven't posted in TWO months?! Whoops!

Merry Christmas!!! (a few days late) This year we took pictures of McKenzie & Lauryn near the Cannon River for our Christmas cards. McKenzie wasn't in the mood to take pictures & didn't cooperate very well but we managed to get them both to smile in a few pictures. Lauryn going through that awkward stage where some of her teeth are missing, some are half way in, etc. Despite Kenzie's mood & Lauryn's awkward smile, Jamey & I were very happy with how the pictures turned out.



This picture was taken on the old one lane bridge by Lorentz Meats.


These last two pictures of Kenzie & Lauryn (solo shots) were taken across the road from Lockhart's house.



Dad & Mary had the kids over to make Gingerbread Houses just before Christmas. (Mary's idea) The houses were time consuming but the end results were great, and the kids had a wonderful time!!! A day spent at dad's making Gingerbread houses will be a day my kids & I will NEVER forget! Thanks Dad & Mary!!!

Here's Lexi workin' hard on her Gingerbread House. I can hardly believe what a beautiful young woman Lexi has grown up to be!!!

Lauryn was SO impressed with her snowman in her Gingerbread yard, that she made me take a picture of it, lol!

McKenzie & Lauryn's Gingerbread houses

Its been a while...

I didn't realize that its been so long since I updated my blog. What can I say, we've been busy! What's happened since my last post??? Let me think...

Jamey turned 30 on September 24th. :) To celebrate, I surprised Jamey by inviting a few friends to Osaka in Apple Valley. If you've never been to a Hibachi grill, I highly recommend going. Not only is the food excellent, it an entertaining experience. Jamey was very impressed & can't wait to go back!

Below are a couple of pictures taken at Osaka. The 1st is Jamey & Eric Zimmerman. Jamey said the only thing he could hear while they sang happy birthday, was Eric & I laughing. We laughed so hard, we cried! :)

It was Tammy Meyers' birthday on the 27th, so we included her on the birthday fun. (I won't tell you how old she is, lol!) When Tammy took her mask off, she had a stream of tears running down her face. She said she was laughing so hard because she could see how ridiculous Jamey looked & knew she looked just as ridiculous.


Homecoming was September 25th. To get in the spirit, I spray painted the kids' hair before school.



Lauryn enjoyed spray painting her hair so much, we do it on a daily basis now. JUST kidding! Lauryn was invited to a "Wacky Makeover" Birthday party & this was the end result. Lauryn began running a fever a few hours after the party which is why she looks so pale.


For the 1st time ever, the girls & I made Carmel apples. We had expert help, a.k.a. Grandma Sue & Grandpa Bill, so it went pretty smooth. I was very impressed with Grandpa Bill. He really knew his stuff.



We carved pumpkins at Jill & Mike's last night... what a mess! Mike heard somewhere if you cut the bottom of the pumpkin, rather than the top, it would be easier to get the "guts" out. Not true! It was the same struggle to get the guts out the bottom. Here's Lauryn digging the guts out the bottom of her pumpkin. McKenzie wouldn't let me take a picture of her, lil' stinker! I guess she's getting to that age. ;)

Ethan hand deep in his pumpkin's guts.

Devon looked so disgusted, I had to snap a picture.


One last picture, just because! This pictures was taken after Card Club. Yes, you heard right, Jamey & I are in a Card Club. As a matter of fact, I'm the founder. I LOVE playing cards & spending time with friends, so why not combine the 2 & make the point of doing so on a regular basis??? End result = Card Club. :) Zimmerman's hosted Card Club this month in New Prague. When the games were finished, we went downtown to a local bar where this picture was taken.

Happy Anniversary to my hubby of ALMOST 8 years!!! (Officially 8 years tomorrow.) I love you Jay!!!

Twins Game

Jamey took Lauryn to her 1st Twins game & she LOVED it!!! They road the light rail to the Metrodome--a 1st for both of them. Jamey liked the fact that he didn't have to fight traffic or find a place to park but the ride got a little long. Lauryn didn't mind the ride. She thought it was great that it went underground. :)

When they got home, I asked who won. Lauryn knew the Twins won, 3-1. After she told me the score, Jamey told her to tell me what else happened. (He whispered to me that they rehearsed this all the way home) She said, "Um, yeah, this one guy, I think his name was Kitty, hit the ball out, then ran around the bases 2 times." Jamey burst out laughing then told me that Kuddyer hit a 2 run home run, lol! Close enough sweetheart! I knew what ya meant! ;)

I sent the camera with Jamey so he could take pictures of Lauryn at her 1st Twins game, but Lauryn told me Jamey left it in the car because he didn't want to carry it. Are you serious?! Thanks a lot Jay!

Thanks to a vendor at the Metrodome, I was able to see Lauryn at her 1st game. The pictures turned out cute but for $18, I don't think I'm going to buy them. You can check out pictures of Jamey & Lauryn at
www.twinsbaseball.com/truefans
Select a game: Friday, September 18th
Select a gallery number: 35 & 43

1st Day of School

I can hardly believe it! Lauryn's in 2nd grade & McKenzie's in 4th! I can remember each of their 1st day of preschool like it was yesterday. Lauryn's was hard to forget considering she was kicking & screaming as I walked out the door BAWLING!!! ;( That's a 1st day of school I'll NEVER forget!!!

To prepare the girls for school, Jamey & I decided they should start their bedtime routine about a week before school started. What a challenge that proved to be! On more than one occasion, they told me I'm the meanest mom in the neighborhood. After all, I'm the ONLY mom in the neighborhood that made their kids get ready for bed when its still light outside! Lol, am I mean or what?! ;)

McKenzie woke up on Tuesday morning a 1/2 hour before her alarm went off - an hour & 45 minutes before the bus was scheduled to arrive. She showered, got dressed & ate breakfast by the time my alarm went off. Everyday since has been the same thing. I wonder how long it'll be before I have to force her out of bed??? ;)

Lauryn was her usual self the 1st day of school. After the alarm went off, she came downstairs to snuggle with me. When I told her it was time to get up, she snuggled closer & said, "Just 1 more minute." I wonder where she gets that from??? Jamey!

The girls are extremely excited about their teachers this year. Lauryn's in Mrs. Hedeen's class. McKenzie had Mrs. Hedeen so we know 1st hand what a wonderful woman & teacher she is. McKenzie's in Mrs. (Donna) Lindahl's class. I know Donna on a personal level & have heard wonderful things about her as a teacher. I'm confident both girls are going to have another great school year!

I just love their backpacks this year. The shoulder bag style reminds me of the "ESPIRIT" bag I had in high school. Those were the best!




McKenzie outgrew just about everything in her closet last summer. Lucky for her that meant she got a whole new wardrobe for school. The outfit she chose for the 1st day of school wouldn't have been my 1st choice, but that's ok. She was excited about it, so I was too.


For Lauryn's birthday, Jill bought her a couple outfits from Justice. (the old Limited Too) Because Lexi likes to shop at Justice, Lauryn does too. (Lauryn thinks Lexi walks on water!) So it was no surprise to me when Lauryn chose 1 of her Justice outfits to wear on the 1st day of school.


The girls have a lot of activities again this year; choir, Just For Kix, Girl Scouts & more! I thought our lives would slow down after school started. I guess I was wrong!

The Great MN Get Together

My dad & Mary took McKenzie & Lauryn to the State Fair the week before school started. When Dad told me he wanted to bring the girls, I just about fell off my chair! We NEVER went to the State Fair when we were little. As a matter of fact, my 1st trip to the State Fair wasn't until I was pregnant with McKenzie. Taking McKenzie & Lauryn to the fair HAD to be Mary's idea 'cause I KNOW Dad wouldn't have come up with the idea on his own, lol! Mary took a few pictures of the girls for me since I wasn't there for their 1st trip to "The Great MN Get Together". (They went on a Wednesday while I was working)

Here's a picture of McKenzie & Lauryn in one of the many barns they visited. Mary said they went in ALL the barns. ;) My guess is, Dad was on cloud 9 while Mary, McKenzie & Lauryn were bored to death. Although when Lauryn showed me this picture she seemed quite impressed by the state's largest pig, lol!


Another surprise... The only fair we attended when we were little was the Dakota County Fair & we weren't allow to ride the rides. So when the girls were getting ready to go, I told them over & over "Now don't beg Grandpa to go on the rides. He won't let you!" Much to my surprise, now only did dad let them ride the rides, he even rode a few with them. Dad's gettin' soft in his old age. ;)

Lauryn told me after Mary took this picture she almost dropped my camera. Or I should say, she dropped my camera but caught it before it fell all the way down. Whew! I wouldn't have been happy if she would've dropped my camera. Nice catch Mary!

The girls also rode "Thunder Canyon" (at least that's what its called at Valley Fair). They said they both got wet but McKenzie got soaked! I'm assuming its because McKenzie's heavier than Lauryn. Seeing them on this makes me want to go to Valley Fair. I love Thunder Canyon!


Thank you dad & Mary for a memorable "1st" for the girls!!! I know I won't forget this & I'm sure they won't either! :)

Extra kids & plenty to do!

BABYSITTING

DJ & Deena went out of town last weekend & we had the privilege of watching the boys. Friday night was a rough night for Cohen & I. He woke up around 3:00 & was disoriented about where he was & who I was. I tried to give him a bottle but that didn't work, so I tried to rock him. He was content to rock & smile at me but wasn't about to fall asleep. (Lil' stinker!) After an hour of rocking, I brought him into bed with me. He smiled & played for another half an hour (woke Jamey up in the process - whoops!) then FINALLY gave in & went back to sleep. Gosh, I don't miss getting up in the middle of the night AT ALL!!! The rest of the weekend was great! We thoroughly enjoyed spoiling the boys & was sad to see 'em go! Speaking of spoiling the boys... When DJ asked Collin if he was going to behave for me he said, "Yeah, I'm always good at Kelly's 'cause I get to do whatever I want when I'm there anyways." Whoops, my bad! ;) I've always had a soft spot for my nieces & nephews but have a slightly softer spot for Collin considering I watched him (daycare) for the 1st 2 years of his life.

I don't know if DJ & Deena usually let Cohen feed himself but we did. McKenzie & Lauryn thought it was the funniest thing ever! He of course made a HUGE mess but the end result was the same - a full tummy.



FARMING - Part 1

When DJ & Deena asked if we wanted to the take the boys for the weekend, I didn't know I was going to be on my own. Not that it would've mattered, I would've taken them one way or the other. But I'll admit, there was a few times I could have used Jamey's help & wished he was there. For the most part, Kenzie & Lauryn stepped up the plate & helped when necessary. Anyway... Jamey spent most of the weekend at a friend's milking his cows. I know what you're thinking, "Jamey? Milk cows? What?!" My thoughts exactly! Davey Gardiner & his father, Wally have a farm just outside of Cannon Falls. Davey asked Jamey if he'd fill in for him for the weekend & much to my surprise, Jamey said yes.
Here a pictures of my honey playing farmer. He looks so darn cute walkin' around in cow manure. ;)


Wally doesn't have any grandchildren to spoil but enjoys spoiling other's & asked if I'd bring McKenzie & Lauryn out while Jamey milked on Saturday evening. Lucky for Wally, not only did I bring McKenzie & Lauryn I also brought his lil' buddies, Collin & Cohen. Collin's been to Wally's with DJ several times & recognized the farm as soon as we got there. It was really cute, as soon as I pulled in the driveway Collin said, "Hey! I've been here before! This is Wally's place. Wally's my favorite friend!" Who knew Collin would be hangin' with 74 year old men, lol!

Check out Collin's farm boots. They're cows! They have little tails that hangs off the back. Deena forgot to pack Collin's boots so we HAD TO swing by DJ & Deena's to pick them up before we went to Wally's.

Wally took the kids on a Gator ride to see the baby calves. Cohen loved being on the Gator, moving or not. As soon as I set him on it, he grabbed the wheel & started making motor sounds with his mouth, lol! I offered the girls' Barbie Jeep to DJ & Deena but DJ doesn't want his boys driving around in a pink Jeep. Maybe after DJ sees how much Cohen enjoyed the Gator, he'll reconsider.


Below are pictures of the kids feeding a baby calf. Collin thought it was incredibly funny & giggled the entire time. McKenzie thought it was fun & Lauryn thought it was disgusting how much the cow slobbered all over.



One of the newborn calves at Wally's is Jim Lockhart's. Wally told the girls they could name the newborn calf but that her name had to start with a "D" (not sure why). When the girls were deciding on a name, one of the names they discussed was Deena. I told them I didn't think their auntie Deena would appreciate the fact that they named a cow after her (lol!), so they named her Diamond instead.

FARMING - Part 2...

On Sunday morning, I packed the kids up & drove to my dad's land where we picked potatoes. Sound like fun? I was surprised to see just how much the kids enjoyed digging potatoes. Aside from potato pickin' being cheap entertainment, we have enough potatoes to last us a all winter! Here's a few pictures of the kids with Grandpa pickin' potatoes.



I brought Cohen to the edge of the field in the stroller. He was pretty content to check out his surroundings, although I have NO idea what he's looking at here, lol!

More birthday fun!

Last weekend was dedicated to birthday parties & family. Saturday afternoon was Lauryn's "friends" birthday party. (see previous post) This year was the 1st year we allowed Lauryn to have a birthday party with her friends. She's deprived, I know. ;) There was a dozen kids & a few adults at the party. My friend Tammy pointed out that Jamey & I seemed a little stressed. We kind of were. We just wanted everyone to have fun & didn't want anyone to get hurt. Everyone left happy & in one piece, so I guess we stressed for nothing.

After Lauryn's party we went to DJ & Deena's for Cohen's birthday party. As always, DJ & Deena provided lots of food, drinks & fun! Check out the pictures posted on DJ & Deena's blog of Cohen eating his 1st birthday cake. They're HILARIOUS!

On Sunday, my sisters & their families (minus Bridget) went with us to the Dakota County Fair. 7 years ago, Jill took me to the Dakota County Fair to help induce labor with Lauryn & it worked! Every year since Lauryn's been born, we've gone back to the fair to celebrate her birthday. I don't have any cute pictures of McKenzie or Lauryn on the rides because they ride the adult rides now & they're much too fast to take pictures of. I do however have a picture of Jamey on the big slide with Collin. Doesn't he look cute?! Collin, not Jamey. ;)


After the fair, we went to Jim & Kandi's to continue Lauryn's birthday celebration in the pool. Seriously, that's ALL we do these days...go swimming! After the cake-n-ice cream was gone & the presents were opened, my family & I went to the races to cheer on my brother-in-law Mike. Mike's improved tremendously since the 4th of July but spun out a couple of times causing him to place towards the end. Oh well, it was still a lot of fun to watch. Can't wait for the next race!

Here's a picture of Lauryn & Collin watching the races. They looked so cute laying there together, I just had to take a picture.

During the races, Cohen kept pointing & saying, "What's that?" over & over. (at least that's what it sounded like) Yes, Cohen has a beer in his hands. He's teething so anything & everything goes into his mouth & the cold can feels good on his gums.

Here they come! Mike's in 2nd or 3rd place at this point, but spun out shortly after causing him to finish 2nd from last. Better luck next time Mike!

After the races were over, Mike took Cohen down on the track to sit in the car. Cohen loved it!