Vacation week!

We have been on vacation this week and it has been sooo much fun! We didn't have anything planned, which was nice, so we have just been going one day at a time. I totally recommend it! The first few days we spent at Grandpa Ron's cabin near Dubuque. After that we have been hanging out at the pool, the mall and we went to our first movie in a theater - Toy Story 3!

This is a picture of Kennedy and her cousin Austen - he is soooo cute, don't you think?
We ate lunch at a burger place called Durty Gurt's in Galena. It really did have the best burgers - they were HUGE!!!! This is a picture of Kennedy and her new panda, named Panda. We got it stuffed in Galena and she was super content with Panda!

There was a beach at Grandpa Ron's cabin and someone was so nice and put a swingset right there on the beach!

Kennedy LOVED the water. She took right off into it and didn't stop. We had to show her that she couldn't go too far out or she wouldn't be able to touch!

Kennedy is not too much a fan of fireworks this year. We were able to get by with some black snakes and some small morning glorys - but I am nervous with the 4th coming up that we may have to skip the big show! We will of course make the attempt, but may end up coming home early...

Sitting with Daddy, watching the sparklers...from a distance.

Party Time!

Rachael graduated this year and we had sooo much fun at her party. Kennedy got this dress last year (thanks Lisa!) and we were saving it for something super special. She LOVED it, when she saw it she said, "Mom! Is that my princess dress? It's really beautiful!"The double bubble machine was awesome! Thanks to the Countryman's for sharing it:) Kennedy could pop bubbles for hours, and that is not a joke!Opening her denim purse made by Aunt Paula!She, in true Kennedy fashion, opened the purse - wide - and said, "MOM! I need monies!" So I had to go find her some coins. After noticing she was not out playing (I swear, it was only 5 minutes), I went into Rachael's room to find this. Kennedy had crawled into Rachael's bed and crashed. So, the graduation party was last weekend. This weekend was North Liberty Fun Days! WOO HOO! We actually had nice weather for the parade, a little humid, majorly sweaty and LOTS of fun! Kennedy had a great time playing with Addie and Della and her other friends. They played ring around the rosie! AWESOME:) and..... they all fall down!!!!!!!!

Happy Memorial Weekend:) Happy Graduation, Happy Wedding, Happy Birthday...:)

WOW! What a busy weekend we had. Lucky for us it was THREE days. To start - Friday, Rachael graduated from High School! WOO HOO for her:) We were able to walk around Carver Hawkeye on Friday afternoon while we waited for the ceremony to start. I snapped a few pictures of her practicing her balerina moves and posing:)snuggles with Grandma Julie:)Saturday morning, we were heading to HyVee to get some essentials for a trip to Grandma Faes when we passed a cool little park! Kennedy made a new friend at the park, a little girl named Fiona. It was a bummer that we were only able to stay for fifteen minutes, but it was still fun:) Walking in the field to our car after Tara's wedding. It was a hot one, but super gorgeous day out!

Sharing a seat in front of the fire w/ Garrett - just in time to roast some marshmallows for SMORES!!!!!This morning was a surprise party for Barb! Kennedy was sooo excited to go to Barb's house for a party! She couldn't stop talking about it all morning after we made the card! I am pretty sure that Barb's husband, Jorge, really pulled one over on her because Barb always knows EVERYTHING! So, I am super excited that it was such a good surprise - HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARB!!!!Lastly. For the big surprise at the end of the book! We finally moved Kennedy to her new room! Jon drove to Galena to pick up some WONDERFUL furniture for Kennedy from his Grandma Norma and we are soooo thrilled! Kennedy and I had painted the room about a month ago (just ask her - she will tell you that she painted green; I did let her help!) and she has been so excited to have "one, two rooms!" She shows them off to everyone that walks in the door. Well, now she can actually live in the new one! We also have a brass twin bed, that will be replacing the Dora bed but we didn't want the shock of new room and new big girl bed all on one night...:) Sleep tight!

It's Here! It's Here:) Hip Hip Hooray!!!

We got home from a BBQ on Saturday evening to find THIS beauty in our backyard! Kennedy was ecstatic! She loves it sooo much - we played on it the first night until 8:30 pm, when it was getting too dark to play anymore, and then the first words out of her mouth Sunday morning - "Let's go see my swingset!" So, we were out bright and early playing away:) Thank you, Papa - you did GREAT!

This is Kennedy's first sight of the play set. She's making a bee line for it:)The rock climbing wall!First trip down the slide!Weeeeeeee Haaaaawwwwwww!!!!!! Made it:)

Swingset???? Is it coming????

Kennedy has been very excited for her new swingset that Papa is building! Every day when she wakes up (remember, she is NOT a morning person), she rolls over, wipes her hair out of her eyes and then says, "You want to go see my swingset? It's not finished yet, Papa is still working on it?" and then she drags you downstairs and insists on going outside to play.

Even in the rain. Yesterday, she had on her rain boots and went out with her little Dora umbrella. Then she came and asked Daddy for her rain hat: "Dad, I need my rain hat! It's really special!" Dad's response: "Mom, where is Kennedy's rain hat?" I then had to tell him that she didn't have a rain hat, to which I hear him tell Kennedy: "You don't have a rain hat, we'll have to get you one at the store." Isn't that the best answer? We use it ALL THE TIME:)

This is her playing with the steering wheel that goes on the swingset. She insisted on opening it so she could play with it. Now it is called 'steering wheel pants'.

Here is a pic of Kennedy 2 weeks ago; Jon was in Chicago and we needed to get the grass mowed. Kennedy didn't want to stay inside, so she chose to swing. I would push her as I walked by w/ the mower. Then about 1/4 into in, I walked by and she was FAST ASLEEP. I kept mowing the rest of the yard and she had a nice nap in the swing. Looks comfy, right?

Going to Grandma Fae's!

Cute little peanut w/ a PONYTAIL! Yes, her hair is getting long - not that it stays in the pony, but it starts out that way and is super cute!

Maggie's 7th birthday was 4/4; however, this was Easter day, so we celebrated on the 5th. Kennedy advised me in the car that morning that Maggie would need party hats and candles to blow out and make a wish. I got the hats, then decided to stick candles in Maggie's Frosty Pay (dog ice cream treat) and gave Kennedy a dish to have some ice cream as well. Kennedy helped Maggie w/ the candle, but who knows what the wish was!

Saturday morning, Kennedy came rushing into our room at 6:30 in the am(!) saying, "Mom, Mom! Mom, you have to wake up now! We have to go to Grandma Fae's!" Because she doesn't have a concept of 'tomorow' I made the mistake of telling her as she was going to bed Friday night that after she woke up, we would go to Grandma Fae's. Well, she didn't forget!

This is her "magic ball".

Pre-Easter Weekend:)

Last weekend there was supposed to be an Easter Hunt on the baseball field. With a cool forcast and possibility of rain, it was moved to the rec center gym. This is what it looked like. Candypalooza all over the floor. And the kids were expected to stay behind the black line and let me tell you that lady "policing" it was brutal! NO TOES OVER THE LINE! Even parents couldn't cross for a few picture ops...

Pre-candy hunting...Post candy hunting. The jacket had to come off:)

Picking up candy to put in her elmo basket. I tried to get her to pick the LARGE elmo basket w/ floppy ears, but she wanted this dinky one. Oh, well, less candy I guess...

Chillin before the hunt with friends :) Caden has that big Elmo basket I was trying to get K to want. See the size difference?

After the Hunt w/ more friends!!!

Here are the eggs we colored! We started w/ 18 eggs, after hard boiling and dying, Kennedy took 2 of them and tapped them on the table. Like we were making cookies, she thought you had to tap the eggs. It was cute, but those ones were gonners.