Welcome to the Thompson Family Blog!

Bowling with the Cousins

2012-01-23T19:29:00.000-08:00

This year we said goodbye to Christmas gifts again and opted for a bowling party, here were some fun shots of our Sunday celebration!!
Oh yeah!

Checking out the new place, AGAIN!

2012-01-23T19:12:00.000-08:00

G-man took this one!

Singing Again!

2012-01-23T19:05:00.000-08:00

Finger paint at Sunday School, oh dear!!

He was a great little singer and knew all of the actions. It pretty much melts my heart. :)

Nice Dinner at Home

2012-01-22T20:52:00.000-08:00

Jamie and I made salmon for one of the first times, it was delicious!

Cyn brought some great dessert!

ADVANCE'S Pub Crawl!

2012-01-22T20:46:00.000-08:00

Checking out the new place!! YUM!

2012-01-22T20:36:00.000-08:00

YES! SNOW!

2012-01-14T09:46:00.000-08:00

January!?

2012-01-08T09:48:00.000-08:00

I'm not gonna lie, I am missing the snow this year. But, boy are we enjoying the great weather! On Wednesday we played in the sandbox and on Saturday night we had a bonfire with friends. Love it!

Griffin really enjoys yelling "CHEESE" now, it's quite flattering as you can see....

Ringing in the New Year with Good Friends!

2012-01-01T10:47:00.000-08:00

We had a great New Year's Eve weekend with the Schlegel's!! The brought a fun box of things to ring in the New Year and the kiddos couldn't wait to dig in it!

We enjoyed some time skating on the "rink" Ray and Jamie made on the lake. Check out the great fish house they brought with!

The Tan-man did a great job on his (wait, Griffin's!) skates!

Ray was brought back to his high school hockey days!

Madi did an awesome job learning to balance. But, her favorite part of the weekend was crafting!!

Our operation!

Fish Fry!

Lots and lots of chasing....

These guys thought a Sunday morning adventure on the play set in 100 mile an hour winds was a good idea!

I miss them already.

Another Beautiful Day on the Lake!

2011-12-28T19:30:00.000-08:00

Jamie got to join us this Wednesday!!

Christmas Day!

2011-12-26T07:58:00.000-08:00

We waited and waited and waited for Griffin to finally wake up, when he did, he bolted out of the bedroom!

He kept digging through his stocking hoping for a Batman Cave and look where it was! We got a big chuckle out of that!

When he spotted it, he was thrilled! He's had lots of Batman adventures since!

Look! Santa ate the cookie and the reindeer nibbled on the carrot! Santa even left a note!

Griffin took this photo of us on Christmas morning. :)

The Jones grand kids...we took this photo to surprise Marcia and Bob. We haven't had a photo taken of the grand kids together in ages!

Opening presents with Uncle Corey.

With Grandma and Grandpa.

Putting together Lego's from Great Grandma Dz!

What a gorgeous sunset!

I put together the nativity I got from Mike and Kim--LOVE IT!

A video date with Uncle Chris, Auntie Annie and Jeanie.

Friday liked the presents!

The night was finished off with a fun Christmas movie!

Christmas Eve Night

2011-12-26T07:15:00.000-08:00

We started out our night with Christmas Eve candlelight service. It's definitely one of our favorite Christmas traditions! We go to the church we got married in--and that Jamie grew up in....very special! The pastor does a great children's sermon each year. When the lights dim, the candles begin to be lit and we sing Silent Night. It's wonderful! To add to the wonder this year, Ms. Paisley sat on my lap during the lighting--she looked so beautiful with the candle light on her face!

Then the wrestling began:

Here's our wild birthday cake that we made for Jesus.

Look at how well we coordinated!

Paisley was THRILLED that she got a princess! Jesi and I were lucky enough to be princesses later with lots of cute crowns!

What!? A Leapster Explorer!!

DUCT TAPE for Hunter!!

Bella the beauty!

Grandma got a beautiful grandchildren's bracelet!

Griffin picked out these socks for Grandpa. Yes, he was serious.

Trying to get a group photo (as a distraction)...

WHAT?! Santa dropped off a BAG!

Why didn't we see Santa? (Hunter was afraid he was dead, then remembered he could be invisible, so yelled outside, "Thank you! If it's OK, we'll take this bag inside!")

Bella relaxing despite the chaos!

Singing Happy Birthday to Jesus!

Fun time with Matt! These two are always up to something fun!

Cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer.

Christmas Eve Day

2011-12-26T06:38:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed a nice, lazy Christmas Eve morning at home, we talked to Nonna and Poppa and opened gifts via video conference:

They loved their recordable storybooks from Griffin, he did a wonderful job!

The neighbors came over with treats that we immediately indulged in! They also brought Griffin a special treat--a big ol' box of s'mores fixings!

And, we made a birthday cake for Jesus. It got a little wild with the confetti inside and sprinkles on the outside, but the sugar allowed us to stay awake even longer on Christmas Eve!

Then we got ready (and I discovered I left all of my make up and getting ready things at Molly & Justin's--EEEK! Luckily, I was able to find some duplicates and didn't look too scary!!

The Eve of Christmas Eve

2011-12-26T06:25:00.000-08:00

After Griffin and I got back from our fun adventure in the cities, we picked up Jamie and headed to the local planetarium. They were showing "A Christmas Star" followed by a viewing of the winter night sky, then finally a laser light show set to Christmas music. It was lots of fun!

When we got home, Griffin thought it would be a good idea to "rest" by the Christmas tree, so that's where we slept!

Blessed

2011-12-24T10:27:00.000-08:00

Today I am overwhelmed with feelings of being so blessed by heart could burst....after all I get to see Chritmas through a child's eyes.

Skating on the lake together

Our church Christmas program

Macy's 8th floor

Cutting down our Christmas Tree

Winter marshmallow roasting

Visiting Santa (we saw Santa 3 times!)

Bell ringing for Salvation Army

Decorating Christmas cookies with residents at a nursing home

The Santa Express

At the Planetarium watching "A Christmas Star"

Cozied up by the Christmas tree watching Daddy drive his new remote control car from Mary

Opening presents

Making a cake for Jesus's birthday

We slept by the tree on the eve of Christmas Eve

Great times with old friends!

2011-12-24T09:57:00.000-08:00

We had a great get together with the Wednesday night girls and their families. I feel so blessed to have such great friends! Molly's home was beautifully decorated--the prefect Christmas gathering for old friends! Jordi's mom, Elvira, was able to join us from Spain!

We went on a great lake walk at night on Forest Lake.

We were thrilled to see snow coming down in the morning!!!

It's not all about us.

2011-12-24T09:37:00.000-08:00

We had a great "it's not all about us Wednesday"! We rang the bell for the Salvation Army for an hour--it was interesting to say the least. :) Wendy joined us, and we both had a huge chuckle when Griffin shook the bell ferociously, a lady walked by and didn't give us any money, then turned around and said, "Well, that didn't work!" It was hard for him to sit still, but he was quite entertaining, and it was good to know that he was learning that life isn't all about us, and Christmas isn't all about presents. We're blessed and giving back to others is important.

In the afternoon, we went to a local nursing home to decorate cookies with 13 residents. We couldn't take any photos of the residents for privacy reasons, but here are some photos of our time there.

Here are the cookies one resident made!

It was so great....the residents had a wonderful time and loved spending time with the kids. It made my heart happy.

More Winter Fun on the Lake!

2011-12-18T20:39:00.000-08:00

Griffin ice fishing with Kirk, or more like playing in the water!!

Corey on skates! ;)

GORGEOUS!

I never realized I could look this angelic! :)

Faith Christmas Program

2011-12-18T20:18:00.000-08:00

Griffin and our class did exceptionally well during the Christmas program at church today. They were so fun to watch--I always get choked up with tears, the kids are so absolutely precious! I let out a deep sign of relief on the way home....20 four year olds really keep you on your toes!

Waving to his fans: Grandpa Mike, Grandma Kim, Grandpa & Grandma Jones, Corey, Hunter, Matt, and, of course, Daddy.

The theme this year was Christmas around the world, our little guys were in Hawaii!

The little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head.....

LOTS of kids!

Lunch after church. He was happy because he got to play with Hunter and Matt....and tackle! Yes, I know what you are thinking, we do have adorable children in our family!

Nice job, Anita!

2011-12-17T13:42:00.000-08:00

A lego boat WITH A MOTOR! Nice work! He LOVES it!! (And, it's only 34 pieces which is a bonus for us!)

Ice Skating

2011-12-11T14:49:00.000-08:00

If you follow my "hope" blog you saw that Jamie recently checked out the ice and decided he NEEDED to get his skates on. We had the best night out on the ice skating with headlamps on. I had so much fun that I decided to get skates for both me and Griffin today. After Sunday School we headed to Play it Again and this is what we got:

We had so much fun out on the ice!!

Griffin was the camera man for a while, he didn't quite get the skates in, but did a good job considering the camera is practically as big as his head!

He did some chair skating.

The he skated on his own a bit! I was so proud--he'd laugh when he fell and would get right back up!

GORGEOUS!!!

No chair!

At one point he stated, "I think when I am 5 I will be able to skate."

I'm so glad the lake had such a great freeze this year! The ice is like glass!

Fun day with family.

2011-12-11T14:36:00.000-08:00

Jamie was on a work trip in Indianapolis, so the little guy and I decided to adventure to the cities to see some family. Griffin had a good time playing with his second cousin, Landon, while my aunt, cousin and I visited. He was so glad he got to meet Hank, Deb's new little pup!

Then we met Uncle Corey and Cynthia at the Eagle's Nest. When Griffin saw it he exclaimed, "Thanks Mom! I didn't know you were taking me here!!" It was an indoor McDonald's playland times 10. By the time we left he was worn out and had the cutest rosiest cheeks. We finished the night with pizza. Five minutes after we got into the van for the ride home, he was asleep!

With Uncle Corey.

My college roomie, Cynthia.

Santa Train!

2011-12-11T14:24:00.000-08:00

After a great dinner at Jenny's grandma and aunt's home, we took the kiddos to the Santa Train. They were thrilled when they saw the big semi "train" pull up and watched the characters (Griffin called them mascots--what a good AD's son!) come down to dance with and hug the kids!

The CDS kiddo gang...

CDS ladies....

Yep, this is the 3rd time we've seen Santa this year! I think we've got it covered, he wants a batman cave.

We finished the night with Mommy Northern Light Mochas. Perfection.

Oh boy, Santa sent Griffin a video!

2011-12-04T17:27:00.000-08:00

Griffin received a fun video from Santa, he was happy to see that he got the green light and was a good boy this year! We played it for a second time and Griffin turned to me and said, "It's going to be green again!" It certainly made an impression on the little guy!

Christmas in the Village

2011-12-03T17:28:00.000-08:00

We spent the day with Jamie's mom and Bob at Christmas in the Village. Griffin especially loved the horses!

Visiting Santa!

Making Christmas crafts!

Making Christmas cookies with Grandma.

We love Christmastime!

Nice legs, carrot!

2011-12-02T05:12:00.000-08:00

The bag of carrots that Jamie picked up the other day included a carrot with amazing legs....

As you can see, Griffin was in the process of stealing our veggie person's arm! Crunch!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2011-12-02T05:09:00.000-08:00

Griffin and I brought our house into the Christmas season on Wednesday by finishing our Christmas decorating! Then we made chicken wild rice soup and artisan bread and had the neighbors over for dinner--it was a great night. I love snuggling up on the couch enjoying the tree and the fire....sigh....bliss.....

Thompson Family Adventure: O Christmas Tree!

2011-11-27T19:41:00.000-08:00

We had a great time finding our Christmas tree this year. It was the first time that we've cut down our own and we certainly had the perfect day for it! We started the adventure with cookies and cider while sitting around the fire at Stacy's Nursery. It smelled wonderful in there!! Then we trekked out to the tree farm.

Jamie thought he'd try to talk me into a little tree. No luck!

This is the tree I wanted! But, no luck there, either!

We compromised and found the perfect tree for our home....

It looks much larger in our home than outside at the Christmas tree farm!

Now to decorate! I love getting our home ready for Christmas!!

What a Day! Celebrating the BlackJack's Victory and Welcoming Christmas!

2011-11-26T07:07:00.000-08:00

We had the best Black Friday ever! No shopping for us even though we spent the day downtown. The Dawson-Boyd Blackjacks football team played in the Championship football game at the dome--and WON! It was so amazing to see the fan support and great sportsmanship. It seemed like the entire town of Dawson was there. Jamie had a great time watching his hometown team win their first state football title. And, it was extra sweet for him because his friend is the head coach, and is a new dad as of a few weeks ago....he and his wife recently adopted a beautiful baby girl.

We met Corey and his buddy, Kirk, at the game. Griffin was excited about that!!

They won! HUGE celebration!

Yep, I have Jamie's jersey on! :)

Griffin was so excited to ride the light rail! We went to The Loon and met up with a bunch of Dawson buddies. Cynthia, my college roommate joined us!

Typical Dawson folk behavior.

G and I left the party for a bit to watch the Holidazzle parade. The weather was perfect. It was a great start to Christmas for us! Griffin was amazed.

Then we headed over to the 8th floor auditorium at Macy's. It was fun to take him to a place that I've been many, many times. He was so excited to see the elves and all of the magical displays.

He even had a visit with Santa!

Exhausted from a memorable day! (He got hot in the car so took his shirt off!!)

Gopher Fun

2011-11-25T05:50:00.000-08:00

Jamie and I had a fun date at the Gopher-Badger game the other weekend. We enjoyed some tailgating at BWW before the game and met some great people! The game was a bit rough on the Gophers, but we still had fun. Our seats were great and it was great to be outside on such a gorgeous day. We finished the night with drinks and apps, then a movie--we saw Tower Heist and enjoyed it.

A Little Date

2011-11-25T05:43:00.000-08:00

Jamie took Abby and Griffin out to dinner, then to the mall to enjoy the little rides. Liz and I went out to happy hour. The kids had such a good time with Jamie (and we ad lots of fun, too)!

One hour of Jamie's life was devoted to this.....

2011-11-16T06:18:00.000-08:00

I think he wants me to avoid the Lego aisle for a while! :) Griffin was excited to use the money he got for Hallowen on this!

Raking Leaves

2011-11-14T18:40:00.000-08:00

Little man helped me rake up leaves, we did it just like I used to as a kid--we loaded up a blanket and carried them off. Griffin loved it! I set up the camera to take a photo of the two of us (you are inspiring me, Ruth!) and I noticed at the last minute that our happy little faces may not get in the photo, so we both fell over (and got in--barely)!

Cute Griffin Comments

2011-11-14T18:29:00.000-08:00

After daycare today, we drove by a swamp. Griffin asked me what makes a swamp a swamp. I told him that I thought it was because the ground of the swamp was kinda muddy and that lots of weeds grew around it. He asked if sometimes they were green, and I responded with a yes. Then he said, "Mom, I think God made swamps for swamp creatures. I bet they help so that swamp creates don't get too cold."

"Good thinking, buddy, I never considered that!"

First snow!!

2011-11-10T21:11:00.000-08:00

Last night Jamie was going to turn off the outside light and saw the first few flakes of snow arrive for the year. It was absolutely beautiful! (Yes, I know I will be swearing at it in a few months.) I set up the self-timer and we snapped a quick family photo. Griffin ran out and jumped in my lap just in time for the photo--he was a little chilly since he was donning his PJs for the night (boxer briefs!). I think the photo only caught one or two snowflakes, but trust me, it was beautiful! Free falling snowflakes dancing in the wind!

Our Little Helper

2011-11-10T20:33:00.000-08:00

Griffin's responsibility chart has spurred on lots of helping around the house...it's awesome!! Check him out!

He put away all of the recycling bins all by himself!

He loves helping with laundry.

He even gets the clean clothes out of the washer....

and into the dryer!

He loved scrubbing the toilets. YES!!!!

Look at him clean the van!

A reward for a great day of hard work on Wednesday (Mommy day).

I wonder if this will last into his teenage years??

Karate Kid!

2011-11-10T20:18:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Kari for Griffin's awesome new karate outfit! The only downfall is that I had to play ninja with him, and he doesn't quite get the fake moves yet! I love this kid!!

4 Generations!

2011-11-06T17:07:00.000-08:00

Here's a photo of Griffin, Jamie, Jamie's mom--Marcia and Jamie's Grandpa--Frank!

Griffin and Grandma!

More Halloween Fun!

2011-11-02T19:56:00.000-07:00

We had a GREAT night trick-or-treating! We made the usual rounds, the neighbors....

Trunk-or-Treat at church.....then Kit & Lach's............

We headed over to Mary's, then Kari's, then Mary Kaye's...........

Mary Kaye fed us delicious homemade chicken noodle soup and molasses cookies! YUM! She gave us these to bring to my parent's for a late night treat! How cute!!

Nonna and Poppa had fun admiring Poppa's handy work! Griffin was so excited to be a motor for the night, and he had total faith in Poppa. After all as Griffin says, "Poppa can do anything!"

Paul Bunyan and Lots of Water

2011-11-01T18:59:00.000-07:00

We had a super fun weekend with some friends at a water park up north. It was such a great getaway!! First of all, there was this awesome arcade!

Then, the water park...with things to climb on....

and slides to fly down on tubes.....

We dined at Zorbaz! Yes, there was a side of Macho Nachos with this Bloody Mary!

G and Chloe liked the popcorn and games. G eats popcorn just like me....he shoves a handful in his face! So polite! :)

Back to the pool after a little nap....

Hanging out on the lazy river!

Going down the slide with Jenny!

Jamie and I had our fair share of fun!!

Cuddling up and watching shows while the adults enjoyed BWW take out!

Juice, snacks and pizza in bed! What a happy kid!

Then, back to the water park for more fun!

One of our favorite spots was the indoor/outdoor hot tub--perfect for warming up after many hours in the pools! We plan to go back again next year!!

Our Little Boat Motor!

2011-11-01T05:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Poppa for making the best costume EVER!!!!!

Water fun!

2011-10-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

We met our good friends at a Y in the cities with a fun water park area--how awesome! Griffin and Jamie had a blast in the water with Molly, Justin, Q, A, M and X. I just got to watch the fun...I had to head out early to attend Ann and Jordi's blessing--which was wonderful! The gang met up with me at the reception.

Apples

2011-10-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

My parent had a nice big apple harvest, so they loaded us up with apples. I showed Griffin how to use the applepeelercorerslicer and he love it--he figured it out in one try!

Responsibilities

2011-10-23T17:03:00.000-07:00

One of the things that was asked during our home study is what Griffin's responsibilities are. He gets himself dressed, brushes his teeth (once a day, we do it the other time---just in case he misses a spot!), takes out the compost and cleans up toys (not always as our living room floor can prove). So, when I found this cool responsibilities chart, I knew it would be a good addition to his room. We've used it for a week now, and it's been great. He wants to help with things so he can put a magnet on the board, and now he's on top of things that we ask him to do! I love Melissa & Doug!

More Farming Fun

2011-10-19T07:23:00.000-07:00

I love the farm! I am completely fascinated by the entire process, amazing machinery and technology AND I love spending time with the family. Jamie, Griffin and I spent most of Saturday in the field and in the semis hanging out with Mike and Kim (and Nate, Hunter and Matt for a bit). It was a beautiful, fun day!

Homemade treats

2011-10-19T07:12:00.000-07:00

Griffin saw an ice cube tray the other and he asked us if we knew that you could pour juice in them and freeze it--and make popcicles! After pouring the juice, we started to cover it with foil so that the sticks would stay straight, but he told us we could just lay the sticks to the side. And, sure enough, he was right!

Farm Fun

2011-10-19T07:04:00.000-07:00

Jen and I took Griffin, Kendall and Cooper out to the farm last week. The weather didn't cooperate, so we couldn't sit in the combine and show the kiddos how that worked, but they sure had a great time sitting on all of the machinery!

Ann + Jordi

2011-10-05T21:47:00.000-07:00

We had a blast at Ann & Jordi's wedding! Because I'm tired and will be taking care of a few kiddos tomorrow, I'll keep this short and sweet and just add some photos!

New photos!

2011-09-27T19:38:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our friend, Judd, for taking these!!

Trip to the Dentist

2011-09-14T12:07:00.000-07:00

Griffin was SUCH a good boy at the dentist. We read a book about the dentist quite a few times before going. But, as we drove up, he said he was scared. Once we got in to the room, he was just fine! The dental hygienist was wonderful, she let him hold the tools and push the buttons for the chair. :)

What? A bib? I'm 4!

He thought the light was really cool.

Look at those pearly whites!

Tools!

He left with a great report, lots of fun stuff to take care of his teeth and an appointment for a year from now!

We followed up his appointment with a date at Frieda's. Yum.

We stopped in at work where he got loved up, then went shopping. And, we ran into Grandma Kim and Great Grandma Storlien! We even got to have lunch with them. What a fun outing.

Lovin' the Fair!

2011-09-03T23:48:00.000-07:00

Oh how I absolutely love the fair. So, I decided to surprise G on Wednesday with a trip to the Great Minnesota Get Together! We started in the Kidway.

As you can tell, he didn't have any fun. None at all.

We watched a fun dance show....look at that serious face!

We explored the alphabet and made a name necklace.

We spelled FAIR!

Then we went into the Little Farmhands exhibit. Again, not much fun.

He planted seeds, gathered eggs, picked apples and fed a cow.

Then we watched an amazing trampoline show! (And drank a huge icee!)

Griffin taught me a few things about motors.

Then we rode the Sky Glider. (Not to be confused with the Sky Ride, which we rode later.)

Good, good food. We watched some of the rides in the Adventure area.

Then we met lots of new brand new animals!

Last stop, cotton candy!

Pet for a Day

2011-09-03T23:25:00.000-07:00

The stray cat (see previous post) was our pet for a day. She's a honey. Griffin even went to Jim and Pat's to get some cat food. Jamie thought that maybe we should have an outdoor cat living at our place. Hmmmm....

Skiing with the Neighbors

2011-09-03T23:20:00.000-07:00

We picked a night to ski with the neighbors...it was cool during the day, then about the time we wanted to ski, the weather took a turn for the good! We headed out on the lake, stopped to get a skier in the water and heard crying! Sure enough the neighborhood stray cat was in the boat! We found her and brought her back to shore, then took turns skiing. The lake was like glass....SO MUCH FUN!

Fun times with friends!

2011-09-03T23:15:00.000-07:00

We had a great night and next day with two of Griffin's little buddies. First, our favorite ice cream place....

Which meant bath time.....

Then movie time....

Then night time....with lots of talking before falling asleep.....

Biking in the morning.....

A visit from Nonna, she had fresh cupcakes, frosting and SPRINKLES!!!

They LOVED the cupcakes. And, the mess they made!

Then they made some cupcakes of their own. I love the difference between boys and girls...check out the pans!

Fun at the Water Park

2011-09-03T23:01:00.000-07:00

A good friend and I planned to meet up at a park with the kiddos the other day. We thought we'd play and picnic. But, it was a sunny Wednesday and I couldn't bear the thought of not getting in the water! So, we picnicked then went to the local pool/water park. We had a great time despite the wind and I even ran into a friend from work!! Here are some photos of the cuties....

Quite the ensemble...she had to cover her ears because of the new tubes in her ears!

Check out that jump!

Worn out!

Griffin Doing Chores

2011-09-03T22:50:00.000-07:00

We decided to add some new chores to Griffin's list of things to help with around the house. He's the new compost-carrier-outer. He does a fabulous job. Well, except for the time that he accidentally threw the entire compost container in the bin. And, then that other time that he was afraid he'd get run over by the lawn mower, so he dumped the compost bucket our near the compost container, but not IN it. Fortunately, it was just watermelon rinds that time. We watch the little guy accomplish this task and literally have tears running down our faces. He cracks me up.

Gosh, I love this kid!

2011-08-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

He wore his goggles, put his shirt on backwards and brought his binoculars over to Nonna and Poppas. But, he's still absolutely adorable!

Munyon's Visit

2011-08-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend with the Munyons! Griffin wanted to help with EVERYTHING for Vivienne and it was so fun to get to know her better. (By the way, isn't she GORGEOUS!?) We enjoyed lots of time visitng and hanging out on the boat. I was SO sad to see them leave!

Antique Car Run!

2011-08-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

New London has a great Antinue Car Run, and my friend, Christina is one of the volunteers, so we thought we'd check it out! Mary Kaye joined us and treated us to a great picnic dinner! We had a blast watching the antinue car parade. After the parade we checked out the cars up close. Of course, Griffin wanted to ride on one. Christina was able to find a driver that let him sit in his car, and even better, gave us a ride through the countryside. It was a BLAST!

Fun at the County Fair!

2011-08-14T12:58:00.000-07:00

Long day!

2011-08-14T12:39:00.001-07:00

Look at who fell asleep whil Daddy was reading to him!

Loving the rain!

2011-08-14T12:37:00.000-07:00

Can you tell that we need gutters?

1st Time Geocaching

2011-08-07T19:21:00.000-07:00

We had a fun adventure geocaching last Wednesday at the local state park. Although we were almost eaten alive by mosquitoes at one point, we persevered and found the treasure! (This was after a few comments from Griffin like: "Why is this forest so long?" "I wish we could drive the van in the forest.") :)

More Birthdays!

2011-07-31T13:50:00.000-07:00

Marcia and Bob enjoying a pontoon ride with us for Marcia's birthday!

Corey and Marcia--we celebrated their birthdays together.

Fun at the Cabin for Grandpa Mike's Birthday

2011-07-31T13:42:00.000-07:00

Look at G-man jump off the dock!!

Pais very proud of her fish! Look at that pose!

The great hideout!

Me loving time with Bella!

Where is Grandpa Mike? Not in any of my photos from the day. How did he escape my camera??

Birthday on the Lake!

2011-07-31T13:18:00.000-07:00

We celebrated our friend Barb's birthday with a great family lake day! Here's the cake I made--she loves M&Ms, and luck me, so do I!!

We tok our giant slide out to the island where we like to swim--the kids LOVED it!

Then we put it on the front on the boat. The adults loved it, too!

Barb, me, and our 4 year olds.

We used the fun ball! Below is a photo of Barb in it!!

Then we went tubing!

Not done yet! All the adults went skiing.

And, now time for cake! We finally got off the water after 8, so we had a LATE dinner!

What a great day!! :)

His and Hers Fish

2011-07-31T12:48:00.000-07:00

The other night the three of us went fishing. I caught the first fish!! (Check out the look of distress on my face...it was flapping like crazy!)

But, Jamie beat me out!

Look at the smile on his face!!

Chores

2011-07-27T13:20:00.000-07:00

Anniversary Trip

2011-07-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

We decided to splurge this year and go on a mini anniversary trip. I am SO glad we did! It's hard to make a decision like that when we are trying to save for our adoption, but we know focusing on our marriage is important, too. We had a great time--although we were only gone 2 nights, we were so relaxed it seemed like much longer--as a good vacation should!!

Dipping our feet in Red Wing....

About to head out for dinner (this photo was taken at The St. James Hotel)

Enjoying some great beverages and lunch at Nelson Creameries. YUM!

Great lunch at Nelson Creameries!

A nice scenic overlook in Wisconsin called Buena Vista Park.

Our anniversary dinner was at A to Z Pizza Farm. Fun and delicious! Every Tuesday this farm serves fresh wood fire pizzas. You get a pizza and need to bring everything else yourself!

My side had roasted beets, onions and goat cheese. YUM. Like our fancy plates and wine glasses?

Our dinner dates. A group next to us had an accordion and were playing awesome modern music--it was so fun!

Ambiance.

Uncle

2011-07-23T05:26:00.000-07:00

Griffin had a great time playing with Uncle last week. The other day he asked if he could play with Uncle again. We had to remind him that CO is very far away. He didn't think that was so great. :)

First T-Ball Game

2011-07-10T23:04:00.000-07:00

We had a great time watching Griffin's first t-ball game. He did a great job hitting the ball. He did a great job fielding the ball. He did a great job throwing the ball. And, he did a great job entertaining us:

Hummingbird

2011-07-04T13:21:00.000-07:00

My parents have a hummingbird nest in their huge, beautiful oak tree. It's hard to spot since it's so tiny and blends in so well with the tree. We assumed there were eggs in there since the mom was sitting on the nest so much, but it turns out that there are tiny babies in it! It will be fun to watch them leave the nest when they are ready!

Fireworks fun!

2011-07-04T13:02:00.000-07:00

Aunt Deb came to visit and brought a ton of fireworks! It was so much fun to watch Griffin's excitement as they went off! He loved the sparklers and the fountain fireworks that made lots of noise!

Tubing Fun

2011-07-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

We had a good time tubing on Saturday night! The weather was perfect!

The Minnesota Zoo!

2011-07-03T15:07:00.000-07:00

My mom, Griffin and I had a GREAT weekend last weekend! After running the Foot Lake 4, my parents met me with Griffin to walk in the Willmar Fests parade with CDS. After that, my mom and I took Griffin to my cousin's graduation party--we had such a good visit with them. We stayed in a hotel that night, then headed to the MN Zoo (thanks, Anita!) on Sunday. We had a blast seeing the animals, watching the coral reef feeding and the dolphin show, riding the monorail and playing in the splash pad. The weather was fabulous (and wasn't in Spicer), so we really lucked out!!

T-Ball!

2011-06-21T20:56:00.000-07:00

Griffin started t-ball this year and loved his first session. It was so well organized! There were 35 kids and 15 high school and college students running the program. They visited stations where they threw the ball, rolled the ball and hit the ball. Griffin had a great time! There will be three sessions of "drills" and three games--that will be cute! (Do you like the outfit, Anita? :) )

Como Zoo Birthday Fun!

2011-06-13T17:07:00.000-07:00

We headed to the Como Zoo to celebrate Griffin, Chloe and Cooper's birthday. They had a blast! Cotton candy, animal watching, rides and splash pad! The moms were rewarded with chips, salsa and margaritas!

The Life!

2011-06-13T16:48:00.000-07:00

Watching hay bailing from our front yard. What a happy boy!

Griffin is loving life....he got an awesome new 4-wheeler for his birthday that he loves to drive around. Isn't it cute!? He's already trying to do tricks!

A Few Updates...

2011-06-13T16:45:00.000-07:00

We've been doing a few things to spruce up our home, here's one that we got lots of help with! My parents came over and surprised us with a few things, including a freshly painted red door! I love it! I'll post the shutters later!

Making Laundry Detergent

2011-06-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

Here's my buddy helping me make laundry detergent! Yep, teaching green!

More Celebrating on Day 2!

2011-06-07T17:49:00.000-07:00

Dining with Grandma Kim!
Hamming it up with the boys at the farm!
Going on a ride with mom and dad.

Awesome Backyardigans cake--he was so excited!

Celebrating, Day 2!

2011-06-07T17:45:00.001-07:00

Pizza at the park thanks to Grandma and Grandpa!
With Addy!

Grandma, Great Aunt Janelle and the cute kiddos!

More Celebrating!

2011-06-07T17:35:00.000-07:00

He gave Poppa nice hugs (after going on the slip and slide).
Loved his nerf gun so much it traveled with him on the way to daycare and he brought it to Nonna and Poppa's to show them.

Got to blow out candles. His wish? For another nerf gun. We told him to wish again since he already had one. He wished that Nonna and Poppa wouldn't go back to Florida. Did I mention that he's the sweetest?

And, look at what he got!!! I love the cute license plate!

Birthday Fun!

2011-06-07T17:29:00.001-07:00

The day started with a bite of cake and opening his nerf gun! "It's what I always wanted!" Boy, was he happy!
And, he got presents from Uncle Chris!

"This is SO cool!"

Cooling off with the water ball we borrowed from Nonna and Poppa!

Then, on to the slip and slide at Nonna and Poppa's house!

More to come.....

Swim Lessons!

2011-06-07T17:26:00.000-07:00

We signed Griffin up for private swim lessons at the Y. He did such a great job! He's not a fan of swimming on his back, but he stuck with it and did well. Here's a photo from his last night--he got to go down the waterslide with his new buddy (and swim teacher) Justin! Now he's ready for lots of lake swimming this summer!!

Talking to Uncle Chris on the Phone

2011-06-07T17:24:00.000-07:00

How cute is this smile?

Memorial Day

2011-06-07T16:34:00.000-07:00

We brought flowers out to the cemeteries on Memorial Day weekend. Griffin was so sweet, he noticed that his Great Grandma Jean had lots of flowers by her headstone, but other grandmas had none. He was really disappointed that we didn't have more flowers, so we decided that Grandma Jean would be glad to share hers. We told Griffin he could move them to another headstone, he found one (which I bet was a grandma!) and said, "Is this my grandma?" and we replied, "No." and He said, "Ok!" and put the flowers down. What a thoughtful boy.

We brought flowers to Griffin's Uncle Jordy's grave and Griffin pointed out that the photo was of Jordy right away. Then we played at the nearby park. We knew Jordy was looking own on us playing. I am sure he is proud of Griffin! Earlier in the day Hunter and Griffin were playing around the tree planted in Jordy's honor, they were trying to throw a ball up into its branches. I watched in wonder, thinking that in a way, they were playing with Jordy.

Giving Grandpa a Ride!

2011-06-07T16:32:00.000-07:00

Griffin and Hunter had fun giving Grandpa a ride on his old tractor!

Fishing!

2011-06-07T16:27:00.001-07:00

And so begins fishing season! Jamie took Spencer and Griffin out fishing a few weekends ago, the boys had a blast!

Back to his Summer Hobby

2011-05-20T21:59:00.000-07:00

The hose. Good thing we have a well.

After the Bad Idea

2011-05-20T21:57:00.000-07:00

We asked him to scrub his arm with soap. Following instructions is hard when you are just shy of 4.

Bad idea.

2011-05-20T21:55:00.000-07:00

Need I say more?

Looking for Nonna and Poppa

2011-05-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

Griffin sang in church on Mother's Day. I thought it was cute that he was looking for Nonna and Poppa when he got in the church. (And, he thought it was super cool that he got to walk where the Pastors walk--behind the alter!)

Recap: Poppa Falling in the Water

2011-05-07T07:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Little Man

2011-05-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

I love watching our happy little man playing!

Writing His Name

2011-05-07T07:29:00.000-07:00

Getting Dressed

2011-05-07T07:23:00.000-07:00

I am usually at the Y working out before work, but on Friday I stayed home to get a few things done before work. I thought it was so cute how Jamie laid out Griffin's clothes so that he could get them on by himself. The socks really cracked me up. What a good Daddy. What a lucky Mommy.

Delivering May Day Baskets

2011-05-07T07:18:00.001-07:00

Spring Easter

2011-04-24T17:55:00.000-07:00

We had the most perfect spring day today! The service at Grace (where we got married) was awesome! Terrific music and a great children's and adult sermon. After a yummy brunch the kiddos had a fun egg hunt thanks to Aunt Jill. After the farm we went to Monte. We headed over to the park across the street and had a great time flying kites!!

Making the Most of a the Snow

2011-04-20T08:03:00.000-07:00

Nice rain boots, huh?