Busy, Busy, Busy

We had a lot going on last week which is a good thing, so I haven't downloaded our new pictures for posting yet! Other than mostly rainy weather and indoor activities, we had the kids' annual doctor appointment on Friday. They are growing, active and doing well (perfect kids says our pediatrician) and they only had 1 shot each. They both had their fingers poked for blood work. It was pretty cute b/c they had matching boo boos on their right thigh and finger. Overall the visit went fairly well, Peter got himself all worked up & nervous right before the shot. Kiersten actually cried less than Peter and recovered even faster than Peter ( :

The kids are enjoying their tumbling class and sports class. Pete is enjoyed his 1 week off from school and starts spring semester this Friday. I am feeling better and more energertic everyday. We are all a little sad pre-school is ending in 2 1/2 weeks, but we realize this is just the beginning.

We did an awful lot of cleaning and organizing outside this weekend. I cleaned out our shed and Pete mowed and fertilized the lawn. We also found a lot of play time too, now I need to catch up on sleep!

"Are your kids adopted?"

Pete gets this question occasionally, most recently about 2 weeks ago. We were at the mall and I had left them in the playarea to use the bathroom. A lady who had adopted 2 children from Guatemala thought Pete had adopted Peter & Kiersten from Guatemala too! Poor Pete has to work on his tan since he is 1/2 mexican (and 1/2 German). The kids & I are already naturally tan, but the sun has really given us more color! Its funny b/c the kids do look like Pete too if you take the time to look past the color of their skin. It always makes me laugh when he gets asked that question b/c of course, I'm never around when he is asked.

Enjoying the beautiful weekend (Sat's pics)

Saturday, Pete went on a golf outing with a bunch of friends he hasn't seen in a while, so the kids & I spent our Saturday out and about. We went out to lunch at Wendy's & drove over to Rochester Park. We played there for a while and ran around chasing after ducks and squirrels. Then we drove home & stopped at McDonald's for ice cream which was a nice cold treat. Finally we headed home and the kids' got a much needed bath (they were a little dirty) and Dad arrived home an hour later. The kids and I got some much needed sun! We went out again today, but I have to download the pictures still!

Loves posing for the digital camera, just NOT the professionals!

Peter is a great big brother, always eager to play with Kiersten & show her new things.


"Ohhh, HI DUCKS!!"

Be Kind, Give Gift Receipts!

Just a little blurb from me....I firmly believe that unless you give cash/gift cards and you buy an an actual gift, please enclose a gift receipt. Receiving a gift is truly one of the nicest things ever and there is so much thought given towards the gift, but its just practical. Sometimes an item breaks or malfunctions and it makes life so much easier when trying to exhange it. If one buys clothes as a gift...please, I beg you....enclose a gift receipt! For example, Peter is a small boy and some size 5 just are too big/too long. Or it may damaged. A better example, Kiersten received boy clothes for her birthday and she is a girl. The outfit is cute and thoughtful, but she would never wear it because she's not a boy. Thanks and that is my thought for the day. Be kind & practical, enclose that gift receipt ( :

Kiersten's 2nd Birthday

"Time to wake up birthday girl"
Stretching...

The portrait of a princess

Here we go...all washed and dressed

My favorite 2 smiles

We played at the mall play area for an hour waiting for dad to meet us for dinner.

Still not sure she likes being in the rainforest
Peter is right at home in the rainforest.
Dessert..finally a smile!
Bye bye!!

Happy 2nd Birthday Kiersten!

2 years ago today, Kiersten arrived at 9:17am!

Birthday party Pictures from Easter Weekend

Our Easter Weekend looked a lot like this....blowing snow and sleet. Luckily, the snow didn't stick to the ground, but it was cold and wet. Friday, April 6th marked the beginning of Spring Breal (felt more like winter break).
Dianne & my brother drove in from Chicago on Friday the 6th (early) & got to my house about 10am. Kiersten was not ready for a playmate quite yet & is trying to stay from Dianne.

"Stop following me!" Poor Dianne just wanted to play with her big cousin. We got that super cute table w/2 chairs from Ikea for $20!!Eventually, we got them this close, but it didn't last long. As you can Kiersten's not too happy.
Dianne is patiently waiting for George to wake up. She didn't understand what 'nocturnal' meant. George isn't the most accomodating during the day.

Saturday morning, we headed to Chuck E. Cheese. It was the kids' first time ever and they had a lot of fun. They played for over an hour or so and then it was time to go home & eat lunch! Unfortunetly, we had a lot of family that couldn't make it due to scheduling issues, but both of my brothers came and nice and nephew & a few of our friends. After lunch (we had lunch meats, salads etc...), both girls took a much needed nap. Then I attempted to try & fix their hair and get the boys dressed for pictures. We dressed the girls at the studio since it was so cold & wet outside.After pictures and dinner, we finally had dessert. Since the kids shared their parties, they also shared a cake. It worked out well since we had such a small party this year. The cake was really good!
Presents!!! The kids got a lot of stuff, including 3 easter baskets each from family and friends. We tried to pick out educational and useful toys since the kids just had a large toy filled Christmas. We received quite a bit of birthday money which I put towards their spring/summer shopping. Thanks to everyone who came, sent gifts and cards!

Easter Pictures

Happy Easter!!!!! The happiest 2 little girls ever!!! When Dianne was ready, Kiersten wasn't and vice versa. Neither were interested for the group shot. Peter & Kiersten are sitting on top of Pete's legs, the only way to keep Kiersten in the picture. Calvin is trying to hold Dianne, but its not working. We ended up making a collage of 4 individual shots as our main pose for the grandparents. I have a bunch of pictures to download from the camera from this weekend with happier moments of the 2 little girls.
Dianne's not happy about having her picture taken.
Still a little teary...

"I know I'm a pro!"

Last year, Kiersten wasn't in the group picture, this year Dianne isn't.

You take what you can get.
Easter 2006 (No Kiersten, but Dianne has grown a lot)