Turning 5, Thanksgiving and Weekend at Nana's

Hunter turns 5 next week. I can't believe it!

Party at our house! A new fishing rod...


Getting ready for cake!


Phineas and Ferb cake


Jacy ready to run...at Thanksgiving...Troy and Levrett getting ready for bed in the background

My youngest God Child...what a cutie!

Jacy finding a new place to watch Elmo at Nana's

Hunter with the kid connects that Sam built for him...it went from a house to the Deathstar to a droid...wonder what he thinks about a lot!

Jacy getting comfortable at Nana's

Hunter helping with the lights

Hunter wondering what a says Christmas like a seal :) ok maybe mommy is thinking that.

Cleaning, Fishing and Turning 2

Updates:


My beautiful kitty has gotten a lot of flack through the years...but now that she has kitty happy medicine she is really getting better...and isn't she pretty :)

Hunter likes to help around the house...especially when it means more Xbox time.


Labor Day weekend was filled with A LOT of Fishing! We had BEAUTIFUL weather.

More Fishing...we are going to catch that big bass from Memorial Day...do you think he is still around?

Jacy wanted to get into the fishing scene too. Big Cousin Riley looks like he is going to help!

Hunter hiding out at the park.

Hunter and Jacy watching the "little dvd"...never mind that the regular tv works :)

Hunter "helping" Jacy at Chuck E Cheese



Hunter enjoying a little Xbox time

More fun at Chuck E Cheese

Happy 2nd Bday Peanut!



Giving Daddy a little hug...did you see how she has him wrapped around her little finger ??

Great Papa helping with the baby.

Aunt Robin and Uncle Rick getting goodbye hugs

Hanging out with big cousin Addie. Two little peas in a pod...now we just need Syd.

Happy birthday to you...and mommy's lego cake :)

Watching Hunter get the guys :)

WOW!

So it has been a long time!! I am a little emotionally toasted this week. Josh's grandma passed away. She was a neat lady but it reiterates the influence of people passed on your life with every funeral you go to.

So while I won't dwell on how busy things have been, because they are for everyone. I will get some pictures up of my peanuts.

I am trying to do a little cost/time saving by doing portraits myself...that's why I bought that fancy camera right??


I got a lot of "cheesy" pictures of Hunter...

Jacy was less then cooperative but I got a couple...

One of my faves of their little personalities :)

Like she is really shy ???

They do really like each other...

Sure is nice out!

Hunter with a natural smile...Jacy has had enough!

The kids watching fireworks

Hunter and Sawyer with sparklers!

The Girls :) Think they look a little alike?? All three could be mine...thank goodness only one is!

This is how Jacy woke up from her nap...posing with Aunt Steph

Jacy enjoying the parade and one of MANY suckers! She is SO the 2nd child...Hunter was WAY older when he had suckers!

The boys at the parade

50 Things you might not know about my dad...

I know it is a couple days early but I had the time do it now and not sure I will next week :)

1. Born in 1949
2. Graduated June 1967
3. Married June 1968
4. First son born August 1969
5. Second oldest of 7
6. Started dating my mom before he was 16 (on my grandpa’s birthday-March 6, 1965)
7. Buys my mom flowers on that anniversary
8. Has 3 kids (Heather is by far the coolest and gets everything she wants J )
9. Spent a lot of time as a kid with his dad building houses
10. Trained as a pattern maker
11. Ran 2 different pattern shops in his career
12. Has hired one of his apprentices from the first to run the second
13. Also a very good carpenter
14. Built many presents for others and the house they live in, including: beds for me and Derek (mine twice), cradles, dressers, entertainment centers, fireplace hearths, buffet, MANY hall trees for big and small, tables, plant stands, shelves, quilt stands, and many other things including wooden swords and guns for the boys to play with
15. Has very few projects that he has been paid money for
16. Has had 4 dogs (Dusty, Poky, Fritz and Ruby)…with hopes that 4th time is a charm in training
17. Is not a fan of a job done half a** and instilled that quality in us
18. Can’t sit still very well, except getting better about it in Madison
19. Has gone by names (that I know of): Kenneth, Kenny, Ken, Schip, Schipper, Dad, Bumpa, Papa
20. All three of his kids were also called Schip at some time in their life
21. Lost his hair very young (nothing to do with me) but waited until late 80’s to start “parting it down the middle”
22. My mom has cut his hair twice and the last time she “missed” a little and Her and I couldn’t stop giggling
23. He is very patient keeping closets full of our stuff…even though he threatens to send it home with us every time we are in Manitowoc
24. Cannot resist a good find on the side of the road, whether it be a grill or ONE glove
25. Doesn’t really drive the speed limit unless the cruise is set
26. Has sported some of the best side-burns I have ever seen
27. Threw his sister through the ceiling tile in the basement when she was a baby
28. There is only 4 years between his youngest sister and oldest son
29. Always happy to help, always shy to take the credit
30. Likes to meet people wherever he is. He is infamous for sitting in a hot tub at a hotel and making “friends” with whomever is in there (a trait he has passed on to me).
31. He is at the Quality Inn in Madison so often that the desk person says “Anything for you Mr. Ken.” “We have a room for you Mr. Ken.” “Of Course at a good rate for you Mr. Ken”
32. We are glad that he is in Madison enough to have that relationship
33. Part of the reason he is in Madison is to help us with projects at our houses too
34. He enjoys taking rides especially when they end in a McDonald’s Dt Coke…oh wait that might be influenced by my mom
35. Has 20 (almost 21) years in at Grey Iron Foundry…after having 21 years in at Manitowoc Engineering
36. Has owned many cars, including two Mustangs…which were totaled. One of which was in a trade with me: I got the 1988 Chevy Nova, he got a 1980’s Mazda truck with pungy cord to hold the door closed (I paid $100 and a bottle of whiskey for that truck!)
37. He got me a deal on a new mirror for the Nova (after a little mishap with the mailbox) because he sold the body shop guy a gun.
38. He enjoys refinishing guns of many kinds.
39. He has refinished Swedish WWII riffles, guns for each of the boys and Josh’s after he (Josh) tried to clean it and accidently broke it
40. Has 2 boys but his GIRL is the engineer
41. Met my mom in High school choir, still likes to sing, Karaoke style
42. Likes to fish and hunt and instilled that in my brothers
43. Made my brothers put their own worms on in the hooks as kids…I never did…ewwww
44. Had a very short stint in his working career where he had to wear a shirt and tie (hence the changing companies after 21 years)
45. Is one of the most patient people I have ever met
46. I can count on one hand how many times he got truly mad at us as kids (and when he did we knew we were in trouble)
47. Sat through MANY basketball, football, volleyball, softball and baseball games, even coached some early on (I think)
48. Is still best friends with my mom
49. Has been one of the best role models to me, Josh and my kids life
50. AND he turns 60 next week!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!

Happy Easter!

We spent Easter at my parents. A good time was had by all. Enjoy my little cuties!


Hunter and the Boys searching for some Easter eggs (you can't tell from the picture that there was an Arctic wind blowing off of Lake Michigan!)


My little princess waiting to go to church...wait we need our winter coats! (Yep she picked a nuk that matched her dress!)

Jacy showing her pretty dress...the hair "pretties" were long gone!

Hunter making a silly face for the camera!

Hunter got a spider man umbrella from the Easter bunny. He was very excited about it! We convinced him (before anything got broken inside) that he had to play with it outside!

Hunter trying out his umbrella.

Daddy is never too excited about the shear earliness that is Easter Morning. Our little peanut was bright eyed and bushy tailed at 6 O'clock! She wasn't that thrilled with finding eggs though.

Spring Update...

Well once again it has been a while! So many things happening so little time :) As I know soo many can relate! After spending January and February in hibernation we spent March visiting and hosting. We had friends from college over one weekend...8 adults, 9 kids (oldest 5)...and 2 on the way! We had beautiful weather and lots of fun. All of the kids got along well, ate some good brats, hamburgers and snacks. The same weekend included 2 Badger game parties, lots of beer and too much food!

My mom and dad have been down a couple of times and we have been able to get the kids in the pool a few times. About 2 months ago we were begging to get Hunter to jump in the pool and he wouldn't do it, this weekend he was taking running/walking leaps into the pool repetitively for about an hour!

I got to do a little outlet shopping and dinner with Friends on Saturday. Shopping by myself was such a treat and nice me time! On the way home I got a really sweet message from Josh that made me say out loud that I have a wonderful husband :) ...and I do!

My mom had a birthday last week so Hunter and I went to Manitowoc to spend some time with her. And she and I went to Glamour Shots to get our pictures taken. It was a lot of fun!

Lately Jacy has been obsessed with the potty so I thought I would get it out while Hunter was in the bathroom. I stripped her down and she went pee! Kind of fun! It was more a coincidence then anything but yet another reminder that my baby isn't really a baby!

Hopefully I can get some pictures up one of these days!

Happy Easter!

Cleaning the truck

While I realize that my truck needed a cleaning...desperately, my son didn't need to expedite the process. Let me take you back to Sunday...

Hunter and I went to Sunday School/Church. We came home to pick up Josh and Jacy and we were off right away to friends for lunch. As I wasn't going to be in the house long, I asked Hunter if he wanted to stay in the Truck (He thinks it is fun to be in the "way back"). So he stayed in (keys out, parking brake on and doors closed). When we were about to leave I asked if he needed to go potty he said no, I went on the grass (common occurrence since daddy showed him how last summer). I didn't think anything of it.

So we go to our friends have lunch and are hanging out outside. Josh has the back of the truck open so he and the kids can sit/climb in there.

Then he starts looking and asks Hunter...did you pee back here? Hunter mumbling a little bit of an excuse and then says..."I couldn't get the door open".

Sure enough, there is a little plastic indent where the back seats lock in (they were up) and he had peed in the that divot. Mind you there was a little on the carpet, but not much.

Let's also keep in mind that this is the kid that can't hit a rather large toilet...yet he peed in a 2 inch by 2 inch plastic square! Needless to say he has lost all privileges to play in the truck and a few other things!

It sure is fun to have a boy! Sometimes I think they are just preprogrammed with boy thoughts! I can guarantee no little girl has thought to do that!

So my truck got a cleaning yesterday (the carpet got scrubbed Sunday).

Sick day with mommy...

Jacy and Daddy hanging out and not feeling very good :(




Princess Mommy and Jacy




Princess Jacy



Crackers and dry toast for breakfast...at least mommy lets me eat in the chair when I am sick