Yesterday and Forever

We celebrated our 6 year anniversary on Saturday!  It was a beautiful day to remember our special day.  It seems like just yesterday that I met Ryan yet it feels like forever that we have been together as it's hard to remember my life before him.  It has been an amazing 7 years (since we met).  I couldn't have planned out a more perfect script.  We have 2 precious children who make our world every single day with their sweet smiles, did a lot of traveling in the first couple years, continue to make our house a home and we are constantly making memories savoring every moment in this life!  I am beyond blessed and so thankful we are on this ride together.  There isn't anyone that is more perfect for me and no one I could ever imagine waking up to every morning!

Ryan, thank you for being my everything!  I love you more than you could ever imagine!  

My parents are always so gracious and offer to watch the kids so we can go out for an anniversary dinner.  It's a special weekend for everyone :)

We went to Pour Wine Bar in Otsego for dinner.  Some of our good friends highly recommended it so we thought we would give it a try.  It was soooo good!  The wine, the apps, the main course and dessert (which is basically everything!) were all fabulous!  We will definitely be going back.

While we were enjoying our dinner, the kids were having a blast in Owatonna!  The kids have their usual routine......get donuts with Papa, feed the ducks, play at the park, go to the library, sleep with Nana and go to church.  Plus in addition to all that, it was Crazy Days in Owatonna so there was lots of other kid friendly things going on.  Always a busy, fun time with Nana & Papa! 

Church School Bus!

Swimming - Little 3s

We have continued on the swimming lesson path as Madelyn continues to love swimming!  This session has been a bit of a disappointment as far as the instructor but that hasn't phased Madelyn (which I'm happy about) and she still enjoys it and has even made a friend in her class, Nadia, that she looks forward to seeing.  I am amazed at the progress she has made since the beginning of May.  She is able to swim further distances and is working on swimming, flipping to float on her back to rest and then flipping to keep swimming.  They recommended taking another Little 3 class so we are all signed up for that starting in August.

It's been a great swimming summer and we have been to the MG pool every weekend we have been home and our neighbors bought an above ground pool so we have been invited over there as well.  Madelyn said she would swim every day if she could.  It brings me back to when I was a kid as we spent our summers at the pool and those are days I will never forget!  I'm hoping we are making memories like that for our kids as well!

Jack's 1st Play Date

This morning we met one of Jack's friends at the park for his 1st playdate!  Max is Jack's best friend at daycare and they talk about each other all the time.  Max always comes up to me when I am dropping off Jack and Max's mom says Jack does the same thing to her when she picks up Max.  It was so fun as it was finally Jack's turn to play with his friend!  He had a big smile on his face the whole time. Jack goes to all of Madelyn's activities and/or girl play dates - which he doesn't mind - but it's awesome that he is getting to an age where he has friends and can do things with "his" friends.

We met at a park in Plymouth and the boys played for about 1.5 hours.  They played on the diggers, we walked a short trail to swing on big bench, went down the slides and of course had snacks!  Madelyn came along and was such a good big sister and friend.  Whenever the boys wanted something that she had she would let them have it.  We talked about that before we went to the park and I was so proud of her.  Both our kids are growing up so quickly!  We can't wait to meet Max at the park again soon!

Giving hugs at the end!

Anna, Elsa, Olaf and Sven!

We transitioned both kids into new beds over the past couple weeks.  Madelyn had been sleeping on a twin mattress on the floor but after being up north with my family where she slept in her own regular bed we decided to upgrade her bed.  She is now sleeping in a queen pillowtop bed which is like night & day!  It was our old bed (before we got our new king bed) and it has worked perfectly.  The only issue was the sheets.  Madelyn requested Frozen sheets but I had a hard time finding them in a queen size.......so we ended up getting her a full size comforter with shams/pillowcases and that was the perfect solution!  She sleeps with pillows all around her and so far she hasn't fallen out.....although my mom said when she was up she saw Madelyn slide down the bed onto the floor while she was sleeping -- it was as if she meant to do it......at least we haven't heard any thuds yet!

At the same time we decided to transition Jack.  I was a little more nervous about Jack's transition.  Madelyn has never gotten out of her bed without asking.  I know, crazy and hard to believe but she is our rule-follower (like her mama!) so it's worked out well.  Now Jack on the other hand.....I had no idea what to expect......but he has done amazingly well!  His crib didn't have a toddler rail so we decided to have him sleep in the twin mattress from Madelyn's room.  He has gotten out a couple times but overall he stays in his bed.  He talks and usually doesn't fall asleep until closer to 9:00 pm these days but as long as he is in bed, I'm completely fine with that!

Jack's initial request was Spiderman sheets but then he changed his mind to Olaf & Sven.  What do you know, Target sells Olaf & Sven sheets!  I figured I would be able to find Olaf but I wasn't sure about the Sven part.  Everyone's happy in their new beds with new sheets!

Maple Grove Days 2015

We went to the Maple Grove Days parade on Thursday night after swimming.  Our neighbors have invited us the past couple years and it's so fun.  They put down blankets & chairs during the day so we have a spot during the parade.  This year we had to hustle after swimming lessons but we were still there for almost 1.5 hours so that was plenty of time!  Madelyn loved being with Colleen as she was on the street picking up candy and seeing all the floats close up while Jack was content sitting on daddy's lap.  We have the best neighbors -- we are thankful they are so good to our kids!

Joe, Katie, big Jack, Madelyn & Colleen

Then on Saturday we went to Maple Grove Days with the McCormick's.  This has become an annual tradition and it is an evening we look forward to every year!  The kids pet the farm animals, play in the bouncy house, go down the big slides and eat fair food!  It's the perfect event because it has enough to keep the kids occupied and excited but it's not too big and overwhelming.  A perfect summer night with great friends!

Madelyn loved the slides!!

Teagan & Jack

4th of July!

Annual 4th of July picture on the couch!

We had a busy 4th of July weekend and as always it went by so fast!  We picked the kids up in Mankato on Friday and stopped at QCumbers for lunch on the way home.  That was Madelyn's one request for the weekend - she loved the mac & cheese the last time we were there.  The only problem was they didn't have mac & cheese this time :(  Madelyn was so sad but thankfully we were able to find other things for her to "like" eating and we finished off the meal with an ice cream sundae so everyone was happy :)  After lunch we walked around Centennial Lakes.  It was a gorgeous day!  The kids loved running around and we enjoyed being together again since the kids had been gone for the last week.

On Saturday, the 4th of July, we met my cousins, Jeff & Danielle & Tim at Lake Harriet for the afternoon.  They organized a get together and we were so excited they invited us!  It was another beautiful, hot afternoon.  They had a spot in the shade by the playground so that was perfect!  Tim owns a sailboat so we took the kids out.  They loved it!  Tim is so good to our kids - he let Madelyn be the captain and steer the boat.  As per the usual, Jack just took it all in and loved it!  Good food, great people = awesome 4th of July!

Then on Sunday my parents came up.  We always love visits from Nana and Papa.  They took the kids to the park and then we had ice cream!  A perfect way to end the long week!  Started off with grandparents and ended with grandparents.....absolutely nothing better......we are truly blessed with all the love our kids gets from our families!  

Week on the Farm

Madelyn & Jack went to the farm on Monday.  They were so excited!  We have been counting down sleeps and they couldn't wait to see Grandma & Grandpa, the pigs, Milton, the bobcat.....the list went on!  Ryan met his parents at Sibley Park in Mankato and he said he couldn't leave fast enough - the kids wanted to be with Gpa and Gma.  They stayed and played for a bit at the park and then they were on their way to the farm.

What a fun week it has been on the farm!  They played with Milton, took turns sitting in the tractor with Grandpa.  This was the 1st trip where Madelyn actually did it.  It sounds like she was much braver this trip.  Jack was a little scared the 1st few times but he eventually got in the tractor with Grandpa too.  Jack was in the pig barn - from the picture it looked he was right at home helping Gpa! Madelyn's favorite part were the kittens in the pig barn.

Uncle Chris and Uncle Marc have been there quite a bit which has been awesome.  Uncle Chris played bat & ball with Jack and takes him anywhere on the farm he wants to go.  Uncle Marc is always up for whatever the kids want to do - it's like a party 100% of the time for our kids.  They have everyone's attention and everyone will basically do whatever the kids want!

Aunt Jody and Michelle (Chris' girlfriend) stopped by one evening.  Gma said that Madelyn was a little shy as I think it gets overwhelming when there are so many people there.  Never the less sounds like the party wrapped up around 10:00 and our kids were still up!  Aunt Jane & Uncle Jon stopped over one day and they went to an Elevator Appreciation Supper for ice cream cones one night.  Always so many fun things going on at the farm!

 

On Thursday Gma told the kids they would be heading back home and Madelyn requested to stay one more sleep because she was having so much fun and wanted to stay and play with the kitty :)  Soooooo, we met the Bormann's in Mankato this morning to pick them up.  It was a great week and everyone had a blast!  The kids can't wait to go back!!!

Riding on Daddy's tractor from when he was a kid!

Feeding the sheep at Sibley Park