And, I will say Spiderman.

Walter and I were discussing what he will be like as an adult. I suggested kind, responsible, peaceful, strong and confident. He added this, concentrating heavily on the 'S'.

We had a very full weekend, busy with friends and summer fun. We started the weekend with a fun bbq with the Petit's...Colin is pretty much Jeremy's 3rd brother while Maggie is a fellow 'Babe' in my mom's group.

On Saturday we headed to Big Eagle Lake for a night at Owen's buddy's family cabin. We enjoyed swimming, boating and all sorts of fishing. The boys were catching fish left and right off the dock. They had a great time swapping fish stories and were so excited to all sleep in the loft together.

After heading home on Sunday, we went to a friend's house to gather and say good bye to an old Augsburg friend who was home visiting from Russia. It was great to spend some time with him and his family and is always so fun to see Jeremy with his college buddies and all the bantering and laughing that goes along with it.

Today we are home, recouping and prepping for the week to come.

I only want to go kayaking.

We spent a night with my mom's group and all the wee ones last week at our friend Sarah's cabin. She so graciously hosted 'Pine Lake Camp' for us all where there were crafts, child written, directed and acted plays, bike rides, marshmallow roasts, movies, swimming, fishing and boating. It was such a treat to be with all of the Babes and reminisce of the days when we all met nearly six years ago. Owen tried kayaking for the first time and realized he loved the freedom of exploring the lake in a boat. It took him a good 4 days to stop saying he wanted to go kayaking every five minutes or so.

At the very beginning of summer, we all met up at our friend Annie's farm near Stillwater. The kids loved feeding the sheep and exploring their beautiful garden and land. Its been a bit since we have all been together as most of our eldest children are now in school. We are really enjoying having these opportunities to reconnect with our first friends!

Because I always love to share the before photo...here is a photo from one of our first ever playgroup's together...when the majority of us only had one kid (and I had really dark hair)!

I feel normal now!

A few weeks ago, the boys and I met my parents in Eagle River, WI to break in their new retirement home, a RV! We had a great time biking, swimming, playing games and making fires. Owen was on his bike probably 50% of the time we were there, while Walter jumped into the pool a good 200 times. I ended up leaving the boys with my parents while I returned to Minneapolis to finish up some freelancing I've been doing and have some time alone with Jeremy. After a few days at home, I had an urge to get back with my boys and parents, so I drove the 300 miles again and got there just in time for a 1/2 hour of tubing behind the boat with my sweet peas! That night, Owen woke up with stomach pains which continued on and off the next day. When it came time for bed he was extremely uncomfortable and after lots of time trying and only a little time actually sleeping, we headed to the ER at 4 a.m. After many tests, x-rays and all sorts of waiting, Owen was diagnosed with mono. We went back to my parents, finally got a few zzz's, bought a car DVD player and headed home. We were able to sneak in to see O's doctor before she left for a month and get a lot of questions answered and much needed peace of mind! Last week, after playing with some friends Owen told me "I feel normal now!" and we both shared huge smiles! We are still cautious and taking it a little easy, but we are certainly still enjoying summer. Health is a precious thing.

I get three birthday parties!

It is good to be 4 and have so many people want to celebrate you! Walter turned 4 on June 22nd and had three parties to mark the event. He enjoyed all the cake and gifts, but especially loves being a big 4 year old now.

In the midst of celebrating Walter's birthday we celebrated my sister's birthday with a special dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, thanks to my parents. It was a ridiculously delicious meal and fun to cheers to my grandpa, who also loved and treated us to the restaurant many times.

There's a red one!

We built a garden this year and it has been so much fun! The boys run out there often checking on the fruits and veggies, particularly seeking strawberries. We have had a healthy handful of delicious red ones already, to which they always declare "There's a red one!" with excitement. Jer and I are more excited about the fresh spinach that we are now able to put in our morning smoothies, yum!

I love the joy in this photo of Walter and his buddy, Kai, and I just needed to share it! May it bring a smile to your face, too!

Don't just pack it, wear your jacket.

The boys finished up their swimming lessons session last night and got a report card from their instructors. Under the safety category is this saying "Don't just pack it, wear your jacket." The boys have had lots of fun with that saying today, being silly, singing songs about it and trying to bug one another with it. Whenever they say it to each other, they have been laughing and laughing. Silly bros.

We took the boat out last weekend and enjoyed some time fishing on Lake Minnetonka. Owen is quite the angler. Walter was more interested in having snacks and sitting with me this time around. Owen was the first to catch a fish and almost had the record for the day until Jer reeled in this 12.5" bass.

Movin' on up...

Friday was Owen & Walter's last day of school. We are happily enjoying our first week of summer vacation and the 90+ degree weather! Today we started the day with some slip and slide, followed by park time and a picnic with friends, a jump in the lake, a quick stop at the ice cream shop, some boat making and more slip and sliding. Tomorrow we have some friends coming over for all sorts of fun...I better get to bed!

Before I do, I need to share some photos of Owen's leadership recognition ceremony and the family all school picnic. Owen is officially a first grader and Sunny Hollow recognized this big step for him with a nice ceremony followed by a reception and then an all school picnic. I was lucky to help out on the last day of school, too, making banana 'ice cream' and spending some time on the playground with O's class. After all that was done, there was a family picnic where Owen joined the elementary kids for a friendly water balloon fight...boys against the girls!

We gathered again on Saturday for a celebratory bbq for Owen and the other leaders in his classroom at a friend's house. Even his wonderful teachers for the past three years, Gina and Katie, came to help celebrate them. We are all so excited for him and see his readiness more every day.

Sweet Beaver

As you probably have noticed, Owen has decided to grow his hair out. I'm not sure where this idea came from, but my guess is that it comes from his great loathing of haircuts. Regardless, since doing this he has been getting lots of 'Justin Beiber' comments from people including us at home. A couple of days ago Walter and I stopped at the grocery store and, while driving, he had found a Twins hat and sunglasses. When I went to get him out of his seat he asked me, "Do I look cool like Sweet Beaver?" I paused, thinking what in the world is sweet beaver, then it clicked, and I said "Yes, you look very cool...like Justin Beiber."

My sweet, sweet Walter.

It's a ninja boat.

My dad built the boys a workbench last fall. The boys love going down there and nailing boards together, drilling holes in boards and even sawing a bit. Walter has been in to making boats lately. After he makes them, he paints them and wants to go float them at the lake. This one was a ninja boat!

Owen is nearing his end in Children's House 3. After three years there, he will move up to elementary next year. He brought home the contents of his drawer yesterday and it was full of math problems, drawings of different dog breeds, sewing, beautiful cursive capital letters and these wonderful continent maps. Yes, I am one proud mama!

Puke in the hair.

We have been pretty lucky on the stomach flu front this winter, but early this morning, our luck switched. Owen woke up before the roosters thinking he was hungry, after a few options weren't feeling right we crawled into our bed and a few minutes later he puked all over. Poor little guy couldn't keep anything down all day. I am on at least my 7th load of laundry of the day and for sure my 5th outfit. This is when that maternal instinct kicks into high and you just don't care about the puke in your hair, on your toes or all over you clothes. I am just happy that I don't have to even flinch about worrying how I will do multiple things today, I just am here to care for my boy. Nothing is fighting for my attention. Thankfully, I have dear friends at Sunny Hollow who helped get Walter to school (thank you Molly!) and bring Walter to their house after school for some playtime (thank you Noelle!). I'm hoping for a good night of rest and maybe some card games in bed with Owen tomorrow.

Feel better my sweet O!

It's still new to me.

The other day one of Walter's buddies told me our kitchen was no longer new. I told him it still was to me. He then told me his favorite thing about our (new) kitchen is that if a robber came in he wouldn't be able to steal our trash because it is hidden. He tells me this every time he is over and I laugh every time.

I realized I never shared any final result photos of our new kitchen, so without further ado, here are a few before (I didn't take any befores of the old family room, so you get some wrestling photos) and some lovely afters:

Jinx!

Owen has been spending more and more time in the Elementary classroom where he will be next year. He is learning more complex math, reading and geography. In addition, he is learning more elementary games like "Jinx". He tries to set Walter or Jer or me up with a "Mom, say xyz" and as one of us falls for the trap, he says it too and jinxes us. When one of the boys are on 'jinx' they come up to the other family members and point to themselves with pleading eyes hoping you will say their name. Fun, fun!

We had an enjoyable Easter with three separate egg hunts with friends and cousins and a treasure hunt courtesy of Grandma Joanne. The Easter Bunny hid the boys' baskets and made Owen's extra challenging, hiding it on the top of a chandelier!