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!

Spring Break - revisited

I got a bit caught up in telling about our Florida trip that I forgot to tell about the boys official spring break.

We kicked the week off by celebrating my Grandpa's life in a memorial service on Saturday. It was a very full weekend of family and dear friends and many laughs and tears. We ended the family time with some bowling and bocce fun before sending off my mom to go visit my Grandma.

The boys and I then took a road trip to go be with my other Grandma, in International Falls. We had fun being with her and watching old t.v. programs. The boys also had a blast playing with their oh-so-cool older cousins, Willy & Gary. They were amazed by their basketball, video game and geography skills. Owen was really intrigued the night we did Willy's math homework with him.

We ended our spring break with a lunch playdate with our old neighbors. Here is a sweet before and current photo of the crew!

What if it snows in June?

Yes, it is April 20 and we woke up to snow on the ground! Owen asked me this this morning, anticipating my response with a big smile. I told him, as I have recently when its been unseasonably cold, "we're moving to Florida."

Here are the last batch of Florida photos to share. Lots more beach and cousin time with a pit stop to feed, touch and smell some baby gators.

Can trees grow up to space?

Walter asked me this the other day and I have no doubt that this came from our time in Cocoa Beach.

When we arrived in Cocoa Beach, we were greeted by Grandma Donna, Grandpa Bruce, Uncle Jon, Auntie Rachel and cousins Isabelle & Oscar! Walter and Bella quickly became best buds while Owen enjoyed playing with little Oscar, the two buddies, and all the bugs and shells the area had to offer. We were your typical beach bums in Cocoa Beach. With the exception of a dinner here, a mini-golf there, and an ice cream cone in between, we were at the beach! There were plenty of holes dug, castles built, waves caught and sun screen applied.

We did take one day to visit the Kennedy Space Center. It was such fun exploring and learning about NASA and space. Owen will happily tell you about his shuttle launch experience while Walter will tell you about the space playground he couldn't get enough of. Jer and I will probably tell you about the amazing IMAX movies we enjoyed. I'm telling you, its not a matter of if there is other life out there, but where. Wild.