My Boys...

looking suave in their shades - which are a necessary when taking a ride in the dune buggy (can't be gettin' bugs in your eyes, now can you?)...

Another Sunday "Fun-Day"

Last Sunday we decided to check out our local mini-amusment park, Evergreen Adventure Park, located about 12 miles from our house. We arrived later in the day, and were one of 3 families at the park, so we got free-reign of everything the park had to offer. Nice weather and no lines - gotta love that!

Our first family "adventure" - after Brendan jumped around in the HUGE bounce house - was a ride on the little train that cruises around the park...

Brendan absolutely LOVES trains so he was, of course, enthralled...

Next stop - GO CARTS!



Cary and I took turns giving Brendan a ride (Halle was too small to go) - he loved it...

After going on the go-carts we hit the bumper boats, but due to the splashing water, we elected not to take the camera into the boats, hence - no pics!

Finally, we ended the day with Brendan's first attempt at driving a Hummer - at first he had a bit of difficulty...
But, in no time he was cruising around like a pro!

She's Off....

......and WALKING!!!!!!!!! It took awhile, but Halle officially started walking today! She has been taking 4 or 5 steps - walking from one of us to the other - for MONTHS, but Thursday night we walked into the living room to find her standing up in the middle of the room all by herself, and we knew we were getting close to having another mobile child! This morning she took off - and while she'll still drop down and crawl if she has to get somewhere quick - she's standing up and walking tons!! YAY!! :)

Buh-Bye Baby....

Hellooooooooo Toddler!

Those crazy kids!

A few pictures of the kids at their best...


The two blondies gettin' clean...
Halle loves the rocking chair...
Thanks for the hat, Steve and Holly! Our little trooper...
Girls are SUCH fun to dress up - could she be any cuter????

"Momma, that Carousel is SO fun!"

Across the road from the Wahpeton Zoo is the Prairie Rose Carousel. It's gorgeous and only costs $1 to ride. The horses were hand restored in the early 90's, and the results are impressive. Each horse has a name, and the old gentleman that runs the Carousel comes around and tells the children which horse they are riding on before each ride begins.

One of my favorite horses, Freedom.

Brendan LOVED it - he couldn't get enough.



Halle, on the other hand, was terrified. She hated the movement and loud music. She was much happier just watching from the sidelines. I'm sure next year she'll love it as much as Brendan did!

Our Zoo Adventure..

This past Saturday, the whole family packed up and drove 2 hours to the Chinakapa Zoo in Wahpeton, ND. Grandma Connie met us there, much to Brendan's surprise and delight (I didn't tell him she was coming so he would be surprised)! It was an absolutely GORGEOUS day, about 85 degrees, with a nice breeze; we couldn't have asked for better. We had a wonderful time and it was such fun to see the kids experience the animals (especially Brendan, who was old enough to really understand and totally enjoy the animals) and take in everything.


Polar Bears are TALL!

Mom and Brendan just "monkeying around"...

Halle's first trip to a zoo!

What a gorgeous day, and such a beautiful zoo!

Grandma Connie with the kids...

It is amazing just how close the animals are to you...

We really enjoyed watching the Gibbons; they are hilarious! They make crazy sounds, and are so entertaining!

Trampoline Time!

It was a gorgeous day on Sunday - and we had a blast on the trampoline!
Brendan is a crazy man - jumping...

Butt bouncing...
Diving twists...
And "flying" with Daddy's assistance...
Posing for the camera... (goofball!)
And, finally - Daddy doing one of his back flips!

The Place We Call Home

Although most of you, that read this blog, have been here....there are some that haven't so I thought I'd post a few pictures of our home/land.

First, a couple pictures of the house itself...


Next, a picture of our buildings...

And, finally - a couple shots taken off of our screened-in porch...

Friday Night Fun...

It was finally nice out when we got home from work tonight, after a week of rainy, cold weather - so we took advantage of it!

Brendan is finally getting tall enough to ride his John Deere tricycle - here Daddy is trying to teach him the mechanics of riding...

He's got the hang of pedaling, for the most part, but steering is a whole other matter...

Meanwhile, in the house, Halle practiced her favorite activity - eating!
Then, Cary put together my b-day present...
A picnic table!!


Love it!

The Big Bash!

This past Saturday, April 29th, we held the kids' joint birthday party at my parents' farm, near Oakes, ND. The party was wonderful, the food was amazing, and we realized, once again, just how lucky we are to have such wonderful family and friends...


First, a couple of pictures of the decorations...we had "1st Birthday Barnyard" decorations for Halle, and "John Deere" decorations for Brendan...


Everything looked great! Here are a couple pictures of my favorite decoration....the cupcake tree!
We also decorated the garage, where many of us sat while eating lunch...

CAKE! (or should I say...cupcakes!) YUM!



Pictures of some of the guests...A picture of Audrey and Halle (with Grandma Lee in the background) - I love this picture...
Time to open presents...





The birthday goofballs...

A huge THANK YOU to everyone - it means the world to us that those that were able to made the trip, and spent the day with us. Thank you to Grandma Connie and Grandpa David for hosting the party, and for all your hard work in getting the house ready and all of your help with everything. Thanks to all that brought food to share - it was DELICIOUS, and was much appreciated. Thanks to everyone for your generous gifts for the kids; they are now the best dressed kids with the coolest games and toys in Park Rapids! For those of you that weren't able to make it to the party, but thought of us on Saturday, thank you, as well! We are so blessed to have such wonderful family and great friends.