Girls.

I spend a great deal of time trying to get the "perfect" picture of my kids.  I can never get them to look at the camera at the same time with a real smile on their face.  I always try to capture the smiles like all of the professional (and some not) photos posted on facebook, pinterest, and whatever other social media I'm looking at.  The truth is I am trying too hard.  This is one of my absolute favorite pictures of my girls.  They are not staged perfectly but rolling on the floor.  Their hair is not done beautifully with every strand where it's supposed to be, instead it is messy.  Neither one of them is looking at the camera.  This is real life.  This is pure happiness.  And although I know this picture will not win any awards or be mistaken for a professional photo at the print shop, I don't care.  This picture shows how fun loving these two girls truly are.  They are two of the most feisty sisters I have ever met and I love them all the more for it.  You can hardly tell where one begins and the other ends.  Their beautiful blonde hair blends together as one.  I hope this will be their relationship one day: so close that no one can separate them, best friends.

  I learned a big lesson today.  While it's okay to try and take perfect pictures on occasion, it is not necessary all the time.  Stop trying so hard.  Keep the camera readily available to grab a moment like the one shared in the photos above.  Capture the joys of daily life.  That is what photographing your own children should be about isn't it?

School's out for Summer!

Kadence and Landon's 1st day of school back in September.

Last day of school Friday May 25th!  It was a bright morning and I tried my hardest to get the kids to open their eyes!  The kids had their last day of preschool. They went to school at the normal time and then Kenzie and I met them there about 11 for an ice cream social.

Before I go on, I had to post this picture.  How hilarious is that?  I could not stop laughing.

Landon's class did a little informal program where they sang a few of their favorite songs from the year.  It was fun to watch them all.  Even Kenzie sat still and enjoyed the songs. 

 Landon's class was the older of the preschool kids and will all be going to Kindergarten next year.  They received preschool certificates from Mrs. Peterson along with a big hug!

Kadence's class was the youngest of the kids so they will all have another year of preschool.  Kadence was so excited to have us come for ice cream but spent the entire time with her friend Kendallynn. They ate ice cream together, held hands as they went from one spot to the next, and played together on the playground.  I asked Kadence if I could get a picture of her and Miss Heather and they both had to be in the picture.  So, Kendallynn's mom and I snapped pictures of them both with Miss Heather, I suppose that is an appropriate representation of this school year.  Oh to be a little girl again.

A good picture I had snapped of the kids the previous school day for Pajama Day.  I can't believe how much the two of them have grown in just 8 1/2 months. They learned a ton this school year and had a great time doing so!

Here is Landon's class photo for the year.  Top Left-Max. Top Right-Miranda.  Mrs. Peterson, Caleb (the fastest one, mom), Carter, Levi (with the boat), Charlie Ann (Landon's good girl friend), Addy, Madyson, Landon.  Not Pictured-Abby.

Landon had a little bit of a hard time with his last day of school.  He really liked his teacher and told me he was sad and was going to miss her.  Throughout the social hour he gave her at least 5 hugs.  I don't think he wanted to say goodbye.  In the car on the way home he was staring at the above photo with everyone blocked out with his hand but Mrs. Peterson.  Ryan thought that was weird, I think he just has a big heart.  He also slept with the photo Friday night.  Oddly, he has since then not even mentioned anything about school.  Love that little boy!

Kadence and her first preschool class with Miss Heather.  The photo was blurry in the first place and then was ripped by a tug-of-war match between Kadence and Kenzie.  Kadence wasn't quite as attached to her teacher but talks about Kendallynn nonstop.  Luckily they can play together still!

This has nothing to do with school but I wanted to post Kadence's professional dance picture for the year.  We just received the pictures and the dvd.  It is so fun and I can't wait to watch Kadence in dance again next year!

18 Months.

Happy 18 months Kenzie Marie!  I can't believe I no longer have a baby.  This sweet toddler sure keeps me on my toes.  She remains busier than ever but I'd love to freeze her and keep her right where she is for awhile.  Her hair is getting blonder every day and her eyes remain green/brown. She has the biggest smile and biggest eyes.  She no longer walks but runs everywhere.  Some things to remember about this little peanut:

~Kenzie love love loves to swing in her baby swing on the playset.

~She begs to go outside constantly if we are in the house.

~She loves to push her baby stroller around.

~She will go for long walks with us and run the entire time.

~She also likes to ride in her stroller.

~She is still a daddy's girl.

~Kenzie is still very attached to me and Ryan when others are around but is getting better.

~She is obsessed with toothpaste and toothbrushes.

~She does not have a very big appetite.

~She has iphone radar and knows the second mine or Ryan's phones are in her reach.

~She wants to do everything Landon and Kadence do.

~She is an early riser and is almost always up by 6 am.

~She is totally oblivious to the tv.

~She loves when I turn the music up loud and she dances all around.

~Kenzie still loves her blankey and nuk (I know, I know).

~She loves dogs and gets really excited any time she sees one.

~Her words are exploding:
-mama, mom, dada, dad, daddy, more, nigh-nigh (blankey), all done, lannon (Landon), dee (Kadence), Emma, papa, bubble, boop (poop), yeah, no, nack (snack), woah, mil (milk), puppa (puppy).

We all love little miss Kenzie so much.  She is so fun right now and I love watching her grow and learn and especially hearing her little voice speak her new words.  They grow up way too fast!

Marathon Weekend!

Fargo marathon weekend is a very fun weekend for our family and we look forward to it every year.  It has become a Strasburg tradition as everyone tries to come and most everyone participates in some part of the weekend.  Landon and Kadence kicked the weekend off with the 1/2 mile youth run on Thursday night.  Despite the 92 degree temperature the kids seemed to have fun and ran the entire way.  They were so excited to get their medals and ran very well.  I ran with Kadence and Ryan ran with Landon while Kenzie hung out with Grandma Sue, Holly, and Jack.  It was very fun!

Friday night was the 5K run/walk.  The race directors were shooting for 10,000 participants and were very close to their goal with 9,500.  That is a lot of people and a giant race!  This year Jack and Jessie ran the 5k race and did an excellent job despite the 95 degree temperature.  We had a blast watching them and Kristy and Holly were even interviewed and on the news!

 Saturday was the half-marathon/marathon day.  Oddly, it cooled off more than 30 degrees which was perfect for the runners but chilly for the spectators!  Sadly, I don't have any pictures of us from the race and hope to get some next year!  Holly ran a great marathon with a time of 3:45, great job crazy lady!  Kristy and Ryan finished their half-marathon just a couple minutes apart and had their fastest race yet as well!  I finished my half in just over 1:46.  I had been struggling with some Achilles Tendonitis but was taped up with some magic K-Tape the day before and it felt better than it had been feeling the two weeks prior.  I missed my goal time of 1:45 so now I have to train harder for the next one!  I'm not going to lie, I spent the remainder of Saturday with a bad stomach ache.  I was so disappointed since I trained better for this race than any other half I had done!  What a fun weekend filled with family and great races.  I love running so much and it is so fun to share a love with the family and all participate together in the events!  Already excited for next year.  Arin, you don't get a free pass from Fargo Marathon weekend 2013 so clear your calender!

Happy Mama's Day!

"Mother's hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever." ~Unknown

 Happy Mother's Day to the two best moms EVER!  We love you both and appreciate you so much!

How lucky am I to be a mom to these 3 wonderful little people?  Mother's Day is a great reminder of not only how much I appreciate my mom and mom-in-law but of how blessed I have been to be able to be a mom.  Although my life revolves entirely around the demands of a 5,4, and 1 year old, I would never change it.  On days I get frustrated with the trials and tribulations of being mom I try and take a deep breath and remember how lucky I am that God put these children in my hands!  Love them all so much!

Kadence made a present for me at school.  It was the sweetest present in the world.  She was so proud of her work (so proud that I'm not sure it's actually mine quite yet).

Landon also made a present for me at school.  They were so excited to give them to me on Friday after school that I had to open them in the car!

Love these little munchkins!

Let's not forget the littlest lady and boss of the house.  All she had to do was give me this smile to make my day the best one yet.  Although I would have appreciated her not waking up at 6, I still love her to pieces!

So...Happy Mother's Day to me!  I am going to take the day off and pamper myself all day long.  JUST KIDDING!  Ryan is at work and my laundry will not do itself nor will my house clean itself!  Just another day in the life of a mama to 3...

Deadwood 2012.

Ryan and I took a little weekend getaway and spent the weekend in the Black Hills.  The South Dakota Association of Nurse Anesthetists (SDANA) had their conference in Deadwood so Ryan decided to attend (after I chickened out on the Mexico conference) in order to get his continuing education credits and use up his education time and money from the hospital.  It was perfect for us because his parents house was right on the way and a great place to leave the kids for the weekend!

We left Thursday and spent the night at the farm and then him and I traveled the rest of the way on Friday morning.  I can honestly say that we hardly knew what to do with ourselves.  We travel so much with our family that the quiet car was actually a little eerie at first.  We rarely leave our children and especially not overnight so this was big for us.  It was refreshing to relax and not have to fulfill the needs of 3 children every second while knowing they were having a blast with Grandma and Papa.

Since we aren't big gamblers, and that's what most people were doing instead of going to the actual conference, on Saturday we decided to head to Harney Peak for a hike.  It was a cloudy, chilly day but the hike was fun nevertheless.  It was a 7 mile hike round trip with a 3000 ft incline.  It was beautiful and worth all the hard work!

 The above picture was our view from the top.  We were in the clouds!  Unfortunately, we were unable to see the gorgeous picturesque view that the peak normally has to offer.  It was just great to spend the day together outdoors!

We ate a TON of good food, had plenty of toddy's, and had an awesome time doing whatever we wanted to do whenever we wanted to do it.  It's crazy how much you can do when not planning around: nap time, bed time, meal time, snack time, bath time, getting in and out of car seats time, diaper change time, fighting sibling time and crabby baby time.  It turns out Ryan and I still love each other with peace and quiet and the ability to carry on a conversation without chaos.  So, I know we always say this but...we are going to make a conscious effort for some adult time more often!

The kids had a blast at the farm.  I know for a fact that Landon and Kadence didn't miss us much and Kenzie only realized she missed us when she saw us.  They were far less excited to see us on Sunday than we were to see them!  I suppose that is a good thing.  They had a blast!  Thanks Gary and Sue for taking care of our babes so we could get away!  Greatly appreciated!