See Ya!

I took a little video of Ava's new favorite thing to say.  She started a week or two back when I said "see ya!" to someone and she piped up and said it too.  Ever since then every time we say it she loves to say it.

Random Tidbits

Ava is saying "See ya" now. It's so cute I can't stand it. She is also obsessed with shoes. I guess it's in her girly genes. Her favorite thing to play with is anybody's shoes. She will put them on and take them off for an hour at a time. I can't believe she will be 2 soon!

Jack is now bristling at being called a little boy. Sigh. I guess the day had to come. I see him growing up and can tell he is ready for school. He is starting Tball this month and can't wait.

Now that June is here, we have finally been able to be outside more. We play, swim, have bonfires, grill as much as possible, go on outings and drives, whatever we can think of to be outside. We love this time of year in Minnesota! We are also looking forward to the Hanks family reunion this month. It will be a fun getaway and time with the family.

Here's a few pictures of summer happenings so far and also of our peonies outside. I'm grateful to whoever planted them. They are beautiful and low maintenance!

Pool Fun

Winter can be difficult in Minnesota, but it makes us enjoy summer all the more.  We were able to fill up the kiddie pool and the kids have been enjoying playing in it so I thought I would just post a couple pictures of them having fun in the sun!

Happy Memorial Day!

We had a great Memorial Day as we went to Stillwater to walk around, visit the shops and just enjoy the beautiful weather.

 Here's our family standing in front of the very swollen river.  It was overflowing over the walkway and all the way on to the grass.

 Ava relaxing on one of the bears at Teddy Bear Park in Stillwater.

 Jack and Ava on the big bear

There's no real point to this picture.  I just thought Jack had a nice smile while he was playing with a bucket on his head

Kindergarten, here I come!

Combat ready!

Jack is registered and tested for kindergarten and so excited! We celebrated with a new Iron Man toy. Before school rolls around though, we have a fun summer planned! T-ball starts June 11th, and also we have a family reunion and are just hoping to be outside as much as possible. We went to the zoo with grandma's school and some friends. We've also had fun going to garage sales lately. I like to look for household decor, but the kids like to go because they can rack up some fun toys. Here's my new headboard and a few other recent pictures from mother's day.

Happy birthday, Boppa!

We celebrated grandpa's birthday Sunday, and we think Ava is calling him Boppa. So cute. We had a great time!

Mother's Day

I love Mother's Day! It is almost like another birthday! I got to celebrate early with my family since we are with our moms on the actual day. Matt and the kids took me to YUM Kitchen and Bakery, and it WAS yummy! I also got a new watch and sunglasses and a yellow travel cup (my favorite color).

Matt asked me my favorite part of being a mom. It was fun to think of all the great things about it. Of course my favorite thing is my kids. I love to see how they are like me and Matt. I love that Matt and I agree completely on how to parent. I love that I'm able to be with them all day every day. I love that I have a boy and a girl. I love that they are getting older, and I can really interact with them more. I love how happy they are. I love how they got excited about it being my day...for a little while anyway! I look forward to many more years of being their mom if God allows!