What We've Been Up To Part 1!

So its been a long haul...I know.   Seems we've been pretty busy!  Here are some pictures and a brief rundown (Part 1) of what we've been up to the last few months.  

We hung out with our friends 

Kayden & his future wife, Mazzy

We hung out at Lacy & Kyle's cabin a few times! 

My first time driving a jet ski!

 Keely & Kayden tubing

 Three beauties!

Lacy, Me, Holly

 This little man LOVES boating

 Eric and I escaped to Duluth for our 5 year Anniversary

 The view from our room the first night

 Our 5 year Anniversary...9/16/11

 This is where Hannah gets her sassy frass from...j/k :)  hehe

 Senior picture pose!

 The view from our room the rest of the trip

 Our little beauty

 Reading to her baby, she's such a mama hen

 Grandpa Jim retired! 

We visited him on his last day

 We went to his retirement party...at the bar! 

From Sweet Home Alabama, yes I took my babies to a bar.  lol

 Grandpa and his diddles.

 The family (-Eric...he was at Cory's Groom's Supper)

 Cory & Ember got married!!!

 Congrats love birds!

 Our family all snazzed up

 Stud.

 Hannah enjoying the dance

BIG BOY!

Guess who pooped in the potty??? KAYDEN!! Way to go big guy, we're so proud of you!! We made a deal...he pooped in the potty, he got a Lightning Race Track! He just told me, "Mommy, I love my Lightning Race Track - its just beautiful."

I think we might almost be there!!  He's been in underwear only since this weekend, just diaper / pull ups when he's asleep!  So fingers are crossed, he's got it.  If not, he's really really close! 

My little man is growing up so fast!

The beginning of Kayden's Potty Training Journey! 

Winter / Spring 2011

Lightning Underwear for his 3rd Birthday!

July 2011

"I POOPED IN THE POTTY!!"

"I DID IT!"

Pretty darn tootin' proud of himself!  :)

Kayden's First Day of PreSchool

Kayden started PRE SCHOOL last week!  I still can't believe our little man is in pre-school.  He will only go one day a week for right now, as Brenda at daycare will also be doing a program.  Eric and I went to Duluth for our Anniversary (another post for later) so he got to ride the bus from Brenda's to his first day.  I think that probably went better then an upset Mama trying to take pictures!  :)  Here are some pictures, Brenda took all kinds of them for us, and they turned out so good!

Big Man all ready to head to Brenda's for the day!

That's the Kayden face we all know and love...faker!  :)  lol

Say Cheese and you have one who poses!  Here's little "babe" all ready to watch brother go to school!

A little chilly, but this is the best picture we could get! 

In front of the sign at his school!

A combination of "cheese" and "brrr."

Kayden and Mazzy all ready for their first day of school!  BFF's!

Excited to get on the bus for the first time!

Big Boy getting on the bus!

On their way!

A couple of pictures Brenda snapped on her phone!! 

Love these two, we can't wait to plan their wedding!  :) 

So funny note - when the bus driver picked Kayden up from school, Kayden told him he could just take him back to his (Kayden's) house to see his Mommy, b/c he missed her!  That's my little man!  :) 

A Couple of Kayden Sayings

While I remember (and a blog test for Cayen!:)) here are some Sayings from the kids.

Kayden -
"That's amazing."

"Hannah Baby you did it! I'm so proud of you!"

"Mommy, I love you so much, all the time."

"I pee'd in my pull up and remember, its not funny."

Hannah has started TALKING like crazy this last week!
Up
Please
Pouch (her fav. book)
Book
Cheese
Uh huh
YAAA

Kayden & Hannah Sayings

Now that Hannah is starting to talk, this can be both Kayden Sayings AND Hannah Sayings!  Here are the latest and greatest!

Kayden Sayings

"Yes I sure did."  (when we pretty much ask him if he did anything!)

"Look at me...I'M TALKING TO YOU!"

(one day in the car, and now he does it more frequently - I think I have a video of this I'll try and post.)
"MOMMMMYYYY!  Take your glasses off.  (w/ his killer eyelashes and melt my heart head tilt) I like your eyes...they're beautiful."  Not even kidding, those words came out of his mouth, Eric and I were speechless!

"One for me, two for Mazzy, none for you, Hannah."  On the way to daycare, "sharing" his treats w/ Hannah, but saving most of them he saved until he got to Brenda's.  :) 

"Mazzy and I are best friends, but only after our nap."

"You're my black Grandma."  LOL - to my mom, he touches her arm and tells her that.  I think she needs to start using some more sunscreen.  But we have been realizing he gets his colors of black and whites mixed up.  He also calls Eric's dad, Brian, his "Black Truck Grandpa" or "Black Grandpa."

Hannah Sayings

Hannah did not have a real successful run at her first swimming lessons session.  We skipped a few lessons, b/c it just didn't seem worth it, when all she did was scream "BALL BALL BALL BALL BALL BALL BALL!"  The teacher game them little plastic t-balls to blow across the water.  Once we got in the water, Hannah was done until she had the balls, one in each hand, and then she was a happy camper.  She never blew them across the water, just held onto hers and tried to steal everyone else's.

At Kayden's Birthday - "Buzz and Woody!"  Hilarious!

"Lightning!"  She is her brother's sister!  :) 

"DADDDDYYY! DADDAA!"  She's a TOTAL Daddy's Girl!

"Gampa!"

"MOMMA!"  Only when she's crying or really, really excited to see me!

"DUCK" "QUACK!" When we saw some ducks in Lake City one day!

Grandma

On Sunday, July 10th, at 5:35am the greatest grandma in the entire world lost her life.  She was surrounded by her family, and I can honestly say I am blessed to have been with her and my aunt and uncle and mom while she took her last breath.  I am so lucky to have had my grandma with me and at my side for all of my 29 years.  She was the best grandma in the entire world and I am soo soo thankful that my kids got a chance to know their Great Grandma.  I can only hope they cherish and hold those memories with them forever, just as I will.  

Here are some pictures for others out there to enjoy memories of Grandma as well.  



 Meeting Hannah Christene for the very first time!  She LOVED her name! :)

 Grandma with all of her Great Grandkids, November 2009

 Celebrating her 90th Birthday, January 23rd, 2010

 Mom and Kids, November 2009

 One of my favorite pictures of Grandma and Kayden

 Grandma and Grandpa and Jeff

 Four Generations, Hannah's Baptism May 2010

 Love this picture!

 Our last Christmas w/ Grandma, 2010...she's yelling at us for getting her a present, hehe

 Another great picture!  Christmas 2010

Great Grandma and Kayden and Hannah

 A moment I will cherish forever...Hannah doesn't sit still.  She doesn't let anyone hold her.  She won't sit on any one's lap.  This picture is from Claire's birthday party, March 2011.  Hannah sat w/ her Great Grandma for 30 minutes.  It was the sweetest thing ever.

 Grandma w/ her MN girls, Emily, Erin, Jodi and Jeni, Christmas 2009.

 Great Grandma and Kayden, October 2008

 Some oldies I found - Eric and I stopped to show Grandma how dressed up we could be, she was most impressed with Eric.  Maybe this is when he won her over and became the favorite, lol. October 2005

 Great Grandma w/ Baby Connor, October 2005.

The last picture I took of Grandma, June 30th, 2011

I told her I wanted to show Kayden and Hannah her picture,

so she said "Hi Kayden and Hannah!"  :)

 Great Grandma Flowers

 Mom Flowers

 Grandma Roses

 A great looking couple!

 Beautiful Lady!

 Grandma's Senior Picture

 All of us grandkids had the honor of being pall bearers at Grandma's funeral. 

Rest In Peace Grandma, we know you are in a better place. 

We will love you always and forever!

Love, Jeni Christene