Thanksgiving Holiday & IA vs. NE Game 2015

Our family spent the Thanksgiving holiday at home again this year. It is quite nice because we can take the day easy and not over eat! We got to celebrate with the art they made at daycare. I often wonder how they get such a nice looking hand because whenever I've tried it doesn't look quite like this.

The turkey Little-C made. 

The turkey and saying that R-man brought home. 

Weekend wrap up (10.24.15-10.25.15) - Harvest and Police

We had an extremely busy weekend a few weeks ago visiting the Police Department and my parents farm. After we were at my friend's farm, the kids have been begging to go to grandpa and grandma's farm! Plus, we wanted to get home to help harvest before they finished up.

Saturday morning, we ventured to see the Police Officers. R-man kept talking how he wanted to give the Police Officers a hug. He did just that!

Checking out the Des Moines Bomb Squad Bearcat. 

Weekend Wrap Up (10.16.15 - 10.18.15) - ISU game and Center Grover Orchard

A few weeks ago we had a fabulous weekend with my brother Ray, nephew Ben and his girlfriend and daughter. My brother was turning 29 on Saturday, so I decided to make a quick cake to help him celebrate. His favorite kind is marble, so that's what I made with whipping icing.

My brother Ray and his son! 

A quick visit to the farm - 10.14.15

Last week, Dave was traveling for work so I took Wednesday afternoon off and headed to my friends farm near Kellogg. Julie Van Manen is a CommonGround volunteer! She talks to consumers about how food is grown and raised on her farm. Follow her blog at Farm Life in Black & White. The kids wanted to visit the farm, to see the cows, pigs, and ride in the combine. My parents farm is 2-hours away so I thought the quick 45-minute drive would be good for a quick afternoon trip.

We first rode in the combine and Jacob was driving the combine. The kids had fun teasing him about the Hawks because they are Cyclone fans. But, let's face it...that's all they know. After about two rounds Ryan kept saying, I'm done and I want to go see the cows now. What he doesn't understand is, stopping the combine in the middle of a row isn't that easy. 

The kids and I riding in the combine.

Weekend Wrap Up (Kelsey's Wedding) 10.10.15

This marks my 100th post! What better way to do it than to write a post about the marriage between Greg and Kelsey Hart! In May, I wrote a blog post about Kelsey and how great of a teacher she was. Caroline absolutely loved Kelsey and she was excited for her big day to see her in her beautiful white dress.

On Saturday, we left home around 11:30 am to assure we arrived in Galena, IL in plenty of time. Thankfully we only had to stop once on the way there. Galena was beautiful this time of year, but I think we were ahead of most of the leaves changing by one week or so. On the drive, we were hoping Caroline would take a mini nap, but caring for her baby the entire way was more important. She didn't nap once.

The road heading into Galena.

Weekend Wrap Up (Cyclones football game) - 10/2/15-10/4/15

This weekend was awesome and we finally cheered the Cyclones onto a win! We started Friday evening off a little relaxed with delivering Pampered Chef items to the neighbors. The kids loved pulling up to the neighbors driveway and ringing the doorbell. One wasn't home during the delivery so we'll be taking another spin tomorrow evening.

Weekend Wrap Up - Blank Park Zoo (9.26.15-9.27.15)

Wow, where did this past weekend go? It was a productive, yet busy weekend with beautiful weather. On Saturday, I taught cycling at the Ankeny Y then we spent time with neighbors grilling. It's great to live in such a young and vibrant community! I love that we can step out our backdoor and chat with our neighbors while the kids play.

On Sunday, we attended the 8:30 mass at OLIH. We instructed each of the kids that they need to behave if they wanted to go to the zoo after mass. Little-C was an angel, but not R-man. He's a typical boy who can't stay confined to a small area and be quiet for 1-hour. He threw colors in the aisle and screamed. We had a long talk once we got into the car and headed home. He's a typical boy who has more energy than I do!

They both begged to see the giraffe's and lion's so off we went to the Blank Park Zoo. We stopped by the first exhibit to see the frogs. Little-C kept saying they were dead because they didn't move.

Weekend wrap up (Nothing Compares to the Iowa State Fair) 8.20.15-8.23.15

Our weekend began on Thursday when we headed to the Iowa State Fair as a family. We weren't sure how long we'd make it since our kids are small, but we made it 6 1/2 hours! As you can see from the photos, we had a fabulous day with beautiful weather.

On the way to the fair, we dressed the kids in warm clothes because it was a bit chilly that morning. 

Super thrilled to be going to the fair.

Wondering where we are taking him again.

Our son is 2 - Where did the time go?

A week ago, we had R-man's 2nd birthday party. Dave and I are seriously wondering where the last two years went. I can remember when I was pregnant with him and wondering when he was going to arrive after my due date came and went!

His actual birthday was July 30. We celebrated by getting his photos taken in the morning by Kari Bruck Photography, and then donuts at Main Street Cafe & Bakery because they both smiled good.

R-man's 2nd birthday - his sister got a photo opportunity too!

Time with Cousins

Last week, I took a few days off to spend with my older sister and her three kids. As younger siblings, we fought a lot because we are so close in age - 16 months to be exact. Let's hope this doesn't reflect the same upon my children when they get older since they are only 19 1/2 months apart!

On Thursday, we went to The Playground for Kids in Ankeny. Kids ages 12 and under can play on the playground and jump in the bounce houses. All of the kids had a great time and R-man tried to keep up with the big kids. Sometimes scaring me a bit too much.

Our weekend wrap up - Trip to Galena, IL (8.7.15-8.9.15)

This weekend, we went to Galena, IL and it was our first family trip with the four of us. The kids had a great time and so did Dave and I.

On Friday evening, we had to can some corn and black bean salsa so the tomatoes were awaiting us when we got back on Sunday. We got twelve jars! Even though it is a lot of work cutting up the peppers, onions and tomatoes - it is well worth it when the slow is flying and we're eating the food we canned.

Corn and Black Bean Salas that we canned.

Weekend Wrap Up (7.24.15 - 7.26.15)

Wow, it's Monday and I already feel like I'm in need of another weekend to relax. It was go, go, go all weekend, but it was a good one.

On Friday evening, we hung out with a few of our neighbors. We are very thankful we live in a neighborhood with a ton of small children and awesome parents. Everyone get's along really well and it's nice to just crack open a beverage and enjoy some good conversations while the kids play.

The kids enjoying the water table.

Weekend Wrap Up (7.10.15 - 7.12.15)

This past weekend was exhausting. I was literally ready for bed at 8 p.m., but I knew I had to get this blog post written and the photos edited or it wouldn't get done.

On Friday morning, we headed to the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo with the kids. We were excited about this trip before we left, but the trip home made us rethink our idea. Both kids were awake the entire ride and they screamed, fought over their toys, made us stop twice for the bathroom, and many other things. But, we thought these are the things they will remember so we kept on going.

We arrived at the zoo around 10:30 a.m. and both kids were excited. They wanted to see the gorilla's, giraffe's, monkey's, and elephants. But, come to find out, they don't have elephants at the zoo right now. We left around 4 p.m. and were completely exhausted. Dave and I both needed a nap after the long day.

Weekend wrap up - Father's Day 2015

Wow, what a wonderful weekend! We spent it as a family and it felt awesome. The kids loved everything we did and had a great time and hardly spent any money - that's the best part!

On Friday evening, we had Dave's cousin Julie & Kent Robinson over so Kent could fix the windshield in my car. Kent's glass  repair business is called "Caliber Auto Glass." He did a great job and it took no time at all. Later that evening our neighbors came over and we had a good time, until nearly 1 a.m. I was so tired on Saturday and went to sleep very early that evening.

Saturday we went to Johnston Firefighters Association pancake breakfast. The kids loved the fire trucks, but too bad it down-poured while we were eating. The fire trucks got all wet and the kids weren't sure about having their photos taken after they were wet.

Landscaping project is complete

Dave and I took Friday, June 12th off to do a few landscaping projects around the house. Despite the misting rain in the morning, it turned out to be a nice day. We needed to add some river rock along the house and in between our garden boxes so it was easier to mow the lawn. We also added some concrete pavers along with a walking path at the bottom of the deck so it's easy to grill when it's raining.

We are thankful that Menards is so close, because we made several trips there. Overall, the project didn't cost too much because we did all the labor ourselves.

• Quarry gray catalina edging stones - 30 stones for a total of $30
• River rock - 75 bags for a total of $187.50
• Paver leveling sand - 12 bags for a total of $30
• 16" x 16" Wetcast Yorkstone patio block - 6 for a total of $29
• 16" x 24" Wetcast Yorkstone patio block - 12 for a total of $89

The total project was $365.50. If we had hired it done, it would have lost a lot more than this!

Weekend Wrap Up (6.5.15 - 6.7.15)

This past weekend was great, but I felt like we were go-go-go the entire weekend and our house was a bit neglected. We figure, it's the quality time that the kids will enjoy anyway when they get older.

On Saturday morning, we ventured over to Pleasant Hill for the annual kids fishing derby. The kids had a great time, but we should have dressed them a bit warmer because it was a bit cold with the wind blowing over the water. Unfortunately, the kids were bored to tears after about 30-minutes because they weren't catching any fish so they wanted to play on the swing-set until the raffle drawing. The kids got some great prizes at the raffle drawing. Little-C got a remote control truck and R-man got a family pack of tickets to the Blank Park Zoo.

A few inspiring quotes...

On my previous blog post, a few of my readers shared that I inspired with some of the quotes I posted. Several readers referred back to them often when they were going through difficult times themselves. So over the past few months, I have been gathering more inspirational quotes. I love that I can inspire my readers and help them when the days ahead look gloomy.

Here are a few more that may inspire you too!

More than just a great daycare teacher

As a Mother of two young children, it was important for Dave and I to find a good quality daycare we loved, and one the kids loved too. After R-man was born we switched to Generation Next. If any parent has ever made a daycare switch, you know it's nerve wracking and you wonder if you did the right thing. Well after the first week at Generation Next, we knew we did. We loved all of the teachers both of the kids had. When either Dave or I would pick them up the morning and afternoon teachers would always say, Little-C (well they said her real name), "How are you today?" As a parent, I often times had no idea who the teacher was, but the kids did because they got huge smiles on their faces.

Every fall the kids typically move rooms, similar to how elementary schools move you up to the next grade. Last fall, Little-C got moved to a new room and at first it's kind of like starting at the daycare all over again. You have to get to know the teacher, and you hope your child will love them.

Well, there was a teacher in Little-C's class named Kelsey Beadle. Little-C absolutely fell in love with her. As a parent, I've realized a good daycare teacher involves more than just watching my child everyday. Kelsey always made sure the children are safe, they assure the children are feeling okay and not infecting others, they watch the children's development skills advance, they provide proper nutrition during breakfast, lunch and their afternoon snack and they have a curriculum to educate each child.

What I loved about Kelsey is her ability to make Little-C feel welcome in her room. She always gave her a hug each morning and made sure she got comfortably settled in before Dave or I left the room. There were times before we left our home for daycare that she would be throwing a fit. I mean what three year old doesn't do that? But, it never failed by the time she got into her room and before Dave and I ever left, she was usually in a good mood and smiling. This had to do with the passion and care that Kelsey not only gave Little-C, but all of the kids in her room.

Weekend Wrap Up (4.24.15-4.26.15)

This weekend was spent recovering from this past week. Dave returned home on Tuesday from a work trip and I came home Thursday evening. We had some major laundry to get caught up on and some yard work.

On Friday evening, my brother Ray came up and brought an entire truck load of "good farm dirt." We are eager to have a garden at our new house so we wanted to build some garden boxes. As you'll see in the photos below, we only have one because we didn't have enough dirt. We'll have to wait until my brother can bring up another load.

The good black farm dirt!

Thankfully the cold wet weather didn't bother Dave and Ray because they did get one box built and filled with dirt.

A wreath for almost every holiday

The panty door in our kitchen was looking plain so I decided to have someone make some burlap wreaths to spice it up a bit. I posted a message on the Ankeny swap page and Tara's Decor n More was the first person to comment. I'm glad I found her because she made custom wreaths for me that are amazing. I may need her to make a Valentine's and St. Patrick's Day one to make my collection complete!

 

Easter weekend 2015

Shortly before Easter, we did our annual Easter Bunny photo. Neither of the kids seemed to really like the Easter bunny this year.

Wondering if her brother will protect her from the bunny.

Thankful and blessed by the power of prayer

Many do not know, but on January 28, I lost my job. At first, it was extremely stressful because we had just built a new home and I honestly enjoyed the work I was doing. It was unfortunate, but I am extremely thankful to be surrounded by great friends and family. Many of my friends and family kept me in their daily prayers so that the Lord would open another great door for me. After the first few days went by, I looked at my job loss as a blessing. I was blessed that me and my family were healthy, we had a supportive family and a roof over our head.

Growing up, our family never had a whole lot since we had six kids and my parents farmed, so I knew I was a strong woman and could endure this hardship. During the past 51 days, I was able to spend more quality time with my kids, meet up with friends that I hadn't seen in a while, organize our new home and reflect on what I really wanted to do, through prayer.


We were thankful that our daycare worked with us to take the kids to part-time. We absolutely love the daycare center our kids go to, but we couldn't afford the full-time rate we were paying. We sent the kids every morning so they kept a routine and I picked them up shortly before noon. I always thought I would get so much done in the morning, but it's crazy how quick those mornings go.

Through this process, I realized there are still caring people in this world. When I lost my job, I called my hairstylist Erin Virchow-Perrine and told her I needed to cancel my appointment because I couldn't afford to have my hair done right now. She said, we are keeping your appointment and your hairstyle is on me because you can't go to an interview with bad looking hair. Seriously, I teared up when I got her text message that day. It made me realize that there are good people in this world! 

Family day at the zoo

A week ago, we took the family to the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo. We weren't sure what the trip would be like since it was technically still winter, but there were quite a few animals to see. We arrived around 10:30 a.m. and it was actually beautiful weather.

Enjoyed the 80 degree weather on March 16

It's hard to believe it was 88 degrees in  Iowa on March 16, but we took full advantage of it. The kids and I took a long walk to the park and they enjoyed it until it started getting busy. It was hard for me to keep track of both kids so we went to a smaller park closer to our new home. We spent nearly two hours outdoors today and the kids were wore out tonight. I keep thinking, bring on spring and summer!

Ready for the trip to the park.

Kids Update (January and mid-February 2015)

Here’s a quick update from this past month.

Both of the kids have become very independent and often play together in their room so they don't have to hang around Dave and I. In a way this is nice because we can get things done, but when they turn quiet it's usually not a good sign.

Age:
R-man is 18 months 
Little-C is 3 yrs. 1 month

Weekend Wrap Up (1.6-1.8)

This past weekend was awesome! It was spent with our two kiddos who make us smile more and more each day.

On Saturday morning, I taught two cycling classes at the Ankeny Y. I absolutely love to teach because I enjoy motivating members. I will have to say, by the time I'm 3/4 of the way finished with the second class, I'm a bit exhausted.

Later that morning the entire family went out to build a snowman! Well, it was basically Dave and I building the snowman and the kids watching. Little-C enjoyed squirting her colored water in the snow. As a kid, my Mom always saved empty dish soap bottles for us. She filled them with water and added a few drops of food coloring. We colored the snow and absolutely loved it.  We didn't have any empty dish soap bottles, but we did have an empty chocolate syrup bottle. Little-C loved it too, but squirted her bottle a little too quickly.

Our daughter is 3

In December, our daughter turned 3, and Dave and I are wondering how this could happen so quick. Growing up, my Mom always told me life would speed up as I got older. I didn't really believe her, until I graduated from college. Life did seem to speed up and even more so once our daughter was born.

When Little-C turned 3 on Dec. 15, and Dave and I took the day off to celebrate with her. She was thrilled to send her brother to daycare and spend the day with Mommy and Daddy.

We gave her an American Girl doll and a stroller for her birthday. She loved them and had to take them shopping. We went to Jordan Creek Mall where we went to "Build a Bear" where Little-C built Olaf.

 

Christmas 2014 Recap

Christmas is over! I have a love hate relationship with the holiday. I love it once the tree and decorations are all set-up, but I hate tearing them all down. Luckily I have an awesome husband and he too down almost everything this year.

The kiddos had a great time with Christmas this year, and both of them enjoyed opening their gifts. R-man cared more about the paper, but C really got into the Christmas gifts.

On Dec. 20, we ventured to the Bruck family Christmas. We had a gift exchange with the siblings and their significant other and it was a lot of fun. The kids got a few toys, but mostly money for their college fund. Lord knows they will need it when they are 18.

The Bruck family, minus my sister Becky Kinney