Baby Sister Graduates from UWEC

We had the best weekend celebrating Kaci's graduation from UWEC!  My dad's sisters, Laurel, Halle, and Sally, and my second cousin, Alex, flew in from Billings, MT to join us for the weekend.  Alex turned 13 on Saturday and got to enjoy her first airplane ride on Friday and go to the Mall of America today.  We were wishing she could come home with us; she was SO good with all the kids and they all loved her.  We enjoyed lots of visiting, some swimming, and of course, seeing Kaci graduate.  We are so very proud of her!

Dinner in the hotel lobby Friday night was a success!  Everyone enjoyed the subs!

 Congratulations Kaci!

 This is really good cake Auntie, thanks for sharing:)

 Walking across stage with her diploma!

 These two are alright as far as siblings go

 Kaci & Brian

 Kaci Laurel with our Aunt Laurel

 Mom and Dad with Kaci in front of the UWEC sign; the same sign they took a picture by 4 years ago!

 Kaci with some of her fellow music ed grads

 This is where she's spent a good portion of her life for the last 4 years...her diploma is upside down:)

 Wyatt was waiting for Auntie Kaci to squirt him with the giant squirt gun in the pool...

 ...still waiting...

 She got him:)  His reaction was equally hilarious every time!

 Mom, Dad, and Kaci

 Mom and Kaci

 Swimming fun

Wyatt and Hannah-two peas in a pod and as cute as can be!  These two are double trouble!

 

First Camping weekend of 2015

We got to take our camper out for the second time since we've owned it this weekend and it was every bit as great as we remembered from last year.  We love our camper and we love camping; it's one of the very few times when Dave and I can do nothing and be ok with it.  We stayed at Keyes Lake campground in Florence, WI; very close to where Dave's brother and his family live and got to celebrate our nephew's 6th birthday with them today.  We're so happy that camping season is back and have a goal of camping once each month, from May-October.  We look forward to June and the Welter Family camping weekend with Dave's extended family!

 Wyatt loves every single minute of camping!

 Grace and Madi argued over the title of "Queen of the Campfire," a title Madi came up with last year.  I told them that they should quit fighting since I am the queen of the campfire and they are the princesses!  Problem solved.....or not. 

 Madi enjoying her coffee.  She only gets coffee when we're camping (or if Papa gives it to her!)

 The campfire king making breakfast:)

 A little scooter riding and tractor driving

 Filling his trucks with dirt

 Dave showing the kids how this water pump worked

 Underdogs!

 Digging for rocks

 The little campground office had ice cream treats which the kids keyed in on immediately upon arrival on Friday.  Of course we couldn't leave without having ice cream!

 The campground had a mini golf course too and we got a free round with our stay.  It was so much fun.  They even had a mini club for Wyatt:)  Grace spend most of her time trying to put her ball in the water.....golf may not be the sport for her?

 Seeing Wyatt with his little club, all I could think about was that Grandpa Great must be smiling down on our little man. 

 Taking a little break on hole 11 because, let's face it, mini golf is hard work!

 The funny thing is, she didn't even hit the ball into the water, she just placed it in the water.  Oh well, she was happy as a clam the whole time.  At one point her ball went in one of the holes and it goes through a tube down to another green.  Her mind was completely blown and she told us she lost her ball, it went in the hole!  A little while later she found it and then put it in the same hole repeatedly to see it appear on another green. 

 S'mores!

 My boys.  Does Wyatt's face not just make you so happy?  He is pure joy!

 Campfire sisters:)

Mother's Day

We had such a nice Mother's Day weekend.  Saturday I did the "Run for your Mother" 5k while Dave and the kids were off doing story time and top secret Mother's Day stuff.  It was a good run and I improved my time by 2 minutes from last year.  I got home before them and was able to get most of the house cleaned before they came in bearing some wonderful surprises!

 

Sunday we had a lazy morning then brought everything over to my mom and dad's house for our own big salad bar.  We had a nice day and I am ever so thankful for the woman I am blessed to call my mom.  She is my best friend and I love her with all my heart.

 Grandpa & Grandma with cutest twins around

 Papa and Gracie bug

 Hattie working on finding a Father's Day present for her Daddy

 Hannah and Hattie worked very hard on their Mommy's Mother's Day gift.....there may have even been a few tears shed on Hannah's part (she HATES having her foot pressed in anything, paint, cement, it doesn't matter)  Mommy was happy with their hard work though:)

Then there's this picture; it cracks me up.  Poor Hannah just got hit by her sister and Hattie was proud of herself.  What a stinker!

Teacher Appreciation Week-Friday

Grace doesn't have school on Fridays so Madi took the same thing Grace had taken to her teacher on Monday.  Thanks to all the amazing teachers out there, we hope you feel appreciated not only this week, but each day!