SNOW!!

We got our first real snowfall of the season yesterday, so this morning I took the opportunity to take the kids out and introduce them to snow. Last year was so cold and they were still so little that I didn't take them out. The weather was perfect this morning, so out we went!

Emaleigh didn't like the snow at first. She cried when I set her on the driveway. Eventually she got used to it and even ate a few bites!

Derek didn't seem to mind it at first, until he tipped forward. The snow was just deep enough that when his hands hit the ground, his face was planted in it. He really didn't like that at first, but by the time we came inside, he protested mightily. He wanted to stay out and play some more. Typical boy!

Halloween (Finally)

Now that it's December and there is snow on the ground, I think it's finally time that I get the Halloween pictures posted! I mean, it's not like I have anything else going on, right!

Emaleigh looked super cute as Tinker Bell. She wasn't quite sure what to make of the wings, and really didn't want them on at first. She kept reaching back to pull them off. Eventually she got used to them and left them alone. Derek was dashing in his Vikings costume. I was a little worried about the white pants, but they stayed pretty clean.

The kids were really tired and crabby when it was time to go Trick-or-Treating. We had a confirmation earlier in the day and they really didn't get much of a nap. We only took them to see the Grandparents. They always love to see the kids.

Tuesday Morning Playtime

Patio Project

This past weekend, Kory finally got a chance to start on the patio in the backyard that we have wanted to do for years! He spent the whole day on Saturday working on the prep work and laying in the step. He was hoping to get a little more done than that, but was still satisfied with the progress. On Sunday, we had to run to Rochester to get some more materials, so he didn't get started again until late that afternoon. He suggested that I bring the kids out to play and watch him work. I warned him that he probably wouldn't get a lot done with all of the extra "help", but he was ok with that. Boy did they have a blast! I'm not sure which kid had more fun; the little ones or the big one! I know it was fun just to watch them! Kory got quite a few bricks laid yet Sunday night, even with all of the "help", and worked until he ran out of sand on Monday night. So far, it looks great! I can't wait until it's done!! Can we say BBQ?!

Swimming with Grandma

Grandma Sue took all of her grandkids to the Ramada Inn in Rochester to go swimming last week. They have a nice wading pool for the little kids. At the deepest point it is only 10" and gets shallower on the ends. Emaleigh loved going down the slide and Derek loved the big turtle. Both really enjoy splashing in the water.

More Camping

So far, we have gotten in two more camping trips this summer. Over the 4th of July, we traveled to Hatfield, WI with our friends Becky and Tony. Becky's dad has a permanent campsite at a campground there and we set up next to his camper. There was a flee market going on at the campground and Kory found a Power Wheels Jeep for Emaleigh for $5. Derek played on it for hours. It needs a battery and a hood, but Kory can find those online for pretty cheap.

Feeding the "Birdy"

Like my hat!!

Cruizin'

Playing ball with Tony

The next trip we took was to Chester Woods which is just outside of Rochester. We went with Kory's co-worker Jon, his wife Jess, and their 3 month old son Axel. The campground was beautiful and so was the weather. We took a hike on some of the trails and kicked back by the campers and relaxed.

Derek found a bucket of water to play in. He wanted his clothes off, so we took them off.

Emaleigh playing with Jon

Hangin' by the camper

HUGS!!

My Babies!! Adorable!!

Summer 2010

The summer has just seemed to fly by. Its hard to believe that it is August already! Soon school will be starting again, and then it will be back to the grindstone. Once again, I have been remiss in keeping the blog up to date. Hopefully I will get caught up in the next week or so.

The kids are growing so fast and discovering new things by the day. We never know what they are going to wake up doing or saying. Emaleigh woke up one morning and, before I even got her out of the crib, she told me "No". She really has quite the vocabulary.

Both kids are off of baby food completely and eat almost anything!! They love food. Some of their favorites include pancakes, waffles, hotdogs, french fries, and (of course) ICE CREAM!! Although they are not picky eaters and will eat just about anything, they can be picky about what they will like that day. Even some of their favorites they will turn their noses up at if they don't feel like having it. I made Grandma Frutiger's chocolate chip frosting the other day and they absolutely loved it! They both do really well with a fork, but are still having trouble with the spoon.

Emaleigh and Derek are both outdoor kids. They would rather be outside than anywhere else. Lately it's been too hot to go out during the day, but we try to get them out in the evening.

Here are a few random pics from the summer.

Update 6-2-10

Wow, it seems like forever that I have had a chance to sit down and just think about how much the kids have changed and how fast they are growing. There is not a lot of baby left and more and more toddler each day.

While she has been taking a half dozen steps at a time, it wasn't really until last weekend that Emaleigh really started walking instead of crawling. We had gone to my parents house on Saturday and went outside to play in the grass. Emaleigh did NOT like crawling in the grass. It really forced her to walk instead. After that, she just took off. She is gaining confidence every day.

Both kids love music. Emaleigh dances and sings along. Yes, she SINGS! I heard her for the first time yesterday. She talks all of the time, but this was different. She had tone to her voice! It was great! Derek likes it when there is music playing. It seems to keep him more relaxed. He also likes to make his own music on their 2 pianos, banging on anything that resembles a drum or anything else that plays or makes music.

Emaleigh is already a girly girl. She loves to talk on the phone, try on shoes and clothes, and accessorize. Her first word was "Hi". It almost seems like she was "talking" into my keys (her phone!) at the time. It took me a while to figure out that she was using them as her phone!

Derek is a true boy. He loves to climb anything that won't tip over and even some things that will! We had to buy a different gate for the bottom of the stairs. The one we had he was able to climb up on and almost over, so we had to get one that was solid so he couldn't get as high! He still tries to climb it though.

Both kids have learned how to wave, say "ba" (which means bye, bottle, and ball!), blow kisses, and now "Give 5". Where they picked that last one up is a mystery. We don't do it at home, so they must have gotten it from daycare. It surprised me the other day when I was holding my hand out to Derek and he started hitting it! I took my hand away and then put it back out saying "Give me 5". He hit it again! I was stunned. It was so cool!

Anyway, here is a cute little clip of the two of them that I took tonight. Enjoy!!

Camping Already!

We took our first camping trip of the year on the 14th of May. We loaded up the kids and the pop-up and headed to Oxbow Park in Byron. We went with our daycare provider, Nicole and her family, husband Nick and daughter Viola. The weather was perfect and the kids loved being outside. We walked up to the zoo on Saturday afternoon so the kids could see the animals. They were unimpressed so far. Emaleigh liked the bear, who seemed to want to come out and play with the kids.

1 Year Old!!!

Can you believe that the twins are already a year old? Time goes way too fast! We celebrated their birthday with a pool party at the Clarion Hotel. A gathering of friends and family watched as Emaleigh and Derek celebrated their birthday in style!!

First things first, they smothered themselves and their clothing with cake and frosting. (Which, I'm happy to report, all came out in the wash!! No stains!) Emaleigh dug right in to her cake with gusto, but Derek wasn't too sure of what to make of that sticky thing in front of him. He didn't seem to like the feeling of the frosting on his hands. Once he got into the cake itself however, it suddenly wasn't so bad!

Once an attempt at clean up was made, it was off to open the gifts. Notice I said attempt. We got the big chunks off and most of the frosting, however the clothes were beyond help. Therefore, we stripped them down and let them run around in their diapers. They didn't seem to notice or care that they were almost naked. They were too absorbed tearing paper off of the gifts.

After the gifts, it was off to the pool for some splash time. By the end of the afternoon, both children were happily exhausted! Thanks to all who made the day so special for all of us!!