Visit from Grandma

Grandma came to visit and went to the Miles of Smiles event in Aberdeen.  Alex was excited to see Spongebob, but still not quite comfortable enough to get too close.

Lots of cool rides.

It was a very hot, muggy day, but they both kept their wits.

Coolin' in the shade.

Jacob tried the Euro Bungee, he's pretty brave.

Even doing backflips!

Time to cool off with some sno-cones.

The boys showing Grandma how to excavate dinosaur bones at the kitchen table in your pajamas.

Summer Fun

Jacob has been playing baseball this summer.

After a game in Miller we stopped at Lake Louise State Park for a bit.  The big checkers board is always a big hit.

Alex at the Mina Lake beach.

Just chillin'.

We took the dogs to the lake for a swim and they were pretty excited.

Jacob showing Molly how to sniff the breeze.

Alex tossing the dummy. 

Max is still a beginner at swimming, Molly may be getting old, but in the water she is pretty amazing.

After a game in Redfield, we picnicked at Fisher's Grove State Park.

We had time to search for bugs with the butterfly net.

Jacob was intrigued by his find.

Too much fun!

Fargo Marathon

I decided to challenge myself and try to run a marathon this year.  The event in Fargo is a blast and run very well.  Here's a picture of me and the boys post-race, after I had a chance to recover.

Here's my support team excluding, Mom and Brian, around the halfway mark.  It was great having them all there. 

The boys and I had a recent successful fishing trip.  This picture is about as good as it gets.

Alex is becoming quite the fisherman as well.

I just love this picture because of Alex's hilarious gesturing.  It looks like he's thanking the bullhead gods for a bountiful harvest, but he's actually waving to a low-flying cropduster.

A salute from the snows of South Dakota

Winter Fun

I took the boys ice fishing, the sun was pretty intense!

Our mobile fishing unit, excluding the mule to pull the cart (me).

Gotta love it.

We had some good sledding on a hill in Aberdeen.  Could've used a bit more snow on this day, though.

Jacob playing in a snowstorm.

Pretty cozy!

We built this fort last week with another fresh batch of snow.  

We attended an easter program at the nursing home.

Not too sure about that easter bunny.

Jacob's Birthday Party

On the day of Jacob's birthday party, his hockey league had a fun day for all the kids as a reward for their hard work.  Here's Jacob as a bowling ball on the ice.

Pretty good at limbo on the ice, too.

The hockey program in Aberdeen is expanding rapidly, as seen by the huge 'Termite League'.

It was a good season, hopefully he wants to do it again next year.

We had Jacob's party at the bowling alley, with a lot of kids.

Lots of fun!

Here's the cake I made for Jacob, he's into "Sonic the Hedgehog".

He still gets bashful when we sing Happy Birthday.

Christmas 2012

We spent Christmas with Mom at Brian and Kristin's in Fargo, we had a great time.  

After being cooped up during the Vikings game, the kids had to get outside and play for a bit.

I think you can calculate how many calories were burned up by tallying all the tracks in the backyard!

Jacob decided to tempt fate and create a snow angel in Cooper's 'zone of influence'.

It was a very chilly day, you can tell by Jacob's rosy cheeks, and Brian's goofy hat.

But still all smiles.

Everybody donning their new PJs from Grandma.

Uncle Brian got the boys some new archery equipment which they love.

Presents galore.

Lucas is not ashamed to play in a princess castle.

Brian fulfilling his uncle duties by giving Jacob a wet willie.

A rare moment of silence.

Santa made a good stop at home too.

Even the dogs got some new treats.

Jacob with a stocking stuffer.  He sure likes to be goofy.