Happy Birthday to...ME!

Yesterday I turned 29 (+2)! I had an awesome day hanging out with my family...Wes and the kids in the morning, a manicure in the afternoon, and a Mexican Fiesta with extended friends and family at night. As I look back on another year, I am so thankful for so many things...healthy children, a loving husband, supportive family and friends, and a great teaching and coaching job (just to name a few). I'll just have to see what year #30 (+2) has in store!
Me...
...and my Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake!
Make a wish!
Party Time, ole!

Summer Daze

Payton, Brady, and I are certainly enjoying our summer. We get up around 7:00 (on a good day, 6:00 on a bad one...) and eat some breakfast. PR must have her french toast sticks while Brady enjoys his waffles and "nanas" (another word he has mastered). After that, the sky is the limit. Whether it's the playground, the pool, or some water fountains (see below), the kiddos can make anything fun. After running them ragged, we head home for lunch and naptime. This is when I garden, clean house, or more often...mess around on the computer! Then the countdown begins as we anxiously await the arrival of daddy! Summer is awesome.
Hey studly.Where Brady prefers to be.Where PR prefers to be.The princess gets wet.

A Man Of Many Words

Brady has just started turning his screams, squawks, and grunts into actual words. At this point, he can say about 15 words. Here are a few of his favorites! You will also see his love for pummeling anything he can...

Dad, Daddy, Poppa, Pops.

Happy Father's Day!

PR & Brady absolutely adore their daddy. They anxiously await their daily "body slams" when he gets home from work (wrestling in a huge pile of pillows). They love cuddling on the couch and watching Disney Movies with him. They enjoy shooting baskets and doing slam dunks on the basketball hoop. And they have each inherited some of their daddy's traits. Brady has inherited Wes's wonderful curiosity for tools, projects, and fixing things. He already loves to tinker with whatever gadget he can get his hands on. And Payton? Well, she had to get her stubborness from somewhere!We celebrated with a bbq at my parents' house. Burgers, croquet, football, and hanging out. Does it get any better?
The whole gang...The cooks!"Studying" the flowersWatching Daddy throw (no, our kids are NOT named after NFL QB's!)"Big Daddy"Brady & Uncle Bradley

We Clean Up Pretty Well...

On Saturday night, our good family friend Ernie got married. Since a lot of you who read this blog know Ernie, I thought you'd enjoy seeing a few pictures. The wedding was beautiful and the reception was rockin'. Also, I've realized we've been in our bathing suits for the last few posts, so I figured it might be nice to show our "fancier" side...
Ernie & Kim (and their favorite "nephew" Nolan)The "Jansen" KidsThe whole crew! (minus PR & Brady who were at Grandma Inge's for the night)

Lake MacConaughy: Sun, Surf, & Shivering

Last weekend, Wes and I, along with friends Gwen and Tim, headed off to Lake MacCanaughy in Ogalalla, Nebraska. FYI: Lake Mac was creating by damming up the Platte River. Its 14 miles long, about 2 miles wide, and filled with runoff from the Rockies. Its located in the middle of miles of fields and farms. Our parents were gracious enough to babysit the kiddos, so we were excited about our adult weekend full of speed boats, tubing, and water skiing. (We also thought that we might enjoy some good dining and entertainment down in town. Wrong. There is NOTHING in Ogalalla...) In spite of the freezing cold water, we really enjoyed ourselves. The video below highlights our trip. Producer's Notes: 1) This video is rated PG-13 as water temperatures caused the utterance of a few profanities. 2) My favorite part of the movie is listening to everyone giggle in the background! Enjoy.

All Things Great & Small (& Messy)

We have recently had a few new additions to our home. One is big, one is very small, and the other was (I have already gotten rid of it!) very messy.

Big: A tunnel/tent contraption from PR's grandpa (Wes's Dad). It is enormous, and as you can guess, the kiddos think it's awesome! It's final location is yet to be determined. We set it up on the patio, and it almost took flight!

Small: "Katie" the mouse joined our family care of Grandma Tammy last week. I had volleyball camp, so she spent the day babysitting for us. I came home to find PR in love with her new pet. In spite of being stinky, she is kind of cute...

Very Messy: A package was shipped to me in this box FULL of packing peanuts. This was as good as a Six Flags roller coaster in PR and Brady's eyes. After two major vacuum/broom/dust pan sessions, this disaster had to go. But, it was fun while it lasted.