Fall Break- Hawaii

We went to Kauai and it was AMAZING! None of the four of us had ever been to Hawaii. We loved the temperature (84-87 each day), the sand (100% smooth), the ocean (warm water), the animals (see pictures below) and spending time as a family relaxing and not cooking or cleaning.
Living the dream people! Just so I don't forget; we stayed on the south side of the island of Kauai at the Marriott Waiohai Beach Club.

We went to the botanical guards to watch the hula dancers. Ray and I could have stayed all day, Connor & Ryan were done watching the show after about 3 songs.

Ryan made a friend, Liam. Liam taught Ryan the skill of lizard catching

Every night at 5:30 we made sure to be outside to catch the sunset. Hawaii is 4 hours earlier than our time zone so it should be noted that we saw the sunrise each day too. 

Our last day we drove the 21 miles to the north side of the Island to Ha'ena State park and hiked the napali coast. 

All I wanted to see was a sea turtle. Day one, with in 10 minutes of getting to the hotel we found this guy! Made my whole trip!

Volunteers would post signs each day reminding people to stay back and give these amazing animals some space to rest on the beach. 

Everywhere we drove I was amazed, it looked like something out of a book or movie.

Had to break out our Hawaiian Shirts for a meal

Ha'ena State Park; our life guard was from Boulder CO

The main pool

My mermaid

My boys

Ha'ena

The sunset

sunset with my man

sunset, they were busy eating some'mores and were like, didn't you take our picture every other day when the sun was setting?

loved all the gardens, flowers and tress in this tropical paradise!

8th week at North Star

The boys have settled in to North Star Academy amazingly well. We are 8 weeks into school and they have figured out the rules, the halls and the social dynamics of the school so well. Ray and I are really proud of them for handling this change in their lives so well.

Grandma Pat was in town this week 

Connor grew a huge cabbage, the caterpillars loved it

Ray and I got to sneak out to a wedding this weekend (Ian & Taylor's)

Ryan at the Color Run with Sawyer & AJ

Ryan class

Connor, Ben and a kid who's name I can't remember 

Ryan is 8

"All I want for my birthday is to spend time with family". So Grandma and Grandpa had to fly out!!

 Reading a birthday card

 He woke up early and excited

 Breakfast at the Egg & I

 Connor had his first Hawks "Wolves" game

They lost 9-12

Connor got walked his first time up to bat and struck out the other two times at bat

We stopped by the boys old school to check out a new piece of playground equipment

Today, August 12th is the first day of North Star. 4th & 2nd grade, here they come!

Both are over due for hair cuts, oops

Okoboji 2019

Another great summer at the lake in the books. Highlight was Ryan giving water skiing a great try! Go Karts at Arnolds Park for the first time, and a new two seater kayak. It had been 13 years sense Ray and I went to Jefferson, Iowa (Where GG lives) so even though we had been in the car 11 hours, we made the 5 hour (round trip) road trip with the boys so they could see what small town Iowa looks like. Willa, Shane and Brooke came the first part of the trip!

Worst fishing year to record. Only went to Shucks once, with 4 keepers

We watched Aidan and Logan one afternoon so Steve could get cataract surgery

I said they were old enough to ride, Dad vetoed it

Sawyer was not as excited about the baby rides as he was about clinging on to Mom

Go faster. If they weren't on the super mable, the boys were not having the boat

GG's House!

Vul Bar's

Sawyer!

Willa catching her first fish

Surprising well at steering

Candy Land

Willa rode the coaster and experienced the tipsy house and mirror maze

Super Mable for the WIN

Ryan John

With his birthday less than 30 days away i just have to gush on him for a minute. He has had 53 allergy shots to date for his severe reaction to yellow jacket's. 53 times he has had a needle go into his arm and he has been given doses of venom that he is in fact allergic to. This is just crazy to me, as a kid I would cry and make a huge deal out of a finger prick, I just don't know how this boy stays so cool calm and collective (90% of the time).

This last week he had a reaction to his shot and scarred the calmness right out of me. Thank you Jesus for healing him and keeping him safe under your arms.

Summer 2019

We camped in Colorado Springs at Painted Rock. We were surrounded by these red random rock formations. Some cool things that only God can explain. We did freeze that night, next day Ray ordered new warmer sleeping bags for future cold night camping trips.

Kris Mattson's 50th Birthday party bash

Tons of golf this summer. Ryan might have out drove me on the 7th and 8th hole

Boys did rock climbing while waiting for Parker fireworks to start 

Golf camp, Ryan was finally old enough to participate

Ray diving for beers at the the annual neighborhood pool party on 4th of July

Fresh haircuts...their hairdresser gives out "free" pop with every cut 

May: Wicked, Field Day, Last Day of School

Grandma & Grandpa came in earlier this month, we went to the Broadway production of Wicked.

 Field Day fun!

 Today is the last day of 1st (Mrs Rutkowski) and 3rd grade(Mrs Wallace) at Pine Grove.

Charter School Here We Come

Yikes! As a child I moved from Delaware, to Massachusetts, to Illinois, to Iowa to Ohio which meant one thing all the time, change. Different drive, different building, different teachers, different way of lining up, different rules, different hallways/mazes to figure out, and most importantly to a child, different classmates/friends.

As a result from years of starting over and change I am slightly SCARed.

So what I vowed to never do to my boys was MOVE.
Ok, stop freaking out, we aren't moving. What we are doing is pulling the kids from our public neighborhood school. It feels like a move, and honestly maybe is harder on me than the boys. The school is .5 miles north of our house. Their current school is .5 miles south of our house, new school is on same road and everything.

Obviously Ray and I aren't doing this to send the boys to years of therapy and emotional turmoil. We hope this opens up opportunities for them to learn, emphasize the importance of good character and gives them the tools to have a positive impact on their community. Big Mom heart goals. We still hope the boys follow their dreams, at the moment Ryan still wants to be a fishing guide at Lake Okoboji. We want them to always give their best effort and best heart.

My final classroom door at our current school. 

Ry guy was home sick with strep on my birthday, I told Ray, I was secretly happy he was home for my special day!!