A little bit Friendly

We had the Schnoor's and LaPointe's over the other day to visit and let the kids run wild.  It had been a while but everyone had a blast.

There are so many pictures I am behind on...233 to be exact.  I'll try to load as few as possible, but it might be impossible.  I realize we have a TON of pictures from inside of our house but that is because I forget to take pictures with the camera away from the house.  We are going to get better about that.

Michael will be 2 in a few short weeks and he will be super excited to actually be present for most of it!  This year he will blow out his candles and open his own presents, and God-willing NOT be sick.

LK will be 4 in a few months and she already changes the theme every time we talk about it.  Everything she sees that she wants to own we remind her to put on her birthday list.  (I'm trying to be good about making these lists, but I don't remember everything.)

MC is becoming an independent little man but is sweet as can be.  LK is also the sweetest little (big) girl and will be going to 4K at the end of the year.  She is excited to say the least.  We are so blessed.  Here goes...

Some toy was kicked under the oven...Michael thought he could help, LK thought she could tell him where it was.

We are working on feet OFF the table

LK loves to walk on the sill

Michael checking out where I work

Tantrum avoided...just let them stand in the fridge

hut hut... a little football play in the kitchen

They got to the blue...I saved the white.  fair enough.

Time's a flyin'

Wow, can't believe it has been a couple months since the last post.  I've fallen way behind.  Michael is gaining more and more independence, and loves to say NO.  He is saying more words and just starting to put two-word sentences together....rarely, but I've heard it. In fact, tonight he said mommy stairs (which means mommy, downstairs), or Daisy off.  He'll get there :)  We just had conferences at school and both kids are doing great and learning a lot.  Michael is saying more words than most in his room and does very well with his utensils while eating. He kicks a ball and throws things with ease and loves trucks.

Lauren loves the library corner and art in school and is the first to help other friends get there stuff done.  She is the social butterfly we are told and is a huge teacher's helper.  She writes her letters and even most of her name.  She can spell and name all shapes and count backward from 10.  Lauren loves to help me make recipes when we put MC down to bed (stall tactic I'm sure, but it is fun for both of us).  And she loves to wear my lip glosses and makeup.    

We are very proud of both of them!

I got a new iPhone recently and haven't taken too many pics with the regular camera. I'm too lazy tonight to transfer from my phone to computer so these are the latest and greatest.

Tough Mudder 2012

Well, I have to post this because it was a big accomplishment for Chris.  He and his team did a team-building event and it was the Tough Mudder- an 11 mile run interspersed with challenging obstacles.  Thousands showed up and did this event and it was not easy.  It was awesome to watch and I am so proud of him for getting through it.  It was hard enough walking the course watching, but hilarious at parts and nerve-wracking at other parts.  All-in-all, very inspiring and the charity involved was Wounded Warriors.

His team...Before

"Showers" for after...they ran out of water by the time Chris went.

Just to get to the starting gate you had to jump over a wall.

Another girl and I went to get coffee thinking we'd make it to the first obstacle (mud crawl) after mile1. They were too fast and this was them after the first one...just arms and front of legs muddied.

Coming around mile 3

I believe this was after "Mud Mile" because we missed this due to poor mapping and caught them at the next obstacle below...

Chris is in orange going over the top.

Here is the underwater tunnels...they had to swim in a stinky lake under the barrels.

The next was the Arctic Enema but I got video of that instead.  They had to jump into freezing water with ice.

Hanging Tough Obstacle

Chris is looking into the tunnel...they are at an angle into the muddy water.

Coming out before ascent into the next tunnel.

Out of the tunnel!

This was called Everest...Chris's feet were hanging out at the top there...he was too quick to snap.

Before this was the Electric Eel where they had to army crawl under live wires in water and they were shocked repeatedly until they got across to the other side.  That was hysterical for the observers to hear the obscenities, but Chris said it felt like he was being punched in the muscles. I took video of that instead of pictures.

He made it!  Tough Mudder