Sunday Morning

Busy Busy Summer

Back to school!!! I never get tired of saying that! I think we were ALL ready for Rachel to start school again. She needed to be back on a schedule and be around her school friends again. One of her good friends from last year is in her class again this year so that made it much easier for her to go back. It's been difficult getting her back to her early bedtime but I think she realized how important it is to a get a full night of sleep after the first few days back. After the 2nd day she told me that she was "totally exhausted" and "Mom, I asked if we could take a nap after lunch and they said NO!!!" She was shocked, the nerve of those teachers!

Both girls had a very busy summer, especially Rachel. She went to camp earlier in the summer, spent a few days camping with Grandma & Grandpa Strang. Took swimming lessons for two months, went to the Omaha Zoo with her dad, enjoyed the Grand Harbor Water Park twice, went canoeing with our family AND lost her first tooth. Wheew, no wonder she's so tired!

Annie has been busy, running and talking. She still moving around like crazy and her speech is finally catching up with the rest of her. She didn't say much those first two years but now we can't get her to be quiet. It's as if one day a switch just went off in her brain and the words started flowing out. Of course we can only understand about half of what she says and that's OK. I'm prettyI want to know everything she's telling us!

Rachel starts CCD next week and she'll have that every Wednesday night for the rest of the school year. Crazy to think she'll make her first communion next year. We are also going to enroll her in gymnastics or more swim lessons over the winter. She doesn't seem all that interested in sports so we need to find something for her to do during winter, while all the bugs are hybernating.

We are planning a trip to Florida in three weeks. Are neighbors invited us to join them while they are on vacation and we are excited for Rachel to see the ocean for the first time. Sadly Annie will stay behind with her grandparents. We decided she's just not ready yet for a 3.5 hour flight, plus any potential delays at the airport. We've decided to wait another year before we take her on a big trip. Rachel was 3 when she flew the first time and that was the perfect age. Not only did she remember it but she could sit still for an extended amount of time. The grandparents have assured us she will have plenty of fun back in Iowa and I'm sure she won't mind their undivided attention for 5 days.

I posted all of my pics on Shutterfly, must easier and faster then posting them on this blog site. Just clink on the link to view each album. Enjoy!!!!

Links to view Pictures

First Day of School: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AasXDlk0bs2LIQg

Omaha Zoo: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AasXDlk0bs2LIjg

Grand Habor/Dubuque: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AasXDlk0bs2LIYA

Annie's 2nd Birthday: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AasXDlk0bs2LIrA

NEW POSTS COMING SOON!!

I need to find an hour (...or two) to sit down and upload all of our photos from the past month. I have Annie's Birthday, first day of school, Omaha Zoo, Grand Harbor to post so it's going to take some time! Keep checking!

What a great weekend! The girls and I chilled at home on Friday night and watched Mamma Mia for the 26th time. Sat morning I took Rachel to the Downtown Farmers Market. We were there for almost 3 hours and only saw half of the vendors. Rachel enjoyed all the dogs walking around and I picked up a few good deals. Afterwards we stopped by Sonic and picked up lunch. We took it to Jones Park and enjoyed a nice picnic outside by one of the ponds. We spread out a blanket and enjoyed some sunshine and after we ate we walked around the pond and looked for frogs. When we got home we packed our bags and the girls and I went back to Cascade to see Aunt Sarah and Scott went to a concert. Rachel was SO excited to see Aunt Sarah again.

Saturday we slept in, played outside, went to the pool for a few hours and Rachel and I took a gator ride with Grandpa down to the back woods...and almost got stuck. A perfect day! Sunday we met up with Sarah and her nephews, Sam and Ben, and took all of them to the River Museum in Dubuque. Annie went totally crazy the minute we walked in and she saw the huge aquarium. She ran over to the turtles and started screaming. Needless to say the rest of the visit was spent chasing her around from exhibit to exhibit. We stopped by Happy Joes for lunch and ate some much needed BLT & Taco pizza...awesome. Next stop, Grand Harbor Water Park. The kids enjoyed a few hours of swimming before we headed back home. Annie went down a few of the larger slides with me and Rachel was thrilled to have Jena all to herself. Quick stop at DQ for some ice cream and a quiet ride home.

Grandma & Grandpa Strang are going to take Rachel camping later in the week. They have a whole bunch of activities planned for her so I'm sure she'll come home exhausted. She's excited to have a few days with G&G and no little sister around to bug her.

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad, hope you enjoyed your day!




River Museum


Grandma's barn quilt


Annie enjoying sweet corn and yelling at
us about something.

Summer

So, I'm pretty sure no one is bothering to even read this blog anymore since I haven't posted in almost 3 months. But, I'll entertain the few of you that might still care and catch you up on our summer so far.

Summer vacation...ahhhh. The girls still have to get up early in the morning and go to daycare but no worrying about homework, lunches, early dismissals. Rachel has enjoyed most of the summer playing outside with Sammy. They spend many nights on Sammy's swingset or looking for bugs. They both went to camp in early June for a week and had a great time. Since this was their first time at a camp, we decided a day-camp would be best. They had an overnight stay on the last night and we decided we'll try more overnight stays next summer. Rachel must of had a great time based on the condition of her clothes each night. I've never seen a kid come home so exhausted and covered in mud from head to toe.

Annie has been a very busy girl this summer. She's in the stage where she runs, the minute you let go of her hand or open the front door...she's gone. But we've enjoyed a couple nice afternoons at the pool and Cherry Hill park. She's turning TWO this month and she's already discovered her independence. She doesn't like the word NO so when she's told it she usually comes right over and puts her finger in your face and says...'YOU STOP!!!" Yep, two years old. We are contemplating if it's time to put away the crib and get out a big girl bed but I'm really dragging my feet. The crib is the one place she can't get out of, yet. She sleeps well in it and she doesn't seem to mind being in it so we might wait a few more months. We even thought about potty training, for a few days. She went potty three days a row at daycare but refused to at home. After awhile she seemed to just forget about. We won't push her. I'm sure it will be a long and exhausting battle and I figure we're better off to just wait until she's ready.

My one goal this summer was to run at least ONE 5k and by the end of summer Ill have ran four. I am by no means the fastest runner out there and I've been beaten by several kids and a few dads with baby strollers but I never thought I could ever run a mile again, especially since I haven't ran one since my senior year in high school. Now, if I can just convince Scott to run with me....hah.

We took a few days off for Cascade's 175th Celebration in June and enjoyed a few days at the farm. The girls slept almost 12 hours each night and they enjoyed countless golf cart rides with Grandpa. It was just the type of vacation we needed. We are planning another mini-vac before school starts again. We are taking the girls to the water park in Waterloo and staying overnight, weather permitting! Rachel will start school in a few short weeks so it's time to buying new supplies and start thinking about fall clothes. Ugh, I dread the thought of trying to get her back into shoes, socks and jeans!!!

I promise I'll TRY and keep my updates more frequent. Just don't hold your breath!

Rachel's bday cupcakes

Happy Birthday Rachel Irene!

Rachel is offically SIX years old today! I thought I would be a mess when she turned 5 but six was actually much worse! I've always taken off her birthday and so we could do something fun and this year she had school so I went to work, and thought about her ALL day. I guess it's the realization that she's getting older and she now has friends to celebrate with, not just Mom and Dad.

We started her celebration last night. I decorated her room after she fell asleep. This morning Scott got up early and picked up dounuts for breakfast, chocolate with sprinkles, her favorite. After school we got Annie's haircut (....oh, that's a story for another day) and picked up Subway, Rachel's choice. We ate dinner, opened presents and had some cake. Sunday is her REAL party at the Play Station. Tonight we enjoyed a more calm celebration!

Happy Birthday to my little monkey that makes me smile EVERY single day!!!
I love you! XOXO, Mommy.


Rachel & Ruby


A whole plate of sugar at 6:30 am. Awesome!

Annie REALLY liked the cake. This is her after

she licked her plate clean.

Best buds, at least for this picture.

Lester Easter

Last Sunday we celebrated Easter with Scott's family at our house. 4 grandkids under the age of 5 makes for a very busy afternoon! We grilled out for lunch and Grammy & Papa put together an Easter egg hunt for the kids. A little bit cooler day but the kids didn't care, they still enjoyed playing outside.


Ella


Trey & Annie

Ella & Lori

Mike w/ Trey & Ella

Strang Easter

We celebrated Easter on the farm last Saturday. What a beautiful day! This was Annie's first "official" Easter egg hunt and it took her awhile to figure out what was going on. She had more fun running around without anyone trying to stop her. The kids took golf cart rides, played on the tire swing and ran around with Grandpa & Grandma's new dog, Benny.


Ahh....soak in that sun.


Rachel & Benny

Katie, Jena & Rachel

Grandma let her sneak some bunny cake

Happy Easter...and Spring!

The Easter Bunny came early this year to the Lester house. Thank you Aunt Sarah for the awesome Betty Jane Easter baskets for the girls! As soon as we pulled up to the house yesterday and saw there was a box waiting by the front door, Rachel said " I bet Aunt Sarah sent us something for Easter!!!" Rachel was so excited when she saw the basket and we had to call Sarah right away and thank her. After loading both kids up on sugar I decided to take Annie for a haircut, prob not the best idea. She was a good girl and sat in the chair but she was looking ALL over the place. Thankfully the lady who cut her hair was very patient and quick and she did a great job.

We are leaving for Cascade tonight and we will have Easter at the farm tomorrow and then back in CR on Sunday to have Easter with Scott's family. I'm looking forward to spending some time outside this weekend for easter egg hunts and eating tons and tons of food! Wishing everyone a Happy Easter!


Trying to sit them both down for a pic, nearly
impossible anymore. Plus, Annie REALLY
wanted that candy!


Things start to get violent.


GIVE ME CANDY!!!!


Taking a closer look.


Annie picked a piece of candy that was almost
as large as her head.

So, after a few people asking me WHY I haven't updated our blog lately I decided I better sit down and update all of you on what's going on with us. Rachel was on spring break last week and she enjoyed a few days at the farm with Grandma & Grandpa Strang. She spent one day at home and Grammy & Papa Lester came down on Friday to stay with both her and Annie. She enjoyed being spoiled all week so I'm sure tomorrow morning will be a little rough.

We took a trip to Chicago earlier this month with Scott's family to see Great-Grandma Lester. It has been a few years since Rachel has seen her and Annie has never met her. Rachel instantly warmed up to her and enjoyed showing off her breakdancing skills, and so did her cousin Trey. The kids enjoyed swimming at the hotel and both of them were awesome during the long car ride. Hopefully we can get back there this summer for another visit and maybe spend an extra night or two and take in some museums.

We enjoyed a few warm days over the month and now we are waiting for the last round of snow to melt so we can start to think SPRING again. Rachel is anxious to start hunting bugs again and Annie is anxious to run right for the street. Which brings us to our next project...Annie-proofing our back deck. The spindles on our deck are too far apart and Annie could easily squeeze through them. We are going to put extra spindles in to make it safe for her to play on this summer. Think of it as a super large outdoor playpen. Hopefully we will finish this project by the end of April so she can enjoy it and we can breathe a little easier the next time she goes outside.

I've been horrible at taking pics lately. Thankfully Lori sent us a few from Chicago but I have no recent pics of Rachel, just a few of Annie. I do have a picture that Rachel recently did of a kitty and it is one of my favorites.



Annie has a new love, headbands.



Such a little artist.


Rachel and Great-Grandma Lester


All the grandkids with Grandpa Bill and his
sisters. Diane, Dorothy & Helen. Notice Rachel
posing like a dog for this photo. Nice.


Let the dance party begin.

Thankfully Papa has a big enough lap for both

Annie and Ella.

Ok, it's been awhile....so sorry! Seems like I have so little free time and the free time I have is spent doing something else, so it's not really free anymore!! Most of the snow that I posted last time is now gone, thanks to the warm temps the last few days. It was back down in the 30's today. I guess Mother Nature wanted to remind us that it's not spring YET. I enjoyed the 60+ temps yesterday by walking around downtown over my lunch and hose out the garage. I couldn't stand all that sand and salt in the house and it was perfect day to clean it out. Sounds like we are supposed to get a few more inches of snow this weekend so I doubt it will stay clean for very long.

Rachel is doing a great job with her Jolly Phonics program at school and I'm amazed at the words she can sound out and read now. We are looking forward to conferences at the end of the month so we talk to her teacher and track her progress. She is anxiously waiting for the snow to melt and the ground to dry out so she can go the park again.

Annie is still on the move and shows no sign of slowing down. She's eats like horse and yet we are all amazed at how tiny she stays. The minute we get home from daycare she goes right to her booster seat and waits for a snack. She'll eat again at dinner time and then she'll snack on whatever Scott and I eat while watching TV. We realized that if WE are eating, Annie IS eating. We also have her back to sleeping 9-10 hours a night. She was in a habit if waking up and getting into bed with us and we had to put an end to that. After about 7 nights of screaming and crying, she finally realized that she can fall back asleep on her own. Wheew. Of course now we have to work on slowly weaning her off her beloved Binkie .....not an easy battle!

I spent the weekend in Galena with my girlfriends two weeks ago. We enoyed shopping, eating and drinking...and maybe a little bit too much of each. But we had a great time and it was nice to get away for a few days. I also starting working out after that trip, as in EXERCISE. I've been saying for months that I need to get off my behind and do something. My friend Shelly convinced me that if we joined a gym together we would be more successful. And she was right. I can honestly say I really enjoy it and I actually look forward to it! I feel guilty being away from the girls three nights a week but I know it's good for me and in the long run, good for them too. My goal is to run a 5K this summer. It doesn't sound like much but for someone who hasn't ran a mile since high school, it's huge.

Looking foward to Valentines dinner on Saturday at the Ced-Rel with all of our friends on Hamer Drive. My parents are coming down on Sunday to work on our "to-do" list!

Happy Birthday Phil & Sarah!


Ruby, in her most favorite place to sleep at night.


No comment.


Mary, Amy and I at the Irish Cottage.

Happy 2009

So, it's almost the end of January and I'm just getting around to wishing everyone a Happy New Year. We've been busy and my blog is suffering. It's hard for me to sum up the past few weeks so I'll just post some recent pics of the girls instead. Again, Happy New Year!!!


Just an idea of HOW much snow we have
here. Ugh. I'm so done with it.


I leave Annie alone at the drawing desk for like
5 seconds and this is what I come back to.
I still don't know how she managed to do this
without falling on her face. Pure talent and no
fear is my guess.


Trying on mom's slippers


Sam & Rachel's first official sleepover.



Just wanted to remind myself of what IS
coming in a few months.

Christmas - Part 1

Ahh, back to work, back to regular nap schedules, back to chaos in the morning...great. We REALLY enjoyed our time off over the holidays. We slept in (when Annie cooperated), spent a large number of days in our PJ's and spent some much needed time together as a family.

We enjoyed Christmas three times this year w/ the Strangs, Lesters and ourselves. We spent the weekend after Christmas in Cascade with my family. My cousin and her boyfriend were home from San Diego so we were anxious to get back and spend time with them.

We spent Saturday opening gifts, eating LOTS of food and playing Wii. My neice and nephew got a Wii for Christmas and they brought it out to the farm so we could all play. Even Grandpa learned to bowl. I don't like to brag, but I did bowl a 267 and mangaged to beat my brother, husband and brother-in-law in that game. I totally rule.

Thanks to mom and dad for letting us stay a few extra days and especially for feeding us, not an easy job considering how much Annie eats in a day!

Grandpa doing what he does best.

Annie doing what she does best....sometimes.

Rachel playing Wii bowling

Scott's festive, and scary, holiday sweater.

Rachel's favorite...puzzles. Thankfully Grandma was

around to help.