Family Pictures-Oxbow Park June 2011

They make me smile!!

Catching up!!

I haven't blogged in forever, so did some catching up this weekend. The spring is such a busy time, so I didn't write much, but posted lots of pictures of the things we've been up to. The kids finished school yesteray and it's finally starting to feel like summer around here. Yay!!!

Memorial Day at Fort Snelling with the Helget girls

We took the our kids and the Helget girls, friends of ours, to Fort Snelling on Memorial Day. It was such a fun way for the kids to see history in action. We had a picnic overlooking the river and stopped for a DQ treat on the way home. It was a great day and so nice to finally be outside! Lex and Lizzy and the top of the tower.
Learning to march with the soldiers. Ashley and Lizzy manning the cannon. Ashley trying out some of the old fasioned games kids used to play.

Taylor seeing what it was like to have to carry water up to the house.

Lex and Lizzy washing laundry.

Looking over the river after lunch. What a great day!!!

Soccer, soccer, soccer!!!!

Jeremy coached Lizzy and Taylor's soccer teams this spring, so he has been at a lot of soccer games. Thankfully the weather started to cooperate a little towards the end of the season so they could actually play and the parents could enjoy watching!!

Lizzy and her teammates.
Markayla(a good friend of Taylor's) and Taylor

Taylor has loved playing soccer this year and is having so much fun.

Jeremy took Taylor and Markayla to a Minnesota Stars soccer game up in the cities. The girls thought this was the coolest thing ever and had a blast. They hope to get up to a few more games this year.The Minnesota Stars

Lizzy's Dance Recital

Lizzy took ballet and jazz this year and really enjoys dance. After her broken elbow in the winter, it took some time for her arm to straighten out, so for awhile some of her ballet moves looked pretty silly with a crooked arm. Recital time is crazy and hectic, but always turns out nice and the girls to a great job! My little ballerina.
Lizzy and her friend Mickayla.

Showin' off her jazz moves to Come on Get Happy!!

What a smile!

Two of Lizzy's best friends were in her class with her.

Lizzy, Abby and Ashley

Track and Field Days

This year, all three kids were old enough to particpate in track and field. After a few rain delays, they were able to squeeze it in for all the elementary grades. This is such a fun day for them.

Luke getting ready to run the 50 meter hurdles. Go Luke!!
Lizzy getting ready to do the sack race. She came in 1st!!

Lizzy doing the long jump. Taylor running the 50 meter hurdles.

Taylor and some of friends.

Luke turns 9!

Hard to believe my little boy is 9! He is such a sweetheart and at this point still gives me hugs.

I hope this doesn't change for a long time!

Luke and grandma Becky
Grandpa and Luke

Luke and his friend Peyton had a combined friend birthday at Peyton's house. They wanted to have a baseball game outside, but of course, like most of this Spring, it was cold and rainy. They played bean bags and air hockey inside and made the best of it and got outside for the last half hour and went home soaking wet!!
Opeing presents with all of his friends.

Happy birthday Luke!!

Spring piano recital

It is so fun to watch the kids play at their piano recitals in the spring and to see their hard work pay off. Luke got invited to a Twins game the night of the recital and since he hasn't gotten to go to the new stadium yet, we let him skip the recital for the game. He was sick last year and missed the recital as well. Maybe next year!!

Lizzy ready to play her pieces. Taylor and her good friend Markayla.
Taylor, Ruth, their piano teacher, and Lizzy

Lisbon, Portugal

In May, I was able to go to Lisbon to help with a meeting for work with my manager, Julie. We had a wonderful time exploring the city and the meeting went great.

I loved all of the narrow cobblestone "roads."
Julie's mother-in-law and her sister and our co-worker Steve joined us on the trip. We had dinner in the hotel restuarant one night. It was super fancy and expensive but a fun experience.

The kitchen sent this "appetizer" out compliments of the chef. It is strawberry jello, duck and mint foam. Very interesting.

A castle in Caiscais.

One of the tour guides from the company we worked with gave us a private tour one day and we took a drive to Sintra and Caiscais and along the coast. It was nice to get out of the city and see a smaller village and the coast.

Mmmm...pastries!! A ruin of a Moorish castle up on the hill. We had the faculty dinner at an old palace that has been renevated into a restaurant and hotel. The food was amazing and the atmosphere was great.

Julie and I outside a monestary in Lisbon.Another picture of the monestary.

This is a monument down by the water in Lisbon. I believe it is Christopher Columbus out front. Apparently he set sail from Lisbon? I wish I would have done a little reading about Lisbon before going.

There were lots of interesting different "street" people doing odd things for money.

Julie and I with some monuments in the background. There were lots of monuments throughout the city that honored someone or something.

The view of Lisbon from my hotel room. Most of the mornings were really nice and sunny, but it would cloud up a lot of the afternoons.

The inside of my hotel room. Notice the glass bathroom wall. Could have had a nice veiw of the city while I showered, but I kept the blinds down!!

It was a great trip and experience, but at the end of the week, I was ready to get home to my family!!