The Strinmoens

Sledding

2012-01-29T18:19:00.000-08:00

We went to a sledding party and the kids had a blast today. I somehow only had my camera out when there were just four kids there -- but I think it ended up with at least 15.

Jaxon at the bottom. For some reason, I'm pretty sure our itty bitty backyard hill will no longer be "good enough."

Jada and Dad headed down the safest route - the driveway.

A happy little snowbunny -- at least until she got any snow in her face.

Rachel and Ben crash at the bottom...

...but come up with smiles.

Jonah's Penguin Slide

Trail-blazer Mark

More 6th Birthday Pics

2012-01-26T18:07:00.001-08:00

A new hoop for the cul de sac.

6 candles!

Uncle Tyler made the cake.

Jaxon is 6

2012-01-12T18:44:00.001-08:00

Jaxon turned 6 today and we kicked off his birthday with our traditional birthday pancakes and wrapped up the night with dinner at Doc's Blue Moose (capped with chocolate ice-cream, of course).

Jaxon's birthday pancakes -- the years in review:

Age 6 (2012)

Age 5 (2011)

Age 4 (2010)

Age 3 (2009)

Age 2 (2008)

Christmas Pictures & Sunday School Christmas Program

2011-12-18T15:02:00.001-08:00

Another desperate attempt at a nice family photo of the kids at Christmas. In some respects, great failure. But in other respects - absolute brilliance in capturing some true, goofy personalities!

Sunday school singers. Jaxon actually did some singing this year. Jada did not sing a peep.

Search for Jaxon, the shepard

Where's Jada? (Gray shirt on the end, in the front)

Jada had enough of this standing business.

2011 Christmas Letter

2011-12-02T19:58:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas and fabulous holiday wishes to all of you. It's been another blessed year for the Strinmoens. Warning - one of those obnoxious, Christmas card brags ahead. For the third year in a row, I am sending this email card (2010 & 2009). Again,a small effort to be green. But probably more likely a lack of time & ability to track down addresses! The greeting is just as large....and you Christmas-card displayers of the world can just hit "print."

We're back in action with the top 10 of 2011.

10. We moved! We had long talked about moving back to Spring Grove.....eventually. But for some reason (or maybe a bunch of reasons), the stars seemed to align for that to work out in 2011. It was a bit unexpected, and not really planned. We left behind some great friends in Kasson and did enjoy our time there. Since we had a house for sale, we embarked on a bit of an adventure, temporarily living in the 1971 trailer house on Chris's family farm for 4 months.

9. Jaxon turned 5.He started kindergarten at Spring Grove Public Schools with Mrs. Betty Johnson as his teacher. He is one of 18 kids in his entire grade. He also has his own iPad for using in school (all of the elementary students do@ SG). He is our little engineer-child, constantly building, constructing, operating, questioning and investigating how things work. Jaxon got to spend lots of time on the combine and in the tractor this fall with his grandpa - one of his all time favorite things to do.

8. Jada turned 3. She is spunky and sassy, and quite possibly has the most facial expressions you have ever seen on a child. We love the way she constantly sings wherever she goes and that she can tackle her brother when he's least expecting it. She spends her days at Amy's daycare, attends ECFE classes on Monday nights and Sunday School and has enjoyed meeting her new friends in Spring Grove.

7. Koskie, our wonderful -- yet slightly neurotic -- yellow lab is now nine, and unfortunately starting to show his age. He has had somehip problems and is pretty lazy when he's home alone during the day. He still operates at 100 MPH when he's outside and playing with the kids, but the rest and recovery is getting a little tougher. But despite his getting-older, he still holds a pretty special place in our home. And he's still terrified of wood floors.

6. We sold our house in Kasson! Yipee, this was a big deal for the Strinmoens. We listed it beginning in July and it sold in October. So, all in all, it wasn't too bad -- but still a bit stressful having an unoccupied house for sale in a town that we didn't live in any longer.

5. Chris started a new job at Spring Grove High School. He's teaching in a much different environment, being one of only two math teachers in the entire school. He also is teaching alongside many of the teachers we had when we attended SGHS -- all of whom have been extremely welcoming.

4. I'm still plugging away at the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation. I lead the Chamber's Leadership Greater Rochester 10-month leadership development course for emerging community leaders, coordinate events such as the STEM Summit for 1800+ youth and Educators in the Workplace Institute professional development training for educators. I am blessed in that I am able to work from home 2 days/week and commute to Rochester only part time. Though I spend more time in my Camry than I want, it's a pretty good compromise.

3. We gained our first nephew! Camden Lee Strinmoen (Corey & Amber) was born on April 12. He is an absolute doll and Jaxon and Jada really enjoy the cousin gig. In other Strinmoen news, Chris's parents & grandparents seem to be enjoying having two of their grandkids just down the road, and Chris has been able to help with a bit of the farming this fall.

2. We gained our second nephew! Paxton Ray Hunzeker (TJ & Stef) was born on October 31. We traveled to Sioux Falls to meet him just before Thanksgiving and are absolutely in love. In other Hunzeker news, it's great to be able to see my other two brothers and yet another couple of sets of grandparents a little more often now that we're in Spring Grove.

1. We moved....again! As much as we loved life in the trailerhood, we were glad to be able to find a place to rent in Spring Grove. We miss life on the farm, but are glad to be mouse-free, boxelder bug-free, avocado green appliances-free and just have a bit more space. We're not sure when our next phase will kick in, but we hope to soon build on Chris's family farm -some day.

Merry Christmas!

Love, the Strinmoens

Introducing Baby Paxton!

2011-11-20T15:23:00.001-08:00

Introducing Paxton Ray Hunzeker! Jaxon and Jada have a brand new baby cousin, born on Halloween day.

Mama Stef

Awake!

Daddy, Grandma and Paxton

Cousins

Beautiful baby boy

Sunday School Singers

2011-11-16T19:16:00.001-08:00

Jaxon and Jada are in the same group at Sunday School (3 yrs - K), and they sang in church on Sunday. We were hoping for our favorite, "I justwant to be a sheep" -- the one that Jada sings over and over and over and over. But they must be saving it for next time!

Happy Halloween

2011-11-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween from Optimus Prime (Transformer) and Super Girl!

Harvest

2011-10-16T14:32:00.001-07:00

Here's what's happening around here this weekend:

Grandma's 60th Birthday

2011-09-30T08:06:00.000-07:00

Grandma Darla turned 60 and we helped her celebrate.

Jada is 3!

2011-09-28T18:54:00.001-07:00

Jada had her 3rd birthday, and we kicked off the celebration with the infamous birthday pancakes. We bust out all of the Christmas cookie sprinkles, add one new bottle for each birthday, and decorate morning pancakes with whip cream and sprinkles.

It's LIMO Time

2011-09-24T10:10:00.001-07:00

Connie and Gary (Grandma and Grandpa) surprised us with a night out on the town! We were adorned with hats, necklaces and blinking glasses, and watched as a stretch limo pulled up on the farm. We buzzed around Spring Grove with the kids, then dropped off grandma, grandpa and the kids at the farm. We were surprised with some fun guests to join us too!

Jaxon checked out the ride.

We stopped at my grandma and grandpa Wirth's house.

Then on to Chris's grandma and grandpa's.

We were celebrating Jada's 3rd birthday, Corey's 30th birthday and our 10th wedding anniversary.

The littlest limo rider

The planners of the mystery trip!

The guys at the final stop of the night -- Norski's.

And the girls at the final stop of the night.

Thanks Connie and Gary for an outstanding night!

Back to School

2011-09-06T18:30:00.001-07:00

1st day of school for Dad and Jaxon

Jax outside of his classroom

Jax outside of his new school. When we got there, he said "there's a lot of kids here!"

Twins Game

2011-09-06T18:28:00.000-07:00

Saturday on the Homefront

2011-08-27T16:56:00.001-07:00

Pulling weeds at Grandma's house and hauling them away.

Going for a walk and finding all of the different kinds of flowers.

Checking on Grandpa's corn.

And Grandpa's beans.

A house on the property across the highway. It just needs a little TLC and it looks move-in ready to me!

Checking for tomatoes -- I made 2 big batches of salsa last week. I thought it was a little on the hot side, but Chris and my brother Tyler both voted it as "medium-mild."

Round #2 with lots more to go.

Some kids get toys...

2011-08-16T18:46:00.000-07:00

Some kids get toys....some kids get fly-swatters.

Sweetcorn Season

2011-08-16T18:45:00.001-07:00

It's sweetcorn season!

Jellystone Campground

2011-08-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

A weekend of camping in pictures:

Brainerd Getaway

2011-08-11T17:30:00.000-07:00

An annual tradition continues. What started off as a bunch of mostly-single and newly married teachers (and their tag-along spouses) traveling for a weekend getaway to Brainerd has held strong for a solid 10 years. Each year we argue about if this annual event has been going on since 2001 or 2002, and everyone tries to figure out a way to upset Chris in the quest for having the best Brainerd track record for showing up. But however long, the tradition has carried us through pregnancies, new marriages, new romances, new babies, growing kids, and some heartbreak too. And while we used to be a little more hearty when it came to water skiing and dumping the jetskis, we can still all play a mean board game or two. Some of us don't see each other more than once a year, but each year we seem to pick up where we left off.

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

There were lots of years before this, but I'm not sure where the proof is. We probably did a lot more "celebrating" before all of the kids joined the party, and forgot about important things like documenting the journey.

The Camper House

2011-08-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

Jada has given our new home a name: "The Camper House." And that's the attitude I'm going with. Life on the farm is a bit of an adjustment to all of us, except for Chris who grew up and feels completely at home here. And, to be fair, I honestly have nothing to do with real farm life here-- Chris and Jaxon tackle the unloading hay and all of those other farm stuff with Grandpa and Grandma. But this small-town/city-girl has had to make some adjustments, and sometimes it just feels like camping.

For one, there are creatures that live on the farm that I've never even seen before.

Like this goofy looking bug from my kitchen counter, and the World's Largest Spider that I squashed in the bathtub. And I don't know what the coyotes have to gripe about in the late hours of the night, but they have these ridiculous drawn-out battles from across the valley. Every year there seems to be some sort of confirmed sighting of a cougar or bobcat or mountain lion or something, so I imagine that will be next. In fact, we did see one of these guys right here in Spring Grove:

We've also managed to do more grilling than we did in town, mostly because it means there's a few less dishes to wash BY HAND!

We've had the opportunity for bonfires and quiet nights in the wide open air. No city lights, city noise, loud neighbors. And I don't have to worry about our dog barking or my kids crossing over property lines with whatever vehicle they're driving.

But I think what really makes the Camper House really seem like we are camping is that there just isn't a place for everything, so the counters, tables, desk and floor just get dumped on and stacked up. It already has forced me to zero in on what we use day-to-day, and has given me a great excuse to simplify our stuff. The amazing thing to me is that we have half of our old household packed into boxes and stored away, and there has only one time when I have wanted or needed to go searching for something that I wish I had (the brush for the grill).

On the Kasson house front, we have had a couple of offers, neither of which we have been able to reach an agreement with. The house is packed up, repainted, cleaned out and ready for a fabulous new family to enjoy. Hopefully sooner, rather than later.

Jada's old room...which used to be pink. It is now a very neutral beige that every potential buyer should just love.

The 'Hood

2011-08-02T18:23:00.000-07:00

The trailerhood is shaping up and we have officially crammed 4000 square feet of stuff into a single-wide! Wehave new carpeting (courtesy of two friends with flooded basements and insurance that covered complete replacement).

We have stolen a mostly-beer fridge from the farm house basement. The washer was tested tonight for the first time, to which Jaxon yelled, "Um, MOM? The washer is shaking our beds!" We have even managed to secure cell phone service deep in the valley where the only place you used to be able to get a single bar is standing on top of the corn bin. Seriously.

I haven't seen a mouse yet, so that's good -- though it's probably just a matter of time. We sealed all of their favorite entry points (we think), and the crumbs that the kids leave behind will hopefully be cleaned up by the dog before they can get to them.

Speaking of unwanted guests, we managed to kick this guy out of the trailer:

And speaking of dogs, a 85 pound yellow lab who does not know how to turn around and gets stuck on wood floors doesn't really fit very well in here. But he seems to be loving farm life as much as the rest of us!

Mid-moving adventures, we've also managed to take advantage of the 85 degree pool, and Jaxon has confirmed that Grandma still has way better snacks than us. We've also decided the Grandpa Gary is much better with the grill. The kids are headed to the circus that is coming to town tomorrow with Grandma Darla and Grandpa Jim. Jaxon started his kindergarten orientation and Jada seems to be doing pretty well at her new daycare with Amy. So, that's the Strinmoen story from the 'hood!

Trailerhood Rehab

2011-07-17T15:04:00.000-07:00

Our temporary living space is coming together -- but as we've cleaned, pulled carpet, painted aluminum roofs all in 100 degree heat, we've discovered a few things that are more or less coming apart:

A bit of a "weak spot" in the living room floor/wall, caused by a window water leak that can't really be controlled. (Great grandpa Otto and Grandpa Gary are currently working on stabilizing this for temporary living).

Grandma Connie discovered this "weak spot" in the floor as she was tossing carpet scraps out the window and discovered what happens when you fall through. Luckily you won't fall through a basement below.

Grandpa Jim put in a very fancy new bathroom faucet for a not-so-fancy bathroom sink.

Grandma Darla and I spent lots of time cleaning....after all, there is a LOT of wood paneling to wipe down.

I wasn't kidding about the avacado green. Still working on finding a fridge to match.

The original curtains from 1971.

This gem of a cookie jar was once Chris's grandma's, and was probably filled with better cookies than I'll ever be able to make. But without a scratch or chip in it, this might be the one piece that is recycled and used in our next home.

On the home selling front, we're still working on it. Have had a couple of good lucks, a few good bites. But nothing that has pushed us to pack that final box quite yet. Our plan is to move out by the first week in August and will hopefully sell the house before too long.

And so, the adventure continues. We're (I'm) doing our best to keep a good attitude, and we are SO thankful for our parents' support. They have all given up much of their weekend time to help us pack, move, clean, etc.

Camping - Old Barn Resort

2011-07-10T19:26:00.000-07:00

It was another packed weekend! I'm fairly certain that we haven't spent a summer weekend at home yet - this weekend, heading out camping at the Old Barn Resort in Preston. The campground is on the Root River and has a great pool, playground, tubing, golf course and mostly mosquito-free atmosphere.

I always think that going camping will be so relaxing -- and it never is. It's a lot of work to get food and everything (and everyone) even out the door. When you get there's a constant flow of juice boxes and other sugary fun for the kids, followed closely by late campfire nights and early wake-with-the sun mornings. There's the dog that, let's face it, is not cut out for life on a leash. There's naps that are interrupted much too quickly, sleeping/living quarters that are much too close, and a book that I'd like to read that usually spends most of it's days on the picnic table and not in my hands.

But it's crazy fun, in a not-so-relaxing kind of way. It's funny how I hit the campground and don't have a single urge to pick up my cell phone or turn on my laptop. I don't think about the need to stop at Target or get groceries or even take a shower. I scrap the make-up, barely look in the mirror, consider a dip in the pool "clean enough." I forget, just for a bit, about the house we need to sell, the move we'll be making and the chaos that will be our life for the next couple of years.

An over-all great way to spend time with our kids, grandparents and other great family members too.

The weekend pics:

Nephew Camden Lee - seriously, how cute is this little guy?

Gary kicking off a game of "Minute to Win It"

Connie in the final round....though by this point, the ladies had a big enough lead that the dice stacking wasn't high-stakes.

Amber wins the Oreo Stack.

This life is about to get very weird.

2011-07-05T18:01:00.000-07:00

The other night I told Chris that we would be having very weird dinners for the next few weeks as I cleaned out the cupboards, deep freeze and refrigerator. Rice and chicken nuggets, hamburger helper with stew pieces, venison that I never knew how to cook and popsicles from the very bottom of the freezer. He only replied "there's not much about this next year that I expect to be not weird."

We'll be staying in Kasson just one more month, heading to Spring Grove the first week of August. We haven't sold our house yet - though have had a couple of good "looks." At any rate, we can't afford to have our mortgage payment AND rent somewhere, much less begin to build (really, who could?!)...so, we have contrived a master plan.

It involves lots of avacodo green, a bit of harvest gold, some mouse poop and a washing machine from 1976. It also involves lots of cleaning out, lots of old furniture, carpet replacement, and storing our stuff in every nook and cranny that we can muster up between the farm and my parents house. And, while we hope it's a very short "temporary," it is free, available, heated, and even air conditioned. It also happens to be 16 steps from grandma's and grandpa's house...where they have cable, a pool, a toy room, and more than the 400 square feet that we will squeeze into. And only 4 short miles to other grandma's and grandpa's where they have lots of room to roam too.

Meet "The Trailorhood"

And for you Toby Keith fans, there will be plenty of renditions of this song playing good and loud. "It's a little piece of heaven out here in in the woods. There's always something going on out in the trailerhood!"

4th of July in Pictures

2011-07-05T17:51:00.001-07:00

Jada and Grandpa cleaning the camper for camping next weekend.

Dad and Jaxon playing hoops.

Uncle Kyle caught Jax.

"Jaxon get down....wait, let me take your picture first..."

Jada on the mama deer.

Jada became nearly invincible with her goggles on -- face in the water, swimming like a fish.

Uh oh, Grandpa Gary -- what happened to that chair?

Swimmers!

This guy learned to swim this weekend. He has now nearly mastered the underwater swim, the cannon ball, the belly flop and lots more.

Jada likes the water....but it was hard not to when the pool is 85 degrees!

Annual Bergsrud family canoe trip. 46 of us headed down in tubes and canoes. This pic breaks that cardinal rule of posting photos of me in a swim suit, but the other two cousins (Brooke and Brittney) are so stinkin' cute that I'll forgive myself.

Clearing Out!

2011-06-25T14:02:00.001-07:00

Thought I'd post a brief moving update, since folks seem to be interested in our chaotic moving plans.

The house went up for sale about a week and a half ago. We decided to try to sell it ourselves, for the short time that we are still here. Given the crappy housing market and the limited time frame we have, we probably won't have any luck. But we thought we'd give it a shot, potentially saving some of the realtors' fees -- and having a bit more "negotiating room" for interested buyers.

Since our goal is to be in Spring Grove by the end of July/first of August, we'll plan on listing it with Edina Realty at that point, since we wont be available to show it.

We've spent the last few weeks clearing out, cleaning out, packing up and dumping crap. Most of our time seems to be spent dumping crap. It's seriously amazing how much stuff we have accumulated (though, to be fair, most is baby/kid related!). And we've only lived here four years!

We've had a bit of luck and a few funny stories to tell while selling more stuff on Craigslist. For example, Chris found a "mattress wanted ($100)" on Craigslist. So I called, they came over, gave us $100 and picked up the mattress set that we had every intention of bringing to the dump. But, they came in a minivan, for a California King size mattress, box spring and frame. And left our driveway with the top mattress on top and their arms out the window "holding" it down.

We're not really sure where we'll land for the next couple of years. Until we sell our house, we'll be bunking with our parents -- much to their joy, I'm sure. I mean, who doesn't love four extra house guests plus a big furry dog with an indefinite timeline for their stay??? After we sell, we'll be looking to rent for a while, while we build.

So that's where we're at! Nothing less than crazy and chaotic.

eenie meenie minee mo

2011-06-21T19:37:00.001-07:00

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Photo Shoot

2011-06-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

An impromptu photo shoot this morning at the Plummer House in Rochester. Jada wasn't especially cooperative, but a few of the shots turned out all right. I'm still learning to use my new camera so played with the settings a lot. Unfortunately that means some of my favorite expressions had goofy camera settings, but oh well. The price is right, anyway!

My favorite shots seem to be the ones where their true personalities shine:

KoMet Baseball at State

2011-06-18T18:06:00.001-07:00

The KoMet baseball team made it to the state tourney, and the kids and I, along with grandma and grandpa Strinmoen, headed up to St. Cloud to watch them play. The bus left with a fire truck escort through and out of town and a row of signs for each player and coach stretched down the highway.

KoMet fans

Fun in the hotel

These seemed to work OK even without quarters.

Air hockey

Unfortunately, the KoMets came up short in both of their state tourney games. They did have a heck of a season. With this being Chris's second showing at the state baseball tournament with a high school team, we might have to figure out a way to get baseball back in Spring Grove to keep his streak alive.

Water Fight

2011-06-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

Nothing better than an all-out water fight when the guy to gang up on is Grandpa Jim.

Jada somehow mastered the art of being allowed to get other people wet while staying completely dry herself.

Uh oh, a broken down Grave Digger calls for some intervention.

Jaxon and Gage

Dylann and Jada

Slippin' in Slidin'

2011-06-04T18:42:00.001-07:00

What a fabulous hot weekend day! Chris had baseball all day today, so the kids spend the entire day on the slip 'n slide and in the kiddie pool.

Jaxon and neighbor Dylann

Jaxon and Gage (with a broken arm) trying out their surfboarding skills.

Jada didn't do much sliding, but she did manage to wear three different swim suits today.

Confirming Rumors

2011-06-02T18:24:00.000-07:00

The rumors are flying, and most of them (I think!) are true. Our family is making a big leap and an even bigger move...to a very small town. When a math teaching position opened up in Spring Grove, things quickly and unexpectedly fell into place. Our house will go up for sale this week and we don't really know where we'll land after that. We might be sleeping in grandpa's hay barn or taking over grandma's quilting room --we're not really sure yet. We have eventual dreams to build on Chris's family farm, nestled in a quiet area between the hills, but imagine that won't happen for a couple of years.

Chris will have the opportunity to help his family a bit on the farm. And his dad, Gary, let me feed their horse last weekend all by myself (which, for a city girl, is kind of a lot of responsibility). I will keep my job at the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce. I proposed a telecommuting arrangement that my company graciously agreed to (2-3 days/week from home), so I'll be driving to Rochester (about 70 miles) a couple of times a week.

Most importantly, and an extremely important factor in our decision making, is that we have an opportunity to surround our kids with people who are truly on our kids' side -- with 8 biological grandparents in Spring Grove (and 4 more not too far away), a couple of uncles, lots of family, and the church, community members, educators and business owners we grew up with.

We're expecting a bit of culture shock, and hoping that we don't feel like the world is closing in on us. We're ready to laugh when the realities of very-small-town life set in. And we're really, really, excited to see our kids thrive in a school and community that we think our kids will be successful in.

Oh, and there's that Spring Grove Soda Pop thing.

At Grandma and Grandpa Strinmoens

2011-05-24T17:04:00.000-07:00

This is one of their favorite things on the farm - they always come back with cheesers like this!

Jada and cousin Camden

Jada being a big helper - holding Camden's bottle.

Syttende Mai

2011-05-24T17:01:00.001-07:00

This is what we do for fun in Spring Grove - launch our five year olds down a ramp and a huge hill in a home-made car.

Grandpa Jr. and Grandma GG at the parade.

Putting their best faces on for the candy.

We stuck out the rain and it cleared off just in time for the parade.

"Grandma, you have pink and I have pink, and we are the same and we are twins!"

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Mother's Day in Spring Grove, out to eat with the Wirth's at Goodtimes.

4 generations (actually 5 if you count Jada's baby who seemed to make it in every picture!)

Jaxon and Uncle Kyle after Kyle and Tyler taught Jaxon how to "blow stuff up."

Jada stopped to pose for some pictures on Grandma Connie's deck while we were waiting for Dad to get done helping in the field.

Pretty girl!

The wind-tossled look.

And the Victoria's Secret special! And, yes, she did have cute sandals on with her dress...but the tennis shoes won out for running on the farm.

Easter Day

2011-04-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

We had another amazing day with family. Easter morning kicked off with a drive to Spring Grove, arriving just in time for church service at Trinity. This service is always a favorite, ending with the powerful choir-congregation-organ-keyboard "Thine is the Glory." Simply amazing, and brings tears to my eyes every year. We headed to Grandma and Grandpa Hunzekers for lunch, a crazy game of spoons, an Easter egg hunt, and lots of fun. In fact, so much fun that somehow the kids ended up staying over night at grandma's and grandpa's house tonight!

This, folks, is how Easter dinner is done at Mom Hunzeker's house!

The first egg find

Girl on a mission.

Checking out the snow bunny that Tyler built.

Another attempt at a family photo, with Jada not smiling and Jaxon making a goofy face!

Jada grabbed Grandma G.G.'s hand for the prayers before lunch.

Easter Saturday

2011-04-23T19:05:00.001-07:00

We had a great Easter get together today with Chris's side of the family at our house. I took lots of pictures, but almost all of them were of my new nephew Camden! I think everyone went home stuffed with meatballs, potatoes, ham, corn, rommegrut, lefsa, pumpkin and vanilla dessert and lots of appetizers that we grazed on from before lunch to after dark.

Jada had her mouth full, but these hats were too cute to not take a picture of.

Great Grandma Nana and Great Grandpa Otto with their three great grandchildren.

Camden

Camden again.

And Camden again!

T-Wiffle Ball

2011-04-22T19:13:00.000-07:00

Jaxon has been in another year of t-wiffle ball through community ed. This is Jaxon with his friend Kyle from daycare. He is absolutely loving this session, because most of his team is made up of his daycare and preschool friends.

Meet Camden Lee Strinmoen!

2011-04-16T15:50:00.001-07:00

Jaxon and Jada's first cousin is here, and they couldn't be more excited! Jaxon already has plans for when he gets bigger and they can play on the farm, and Jada is such a little mother hen. Camden Lee Strinmoen (Corey & Amber's) is almost a week old.

Twins Game

2011-04-09T12:25:00.001-07:00

They're loaded with warm clothes, snacks, tickets and plans for a train ride. Watch for them on TV!

Turning the Jets On!

2011-04-03T12:36:00.001-07:00

Jaxon figured out that the bathtub has this cool little button that turn on the whirlpool jets. When you add a bit of bubble bath, it's pretty much miraculous in the eyes of a 5-year-old.

Load Up the Yard with Plastic!

2011-04-03T12:29:00.000-07:00

The first day of spring! It's the time of year to load up the yard and driveway with every ride-on toy in the tri-state area, and conveniently leave them out for mom and dad to haul back in after dark.

Jax's extra couple of inches give him some serious bigwheel advantages.

Jada has got the princess bike all figured out, except the part where she almost ran into grandpa's motorcycle.

Trying out the chairs that Great Grandpa Otto made. Almost time to set them outside for good!

Grandma Darla and Grandpa Jim came to visit. Jada and grandma took a little break on the porch while the boys played baseball.

The first of many summer front-yard games.

Some Kids Get Toys...

2011-04-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

Some kids get toys, some kids get corn!

Jaxon could seriously play this ALL day long. Thanks Grandpa Gary for the pail of corn!

More Biddy Basketball

2011-02-27T11:27:00.000-08:00

A few more Biddy Basketball pictures.

Jaxon and half of the red team, waiting for their turn to play in the game.

Jaxon and his friend Hailey, after the game.

Jaxon with Coach Dad. I imagine this is the first of many pictures like this.

The red team, which, according to Jaxon, was the best team, and won the most games. I imagine ever kid of the 9 other 4-6 year old teams told their parents the same thing.

A spectator who would rather be playing.

Snow Day on the Farm

2011-02-13T19:53:00.001-08:00

We spent the day on the farm today! Jaxon was really busy climbing all of the snow mountains, that he was kind of tough to catch on camera. But I caught a few!

A sledding catastrophe

Sledding down the driveway

Snow Day!

2011-01-30T14:22:00.001-08:00

Jaxon's 5th Birthday Party

2011-01-29T19:14:00.000-08:00

Jaxon had a fabulous group of friends and family join him for his birthday party today! He turned five on January 12, but had to postpone his party a bit. He was joined by grandparents, great grandparents, neighbors, family friends, his uncles and aunt. With eight kids under age five, it was a great time!

Five candles!

Monster trucks from his friend, Gage.

Mom and Jada

Super hero capes for all of the guests.

Terrible Two's

2011-01-22T19:42:00.001-08:00

For those of you who haven't seen a two-year-old's temper tantrum, here you go. If you want to know what started it, I think it had something to do with not being able to bring her 500-piece pop-beads set into the bathtub.

Biddy Basketball

2011-01-22T19:36:00.000-08:00

Jaxon started Biddy Basketball today. It's his first organized basketball experience - and he absolutely LOVED it.

Learning "Hands Up" -- Jaxon told me afterwards that he "defenced a kid."

10 kids, 4 coaches, including Coach Chris/Dad.

A little fan with a little hat hair.

Happy Birthday Jaxon

2011-01-14T17:32:00.000-08:00

Our oldest is 5! I'm not really sure how that happened so quickly! We celebrated with our traditional birthday pancakes and will have a small party for him in a couple of weeks.

3rd Annual Hunzeker Christmas Fun

2011-01-10T19:05:00.001-08:00

We wrapped up the 3rd annual Hunzeker Christmas extravaganza with a bang...some of us wrapping up the night much earlier than others of us. Instead of exchanging gifts, we take turns planning the annual outing each Christmas. Tyler was in charge of planning this year -- we headed first to Dave and Busters for dinner, drinks and arcade games. We discovered our talents in ski ball, Guitar Hero, hoops, Wheel of Fortune, and an addicting little coin-pushing game.

L-R: Ashley, Tyler, TJ, Dad, Mom, Kyle, Ali, Me, Chris, Stef

After Dave and Buster's, we headed to St. Paul for a show called "Bye, Bye Liver." It was a mix of Saturday Night Live-like skits depicting life in a bar and audience participating drinking games. Definitely something all of us had never done before, but it was fun!

(All of us plus three of the cast members)

Luckily for Chris and I, our night ended after the show. The rest of the family headed to mom's sisters, where they survived until 4:30 a.m.

Our Family Christmas

2011-01-02T12:15:00.001-08:00

We spent a quiet Christmas Eve at home with our family. After church, we opened presents and had dinner.

A quick family picture.

Jada cleaning house.

This crane was Jaxon's favorite present.

Santa came!

It looked like Toys 'R Us exploded in our family room!

Strinmoen Christmas

2011-01-02T12:11:00.000-08:00

We spent lots of time reading books, and new pajamas too!

Jada got some beads from Aunt Amber and Uncle Corey.

Grandma and Grandpa got a new webcam from Corey and Amber, and we were able to connect with Kai, the foreign exchange student that lived with them in 1997-98. Kai now lives with his wife and 18-month-old son in Finland. He gave us a tour of his apartment, introduced his family and said to say hi to all of the Spring Grove friends!

Jada's new horse.

Baby-on-the-way got lots of presents!

Jada with her new horses and horse trailer.

Jaxon with new walkie talkies.

Hunzeker Christmas

2011-01-02T12:02:00.000-08:00

Jaxon playing with the new Jenga game he got from Uncle Kyle and Ali.

Jada making play-doh cakes.

Jada's new hat.

Tyler and TJ waged a nerf gun war and showed Jaxon how to use his new toys.

Jaxon thought Great Grandpa Hubert needed a bit of help opening his present.

Cutting and cutting and cutting.

A favorite hiding spot.

How many grandpas and uncles does it take to put together lots of pink?

This pretty much sums up how most of the last 2 weeks was!

Sunday-School Christmas Program

2010-12-21T07:42:00.000-08:00

Jax had his Sunday School Christmas Program on Sunday. The weekend didn't start out well, with both kids having the flu on Friday night. We actually thought it was food poisoning, because they started throwing up at exactly the same time, and Chris and I didn't get it. They had recovered by Saturday afternoon, and we gave the grandmas and grandpas the "all clear" to come and visit.

Where's Jaxon?

The pre-K and K class had only one song to sing, and Jaxon hid behind a really tall girl for the entire thing! But, the kids did great and we were, of course, proud parents beaming in the audience. This picture of Jada was taken when she spotted a camel coming down the aisle at church. She was terrified! Grandma and Grandpa Hunzeker and Grandma and Grandpa Strinmoen all came to visit and see Jaxon's performance and spend the day with us. Sunday evening, I came down with the flu and now we're hoping and praying we didn't send it home with our guests.

Blizzard of 2010

2010-12-18T13:41:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you get 18" of snow on a weekend at the Strinmoens:

You stay in your jammies all day!

Tents get built in the living room.

You send only the dog out for necessary business.

You send the dog to check out the shoveling to be done.

You fill up on hot chocolate.

2010 Christmas Letter

2010-12-07T19:59:00.000-08:00

Greetings!

Merry Christmas from the Strinmoens! We are headed into our 2nd "green" Christmas and posting our Christmas letter online once again. I am feeling a little bit guilty as I get some fabulous Christmas cards in the mail, and hoping you won't cut us off of your Christmas lists just because we made you click to read ours.

2010 has been another blessed year for us. We are constantly amazed at how we learn and grow right alongside our four and two year olds. We have been healthy, happy, busy, employed, sleepless, lucky, and satisfied in 2010.

Jaxon is almost five years old. He started pre-school last fall and absolutely loves his days there. He has overcome some of his shyness and it is fun to see him interact so easily with friends. He loves all things trucks, tractors, farming, racing, engines, reading, coloring, and drawing.

Jada turned 2 in September and will tell you that she is "two and a half." She was talking and singing before her birthday, and hasn't stopped since. Her personality has just blossomed in the past year as she'd developed some spunk, some sass, and some very convincing puppy-dog eyes. She's a daddy's girl through and through!

Koskie, our yellow lab, is 8. He's become more relaxed with his age, but he still gets stuck on our kitchen floor. He greets the kids in the morning with a wagging tail, despite their groggy, sleepy walks to the bathroom.

As for us, we're just plugging along, trying to keep up with our crew!

The Top 11 for 2011

1. Chris and Jessi kicked off the year in Cancun, with a trip with Jessi's mom, dad and three brothers. We all learned that we aren't as young as we used to be.

2. Chris is not coaching basketball for the first time in ten years. The rest of us are really enjoying having him home many, many more hours each week...at least until baseball season.

3. After five years at MN Youth Intervention Programs Association, Jessi has started a new job as the Workforce/Education Manager at the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

4. In May, we celebrated with Chris's brother Corey at his wedding to new-wife Amber. We love to have her in our family, and are so excited for a new nephew, who will be arriving in April (Jaxon's and Jada's first cousin!).

5. Jaxon started pre-school, and continues in Sunday School.

6. We hosted the 2nd annual neighborhood party with our neighbors/friends and had over 40 people come! We celebrated the fabulous neighborhood we live in by renting a bouncy house for the kids, having s'mores, a potluck dinner, yard games and lots of fun.

7. Jessi signed up to do The Compact for 6 months: A commitment not to buy anything new. She is in month four and holding strong!

8. We discovered our new favorite campground as we spent a week at the Old Barn Resort in Lanesboro.

9. The great dirt disaster of 2010 happened when Jessi (slightly) miscalculated the amount of dirt needed for the new garden.

10. Jaxon helped Grandma and Grandpa with the combining and plowing this year. He's being groomed to temporarily take over operations, as Grandpa Gary heads into kidney transplant surgery in the near future.

11. Chris and Jess celebrated 9 years of marriage. Visions of a tropical honeymoon in honor of year #10 are in the works (by at least one of them).

So there you have it, the slightly impersonal, but "Green" family Christmas card from the Strinmoens. If you must hit print so that you can hang this on your wall (a-hem, grandmas and grandpas), just be sure to recycle it when you're done. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Love, Chris, Jess, Jaxon (almost 5), Jada (2) and Koskie

Santa

2010-11-29T17:52:00.001-08:00

We went to visit Santa at the Spring Grove Festival of Trees. Every year I'm so glad that we truck up there to see Santa when he's in town....it's a great way to avoid the lines at the all!

This year, we waited about 20 minutes, and then Jaxon and Jada both stood on the step waiting their turn. Jada even looked confident - we were sure she was going to visit Santa right up there with her big brother.

She marched up there with this happy face, looked at him, did a U-turn, and marched right back to us.

Jaxon visited Santa though, and told him he wanted a roller, an airplane and a crane for Christmas.

And Jada watched from a distance with this face.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-29T17:47:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving weekend was filled with lots of family, food, games and fun!

Jenga tournament.

This is Jaxon with Uncle TJ and Aspen - she's TJ's littlest great dane. The brother Kash is a head taller than her!

Jax and Ali (Kyle's girlfriend) playing Lego Create.

Jada on round 2 or 3 of dessert.

Jaxon playing wii with Uncle Corey.

Grandpa Gary was left in charge of decorating the tree....look closely!

Grandma Connie got Jada out of her pouting slump!

Bacon and Eggs?

2010-10-21T15:43:00.001-07:00

The kids wrinkled their noses when Grandpa Jim told them he was making bacon and eggs for breakfast. They love Grandpa's pancakes and that's what they wanted!

They wondered what he was up to when he got the food coloring out.

What is Grandpa making with pancake batter??

Bacon and eggs! Jax thought they were pretty cool. Jada wouldn't touch them!

More Pumpkins

2010-10-21T15:38:00.000-07:00

Grandma Darla's friend Joyce Bergrud invited us to their pumpkin patch - she said she had lots and lots of pumpkins! So we stopped out there and the kids had so much fun. There's something to be said about picking pumpkins in the fresh air from where they're grown and not getting them from the nearest big box store!

Farmin' With Grandpa

2010-10-21T15:33:00.000-07:00

Jaxon and Grandpa Gary

Jaxon and Gary backing up to an empty wagon.

Jaxon likes nothing better than farming with Grandpa Gary. I took the kids to SG last weekend, because they were combining corn. Jaxon rode in the new blue tractor with Grandpa, hauling loads back from the field. And then he got to ride in the combine for a while too. Chris took the kids and headed back that way to help with the plowing, and he just told me that Jaxon sat for 3 hours in the tractor doing the plowing!

Pumpkin Patch and Apple Orchard

2010-10-09T18:18:00.000-07:00

I'd like to pretend that all of our outings are successfully orchestrated, happy, memory-making affairs....but, that isn't always the case. I told Chris on the way home, "at least the pictures make it look like it was fun!" We laughed at how we could have saved ourselves the hassle and gotten our $3.99 pumpkin at the grocery store.

Instead, we headed to a local apple orchard and pumpkin patch. They have tractor rides, a petting zoo, and pick-your-own apples and pumpkins. Well, the kids were at each others' throats the entire time we were there, were crabby and their manners were left somewhere on highway 52. So, we didn't last long. But, we did catch a few smiles on the trip - at least we got those on camera. After admission, a pumpkin to take home and a stop at A & W on the way home in attempt to "sweeten" up the kids a bit with some root beer, our $3.99 pumpkin turned into a $39 adventure and a quest to make family memories gone wrong. So it goes.

Fire Prevention Week

2010-10-09T18:17:00.001-07:00

Jada's Birthday

2010-10-03T18:41:00.001-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JADA REESE!

I use the term "irrationally crazy" often. I believe that every child needs at least one adult who is irrationally crazy about them. My kids are lucky - they have many.

Jada's birthday party was today, and she celebrated withher brother, 4 grandparents, 4 great grandparents, 4 good friends, and two of her uncles and their girlfriends and her favorite parents. She was showered with gifts and loved her sprinkle-covered cupcakes. She mostly appreciated the help she got opening gifts and was completely exhausted after a very full day.

Her party actually started a day early - Grandma Connie and Grandpa Gary took the kids overnight so mom and dad could get ready forthe party. The party was a blast, and I wanted to be sure to send a huge THANK YOU to everyone who helped her celebrate. She is truly one lucky, lucky girl.

Jada with her new hot rod motorcycle from Grandma Connie and Grandpa Gary.

Mack testing out the new lego bucket hat.

Jada on her new bike, with Uncle Tyler's help. She kept trying to push his hands off saying "no helps!"

Jaxon and Hailey making bracelets for all of the party guests.

Happy Birthday, Beautiful Baby Girl!

2010-09-26T18:55:00.001-07:00

Our baby girl is 2 years old today. And, with the risk of sounding a bit cliche, we can't believe how fast those two years have gone. We had a great celebration - Grandma Darla and Grandpa Jim went to church with us and saw Jaxon's new sunday school room. After breakfast, we dove into our traditional Birthday Pancake tradition - where we pull out all of the stops to make sure our pancakes are anything but plain!

After dinner, Jada opened a present that Jaxon had picked out, and then a new dollhouse, furniture and dolls from all of us. After lots of playing, grandma and grandpa had to go home! But, not far behind them, Grandma Connie and Grandpa Gary came to help celebrate too!

We will have an official birthday party next weekend, when we'll be joined by a host of grandparents, great grandparents, and family friends. I tell you, this little girl is loved!

Mantorville Marigold Days

2010-09-12T10:05:00.000-07:00

We headed to Mantorville Marigold Days for yesterday morning, kicking it off with the Fire Department pancake breakfast.

And then lots of firetruck exploring.

Jax thinks he'd make a pretty good fireman.

I think he's right!

Twins Game

2010-09-06T11:05:00.001-07:00

We thought it would be fun to take the kids to a Twins' game this year, so Chris got tickets for this Labor Day weekend for our family, Uncle Corey and Auntie Amber, and Grandma and Grandpa Strinmoen. Unfortunately, Grandpa Gary got sick and they couldn't go, so Amber's sister came with too.

We took the light rail from the Mall of America. I'm not sure why Chris looks like a zombie here! Think he thought it was just of the kids.

About half way through the 2nd inning I was wondering how in the HE&* I was going to entertain two kids for 7 more innings! We were there plenty early for the Legends Game, which was really cool - but also very long. I did one walking lap with Jada - she fell asleep and slept for about an hour. Then Chris did one lap with Jaxon too look out at the train, and see what else they could find. Then I did one more lap with Jaxon a bit later to check out the view from the upper deck. That, lots of snacks, lots of candy, and sticker books helped them make it through until the end of the 7th. Luckily we got out of there before the rush, actually got seats on the train, and had a great - but exhausting day!

By the Joe Mauer statue.

The Great Dirt Disaster of 2010

2010-08-21T20:32:00.000-07:00

So, I decided I wanted a garden. I looked online, did the calculations for how much dirt I ordered. And ended up with just a bit too much. OK, about half of a dump-truck too much. So my dear husband helped me make two gardens....and haul all of the dirt across the yard to the empty lot next door. And we're still married -- isn't he the greatest?? We also got foundation rock from Chris's parents' farm. Knocked down walls, hauled it on a four-wheeler, and drove it to Kasson. It was quite an expedition. But, I was happy to discover the same rock sells at the local "Perennial Barn" for $1.25/pound. And I know some of the rocks were well over 50 pounds a piece -- and there are probably 100 of them!

This is where the rocks came from.

A bit too much, but Jax had fun on the pile while it lasted!

This is the little garden. I still need lots of plants in here, but it will have to wait until spring. The ones in there are what I have gotten from Grandma Bert and were temporarily stored in my veggie garden.

The BIG garden.

A close up - the wooden box is the veggie garden that I put in last year. But it got taken over by perennials that didn't have a home, so we only have tomatoes and jalapeno peppers this year.

Houston County Fair

2010-08-21T20:17:00.000-07:00

After four days of camping, we stayed in Spring Grove for the rest of the week. Chris helped his mom and dad run the pig stuff at the Houston County Fair (I'm sure "Pig Stuff" is the correct lingo). Then we spent a day helping the Hunzekers around the house - cleaning out the attic, garage, basement and painting the trim on the house. Unfortunately, I didn't get pictures of Tyler and Kyle reviving my Dad's awesome old sweaters, or the "Launching Crap from the 2nd Story Porch" -- but we did have a good time in among all of that hard work. We even found some very precious treasures, some that we are sure we should take to the Antique Road Show. But we opted for the dump instead.

Dad sharing his love of the fair with his kids. Luckily for the kids, he actually enjoys that place!

Grandma Connie with Jada on the merri-go-round.

Jaxon tested out $22 worth of rides. They all work.

Camping

2010-08-21T20:08:00.000-07:00

When Chris and I were deciding what to do for our week's vacation this year, we toyed with the idea of camping in Wisconsin Dells - but then decided that since our kids are still pretty young, and because it would be much cheaper (!), we'd camp somewhere around home. We decided to go back to one of our favorites from both of our childhoods -- Dunromin Campground. But then discovered that they have turned private and only have permanent sites! So, we looked around and discovered a hidden little gem between Preston and Lanesboro called the Old Barn Resort and Campground. It was perfect for kids, and we had a blast.

Jada in front of the camper (we borrowed from Chris's parents)

Lots of baseball in the empty area near us. Grandma Connie and Grandpa Gary came to visit and help set up.

We rented bikes and drove them to Lanesboro (about 5 miles each way). Jaxon rode in a tag-along and Jada in a Burley.

After stopping at the park for a picnic and some running around, we found an icecream shop in Lanesboro. Jada picked pink.

The funny thing about this is that you can't actually see how far away Jada actually is from the fire. It's about 5 feet.

Jaxon turned pro in his roasting skills. His "waving the hot stick around after the marshmallow is done" skills are still in need of improvement.

"Cheers!"

Testing the final products. I think this was # 6 or so.

Grandpa Jim and Grandma Darla took their motorcycle down to visit us.

Jada Sleeping

2010-08-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves a good sleeping picture.

Taco Night With Friends

2010-08-21T20:06:00.000-07:00

Taco night with friends -- the big kids, Hailey Otterness, Ava Treinen and Jaxon. The "little kids" are out of the picture -- but included Jada, Mack Otterness, and Taya Treinen.

Oxbow Zoo

2010-07-25T18:56:00.000-07:00

We make the trip to Oxbow Zoo at least once a month -- it's free, it's open, it's a zoo, it has a bear, and the kids can run -- a lot. Today we took Grandma Darla and Grandpa Jim with us!

Jada showing off her pretty dress that Grandma Darla made. A funny note about the dress -- later at supper, I was quite impressed that Jada had actually eaten all of her blueberries. A bit later, I discovered that her blueberries were all in the pockets of her new dress.

Posing by the farm animals section.

Watching the otters! Our favorite part of the zoo.

Swimming Lessons and the Park

2010-07-23T19:59:00.000-07:00

This week wrapped a session of swimming lessons. I have been extremely frustrated that the only available class in Kasson for my kids is a parent-tot class for 6-months to 4 year-year-olds. Jaxon is a little old for the class, but he doesn't have other options until next year -- so we played lots of motorboat, hokey-pokey, and practiced blowing bubbles. Both Jaxon and Jada enjoyed the class, and both did become more comfortable in the water. Both of the kids even went off the diving board at the end...bringing back fond life-guarding-memories of catching kids as the jumped off of the board. I even found that my "WALK PLEASE" command still warrants a little attention and probably works as poorly now as it did then.

This is as good as it gets, trying to get both kids in one picture!

The first jump - he looked down and stepped off. The next time up, he ran from the back of the board and jumped by himself (with his lifejacket on).

A trip to the park before swimming lessons.

Jada and her piggy tails

Brainerd

2010-07-23T19:53:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had the joy of spending a weekend in Brainerd at the home of our friend Laura's mom and dad. We spent time on the lake, fed their goats, shopped at Christmas Pointe, and had all kinds of fun. Somehow, I didn't manage to get my camera down to the lake, but we had an amazing time, and are always grateful for amazing friends! Every year, we argue over how many years we've been there. We're fairly certain the first one was in 2001 (making this year the 10th year IF we went every year...which we can't confirm!). But whatever the record is, we manage to have fun every trip - and I love the way we seem to just pick up where we left off, even though we have moved away from Cokato and have been gone for 3 years already.

The obligatory group shot -- which almost always occurs on the last day as everyone is rolling out of bed and nobody has showered for three days.

Jada getting her goat boots ready.

Kyan and Jaxon after their mini golf trip to Pirate Cove with the dads.

Hailey and Mack Come to Play

2010-07-13T19:20:00.001-07:00

Hailey and Mack (Chris and Sarah Otterness's kids) came to our house to play this week.

Hey Dad! I think we need one of these at our house!

Jax and Hailey are good friends. We're just hoping they're not looking at each other like this when they're 13.

Mr. Mack!

Jax and Jada introduced Hailey to the Ice Cream Truck that comes through our neighborhood. Nothing like the taste of $3 popsicles!

4th of July Weekend

2010-07-07T12:24:00.001-07:00

We spent the 4th of July weekend at Chris's parents house. We stayed in their camper and called it "camping" -- but enjoyed the bathrooms, kitchen, and grandma and grandpa in the nearby house.

Some rainy day entertainment (Jaxon always wins!)

Auntie Amber and Jada

Uncle Corey and cousin Laura

Sparklers, glow necklaces and a campfire

Launching the 900 ft rocket (and then searching for it in the bean field.

Swimming at the pool.

Unfortunately, our weekend ended with sending Grandpa Gary to the emergency room. He was dehydrated and not feeling very well. The doctors were extremely worried about his kidney failing and talked about likely needing dialysis and a transplant sooner, rather than later. He is still in the hospital, but it is now looking less like kidney problems and more like a virus that they need to figure out how to treat. Keep him and Connie in your prayers!

Vacation Bible School

2010-07-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

What a difference a year make! Last year, Jaxon HATED the week long vacation bible school. He kicked and screamed and cried every day when I dropped him off. This year, he couldn't wait to go, made friends there, and even participated in the singing and dancing (at least during practice).

Can you spot Jax? The theme was "Baobab Blast" and was in a jungle setting.

A couple of Jaxon's fans.

Fun With Water

2010-07-01T20:30:00.001-07:00

Jada and her BFF Dylann

Jada has spent a good part of the summer naked in our backyard.

This hose provided about an hour of entertainment (notice Jada observing from out of reach in the background). So much for that water-conserving effort.

Jada loves to run the hose, and luckily her friend Dylann likes to get sprayed! Jada sprayed Dylann here and then told her "round!" (turn around!)

Summer is here!

2010-06-28T19:28:00.000-07:00

You know summer is officially underway when you have.....sweetcorn! And, no, Grandpa Gary - this is not sweet corn from our garden. Because our sweetcorn just got planed 2 weeks ago and we're hoping and praying for a warm September so we can actually eat it.

New Pajamas

2010-06-13T20:01:00.000-07:00

Grandma brought us new moose pajamas from Alaska, and we found all of our Alaskan animals to go with them.

Neighborhood Party

2010-06-13T19:53:00.000-07:00

Last year, we threw a neighborhood party because we didn't know any of the neighbors. And this year, we threw it again because it was so much fun. The idea came about when our next-door-neighbors were talking about not really knowing anyone in the neighborhood with us. Since it's a new developement with new people constantly moving in, we figured other people were in the same boat. So, last year our two families threw the party and had over 60 people come. This year, we added to the fun with a new cotton candy machine. Plus, the bounce-house made a comeback to the delight of all of the neighbor kids under the age of 15.

Jaxon and Jada bounced all afternoon.

Um, has anyone seen Jada?

Peek!

Yep, there she is!

Girls check out the neighbor's playhouse.

Time for supper.

S'mores!

And cotton candy.

Twins Game at Target Field

2010-06-10T18:41:00.001-07:00

It's official. Chris is in love, and it's not with me.

Wedding Day

2010-05-30T18:43:00.000-07:00

The short story: Amber and Corey got married and we had a FABULOUS time!

The long story:

The wedding preparations started out a little rough, as first Jada fell off the bed last week and ended up with a slight black eye and cut on the side of her eye. Then I got a call on Thursday morning that Jaxon had thrown up at daycare. I picked him up right away, and he spent the day in bed and throwing up through about 4:00 p.m. The kids and I had planned to head to the cities for the wedding festivities, but decided to wait out the flu bug and try to get everyone healthy. Luckily it only lasted about 12 hours, and Jaxon was back to his usual self by Thursday night.

Friday came and went, filled with hotel swimming, tux fitting, and a rehearsal dinner at Tria, where the kids did exceptionally well.

Wedding Day! Saturday morning started bright and early in our hotel with a 6:00 a.m. wake-up call from the two munchkins. Since they were bouncing off of the hotel walls, we had a quick breakfast and headed to a nearby park for a couple of hours. When we came back to start getting ready for the wedding. it went downhill pretty quickly for the kids! Both were grumpy, uncooperative and not excited for the wedding - at all. For a split second, I was pretty convinced that the day would be a complete disaster for Jaxon and Jada. The wedding rehearsal was at 11:00 a.m., and we made it on time. We did the walk-through, and the flower-girl and two ring-bearers did fabulously - all holding hands as they walked down the aisle. We were on to something! I think my kids actually like each other.

Grandma and Grandpa Hunzeker zipped the kids away for a quick lunch and a hopeful nap in the car in between the rehearsal and the pictures. Picture time came, and the kids did mostly-great, with bribes of fruit-snacks, candy, juice, the works. Luckily Grandma Darla hung around and acted as a personal assistant to me - fetching snacks and drinks, taking the kids when needed, carrying flowers, diapers, the works!

The 4:00 wedding came and the bride and groom were both ready! Jada had gotten blisters on her feet from her shoes, so we decided to let her walk barefoot. The wedding party made it to the front of the outdoor wedding and waited for the kids -- who made it about half-way down the stretch, when Jada completely freaked out when she saw the crowds. So, I met her half-way and carried her to the front, where I held her during the ceremony. During the ceremony, she managed to break my necklace, and give everyone a few laughs - but did pretty good. Jaxon was wonderful, and sat on the grass breaking apart helicopter seeds! The ceremony was beautiful -- perfect in every way.

The rest of the night was filled with the reception and of course the dance. The kids held strong through the entire afternoon/night. They danced up a storm on the dance floor - Jaxon really loving showing off his "moves." Grandma and Grandmpa Hunzeker stole them from the dance floor shortly before 9:00 and the rest of the night was left for Chris and I to help Corey and Amber and all of the friends and family celebrate.

We are so excited to welcome Amber into our family and just couldn't ask for a better auntie for our kids. Corey and Amber are really a match made in heaven ad we're so grateful that they included all of us in their celebrations-- and that they were so easy-going about the kids' roles in every aspect of the day. CONGRATULATIONS, MR. AND MRS. STRINMOEN!

Summer is here!

2010-05-22T12:49:00.001-07:00

Summer is here! Well, we're counting it as summer since the sprinklers and bubbles have found their permanent spot in our backyard.

Syttende Mai

2010-05-16T06:41:00.001-07:00

The kids and I headed to Spring Grove for a day of Syttende Mai. On the way, we stopped at the volleyball tourneys (each of my brothers had their own teams). The tourney's were held on the Sodko sod fields, so when Grandpa Jim spotted Jaxon eyeing up the forklift, he asked if they should go drive it. Jax thought it was really funny when Grandpa put a load of pallets on top of my van, and then lifted up a wagon too.

Great Grandpa Jr., Great Grandma G.G., Billy, Jackie, Me & Jada

Pretty girl!

Two of the three

Getting ready for the parade.

The two parade marshalls! They had a loud cheering section near the church.

Mother-Daughter Brunch

2010-05-08T19:34:00.000-07:00

Jada and I attended a mother-daughter brunch at Trinity in Spring Grove with Jada's great grandma Berthana, grandma Darla, aunt Deb, and myself. We think we were only one of two sets of 4-generations.

Amber's Bachelorette & Shower

2010-05-08T19:30:00.000-07:00

We held a bachelorette & shower for our soon-to-be sister in law, Amber. We can't wait until Corey and Amber's wedding on May 29th -- all four of us are in the wedding. I have told Amber often that my kids will either be incredibly cute and super well behaved, or the other extreme of being responsible for a complete disaster! At any rate, we can't wait until they say "I DO!"

Andrea (Amber's sister), Amber, and Kathy (Amber's mom)

Amber with Cindy, Erika and Chrissy

Mini golf with Amber, Connie, Kathy & Andrea

KoMets Baseball

2010-04-28T19:30:00.000-07:00

On Monday we went to the KoMets baseball game. We ran into Jaxon and Jada's friend Ava from Julie's daycare and sat with them.

Jada LOVES anything to do outside.

I think I'll need a bigger blanket next time!

At the Park

2010-04-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

I made the kids go with me after church to the park so I could play a bit with my camera. They don't cooperate at all when I want to take pictures of them!

This is the look that Jada gives Jaxon at least once a day.

Stopping to give me goofy "cheese" grins on the bridge.

Look at me, Mom!

And a stop at the playground before the rain came.

Underwater World at the MOA

2010-04-24T18:28:00.001-07:00

Chris's baseball tourney was cancelled today because of rain, so we had an unexpected free day for family fun. On a whim, we packed up and headed to the Mall of America for the Underwater World. Apparently every other family in Minnesota decided to do that as well, as the place was shoulder to shoulder, and the whole time I was terrified I was going to lose my children in the mall. But, they had fun and so did we!

I bet this is a classic "Sharky" picture...4-year-old fascinated, 1-year-old terrified, and Dad just annoyed that Mom's got the camera out again.

Jada did this every time one of the big sharks or stingrays went over the top of us in the tunnel.

There was lots of "LOOK AT THIS ONE" screaming.

The new jellyfish exhibit was pretty cool!

Checking out the park at MOA.

And a trip to the Mall of America is never complete without a stop at LEGOLAND.

Goofballs!

2010-04-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned that Jada copies EVERYTHING that Jaxon does? Everything.

Dylann's Birthday Party

2010-04-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

Our neighbor Dylann turned two last weekend, and Jaxon and Jada were so happy to help her celebrate.

Jada eyeing up her cupcake.

Dylann and Gage needed to call in reinforcements to help with those stubborn candles.

Biker babe Jada

Rockstar Jaxon

Dylann, the birthday girl! (Jada and Dylann are only 5 months apart)

Gardening and Great Grandma's and Great Grandpa's

2010-04-18T18:55:00.001-07:00

Jaxon hard at work!

Jada helping with the gardening too.

Looks like Jaxon was the only one working today!

We spend a fabulous, warm day at Great-Grandma Bert's and Great-Grandpa Jr's helping get the garden ready for the year. We even left with a van full of plants and flowers for our garden....which isn't even dug yet. Guess that's motivation to get moving on that this week!

Jaxon and Jada were very good helpers - they love to play in the dirt, and Jaxon was very serious about his job. We got a lot of the weeds pulled and some of the plants dug up. According to Great Grandpa Jr., we left only "one bottle of wine worth of work" for mom's sister Deb next weekend.

Tee-ball

2010-04-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

Jaxon and his friend Gage after tee-ball

Jaxon has kicked off his baseball career! He is playing tee-ball on Tuesday nights through Community Ed. It's his first real experience with organized-anything, so it's really quite entertaining. At first he just stood there taking it all in, but then kind of got the hang of it. The funny thing is that he can hit the ball both on a tee and when it's pitched to him...he has a bit of experience in the backyard with coach Dad!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T19:28:00.001-07:00

Neighborhood Easter Egg hunt and egg dying.

The girls checking out their artwork (Jada, Hailey and Asha)

The big kids showing their prizes (Gage, Jaxon, Hailey)

Jaxon checking out his loot at Hunzekers!

Grandma saving Jada from the bubbles.

BFF's Nadia and Jada (and cousins too!)

Jada (18 months)

Jaxon (4)

Master Easter-egg hunter

On the farm with the boys.

Mama's girl!

March 2010

2010-03-28T16:57:00.000-07:00

Pretty girl, all ready for church.

Laughing at Dad

Oooo...Grandma's shoes are way better!

Jaxon singing with his Sunday School at Palm Sunday.

Grandma Darla and Mr. Potato Head

"Hey guys, let's take a picture of you in your cute new clothes"

2010-03-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

Jada has entered into the world of barbies! Thanks for sharing your collection, almost-auntie Amber!

Staying at Uncle Corey's

Jada says "cheese" and ends up with this goofy grin.

Grandma Connie & Jax

Corey & Amber got a wedding gift!

2010-03-08T10:33:00.000-08:00

Look at Jada's new bottom teeth! These took their sweet time coming in, so we're very glad they made it.

I'm not sure what the occasion was for this grumpy face, but this is about as pouty as it gets.