Marlee's 1 1/2 Years Old!

Marlee officially turned 1 1/2 years old last Saturday when I was on my trip. She has become one curious little toddler who loves the outdoors and wants to go "side" whenever she can. She has mastered using a spoon and fork when she eats and her favorite words are- "Bakey"- Blakey, "water," and "no." She really is becoming a toddler isn't she? :)

Bennett's Preschool Graduation

On Thursday, Bennett had his preschool graduation. He was very proud of completing his first year of school. Bennett LOVED his teachers, Mrs. LoRusso and Mrs. Brantner (or as Bennett calls them LoRusso and Brantner- still working on that Mrs. thing), and he also had a great time meeting new friends, which he will miss a lot next year. Next year Bennett will be attending 4 year old kindergarten in Mondovi. Here are some pictures of his graduation day.

Trip to Seattle

I was fortunate to be able to take a long weekend trip out to Seattle, WA this past weekend. My dear friend, Karen, and I headed out to Washington to visit one of her long-time friends, Amy. We explored Pike's Place Market, ran the trails along the Puget Sound, and helped Amy prepare for the arrival of her baby to be born early August. Towards the end of our trip Karen and I also ran the Capital City Half Marathon in Olympia, WA. I had hopes of improving the time of my previous half marathon that I ran back in October in Ashland, WI. My time for that race was 1:32:24. Not only was I able to set a personal record during this half marathon in Olympia of a 1:27:58, but was also blessed to be the 1st female to finish! I was a little shocked that I was able to pull this off. It was an amazing atmosphere to run a race-- beautiful scenery and great support from the spectators. I would LOVE to be able to run this race again someday. It was relaxing to be able to get away with friends, do some shopping, eat delicious food, and run a race. It was also great to get home to the family!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms out there! I am blessed to be a mom to these 3 kiddos!

Celebrating Bennett's 4th/ Golden Birthday!

Our tractor-lovin', dirt-diggin' little boy turned 4 years old yesterday! Again, where do these years go? We celebrated by opening presents and eating his construction cake with Papa Ron and Grandma Claudia. He was proud to tell everyone that it was his "Dolden (Golden) Birthday." He also said before he went to bed, "Mom, this was the best birthday ever!" Happy birthday, Bennett James! We love you! Bennett also celebrated his birthday last Thursday with his friends at school. There were a few new friends at school this week too, as 4 baby chicks hatched this past week.

Easter Blessings 2014

This year we spent Easter at home. We woke up Easter Sunday, had breakfast, and headed off to church. It turned out to be a gorgeous day of warm weather and partly cloudy skies. In the afternoon Papa Ron and Grandma Claudia stopped over to deliver some Easter goodies, and have an egg hunt.

Arizona Adventure 2014

We just returned from our sunny adventure in Arizona. Randy, Blake, Bennett, and I all headed southwest for 5 days of relaxation. Marlee stayed home with a sitter, as she is getting a bit too wiggly for the 3.5 hour plane ride. We had many adventures while we were on our trip. Here are just a few of the things we did- * We spent lots and LOTS of time in the outdoor pool. * While Randy was in meetings, the boys and I went to the Goldfield Ghost Town. There we went on a mine tour, made our way through the Mystery Shack, and went on a train ride around the town. Blake and Bennett are pictured below with the Superstition Mountains in the background. Also, they took a "silly" photo with the new friends that they made at the conference we attended. * We went to Butterfly Wonderland where we got to see 1,000s of butterflies flying around us. Some even wanted to land on us! * We went to a Brewers Spring Training game where we sat right behind the dugout, got 3 baseballs thrown to us, and even got a Brewers player's autograph! * Spent time with Grandma and Grandpa Gronos who are wintering in AZ. * We ate some yummy treats like ice cream! *The view of the Camelback Mountains (which Blake insisted on hiking to the top of despite what his worrisome mother said) was spectacular! We had such a fabulous vacation, and we can't wait to go back to Arizona again!