We are so thankful to have such wonderful families, good health and great friends. It has been a fun start to the holiday season with Thanksgiving celebrations in both Northfield and in Iowa. The kids had a blast with their cousins and the weather was beautiful during this cherished holiday weekend!

Winter is quickly approaching as we are all trying to get use to the time change, long and dark evenings and bundling from head to toe when venturing out into the great outdoors. Charlie and Tommy enjoyed the beautiful snowfall this weekend while playing and sledding with neighbors and our little trio ventured into the snow for some play time on the deck for the very first time!

We hope you all have a wonderful and blessed holiday season!

Tommy Turns FIVE!!!!

Wow! Where does the time go? It is hard to believe that my little boy is now five years old! Tommy had a great birthday and several celebrations with family and friends. He enjoyed the festivities and experienced his first "friend" birthday party with four little preschool buddies :) The Batman theme was continued with Grandma and Grandpa at a birthday party in Iowa. Everyone also enjoyed a fun trip to the pumpkin patch during our visit with a tractor ride, petting zoo, pony rides, pumpkin picking and tire swing rides! Papa Bill created large piles of leaves for the kids to jump and play in....a fun autumn ritual we all look forward to :)

Autumn has arrived!

The boys have started school and we are finally getting into our fall routine. Charlie absolutely LOVES kindergarten and has grown up to be such a little man. Charlie started on a school soccer team this month and is having a great time with his classmates. The long days at school have not slowed him down at all! He is off and running when he arrives home from school - playing catch outside and football with his friends. The highlight of his day includes going outside, taking the bus to school and gym class!


Tommy really enjoys his three afternoons of preschool a week and two days of soccer. He has met some cute little buddies and enjoys learning and playing. Scootering is a favorite activity around here and now that we have discovered a new park in the neighborhood, we frequently scooter to this favorite destination! He is my little sidekick at home and is enjoying this precious time as the BIG brother.
Ellie is our little spitfire -very independent and tenacious! Around here, what Ellie wants Ellie usually gets (she is one strong little girl)! She love her lovies and baby doll, as well as shoes and purses. It is truly amazing to see the fashionista blossom,as well as her nurturing tendancies, at such an early age. Ellie loves to talk (in her sweet little language) and give a long, friendly wave to any person/car/dog/bird/plane that is in sight!


Lukie continues to be our charmer, cuddler, and "do gooder" of the clan. He loves to wave and blow kisses, and his vocabulary has blossomed. He can be found sitting next to his big brothers and just stares and smiles at them with complete adoration. This little one loves to join in any game and participate in the fun. His giggle and smile are contageous and he enjoys reading books, singing and dancing, playing ball, and being outside.


Andy Man is our little fearless monkey. This boy is a climber! He is sneaky and sweet and definitely has a love for the game :) He could pass on any toy truck, train or car, but give him a ball and bat and he grins from ear to ear. If Andy could spend the entire day outside, he would be one happy boy. He is so fun loving, playful and full of chuckles!




September was a fun-filled month. We enjoyed having my college friends and their families over for an end of summer party. The kids have grown up with each other and it is always a good time when we all get together! A few other highlights of the month include a couple trips to the local race track to watch live horse racing, outings to the zoo and enjoying the Jesse James Day parade in Northfield.

Fun in Iowa!

We all had a wonderful time in Iowa with family! It was a joyous occasion celebrating beautiful Addy's baptism and we all had a blast getting the cousins together.
The boys had a great time mowing with Papa, watering flowers with Grandma, playing ball with Uncle Joe and cousins, running through sprinklers, going to the movies, hitting Nicholas' birthday pinata, riding bikes and going to a beachfront park.



Ellie loved having another little girl to play with and they look forward to having Addy join in the fun soon!




There was never a dull moment and Andy, Luke and Ellie loved the endless activity and having new territory to roam and explore!

July

WOW! It is so hard to believe that my baby, Charlie, is SIX. He has been so excited for his big day and his Danny Valencia (Twin's third baseman) themed party! A good time was had by all and his special day was a success. Charlie is looking forward to the fun year ahead and KINDERGARTEN! He just finished a week of Kindergarten Camp at his new school and had a blast doing projects, playing and meeting new friends.


Tommy is also excited to head back to preschool and to reconnect with his preschool friends. He really enjoys swimming lessons and is our little fish - loving the water and learning so much! Tommy is especially excited for our upcoming trip to Iowa to spend time with grandparents and cousins. We have been counting down the days until our departure by how many more "night-nights" we have left. I love how he measures time... such a simple, innocent world!

Tommy and Charlie have been quite the gardeners this summer, as well! They enjoy watering, tending to and picking our fresh produce daily. We have already been talking about all of the vegetables we are going to add to our garden next year. Now, we just need to talk daddy into digging us a bigger plot for our plans!
The "babies" (yes, they are still my babies at 16 months old!!!) are such a joy and absolutely love the outdoors. We have enjoyed picnics at the park, the splash pad, our kiddie pool in the backyard and the sprinklers!



Lukie is our cautious cuddler who has such a mild and pleasant demeanor. He loves cuddling up to his big brothers, playing with trucks, and reading books. He is pure sweetness and aims to please.
Andy Man...aka BAM BAM...is a ball lover through and through. He is a true lover of life and wakes up just smiling and giggling - SO playful! Andy can spot a ball a mile away and is perfectly content with a ball or bat in hand (hence the nickname "Bam Bam" - he whacks everything with his foam bat)!
Our little Miss Ellie Bellie is a girlie girl and loves to make us laugh! She has a giggle that is contagious and a little sass that makes her presence known! She is such a sweetheart and the mother hen of the crew- letting us all know when a gate is left open, a crumb is left on the floor or if anything is just out of place!
It is pretty tricky getting a picture of all five kids - since the triplets are hard to contain in one area....but it is always worth a try!

FUN in the SUN!

Well, it is hard to believe that it is already mid-June, school is out and summer is well on it's way! May was a busy month with the end of school field trips and programs, Mother's Day, Daddy's birthday, family parties and a fun visit from Grandma and Grandpa! Tommy thoroughly enjoyed his spring soccer team and was thrilled to play with his friends twice a week. He did a great job and is quite our little soccer star! Charlie finished up baseball camp last week and was in heaven during the four days of baseball drills, technique training and games. He eats, sleeps and breathes baseball and loved playing with the varsity players and coaches :)
This week is the start of sport camp and swimming lessons for Charlie and Tommy and we look forward to spending long days outside in the sunshine.
Andy, Luke and Ellie LOVE the outdoors and are always happy little campers when they can explore and experience the fresh air, grass, rocks, dirt, water table and swing set. Now that all three are walking (Andy started this week!!!) - they are on the go and eager to set sail. Luke has mastered climbing over the ottomans which gated off the "baby zone" in our house, so new gates are ordered and on their way! Our house seems to be forever changing with new baby-safe territories, toys and fun diversions.
Happy summer to you all!

Welcome Spring!

The grass is getting greener, my tulips are almost in bloom and there is a crisp freshness that fills the air. Spring is one of my favorite times of year and I am anxiously awaiting a longer visit from this beloved season!

Although mostly cool and damp, we have taken full advantage of the warmer weather that has been sprinkled in throughout April. It is so wonderful getting out to the parks, zoo, and baseball fields in order to soak up some sunshine, run some laps and burn off some energy!


We had a wonderful Easter weekend with family. Charlie and Tommy enjoyed decorating eggs, multiple Easter egg hunts and finding their baskets left by the Easter bunny filled with goodies!


Charlie has entered non-stop Twins mode this season and baseball is always on his mind. He is definitely living in Twins territory and walks around the house with a ball and glove in hand at all times (usually sporting the attire to match)...always ready for a game! Charlie's all-time favorite activity is heading to the baseball field to hit balls and run the bases...run the bases...run the bases!



Tommy is our little engineer who loves to build and create masterpieces for hours upon hours with piles of blocks. His imagination is endless and we are always amazed at his focus and creativity. He enjoys swimming, soccer and playing baseball with Charlie and daddy.



It is so fun watching Andy, Luke and Ellie grow and their little personalities are truly exploding. Luke and Ellie have hit a huge milestone this month and have taken their first steps! Luke can walk across the room unassisted and Ellie just took her first five steps yesterday! Andy gets giddy while practicing walking with mommy and daddy and just laughs and laughs as he enjoys his new view on life off of all fours!

We look forward to a fun-filled summer, warm weather and endless sunshine!