We're going to have babies!

 

This is one of the two nests around our house. I'm excited to see them hatch! I tried to take a picture of her sitting on her nest because she looks so cute, but she didn't like how close I was getting and she flew away.

Gymnastics

The girls are currently enrolled in gymnastics at our city activity center. Sydney is in Wee Tumblers and I go to class with her and Kathryn is in Tiny Tumblers and she goes by herself. They both really like to go to class and look forward to it each week. Sometime Sydney just likes to stand and watch her classmates do what they're supposed to be doing, but most of the time she'll participate. Kathryn is a very good student and like to show her teacher what she can do. She has learned to do jumping jacks and like to do them very fast.

 

Kathryn touching her toes and showing how she stretches.

 

Sydney doing the butterfly position. She practices flapping her 'wings' slow and fast.

 

Kathryn just finishing a forward roll and Sydney just starting a forward roll.

 

Two sisters in their cute leotards (although I personally don't think the word 'leotard' is cute).

Pictures from February

I don't have any new pictures to post, so I'm posting some from February. The ones of them sleeping were taken in the middle of the night. The flash didn't bother either of them.

 

 

 

We were playing with pipe cleaners one morning and twisting them into different letters and things and Kathryn wanted me to make her a necklace. So I did, but when I went to put it on her, it kind of just sat on her head like this and it looked cute so I left it there. I told her to go look at herself in the mirror, so she ran in there and hopped up on her stool. And then...
Kathryn: Mom! Where do I live?
Me: A castle? (because I had just told her that she looked like a princess)
Kathryn: No! Bethlehem!
Isn't that so cute? I loved it.

 

This was when she had some sort of allergic reaction to something (we don't know what) and she looked like she'd been in a fight!

Just because...

 

O'Fallon Public Works Fair

Today we attended our city's public works fair. The city brings all of their trucks and machines and the kids get to climb on them and honk the horns. They also have free hot dogs and lots of pencils, candy, etc. We went last year and had a lot of fun, so we have been looking forward to this year.

 

The girls in their hard hats.

 

We rode the O'Fallon Krekel Line Train twice.

 

Kathryn and Sydney in a Bobcat. Notice the guy running to catch Sydney because he thought she was going to jump!

 

This picture is just for fun. They were sitting on this stool together and Kathryn asked me to take her picture, so I couldn't resist.

I love to see the temple!

Today was our Stake Conference. We went at 9:30 and when it was over we ate our lunch in the car while we waited for all the cars to empty out of the parking lot. Then we drove over to the St. Louis Temple and took some pictures. It was pretty windy today, but we got some cute shots.

 

 

 

 

Saturday is a special day!

Today has been a good day. I went to garage sales this morning with my friends, and then when I got home Mike went running with a friend. After he got back we went to DQ for lunch.

 

Kathryn really enjoyed her free treat that came with her kids meal.

 

Then we went to a Kite Extravaganza (I think that term was a little too big for this event!) in a neighboring town called St. Peters. We made a kite and then flew it. It was super windy, so the flying part was easy, but it made the construction sort of difficult!

 

Kathryn flying her own kite!

 

Daddy & Sydney flying a kite. Mike thought it would be fun to let his kite go up as far as it could, but the joke was on him when he had to wind it back in! It took forever!

O'Fallon Fire Station #4 Tour

Today for playgroup we were given a tour of our local fire station. We had so many kids show up! It was great.

 

First the fireman (I guess I didn't catch his name) showed us all of his gear and he put it on, including the breathing aparatus. It scared some of the kids, but the fireman like to do this so that, in an emergency, the kids won't freak out at the sight of a fireman in full gear. Then in the middle of that, they got a real call! Our fireman was able to stay and continue our tour, but the other guys there left to check out a possible propane fire. We rushed out and watched the fire truck leave with lights and sirens.

 

I'm going to request that they send this guy in case we ever have an emergency.

 

I showed Kathryn this picture and asked her why she was crying and she said it was because she didn't want to take a picture. I think she was just overwhelmed by it all. When the guy had all of his gear on, she wouldn't even look in his direction.

 

Here are most of the kids from playgroup. Some of the kids refused to stand on or by the truck for the picture (mine included). They normall pull the truck out and take the picture outside, but it was raining.

Let's take this outside...

Today the girls and I went to the library for storytime and then we went to the YMCA. Then we came home and did our normal thing until Mike came home. Then we had dinner and played outside for most of the evening. We made a 'popsicle' course for Kathryn & Sydney, played baseball, drew with chalk, and helped Kathryn get comfortable on her bike.

 

Kathryn drawing a smiley face with chalk.

 

Daddy helping Sydney hit the ball. Kathryn also practiced swinging the bat and hitting her princess ball (it's a bigger ball so she had a larger target).

 

Kathryn also practiced riding her bike with training wheels. She is learning how to use the brake when she needs it.

 

That's me.

Gifts from Nonnie

 

Hooray! Our Nonnie is in Chile serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! And, she sent us these really cute shirts that fit perfectly!

 

We love each other so much!

 

Nonnie also sent us some books. Sydney's favorite page has the pacifier on it!

 

Kathryn likes her books too!

Our Weekend Trip to Chicago

This weekend we went to Chicago and joined Mike's grandpa Jim, uncle Emmett, aunt Susie, and sister Jenny, for some windy city fun. The family gave Grandpa Jim a trip to Chicago and tickets to 2 Chicago Cubs games for his birthday this year and we all joined him. We left the girls with our friends (thanks Justus family!) on Friday night and we drove to Chicago early Saturday morning. On the way into town we picked up Mike's aunt and sister at Midway airport. Then we slowly made our way up to Wrigley Field.

 

The train that we needed to take was closed for construction so we had to walk a ways to catch another train. Then we couldn't figure out how to work the ticket machine. Then we had to wait 20 minutes for the train!

 

So, we finally get up to Wrigley Field and ask a police man for directions to the restaurant where we were supposed to meet the rest of Mike's family, and he sent us in the opposite direction! Alas, we finally made it in time to eat our food really fast and then get to the Cubs game. We sat in the coldest section of the stadium (so some guy told us) and it felt like it. We shivered through the game, but it was good and they won, so it was worth it.

 

Then we went to Harry Caray's for a delicious dinner.

 

Sunday morning we got up and had breakfast at the hotel, and then we went walking around on the Magnificent Mile. It was in the 40s, rainy, with winds gusting up to 40 mph! We had fun watching all of the people wrestling their umbrellas (most of the people lost)! Then everyone else went to another Cubs game, and I walked around different neighborhoods, building and people watching.

Now we're home and getting back into our routine. I will hopefully have some pictures to post from our trip in a couple of days.

Mike has a new girlfriend...

and her name is ChaCha! It's this service where you call and ask a question and then they text you back the answer. He had a lot of fun this weekend trying it out.

Last day of "preschool"

 

Today was the last day of Kathryn's preschool. Mike took her to school which was a treat, and then Sydney and I picked her up. When all the kids came out of the preschool room, I told Sydney to go and find Kathryn and she ran up there looking so excited, trying to find her. When they saw each other, they both got really excited and gave each other a hug. Actually, now that I'm remembering it, Sydney actually hugged another little girl first, and then she hugged Kathryn. It was kind of random, but very cute. There is a woman that sits at a desk in the hall of the high school and I'm not sure of what her real purpose it, but she always give the preschool kids candy after school. Today she had put together cute bags full of candy. The girls were most excited (until Sydney broke Kathryn's candy necklace and she howled like she was hurt!). It rained most of the day, so Kathryn made sure to take her cute pink umbrella. Sydney just wanted to have her hat (hood) on.