one last trip

Life is never dull in the J mom house.  We were once again uprooted the first week of August to drive to see family, this time in Nebraska.  The drive went rather well considering there was a baby in the car and a four year old.  However we left our doorstep at 6 am and did not arrive to our NE destination until 6:30 pm that evening.  That is a LONG day of traveling, even considering the stops and breaks along the way!

Our time was spent mostly hiding from the outrageous NE heat.  (Not that us Minnesotans don't know what that feels like lately.)  Little E and I enjoyed the air conditioning at home while Seth and Jason ventured out the most.  Our favorite spot to venture out to was of course the pool!  Everyone got some sun regardless of the layers of sunscreen but it did feel invigorating to get wet and play in the water.

Seth and Nanny going down the water slide at the pool.

The Great Grands and Grands!

Little E amazed at his first sight of the farm. 

Our little Jumping Bean thought this was great!

 On our way home we stopped to see our friends the Smiths.  It was so fun to see them prepare for the little girl they are expecting this winter.  Pink and ruffles, now there are things you do not find in the J mom home.  I have to say it was fun! 

Our upcoming adventures include camping and of course, back to preschool.  Stay tuned...

dinner done by noon

Well maybe that title doesn't sound so exciting if you call the last meal of your day supper...

Point is, my dinner is ready to be served for tonight and it was done by noon today! I threw together the ingredients for Chili Cornbread Salad which I shared with you way back when for a Foody Friday favorite. I love this dish because I can do it in advance when I have time and because we can take it to the park in a cooler. On a beautiful day like today a picnic is just what we need for some family time!

more family vacation action

Our second vacation of the month took us to a cabin in Iowa on Silver Lake. It turned out to be a family adventure of "firsts" for Seth. There was fishing, jet-skiing, tubing behind the boat, a four-wheeler and much more!

Seth loved the jet-ski. Yes, he went with mom or dad.

My child turned into a water baby! Here he is with Dad on the tube. They went slow enough but did go under water once. However the fall didn't slow Seth down any, much to my surprise!

The four wheeler was another fun thing to drive. He had to talk dad into taking him on that though...

It wouldn't be a vacation without a s'more by the fire. The downside was this one happened around 10 pm - way too late for our little guy!

Little E was a great traveler once again. He has mastered the art of going with the flow. That ought to be very helpful since our summer is mostly about keeping up with his big brother!

Little E and his Papa.

Little E and Great Grandma Una. Eli's middle name, Richard, was her husband's name. Boy do we miss Grandpa!

Getting the worms ready for fishing! These worms came from our backyard in MN and made the trip thanks to Seth and Jason.

Catching a fish with Papa - still a little unsure of those fish.

Catching fish? No problem - we've got a pro!

The little guy learned from the bigger one. Here's Jason with his 28 in Northern!

Three generations of fishermen waiting for the catch of the day!

vacations are in season

June has been a month of travel for the J mom family. It all started with a trip to my home town to visit my parents and sister...

Seth loved running around the back yard. Funny, I remember when I was taller than that tree...

Eli loved trying out Grandma's high chair, or my old high chair for that matter. Now we just need to start some solid foods.

After a few days together we all went to my Aunt and Uncle's Lake cabin. Well, if you could call it that. They live there year round now that they have retired and it is a beautiful home...

Check out that sunset!

Seth and J mom driving the pontoon. This would be how I got my worst sunburn in years. Good thing the kid was covered in a third layer of sunscreen and better protected!

My favorite spot to relax - Eli loved it too!

The storms that cost three people their lives came just around us at the lake. The weather was scary but we were safe - praise the Lord.

The cutest boys ever!

Practicing a little casting for the BIG fishing trip.

We also went into Battle Lake and memory lane for J mom. We made a quick stop at Granny's Pantry. It's this old fashioned ice cream and candy store. I have fond memories of it as a child. Bringing Seth there to pick out candy was a bit nostalgic.

How can you not love that outfit!?! I heart you too Eli!

Traveling with kids is always an adventure, especially in summer road construction season. Seth and Eli were real troopers. In hopes of getting out some wiggles we spent some play time at a rest stop. It always feels good to get out and walk around a bit!

Seth and Grandma playing at the rest stop play structure.

Eli has to look around and get some relief from the car seat before nursing. It requires stops to be a bit longer...

Then it was back home for a few short days before we got back in the car for another adventure. More vacation photos to come...

dedicated to God

the j mom family at Little E's dedication of mother's day.

mother's day is a special day in our church where families have the opportunity to have their children dedicated. a dedication is more on the parents than the child. we stood up in front of our body of believers and acknowledged that we promise to raise Eli in a home where Christ comes first. where we will teach him about the Way, the Truth and the Light. it was a special day for a special boy...

this kid is always so full of smiles!

my baby bright eyes.

dedicated to God on May 9, 2010

it's official, we're going to do it

Yes, friends I have signed up thereby making it official. We, as a family, are participating in the Book It! 5K Walk/Run through the Roseville Library. I had hoped to be practicing for this event for months now but am sorry to say, that has not happened. There will be minimal jogging and mostly walking - that I have practiced. In fact, the boys and I have been walking the neighborhood every day and enjoying it too. Eli will love the stroll and I imagine Seth will beat me to the end of the race with no trouble. You should join us!

He is Risen Indeed!

I love Easter when the weather actually feels like spring and you can see the new life awakening around you! It was a beautiful weekend. He is risen indeed!

Eli and his book from the Easter Bunny.

Seth and his Easter Basket.

My handsome boys!

The J mom family Easter photo - not bad considering the effort this took!

Seth searching for Easter eggs. The neighbor girl saw him outside and came to join him. Seth was gracious enough to share his loot.

Plenty of eggs to open with Jelly Beans, quarters and Peeps.

My Easter Basket Boys.

It's tradition - my baby's always fit in the Easter Basket. Too cute!

signs of spring

These are some signs of spring in the J mom family...

Little E outside with his sun hat and a onesie on.

Our first family picnic in the backyard - steaks, potatoes, garlic bread, corn, and strawberries - yum!

Time at the park. Little E napping under a tree.

My Seth up in a tree!

We know the weather is just a teaser but it sure has been nice to enjoy the outdoors in sun and seventies for a few days at least.

a dino-mite day

Seth's Dinosaur Birthday cake made by yours truly.

Seth turn four over the weekend. It was a dino-mite birthday thanks to Seth's current fascination with dinosaurs. We spent the day at the Minnesota Children's Museum which is currently featuring Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice. Seth absolutely loved it making it worth every penny for the whole family to go.

Seth dressed up to dig for dinosaur bones. What a handsome archeologist he would make.

To add some glam, Seth painted his face at one of the kids craft tables. He was so shocked that I let him do it - I must be a mean mom the other days of the week.

Dad held Seth up close to catch a whiff of that T-rex carrion breath.

Once home again we celebrated with pancakes, our Birthday Boy's favorite, and some yummy cake and ice cream.

wild waterpark days

During our stay in the Dells we had access to three indoor water parks. I have to say I was more than satisfied with the idea of sitting on the balcony and reading a book or just sitting around talking with my friends, but it gave us even more to do. Seth of course loved the water. We rarely get the chance to swim let alone play at a water park. Fortuneatly for us, the weather even allowed for being outdoors!

Seth jumping into Randy's waiting arms. Later in the morning I saw Seth jump without anyone there to catch him - brave boy with a life vest. And yes, that is an outdoor pool.

Kallie and Seth in the pool.

That's my four year old (more posts to come) in the shallow water.

It's a slam dunk from the water boy.

This was the one water slide I made it down. I actually would like to have tried out some others but the cat naps in the sun were calling my name. Rough, I know.