Peek into our Week Archives - Page 6 of 7

Peek into our Week – Family Pics, Ikea, and Hand-me-downs

Family Pictures:

We weren’t going to do any family pics this year, but then I met a girl at church who is raising money to do mission work by taking pictures. I saw some of her work and was HAPPY to help her in exchange for family photos. We will use one that she took for our Christmas card…but you won’t get to see that one until Christmas!

New Book Shelves:

Ted put together two new Ikea shelves, then I took time to arrange his books. The shelves had been PACKED full from top to bottom – packed full with no space for the books to ‘breathe.’ After Ted built the shelves, I could spread some things out and make them look nicer and more organized again.

Reclaim the Table:

River Valley Church began a series called “Reclaim the Table” – focusing on the importance of spending time together as friends and family around the table. This is the time that we, as parents and friends, can invest in and teach our children. Pastor Rob stated that 90% of Amish children continue in their parent’s faith – and the Amish eat together around the table two times each day. Currently, most American families eat together once a week. Our kids received “place mats” with questions for kids to ask parents and parents to ask kids. We’ve all enjoyed eating together and sharing stories and laughter.

One of the questions on Clark’s “Reclaim the Table” place mat was: “What do you wish your parents would do more with you?” Clark said, “I wish I could cook more with you!” So… we’ve been cooking dinner together this week.

Hand-me-downs:

It’s that time of year when I put away summer clothes and clothes that are too small, and pull out winter clothes and clothes that are the next size up. It looked like an explosion of clothes went off in the boys’ bedrooms last week as I went through their closets and drawers – pulling out the old and putting in the new. Having FOUR boys is super convenient when it comes to hand-me-downs, but it can be a challenge keeping it all organized and moving from one kid to the next. One full year I kept wondering why Paul had hardly any clothes…and then found the “size 5” bin in the basement – it had never been opened. I didn’t find it until he was turning six.

Afternoons with the Neighbors:

I’m so grateful for a neighborhood full of families. After school, the kids all run around and the parents come out to watch and chat. It’s one of the highlights of our day!

What I’m loving this week:

My new Bird Feeder! Oh my goodness. It’s been so fun watching the birds from our living room windows. We love to see what birds stop by throughout the day. It has inspired us to learn about the birds that live in our region. Our favorites are the Cardinals. We’ve also spotted a set of Blue Jays and a large hawk that hangs out in the trees behind our home. I just purchased some binoculars so that we can get a closer look.

October 29, 2018 By Kathryn

2 In Family/ Motherhood/ Peek into our Week

Peek into our Midwest Week

This week in Minnesota is what dreams are made of – lots of sunshine and so much beauty all around!

Last Friday started with my Women’s Conference. The theme was “Be an Original” and the Key Note speakers were Lisa Bevere and Bob Goff. They were both phenomenal! I’ll share some of what I learned in another post. The music was awesome and the time with a bunch of great ladies was absolutely SOUL-FILLING!

Thank you, Ted, for holding down the fort so I could get away for 24 hours.

Ted got 4 boys to 3 different games at different times at 2 different parks!

Sunday was supposed to be our final day of soccer with SIX games… but it snowed for 4 straight hours and soccer was canceled. Yay! The boys played in the snow ALL.DAY.LONG.

I was okay with just staying in, watching the boys play from window, all while enjoying the warmth of my home – but my boys encouraged me to get outside. I’m so glad they did – it was glorious outside. Everything was white and pristine, and the weather was not too cold.

Monday was writing, cleaning and playing with Luke.

Ritter Farm

On Tuesday Luke and I explored a beautiful park called Ritter Farm. He wanted me to hold him during most of our hike, and that’s okay with me… I’m soaking up every minute of him being little and still wanting to be held because I know that he’ll turn 10 in 2.5 seconds. We collected bugs, climbed trees, and enjoyed all the pretty trees along the path.

Piggy back rides for the win!

Wednesday mornings I’ve been attending a women’s bible study called “Sisterhood” at River Valley Church – the same church that put on the women’s conference. I started this Bible study about six weeks ago, without really knowing anyone. I am slowly getting to know some really precious women – and have enjoyed incredible teaching by the women’s ministry team.

Thursday started a four day weekend for the boys for something called MEA. I don’t even know what that stands for except that it’s like a “Fall Break.”

We met some new friends at the cutest apple farm in our town called Applewood Orchard. We rode a hayride, found our way through a Hedge Maze, ate apple cider donuts, drank apple cider, then sampled and picked our own apples. This apple farm grows a variety of apples. The boys scouted out where to pick their favorite flavor during the hay ride. First, we pulled our wagon over to the SnowSweet Apples (George’s choice). Next, Clark insisted we go pick some Sweetango Apples on the OPPOSITE side of the Orchard. He told me he’d tasted them at school and that they are the best. He was absolutely correct. They were the vey best apples I’ve ever eaten in my life. So sweet they taste like candy. Have you tried them before?

We all LOVED this little pumpkin/apple farm and will definitely be back!

Thursday night we went to dinner at a local pizza place with Clark’s soccer team. There was something special about this group of kids and their families. We all enjoyed sitting together during practices and getting to know each other, then cheering on our kids during soccer games. We bonded during this season and am sad that we won’t be hanging out 3 times a week anymore. Our dinner together was a fun way to end the season – but I hope we can continue getting together.

How was your week? Did you get beautiful fall weather like us?

October 19, 2018 By Kathryn

2 In Memories/ Minnesota/ Motherhood/ Peek into our Week/ Raising boys/ Things to do in Minnesota

Peek into our week – Fall is Here!

Fallelujah!!

There’s always a little dread in my heart when Fall arrives. It means I will soon be FUH-REEZING. But this fall I’m living in the moment, LOVING all the GORGEOUS fall colors and enjoying every sip of my pumpkin spice lattes!

Visit to Minneapolis

Our kids got their first trip to the Big City! Ted had to grab something from his office on Saturday, so we all went along. The boys loved exploring the SKYWAYS. Have you heard about the Minneapolis Skyway system? It’s 13 MILES of enclosed walkways. You can live your entire life in Minneapolis and never have to go outside. There are coffee shops, nail salons, restaurants, grocery stores and pharmacies on along the Skyway!

We parked and walked from the Target Center where the Timberwolves play, past a donut shop, to Ted’s office. The boys begged for a donut and we promised them one after lunch. We ate lunch at an amazing place called Roti Modern Mediterranean.

On our way out, we walked past the donut shop again…and it was CLOSED! So, Ted found another place a couple of miles away that was still open – GLAM DOLL DONUTS. The donuts were GLAM! They looked delicious but were quite pricey and did NOT taste as amazing as they looked. But, it was fun to check this cute 50s style diner/donut shop!

Backyard Jackpot

Ted was playing in the backyard with the boys and George accidentally kicked his balls into this “nature preserve” space behind our house. He commented that it smelled SO good back there. Ted went to look at what he was talking about and discovered MINT! Lots and lots of MINT!

Computer CRASH

I purchased my Mac about 7 years ago and it’s been VERY well loved…by me AND our four sons. Last week I went to turn it on and the screen was completely black. I made an appt at Apple and hoped they could just push a button or charge me for a new light bulb. But know, they wanted about $600 to fix it. Sooo, I’m currently using Ted’s computer.

It was NO FUN losing my computer like that. They WILL be able to get all my stuff off the old computer (for $100)…but I need to get a new one first.

Birthday party

Our neighbor, Ellie, Clark and George all have birthdays close together so we did a joint party at Lifetime Gym. The kids all loved the Rock Climbing wall and group games.

Next up:

I’m going to a Women’s Conference this weekend where I’ll get see and hear from Lisa Bevere and BOB GOFF!! I’m so excited! I did try calling Bob but it went to his voicemail and his voice mailbox is fulll….so maybe I can meet him and talk to him in real life!

What have you been up to? Leave me a comment by clicking that tiny “comment box” beside the title!

October 12, 2018 By Kathryn

2 In Family/ Marriage/ Memories/ Minnesota/ Motherhood/ Peek into our Week/ Raising boys

Peek into our week(s) – Back to school

Back-to-School:

First day of school!

The boys started 5th grade, 3rd grade, 1st grade, and preschool! They weren’t looking forward to going back (who wants summer to end?), but they are doing great! They have good teachers and are meeting new friends. Luke loves his new preschool. It’s only 2.5 hours, 3 mornings a week…so it goes by REALLY fast (for both of us!)

Weekend on the lake:

Some friends invited us to join them at their cabin on a lake in Wisconsin and I was surprised at how relaxing and soul-filling it was to get away for a couple of days. I got a glimpse of why so many locals have “cabins on the lake!” It was Clark’s 9th birthday. He and his brothers fished, swam, went tubing, and made s’mores by the fire, and ended the night with sparklers!

My favorite part was watching the sunset on the lake…it was one of the prettiest things I’ve seen in a long time! I was surprised at how much Paul loved it too. The sunset lit up the lake with vibrant color and Paul exclaimed, “Mom! Do you see this? It’s BEAUTIFUL!!!! The lake is orange!”

Then, at night, George and I went back to the dock and stared up at the sky. There were more stars than he had ever seen in his life. He thought it was AMAZING! (So did I!) We could even see the milky way!!!

Time with my dad (aka Poppy) at Mall of America:

My dad came in for a short visit. We had dinner together on Monday night, then went to Mall of America on Tuesday. Tuesday is the BEST day to go…I’ll tell you why in a future post! He celebrated his grandson’s birthdays with rides and lunch…then we took him to the airport.

George’s birthday:

Somehow, our oldest son is now 11! He didn’t want a cake but asked for DONUTS and Portillo’s or Chipotle. Well, he got all of that.

A new Chipotle just opened in our town last weekend and it’s been crazy busy. I told George we could try to go on his birthday, but it may be too busy. We show up (on a Friday night at 6) and there is only one person in line ahead of us! George looks at me and says, “Mom, God answered my prayer. I asked him to make the line short so we could have dinner here and he answered my prayer!!” As soon as we ordered, the line was OUT THE DOOR and didn’t stop the entire time we were there!

Sunday Ted took him out for some father/son time at his other favorite restaurant – Portillo’s.

He also got a new Lego set that he’d been wanting for a long time. I thought it would take him a month to put together, but he finished in two days. He’ll gladly tell you all about it if you ask him.

Date Night:

Ted and I got to sneak away for a couple of hours and have dinner at Maynard’s on Lake Minnetonka! It was a perfect night to sit outside by the lake, eating, chatting and watching the boats.

That’s what we’ve been up to! What’s your week been like? Leave me a comment!

September 17, 2018 By Kathryn

5 In Minnesota/ Motherhood/ Peek into our Week/ Raising boys/ Things to do in Minnesota

Our visit to Minnehaha Falls and the Minnesota State Fair

Minnehaha Falls!

We ticked an item off our Minnesota bucket list with a visit to Minnehaha falls. You can park pretty close to the Falls and hike as much or as little as you want to. The stairs are steep and rugged…but besides that, this area is fun for all ages. The waterfall is BEAUTIFUL but my favorite part was a huge open swimming area! We didn’t bring towels or suits…so we did not “swim” but we did play in the water for a little while. Minnehaha Falls reminded me of Colorado, with the interesting trails and rocks to climb.

We also found an abandoned railroad track and a ‘secret garden’ across the street from the Falls.

Minnesota State Fair

We also visited the Minnesota State Fair. Minnesotans truly love their fair. As I asked locals what should go on my Minnesota Bucket List, many people recommended the Fair. I decided to check it out and see for myself if it lives up to the notoriety. Here are my thoughts …

Pros:

Really Good food! I tried the elote corn and a frozen mojito-like drink. Both were amazing. I wanted to get the fried pickles but it was in a crowded area and since my kids were tired … I decided I’d pass. We were happy to find a stand that had icees for $1! Score for my wallet!

Time with friends! We met some friends at the fair and enjoyed being with them – eating, exploring and catching up.

The Fair Map: Don’t forget to ask for a map when you get to the ticket booth. Since this was my first time at the fair, I had NO IDEA where to go or what to do. The map was very helpful!
Dairy Barn – Look for the butter carving and try the ice cream! Delicious!!!
Random entertainment: You may see a parade, street entertainers, a butter carving, or even a live birth – who knows what will happen at the fair!

We watched a parade and fun street performer!

SO MUCH TO SEE AND DO!!! There are hundreds of booths, barns, and exhibits to explore. Our favorite was the “Miracle of Birth” center. It was filled with adorable baby animals. We watched chicks pecking their way out of their eggs!

Cons:

Parking: Crazy and expensive! We waited in a line that was over two miles to get into the parking lot (cost: $14). Others recommend taking the shuttle (cost $5 per person); or parking in the nearby neighborhoods to avoid some of the traffic going in and out (cost $20).
Crowds: I went on a Wednesday, so it wasn’t even the busiest day, but there were parts of the fair that were just a sea of people. Thankfully, I only took two of my boys. It’s hard to just ”relax and have fun” in the scene pictured below:

The Wednesday crowd

LOTS of walking: If you have kids – bring a stroller or a wagon, or plan on giving some piggyback rides. My eight year old did fine, my 6-year-old did a lot of complaining that his feet hurt.
The cost: You can easily drop $100 without even knowing where your money went. BRING LOTS OF CASH!!! Most places are CASH ONLY!
- Entrance fee: $10-15 per person
- Parking: $14 minimum
- Ear of corn: $7
- Rides: $5 per person, per ride
- Drinks: $5 and up

I told the boys we may wait a couple years before I’ve worked up enough energy (and saved up enough money!) to go back with them.

If you love the fair, tell me what you love about it!

River Valley Church

One morning, I walked into Caribou Coffee and saw some ladies chatting. They had their Bibles with them and were leaving at the same time as me, so I asked them if they belonged to a local church. They said they all went to River Valley Church and invited me to come! This is the church that had been recommended to us before we moved here, and a place I had already planned to visit. One of the ladies I met used to live in Colorado Springs and we discovered we had mutual friends (thanks to Facebook)!

We visited the church and the kids LOVED it! They come home with little study guides, asking if I could read the Bible with them. They are counting down the days until we go back.

September 6, 2018 By Kathryn

4 In Family/ Motherhood/ Peek into our Week/ Raising boys

Our “FREE” trampoline that cost us $150

I was out running when I noticed a mini-trampoline sitting by the side of the road with someone’s trash. I went home and got my car, loaded it in the back of my van, and brought it home.

My boys were delighted.

They carried it to the backyard and let the neighbors know: “WE GOT A TRAMPOLINE!”

The kids came over and LINED UP to take a turn!!

Note: There is a FULL-SIZE trampoline that they can all jump on TOGETHER right next door, but Clark had everyone excited about this LITTLE trampoline. So, that day, they all jumped, one-by-one.

(I REALLY wish I had taken a picture of them LINED UP while ONE kid jumped.)

After the first day, the newness and “excitement” wore off, and the little trampoline doesn’t get used very much. My plan was to bring it in the basement to use on rainy days or during the long Minnesota winter. However, Ted noticed that a couple of the springs were missing and warned me that someone would probably get hurt jumping on it. He asked me to set it out with the trash when it came last week.

Unfortunately, I forgot.

About two hours after the trash was taken, Clark was jumping on the little trampoline.

He was trying to complete a JUMP – SPIN – NINJA Kick.

The jump was high… the spin was good……the kick, great…

BUT THE LANDING…bad.

He landed on the side of his foot.

It hurt so bad he came in and laid on the couch. He wouldn’t play or even walk on it.

Clark doesn’t complain very much. So, after a couple hours of him laying on the couch and refusing to put pressure on it, I decided to take him to Urgent Care to get an X-ray.

Thankfully, there was no broken bone, but the doctor said that she thought it was a sprained ankle and he should stay off of it for up to two weeks!

Telling Clark to stay off of his feet is like telling a bird not to fly.

We paid for the urgent care visit and for crutches.

Total: Almost $150

(I never should have picked up that FREE trampoline!)

It is now sitting out by the trash, a little too late.

We prayed for him that night for Clark to have a quick healing and miraculously, 24 hours later, his foot was feeling all better. We made him stay off of it for nearly 3 days – just to make sure he didn’t re -injure it. By Sunday, he was 100% back to himself.

You may (or may not) have noticed a DONATE button on the right side of my blog. I’m now accepting any and all donations from those who enjoy the blog and want to give to the #boymom fund.

Boymom fund includes:

Keeping 4 (constantly hungry) boys fed, plus
all the doctor visits,
coffee for mom to keep up with it all!

Thanks for reading, and for all the love and support!

September 4, 2018 By Kathryn

2 In Marriage/ Memories/ Peek into our Week/ Traveling

The Perfect Day in Chicago

It was August 6, only three days away from Ted’s FORTIETH birthday and I was feeling guilty that my mind had been on every other detail of our lives except his big day!

I’m not one of those people who loves planning celebrations. It overwhelms me. However, there are people who LOVE it and are GOOD at it – my sister Krista is one of those people. (If you have a big celebration to plan and don’t know what to do, FIND a person who loves this stuff! It’s SO amazing at the creativity people like my sister have!)

When I told Krista that I didn’t have much planned for Ted‘s birthday, she went into ‘overdrive.’ She suggested so many amazing ideas. Most needed more than three days to come together – but we were able to come up with a perfect day in Chicago for him – including an overnight stay at her friends gorgeous Chicago lakefront condo!

So, we scheduled family and babysitters to watch our kids, and on Ted’s 40th birthday, we headed into the City.

My sister, Krista, and me! Look at that amazing view from the condo!

First, we just took some time to enjoy the fabulous condo, then went to explore the beautiful city.

We started near Soldier field …then walked around

Buckingham Fountain…

the Crown Fountain…

and the Bean…

By this time, we needed some food. There was a hotdog stand close to the Bean, but they were all out of Chicago dogs. When in Chicago, you must try a Chicago dog!!!

We walked into Garrett’s to try some of their amazing popcorn – a Chicago favorite!

We kept walking all the way down Michigan Avenue, until we reached Sprinkles cupcakes. Sprinkles makes the world’s best cupcakes!

Krista says that Sprinkles cupcakes are proof that God loves us.

After enjoying every single bite of those cupcakes, we walked along Lake Shore drive.

After walking a few minutes, we found DIVVY Bikes to rent and road all the way back to where we were staying near Soldier field. It.was.BEAUTIFUL! We stopped riding for a few minutes when we reached Adler planetarium because from this spot, we could watch the glorious sunset over the City and Lake Michigan.

With Divvy Bikes, you can pick them up and drop them off at any of their locations around the city, so we parked them in a spot near our condo and went for a swim in the pool. Then we got ready for dinner.

For one of the BEST meals you’ll ever eat in Chicago (and quite possibly the best meal you’ll ever eat anywhere), go to Girl and the Goat. I love eating with Nate And Krista because they love food like I do! The dishes at Girl in the Goat are small, so that allowed us to order more than one dish per person – so between the four of us, we ordered a LOT of food!! Every dish, every bite, was delicious! My top 5 favs were the halibut, the chickpea fritters, the pork shank, the “pig face” and the goat loin. Oooh sooo good!!!

The chef/owner of “Girl and the Goat” (Stephanie Izard) was the first female winner on Top Chef and has two other restaurants that I now want to try – The Little Goat and an Asian restaurant called Duck, Duck Goat.

After dinner, we went back to the condo and spent the night in our room that had floor-to-ceiling windows of the city! Uh-mazing!

It was a perfect day in Chicago husband, sister and brother-in-law!

We continued the celebration the next evening with dinner at The Turf Room (one of our favorite restaurants in the Chicago Suburbs) with some dear friends!

Dinner at The Turf Room. I’m holding a gift that my friend Lisa made for our new home.

PS – If you are going to Chicago and have more than one day to spend in the city, here are some additional ‘bucket list items’ I would recommend:

get a Chicago stuffed pizza from Giordano’s!
go see a Chicago Cubs game in the historic Wrigley field
go to Soldier field for a concert or football game
Take a ride on the Ferris wheel at Navy Pier
Take an architectural tour by boat through the city
Visit the Sky Deck
Drive north along Lake Shore Drive and Sheridan to Evanston for a gorgeous view of the lake on one side and stunning old homes on the other. Explore Northwestern University. You can even continue driving north on Sheridan into the quaint town of Winnetka to see the Home Alone house.

Leave me a comment with your Chicago recommendations!

August 28, 2018 By Kathryn

4 In Family/ Friendship/ Memories/ Minnesota/ Peek into our Week/ Raising boys/ Traveling

Peek into our week(s) in Minnesota * Indiana * Illinois

My first couple weeks in Minnesota were uneventful….it was a whole lot of digging out from underneath a mountain of boxes. Moving is a LOT of work, but our house is beginning to feel like home!

We met lots of our new neighbors and couldn’t ask for a better neighborhood.

Saturday

We had dinner at a restaurant on a nearby lake with the ONE family we know in Minnesota! It was so nice to spend time with great friends in our new state.

Sunday

We piled in the car and drove to Indiana.

The kids were so excited to see their cousins, and equally excited to see the kittens that were just born.

Sunday’s drive was long. What was supposed to take eight hours, took ten. The traffic and tolls going through Illinois reminded us why we moved away 3 years ago.

When we finally arrived, my mom had a delicious dinner waiting for us (thank you mom!)!

Clark, Kate and KITTENS!

Monday

Ted worked and I got to spend time with my mom and sister.

Our kids had an amazing day together on the lake where my mom and sister live. Some of my favorite childhood memories were spent on the lake, and I’m glad my kids get to experience this too!

They are so creative when they are together …. they imagined that the paddle boards were their “ships” and spent the day finding treasure on the bottom of the lake. They were convinced that the sticks and rocks they found were extremely valuable and would make them millionaires!

That night, my sister and her husband hosted a dinner at their house and we enjoyed catching up with old friends.

Tuesday

George woke up covered in toilet paper and “duct taped” to his bed. Since he is the one that likes to sleep the latest, his cousins and brothers thought it would be hilarious to play a trick on him. He woke up with a sweet note and a struggle to get out of bed.

“Love ya George, with a lot of toilet paper.”

After that shenanigan, the kids walked to grandmas (next door!) for a donut, then spent more time on the lake – swimming, paddle boarding, looking for treasure, and riding the wave runner with Ted.

Donuts at Grandmas

That night, Ted and I got to go out on a double date with my sister (Krista) and her husband (Nate). We took their boat to dinner – making two stops, the first one was for appetizers and the second was for dinner at one of their favorite restaurants.

Wednesday

We took the kids to a classic rootbeer stand for lunch and my brother-in-law took them tubing.

Rootbeer at Shopoff’s Drive-in

That evening we spent time with my dad’s side of the family – grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Thursday

Ted’s 40^thbirthday

I had been so busy with the move, I hadn’t spent as much time as I needed to planning for Ted’s milestone birthday. However, once I got Nate and Krista involved…they moved mountains to make sure Ted had a memorable day. I’m so grateful for them!

My mom kept our four boys so that Ted, Nate, Krista and I could spend the day and night in Chicago.

My sister (Krista) and brother-in-law (Nate) at Buckingham Fountain in Chicago

The view from the condo we stayed in for the night

It was a perfect day! We walked, visited our favorite sights, got Sprinkles cupcakes, then rented bikes to ride along Lake Shore Drive. The day ended with an UH-mazing dinner at the Girl and the Goat. The owner and chef, Stephanie Izard, was the first female winner of Top Chef. Everything she makes is delicious!

Friday

We met up with our boys and drove to stay with friends for a couple of days.

My friend Stacey and all of our boys!

We had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants – The Turf Room – then came back to the house to eat some Portillo’s cake and sing Happy Birthday to Ted! We loved spending time with the friends who were able to come and celebrate him.

Dinner at The Turf Room. I’m holding a gift that my friend Lisa made for our new home.

Saturday

In the morning, Ted met up with a book club group that he used to be a part of when we lived in Illinois. The guys just finished reading his book and Ted got to meet them for breakfast, answer questions and hear from them what they learned from his book.

That afternoon, we took the boys to Geneva, IL – a quaint town with beautiful old homes, unique stores and a delicious ice cream shop. Then we went to a new park to play.

A cool OLD tree we found at the park

That night we went on a boat ride with friends. There’s a new music venue along the river, and One Republic was playing that night. We anchored the boat and enjoyed a free concert!

Sunday

We said good-bye to our friends and drove home. We had a fabulous time away. We all agreed that we LOVED our time with family and friends.

We are settling back in to our new home in Minnesota and excited to begin planting roots and building community.

August 12, 2018 By Kathryn

4 In Family/ Finding our place/ House Hunting/ Minnesota/ Moving/ Peek into our Week/ Raising boys

A Peek into our week – Saying Goodbye to Colorado, Hello to Minnesota

Enjoying our final Pikes Peak sunset from our home in Colorado

Last week we said goodbye to Colorado – to our friends, to our home, and to that beautiful chapter of our lives.

Jared and Holly Newman – life long friends

Lots of friends came over to give us one last hug, we went to the Newman family’s house for one last dinner and I went to church one last time to see Kari Jobe and Louie Giglio! (It was so good!)

Early Wednesday morning two kind gentleman showed up at our house and started packing. Somehow, those two guys had my house completely packed and loaded on the moving truck in just 3 days!! (I think it took me 6 weeks to pack when we moved to Colorado)

Our family flew to Minneapolis on Saturday morning. Clark asked if we were in “first class” because the flight attendant offered him a snack and a drink. (He’s only flown one other time – and that was on another airline)

We stayed the weekend in a hotel.

Saturday – lots of swimming!

Sunday – Mall of America!

Before we moved, I told the boys that when we arrived in Minnesota, I’d let them spend $20 each at the Mall. It gave them one more reason to get excited about the move.

Our first stop – the Lego Store!

George was THRILLED to explore this place and had a hard time just picking out ONE thing. $20 doesn’t go very far there, but he found a set that he was excited to build.

Clark chose to buy a remote control car.

Paul wanted new running shoes. (I gave him a little extra since he chose RUNNING SHOES!)

Luke picked a Lightning McQueen toy.

I picked where we ate – Wahlburgers. (It was great!)

They wanted to ride ALL the rides – but we picked one – The Ferris Wheel! It’s kind of crazy riding a Ferris Wheel inside a MALL!

Monday morning, we met the movers at our house.

There were a few things about this house that made me fall in love with it:

I could tell it was a neighborhood with LOTS of kids – nearly every house has a play set, a trampoline, a soccer net or a basketball hoop.
It has a nice backyard…big enough for FOUR boys to run some of their energy out with a game of tag or soccer.
It has LOTS of trees! Since I’d no longer be able to see Pikes Peak, I wanted something pretty to look at and I do! I love all the trees and water in Minnesota.

Within an hour of pulling up to our home, the boys had already met the neighbor kids on both sides. They played all day. Clark called it the “best day ever” and said he’d be sad if I picked ANY other house in Minnesota.

George agreed and said this is his favorite house we’ve ever lived in.

All the boys have been sleeping SOO good in this house. I haven’t been wakened at all by any child! It may have something to do with the fact that they RUN, JUMP, PLAY, and SWIM all day! (Maybe that’s the title of my new book?!!)

We are grateful for a smooth transition and looking forward to making many happy memories here.

Thanks for your prayers, comments, texts and encouragement through this process!

July 18, 2018 By Kathryn

0 In Colorado/ Colorado Springs/ Family/ Memories/ Motherhood/ Peek into our Week/ Raising boys/ Things to do in Colorado

A PEEK into our WEEK: Breckenridge, hiking, time with friends, and racing!

Our Fourth of July

We took some red, white and blue pictures in Colorado Springs, but spent the 4th in Breckenridge! The boys loved the Parade and playing in the huge pile of snow that’s still on Peak 8. Ted and I enjoyed getting one last visit to Breckenridge before our move. We always enjoy the drive there – you never know what wildlife you’ll see. We stopped to watch some Buffalo roam on this trip.

Spent time with a childhood friend

Becky, a childhood friend, and two of her kids came to visit from Broomfield, CO. It was so fun having them spend 24 hours with us!

We hiked and explored, cooked together, and enjoyed catching up. We’re both Indiana girls and been friends all of our lives. I’ve enjoyed spending more time with her since we moved to Colorado.

Overdrive Raceway

The #eglyboys have been begging me to take them to Overdrive Raceway! We finally made it there, and they LOVED it! Clark drove as fast as he could – speeding around corners and weaving in and out between other drivers. George was slow and steady; cautiously driving around corners, and leading Paul “safely” around the track.

Hiking

We explored the Starsmore Nature Center and hiked in Cheyenne Canyon with friends. There are all kinds of trails you can follow in Cheyenne Canyon. However, Clark remembered one specific hike from a field trip and insisted we follow him. He promised us it would be beautiful! Somehow, he found the right trail, we followed him up a narrow passageway and from the top, we had an incredible 360 degree view of mountains and The Broadmoor! He makes an amazing tour guide for an 8-year-old.

The trail Clark insisted we follow.

One of my favorite things to do in Colorado is hiking and exploring with my boys!

Admiring the view!

That was our final ‘regular’ week in Colorado.…now we are packing and wrapping things up at home before we head to Minnesota! What did you do this week? Leave me a comment!

July 11, 2018 By Kathryn

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