Halloween 2014

We had so much fun this Halloween!  This was the first year that we did a family costume theme and we made the costumes as well!

The Incredibles!!!

We got the idea to be The Incredibles earlier this year.  I mean, c'mon, we have our very own "Baby Jack Jack!"  I am so glad we decided to do this.  It made Halloween just that much more fun...for all of us!

I wasn't sure how to go about making the costumes and Jason said, "red sweatsuits!"  I figured I'd find sweats for the kids with no problem and struggle finding ours.  Wrong!  I found adult ones right away and the kids ended up with red, cotton shirts and fleece pants, ha!  The logos are made of fleece and I stitched them on, piece by piece, by hand.  Jason made the masks out of black duct tape.  It was a joint effort!

The Saturday before Halloween the Lion's Club in a neighboring town had a family night.  There were crafts and hayrides.  We met a couple of friends there and had a great time!

D, Joe and L

On Halloween day, Amelia's school had a Halloween parade and then the kindergartners had a short program for the parents.  We asked Amelia if she wanted a separate costume for school since being an Incredible alone isn't very much fun and she jumped at the chance to be, what else, a cat.  

It was the cutest little parade and the songs they sang for us afterwards...priceless.  

Amelia and her best friend, J.  These two go all the way back to 4K!

We found out this year that our kids just aren't big into trick-or-treating.  They were excited at the first few houses but then wanted to be done.  We narrowed it down to it being dark so next year we are going to make sure they each have their own flashlights.  For now, I don't mind the lack of candy in the house ;)

We're already brainstorming what we can be next year!  I forgot how much fun it was to dress up!

Weekend Family Fun

Well, we're attempting to sleep train Jackson...again.  He did ok in his crib for about 2 months and then towards the end of the summer he was back in bed with us.  He is a snuggler and a cuddler and does not like to be alone...ever!  He is definitely the most difficult of our three kids in more ways than just sleeping habits!  

So, here I am.  Sleep training.  Again.  I have to be up for work at 2:50 a.m. but here I sit.  Ready to go in there, rub his back, tell him I love him and it's time for sleep and walk out without caving and picking him up to comfort him every twenty minutes.  What better way to pass the time than dinking around on the computer?!

Last Saturday we went North to Jason's grandpa's cabin (about an hour from us) and spent the day!  When we first got up there Jason helped Grandpa pull the raft and paddle boat out of the water for the winter.  Joe had a blast watching them with "bun-ock-wers."

After the work was done we all went on a pontoon ride around the lake before that was readied to be removed from the water for winter!

Helping Great-Grandpa drive

Beautiful fall colors starting to appear :)

This young loon let us get so close!

When we got back we fixed lunch and then Jason, myself and the kids headed into the woods to put up a ladder stand for deer hunting.  We must have been a sight carrying that thing into the woods with three young kids in tow (especially when Joe thought maybe the ladder, horizontal at the time, was a set of monkey bars...) but we made it and they did awesome!  Amelia even helped out by carrying ratchet straps the entire way!  

While we were working at setting the stand up Amelia set off catching frogs/toads and examining them.  They were everywhere!

Joe kept obsessing over when the "treehouse" was going to be done so once it was all ready to go he went up with his daddy.

Jackson was happy as can be on mama's back!

After finishing up in the woods, Jason and I got a little target practice in.

In the clearing where our target was there was a little visitor:

NO zoom used.  He let us that close!  Well, the adults at least since we kept the kids at a distance!  Amelia named him Chuck!

It was a long, full and fun day!  Jackson fell asleep before we even got out of the driveway (literally) and Joe didn't make it off their street - tired boys!

Why the Blogging Break?

Wow!  It's been months since I last logged on here...woops!  Why?  Honestly, I am not entirely sure.  Life happened and it kept me busy.  

This blog originally started out as a way for us to keep our families up to date with our lives and, more importantly, Amelia as she grew when we lived in Milwaukee.  It's been over four years since we moved back home and I have struggled with what to do with this space.  I've gone through spurts of posting often and then quiet times.  This summer was the longest inactive period to date.

The reasons we had for starting this blog no longer really matter.  We are within a half hour of all immediate family members along with many extended family members on Jason's side.  We see family as often as time permits.  In particular we see my family weekly between Thursday night dinners after speech and them making almost weekly trips to our apartment!  So why do we need a blog to keep family up to date?  We don't.  

With that being said, I don't want to end this space.  I am going to try and post again, as often as my crazy life allows me to!  I have this feeling that it may be less of a "here's what we did today" type blog and, hopefully, more of a journal for me.  Journaling is therapeutic (so they say) and I think having an outlet to express things on my mind will be beneficial to myself and my family.

Things are changing around here.  We now have a kindergartner (eek!) and Jason and I have recently been able to take (a lot) of time for ourselves which I think we are finding is important.  At the end of last month we went on a trip to San Francisco.  The best part?  Nearly all expenses paid!  I won a prize in a sweepstakes through our bank.  I have a Milwaukee Brewers checking account and each time I used my card from March-June was an entry into this sweepstakes.  Lo and behold - winner, winner, chicken dinner!  I won us a trip to San Francisco.  Airfare, hotel, tickets to two Brewer/Giants games and some spending money*.  Wow!

*We got the rest of our spending money from a stash of cash we had from garage sale profits, online sales and birthday money!!!

Just last night we got away again with a trip to the theatre to see The Book of Mormon!!!

Talk about a good time - my cheeks hurt from laughter by the end!

So, the quiet on here has been good.  Lots of family time.  However, I'm hoping this post will be a new start to this little blog that once was such an important piece of our lives.  Stay tuned!

If you have Instagram, look me up!  @shelleyfro 

Feed My Starving Children

This past Saturday morning Jason, Amelia and I volunteered through an organization called Feed My Starving Children.  Every month Target is involved in different volunteering events and this is the first one that we have participated in!  

Our task was packing and boxing up MannaPack Rice bags.  I rotated through several stations, with Amelia, trying to get her into the "right" job.  Turns out the noise level was bothering her but she stuck it out!  She took a break in the lobby briefly but she came back in and helped finish up the job!

Counting rice bags to be boxed up!

Another box ready to go :)

In a little over an hour we packaged up enough food to feed 94 children for an entire year!  This is definately something we would do again and we will remember Amelia's "ear covers" so she can be more comfortable!

Fun Winter Weekend

Well, somehow I missed all of February on here!  Oops!  We have been sick pretty much since the end of January :(  

Joe eventually got over Fifth's Disease but was never 100%, then he got an incredible sinus infection where crud was coming out his eyes (yuck), Amelia had pink eye in both eyes for her birthday, Jackson had broncho-pneumonia and now I am fighting a raging ear infection in which I have found no relief yet.  Hopefully this is it for us and sickness for awhile!

Before my ear infection hit we took advantage of the wonderful weather this past weekend and got outside!  Saturday, I took Amelia to Willow River State Park to try out her new skis.  

2026 Olympic hopeful!

She made it about a quarter-mile and then quit out of frustration of slipping/sliding/falling.  Poor girl, she just wanted to keep up with the others on the trail and be as fast as the people she watched on the Olympics, ha!  She's excited to give it another shot and keep practicing!  After skiing she wanted to hike to the waterfall - so we did!  

It's thawing!

Sunday morning Amelia, my mom, sister and I went snowshoeing at Afton State Park.

We went a mile and a half!  I wish we had tried this sooner in the winter - it was a lot of fun!

You'll notice the boys are missing from all these activities/pictures...  Jackson went along with Amelia and I (in a carrier) skiing/hiking and during snowshoeing my dad watched both boys!  

Amelia begged to take Jackson out in the infant sled at my parent's house despite the snow nearly as deep as she is tall!  She pulled him back and forth on the path they use to fill their bird feeders!

As for dad, he has been skiing in Aspen since Friday!

We are picking him up tonight and the kids (Amelia in particular) are excited to see him!

As much as I love winter, I am ready for spring this year!  Between all the sickness that has plagued our home the past month and a half and the sub-zero temperatures that have kept us cooped up inside  - I'm over it!  Winter is no fun when you can't get out and enjoy it! 

Long Weekend

I had last Friday off and after Amelia's O/T we met some friends at Lookout Ridge!

 

We played for about three hours again!  The kids have so much fun and burn off so much energy there - it's great!

Saturday, Amelia went to a cat show with my mom and sister in the cities.  Jason, the boys and I went shopping for a few groceries/ingredients for soup and chili.  After that little excursion we stayed in the entire weekend - it's too cold to want to leave the house!  We pretty much watched movies all weekend :)

Sunday night movie (Ice Age) in a tent!

A little Jackson for good measure :)

We had a scheduled day off school yesterday and today was cancelled because of the cold weather so Amelia is also enjoying a long weekend!

Temperature on my way into work this morning!

Joe seems to be suffering from fifths disease aka "slapped cheek syndrome."  

It just kind of showed up yesterday.  He is a bit congested but no fever or other symptoms.  My googling only turned up fifths disease so we are just watching him for now since it is viral and requires no medical treatment.  We are going in Friday for Jackson's well-baby visit and I plan to ask her about it, especially if it hasn't cleared up by then!

Well, I have a crying Jackson and a messy room to help the big kids clean up!  Stay warm!

Not Allowed for Boys...

Amelia is very adamant that the top bunk is "not allowed for boys."

The stars must have aligned just right last night because this happened...

She invited him up!

And they had fun!  

It was awesome and just what this mommy needed!