Year in Review, Part 2

We did a lot in June. Took the kids to a movie. Last time they went to one in an actual theater was with Grandma....to see How to Train Your Dragon. That was a few years ago. Oops. They enjoyed themselves and Sarah got some Guitar Hero in.





We visited Kevan's friend Chad. We had hotdogs and burgers on the grill, s'mores, and they played until they were pooped.



We did a lot of things outside. Motorcycle rides (this time he just got to sit on Papa's bike after we had lunch at Qdoba).
Coffee on the porch with Kevan :-)
Hammock sessions at the Keefers.
Stops to the play equipment at Cleveland Elementary

Tripoli in the driveway.

Quick stop to the pool


Kevan was my date to Jill's weddingMy birthday was in June but we had a belated birthday with the Keefers

My cake was awesome
Got some riding in with the new bike. Even tried them without the training wheels.
Sarah finally got her bike back since Bub wasn't taking it.


We had some July 4th festivities at Kevan's brother in laws lake house in Madison.



His brother in laws kids (aka his niece and nephew) came to stay at our house for a week. They had fun with the kids.




And at this point I lost my Sony camera and took nothing but cell phone pictures. Or none at all. Quite sad! Then I found it but I lost the battery charger. More cell phone pictures....

August.
More use out of the bikes

Even became mechanics and 'worked' on them

Then Sarah decided to throw herself down the steep driveway of the Keefers...while on her bike. She got herself good. And put a crack in one of her front teeth! Diva Knievel for a reason, people.


And my college finally sent me my certificate....a year late. Thanks!


Sarah got bangs

Then brother proceeded to chop them off

As well as a chunk in the back..... sigh .....

So Sarah got her first real haircut :)

August 29th was Christian's first day of Head Start!!

He had a great first day ♥


We went back out for opening bow hunting season in September. Again...gorgeous.



Christian had a horrible experience at the dentist, that he thankfully doesn't remember since he got some spiked grape juice. He is under the complete assumption that he had fun. In fact, he screamed the whole time...

He also went to MN for a week with Matt, Nancy and Kerry.


In October we had a Bridal shower for Matt's cousin Kristen.

Kids painted their pumpkins

And Sarah turned 3!

We took a very lengthy road trip to Utah to pick up Kevan's kids in November. After we got them we went to AZ to see his dad and step mom again.


While in a Panda Express drive-thru Kevan asked me for the second time to marry him. He gave me a straw wrapper. I said yes.

Then November 27th he asked me for real.

Bub and Sarah had their Christmas program at daycare

We put Kevan back to work fixing the toilet and putting in a new kitchen sink

We had Christmas (will be in a new post at some point) and went to Flandreau with my parents to ring in the new year.

Goodbye, 2011!!!

I hope you all had a great year. I can never predict what is going to happen so I've given up on having major long-term plans. As long as my kids and myself are happy and healthy, I'm all about whatever comes our way. We have some exciting new developments in the coming months. Please stay tuned!!!

A few kiddo funnies

Still working on Part 2. Finding pictures for the correct months takes forever!

At dinner one night Sarah and Christian were talking to each other. Something was said about school. Christian says "You have to be bigger to go to school" and Sarah looks down at her body saying "So I can't get smaller". That's right honey.

Papa took Sarah to get her hair trimmed. I was a tad worried how she would handle it. They came back with hair trimmed and suckers. I asked Papa if she fought about sitting in the chair. He says "Nope. I asked her if she was going to be a big girl and get her hair cut and she told me 'Yep, I want that sucker' ". Ok, sistah!

This morning while I was getting my lunch ready to bring to work Christian asks me if I have ranch. I asked him what he was talking about. He repeats "Ranch!". Then says "I have to ask the teachers for ranch". I asked him what he likes to put ranch on. He corrects me with "I don't put it on anything, I dip it". Oh...well alright then. Apparently, my little bird likes carrots and broccoli with his ranch dip. :-)

Year In Review, Finally?! Part 1

As I've mentioned before in a post, the very end of December 2010, I moved into an apartment. So January truly did start with a new beginning, on my own, for real. Even figured I could threaten my mental well-being by starting another semester of school. Ahem....where was I?

Sarah started her year with being in a Big Girl bed.

Both kids were horribly sick. Non-stop. Christian had the worst of many ear infections between the two of them. And allergic reactions to antibiotics.



I fought hard for Bubba to get tubes and he got them in February


February brought Daddy!!!





March provided a road trip to The Cities with Anne for some much needed shopping and away-from-Sioux-Falls time.


A birthday boy who got to decorate his own cake




Then without warning I fell in love.


I will do an actual "All About Kevan" post sometime later to give him the official introduction to the blog. As well as a Q&A with the kids. :-)

In April the kids met Kevan


We got to work on teaching them about gun safety

And let Sarah know she can still be freakin' adorable and still know how to kick ass and shoot a gun

And since we finally had a direct link to a handyman....we put him to work


Sarah had an ER visit for burst ear drums. Yes, plural. Both of them.


....That prompted her surgery for tubes at the end of April


You can read about both of the kids' days at the hospital here if you want to.

May was very eventful! Started pretty low-key with a picnic with the kids.



Daddy came back to visit



Then this guy right here

Decided to crash this bike right here

On this gravel right here

And go into this ditch right here!!

He broke his wrist, got a mild concussion, and his 10-day streak of quitting smoking cold turkey was shot.....damn you rocks....

I felt sorry for him so I rightly couldn't get rid of him! I nursed him back to health and decided I better go meet his parents. Off to Arizona we go!

The kids saw us off

We went to the range to shoot my new gun and Kevan's bow.

This is my spread. :-) Not having shot a gun in a very long time, and going from a little bitty .22 handgun to a 270 rifle, I was pretty impressed with myself....BAM!


After Arizona we came back to South Dakota and decided to give some coyote hunting a try. We were itching to shoot stuff after aiming at paper targets for an entire afternoon. It was gorgeous. And I wanted to stay.



While no coyotes were found we did see many deer and then completely annihilated a pregnant rattlesnake. :-( In this picture it is still alive. It was coiling around its eggs and hissing at us. We felt horrible. We were not going to risk getting bitten to try and off it with a knife or a long stick so we left it there and checked on it later on our way down the road. It was dead next time we checked. RIP Mamma and little rat'ler babies.

We spent a very long day walking and glassing the hills before we headed home.


And speaking of long. This post?! Ya, I'm stopping. Here is your 2011 Wrap Up Post, Part 1!