New Pool

After 2 years of thinking about and researching different pool options, this was the year that Steve decided we should do it - put a pool in the back yard!  We decided on an above ground pool to save money and also so that it wasn't permanent in our backyard....we will always have the option of taking it down if we should ever need to.  The pool is a 27 ft round and is 52" tall.   The water is about 4 ft deep when it is filled.   We also put in a salt water system so that we don't have to worry about all the chemicals.  We had it installed around the 4th of July and have been in it almost everyday since.  The kids are having a blast and spend as many hours as we will let them in the pool.   We've put stones around the outside and the sod is growing back, but we're not sure if the deck will get built this year or next - there's always some kind of project going on around here so we've added that to the list :-).

Nana & Papa visit

The kids sure do love it when grandparents come to visit!  Steve's parents came in the spring and my parents came for Natalie's birthday - double bonus for the kids!













Dad, Sarah, Nate, Natalie & Mom

Fargo Soccer Tournament

Sarah's competitive soccer team (the Thunderbolts) went to Fargo for a soccer tournament on the last weekend in June.  We were lucky enough to have Nana and Papa come for a visit at that same time so Me, Nana & Sarah went on a road trip to Fargo, ND while Steve, Papa & Natalie stayed home.  We stayed at a very nice hotel in Fargo and spent time with the other families on Sarah's team.  It was a great time for the girls to hang out and get to know each other better and a nice time for me to meet some of the parents as well.   Sarah had a game on Friday afternoon, then 2 on Saturday.  Unfortunately our game was cancelled Saturday morning because of lightning in the area, but the girls were still able to play that night.  They did not make it to the play-offs, but did win some and were able to play some teams from Canada.

Summer Fun with the MOMS Club

After we picked strawberries, we took a picnic lunch and met up with our friends from MOMS Club at a splash pad nearby.  Natalie's best buddy Hannah was there and they eventually ran through the sprinkler with a little help from the bigger girls.  I do daycare for Hannah and her older sister Sarah 1 day a week so Natalie has become very close to them.  I also do "daycare" for Sarah's friend Abby 3-4 days a week so she comes along on all our summer adventures!

Strawberry Pickin' 2010

Time for the annual trek to the strawberry patch!  Every year I've taken the kids to pick berries and then we come home and make jam.  This year was no exception and Sarah and Abby were a huge help!  They cleaned and hulled all the berries for the jam.  In a couple of years they'll be able to do it all by themselves. Natalie was a little helper too - she washed the berries all by herself in the sink!

Father's Day

Father's Day was a beautiful day spent together doing things that Steve loves to do.  We went to the early mass, then out to breakfast at IHOP and then loaded up the boat and went to Lake Orono for the afternoon.  The girls enjoyed fishing with Daddy and wading in the lake on the sand bars.  The only thing that could've made the day even more perfect would've been having Nate with us.  He was on his way to Milwaukee with the mission trip.

Catholic Heart Work Camp Mission Trip

Nate is one of 15 youth from our church who have chosen to go on the mission trip this year.  They are serving in inner city Milwaukee which was chosen by CHWC because it has one of the highest poverty rates in the nation.  We are so proud of him for wanting to do this and being willing to give up a week of his summer to work on homes, serve food to the hungry and help children living in poverty.  These are pictures of the send off this morning.  I'm sure he will have many stories to tell when he gets home next weekend.