Day 3 Ted E. Bear Factory

After the Bass Pro Shop, we headed off to the Ted E. Bear Factory. It's kind of like a build a bear, or so Payton tells me. We were the only ones there so that was nice. Here is Olivia with the Pig she picked out.

So after they all picked out their animals they go over to this station called Hopes and Dreams. Here they get a cloud with sprinkles of their Hopes and Dreams. Then they get stuffed into the head of their animals and they get to whisper into their ears a wish. I have it on video but it's like 45 minutes long so use your imagination. Then they go on to stuff and vacuum and give their friends a name, complete with story.

Here they are with the finished product. Wallace the monkey, Pandy the Panda bear and Susie the Piggy. It was a great time.

Olivia was so tired out afterward. But we were not done. Off to the Fantastic Caverns we went.

Springfield, MO Day 3 Bass Pro Shop

So day 3 started nice and early. Kevin was not feeling well, sinus, chills, sick sick sick. He was a trooper though and we got 3 of our 5 outings done on day 3. First, need I explain why, we headed off to the largest single store I have ever been in. The Bass Pro Shop. It was crazy. There were sections of that one store that were bigger than some other single stores. We made our way to the Golf section where the boys figured out the size of clubs they need. (Kevin is really hoping to get a golf partner since I don't do the whole golf thing.) We missed the fish feeding but got to see the aquarium with all the fish. There are pools and pond and waterfalls all over the store. Here are the boys taking a sit.

Olivia and Gavin checking out the fish.

Gavin smiling kind of weird.

Here is the large bear and my roaring children.

We also found the shooting arcade where Kevin and the boys tried target shooting.

It was a fun stop on our trip. After all that looking we left with a token bag of $.99 gummy bears. To funny!

First Road trip.... Day 1&2

So first I should apologize. I don't find blogger to be that user friendly when it comes to text/picture layout. The fact that I like things to be just right also gets in the way of just getting on with the post...so...I will try to do my best and keep this in some kind of organized format. Well back in July, Kevin and I decided to take a road trip to Springfield, MO for Scott Turkington's wedding (Joy's brother). Springfield is a mere 922 miles south of here and being the adventurous (read this as poor and bored) types we are we decide we could pack up the kids and drive on down. How cool we thought! In AK we could drive for 900+ miles and still be in AK (right?) Anyway you get my point. So we figured we would, for our sanity and the safety and well being of our children, divide the distance in half (or there about) and drive about 460 miles per day. That meant 2 days down, 2 days there, and 2 days back. (All kidding aside, it did turn out to be one of the best experiences we have yet to share as a family). You also realize that I have now been home for about 9 days and the initial trauma has become fuzzy. (As it does after childbirth...you know what I mean). So we started out 13 miles from the Canadian border about 8:30 am. Kevin had an appt in Grand Forks at 10 for about an hour, I ran some errands then we headed on. Here is the picture of us hitting SD some 275 miles later.

Half way for day 1!

Okay so this picture above is out of order. This was actually taken the morning of our second day of driving in Sioux City, Iowa. I just thought the OLD buildings in the industrial part of town were cool!

Okay so here we are at the first rest stop in South Dakota. Probably only about 10 miles from the last one we stopped at. lol. No the kids did well, but only because we have taught the boys to use empty water bottles and Olivia travels in a Pull-up. Okay well Gavin is a bit crabby as you see here. He had $2 that his Grandma Noni sent him and it was burning a hole in his pocket. There were of course vending machines in this rest stop and he bought some jolly ranchers (good choice because they last a long time and he could share). Well then he had one lonely dollar that must have wanted to find refuge in the vending machine, but this dollar had never met "the meanest mom ever" and was forced to continue tormenting Gavin. If you look closely you can see the "said" dollar in his hands. So I kept taking this same shot hoping to get one that was postable. Not happening as you will see below. If it wasn't one it was another plagued by "the meanest mom ever."

He's wondering why the other two are being nice to me and not scowling as I say "ready!"

Hold on...I think a bit of a smile is peeping through. Olivia still doesn't get the whole bunny ears thing.

Oh yeah, wait. I am still mad at that lady.

It's hard to keep a straight/mad face when Olivia is around. Funny Girl.

So we continued on our way through SD and spent the night in Sioux City, IA, right on the border by NE. The morning of the second day we visited Council Bluffs IA. It is the place where the Mormon Trail, Oregon Trail and Lewis and Clark all converged. Winter Quarters is also in Sioux City. We stopped at the visitors center and had a picnic. The kids liked it and we were able to see the historic exhibit inside. It was all about the pioneers, the Native Americans and other historic facts about the area.

Payton succeeded in catching this HUGE grasshopper then it didn't want to hop away.

This was the outdoor monument

We drove on the second night to Springfield, MO and got in about 10 pm. Not too bad for 2 days of driving. On to my second post and the adventures we had in MO. xoxo Kirsten.

Catch Up...

I am so sorry I haven't blogged in a while. The kids are getting big and I am getting busier by the day. Payton is enjoying second grade and has started Boy Scouts and Kevin is his den leader. Gavin is in preschool and is doing very well. He is so excited to know how to write letters and is constantly writing on any paper he finds. Olivia is growing and thinks she is a little princess. (I wonder why?) She is funny and says some funny things and I wish she would stay 2 (almost 3 can you believe it) forever!! Or at least until I am like 50... So here she is being crazy. This summer we used our clothes line outside and she had this love of clothes pins, as you can see....

A few weeks ago I had a primary presidency meeting in Grand Forks and Olivia came with me. Gavin didn't want to go so we just had a girls day....(the first of many I hope) We did errands after the meeting Target, oil change, etc...and she found a bracelet, her crown and a slushy (sp). She is so fun and loves to have her picture taken.

It also has been getting colder and fall has been wonderful. My apple tree was overflowing with apples and we have been enjoying them. We had a hard frost on Sat night so I need to get the rest off the tree but here is a picture of the beauties.

Another big deal for us, Payton is able to mow the lawn now! (Kevin is so grateful!!) Kevin was out the other day mowing up the leaves and Payton wanted to try. Off he went and he does a great job. Kevin figured he would have to at least start the mower for him but he surprised us again and started it himself. He is getting so big. I can't believe he is going to be 8 in 2 months.

Kevin volunteered (I volunteered him when he was at work) to be the den leader for Payton's Boy Scouts and they have been busy. Last night was his Pack meeting and Payton won 3rd place for is pumpkin. He did a great job carving (with a bit of help) his wolves. He thought that it would be appropriate since he is a wolf. Smart kid that one.

Then, last Saturday, was our town Halloween parade. The kids had fun and the weather kind of cooperated. It was in the 50's and nice but the wind picked up a bit and it cooled right off. They had fun walking in the parade then after we went to the local businesses on Main Street and they got some candy.

Olivia did wear a jacket but she wanted to take a picture in her ballerina outfit, complete with crown!!

That is about all for now. I guess I should also mention to those of you who don't know yet, we are expecting a boy in March. Olivia is a bit disappointed (she wanted a sister) but the boys are ecstatic. Thing are bound to only get busier around here.

xoxoxo Kirsten

Sorry We Missed September

Well, September came and went without a blog. It didn't mean nothing happened, quite the contrary. We were just very busy. Please forgive us. School is in full swing, Kirsten is working and everyday just seems to get longer. It is now "Sugar Beet Harvest" which means for the next 2 weeks, the big trucks will be flying down the roads carrying the cash crop from around here. Twenty-four hour shifts, non-stop pulling beets from the ground to the piler and then onto American Crystal Sugar where we get our sweet cravings generated for another year! I am attaching some recent photos of the kids. More pictures of camping and then some from the homecoming parade last week.

September Pictures