Livingroom Camping

We started unpacking the cabinets a couple of days ago.  The girls immediately started making plans for a camping experience in the livingroom.  They slept the entire night in their own boxes.

 I spy with my little eye...a little eye.

It belongs to Brigid!!

St. Valentine's Day Tea

The girls were invited to a dress-up-in-your-pretty-dresses St. Valentine's Day tea at their cousins' house.  They had a wonderful time sipping tea, eating "fancy" cakes, and doing a craft.  Their Aunt Maria sure knows how to throw a girl-friendly party!

Sunday Best on Easter

Big Sister Reads

Gianna was reading a book for school one day.  Kiara decided to hop up and listen.  Gianna put her arm around Kiara and kept reading.  It was the sweetest thing I have seen in a long time.  Kiara stayed for the whole book.

Gianna didn't know how to read at the beginning of the year much beyond a normal kindergarten level.  Now she is almost finished with the 2nd grade reader we have.  She is spelling words like beautiful, remember, chimney, sponge, and magician without too much prompting.  I'm very proud of her working so hard during her first grade year.

Steve and Juliana Sobotka's Wedding

Our family had a crazy, fun week last week.  On Sunday was church, Monday was church and New's Year's Eve, Tuesday was our family Christmas pizza and opening sock exchange presents, Wednesday the bachelorette party, Thursday the bachelor party, Friday the wedding rehearsal, Saturday the wedding, Sunday the clean up and church again, and finally Monday we took a deep breathe and sent the happy couple back to Texas.

 Adam, the best man, shaved for the occasion.  This is a big deal.  Really.

 The bride photobombed this picture!

 Waiting...waiting....

 GORGEOUS 

Introducing...

Ham, formerly known as Kiara!

Both Kiara and Brigid walked around for a good 10 minutes saying, "Cheeze!" after that.

Sioux Falls Saturday

Saturday morning we got up early...

maybe a little too early for Kaylene. 

 Our first stop was to get some well-deserved pedicures and manicures.

 Our next stop of was to the Cathedral of St. Joseph.

 I was blessed to experience an amazing confession while I was there.  I just might drive the four hours down here to go again some time.

Our next stop was the Old Courthouse Museum.

 Isn't she adorable?

Can anyone guess what movie she was trying to imitate?

 We are goof balls.

 Some of my favorite house pictures.

I played a game....don't overload the wagon.

Empty

What should I take???  Whiskey or spinning wheel?!

Fully loaded and ready to go.

I had to leave behind the family heirlooms and of course the whiskey.

Here's what I ended up taking me with in my wagon.

NOW - if I could have it my way I would have left one chair behind and taken 25 pounds of the most precious to me family heirlooms.

I'm not sure she was keeping them under control as well as she could have.

I tried my best, but I guess she was a little freaked out too.

Our final stop for the sight seeing part of the vacation was to visit the Pettigrew Home and Museum.  They wouldn't let us take pictures inside the house or museum.  Sniff, sniff.  It was pretty cool though.

These are Kaylene fingernails.  Awesome!

And these are my toes.  Thankfully the paint job makes them look better than they actually are.

To end the day we rented a couple of movies and had pizza delivered to the hotel. What a great way to end a fun weekend.  The next morning we attended Mass together, and then had breakfast together.  We left for our homes after that and ended up beating the snow home.  Fun weekend, over.