Great Weekend !!

Last weekend we took a little mini vacation. Marks beloved :-) Michigan basketball team was playing in the NCAA just 2 hours away. He was able to find a great deal on some tickets. I was able to find a great deal on a motel room (Thanks, Priceline :-). On Thursday afternoon to Kansas City we headed. Mark met a friend and was off to the game. I visited with some friends awhile, did some things with the kids, and then went to the motel where a happy Mark (MI won that night :-), joined us later.


Kaden lovin' the big, soft, bed.



Khara ready for bed, reading!!! Her FAVORITE past time!!

This picture just cracks me up. I have no idea why Kelsey was so sober but hey, we'll take what we can get!! :-)


We packed a lot into our two days in the city.

Cabelas:

We always really enjoy this place.

Amazing animals!

If guns are involved in any way Kaden is THRILLED!!!


Mark wanted to take a picture of this animal, something to do with a game he had loved watching the night before....;-)

If was great running into my longtime friend, Jennifer C.. I didn't think to grab the camera but since she told me she checks this blog I'll say again how great it was to see her. :-)


After leaving Cabela's we went to the T-Rex Cafe. A really neat place!!
We were seated in the Geo room where a volcano erupted every 30 minutes. There were lots of Dino's., aquariums,...very interesting!!




It was a little dark so this didn't turn out very well, but coming down the stairs, this was hanging from the ceiling. Great decor!!!


Have to include one more picture of Karson. He has discovered a new love. Looking for mama's drink on the counter. Oh, no!! I may have to quit this bad habit! :-)

Sidewalk Chalk

A few days ago we tried a new idea out--Homemade Sidewalk Chalk. The kids thought it was just the greatest.

Plaster of Paris, water, food coloring and/ or tempra paint (liquid or dry). Mix ingred. until the consistency of a thick cake batter. Pour into molds. We used cookie cutters placed on waxed paper and a silicone rose cupcake pan I had. How cool is it to have "rose shaped" sidewalk chalk??!! :-)

Khara didn't know her pic. was being taken. She really DID enjoy making this. : )



The finished product:

"It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like....SPRING"

Spring is just around the corner, I am SOOO ready!! One of the wonderful things about this season for me is getting outside and enjoying the DIRT!!! :-)

Two weeks ago my dad got our garden spot plowed!!

This year I wanted a little bit of a bigger garden. Mark was still at work when I made this decision (hee, hee). Saturday, when he was doing the hard part, he thought those rows were loooong. ;-)

This tractor has been in our family for years....it's given lots of little children many a ride!! memories, memories......:-)


This Saturday he came back with the tractor and tilled it!!

Then the fun begins...we planted!! Beets, Onions, Peas, Potatoes, Radishes are all tucked in the warm soil waiting for a little bit of rain.

I didn't even have the camera out on our planting spree, we were just too busy enjoying it I guess. Karson got to sample lots of new things that day: dirt, the taste of seed potatoes, rocks, and who knows what else. He loved it outside!! Mark was a trooper and did the hard work while Khara and I (Kelsey and Kaden off and on:-), just dropped in the seeds.



Loving to finally enjoy the outside!!
Kaden found a frog that he thought was going to have babies.

After the way the frog was handled/dropped/squeezed, I'm afraid "was" is the keyword to her maternal state.





Karson was sleeping during the plowing day so he didn't make the pictures this time.


I'll leave you with one more beautiful picture:


Rich, Black, Soil!!!!!----oh, the potential!!! :-)

First Haircut

Karson's hair officially reached its lenght limit this week. Mark had kept mentioning that a haircut was very much in order for the little guy. I kept trying to stall around for a few more days/weeks. I think it makes them look so much older instantly!! (kinda want him to stay a baby for just a little bit looonger :-)

Anyway....when a little water produced this hairstyle--I knew it was time!!


Mark tackled the chore at home and they both did wonderful!!!






The end result--a much more neat, trim, adorable BABY boy!! :-)

"Happy Birthday, Karson!!"

Last Sunday, Karson celebrated the big "1"!! This year has definitely seemed the fastest year of my life. It seems like it was just a couple of weeks ago that I held this precious 10lb. 1oz. little guy for the first time!! Time marches on! I'm trying to remember to treasure each moment.

Karson is now walking/running, loves to climb, weighs 28 lbs, has 7 teeth,....the pride and joy of three older siblings. A happy handful!! :-)

Enjoying his cake at Grandpa &Grandma Englunds. I had my camera on the wrong setting, thus the dark pictures :(.

Kaden was more than happy to help him blow out the candle. :-)


The most adorable little flip-flops(and crocs. too) from Gr. and Gr. Englund. It is so funny to try to put these on Karson. He just curls his little toes and smiles!!




Loving his "big-boy" car seat. (Even if his foot is caught and his mom is totally unaware...)


"Happy Birthday to my favorite little one year old!!!"

Just wanted to share a few pictures again... :-)


This was our (I wisely chose a Saturday so that Mark could accompany me) first time to attempt a group picture of all four children together. WHEW--- it was a job!! I'm not sure who was more exhausted (physically as well as mentally), us or the photographer!! :-) The results are always WELL worth the effort!

Dec. Pics.--

-Words of Wisdom...-

I learned the hard way today...

Never leave an 11-month old alone, anywhere near a box of cereal.







Oh, and the reason our couch is void of cushions.....Kaden's morning creation.



His question for me, "Mama, are you scared for me to get up on top of these?"... "Uhhh, YES!!!"

Never a dull moment.

~Burley Boys~

I just wanted to share a few pictures of Kaden and Karson that Brenda took this summer. Kaden hasn't changed that much since July but Karson has really done some growing. It took me forever to get my order placed--it's great when the photographer is your sister!! I was once again so pleased when I got the finished product in the mail a couple of weeks ago.

These are scanned images so the quality is a little altered.



150% BOY--Kaden!!

Chubby, Cuddly, Karson!!! (Now with 7 teeth--WOW!! )
********

Now, if I can just get my December picture order placed.....

A What??!!

One day last week, Khara came home from school all excited about a home project they were assigned. For science class, they were each to make a "Cupid Trap". This contraption had to include one source of: force, work, or friction, and have at least one simple machine: lever, wheel and axle, pulley, inclined plane,..... UUUGGGGHHH!!!

Well, to say the least I wasn't quite as excited about it as she was. Sounded like another parent project to say the least. :-) Growing up, my dad usually helped us with things like that so, I told her to ask Mark about it when he got home. Let's just say he was not impressed with this teachers methods. He made some excuse about not being creative. :-)

Saturday evening, Mark headed to a ball game, Karson took a nap, and Khara and I plunged in. Khara LOVES hands on activities like this and was so excited to be working on it.



About an hour later the project was complete. She was one happy girl and I was one relieved mama.

Cupid climbs the steps (lured by some candy hearts in the cage), slides down the inclined plane onto the red glitter heart. The force of him on the heart will cause the blocks to fall out, causing the cage to shut. A trapped cupid!!!

Now, I wonder what grade we'll get. ;-)

Christmas Memories--Part 2

We had a great time going to Michigan for New Year's. It's always quite an adventure to make the 700+ mile trip but well worth it. Plus, my kids usually get to see SNOW. Something that seems almost foreign around here anymore. No, I don't believe in global warming, it's just that we don't have the "white stuff" very often.

Snapping a couple of group shots before opening the gifts.
Greg, Stephanie, and family


Gene, Tina, and family


Khara and Ryan-- 6 months apart in age.


Not sure about Kris, but Karson and Harmony are happy to smile for the camera. :-)


Tina and Karson


I think Karson was starting to get a little close to Kaitlynn's gifts.


Well, that concludes my "holiday posts". I guess that is a good thing since it is nearing the end of January. Until next time.......