Renee's Shower

Today was my girlfriend Renee's baby shower which is funny to say because her maiden name is "Schauer." Just a little 3 am humor for you! Speaking of 3am I am totally tired. This is of course my weekend to work and it also happens to be Memorial Day weekend as well. This is the luck I have. Timmy is going to a BBQ at his parents this afternoon and I will be taking a nap before heading into work again. I really don't mind working every fourth weekend, just when I miss stuff. This one I couldn't miss though so I got up after 3 hours and headed over to her baby shower... she is so pregnant... and I have to say she looks very happy. This will be Renee's first baby who will be gracing us with her presence at the end of July. Its funny because Renee and I were only a few days apart and now her little "MaKenna" and my "whatever her name will be" will be the same age too... Its precious. For those of you who are not familiar- Renee and I have been friends just as long as Jackie and I have been- since Kindergarten (like 23 years give or take) we will just day a long time. She got alot of cute stuff and I was a little jealous until I thought about the fact that I still have yet to clean out the loft- whoopsie- I guess I probably have enough stuff. Oh well- just don't tell my rummaging partner :)

Playing outside

Kaitlynn is loving her new found freedom of the outdoors... she can't get enough! The weather these last few weeks has finally been nice enough to spend some real time outside and I am telling you now, this is an outdoors kind of chick. As you can see from the picture she has a rock in one hand and a stick in the other. Which is pretty much how she looks the majority of the time. When she is not busy helping us re landscape, she is trying out her little tykes slide, swing and playhouse. But for the most part she is running... and running... and running. You can always tell the days that she and Tim have been outside alot because my house stays semi-clean :)

Spunky is still not too sure about Kaitlynn. He is definitely aware of her but not that thrilled to be around her. She is always trying to touch his feet and when we listen to music she holds his ears and makes his head dance. I think it is super cute but the dog... not so much. Just lately she has learned how to give Eskimo kisses with her nose, so she is trying that out on him regularly... poor Spunky-roo.
I have to say that it is nice to be outside too after being so sick this past spring and it is a total relief. Even though I am still struggling with allergies (which I cant take anything for because of the pregnancy) I am doing way way better. In a week or so I will have made it through my second trimester and headed towards the final stretch... of belly that is. You can finally see that I am pregnant which is good- cause its always hard to tell on the "Chunkier" variety. Regardless, I have actually dropped ten pounds even though my midsection has grown substantially. I guess its from eating better- lots of fruit and veggies, little to no meat and a ton of water. Now I have to be careful after I deliver this one not to let those couple ten pounds creep back on :)

First try at soccer

Kyra Jean is trying out her soccer skills this summer. We have talked about putting her in SAY soccer for years but have just never ended up doing it. This year however, we bit the big one and enrolled her. And she is actually holding her ground. I am not going to say that her skills are anywhere near some of those from the other girls on the team, but she is doing great for a first year player. I am looking forward to having the time this summer to just go to the open fields and practice with her. I remember being her age and even a little younger playing soccer but at that time is was co-ed. Lucky for her she doesn't have to deal with those silly boys :) Tim and I are just so darn proud of her! This is one of her first organized sports and even if she doesn't stick with it, I am glad she gave it a shot. We go to one or two games a week for June and July. (If you want a schedule please let me know). But I will try to post updates as they progress. This is a picture of her in her uniform. I tried to call it light purple but was promptly corrected and re-educated that the technical color is Lavender... mkay whatever. Kyra was disappointed with the team name as well. She voted for Lavender Lions but the team chose the "Killer Kleets." Either way- she plays for a purple all girl soccer team and is having a blast... I couldn't be prouder of her!

Bella was having fun playing with the other children at the game. At one point she wandered a tiny bit and sat with the group sitting in front of us... like she had picked a new family or something :) It was cute to watch her run around but now I get why it is hard to have kids at different ages, especially little ones... they are a handful! It will be interesting to see how it works out this fall with two little ones and then next summer with all three kiddos- should have thought that one through a little more :) Oh, well!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Kalli!!!

Yesterday was miss Kalli Jean's 6th Birthday... and it was hot! I am not sure when summer decide to show up but it was definitely here. We got up early and headed over to Andy and Paula's before the crowd got there to get a little visiting in for the girls and the mommies and daddies. It was mice to catch up before the party because I am not sure how things go for you, but when i host a party I am always running around like a crazy person. So I got to chit chat with Paula which was nice. Then Becky and Brady showed up which was even better (sorry Paula) because I got to cuddle a baby that does not wiggle away from me. It was great! He just looks up at you like "I am not sure who you are, you scare me a little, please don't drop me" and then he will smile once in a while... its great. Kalli had the coolest cake ever with all kinds of bling on it... which I think made Kyra a little jealous but she will never admit that :) And let me tell you... Kalli made a haul! There were so many cool gifts it made me wish it was my birthday too! One of her gifts from uncle "Germany" was a neat sprinkler that the girls played with in the afternoon. Like I said it was hot! So Timmy headed home quick (only a couple miles) and grabbed the girls suits. It was Bella's first time in a sprinkler like that and I was a little concerned but she did just as well as the big girls... maybe even better. What a silly baby. We had an awesome time at the birthday party for the most part. There were a couple tense moments where I could have kept my comments to myself but my reservations were nowhere to be found. What do you expect with a pregnant women out in the heat... its bound to happen :)

Anna's Bridal Shower

Sleeping beauties just couldn't stay up any longer (yes Kaitlynn is upside down)
Bronander girls giving the games at the pool a try... just like their Daddy
Having fun in the pool and Dad lounging close by


Yesterday we headed down to the Janesville area to celebrate Anna's bridal shower with her. We picked Kyra up after school and then Mom, Dad, Bella Bean, Kyra and I made the 3 hour (give or take a bit) trip across the state. It was great. I was a little crabby... being pregnant and only sleeping a few hours after a night shift... but luckily my family is pretty understanding when it comes to my fluctuations :) We met the happy couple at Anna's parents house in Milton before headed out for a bite to eat. I have to say that her parents have some of the most beautiful landscaping I have ever seen. It is just color as far as the eye can see and they have just an awesome property. Dinner was at a little mom and pop style pizza parlor but I have to tell you... it was the best darn salad I have ever eaten, hands down (sorry Olive Garden). The pizza was huge and super fresh... yum yum yummy! Aj and Anna are getting married in late July so we decided to try out the hotel where the reception is that first night and give the pool a test drive. The girls totally dug it.We spent a good two hours playing in the pool and just relaxing before the gift opening. Kyra was doing interpretive diving... a new game we made up where I make a suggestion and she has to act it out. For example: Lightning bugs: she has to somehow make it look like she is catching lightning bugs while jumping in the pool. Mom said ice cube- that was a hard one. Kaitlynn's first teeter totter experience

Kyra digging in the dirt in her new dress (typical I tell you)

The girls had a great time playing at the park that was right next to the gift opening. Anna's parents put on quite the spread with all of our favorite foods. kyra and I ate so many devilled eggs and fruit that I am surprised our bellies didn't blow up. The shower started at 1pm which is Bella's normal napping time so I was nervous that she was going to be a beast... but she did just fine. WE just kept taking turns going in and out with the girls over to the park. Kyra made some new friends (which is definitely getting easier for her finally) so she would come in for a drink or the bathroom but that was pretty much it. Except for the cake... she didn't miss trying out the cake. It was pretty hot out that day but the building had A/C so you didn't really even notice the heat. Around 4-5pm we started heading back across the state but ran into construction twice along the way. It is always an adventure when you travel with the Herrmans. I think all of us fell asleep at some point on the way home. Kaitlynn had a bit of a hard time being in the car seat but I really cant blame her. I don't think I would like to be restrained like that for so long myself :)

Kaitlynn organizing candy with her "Ba Ba"

Graduation

I have finally gar-dadu-ated... and boy does it feel good. They say that I was in a record class here at UW- Green bay: 825 graduates and over 700 showed up for the ceremony... there were alot of people that's for sure. For those of you that are not familiar with my educational journey: I graduated from Notre Dame Academy in Green Bay in 2000. I started at UW-Milwaukee that fall and stayed for two years. I decided to transfer to UWGB to be closer to my honey (Timmy ofcourse) and it was after my first semester here that they let me know that my grades were not good enough to continue on there. WHAT?!? So I went to NWTC on the suggestion of my super smart sister in law Tara and graduated in the Respiratory Care Program in 2006. In 2007/08 sometime in there UWGB offered a Bachelors degree to those graduates of NWTC where they would come in as Juniors and only have to take two years of classes for their major. For some reason UWGB honored not only my NWTC credits but my UW-Milwaukee credits too so all I had to do was take 10 classes to get my bachelors degree... talk about good luck. So now I officially have finished by educational journey with two notches on my belt and who knows what else is to come. Timmy makes fun of me and says "After 10 years aren't you supposed to be a doctor or something?" My reply is that "I am more well rounded than most." Ha! He does have a point. My new official title is a Bachelors degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Cultural Sensitivity... in a nutshell- teaching people how to be nice to each other. Not very exciting to most but I LOVE it! There are no immediate plans for a new job as I still like what I am doing, but in the next few years or so I will probably start looking for something with more reasonable hours. I want to thank everyone that has supported me through my educational experience! Thank you to my parents and my lovely husband for attending my graduation; it was great to have you there and know that you care. (Thank you Andy and Paula for having a play day with the little one.)

Wedding Shower

This weekend was AJ and Anna's wedding shower at the farm... and it was awesome! We started out by running a few errands before leaving town. It was raining and cold so actually a really great day to be in the car. We headed down to Oshkosh to see if there was anything at the outlet mall but for some reason I think we have lost the need to shop... I know its crazy! Or maybe it was the fact that there really wasn't anything there that we needed. Mom, Dad and Kyra were only a few minutes behind us which was good because we didn't find anything. We then caravaned to Ripon and stopped at Culver's... for the best sundae ever (Chocolate with peanut butter and hot fudge... yummy). We split after that because I forgot the directions but luckily I have GPS on my phone and we got there... eventually. That is in part because there was ridiculous traffic on the highway and it took us literally hours to go a few miles. Luckily Bella and Kyra were with mom and dad so they got the pleasure of the girls company. We got to Grandma's a little after 9pm and whipped up the two salads for Saturday- a supreme pizza bake and our famous chicken ranch bow tie pasta. We got up on Saturday got our salads ready and headed to the shower where my cousins were already busy decorating for. The hall looked great. Krissy made the most awesome cake and cupcakes to match. I have to say that it was quite the party. The little kids loved it because they could fill their little bellies and then run around the gym for the afternoon. Kyra had fun with the "bride game" and I had fun watching them open a very naughty gift (hey- somebody had to do it!) Dad got to catch up with the family a bit and all in all it was a good time. AJ was so cute because he read all the cards out loud... all of them. It was adorable! We visited at Grandma's for a while after the shower and then the majority of us went out to dinner at the Village Inn in Bangor... my favorite! We had a sleepy ride home Sunday (mothers day by the way) and we stopped just enough not to get leg cramps. I guess I fell asleep for 20 mins or so but Timmy didn't wake me up so it must have been okay. Jade came to pick Kyra up sometime around 5pm and for the rest of the night I got to study... yuk! But school will be over soon and then my free time will atleast be something I can fill with something other than reading :)

PS- Krissy little piggy is named Buttercup and the girls totally adore her... Bella wasn't so sure at first but now every time she sees her picture she snorts like a piggy... super cute!

Building

Kyra was a sweetheart last weekend and helped us put together the cabinet that Kaitlynn got for her birthday. I know you are saying "But that was six months ago?" And you would be correct. We just had to wait for the rummage sale to get rid of the rocker so that we had room to maneuver. So here we are. It is amazing how much stuff you can get into these little squares. I did have to designate one for itty bitty chew toys and such (sounds like a dog) for the new baby. We are still trying to work through the names for the new butta bean... good things we still have a few months till she gets here. Luckily all of Kaitlynn's clothes will get another go around and the things that did not fit her might fit the new one... we shall see. All I know is that things around the house are going pretty well. Tim and Bella are having a great time together and really getting some time to bond... but he could go back to work any day now and I would be okay with it :)

Butt Whupin

So I am totally beat! This weekend at work I ran my butt off (literally lost 4 pounds) and finally earned what they are paying me :) I worked all night shifts: Thurs 8 hours and Fri, Sat and Sunday all 12 hour night shifts... with no real breaks... argh sick people! Anyways I have to apologize for the lack of posts but I really didnt have time to write any. And to boot, my camera adapter is broken so I have some really cute pictures that I cant even post for you... BOO! So as soon as I get it in the mail (Best Buy doesn't carry it anymore) I will definitely catch up on my posting (I hope). PS- just wanted to let everyone know that I am feeling awesome compared to a few weeks ago! I had to see four doctors and jab a cotton swb in my ear a few times (red swollen ears- infected wink wink) to get the antibiotic that I desperately needed/ or wanted whatever :) But yes I am have finally gotten organized and am picking up the slack and the house that I have let go for nearly three months. I have no idea how my family survived me being totally useless but I am back- WHOOT WHOOT! Monday night I got Kyra's room cleaned from top to bottom including going through all her closets and dressers and pulling out the clothes that don't or wont fit this summer- look out Paula its a big bag. Then I organized all her toys and pulled out the ones that she either has not played with for the past few years or the ones that little Bella will want shortly. After that I went and cleaned Kaitlynn's room and got it all organized so that at least if she gets to it she cant make a torrential mess... just a little one. SO that is how I spend 5 hours on Monday night, I kid you not (9pm-2am) and am sooooo glad I did it. The next stop is the laundry room and heating room. (We may need to have another rummage sale). PS- the sale we had in the end of April went really well. WE started setting up on Thursday and let people come up and take a look around. It actually turned out pretty well because we all made a few hundred dollars that day. Friday we ran it from 8-7ish and decided to break it down and not run on Saturday. It was an intelligent choice because it rained and rained and rained- and was cold- YUCK! Timmy was very proud of me though because I got (I think I counted 12) boxes of stuff ready to donate to our local charity. I only saved 4 boxes all together (I generalize of course) to try and sell this fall at AJ and Anna's Sale. Speaking of AJ and Anna- it is their Wedding shower this coming weekend over in Sparta and I am excited to see the family. I cant believe they get married in like two months (24th of July I think). My baby brother is all grown up... tear. I have to say that I could not have picked a better bride than Anna though, she is the best soon to be sister in law ever! AJ- you picked a good one :)

These are some pics that Paula took when we celebrated Easter that are just too cute!