Monster High Dolls

So for about the last year, Miss Kyra Jean has been totally into these Monster high dolls. This picture was taken in the walmart in Tomah Wisconsin where she found one that is sold out in Green Bay... she was absolutely stoked. I guess they are supposed to be the children of the classic monsters like vampires, creature of the deep lagoon, werewolves, Frankenstein, zombies and so on. We started with buying just her favorite last fall and it took off from there. At one point this spring she had all of them. But then they came out with the summer beach style version and now they are adding to the original lot. I told her that at 20 bucks a crack, I am willing to finance the original dolls and the two new ones that came out, but I am definitely not going to buy the summer fun version of all of them. I totally get the feeling of "want"but this is a bit much even for me.

Goofballs

Yes my mother is holding an eyeball :) (at least it looks that way... we were pretty far away from it in this picture). About two years ago I was finishing up a class called Outsider Art for my bachelor degree. For those of you who are not familiar with outsider art, essentially it is all the weird local stuff you see. So the huge towers made from empty glass bottles, and the giant bugs made from scrap metal, the weird sculptures and in this case- the giant roadside attractions. I had learned about this artform in my college class and a few years back we went on a "weird Wisconsin" tour. You may remember hearing about the "Forevertron" and the Circus museum near the Dells. Well this particular attraction was on my list of possible locations to explore we just never got to it. While we were driving into Sparta I saw this massive eyeball on the side of the property and just knew we had to take some pictures! I tried to get some different perspectives but the girls were just too tuckered out to cooperate- so I made Lynnie model for me. I can't believe I have never been here- and its right outside of Sparta! We did not have time to go through the collection (although you can) because Kaitlynn was napping, but next time we are over this way I say we get a bunch of us and see what kind of creative and fun situations we can get ourselves into!

Yes We Can!!!

This is my attempt at a joke but let me tell you... canning is no joke! I am so grateful for the incredibly generous family we have.This past weekend we made the drive over to the Sparta/ Black river area to take part in something amazing- Canning. So for those of you who are not familiar with what I am referring too, let me enlighten you. Canning is where you take tons and tons of fresh veggies, clean them, cut them and put them into glass jars for future consumption down the line. However what they do not tell you is just how much damn work is involved. I was so impressed with my cousin Kristina (the commander in Chief), my Aunt Barb and Uncle Bruce and frankly the entire Johnson family because honestly- it was way more work than I ever thought. So when we were over for the 4th of July, Kyra mentioned that she liked eating canned beets. This is when I got the bright idea to talk to my aunt Barb about canning veggies and she invited us over their way to show us how. Kyra and I were totally thrilled and even more excited when we heard that AJ and Anna were coming too- it was the whole family. Now- the funniest part is when I tell you that it took all of us (13 adults) all day to clean all the veggies and get them into the jars... for Real. Krissy and Barb were really the ones that did the majority of the work but I got may hands dirty too ;) Poor Kris burnt herself a few times (with the hot water bath and pressure cooker) but she is a total trooper.My girls had fun playing with "the boys" in the sand and Kyra got to bounce back and forth between playing with the kiddos and cutting veggies. Her favorite person was there too- Michelle- who she calls "Chelly." Anna was great too because she was the baby wrangler for the weekend. I guess I should have been paying a little more attention to my chitlins but she is so good with them I kinda forgot to keep an eye on them (when do I get a little nephew again?). I think by the end of the day we canned like 50 jars of veggies ranging from beets to green beans, carrots, pickles and even 8 dozen ears of corn... we are talking a ton of food here people. We even went to go get more from the Amish farm down the road and it was neat to get a sneak peek into their very exclusive community. I tried to take a photo, but its a taboo to have any portraits taken. But you know me, I snuck a quick picture on our way out the drive... sassy Trina... I just couldn't help myself. I guess I just cant say Thank you enough for all the great memories that we made this weekend. I will never forget all the kids running around, the supper-time bonfire, the donkeys or all the awesome stories that were being told the whole time. Even when I look at the veggies in the grocery store I am reminded of how wonderful this time was with my family... as Miss Kyra Jean would say- "This was a funfilled day."

Cookie Factory

On the way to the farm we stopped at the cookie factory in Ripon, Wi. I think this may be one of the girl's favorite places to visit because they get to walk around and sample tons of different sweets... is there anything better?

Toilet Paper... yes toilet paper

I do not quite know what it is with these Bronander girls and the bathroom, namely the toilet paper, but gol-ly do they love it. I always know that when it is quite in my house there is something bad going on. I will be doing something like the dishes and all of a sudden it gets quite... like in one of those scary movies right before someone jumps out to scare you. And then it happens, I walk around the corner, see that the bathroom door is open and realize that there is going to be an enormous mess to clean up... great. I guess I shouldn't be surprised though because Kaitlynn used to do the same thing not only with the toilet paper but the tub of baby wipes too. Luckily I have learned my lesson in that department and moved the wipes up so they can't reach them- but now to fix the bathroom issue.

Sharon's Suprise and Kyra's Hoorah

This weekend we celebrated a few birthdays. The first was my mother-in-law's 55th. The plan was to keep the party under her radar but I can not tell you just how hard that was. Its like she could see right through me- and I am a GREAT liar (not necessarily a positive quality but in this case it would have been). So although I don't think she was totally surprised, the sheer number of people that turned out was in itself overwhelming for her I am sure. Almost all of her closest family and friends were able to make it and help us celebrate. The little girls loved being able to run around (although they probably should not have been) while the older cousins got to sit together and gab. My parents were out of town at the lodge for the week but I am sure they would have loved to have been there too. Karla ordered the most beautiful cake and my family ate waaaay too much of it. We have always teased Sharon about being a shrimpit (around 5'2") and this time we were not the only ones :) It seems that the theme this year was gnomes from Gnomeo and Juliet- she not only got the movie but a little gnome to hang on one of her planters- it was hilarious! The second birthday we celebrated this weekend was Kyra's 11th. And I am sure you are saying- Wait- didn't you already celebrate her birthday like a million times already? And the answer would be a definite yes. This was her family party though where all the Bronanders and Herrmans get together and remind her just how much she is loved- but the cake and ice cream is a bonus not matter what. This time we decided to have it at a park like last year. It just works out really well because not only can the girls work off all their extra sugar on the playground but the dads can throw the football around with each other and the grandparents can sit and visit while the moms sneak to the side to catch up on gossip... all in all it is an awesomely good time. I have to give a great big shout out to my sister in law Paula who was super generous this year and threw the whole thing. She had a good point though- what do you get the girl who has everything... and the answer is... drum roll please... chocolate Harry Potter themed birthday cake with butter creme frosting. We are talking pure deliciousness- thanks again Paula :)

Tubbie Buddies

The little girls are really starting to get along and even play together. Whenever Kaitlynn is in the tub, Via is right there squealing and trying to climb in. Most the time I give in because now that she is so sturdy I don't have to worry as much with her breathing. Don't worry though- I don't ever walk away :) I learned my lesson with that one! Right before I took this picture Olivia tooted in the tub and Bella says- " P U baby Via- you stinky." I laughed so hard I almost fell off my chair. I know that even though they get along right now there are bumpy roads between these two in the future. They already fight over toys and wrestle in the living room with their Daddy and big sister aka: horsies. It is super cute though because when Via starts to cry Bella will start to sing You are my Sunshine to her to make her feel better. The best part is though that she cant really enunciate yet so its all slurred... its hilarious.

Big Girl Bed

It has been about a month now that Kaitlynn has been in her big girl bed. Kyra was sweet enough to give up her bedroom upstairs so that her little sisters could each have one upstairs together. So when we moved Kyra down by us Katie moved out of her toddler bed into Kyra's old bed. Both girls were totally stoked with it and Bella just jumped for joy (literally) when she got her own room. Now when you ask her where she sleeps she says "Kaitlynn Bella's room" with a big grin. I have to say that lately she has been so cute with her vocabulary and she uses new words every day... and let me tell you- she has very little reservation (kindas like her momma). For example: the other day when Auntie Karla was watching the girls for us- I guess she climbed up on her lap, gave her a hug, pointed to her chest and said "You got big boobies" then she pointed to her sister Kyra and said "You got little bobbies." I was totally mortified when Tim told me but she is so darn cute- how do you be angry with her when all she is doing is telling the truth- ah... the joys of children!

Hot Cherry Pie

After we hit the parade that Sunday we decided to travel a little further north and see if there were still cherries to be picked- and yup- there sure were. I wish the pictures could give you a clearer idea of just how darn hot it was... and humid. Now I know that it is no where near as hot as lets say Austin Texas or Phoenix Arizona (wink wink- a little shout out to my family and friends) but up here in Wisconsin our blood is thick... we have more winter jackets and accessories than most other clothing. So needless to say, we don't do so well in this heat. The poor babes just didn't know what to do with themselves! One time Kaitlynn was sweating and kept trying to wipe her brow but it kept getting in her eyes and she would cry because it stung and little Via had wet hair that was driving her nuts- she just kept pulling at it and looking at me like "mom- what is this?" So although we love that it is not raining or snowing this whole hot and sticky thing is just not working four us... I know- we are never satisfied... September and October is all I ever need! At any rate, we decided to go up to Door County and pick some cherries so that my mother can make her awesome yum yums this year. We did alright after we stopped at mcdonnos (how Bella says McDonald's) and she got loaded up on some ice cream. However this was short lived because after about 20 minutes out in the heat we were all miserable. Kyra dodged this one as she was at Jades house (her mom) for the weekend. Although she would have loved it because after it got so flippin hot we couldn't take it anymore, we stripped Bella down to her diapy and let her run around the trees in her unmentionables. When we decided to call it quits (three buckets later mind you) there was a huge basin of water to wash your hands in after picking. I guess it was while I was unloading the cherries with dad, but my mother decided to let Kaitlynn take a little dip- which she LOVED! By this time it was well past nap time so we hot our totally exhausted girls into the air conditioning and headed back to Green Bay. It was a hot day- but a great day none the less.
Little Olivia was practicing her buckin bronco skills with the stroller while she watched us pick cherries- this one is gonna give me a heart attack for sure- shes just so darn cute!

Candy and Tractors

I will never forget this day. A few weeks ago the girls and I went with my mom and dad to Luxemburg to watch a parade. It was two years ago at just this time that Kaitlynn, myself and my parents went to Milwaukee to see the Circus Parade... and we didn't even know that dad was sick... how things have changed. I guess that may be another reason I treasure this time so much. Bella was just an itty bitty baby then. I am just glad that the two of them got to share in this moment :) And share they did- candy! So it was hot... and I mean HOT. We found a nice bit of shade that was still on the parade route and nicest elderly couple let us claim four spots. Bella and dad hit the curb and Via myself and my mother had chairs right behind them. Now to help you understand a bit better, we are not talking parade like floats and clowns and such. We are talking about a few tractors, some trucks with people in the back, half a high school marching band and a handful of small town girls in dance classes- but it was just what we needed... and boy was there candy. This was Katie's first time at a parade where she could walk well so it was super exciting for her to run out and grab the candy off the road. At first you could tell she was confused cause she looked at me like "mom is this really happening- they are throwing out perfectly good candy into the street?" But after she got the green light from me to say it was okay- she was all over it. She even shared with all the people around us-no matter what the age- what a good girl! My dad was so helpful keeping her nice and close and he took every opportunity to teach her lessons about what we were seeing and why it was important. He even got into dealer names of tractors and told her stories about "this is the kind that your great grandpa used to like to use" and "That was my favorite type of tractor when I was a boy." It was adorable. I stayed sturdy emotionally with all the heartstrings being pulled but when the marching band stopped directly in front of us and started playing "On Wisconsin" I lost it- I started balling right then and there and the tears were just rolling down my face. Tears of joy mind you- but I was overwhelmed with emotion (which if you know me well is not my favorite thing)... I am just so blessed. Thank God for summers in Wisconsin.

Break out the Chainsaws

The weather this summer has been pretty odd… to say the least. It seems as though good ol’ Mother Nature just can’t make up her mind… unless her goal is to make us utterly miserable… and if that’s the case- she’s got it for sure. This spring was cool and wet for all of April and May while in June it warmed up a bit but was still rain rain rain. They say that this was the “wettest” year on record for Green Bay, and now I believe it. Don’t get me wrong, I still love those Summer thunderstorms just as much as I used to, but now I have a new point of view.This past weekend we had another thunderstorm that dumped a whole lot of rain with it. We had the good fortune to have a land lord that is a super duper planner and last fall had the rain gutters redone so we did not have the clogs in them that we used to... which means no flooding- but unfortunately it did not keep us protected from the wind. I had to sleep during the day because I had worked the previous night shift and when I got up to take the dog outside I found that our big maple tree had lost some branches… or rather limbs or maybe trunks. At any rate, HUGE. Tim’s dad and my dad got their chainsaws out and helped us clean up the yard Sunday afternoon. We had spent the morning at a Church Picnic/ Rummage Sale/ Parade (a-w-e-s-o-m-e) and were letting the girls nap before we got to the action. I have to say I was mighty impressed with how fast it all got cleaned up. Kyra and my mom were awesome runners and we filled the trailer with branches a few times before the heat totally kicked out butts. The weather never did cooperate … it was like working in a sauna… I hate it when it’s hot and humid with no breeze… sweating all over totally gets in my way. Lucky for me I was on baby duty so I got to stay in the house for the most part and cook supper. I guess they didn’t want me around anything with a motor seeing I hadn’t slept yet from the night before (sleep is overrated sometimes). All in all it went really smoothly and I am glad we got it done when we did because not too far behind that came some more rain… its getting a little redunkalous.