weekend fun

what a weekend. I was at an AWESOME women’s conference with Jen Hatmaker, Laura Story, and Kelly Mintor – which rocked my world. I am still reeling from it, but all really good things. During the conference, Pappy came to visit and Bill took the kids to Oxbow Zoo for the morning. The weather has finally turned around and it is delightful.

Pappy and Claire.

just adorable.

little eleanore.

then Sunday morning I ran in Rochester’s Spring Fling Diva 10k. It is a race that my Bible Study decided to participate in (Robin and I led Running by the Book which helped people train for a race).

Bill and I designed the shirts that we were wearing and I got a couple comments about how people would like to buy them!

my dear friend Brooke – after the race.

I rocked the race and ran a 6:44 pace and finished second overall and first in my age division (30-39).

poor Bill and the kids didn’t really see me start or finish because they didn’t know where I would be. I was playing it cool and said I didn’t know how I would run today. In all honesty – I really didn’t know if I could keep a sub-7 pace, but was pleasantly surprised that I did.

sweaty and ready to be done hearing the guy give away a million door prizes. so thankful to be able to run and enjoy the beautiful weather and to have a family that supports and encourages me.

 

    Spring Fling Diva Dash
                       Rochester, MN April 28, 2013
                                10K RESULTS

Place No.  Name                    Age Sex City               St Guntime Chiptim Pace  
===== ==== ======================= === === ================== == ======= ======= ===== 
    1 4608 Therese Shumaker         44 F   Rochester          MN   41:30   41:28  6:41 
    2 4563 Stephanie Schmitt        31 F   Rochester          MN   41:50   41:46  6:44 
    3 4610 Michelle Jamieson        40 F   Rochester          MN   41:50   41:48  6:44 
    4 4451 Jamie Fevold             30 F   Rochester          MN   42:46   42:44  6:53 
    5 4618 Kelly Stewart            42 F   Paradise Valley    AZ   52:05   44:32  7:10 
    6 4628 Gretchen Clevenger       32 F   St. Ansgar         IA   44:47   44:44  7:12 
    7 4631 Lindsay Duda             33 F   Rochester          MN   47:13   47:09  7:36 
    8 4427 Ellen Brodrick           43 F   La Crosse          WI   48:04   47:41  7:41 
    9 4508 Nichole Menk             38 F   Lewiston           MN   47:51   47:43  7:41 
   10 4630 Debra Baum               35 F   Rochester          MN   48:01   47:51  7:42 
   11 4528 Lynn Olson               49 F   Owatonna           MN   48:33   48:20  7:47 
   12 4589 Lonna Vanderploeg        27 F   Rochester          MN   48:49   48:41  7:50 
   13 4562 Angie Schiltz            33 F   Eyota              MN   48:48   48:41  7:51 
   14 4527 Jennifer Olson           30 F   Big Lake           MN   49:01   48:48  7:52 
   15 4428 Colleen Buenz            29 F   Mantorville        MN   49:32   49:15  7:56 
   16 4466 Christy Gossett          29 F   Rochester          MN   49:43   49:35  7:59 
   17 4408 Julie Bashore            49 F   Rochester          MN   49:41   49:35  7:59 
   18 4467 Jaime Gransee            36 F   Saint Charles      MN   49:51   49:49  8:01 
   19 4625 Stacy Doppelhammer       30 F   Albert Lea         MN   50:03   49:49  8:02 
   20 4468 Jennica Gray             31 F   Chatfield          MN   49:57   49:51  8:02 
   21 4465 Katie Goldsmith          35 F   Chatfield          MN   50:10   49:58  8:03 
   22 4599 Alyssa Winslow           26 F   Rochester          MN   50:17   50:13  8:05 
   23 4431 Sarah Chapman            37 F   Rochester          MN   50:22   50:17  8:06 
   24 4410 Anne Beighley            43 F   Rochester          MN   50:29   50:19  8:06 
   25 4583 Brittni Timmerman        25 F   Rochester          MN   50:26   50:24  8:07 
   26 4473 Kristin Haberman         43 F   Owatonna           MN   50:43   50:30 

CRUSHED

Check this out! I am going to be the next QVC crazy lady raving about these space saving bags. I have never tried them before, but decided that I wanted to see how they would work for storing my beloved throw pillows and down pillows. I thought they also might revolutionize my packing for NZ.

I tried them tonight and had GREAT results! Below you can see a (fuzzy) thin bag. that is 2 down throw pillows squished out.

This is what I sucked down tonight. 6 down pillow throws and 2 down pillows. say it with me “NO WAY!”

they don’t even fill this box when stacked. I am sure you are all running out to buy some. worth every cent – when you store things you want to keep. ok – my infomercial is done, but just so flippin’ excited about this packing solution.

ellie = pro

Ellie is rocking her underwears. She does awesome when we are out and usually just holds it FOREVER! she refuses to go unless SHE wants to. she does well at childcares and has not had an accident at home since we first started this adventure.

Tonight she said “kungkuh” to bill over and over and he was like what are you saying ellie? I told him she was saying tinkle. we laughed that she can barely communicate yet is potty trained. classic ellie. she will do what she wants when she wants to.

we are proud of you ellie!

family doodle time

 

after baths when we are burning time until bedtime or until Bill gets home we bust out the doodlers and we draw different things.

charlie said he didn’t want me to take a picture of his fish (Tarpon – he told us) yet, but I wanted to capture it incase a seestor erased it.

love watching the draw together. they will often ask me (or bill if home) to draw them things  - a bird, bug, butterfly, fish, rainbow, etc.

ellie.

claire likes to really get close and focus on little squiggles.

proud.

now he was ready to show me his Tarpon (Pappy teaches him about all of these different fish).

I didn’t snap a picture of it, but charlie had drew a rainbow trout earlier. I love that he knows their names.

this is when things get fun. charlie was going to show me a different fish (can’t remember what he said now) and as he was picking it up he clocked claire in her eye. she busted out screaming and then he felt bad and started crying (we are working on knowing how to respond when we hurt someone unintentionally). both kids were screaming.

he pulled it together to show me. notice the number 41 on the bottom.

happy again.

charlie drew ellie a fish. thought that was so kind!

charlie said “mom, I am drawing you a purse!”.

then added MOM to the top. he also liked the smiley face he added on the left.

I love seeing what Charlie creates on these. He does especially well with them because they are easy to erase if he makes a mistake he is not happy about. I love seeing the girls get their little fingers on the “pen” and work at writing. these are definitely coming with us to NZ.

April lately…

 

Becca, Mikel & Nolan came over for a visit one Sunday afternoon. Bill, charlie and No No got to hang out for a bit.

Charlie goofin’. Nolan getting tired – this Schmitt house wears a boy out.

I was helping Becca with her blog. Not sure I did much, but I looked cool with 2 computers out.

We will miss these dear friends.

We rejoiced with Claire as she tinkled in the toilet. With Ellie being potty trained, Claire tries a lot and is sad that she isn’t part of the panty wearing party, but it is just a hard thing for her to relax and “let it go”. Bill worked with her to relax and she did. We all celebrated and then thankfully she was ok wearing diapers again because she just isn’t there yet.

Claire putting her baby in time out. You will notice that she has on about 5 pair of underwear - over her diaper & onesie.  At least she knows what to do when her baby is acting up.

sweet acts of kindness between these two. one day I came over to see them giving each other a little kiss.

nightly family races. they line up and then I (or bill – when he is home) say “on your marks, get set, go!” and off goes charlie and one of the girls and then one usually comes a bit later.

claire was running with an ice pack this particular night because she fell on the wood floor and got a “fat yip”.

ellie was the straggler this race.

start it again. we are definitely ready for spring and park races!

running back to the start.

claire was loving running with the pack in her “moush”.

the girls are loving their new pjs from nana. claire has the “cake” pjs and ellie the “bird” they do not want to stray from that system.

after the home inspection was complete (and Praise the Lord not really anything was needed from us) the SOLD sign went up. Snow and all.

I tear up thinking about not having getting together with my dear friend nicole and her kids. but I almost start to ugly crying when I think about Charlie and Addison not playing together. They have come so far from when they were 4 & 11 days old and nicole and I were sitting together nursing them to then being 18 months old (or was it when they were 2 nicole? funny how I can’t remember anymore) and constantly bickering over toys to being 4 yr olds who go in the basement and play for LONG periods of time without needing any intervention.

here they are lining up their cars just a couple of days ago.

E&C have decided wild & crazy bath times are their new thing. for awhile claire would only stand on a rag in one place in the tub. about two weeks ago they decided to have a party in the tub and it has become a giggle, water throwing fest. I even have to shut the shower curtain to prevent water all over the walls. I do take them out when it gets really crazy, but with the weather being so bad – leaving them in the tub a little longer is helping my sanity.

too bad this is blurry – but I was trying to snap pics inside the closed shower curtain without getting soaked. ellie is laying down.

claire splashing water everywhere.

escape artists! they both want to get out “ME SELF!” and walk with their towels on to their room. never a dull moment around here.

last weekend the temp was 40ish but sunny and the kids wanted to be on the deck. claire kept walking around with her hands in her pockets to keep them warm.

doesn’t claire look miserable? but they were loving being outside and didn’t want to come in.

both girls with hands in pockets. ellie always snags the pink jacket. thankfully claire is more easy going.

claire.

SOLD!

that is a wrap up of our April. A lot of these photos show our basic life in our sweet home. I hope I can remember these times – especially my afternoons with the kids. as painful as they can be sometimes. I have done many, many afternoons/evenings alone with the kids and we have our own little routine that I will cherish.