Our Little Swimmer

Alexa is our fearless little girl. She is 23 months and thinks she can swim on her own. She wants to do everything her big sister can but doesn't realize she can't.

Our 2011 Dells Trip

Well another Dells trip has come and gone. This is our 3rd year of making this a winter tradition. Each year we have so many new and exciting memories to share. I keep telling Brett how I can't wait to go and enjoy the Dells when I am not pregnant or nursing a baby. That has been my pattern the last 3 years. And maybe I will even get to go skiing with him which is one of Brett's favorite things to do in the Dells. This year we brought both my mom and dad. And this year a couple new things took place: normally there are 3 indoor waterparks open and usually they keep only two open during the week, and all three open on the weekends. We usually only stay during the week so we are always missing out on one extra waterpark. The last two years we have only been to the same two waterparks: #1 The Klondike Cavern: a pretty big kids play area, lazy river and several adult water slides. #2 Waterdome: has a full size indoor wave pool with small kids play area. This year they closed down the #2 Waterdome during the week and opened the #3 Wild Wild West which up until this year we have never got to experience. The Wild Wild West was AWESOME!! Way better than Klondike Cavern. It has a HUGE kids play area, and more adult slides. We did however miss the Waterdome which had the wave pool.

Klondike Cavern Kids Play Area

Alexa trying to copy her big sister. We learned on this trip that Alexa wanted to do A LOT of the things that her bigger sister could do, but she couldn't, like: WATER SLIDES.

Makenna's first little mini waterslide. She had to conquer her fears and work her way up to the bigger slides. By day 2 1/2 she finally tried the bigger slides.

Look at those ears!!

Lazy River

Timberland Playhouse: The most amazing indoor play place for kids. You could get lost in this thing. Brett and the girl's had a blast playing here every night.

Gpa Dan and Gma Polly surpised all of us and spent one night at the Wilderness. It was so nice to see them and my parents were excited to see them and catch up.

The Wild Wild West Kids Play Area. It was Enormous. It had more slides for kids. ANd more adult slides which Brett enjoyed.

I even got to go down a kids slide with Alexa.

LOVE this picture!!

Makenna enjoyed the RAFT slide. It was long and dark, but surprsingly she enjoyed going down with Daddy, Gpa Lee, and even Gma Pat.

More lazy river!

THE PURPLE SLIDE!! Makenna feared this slide since last year. WE pretty much forced her to go down last year ONE time and it was traumatic enough for her that she's feared it ever since. Well this year it took her 2 1/2 days into the trip to convince her to try it, and.....SHE LOVED IT!! It's all she wanted to do!! So proud of her!!

We were lucky to miss out on the Chicago Blizzard, but that doesn't mean we didn't get any snow up in the Dells. We got our fair share of snow too. In fact, Brett could not go skiing because of the weather and freezing cold temps. We always say we pick the perfect week to go the Dells because NO ONE is there, as this year it was true again because most people had to stay away because of the BAD WEATHER.

Alexa are little fishy! She has NO fear of the water. And was very disappointed and couldn't understand why she couldn't go on the BIG slides with her older sister.

Well this year at the Dells the kids avoided getting sick. Last year on the last night Makenna got sick and threw up ALL NIGHT LONG. The worst I have ever seen. We thought it was because she had drank too much chlorine water and it upset her stomach. It was NOT FUN!! This year we managed to keep the girl's healthy, but I came down with a sinus infection on the last day and pretty much stuck in the bed the last evening of FUN!! I only got more sick and miserable the next day. I felt so much pain and pressure in my face. It was like having a migrane with allergies in the winter. As soon as we got home on Thursday I headed off to the doctor for antibiotics. What a relief I am getting now that I am medicated. That is some of the worst pain I have ever been in. Funny story though, turns out the last time I had been to the doctor was exactly almost two years ago to the day in February(pregnant with Alexa), and was treated for a sinus infection. There something about being pregnant, and getting sinus infections in the month of Febuary that my body just can't shake.

Overall, we had another fantastic trip to the Dells.

January Fun Pics

This January has brought us lots of snow,very cold days, my 30th Birthday, and news we are having a BOY. I am offically 6 months pregnant now. I feel like I'm 8 months. Once again, I am growing faster and weighing more than I should at this point. I keep telling myself I DO NOT want to be pregnant again. This is it, I am done!! So in 2-3 years we will see if I am SANE enough to go through this again. Don't get me wrong, I love the gift of life. I love the giving birth part, it's the 9 months leading up to it that are not so easy for me. I am so blessed with the family God has given me. I have a wonderful husband who tells me everyday how beautiful I am, and two darling little girl's that keep me going. And a baby boy on the way which I know will change my world completely, but in a GOOD way.

The girl's are all dressed up to come help me shovel the driveway. Some days it's got to be done because Brett works long days and it's often dark when he gets home.

My Surprise 30th!

My oldest Sister Fawn planned my surprise 30th birthday. The surprise was my sister Robin came in from Kansas City. Fawn had this planned for over a month and all them kept it a secret from me. Although I was very skeptical when Brett tells me I should go down to Peoria the weekend before my birthday. He never tells me to leave him, I'm usually the one that is choosing to go visit my family. The plan was for me to drive down to Peoria on Friday and go out to dinner with Fawn and Brook for my birthday while my mom watched my kids. So the day of the surprise which they ALL kept from me for weeks, my mom accidently mentions Robin's name in some plans she was talking about for the weekend. Opps #1. Then later that day my sister Brook let it slip to when we were talking about what to wear for dinner, and she mentioned something about what Fawn and Robin were going to wear. Oops #2. So both my mom and Brook felt SO BAD and made me still act surprised when I saw Robin. Later it came out over dinner that I did find out about the surprise earlier that day. Fawn was a little disappointed because she really wanted to surprise me. But even though I wasn't surprised it was still good to see and spend time with our sister Robin. And the fact that Fawn planned this surprise for me meant A LOT! Now that we are all grown up and have familes of our own, it's hard for us all to get together. So these times are precious!

Gingerbread House Tradition

Makenna and I have continued our Gingerbread house tradition. Only this year, I forgot about it around Christmas time, and we didn't get to make it until I found it in the laundry room a few days after Christmas. Hopefully next year we will add another pair of hands(Alexa) to our beautiful creation.

Christmas in Peoria

Christmas with my family happened on New Year's weekend this year. Robin and Michelle couldn't make it. My baby boy will be the 10th grandchild to my Mom and Dad. It might be the last! There will be ten grandkids under the age 8.

Mason did a great job of reading the Children's version of the Christmas story to everyone. Then the kids put together the Little People Nativity scene.

Drake is such a cutie and BIG BOY! Hard to believe this little miracle will be turning one soon.


The girl's opening gifts from Gpa and Gma.

The Herman Family

Wrong sport there Alexa.

Makenna and Nash trying out Nash's new gift.

Gma Pat with Noah and Nash

Mason and Drew

The guys watching football of course.

The kids found ways to entertain themselves.