Our New Home

Well after a very long year of looking, we finally found our new home!  We couldn't be more excited...we live in the country but on a paved road, we are two miles from the middle / high school and LOVE it here.  We have 10 acres and some of it is wooded.  We have a lot of fun creatures roaming around here...deer, lots of birds, bunnies etc.  The kids love going outside and spending their summer days playing.  It is so nice to be able to let them go out and see them enjoying nature and just being kids!

Here are some new pictures of our new home:

Moving Day!

The family room

Family room looking into sitting area

Dining room and doors to my office

Our kitchen

My office space

Looking from the kitchen into the sitting area

Spare bathroom

His / her closets going into master bath

Our shower!  yea...took a little bit to figure this thing out!

Our back yard

Stairs to kids rooms, kids bathroom and loft area.

Loft area / kids space

Kids Bathroom

Payton's room

Kitchen window looking into our woods

I woke up one morning and found her in our front lawn!

Carson's first time mowing!

Merry Christmas!

What a great day we have had!  Happy Birthday Jesus!!

We were able to sleep in until 5:00 am and then I heard the sounds of little feet running up and down the stairs.  By the time Payton and Carson got to my room they had already counted the number of presents under the tree that had their names on them!  :)

I made them brush their teeth and we got Aidan up and headed downstairs to open gifts.  I am so overwhelmed at how blessed we are.  As I was watching our kids open gifts and Mike video tape them I had to almost pinch myself to realize that this really is my life...I have such amazing kids and a great husband. There is no place I would have rather been this morning.  The kids were a lot of fun opening their gifts.  I do have a funny story about Aidan.  As all three were opening their very first present Aidan realized Payton and Carson each got a cool toy.  When he opened his box and saw there was an outfit in it...he just looked at it...head bowed down.  He wouldn't look up, wouldn't touch the box and wouldn't talk to us....  Reading his mind was easy....  "Santa...I just got jipped!"  We made sure he had toy in the next one and he was much happier!

We had non home made cinnamon rolls for breakfast :) and enjoyed opening box after box and trying to figure out what to do with all of the garbage.  We had a great lunch of ham, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and gravy (for the kids), corn, Grandma Betty's home made mac and cheese and rolls.  All of it was so yummy!

We headed out in the afternoon for some sledding fun but it was way too cold to stay out long!

All in all we had a fabulous day and I am looking forward to a week at home with the kiddos!

Merry Christmas to all and God Bless!
Becca

 Time to open the stockings!!

Do you think she likes it??  

A remote control Thomas the Train??  What more could a three year old ask for?

Carson and some of his loot!

Decorating some yummy cookies!

Payton having fun decorating too!

Where did November go?

I realize it has been forever and a day since I last posted!  I am not even going to try to catch up on items missed!  :)

We are settling into Dassel and really loving the town, people, schools and location!  We feel very, very blessed and I can not put into words how happy we are!

Christmas is coming and we are READY!  We are very excited to be getting a real Christmas tree this year. We are going to go to a tree farm tomorrow and actually cut our tree down ourselves.  It sounds like they also have reindeer and Santa will be visiting!  I am not sure how much Payton and Carson really still believe in Santa but they don't ask and I don't offer any info!

Yesterday our elf "Chris" sent the kids a letter in the mail.  Payton was so excited and read the letter and re-read the letter.  I have been busy on pinterest getting fun ideas for Chris this Christmas season...I have a feeling we have a very mischievous elf on our hands!

The kids have a crazy busy schedule and it does get hectic at times.  I wouldn't have it any other way though.  I love that they are involved in so many things and enjoy being involved.

Payton has joined a gymnastics gym in a neighboring town and spends 10 hours every week there.  It is a lot of dedication but it is absolutely amazing at what she has learned!  Every practice seems to bring out something new or perfected.  She loves it and it is a great opportunity for her.

Carson played summer baseball, football in the fall and will not start wrestling.  He will have his first meet on Sunday.  I am bummed it is on Sunday because I love low key Sunday days but I am glad that it will be a meet I actually get to go to.  I won't be able to make many due to Payton's gymnastics schedule.

Aidan is in pre-school and is loving it.  He talks about his friends often and loves when we go somewhere and he sees them outside of pre-school.  He is talking non stop and constantly reminds me of a little man.  His new word is "actually" and he throws it in whenever he can weather it is in context or not!  he loves following big brother Carson around and tries to not irritate him!  :)

I am loving working from home.and am super excited I won't have to drive in the crazy winter weather this year.  It has really opened up opportunities to spend more time with the kids.

Hopefully I will be better about keeping this blog up to date!  Until next time...

Becca

Full Weekend!

We have had a very busy and exciting weekend!

Friday night Mike and Carson headed to South Dakota wrestling.  I stayed home with Payton and Aidan because it would have been too late for Aidan to be out.  Carson had a great night and earned a first place t-shirt!  He was pretty excited (as were we)!

We all got up early on Saturday and Mike took the boys wrestling while I took Payton to the Mall of America to do some American Girl shopping!  Carson had another excellent day and brought home a first place medal!

Payton and I also had a successful day of shopping!  This years AG doll of the year is McKenna Brooks - who just happens to be a gymnast!  Payton was so excited when she learned that gymnastics was involved.  We headed to the MOA to pick her up!  While we were there we had lunch in the Bistro of the AG store.  Payton also found a new favorite store called Little Miss Matched.  They have crazy socks that are sold in threes.  They all are different but go together.  Payton did get the cutest pair of boots....she has not had them off since!

Today we headed to Windom for a team wrestling tournament.  Carson was chosen as an alternate and did get to wrestle one match today.  The team brought home first place!  It was nice getting to watch all the boys wrestle today.  They work so hard and do such a good job!

Below are some pictures of our weekend!

Gymnastics Anyone?

We had a full weekend of gymnastics!  Payton had her first competition on Saturday and then her end of the year performance on Sunday.  She is on the first level of the competition team so she only has one meet.  We arrived a the gym on Saturday at 8:00 in the morning to practice for Sunday's performance.  In the mean time, Mike took Carson and Aidan to a wrestling tournament in St. James. We were done with the practice at 10:00 but only had a one hour break before we had to be back to the gym for warm ups for Saturday's event.  Warm ups started at 11 and went to 1:00 with the competition starting at 1:30.  Payton was extremely nervous but once she got started with her warm ups and getting the feel for things you could tell she was having fun.

Mike ended up getting to Payton's competition late due to the high volume of wrestlers.  Carson placed second only missing first place by a one point loss in his final match.  So proud of him and how much better he is getting!!

Payton did so great as well and I was so proud of her.  It is hard to describe the feeling you have as a parent watching your child accomplish huge things.  The competition didn't get over until 5:30 and we were ready to get out of the gym!!  BUT...we turned around on Sunday and went back!  Mike's parents came to watch her performance on Sunday and then we all went out for ice cream afterward.

By this time, our weekend was over!  Crazy times in the gym!!

Here are some pics of Payton at her performance:

Annie sporting her new leo!\

 Payton Amundson!!