Snow covered spring scene

I discovered when my husband asked me if I had been kicked off of our blog, it had been more than just a few weeks!  He has also been making subtle hints that there were several pictures he had taken on our camera that I never loaded.  The truth is...I had not downloaded pictures off of our "real" cameras since almost January, maybe?!  I have never claimed to be good at this!!

Most of life's big items have been captured on my trusty iPhone, so not too much is old news...except Chad's favorite past time of trapping, so maybe some new pictures there!

We are impatiently waiting for spring to arrive, but have been keeping busy before the summertime crazy hits.  We met some friends from Iowa in Lincoln this weekend for some quality time and Monster Jam.  The kids had a great time at the pool, running from room to room (which I am sure the rest of the floor enjoyed too!), and I think the trucks made some memories too!

Last week we took the kids to the globetrotters, which was so much fun.  Harper giggled so much, and Charli was impressed with their skills.  She was selected as a line leader, which was fun and she also got to play a little one-on-one with one of the players.  She stole the ball, she won't forget that either!

In between bouts of illness which included the stomach flu and strep we took the kids skating and to play laser tag.  It was a super fun day, and I am so glad we packed so much into one day because both Chad and I woke up sick the next day.  Either we have both softened up a bit, or it was the worst flu either of us have ever had.  Glad that is behind us!

A few weeks ago we had a sleepover with Braxton.  The kids had so many stories to share and hear from each other. I woke up in the middle of the night and decided to go check on the boys, who had a slumber party on Harper's floor, and found them cuddled up together!  (I was too tired and lazy to get a picture of that!)

On a trip to Omaha we took the kids to a Japanese Steakhouse, the kids loved it!  As you can see, our kids are not fans of Japanese food (no rice, fries please!)...they asked to have their birthday parties here!

Harper invited his grandparents to a special "Grandparent's Chapel" service at preschool a few weeks ago.  He was proud to have them, but bummed that he had to behave a little better than some of his buddies since his parents were there!

Braxton and Harper keeping our house safe from anyone who might try to cause any mischief! 

This is what Harper looks like when he is sick...hard to feel too sorry for him! 

We went to a bubble show last weekend and the kids got to be in a bubble...it was way more fun to see, than be in - because they couldn't see it!  

Columbus had their first baconfest last weekend too...Harper was a ham ;-)  (ha, ha, get it...ham, bacon....pork!) 

Best.Looking.Spiderman.Ever!

The kids had a lot of fun rollerskating, and gained a lot of confidence!  Chad still has his rollerblading skills and showed off (several times) to the kids with his spins, going backwards, and helping us all get around a bit faster!

LASERTAG!!  Boys vs Girls...I am SURE the girls won. 

Spinning a ball with the tallest of globetrotters!  When Harper say him he said "Hey, I think my dad is bigger than you."  The player giggled, looked up and said "oh, yeah, your dad is pretty tall too!"

The kids are almost tall enough to be globetrotters!  

Landon, Charli, Harper & Jamison  Love these kids!

okay...so now we get into some old pics!  The kids are pretty proud of some of their loot they caught with their dad this winter!  They are already counting down the days until trapping next year (6 months, fyi)

This boy loves animals!  He cannot wait until he and Chad find the perfect dog to call his own.  In the meantime, this is a cutie that made its way to the shop this winter.  It was bittersweet when they found her home!

I have no idea when this is from, but thought it was too cute to pass up!

More proud moments to capture.  I am not sure who enjoys it the most...the kids or Chad?!

I am not sure how I feel about this picture - but the boys think it is hilarious!

on your marks, get set, go!!!!  A little Saturday morning racing going on at the Preister house....

The Borgs came up for a visit after Christmas and Grant spent some time at our house...long distance cousins have so much play to catch up on when they see each other!! (this big guy is celebrating a birthday today!!)

a little early prepping for T-Ball season!  Charli has been giving him some backyard coaching tips! 

I think I have probably said before that Charli is our practical child...has never really been scared of or believed in dressed up characters.  This takes a lot of the fun out of places like Disney, Santa's house, etc.  Today, Harper proved that he has been listening to her babble, and picking up on it a bit himself.  While we were in WalMart we walked right past the Easter Bunny (has the Easter Bunny always been "around"?!)  We didn't even notice this dude, until the associate made a quick connection with the kids.  They sat down for some candy and a picture and Harper, our ever so wise four year old says " Thanks for the candy but I know you're not real.  I can see your eyes, your skin, and you're wearing tennis shoes."  Thanks for not helping us win that battle Wal-Mart.....

Hoping the weather turns around quickly!  I imagine the next post will be pictures and stories of soccer, track, and softball...all which are just around the corner!  Happy April everyone...it's a beautiful (snowy) 32 degree Sunday evening tonight....after a sunny and hot 75+ degree day yesterday!  Never pack the winter coats!

Celebrations and Tears

February got away from me!  Pretty soon I will know that my infrequent updates are just normal and I won't try to justify them anymore!  Charli started volleyball this month as well as club soccer.  We said some good-byes, will be welcoming new hellos, and celebrated with friends.  February was fantastic.  

Charli came home from school to teach Harper how to make a turtle out of crackers, soybutter, and a mini oreo.  They were fun to make, but too cute to eat!

On my way to bed a few weeks ago I heard the news lead into a story of a kiddo from Nebraska who is fighting cancer.  I turned it up and turned back around, and look who I saw.... Charli next to our buddy Sammy on a poster this family made while presenting to senators in Nebraska!  I was excited to show the kids in the morning.  Charli didn't get it, but Harper understood that he WASN'T on TV!!

I am still not 100% what this was about.  Charli asked for her nails to be painted pink and purple.  She then asked for it to be removed a day or two later!

Chad, as clever as he is, noticed that Harper's bike was "stuck" in a little snowbank after a walk on one of our beautiful February days.  So, like any city-boy / redneck would do, he hooked up a towrope, pulled the truck in the front yard, and pulled it out.  He even asked Harper for money, but he didn't pay up!  

To kick-start two weeks of celebrations for my friend Jaymee's wedding we had a girls night out!  

Charli was getting a little anxious to head for home at the rehearsal dinner, so we had to kill some time with pictures!

The Preisters do clean up, a little!  

And, the saddest part about seeing February come to a close...transitioning from our amazing home daycare to a center based program next week.  

There are just no words.  Lynn and her husband Lonnie have been part of our family for the past eight years.  It seems like a lifetime ago when we joined their family as we were awaiting Charli's arrival.  This women helped to raise my kids, shaped their little lives, and loved them through their tempers, biting, sassing...and their good moments too.  Harper was so proud to pick out and deliver the flowers in the picture and surprise her with a few other goodies too.  Harper even picked out golf balls for Lonnie, which he found out were Lonnie's favorite kind, so he was proud of that!  We will greatly miss the family, fun, structure, and style that Lynn brought into our lives but are excited about the journey to come.  Lynn, Lonnie, and the families along the way are our forever family and we have been blessed to be in their club!  

Binge Blogging

Hi, my name is Brenda and I am apparently a binge blogger.  Time to catch up a little!

This boy loves his weekend chores!

During Christmas break Chad and the kids were at the shop and these two adorable animals came to play!  Harper fell in instant love.  They found the owner, and got them home...but what a sad day for Harper!  I will not be surprised if a new puppy finds a home at the shop in 2014.  

Charli kept super busy over Christmas break with her rainbow loom.  I bet she made 30 bracelets or more!  Now that school has started she does not have the free time to play with it has much as I think she would like.  While home sick one day this week she got it out again...such a fun and creative hobby for her!

The kids are loving Harper's new racetrack he got from his cousin, Bry.  Unlike some hot wheels courses, this one is staying together well and has made for hours of fun!

Bry also got these little ninjas for Charli, which are a HUGE hit.  It does not seem possible, but these little things (which most people would probably throw away if they found in their house) are the lights of Charli's life!

The Borgs gave the kids gift cards, which they were excited to use right after Christmas!  Harper bought a nerf gun and Charli bought a new basketball hoop!  Both provide a lot of entertainment!

Science Experiment Time! Did you know that packing peanuts dissolve in water?  This is one of Chad's favorite things to teach people!  

Charli got to start attending the advanced taekwondo class right after the holidays!  She will be testing for her advanced green belt next week already!  Time flies!

Yay Charli!  We are still enjoying her December student of the month honors...a new student of the  month will be crowned soon!  And now she will wait until second grade to obsess over earning this again! 

Cousin time!  We went with my sisters and kids to the monster trucks!  A late night, but a fun one!

Ryen * Aunt Rachelle * Charli

We even took a ride in a monster truck -- heaven for this little boy!

getting ready to start...she was excited to see things get smashed!

I was called into federal jury duty earlier this month.  I was on call all month, hopeful to not get called.  BUT...I did!  I was there for a full day.  Ultimately I was not selected to sit on the jury, which was a good thing.  The case was going to be 5-7 days, which would have required me to be in Omaha for the week.  Chad appreciated my homecoming that night as well ;-)  It was an interesting process, I learned many things I had not thought about before!

This boy.  This boy cares more about what he looks like than anyone else in our family.  On this day he was super proud because he thought he looked like "Chris".  Chris is the soon to be husband of the love of Harper's life, Jaymee!  

 In January our family also went to the PRCA rodeo in Lincoln.  The kids had a great time!  

Chad and the kids have a few more weeks left to trap.  I am not sure how they will fill their time when the season ends...all three of them look forward to daily reports.  Harper keeps track of the weather to know if "things will be moving" or not.  Such fun memories they are making together! 

Happy January and February to everyone!