Our Life

Braxton has started preschool and he loves it! He isn't so sure about mom leaving him but has never had tears as long as I am positive I am coming back for him. The first day he just about plowed the doors down trying to get to me at pick up time though but he was happy. They have done some cute projects already and have a field trip planned in a couple weeks. His teachers are amazing. I have photos to add.






Kenzi is doing really well in Kindergarten although I wasn't real concerned about her.

Ahna is getting big. She is 16 months old already. She has an attitude like no other baby I have ever seen though but it is her personality.

School is going well for me. I have finally fallen into a routine so that is helpful. I have a big exam coming up on Wednesday so I am nervous about that. Hopefully it goes well. Our house is almost done. They are waiting on some supplies to come before they can finish. Hopefully that happens soon. We have the window rep coming out because some things are wrong with the windows so they will need to be fixed or replaced...which should be lots of fun.

Today is my birthday so we had a fun filled weekend. Scott took me on a shopping spree, out to lunch, then we picked the kids up and went out to dinner at Zehnders in Frankenmuth (very good food), then we stayed at a hotel in Birch Run and let the kids swim. We ended up at Bronners today and I got a bulb for each kid and they got to pick the color they wanted their bulb to be. Braxton chose green of course, Kenzi chose purple and Arianna recieved red (Kenzi and I picked). I have lots of photos to add from this weekend
Getting ready for our surprise

Ahna by the pool



Kenzi and Braxton at Bronners


Silly Ahna faces

Silly faces

First week of school and house

We survived the first week of school! Kenzi did very well. She was nervous about riding the bus but never hesitated the first day which was wonderful. I was expecting tears from her. She was very excited that morning and was ready and waiting for the bus at 6:50 even though the bus wasn't expected until 6:15-6:20. Braxton wasn't sure he wanted Kenzi to go to school. After Kenzi got on he said "where are they taking her, I will miss her". He was very sad. I kept him busy this week so he couldn't think about her being gone.

Eating breakfast

Watching for the bus

Waiting outside for the bus

There she goes



I am finally getting into a routine with my classes. The first two weeks were rough but now they are much better. Thank goodness.

Braxton starts school this week as well. Lets hope him and his two little cousins have a smooth adjustment as well. They are going 2 days a week for 3 hours a day.

The house is coming well. Everything is done except by the living room which is where we are waiting on the new windows to come in. They are projected to be here on Tuesday...hopefully that is right. I am anxious to see the finished project. It is looking good so far. It is weird to come home to a tan house instead of a white house. It looks so different to us.

The front North end of the house

North end which is now done

New soffit and fascia...so time consuming.

The back of the house

House, School etc.

Our house is coming along nicely. I will add some pictures to the post. The south side of the garage is done, the back side of the garage is done, and the bottom half of the back of the house up to the deck is done. All the new windows are in except for 3. Our living room ones (which we had to reorder) and the one above the living room at the top of the stairs. On the rest of the back and north side it is tyvek, taping the windows, siding, soffit and fascia. Soffit and fascia are so time consuming. I am really happy with the color we chose although I will admit at first when just a little was put up I was second guessing our decision. The more that goes up the more I like it. I also did that when the first new light went up as well...I wasn't so sure about it but the more I look at it the better I like it. On to pictures now.

Day 5 progress Back of garage

Back of kitchen area, new windows

entrance into garage in back

Back of house, new windows in bedrooms

Day 6 progress Back of garage done

Door into garage

New light above garage entrance

Kitchen area back of house





Schooling is going to kick my butt until I get into a routine. I am taking 9 credits, 6 credits (2 classes) online and 3 credits (1 class) face to face yet a lot of it is online. I went today for my first face to face class. My teacher is really nice and keeps us interacting. We already had to get up and speak in front of the class though...not my favorite thing to do. Homework will be hard to get used to again. Braxton wasn't so sure he wanted to be left this morning...he hasn't had to be left for a whole day since Ahna was born. He did pretty good though. Ahna never realized what was happening because she has never been left really. When I got home Ahna squealed so loud when she seen me...she was all smiles, full of hugs and kisses and wouldn't let me out of sight...we will see how next week goes.

Makenzi is very excited to start school on Tuesday. She isn't as confident about riding the bus but I am sure she will adjust fine. Her older cousins and her little friend are all riding the same bus. Change is never easy with her. I need to remember to get all of her stuff together this weekend so the first week goes smooth.

Braxton starts preschool the following week. He is going 2 days a week for a few hours a day. He is also going with his two little cousins (we call the three of them triplets). I am sure he will do fine. Hopefully he handles being dropped off well along with the other 2.

House Progress

Well our contractors started on Monday morning bright and early. They have been here everyday since until today. The rain has made it impossible to work today. We have 1 new window in Ahna's room, her other window is temporarily boarded up, the bathroom is boarded up for good, 2 new windows in our bedroom, 2 new windows in Kenzi's room, 2 new windows in the kitchen, 2 windows put in the garage, 1 new door placed in the garage, 1 door replaced in the garage, foam board is going up, tyvek is going up, and 1 wall of the house has siding on. I will be adding lots of pictures of the progress below.

Day 1 Progress...if you want to call it that. Lots of tearing off the old siding happened today.


These pictures are after our first delivery.


Day 2 Progress. New Windows went in, foam board went up.



Day 3 of Progress




Day 4 Progress...the side of the garage is looking good.

House changes are coming

We got the word that this week is the week to start the renovations on our house. Everything will be delivered on Thursday morning. Our contractor will be here either that morning or Friday morning and start work. We are so excited. I can't wait to see the house during and after the process.

We decided on Natural Clay siding with white trim. It took me a long time to come to this decision though. Now that things are finalized I can't help but second guess my decision. We bought the lights for the house which I really like. We decided to go with a bronze finish.

I am adding the before pictures into this post and then will update as things get done. I am so excited to have all new double hung windows throughout the house. We are looking forward to not feeling the wind blow through the windows even when they are locked. The heating costs that we can save will be great.

Front of the house Before A new light will go up next to the door as well.

North End of the house. The window in the middle on the bottom row is going to be taken out and boarded up. That window is in our bathroom and right in our shower.


The back of the house. We plan to extend the deck out next summer as well another 9 feet to the Left. We are very excited about that. A new light will go in next to the sliding door.

Our back cement patio. Then the next picture is a door into the garage. That door will be replaced as well. The light will be too.



This is the south end of the house.


The garage. We cant wait to get rid of that stinking down spout. At our house water travels uphill. A new Motion light will go up on the garage too.


This picture is of the entrance that we use all time. Then we are also putting in a new door into the garage straight across from the other entrance. A new Light will go up by the main entrance.

Our Camping Trip

We went camping this week and had a blast. It was just the women in the family. My mom, the 8 grandkids, my 2 sister in laws and me. We went to Jellystone Park in Frankenmuth. It is such a nice park over there, especially during the week when it isn't extremely busy. The kids loved the indoor pool. I have some pictures and videos of the kids swimming. They also loved minature golf, the playground and the scheduled activities.

The kids loved the pool...especially mine. Makenzi could swim the width of the pool all by herself the first day (25ft) and by the second day she was swimming the length of the pool as long as somebody was swimming next to her (52ft). She was jumping and swimming back to the ladder. Braxton showed a lot of improvement. Earlier this year at the cabin he wouldn't even jump off the dock even if somebody would catch him. At the pool the first day he started jumping off the side of the pool in his swim vest onto a noodle as long as we were holding his hand. By that night he was swimming to the ladder in his swim vest and with the noodle, climbing the ladder, throwing his noodle into the deep end and jumping in all by himself. He would even do this if nobody else was in the pool with him. He didn't want anybody to help him.

They rode bikes a lot as well. We were in a perfect spot that they could ride their bikes to the playground and we could watch them from the trailer. We had beautiful weather too. They enjoyed seeing Yogi Bear and Boo Boo too. Makenzi wrote a letter to Yogi and is now planning to get a letter in the mail from him.

Today we did a ceramic art project. Each kid got to pick a ceramic to paint. Makenzi picked a flower with a butterfly on it and Braxton picked a shark. They both did a great job painting them. Braxton's shark looks really good. He painted it black and dark blue. Makenzi did a great job painting hers too. She did pinks and yellows.

Overall we had a great time. Scott and I really want to take the kids back soon. Braxton didn't want to come home. He wanted to stay and swim and play.