Up North

Absolutely breathtaking!!!

From this angle, you can see why they named it the "Lady Slipper".

What a gorgeous flower!

I risked poison ivy for these pictures, but it was worth it.

Check out his photo!!!
Yes, it really came from my camera.
Bruce was able to get the boat close enough for me to capture
another one of God's beautiful creatures.

Cool Dude...
My future's so bright, I need my mom's shades.

Nolan helped Grandpa Trouble give us a tour of the lake.

Lilly entertained herself for close to an hour.


The "Big Catch" of the weekend.
Grandma dug out a net and bug box to keep Nolan busy.
He was pretty proud of the toad he caught.

Chasing and scaring Lilly with it was equally as exciting!!!

Our family headed up north this weekend for a (long overdue) trip to my parent's cabin. The kids just love being with their grandparents and spending time at the lake. We couldn't have had better weather...it was gorgeous!!! My Mom and Bruce don't take too many breaks when they're up there- due to the huge renovation project they've undertaken, so our visit forced them to slow down a little.

We took the boat out for an afternoon of fun. It took a little courage to get out of the boat at the sandbar, but surprisingly the water temperature wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It's still not quite as warm as it probably should be this time of year, but it felt refreshing. Of course that is coming from someone who was in only knee deep water. :)

The guys managed to squeeze in a couple of hours fishing after supper. I lost myself in a book, while Lilly blew bubbles to entertain herself, and my Mom and Grandma enjoyed a movie in the cabin. The ladies also took a trip to a field of wild Lady Slippers. It was truly awesome to see. We ended the evening with a campfire and s'mores.

On Sunday, we tried to help with various projects before heading home. The deck was calling for a coat of stain, so we left after lunch. It is amazing to see how much the cabin has changed since they bought it a year ago. A lot of hard work has gone into making it the perfect place for our family to spend time making memories together. Thanks Mom and Bruce!!!

The Simple Things

Being able to be at home with my kids in the summer is a wonderful thing. It gives me a chance to experience what a stay-at-home mom does day in and day out...it is a full-time job that is for sure!!! Both Nolan and Lilly love having me home too. There is no rushing in the morning, no major commitments, and no limitations when it comes to the fun we have each day.

Some days are packed with excitement, while other days are just the opposite. Mike was shocked to find us all sleeping (still in our p.j.'s) when he came home from work at 4:30 one day this week!! All I could tell him was the kids voted on a pajama day, and majority rules...oh the joys of summer!!!

The kids and I went out to enjoy the beautiful weather today, by walking through one of my favorite parks. The flower beds at Munsinger Gardens in St. Cloud are gorgeous. The kids loved feeding the ducks (which I found out is illegal- thankfully not the hard way), throwing rocks into the river, running on the trail, and making wishes in the big wishing well. We spent a little over an hour observing God's beauty and enjoying each other's company. After our hike, the kids and I stopped for a fruit smoothie. It was a refreshing treat and a perfect way to end our morning excursion.

The simplicity of the walk through the park + their curiosity + their exceptional behavior + a beautiful day made for a wonderful morning. It's moments like this that make me stop and think, "Wow! I love being a mom! I love my kids!...and I love the fact that we can spend time together doing the simple things!"

Missing Tooth...No.2

The Tooth Fairy takes baby teeth, because big teeth are too heavy to carry.

Once I have all my grown-up teeth, can I stay up late??

Nolan lost his second tooth today. He has been wiggling this one with his tongue for awhile now, and has anxiously been waiting for it to fall out. He actually ran into a wall tonight...ouch!!! Takes after me in the clumsy department that's for sure, but that is a whole different story. It wasn't long after his head-on, or should I say tooth-on collision, that it came out. He was pretty excited about it. So excited in fact, that he couldn't get to sleep. He called me into his room close to a half a dozen times with instructions about his tooth. Put it here... place it there...no, not there, it could get lost! What if the Tooth Fairy doesn't see it? Will she keep this one? On and on it went...until we told him that the Tooth Fairy is going to be off duty if he doesn't fall asleep before midnight! I decided to try the whole turn into a pumpkin at midnight trick w/the Tooth Fairy...and luckily, it worked. He woke up early (of course) to see how it all turned out. To his surprise, his tooth was still there (just like he wished) and money was under his pillow. Thankfully, he was able to return to the Land of Dreams, because believe me....... that Tooth Fairy needed a little more beauty sleep! ;)

P.S. Nolan once again split his money with his sister. They both placed their half of the profit into their piggy banks. Priceless!

Signs of Summer

This weekend finally felt like summer...

and our family took full advantage of it. The kids biked to numerous Summerfest activities.

On Saturday morning, the family found a shady spot to take in our first parade. Nolan enjoyed watching all the rescue vehicles, characters, and go-carts. Lilly loved to see the princesses and collect as many treats as she could get her hands on. Half the time, she was too busy eating the candy to pick up the new ones that landed at her feet.
Little Miss Lilly Liberty

An awesome firework display was put on near Great River Bowl on Saturday evening.
Mike insisted we get right under them so the kids could get the perfect view.

What a view we had! Ohhh! Ahhhh!

The show lasted almost 20 minutes and the grand finale was incredible.

The kids enjoyed the show from the jogger stroller...

it was the perfect way to avoid all the traffic and transport them to the show.

Nolan knows how to beat the heat!

It was so fun to see the kids play in the sunshine.

Summer suits you both!

As you can see, Lilly is tickled pink.

Summer is finally here!!!

On Your Mark, Get Set, GO!!!

Our loyal fans were with to cheer us on...
Unfortunately, I didn't get a photo of Nolan's race...those camera batteries go dead at all the wrong times. At least you can see his number in this picture.

Mike took 15th place overall with a time of 20:26

I placed 71st overall with a time of 24:17

Denell ran with Jenny (their daycare provider)...Way to go ladies!!!

What a beautiful night for a run. Both Mike and I, along with approximately 350 other participants ran the Mayor's 5K run in Sartell this evening. It was fun to see so many people we knew and compete on a course we're very familiar with. Nolan proudly earned his third medal tonight. He did an awesome job and continues to get stronger every time he races. After the race we all enjoyed pizza, pop, and music in the park.

All Smiles

There is nothing to this Lilly...just look how cool I am!

I can continue pretending to be a princess with my pearly whites.

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, it's off to the dentist we go...this marks our first field trip of the summer. Both Nolan and Lilly had dentist appointments today, and for Lilly it was her first. So, it was a little like a field trip for her. She not only got to see where Grandma Cindy works, but had the opportunity to sit in the big dentist chair and see how all the tools worked.

Both kids did remarkably well. Nolan proudly showed Lilly how it was done by going first. (He even knew to tell the dentist that he only had 19 teeth when she came in to count them.) Lilly bravely followed her big brother and grinned the entire time she sat in the chair. She felt very grown up and was very excited to pick out prizes from the treat basket at the end of the appointment. They were all smiles from the minute we walked in until the minute we left. This of course made me smile too...not to mention the fact that neither of them had cavities. :)

Raspberry Ridge 2009

Raspberry Ridge was the perfect place to start my summer vacation. Fifteen of my lady friends headed north for a two day scrapbooking getaway. After a crazy spring and the end of another school year, I was ready to relax and be creative. I managed to create 26 pages while I was there. It isn't a record breaking amount, but I also took time to relax so I wouldn't go home completely exhausted. We all had a wonderful time.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Up! Up! and Away!

The kids had a "high-flying" time today! Celina and I took the kids to see UP! in 3D. It was fun to see them react to the special effects and laugh at the funny parts. They enjoyed their treats and spending time together.

It's Official

Faith is not believing that God can...

It is knowing God will.

God provides...Faith is what it took to get this house. I had to believe that things would work out the way they were intended to. God has a plan for our family. Evidently, building on the property we purchased close to four years ago was not part of the plan. When I look at the path God is leading us down, I can see that this is going to be perfect for our family.

It's official... this house on 21st Ave. N. in Sartell will become the Houghton Household on July 31, 2009. From the moment I drove by it, my heart knew. The process of owning it took a little longer than my nerves could stand, but with lots of praying and faith I knew that in the end it would work out they way it was suppose to.

The kids are excited about the thought of having their own bedrooms. Mike is excited about having a recreational basement, and I am excited about everything. We put in our vacancy notice and plan to move the first weekend in August. We plan to do a little painting, carpet cleaning, and various other small projects before the "big" move.

We've visited with several of the neighbors already and were delighted to hear there are eight boys all starting kindergarten within the neighborhood. Nolan already knows several of them and is excited about making new friends. One of Lilly's little preschool friends also lives nearby, along with several other girls her age. Mike ran into a running buddy and was told there is a running group that meets for workouts, and I was warmly welcomed into a neighborhood book club.

There is no doubt in my mind that we are going to be happy here. It is clear that God loves us!

Too Cute

These pictures of Lilly make me smile. Last year I couldn't get her to wear a dress, and now...that's all she'll wear. When she put this one on, she got up on my bed and twirled in front of the mirror. Her eyes began to sparkle and a smile spread across her face signifying just how pretty she felt. She looked so cute that I had to take her outside and get a few photos. Too cute!