OUR GROWING FAMILY

I would like to let the pictures tell the story of what we have been up to since April!

So it was very nice and warm in April and we decided to get ready for summer. Here are the boys trying on their puddle jumpers (life jackets).

Clayton is even trying on his water goggles.

Here the kids are helping Susie make Donnie's Birthday cake. We also got to celebrate with him for his surprise 70th Birthday Party. What a blast.

We ended April on a great note. We did back to back Brewers games!!!!! The first one we got to go to with the Rettler clan. Jane & Gerald took us all to the game with the kids. It was a good time even with the loss.

Clayton, Calvin, Elsa, Kenzie, Abby and Lauren

Cameron was not able to come as he had a middle school orientation event so my daddy came in his place!

Cute photo opportunity.

Cute pic of Calvin

Daddy was also enjoying the game and a Hot dog!

But a loss makes everyone a little sad - Poor Clay and Daddy

Ok - Fun back on. We are here with our cousins and we like to have fun.

Lauren, Clayton & Calvin

Lauren and Calvin

Mommy, Calvin, Lauren oh and in the background uncle Andy jumped in. Creeper.

Best Friends Forever - Calvin and Lauren

Kenzie hanging with her Grandpa Dick!

After that late night we got to get up early, go to school and then head off with the Wonderful St. Peter's School to another Brewers game!!!!! The kids earned tickets through their magazine sales. It was a really great time again!

Cameron, Calvin, Cousin Kaylee, Kenzie and Clayton

I love how Calvin looks in this picture!

And then Clayton grumpy in this one.

Oh, silly kids - Kenzie and Calvin.

OK so that was our Brewers fun. Late April we went to my Aunt Nancy and Uncle Fred's surprise anniversary party at my cousin Michelle and Chad's. At the party there were three sets of boy twins. Because I am weird I thought this was so cool. I asked if we could get a picture of them together. So i just had to share it because I just thought it was fun.

Then Kenzie decided she was really a big girl and was staying dry at night so she said she was ready for her big girl bed. Cam thought he should keep her company on her first night in her big bed.

Early May brought a trip up to the Cabin!!! We had a great time as usual.

Playing by the lake but a little to chilly to go in!

Kenzie, Lauren, Elsa and Calvin

Andy and Cameron out for a little boat ride.

Ben and I took all the kids out fishing in Grandpa Shorty's old boat. This is getting more fun each time we go with them. They are getting better at fishing and better at sitting still in the boat - ok they do not sit still ever but it seems to be getting easier. Daddy chillin with his little boys.

Cameron is the big man!

Mommy and Kenzie.

Clayton's catch of the day.

Kenzie crashed - fishing was a bit exhausting for her.

Calvin kissing his fishy. - actually looks like he is gonna take a bite of it.

Kiddo's hanging on the back of the truck!

Kenzie, Clayton, Elsa, Calvin, Lauren and Cameron

Grandpa Gerald teaching the twins how to scale and clean fish.

BFF's again - Calvin and Lauren walking down to the lake.

All three of the partner groups walking to the lake.

Cameron and Clayton, Elsa and Kenzie, Lauren and Calvin

Elsa and Kenzie - Ok so Elsa was running and Kenzie was trying to keep up with her and keep her pants from falling down. So funny!

Too cold to swim but had a blast making streams of water.

At night it gets really crazy. Cameron is playing some pool like the big guys!

Ben is a walrus??

Lauren is just funny!

Grandpa getting crazy with all the crazy kids.

Calvin - They started playing drums on the pots and pans and then it was just Calvin.

As you can see it just kept growing. He did this for at least 30 mins. Each time adding on more pan then playing them and then adding another one and another chair so he could reach them. SO FUNNY. He was very serious about this and determined also.

Finally it was time to make these kids go to bed. Great idea to put them all together for a movie.

Kenzie, Clayton, Lauren and Calvin

So 5 mins later this was what it looked like. All mine out like a light. Lauren still awake watching the movie. Check out where Kenzie ended up. Clayton drapes his arm right over Lauren...

Back home after our trip up north it was time for some more haircuts.

Clayton

Calvin

Rock star boys - Not to worry they were fake Mohawks. Just their hair done up a little for fun!!!

More updates to come but time for bed tonight!!!

On March 31st we officially concluded the regular wrestling season with Cameron competing at the Tournament Of Champs (taking 2nd place). SO PROUD of all he did this year. Kenzie is a proud little sister too!!! He is continuing to work hard in his Ringers practices 2 days a week. We celebrated by taking Cameron out Ice skating at the Kettle Moraine Ice Center. Cameron's good friend Auggie and his little brother Joey and their mom came too. I gave the twins the option to come and Clayton wanted to come but Calvin choose to stay at Auntie Wendy and Uncle Wes's house with Kenzie. It was an absolute blast. It was a very good thing that I only took one of the boys because I struggled with ice skating myself and I think Clayton did better then I did.

Cameron and Auggie

Clayton and Joey

Luckily they had these little walkers for the kids and Clayton and Joey used them great. After getting use to them they were like two little old men skating around - even telling the mom's to let them skate around without us around. It was a GREAT time and I am looking forward to taking Calvin soon!

April started off with it's own excitement. We had a good friend who's kids were diagnosed with Pertussis (whooping cough) and I was a nervous mother who had kids that were coughing too so took the kids to the doctor and Clayton got tested. The results take a day to get back so we were quarantined to the house while we waited for results. We also started everyone on the antibiotics just in case. Results in - NOPE!!! Yipee free at last. I could not have imagined 5 days like that but it was fun too ( I know I am weird but some down time was nice - no leaving the house) Stayed on the meds just to be sure no one got it.

Kids sure did not mind the doctors office.

Got ready for Easter by going to the community egg hunt.

Kenzie

Clayton, Joey & Calvin

Kenzie - The Easter Bunny - Clayton - Calvin

Never wanting the excitement to end around our house we also colored Easter eggs that night!

On to celebrate Easter! First finding our Easter baskets. If I recall correctly Kenzie's was on the shelf downstairs, Cameron's in his window in his room, Clayton's in the washer and Calvin's in the dryer. Then on to Church and over to Grandma Grace and Grandpa Dick for brunch and an egg hunt!!

Cameron

Clayton

Calvin

Kenzie

The Heesen Grandchildren!

Clayton, Kenzie, Cameron, Xavier, Isiah & Calvin after then hunt with their bags of eggs!

From their we stopped at my cousin's new house to celebrate my Aunt Nancy's Birthday. Another egg hunt for the kids there but only a brief visit for us as we had to keep on moving.

On to Grandma Jane and Grandpa Gerald's house for more celebrating. And you guessed it - Another egg hunt! The kids are really getting good at this!!!!

The Rettler Grandkids - minus Cameron.

Abby, Else, Lauren, Kenzie, Clayton, Kaylee & Calvin!

What a wonderful holiday and we are always blessed to have such wonderful families!!!

A week of spring break for the kids what should we do??

On Monday we went with some friends to LeFlores Gymnastics for some play time.

I took a couple video's but not many photos. This place is great and we will be going back again soon. This is Cameron on the rings - check out that foam block pit!!! All the kids had a blast.

Wednesday I wanted to keep busy so I took on some extra kids. My two nephews (ages 6 and 4) and my girlfriends 3 boys (ages 5, 3, and 7 months). Plus my own 4 for a total of 9!!! It sounds crazy but I had a blast and so did the kids. We played all day!!! This is my CREW!

Because it was needed and because I had more energy left after having 9 kids during the day I decided to take the little kids for haircuts.

Clayton

Kenzie

Calvin - Yes it is a Mohawk. But a fake one - well it just is his natural one done up!

Then moving on to our exciting weekend!!!!!! So Friday night I had to work for our big annual Recognition dinner. So Ben took the 4 kids and my mom and headed up the the Dells to my parents time share. My sister and brother in law and their 2 boys were also there. Dad and I planned to go up early Saturday morning. We had a GREAT work dinner and afterwards I called Ben to let him know I was leaving. It was late. He had to tell me about the little accident that Clayton had.

Can you tell what is missing????

THESE ARE!

Yep - Lost two of his teeth.

I joke now but at the time this was very traumatic for him and for all of us as well. (still is traumatic at times). They were all down at the pool - Clayton and Kenzie had to go potty and dad took them. After Clayton finished going he needed help with his swim trunks because they were wet and he could not get them up so dad was trying to help and Clayton's wet feet slipped out from under him. He fell forward and hit his teeth on the Urinal. Out they came. I am sure he will be very angry about this post some day but that is the true story. Dad, brother Cameron and Grandma Grace took him to the ER. Nothing they can do but be glad it is not worse and the teeth came out nice and clean (no this did not make me feel better) but all said and down it will be o.k.

I felt awful for not being there but daddy handled everything fine!! I arrived to inspect the damages in the morning. What a trooper! Daddy said he did really well!

We were not gonna let it stop our fun! We played at the playground, grilled out some burgers and went back down to the pool! Later Saturday evening we went to grab some dinner. Can you tell the kids were tired - it had been a long night and day and they crashed hard and this was before dinner!!

Luckily they did all wake up - although Kenzie slept through all of dinner and did not wake up till we put her back in the truck. Then it was off to Knuckleheads. That place was a blast. It is like an arcade, fun land, bowling, go-karts all in one.

The three little kids decided this was their favourite and must have went on it 10 times in a row. The would get out and get right back in line to do it again. They were pretty much the only ones going on it so they kept going over and over.

They also had a ropes course there. Cameron and Xavier tried it out but Xavier did not like it too much. I decided that I wanted to give it a try too. I did and was almost scared out of my witts but I conquered that fear. What a thrill.

We also got to go on the inflatables outside. Being the childish kid that I am I also asked to go and the nice lady let us do it to. I got to do the inflatable dinosaur slide and jump around on the HUGE jump-o-line thing. It was a lot of FUN.

Clayton and Calvin