The Lach Family

incredible shrinking hippo.

2011-12-17T15:59:00.003-06:00

Complete craziness! How can my baby girl be growing this quickly!??

Sylvie ~ 1 month

Sylvie ~ 4 months

Cuter and more smiley every day!

Photo Card

2011-12-14T09:20:00.001-06:00

Picture Joy Christmas

Make a statement with personalized Christmas cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

BOO!

2011-11-13T20:55:00.001-06:00

Pumpkin Butt, Batman and Minnie Mouse
hope you had a Happy Halloween!!

caught one

2011-10-19T05:31:00.000-05:00

Finally caught a smile from Sylvie. It's with my phone, so it's not super clear...still cute, though.

Love her!

hakuna matata

2011-10-05T14:17:00.002-05:00

My mother-in-law and I took the kids to "The Lion King". I remember seeing it in the theater when I was younger. My kids had never seen it.

They sure enjoyed the movie. Hudson and Delaney were both 2 years old when they went to their 1st movie in the theater. Sylvie is a little spoiled. She was 5 weeks old at her 1st movie. :)

family.

2011-09-27T18:17:00.002-05:00

I came across this image today and totally agree with what it says. Andy and I may not travel much, drive expensive vehicles or buy everything we want...and that's okay with us. We have amazing kids.

happy girl

2011-09-25T21:17:00.000-05:00

Little Sylvie is starting to smile!
Daddy has gotten a few little crooked smiles by tickling her.
Today, I got 3 mouth wide open, nose wrinkled up smiles.
She's growing up so quickly!.
Haven't gotten a picture of a smile yet...hopefully soon.

Little Look-a-Likes

2011-09-22T09:52:00.003-05:00

Hudson :: March 2007

Delaney :: December 2008

Sylvie :: September 2011

once again.

2011-09-19T14:25:00.000-05:00

Ok. I am once again caught up with blog posts. I get so irritated with myself for neglecting this, but I continue to slack. I started this blog to document our lives so one day we can look back and remember these crazy, busy times in our life. I know I don't have time to scrapbook now, so this is serving that purpose. Hopefully one day I will have albums full of memories to flip through and laugh, but right now we are busy making memories, changing diapers and doing laundry! :) So, I once again will say that I hope to keep up to date with posting. We'll see...I may be too busy changing diapers.

June 2011

2011-09-19T14:14:00.000-05:00

I flew out to visit my mom. We saw so many fun things, ate a lot of yummy food and walked about a million miles! Great time!!

flowers for mommy :)

our 10th wedding anniversary!

July 2011

2011-09-19T14:01:00.000-05:00

Cars 2

Scandinavian Park

4th of July

no cavities at our dentist appt!

T-ball season was cut in half this summer because of the flood. Hudson had a great season!

backyard fun

August 2011 :: 1-16

2011-09-19T13:34:00.001-05:00

Hudson was old enough to go to Vacation Bible School this year. During their performance, Hudson and another little boy laughed, wrestled and did everything but sing. Stinkers!!

Because of the flood in Minot, we haven't had much of a summer. One Saturday, we drove to Bismarck to go to the zoo. The zebras and gibbon apes from our zoo were there...the kids thought that was neat. We had a fun day!

The observation station for the prairie dogs was cool!!

This picture of Delaney cracks me up!!

Still hard to believe Hudson is going to preschool and will start Kindergarten next fall!

Sylvie Joy Lach :: 8.17.11

2011-09-19T13:27:00.000-05:00

We became a family of 5 on Wednesday, August 17th.

This little lady surprised us by being born 12 days before her due date. I took care of 5 kids that day. I called parents to pick them up when I realized it was probably baby day. They were picked up at 3:30pm. I had to pack my bag while having strong contractions. We dropped Hudson & Delaney off at Grandma and Grandpa Lach's house and arrived at the hospital at 4:30. A 5:04pm, we heard Dr. Bozeman say, "It's a girl!". We cut it a bit close this time, but it was nice to not spend the whole day in the delivery room. The nurses kept referring to me as the "drive-by delivery" and I don't think my doctor was 100% joking when he said I should consider living in a tent in the hospital parking lot if we have more children.

Cuteness

2011-09-19T13:15:00.001-05:00

Love to smooch those cheeks!

Proud big brother

So tiny in the bassinet

Taking a break from playing 'Angry Birds' to draw a picture of them.

Grandpa Jim and his 3 grandkids

Auntie Kristin

Little bandaged heel from having blood drawn.
Jaundice stinks!

Sisters

Baking cinnamon bread with mommy

Reading to Sylvie after giving her a paci, blankie and a bear.

Who doesn't play Play-Doh in their unders?

Delaney came out of her room wearing panties and decided that day to start using the potty. She's super independent!! Doing pretty well so far.

sisters :)

snuggle bugs

bath time with plenty of help!

1 month old

burrito baby

so sweet

Sylvie Joy

Singing in Church

2011-05-05T20:57:00.000-05:00

Hudson's Sunday School class sang in Church last Sunday. They're all 3-4 years old.

"He's Got the Whole World in His Hands"

"...He's got the itty bitty babies in His hands."

"Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes"

"I am Special"

The cutest little singer. He knew all the words, all the actions and even had time to give Grandpa George a thumbs up. Cutie!

Easter Cards

2011-05-05T20:45:00.000-05:00

Hudson & Laney LOVE getting mail!
Grandma Diane and Auntie Kara sent them each cards for Easter.

Grandma Diane sent Delaney a necklace and Hudson got money to buy Mighty Beans. They were thrilled! Thanks, Grandma!!

Easter Weekend

2011-05-05T20:31:00.007-05:00

We had such a fun Easter weekend. On Good Friday, we went to the movie "HOP". Cute show for the holiday. The kids enjoyed it.

Saturday, we colored Easter eggs.

Sunday morning, we woke up to Hudson saying, "The Easter Bunny came. Yessss!!" He left such nice treats for both of the kids.

The kids each got a movie, swimsuit, bubbles, small toy, candy and a personalized lunch bag.

Hudson got the movie "Pinocchio".

Delaney got "Tangled".

Dressed for church.

That afternoon, we went to Andy's brothers house for Easter dinner and an egg hunt for the kids. Such good food and fun time with family!

How much candy can I shove into my mouth before mom says something?? :)

Me at 22 weeks.

Little Laker Fans

2011-05-03T18:28:00.000-05:00

Andy bought t-shirts for the kids to wear to the baseball games. Andy is the head baseball coach, and the kids and I try to make it to all the home games. We have a good time eating a picnic supper and cheering for the team.

2.5 children

2011-04-11T13:45:00.003-05:00

Andy and I are officially parents of 2.5 children! :)

Today, I am 20 weeks pregnant with Lach baby #3. Half way there!!!

Our ultrasound was scheduled for this morning. AMAZING to see the change from the first ultrasound I had at 10 weeks.

This pregnancy, I don't feel nearly as big as I did with the other kids. I keep trying on my maternity shirts and they're still big on me. This is a curse since I am running out of "normal" clothes that fit, and a blessing to not be gigantic already! Check back with me when I'm waddling around in July...haha!

Once again, we didn't find out the gender of the baby. We like the surprise and anticipation of meeting the little one and discovering who they are when they're in our arms. Won't be long!

March Snow Day

2011-04-10T17:41:00.004-05:00

We had a snow day the end of March. We got about half the snow they had expected us to get, thankfully. Spring is sure taking it's sweet time!!

2011 :: So far...

2011-03-16T17:49:00.006-05:00

Okay, my last post was about Christmas. Wasn't it JUST December? I can't believe we're only one calendar flip away from Easter! This year is flying by!

Here's what we've been up to.

New Year's Eve, we spent the night together at home.

New Year's Day, we went to see "Tangled". Cute show. Delaney's first movie in the theater.

Loving my mixer I got for Christmas!

Playing with all our Christmas gifts, including this kitchen from Grandma Diane.

Delaney is in LOVE with the Grinch. He sings and bobs his head. Most all of the other kids are scared of him, but she puts diapers on him, feeds him bottles and sleeps with him almost every night.

Celebrated Kara's 20th birthday with her!
How can she possible be 20 years old? When I was 20, she was 9!!!

Getting mail!

Hudson turned 4! Pizza, games, gifts, family & friends. Fun celebration for a sweet boy!
Also, just signed him up for pre-school in the fall. One more birthday and he'll be old enough for Kindergarten. How can he be that big already!??!

Daycare is still going well. My two kids and five other sweeties every day.
Busy, but great!

August 2011, we will become a family of FIVE!! This picture was taken at 10 weeks. I will be 17 weeks next Monday. He or she is due to arrive on August 29th. We are excited and anxious to meet the newest Lach! Blessed!! This BIG project has been taking a lot out of me. Blogging was about the last thing on my list, but I've started feeling more human and hope to stay caught up. :)

Christmas X 4

2011-02-01T19:32:00.014-06:00

Christmas #1: Lach Adult Christmas
Since there are so many people, the last 3 years, we've celebrated Christmas with the Lach adults one night with a nice dinner and gift exchange. It makes Christmas Eve about the kids, and cuts down on about half of the gifts to open in one night. I, however, didn't bring my camera this year. So, no pictures to post.

Christmas #2: Woodard Christmas
With my Dad, Mom, and Kristin not living here, it was my family and my sister, Kara. This was the first of the gifts for the kids and they really enjoyed opening. This year, they both "got" it.

Kara, the spoiler, bought way too many gifts for her niece and nephew!!

The kids each got a fun dress-up trunk from Grandpa Jim and Aunt Kristin.

The kids opening my gift from my whole family.

My new mixer! I LOVE IT!!

Christmas #3: Christmas Eve with the Lach gang
We went to church, then to Grandma & Grandpa's for supper. After we finished eating, the kids opened their gifts.

Blurry, but we have proof we were there. :)

This year, it was Hudson's turn to lay baby Jesus in the manger.

Delaney and cousin Tiecyn showing off their new Ponies.

Later that night...

We put out snacks for Santa and his reindeer.

Santa got pretzel hugs and chocolate milk.
The reindeer got carrots, bread and water.

SANTA CAME!!

He even left stockings for Mommy and Daddy!

They must have enjoyed their snack.

Drinks were gone, too.

Hudson got a Leapster Explorer from Santa.

Delaney got a doll house from Santa.

We stayed in our pajamas the WHOLE day! Christmas at home was nice and relaxing. Here we are eating out steak and cheesy potatoes by candle light.

(And, Hudson needed to eat the Frosty that he spied leftover in the freezer.)

We had a wonderful holiday season and can't believe how fast it flew by!

Thanksgiving Weekend

2010-12-10T13:59:00.001-06:00

We had a nice Thanksgiving filled with family, fun and food. That's what it's all about! The next morning, I went shopping at 5am. Yes, that's extremely early, however, most of the stores had been open for at least an hour by the time I got there. Some stores opened at midnight and people had been shopping for 5 hours straight...crazy! I pulled into the Target parking lot just as a car right up front was leaving...a lady gave me her cart just as I walked in the door (the carts were all being used!), I got everything on my list...and only waited in line to pay for about 20 minutes. If I were a gambler, I totally should have bought a lottery ticket that day!!! :)

Saturday, I went to Joann's to get ribbon organizers. I had looked at them for a long time, but couldn't pay $25 for each one...$50 to hold ribbons seemed a little much for me! The Saturday Specials at Joann's included the ribbon holders for $8 each! SCORE!!

I know things shouldn't make you happy, but these definitely make me smile. :)

Saturday was also my birthday. 31! I am now officially thirty-something...

Sunday evening, we put up our Christmas tree. Hudson and Delaney were such good helpers! Christmas is starting to have more meaning to them, and they're starting to "get it". Holidays are so great with kids!!

So proud!

A little bottom heavy. :)

This branch sure is beautiful!

A few last touches.

After the kids were asleep, I put up our special ornaments and rearranged the plastic glittery ones the kids put on . They're too darn cute!

Re: 50 Free Christmas Cards

2010-11-30T07:31:00.000-06:00

As of today, I still have not received my code for the free cards. Bummer...I was excited to get a deal. :( I ended up ordering super cute cards from www.snapfish.com yesterday. They have a "Deal of the Day" leading up until Christmas. Yesterdays was 30% off everything on their site plus free shipping. I took advantage of that offer instead. Guess free is too good to be true!!

50 Free Christmas Cards!

2010-11-18T13:43:00.001-06:00

Shutterfly is offering 50 free cards to bloggers.
Check out their website for the details!!

www.shutterfly.com

I hope to take advantage of this generous offer.
Christmas is just around the corner!

Delaney turns 2!!

2010-11-09T23:01:00.006-06:00

Seriously, this seems like yesterday. How can 2 years have passed???!

(11.05.08)

Now, here we are...November 5th, 2010...our baby girl is 2 years old!!

A huge thanks again to Andy for blowing up the balloons!! :)

We had a little party for Delaney during daycare.

Delaney chose a "Backyardigans" party. We ordered the cutest cake!

Eating with her cousin, Tiecyn. Laney's 5 months younger...fun to have them so close in age.

The birthday girl was sure spoiled!! Thank you to our family and friends for the thoughtful gifts! She has been playing with all her new toys and I can't wait for her to wear every new outfit! :)

Make a wish!

I found her birthday girl shirt the weekend before when we were in Minnesota. How perfect!! I made her a tutu to match! Such a pretty party princess!!

What a fun day!

The birthday girl in her new Dora pajamas posing with her new Backyardigan stuffed animals. Such a sweetie! We sure couldn't love her more!!

Halloween Party

2010-10-18T13:39:00.000-05:00

Hudson & Delaney had such a fun time at the Halloween Party with their cousins! Here are a few pictures. I'll need to get some pictures from Grandma. She got some cute ones!

The kids decorated cupcakes and sugar cookies. Delaney piled almost the entire bowl of M&Ms on her cookie. Hudson did a good job with the sprinkles. I'm pretty sure Grandpa is still cleaning up the frosting mess!!

Don't Eat Frank!

2010-10-15T13:05:00.000-05:00

My kids are super excited for Gma & Gpa Lach's Halloween party tomorrow! Fun with all their cousins, costumes, pizza, dancing...what could be better??!

Grandma requested all the kids bring a game for the party. I made a cute game called "Don't Eat Frank". I found the idea online and made it my own.

Isn't it cute?

Game board

Game cards

Here's how you play.

*Put a piece of candy on each of the squares on the card.
*Have one person leave the room.
*Someone will choose one of the cards from the envelope. This Halloween character is "FRANK".
*The person can come back into to the room.
*He or she can take the candy from the card until they get to the square that was chosen to be "FRANK".
*As soon as they pick up that piece of candy every will yell, "DON'T EAT FRANK!" and their turn is over.
*Let everyone in the group take a turn.
*Each time they leave the room, a new card is taken from the envelope to choose a new “FRANK”.

I hope it's fun!

10.10.10 :: First Day of Sunday School!

2010-10-14T13:43:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday, Hudson started Sunday School! He's in a 3-year-old class with 12 students...eight boys and 4 girls!! To start the class, the teacher asked everyone to say what their name was and tell everyone if they had a pet. Hudson proudly told everyone, "I'm Hudson David Lach. We don't have any pets. I just have a Laney." Way cute! He's very excited to go back next week. Little man is sure growing up!!

10.03.10 :: Papa's Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-13T14:49:00.000-05:00

We loaded the kids in the van and headed to Bismarck. We had lunch at the Olive Garden...yum! Did a little shopping and spent a couple hours at the pumpkin patch.

The pumpkin launcher was pretty cool!

Wee!

It was a great family day! The kids were definitely worn out after all the fun!

Zoo Fun!

2010-09-06T22:36:00.006-05:00

Our family loves the zoo! Where else can you...

...pretend to be growling lions?

...melt your parents' hearts by walking hand-in-hand?

...meet the newest member of the zoo family?

...be a waddling penguin?

...have a chat with a beautiful bird?

...pretend to be a cowboy?

...sit together on a bench and admire your sweet babies?

Answer to Prayer!

2010-08-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

Back in April, I wrote about friends of mine who had a baby very early.

She was due to be born today, but her birthday is April 18, 2010.

Well, check out this little miracle!

Sweet Kassy Lee spent 110 days in the hospital.
Now, she's home with her mommy & daddy!!

Praise God for miracles!!

Congratulations, Curtis & Mandy!
You're awesome parents!
Kassy is lucky to have you!

Can't believe it!

2010-08-07T16:38:00.004-05:00

It's hard to imagine that my baby is big enough for a little toddler bed! The crib she's in was used by 3 of her cousins and Hudson. We've been rigging it up to keep the side rail up, but it's to the point where there's no more fix. Last week, I went to get her up twice and she had one leg over the side trying to get herself out! Makes a mommy nervous!!

headboard

footboard

with the super cute matching bedding that cost almost as much as the bed...ridiculous, but couldn't pass it up!

While we were shopping for the bed, Hudson asked if he could get a new bed, too. Seemed only fair to let him get new sheets. That made his day!

I guess I had forgotten...

2010-08-04T21:03:00.007-05:00

that when the baseball team wins a State Championship,
they show their assistant coach their
appreciation by trashing his house!! :)
Wonder what the head coach's house looked like?!?

Andy's pickup truck (I call it the hiccup truck, Andy calls him Fred.) got a whipped cream and toilet paper bath.

Plastic forks stuck in the grass.
I stopped counting at 75!!

Delaney watched us clean up from the house in her cozy boy pjs.

This made me laugh. :)

Pool and slide on top of the shed.

Only baseball players could throw toilet paper that high!

Hudson helped daddy clean up.

On a Roll.

2010-07-29T22:23:00.004-05:00

I had been looking all over for a crayon roll for my kids.
I couldn't find one anywhere. So, I searched the internet and figured out how to make them myself!

"Cars" for Hudson

"Dora" for Delaney

I think I ended up getting a little carried away! They're just so darn cute and easy to make. I made quite a few and brought them to my sister-in-law's salon to sell. I loved each and every one of them.

And, I have more cut out and ready for the machine.
Maybe I'm a little bit addicted! :)

Wasn't it just May?!??

2010-07-28T22:12:00.001-05:00

When I was little, summer seemed endless.
Each day was filled with hours of sunshine and fun.
What happened??

Now, summer is super short and the calendar is so full!

Dentist appointments
Baseball games
birthdays
t-ball
bbqs

I can't believe how fast the months are flying by!
We flip the calendar to August in 4 days!

*sigh*

Monkey Bread

2010-07-27T19:35:00.001-05:00

4 packages refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/3 C sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
1 C brown sugar
1 stick butter
1 Tbsp Karo syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt brown sugar, butter, Karo syrup and 1 tsp of cinnamon on low, stir every minute or so.
Cut biscuits in half and place in large Ziploc bag. Add sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon to bag.
Shake bag until biscuits are coated.
Put coated biscuits into sprayed Bundt pan and drizzle with melted mixture over top.
Bake 30-35 minutes until golden.
Cool 10 minutes and flip onto a plate.

Hudson and I made this for Father's Day breakfast. It was very yummy! When we make it again, I'd only change one thing. When putting everything into the Bundt pan, I would pour the melted mixture throughout the layers of biscuits instead of all on the top.

These little shoes...

2010-07-26T21:37:00.000-05:00

How many miles do you think one
little boy puts on a pair of tennis shoes?

Hundreds?
Thousands?

I'm sad to see these little Lightning McQueen shoes go.
They were Hudson's first t-ball shoes.
First shoes he spotted on the shelf and wanted.
Stomped around the house watching them light up.
I can't bring myself to put them in the trash yet.

Outgrown.
Worn out.
Loved.

T-Ball 2010

2010-07-23T22:12:00.005-05:00

Hudson is playing t-ball for the second summer. Last year, his Aunt was the coach, so he was able to be on the team even though he wasn't old enough to play. This year, he was invited back on the same team even though they had a different coach. We were thrilled that they were willing to include him. In Minot, you're supposed to have completed Kindergarten to play t-ball. Hudson really has a lot of natural athletic abilities and I can't imagine him not playing for 3 more years! (And, no, I'm not just saying that because I'm his mommy!!)

Hudson & his cousin Taylee are on the same team. Fun for them!

A little instruction from Coach. First at-bat of the season!

Hudson has had the opportunity to play so many positions this year! First base, second base, outfield, pitcher... Last game, his little 3 year old face couldn't stop smiling when he got the chance to play catcher!!! Andy was a catcher in high school and college. I wouldn't be surprised if Hudson follows in daddy's shoes!

Hudson (far right) and some teammates waiting for their turn to bat. :) I love the girls in their pink helmets!

And he scores! Giving high fives as he runs back to the dugout.

A quick smile for mom!

Swing, batter!

Cute little #5.

Yes, he slides into home every single time! Even when it's totally not necessary!

Waiting on 3rd...

We feel so lucky to have such a fun little boy who enjoys being part of a team. He takes it quite seriously and loves every minute of playing. A huge thank you to Hudson's coaches...we appreciate them so much!! They are giving him a tremendous opportunity and developing his love for sports. Hopefully we'll be able to continue getting him on a team each summer until he's actually old enough to play! :) He's having a blast! Two games next week and the season comes to an end. Where has this summer gone?!?

I'm back!

2010-07-05T14:10:00.002-05:00

Andy found a solution to my internet problem. Still don't know what was wrong, just glad it's fixed!!

The Ice Cream Truck drove through our neighborhood last week. Giant popsicles for each of the kids! They thought they were pretty great.

The "Twilight" part of me can't help but think they're in the Cullen family! :)

I still have many things to post, but I'll get to it later. Busy week at our house! Grandma Diane is coming to stay with the kids for 4 days while Andy is in Minnesota coaching baseball and I'm going to Las Vegas with 6 other Lach ladies! First trip away from the kids for me. I know I'll be a little sad, but will have a great time! Flying out on Friday!

ugh...

2010-06-28T17:37:00.002-05:00

I have been making things, I've tried new recipes, my kids have been having adventures, summer is finally here...I have so much to share on my blog! But, every time I try to upload pictures, a box pops up and says there's a problem with my internet and the program shuts everything down. I am beyond frustrated!! :( When this gets resolved, I'll have one heck of a post to catch up!

Potty, too!

2010-06-17T14:09:00.002-05:00

Yes, she did!

Almost every time Hudson goes potty, Delaney says, "Potty, too." and sits on our other potty chair. I'd smile and say good job each time she sat there. On June 5th, she insisted on having her diaper off to "potty, too". And, she went!

(I put a diaper back on her before taking

pictures since her shirt was short.)

She's only 19 months old, so I don't think she's really ready.

She sure is interested though! We're not encouraging or discouraging her. Hopefully she'll just work into it and things will go smoothly! So many people say girls are easier than boys...seems like it may be true.

Two kids out of diapers would be so wonderful !$!!$$ :)

If you have little kids,

2010-06-10T23:05:00.003-05:00

I would highly recommend buying an "Aquadoodle".

You fill the pens with water.

The special pad turns blue when it gets wet.

My kiddos love it!

Seriously, no mess.

I'm a little nervous.

2010-05-26T18:30:00.000-05:00

Don't get me wrong.

I love my daughter with ALL my heart.

But I'm a little scared of what she'll be like as a teenager.

From day one, she's had a TON of spunk and a LOAD of drama!

She goes from one emotion to another with the blink of an eye.

Sweet little stinker!

Wouldn't trade her for the world,

but I think she'll keep us on our toes!!

Welcome, Summer!!

2010-05-23T10:18:00.005-05:00

We're so glad you're coming to visit soon!

Please bring all your friends.

We've sure missed them...

popsicles,

sunshine,

picnics,

wagon rides,

sprinklers,

ladybugs,

flowers,

flip flops,

If your friends sunburn and mosquitos can't make it, that's okay.

We haven't been missing them! :)

SEE YA SOON!!

Random Loves...

2010-05-20T13:54:00.002-05:00

NBC has a new show this season called "Parenthood".

I love it...

the storyline.

the characters.

the set.

Next week is the season finale, but you could catch up online.

Have you tried Pretzel M&Ms yet?

Salty and Sweet. YUM!

Andy and I have been watching this season of American Idol.
I totally predicted Lee would win about 1/2 way through.

Andy has been a fan of Crystal, and now it's down to those 2.

Guess we'll know the winner next week!

Hudson is loving these drinks.

How can you not want to sit on the potty if you get to drink a Little Hug?? :)

Mini Me

2010-05-17T22:03:00.001-05:00

Saturday afternoon, I gave Delaney and I matching pedicures. It's so fun having a daughter!

Four down...

2010-05-17T21:54:00.002-05:00

Got around to de-junking our bedroom over the weekend. The farther I get, the more motivated I become. However, now that the weather is nice, I sure would rather spend time doing something else.

I also put this shelf at the end of the hall. I think photo albums will be stored here.

Happy 1/2 Birthday, Delaney!

2010-05-05T22:06:00.000-05:00

Can't believe this little sweetie is 18 months old!

Love her so much!!

We had Dairy Queen to celebrate the day.

Six more months and she'll be 2.

CRAZY!!

Pee Pee in the Potty!!!

2010-05-02T14:15:00.004-05:00

Hudson turned 3 the end of February. He has really not shown any interest in getting rid of his diapers, and we haven't pushed it because we don't want it to be a fight.

Last Thursday night, I put this reward system together for him. Every time he sits on the potty he gets 1 sticker. If he goes in the potty, he gets 2. Once he gets 10 stickers, he gets a prize. For the first one, daddy will take him to buy a new movie!!

Saturday morning, he had 4 stickers.

We read books while he sits. We've read many, many books!! He started asking to sit on the potty now. I think he's warming up to the idea.

SUCCESS!! Sunday afternoon, we had our first pee pee in the potty!!!!!!! I am so proud of him and hope it won't be long until it's a regular thing. We had a dance party in the bathroom, kisses, hugs, high fives and screaming!! :) He was awfully excited! He now has 8 stickers...only 2 to go for the first prize!!

I am no longer the worst!

2010-05-01T15:47:00.005-05:00

Thanks to my Aunt Barbara's recipe, I am not the worst chocolate chip cookie baker anymore! Yay! Thank you, thank you!! Even my father-in-law called to tell me they were good. :)

My poor little hand mixer and I weren't prepared for how big the batch would be!

First ones out of the oven.

My taste testers gave them 4 thumbs up! :)

I can't decide if I should share the recipe or keep it all to myself and be the choc chip cookie Queen!!

I am not prepared

2010-04-27T22:06:00.003-05:00

to be the mom of a little boy!!

This is sitting on my kitchen table right now.

Yep, that is a bird skull. YUCK!

Circus 2010

2010-04-27T21:43:00.002-05:00

The circus is in town this week. We went on Monday night.

As a kid, the circus seems so magical and exciting. As an adult, it seems so noisy and expensive. One of those things you do for your kids. I did enjoy some of the acts, and the elephants were really good!

Sorry, Earth...

2010-04-27T21:32:00.002-05:00

Andy cut down 3 evergreen trees in our backyard on Sunday. We talked about getting rid of them for the entire 5 1/2 years we've been in our house. Now, they were too big to transplant, so we had to cut them down. We felt guilty. They were nice trees, but would have taken over half of our backyard.

I think Andy enjoyed using the chainsaw a little too much!!

2010 Picnic

2010-04-27T21:28:00.002-05:00

Saturday, we had our first picnic of the year!
It was gorgeous outside, so we took full advantage!

My favorite kind of dishes! :)

Houdini

2010-04-22T22:07:00.002-05:00

Prayer Request

2010-04-19T14:14:00.002-05:00

If you are someone who believes in the power of prayer, please pray for my friends Mandy and Curt and their new baby girl. Kassy Lee was born on 4.18.10. Her due date was 8.08.10. She is 1 tiny pound and 8 little ounces! From what I hear, tiny Kassy is a fighter!! Prayer can work wonders!

Thank you!!

Pink Piggies

2010-04-17T22:35:00.002-05:00

I painted Delaney's toenails for the first time today. I had been wanting to for a long time, but thought it would be a big mess. She did really great and loved it! :) We may have tiny girly girl on our hands!

10 pink piggies :)

A little happy dance on her painted little toes.

Three Down...

2010-04-17T22:27:00.003-05:00

Delaney's room is checked off my list! I just need to put her new light switch plate up and decide on new knobs for the dresser. That dresser has been used by many babies...me, Kristin, Kara, Hudson and now Delaney. Kristin and I each used it when we were in college. A fresh coat of paint, and it looks brand new.

Sick Little Man :(

2010-04-17T22:22:00.002-05:00

It's 1:30am on Friday. Andy and I wake up to the sound of Hudson being sick...yuck! Poor little guy. Friday, he didn't play, laugh, sing...he stayed on the couch all day. Poor baby. Today he is feeling much better. Just hope nobody else catches that bug!!

Kara's Prom Encore

2010-04-12T21:40:00.003-05:00

My baby sister was invited back to Prom in Powers Lake. Last Saturday, Delaney, Kara and I headed to PL for the big day. She looked beautiful!!

Kara and Cody

Kara's friend Michael, Kara, and my cousin Nathanial

Kara had a fun night. She says this was definitely her last prom! Glad Delaney and I could be there!

Has anyone seen my son??

2010-04-07T22:29:00.002-05:00

The Easter Bunny brought "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2" for my kids. If Hudson had his way, he would spend every minute of every day on my bed watching them. We're already excited for June when "Toy Story 3" comes out. The week after, "Cars 2" will be in the theater! I love having a movie buddy!!! :)

Two down...

2010-04-07T22:26:00.001-05:00

Bathroom upstairs is done! I almost hate to admit it, but I had 2 grocery bags of garbage when I was done! The big closet hadn't been gone through in a while. Shame on me...

Happy Easter!

2010-04-06T19:54:00.004-05:00

We dyed Easter eggs. Hudson took it very seriously. :)

The Easter Bunny was good to the kids again this year.

Dressed and ready for church.

Easter afternoon, we got together with our Lach side of the family at a hotel for supper and swimming.

You've Got Mail!

2010-04-06T19:42:00.003-05:00

My mom sent the kids cards for Easter. They each got their own and loved every minute of opening and reading them.

After Delaney read her card, the shut it and said, "Amen"...cute!

Hudson made confetti out of his envelope! After he read his, he yelled, "The End" and asked to read it again.

Two stamps can bring many smiles!!

One Down...

2010-04-06T19:32:00.002-05:00

I've never really believed in "Spring Cleaning". I try to keep my house clean, or as clean as can be with two little ones! We bought our house 5 1/2 years ago, and wondered what to do with all the extra room. Now, the rooms are full of kids!! :) Man, you can accumulate a ton of stuff in five years. I have decided to go through each room and de-junk. It's probably going to take me longer than just spring...wish me luck and thank our garbage men if you see them!!

Hudson's room has been de-junked. Yes, there are a lot of toys, but since I do daycare, I can't really get rid of them. We just deal and try to organize as best we can.

Hippity, Hoppity.

2010-04-03T14:20:00.004-05:00

Easter's on it's way!

I loved when the grocery store had coloring contests when I was little. One of the grocery stores in town had one for Easter. I brought the sheets home, and was almost as excited as when I'd get to color the page! And, yes, they are in their pajamas...it was a lazy day! :)

My little artists create masterpieces!!

Today, I am trying 4 new recipes...yes, four! The first was chocolate chip pumpkin muffins for breakfast. They were good! I just finished Easter nests to bring for dinner tomorrow. Almost too cute to eat!

Here's the recipe:

1 C peanut butter

1 C chocolate chips

2 Tbsp margarine

melt above until smooth, then pour over

3 C chowmein noodles

drop spoonful onto waxed paper and shape into nest

decorate with small jelly beans or M&Ms

I was lucky to find egg shaped M&Ms. :)

HAPPY EASTER!!

oink, oink

2010-03-18T14:11:00.000-05:00

Delaney has pigtails! :)

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

2010-03-09T19:29:00.002-06:00

http://www.myheritage.com/collage

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Geneology - Family web site

Not so sure if I see it, but kind of fun to try!

Heat Wave!

2010-03-08T18:30:00.002-06:00

It was super nice out on Saturday! Anything above 32 degrees qualifies as a heat wave this time of year! We all went out to build a snowman.

Meet 'Frosty'. Hudson gave me the snowman decorating kit for Christmas, and this was the first opportunity we had to try it out. Cute!

Now that we've built our snowman, bring on Spring! We're all anxious and waiting!!

One day...

2010-03-06T10:49:00.002-06:00

I will walk through the kitchen without something crunching under my feet. Isn't sweeping the floor 2-3 times a day enough?? I think my kids are constantly pretending to be Hansel and Gretel! :)

Tunnel of Fun

2010-03-06T10:46:00.001-06:00

Hudson got this fun tunnel from Gma & Gpa Lach for his birthday. It has been a lot of fun!

Hudson is 3!!!

2010-03-01T19:48:00.006-06:00

Wednesday, February 24th, our little boy turned 3 years old! I simply cannot believe he is 3! Time is flying by much too quickly!!

Cupcakes I made for my little man's 3rd birthday. Chocolate with cookie dough inside. :) yum!

Cupcakes I made for my niece, who celebrated her birthday with Hudson.

Hudson went to the dentist last December. He told Hudson he needed to get rid of his pacifier on his 3rd birthday. Here's his very last suck.

When he was done, he threw it in the baggie, turned around and said, "That was awesome!". He paid for his swimming party with his paci. That way, it's really gone...not ever to be given back. So far, he's done great and has only asked for it 2 times at bedtime.

Hudson had a swimming party at the Holiday Inn. He requested pizza and cupcakes.
It was a lot of fun!

Delaney was all decked out to swim. She put her toes in the water and screamed. So much for her having fun in the water...

The birthday boy, on the other hand, had an INCREDIBLY FUN NIGHT!!

Some of the basketball girls stopped by to wish Hudson a happy birthday. So nice.

Cousins

Hudson certainly was spoiled! Thank you everyone for all the nice gifts!! He's enjoying each and every one of them.

Time for singing, candles, and cake...

Everyone else headed home, so Hudson and his friend had the pool all to themselves for almost an hour. What a fun day!!

I {heart} them!

2010-02-21T14:47:00.000-06:00

Three of my favorite people on the planet!! XOXXO

February Fun!

2010-02-21T14:34:00.003-06:00

My sweet babies!

Goodbye, highchair.

2010-02-08T13:11:00.000-06:00

How can such a little girl have such a big attitude?

This past weekend, Delaney refused to sit in her highchair. The tantrum was one for the record books!

screaming
crying
kicking
hitting

UGLY!

So, we made 2 moves to end the madness...

Hudson moved out of the booster chair and Delaney moved into it.

Now, everyone's smiling and my ears aren't bleeding!! :)

Big boy without the booster!

Very happy girl sitting at the big table!

stylin'

2010-02-08T13:08:00.000-06:00

I got a sewing machine for my birthday in November. I should start calling it my scarf making machine since that's about all I've made. After messing up a bit on one, I was able to shorten it and make a Delaney sized one.

cute little ponytail :)

2010-02-07T16:18:00.002-06:00

Delaney will not leave "pretties" in her hair. I'm lucky to get a quick picture before she pulls them out. Kara put a ponytail in the back of her hair and she left it alone! It looks pretty cute, too!

And, as you can see, Delaney is such a good helper unloading the dishwasher. What a sweet baby!

One-Niner!

2010-02-06T16:13:00.000-06:00

A little late, but Happy 19th Birthday, Kara! Hard to believe my baby sister turned 19 on January 24th. When I was 19, she was 8!

Love you, Karabellerinskiolameister!!

I am the Worst.

2010-01-22T13:04:00.000-06:00

I am the worst chocolate chip cookie baker in the history of ever. I don't know what I do wrong, but I end up with dough balls that are crispy on the outside, kinda raw on the inside, and not spread out at all. I used to be able to bake cookies without any problems...I'm not sure what has happened.

Luckily, my assistant doesn't seem to notice.

I guess my taste tester doesn't mind, either.

Any suggestions to improve my baking efforts??

Christmas Cuties!

2010-01-07T21:42:00.004-06:00

I love Christmas morning as a mom. To see the looks on my kids' faces makes it feel like magic! Hudson absolutely LOVED Santa this year. We went to visit him at the mall and Hudson walked right up and asked to sit with him. They had a very nice conversation! :) Delaney on the other hand DISLIKED him very much! She didn't talk to him, she cried at him. Poor baby...

Christmas morning...little sleepy faces coming to see what surprises were left for them.

Santa always left fruit in my stocking, and he is doing the same for my kids. This year, he gave them bananas. He must know they're a favorite at our house! :)

Santa also brought bikes for both the kids! Hudson asked him specifically for a red bike with Lightning McQueen, Chick Hicks and the King. He's pretty lucky Santa was able to fill that very specific request!

Delaney got a cute pink and purple trike with a storage compartment in the back to put her babies and bracelets in. Both of the bikes look big, but I'll bet they'll be the perfect size when the weather gets nicer and we're able to try them outside. For now, they're great for mommy and daddy to push the kids around on them in the living room.

What a nice Christmas! Santa spoiled us!

I have to include these pictures. Grandma Diane gave Hudson his Minnesota Vikings recliner for his 2nd birthday. Now, she gave one to Delaney for Christmas. Aren't they too cute relaxing side by side? Love it!

A little brother/sister bonding while watching Dora. :)

spaghetti is yummy!!

2010-01-05T21:10:00.000-06:00

It's good the 1st time you feed it to yourself...

...and the ??th time!!

Happy Holidays!

2010-01-04T22:36:00.001-06:00

We hope you had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Our family~Christmas Eve 2009

Okay, I'm Old!

2009-11-29T17:29:00.002-06:00

My birthday was the day after Thanksgiving. I got up way too early and went shopping with my mom and sister. I spent the rest of the day at home with my kids, husband, and mom. That night, Andy threw a surprise party for me. I was truely surprised! Spending time with family and friends was a great way to ring in a new decade!

When I was younger, 30 seemed extremely ancient. Now that I'm here, it's really not that bad. I've been married 8 1/2 years, have 2 sweet kids, drive a van and own a home...guess I can't really be 22 anymore!

Andy and Hudson baked me a strawberry cake with chocolate frosting. They decorated the top with an entire bottle of sprinkles and fancy candles. It was delicious!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-29T17:14:00.002-06:00

Hope your family had a nice Turkey Day!

We have so many things to be thankful for! When you're raising little ones, it's easy to take things for granted and forget to say thank you for the blessings in your life. This time of year is a gentle reminder to count every small thing and to think of how blessed you really are!

We spent Thanksgiving in Powers Lake with my mom and Kara. We had a nice, relaxing holiday and definitely had plenty to eat!

Elf Yourself

2009-11-16T22:51:00.001-06:00

These are probably the funniest things I've seen in a LONG time! In one, we are dancing, and the other we are singing and dancing. You have to try it with your pictures!
www.elfyourself.jibjab.com

Too darn funny!!

2009-11-16T22:41:00.001-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

2009-11-16T22:32:00.000-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Baby Steps

2009-11-15T20:59:00.002-06:00

We've got a walker!!

wink

2009-11-13T12:39:00.002-06:00

I was taking a couple pictures of Delaney one afternoon when she woke up with CrAZy bed head! Since she was in her crib and couldn't crawl away from me, I tried to get a video of her winking. Love her tricks! Now, I need to get a video of her newest trick - walking!! As of last weekend, she's a girl on the go! :)

Delaney is One!!

2009-11-13T12:37:00.004-06:00

Delaney turned one on November 5th! Can't even begin to describe how fast this year has flown by!! We had her party on the following Saturday. What a fun day!

We ordered her a ladybug cake and it was about the cutest thing I've ever seen. And, it was super yummy! The bakery also made us a small cake for Delaney to dig into. I made a banner for her and ordered balloons. It's not a party if you don't have balloons!! :)

Wow, was our little girl ever spoiled! Thank you so much to all of our family for the nice gifts for Delaney! Baby dolls, clothes, art supplies, ect...she's loving all of them!

Even though the cake was so good, the birthday girl was not a huge fan. She didn't like how the frosting and cake felt on her fingers. When she'd get some on her, she'd wave her hand around until it flew off. She did love the cake, as long as someone fed it to her. I ended up cutting small pieces for her and that was a little better. Nobody should cry while eating birthday cake!!

Still can't believe she's 1!! Delaney is such a blessing. Even though she can be a demanding little turkey and a bit dramatic, we love her so very much! Can't imagine our family without her!

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY, BABY GIRL!!

Favorite Halloween Pictures :)

2009-11-03T21:52:00.002-06:00

Hudson got this spider from a grandma of a girl who comes to my daycare. He REALLY enjoyed scaring mommy and daddy with it, and of course, we played it up to amuse him!! :) This picture makes me smile, even though it's a bit creepy!

Our carved pumpkins. Andy and I have carved pumpkins every year since we first were married. The funny face was carved for Delaney since she has 4 teeth right now. Hudson picked out the bat. I carved the third one just so it wouldn't go to waste. Next year, we're only getting 2!

Our family! We took advantage of Halloween being on a Saturday and took the kids to Powers Lake. It was such fun to trick-or-treat at the houses I went to when I was small. We had a lot of fun! And, I think Grandma Diane enjoyed our company. :)

I cannot believe how much candy Hudson and Delaney got in a short time!! I froze everything I could...probably won't run out of treats until next Halloween!!

Pumpkin Carving

2009-11-03T21:45:00.000-06:00

We carved two of our pumpkins a couple days before Halloween. I carved a funny face for Delaney and Andy carved a bat for Hudson.

All ready!

Right after this picture, Hudson said, "I don't like guts!" He is so funny! :)

As you can see, Delaney was a bit scared when her pumpkin was next to her. This is the best shot I have. She kept trying to slap it away!

Hudson loved his pumpkin!!

Guess it's okay if it's not too close! :)

Geez, no wonder I'm tired!

2009-10-27T13:47:00.002-05:00

Delaney is constantly moving! I don't think she even stays still while sleeping! Now that she's cruising along the furniture, I don't think it'll be long and she'll be walking. Daddy practices with her every day. She has no fear and throws herself wherever she's trying to go...just lacking a little in the balance department! :)

Grayson Parker is here!

2009-10-27T13:41:00.000-05:00

Our great nephew, Grayson, was born this morning at 1:09am!
We can't go visit him yet...dang H1N1...no visitors on the maternity floor except the daddy. :(
Can't wait to hold that perfect little man!
Congratulations, Jason and Alison!!

Grandma & Grandpa's Halloween Party!

2009-10-26T13:33:00.001-05:00

Grandma and Grandpa Lach had their annual Halloween party for all the grandkids last weekend. What a fun time!! Andy was out of town this year for a football playoff game, so I stayed and helped out with the kids...man, was I ever tired after it was over! Thank you Grandma and Papa for such a wonderful party!

All the cousins (except Eric and the 4 who live in Minnesota).
Our two are the ducky and Spiderman. :)

freeze dance

pass the pumpkin

Delaney needed a snack and got some alone time with her Papa.

Grandma and Grandpa with the crew!

The kids get Halloween t-shirts as prizes every year. So cute!

frosting Halloween cookies

What a cheeseball! :)

Hudson's cookies

Can't wait for next year's party!

Mmmmm!

2009-10-26T13:21:00.000-05:00

Discovered the joy of chocolate chip cookies! YUMMY!

Fourth Tooth!!

2009-10-15T13:55:00.002-05:00

Friday, October 9th, Delaney's top right tooth FINALLY decided to make an appearance! She's turning into our little jack-o-lantern!

So Not Ready!!

2009-10-10T15:18:00.002-05:00

Yes, that right...
S.N.O.W.
We woke up to this on October 9th.
It's just not right!!

It didn't stick around long since the ground is warm. But, it's still fluttering down on us! Darn you, North Dakota weather! I want August back!!

Third Tooth!!

2009-10-07T14:06:00.003-05:00

Last Friday, Delaney got her top left front tooth! The right one looks like it'll be through any day now! Bring on the corn on the cob!!