Today Matt and I celebrate 6 years of marriage. I love this man so much! He is so wonderful, and I am thankful and blessed for the love we share. It sounds cliche, but he truly is my best friend, and sharing my life with him is a gift. In the time we have been together, we have been through so much. Our greatest joys are our beautiful daughters and raising them together. Being parents has strengthened our bond even more because we are sharing in all the experiences that our girls bring us. I love you, Mattey, and I love our life together! Happy Anniversary! To celebrate, we went to eat at Applebees since that was our first date and also where we got engaged. Afterward we went to an outdoor concert at Diamond Jo's in Iowa. We met up with some friends there and also saw some of Matt's relatives. It was very relaxing and a fun way to spend our evening. Thank you to Grandma and Grandpa for watching the girls for a few hours so that we could go out :) Here is a blast from the past and one from today:
Kelsey had her first friend birthday party today. She invited 5 friends from dance class and 4 of them were able to make it. The morning of the party she was really giddy and hard to calm down. She was in the garage helping us set up and the smile on her face went from ear to ear. However, the waiting got old after awhile and right before the party started she looked sad. When we asked her what was wrong she said, "My friends aren't coming." When we finally reassured her they would be there and she actually saw the first car pull up, she was a happy little girl again. When the girls arrived, they started by making crowns. Next up was pin the heart on the crown game. After that, Kelsey opened gifts, and received some very thoughtful presents as well. The invited girls also got goody bags that they had to find hidden princess coins around the house to turn in and collect their bags. After all the gifts, the girls decorated cookies. Finally, they just played for the remaining time. They also showed off their dance moves while jamming to the Disney princess CD. All in all, I would say her first friend birthday party was a success. After the party was done, we decided we needed to celebrate the day with dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. Kelsey told them it is going to be her birthday and they brought her dessert and sang to her. Daddy got to get in on the action, too, so Kelsey did not have to brave the singing and whip cream in the face alone :) On the way home, we stopped close to our to house to see a mama deer and her three fawns crossing the road. It was weird to see the deer in town. They were in no hurry either. We sat parked on the road for a good few minutes while they slowly crossed the street.
Kelsey participated in her first sports camp this week. It was 4 nights for 1 hour each time. They focused on running, jumping, kicking, throwing, and hitting by using soccer, baseball, and track and field. Kelsey was really excited to go each day. One of her friends from dance class was in it too so she was happy to see a familiar face. Kelsey did a really good job at following directions and listening to her teachers. We were very proud of her! She even had a fan club of the Ginskey crew and Grandpa and Grandma who also came to cheer her on a few nights.
All ready for camp! Little sister cheering on big sister! Kelsey also walked in the Crazy Days kiddie parade this week. She walked with girls from her dance academy. She was excited to get to wear her costume again. She looked pretty darn cute and did a good job walking. After the parade, she got to ride in the kiddie train around central park as a reward doing so well in the parade.
We spent the weekend in Pulaski celebrating polka days! It is a tradition that I hope we always continue to follow. We began the event with Polish food and music on Thursday night. However, we were all pretty exhausted from a full day of traveling that we did not stay at the grounds very long. Friday morning our dear friends the Chrisman's came over to visit. Mary and Kelsey played Go Fish and also colored "masterpieces". That afternoon we went by my mom's grave and put out a new flower arrangement on the headstone that my Aunt Evie made. It was a beautiful moment holding hands and remembering my special matka. She loved polka days weekend so it was fitting we celebrated her life and updated her grave with red and white flowers. Afterward, we went to hear my Uncle Dennis's band play. That evening we all went to the grounds and had a blast. The kiddos all wanted to dance. Even the "big kids" managed to shake their booties a little to the polka beat :) Poor little Megan did not care for the loud music and she was very afraid for awhile. The ear plugs I got her were too big to stay in her little ears, but we tried to keep her ears covered the best we could. She did get used to it and was her easy going self after awhile. Thank you to Aunt Evie for all the glow sticks for the kids. Kelsey still has her wand even though it is not glowing anymore. Saturday we went to the craft show downtown and sweated our tails off. It was a warm one! The kids played some games at the BVM tent and got paintings done on their faces and arms. Kelsey picked a ladybug which surprised us because she does not like bugs! Afterward, we definitely enjoyed the AC that afternoon at my dad's and we all just lounged around together. My dad and Chris celebrated Kelsey's birthday with her early too. We went back to the grounds for more polka action that evening and once again got our polka on. Kelsey was absolutely loving it! Although she did get tired at times, she loved the dance floor. It cooled off to the point that we had on sweatshirts and pants that night which was a huge change from the hot weather of the day. Sunday morning was the parade. We found a new shady spot that might become our regular place from now on. The kids got plenty of candy and we all enjoyed the entertaining floats and bands. It was sad to see another polka days come and go. I really look forward to this weekend because I get to see family and friends who we love dearly. Plus, I know it would make my mom so happy to know we continue to gather for the event and celebrate our Polish heritage together. A big THANK YOU to my dad and Chris for hosting our crazy bunch. The house gets pretty full with all of us there, but it is fun to all be together.
We went to support Diane a few nights ago at Dancing with the Steele County Stars. The event benefited Healthy Seniors and was a great fundraiser. Diane was paired with a golf pro from town and they danced the waltz beautifully. We were very proud of her! Way to go DD!