Happy 7th Anniversary!

Seven years ago I married my best friend. We are living this crazy thing called life and enjoying the ride. There have been ups and downs, and together we have made it through it all. Not sure where I would be without this amazing guy. Our life with our beautiful daughters makes my heart swell and brings a smile to my face thinking about how incredibly blessed we are. Who would have known that a spark would fly from a conversation about football? I guess it was just meant to be! Happy 7th anniversary to my partner in life who I adore, love, and live for. Here's to many, many more!


Out With the Old, In With the....Old?

It's official. We own a van. We parted ways with our car and are starting a new adventure with a van. I fully accept the stigma that comes with owning and driving a van because for us, the main reason we got a van is because we have children to fill it with and that makes it worth it. Just call me soccer mom :) Or for my Polish friends and family, you can call me a baba now!

Swimming Lessons

Kelsey began swimming lessons this week. It is her first time being in the water by herself for lessons without a parent and also her first lessons outdoors. So far both have been successful. She has been working on her front crawl and back float. They also have to jump in. Kelsey does not put her head in the water yet and we have really been trying to encourage that she tries it to continue to be more comfortable in the water. The other day she jumped in and accidentally put her head under the water. We were clapping and giving thumbs up from afar where we were watching. She never cried, but was definitely surprised after it happened. After lessons she said, " I am never ever doing that again!" Good thing she has a few more lessons to keep working on it!

Polka Days

We made the annual trip to Pulaski for polka days weekend. After a week of fishing with my dad and brother in Canada, Matt met us in Pulaski. Thankfully for me, Matt's parents and aunt and uncle came with us this year so I had driving buddies to help with the girls on the ride. On Friday we went to the Wildlife Sanctuary and Bay Beach Amusement Park. The sanctuary had a beautiful trail where we looked at animals and enjoyed the outdoors. Afterward, we went to Bay Beach where the girls went on rides. Tickets for the ride are 25 cents and most rides take 1-3 tickets. Chris, Vickie, and Sharon even ventured over to the Zippin Pippin rollercoaster. After a fun morning in the sun, we went to lunch at a cool new restaurant in Green Bay called Hagemeister Park. We enjoyed a nice meal on the outdoor patio. Later that day, we had a grill out at my dad's before going to the grounds for polkas and dancing.

On Saturday, Chris, Molly, Brian, my dad, and I participated in the 5k polka trot. My dad and brother ran and the girls walked. Kelsey also ran in the 1/4 mile kids run. She stopped twice during the run and put her hands on her head and said "Oh my gosh." She did finish and couldn't believe she got a medal for "winning." Next, Molly and I went to the craft fair and found some goodies. After everyone rested, we celebrated Kelsey's birthday with my family. She is getting closer to turning 4. How did that happen?!? Of course we spent the evening soaking in the polka music.

Sunday we went to the parade. My dad marched with the American Legion veterans. Proud of you, Dad! All the girls got enough candy to last for awhile!

We love this weekend in Pulaski. We get to see so many friends and family. Plus, it is an opportunity for me to celebrate my Polish heritage which I know would make my mom smile. I love sharing this tradition with my daughters and hope they also value it as much as I do.

Oh Kelsey....

Last night Kelsey needed a little chat about being nice and using kind words. Megan was trying to play with her and she was not having it, and then she yelled at me about it in a pretty mean tone. So, this mama raised her voice and was pretty stern with her that her behavior was not acceptable. (Gosh that part of parenting is tough!)  Fast forward to before bed as we were snuggling and saying prayers. She turns to me and says " Mom, I SO forgive you for being mean to me earlier and yelling at me. I REALLY forgive you. It's ok you got upset because I needed to learn a lesson." OMG! That child cracks me up. She also went on to tell me that Daddy was "freaking out" when he heard that Kelsey put her face in the water in the pool yesterday. Oh my Kelsey girl how I love your spunk!

Dinner with Katy

I was fortunate to meet up with a dear high school friend,Katy, and her two children for dinner. We met at Chuck E. Cheese's. Kelsey played with her daughter, Nina, while Megan and her son ,Ty, took in the sights and sounds while staying close to their mamas. What a fun night of catching up and talking about old times. We have come a long way from the days of Park Central, right Katy :)

Picnic in the Park

What could be better than a sunny day spent having a picnic in the park with my 3 loves? After Kelsey finished tadpole camp, we went to the park to eat lunch, feed the ducks, and walk the path with Megan in the stroller and Kelsey on her bike. Summer ROCKS!

Fish Fry

We went to Matt's aunt and uncle's cabin for a fish fry with the Skala clan. They have been hosting this event for a few years now, but we have not been able to make it until now. They have a very nice cabin on the lake and it was the perfect day to be outside in the water. Kelsey enjoyed swimming in a lake for the first time. She also went for her first boat ride. Uncle Gary even let her drive! The kids, both big and small, played in the water most of the day. We also ate some delicious fish. It was a very fun day!

Fourth of July

Holy Hot Weather! July 4th was a hot one this year! With temps in the 100s, we referred to this year's event as "Sweatfest." We went to the annual parade to begin with. Thankfully, Matt's family found a shady place for us to sit. There was quite the crew of us! It has become a tradition to go with Matt's immediate family and also some of his cousins and aunt and uncle.

The parade was good as usual. Plus, no one melted :)

Afterward, we went to Matt's cousin's house for swimming, golf cart rides, food, and fun.

The evening ended with fireworks. Kelsey has been talking about fireworks for a long time and was funny while watching them because she liked to comment about each one. She also had a special request to listen to "Firework" by Katy Perry while watching the fireworks. Aunt Diane filled her request and made one happy little girl. Megan was sound asleep when we arrived to the fireworks, but she woke up to watch them. She didn't get scared and actually didn't seem too phased by them. I think she was pretty exhausted from the go-go-go of the day and the heat and was happy when we finally got to her bed.

Happy Birthday, America!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Happy Birthday, Daddy! We love you so much!

Waterpark

As the temperatures continue to swell, we have been finding ways to cool off like going to the waterpark. It is awesome that it is only a few minutes from our house! Kelsey and Megan loved it! The kiddie area is huge and really gave Kelsey some confidence in the water. She was able to touch at almost every part and I think she liked feeling more in control. She was jumping in the water to us which was a big step for her. She has always liked the water, but has not been very comfortable being by herself until this trip. Megan also wanted to walk around by herself. Little Miss Independent did not want to hold our hands and swallowed a few gulps of water because she would pull away. She did eventually figure out that holding our hands was better than her face in the water :) Both girls liked the turtle slide a lot! We spent a lot of time there. Plus, to make our day even better, Grandma joined us :) By the end of the day, Megan fell asleep on Mommy and we got to spend the remaining time relaxing in the shade and watching Kelsey dance in the water with Grandma and Daddy. When we got home, we had a pizza picnic on the living room floor. Another fun summer day in the books!