Oktoberfest!!

  We walked in the door about an hour ago, back from a weekend in Pierz, MN for the famed "Oktoberfest" with our friends, the Kahlhamers. We stayed at Max's parents' house (Kathy and Dennis), along with Max and Erika and their two children... meaning there were five children under five (as well as six adults) in one house! Kathy and Dennis had turned their finished attic into "Casa del Wevers," complete with a mattress, an air mattress, a made-up couch and a crib for Bennett! They even installed a window air-conditioner that night for us so we were more comfortable. What a wonderful little get-away for us!

  We left Friday afternoon (after I had worked two night shifts and had a short nap, making my patience level less than stellar!). After touring the house, which was EXACTLY as I imagined it would be, we all ate supper together. The Wevers' have eaten many a Kahlhamer meal from when Max lived with us, so we were excited to again partake in Kathy's delicious cuisine. We went on a walk around town that night (only Kathy and Liesel stayed home) and got to see where Max grew up. It's such a quaint little town! We were off to bed before 10 pm, and everyone in the attic but me and Bennett slept all night!

Noah and Sophia looking out the plane window!

  Saturday found B and the kids heading to the airport with Dennis, Max and Henry to see Dennis' airplane. B and the kids even got to go for a ride! They flew over the house twice and the girls (and Bennett) were out on the porch watching and waving! The kids loved it, and B got some great pictures from above. Not only did everyone have a great time, the trip reignited B's love for aviation and now he's thinking of buying an airplane as well! We'll see how that goes for him; but we have also decided to budget so that B can get up in he air at least twice a month and stay current. He is happiest when he is flying, so it would make me happy to know that he's doing what he loves to do!

  After the boys' (and Sophie's) return from the airport, we had a quick lunch of brats (of course!), hot dogs, chips and fruit and it was nap time for pretty much everyone. By the time everyone fell asleep and took a decent nap, it was 5 o'clock.

We packed up the kids and headed down the the "swimming hole" for a bit of Pierz-style swimming. Of course, by this time the sun was going down and the bugs were out, so we stayed less than an hour. The kiddos had fun though, going down the slides and shooting each other with the squirt gun. Even Bennett had a good time splashing his feet in the cold water! Needless to say, we got out of there pretty quickly. Upon our return to the house, we looked at Sophia's back and it was COVERED in mosquito bites! Even I had about 10 on my legs. That poor girl is like me- every bite makes a huge welt. The boys had a few bites each, but we could barely tell (they, luckily, are like their father in that respect).

We got home and threw them all in the tub before eating some of the best spaghetti I've ever eaten! The kids played for a little while Max headed off to the store for some supplies. When Max returned, he made the four of us some Pink Squirrels (yum-o!) while Erika and I got the kids ready for bed. We enjoyed our adult drinks :) and headed off to bed with the kids pretty early in anticipation of the exhausting day we had before us the next day!

  Sunday morning found us early! Sophia woke me up once, almost peeing her pants in the process, and Bennett-bear woke me up twice to eat (I have GOT to get him out of that- he's almost eight months old!), so I was exhausted at 0730 when we had to wake up. We all showered and got ready because 10 am brought Sunday Oktoberfest brunch, and about fifty people to share in it! The house was hopping for a couple of hours, then we all headed out front to watch what was probably the best parade I've ever seen... and it went right past the Kahlhamer's house! The kids got a bunch of candy, and I got a sunburn on my feet. There were awesome floats- we even got to throw water balloons at some people on a float at their request (I hit one guy in the face through the fence!). After the parade, we all got situated and hopped the shuttle (a school bus, which Noah thought was the coolest thing EVER) down to the park for the Oktoberfest festivities. The kids rode ponies and a camel, fed a bunch of different animals, got their faces painted, went down a huge slide, ate some brats and candy corn, and won some tickets for prizes. B also beat me at a baseball-throwing booth, so I had to change all of the diapers for the rest of the day! We got everyone tuckered-out and took the shuttle back to the house. Since the kids were exhausted, we packed up quickly and headed for home, after thanking Dennis and Kathy for their hospitality. We only stopped once in Fosston to eat at the A&W, and finally I am in my own bed, documenting the fun we had. It was the best weekend vacation I've had in quite some time, and I hope we get to go again someday. How wonderful that we have friends that are willing to include us in their family functions, and Pierz sure knows how to put on a party!!

Getting so big!

     It's the end of summer already! This time next year, I'll be getting my sweet Sophia ready for her first day of school. I can't believe how fast this is all going- it feels like I just brought her home from the hospital. B and I were just talking last night about how it's so neat to be able to have real conversations with her now- how she gives her input and actually makes sense with what she's saying. Noah is getting bigger and easier to understand now too, though you do need to be slightly fluent in "Noah" to get what he's saying most of the time. He's got his own ideas and tries to share them often with us (after a few moments of trying to decipher what he's saying). And my sweet Bennett... he's getting closer and closer to crawling and is turning into a very vocal little boy. He squeals and talks constantly (mostly when he is eating, much like his brother) and gets on his hands and knees and rocks now. I wish I could just freeze them where they are now and keep them this way forever, but I'm also curious and excited about who they will become! No one told me it would be this hard to be a parent- to watch my babies grow and have no control over how quickly it goes! I'm glad that Bennett will always be my baby, but I will really miss the "newborn" stage, where they're so tiny and totally rely on you for everything. I love every stage my kids are in right now; I just don't want it all to end.

Noah and Sophia watching the planes

  On a lighter note, the restrictions have been lifted at the tower, so we can go visit B at work again! They restricted visitors the last year because an ATC in NY (I think) let his 6-year-old talk over the radio (granted, the ATC was controlling the traffic and told his son EXACTLY what to say, but still...). Apparently, they didn't want that happening again, hence the restrictions. Needless to say, the kids were ecstatic about being able to bring Daddy lunch and see the "airpanes!" Noah was super-excited and kept jumping around trying to look at all of the UND planes and the "heckticopters" take off and land. I think it's great

Bennett's first time in the Tower

that B has a job that he loves and that my kids can take interest in as well. How fun for them to be able to go see what Daddy does! This was also Bennett's first time out to the tower, so he was looking around with wide eyes trying to take it all in. I'm sure at least one of my kids will have some sort of interest in aviation (there goes my retirement fund!), since B has been hammering it into their brains since they were babies! Any time we are outside and Noah or Sophia hear an airplane, they drop everything and look into the sky to try and find it. I'm sure Bennett will be the same way when he gets bigger.
     Anyway, I'm just getting a little nostalgic lately, watching my babies grow before my eyes. I bought all of the stuff for Noah's 3rd (!) birthday party not too long ago. The two of us went back and forth for days trying to determine if it would be a Cars 2 birthday or a "Thomas" birthday. He decided on Cars (finally!) only to tell me after everything got here than he wanted a "twain birfday." Nope, sorry buddy- now we're sticking with the Cars theme! I think I get more excited about the parties than my kiddos do! That's all the craziness in my life so far- we're in for a whole ton more craziness soon- so stay tuned!

Happy birthday to me!

  Well, it's finally arrived. Today I turned 29. My sweet husband continually played "the Final Countdown" on his phone today, reminding me that in just one short year, I will be 30. I'm not sad, though. I always said I wanted to be done having kids by the time I'm 30- check! I feel like I've really accomplished so much in my short time on this earth- I try to live for Jesus each and every day (and fail miserably, but I DO try!). I found and married the most wonderful man in the world and was blessed to have three beautiful, joyous children with him. We have such a blast together! I have found the job that I know God made me to do and I do it well and with I passion I always dreamed I would have. I truly believe that I have the greatest job in the world- who else gets to see a miracle each and every day they work? Even the sad parts of my job are rewarding, and though it gets frustrating at times (what job doesn't), I do love my job.
    Though my wonderful family lives far from here, my husband and I have formed a pseudo-family here with our friends, and we know that we are never alone. I'm not saying all of this to brag or anything- I am truly amazed each day at how blessed I really am. This is more of an illiteration of all of the great things I have in my life, and an attempt to keep me looking up, instead of wishing for the the things I don't have. I can't think of much that I don't have anyway.... I am just so thankful the God created me and put all of you glorious people in my life. What a happy life, and a happy birthday to me!