Thursday, May 26, 2011

Gaerte Photo Session

There aren't many things that I enjoy more than taking pictures.  Well maybe running, but I have a love/hate relationship with that some days.  Anyway, my SIL let me practice my skills on her kiddos this week, and I am liking the results!  The kids all did fabulously and made my job easy.  I should add that I also enjoy modifying pictures after I take them.  It is amazing what you can do with a picture when you play with it a little.  Check out some of my favorites! 















Uncle Tedd

Uncle Tedd recently made the honorable decision to join the Army.  We are very proud of him and will miss him while he is away.  We get Jess for a few more months while Tedd is in training, but we are going to miss her a TON when she leaves too. Here are a few pictures of the family celebrating Tedd before he leaves.  











We are going to miss you both so much, and we wish you
the best.  You are in our prayers and our thoughts and we love
you both very much.

May

So far May has been a very rainy month around here.  That has meant two things for us.  First of all we have been spending WAY too much time inside, and second we are enjoying every minute we can be outside to the fullest.  Here are a few pictures of all of the fun we have been having.

 The munchkins have been spending a lot of time
reading during all the rainstorms.


 We have taken quite a few picnics to Chain O'Lakes and then
hiked and played on the playground.  It is currently the kids
favorite place to be on sunny days.






 I enjoyed a very nice Mother's Day this year.  We spent
time with my mom and mother-in-law, and I even got my
oatmeal in bed in the morning.

 Here they are enjoying the sunshine in the backyard.

 The farmer across the road actually got his
field planted which meant free entertainment for
the kids.

 Uncle Tedd and Aunt Jess came over for a visit
and some block building last week.  We found out
that Uncle Tedd is quite the builder.
 Here is Maggie by Uncle Tedd's tower.



 Ben recently earned a day where he didn't have to
take his nap, so we went to the backyard and took some
pictures of him.





We also squeezed in a weekend camping trip to Chain O'Lakes.
The kids had a blast playing at the playground, playing with
Grandpa and Grandma Gaerte, taking walks, paddle boating, and
celebrating with Uncle Tedd before he leaves for the Army.  More pics are coming
soon of Uncle Tedd's going away gathering.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

April in Pictures

I thought you might enjoy some new pictures of the kiddos and an update on what has been happening in Keefer Country.  Here is the edited version.  Enjoy!

We celebrated Mom's March birthday at the beginning of April. 
Here she is with all her grandkids.

 The kids have been spending plenty of time playing inside
with all of this rain.  Notice that they are ready with their
rain boots.

 Random cute picture from after church. 

 Yes, Ben even wears his rain boots while brushing
his teeth in his underwear.  :)

 On a trip to the library we spotted a real life Mater.
A father/son team from our area revamped this tow
truck to look just like Mater.

 We took a fun weekend trip to Chicago.  We spent a
full day at the Museum of Science and Industry.

 We ate deep dish pizza in downtown Chicago.
 We walked around downtown and checked out the buildings
and sites.
 And we visited the Shedd Aquarium!



 The kids had a blast coloring and decorating Easter
eggs.


 Maggie got her first haircut.  Look at the bottom of
the pic and you can see Ben holding her hand to help 
her be brave.  It was pretty adorable.

 We celebrated Easter with the Keefer family.


 The kids got new chairs for the patio from us for
Easter, and the bunny brought them yummy baskets
of treats.

 We celebrated Easter with the Gaerte's and had some
fun on a barrel train ride with Grandpa. 


And last but not least Ben finished his first year of Awana with
his cousin (and best friend) Julia.  He memorized all of his bible verses and got to
celebrate at a special banquet and received a special treat.