Another goal with this blog is to get a picture of all the important people in our lives. To have a record of them over the years as well. So, if you see me coming with my camera, know it is because I love you and want to be able to look back many years from now at your beautiful face. Being blessed with so many wonderful people that cross our path every year, this is going to take many posts and the rest of the year to get you all!


We spent the morning at the lake. Even in the winter it is such a place of peace, relaxation and reprieve for us. Time seems to move slower, more attention is paid to the people we are surrounded by and not the things we need to do. The announcement that we are going to visit Grandpa and Grandma Polzin at the lake is always received with loud cheers from the girls. I don't know if it is the undivided attention they get from them, the stories read, the gigantic toy room or the space to run, but they love it. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for always opening your home, cupboards and hearts to us. You are building the same, special memories with your grandchildren that I am lucky enough to have with my grandparents.

Oh the joy of having Daddy home. While we support and cheer him on loudly with his new business venture, the retail hours weigh on our family. We miss him dearly and the times he is at home are now even more precious than they were before. If you can't tell, Abby is very much a Daddy's girl. Always has been. Love the series of pictures, especially the first one. You can see the anticipation of the tickle she knows is coming so clearly on her face.

Avery left unattended...

...equals trouble with markers. I had combed the basement, quickly scanning for markers, because Avery has a thing for them. I didn't find any in my sweep and felt comfortable leaving her unattended to play for a bit while I did some chores around the house. When I went to check on her I found her with a lone marker that she must have found hiding somewhere. I can't get too mad because I was the one that left her alone and it is washable. Every kid has to have a picture like this, right? 

Shoe obsession - Post 5

Avery isn't prejudice when it comes to the shoes she obsesses over. If it looks like a shoe (or even if it doesn't...see this post) then it is fair game for her to try on. Here she is trying on a shoe this morning...

She stole this clog from Barbie to make her own. Too bad it doesn't fit, Avery, or Barbie's shoe collection would open a whole new world for you.

Abby said something very precious to me this morning that is worth recording. I was singing that song (not sure of the exact name) "You are so beautiful to me" to her and she said, "Mommy? Did you know you are so beautiful to everyone that knows you?" Melt my heart...Abby you have one of the most tender hearts. You are thoughtful and kind way beyond your years. Thank you for completely making my day in the four seconds it took you to utter that sentence.

The other thing she said, that was pretty amusing was, "Moms and dads do lots of work for kids so they can get lots of money and take us to Disney World." She was referencing the cooking and cleaning up I do and Adam working at the store. If only all our money could go towards Disney vacations. Wouldn't that be wonderful!

The Children's Museum in pictures

Abby filled her marble jar and picked a trip to the Children's Museum as her reward. 

*In case we can't remember what in the world a marble jar is in twenty years, here is a photo of it. Abby, you earn marbles for completing daily tasks (brushing teeth, putting toys away, etc.) without complaint and you also earn them for good behavior (being kind and patient, going above and beyond, etc.). Once the jar is filled you get a reward. 

Here are a few of the pictures from the day. It was too hard to pick just one. 

The next two photos need some commentary. By the time we left the museum it was after 1:00 and that is nap time. I didn't want Avery to fall asleep in the car because I knew it would ruin my chances of getting a real nap out of her when we got home. So, I had a brilliant idea. Get her a sucker! That will keep her awake. While the girls and I were finishing up lunch, I sent Adam out on a mission to find some suckers. This is what he returned with. If you reference previous posts about most things my husband does are over the top...here is another example. A regular old Tootsie Pop wouldn't do. Almost ten dollars later, the girls are armed with these monstrosities. No way Avery will fall asleep with that in hand, right?

Wrong. I look back no more than three minutes after we left and she has fallen asleep with sucker in hand, still sucking on it. So much for that plan. And, no. She didn't take a real nap after we got home. The fifteen minutes she spent asleep in the car was enough for today.

The battle of the sippy cup

The opponents.

The battle.

The winner.

The loser.

The winner really gloating.

Sick of shoveling (and a bum shoulder)

So why not blow the snow with the leaf blower? Genius if you ask me.

A view of our backyard today. With the sun shining and the fresh snow it was actually quite beautiful.

Jump! Jump! Jump Around!

Kriss Kross Daddy will make you Jump! Jump! 


Now I can't get that late nineties classic out of my head! Abby and Avery, when you are old enough to read this and make fun of your mom and dad look up Jump by Kriss Kross on YouTube (or whatever has has taken over the internet by then). Mommy used to love this song when she was in high school...actually, who am I kidding? I still do! 


Anywho, Daddy had another brilliant idea for entertainment today. Pile the deck furniture cushions next to the couch and jump! You two really had fun with this and we delighted in your giggles and energy. Avery, at 18 months old, you have more than perfected the seat drop. Can't wait to see it in action this summer on the trampoline.


Thanks Daddy for a great energy burner and practice at trying to stop motion on my camera!

There are barely words...

...to describe the fort Daddy made for his girls today. This morning he said he wanted to build a fort for them to play together in today. I reflected on forts made during my childhood...couch cushions and a blanket...maybe a sheet if we could snag one from the linen closet. 


Well, this fort used almost none of those things. It consisted of a 10x20 photography back drop, a king size sheet, yard sticks, and numerous clamps and vices. I should have known. My husband does very little that isn't over the top. It is exactly the way he lives life. And exactly the way he loves his girls. 


The construction of this masterpiece took almost an hour and went through several phases of development, but when it was finished it was quite amazing. The fort was loaded up with flashlights, pillows, snacks, princesses and tons of other toys. They spent a long time playing in there. So many giggles and happy sounds came from that fort this afternoon. 


I overheard two amusing lines as I worked nearby on the computer.


From Daddy as he investigated some smells coming from Avery: "This is the first time I've checked for poop with a flashlight."


From Abby as she played with a toy horse pictured below: "This horse is crazier than a woman."


What?! I have no idea why she said that or where she got it from, but Adam and I laughed pretty hard.

Happy Birthday to our precious Ella Bella!

Ella turned four on the 15th, but had her birthday party today. The Konrad house was full of a bunch of giggling, excited and sugar-crazed princesses! 


I asked Abby what she liked best about the party she said:


1. When we got our face painted.
2. When we sticked Cinderella in the window. I was like, 'we are going to throw Cinderella in the window?' (referencing the "stick the princess in the castle" game)
3. When everyone had their dress up dresses on and they traded dresses.


I then asked Abby what she loved best about Ella and she said:


1. I love all the giggles she has.
2. I like all the toys she has for us to play with together.
3. We play lots and lots together.


Thank you for inviting us to your party, Ella and thank you even more for letting us share in the four beautiful and entertaining years that have been your life so far. We are so looking forward to watching how Miss Ella Bella continues to grow into a princess that is all her own...special, unique and beautiful in so many ways.


We love you, Ella!

The Peanut and her giggle

Oh that giggle! Anyone that is blessed enough to know Kaylin knows exactly what I'm talking about. Kaylin came for a sleepover and that precious giggle was out in full force tonight. When her laughter combines with Abby's it is one of my favorite sounds. It makes me smile just thinking about it...

50 plus degrees=swimsuits!

Apparently that makes sense to four and five year olds. I have to say I wasn't that far behind them though. The weather the last couple of days has been so beautiful and it has felt fantastic to get outside and play! The girls were allowed to put their suits on as long as they stayed inside, which they did. They had a beach party though and distributed shells all throughout the house. I'm finding them everywhere tucked in random places!

For some reason I really like this photo. I know it isn't one you'd print out and stick in a frame, but I was playing with depth of field and my focus points. 


Thanks, Abby, for the fun we had today building tower, upon tower, upon tower of blocks. I love that we share the need to adorn something traditionally boyish (blocks) with something a little girly (flowers). We must get that from Grandma Barb. She is a talented decorator and has always been able to turn something ordinary into something beautiful by putting her stamp on it. 

Shoe obsession - Post 4

This brings the shoe obsession to a whole new level. Turning tupperware into shoes? Wow...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to my two favorite sweethearts who have redefined the meaning of love for me. And, Happy Valentine's day to the one that stole my heart long ago and makes every single day of my life Valentine's Day.

**We punched holes in the printed version of Abby's Valentine and stuck a sucker through. The pose isn't as weird as it looks. :-) 

The world's cutest dance bag

My dear friend, Lindsay Kendall, made this adorable tutu dance bag for Abby and also one for Kaylin. They are even cuter in person. Full of sparkle, color and whimsy...perfect for a little dancer!


I was lucky enough to benefit from her talent too! I did a family photo shoot for them and she made me this bag. 

Ella Bella

The girls went with Steph and Josh overnight and Adam and I got to spend a night with the Starkey's, Logan's and Konrad's. It was really nice to be able to enjoy other people's children without having to worry about our own. Ella was full of spunk and life tonight. She put on a performance for us that will go in the record books. Good thing Adam got it on video so we can embarrass her with it at her wedding in twenty years!

Kaylin Marie

So pretty. So sweet. So full of life. How we love our Kaylin.

Shoe obsession - Post 3

And here we are again with another post about Avery in shoes...

Out at sea

We made a boat out of pillows from my bed and spent most of the morning devising games surrounding it. Avery was often overboard, but it was usually because she was collecting shoes to bring aboard. Imagine that. Later that afternoon we played with play dough, chased each other around the house, had ice cream with sprinkles and giggled lots. It is days like this that am so very thankful that my "office" is here at home.

Baby blues

Oh those beautiful blue eyes. One of my favorite things to try to capture in a photo.

Valentine's Project

This was my project for the day. I will punch two holes above and below my fist and slip a sucker through. These will be handed out at my BNI (networking group I just joined) meeting tomorrow.

Melt my heart

I apologize for the poor image quality, but this was one of those moments that would have been lost if I had moved to get my good camera so the iPhone will have to do. This image and feeling of that moment will forever be engrained in my heart and mind. Adam and I were laying on our bed and our two little girls climbed up and watched some YouTube videos on the iPad. The sweetness of Abby's arms around Avery and the closeness of all of us on the bed was precious and heartbreaking all at the same time. Everything I ever need in life was contently contained in those thirty square feet. It is moments like this, without the pomp and circumstance of other built up holidays during the year, that really make you feel love in its purest and simplest form. 


Girls and Adam, if all we ever have in life is each other and that king sized bed to sit on together, I will be an extremely blessed and content woman.

Three adorable faces

A Valentine's Day shoot happened today at our house. The goal was unique and cute cards to pass out. This was achieved as well as a few other adorable snapshots. 

Shoe obsession - Post 2

This is all in a morning's work for Avery. If you could pan right and left you'd find more piles of discarded shoes...all worn and adored by Avery.

Fruit Ninja is for everyone

These two enjoy playing Fruit Ninja on the iPad. They can have dueling games going simultaneously. What is actually more surprising than them being able to get it all set up on their own, is how decent they are at the game!

Goodbye Florida!

All packed and NOT ready to go. I missed my girls and husband, but I am not ready to return. I thoroughly enjoyed the 75 degree run I had in those shoes. Not looking forward to the wait for spring.