Shopping

With school and winter right around the corner, Kennedy and I have an excuse to shop!!! She has turned into quite the little diva when it comes to her outfits. School shopping was no exception. Okay, she’s not that bad, but she does know what she likes and what she doesn’t. She would prefer to wear a dress everyday with a HUGE matching bow, but we live in North Dakota and that’s just not rational. We tried to find clothes that would be warm enough and still “Kennedy” enough. She tried clothes on for the first time in the store. I have to say she did really well. She loved looking in the mirror and picking out her favorite colors. Her personality defiantly shows in the outfits she picked. They are all bright and fun. She even picked the perfect shoes and mommy found a “dressy” coat to match. She already has a couple coats but this one matched and was just too cute to pass up. On the way home aunt Bell called and Kennedy told her all about the lout. She informed aunt Bell that as soon as we got home mommy would take pictures so she can see the goods. We did a little fashion show to send to Bell. She is so into this girly stuff. We are going to Mall of America this weekend to do a little more shopping and enjoy the state fair. I can’t wait to see what she picks out this weekend. It’s so cute to see her little personality come out.

Campover

Kennedy has a best friend that lives behind us. To say that they are inseparable would be a HUGE understatement. They play pretty much every day all day. They even go to the same school. They could spend 12 hours together and still cry when they have to go home. Jules, Kennedy’s best friend, is 1 year and 3 days older then her, but they play perfectly together. Jules has four brothers, two older and two younger. She is the only girl so having Kennedy around is as much of a treat for her as it is for us. Jules also has a little brother Evan who is a year older then Parker, and they play together too. Kennedy and Jules have been asking for a “campover” for some time. It was probably the coolest thing that’s happened to Kennedy in her life up to this point. They did girly things like makeup, nails, and we had ice-cream and watched movies. They didn’t’ go to bed until 10:30!!!! They were giggling hysterically all night. I would go in and ask what was so funny and they would tell me “we just can’t stop laughing cause we are so funny”. CUTE!!

Yes, We Are Still Alive!!

Where to start……………? Well this summer has been a busy season for us. I mean busy busy. Kennedy and Parker started school this summer together. They are going to a preschool program 2 days a week for only 2 hours and 15 minutes, but they love it. I was a little worried that Parker would have a hard time but he LOVES school. Every time I pick him up from school he is so eager to show me what he made and explain in his little precious mumble jumble language. I have no idea what he is saying by the way, but I catch a few things here and there. It was originally going to be just a summer thing, but they love it so much we enrolled them for the school year. School is about the only time I get anything done these days, so it’s as much for me as it is for them. I love school!! I have to say I love this age too. The last two years have been really hard for us physically and mentally. Don’t get me wrong, we enjoyed every minute and wouldn’t trade them for the world. I just feel like we are currently at a really special age that Jeremy and I can fully appreciate. Kennedy is growing into such a sweetheart. She constantly looks after her little brother. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t talk much because she makes sure he has everything he needs. They have a very special bond that Jeremy and I could have never imagined. They spend nearly every second side by side. Parker follows her everywhere!! I’ve even watched them at school during recess (yes like a creepy stalker) and he is always by her side and she never leaves him out. Jeremy and Kennedy have had many special moments lately too. He reads to her every night out of her bible and tucks her in. Lately she has been reciting the bible to him by memory!! She is so smart, sometimes even too smart!!! Parker is all boy!! He loves anything with wheels and anything that rolls. They spend most of their time playing in the sand box, riding bikes, playing on the play set, and running around with the kids on our street. He usually holds his own with the older kids. The summer here has been GEORGOUS weather. We have enjoyed every ounce of it!! Now that the weather is changing we are settling back into a routine and getting ready for winter….. BOO!! Jeremy was accepted into Purdue and Indiana in a dual Masters Program and starts in September!!! We are so proud of you honey!!! I am also going to school, so the Unruh house will continue to be a busy one for quite some time. Anyway, I just wanted to say that we are doing well and that we miss everyone down south (Nearly everyone is south of us)!!! I’ll leave you with some recent pictures of the kiddos.

Fargo Flood

Remember how I posted about the flood? Well, for the most part everything has calmed down. Fargo actually had more volunteers then needed!!! They were making automated calls to let people know the sandbags were all full. Thank you Jesus!!!! I thought ya’ll might like to see some of the damage done by the flood that wasn’t controlled. There are far worse places then this, but the roads were all flooded and we weren’t willing to risk our lives to take pictures of those places. As you can see, some houses were still taken despite the efforts made.

If you look closely you will see a bridge under all that water.

Corn Feild..........

By Sunday this house will probably be taken.
This house was under by about 6 ft.
Can you see the fence? It's under there somewhere.

Looks like lakes on both sides of the road.

Another Fence.

That would be a road over there.

Spring is in the Air..... Kinda!

It’s amazing how our perspective on “nice” weather has changed so quickly. Last week when we hit 35 degrees the whole family was out for a stroll. 35 degrees may not sound warm to you, but it’s about 50 degrees warmer then what it has been. This is us shoveling ice, playing in the driveway, and going for a stroll.

Most of this winter there has been atleast two inches of ice on everthing!


Our sidewalk.

We had around 5 feet of snow in our front yard all winter.

On a side note, there has been major flooding in Fargo due to the snow melting so fast. Much of North Fargo is under water and there are other’s still in danger of the flood. Pretty much the whole town has shut down to sand bag and volunteer. The community here is Amazing!! The water is expected to crest on Sunday which means there is still more to come. I ask that you pray for those in need of protection over the next few days.

Get Organized!!!

I have really been challenging my self to get organized. It makes life so much easier with two kids. I thought you other moms would appreciate this. Organization makes me a happy person. I challenge you to do the same!!!

This is the entry way closet. I don't have any before pics but you can trust that it was a mess!!

I have tied cute ribbons on the baskets and added name tags since this pic was taken. Now I don't have to reach for each basket to find the right one. We all have a basket with our gloves, hats, and crap in them.

The dreaded junk drawer.

All clean and happy

My messy hall closet.

I tossed two bags of junk out from this closet.

Much better!!!!

My babies!!!

The Lord had TRULY blessed us with the best kids in the world. Every time I look into their shinning faces, my heart is overwhelmed with joy. Kennedy has taken the role of big sister/protector/ guardian of her little brother. She is constantly letting me know what “butter” needs to make him happy. Her days are spent Laughing, reading, coloring, and enjoying life. Our new church has an amazing Sunday school program that is turning our little baby into a child of God. Kennedy is back to the loving gentle ways that we knew before she was two. Parker is getting so big so fast too. It is crazy how fast the second child grows. Where did my chunky baby go? He is officially a toddler: ( He runs EVERYWHERE just to keep up with Kennedy, which is SO CUTE. He has his own little language that mom, dad, and Sass (Kennedy) can only understand. He can clearly speak about 30 words but only regularly uses about 10. The rest of the time he grunts and points to most things. Right now Parker loves to brush his teeth, play hide and seek, read, and dance.
This is them playing Hide-and-Seek. They always hide in the closet. When we find them they crack up everytime.

Best buddies!!!

Margarita Pizza!!! Yummo!!!

I happen to LOVE margarita pizzas!!! I tried one for the first time last year while on a girl’s trip to Dallas and I am HOOKED. I have yet to find a margarita pizza that taste as good as the one in Dallas, so I thought I would try to make one :) I have never made pizza before but it turned out AMAZING It will be added to our regular list of meals. For those of you who don’t know what a Margarita Pizza is, I will include the recipe. I highly suggest making one. Kennedy and I had fun and it was pretty easy. I will warn you that you need a pizza stone. I have had mine for a couple years and this is my first time using it. My stone is a pampered chef stone (thank you Grandma) but any will work.

This is the recipe: The sauce is really the only part that you have to make. I made mine the night before while the kiddos were sleeping.

Basic Tomato Sauce:
Ingredients:

tablespoon olive oil

1/2 red onion, small dice

4 tablespoons minced garlic

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 fresh basil leaves, chopped

3 tablespoons red wine

1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes

Directions for Sauce:

Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, until onions are soft and translucent. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and add the basil leaves, red wine, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the sauce before using it to make pizza.

Ingredients:

Pizza dough, homemade or store-bought

All-purpose flour for dusting

3 cup Tomato Sauce,

recipe follows 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Fresh basil leaves

Fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into thin rounds

Cornmeal, for stone

Special equipment: Pizza stone

Directions for Pizza:

Place a pizza stone in the oven. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F, allowing the stone to get hot.
Roll out the pizza dough on a floured surface into approximately an 8 to 10-inch round and 1/4-inch thick. Ladle the sauce onto the dough and spread it over top, leaving about a 1-inch border around the edge. Top with the tomatoes, oregano, some basil leaves and mozzarella rounds. Carefully remove the pizza stone from the oven, and dust with the cornmeal. Place the pizza on top of the stone and pop the whole thing in the oven. Bake until crust is golden and the cheese has melted, about 10-15 minutes.

What are some of your favorite recipes?

"Nastics"

We did gymnastics when we lived in Abilene so we were very excited to see there was a club here as well. Kennedy loves her new gym!!! It is a very big gym compared to Abilene and a little more competitive but the instructors are great and the other parents seem friendly too.

This is Kennedy in the Toddler's room:

Diva!!