Our Kids Blog

The Maloney’s had us at their house for some 4th of July Festivities. We spent a little time by the lake, ate some good food, and everyone stayed up for some fireworks. Fun the whole time.

Emma had lots of fun riding the Sea Doo with Uncle Tracy.

Kenny never left the dock.

Kenny did have fun watching from the dock though.

Somewhere there is older picture of Aunt Tessa with all her nieces and nephews, but I can’t find it . Here is the current one though.

Memorial Day in Eau Claire means a parade. Papa Swany (who was drafted during the Viet Nam War and served in Oklahoma joined us). The last picture is of cousin Carter who actually walked in the parade handing out Express Baseball schedules. Mom and Emma were in the cities getting Uncle Joe from the airport.

The Swanstrom’s celebrated Mother’s Day up on Lake Wissota. It was a beautiful day outside and we all had a lot of fun. Tammy was recovering from a cold, so she wasn’t feeling the best, but she still was blessed to spend the time with her great kids.

Kenny did not want to just sit for a picture. He wanted to play. For anyone who has held a toddler who doesn’t want to sit, Kenny is just starting the move used by any child–straighten those legs and arch the back and then just slip out of the lap.

Here Kenny is just trying to crawl away. Emma is also interested in doing something else than take pictures and she is letting us know oh so subtly.

This was the best of the three of them. Two smiles out of three isn’t bad.

Don’t know the problem with the little one in the middle, but once again two smiles out of three isn’t bad.

The shirt that Tammy is wearing was painted by Emma for Mother’s Day. It turned out very nice.

As a kid I (Dana) gave out and received May Day Baskets. In our neighborhood they involved putting some candy into a little paper Dixie Cup with the Smurfs on the cup. Tammy never did May Day Baskets when she was a kid, but she thought it sounded like a great idea so she headed off to the store. Over an hour later she returned not with paper cups, but with…well why don’t you just look at the pictures.

Emma did all the writing on the hearts.

Kenny just played with the hearts.

Easter morning the kids got their Easter baskets and they looked for eggs. It had rained a little the night before so the egg hunt stayed inside.

Laying eyes on the Easter baskets.

Some books and a little bit of candy filled the baskets. The two also found some new chairs for sitting around the campfire.

Happy Valentine’s Day everybody.

Emma has figured out that if she poses nicely that we can be done with pictures quickly.

Kenny still doesn’t know that pictures aren’t supposed to be fun.

Further proof of what I just said. We’re sure this will change soon though.

We celebrate Christmas in Colorado on December 27th. Great Grandma Howard came over for the presents and for Christmas dinner. It was nice to have arrived safely and celebrate Christmas together, even if it was a day later than planned.

Tammy was able to buy a used toy dishwasher via Craigslist. It was being sold in Colorado, so Tammy’s mom picked it up and then we gave it to Emma in Pueblo. The only challenge left is how to get it back to Eau Claire. All this work to complete Emma’s pink kitchen set.

Grandma Fishback made Emma some nightgowns. Here is her “Little Miss” nightgown.

Grandma Fishback opened an ornament picture frame with a picture of her and Kenny in it.

Grandpa Fishback and Kenny doing a gentle head butt while eating some kiwi. Male bonding.

Kenny and Great Grandma Howard.

Christmas Day was going to be spent getting up really early and driving on slippery roads to get to the Minneapolis airport and then flying to Colorado. But, it what seemed to be a “too good to be true” situation we were able to switch our flight to December 26th and it didn’t cost us a dime. I don’t know if Northwest always allows this when there is a big winter storm, but that was their reason for allowing us to change without any change fees. As a result we stayed in Eau Claire and had lunch at Fanny Hill with the Wisconsin family, and then we were able to travel when the snow had stopped. It all worked out very well.

Landry and Emma didn’t sit by each other, but they still had lots of fun.

Kenny is enjoying all that is left from the cherry that his mom ate.

Kenny and Great-Uncle Dayle have lots of fun chuckling at each other.

Kenny and Grandma Swany.

It rained on Christmas Eve in Eau Claire. That doesn’t happen often. Everyone was able to make it though. Christmas Eve traditionally has been celebrated in Mondovi at my parent’s house. This year it was at their new house just blocks away from where we live. The traditional Swanstrom dinner of Swedish Meatballs and ham was served and enjoyed by all (even Tammy because of some gluten free substitutions).

Here is the family in their shades of gray.

Emma and Landry got to sit next to each other at dinner. They are really started to act like good friends. Not as much fighting as when they were younger.

Here are all the cousins on the Swanstrom side of the family.

Kenny was in good spirits the whole evening.

We all had plenty of presents. Kenny is ready to hit his pile.

Kenny need to cool off a little so he lost his sweater. Here he is playing with a new toy airplane.

You’ve got to love the princess stuff.

Emma gave out canvas bags with her artwork on it. Here Grandma Swany is opening her red one.

Kenny and his Daddy.

Kenny doing a little walking for the camera.

Kenny and his Mommy.

We received about 4 inches of snow last night, with another possible 10 inches to come tonight and tomorrow. The weather was nice enough though after present opening to head out on a walk and to do a little sledding.

So here is the setup, two kids, two sleds, one rope, and one dad.

Mom was mainly the photographer on the trip, but here she is and we did get her on a sled, so there will be pictures of that later on.

Just getting out of the driveway.

The street’s been plowed, but the snow never comes all the way off on the first pass.

Just a nice morning to walk in the snow. Temperature around 32 F (0 C).

Kenny was a little concerned as I pulled him us the snow back on the side of the road. He was buckled in though.

Here we are getting ready for the first run. Kenny is going to sit this one out.

Emma’s getting a little bit more pumped. She likes sledding, though she still remembers last year when I sent her down the hill herself. She crashed and actually bled. It was almost a year ago, but she still remembers.

First run through the fresh powder.

The sledding area is actually a drainage area that never has had water in it. The hill is just right for little kids.

Kenny joined us for a few runs.

Here is another run. After a good path was laid, we got some pretty good speed.

Just the girls did one run. Kenny again watched.

Tammy has done some sledding, but she still is a southerner (Oklahoma) at heart.

The two of them did go off the path and into some fresh powder and actually over a small jump.

This shows the effect of fresh powder a little bit better.

No injuries and smiles as we head for home.

Tomorrow (Christmas Day) the Swanstroms hope to fly to Colorado to be with Tammy’s parents and grandmother. The weather might get in the way, but since we will be leaving early we decided to celebrate Christmas today. Besides present opening, the other excitement was that I tried to adjust a ceiling light during present opening, fell off the chair I was on, and literally landed on my head. Everyone was crying in fear except for me. I’ve got a little sore neck, but ibuprofen has helped a lot.

First things out of the stockings. Kenny got a blue rubber ducky, Emma got some hand sanitizer. Both seem pleased .

Kenny’s duck and truck (just behind Kenny) were no match for the allure of his big sister’s stuff.

If you look real close you can see that she has a princess math book. It doesn’t get much better.

Last gift was a cash register. Emma loves to play restaurant with play food and play money.

Kenny got a little puzzle.

Trying to get a good pose with their stockings. Grandma Swany keeps them up to date for each Christmas.

Take Two or Twenty-Two…can’t remember.

An individual shot of Emma…

And one of just Kenny.

Emma had her second Preschool program. Everyone seemed to be more comfortable up in front of the crowd.

Everyone did a nice job singing and doing the hand motions.

Kenny and Emma got to share with Santa what they want for Christmas. As you can tell, the real Santa actually spends the last few weeks before Christmas here in Eau Claire.  Kenny wasn’t frightened of Santa, but he was a little uncertain. Emma loved her time on his lap. For Emma that has not always been the case.

Here Kenny is really just checking him out.

Last year Kenny was a little smaller. If you look really closely though, Emma and Kenny had the same matching pants last year as they have this year. Grandma Fish makes them pants out of the same material every year.

Here is Emma and Ava at Ava’s 3rd birthday party.

Emma loves to jump. Kenny likes to watch. Mom wasn’t here to watch or this jump probably would not have occurred.