Happy 5th of July?

I love love love the 4th of July!  Ever since I can remember we would spend the long holiday weekend camping with friends and family, usually camping in the Black Hills, watching a parade of some sort, and of course the big fire works display!
Even after moving to Bismarck we would have a back yard BBQ with friends or family and then the last couple of years we have went to the HUGE Mandan parade and then back over to watch the fire works show---until this year.
Josh's Mom retired from teaching this fall and to say our kids have spent a little time at the farm this summer is an understatement!!!  Anna more then the other two, but after vbs and her week at camp Metigoshi, our little touriest will have been gone a total of 7 weeks this summer!!!  WOW--they have had so much fun!  She has made cakes, went to cousins houses, had cousins over there, been to the lake, and much much more!  I love the memories they are making and RuthAnn is always the first to say, it won't be many more years before she/they will be too old and will no longer want to come to Grandma's house....

So Josh and I spent the 4th of July in Bismarck alone, he had to work on Friday, so we did go up to Powers Lake Friday after work!  We did take in the parade--on TV :)  We made it over to the art in the park in Mandan and had a late lunch, stopped by a friend of Josh's new home, and then just hung out here at home and watched the fire works go off  from the capitol in our front lawn....it was just weird! 

Friday when Josh got off work, we stopped and bought some fireworks and off to Powers Lake we went!  So here are some pictures of us celebrating our 5th of July this year....we got to Powers Lake around 8 on Friday night and we did light off some fireworks--side note, I'm terrified of even the little ones...so I watched...from a safe distance and did do a sparkler or two :)


Josh and the kiddos :)




Grandma RuthAnn and the kids!



Anna loved the smoke bombs and would light a couple at a time so the colors would mix!



Addy loved the tanks and airplanes




Zach's favorite has always been the tanks, so Josh got a whole BOX of them!  He was so excited and had a great time!!

 Most of Saturday was spent out at the lake--we were out there for tacos in a bag at noon and didn't get back to the farm until after six!  The kids have so much fun with their cousins swimming in the lake up there!  It was a beautiful day, minus the wind and a good time was had by all!

Sunday we had to leave a little early as Addy had her first drop off birthday party!  It was one of her preschool classmates and down at Fun on the Run :)

Sloooowwww Down Summer!!!

We started out summer with a GRAND camping adventure with our supper club friends!  We borrowed my parents RV and a couple other couples set up tents and we spent the weekend out at Sibley.  When we all get together, there are usually twice as many kids as adults, but they all play so wonderful together that we bearly know they are there!  I have WAYYYYY too many pics to post for this great event--but here are a few of my favorites!  The weather was perfect--besides Saturday night in which we found out that the RV can sleep 11 people!!  HA

We also celebrated our 12th year anniversary out there that weekend--thanks Katherine for the wonderful cake :)  And Jaxon's 2nd birthday!



The Ross' made the most AMAZING cabobs!



The girls soaking up some sun...



And the men :)



Anna and Kendall :)




Happiest Birthday Jaxon!!!



Thank you Katherine!!  It was soooo yummy!




The girls all snuggled in...



It was pretty warm out, so the water table was a MUST!



Summer Projects!

Thought I would do a quick summer recap since I've been a slacker on the blogging again lately--summer has once proved itself to go as fast as it showed up, we've been busy making memories :)

My Mom and I have been wanting to redo a kitchen table for sometime now--they are the managers of Parkwood Appartments and when tenents move out, they are the lucky ones to get to clean out the appartment for the new renters!  It is UNBELIEVEABLE what people just leave behind--enter Jenn's new kitchen table project!

Before....



And After!!



Our plain jane kitchen before, this table is older then I am! 




And kitchen after our project!  We found the print at Hobby Lobby for $18--we had a lot of fun and made a lot of memories :)  Those chairs were a pain in the $#$% to spray paint--but we sure laughed a lot doing them!!

I'm sure I've talked about our craft club on previous blogs--sometimes we craft--sometimes we just sit around and chit chat--but these ladies are grand!  Here is one craft night project that I actually did, loved, and it added a lot to our bedroom which I just had black and white until I added the yellow!


It's just fabric stapled onto canvas!  Super easy and cheap too :) 

Then I searched out pinterest and wanted something else for my bedroom....so I decided to try my best at a little painting!  Again all under $20 from the Hobby Lobby and this one was fun to do too! 

This was my 'pinspiration'



And this is how my turned out...sorry pic is sideways :/

 I'm also in the process of redoing my basement--more pics and hopefully a before and after post on that later :)

First Ever Color Splash Fun Dash!!!

We have seen 'color runs' all over face book--the funnest 5k on the planet is their slogan, so we were all beyond pumped to hear that we were gonna have our very own color run here in Bismarck!!  We had perfect weather and a great time!!!  The event was held up at BSC and we had quite the crew ready to get messy!!!

Before the race began-RuthAnn took Addy and Zach and they got situated next to color stations 1,3,&5, they had great seats!  Mom and Dad had the van pulled up(so Dad wouldn't have to get out and walk) and it was fun to see them as we ran by as well!

Anyway---pre-race they offered face painting, inflatables, hot dogs, and each runner was to line up for a group photo where we all 'smashed' a color packet in the air while a guy snapped a picture at the top of a truck lift :)

Pre-race craziness!!  This is right before we all popped our packets open for the camera man!



Our crew-Anna, Lacee, Rick, Tara, Michelle, and Me
Ana, Tara, and Melissa



Us after the first lap around, we stopped by Mom and Dad's van and she snapped a quick picture of us :)



The two orange girls in the front of the picture are Anna and Ana--we told them to stick toegether and we would meet them at the finish line!  They had a BLAST!!!

 

We all started off at different paces, so we looked at the two little girls and said--stay together, we'll meet up at the finish line and we had a BALL!!!  We were all covered in paint (cornstarch and coloring) and if that wasn't enough, you were able to actually roll in the paint when the race was over--Addy loved that feature--street clothes and all :)  She will definately have to attend the full race next year, she will probably lap us all!!

They aren't lying when they tell you it's the funnest 3 miles you will ever run....I couldn't agree more and can't wait until next year :)

Happiest 9th Birthday Zach!!!

Hard to believe that this once chubby, smiling baby was once that....a baby :)  Now 9 years old, it seems like just yesterday he was learning to crawl-always with this lovey in hand-and always looking for something new to try and get into :)

Nine years later and our Zachary is growing up into such a nice young guy--he has been in the accelerated learning program for reading at school for the last two years.  He is going to be a lot like his Dad and school will probably come easy for him without a lot of effort.  He LOVES video games and is so proud when he unlocks a level or clears a game.  He also is a great builder--he has a love of lego sets and can assemble them in the same night he brings them home!!

For his birthday this year, he picked just a few school buddies and they got to go bowling--what a fun time we had there--Grandma RuthAnn made him a Skylander cake and we had 2.5 hours of bowling alley fun!  

 We had a great time--for anyone who hasn't used Midway Lanes as a birthday party, I highly recommend it!  They provide everything from plates, to forks, to cups--each kid gets 5 tokens and an hour of bowling!  Josh and I used one lane and challenged the boys to a bowling match--I think they won :)

That evening we had friends and family over for round #2 birthday for Zach and also celebrated Josh's birthday as well :)  The boys had a Lego cake from Gma RuthAnn and we had a backyard full of our closest friends, kids, and family---when we get together and I can take a minute to look around at everyone visiting and all our kids on the trampoline together, I can honestly say we are truly blessed and this is where we are meant to be :)

When I asked Zach what he wants to be when he grows up he told me a Video Game Designer--and then he would have all his best buddies over to his house and they could try the game out before he sells it.  We are so proud of you buddy--

Tonight Rick and Tara are taking Mr. Cheese AKA Zach, to Iron Man 3--what a lucky guy!

We love you Zach and we wish you at least 100 plus more very happy birthdays--
Mom and Dad

Backwards in time...Oh well!?!!?

Prior to our weekend in Fargo...we had a pretty big week here in the Jeffers' household!!!  Last week Thursday was a BIG day in our house!

The first big event was Zachary's classroom Spring program--these kids are so cute!  We were invited into his classroom where a group of 2-3 students performed old school nursery rhymes (3 Billy Goats Gruff was Zach and his partners skit) but instead of the endings that we all know don't end so great---they resolve their differences and each skit ends with "I'll read to you and you read to me." They were very humorous--microphones, rhymes, and all :) 

After the skit, came the year end recap slide-show---if you haven't had to watch and wipe your tears through one of these yet--just wait, your time will come!!!  The music, the faces of all those cute kids (especially your own :) is just so overwhelming....we have been blessed with some of the best teachers Bismarck has to offer and when Mrs. Ward got up to give her end of the year speech and started crying...well I had to tear up too, I can't let anyone cry alone!  She is a super, great, amazing, wonderful, inspiring teacher who will be greatly missed at Northridge!!!  ...so all that happened at 11 am

Came home, cooked lunch, got everyone settled in with Sara and off of to Addy's preschool graduation we went at 1pm....enter emotional roller coaster #2 :)

Addy went to Merry Go Round preschool this last year and absolutely LOVED it!!  These teachers loved it just as much as the kids did each and every week and you could tell :)  The program had it all...from these little bodies walking into the church to Pomp and Circumstance, to the graduation caps and tassels, to the presentation of the graduates---there was not a dry eye in the house!  They sang at least 8+ songs that they learned throughout the year and these kids BEAMED!!!  They were so proud--as were we watching them :)  I just felt myself watching to mentally capture everything I could in those moments--kinda like Pam does (from The Office) :)  After the program we went back to the reception area where we snapped multiple pictures, gave some amazing women BIG BIG hugs, and Josh and I looked at each other, as we often do with Addyson our youngest, and say--we will never have a preschool graduate again :S



Addy's MGR teachers---these ladies are amazing!!!

Our babes...the big Graduate!!



Grandma and Grandpa also made it to the program and brought the graduate a flower---she was so proud!  It's so great to be able to share these events with our loved ones--we are truly so blessed!!!

 

Anna, does not have a special end of the year program, but stays busy non the less :)  They had a track meet on Thursday ( in the rain) and her team scored 2nd in the 800 relay, she also competed in the 400 relay and tried long jump and shot put!  

On Friday she completed and showed her science project at the Science Fair up at the BSC Careerr Acc in which they did an experiment to see if a banana with and without the peel would float or sink!?!  They both float--fun fact!  Way to go Anna---we are so very proud of you and can't believe you will be off to Horizon next year!?

2nd Annual (well for us anyway)...Fargo Half Marathon Weekend!

The weekend we had spent the last 12+ weeks for has come and gone.  It was an amazing time with some great people....

Before I get to the weekend itself, I want to give a big shout out to my family.  Training for a half marathon( I can't even imagine how much more time would go into a full!?!) takes a lot of time and energy!  So thank you Josh for putting up with me being gone a few nights a week-sometimes it would just be for an hour, but those long runs aren't just long for the runner I know, they are long for the other parent at home making supper alone or double checking homework.  And if and when Josh was gone or busy I had my parents--I appreciate your love and support so much and I couldn't have done half the training I was able to do without the love and support of my family by my side :)

Michelle and I left town Friday around 11:00--we wanted to get to Fargo early enough to pick up our registration packets--the dome experience is breath taking--to see that finish line and know what you are going to have to endure to get there--woof!  They have vendors set up the night before and everything a runner could ever want available for purchase!!  The medals were all lined up waiting to be handed out the next day and the race routes were up all over so you could view your running route!  We made sure to sign the We Will Remember Boston Banner and get our Boston bracelets!  We also learned that the finish mats(that give you your final time with your chip) were from Boston!  What a neat feeling that was!
Next we were off to have a big (carb loading) lunch!  We ended up eating at the Spitfire Grill and it was delish!!  We had a steak and pasta combo--yummmmo!  After that we hit up a few stores and grabbed our breakfast items for race day!  We spent the weekend at Josh's buddy's house-Timmy Lystad--who was a great host :)  Friday night we stayed up maybe a little later then we should have and had a little more fun then we should have ;) but it was all part of the weekend fun!

Time to grab a registration packeet and prep for the big RACE DAY!



A very empty Fargo Dome



The medals hung-ready for tomorrow!!!

Saturday early morning around 3:30 I woke up to the sounds of thunder and lightening---by the time we had got up and started getting ready, it was only raining slightly, so we left the house at 6:15 and headed to the dome!  We waited in a long car line to pull into the dome and got there just in time to use the bathrooms(one last time) and walk outside to find our pacer!

Ready...Set...RUN!!!!



The dynamic trio--nighty, night gals...time to do some running in the early am!


We did have a goal to finish close or under two hours this year---and the first five miles looked promising!!  But then the legs get tired and the mind gets a little weak(at least for me anyway) and by mile 11 I felt like my feet were bleeding due to the huge blisters on the balls of my feet!  My shoes and socks were soaked from the rain and humidity and had rubbed my feet raw :(  I finally yelled at Michelle enough to GO! and she finished five minutes before I did (she at 2.15 and me at 2.20) but it's still an improvement from last years time of 2.22-so I will take it as a win and push harder next time!!!  ...oh yes, there will be more halfsies in my life :)

The amazing part about racing in Fargo is the crowd!!!  They make the race so much fun that you literally can sometimes forget(even if just for a moment) what mile you are at!  It was incredible to see and hear my good friend Lacee and her sister Cherish cheering us on around miles 5 and 7!  Then at mile 10 or so our hubbies were there with cameras rolling and clicking cheering us on again!!  Those moments will always stick out for me :)
People come out on their lawns and cheer with cow bells, pots and sticks, blow horns, etc.  One of my favorites is the Bloody Mary Thon--a group of girls who have a Bloody Mary bar set up in their lawn :)  People make great and very creative signs too:
*I will give you $100 to quit now
*Bet you thought this was a good idea 4 months ago...
*Run faster, the guy in front of you is farting
*Worst parade ever
*Run like you stole something
*Run fast, the beer is waiting for you at the finish line
*Go Random Person Go!

And of course the GRAND moment when you turn down the corner and finish your race with everyone cheering and clapping as you cross that finish line in the Fargo dome takes the cake!!
We hung around the dome for a little while longer, giving our feet and legs a rest and just watching runners come across and reach their goals at the finish line--it's an amazing community--these runners!!!  One I'm extremely proud to be apart of :)

After the race we went to our favorite breakfast restaurant, the Cajun Cafe and had something to eat--then headed back to Timmy's for showers and naps!  After we rested up, we met up with some others for supper and drinks and had a fun time helping Dacia celebrate her birthday :)  Bed felt good that night, even if it was almost 1:00am before we got there :S


Celebrating at Three Lions Pub after the race



Our support team--what a great group of guys!!! 



Sunday morning we slept in, packed up and grabbed some breakfast.  We did stop at Beyond Running in downtown Fargo and Momma got some new shoes!  I'm straying from the asics and giving brooks a go--hopefully I will run like the ND wind blows (one of my favorite signs we saw along the race)
Overall, another amazing weekend and experience in the books!  A HUGE thank you to my parents for keeping our kiddos this weekend---they get excited when Ma and Pa are gonna leave town to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa, we know they get spoiled rotten, but that's what a Grandparents job is to do sometimes--are we're OK with that!