they are home!

yes my kids are all 4 home and in their beds!! It is nice to see them all together and playing and happy and not fighting to boot!

They had a good time and siad they did not miss us much at all! I am sure they did not miss us at all. Which I am glad to know they are fine being away from us too.

Dennis and I missed them though. It was strange not getting up and getting them off to school each morning.

The house is offically on the market now and someone came to look at it for his client last night. They are coming into town on Sat to look at it themsleves. We hope this is a good sign and they want our house as it would be a big worry off my mind. SO think good happy thoughts for us!!

I am off to watch TV with Dennis and check in on the 4 little ones so watch them sleep for a bit. Good night all!

My kids

My kids are some great kids I must say. While we were down in Iowa we also went to a fish hatchery. No pictures as we forgot the camera at the farm. But it was a lot fo fun! While there Nancy asked if the 2 older ones could take 3 days off school and stay down by her.

So since there is no spelling anymore and only 2 weeks of school Dennis and I decided that there was never going to be a chance for the kids to learn like this. And so they stayed behind.

They called us tonight and they are having a blast! They love being on the farm! They were telling me all about the dead pigs and the ones going to get made into sausage tomorrow!

I am so glad they are enjoying themselves. I was a bit worried since really they have only gone for more then a few hours with Grandma and Grandpa Nistler. So I am thrilled they are having such a good time and they are learning so very much!

Pigs pigs and more pigs!

We made a trip to Iowa to see my sister Nancy and Larry. They manage a pig farm down here in Cresco.

A mommy and her little ones shortly after birth.



The cutest colored pigs! Though they do not have many colored pigs here they did have a few. Most are white.

Nancy showing Dennis and the kids some babies as she was trying to do her job. I think we made it hard.
Samantha and a pig she got to hold, I was surprise at how into the pigs Samantha was. She made Nancy go to the barns 3 times yesterday to go ook at the babies.

Stephen and a pig he was holding


Mini checking out the pig a little closer. She was all for it! You will notice there are none with Matthew and the pigs. He did not like that the babies cried in there. But really made him jump into my arms was when you walk in a barn the mommies would jump and make a wolf noise and that was it. His little feet did not touch the ground again!

Iowa has flies

Iowa has flys! Of course you know this made the boys so very happy! When they ran out of flies in the house out to the garage they went to see if they could find some out there!

you have got to be kidding me!

yes it seems that this week is strep week for us! I took Samantha in on Monday night and it was neg and they said it was viral. Took her back Tuesday afternoon and though it came out neg for strep they said she has strep and had a 103 fever to boot. So off to get meds for her!

They started Stephen on meds just to make sure he did not get it now too so we are all on meds but me. And my strep test came out neg as I had one run just to make sure I am not the carrier.

So now 2 times a day we line up all 4 kids and Dennis and they take their medicine. Mini will be done Sat. MAtthew ad Dennis next Monday and Stephen and Samantha next Friday. So yes more trips to the dr this week. And I am so done with sickness floating around! SO I am ready for everyone to be better!

Breakfast the next morning

Mini is oh so excited!! Dennis is making food! Food I tell you! Just get to work Dad and do not worry about Mom taking our picture. I know she thinks this everytime I go to take pictures of her.

She is a good superviser too and no longer tries to jump off the counter just because she can.

more pictures from the birthday

Here is Mini eating cake! She does love some cke you all know that! As a side note Mini weighes 25 and Matthew weighes 32 so she is going to pass up her big brother soon! She wears 18 months but mostly 24 months and he is in 3T only! Though he is growing right now so soon will be in 4T.

The boys out eating cake. I would stay away form Mini too as she went straight to a bath from the above picture as she loves to make a mess witht he cake once the frosting is gone.
Stephen opening his gifts! He loved all of them!


Here the boys are all tucked in and getting ready to sleep.

Stephen's party

Stephen wanted to celebrate his birthday with friends early as he was all worried he would not get a party like Samantha did before we left. So Sat we had his 3 friends over. The boys had a great time and by 11:30 they were all fast asleep! The next morning Mom's forgot to come get the boys but it all worked out and Stephen had a really good time. Of course little girls came over to chase the boys! I was feeling all sorry for them and I was about to chase the girls home when around the corner came the boys to chase back! I forgot they may just like that they were getting chased!

more strep

yep Matthew got it too. He just could not leave Mini's tippy cup alone. So I was hoping to avoid more step but i guess I am not surprised he got it. I just hope no one else gets it. The top picture is him the day before he got it and the other is this morning after his fever broke last night. Stephen was scheduled to have 3 friends over last night and I was surprised but the Mom's let all three boys come. I will post about it later. I need to get everyone gathering their things as Mom's will be here shortly to pick up their boys.

Matthew playing

Matthew was feeding me and playing cook and waiter! Of course do not call health services for him as notice the dog laying in my food!!

We were waiting for Dennis to come home form work. Dennis had called at 7am to say he was on his way home so we were all excited to see Daddy after him being gone over night. So Matthew was in fine form when he got home to hang out with Dad who really just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep! But he played a bit then crawled into bed.

Mini

Mini and her love of food! I swear you try to get a picture of her and she reaches for food!

But it does give you a look of her pretty little barettes! She even left them in her hair which takes an act of congress for her to leave them alone. But once you get her to forget them after a minute they stay in. And she is soo dang cute with them in I wish she would let me put them in more!

Stephen and Samantha playing

For Mother's

Day the kdis gave me a game for the wii. I do like the game but I need fight the kids for time! They too like my game!

Strep throat baby

So this is the reason the blog did not get updated Thursday. Mini felt the need to scare her mother to death. She got a fever in the afternoon I gave her motrin put her down for a nap thinking she was teething. Well she woke up 3 hours later with a higher one. I gave her tylonal and called the peds as I figured we had an ear infection. I could not get her in till later so when the time came up I gave more motrin. But the fever just hung on.
When we got to the clinic I told them I could not get it to break. I figured it was 102 but it had rose to 103.4 and they checked her ears and they were all pretty they said. I knew it was a bad sign. So they rean strep and told me to hope it was + or we were getting our admit papers to the hospital! So I was so pleased when it came as + so home we went for a cool bath to try and break the fever. And at 2am her fever broke! And the next morning you would not know our little girl was so sick the day before.

Thankfully she like her meds as she does not fight you at all!

Stephen and Mini

Ok I told you I would do this the other day but it has gotten realy nuts here. But here is Stephen and Mini. Stephen had been laying there just watching Mini sleep for 30 minutes and had to have a picture.

Mini had been running and running and then just laid down with her blanket and crashed. And we just left her sleep there. Since she is so set that she needs to sleep in HER crib we figured it was a good lesson to learn to just sleep on the floor. Well it did not work that way really it has not happened again. Maybe someday.

He must nto be so bad

Denis got the call tonight that his background check is back and he is clean. No hidden warrents or anything. So all the i's are dotted and the t's crossed and we are Oregon bound!

Well, not really yet. We will be picking who to sell our house this week. It is between 2 people really. And then list right after the holiday. So I will be working hard at getting things together. What will be stored till we sell and what will be given away.

I will update on the kids though and keep this up to date. As really who wants to clean all the time!? This weekend Stephen is having friends over to spend the night for the first time. And Dennis is working for EP this weekend. So a busy weekend coming up.

Stephen is celebrating his birthday early as he want sto have friends from school over. And since this is his last birthday here he can have some friends sleep over.

So tomrrow pictures I promise! I got a really cute one of Stephen and Mini so I will post again tomorrow. But for now it is bed for me as it is late and tomorrow is another day.

Happy Mother's Day

I know I know yesterday was Mother's day. But it has been ever busy here in the Alexander household. you know we would be bored if not.

Dennis ende up with an inner and an outer ear infection in his right ear on Friday night. So off to the dr for him Sat morning. (He never goes) So they got him in and got him 2 different meds. They do not seem to have kicked in yet so Sunday was not his best day.

Friday I went to see my parents for a bit and the kids got 4 wheeler rides. And Sat Mom and Dad came for supper with us. And Sunday after finally getting Dennis enough pain meds in him we went there for supper to get my sister her 2 computers.

I did want to say Happy Mother's day to you all! I hope your day was wonderful and blessed with your children around you.

My day started with breakfast in bed which no matter how he feels Dennis always does for me. Fresh coffee and waffles and my kids aroundme watching me eat! Stephen woveme a basket in school. It looks great! And Samantha made me a stepping stone at girl scouts and gave me a packet of flowers from school. And Dennis bought me flowers. And he and the kids got me a game that we can play so it was a wonderful day. And the weather was awsome too!

Onto a busy week here. I will update later this week with pictures as I do have some to download.

A new adventure

I have thought of this post in my head for 2 days. And I am sure it will still not come out well. Dennis interviewed you all know back in March for a company in Portland Oregon. He turned down there offer. But just last week they came back with a new offer for him to think on. On Monday he signed the letter and he gave his 2 weeks notice here in Minnesota.

He will travel back to Oregon for training and then he will work from the house here till it sells. So we do not know when really we will be moving, but we hope this summer so the kids can start the new year in their new school.

So our family is embarking on a new adventure of moving. Starting over and looking at new friends. Andyou know you would think I would be better at this since I have done this once before but it is still hard to move away from family. When I did this move to Oregon last time I was a 20 year old girl. No kids and just my family here. Now I get to bring with me my 4 wonderful kids and my husband. So it is easier in a way. But really knowing trips to the cabin will be far between now is hard. My kids are worried they will not see family form here again.

We have told them we will visit and they will visit. Uncle Jim already said he would come out for a visit with a favorite cousin Dominic. So they feel life is still good. They are always in for a new adventure! So exciting times coming for us! So Oregon family you best be ready to be swamped with us all!

I am going for lunch with Dennis and his team here today. They thought he was kidding when he told them he gave his notice. Poor Dennis had to convince them that yes this was real.

I will update on here when we have more news. So for now I am muddling through learning to put a house on the market. And packing though anyone who knows me knows I love to pack! For me it is so nice to throw things out that you held on to in case you need them in 5 years.

First Communion

Well the day came and Samantha did so well and she was beautiful to boot while she had a great time!

Here is the family after mass. It was so nice to see all the kids looking so good and clean for 5 minutes!

Samantha with Grandma and Grandpa after mass!














Samantha and her cake! She loved her cake!

And here I am cutting that cake of hers! Of course she wanted a piece of the cross which just so happens to be in the middle of the dang cake! But she loved that cake I tell you and she ate her whole piece to!

Mini goes boom (again)

You would think after falling and then falling again and again she would learn that if you climb the kitchen chairs they will tip over and you will hit whatever is on the way down. Nope not yet. But someday seh will get it down. So for now her head has a big bump on it again. We had a few weeks of no black and blue marks so we were just counting the days till she tried again. though I must admit she has not tried since yesterday to climb a chair. So maybe just maybe she has learned a very important lesson in life this time.

Though it does not seem to bother her as she is still full of piss and vinager and is laughing at us as always!

Samantha's glasses

IS she not the cutest thing!?

swing set

Oh so fun Spring days and sunshine bring many hours of fun on the swing set! The younger two would never leave the swing if they had a choice but sooner or later everyone tires of pushing them.

Dennis on phone with Ernie

Yea the man can take being on the phone and relaxing a bit far! And this was taken because Ernie has asked for the link 5 times at least but never looks so he can be on the blog. Since he never comes to visit anymore he has no pictures on here. But I have mentioned him by name and now he will have to visit us again!

And really Dennis has not had a picture on here and awhile and I know he feel bad when I do not put him in here very often.

Love you dear!

More samantha's hair

Samantha put her first pony in all by herself this morinng! She sure is growign fast on us now.

Samantha's hair

Maria I am in need of your input. This is the only thing I came up with for her hair on Sunday. What do you think? WIll it work? Of course will not be using a blue pony binder!

She is very happy to have had the chance to put on her little crown!

Mini and Mommy

Yes yes I am in some posts. This was taken this mornign while we were trying to sleep. Notice the flashes woke up a baby girl and therefore me shortly there after! 6am is not my favorite time of the day but it seems I get up then more often then not these days. So bad shot of me but Mini is cute as ever!

On the way to Dominic's First Communion

We went last Sunday to see Dominic make his First Communion. It was an 1 1/2 hour drive so not bad but the kids were finding the strangest things to make themselves laugh. Or to keep busy! We had the paper the kids read the comics and food for Mini of course! That girl really is in love with her food!

We had a great time visiting with family for the day. We left our house at 8am and did not get home 9pm! Loong day but so much fun to just hang out and visit and just relax!