Duluth for just two please......

This past weekend, Kirby and I stole away for a quick trip up to Duluth..did I mention that we were ALONE? As in, just  him and me, me and him?

We haven't been away from our kids for 2 whole nights since our honeymoon (7+years ago but who's counting right?)  It was well overdue and thankfull Papa Ray and big brother Tyler were able to hold down the fort and take care of the little ones so Kirby and I could spend sometime together.

It was great, I won't lie.

We ate like kings.

We walked slowly down the street...in fact, I would go as far as to say we strolled down the street. 

We got in and out of the car and didn't have to click and unclick car seats.

I actually paid attention to Kirby for large amounts of time and everything that I said him wasn't rushed or said in secret codes or spelled out over childrens heads.

We walked in silence at a fast past.

We weren't forced to find the closest bathroom everyplace we went.

We drove for miles with no questions, no complaints, no whines, and no worries.

And at the end of our time alone, we drove home with the excitement of seeing our kids again. 

We concluded that no matter how nice it was for it to be just 'us' again, that our lives are better and fuller sharing it with our children.

Batter Up!

Emma had her first Tball game this past week.  They started practice the first week after school but with all the rain lately, they have only been able to have 3 practices. Neverless, there was still lots of excitement for her first official game.

Here is she, first one up for either team!

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A good level swing....

and she's off!

There was a few chuckles and lots of happy 5-6 year olds enjoying the beautiful weather while their family cheered them on.

Emma's biggest fan had to have the best seat in the house.

Good job Emma!

Father's Day Weekend....

 

7+ years ago, Kirby and I registered for a TON of camping equipment for our wedding. It took us about 5 years before we dusted everything off and actually used the stuff.  Now, it's becoming an annual adventure for us to go camping at least once a summer.  This year we decided to start off with a little, 'city' camping down at Lake Elmo.

Here we are..having some fire time with some gooey oooey marshmallows.

Tyler loves to be the fire man and was busy trying to muster up the courage to chop up the kindling for fire starters... He did manage to get a knick on his hand but the good news is he didn't need a band aid.

Emma and Logan getting comfy in the tent.

But, they decided they needed another marshmallow before they actually went to sleep.

Saturday we woke up to cloudy skies and rain clouds so Tyler suggested we take a road trip to Como Zoo and see the new Polar Bears.

Here they are checking out the ducks.

A quick stop on the turtle.

After touring all the animals, Emma and Logan spied the rides so we took a quick detour for some fun.

Here is Emma going on the dragon. She needed to have a responsible adult with her because she's not quite 48' yet so she picked Tyler.

(they both screamed like little girls on this roller coaster)

Here's Logan holding on to Tyler's hat while he was screaming.

Logan and Emma take a turn on the tea cups. Logan is finally 36' tall!

If you can see the worker off to the left...Tyler and I were watching her get ready to shoot and by the 'looks' of her, I told Tyler there was NO WAY she was going to make that shot. Sure enough, she nailed it, made it look easy so Tyler was inclined to give it a whirl. 

Nice form but no soup for you!

For some reason we have never taken the time to ride on the Merry Go Round at the zoo. This time we finally did and I'm glad we did. It was super fun and we all got to pick our horse and enjoy one of the oldest, original Merry Go Rounds.  Here's Tyler getting serious....

Emma decided to take the easy ride.

Logan and I enjoying the fun.

The sun finally decided to show up so we hit the beach pool and the kids started working on their sand castles.

Logan is a serious worker.

We topped the weekend off with a family trip to watch "Toy Story" and gave Papa Kirby his presents.

Happy Father's Day to my loving husband!

We love you!

Lord Stanley of Preston

On Saturday July 31st, 1999 a one time, skinny goalie from Grafton and a washed-up, wannabe from Warroad decided to take a road trip to Grand Forks, North Dakota - home of the UND Fighting Sioux. On a whim, the decision was made to take part in a historic unveiling of new arena plans and rumor had it that the NHL goalie from the Dallas Stars, Eddie the Eagle, was bringing a special guest to the party. The mere mention of the Stanley Cup being within driving distance was enough to whip these two hockey loving amigos into a frenzy. The pair left the Bemidji campus in such a rush that they left behind any photo taking capabilities but scrounged up enough dough to buy a cheapo camera at some NoDak filling station.
To this day, certain details of the trip are fuzzy but the fact remains - although I did not earn a chance to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup over my head in victory, I did manage to run my fingers across the engraved names that cover all sides of that special trophy. I giggled like a school girl as I read the names of guys like: Scotty Bowman and Toe Blake, Beliveau and Richard, Lafleur or Lemaire, a fella named Gretzky and his counterpart Lemieux.

Fast forward eleven years and those same two college roommates once again delighted in this year's race for the Cup. Now a family man, I have a new found joy sharing the ups and downs of playoff hockey with my kids. As the stream of passion filled hockey games reeled on our television, a fervor of hockey fever swept back into the Kirby household. Rather than take in another episode of iCarly with his sister in the other room, Logan continually choose to pile in next to Dad offering his 3 year old take on "play-by-play" for multiple periods of hockey. And although her love of teenage micro-drama is strong, Emma even checked in on a few games here and there. A real sign of change is when Tyler and Michele supported mine and Bear's decision to re-decorate the boys' bedroom with Christian Bros. hockey sticks whose best days are behind them.

Last night, the Flyers and the Blackhawks did not disappoint and neither did my children. Being just a toddler, Logan was only allowed the first two periods of Game 6. We high-fived and hugged our way through those 2 periods as Logan pointed out Pronger was being naughty; Niemi was making the big saves, and Toews must have fast skates. I could have sworn that my little Bear had a stop watch and was keeping official statistics of Big Buff's ice time because it wasn't long until Logie was calling out Buff's shifts long before I noticed.

And then the folks at NBC gave us a peek at Lord Stanley of Preston's Cup. We watched as the tenders polished the oldest trophy in North American professional sports and I shared with Logan that the winners get to spend their time "with the Cup." Asking Bear what he'd do if he ever won it, my son replied, "I'd bing it home an share wit Mommy and Tyler and Emma and Gunner and You!" I laughed and may have been dreaming of the possibilities of that reality when I asked him if we could take it fishing with us. Of course this seemed silly to a three-year old. Even sillier when I asked him if we could drink from it. "You can't dink Apple Juice from the Stanley Cup, Dad!" Of course son, I'll keep that in mind. And off he went to bed while the zamboni did it's job during the 2nd Intermission.

A late 3rd period Philly goal tied things up and just over 4 minutes into OT, Patrick Kane snuck one by the goalie and just about everyone in T.V. land to end Chicago's draught in pursuit of the championship. This morning, moments after he wiped the sleep from his eyes, Logan asked if "Buff got the cup?" I carried him downstairs where he and Emma took in some early morning SportsCenter. Logan was quick to point out the Stanley Cup to his big sister as the Hawks paraded it around the ice in highlights. But Bear wanted to know where Buff was. I asked Emma what she'd do if Logan won the Stanley Cup, she didn't hesitate to quietly tell me that she'd "sneak into Logan's room when he was sleeping and bring it into her room." And as I hugged her, Logan spotted a new Roseau County hero - Dustin Byfuglien - with the cup over his head.
Hopefully Logan will be able to check the spelling on that name 20 years from now when they're putting his on it.

Highlights....

1. We got a trampoline. It's HUGE but man is it fun.  Emma and Logan love jumping on it, Kirby loves to show off as well and Tyler and I just finished a killer game on kickball on it.

 2.  Summer has officially started!  The pool is open, baseball and tball games are scheduled and we are using tons of bug spray.

3. My new workout has started this week...so far the fit test is done and one workout.  It ain't easy but man is it fun.  I like it better than P90X so far.  I think when I first started P90X I was hoping for more of a mix of cardio and weights-but was not disappointed with my results.  With INSANITY, it's just one crazy workout that pushes you and pushes you.

4. Summer trips are planned:  Camping to Lake Elmo, Warroad over the 4th, Fishing trip to Canada, Family reunion to Wisconsin Dells, and a camping trip to Gooseberry Falls.  Sounds like fun right?

5. Tyler, Emma and Logan are getting a chance to pick on each other and wrestle and spend some time together.  It's so fun to watch them laugh and giggle.  

Hope your summer is off to a GREAT start!

Happy Anniversary!

Today is a day of anniversaries.

Our blog is officially 2 years old today.

Two years of our lives, our children, pictures and our thoughts on a computer screen.

Available to those who love us that are near and far to see what's new with the Kirby Krew.

It started out as fun and has turned into a way to keep connected with friends and family.

Thank you dear ol' internet for the helpful reminder that with a click of a mouse, we can go back in time and see how far we've come-what we've accomplished-where we've been and how we've grown in a year.

Happy Anniversary!

PS. Today is also my 5 year work anniversary-I'm more excited for the blog anniversary to tell ya the truth. But, I am thankful for my job, the people I have met and the skills and life lessons I have learned while working as an Employment Specialist.