And there is quite...

What a week! Starting last Monday, we have had family visiting everyday until Sunday. It was such a wonderful week that the girls really did not want to end! I don't blame them, I didn't want it too either!

Monday brought us my dad who stayed with us through Friday. We had such a great time hanging out with him and enjoying the nice weather when we got it! Tuesday we lucked out and the weather was great so we decided to hit the Como Zoo in St. Paul. This is a pretty awesome Zoo and to top it off its free! The girls loved seeing all of the animals...they explained that they were going to grow up to be Zoo Keepers! This is along with being Firefighters, Police women, and Ballerinas! Here are some pictures that we snapped while we were there:

Parker was the Map reader...she said we were finding a treasure!



 

That night we also took Papa Rob out for a movie! We went and watched Madagascar 3...and laughed the whole time! It was hilarious and the girls loved it!

Wednesday brought not only a day full of Papa Rob, but also Grandma Beth, Papa John, and Uncle Matthew! We got to hang out at the Mall of America for a little while and had a great dinner before my parents and brother had to head back to Sioux Falls. As if the week hadn't been fun enough, Thursday the girls had swim lessons, and then we spent the afternoon at the pool! The girls loved having Papa Rob at the 'Big Gym' swimming with them!

To start off the weekend, we went to the Mall of America and Ikea with Papa Rob before he had to head out to La Crosse WI. After nap time though the girls were in such good moods because they knew Grandma Natty was on her way! She was able to get here shortly before bed time so the girls got to get some snuggles in! Saturday was an interesting day...we were hoping to go swimming for the day, but the weather up here does not like us to plan a swim day! So we started off the day taking Grandma to the Farmers Markets that we like! We lucked out and the weather turned out ok and we were able to get some swim time in!

That night the girls got to play outside, snuggle, and eat popcorn while watching movies with grandma while Nick and I got out for a date! They love getting to hang out with their Grandma Natty! Unfortunately with Sunday, came the day that Natalie had to head home. :( None of us like when family has to leave...especially Grandma Natty since we don't get to see her as often.

Needless to say after a busy week full of family, it is rather quite at our home now! As much I love the quite and the order...we miss the family too!

Finally Hair Cuts!

When I was younger, I was almost 3 years old before I finally started to grow hair. When I did start to get it, it was platinum blonde and curly. It took forever for me to finally get hair, so when it grew in with curls my mom was so excited! When she finally decided to cut my hair, the curls disappeared...so sad! Although my hair was still super cute, it was so disappointing to have my curls disappear!

As with me, the girls were very slow to grow a full head of hair. When they started getting it, Kinsley got stick straight beautiful platinum blonde hair. It drapes so cute to the side and looks like it has natural highlights! Parker got beautiful curly blonde hair that framed her face in such a cute way. Since I remembered what happened when I cut my hair, I was very hesitant to cut either of their hair. I held off for as long as I could but couldn't wait any longer!

Kinsley got her hair cut April 2011 because while celebrating Easter she got one of her pig tails caught in a hand held bubble blower. Needless to say I had to trim her hair to get the blower out. It wasn't drastic but was bummed. Parkers we left untouched though! That is until right before Easter this year. Both of the girls were in need of getting cut so I decided to take the plunge while we were back home visiting family! I took both girls in and was amazed at how well they did!

They both got taken back by different stylists so I explained the general concept of what we wanted and walked back and forth between the girls! They sat perfectly and didn't cry at all! I had one of those really proud momma moments!

Here are the results:

Parker Before:

Parker After:

**Don't worry, her curls stayed! It was just still damp when we took the pic!**

Kinsley after:

She was being a stinker so I also am including one from later that afternoon:

This way you can see how cute it turned out!

I opted to get both girls the Bobb hair cut...this way it is a simple cute little girls haircut! Plus its still the right length that we can do pig tails when we want to!

Oh how time flys!

Since we have moved up to Farmington, time has seemed to just disappear before us! Between Nick working, the house finally selling, several small holidays, and just day to day life...life is running at full speed!

The girls are getting so big and its amazing the things that they are saying and doing now! They literally remember everything, so it shocks me what they will bring up and say! Here is a great example, we have a rule that the girls are not supposed to play in our room so when I catch them in there I will say "Please get out of momma's room". WELL the other day Nick went into the girls' room and was instantly informed to "get out of our room dad" by Parker!

Another great one, we were driving home from the gym in Eagan and it was starting to get dark when Parker asked "Can I wish on a shooting Star?". I told her we will have to wait until it was dark and we say a falling star. She then informed me she wanted to "Wish for Angelo"! He was a cute little boy in her preschool class that she has been to since the middle of January! It just cracked Nick and I up! Our little girl is already boy crazy at age 4!! Oh we are going to have our hands full with these ladies!

Finally Fantastic Four!

What a week! The girls turned 4 on Wednesday and they have been on cloud 9 all week! They love all the calls, cards, and presents they have received from their amazing grandparents! These girls are so lucky to have such amazing family!

Just before their birthday, Grandma Natty came up for the weekend and they got lots of snuggle time in with her! Unfortunately Parker had a bad cold so we didn't do a lot, but I think those are sometimes the best weekends!

On their birthday Nick and I took them to the Mall of America to have a spoil day! Fortunately their birthday was on a Wednesday so there was no one at the mall! We got their early and took them on a bunch of rides! Their favorite was the Big Rigs...they looked like Semi-Trucks! Parker thought it was soo cool because she had another little girl about her age sit next to her! She said she was her best friend! I love how at this age they aren't afraid of new people and are so accepting of everyone!

After going on rides we had lunch, and they got to pick out whatever they wanted to eat! Bonus was we even went and got ice cream for dessert afterwards! We went shopping and ran through the halls of the mall! It was a great time!

That night we came home and had dinner and made cupcakes! I got cute Princess candy cupcake toppers that they got to decorate them with! They used all the sprinkles I had bought on just 2 cupcakes! But they had a blast! Happy Birthday sweeties!

 

Finally a little snow!

Well these last couple of months have been a crazy few! In November Nick accepted a new position in Apple Valley MN, as the 2nd Assistant General Manager! He started on Nov 28th, which meant he had to move up to the cities while the girls and I got the house in Harrisburg ready for the Market! We listed Nov 28th, and fully moved out of that house as of Dec 17th. We have yet to sell the house but hope we figure it out soon! In the mean time we have all moved into a great 3 bedroom 3 bath 2 story townhouse in Farmingtom MN. The girls absolutly love it! They have their own playroom/loft right outside of their bedroom so they can play as much as they want!

So far the winter has been incredibly mild, which for us was a huge blessing since the girls and I have been driving back and forth between Sioux Falls and Farmington about every week! Bummer part is we have barely received any snow! The girls have been aching to put on the snow gear and get out and play in the snow! Today was finally the day! We got less then an inch, and it was absolutely freezing outside, but we did it! We would play for about 10 mins, go inside and sit by the fireplace for 10 mins, and then brave the cold again!

The girls are getting very indepentant now...not that they weren't before, but it has been taken to a whole new level since they are almost 4! We have to look at putting a lock on our refridgerator because the townhouse has a standard fridge with the fridge on the bottom...which means the girls can reach everything! Yesterday while I took a shower Parker got into the fridge and ate over 1/4 lb of cheese slices I had just bought from the deli! They love getting dressed themselves, and for now actually enjoy picking up after themselves! We'll see how long that lasts! We took them in for their 4 yr appointment early since I wanted to get it in with our regular doctor and found that Parker is 41 inches tall and 39lbs, while Kinsley is 38.5 inches tall and 27lbs!

As far as Nick and I, he is loving his new position at Menards! He enjoys the people he works with and is actually very excited for the new prospects and promotions he has opened himself up for! We hope that within 18-24 months he will be promoting again, and then within 18-24 month after that finalizing his promotions with his own store! Within those promotions we will again be moving so we are currently just looking at renting until the final move, which then we will build or buy our forever home!

For me, I am still doing Celebrating Home on the side, but I have cut back due to the distance and the fact that we don't have the same family dynamic up here that allowed me to work more and not worry about the girls having to get a babysitter. Luckily with Nick's promotion it isn't a large concern that I am working less! I am looking at other options though such as getting my personal training certification...but who knows!

Well time to start lunch and then 'school' for the girls!
Loves and Squeezes
The Lannings

Where does time go!

I have said this before, but where has our time gone? My last post was July of 2010...What!?! I am on the computer daily, why not more? Well that is going to change!

Here are some updates:
Kinsley is 38 inches tall and weighs 24lbs!
Parker is 40.5 inches tall and weighs 37lbs!

Both girls started preschool this fall and are loving it! Its amazing to see how much they are learning in just a few hrs every Tuesday and Thursday! They are in the Humpty Dumpty class at Central Babtist in Sioux Falls, which is an amazing pre-school! They have lots of new little friends including Kinsley's friend Gracie and Parker's friend Avalon.

Both girls are very creative and have imaginatons that just won't stop! They love to play 'kitchen' and make meals for eachother and Nick and myself. They also love to play 'mommy', where one of them is the mommy and the other is the baby! Its just a hoot watching them play together. I feel very lucky to have two little girls that love to play together!

Last week we just updated their bedroom so now they each have twin sized beds instead of toddler beds! They think that this is probably the coolest thing so far! They helped me pick out the bedding, Kinsley has purple and Parker has pink of course! They are very specific about their colors, even when it comes to their plates and sippie cups! It just cracks me up! We have a TV in their room that is just for movies and the girls love their movies! We have a wide variety...67 to be exact! They will watch one over and over and over though before they move on to another! Right now our two favorites are Tangled and Happy Feet!

They are definetly becoming their own little person more and more each day! Each of them has certian quirks and moods that we have come to recognize...and sometimes dread! They have certain things that they just love to eat, and they are very specific about it! Kinsley loves butter sandwiches with no crust and squished. Parker is a little less picky when it comes to food but she has a strong favorite...yogurt! She just loves it! She is big enough now that she can get into the fridge, open the drawer, and pick out her own!

Well must go for now, but there will be more very soon!

Way to Long!

Wow has time flown by! I am sorry that we have not posted more! The girls are getting so big and very active, so thus our days are packed full! Here are some updates:

As for me on May 3rd I left my full time job as Citibank to stay home with the girls and move forward as a Designer for Celebrating Home. We found that it was more budget friendly to have me stay home with the girls instead of having them in daycare. So now the girls and I spend a lot more time together! Things are going very well with this new transition! If you want to take a look at my new adventure you can check it out at www.celebratinghome.com/sites/kaseylanning which has an online catalog!

As for Nick, he is still at Menards as the Hardware Department Manager! He does excellent with this job! As a side job/hobby he has started making Bean Bag Toss boards that he is selling! It is truly amazing to watch him make these boards from scratch and then custom paint them for people! You can check them out at http://sodakcustomboards.blogspot.com/! He is just getting started but already has 5 orders to fill! Yay!

Now for the part that everyone has been waiting for...the girls!

Kinsley is still our little peanut! At 29 mons she is still only 20lbs! She is a little mini Nick! She loves her movies (especially Shrek and Princess Frog), loves to snuggle up on the couch with a blanket, and is in love with her 'babies'! She has this laugh that is incredibly contagious! It literally rumbles through her from her toes! She is really starting to find her voice now too! She has always talked, but has been really content letting Parker talk for her until now! She loves to tell stories and sing songs!

Parker is our big girl at 28 lbs! Crazy how she was our tiny baby when they were born! She is very head strong and has a very strong will! Unfortunatly she got these attributes from her mother! She is always moving and is constantly getting into something! She has always been very vocal, but has really started to verbalize really well! She says full sentances, and really understands what how to make her words work for her! She loves her little cell phone, to color, and to be outside!

I will do my best to keep this more updated! Thanks for stopping!

YAY Kinsley!

Yesterday Grandma Natalie and Uncle Luke came up for a visit and while they were here Kinsley went potty on the potty chair! It was so funny because the three of us were all crowded around the girls in the bathroom cheering them on, and then Kinsley decided she didnt like the chair that she was on so she got up and stole Parkers chair. As she sat there Natalie commented on how funny it was because she looked like she was faking like she was going to the bathroom, but in actuallity she really went! It was so great! All three of us cheered her on and she got a sticker with a monkey on it! She was very proud of her self! I was glad that Grandma Natalie and Luke got to be there to experience it!

YAY PARKER!

It happened! We had our first real potty in the potty chair tonight! Parker was very excited and picked out her sticker! She went with a Tiger sticker! She did so well! Hopefully this will progress into more! We are very excited  about this progress! Maybe we will be off diapers sooner then we think! Talk about getting a raise in a tough economy....not having to buy diapers would be like taking on a second income!

WooHoo! Keep up the good work girls!

Long time no chat!

So I apologize I have not written recently, but it has been a long couple of weeks! Needless to say the whole family has been busy!

First the girls have transitioned to a new class at daycare and this has been a trying time for us! Unfortunately we have not had the best transition so far so it has been a rough 2 weeks on mom and dad! The girls seem like they are enjoying their time, but it is not the fit that mom and dad were hoping for. Needless to say we are trying to work through this right now! It is just very difficult when these are the people that you are entrusting the most important beings in your life with, and the connection is just not their! Hopefully we will get something worked out soon for our sake!

Along with this transition we are still working towards potty training! The girls are interested but it is still a novel idea to them and very much so on their time and schedule! We aren't going to push it because we want them to adjust with this process! We are hoping sooner then later obviously but will take what we get!

They are both growing very fast, and are changing daily! The are continually learning more words and trying new things! It is crazy how much they know already! It is great! They are learning to help get themselves dressed and undressed! Needless to say there have been several times we lay them down to bed and check on them before we go to bed and they are partially or completly out of their pj's! Luckily we keep the house fairly warm and they have warm bedding!

Soon more to come!

Winter Fun Time

Well we could not take it anymore...we just had to go outdoors! We bundled up and grabbed our shovels and went out to play in South Dakota's winter wonderland! The girls had a blast! They ate a ton of snow, slid down the huge mounds of snow we have out front, and tried to help out daddy by doing a little shoveling! I litterally had to pick them up kicking and screaming to get them back inside! If it wasn't so chilly out we could have stayed out longer but we had bright red noses so momma said it was time!

Just so you can tell them apart...Kinsley is in the Brown and Pink set with the Brown hat and Parker is the Pink and Black set with a Pink hat!

Last Day as Starfish!

Today was the girls' last day in the Starfish room at daycare...I cried a little inside! We loved that room and the teachers! But unfortunately time does not stand still and we need to continually move forward! So next week the girls will make the final transition to the Peacock room! In this room they will begin to learn their letters and writing, toliet training, serving their own food and passing on food to the next child, and many many more things! It will be quite the adventure!

Since today is the Friday before Valentines Day the girls were able to leave the Starfish room with a fun cookie decorating party! It was fun to watch as they played in the frosting and with the sprinkles! Kinsley especially loved the sprinkles! She couldnt get enough! Here are some pictures from their little party!

Kinsley decorating....and yes that is about 1/3 a jar of sprinkles!

Here is a better view!

Lovely Valentine Kisses from Kinsley!

Parker was more interested in eating the frosting then putting it on the cookie!

Parker drinking from her Big Girl Glass!

Potty Potty!

For their 2nd birthday Grandma Natty got them adorable little potty chairs that are deluxe! They even have toliet paper rolls on them! The girls have been sitting on them, mostly with the lids down, but sometimes we try it with the lids up! Tonight after bath Parker said she had to go 'Potty' so we waited to put diapers and pj's on and let them sit on the potties!

They were having a good time sitting on the potties even with the lids open until Kinsley felt it was necessary to shut her lid. Nick and I were talking about steps we were going to take to start making this 'fun' transition when Kinsley snuck one by us and pottied on the potty! Only problem...the lid was still down! Nick looked at me and said "did you spill something?" I looked at it and instantly knew...IT WAS PEE! Woo Hoo! I have never been so happy to clean up a mess before! I was so excited that when I cheered I scared Kinsley and made her cry. We calmed her down though and got her a Tiger sticker and she was then excited with what she had just done! Hopefully we have more of these moments to come...preferably in the potty and not on it, but right now I wont be too picky!

Here are some pictures of the potties and the accident....yay thats right I took pictures of it! I am proud of her little accident!

2 year old Sweet Hearts

Well now that the girls are two and I have no idea what happened to the last 24 months I figured that now is the time to start their blog!

On Monday the girls celebrated their second birthday, and let me tell you they have jumped into the roll of the 'typical 2 year old' and took off running! They are becomming very independent and think that they can do just about anything and want to do everything! Needless to say our lives have become very interesting-not that they weren't before, but this has taken it to a new level!

Kinsley is our little peanut! At 33 inches and 21.4 lbs she is the smaller of the two, but those big beautiful eyes of hers can melt anyones heart in a second! She had always been our dainty little girl that did not want anything to do with mess's, but recently she jumped into being messy with every ounce she has! She even went so far to call the frosting from her birthday cupcake as 'lotion' and rub it up and down her arms!

Parker is our brute! At 34 inches tall and 24.4 lbs she is the bigger of the two even though she started out much smaller! She has this smile that is more then contagious! She will copy anything you say or do...good or bad! Parker is usually the first to try things and the first to master them, but that is slowly starting to change now that the girls are starting to get more competitive.

I hope to keep this blog up so we can keep everyone posted on the girls and up to date on whats going on with our little ladies! Also so I can keep track of all of their fun events!