Our Kids Will Never Play Soccer

"Our kids will never play soccer" was something Mark and I said numerous times. We never played it growing up and I hate driving by the soccer fields by our house and seeing it full of people at 1pm on Saturday afternoon when it's 100 degrees outside or 9am on a Sunday morning when we should be in church. But there are a lot of things we said we'd never do as parents and here we are now letting our kids watch Frozen so we can get a few minutes to ourselves, quieting them with a 2nd sucker so we can finish the grocery shopping, giving in to the never-ending request to play on the iPad….and playing soccer!

Elliott played in a small 6 week league at our church and I’ll just start out by admitting that it was a long 6 weeks. Elliott was terrible at soccer. He cried when he didn’t score goals and the other kids did. He whined when he had to do drills. He’d run off the field at random times to get a drink of his Gatorade for the 15^th time in just 4 minutes. I’m not even going to lie on this one and say it was fun. Better luck next year! 

Kellen's Birthday/Family Photos

We made a weekend trip to Minneapolis to celebrate Kellen’s 1^st birthday. It’s hard to believe he’s already one. I still remember the night that Steve and Chelsey told us they were expecting. We were discussing what parenting would be like when Claire threw up and I caught it in my hands (Claire had terrible reflux so I learned to catch on to the warnings that a big one was coming). I remember Chelsey kind of laughed disgustingly and said something like "wow, that was impressive.” Now she’s a mom herself, catching spitup in her hands and all. 

They hired a photographer to capture favorite moments of the day and we were lucky enough to grab him for a few photos of our family. Thank you Steve and Chelsey! 

Planting 2016

We love being closer to home so we can make it back for quick weekends to help on the farm. I think Mark has turned into more of a "farm kid" now then he ever was when he actually lived on the farm!

Spending some time at the lake reading with Mimi

Hard at work blowing bubbles with Grandma Laurie

Riding in the gator 

Getting the planter ready for the plot

Elliott's Birthday

Elliott is no longer a baby. I don't even consider him a toddler anymore. He's 4 but he looks like he's 5 thanks to those tall genes. It's so much fun to see his personality develop. I catch things that remind me of myself (how upset he gets when he can't figure something out, his inability to admit when he's wrong, and of course his long slender physique) and certain things that remind me of his father (his white boy dance moves, the size of his feet, and ability to fart on demand). His favorite thing continues to be cars and he now loves to watch YouTube videos. He could spend hours watching videos of people playing with matchbox cars. He's the typical whiny, do-it-myself 4 year old but we love him to death!

Girlfriend's Vacation

One of The hardest thing about moving to Iowa was moving away from my girlfriends. We laughed together. Cried together. Watched The Bachelorette together. We couldn't be more different in some aspects but there is obviously something that keeps drawing us back together! We planned a girlfriend's vacation last September and it finally came to fruition in March when we traveled to Asheville, North Carolina. We spent most of our time drinking wine at nights and coffee in the mornings and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Megan couldn't make it because she had more important things going on like buying and flipping a house and growing a baby! 

Easter

We had such a fun time celebrating Easter this year. Steven, Chelsey and Kellen made the trip south and stayed with us for the weekend. Grandma Laurie and Grandpa John came over bright and early Saturday morning to color Easter eggs. We then had lunch at the Conley house with Grandma Linda and Grandpa Jeff and had dinner at the Uhl house on Sunday with Pops and Mimi.

Famous Currie Quotes

Elliott and Claire both continue to amaze me with their speech. Claire is really starting to talk and Elliott is starting to get very witty.

Claire’s New Words

‘mon Ehyet à Come on Elliott

Moo chair à Move chair (she is very particular about where things should be)

Boo-be à blueberry

Top dat à stop that (usually when I’m doing her hair)

Elliott Conversations

Mom- No coming in to Mom and Dad’s room tonight.

Elliott – Welllll, sometimes I just get scared.

Mom – I understand, but you are a big boy and there’s nothing to be scared of.

Elliott – Ok, Mom. I will try my best.

(Claire is jamming her princess wand into a bucket)

Elliott – Don’t do that sweetie, you don’t want to break your wand.

Mom – Let’s blow your nose.

Elliott – Yes, that might help my cough.

(He blows his nose and starts coughing)

Elliott – Orrrr….maybe not.

(Claire throwing a fit)

Elliott – Enough of that crying, Claire. I really don’t want to hear it anymore. 

Celebrating Mom's 60th Birthday

It's been a while since we had a sister's weekend so we decided to get everyone together and celebrate Mom's 60th birthday...in January. Better late then never. 

Love you, Mom! 

January 30-31

K'Lyn and I may or may not have had too much to drink. Ok, I probably had more.
Either that or I just can't hold my liquor like my sister can. 

Pedicures - one of the ladies doing our nails said you are considered lucky in her country if you have 5 girls.
Just one more, Mom! :)   

Dinner at RoCA

Claire - 18 Months

I missed a few monthly updates for Claire and am just now catching up. I'm looking back at some of her earlier ones and reminiscing on the ones where I started "Claire is seriously the happiest baby ever..." Let’s just say that you won’t hear those words come out of my mouth these days. She hit the terrible twos in full force at the ripe age of 15 months. I think it started with a combination of breaking several new teeth at a time and battling a few ear infections. She knows exactly what she wants and when she wants it and she will throw a fit if you don’t get it for her. She tries so hard to keep up with her older brother and some days she is successful, which usually ends in giving mom either a heart attack or a mental breakdown. Someday I will appreciate her tenacity. Someday…

Who needs toys?

I gave her some of my old makeup and she knew exactly what to do with it.

What a cheeser.

I know you want me to sit down, but I'd rather pretend I didn't hear you.

Christmas

This is the first year that Elliott understood the idea of Santa and truly looked forward to his arrival. It was so much fun to see his excitement, yet painful to listen to him ask over one hundred times "When do we get to open presents?" We worked hard at making sure Elliott understood the meaning of Christmas and I think we got half way there. If you ask him whose birthday we are celebrating he will promptly say "Baby Jesus," but then follow it up with "But when is it my birthday?"

Christmas at Pops and Mimi's

Making cookies for Santa

Christmas Eve 

Christmas Morning

Elliott's present from Grandpa John.
I think Grandpa and the big boys enjoyed it just as much as Elliott!

Christmas jammies at Grandma Linda's

Christmas at "The Farm"