Minnesota Knight's

From YoYo Donuts to Turkey Bowling...

2012-01-22T12:24:00.006-06:00

The Moseley Family made the long trip down the street this morning for some coffee and donuts followed by a little time on the new ice rink that Trevor has been working so diligently on in our back yard.

Molly and Adam brought donuts from YoYo Donuts and Coffee Bar. The donuts were delicious and the Maple Bacon Long John definitely lived up to our expectations!

After breakfast it was out to the rink with all the kids, Jameson included had his first experience on the rink.

The Moseleys brought their real bowling pins and a frozen Turkey to show the Knights how Turkey bowling is done.

The Kids loved the Turkey bowling!

Olivia helped mommy and Jameson since the Turkey was a little heavy.

Ben managed to sneak a little snuggle time with Addie in the sled.

Maybe next time we head out we will try the rink with some skates!

Melts your Heart!

2012-01-18T13:38:00.003-06:00

This is the moment every parent waits for, that FIRST SMILE! That smile turns your little baby into a person. It is the first glimpse into the personality that will develop as he grows and it melts your heart and brings tears to the eyes.

Hague House Dinner

2012-01-18T13:20:00.002-06:00

Every year around the holidays the girls (and spouses) from the house on Hague get together for a little holiday dinner. All of us lived at some point at the Hague house during our St.Thomas years. The Linder-Stenzel family has hosted our dinner the last few years at their house in St.Paul. This year was extra special since every one of us had had a baby in the last year or was currently pregnant!

(Jess, Maddy, Sarah, Sarah, Rachel & Jess)

Christmas and so much more...

2012-01-04T10:26:00.009-06:00

Off to church we went on Christmas Eve. This was our first adventure out of the house with the whole family. So here they are all 3 kids piled into the back of the car. This would never work in Trevor's car so we will soon be a mini van family.

After church we took a few pictures, opened a few presents and watched a Christmas movie. The whole day was relaxing and even though we missed being around the rest of the family it was nice to have a quite day at home.

Olivia got this outfit from the Juliens for Christmas and the kids love playing in the kitchen.

The Murrays invited us over to share in their spaghetti dinner for New Year's Eve. We decided it is nice to have friends to get together with that don't feel the need to stay up to watch the ball drop. We had a great night filled with good food and good friends!

Welcoming Jameson Robert Knight

2011-12-21T12:18:00.010-06:00

Jameson Robert Knight

12/14/2011 at 6:47pm

8lbs. 7oz and 22 inches long

When I headed to the doctor on Wednesday for my weekly Ultrasound and appointment with the doctor I was not expecting directions to head right to the hospital for an induction due to the drop in fluid levels since the previous week. So poor Trevor gets a phone call at work from me telling him to meet me at Southdale. They started the induction at 12:00 and slowly increased the meds, I got my epidural around 3:30, started pushing at 6:30 and we had our little boy out by 6:47.

Trevor got to announce the gender and his response was ...

"Holy Crap it's a Boy"

My parents brought the kids about an hour later to meet their new baby brother. Ben could not contain himself he was so excited!

Grandma and Grandpa "across the street" came, Emily and Katherine were there and Grandma and Grandpy Knight joined that night as well.
The kids came to visit again the next night and although Olivia was not sure what to think the first night she was so excited to hold her new baby brother on night 2.

Jameson looked pretty rough the first few days. He had swollen eyes from the drops they put in and a baby rash that the doc said was "impressive" that covered his whole body.

This is what the first few days at home were like... lots of lying around watching movies and relaxing.

Proud Daddy!

No surprise to us Ben has been loving every moment with Jameson. He can't wait for Mommy to bring Jameson to school so he can show all his friends.

Welcome to the Family Jameson!

She is 2 Years Old!

2011-12-04T13:17:00.006-06:00

Olivia's Birthday started out with a Bang! Olivia came down with Croup on Friday night. After Trevor and I spent 2 hours lying in bed listening to her breath we decided to head to Southdale's ER. We got there at 3:45 in the morning. The poor girl had x-rays, meds and a shot but after that she was doing much better. We got home around 6:30 and she slept until almost 11:00. After some sleep and the drugs from the hospital she was ready to party.

There were so many generous gifts from family and friends. Her big brother was of course a huge help in opening them all.

She got these sunglasses from Grandma and Grandpy and she thought she was pretty hot stuff.
Happy Birthday Sweet Girl! Can't wait to see what the next year has in store for you.

Naughty or Nice?

2011-12-04T10:56:00.005-06:00

Thanksgiving weekend we went to see Santa at Tonkadale Nursery. He is the BEST Santa. You don't have to wait in line and you actually get more than 30 seconds to talk to Santa. Olivia was a little afraid so poor Santa ended up with the WHOLE Knight family on his lap.

When the line slowed down Ben and Cullen had a little extra time with Santa.

Wonder what worldly advice Santa is sharing with these young minds?

Santa also wanted a picture with the newest member of the Knight family.

"Mo Candy"

2011-11-02T20:36:00.006-05:00

"Mo Candy" has become Olivia's favorite new saying. Poor girl got her mom's sweet tooth. Halloween weekend has not helped this problem.

Saturday Ben and Trevor went to the cabin to help with fall clean up and Olivia and I had the day to ourselves. She had her first experience with the large leaf piles I was raking and she LOVED it. She just kept running through the piles squealing with delight. Even the neighbors stop to see what all the fuss was about.

She also wanted to spend some time with her pumpkins and then when we moved to the back yard she kept saying "bye bye pumpkin, bye bye pumpkin"

We thought we were going to need one of those chair swings for her but she would have nothing to do with that. She loves the big swing and just sit there saying "Mo Underdog, Mo Underdog"

Sunday night we carved pumpkins and just like every other year Al and Jess provided us with one BIG pumpkin! Ben could not reach the bottom to get the guts out and Trevor could barely lift it even once it was carved.

Thanks Al for another great Pumpkin!

Halloween finally arrived and the kids had a great time painting the little pumpkin.

Trick or Treat time!

This year Ben told us he wanted to be SpiderMan. This was the first year he really had an opinion about his costume. Olivia did not care so much and she was the cutest monkey I have ever seen!

We ran into Adam, Molly, Will and Addie on the street as they were heading to our house. Will was ready to fight some fires!

We went to more houses this year than ever before. Ben was really getting into the Trick or Treating and I am afraid next year he will not let us skip a single house!

Apple Jack's

2011-10-23T21:30:00.009-05:00

Sunday morning we headed out to Apple Jack's Orchard in Delano.

The kids had a great time running, running and running some more.

Last year when we went to the orchard Olivia spent most of the time in the stroller as she was not even walking yet. This year the stroller did not even come with us and there is no way Olivia would have anything to do with riding in a stroller.

Last year our timid little 3 year old did not want anything to do with the pony rides but this year our big 4 year old could not wait to give the pony ride a try.

Ben helped Olivia up to the top of the hay pile and they thought they were pretty cool standing up there.

Grandpy joined us and we all enjoyed the wagon ride around the orchard.

I think Grandpy came just so he could try out the apple cannon. This was the favorite activity last year and I don't think things have changed much. I don't know who has more fun with this Ben or Grandpy.

All smiles all morning long!!

Right before the rain came the kids took a ride in the cow train that is pulled by a tractor.

Even with a little rain at the end of our trip the kids loved the orchard and it was a great family morning.

Fall Fun

2011-10-18T21:42:00.010-05:00

The last few weekends have been filled with Fall Fun! We made a quick stop at the Minnetonka Apple Orchard last weekend to help Vinny celebrate his 1st Birthday. The kids loved the little train ride behind the tractor, especially with Daddy along for the ride.

October 16th was here before we knew it and our little boy was turning 4!! We had a little party on Sunday night with family and a few friends. Ben picked out his cake, a CARS cake was his choice.

Murrays joined our family gathering and Ben was so excited to have his buddy Cullen at the party to help celebrate.

He did not lack love, attention or gifts that day. He cannot tell time yet but still insisted he wanted a watch for his birthday. Grandpa and Grandma across the street came through.

(as a side note this morning he said " we have to go in 5 minutes, that is what my watch says, mom")

Thanks to all who helped celebrate with Ben!

This weekend was also filled with firsts for Olivia. Friday night we moved her into her NEW room and her Big Girl bed. We did family story time, gave her kisses and walked away. She gave me a little sad lip but then we did not hear a peep out of her. She has done great every night since.

She just looks so little in that big bed.

So once the swing set was moved across the fence it needed a few new parts. It now has a new rock wall, ladder that is safe for Olivia and a new slide thanks to Grandpy and Grandma. The kids love it!

Thanks Grandpy and Grandma for our new toys that will provide us years of fun!

Grass At Last!

2011-10-05T21:10:00.004-05:00

This week we finally got our grass! It took over 14,000 sq ft of sod to cover the front and 2/3 of the back yard but it looks great. Now it is time to water, water and water some more. I also got the front of the house painted so slowly but surely we are making progress and hopefully before the snow flies the outside will be done.

Monday my mom and I spent the day getting Olivia's new room ready. We need a few more details but we hope to move her in there next weekend.
We are one step closer to being ready for Baby K #3

Knight Family Pictures

2011-09-26T21:40:00.006-05:00

Before Leslie left to head back to Spain we decided to have Jeff take some Knight Family Pictures. The kids were less that cooperative but some how he still manages to take some great pictures.

Soccer Season has Started!

2011-09-13T19:58:00.004-05:00

So Ben has moved from Summer T-ball to Fall soccer. Tonight was his first night on the PURPLE TEAM for Tiny Tonka Soccer. It was a beautiful night to be out and after just a few minutes Ben had his cleats on and was ready to run. They start with some VERY basic soccer drill for 30 minutes and then they played the YELLOW TEAM for the remaining time.

Passing to Cullen

Even Olivia got into the game! Look at that excitement

Getting ready for face off with the yellow team.

All in all the night was a success. Similar to T-ball that game looked like organized Chaos but the kids all had a great time.

New Siding and New Swing Set

2011-09-13T19:10:00.004-05:00

After re-siding last fall as part of the addition we realizing this spring that the siding was bad and here we are replacing it again (luckily at no cost to us). Trevor started the demo last week and Jamie and Tim came Saturday and Sunday to start putting it up on the house. I spent most of the weekend painting it before it was hung and hauling to the drying racks that now take up our entire driveway.

A TRUE boy after a long day of helping the boys in the yard with the new siding. He was covered head to toe in dust and dirt and was happy as could be!

Daddy's helper safety glasses and all

This is the new swing set! It was moved a whole 40 Feet across the fence line from our neighbors yard. It needs a few new things but the kids love it!

Another Summer Has Come To An End

2011-09-08T08:49:00.005-05:00

What would the end of the summer be without a trip to the Great Minnesota Get Together! We introduced Ben to a long time Alm family tradition last year as he made his first ride down the big yellow slide. This year it was Olivia's turn and she loved it. She got to the bottom after the first trip down and she just kept saying "more,more".

The other highlight of the night for them was not the food but rather climbing on all the equipment at machinery hill.

I ended the summer with a weekend at Middle Cullen with the kids while Trevor was in the boundary waters. You know fall is just around the corner when you spend all weekend in long pants and sweatshirts while having a fire in the middle of the day.

From Date night to the circus and so much more!

2011-08-10T18:36:00.019-05:00

Last Friday was date night with my little man. Ben's preschool teacher organized a night out to see the play Annie at the Stages Theater in Hopkins for all who wanted to join.

We started the night with dinner at Big 10 with Shanon and Cullen (a little double date for the moms and their boys). Ben enjoyed his Arnie Palmer and hot dog.

Then it was off to the Show!

After our run on Saturday the kids spent some time playing out side and the big Bobcat in our front yard was the highlight.

Olivia loved sitting in the bobcat as much as Ben. She is ready to go for a cruise

Sunday we had plans to go the to Splash Pad with our neighbors, Molly, Adam, Will and Addie. We were not sure if the it was warm enough to play in the water but the kids lasted about 10 minutes at the park and then they were ready for the water!

It took Olivia a few minutes to get use to the idea but after some play time in the water with Daddy she was ready to go...

And go some more

And guess who else showed up the Splash Pad...
The Murray Family!

So all the kids played together in the water for a while and then it was snack time.

(Will, Cullen and Ben)

Kinsley enjoyed her snack too. She is pretty in Pink!

It was a great morning filled with fun and some good family time.

Monday was Under the Big Top!!

Great Grandpa and Grandma bought tickets to the Circus that was coming to the town of Fairmont so Monday my mom and I drove there with the kids to enjoy the show.
Ben loved the lights, the tricks and the animals. Olivia on the other hand was a little frighten by the whole thing.

Ben and Olivia both had their first taste of Cotton Candy! No, this was not all Ben's, he was sharing with Jessie.
The Elephants were Ben's favorite part of the show and I must admit it was amazing how graceful these huge animals could be.

Thanks Great Grandpa and Grandma for a wonderful Day!

Introducing Baby K #3

2011-08-05T21:59:00.003-05:00

Last week we had our 20 week Ultrasound. Here are some pictures of Baby K #3. Baby has 10 fingers and 10 toes and looked healthy in every other way as well. Estimated weight was 12oz. I was 20 week and 1 day and the baby was measuring at 20 weeks and 2 days so right on schedule. As for the gender... we will all have to wait until December for that surprise.

2 Feet with 10 Toes!

Go Twins!

2011-07-20T18:47:00.006-05:00

Today was our annual Family Twins Game! Grandpa and Grandma "across the street" get everyone tickets and wouldn't you guess our game was for the hottest day of the summer thus far. Lucky for all of us our seats were in the shade and at the very top so we had a nice breeze. The kids were great and Olivia made it all the way to the 8th inning before she had to go walk around with daddy.

This is what 100 degree Baseball looks like!
Sunscreen and all!

Ben is looking for his favorite player, Joe Mauer

Emily and Thomas joined the fun and the heat

Thanks Grandpa and Grandma "across the street" for a great day!

2011-07-18T20:54:00.006-05:00

Since the 4th of July weekend we have spent a few weekends at home but they have still be jam packed with activities. We have taken the weekends at home to catch up on family time and time with friends.

Last Monday Cristin, Vinny, Jessie and Kiva (her new puppy) came over to play in the pool.

Last Friday I took the day off to join Ben and his class on a field trip to Galewood's Farm. The rain did not stop us from having a great time. The kids got to make their own dressing and dip veggies in it. Ben even tried an edible flower!
Cullen helping with the dressing.

Ben's job was to crack the pepper

Reagan helping as well

I think the favorite activities of the day were visiting all the animals. They got to see the pigs, walk through the sheep pen, walk through the chicken coop and pet the cows.

On Sunday Ben's preschool walked in the Hopkins Raspberry Parade to promote the new school. The kids got to hand out pencils to all the kids in the street. It was so hot but they were troopers and the reward at the end was running through the giant sprinkle that the fire department had set up to the hydrant.

Today I had my college roommates and their kids over for a little pool party. What better way to spend a 95 degree day?! Maddy, Sarah and her 5week old Henry, Jess and Kelly and her 3 boys all made it for a day in the pool.

(Maddy, Kelly and 2 of her boys Eli and Asher)

(Eli, Ben and Asa enjoying their Popsicles)

And Olivia loved her Freezee

We have one more weekend at home before we return to the cabin and I am sure it will be filled with more fun...

T-Ball Season Has Come To An End

2011-07-07T20:53:00.007-05:00

Ben LOVED playing T-ball this year! Even with the cancelled and rescheduled games due to extreme heat or rain it was still a success. Last week Julie, Jeff and Christopher came to watch Ben play and of course Jeff brought his camera. He is so good with that thing he makes even these 3-4 year olds look like professionals. Enjoy!

(father/son moment on the field)

(Coach Ollie and Cullen having their father/son moment)

Olivia loved to watch her big brother play. She also loved being able to run around the field when the game was over.

Watch out TWINS, with a glove like that they may have some competition!

Can't wait until next year!

Fun Filled Weekend!

2011-06-27T21:45:00.009-05:00

Friday I took the day off and joined Ben and his classmates on their field trip to Apple Jack Orchards for strawberry picking. Ben loves the bus ride!

(Daniel, Ben, Jackson & Cullen)

Mommy Loved spending the morning with Ben

Mauri is Reagan's mom and she joined the crew as well.

(Mauri, Julie, Wesley, Anton, Sasha,Reagan, Daniel)

Shanon also had the day off so our weekend with the Murrays started bright and early Friday morning.

When we arrived the kids got a tour on the wagon of the entire apple orchard and all the different trees that will have delicious apples in the fall. There were also a couple pumpkin patches, raspberry patches and of course the strawberry patch. The wagon dropped us off and everyone was given a little container to fill with strawberries to take home and enjoy. I think Ben ate as many as he picked.

When we got back to school we followed the plan Ben had been telling everyone all morning...

" When we get back me and Cullen are going to eat lunch and the mommies are going to pick up the daddies and come back and get us to go the cabin"

It worked out great because the kiddos slept the whole way to the cabin and when we arrived they were rested and ready for some fun!

The boys and dads got to sleep in the camper all weekend and after a good night sleep they came in for breakfast.

The girls were a different story... They took turns keeping the mommies up all night for the first night but lucky for us the second night was much better.

After Breakfast they did not waste any time getting ready to begin the day's activities. On the agenda: Fishing, swimming, Fishing, donuts, play at the park, lunch/nap, golfing, more fishing.

The girls had a good weekend too playing together and having quality time with their mommies!

The boys loved the "motor boat" as Cullen called it.

Olivia with her "Grandpa across the street"

And even at the end of a whole weekend together these boys were still Best Buds

We were sad to say good bye but all good things must come to an end!

Thanks Murrays for a great weekend at Middle Cullen!

Meet Henry Steven Stenzel

2011-06-20T14:49:00.003-05:00

Last week my dear friend and roommate from St.Thomas gave birth to this beautiful baby boy. We went to visit today and he is just perfect.

Henry Steven Stenzel 6/12/11Ben and Olivia loved the baby. Ben has always been so good with babies and Henry was no exception. Olivia I was not so sure about but she just kept walking around saying "baby" "baby". Then she would walk over, kiss him a few times and move onto the next activity, then repeat the cycle a few minutes later.

I now have no doubt they will be great with Baby K #3.

Good Company, Good Food, Good Times!

2011-06-20T14:17:00.007-05:00

We spent last weekend on Middle Cullen with the Julien and Modrow families. The weather was not great but that did not stop us from having a great time. After the rain stopped on Saturday we all went for boat ride and then the kids wanted to do some swimming ( or more like floating on dad since I think only Trevor and Stefan got wet)

Ben loves to ride on Dad out to the floating raft staying as dry as possible

Addie and Stefan eventually made it out there as well

(Stefan and Addie)

Saturday night all the kids took turns getting cleaned up before bed in our little mini bath tub right in the middle of the living room. No, Olivia does not have the Chicken Pox, she was just attacked by the Mosquitoes.

Not sure what Will is doing here. I think he is telling us he does not want his picture taken.

Ready for bed after a long day of play

(Olivia, James, Ben)

Sunday morning Addie and Olivia shared the chair and their cereal while watching a little TV before we started the day.

Sunday the sun started to peak out a little and the kids headed for the beach.

Olivia had fun covering herself with sand. I don't think too much ended up in the mouth.

Will liked the water more than any of the kids and was soon up to his diaper in water.

So Ashley decided it was time to get out the swim gear. Does this kid look ready for the beach or what?

All in all the weekend was a success. It was nice for the Moms and Dads to relax and for the kids to have some play time together ( and maybe a little fighting too!)

Thanks Modrows and Juliens for a great weekend!

Middle Cullen Here We Come!!

2011-06-06T22:06:00.004-05:00

This past weekend we finally made our way north to Nisswa and Middle Cullen. Ben could not wait for a weekend at the cabin.

Olivia did not really know where she was when she woke up on Saturday morning and crawled into bed with Grandpa and Grandma. However, it did not take her long to get comfortable in her new home away from home for the summer.

Maybe she got a little too comfortable thinking she could drive Grandpa's boat!

It was hot outside but the water was still awfully chilly! That did not stop Ben from taking a little ride on the inner tube. By Sunday he even went for a swim off the floating raft.

This is where we keep the animals when they are misbehaving!

Grandpa and Grandma put in a beach last year and the kids are loving it.

Even Olivia got her feet wet.

After a full weekend of Fun and Sun we were all ready for a good night sleep in our own beds

(or even a car seat would do for some)

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-06-01T22:13:00.002-05:00

We decided to skip the cabin for the long weekend so we could stay home and get some work done on the house but there was still plenty of time for fun. It was so nice Saturday morning that we headed to Purgatory Creek with the Murray family. Here is Olivia with her BFF Kinsley enjoying a ride around the park.

(holding hands and everything)

We even took Scout and he loved swimming in the creek.

We went back to the Murray's for lunch and some play time in the yard. It has been really fun to watch the girls in the last couple months because they are actually starting to play together instead of just co-existing.

After Saturday the weather started to turn but that did not stop Trevor and Ben from getting the garden planted on Monday. They came in the house after their work was done covered in mud.

Overall the weekend was a success with a good balance of work and play.

2011-05-22T15:05:00.007-05:00

A while back our friends Nick and Anna asked us to join them in a day/night of fun downtown. The day would include a Twins Game, Dinner downtown, tickets to Acme Comedy club and a night stay at the Town Place Suite.

Nick and Anna got a package gift from her parents for the hotel and comedy club from an auction on the Golden Gavel through the Star Tribune.

Thanks Russ and Jean for a great night!!

Big surprise when the day finally arrived it was full of cold and rain but we made the best of it!

After the game we went back to the hotel to warm up and change for our night out. We ate Zelo's on Nichollet in Minneapolis. The food was amazing and the company was even better.

The night ended at Acme Comedy Club. It had been a while since we had gone to a comedy club, we forgot how much fun it could be.

Thanks Nick and Anna!

My New Hat!

2011-05-22T14:59:00.002-05:00

My Aunt Maribeth in California sent Olivia this hat over the winter. Believe it or not we have had just a few days that have been nice enough to need a sun hat. She loves the hat and looks so cute.

This is the look I got when I told her it was time to take it off

Easter Weekend

2011-04-26T21:04:00.009-05:00

Easter weekend started with a family day on Friday. Trevor and I both had the day off and wanted to do something fun with the kids. Since it was cold and wet we decided to check out Kiddywampus. This is a place you can bring kids to do art and play time. They supply you with everything you need and the best part is the mess stays there.

Ben took a few minutes to warm up but then he let the creative juices flow!

Olivia did her share of getting messy while making some beautiful art.

Easter Morning

What is Easter morning without Easter Baskets? The kids could not wait to see what the Easter Bunny brought them.

It took Olivia no time at all to get those eggs open and enjoy the candy inside. I could not reach her fast enough and she had not 1, not 2, but three mini whopper eggs shoved in her mouth.

After church we had a nice brunch with the Knight family at the Original Pancake House. Then we headed to "Grandpa and Grandma across the street" for the Easter Egg Hunt! But before the hunt the kids got more goodies. Apparently the Easter Bunny also leaves the kids baskets at each Grandparents' house.

Ben got this "Joe Mauer" outfit in his helmet basket and he has not taken it off since!

Ben loved the egg hunt. This year he needed little help to find all 20 eggs.

The hunt came to a sudden halt when Ben went running to his sister so excited to show her his latest find. I guess in light of the holiday he thought he could walk on water just like Jesus and into the pool he went! Luckily the cover allows only a little give and he only ended up with wet pants. As a side note his sister did the same thing about 20minutes prior to Ben's fall.

HAPPY EASTER!!

YUM!!

2011-04-15T06:13:00.002-05:00

Last week Olivia had her first Freezee. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing? When Ben was little he would ask for a Freezee at 6:00am as soon as his eyes were open. So in true big brother form Ben showed Olivia how it was done!

Olivia is very independent and does not like help with anything! So she did it all on her own and got every last drop.

YUM!! Can't wait for the next one!

Spring Time Fun

2011-04-11T14:39:00.001-05:00

This is what happens when Olivia is left too long with her yogurt dish. Yogurt is her stand by food. If we can't get her to eat anything else yogurt will always do the trick.

Then it is straight to the tub!

Last weekend we had the Murray family over for a little play date and pizza dinner. We managed to get at least one picture will all 4 of them looking at the camera. Oh, how things have changed in the last 16th months.

With the nice spring weather the kids are loving the fresh air. We spent some time outside at "Grandpa and Grandma's across the street". Olivia loves the swing and just giggles the whole time.

Ben as always loves any running and climbing he can do and the faster and higher the better!

Orchard Park Preschool's Art Gallery

2011-03-12T06:27:00.006-06:00

Last month the theme at school was all about art. The kids spent the whole month learning about and making their own art work. The weekly themes included art basics (shapes, colors, textures), painting, still life, abstract and dramatic art. Ben's favorite art project was the SPLATTER PAINTING! Last night the kids had their own art gallery for all the parents, family and friends to come and see their art work displayed. The kids even priced their art work for the parents to "buy" as a donation to the school. Some of the kids thought very highly of their work with prices as high as $90. Hope those parents brought their credit cards!

This was Ben's Bio next to his art work. Erin took each kid into her office and asked them a series of questions and here were Ben's answers...

This is all Ben's work displayed for everyone to see. The spatter painting is in the upper left corner. The lower left is Ben's "Starry Night". The upper right is his abstract art and then more painting in the lower right.

After parents and grandparents "paid" Ben for his art he took the money to the donation box and a SOLD sign was placed on his poster.

This is the work of some of his fellow artist friends

And a gallery opening is not complete without a little snack! Some parents provided cheese, crackers, grape and juice to enjoy while we viewed all the beautiful art.

Winter Wonderland

2011-03-12T06:10:00.002-06:00

It has been a number of years since Minnesota has seen snow like this. I remember seeing pictures from when I was little taken outside where the snow banks were taller than me. We thought we better get some pictures with these huge piles! Ben and I have actually gone sledding down the pile on the right.

In the last week Olivia's walking has drastically improved. She is now choosing to walk more than crawl because she has realized it is faster and easier to keep up with her big brother that way. The other night she came home from school with these crazy pigtails so we had to get it all on video.

And she is off...

2011-02-21T22:01:00.003-06:00

In the last 2 days Olivia has started walking. It started with just a few steps from mom to dad or mom to Ben and we knew she would be off and running soon. This morning we were at the dentist with Ben. We were all in the lobby and Trevor said "look at her"... When I turned she was walking across the lobby from a chair to the toy corner. She looked like she had been doing it for months. It is so fun to watch her explore now and we love to watch Ben in the process because he cheers for her and gets so excited when she walks.

Moving Home

2011-02-21T21:36:00.005-06:00

So we finally moved home! There is still so much work to do but after 2 months of living across the street it feels good to be home.

Finger Painting Fun

2011-01-17T21:26:00.010-06:00

Ben's teacher Ms.Erin said she wishes she could do some baby art with the little ones at school. She has tried pudding and shaving cream with the little ones she has worked with in the past. So today I decided to let Olivia try to express her creative side. I got her down to her diaper and let her get nice and messy! Ben and Olivia both made some great pictures and as you can see they had a blast!

Painting, Painting and More Painting

2011-01-17T21:11:00.003-06:00

Here is the new Master Suite painted with the window trim in place. It looks great! My mom has been busy painting last week, all weekend and today. She has everything painted all the way to the family room. I repainted one wall in Ben's room but that is about all I can take credit for with this round of painting.

The family room still needs painting but I primed it a couple weeks ago and even the primer helps make it look more finished. Olivia's room is painted and the new closet shelf and bar are in place. I still have all the window/door trim to paint but that will wait until we are back in the house.

This is why we are still living across the street! We still have a mess over there and it will be a couple more weeks before we are home.

Family Photos

2011-01-08T14:55:00.004-06:00

It was time for Olivia to have her 1 year pictures taken so in the snow storm we drove to my cousins Jeff and Julie Dreke's house to have her photo shoot. We also got some good ones of the family, siblings and kids by themselves. I am always amazed at how many turn out because it never seems like it is going well during the shoot (see the last picture!)

MOM, I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!!

Thanks Jeff!

CHRISTMAS IS HERE!!

2010-12-31T08:59:00.005-06:00

Christmas Eve was spent with the Knight family this year. Leslie was home from Spain and Great Grandma "Farmer" has been here visiting from Washington state. The kids looked so cute all dressed up in their Christmas outfits. Olivia's dress was yet another great borrowed outfit from Addie Julien. Thanks Addie!

After Church while we waited for dinner to be ready Trevor, Ben, uncle Cory and Aunt Leslie did a little sledding. Check out Ben's new goggles. Those were a great birthday present to help keep that snow out of his eyes.

Christmas morning Santa came through and Ben got his new hockey helmet! He was so excited he could hardly contain himself.

Christmas Day we drove to Fairmont to see the Alm family and Eisenminger family. Ben looked pretty sharp in his new hat from Spain. We spent the night at Great Grandpa and Grandma Eisenminger's and Aunt Susie was there from Brainerd.

Christmas day was spent at the the Olingers with all Grandpa "across the street's" family. He got a real hammer from Jamie. So appropriate since he has watched Jamie use a hammer at our house all fall. And of course safe first... as you can see by his very own safety goggles!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our loved ones!

Orchard Park Preschool's Holiday Concert 2010

2010-12-31T08:37:00.004-06:00

Ben's Preschool had their Holiday concert on December 23rd. The kids got all dressed up in their concert clothes after nap time. The girls had their hair done nice and they waited for the parents to arrive. They came out one by one... Ms. Erin and Ms. Kristine had them so well trained and organized and the kids did a perfect job. They sangs songs about the Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and Christmas. Ben was so excited that he spent most of the just smiling from ear to ear.

New Skates!

2010-12-28T18:51:00.006-06:00

So Ben asked Santa for ONE thing this year and that was a Hockey Helmet. So if Santa was going to deliver we figured Ben better learn how to skate. The weekend before Christmas we bought Ben his first pair of skates and off to the rink we went.

Of course Olivia went too all bundled up to endure the cold.

Ben spent more time riding on the folding chair cheering dad on to go faster and faster. You see Ollie Murray is much faster and daddy could not keep up with him.

The girls had a great time too riding around in the sled together. Ben did do a little skating on his own just hanging on to mommy's hand and he did great.

Overall, the skating was a success and the boys had a great time. Only a few tear and lots of smiles!

Sheetrock is UP!

2010-12-20T21:03:00.020-06:00

Last week the Sheetrock went up and the mudding and taping started. This means we are living across the street again. Trevor and I moved all our furniture and put plastic over every doorway and closet and we moved out! We packed for a month stay and Grandpa and Grandma's and don't plan on moving back in until after the hardwood floors are set. Here is the new mud room and the 1/2 wall we took out into the living room. The window is where the doorway into our

house used to be.

The hall way back to our new master suite and the vaulted ceiling in the new room.

The KING size bed will fit between these two windows. The second picture is looking at the

closet and back to the hallway.

We are now 10 days into our stay at "Grandpa and Grandma's across the street" as Ben says and we are all still speaking to each other! We will see how the next 3 weeks go...

Christmas Season is Here!

2010-12-04T16:03:00.003-06:00

This is the first year that Ben really understands the whole Christmas thing. Last Monday we put lights and a few decorations on our mini tree. Then we hung the stocking. Mom just could not go a year without a real tree even if the house is in complete shambles. He loves watching Tim Allen's The Santa Clause and The Santa Clause 2 every night (Shrek has temporarily been replaced). Last Sunday we went to see Santa! Santa was at Tonkadale Nursery and it was fabulous! There were no lines and you could take as many pictures as you wanted with Santa. This is Ben and his buddy Cullen sitting on Santa's lap. We also got a great picture of the family and one of Olivia and Kinsley (Cullen's baby sister) with Santa. More to come when I get the digital versions...

1 Year Old!!

2010-12-04T15:30:00.004-06:00

Olivia Jeanne Knight was our Christmas blessing last year. On December 3rd she turned 1 and look out world she is on the move! This past year has gone by in the blink of an eye. We cannot believe she is already 1. It has been a wonderful year for our family. Ben continues to enjoy his "baby sister" and mom and dad love to watch their relationship grow.

We celebrated her birthday last weekend with family. She had a great time at her party, she loved the cake and all her gifts.

She had fun poking all the dots on her cake (so did her brother).

Then we cut her a small piece so she could actually get at the cake. Is she showing us her finger full of frosting or that she is one year old? She was so over stimulated and juiced up on sugar that she did not sleep that night (I am not kidding, she was up EVERY 1-2 hour!)

She got this great walk behind stroller from her Aunt Emily and her boyfriend Thomas and the baby doll from "Grandpa and Grandma across the street".

On her actual birthday we sent treats to school to share with all her friends. Her big brother wanted to make sure she got everything the big kids got for their birthdays. He wanted her to have the crown, have all his friends sing to her and make sure she had the royal treatment!

Now we are looking forward to the next year! What will she be like at 2?

Where is the Power?!

2010-11-21T16:10:00.004-06:00

So last weekend when everyone woke up to the fresh snow and couldn't wait to get out and play in it the workers at the Knight household were not feeling the same excitement. To top things off we lost power on Saturday morning at 7:30 and it did not go back on until Monday around 1:00 in the afternoon. But, don't worry we just moved in with Grandpa and Grandma and the guys continued their work. They were still able to replace all the existing windows with their battery tools. We have a great crew over there! They were soaking wet and cold but they just kept working.

Here is the new picture window. We can already tell the difference in the temperature inside now that we have all new windows. No more draft!!

Well without power the siding did not get done last weekend so that was the agenda for this weekend. Of course this weekend they got stuck with freezing rain instead of snow! Now the siding is on and so is the garage door. It is starting to look like a house that people may actually live in. Looks like we will have lots of painting to do in the spring, the siding all comes primed but this is not the final color. So after a week of living across the street the Knights are moving home!

2010-11-21T16:00:00.002-06:00

Here are just a couple updated pictures of the kids. These eyes and smiles melt our hearts every day!

Olivia finally started to crawl! We actually thought she would go from her butt scoot right to walking but she fooled us. She still likes to scoot if she is carrying things or she is on the hard wood floor but she is doing more crawling everyday.

And Don't Forget About The Construction...

2010-11-08T14:27:00.006-06:00

The construction at the Knight household continues and they are moving right along. The Master Suite is framed in with electrical wires in place and the plumbing roughed in as well. As you can see they have busted into the existing house and the kids are no longer able to be in their rooms.

That means the kids are sharing a bedroom and Trevor and I are living in what we call our studio apartment with the door next to the bed which is next to the kitchen table and across from the living room couch.

Trevor and I did the demo on our entrance way. It was fun to bust down the walls and make a complete mess! Now the doorway has turned into a window and the closet is gone forever.

We were lucky to have another beautiful weekend and the guys were able to start siding the house. It has been so much fun to watch it all come together. This up coming weekend they are hoping for more nice weather so they can replace the rest of the existing window and finish the siding.

Master Bedroom

Garage and New Entry

Halloween

2010-11-08T14:18:00.004-06:00

Ben was a little more interested in the Trick or Treating this year. Olivia was a little pumpkin thanks to our friend Addie's old costume and Ben got this great football outfit for his birthday from his aunt Kate. When you asked Ben what he was going to be for Halloween he would say,
"I am going to be a 'hut' guy and a football guy". I guess he does quite understand they are one in the same.

Our Little Boy is 3!!

2010-11-08T14:02:00.004-06:00

Ben turned three last month and there was lots of celebrating to be done. We had some family over to celebrate with us the day after his birthday and then the following night the Murry's had us over to celebrate Ben's birthday. This is Ben's buddy Cullen.

Ben loves Shrek! Shrek is the only movie Ben will actually sit and watch so we thought it was only appropriate that he had his very own Shrek cake with his face on it.

We have such generous friends and family and Ben got some wonderful gifts. I think Olivia liked some of them as much as Ben did...

Dubuque, IA

2010-10-19T21:52:00.020-05:00

The Knight Family descended on Dubuque, IA for a get together and wedding for Rusty and Wendy. Here are some pictures from our trip. We had a blast and we were so grateful that Rusty let our family, Cory, and his kids spend the weekend at the Hill House!! This was so nice to have more space and the ability to play outside and use a fridge for the little ones, bottles and yogurt:)!

Ben was so excited to go to this wedding and show off his newly learned dance moves!! Here he is keeping up with the one and only Aunt Laura!! As you can see Ben and Laura danced the night away. Ben really had a good time meeting Laura and spending time with her. She was super good with Ben and Olivia and Mac and Grace.
Here are my two Knight women, boy am I blessed to have such beautiful ladies in my life!!!

Ben had a ton of fun meeting Mac. The two of them were thick as thieves and they had a lot of fun with their uncles, Cory, Chet, Chase and Chad. Here Chad, Mac and Ben are sitting together smiling big for the camera. They loved the oversized chair Chad was sitting in most of the day!!

Here are the two thieves poseing nicely for a picture!! They had a ton of fun together!!

And it was tackle, tackle and more TACKLE!! when they weren't playing tackle they were playing SUMO belly bump!! No black eyes, bloody noses or broken bones so i guess it was okay!!

Here is Rusty with the two boys and they boys are eating all of the lemons from the water glasses at the Sat. morning Brunch that Wendy and Rusty invited us too. It was great to see everyone again after the wedding and to get a good breakfast before we had to head back to the cities to get ready for Ben's 3rd BIRTHDAY party!

So you were thinking were are the pictures of Olivia and Grace, well to be honest they didn't sit still very long to get a good shot. Here they are just before they both took off chasing each other using their patented scooting method of travel!! Crazy that they both scoot the same way and are basically the same age and don't crawl!!!

Well till the next posting hope you enjoyed the pictures.

To the IOWA Knights, hope we get a chance to get back together some day soon, it was a lot of fun and of course way to short!!!

Roof is ON!!

2010-10-19T21:28:00.002-05:00

The Knights left for a weekend in Dubuque to spend time with the Knight Cousins from Iowa. While we were gone the guys were able to roof the back addition and roof the garage/mudroom addition. Below the shingles matched quite nicely in the back and you really have a hard time realizing the new shingles are both new and of a different color as the others were discontinued.

The roof for the garage isn't quite as seamless, but hey after a year or so of leaf staining it will look nice and worn in!!

The guys did a great job cutting in the shingles and melding everything together.

With the nice touch of the gable roof the front of the garage looks as good as it did before, now once this gets siding it will look completely new!!!

Walls are UP!!!

2010-10-11T22:12:00.007-05:00

Well the house has made another transformation this weekend. The guys, Jamie, Chad and Tim made another big completion for the weekend. With this wonderful Indian Summer we are having they are taking care of it by working diligently and accomplishing a lot of work during the weekends.

At the end of the weekend the new master bathroom/bedroom in the back looks great and adds some depth to the house on this long back yard.
If the lumber company wouldn't have messed up with the truss measurement the trusses would have been hung on the garage as well. No worries the garage is now framed for next weekend to have the trusses hung. As you can see Ben loved to ride his trike around after the guys were done and when the guys were taking breaks!!
Here is where we found out the trusses were measured incorrectly. The guys were really bummed and they were on pace to have the entire garage completed. Of course i couldn't forget our biggest helper, Ben. He constantly moved lumber and other scrap materials around the back yard and the front yard to show how big he is and how much he can help. The guys made good headway while Ben and I were at the cabin taking out the docks and the weed roller. I guess without their supervisor and their question guy, they were able to actually work all day!!
Tim and Chad on the roof as Jamie was cutting sheeting as fast as they hung it. Boy they work fast!!

Till next week when all the garage trusses and some of the new windows will be installed. This project is starting to really come together.

2010-10-09T15:28:00.010-05:00

Yes all this construction is taking up a lot of our time but we are still finding plenty of time for fun! Last Sunday we went to watch our friend Stefan and his dad run the TC Marathon. It was a beautiful day for a run. Nice job Stefan and Warren!

Olivia, Ben and Addie

Later that day we went to the apple orchard with Grandpa and Grandma Knight. How tall will you be next year Ben?

Olivia is getting ready to crawl. She starts here...

And here is where she ends. She hasn't quite figured out the forward motion yet.

Yesterday we sent Olivia to daycare and Trevor and I spent the day with Ben. We took him to the Children's Museum in St. Paul. I think Mom and Dad had as much fun as Ben.

Left to Right: Vinny (1 week), Fin (4 months), Grace (6 months), Jacob (1 month), Addie (almost 2), Samual (7 months), Ben (almost 3) and Olivia (10 months)... Missing in action was Will and Jack and baby Julien due next month

Last night was Canadian Thanksgiving at the Julien's. Every year Betsy and Stefan host Canadian Thanksgiving and this year Stefan's parents were even in town all the way from BC Canada! This year was much different as you can see above. We have added a number of members since last year when it was just Ben and Addie!

First week of Construction

2010-10-03T21:47:00.017-05:00

Well, the First week has come and gone with much progress! We can't believe the progress these guys have accomplished, i guess with the cold of winter coming they work harder during these nice days we have been having.

Here is what the place looked like on Sept. 27th. the day before all the MADNESS!!

This is the crawl space under the family room where the electrician had to crawl through to lay the new electrical service, SCARY!!! He was braver than I!!! This path is 20 feet long. It is tight and very nasty!!

Now here is what it looked like the next day and the following days after....

This is the inside of the garage, minus the garage floor, and the crawl space for the new mud room/entry way is being dug for the footings and the block walls. I can't believe the mini digger was able to get inside the garage and dig the hole.

The front stoop with the sidewalk removed for the soon to be footer.

This is the mini digger making a path to get the cement and the guys down to lay the block.
Here are the footings of the back addition curing after 9:00 am on Wed. morning. Day 2 of the project.

The mudroom/entry way prepped to have the first course of block laid on Wed. afternoon.

Ben is such a good helper, he wants to get down in the dirt every day, I am sure Galina really appreciates a dirty kid every morning.
Ben is loving playing in the dirt and getting into the Mini Digger and the Bob Cat!! Every morning before we head out and every evening when we get home we climb into Val's(the excavator) equipment for a make believe dig. He loves it!!!

Here are the masons starting to lay the block on the second day of work.
All the block came from W.W. Thompson Concrete Products in Brainerd, MN. My buddy Brett Thompson was very generous and sold block to me all the way down in Minnetonka. All the Masons loved this block, they said it is some of the best block they have ever used. Kudos to W.W. Thompson Concrete!!! Our front yard and back yard was full of these pallets of block, 20 pallets in all!!!

At the end of the third day all the walls were built and the block work in the back, mudroom/entry way and front stoop were complete. The garage expansion is scheduled for next week as there is no more room in the front yard for any more dirt!!!

We are cutting the bottom of the garage wall off so we can lay 2 more courses of block. There is a temporary header in the inside of the garage supporting the garage. When we dig the expanded garage footing we will build another wall to cut the remainder of the wall out and lay more block with the expansion of the garage.
The back addition after the walls have been core filled and cured. This is Sat. morning just before the carpenters, Jamie, Chad and Tim cap this on Sunday.

The capped and framed mudroom/entry way complete on Sat. night!!
The 12inch I-Joists being laid on Sunday afternoon. This was completely covered by Sunday evening.

And the most amazing thing, I think, is this is the crawl space under the family room after Chad and I cleaned it all out!!! Now I have to go back down there and dig down the sides to properly insulate the space instead of just packing it full of pink insulation. This looks like it will be a great time for me!!!

2010-09-29T21:50:00.010-05:00

September has come and gone. With all the Alm birthdays the month is over before we know it. September has been a busy month. Ben started preschool this month. He still goes to John and Galina's house but now they have hired a wonderful new teacher, Ms. Erin. Ben is loving school and learning so much already. They do letters of the week, yoga, sign language, arts and crafts and lot and lots of play! We are amazed daily at what his little brain is capable of learning.

We also wrapped up our summer at the cabin although we may still get there for one night next month. Our last weekend up there was beautiful and so relaxing.

Trevor took this past Monday off to stay home with us. We decided to take the kids out to the Arboretum. Ben loved the maze and all the forts made out of sticks. Olivia was just along for the ride and did great as always. She is such an easy baby!

Last weekend the whole family headed to Janna and Erik's wedding at Frontenac Golf Course. I went Friday to have some girl time before the big day. Trevor, Ben, Olivia and my parents joined us Saturday for the wedding and reception.

September is going out with a bang as we start our addition/remodel project. This could be a LONG six months but will all be worth it in the end, I hope. They started digging this week and boy do they work fast. After day 2 we have the block work in the garage for the new mud room/entry and they have started the block work in the massive hole in the back yard you see below that will at some point be our new Master suite. Ben is in 7th Heaven with all the dirt and "Big Diggers". First this morning he when he got out of bed he asked "where are the big diggers? I want to see them?"

Stay tuned for more on the addition... We are taking lots of pictures and will update the progress again soon.

2010-09-29T21:45:00.001-05:00

Jacob Lovas: The newest member of the baby clan. He is so cute and Ben and Olivia love their new friend. He is just the first of the fall babies, more to come...

Lucious Cabin 2010

2010-09-15T12:49:00.006-05:00

Lucious Cabin 2010! Lets see this is the 8th annual event now?! The first event was back when we were still all college bums, stayed up till 3, played drinking games and water skied, tubed and ate till we couldn't eat any more. Well as you will see there are some additional members since our first summer outing.

Ben joined Asa and Eli joined them and now Olivia has joined the boys. Still waiting for the other kids to arrive but as most people know this group of friends do not rush into anything, or at least when Al was getting heat about marrying Jess he would say, "Hey I am on the Trevor Knight Plan", well now we are all married and the additional kidos should be showing up any time now!!!
Ben and Asa played with these giant water soakers all weekend long. Scout was sprayed, Dad's were sprayed, Eli was sprayed, even Luke was sprayed. It was okay as it was another hot and sunny weekend in August. Here Asa and Ben were practicing their aim by spraying the statue of the Egret.

Along with the lake, which was at an all time high level, we have the little kiddie pool out so the boys can stay cool all weekend. As you can see even though there was a no diving rule Ben thought if he set up the buckets to jump over he was safe. Let's see no broken bones, so i guess it worked out!!

If you couldn't see that the weekend was very, very, very busy and tiring just look at our dear sweet Olivia and how peaceful she is while taking her much needed nap after all this commotion during the day:) isn't she so precious?!

In the morning before i even get dressed i loved to sit on the heated floor and play with my toys and steal some of the boy's cars and play with them. Look at this i had the entire floor to myself!!!

As usual breakfast was a kit, french toast and sausage with fresh fruit, who could argue with that?! We were able to get the two racing boys to sit still and finish before they were off like a bolt to the water soakers and the kiddie pool. Great picture of the two Blondie's!!

Eli felt he was out of the fun without his life jacket but on the stationary paddle boat they were having a blast! Three really blond boys, all with blue eyes, Mommy's keep your daughters under close supervision with these lady killers on the loose:)!

Olivia gets center stage as she has her wonderful blanket that Sarah Linder made for the Knight Family, what a perfect spot to enjoy a wonderful weekend. Here she is showing her Country Pride, Grandma finds any reason to buy an outfit, although this is darling on her!!

Uh oh watch out Trade Lake here comes the Knight Boys, stay clear we know how they drive!! Ben had so much fun on the Jet Ski this year that i think next year he will be driving it himself, well that is if he can touch the floor boards!!

Once we found the jet ski goggles Ben was dangerous he wanted to go back out and get some big waves so we could get splashed. Next year Ben we might even have to get the tube out so you can get whipped around in that with Asa.

Again thank you Lucious Family for allowing the Hague House Ladies and their Families to take over your complex and have a wonderful weekend. Till the snow flies and we take it over for ice skating and cross country skiing!!!

August at the cabin

2010-08-31T22:41:00.004-05:00

The Knight's spent a couple weekends at the cabin in August. The weather was great! Ben and Olivia love the sand beach Grandma and Grandpa put in.

Olivia loved to sit down on the deck by the sand beach and be around everyone having a good time. The sun felt good, the breeze was nice and the water was warm when we got it. A perfect weekend at the LAKE!As you can see Ben loves to jump on his sand castles. Good thing dad is so patient to build and rebuild the castles as Ben tries to squash them before dad finishes packing the sand in the buckets. Another one of Ben's favorites at the beach is to bury his feet! He loves it when dad digs a hole and he can put his feet in it and get sand buried up to his knees. He rocks back and forth and finally jumps out of the sand pile. He is such a BOY!!

Sometimes it is just nice to be in my rocker and I can play with my toys in the shade. I have to watch out as Ben and the dogs sometimes want to get to close, don't worry I let them know who is boss!! Next year you will see me jumping on my own sand castles, or I will beat Ben to the punch, that is what little sisters are for, ha! ha! ha!

August was a great time at the cabin. We only got 1 solid weekend up there but we made the best of it. The water was great, the sun was out all weekend and we spent the entire time at the beach and in the water. We will miss you cabin, but winter will be over soon enough and we will be back early next summer. Till then.......

First Trip to the Dentist!!

2010-08-30T22:19:00.004-05:00

So August started out with a bang, I mean, buzz!!

That is right Ben had his first trip to the Dentist!! Now for Ben the dentist is a long way from the house, down the street to Cedar Hills Dentistry, a whole 1.5 miles, a family dentists office run by our neighbor Dr. Bill:)

Sarah and Olivia took Ben to the dentist, not really knowing how he would do. At home Ben uses his Thomas the train toothpaste and tooth brush, but getting him to actually brush his teeth versus suck on his tooth brush can be a big challenge. Dr. Bill and Stacy, the hygienist, told Ben he has been doing a great job brushing at home and to keep it up, TWICE a day! They told him at night he is supposed to let Mom and Dad help out to make sure all the bad suff gets brushed away!

Here is Ben being a champ with Stacy while she cleans and picks at his teeth!! I can't believe it he doesn't sit still for anything, yet he did a wonderful job for Stacy!! He did have to wear his lucky orange shorts though!!
Here is Ben again, being such a big boy letting Dr. Bill clean and check his teeth and gums.

Sweet, Sweet Olivia

2010-08-18T22:01:00.005-05:00

Our Dear Sweet Olivia, with all the pictures of Ben being active I decided to make one posting of just you and your sweet face!!!

Look at you so cute in your dress and bloomers!

What a hot day on the boat, much better than trying to float around with that very, very uncomfortable life jacket!

Here I come, ready or not!! you know you want to give me a big kiss on the cheek!!

Aw now this is the life! Lazy days at the cabin are GOLD!!! Can't wait til I can swim like a fish with my big brother!!! but for now this is the LIFE, Ahhhh!!!!

Come on now, you know i look good!!

Mommy and me, what a pair, get ready world I am just getting warmed up!!!

Building deck sections at the cabin

2010-08-18T21:50:00.002-05:00

The Cabin needed some deck sections built down by the water, so Ben set out to get them Built Right! Our little mr. Ben the builder! Ben did a great job of using the drill and drilling the holes where he was asked and he even was successful at not breaking a drill bit until the project was all over, his dad can't claim that!!

Ben has to be like grandpa and wear his "Do-Rag" while he is working along with his sun glasses, what a little Stud.

Just incase you didn't see that he and grandpa wearing their "Do-Rags" Ben wants to make sure you know what they are wearing!!

TWINS GAME

2010-08-18T21:38:00.004-05:00

The annual Alm Family Twins Game!! Boy was this anticipated with great excitement!!!

Grandpa and Ben tried getting close to the action for a couple of autographs before the game but as you can see they were swallowed up by the crowd, it is okay because Mauer wasn't playing that day anyway, boy was Ben bummed to not see his favorite player in person. Maybe Next time.

As you can see Olivia was finally having a good time once the sun went behind Target Field, it was one of the hottest days this summer and she did not want to be held at all in the sun, can't blame her. She did get to meet Tony Oliva while I was bouncing here above the seats. What a really nice guy!! Thanks Tony!

Looks like Mom and Dad got a couple minutes to enjoy the game with no one in their laps, at least for one half inning. Thanks Alm family for a very fun outing, can't wait til next year!!

If you are wondering why you don't see any more pictures of Ben in his Twins gear it is because he didn't sit still long enough with all the treats, TC the Bear, and his desire to see ALL of Target Field!! It was truly awesome to see him having so much fun!! Boy nap time was even before we got into the car to leave. Dad got to carry him for the last 100 feet or so before we could get to the car, what a trooper!!

Baby Lovas

2010-08-18T21:29:00.004-05:00

Well a few weekends ago we had the Lovas/Felkey Klan over for a baby shower for the soon to be Baby Lovas.

The turn out was grand and everyone had fun!!

Ben, Jonathan, Tenley(I think, but probably incorrect) had a great time playing with toys, running around the house and playing tackle in the back yard.

We all had fun and cannot wait until little Lovas arrives in a matter of week!!

Up North at Grandpa Joel's Cabin(Anna Felkey's Cabin)

2010-08-05T21:16:00.006-05:00

One long weekend in July the Knight's visited Anna and Nick at Anna's grandpa's place in Big Fork, MN. Boy did we luck out on the weather this year!! The kids played in the water and so did Ben and Olivia. We got to spend time with Joel, Joan(Anna's Aunt from Iowa) and both Champ and Scout.

Everyone had a blast, it was very relaxing and wonderful to spend quality time with our dear friends the Lovas's. Ben and the Ladies helped weed Joel's garden so all the wonderful veggies could brow big and nutritious.
Don't worry Olivia is out in the water by herself, she is a total natural! Mom was just out of the picture, don't think we are negligent!!

Here is Anna getting her practice in before baby Lovas shows up in end of August!!

Nick wasn't so sure so he joined Ben in using a Noodle for extra floatation. The water was so nice up there, Ben had a hard time getting out, once he determined it was okay for all of us of course:)!!Ben is a great "Reach and Pull" swimmer, Water Tots here he comes!! Ben is pretty good at swimming with his water shoes, hat and sunglasses, what a talented kid.

Joel had lots of tomato plants along the waters edge and Ben had to make sure they got plenty of water each and every day we were there. Scout did as well, he helped some of them end up in the lake as he was chasing balls and jumping over all the rocks on the edge. Champ spent the weekend hunting frogs and other creatures which were very prevalent at the lake. The dogs slept well each and every night. They had their own slumber party in the boat house.

As you can see with Olivia's big smile she had a wonderful time at the cabin and cannot wait to get back up there in the summers ahead!! One more wonderful weekend at the lake with the Felkey/Lovas's. Oh Yah Nick made some fabulous Halibut for dinner one night, what a very generous treat for the two families!!

Till next time.....

Mid Summer Update

2010-07-22T22:52:00.006-05:00

I know can you believe it another update to the BLOG!!! what is the world coming too?!
The summer has been very nice, and Olivia is really loving the warm shady areas around the pool. Pretty in Pink is all you have to say!! she loves hanging out there watching her big brother Ben. I am sure next year we will have our hands full at the pool!! Can't wait!!!

So Ben is really loving the water, not like it is hard when it is 90 degrees and 60%RH!! He loves to jump off the side, watch out dad if you aren't ready he will jump anyway!

A belly flop is his specialty, he loves jumping as far as he can, we just need to work on starting at the edge. Next stop the diving board, can't wait, i bet he gets a 10 for the cannon ball!

After a hard day of swimming we need to get all the chlorine off, the two of them think bath time is a lot of fun! Someday they are going to hate us for this picture, but hey i got to have the fun now while i can.

I guess the laying by the pool, bath and jumping non stop in the jumparoo was too much for Olivia, she loves this thing so much she has no problem sleeping in it. Till the next day!!

Summer begins for 2010

2010-06-30T22:09:00.007-05:00

It has been awhile i know but i am finally getting to update the blog.

Alot has happened since the last posting, The knight family has been blessed with another member, Olivia, YA!!!

Benjamin welcomed Olivia with open arms and some days we wish he didn't want to love her quite so much:)!

Olivia is a wonderful baby, cute(of course), and very, very happy:)!

Olivia loves to sit on a blancket out in the sun this summer, of course with a good shade tree:)!

Boy Dady makes weird faces, Olivia don't worry he will never grow out of the goofy face stage.

During one of the first trips to the Cabin this summer Ben got his first fishing pole, and he could hardly wait to use it. Well for his delight the sunnies under the dock made sure they sacrificed themselves so Ben could catch a fish. Ofcourse he was excited but he also didn't want to take the fish off the hook, looks like dad has a long future of removing fish, worms, leaches and other slimy stuff from the kids hooks!!

just for you Jaimie:)!

Ben Did a Header into the Door Jam!!

2009-01-27T12:30:00.002-06:00

Ben did a header the other morning into the door jam!!

He was trying to belly flop onto Scouts bed and he misjudged the edge. It really hurt, there were many Alligator tears and lots of throbbing to go with it.

Don't worry he is a tough kid and a few minutes after the crying he was back to running around and chasing Scout!!!

Camping Indoors

2009-01-27T12:21:00.005-06:00

I know what you are thinking, don't worry Benjamin was not actually building a campfire in doors he was playing with his Adventure Set!!!

Our good friends Sandra and Brandon and Griffin gave Ben this fantastically fun adventure set for his birthday!!! Ben absolutely loves to put on his explorer pack and go in and out of his tent!! Lots of smiles, both by Ben and by anyone playing with Ben!!!

It is a good thing it is durable because it took Ben a couple of tries before he realized he needed to duck down before entering or exiting his new tent!

Enjoy the pictures of Ben and his new explorer set:)!!

2009-01-11T17:22:00.002-06:00

We got up early on Christmas day and head south to Fairmont. We spent the day with my Dad's family. I did not have to work on Friday so we were able to spend the night and see Grandpa and Grandma Eisenmenger too. The Christmas holiday once again flew by in a flash. Before the holidays came to an end the Alm family joined the Knights for dinner while Leslie was in town. Wendy made a great dinner and we had lots of good conversation and laughs.

2009-01-11T17:18:00.000-06:00

We spent Christmas Eve at the Knight's, Ben looked pretty sharp in his Christmas sweater from Grandma Alm.

First Winter Sledding Adventure!!!

2008-12-24T12:28:00.006-06:00

SNOW ANGEL****
Leslie is home for the holidays. She was excited to get out into the snow and cold, she says she was in a short sleeve shirt in Switzerland when she left. NOT here!!!

Leslie made a snow angel and Ben wanted to hop in it:)!!!

Leslie says he is only as big as her torso

Ben Loved his first sledding adventure!!!!
We made it down 4 times!!!

Even though he got snow in his face, courtesy of Scout, he had a blast, he was giggling and laughing as we sped down the hill.

He really loved the ride up the hill as well, He will get to ride for a number of years.

Notice how Scout was on one side in one shutter shot and the other side on the next shutter shot!!! Crazy dog, he loves to go sledding as well!!!

Interfaith Outreach Sleepout

2008-12-10T12:28:00.007-06:00

Well it is around 5°F out these days in Minnesota. The perfect time for a Fundraiser for homeless people in the Western Suburbs. Here is everyone who attended the sleep out and stayed out durring the night.

David and Ashley Modrow

Nick and Lovases cousin(JAY)

Stefan and Betsy (they did not stay out as Addie would not fare to well in the tent, yet)

Steve and Liz Smith and Captian

and the Knight's, minus Benjamin, but including Scout

We also had a number of visitors during the evening, My parents Sarah's parents, Cory, Derek Duchscherer, Anna Lovas, Jim and Kathy Walker, Tom and Debbie A.

We had a blast, a couple of roaring fires, plenty of hot chocolate and Adult mix ins:)!!, Chicken soup and Chili. We had tons of fun!!!

Here are a couple of pictures to illustrate the fun:)!!!

Here is Benjamin and Addie -

Ben loves to give Addie kisses, I think he learns all about kissing from Galina and the little ladies at daycare:)!!!

Ben loves to see Addie though and here is a picture of the two of them.

Benjamin Reaches 1 yr. Old

2008-10-27T09:17:00.004-05:00

Benjamin had a wonderful week and a half, his birthday pretty much lasted that long...

Benjamin started receiving gifts from all his loved ones before his birthday and after his birthday, he has loved each and every gift he has received.

To anyone who gave Benjamin a gift, THANK you very, very much, Sarah and I are so blessed to have so many people love our son.

Here are some pics of Benjamin during the past couple of weeks...

Benjamin received a plastic cube which has foot holes and a platform for him to climb on, he absolutely loves this gift!!!

On Thursday Oct. 23 our Friends the Julien's had their first child, a wonderful baby girl. Her name is Adelyn Rae, she is adorable. As you can see Benjamin is beginning to court her already:)!!! Benjamin was very gentle with Adelyn, surprising because he has figured out how to slap/hit the rest of us, he thinks its funny the rest of us do not!!!

Isn't she wonderful?!!

Here is Benjamin's Birthday cake from his party, Mommy did a great job picking this little cake out. Benjamin thought it was so yumm!!

Here is Benjamin, Mommy and Griffin, opening up gifts, they had so much fun!!!

Griffin was a big help, he will be such a great big brother!!!
Again Benjamin loves all the gifts he has received and he was so happy a lot of people could participate in his big day!!!

This is Benjamin before meal times, he is just like his dad, super happy to eat!!!

Over the weekend we went to a Bonn fire at our friend's the Brandhorsts. Al has all sorts of fun toys, one of them being this FarmAll tractor. we usually go for a hay ride through the cemetery around Halloween to get everyone in the spooky spirit!!! Benjamin really enjoyed sitting on it and cranking the wheel!!!

Pictures of Ben growing up

2008-10-17T14:13:00.005-05:00

Benjamin Update -

With all the posts being around Sarah and I, I figured we better get one update with Benjamin in the pictures:)!!

Here is Benjamin and Grandma Wendy opening Benjamin's first, First Birthday gift!!!

And it is a tee ball set, he will be a natural slugger, he already swings this bat at all the breakables in the house, like father like son i guess, at least with the breakables....

Benjamin absolutely loves this car, Grandma Jeanne got him. He knows how to get in and shut the door and then looks at you like, I am ready push me around the yard.

Just wait til I can drive an actual car, oh yah baby!!!

"I think I can help you lay these blocks out dad, trust me I know what I am doing, I play with rocks all day..."

"Don't I look so good in my Gopher Beanie?"

Okay sometimes it is more fun to hop in like Dukes of Hazard, I have not quite gotten the smoothness of it yet, but don't worry I will in no time!!!

I absolutely love bath time. It has got to be my favorite activity. This is me not wanting to get out after getting all clean!!!

I started fishing already and I am not even 1 yet. Look out fishies.

Uncle Dave don't worry I will get old smokey, don't worry!!!

Mom do not ever use this picture in some Wedding Slide Show, it will not be that funny:)!!!

2008-10-17T13:55:00.006-05:00

California Trip continued -

Muir Woods!!!

WOW!!! is all I have to say.

Amazing, how big these trees became. It would be totally cool to be the Swiss Family Robinson and live in the trees here...

The time it took for these trees to get this big is amazing.

Here is the tourist group, Trevor Sarah, Linzee, and Andrew.
Man did we have a good time, we joked and poked fun at each other it was a blast:)!!!

You get dizzy if you stand an look up too long....

I really wanted to crawl up this trunk but Sarah said I would be a bad example for the young boys who were watching us take this picture, Man I never have any fun, Just kidding I have fun, but she is probably right, like usual:)!!

Andrew and Linzee, see we were all having fun, what a big tree, a person could live inside these things.

Here is the Golden Gate Bridge, too bad the fog never moved out completely while we were down there so we never actually saw the entire thing, top to bottom. We mainly saw the bottom.

Looks like we have an excuse to go back.....

California trip continued

2008-10-17T13:49:00.002-05:00

The next stop on our trip was to Paso Robles, a very small but very personable wine region of California. This place was so wonderful, very pretty and mediteranian like. The first stop was Pipestone Vinyards, we stoped and tasted some wine and had definately the best wine along our entire trip. The owner of this vinyard is actually from Minneapolis, he and his wife and two daughters moved there a few years ago from Minneapolis. Small world!!!!

All these vinyards had the most amazing vines and beautiful flowers.

Sarah could not stop taking pictures of them.

Travels of San Fransisco Continued

2008-09-24T09:20:00.007-05:00

Hearst Castle - if anyone has ever seen this place you realize how amazing it is for someone to build something like this back during the depression era.

W. H. Hearst created his own Mediterranean mansion up in the hills of this beautiful area of California.
These are a couple of the amazing sites you see when you visit this place.

Front Terrace, overlooking the 2.5 mile driveway.

looking up to the guest house from the terrace...
Guest house may I remind you....

over looking the outdoor pool, resembling the Greek Columns with this massive out door pool.
I totally wanted to go for a swim that day....

Before we made it down to Hearst Castle we drove through the 17 mile drive around Pebble Beach golf club.

Day was pretty cloudy and windy but we had a good time checking out the surf and the neat flowers in abundance.

Sarah and Linzee walking up the path which lead them to the surf, very patient women to deal with both Andrew and I on this trip, lots of engineering talk for the entire drive, ha ha ha!!

lone fir tree on the rock, a symbol of solitude and perseverance, the tree grew right up through a rock, no other vegetation, what power and determination....

Again many pretty flowers all over the place....

Our Travels in San Fransisco

2008-08-25T14:31:00.014-05:00

Knight's Trip to see Washington State

2008-07-24T16:51:00.013-05:00

The entire Knight family went to visit G&G Farmer for their 60th Wedding Anniversary Party. It had been 10 years since the Knight kids were in Washington.

Grandma and Grandpa were so excited to have all of us visiting.

We were so excited to see them, it had been way too long.

Aunt Leslie and Great Grandma Farmer
Benjamin really likes his Great Grandparents!!!

Grandpa with Benjamin. The two of them sure like to have fun. Grandpa is such a softy!!

G&G Farmers Home is very nice, we got to see many of the beautiful flowers, but there were so many more a week or more before we got there, Eastern Wash. is so warm they bloom early and bloom fast. Oh well we saw pictures.

The city pool is once again a big hit for the Knight family!!!

Cory had the fastest time down the water slide, Trevor was right behind him a couple of tenths of a second!!! Benjamin really liked the pool, he liked it better when the sun was still shinning, not after the sun set, burrr.

Now we have a picture of the person both Trevor and Benjamin were named after. Grandpa's father's name was Conrad Jr. Counting the headstone we have 5 generations here in Ritzville, WA.

This evenings activities brought many tears to people's eyes. Many fond memories of people. We are so lucky to have spent this time with Grandma and Grandpa. I wish I could have met Grandpa Con, he sounds like such a wonderful man.

Benjamin likes the water, when it is hot, after the sun goes down that wind becomes quite cold. He had fun anyway. Looks like we have a little fish on our hands....

Once again, trying to take a serious picture the Knight family fails miserably!!!

We were just having so much fun on this trip no one could be too serious!!!

All the grand kids, by height. Yes, yes Cory is taller then Trevor, 1 inch is what separates us now a days. Don't worry Laura is not half the height of Cory, she is standing down a slight hill.

From left to right; Cory, Trevor, Leslie, Derek, Troy, Tracy, Trisha, Laura.

It was great to see all the cousins again, it had been 10 years since the last time we saw them all.

Leslie really enjoyed her Auntie time with Benjamin......

Benjamin and his second cousin Katherine. Boy she is a cutie!!!

They had such wonderful conversations together!!!!

What a memorable trip to Eastern Washington State. We hope it will not be another 10 years until we come back. Thank you to Grandma and Grandpa Farmer for their wonderful Hospitality for taking all of us in and feeding us all weekend, we know how difficult that can be solely for the Knight family, Cory and Dad eat enough for a second family!!!!

Many memories were made and good times were had, we are truly blessed to be apart of such wonderful people!!! We love G&G Farmer whole bunches!!!

Trevor and his first attempt at a Triathlon

2008-07-24T16:38:00.007-05:00

Alright everyone, yes it is true Trevor decided to get his butt in shape, well sort of in shape. Trevor, Steve, and Stefan turned out for their First Triathlon, the Lake Waconia 19th Annual Tri.

As you can see behind us were the 3.5 ft swells that we would be swimming through at the beginning of the race.

For those of you who do not know, a Tri consists of a 0.5 mile swim, a 24 mile bike ride and then finally a 4.0 mile run. To make things even better this Tri was run with 20 mph wind and 75 Degree F weather. Piece of Cake for the Young Men, well maybe for Steve and Stefan.

Here is Sarah, Ben and Trevor before Sarah was seriously nervous for her husband's life.

As it turns out Steve and Stefan totally beat Trevor out of the water by 10 minutes. Trevor was busy swimming from life guard to life guard, the White caps were a lot for him to handle. Sarah kept looking into the water wondering, I sure hope his head is still above water....

Trevor was able to gain some time back on Stefan but Steve rocked the bike and the run. All three of them completed the race and look forward to another race later this summer and next year.

Trevor finished not first, but not last so it was successful. Total time during the race, 2hr 43min.

Trevor will be spending more time in the water next time practicing for the next race:)!!!

Here is something you didn't think you would see.....

Trip to See Brewers get Beat by MN Twins!!!

2008-07-24T16:10:00.009-05:00

The "Family" took a trip to see the Brewer's get beat by our MN Twins!!! The trip was a fantastic, Liz's grandmother allowed us to crash at her beautifull house in Lake City, WI. The group rode in a 15 passenger van from our house. We got everything crammed in for the 5 hour trip. Oh wait because of the flooding through WI the trip turned out to be 8 hours of fun.... Benjamin did great, he was a real treat the entire time, no seriously, he was a happy boy the entire way.

Here is the van and the HUGE TWINS flag we were sporting while tailgating!!!

Steve had his Vintage 80's hard rock blairing in the background, it was totally Awsome DUDE!!!

Benjamin was a great tail gaiter, here is Ben and Mom and Dad, rocking out to the 80's mix and their sporting their Twin's Gear!!!

Tailgaiting activities encluded the MN Gopher Corn Hole tournament!!!

Miller Park is really cool, Although the new Twin's Stadium will be really cool too!!!

Everyone Outside Miller Park.

Memorial Day Weekend up north

2008-06-12T08:30:00.010-05:00

Family and Friends -

The memorial Day weekend was a pleasure, weather was wonderful and it was very relaxing. Yard work was performed and a few cocktails were consumed in the afternoon and evening. We had a beach bonfire and enjoyed the call of the loon. Trevor tried his hand at fishing and caught 5 large crappies and 5 large mouth bass, and 1 northern that he never saw because it took his line and then snapped the line after taking a good 50ft of line.

Scout and Ellie enjoyed their time in the water and on the dock, like normal:)!!! They are in and out of the water run up and down the hill, onto the pontoon and off the pontoon. Soon Benjamin will be joining them in their game of tag. As seen above Ellie is on the right and Scout is on the left. They are learning to not be on the doc. while someone is walking on the dock holding Benjamin.

Here is a picture of what the cabin looks like from the inside. As you can see it is quite quaint. That is how we like it.

As you can see there is a nice view down to the lake from the main area of the cabin.

Benjamin and Scout are beginning to get along much better then when Ben first arrived. Here Benjamin and Scout are playing on the rug together. Scout is so patient with Benjamin. Ellie really loves Benjamin and wants to lick him clean all the time:)!!

Looks like Papa Bob lwill be giving up his captain's chair for the new Captain of the pontoon:)!!!

Benjamin was letting us all know he wanted to be driving the boat.

Don't worry the boat was tied to the dock at this time:)!!!!

Well keep posted for more updates!!

Next week Benjamin will be traveling to Milwakee with the whole gange for a Twins vs. Brewer's game. If you see the game on TV look for the big group in left field hopefully Bert will circle us:)!!

More Pictures

2008-05-23T10:24:00.006-05:00

Benjamin was Baptised this past winter. Benjamin was the first baby baptised in the new remodeled church. He was also the first performed during the service. The entire Family was there, the Knight's, the Alm's and even Sarah's cousin and her family. It was a wonderful service and Benjamin was no so happy being naked and dunked completly in the water.

Benjamin started eating semi solid food this spring and he really likes food, go figure he is a Knight:)!!! He eats four meals of semi solid food a day now. Rice and fruit for breakfast, two servings of porage at daycare and another bowl of rice and oatmeal with vegetables and fruit again in the evening. Benjamin really loves the veggies and fruit.

This year was a blow out year for Leslie and the Gophers. The knight family really loved watching Leslie play. We will truely miss watching her play in the maroon and gold. She is the luckiest Knight to play in the Barn.

Minnesota Knight's First Spring

2008-05-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

All - The new addition to the Knight family is great. We have spent the last 7 months showing him off and getting to know Benjamin as he grows and learns so many new things.

Scout on the other hand was not so fond of Benjamin when he arrived home. Now Scout is getting better as Benjamin begins to roll around and pull on Scouts hair. Soon Benjamin will be crawling and Scout will be in for a rude awakening. However as soon as Ben learns to throw a ball Benjamin will be Scout's greatest friend.

Well this is all for now. There will be an update after the Memorial Day holiday.

Benjamin Arrives

2007-10-17T21:31:00.001-05:00

Benjamin arrives into this world.

Weight - 7 lbs. 10 oz.
Height - 21 inches
Head - 14 inches