Father's Day

A cute sample of our Father's Day 2010!

Livestock 2010

Hey Everyone, ok, lets be serious, hey you three! Livestock 2010 is finally here. Saturday June 5th Livestock will be at Minnesota Square in St Peter, MN. This year we have added a 5K race to kick off the day at 8 am. People can still register for the race that morning. Then from 10 am to 10 pm 20 bands will grace two stages and fill the park with Christian tunes. There are 6 food booths and just as many merchandise booths. We added a Kids Zone this year with bounce houses and a petting zoo. My great friends Jill and Alex Hass founded this event three years ago as a response to God's calling during their trip into a deep valley where they almost lost their home and many nights didn't know where they would get food to feed their children. We would love for you to join us tomorrow at the park in the middle of St Peter. Check out the website www.livestockmn.com for more infomation.

Summer is Here

The shades are a necessity! We now have grass and even a sandbox. Let the days outside in the sun begin. Gavin would be outside all day if he could. It will be interesting to see how good I get at running inside and outside taking care of Katelyn and watching Gavin.

Happy Mother's Day

Here is my attempt of getting a picture of me and my kids on Mother's Day. It was rather bright and the sun was in everyones eyes. Truly my favorite holiday ever! I was made to be a mommy. Mike was about to take a picture of me holding Katelyn and she spit up. I told him to still take it because it is a true representation of her and I. She is always spitting up and I am always covered in it! :)

"I Hold Her"

This is what Gavin says when he wants to hold his baby sister. I get her all situated on his lap and literally two seconds later he is pushing her off his lap stating all done!

Katelyn 8 weeks

Here is Miss Katelyn at 8 weeks old. She is a great baby (most of the time). She is a great addition to our family. Things have started to settle down and maybe I could even say things are back to normal.

Gavin and the Girls

This is Gavin being sandwiched by Baby Stella and Baby Katelyn. Stella is the lucky first daughter of our old nanny Bethany and her husband Mark. The girls were born one week apart and hopefully forever friends.

Waitin for my breakfast

Katelyn 1 Month Old

Don't you just love babies in footie jammies? Funny how Gavin was the baby not that long ago.

A couple of pictures of Katelyn at 1 month old.

Katelyn Riding in Style

This was the way Katelyn was strolling the other day. Had to get a pic. They would have done this all afternoon. Pretty proud brother and sister.

Gavin Michael is a big brother!

Katelyn Ali

March 3, 2010

7 lbs 6 ozs

20 inches long

Yeah! She arrived on a Wednesday evening amidst a loving team of welcomers. She is an amazing baby who was ready from day 1 to go with the flow of the household. Ethan, Lauren, and Gavin welcomed her home that Friday and there hasn't been a dull moment since. In addition to Gavin's Big Brother roll he has taken on the Mischievious Boy roll. A couple of things that he has done since he realized that Katelyn was here to stay:
**He got himself stuck in the bottom basket of her stroller. (I was standing right there changing her diaper. I had a hard time getting him out too)
**He went downstairs to the kids bathroom, got in the tub fully clothed, stomped on the drain like Daddy taught him :( and turned on the ICE cold water. At least it was cold. I don't think he will do that again.
**Took an entire tube of gel and sqeezed it on the wall, floor, chair, and of course his hair.
**Licked the Bleach Pen (At least we knew his mouth was clean?)
(I promise I am a very competent mother. He has just thrown us all into a whole new level)

Its Officially been a year!

It has been a whole year since I last posted anything on this blog. Many events have changed our lives in the past year at the Niemeyer household. Here is a quick recap:

Dec 5th, 2008 - Ethan and Lauren gave their hearts to Jesus.

March 2009 - Gavin was hospitalized for two nights at Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar for Croup. We were visiting for the day to celebrate Gandma Mary's birthday. He was a trooper and we were very aware of all the prayers coming our way.

April 2009 - Signed a purchase agreement to sell our red house eventhough it wasn't even for sale.

May 2009 - Lauren was bit by our neighbor's dog. She had about 8 stiches under her eye and 4 by her cheek. She has healed really well and was so brave during the whole ordeal. We praised God that the bite wasn't closer to her eye!

June 6th 2009 - Moved out of our great red house into a two bedroom apartment. :( We moved hoping it would only be until November, just enough time for Mike to build another home.

June 14th 2009 - Went on vacation to the Wisconsin Dells with our friends from Colorado. Between the two families we had 7 children. We had a great time in the water and celebrating all 7 kids birthdays which occurred between June 20th and Sept 14th with 2 adults birthdays in there too!

June 19th 2009 - Ethan and Lauren were in our Nanny's wedding in WI. We all had a great time celebrating Mark and Bethany's marriage.

June 27th 2009 - Lauren Ashley turned 6.

July 19th 2009 - Ethan Michael turned 8.

July 2009 - We found out we were expecting our 4th child! The baby is due March 7th.

September 2009 - Ethan started 2nd grade and Lauren started 1st grade with two of the greatest teachers on earth.
October 2009 - Gavin Michael turned 2 years old and also started attending daycare at one of my greatest friends house two days a week. After starting out a little shy he is now shouting for joy on the mornings we say "time to go to Jill's!" November 2009 - The month came and passed without a move out of the apartment into a new home. Mike was so busy this summer that he just started the house at the beginning of November. He ASSURES me that we will be moved in by February 15th. I have only cried a couple of times :)

December 2009 - Since we are in a small apartment we cleared out a space for a small Christmas tree. Ethan had a better idea. He would get some big green paper from school and make a Christmas tree to put on the wall. It is very sweet and very fitting for the kind of year we have had. We will be celebrating our Savior's birth in a couple of days and are so thankful for the blessing God has bestowed on our family and the healing and safety he has shown us. We know that we are in His will because we have what we need...not necessarily what we want!

May you be in God's will in 2010.

Ten Little Indians (The end will explain)

I have some friends from high school that create an amazing blog about their life as they wait for their baby girl from China. She is such a great writer. I love to check in on their lives to see what she has come up with now. Well this is her rendition and mine will follow here. I need to preface this by saying that my list came from my itunes on my computer which has most of my worship songs on it and of course my daughters list of songs too (she is 5 and loves music too!) Katie, you are going to need to do this because I know your ipod is stacked with music so here are the directions:

1. Put your iPod (or media player) on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN, NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. Tag you're it-- if you want a musical mental break.WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? Weak

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Hide and Seek

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
I Surrender

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Sing Through Me

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
I Walk By Faith

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Sing, Sing a Song

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Let It Rise

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Chicken Dance

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
On My Lips

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
ABC Song

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
When I Look Into Your Holiness

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Everything I Own

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
This Little Light of Mine

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Look Over Your Shoulder

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
If Your Happy and You Know It

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Shout to the Lord

WHAT IS 2+2?
Do Your Ears Hang Low

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
He Has Made Me Glad

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
The Farmer and the Dell

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
At the Feet of Jesus

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
More Precious than Silver

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
In His Time

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Yes, Jesus Loves Me (How cute is that one?:)

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
King of Kings

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Ten Little Indians

O Christmas Tree...O Christmas Tree

Here is my attempt at being a photographer. Okay, really I was trying to figure out my camera settings and I thought what better subject than my beautiful Christmas tree.

Santa Visited Waldo's

On Saturday we had a fun event at Waldo's Coffee Company. Santa arrived at the coffee shop to hear what children were wishing for and we also collected toys for Toys for Tots. Santa was amazing and a huge hit to most children, while others ran the opposite way crying. As for Toys for Tots we currently have two huge boxes full of gifts for children in Nicollet and Blue Earth Counties. Gavin slowly warmed up to Santa and by the end of the morning he was hamming it up. Last year Ethan was missing in action when it came time to taking a picture with Santa, this year it was different. He was all about it and Lauren would only take a picture if Gavin, Ethan, and our nanny, Bethany were in the picture too. She was probably thinking "safety in numbers."

After a long day schmoosing with Santa, Gavin was tuckered out.

Thanksgiving Day Photo Shoot Outcome

Here is the outcome. Pretty good considering it was rather cold and we had them outside way too long.

Thanksgiving Day Photo Shoot

Here is Lauren and Gavin after we had spent a good while outside taking pictures of all the Niemeyer Grandkids. Lauren still had a smile left for me, but Gavin looks stunned.

Game of Baby tag Anyone?

The new favorite game at our house. Ethan and/or Lauren crawl around being the chaser or the chasee with Gavin. I think he was peering around the corner to see if someone was playing.

Cute and Fuzzy

I thought this was a cute, but obviously quite fuzzy picture of my boys. They were looking at a night light.

Happy Halloween

Dancing to Hannah Montana

Lauren attended a Gustie Dance Camp on Saturday. She got to dance with the Dance Team at Gustavus. They learned a dance during the morning and danced to a Hannah Montana song at the halftime of the Gustavus Football game. She had a blast. This is her dance partner, Rachel. Lauren is the one on her partners back in the bottom picture.

Our Cowboy is 1!

Gavin Michael turned one today! We did it up good with a party filled with everything cowboy. Our guests arrived in their best duds and boots, we ate brats, beans, and licorice rope, and the kids made their own cowboy vests out of paper bags. Gavin dug right into his cake made by Grandma Mary and was tuckered out at the end of the day. It has been a wonderful year of Gavin and are family is so blessed.

Me and my buddy

Lauren wanted to snuggle Gavin and she did the job right. He was asleep in no time! She didn't realize that she would be cozy enough to fall asleep too! We thought it was picture worthy.

Ethan and Gavin sat for a quick picture. Ethan is such a great big brother. He is a great teacher and loves to make Gavin laugh.

A Photo Shot

At the end of September my sister, sister-in-law, myself and all our 7 kids met in Hutchinson for a picture taking session. My sister Jen took the pictures while Merica set the kids in place and I danced and by Ethan's request "shook my booty". They all laughed and we got good smiles, but I was pretty tired after my one hour performance. We framed the second photo here for my parents as they had there 35 wedding anniversary on September 29th. Enjoy!