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Activities

Pumpkins and a Walk through Delano

With Halloween just a week away, we decided it was time to find some pumpkins and start getting the costumes prepped. On Saturday, we drove out to a nearby pumpkin patch in search of the perfect pumpkin. Jacob, Henry, and Mama each found one they liked and we brought them home with us.

After naptime today, the sun was shining, offering good weather for a walk around town. We walked along the river, first stopping to see the progress being made on a floodwall (or rather, the foundations for one) being constructed on Bridge Ave. The boys both enjoyed seeing the large backhoe, along with finding and making use of walking sticks alongside the river.

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Homecoming

The stars aligned this year and Saint John’s homecoming happened to fall on MEA weekend. We used that opportunity to take a small vacation, traveling up to Saint John’s University. On Friday afternoon, the pottery studio had a lighting ceremony for the Sister Johanna kiln. After watching the ceremony and grabbing dinner at Sexton, we drove in to Saint Cloud for the boys’ first stay in a hotel. They were excited to make use of the pool and amazed that a couch could turn into a bed.
The next morning we drove out to SJU and used the nice weather to see some of the campus. We met up with Grandpa Larry, hung around the kiln, and visited the church and science buildings. While we never made it to the game, it was nice to spend a relaxing day seeing the other areas of campus. Needless to say, it was a quiet ride home that afternoon!

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Activities

Nature Walk at Lake Rebecca

The weather has turned cooler recently but this past weekend was a glorious few days. To take advantage of the weather, we hopped in the van and drove to Lake Rebecca where we went for a nature walk. The sun was shining and the boys had a great time.

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Activities

Baptism and Butterflies

August was a good month. Overall, the weather was nice allowing for much time outdoors, and we were able to see family a lot. There was a baby shower, high school friend get together, baptism, random visits, and Nanny and Jack’s anniversary.
On August 16th, we officially welcomed William into the faith, celebrating his baptism with godparents Dave and Caitlin. It was a bit warm, but everyone survived and enjoyed mimosas with brunch afterward. The boys were looking especially handsome for the event:

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Dapper dudes!

During this time, Jacob and Henry were eagerly tracking the progress of their new pet Bella, as she progressed from caterpillar to Monarch butterfly.
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With the start of school right around the corner, both Mama and Jacob are getting excited. Jacob is beginning all day preschool and is eager for the opportunity.

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Activities

Backyard Camping

With William being only two months old, we thought it might be a little early to take the whole family camping. Instead, we opted for the backyard campground and the older boys (Papa included) had a fun night in the outdoors.
The evening started off with a good splash in the pool, complete with water squirters. After dinner, we settled in to the tent and after much giggling, enjoyed our peaceful night amongst the sounds of nature.

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Activities

Taylors Falls Vacation

This past week we had the opportunity to relax and spend some time with the Werth’s (Fred, Cathy, Teresa, and T’s boyfriend Brian). We all arrived in Taylors Falls on Sunday afternoon to get settled in to our vacation rental where we would stay for the next three nights.

On Monday we traveled down the Saint Croix in our canoes and kayaks, while taking in the scenic cliffs and soaring eagles. Later that day, we hiked through Interstate State Park, while marveling at the potholes that were carved by the water and rocks of the glaciers. Tuesday morning brought a trip to the Franconian Sculpture Garden, where we meandered around acres of sculptures. That night we finished up with a short fishing trip. After packing up our things on Wednesday morning, we drove a few miles up the road to Wild Mountain. We spent several hours soaking in the sun and getting drenched in the water park. At that point we said our goodbyes and started our trip back home, with all three boys napping within minutes of getting buckled!

All in all, we were blessed to have some great family time with good weather to boot!

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Activities

June Activities

With summer officially underway, the past few weeks were relaxing but held plenty of activities. After the exciting end to May (birth of William, Elise’s hospitalization, and Jon’s work upgrade), June brought plenty of good time with family. Here’s the highlight reel:

Delano baseball, planting a tree, eating with chopsticks, Henry getting stitches (again), Teresa’s triathlon, Jon’s work trip to Florida, Glencoe Days, and Delano’s 4th of July celebration.

Whew! Looking forward to July!

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Activities Parenting

Getting settled…

After a smooth birth and plenty of visitors, it was time for all the Werth’s to go home. The boys (Jacob and Henry) returned to daycare, while William enjoyed the days with both of his parents at home. Unfortunately, Elise’s health took a turn for the worse and it was back to the hospital. With some rest and some powerful antibiotics, she was thankfully feeling better in a few days.

Upon returning once more to home, the next two weeks allowed her and all the boys to settle in to summer.

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Parenting

William Michael Werth

Soon after saying goodbye to Fred and Cathy, Elise and I decided to head to bed. It was Friday, May 22nd around 11:30 pm. Within a few minutes, Elise’s water broke. We gathered our things, and placed two sleeping boys into the van. At one point, Jacob woke up and asked, “Where are we going?” I replied, “To Nonni and Grandpa’s house.” Quietly Jacob stated, “Yay!” before falling back asleep.

We drove to Eden Prairie and transferred the boys to the waiting arms of Elise’s parents, before driving to the hospital in Waconia. We checked in at 1:30 am, and were ushered to a birthing suite. Things progressed nicely and on May 23rd at 9:08 AM, William Michael Werth became the newest addition to our family. He measured 20 inches and weighed 8 lbs, 15.5 oz, which rounded to an official weight of 9 lbs.

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William Michael Werth

Throughout the day, both Elise and William recovered beautifully. Several hours later, after waking from their afternoon nap, Jacob and Henry came to visit their new baby brother, eager to see their little brother and their mama (now with a much smaller tummy!). On Monday everyone will be reunited at home.

Welcome to the family, William!

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Activities

Sunday Morning Coloring

After a “pajama breakfast”, the boys were enjoying their newly acquired coloring books (thanks Nonni!). Instead of using crayons, these books use dry erase markers so they can be used over and over. Here’s a few pictures of Henry and Jacob practicing their dot-to-dot and letter skills.