Welcome baby Cal!

Baby Calvin is finally here! Sarah and Troy welcomed Calvin James Klongerbo on 7/27/22, 8 days late. Sarah and Troy were made to be parents, they are tender, sweet, and smitten with sweet baby Cal. 

We brought the kids up to meet Cal the day after he was born and they were so excited to meet and hold their 'new baby cousin, once removed." We cannot wait to watch that sweet little boy grow and to be a part of his life. 

The crew meets Cal. 

Group selfie. 

Dave and his newest great nephew. 

Piper's excitement. 

Cal and I, sweet newborn snuggles. 

The lily's bloom on my mom's birthday.

It's no coincidence that my gardens's showstoppers, the lead in the play, would bloom on my mom's 72 birthday. My lilys are tall, fragrant, strong, and incredibly lovely, all characteristics my mom shares. It was memorable to celebrate them both on the same day. 

Happy Birthday, mom, I love you. 

The kids with my lilys. 

Piper and Lor. 
I love his expression in this photo.

Mama and her girls. 

Guess who's back!?

From the moment Lor left, the kids anticipated his return, 6 weeks felt like an eternity. Once you throw in a couple of camps and trips, the next thing you know, he is walking onto your back patio, and that's exactly what happened. The kids were elated when he was here in the flesh. Greta and Piper squealed and when Sully came outside, he was so take aback, he could not contain his tears of joy. He is such a tender heart. We are all so happy to have Lor back for a couple of weeks before he begins his next adventure in Missouri. 

The reunion.

Greta, so excited to give him the bracelet
she made for him, 

This photo melts my heart. 

Back in the blink of an eye. 

Group hug masters. 

More pool fun with Lor, although he isn't pictured. :)

Munstream.Advenures: Mahoney State Park with the College Crew

We had the BEST week in Nebraska with 3 of my college friends and their families. It was loads of work, we knew it would be. We spent 5 nights in Mahoney State Park as Dave and I knew the lay of the land and were excited about the abundance of family friendly activities within a short drive of the park. 

Leanne and Joe rented a camper next to ours while Becky and Stacy stayed in a State Park cabin about a mile up the road. Our kids woke each morning and immediately found the Gehlens and the fun began. Shortly after, we were connected with the cabin crew. We swam, hiked, biked, picnicked, found a waterfall to play in at Platte River State Park, found the floating playground (two times) in Louisville State Rec Area, had campfires, s'mores, moonlit movies, and above all, spent some much overdue time with each other while the kids developed sweet relationships with one another, above all, this was the highlight for me. 

Hey! Let's meet in the middle-ish! What a life. xoxoxoxo

It was worth all of the hard work, but I think it's safe to say, the next gathering will be a mom's only get together. ;) And hopefully it will work for those who couldn't swing NE, fingers crossed. 

Movies under the stars. 

Campfire hang for the kids.

Pancakes for breakfast. 

The dads. 

The trash pandas, constantly having their way with us.

Louisville State Rec Area, constantly counting 11 heads. ;)

Dutch oven birthday cake, it was a success! 

Platte River State Park hike. 

I caught them on their own for one minute.

Greta made me a handful of jewelry. 

Trash pandas strike again. 

The gals. 

Aperol Spritz me, please. 

Gorgeous sunset. 

All 16.

4th of July

The 4th looked a bit different for us this year as it was Dave's holiday to work. We made the most of it with some local fun. Alex and Mandy had a pool party on 7/3 which was great. We swam, ran relay races, had a fish boil, and watched fireworks. We were there for hours, but it was full of nonstop entertainment and the kids did so great, it was truly fun for all. 

The actual holiday was so hot, close to 100 degrees. We hosted a small cookout over here with some neighbors and family. It was a great size and everyone got along so well. We bought some easy driveway fireworks, so the kids, young and old, kept themselves busy. 

And finally, on 7/5, Piper had an orthodontist appointment and her photo is too cute not to share. 

Here's to making the most of your circumstances!

Bandana fun- wondering how much longer the kids 
will let us pull this off. ;)

Silly faces. 

Water balloon crew. 

The girls and I. 

Dave and I, so hot. 

Driveway fun. 

Driveway chaos. 

Piper's turn at the ortho, looking so grown up.