The Kraupp Family

Courage

2012-01-27T21:04:00.000-08:00

Just before the Brad Paisley concert, I received an email from Annie's teacher. Each month at Annie's school they focus on a character trait. At the end of the month, the teacher chooses a student who has exhibited that character trait and they are given an award during an assembly. Mrs. Stringfield was asking our permission to recognize Annie this month.

This month's character trait is courage. For those of you who know Annie, you know how appropriate it is that she would receive this award. She truly has earned it. It has not been an easy year for Annie Jo. I am so appreciative to Annie's teacher for recognizing who Annie is and what she has accomplished this year.

After the character awards, Annie's teacher took the stage to award the first four students in her class to get 100% on 50 multiplication facts in 60 seconds. The first name she read? Annie Jo Kraupp!

What a great day for Annie!

The bonus? It all happened on a no uniform day. She didn't have to wear her prison outfit (as she refers to the school uniform) as she was recognized.

This is Country Music

2012-01-27T20:44:00.000-08:00

Emma LOVES Scotty McCreery. I LOVE Brad Paisley. Everyone loves The Band Perry. When we heard the three were coming to town together, it was a must go.

We got a ticket for Jake too, but the poor little guy starting throwing up about an hour and a half before the show. He stayed home with Kendall, and was so excited to miss school the next day AND be with Kendall that he never did process missing out on all the loud fun. Kendall is a saint. I already knew she loved Jake but only true love allows one to clean up another's vomit.

The concert was amazing. We are so happy we could go and we love Scotty, The Band Perry, and Brad more than ever.

Dyson Incident

2012-01-05T20:45:00.000-08:00

Jake owns a Dyson so that he can take it apart and figure out how it works. Apparently, Sunday afternoon he was seeing if his toy dolphin fit into one of the tubes of the vacuum. It did. One problem--it would not come back out.

So, after the kids were in bed, Travis and I started to free the dolphin. Mistake #1: Travis sends Jamie to get pliers. Mistake #2: Travis pulls as hard as he can on the wedged dolphin tale while Jamie says: someone is going to get hurt.

The dolphin's tale did not withstand the pulling from the pliers. The pliers came free and came so close to Travis' eye. He was really bleeding, and I could see it was the kind of gash that needed medical attention.

I couldn't get a hold of someone to stay with the kids right away, so we started driving and praying someone would answer our call. Thank you Ali for rushing to our house and even cleaning up the blood!

The cut got some glue, Travis has a nice shiner, and the next day we freed the dolphin by pushing it through the tube instead of trying to pull it out.

Merry Christmas!

2012-01-01T19:18:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year was definitely unforgettable.

Christmas Eve traditionally is a family filled seafood feast. Last year we hosted it at our house, most years it is at Grandma and Grandpa's house. However, this year Grandpa was in the hospital so the Kraupp family got take out from Red Robin and we had a picnic right there in Grandpa's room. When Red Robin realized why we were doing take out on Christmas Eve, they only charged us for half our meal.

Grandpa hasn't been much for pictures as he's going through this ordeal, but he did consent to let the grandkids gather around for a Christmas Eve picture. Gathering all our kiddos in Grandpa's room can be pretty stressful. They all did pretty well, and we were very thankful to have Christmas Eve dinner with Grandma and Grandpa.

Jacob cries everyday when it is time to go to school. Travis did some negotiating around Thanksgiving and promised Jake if he could brave school everyday without crying between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we would buy fireworks.

Jake did it! Christmas Eve we had a fireworks celebration. The missionaries joined us, as well as Ali and Kendall. Jake was in heaven. Santa and fireworks in the same night? Perfection. Good thing our neighbors already know we are crazy.

The kids got to bed a decent hour, and much to our surprise didn't have much trouble falling asleep. The trouble came at 3:30 a.m. when the Annie, Emma, and Jake were at our bed telling us Santa had come. We sent them back downstairs until 5:00, where they talked about what mean parents we are. I seem to recall one of them coming in every 15 minutes or so to complain or to report on the goods they were seeing from Santa in front of the Christmas tree.

At 5:00 we woke up the twins. Megan is always a joy to awaken, Justin not so much. He growled through the entire morning.

One of the reports every 15 minutes at my bedside in the middle of the night was from Jake, "MOM!! There is a DC14 out there!" Not long before Christmas Travis and I decided it was time to buy Jake his own Dyson. His knowledge of every Dyson made is incredible, and his ability to take them apart, explain how they work, and then put them back together is nothing short of impressive. In Jake's opinion the DC14 is the only way to go. According to the guru at the vacuum store, Jake is spot on. Look at the pictures from her out. Jake couldn't bare to be away from his vacuum. It even had breakfast with us.

Megan loves the Barbies and Squinkies she requested from Santa. When she talks about them she always jumps.

Justin is more of a Christmas afternoon guy...Christmas morning not so much.

The plan for Christmas dinner was to take all the food in and cook it at my parents. My mom was going to sneak home and eat and then Travis and I would take the kids in shifts to visit Grandpa. When we arrived at Grandma and Grandpa's house, my hands were full so I asked the kids to open the door. It was locked so they started ringing the bell. I told them no one was home...just as Grandma opened the door. We walked in I asked her what she was doing home, and then we heard the most wonderful "HO HO HO" coming from Grandpa who was on the COUCH!!! He was home for Christmas! Grandpa still has a long way to go before we will call him healthy, but we are so grateful to have been able to spend Christmas with him at HOME. Though his illness has been inexplicably difficult, it has helped us to not get lost in the greed that can become Christmas and instead be thankful to a loving Heavenly Father who watches over us, blesses our lives with miracles, and gave us the best gift of all--His Son.

We loved being at Grandma and Grandpa's on Christmas day. We are all pretty crazy about the newest Howell, Avery Jo.

Bishopric Dinner

2011-12-24T08:57:00.001-08:00

Every year we try to host a bishopric dinner and Family Home Evening. I use the word try because I failed miserably last year. This past Monday was the dinner. There were about thirty people who joined us for dinner, a lesson, and a white elephant gift exchange.

WARNING: if you are not interested in bringing multiples into the world, DO NOT drink the water in our ward boundaries. Of the 30 in attendance, there were four sets of twins!

It was a great night and we are so thankful for the good families that serve with Travis in the bishopric.

All the twins. They are all boy girl and range in age from seniors in high school to 8 months. Notice our twins not bothering to look at the camera. "Oh that's just mom with the camera again..."

Happy Birthday Emma!

2011-12-15T08:07:00.001-08:00

On December 3rd, Emma turned 9. She continues to be the peacemaker in our home, an easy going girl, eager to please and to do what is right. Emma is hilarious and loves to laugh and make others laugh. Everything seems to come easy to Emma and if it doesn't she has the patience to keep at it until she gets it right. Emma is a leader and a good friend. She is very aware of people around her and so sensitive to others needs and feelings. In so many ways she is an example to our family and we are very blessed to have her.

Emma and her best friend Emma share a birthday and this was their year to not have a party but to instead do something just the two of them. They chose to go to a trampoline center and then to Goodwood for some ribs. It was a fun night. I love the friendship the Emmas share.

The day of Emma's birthday was the Homedale Christmas parade and the Emmas got to be in it. This normally would not be an event attended by the Kraupp family, but the kids really enjoyed it and we may just have to make it a tradition.

Emma's favorite birthday gift? A basketball hoop for the driveway! She can't wait for it to be installed.

Hot Chocolate Anyone?

2011-12-15T07:53:00.000-08:00

Jacob is quite the entrepreneur. He and his friend Brock decided to set up a hot chocolate stand on the side of the road. Unfortunately, we get very little traffic. I called a few friends, and before long he had $6.00.

He asks everyday if he can set up a hot chocolate stand and is hoping to save his money to buy his own Dyson vacuum.

Viva Las Vegas!

2011-11-23T11:04:00.001-08:00

This month is Travis and my 12th anniversary. We celebrated with a 4 day trip to Vegas at the beginning of the month. Ali came home from Rexburg to stay with the kids and we had a great time!

One of my best friends from high school calls Vegas home and we met up with she and her adorable little guy for breakfast.

We stayed at a hotel twice the size of our little town.

We walked up and down the strip and ate really well, and were so glad our innocent little children weren't there to see what we were seeing. Oy!

We loved the water show at the Bellagio

We don't take very good pictures of ourselves...

We went to the m&m factory

As always there is business to conduct. Both with church and work.

Travis was a really good sport and went to the outlet mall with me for FOUR hours. We also had a lot of fun with Travis' bro and some of his family and we all went to the BSU/UNLV game. So fun!

It was so nice to laugh and talk, and then to come home.

Happy twelve years Kraupp Family!

Halloween

2011-11-17T10:48:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween nearly a month late!

The Kraupp kids love Halloween. Megan is still talking about it the day before Thanksgiving. Annie enjoys the candy, but could go without dressing up. Speaking of dressing up, it seems there are more and more events each year for which we put on costumes and celebrate Halloween. I think we dressed up three or four different times this year.

Annie was...dressed up. Everyone kept asking her what she was. I told her to just say, "I'm dressed up."

Emma was Dorothy. Grandma Jo was kind enough to sew us a skirt, and Sophie was kind enough to let us use Halloween paint to spray her black.

Jacob was an astronaut. It was perfect considering how much he enjoyed the Kennedy Space Center this past spring and it cost $1.99.

Megan was Minnie Mouse. It was her third year dressed as Minnie and I have enough costumes in the Halloween box for three more years of the same. Considering she thinks she owns Disneyworld, what else could she be?

Justin dressed as Buzz. What else would he be?

We sure feel blessed to have all these girls in our life!

Carving Pumpkins

On Halloween night the Kraupp Kids got to do something they have never done before--ring door bells, say trick or treat and hold out their bags for candy. Living in the country like we do, it just isn't something they have ever done--so we thought it would be fun to trick or treat in Grandma and Grandpa's neighborhood.

Aunt Kenna went with along for the madness
It was a fun but long day and there were some tired kiddos on the ride home.

Family Pictures 2011

2011-11-01T07:38:00.001-07:00

Ah, Travis' favorite time of the year--family pictures.

Everyone Needs a Twin

2011-10-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

For our family it is so special to have these two little spirits who are going through life together. They love each other so much. If you mess with one you mess with both. Megan often is Justin's voice, and he is her fierce defender.

They both have their own rooms, but at the end of the day they would just rather be together.

Jacob is 6!

2011-10-16T08:52:00.001-07:00

This past Thursday, October 13th, Jacob turned 6!!! On his birthday he took ice cream bars into his kindergarten class and shortly after he got home from kindergarten Grandma Amy and Papa rolled into town to surprise him. He was speechless. I thought he was going to cry. Later that night after gymnastics he opened his gifts. Friday evening was the party he may have been waiting for his entire life. He has never had a birthday party where he picked a theme and invited a handful of his closest friends. He decided long ago he wanted a firework themed party. When I asked him who he wanted to invited he started with Brock (our neighbor and his good buddy), then Corey (another good buddy), then Tonya (his BUS DRIVER), then Brent (TRAVIS' EMPLOYEE)...it was about this time I intervened and started making suggestions. There were still more adults on Jake's list than children, but he really does love Tonya, Kendall, Ali, and his grandparents. It just wouldn't have been the perfect party without them.

For a couple of months he has been planning the firework show. He researched youtube and knew exactly which brands and types of fireworks to purchase. After months of waiting he went finally got to go to the firework store a couple of weeks ago.

Jake was so sad that Ali wasn't going to be able to come celebrate with him. Again, he almost cried when she surprised him by coming into town for a birthday visit.

We started the party with dinner, then the kids painted pumpkins, then presents and a firework cake, and finally the firework show. He did a fantastic job of picking out fireworks and I think the party was all he had dreamed it would be.

Jake's friends Shawn and Cooper

Jacob and Brock

Ali and Kendall

The child who enjoyed painting the most? Justin!

Tonya (the bus driver) and Grandma Jo cleaning up the painting aftermath

Justin required a bath mid party. Travis predicted his nipples would be painted. He was right.

Presents

Shawn gave Jake cash. He was so happy.

The firework cake

The firework show. Nothing says fall quite like fireworks.

Last year when Jake turned five, he was so offended that I would not drive him to kindergarten. Now that he has started kindergarten he is ready for it to be over. His mind is so busy, there just isn't enough to keep him occupied. He would be much happier if they would just let him talk to everyone all through the day, but sadly that is against the rules.

Jake has a very mechanical mind and we cannot wait to see what he becomes when he grows up. He finds something that interests him and researches it until he is satisfied he knows all there is to know. Recently, we came across a catepillar on our walk home from the bus. It wasn't long before he knew what type of catepillar we had found, how to make a habitat, and what to feed the catepillar. Louie (the catepillar) may just have been the longest living captive catepillar. All the informtion was gathered through youtube. Jake loves youtube. He watches videos about everything he loves--catepillars, vaccuums, fireworks, and the occasional laughing baby.

Jake brings a lot of spark to our family. He constantly amazes us and definitely keeps us laughing without even trying. He has never really played with toys. To him work is play. He is an impressive four wheeler driver, has never met a stranger, and is finally learning to listen (hallelujah!).

We love you Jake! Happy 6th birthday!

The Tonsillectomy

2011-10-05T17:01:00.000-07:00

Annie's tonsils have been giving her trouble for years. We saw the ENT on Friday and he scheduled her for surgery today. I worried about the anticipation and anxiety Annie would feel about the impending procedure, but it seemed she was almost excited to get them out.

Today was shipping and sale day for the cattle who have spent the summer in Twin Falls. So, Travis is out of town and was disappointed he couldn't be here.

This morning I started the normal morning routine of waking the kids for school. Emma is always so pleasant to wake up. When the first words out of her mouth this morning were that she didn't feel well, I knew she meant it. So, upstairs we went to take her temperature. Sure enough, she had a fever, was flushed, with a headache, and a sore throat.

Grandma Jo was kind enough to take Justin and Megan while I went with Annie. Emma got to go to grandma's too. I just pray we don't share any germs. The last thing my dad needs a bug.

Before surgery the nurse put in Annie's IV. I'm telling you the girl is tough. Well, she's tough as long as I am there. No one has ever loved me as much as Annie. When it was time to say goodbye, the tears flowed freely. The anesthesiologist gave her some medicine to take her to a happy place and it worked. She was wheeled off happily talking about what grade she was in and what book she is reading.

Post surgery I continue to be amazed at how tough Annie is. She has been eating and drinking like a trooper. I have to all but sit on her to keep her in bed. She hasn't so much as had a nap! I would love for her to rest and to willingly take her pain medicine. She does so well at swallowing pills, taking this liquid medication is no fun.

I called our pediatrician with Emma's symptoms this afternoon. Bless him for diagnosing her over the phone and calling in a prescription, and bless Kendall for picking it up for us! We have had strep around here, and every indication is that Emma has it as well. Meg is running a fever too, and obviously does not feel well. She was treated for an ear infection Monday. I'm praying her fever goes away soon and that she too doesn't need treated for strep.

The sliver lining? The boys are healthy!

Happy Birthday Megan and Justin!

2011-09-26T07:48:00.000-07:00

It is nearly impossible to believe it has been three years since we had two tiny little babies. I still maintain that it is the funnest hardest thing that has ever happened to us. We are so grateful to have been blessed with these two special spirits and are still amazed and thankful that they came at the same time.

Megan continues to be the dominant big sister. She's never met a stranger and is so affectionate...and dramatic. She has the most adorable lisp and an incredible vocabulary. We love the way she tells a story and how she places the words in her sentences. The first thing she did on her birthday was wish Justin a happy birthday. Megan is always "so very thirsty", is in love with the nursery leader Sister Walker, and probably loves "T.B" (television) a little too much. Meg loves to draw and doodles adorable spiders, people, and smiley faces. She loves to help in the kitchen, is so happy to wake up in the morning, and never forgets please and thank you.

Justin is our timid little buddy. He is undecided on how he feels about attention. He loves to make anyone laugh, but would rather duck his head and enjoy it. Up until a recent little miracle, Justin didn't say much. However, in the past couple of weeks he is putting sentences together, telling stories, and singing! There is nothing I love more than to overhear Megan and Justin's conversations. They crack each other up! Never has there been a boy more in love with Buzz Lighyear than Justin. He calls himself Dustin and Megan is Neg or Negan. He knows where Neg is at all times. Justin does not share food, potty trained in one day, loves his Dad's pickup, and his blanket. Justin is Mr. Mischievous. He sneaks outside, puts blueberries in the dryer, throws eggs, wanders away, and colors on himself and the walls. However, it has been a while since he flooded anything. Justin loves his pajamas and changes back into them about halfway through the day.

Grandma Jo and Grandpa were in Dallas for the weekend, so we celebrated with them a week early. Justin and Meg loved every minute of opening their presents, and were genuinely so happy for each other and their gifts.

Notice the pajama bottoms? Oh, and the other love of his life? Rain boots.

We celebrated yesterday with pizza for dinner followed by presents. Once again, they were thrilled. I bought Justin a stuffed Buzz that is about his same height. Grandma Amy bought Justin a Buzz with lights and sounds and movable parts. Grandma Amy's Buzz was opened first, and Justin needed no other gift. When he opened my Buzz, he informed us he didn't like it and wanted us to give it to Jake!

After dinner and presents we invited some family and friends to share cake and ice cream with us. Jake loves a party. He couldn't wait for all the "gesks" to get here. Megan and Justin loved having everyone here too.

Justin couldn't wait to blow out his candles. He blew them out twice before they were all lit.

Notice the Buzz...

Happy Birthday Megan and Justin we love you!!!

First Day of School

2011-08-22T18:36:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe summer has come and gone and that today is the first day of school. This year brings a lot of changes for the Kraupp family. Our elementary school is kindergarten through 4th grade. The 5th graders in our town go the the Middle School. Early this spring we starting researching a charter school in a neighboring district. It really felt like the perfect fit for Annie, and we decided to have her attend there. When we found out some of her closest friends would be attending as well it felt perfect. So, we have Jake starting kindergarten in Homedale, Emma in 3rd grade in Homedale, and Annie in 5th grade at the charter school.

All of the kids seemed really excited to go to school. Kindergarten is going to be just what Jake needs. Emma has her best friends grandma as her teacher, and a class full of her closest friends. No surprise, Annie seemed the most nervous to start the school year. She has to wear uniforms. It is going to take so much stress out of her life. She hasn't been thrilled about it, but is adjusting. She is excited about the brand new school building.

All of the changes this year include a change in schedule. Annie has to be out the door 30 minutes before the other kids, and 30 minutes earlier than past years. This means we get everyone out of bed at 6:00. Whoa, 6:00.

Megan loves to wake up. For her 6:00 was no big deal.

Justin on the other hand, HATES to wake up and HATES to change out of pajamas to clothes.

Annie the 5th grader

Jake the kindergartner

Emma the 3rd grader

The first day of kindergarten was all Jake has been dreaming of and more. He had his own special spot with a name tag. When we dropped him off the room was eerily quiet with only the sound of sniffles and an occasional whimper. There were a lot of kids who weren't thrilled to be there. But...not Jake. He found his spot, and started waving, "Bye mom and dad! I love you!"

After kindergarten I met Jake at the school to ride the bus with him. He really wanted to do that alone, but when I told him all his friend's moms would be riding as well, he changed his mind in a hurry.

I wish I knew more about every one's first day. When it came time to tell me all about the day, you would have thought it was time to get a tooth pulled at the dentist's office. Annie and Emma had the usual shoulder shrug, but did confirm it was a good day. Jake can't remember doing anything.

Next year, the twins will go to preschool two mornings a week. I will be home alone. Why does everyone have to grow up?

On our way to pick Annie up froms school, our early morning caught up with everyone. I felt the same way!

The Fair

2011-08-13T19:53:00.001-07:00

Last Wednesday through Saturday was the Owyhee County Fair. We prepared for fair all summer and it is hard to believe it has come and gone. To say we are proud of Annie and Emma for all their hard work and growth is an understatement.

Getting the lambs ready for fair meant scrubbing their woolly little bodies with dawn and hosing them down. What better place to tie them up than the mailbox? After they were all clean we loaded them up to take them to be sheered.

Yes, Emma is kissing her lamb.

Wednesday morning Travis, Annie, and Emma took the lambs down to the fair to check in and to be weighed. Both girls then had the responsibility of staying down at the fair to make sure their lambs stayed cool, clean, fed, watered, and happy. Travis was there almost the entire time, and when he left for a few minutes he left them with my cell phone. I got a call about every five minutes!

Wednesday afternoon Grandma Amy and Papa arrived. We were so happy they could come experience the fair with us and see firsthand how well the girls have done.

Wednesday night was Jake's night in the rodeo. It is his third year mutton bustin' and his first year being legally old enough. For the first time he made it out of the chute and stayed on the sheep until the sheep fell over. In past years he has cried and cried after his turn was finished. This year he finished with a grin! He and his dad celebrated with a diet coke.

Thursday was the sheep show. The girls are grouped by age and are judged first on how well they show their lambs. Before the show the lambs were beautified through yet another bath, a blow dry, and brushing.

Annie and Emma both did very well putting into action all that they have learned this summer. They interacted very well with the judge and handled their animals perfectly.

We were so thankful that Grandpa and Grandma Jo could come. Grandpa's health has been such a roller coaster. We had prepared ourselves realizing that a day in the heat sitting in a barn at the Owyhee County fair would be too much for him. But, combine the fact that he is one tough cookie with sheer determination, and there he came. He lasted all day! It was so nice to have them share the day with us.

After showmanship comes quality. The lambs are grouped by size and the judge goes through and out of each class picks the top two lambs. There were five total classes. Because of the way the lambs are grouped the girls compete regardless of age and experience and are put up against kids of all ages from 8 to 18. In Annie's class she took first place!!! Emma took second in her class!

Because they were both in the top two in their class they went to the finals. The judge quickly picked the grand champion lamb and had a terrible time deciding between Annie's lamb and another for reserve champion. Ultimately he went with the other lamb. Regardless, we couldn't be more proud. Annie and Emma worked so hard and took such good care of their animals. Of about seventy sheep they were in the top ten. Pretty incredible for their first year!

Annie in showmanship:

Emma in quality. Look at them in there with those high school kids!

Saturday was sale day. The day I have been dreading since we joined 4H this winter. Again, the lambs were washed and beautified. The lambs are sold by how well they do in the quality show. So, Annie and Emma were right at the first. As we prepared to go in the sale ring, I could see it sinking in to poor Emma. Annie was nervous so I was standing with her. I mouthed to Emma asking her if she was ok. She shook her head yes. About three minutes later Emma called for me and as soon as we made eye contact she burst into tears. So did I. The poor thing was crying so hard she could hardly stand. We bought our lambs from Fishers and were hoping that they would buy them back to become moms this spring. But, in an open sale, you never know. Even the thought of her lamb going back to Fishers was no comfort to Emma. She still wanted her little lamb in the backyard.

This picture says 1000 words. Heartbreaking.

Thank heavens for lots of love and support
Annie in the sale ring.

Emma in the sale ring.

Both lambs were sold to Fishers for $1000 each. The girls get to keep 20%. Ten for tithing and ten to spend. The rest will go into their bank accounts. Even such a high price at the sale didn't take the sting out for poor Emma. But, Fishers have promised she can go over anytime she likes. She would like to work for them. Such a sweet girl.

Did I mention how proud we are?

Summer Tradition

2011-08-05T07:56:00.000-07:00

Summer is slipping away too quickly. I have been terrible this summer about keeping up to date on this blog. I already regret that I will not be able to look back and see what we did summer of 2011.

Every summer we take the kids to see a drive in movie at the Parma Motor Vu. This year we went with two other families. It is always such a fun night.

Last year by the end of the movie I had to put Justin's car seat in the back of the car. This year was no different. Trust me, its for his own safety. Maybe next year he can sit and watch a movie?

Cancer Sucks

2011-07-16T18:23:00.000-07:00

Well, for the third time it appears my dad has cancer. The first time around involved surgery and it was a nightmare. Second time involved four chemo treatments that were really quite manageable. Now, he needs surgery again. We are all a little jumpy considering how the first surgery went. We know history won't repeat itself because of all that we learned the first time around, but we also know it won't be until at least the end of August until Grandpa is feeling better.

So...we had a "Cancer Sucks" party. If you want to hear something cute, have Megan tell you about the party.

We had everyone out to our house for a simple lunch and then loaded everyone up in the pickup (with Marc and Jake on the four wheeler) and went to our neighbors home fashioned water slide. Poor Aaron had the flu and couldn't make it. We missed you Karen, Owen, and Aaron.

It was a fun day.

After the slide it was back to our house for a little dessert.

And to see if Savannah is taller than Annie yet :) Not quite, but it won't be long. They might not be the same height, but they are the same shade of brown.

Good luck Dad! We sure love you!!

37

2011-05-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

Travis Frank Kraupp turned 37 yesterday! Here are 37 must knows about the dear ole dad at our house:

1. Though he just kind of mumbles the words when it is time to sing in church, Travis always has a song in his heart. He is always singing to us, to the kid's friends, and to anyone who is near and dear to him. Usually, the songs are some he has created. This morning at lamb weigh ins it was, "this lamb is your lamb this lamb is my lamb..." to the tune of This Land is My Land (of course).

2. Travis loves his work (most days).

3. Travis loves being the bishop (most days).

4. Travis is messy.

5. For Travis, having fun is easy to do.

6. Travis loves to laugh, and laugh hard.

7. Travis finds traffic laws to be optional. This is reflected on his driving record.

8. Travis makes his wife feel like a gourmet chef my hmmmming at each bite, not matter what she makes.

9. Travis loves giving kisses to his kids.

10. Travis loves to tease.

11. Travis is a morning person!!

12. From Annie: Travis is an awesome dad.

13. From Jake: Travis lets me drive the feed truck.

14. From Emma: Travis is a hard worker and is handsome.

15. From Megan: Travis bites me and I say thank you.

16. From Justin: Travis threatens to eat me.

17. Travis loves pop.

18. Travis loves steak.

19. Travis loved his mission.

20. Travis is a texting fool, he and is cell phone have a very close relationship.

21. Travis always smells nice, unless he eats garlic. Oh dear.

22. Travis is a worrier.

23. Travis has a temper that ignites and flickers quickly.

24. Travis pays Emma to rub his neck.

25. Travis takes the longest showers in the world.

26. Travis bites his nails until they bleed.

27. Travis loves to go out to eat.

28. Travis rarely stays up late.

29. Travis would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it.

30. Travis looooooves to mow the lawn.

31. Travis is not a Mr. Fix It.

32. Travis usually forgets garbage day.

33. Travis is NOT observant.

34. Travis hates to read anything but the scriptures.

35. Travis cannot grow a beard.

36. Travis will watch his favorite movies again and again and again. (Maverick! Apollo 13! Secretariat!)

37. Travis fills a home.

Happy Birthday Travis! We sure love you and are grateful to you for all the joy you bring to our lives.

33

2011-05-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

Tuesday morning (May 3rd), the kids got up for school like it was any other day. They had breakfast and then when it was time for them to get dressed we had them all sit on the couch and handed each of them a gift. They opened them youngest to oldest. Each had a t-shirt: WE ARE GOING TO DISNEYWORLD! They were excited, but got really excited when we told them our flight left in a few hours!

Everyone traveled really well on the flights over. When we got to Orlando we picked up our divine 12 passenger van and we were off to our resort. Since it is my 33rd birthday today, I thought I would share 33 highlights of the 581 pictures we took. Ah yes, that is Grandma Jo in the pictures. Bless her heart for taking eight days to spend with us. We could not have done this without her help! We even got her in a swimming suit and on a roller coaster! Shhhhh, don't tell Grandpa...
Day one we went to the Magic Kingdom

See the hat on Jake's head? It was a victim of the roller coaster ride. Jake loves roller coasters! It seems a little out of character for him, but he loves to go fast and high.

Day two we went to the Animal Kingdom. The Lion King and Finding Nemo shows were amazing!

Day three we went to Epcot

Day four we went to Sea World. Yes, I cried at the Shamu Show. Grandma, Megan, and I got soaked.

The dolphin show at Sea World is incredible! Divers, acrobats, and all of our favorite--dolphins!

Day five we went to the Kennedy Space center and then to Cocoa Beach. Travis has a deep love of the space program. I have a deep love of the way Megan says space ship. She replaces the 'p' with a 't'.

There is such a sense of patriotism that comes with Kennedy Space Center and the space program. I will not confirm or deny reports of a confrontation I may or may not have had with some punk high schoolers from India on our tour bus.

After NASA it was on to Cocoa Beach where we ate at a restaurant on the Pier.

The kids looooooved playing in the ocean. It was hot outside and the water was warm. Justin was constantly talking about the bubbles and the water.

Day six we went to Hollywood Studios. Justin started each day getting out of the van and having separation anxiety for his blanket.

Florida was definitely hot and humid. Check out how curly Megan's hair is in any of the pictures! We could judge how humid it was by how tight or loose her curls were. We took a lot of breaks in the shade for snacks and water.

Justin and Megan were so good to stay by us. For the most part they rode willingly in their strollers. Justin did really well on the toddler leash I found (notice the absence of Justin AND Megan in this sentence)

After Hollywood Studios we went to Downtown Disney for dinner. We ate at the T-Rex cafe. It is filled with dinosaurs that come to life and every twenty minutes there is a meteor shower. So fun!

Check out the Woody and Buzz in the Lego store in Downtown Disney. They are made entirely from legos. There are many people who went home with a picture of Justin. He couldn't seem to stay away from Buzz.

After Downtown Disney we went back to the Magic Kingdom so we could do every one's favorite rides again. We almost succeeded.

Annie's favorite ride was actually at Sea World. It was my favorite ride too. Hanging upside down with our feet dangling was the most fun I have ever had on a roller coaster.

Emma loved space mountain. She claimed to love it five years ago in California, but also said she never wanted to do it again.

Jacob loved Splash Mountain and the Wild Train Ride. He looked so serious in all the pictures they take on the ride, but claims to have loved every bit of it.

Megan loved It's a Small World. Half way through the ride she gave her dad a big hug and told him how much she loved him.

Justin could have done nothing more than conquer the evil emperor Zurg in the Buzz Lightyear ride. When I took him out after riding the first time he was literally shaking. After about five minutes he finally muttered, "Buzz Lightyear". He is more in love with Buzz than ever.

When he is talking about Buzz, he points his finger. He made sure everyone in line knew all about Buzz. Some poor kid was wearing a buzz t-shirt at Hollywood Studios and Justin was his new best friend.

Last but not least we watched the Main Street Electrical Parade.

After the parade we did Space Mountain one more time. While we were in line fore the roller coaster Grandma was able to watch the fireworks one last time with Jake, Justin, and Megan.Megan may have loved the firewroks even more than she loved It's a Small World.On our last day we could have gone to the Disney Parks again, but chose instead to swim at our resort. The pool was amazing. It had a lazy river, beach, and our favorite--a slide.

At one point Jake caught a lizard and of course chased me with it all through the pool complex I shrieked. He was relentless!Yesterday morning we had to get up at 2:00 in the morning Florida time (that is midnight Boise time) to catch our flight.

It is so nice to be home, but oh how we loved Florida. It was wonderful to be together and have nothing but fun for a full week! I am so thankful we were able to go. Now, just a week left of school and it is SUMMER!

Happy Easter

2011-05-02T22:44:00.000-07:00

Easter was such a nice day. It was stake conference and we all got to go together as a family to church and we even got to sit together. The kids were so good. Smart little things that they are--they know when a parent is or isn't out numbered and behave accordingly.

After church we went to Grandma and Grandpa's house for the traditional Easter egg hunt and dinner. Dinner this year was extra special because--MARC AND KENNA TOLD US THEY ARE HAVING A BABY!!! Shortly after the news and the discussing how Kenna is feeling constantly sea sick, Meg pooped on the floor. It's true. Hence the lovely dress she is wearing for the egg hunt. It was mine! I have never seen Kenna move so fast and Karen laugh so hard. Oh, the joys of candy overload.

Because she is fair and not because she has a compulsive need for order Grandma weighed each child's candy to ensure each had the same amount.

Branding Day

2011-04-14T06:14:00.000-07:00

The calves are all big enough that it was time for their vaccinations and to be branded. We had quite the crew of cowboys and even one cowgirl to rope the calves and bring them in to be doctored.

The kids and I had the assignment to bring in lunch. We rolled in just before lunchtime and stayed the rest of the afternoon. It was so fun to sit on the back of the flatbed in the sunshine and watch everyone work.

The mother cows were crying so loudly for their babies that you had to yell just so the person right next to you could hear. The Kraupp Livestock brand:

The mother cows watched very carefully from the other side of the fence. This entire winter has been full of neat opportunities to watch the instinct of a mother.

The suburban doubled as a buffet.

Our fearless leader

Justin had the time of his life. He loves the cows.

Jake enjoyed pretending to be a bawling baby calf.

A few shots. Doesn't look much different than vaccinating the kids!

Our Perch. Poor Meg wasn't feeling her best. Darn that strep throat.

Justin enjoyed a little cowboy time.

Within seconds of heading for home:

Softball

2011-04-13T21:17:00.001-07:00

Softball season is here!!! We love cheering on Emma Lou and her team. She was just a toddler when I pitched her a wiffle ball and she smacked it across the yard with her little plastic bat, and so began her love for the game. She did have a little learning curve when she started t-ball, smacked the ball, and headed right from home plate to second base! Those days are long gone, not only is she fantastic at bat, but she is always looking for a play in the field. She is so fun to watch. I have acquired the gene to really yell and cheer for my kids from the stands. I try every game not to embarrass them...too badly.

Gegan and Dustin

2011-04-13T20:58:00.000-07:00

With the video of the adorable jabbering twins all over the morning shows and the Internet, there has been a lot of talk about twins and their connection. Just the other morning I was talking to my mom about Justin and Megan and their special bond. She encouraged me to write down how tender their relationship is. Years from now I want to remember how much they needed each other when they were two. They don't have their own language, but 90% of the time they do poop within minutes of each other. I'm waiting for the call from Good Morning America.

Justin needs Megan. He just does. They have had their own rooms since summer but still need each other to have a good night's sleep. This past weekend while visiting Grandma and Papa I tried to have Justin sleep by me. He slept very restlessly, calling out for "Gegan" even in his sleep. "Gegan" is always looking out for "Dustin". Really, I wouldn't mess with him if I were you or you will be answering to her. Just ask the doctor at Quick Care. I took Justin in for a prolonged high fever and when the doctor pinned him down to look down his throat, Megan stepped right up very sternly telling her, "Hey! Stop that!". Megan is not afraid to let Justin have it, but she is the only one allowed. He never fights back, not physically. He's such a gentleman. He's been Megan's biggest potty training cheerleader (after he decided it wasn't gross), and one of these days I'm sure she will decide he needs to stop wearing a diaper and just boss him into doing it the right way.

Though they keep me on my toes, there is no greater blessing than to have two spirits come at the same time. They have always known each other and separation just wasn't an option. We are so lucky to have them.

Mickey Mouse Died

2011-04-07T21:30:00.000-07:00

True story. I needed to run errands tonight while the girls were in gymnastics. Ali came to stay with the three younger kiddos. When I returned home, Justin wasn't feeling well and was cuddled in with Ali. Ali and I were talking and I looked and Sophie, or Soapy as Meg calls her, and she had perched herself on the couch. There was something curious in her mouth. It took a nanosecond for me to realize what that something could be. I yelled. I jumped up. I ran to the corner (strange but true). I put my head between my knees because my world was beginning to blacken. Sophie was going in and out of the garage while I brought in groceries, and she caught herself a mouse. She could not understand why I wasn't proud of her. When the kids realized there was a dead mouse on the couch, each had a unique reaction. Annie split, Emma started problem solving, Justin could care less, Jake worried, and Megan wanted to talk about it. "Oh, Mickey Mouse died", she kept saying. Ali did what anyone would do. She grabbed the camera. I gathered my courage and A LOT of paper towels to gather up the mouse to run it to the garbage. Emma, in all her wisdom brought the garbage to me. Wise, because I surely would have shrieked and thrown the mouse somewhere between point A and point B. Past experience tells me I probably would have thrown the mouse at an innocent child. The mouse barely made it to the garbage. I rushed it outside. Ali disinfected the couch. We washed our hands and I remained jittery the rest of the night. BAD DOG SOAPY!

The D Word

2011-04-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon we took a Sunday drive to the Owyhee Dam and Reservoir. With the Winter and Spring we have had it is quite a sight. I couldn't stomach the thought of taking Justin and Megan with all the water, so Heather was kind enough to come stay with them. Annie refuses to call it a dam and stuck to calling in "the d word".

The drive to the dam makes my blood run cold. As long as I can remember I have had an irrational fear of my car falling into water. Travis and the kids find this fear hilarious and tormented me the entire drive there and back. Ha. Ha. The drive becomes really nice when you come to the one lane tunnel right through the rock. Shortly after the tunnel begins the climb. To the right of the car is a nice cliff with the raging river at the bottom. Lovely.

The D word has a fascinating glory hole. There is so much water that is running at full capacity. It sucks the extra water through the hole which looks like a giant swirling toilet. It is amazing to watch--a little creepy, but amazing.

Dear Grandma and Papa

2011-04-05T08:53:00.000-07:00

Thank you for surprising us with a visit! It is so nice to have you here and watch you smother the kids in kisses. It is nice to have someone to laugh with when Justin takes the eggs out of the fridge and ever so quietly throws them to the floor one by one. Would you mind coming every two weeks to get the girls started on their piano music? Also, if Papa could just stay here to ride along with Travis as he works that would be great. We love you!

P.S. In a few days we are coming to your house. Please hide all your breakables, including the eggs.

Cabin Fever

2011-04-01T07:29:00.001-07:00

We are ready for Spring! I am blaming all the trouble the twins seem to find on being cooped up in the house. I truthfully rotate calling plumbers. It is far too embarrassing for one plumber to know all our adventures in clogging and flooding. Just proof of the power of example--I caught Meg not long ago on the "phone" with the plumber trying to fix the toilet. So sad, so hilarious. Justin has an amazing sixth sense. A door is unlocked, he senses it and is gone. The food room is open, he knows it and begins tearing down the cans. I put jam out to thaw a little and well...I needed an entirely new carton of jam.

Back to that sixth sense...here is an escape attempt:

When all else fails. I stick them in the trees.

Hooray for Meg!

2011-04-01T07:12:00.000-07:00

It has been almost three weeks since Megan wore a diaper!!!

It took only a few days for her to love going potty on the toilet. Having only one toddler in diapers is amazing! On the other hand, it is sad to see her grow up. But, growing up she is. Somehow potty training has caused her to have a deep interest in her wardrobe. Maybe it was the few days she spent sans clothes, but she can't put enough layers on these days. Her favorite things include pajamas during the day, skirts (sometimes two at a time) and boots--always boots. The way she says both boots and panties with her lisp absolutely melt our hearts. I thought the pajamas with a winter vest and boots was a lovely combination.

Awesome

2011-03-03T20:26:00.000-08:00

Sometimes there is only one word for Meg's hair....AWESOME!

2011-02-22T07:21:00.000-08:00

Emma has been asking for quite some time if I would take her to get a perm. This last Saturday was the day. I took her to my friend Amber's house. It was nice to hang out with she and her family for a few hours instead of at a salon. It was also nice to be there because Emma's sensitive skin reacted to the chemicals in the perm. Amber had to rinse the perm out early because Emma had started to develop large welts. Her eye and eyebrow have been a little sore but she swears she loves it so much that one day when the perm is out she will be going back for another. Sometimes we sacrifice pain for beauty! She does look beautiful.

Better Than Christmas

2011-02-18T20:01:00.000-08:00

Apparently the love of vacuums is hereditary. It has been passed from my mother to me and right to Jake. Before he was two he would place his toy vacuum next to him as he slept. When we go to stores, his reward for good behavior is often a few minutes in the vacuum aisle. Seriously.

Jake has moved on from the toy vacuum and much prefers the real deal. He has a talent for making beautiful tracks in the carpet. For quite sometime I have been looking for a new vacuum. Oh the joy Jake and I felt the day we came across a DYSON that was compatible with our carpet!

After much research I loaded up the kiddos to go to Walmart to purchase, only to find out it is an online order item. Jake was very understanding--until it took two weeks to get here. He passed the time by watching countless online videos all about the Dyson Animal DC28. Soon he was using the old vacuum to reenact what he was learning online. Hilarious. He really is quite the informed consumer.

His excitement has been contagious. The twins are also thrilled with our purchase.

I think he may be an engineer one day.

Celebrating a Decade!

2011-02-17T09:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Annie's favorite day of the year--her birthday! I thought it would be fun for Annie's tenth birthday to list ten fun facts about her:

1. Just before Annie was born her great Aunt Claris made her a blanket. She was just an infant when we realized she was in love with the blanket. Well before she was a year old she named the blankie Mynomy and to this day cannot sleep without it.

2. There may never have existed a sister in love with a baby brother as Annie is with Justin. She affectionately refers to him as Duhdin and can hardly keep her eyes in focus when she is around him. He really is that cute.

3. Annie has washboard abs. She is tough. She hates that she does so well in PE, but she just can't help it and would never consider not trying just to be mediocre. She finds great joy and success in gymnastics and will NOT do any other sport thank you very much.

4. Oh boy does Annie love music! Her ipod is among her most prized possessions and we refer to Annie as our family DJ as she keeps the car thumpin' as we make our way here there and everywhere.

5. As much as she would like to keep her room clean, she just can't. She is very sweet to thank me for finding her room under all the layers of chaos when I clean up after her.

6. Emma is Annie's best friend/worst enemy.

7. Annie loves clothes and putting together her outfits. Caution: this is VERY time consuming.

8. Another word of caution: NEVER let Annie get too hungry. It is disastrous.

9. This has been a year of great successes for Annie. She is doing so well in Math (hooray!) and in all of school, in gymnastics, in piano, and is in a very happy place.

10. Annie requires very little sleep. Fortunately she likes to read and will often spend well over an hour (sometimes two) enjoying a book before she finally goes to sleep.

Very unlike herself, Emma was feeling a little jealous of Annie. Annie got some cash from Grandma Amy and Emma's bottom lip hit the floor.

As Annie turns ten, I have been reflecting on the fact that 10 years ago we became parents. So much has happened in ten years. When we brought sweet little Annie Jo home, we never thought in so short a time this would be us:

Annie's Party

2011-02-14T11:18:00.000-08:00

Annie is turning ten this week. On Friday the kids were out of school and we decided it would be a good day to have her party. She invited five friends and wanted a "peace sign" theme. Annie knew exactly what she wanted to do.

I'll start with with biggest hit of the day...

THE CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN

Annie wanted a cake in the shape of the number 10, with the zero a peace sign.

She stayed up well past midnight with me making sure it was perfect....and no one ate any! They were too busy dipping their fruit, pretzels, cookies, and faces in chocolate!

We also made pizzas and decorated t-shirts.

Annie has a very cute and fun group of friends. It was a blast spending the afternoon giggling with them.

Gem State Meet

2011-01-31T17:11:00.000-08:00

Annie and Emma had their second meet this past Saturday. Both girls did very well!

Annie:

Bars: red

Beam: white

Floor: blue

Vault: blue

Emma:

Bars: blue

Beam: white

Floor: blue

Vault: Blue

Both girls had high enough marks that they were awarded blue in the all around. This meant they came home with some fun prizes. It is so fun to watch them and see the progress they are making. Nine hours of practice each week really pays off. It amazes me that they still look forward to each practice. They really love what they are doing.

Sophie

2011-01-29T12:00:00.001-08:00

This week we welcomed Sophie (a ten month old Westland Terrior) to our family.

Tonsillitis and Toilets

2011-01-26T16:13:00.000-08:00

As is typical, today was a day full of adventure.

In the early morning hours, it was a call to the plumber. Sadly or humorously, the plumber doesn't need ask what I need. Toilet is plugged. Two year old (BOY) flushed item down toilet. Today it was two toilets.

Toilet 1

Toilet 2

What is really fantastic is that tonight toilet #1 is back to nonfunctioning. Plumber will return tomorrow probably to pull the toilet. That always smells nice.

The afternoon brought a trip to the vet. Chill is under the weather. Turns out she has tonsillitis and bronchitis. Her larynx is quite swollen, she has a fever and a wheezy cough, and she really doesn't feel well. She had a couple of shots, a thermometer in her bum, and will be on antibiotics three times a day for fourteen days. If she isn't feeling better in a day or so she will go back in for x-rays because she may have pneumonia.

First Born in the Wilderness

2011-01-23T08:43:00.001-08:00

Our girls are starting to have their babies. We lost two moms due to illness and one baby has died, but meet ROCKY our first baby calf! He has won all of us over with is stunning good looks. All of the kids love feeding and checking on the cows, but no one loves it more than Emma. She even came home with "mud" on her this morning.

This poor momma is on her 20th or more pregnancy. We feel so bad for her. She can't get up today, so Dr. Kraupp gave her a couple of shots and we are praying for her. Seriously, it's like one of the grannys at the senior center in her last trimester of pregnancy. The poor cow!

Big Moooove

2011-01-11T10:53:00.001-08:00

This morning our cattle needed relocated from their home on a hay field to their new home in a corn field. It wasn't too far from one field to the other, so an old fashioned cattle drive was the best way to move the girls.

Originally my job was going to be to stop traffic since the cows needed to cross the HIGHWAY. You know, the kind of highway where the speed limit is 55, but everyone drives 70?! I was very relieved to get the phone call that the Owyhee County sheriff would be meeting me there.

It was quite a sight, with all the cows headed down the road, Travis and Jake Speelmon on horseback yelling and rounding up the cows, one of our employees at the front tossing hay, another employee at the rear on a four wheeler, a couple of police in the road blocking traffic, me using my suburban as a fence, and the local newspaper taking pictures!

Isn't life grand?

Gymnastics!

2011-01-08T14:30:00.000-08:00

Annie and Emma had their first gymnastics meet this Friday. It was their only traveling meet of the season and was held in Twin Falls. Grandma Amy and Papa met us there to watch the girls. We thought it would be best if the twins stayed home with Amber and Heather.

Here are the girls in their team uniforms. It is essential that their hair be slicked back with no fly aways or they get points deducted. Other deductions come from picking wedgies, having underwear showing, oh and technique.
No flash photography is allowed during competition, so the pictures are a little fuzzy.

This is Annie on beam:

Emma on floor:

Emma warming up on beam:

Annie on floor:

Jake was SO BORED but passed the time getting kisses from Grandma

And Papa

Each girl received a trophy at the end of the competition, as well as ribbons from the judges based upon how well they performed. Blue is best, then red, white, and rainbow (for participation).

Annie scored red on bars, red on beam, white on floor (she stepped out of bounds or would have had blue), and red on vault.

Emma scored blue on bars , red on beam, red on floor, and red on vault.

Take a real close look at the dude passing out the trophies. If you see his picture while watching America's Most Wanted he's in Twin Falls.

Although they were really looking forward to the meet and loved every minute of the competition, swimming at the hotel was a close second. For Jake it was all about the hotel and seeing Grandma and Papa.

All Dogs go to Heaven

2010-12-28T18:18:00.000-08:00

Our sweet Max who never barked, bit, growled or even messed on the floor was hit by a truck today in front of our house. We already miss him dearly and are thankful to have had him with us--even if it was for too short a time.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-27T08:58:00.000-08:00

The month has been full of Christmas festivities. It began with Emma's 2nd grade Christmas program. She had to hurry from gymnastics to the school, changing her clothes in the car. This was our view of the program:

A week or so after the school program was the ward Christmas party:

Santa couldn't quite catch the twins...

A couple days later came Jake's school program. He sang loud for all to hear, and somehow disappeared between songs. Towards the end he was a little bored and started singing ahead. The little girl next to him covered his mouth. I am proud to say she did not get punched. Whew.

Christmas Eve dinner was at our house

The kid table

Marc and Kenna

The dinner

Grandma and Grandpa stayed the night Christmas Eve which was a really fun (and helpful!) treat for our family. Surprisingly, it was Emma who awakened first on Christmas morning. We were up by 5:30.

Christmas Breakfast:

I love Christmas. I love how much our kids love Christmas. I feel so overwhelmed with gratitude this time of year for our Savior and His humble birth and a loving Father in Heaven who blesses our family so openly.

The Baptism

2010-12-07T07:49:00.001-08:00

Emma was baptized on Saturday. She has been waiting and preparing for this day for such a long time. Emma had in her mind exactly the dress she wanted and Grandma Jo sewed it for her. She looked so beautiful and it was a special night. Sadly, some terrible weather settled in and our Kraupp family wasn't able to come. We sure missed Grandma and Papa, the Byrams, and Uncle Mike and his crew.

My camera isn't exactly a point and shoot. This was Annie's attempt at snapping a picture of Emma with us. It cracked me up. Not bad Annie!

After the baptism we had a little birthday celebration for Emma at the house. How lucky to be baptized the day after her birthday!

Happy Birthday Emma!

2010-12-06T07:26:00.001-08:00

Emma turned eight on Friday! Emma and her best friend Emma P. share the same birthday. These two sweet little girls decided instead of having a birthday party where their guests bring gifts, they would instead have everyone bring pajamas and books to be donated to the Pajama Program. All the little girls came dressed in pajamas and we had pancakes for dinner, painted nails, heard a story about the Pajama Program and then decorated the birthday cakes. It was such a fun night and I am SO proud of Emma and Emma.

Once we were home from the party Emma opened her presents from us.

She has been waiting for her own set of scriptures for two years!

It is difficult to describe what a special spirit Emma is. Her idea for her birthday party is the perfect sampling of who she is. She is the peacemaker in our home. She is a spiritual person who was born with a testimony of our Savior and who strives to do what He would want her to do. She seeks out those who are lonely or sad, she is thoughtful, eager to please and her positive attitude is an example to her family. Emma is also full of spunk. She is silly, funny, and really likes to have a good time. Things seem to come really easily to Emma whether it is church and school, or sports related. On the few occasions when she has had to try at something, she tries and she tries until she gets it right--she is patient.

Emma we love you so much. We are so blessed to be your parents and blessed to have you as a part of the Kraupp Seven. Happy Birthday Lou!

Our Latest Project...

2010-12-06T06:28:00.000-08:00

Travis buys cows everyday, but doesn't own them longer than half a day before they are sold and on to their next destination. It has been awhile since we owned cows for long term, and we have never owned cows that we are responsible for feeding and caring for...until now. The latest news from the Kraupp Family is that we are proudly caring for 150 pregnant Angus cows. Now, I am may have some of the details and terminology wrong so bare with me--I'm a total cow rookie.

So, cows eat hay. We have a lot of hay and it may have been the greatest day of Jake's life the day the tractor arrived to move all that hay. He went with Travis to the tractor store and told his dad, "Hey Dad, when we get to that tractor store tell the guy, "Sir, we need two tractors. One for me and one for my kid.""

Yes, we realize the tractor isn't green and will try to do better next time. It was strictly a financial decision that I'm sure my grandpa would have understood.

Before the cows arrived, Jake and Travis were thrilled to be able to use the tractor for some snow plowing.

At the end of last week our our cows arrived. Saturday we all loaded up in the feed truck (which Jake believes is titled to him) and went to feed.

Here is Travis loading up the hay:

Opening up the pasture:

Jake DRIVING the feed truck. It is his job. I'm not kidding. He actually does really well. Honks at any of the girls if they get in his road.

Our fearless leader throwing out the hay.

Here they come!

Meg was yelling at the cows the entire time. It is in her blood. She gets that from her dad.

Justin was in heaven.

The Kraupp Livestock Brand

Emma the VIP

2010-11-20T18:11:00.001-08:00

A week ago Emma was awarded the VIP. Travis and I were out of town taking Megan to a specialist and didn't know it was going to be Emma's special day. Grandma was kind enough to be there to support her and Mrs. Garrett snapped a picture.

Emma's teacher said she was presented the award for, "being such an all around good girl! You get work done on time, and it is always neat and careful. You always have a cheerful attitude and are kind to your classmates. I am proud of the person you are! Thanks for being such a good example."

While was Emma was receiving her award, Mrs. Garrett whispered to Grandma Jo that Emma is golden. Just a perfect little girl.

We completely agree! Emma is so easy to have around. She is teachable, eager to please, and strives to do what is right. We love her!

200th post: Family Pictures

2010-11-14T14:10:00.000-08:00

Lou

2010-11-08T08:55:00.000-08:00

Emma has started her basket ball season and she really enjoys it. She had her first game Saturday and is at least a head taller than all the other kids.

Of course there is another little girl named Emma on her team. Who knew it would be such a popular name?! I blame Ross and Rachel. Anyway, the coach was asking the other little Emma if she maybe had a nickname. When this was met with a blank stare, our Emma stepped forward and said, "I have a nickname. Just call me Lou." So, Lou it is. Her coach hollers out to her, "Hey Lou! Aim for the backboard not the basket! Lou! Where is your man?" One thing all of our kids are not short on is nicknames. We have called her Emma Lou since she was home from the hospital. I'm glad it came in handy for her basketball team.

That's Lou at the free throw line with her arms out playing intense defense.

Oh, and Justin ever the sports fanatic--had to be removed from the game. He could not understand why he couldn't just have the ball.

Cake

2010-11-02T10:49:00.000-07:00

I can just imagine what they would like their dialogue to be: "Hey Megan! Get over here! Mom made cake! I pushed the chair over here, you really should try this."

It's a good thing they're cute, because that cake was trashed.

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-01T10:15:00.001-07:00

Halloween and the flu bug hit us at the same time. Meg was feeling under the weather for the annual trunk or treat, so she stayed home with dad. Meg was going to be Minnie...

Annie was a fairy. Months ago, she asked what a thought she should be for Halloween. I said a fairy and she laughed and reminded me she was nine and in the fourth grade. She thought a rock star better suited a girl of her maturity. But....when it came time to get the costume she quietly mumbled, "I think I want to be a fairy."

Emma was a rodeo queen.

Jake was a cowboy last year and thought it was the obvious and only choice for this year.

Justin as Mickey. I kind of thought he would hate this, but truthfully he was so pleased. Pleased to dress up, and overjoyed to walk around and have everyone put candy in his bucket.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-21T09:29:00.001-07:00

It wouldn't seem like fall without a trip to the pumpkin patch...

This year I traded Justin and Megan for Corey. Sounds like a fair trade right?

The boys finished their day by sharing a diet coke. :) Travis was so proud.

Meg

2010-10-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

Megan is an independent little spirit.

I walked away from the breakfast table. She decided she needed more cereal.

She heard us talking about going somewhere and grabbed her own shoes, socks, and jacket.

When she is tired she finds a comfortable place to crash. I recommend letting her sleep. The repercussion can be long and loud.

We are anxiously awaiting a phone call from the pediatrician. Since Megan didn't have enough room in the womb, she still has a few cranial/facial issues to repair. We fixed the shape of her upper skull with a helmet, but her jaw remains cross bit and asymmetrical. Over a year ago the plastic surgeon suggested she was a candidate for surgery at some point. The pediatrician did not agree and suggested we go to a dentist. The dentist sent us to the orthodontist who said he had never seen a case like Megan's and would have to do some research. He forgot. We waited. Eventually he called to say he thought we could put another helmet type device on her when she is six. Back to the pediatrician who sent us back to the plastic surgeon. The plastic surgeon said now that she is two we can do surgery but he recommends waiting until she is seventeen (seventeen!) so that surgery doesn't disrupt budding baby teeth and nerves. In the sane breath he tells me she will consequently not be able to chew difficult foods (steak, tootsie rolls, etc.) and that her teeth on the asymmetric side will be quite a bit longer. He tells me to bring her back when she is seven. Frustrated, I called the pediatrician again. He said we may need to find expertise out of state and will do some research. He called yesterday to say he is still working on it, but should be talking to a team of doctors in the next few days.

Jacob is 5!!!!

2010-10-14T09:51:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Jake turned 5. He thought for sure he was starting kindergarten and was very frustrated that I refused to drop him off at the elementary school.

We actually started celebrating this past weekend. Grandma Amy and Papa came for a visit and stayed Friday through Sunday. No sooner were they out of the car than Jake had them convinced to go for a ride on the four wheeler with him as the driver! I'm happy to report all went well.

Saturday Jake wanted to play at Monkey Business, but of course they were closed. So, it was off to the next best thing--Bounce. Since we had just been there for the twins birthday the novelty had worn off a bit, but Justin still had to be removed kicking and screaming when it was time to leave.

After Bounce it was off to Red Robin. Jake remembered that they "sing you a really nice song there", and decided that is exactly what he wanted. If I could just freeze the look on his face when they started singing happy birthday to him, I would never frown again. It was priceless.

We opened presents while we were at Red Robin. It was very exciting because for the first time Jake knew what he wanted for his birthday. In prior years, we could have wrapped up anything and he would have been thrilled. At the age of five he is finally excited about playing toys, movies, trucks, and loves to ride his bike, so gifts were easy to think of and easy to find. His one request was for a Chevy remote control vehicle, and if you can believe it, it isn't even broken yet.

So, yesterday was his actual birthday. Travis has started the tradition of taking the kids to lunch on their birthday. He and Jake invited me to go along. Guess where Jake decided to go? Red Robin! You know, they sing you a really nice song there.

While we were waiting for our lunch, Travis asked me what we were having for dinner. I told him Jake wanted steak. Travis suggested we go out. Jake suggested we go to....RED ROBIN!

Instead, we grabbed sandwiches and had a picnic in the park. Jake has recently discovered how to pump his legs on the swing and loves the big swings at the park.

After the park we invited Garretts over for cake and ice cream. I can't believe Jake is 5!

Jake is fun. There is no better word to describe him. He keeps everyone around him laughing. He loves people, he loves trucks, and he loves to work. Jake has recently started taking an interest in what he wears and much to his dad's delight this always includes dark jeans and either rubber boots or cowboy boots. We are grateful Jake's inhibition--it is who he is. This Sunday we were just commenting on how much better Jake is doing at focusing his inhibition into good. Come to find out he had broken into Garretts house while they were gone just that afternoon. So, we continue to work with him--never trying to take away from his spunk but instead focus it in better directions. I am so glad Jake finds the joy in every little aspect of life, because it teaches me to do the same. He is never grouchy and wow what an imagination. We love you Jake and are so blessed to have your sweet, strong, spunky spirit, as a part of our family!!!

VIP

2010-09-26T11:52:00.000-07:00

Annie has really found her stride in the fourth grade. We have been so impressed with her so far this year. Her teacher shares our sentiments and awarded her with the VIP this past week. The awards are given at lunch. Travis, Grandma, Jake, and I went to the school to have lunch with her and to see the presentation.

Way to go Annie! We are really proud of you!

The award says:

Always follows directions and is ready to learn

Notorious for being a model student!

Never needs reminders to stay on task

Involves herself in classroom discussions

Excels in all subjects because she works hard

Two Two Year Olds!

2010-09-25T19:24:00.000-07:00

It doesn't seem possible that we welcomed Megan and Justin to our family two years ago today.

We celebrated the special day by enjoying pizza, presents, and cake at the park.

Both Megan and Justin love Diego and Dora. There are mornings Megan refuses to allow me to dress her because she is wearing her Dora "jammas" and she wants Dora to be on her clothes all day. So, it was Dora and Diego cakes to celebrate. I will never tell how long it took me to put these tiny little cakes together. Annie and Emma were very sweet to cheer me on as I put my limited decorating skills to use.

Opening presents:

Megan needed clothes and now has some adorable things to wear. She also needed baby dolls, and is currently loving tending to their every need.

Justin was in need of trucks and trailers. They are his greatest love--after his blanket of course.

When Meg sees this pictures she still says, "No Justin!" He loved to blow out the candles and took it upon himself to blow on the candles whether they were lit or whether they were on his cake or Megan's cake.

After the park we went to a play center called Bounce. It took Justin a minute to warm up, but once he realized all the fun to be had, he was the picture of pure joy. The rest of the kids had fun too--each of them were sweaty and tired by the time we left.

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Megan and Justin! It is hard to find the words to describe how blessed we are to have you as a part of our family. We are so glad you decided to come to this earth together and that we get to have twice the chatter, twice the giggles, twice the squeezes, twice the joy that comes with watching you grow and develop into little people.

Meg, you are truly the big sister. Justin follows your lead and looks at you with such admiration. You have so much to say and your curiosity keeps you learning. You know you're cute, and oh boy are you cute! You love to sing and we all love to hear your songs. You are so sweet to share so many hugs and kisses, and to crawl on our laps to snuggle in. You are all girl, love to get your hair done, nails painted, shoes on, and anything that sparkles. We love to hear you pray and everyone looks forward to your turn. There is never a question what you want or where you stand, and I hope that is your gift for life.

Justin, you are so busy! When we can catch you, there is nothing better than your squishy hugs and soft skin. Your blanket is the love of your life and you want nothing more than to have it near. You love to be outside and to push anything with wheels--strollers and trucks with trailers are your favorite. You can't help but grit your teeth when you see Max and giggle when Max returns your attention. Your giggle is so contagious. You love water, the washing machine, and the oven. You yell at the television if their is the slightest hint of sports. You are one tough little boy and those big dark blue eyes combined with a insanely handsome face make it very hard to discipline you even when you have flooded the kitchen or nearly singed your eyelashes.

We can't wait to see what this year brings!

Back to Preschool

2010-09-08T09:10:00.000-07:00

Jake started preschool today. He goes Wednesday through Friday. That means it is just me, Justin, and Megan at home alone for three mornings each week. It will help prepare us for kindergarten next year, but it is awfully quiet.

Jake was very excited to be back to school. He adores Teacher Erica and it is so good for him to sit and follow directions.

Big Bird

2010-09-03T19:33:00.000-07:00

Today a sweet-hearted horse by the name of Big Bird joined our family. He has an amazing disposition, and I wish my kids were as obedient as this giant of a horse. Emma is beside herself with joy. We all have a lot to learn, and dad is doing his best to teach us. I got the "We Don't Wear Flip Flops on Horses" lecture this evening.

Big Bird is a 16 hand horse (that means he is tall)

As we expected Annie is cautious, but we think it won't be long before she has a new favorite hobby.

A Fond Farewell

2010-09-03T19:17:00.000-07:00

Today we said goodbye to the cribs. Now that Justin and Megan are almost two, they are too big for their cribs. They are ready for real beds, but if it were up to me they would stay babies for a while longer. Obvious though it may be, when there are two babies everything gets done twice-- Two baths, two car seats to buckle, two diapers to change, two babies to place in their cribs each night. I am really going to miss two jumping beans bouncing in their cribs each morning.

Justin has moved in with Jake. Meg has her own room upstairs. She and Justin love to chatter and she sings to him. This is going to be the first time they have ever been apart. I am sure they are ready, just not so sure about myself.

p.s. Max got a haircut today, that is him moping on the bed