Alexis' 3-year pictures

My alexis is turing 4 soon and I just finished her 3 year pictures just in time to get a little haircut. These pictures are professionally taken by me! ha.... I think they turned out great! Possibly a new little side hobby!

Our New Family

July 1, 2011 was an exceptional day for the Engstrom Family. We have been joined together with God's blessing. We had a nice wedding (even if it ended up in a garage) and when I get pictures I will sure post them. However for now to get the blog up and running again, I will be putting pictures in of our family photo shoot. We took pictures at Charlie's Ice Cream Shop in downtown Fargo.

Kurdish Dress!

I had the pleasure to attend a Kurdish wedding. It was a blast. They offered one of their traditional dresses! The top is a see through fine material and underneath pants and shirt which are all sequenced. I arrived at 10pm, just in time for the bride/groom dance and continued dancing for the rest of the 2 hours! A very fun night!

Family Pictures in July!

To think this post was given to me over a year and a half ago and nothing has changed with my hopes, dreams, fears, and believes. This is a very good feeling!
I've been tagged....
I am…..... always thinking about ways I can change things and make life easier!
I want... to live life to the fullest...but often get mad at myself cause I'm not motivated
I have...... so much to be thankful for.
I wish......for many things, but most importantly to give my kids the essentials in life and to teach them that all decisions have consequences...good or bad.
I hate.......listening to people talk only about negative things.
I miss.......selfishly...my free time when I was single and free spirited, emotionally.. my fear of nothing that has been overcome with anxiety...family...my grandpa who always had candy bars and jokes!
I fear.........not being around for my children when they need me
I feel..........so many emotions, its often too hard to separate them!
I hear........Lexi's sweet sleeping music through the monitor.. aaahhhh very calming
I smell.......Dots... yummy!
I crave.........chocolate (always!), less stress, and more family
I wonder..... what God has planned for me and my family?
I regret........ some of my past experiences and trying to accept the things that I can not change.
I love........... my kids, my family, and friends, and I love my Job!
I ache........... when I sit on my knees too long... ouch arthritis already!
I care............making sure my students at school get all the things they need to be successful in all areas of their live
I always....... want to know what I can do to help others...
I am not…...excited about the huge snow fall that just happened.. why?
I believe.........In Jesus, my family, and myself knowing I can get through all challenges in life
I dance.......... almost daily with my students and their social time
I sing............... all the time!
I cry................. when I'm frustrated, sad, happy, and too stressed... ok pretty much all the time!
I don’t always.........think of others first...even though I try.
I fight........ in hopes that the outcome will be better for both parties
I write........ so that all can stay updated with our family
I never.........want others to have less because of me
I listen......... to my students and kids and hope they know I respect and love each and everyone of them.
I need........... lists to make it through my day
I am happy...... when I'm with my kids, family, and teaching, but most of all interacting with those I love.

Family Pictures!

Its very clear by my post that 2009 was a tough year! Very unlike me to not post things! Sorry to those who check and find nothing new with our family! However, lots has changed.... especially the kids. Enjoy our family pics!

Life brings up many changes

Hello fellow blog readers!

This is an update with no pictures. It is my wish to update my blog more often and also to realize that updating a blog can include words only. There does not need to be a picture, which is hard for me to do!

There have been many changes in our lives in the last 3-4 months. As most of you know the kids and I will be moving to Moorhead at the end of July! We are very excited about our house and can't wait to get moved in. Dominic will be staying in the house in Kindred, so the kids will still have their familiar home every other weekend.

We are going on many trips this summer. We plan to live at the lake for most of June and much of July. July 10, we are headed to Bismarck for the weekend to meet up with college friends. We haven't all been together for over 4 years, so it will be REALLY exciting.

Then we are going to Medora camping! Whew... I'll be sure to let you know how sleeping in a tent with a 1.5 and 4 year old goes! Grandpa Tom might have to be in charge of Keaten. I am praying for cold weather as I HATE heat and do not sleep well when its hot and humid. This will be our family first camping trip with all the McKinnon's attending... and possibly last! We sure do get spoiled with the lake cabin.

Hope you are all doing well. I do need to get new pics of the kids up, as they have really grown! Lexi actually has longer hair...and she smiles all the time and Keaten has become such a wonderful young boy!

I'm excited for my "new" journey in life! I'm grateful for God as he has shown me the right path and has given me the strength to go down that new road. I know that there will be many bumps and/or pot holes (however you want to look at it) however I know that is where you, my faithful blog readers, will come in! You are my sounding board!

Mom and Lex going to the "Valentine Tea Party" hosted by Grandma Audrey! Don't we just look fabulous? Here we are at Rosie's Delights! We had a blast! We ate heart sandwiches, fruit, and drank tea (sprite) for most of us!

THE WHOLE GANG! Lexus, Molly, KaDee, Maddie, Grandma Audrey, Tiffany, Kailey, and Kenzie! What a good lookin' group!

Keaten and Lexus making their valentine cards for friends... Keaten wanted to eat the candy... ohhh poor Keaten.. Can you tell the mom had a lot of "sympathy" for him... whiney, whiney, whiney!
There thats better Keaten... Lexi still happy as can be... she has no idea what we are doing! haha

We ARE still alive!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Always trying to get a cute picture!

The following pictures were an attempt to get a nice christmas card picture....well I failed, however some cute informal pictures. Lex has gotten so big, I'm amazed at looking at her in her pretty dress how grown up she looks.. and oh my Keaten.. what a gentleman! I'm a proud mom!

All I can say is we are so proud!

I'm looking forward to the day Keaten brings a girlfriend home and we can show her all of Keatens wonderful pictures. We are so proud... at least his socks and underwear match!

Baking Cookies for mommy's class!

Here is Keaten wishing my class happy decorating. He helped me cut out about 100 cookies! Way to go Keaten! I really was quite thankful for his help... and honestly he was very helpful! Things are looking up!

baseball fun mistake!

OK... I put the wrong video and Keaten is mad. So here is the video where is I say Keat! Also, apparently Dominic thinks I'm annoying... who asked him anyway....not me!

Unfortunatley we had to add 3 baseball videos.... Keaten loves the video cause mom gets blamed for a bad pitch. Then he wanted the second video as he thinks it is funny when I call him Keat, and the third is because we told him he was acting silly. Funny how little things trigger kids! ENJOY!

A little late.. but Halloween pictures!

Cinderella and her handsome power ranger! We had a blast on Halloween! Cinderella and her beautiful butterfly!

Oh no... Uncle Joe is the SCARY hunter who was attached by a BIG BEAR!

I HATE being the most beautiful butterfly...

New Baby Kalli

Here is Keaten so excited to hold new baby Kalli. She is our "old" neighbors new baby. Such a doll!

Power Ranger!

Halloween came to our house about a month early!

I wish I were just a little bit bigger!

Lexus and her favorite things to do....climb, climb, climb. Thinking she is SO BIG!