kroening family: superbowl 2012

lifelong friendships are hard to come by. when you meet a special group of people, you find time in your busy schedules to get together and catch up. this task becomes more challenging as the number of mini-vans and car seats multiplies, but we will continue to come together at least twice a year as a group. there are memories to be made, babies to meet, and lifelong friendships to nurture.
welcome to the crew lukas matthew!

this year's rendezvous was at chateau maio in their new home just outside of milwaukee. we are always so grateful that someone steps up to the plate and agrees to host this growing bunch each year! hats off to you, matt and sarah, for taking on the biggest crowd to date. thanks to anna for the jumbo sticker/coloring books.

gone are the days when our biggest decision was whether or not to head to the bars on saturday night before the big game on sunday. now it's "what kid-friendly activity can we plan for saturday morning that will burn off as much kiddo energy as possible?" this year's pick? a huge indoor playground. just what the doctor ordered for 3 two year olds, 2 three year olds, and a four year old.

the daddies were able to slip away to the bar on sunday night for a little good ol' fashioned male bonding time. just like their college days...well, sort of. okay, not at all. they were home, in bed, and hang-over free by midnight. so yeah, nothing like college.

we planned a movie night for the littles while their dads were out on the town. miles and henry delivered valentines (a.k.a. sugary snacks that aide in capturing the coveted group photo).

the kids made the tough decision to watch beauty and the beast, and all were snuggled up on the couch in their pjs by 7pm.

trade: one dads night out for one moms day out
the mommies slipped away on sunday for some much needed girl time. we hit up the mall and then scooted over to a yummy yogurt shop in wauwatosa. with two preggos in tow...a trip to some sort of ice cream parlor was inevitable!

we made it home in time to prep food for the big game on sunday. the kids are at such a fun age right now. they can play together well and enjoy laughing and make-believing together. they have sort of come in sets of three. ethan, gg, and miles (the big kids) - addison, alana, and henry (the 2 year olds), and lukas, baby harms (due april 5th), and our baby (due april 21st). so far, there is always 2 of one gender in each trio. we'll see if that continues!

21st century make-believe

thank goodness the maios had an abundance of little tables around for lunch time!

while "the superbowl" acts as the source of our get-togethers, interest in the game itself has waned over the years. unless, of course, the superbowl involves the packers. this year it was all about the food and the half-time show. and let's be honest, isn't that what it's always about?!

oh, I almost forgot...the superbowl party is also prime time for the little ones to exchange their christmas gifts. as the babies started to multiply exponentially, the parents got smart. we draw names. here miles is confirming that he bought for gg.