The Stays

Great fun leads to Great naps ;)

2012-01-11T11:14:00.000-08:00

Swimming with the Stays

2012-01-11T11:06:00.000-08:00

Pizza Ranch then swimming with Uncle Curt and Kayla...what a fun night!

Madeleine's Tube

2012-01-05T14:58:00.000-08:00

Madeleine AND Matthew love the new tube from Grandma B and Papa B ... now we just need more snow :)

Baby Brianna

2012-01-05T14:56:00.001-08:00

Baby Brianna Stay was baptized on New Year's Eve...we love you sweet girl :)

Happy New Year!

2012-01-05T14:49:00.000-08:00

Traditionally, we celebrate New Year's Eve at the Como Park Zoo...they do a ball drop at noon for the kids! This year the Chose family joined us :) The highlight of our visit was when the giraffe....(ask one of the kiddos for the rest of the story)...it was unforgettable ;)

Go Wild!!!

2012-01-05T14:47:00.000-08:00

David and I along with Curt and Joyce and Jeff and Gina went to the Wild Game over Christmas break...thank you Bud and Bonnie :)

Merry Christmas!

2012-01-05T14:37:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Everyone :) We celebrated Christmas Eve with the Baacks and the Mundales and Christmas Day with the Stays! Our Christmas celebrations were the best ever and so many memories were made ;) Blessings to you all!

Go Skippers!

2012-01-05T14:33:00.000-08:00

We took Matthew and Madeleine to a Skippers Hockey Game over Christmas break and they loved it ;) Especially climbing up and down the stairs (Madeleine) and watching the players hit the boards (Matthew)!

Christmas Concert

2011-12-20T14:39:00.000-08:00

We went to Kayla's Christmas Concert at her high school and it was simply amazing! We're so proud of our niece, Kayla and hope Matthew and Madeleine have wonderful sounding voices like their cousin!!!

Our trip to Duluth

2011-12-20T14:29:00.001-08:00

What a whirlwind in Duluth...we managed to have cookies and cocoa with Elves, took a train ride to Bentleyville lights in Canal Park, ate way too many treats to count, played in the arcade and went to the waterpark in 24 hours ;) We had a great family vacation and hope to make it a tradition every year!!!

Madeleine at Mini Hops

2011-12-20T14:23:00.000-08:00

Daddy and the grandparents came to watch Madeleine's gymnastics class...she felt so special :) We love you so much, Madeleine and are so proud of you!!!

Mall of America

2011-12-13T12:35:00.001-08:00

Wow...what a fun filled day at the Mall of America! Matthew, Madeleine and I had so much fun :) We met Dora, watched a movie, sang and danced with elves, played at Lego Land, raced trains, drove boats and trucks and ate lots of snacks!

Christmas Cookies

2011-12-13T12:30:00.000-08:00

We decorated Christmas cookies with the Englers, Hackneys and Adayas this weekend...so much fun and so much mess ;)

Yummy Yum!

2011-12-05T19:57:00.001-08:00

Thanks, Mr. Steve for the yummy treats :)

Build and Grow

2011-12-05T19:52:00.000-08:00

Hollidazzle Parade

2011-11-28T12:56:00.001-08:00

Thank you, Engler family for bringing us to the Hollidazzle Parade! We love spending time with great friends like you :)

So Thankful!

2011-11-28T12:51:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! We're so thankful to God for our family :) Blessings to y'all!

Our First Snowfall this Season

2011-11-21T13:37:00.000-08:00

Matthew and Madeleine were so excited about our first snow fall this season! They immediately wanted to go outside and play in the snow and chanted, "we love the snow". We made snow angels, built a snowman and took sled rides around the driveway :)

Happy Feet 2

2011-11-21T13:31:00.000-08:00

We all went to see the 3D movie Happy Feet 2 this past weekend and thanks to Todd and Amanda for the tickets ;) The highlights of our first trip to the movie theatre were...wearing the 3D glasses, eating popcorn and running up and down the stairs in the theatre...Mommy and Daddy loved the movie!

Cousin Kayla's Performance

2011-11-21T13:27:00.000-08:00

We got the opportunity to listen to Matthew and Madeleine's cousin, Kayla sing at a Jazz Concert last week! Kayla is such a talented singer, like her Uncle David and we're so proud of her! We can't wait for the Christmas Concert!!!

Oh, Madeleine :)

2011-11-21T13:25:00.001-08:00

Madeleine's sporting her diaper and her brother's shoes! Oh, Madeleine...we love you!

Before and After

2011-11-13T19:38:00.000-08:00

David and Matthew got their haircuts this weekend and took before and after pictures! Matthew's so proud to be getting his haircut with Ms. Inez!

Happy Birthday, Grandma "B"

2011-10-31T12:39:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Grandma B's birthday with photos of her and Papa B with the grandkids, had dinner, dessert and presents! All the kiddos had a blast ;)

Fall Festival

2011-10-31T12:33:00.000-07:00

Our church, along with other churches in the area put on a Fall Festival for kids! We played lots of games and jumped in the bouncy! Thank you Chose family for joining us :)

Fridays are Family Fun Nights

2011-10-31T12:27:00.000-07:00

Every Friday night is family fun night for the Stay family :) We go to Snuffy's Malt Shop for dinner then to the "Froggy" pool! It's a fun family tradition!!!

Madeleine at Mini Hops

2011-10-31T12:21:00.001-07:00

Madeleine's in an Almost Me gymnastics class with Mommy at Mini Hops! Her first class was so much fun! She loves to run and springboard into the foam blocks :) We're so proud of you, Madeleine!

Build and Grow

2011-10-24T13:26:00.001-07:00

The boys (Daddy and Matthew) went to Build and Grow at Lowe's this weekend to make a monster truck! They love to build projects together but the best part for both of them is spending time just the two of them together! Daddy, you're our hero :)

Yo-Yo Donuts

2011-10-24T13:21:00.001-07:00

After picking pumpkins, we headed to Yo-Yo Donuts for a treat! (Madeleine's idea)

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-24T13:13:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, we picked out our pumpkins! Matthew and Madeleine both found their pumpkins in the first few minutes and chose to run around the farm for the rest of the time. The highlight of this experience was the candy at the end :) Here are the pumpkins (and rocks) we chose!!!

The Stays and the Baacks Playing at the Park

2011-10-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

Fall's here...leaves, leaves and more leaves!

2011-10-16T14:51:00.000-07:00

Fall Clean-up at the Stay's has begun!

Madsie's Picture, too ;)

2011-10-11T10:29:00.000-07:00

Madsie, nicknamed by Matthew, wanted her picture taken with Daddy, too!

Auntie Joyce's Baby Shower

2011-10-11T10:24:00.000-07:00

Uncle "Churt" and Auntie Joyce are expecting a girl :) We had a baby shower for them at Grandma Bonnie's and Papa Bud's home last weekend!

The Boys Get Haircuts

2011-10-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

Matthew and David went to get haircuts together this past weekend!

Whew...what a weekend!

2011-10-03T13:02:00.001-07:00

What a weekend...one homecoming, two birthday parties and three days of good eating equals four tired Stay family members ;)

Williston Center

2011-09-27T15:08:00.001-07:00

We love to play at the Williston Center!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

2011-09-27T15:01:00.000-07:00

We went to the Twins game last night and had a great time!

New York Wedding Weekend

2011-09-27T14:52:00.001-07:00

David and I went to Rochester, NY last weekend for his cousin, Stephanie's wedding! We had a fabulous time and are so thankful to Grandma B and Papa B for watching Matthew and Madeleine for us! We enjoyed eating at the Dinosaur BBQ in downtown Rochester, driving to St. Catharine's, Ontario to meet friends for dinner, touring Casa Larga Winery and of course, attending the wedding ceremony and reception! We feel so blessed by this time together and praise God for it :)

Madeleine

2011-09-19T20:33:00.001-07:00

Madeleine LOVES to go swimming and play at the park! She loves most anything that involves keeping Mommy and Daddy on their toes ;) We love you, Madeleine...you keep us laughing everyday!

Friends and Family

2011-09-19T20:27:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all of our friends and family for making Matthew's 5th Birthday so special for him!

Happy 5th Birthday, Matthew Thomas!

2011-09-19T20:15:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Matthew's 5th Birthday with friends and family at Uncle Curt's pool and party room! Matthew wanted a Thomas party again this year and throughly enjoyed every part of his party! Matthew, we love you more than words can describe!

1,2,3...Soccer!

2011-09-19T20:04:00.000-07:00

Matthew has been named the "most improved soccer player" this season! He loves going to soccer with Daddy and scoring on the coaches! We're so proud of you, Matthew :)

Happy Father's Day!

2011-07-23T12:42:00.001-07:00

More Boys Night Pics :)

2011-06-07T20:32:00.001-07:00

Boys Night Camping

2011-06-03T20:08:00.000-07:00

Daddy and Mattthew had a boys night Camp-in at our church this weekend! While the boys were away...the girls played ;) Madeleine and Mommy had fun with Auntie Melissa, Erin, Meghan, Grandma B, Grandma Bonnie and Auntie Joyce! Thanks everyone for making it so special!

Matthew's Last Day of Preschool

2011-06-03T20:04:00.000-07:00

Matthew's last day of preschool was a couple of weeks ago and we miss it already! He had an exceptional first school experience! We celebrated at Snuffy's Malt Shop with Grandma Bonnie and Grandma B :) Way to go, Matthew...we're so proud of you!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-25T19:42:00.000-07:00

Spring Break Week

2011-04-12T11:31:00.001-07:00

Spring break week was sooooo much fun! We joined cousins, Erin and Meghan along with Auntie Melissa and Grandma Baack at Como Zoo and we all had a fabulous time!!! Our kids napped for 4 hours that afternoon ;) Thanks for being our tour guide, Auntie! Matthew and Daddy had a boys night out and went to Target Center to watch the Timberwolves play...thanks Mr. Josh for the tickets! We finally got Matthew a big boy bike and after riding it for about 20 minutes he had the hang of it...I guess he was ready for it :) We also got together with the Chose family for dinner one night where Matthew started eating pizza again...yay!!! We had a great week :)

Orchestra Hall

2011-03-28T20:20:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, we had the opportunity to take Matthew and Madeleine to a family concert at Orchestra Hall :) Grandpa and Grandma Baack joined us at the concert and for dinner afterwards at Panera! They were definately the highlight of our trip downtown!

Playing outside...it's almost 50 degrees!

2011-03-16T12:22:00.000-07:00

It's almost 50 degrees in Minnetonka and we're loving it! The snow is melting and the kids are actually asking to play outside now...yay...springtime is on the way! As you can see, Madeleine loves to run and run some more and Matthew loves to ride his "bike" which we need to upgrade soon ;) We're so thankful for days like today when we can be outside!

Our Trip to Northwest Arkansas

2011-03-14T07:29:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we took a very short weekend trip back to Northwest Arkansas to catch up with friends! We stayed at the best bed and breakfast ever...thanks Rings family! We literally talked...ate...rested...and talked some more the whole weekend! Thanks everyone for such a great, encouraging weekend! We love you and miss you much! Next time, we'll bring Matthew and Madeleine...

Matthew's T-ball Practice

2011-02-26T19:56:00.001-08:00

Matthew's played indoor t-ball during the month of February and has really enjoyed it! When asked what his favorite part of t-ball is...he answered, running the bases! We love you, Matthew and praise God for you everyday! Thank you to Grandma and Grandpa Baack for coming to your last t-ball day!

Splish Splash...It's Madeleine's 2nd Birthday Bash!

2011-02-26T19:33:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Madeleine's 2nd birthday at Uncle "Churt's" pool and had a blast :) Madeleine was blessed to have both sets of grandparents at her party along with Uncle Mike, Auntie Melissa, Erin and Meghan, Uncle Curt and Auntie Joyce, and our good friend, Ms. Robin :) Madeleine loved drinking juice boxes, eating chips and cupcakes, chasing her cousins around the party room and of course, swimming! We feel so blessed for the last two years!

Another day...another foot of snow...

2011-02-21T17:42:00.001-08:00

We got yet another foot of snow plus a few more inches today :) We decided to go out and play in it! Matthew and Madeleine are enjoying the snow more and more each day! Madeleine still enjoys being pulled around in the sled and Matthew has started enjoying shoveling snow and throwing it. He even asked the other day if we could go outside and build a snowman...Minnesota's growing on him little by little as it is for us all ;) Yes, all of those spots in the pictures is snow!!! The snow angel was made by David trying to encourage the kids to try it!

And If Our God Is For Us...

2011-02-17T11:25:00.000-08:00

David and I went to Chris Tomlin's AND IF OUR GOD IS FOR US concert last night in Saint Paul and had an incredible time ;) Thank you Grandma and Papa for watching Matthew and Madeleine for us and supporting our once a week date night!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T19:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! We celebrated today by making valentines for our grandmas and papas! Grandma and Papa Stay joined us for dinner and playtime! Matthew is beyond excited about celebrating Valentine's Day with his friends at school tomorrow and handing out his valentines. We've been on the countdown since last week for his party and he's taken out his valentines with suckers to look at them quite a few times ;) Much love to you all today and always!!!

Birthday Party for Byron

2011-02-07T13:02:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday, Byron! We had a little celebration for Byron's 6th birthday...thanks for joining us Grandma, Papa and Meghan! We made cupcakes, say Happy Birthday and Byron opened his cards (thanks, Erin and Meghan) and his gift (a new bone)! Meghan, Matthew and Madeleine loved eating the colored sugar and loved helping Byron open his gift :) Thanks for a fun playdate!

Swimming at Uncle "Churt's"

2011-02-06T13:10:00.000-08:00

Thank you Uncle Curt and Aunt Joyce for having us over to swim on Saturday night! We all had a fabulous time :) Madeleine loved swimming with her cousin, Kayla and eating snacks with her, too! Matthew loved splashing his feet in the water and eating cookies! Fun, fun!!!

Snow Fun!

2011-01-24T12:23:00.001-08:00

Grandma, Papa and Meghan came over for a playdate today and we had so much fun playing outside! Meghan and Madeleine loved being pulled in the snow by Grandpa and Matthew loved skidding a firetruck across the snow with Grandma! Thank you for our fun playdate...the kids are still talking about it :)

From Choo Choo's to Como Zoo to the Bathtub ;)

2011-01-11T18:20:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

2011-01-11T18:12:00.001-08:00

We rang in the new year at noon again this year :) We went to Como Zoo and participated in the ball drop, ate lots of snacks and made new year's crowns! Matthew and Madeleine enjoyed walking through the conservatory and spashing around in the water!

Choo Choo Bob's

2010-12-30T12:57:00.001-08:00

On Tuesday, we took a trip to Saint Paul to go to Choo Choo Bob's and out for lunch...Matthew and Madeleine just loved every minute of the trip...from driving through the tunnels to get there to watching and playing with all of the trains to eating tons of food ;) Thank you, Daddy for our special day!!!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-30T12:47:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Everyone! We celebrated Christmas for two days straight and thoroughly enjoyed watching the wonder and excitement on Matthew and Madeleine's faces the entire time! Matthew is still asking if there are any other gifts to open ;) Our friends blessed us this year by joining us at our home on Christmas Day for a Birthday Brunch for Jesus! We're so blessed...thank you Jesus!!! You get all the praise!!!

Halloween 2010

2010-12-23T13:37:00.000-08:00

Halloween 2010...Matthew was Thomas the Tank Engine and Madeleine the conductor! Both kids loved trick or treating this year and especially the candy! David's office through a fabulous Halloween party this year...decorating cookies was probably the favorite activity :) We love you both so much!

Macy's A Day in the Life of an Elf

2010-12-23T13:18:00.000-08:00

We took Matthew and Madeleine to Macy's 8th floor this year to see A Day in the Life of an Elf! Matthew loved watching the little mouse disappear through the floor and come back up and again and Madeleine loved the dancing pig! Of course, the drinking fountains and the escalators were a huge hit! Thanks Papa and Grandma for coming with us! We had so much fun :)

Santa 2010

2010-12-08T13:15:00.001-08:00

Santa was not a huge hit this year :) Madeleine was terrified of him and we had to coax Matthew into the picture, which he would agree to sit on the floor only, with a candy cane! They both, however, are so excited about our Happy Birthday, Jesus party...that's all that matters! We love you, kiddos!

Our First Snowman :)

2010-11-19T12:18:00.000-08:00

We built our first snowman together as a family today :) Mommy and Daddy rolled the snowballs, Matthew got the rocks for his eyes and the hat for his head AND Madeleine just screamed...she's scared of it!

Our First Dig-Out

2010-11-14T20:25:00.000-08:00

We had our first snowfall this weekend and our first opportunity to shovel our long driveway! Shortly after shoveling it, we found ourselves purchasing a snowblower :) Gotta love Minnesota!

Niagara Falls

2010-11-05T14:38:00.000-07:00

David and I took a trip to Niagara Falls this past spring! Matthew and Madeleine stayed with my parents for a long weekend while we got away! We went to David's cousin, Doug's wedding and we had the best time catching up with everyone and relaxing at the Morgan House. We went on a winery tour and toured Mackenzie Childs! We loved our getaway!

Apple Picking with Small Group

2010-11-05T14:31:00.001-07:00

For our small group social this fall, we went apple picking! It was a lot of fun!

Happy 4th Birthday, Matthew!

2010-11-05T14:24:00.001-07:00

Matthew just beams when he talks about his 4th birthday! He wants to celebrate it everyday! It was a day filled with Thomas the Tank Engine and more Thomas the Tank Engine! Every gift was Thomas related and Matthew loved everything! Daddy couldn't get the gifts out of the boxes fast enough! Matthew also loved all of his family that was there and we know with his big heart that's what really means the most to him, yes, even at the age of four! Thomas comes in a close second! Happy Birthday, Matthew!

Playtime Fun

2010-11-05T14:20:00.001-07:00

Matthew and Madeleine love going to Grandma and Papa's to play!

Matthew starts Preschool!

2010-11-05T14:15:00.000-07:00

Matthew absolutely LOVES going to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays and loves his Teacher Debbie! His favorite things to do at school are play trains, have snack and play in the gym! I just had to add in this pictures of Madeleine who is more than ready for her turn :)

Our Soccer Star...Matthew!

2010-11-05T14:12:00.001-07:00

Matthew loved all of the soccer skills he learned this fall and his daddy was his best coach ;) We're so proud of you, Matthew for trying something new!

Congratulations, Alanna and Welcome Baby Hayden!

2010-11-05T14:09:00.000-07:00

Bye Bye Temporary Living!

2010-11-05T14:06:00.001-07:00

We're so blessed to have all lived together in temporary housing waiting for our home in Arkansas to sell :) We took a leap of faith in July and purchased our new home in Minnetonka and God sold our home in Arkansas a week later...He is so good!

Como Zoo

2010-11-05T13:57:00.001-07:00

Matthew loved going to Como Zoo this past summer, I think more for the yummy treats than anything else ;) He loved the polar bears the best! Madeleine has not warmed up to animals yet but loved watching the turtles swim!

Matthew and Madeleine at the park

2010-07-25T18:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter

2010-04-05T13:02:00.001-07:00

David's Birthday

2010-03-29T19:52:00.000-07:00

We celebrated David and Daddy's birthday with family tonight! Matthew enjoyed helping his daddy blow out his candles and open his gifts and Madeleine loved drinking juice and playing with her Grandma! We showered our provider with gifts ;) We love you so much, David and Daddy!

Orchestra Hall

2010-03-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

We got a chance to sit in the front row at Orchestra Hall for a family concert about animals. We took Matthew and some friends of ours to the concert and had a fabulous time!

Madeleine's Birthday Party

2010-03-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

Madeleine's first birthday...we love you, cupcake!

New Year's Eve at Como Zoo

2010-03-29T19:38:00.000-07:00

New Year's Eve Beach Ball drop at noon...Como Zoo, St. Paul, MN

Christmas 2009 in Minneapolis

2010-03-29T19:30:00.000-07:00

MinneSNOWta

2010-03-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

When we first moved to Minnesota, Matthew didn't think much of the snow but grew to love sledding! Matthew and his daddy loved sledding in the backyard this past winter! Our little snow bunny... we love you!

Fall Sing at Fellowship

2010-03-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

Matthew stayed on stage this year for the Fall Sing at Fellowship...yay!!! He loves music, especially dancing to it! He's the one grooving while others are clapping ;) We're so proud of you, Matthew! You make our hearts sing everyday!!!

Halloween 2009

2010-03-29T19:14:00.000-07:00

Halloween 2009 in Arkansas...Madeleine's first Halloween dressed as a pumpkin. Her costume has been worn by her two cousins, Erin and Meghan and Matthew, too! Matthew dressed as Super Tigger carrying his fave (Grover). Matthew really enjoyed trick or treating this year with our neighbors. He really loved the homes that handed out suckers ;)

Happy Birthday, Madeleine!

2010-02-17T13:32:00.001-08:00

We will be celebrating Madeleine's first birthday in just about a week! Time flies...Madeleine LOVES to eat so we thought cupcakes for a themed birthday party would be perfect! Thank you, Mandy for Madeleine's fabulous birthday invitation!

Merry Christmas from Minneapolis

2009-11-30T19:35:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas to you all and thank you, Mandy for our beautiful Christmas cards! We're excited to be in Minneapolis celebrating Jesus' birthday with our families and at the same time are so missing our friends in Northwest Arkansas! You all have made a lasting mark on our lives and we will be forever grateful!

At the Mall

2009-08-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

Matthew and Madeleine playing at the mall :) Matthew loves to ride the ice cream truck and purple race car! Of course, eating at Chick-fil-A is his favorite!

2009-07-26T20:41:00.000-07:00

Madeleine at the Chisms...our last night of community group until the Fall!

At the Park

2009-07-22T20:20:00.001-07:00

Madeleine's smile is contagious...we love you, girl!

Our Family Reunion

2009-07-20T21:09:00.001-07:00

Many of you have heard about our Baack family reunions that take place every couple of years typically over the fourth of July, well here's a glimpse of some of our family!

Sweet Madeleine

2009-07-20T21:06:00.000-07:00

Our sweet girl is now four months old and is rolling over! She just got her first tooth a couple of weeks ago! She's growing up too fast! She's so content, loves to be held and is a great eater and sleeper :)

Big Brother Matthew and Madeleine

2009-03-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

Ice Storm

2009-02-03T12:34:00.001-08:00

The ice storm hit our backyard trees fairly hard...these are a couple of views after the first day! Thankfully we're all okay and thanks to our good friends we had a warm place to stay while our power was out :)

Piano Playing

2009-01-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

One of Matthew's favorite things to do at night is to play the piano with his daddy! You should hear the beautiful music coming from our home every evening! We love your heart for music, Matthew!

Bath Time Fun

2009-01-26T05:54:00.001-08:00

Matthew Thomas LOVES taking baths at night! He really likes his tub crayons, stackable cups (for dumping and throwing water everywhere), and his basketball hoop (where he likes to dunk)! What fun water can be :)

33 weeks and counting

2009-01-17T19:44:00.000-08:00

We are now 33 weeks along in our pregnancy and are getting so excited about meeting our little baby girl! We're busy preparing her room with the help of our friends and getting Matthew's big boy room ready as well :) We're still in the process of making a list of biblical girls names to choose from, so if you have any ideas...we'd love to hear them! We're counting down the weeks until March 7th!

Merry Christmas to you all

2008-12-29T14:03:00.000-08:00

Matthew just loved Christmas this year!!! On Christmas Eve, we had some friends over for brunch which was fabulous---the kiddos did a great job of playing on their own!!! That afternoon, we celebrated Matthew's friend's second birthday! Christmas Eve evening we went to church for an outstanding kid service...Matthew had so much fun! He especially liked the music and glowstick aka candle! He did a great job of sharing his fruity cheerios with his friends around him...way to go, Matthew--we're so proud of you!