Roed Family

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!

2012-01-12T09:09:00.000-06:00

Let's see if Blogger cooperates and lets me make a post! It's a long one.......so here goes!

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It's an understatement to say.....the kids were beyond excited. Santa is just too much fun! We're probably nearing the end of the Santa-ness with Charlie. It doesn't take many bus rides to school before someone blurts out the secret. :( Oh well.....part of life, I guess.

THE LEGO WHITE HOUSE! So cool!

After the girls went to bed (well....Pat too...), Charlie and I stayed up late and put it together.

It's an awesome piece! It's really detailed. He loves it!

My brother in law, Ryan, is deployed right now. Bonny and the kids didn't want to spend Christmas alone, so they made a trip to Minnesota! Bonny got right to work playing beauty parlor with my girls. :)

Even though we didn't have any snow (WIERD!), the kids still got to show cousin Tommy what Minnesota winter is all about.....sort of. Basically they just got the gist of the bundling up aspect.

Must be a genetic thing.....?

Annella can walk!!!

I still cannot stop laughing about this. Charlie's new wrestling move. This picture just screams "kodak moment!"

My parents and all ELEVEN grandkids. This was the best shot we could get!

L-R: Evelyn, Henry, Ben, Violet, Annella, Tommy, Eleanor, Lacey, Rachel, Charlie, and Howie

Uncle Marshall is so much fun!

Everyone loves the baby in a shopping cart game!

We headed to McIntosh after Christmas, to celebrate Christmas and New Year's wtih Pat's family. They got a nice snowstorm while we were there. I say "nice", since we weren't traveling during it, and it was due to disappear by the time we left. :)

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Rachel and her cousin Hudson. They're only about 6 weeks apart, and they play so well together. That is, until both of their siblings jump in and give them white washes in the snow........

Even the big kids got in on the fun. Poor Ronnie....he didn't know what was about to hit him! Huge snowballs.........and...........

......a whitewash! Poor guy....he thought they were making a snowman and was bringing them out some coal for the eyes. All you could hear underneath the gasps for air was, "MY COAL! MY COAL!"

Rachel and Grandpa spent some time ice fishing, and Rachel speared her first fish! Definately not a mounter, but that's OK. She was pretty proud of it.

We came back home, just in time to send the kids back to school. SCORE!!!!! A break is nice, but so is the routine of school.

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Blogger Malfunction

2012-01-04T14:51:00.000-06:00

I'm not purposely neglecting my blog....Blogger has some sort of issue with my computer. Or vice versa. If I'm on for more than 5 minutes, it stalls out and even CTRL-ALT-DEL won't even cure it. Not sure what's up. Either way......it seems as if it might work now?

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Let me see if I can upload some pics and you might even get a Christmas post out of me by the end of the week!

Van for sale!!!!

2011-12-20T08:55:00.000-06:00

Van for sale at a rock bottom, LOW price! Click on the autotrader link below for more details!

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=p&car_id=312349116&dealer_id=66870363&car_year=2008&position=top&model=GRANDCARAV&pager.offset=75&search_lang=en&start_year=2008&body_style=VANS&search_type=used&distance=25&rdm=1324392561571&marketZipError=false&sownerid=1360642&lastBeginningStartYear=1981&end_year=2012&showZipError=y&dma=MINNEAPOLIS-ST_PAUL_NO&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&body_code=64&first_record=76&isFlashPlugin=true&default_sort=priceDESC&address=55011&sort_type=priceDESC&make=DODGE&seller_type=b&num_records=75&cardist=0&standard=false

Batteries Not Included

2011-12-15T12:12:00.000-06:00

My kids, like all other kids, are easily drawn into the electronic world. The world of multiple TVs in a household, DVD players in the car, Leapsters, Netflix, iPads, PlayStations, and more. It would be so easy as a parent to just let them use these items, all day - every day. BUT.....that's not how we roll. I admit, we have all these gadgets. But, like with all things, they have limits.

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While during an unplugged moment last night, Pat was telling Charlie about how he would spend hours as a kid, setting up his lincoln log battlefield. He'd get it all set up, then would attack the little plastic army men, with the smallest lincoln logs. Whichever side had the last remaining soldier.....was declared the winner!

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Charlie went to work immediately. Quickly building the coolest little lincoln log town for his men to fight at. He's not finished, and left for school with scrict instructions to not let anyone play with it while he was gone. Here's a sneak peek as to what he's working on.

He also realized that he doesn't have enough men for the war. Pat told him that he better ask Santa for more men. Oh boy......as if Legos aren't bad enough to step on in the middle of the night. YIKES!

Bingo???

2011-12-07T23:40:00.000-06:00

"There was a farmer, had a cow and Nemo was his name-o

B-L-N-G-O, B-L-N-G-O, B-L-N-G-O, and Nemo was his name-o!"

-Rachel Roed

Things I don't like

2011-12-06T13:28:00.000-06:00

That the left hand on the piano is played in bass clef, and the right hand is played in treble clef. How is a person ever to remember if Every Good Boy Does Fine, or if Good Boys Do Fine Always? Who the heck came up with that crappy idea? Talk about rubbing your belly and tapping your head........while trying to do long division. Anyway, on with my list.

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When people rent those Portable On Demand Storage Units...and then use them for permanat storage units.....in their yard....for me to look at....everyday. That neighbor is wierd.

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That we have a large living room, and the furniture only seem to be able to go one way. Talk about not getting the maximum life out of the carpet. Pat thinks I'm wierd when I say that. But really....think about it.

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Select-A-Size paper towels. I never get the size I want. If I wanted a piece that small, I would have grabbed a Kleenex.

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That my girls feel the need to change clothes 4 times a day. I swear I am washing clean clothes at some point during the week because I dont' know what is what, and I'm not daring enough to give certain items any sort of sniff test.

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That you cannot buy snowpants in January, but you can buy a bikini.

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Speaking of bikinis, I have to stop blogging for the day, and go wash a load of swimsuits. The girls have been playing "pool party" on a blue blanket in the living room lately. It's pretty cute. :)

Why is it so hard to remember that Wednesday is garbage day??

2011-11-30T08:37:00.001-06:00

How can we be this busy when the kids aren't in much for activities right now? I'm not sure.....but it seems that way right now.

SCHOOL - Yesterday marked the last day of the 1st trimester of school for the kids. WHEW. Only 113 school days to go. SO, to celebrate, they're off today. That's right.....on a Wednesday. Whatever.

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SCOUTS - 'Eh......we're still not sure what to think of this. It's still very unorganized, and nobody seems to know what they're doing. But, Charlie is so stinkin' excited about it, so we're giving it the benefit of the doubt....for now. On a side note, isn't he cute?

FLEET FARM - Yesterday I went shopping at Fleet Farm for toys and such, to fill the baskets for our preschool carnival's basket raffle. That store has everything! We spent 60% of our budget and got everything we needed! Now to hide this $600 worth of toys in my basement somewhere, in hopes that my kids don't get into it! In case you're wondering, the carnival is on January 28th, at the old Cedar Elementary. Everyone is welcome to attend! More details to follow!

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35 - I hit a milestone birthday last week. 35. Ugghh. I thought of this when I went out to dinner with a college pal to celebrate our November birthdays. We have known each other for 16 years. Those 16 years have flown by. In another 16 years, we will be 51. FIFTY ONE, people!! COME ON! That seems like such a cruel joke. "Life moves by pretty quickly. If you don't stop and take a look around once in a while, you could miss it." - Ferris Bueller. So true....So true.

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VAN FOR SALE! - That's right, we're selling the (cough cough) beloved minivan. It makes zero sense for us both to be driving vehicles that get 15MPG. SO, we're going to sell it and get a car for Pat to skip back and forth to work in. Our plan is to sell the pick up too, and buy a Suburban after the first of the year. We'll see. One step at a time. The van listing doesn't seem to be drawing much interest. Darn it. If you're interested in buying it, let me know! It's a 2008 and it only has 44,000 miles on it!

Black Friday - I was one of those crazies who "just had to" partake in the Black Friday madness. I did however, stick to my guns, and I didn't skip out on any family Thanksgiving time. I got a few good deals, but nothing really that I couldn't buy online in the comforts of my own home. I think this might be my last Black Friday outing. Between getting home at 5AM, and throwing up the entire next day.....I don't think it's really that good of an idea. It took me 3 days to recover from the sleep deprivation and the vomitness. I guess I'm not 19 anymore. (See bullet point 35, above.)

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December - I just turned over the calendar to take a peek at the rest of the week. December is already packed! Preschool events, meetings, Holiday parties, Christmas programs, a scout event, and Christmas!! Sigh......oh well. Tis the season! We need to get a tree this weekend. I need to shampoo my carpet. I need to address my Christmas cards. I need to wrap presents. I need to do laundry. AND, since it's Wednesday, I need to take the garbage cans down.

Are you ready to rock?????

2011-11-14T07:06:00.000-06:00

Me: "So Charlie, since you seem to like music so much, why don't you ask Santa for a little radio that you can keep in your room? Then you can listen to music while you play Legos?"

Charlie: "OR, maybe I can just ask Santa for some lumber and we can build a stage in my room, and then I can just hire some singers to rock out with me."

Me: Speechless.....

Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas!

2011-11-09T13:40:00.000-06:00

I bought myself a little early birthday and Christmas present.....A Kindle Fire! I'm so excited, I can hardley wait to get it! I've wanted a Kindle for quite some time now. (For you non-Kindle gurus, it's a device that you can download and read books on....vs having the actual "book.".....if that makes any sense). ANYWAY, I heard a rumor that the price of Kindles were going down quite a bit by the end of the summer, so I waited to buy one then. THEN Amazon comes up with this nifty unit...the Kindle Fire! It still has the original Kindle features, but now has been completely transformed into a multi-use tablet! It is basically, a cameraless iPad.....at a fraction of the cost! SCORE!

I'm sure I'm not comparing apples to apples when I compare it to an iPad, but for what I'm looking to use it for, it's comparable to me! I'm hoping that this unit might intice Charlie to want to read more. Maybe it'll be cool and exciting for him and he'll actually WANT to read. Here's hoping. And there I go, already giving away my Kindle Fire to the kids. OH, and Pat already has a request for a book that he wants to download. Good Gravy, I should have bought 2 of them.

Defending Castle Grayskull

2011-11-05T23:47:00.003-05:00

He-Man's Dad, King Randor, looks like the Burger King. Don't you think?

zzzzzzzzzzzz..........

2011-11-03T07:35:00.000-05:00

Found all 3 of them, sleeping in the same bed this morning. I can't remember which one started off in the other room last night. It's like musical beds at night around here. My girls have such lovely hair in the morning. HAHA! Don't judge their mis-matched bedding. We're working on that.

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Bottom line.......I guess they actually do like each other once in a while. :)

TRICK OR TREAT!!!!!!!!!

2011-11-03T07:06:00.000-05:00

Halloween is my favorite holiday. There's no pressure for a big meal, there's no pressure for the perfect gift, there's no pressure for a clean house. You dress up, and go out and beg for candy. Easy as that!

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This year, Charlie was a pirate, Rachel was Minnie Mouse, and Lacey was a puppy. Pat rigged up his little trailer here, with a couple of haybales and pillows, hooked it up to the lawnmower, and we were off! We hit up our own neighborhood this year, and had a great time!

Hazzards of Trick or Treating in Minnesota....you have to wear a stocking cap!

Another funny thing about Trick or Treating......you ever notice how every kid SPRINTS to the door? As if the people will be out of candy if they walked?

Heading back home.....puppy was tired. Which was fine anyway, since we were at the end of our neighborhood. Perfect timing!

Candy success! Lacey's lamb needed a big time bath after trick or treating. It was full of slobbery candy. Ish.

Another additon to the Metro Location Roed Farm

2011-10-26T11:14:00.000-05:00

Our farm loving kids, have sweet talked Pat into getting a cat!

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I would like to introduce to you: Daisy. She was born this past spring and the kids are in love with her. We got her all set up in our barn, and we're hoping she'll help with our critter population. (Primarily: mice.)

She is an outdoor cat......as you can clearly see below, the kids do not follow directions very well. In fact, I busted Rachel taking a nap with her on the couch on Monday.

I'm thinking it won't be long, and all our little farm will be lacking, is a dusty road.

"I a big girl!"

2011-10-17T09:49:00.001-05:00

A couple weeks ago at bedtime, Lacey told us, "I a big girl", and climbed into the toddler bed. She no longer wants the crib and will only sleep in her big girl bed! I was suprised she never has tried to get out. She stays there....and sleeps! SWEET!

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Yesterday, she stops in the middle of playing and goes, "I a big girl.....potty now!" Ummmm.....OK? (I have not even had a single thought about potty training her yet. She's so young, and I didn't want to battle with a 12 month potty training process). So I put her on the potty about a half a dozen times yesterday afternoon (per her prompting) - with no output. BUT, she initiating SOMETHING...so I felt that we had to roll with it. I thought maybe the idea she had would pass, but right when we got home from dropping Rachel off at preschool today, she stops everything, runs to the bathroom and goes, "Big girl POTTY NOW!" So I put her up there, went to answer the phone, came back....and she had peed in the potty! I'm actually quite suprised at her. I'll let HER set the tone, and we'll see how this goes. I'm not banking on any overnight successes by a 26 month old. Stay tuned!

The Roed Farm opens a Metro location......

2011-10-11T11:41:00.000-05:00

INTRODUCING.........

Dora

and Boots.

Pat and Charlie came back from the farm with a hut/cage....complete with two rabbits. It's quite the setup. We got the cage off the trailer yesterday and the kids took turns giving them food.

The kids are having a good time with them so far. We're not letting them "play" with them, just yet. They're a bit skittish, and they have sharp claws! Our first obstacle....the dog. She sits underneath the cage and tries to pull their feet thru the wire. SO, we put a layer of hay down on the bottom of the cage to try to prevent their little feet from being snacks for the dog.

Note: I bet you can't guess who named them. Hehehe..... Charlie was peeved that there wasn't any boy rabbits....."because you just can't name a girl rabbit, Secret Agent, or Stone Cold Steve Austin." I told him that we needed a separate cage for boy rabbits. :)

Weekend project

2011-10-09T17:12:00.000-05:00

While Andy and Barney made a weekend trip up north to brush up on their accent., the girls and I stayed home and gave the kitchen a fresh, new look! Here's a before shot. Although, I should clarify: this was after I started tearing the room apart. It's not normally this out of control!

Prep work when painting a kitchen is bad enough, then you add in this hog. Take each one down: one at a time. We only suffered 1 accident, but that's all good now, thanks to Super Glue. :)

All done! I like the brown much better than the yellow. Five years of the yellow was enough for me. Everything is cleaned up and back in it's place. Just in time for the boys to come back home.

I just spoke with Pat, and he told me that he's bringing a present home for the kids. It's a suprise! Rachel is going to love it! I'll keep you all at the edge of your seats for now. I'll take some pictures and such after he gets home, and I'll try to blog about it tomorrow. Till then!

Polebarn progress

2011-10-03T16:41:00.000-05:00

Many of you have been asking to see pictures of our polebarn progress. Last Thursday, they came out and dug holes for footings. The inspector came out, and gave them the thumbs up. They couldn't set poles that day, since it was so windy out. (In the meantime, Charlie went outside and filled in 3 of the holes part way......grrrr.....)

ANYWAY, Friday morning, they came out and set poles. They got the walls up in no time. Today, they came out and got all the trusses up, and the supports between the trusses. Here's how the barn looks as of the end of today. It's 60x40 in size.

They also brought out some of the material today. The color below will be the wall color.

The green-ish color below is the roof color. We're also doing an accent color (this same color), the bottom 3 feet of the wall. (Does that make sense?) The overhead door will be almond, the service door will be white....I'll paint that to match the overhead door. We're also having a small overhead door in the back. You know.....access for the chickens. :)

We're still debating on doing concrete this year, or in the future. We'll see.....we thought at first this would be a "race with winter weather" project, but it's been over 80 degrees for the past two days. Doesn't look like old man winter will be paying us a visit any time soon!

Truffle Shuffle

2011-09-27T11:22:00.000-05:00

Rainy - Gloomy day. Cant' think of anything better to do, than sit inside and watch Goonies. SO....that's what I'm going to do. :)

Christmas Wreath Fundraiser

2011-09-22T13:46:00.000-05:00

Charlie is selling Christmas Wreaths for his Cub Scout fundraiser. I've attached a picture of what they're selling, and the prices. If you are interested in ordering anything, please let me know! I know that this picture is a bit small, but if you click on it, it should enlarge it and make it more readable. Orders are due by October 26th, and delivery is mid November.

THANK YOU!

Back to School!!

2011-09-22T13:32:00.001-05:00

"Back to school. Back to school, to prove to Dad that I'm not a fool. I got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight, I hope I don't get in a fight. Ohhhh, back to school. Back to school. Back to school."

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OK.....so this post is about 2 weeks late, but....oh well. :)

On 9/6, Charlie started 1st grade! This was the best smile I could get out of him at 8AM. HAHA!!

He likes to ride his bike to the bus stop (the mailbox) and then I ride it back up for him.

A bear hug for little sis before the bus arrives.

I'll title this shot as "I tried to take a picture of Charlie getting on the bus, but I have slow ass shutter speed on my camera, and would like a new one from Santa."

He's back!

Happy to have Day 1 under his belt. Only 171 more to go. :)

Rachel started preschool this year! She goes MWF from 915-1130AM. She's in a class with 10 kids, and is having a great time so far. She told me yesterday, "My teacher tells me that I'm beautiful everyday." So sweet!

Day 1 is done!

Happy girl!

Trying to fit into her locker.

Lacey starts an ECFE class with me tomorrow. It's Friday mornings, at the same building that Rachel has class at, during the same time. I think it'll work out well. She could benefit from seeing and interacting with other kids her age. Here's hoping she doesn't sit in the corner and suck her thumb the whole time.....

Polebarn Project

2011-09-22T13:10:00.000-05:00

Pat has been wanting to put up a polebarn, pretty much since the day we moved in. So, we decided that this fall, we'd go for it. Step 1, take down TONS of trees. WOW...that was a project it itself! BUT, after just a handful of weekends, and lots of help, we got the area cleared out.

Charlie.....HA!

Making progress......

We had a brush fire going for about 3 weeks straight!

Pat's brother came down here the weekend after Labor Day, and they finished cutting them all down.

Step 2. Dig out all the stumps. We hired a guy to come and do all of that. The kids were loving all the excitement from the living room window!

They were HUGE stumps!

The guy dug a GIANT hole, and buried them all.

Step 3. Bring in some fill dirt. 18 loads, to be exact. We hired the excavator guy (above), to haul the dirt, spread it, and grade the area. Once again, the kids were enjoying watching the truck come and go....for 2 days straight.

Here's the best arial shot I can get....(from my bathroom window) :) We've ordered the material for the barn........so now we wait. They should be digging footings by next weekend! Stay tuned!

9/11

2011-09-11T01:23:00.001-05:00

9/11 marks a somber date in American History. I still remember working at our local Curves, as I finished up my Bachelor's Degree, and this member stormed into the club "We are under attack, and New Market is out of milk!" Sad, yes.....but really, that statement is sort of funny. To shout that the local grocery store is out of milk......I can't help but giggle. Anyway, now that we got that out of the way..........let me tell you all what else 9/11 means to our family. September 11th, 2003, started the Nelson baby boom. In a short 8 years, us 4 have popped out a whopping 12 grandkids! The first arrived on 9/11/03. Benjamin Joseph. He's such a neat kid. A super athlete, and THE ONLY GRANDKID that looks like a Nelson. Really....the only one!!! Uff dah, I'm super pregnant in this picture. I was hoping nobody would notice how fat I was, and would only focus on how fat Benny was. :)

After a time of heartache resulting in an Angel Baby in 2004, and some time on bedrest in 2005, Pat and I were finally able to add to the bunch. Charles Edward showed up a little early on 5/27/05, as healthy as can be. We couldn't ask for a better little boy. So smart. So fiesty. So funny!

Benny gets a little sister! Eleanor Jean (Ellie) makes her way into the family in July 2006. Charlie looks gigantic on this horse..........we still have it.......and he still rides it!

Another boy for the Nelson bunch! Marshall and Karen welcomed Howard Jon into the family in March of 2007.

This is a HORRIBLE picture of me....but funny. Here I am (with Rachel - in utero) with Bonny and Ryan's son, Thomas Patrick. He was born on 7/3/07, a day before our

Mom's 56th birthday.

A few weeks later, here's Big Tom, with his new cousin, Rachel Ann. Rachel was born on 8/16/07. She currently holds the biggest baby record (9lbs 14.5oz) on both the Nelson and the Roed sides of the family. Not really a record I WANT to hold........even though it's SHE that holds it....although I did all the work. (I can't help but notice how clean my couch looks here...........)

2 years later, here comes Lacey! I didn't want 1 August baby....and I got 2. How's that for bad planning. :) Lacey Renee jonied the group on 8/21/09. Rachel's hair....continues to be a mess.

Lacey wasn't the baby for long. Mitch and Nancy welcomed their 3rd child, Evelyn Jane, on 11/2/09. Lacey looks gigantic next to her here.

Annella Liane was born on 9/23/10. Bonny's husband, Ryan, was out on deployment when she was born. I couldn't imagine. My Mom and I (and Lacey) made a trip to Jacksonville, FL when Annella was 1 month old, and this....pretty much sums up her temperment at the time. Poor peanut.

BUT........I can assuure you..........she's all smiles now. :)

The day my Mom and I (and Lacey) left for Florida......we had just passed through security when my cell phone rang. It was Marshall. I had a feeling........so I didn't answer with my typical "Hello?" My answer was, "You have a new baby, dont' you???!!!" His answer........"WE DO!!!!!!!!" Violet June was born on 10/19/10. Big brother Howie ADORES her. She's such a sweetheart and will be walking soon!!!!!

Just when we all think that the crazy baby boom is over.........Mitch and Nancy throw us a curve ball! Henry John was born on 7/14/11. Henry's birthday almost bookends Ben's 9/11 birthday. 8 years. WOW........that's a lot of babies. WOW........that's a lot of kids. WOW.......that's going to be a lot of fun!

9/11. It's a happy time. Again, and again, and again.

Happy 8th birthday, Benny!

5 things Charlie wants to change once he's Governor....

2011-08-30T13:54:00.002-05:00

1. He would like to be able to go into Burger King barefoot.

2. He would like to be able to use WalMart gift cards at Target.

3. He would like to be able to purchase the "good fireworks" in Minnesota.

4. He would like to be able to use a Canadian dollar in an American pop machine.

5. He would like the fortunes in fortune cookies to not be so confusing for kids.

Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure

2011-08-29T07:26:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend of August 19 - 21st, I participated in the Twin Cities, Susan G Komen 3-Day for the Cure. It's a national fundraiser for breast cancer, and we walk 60 miles, over the course of the weekend. The walk starts at Southdale Mall in Edina, we walk all around through Minneapolis, then at the end of the day, we take a shuttle to Maplewood (a northern St. Paul suburb), to camp...then the next two days are spent walking through St. Paul and all of it's nearby suburbs. The final day (Sunday) is finished up at the State Capitol for closing ceremonies. This year's Twin Cities walk raised over $5.3 million dollars! Well done, everyone!!!!

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I was sweet talked into this walk from a girl from high school, Laura. I'm so happy I decided to do the walk. It was a great experience!

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Here's a picture from opening ceremonies at Southdale Mall. We arrived around 6AM!

Day 1 - at lunch - we ran into another gal from high school! Random....since there were over 2100 walkers, and 490 crew members around. What are the odds?

We walked past the new 35W memorial.

We also walked underneath the new 35W bridge. Insane....it's huge!

Day 1 complete....20 miles down!

Here was our camp. It was at Harvest Park in Maplewood. Check this out....it was literally "down the street" from the house we used to live in, till we moved to East Bethel in 1978! Anyway....we stayed Saturday and Sunday night, in 2 person pink tents, and they catered in food for us here. They had semis with showers in them. Sounds odd, but it was actually a pretty slick operation!

Day 2 - WOOT WOOT!!!! Roseville Fire Department. :) Note: we picked up a stray walker to join us for the day. (She actually graduated with Laura's sister...so she wasn't a complete stranger). HA!

WOOT WOOT again....the Vadnais Heights Fire Department. Loving the uniformed men!

Day 2 complete! 40 miles down! (My feet were TIRED at the end of Saturday....I wasn't sure how Sunday would go....)

Day 3 - pink hair!!!!!!!!

Shuffling along......THE CAPITOL IS IN SIGHT!!!!!!! We're almost done!

This gal was hilarious....she'd fix the sign to the appropirate mileage, then camp herself out on the route, and cheer us along. ALL WEEKEND LONG!

Closing ceremonies at the Capitol. All the walkers got a white shirt. The picture doesn't do this justice......I couldn't believe the amount of people that were there!

The survivors that particapated in the walk got a pink shirt. This is why we do the walk....for these people right here.

60 miles DONE! We did it!

Wisconsin Dells - 2011

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

I've got some catching up in the blog department to do! This trip was 3 weeks ago! Anyway, Pat's company took everyone and their families all to Wisconsin Dells this year for their annual summer trip. We stayed at the Wilderness Resort again. GREAT place!! I highly recommend it! Click on the name of the resort to go to their website. The kids had the time of their life! They LOVE to swim, and the weather was perfect. Couldn't have asked for a better weekend!

Pat got in on the fun, here!

We brought our nephew Ben with us this year. GREAT kid!!!

Check out me and Jen and our matchy-matchy swimsuits. :) HAHA...not really. But a few people thought they were the same.

We did the Wisconsin Duck Boat tour again...I guess Charlie and Rachel could have cared less if we went...?

It was a great weekend, and had an awesome time!

Calling all stamping junkies!!!

2011-08-14T16:28:00.000-05:00

I no longer stamp. I simply do not have any time to do it anymore. SO, I'm unloading some of my stash. Here's a few sets that I've posted on Craigslist. Let me know if you're interested in any of the sets. I have more....this is just all that I've posted so far.

Happy Shopping! :)

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http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/art/2545386957.html

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/art/2545391045.html

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/art/2546287426.html

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/art/2546306974.html

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Franny Math

2011-08-09T19:59:00.000-05:00

I wanted to put an additional shelf in Charlie's closet.....so off to Menards we went today. Before I left, I measured the closet three times, coming up with a measurement of 4 feet, 9 inches each time. When I got to Menards, all the shelving was listed in solely inches...not feet AND inches. Being the rockstar I am, I grabbed the 48" shelf. Because...well...you know, 48" is only an inch different than 4 feet 9 inches......

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GO SAINTS!

16 days to go!

2011-08-03T23:18:00.001-05:00

I've got 16 days till the start of the Twin Cities Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk. We will be walking thru the Twin Cities....60 miles, over the duration of 3 days, August 19th-21st. I'm asking you all, to please consider a donation to this cause.

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My original intent for walking this, was because of the news that I got from my very best friend that I've had since Kindergarten. (OK....so I've got 2 BFFs......but that's not how this story goes.) :) Anyway, her Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, and had to endure a double masectomy, and has since recovered. I've known this lady since I was a little girl. I pictured the worst outcome like losing my own mother. Terrifying. Heartbreaking. Too terribly sad.

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Since commiting to this walk, I have learned of WAY TOO MANY people that have recently been diagnosed. It's people from all aspects of my life. Childhood friends' Mothers, an aquaintance's Mom, a co-worker's wife, a friend's Mother In Law....even down to "that lady at the bank." I can't take it anymore. It's too many people, being taken way too soon.

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So with only 2 weeks to go, I'm asking you to please consider a donation to my team. We're the Northern Nippys, and we will walk proudly....for all.

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Click on the link below to donate online (you'll have to click on "donate to a participant" and go from there), or you can mail a check to me at my house at:

213 - 217tth Ave NW - Oak Grove, MN 55011

http://www.the3day.org/site/TRC/2011/TwinCitiesEvent2011?pg=peditor&fr_id=1626&px=1654285

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THANK YOU to everyone who has donated this far! I appreciate each and every penny. We HAVE to find a cure. It's out there....we'll find it.

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-Betsy

Zucchini Muffins

2011-07-26T09:07:00.000-05:00

WOW.....These are awesome!

2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter - softened
1/4 cup warm milk
2 eggs - slightly beaten
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup brown sugar
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tin, or use muffin liners. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Stir in baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in butter until mixture looks like small crumbs. Dig a well into the center. Add in eggs, milk, zucchini, and vanilla. Mix well. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
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HAPPY COOKING!

Twins Game!

2011-07-21T07:29:00.001-05:00

My sister is in town this week, and a bunch of us went to a Twins game yesterday. Bonny, Marshall, Mom, Howie, Ben, Dad, Charlie, and me. Yes, I know...it was hot. BUT, with enough water, and a little shade, it wasn't that bad! We parked at the Dome, and rode the light rail across town to Target Field. The little boys thought that was awesome!

Charlie and Ben enjoying a Dome Dog in the shade before the game started. I know it's not called a Dome Dog anymore, but that is just how I roll. A "Twins Big Dog with Chips" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

This was the 1st inning. After that, the sun moved a skoshe, and our seats were in the shade the rest of the game. Note: This was Charlie's 1st Twins Game! He said he had fun, but "I just don't get it. I don't understand the rules of baseball." That's OK, pal...you're only 6. He did very well despite the heat, and not understanding what they were all doing down there. :)

Bonny got a hold of my camera........

Our view!

3 more home games until Bert Blyleven is inducted into the Hall of Fame! I wish Marshall brought along his "Hey Bert, Circle my mustache." sign.

A cool washrag, and some asbestos in a bag (cotton candy). Life is good.

Everyone loves the $5 hat/cup of ice cream! In fact, when we got home, Rachel put that hat on "Bert" (you know....Charlie's doll) and she goes, "Oh Bert, you look fabulous!"

The fam!

Charlie took this picture. Also, if you can see the sign....Thome has only 4 more home runs to go before he hits 600!

They wanted to sit in the glove, but it was nearly 500 degrees on it, so they settled for standing by it.

Running with Puck. "And....we'll see you tomorrow night!!"

Hitting homers with Harmon. Note.....all three of the boys swing a bat left handed. Goofy...?

A fun time was had by all. Just had to throw that in there. It's a Mayberry funny-ism. :) My sister is in town till Monday, and we've got a retail therapy date planned for this afternon......SANS ROED KIDS! I hired a babysitter. EEEEK! I could get used to this! :)

The heat index is so high......

2011-07-18T12:07:00.000-05:00

......that my hair is going to look like this by the end of the day.

Side note: This is a hilarious episode of Friends. "Are you leaving the Supremes?"

Roed Family Reunion

2011-07-15T20:53:00.000-05:00

....and I didn't take 1 single picture during the reunion. Loser, I know. You'll have to take my word for it...it was fun. There was nearly 90 people at the farm last Sunday. A great turnout, and some awesome food. The reunion was in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Pat's Great Grandfather's immigration from Norway. He met and married a Minnesota girl, and together they made their home on a little farm on the lake, in McIntosh, MN. How sweet, huh? :)

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The kids are still horrible car riders. Charlie and Rachel are pukers, and Lacey screams. This kept her happy for about 10 minutes. She thought it was hilarious that her "Mam" (Lamb) sat on Pat's shoulder while he was driving.

Pat and Charlie hit it big on Monday in the Sunfish department. They caught about a dozen or so keepers. OK so maybe not "hit it big", but Charlie thought it was awesome.

What a pro??

Lacey helping Grandpa check on the farm.

Giant veggie garden on the lake....pretty neat-o.

We're back home, and back to the activities. Karate, swimming lessons, BMX, Dr appts, a 5K run, the East Bethel Booster Day parade, and more. Going to be HOT starting tomorrow. Over 100 degrees with the heat index. Gross. Oh well, that's what the beach is for!

Sidewalk chalk and BMX

2011-07-04T20:45:00.000-05:00

Next to the $12 Slip N Slide, the $1 box of sidewalk chalk is the 2nd best purchase of the summer. The girls can sit out there for hours and scribble letters, pictures, and more! Rachel's specialty drawing.....is woodticks. HA!

The wind caught Lacey's pony tail right when I took the picture. :)

Charlie started the BMX season again last week. He got a new bike this year, and it makes a world of difference! He's SO much faster and is loving the speed! He's the kid in the white/black helmet and the yellow shirt.

Marshall was with last week, and cheered on Charlie and Howie as they came up to the finish line.

Howie is the youngest out on the track. He turned 4 at the end of March. It's adorable...and amazing! They just got him a new bike too, last week, and I'm dying to see how well he does on it!

Howie heading in to the finish!

The older kids are on his tail!!

They can go to the practice nights on Mondays and Thursdays. They have race nights 2x/ week, but Charlie isn't ready for that....yet! Soon though! This BMX track is such a cool place. When they do practice nights, it's all ages that practice at the same time. If the younger kids fall on the track, the older kids (17-18-ish) stop dead in their tracks, get off their bikes, and help the younger ones back onto their bike, and make sure they're OK. It's so wonderful to see that. Such a great group of kids. Not too many times nowdays, do you see older kids help out the younger kids like that, on their own time. It's awesome!

Difficult???

2011-07-04T01:01:00.000-05:00

You want to know if 3 kids is difficult? Did you see the last picture I used as my banner above here? How about this new one? This should sum it up!

VBS

2011-06-22T09:40:00.000-05:00

We enrolled Charlie and Rachel in our church's Vacation Bible School (VBS) program for this summer. It runs Monday, 6/20 through Thursday, 6/23. It's an evening program from 615-845. It gets late.....but I guess since it's only a few days, that's OK. Since I would have to drive them there, and pick them back up in a couple of hours, I figured I'd stay and help out vs going back home. They put me as a helper with the PreK, and K kids (which happens to be the group that both of my kids fall in to).

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The kids seemed to enjoy themselves and said that they had a lot of fun! Their group rotates from a small bible study, to games, to crafts, and then they meet all together at the end for songs with all the age groups.

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The Church advertises within their own church congregation, but also invites other kids from the community to join in. Fine....I get that. It's nice to invite others, it's good for kids to be involved....but here's where I start to get aggravated. Out of the 35 kids that were there last night, SEVEN belonged to our church. SEVEN. That means that there were 28 kids that were just dropped off by parents - who nobody knows - for what can only be described as, free daycare for 2 1/2 hours. Some kids were great, and well behaved. But some....WOW.

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All the kids got these small canvas bags yesterday to take their stuff home in. They were to bring them back every day this week to take their papers home in. Some kids didn't go to Monday's session, so they were given a bag yesterday. All of a sudden, the bag table was filled with kids who "needed a new bag." They all quickly grabbed markers and wrote their names on a bunch of them. UGGHH.....

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Really girls, do you HAVE to use the bathroom in groups of 4, every 10 minutes? I finally stepped in and said that only 1 can go at a time. Then this one hides from us behind a door, and after I find her, I have to tell her to rejoin the class.

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At one point, our classroom was borderline chaos (minus a few good kids), when I stood there, in pure shock, and then asked this 5 year old to please put her cell phone away........

One of those days.....

2011-06-21T14:32:00.000-05:00

From the kids:

I want!

I need!

Get me!

That's not fair!

She touched me!

He got more than me!

That's mine!

He hit me!

She's spitting!

I had that first!

He ruined my picture!

That's not what I wanted!!

From me:

Stop!

Knock it off!

Please don't!

I asked you to stop!

NO!

I'm begging you to stop!

STOP!

That is enough!!!

Stop hitting!

Don't!!

Keep your hands to yourself!

Put that back!

No, you cannot have pop!

All while I have, what can only be diagnosed as a virus. I have a voice at about 15% strength, a raw throat, and a pounding headache. Real effective when it comes to getting kids to stop doing what they're not supposed to be doing.

I have them sittting next to the radio right now with Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" on auto repeat. That'll keep them quiet for at least the next 12 minutes.

Roed/Krogstad Wedding 6.11.11

2011-06-15T09:10:00.002-05:00

Pat's brother got married this past weekend in Grand Rapids, MN. He married a wonderful girl, named Katie, that he has been dating for the last 7 years. (And you all thought that Pat made ME wait a long time!) :)

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The wedding was held at Sugar Lake Lodge, and everything was great! Extra bonus - good weather, since it was an outdoor wedding. Here's a couple shots of the rehearsal. Pat was Josh's best man, Charlie and Katie's niece, Natalie, were the ring bearer and flower girl. Charlie is in love with Natalie now, and he even owned up to giving her a kiss or two! Rachel and our nephew Hudson were also in the wedding, as well as Natalie's 4yr old siblings, Jon and Abi

This little stinker was in the wedding too.....but insisted on sucking her thumb for 2 straight days, and lugging around her lamb, that she calls "Mam". Jill B - "Mam" has "Lippo" potential, I think!

After Charlie was all dolled up on Saturday morning, he sat quietly and watched a show on the History Channel about WWII.

Pretty Pretty Bride!!

I had to post this one. This is Katie's uncle, Mark. The only reason I had to post it, is because Pat and I think he looks exactly like my friend, Randina's husband, Jeff. Anyone else see the resemblence?? (Just imagine Jeff, 15 years from now).

Charlie and Natalie

Getting in his spot, next to Josh and Pat.

Rachel dogged Hudson when they were half way down the aisle.....she skipped/ran the entire way! :)

Here comes Hudson....with Rachel's flower girl bucket. They were adorable!

Out of the 7 little kids up there, Katie's Mom gave the odds of only 2 standing by the end. Lacey never made it, Rachel bowed out about 10 minutes into it, and Jon fell asleep on his Dad's lap around minute 15. 4/7 still standing! Not bad, kids!!

Charlie and his new girlfriend. :)

Charlie wrote a "ring bearer" speech about two months ago. He got up there and goes, "Want to hear a joke?" Then he told the crowd two jokes. He is not shy at all! It's funny. He's a crowd pleaser!

It was a wonderful weekend, and I'm happy to call Katie my sister in law!

I've been a blog slacker!

2011-06-09T09:14:00.001-05:00

OOPS! Sorry! We've been busy, busy again!! On 5/27, Charlie officially turned 6 years old. He had his well child checkup yesterday, and he's 52 pounds, and 46 inches tall. That puts him slightly over the average for both height and weight.

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Over Memorial weekend, we went to McIntosh, for our niece Haley's high school graduation party. On Memorial Day, we went into town, and Charlie marched in the annual Memorial Day parade with the other local kids. He JUMPED out of bed that morning, "I'M IN A PARADE TODAY!!!" He didn't even care that it was only 2 blocks long. :)

After the parade, the kids head over to the old school to place wreaths on crosses, while someone reads off the names of all the soldiers who have passed away from McIntosh. Odd....or maybe even ironic....the man that has been reading off those names for the past 50 years, passed away that evening. It's a very neat service, and I'm happy that my child is thrilled to be a part of it. That is....until he had to bow out and go use the bathroom. Ugghhh....

Charlie had his last day of Kindergarten on Tuesday 6/7. He loved school this year. Made a ton of friends, and had a fantastic teacher. He is getting better and better with reading, everyday, and can do simple math problems with ease. We're very proud of him, and are excited for the 1st grade adventure, since he'll be going all day/every day this fall.

Summer is here! It was 100 degrees on Monday and Tuesday.....and now it's 55 degrees today. What the heck? Oh well. We got a couple days with fun in the sun.

We took the boat out on Martin Lake over the weekend. This little fish couldn't get enough of it! Jumped in over and over and over and over again!

He even let Pat toss him in the water! We enrolled him in swimming lessons that will start in early July. He can't wait!

Rachel jumped in too....but quickly got out. She thought she'd like it, but realized that she didn't. Give it time....she'll like it.

We're off to the park today for a playdate with some friends for a couple of hours. Better dig out the coats...it's chilly out!

We salute you

2011-05-27T07:11:00.000-05:00

I was on my way to St. Francis yesterday to pick up my new glasses (which is another story), and I noticed St. Francis fire trucks coming my direction. They didn't have any sirens on, and they didn't seem to be in any hurry. Odd....they weren't even in St Francis anymore....what were they up to? Oh well....not that big of a deal. Then I see other fire trucks from other departments doing the same. Hmmm....wierd. Then on my way back home, I noticed other fire trucks heading back the other direction. Seems like a lot of activity in the area. Better put my Nosey McNoserton skills to work, and I called a friend whose husband is on the SFFD.

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On Monday, a Cambridge firefighter had died when he fell and suffered severe head injury during a training exercise. Yesterday they were transporting his body from HCMC in Minneapolis, to the funeral home in Cambridge for his services that will be held today. Many fire departments from the area, all came out, to greet him on his route from the hospital to the funeral home. So many local departments and crews were up and down HWY 65 at several intersections, and on bridges....in full uniform...saluting him as he was riding by.

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What a neat tribute.

Put Another Dime in the Jukebox, Baby!

2011-05-25T12:43:00.000-05:00

I love music. Most kinds, actually...I don't have a preference. But, since I've had kids, I've turned the radio off. In fact, I think I've had the radio in my vehicle on about 10 times total. Never even put a CD in. The reason? I can't handle any additional noise.

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But HOLY COW, I turned the radio on today...not even sure why....and the kids went wild! Hilarious. Rachel told me that she loves to "rock out." Charlie found a box of Legos to guitar with, and a ketchup bottle to sing into. We might have to add the dance party into our daily routine more often. They had fun!

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And the song that was the chart topper for the day? 25 or 6 to 4 by Chicago. That just made me laugh even more! (All you fellow band nerds are singing it in your head now, aren't you?)

A whole bunch of stuff

2011-05-25T09:12:00.000-05:00

Charlie was able to bring his US President project to school last Friday for Literature Museum Day. He did a great job answering all the questions that all the parents had for him. Here's him with his friend Cody, displaying their projects.

We celebrated his 6th birthday (a week early) last Saturday with a party. He was able to invited some of his friends from school. SO much fun! We had a few games (all Lego themed) and a pinata!

After about 100 hits of the pinata with a wiffle ball bat, it was starting to get boring.....it wouldn't break! SO, Uncle Marshall to the rescue with a real baseball bat.

That worked!!

Charlie and his friends enjoyed some outdoor playtime before their parents came to pick them up.

Looks like these two had too much fun.

Then Charlie had his cousin Ben, stay for a sleepover. They camped out in the basement, watched a movie, and ate popcorn.

We recieved a ridiculous amount of rain over the weekend. 4.88 inches to be exact. Good thing we decided not to put in our veggie garden this year......it's still completely under water. I'm not sure when we'll be able to have a bonfire either again.....that's under water too. WOW!

You leave Charlie unattended with the camera, and this is what you get. Of all the things for him to take a picture of. Guess it's a good opportunity to dish out a toe update. His toe is healing fine. The nail that fell off, finally made it to the garbage. It has a crusty scab in it's place, and the new nail has started to come in. He can get around just fine, and says it doesn't even hurt anymore.

With the lack of sunshine and warmth, this caught me by suprise this morning! Iris are blooming!

Time Flies

2011-05-16T10:45:00.000-05:00

I know...everyone says it. But, it's true. As I opened my mail on Saturday, I was reminded of how quickly it really goes. My very first trip to Mayberry, 'errr....McIntosh, was Memorial Weekend 1999. Pat's niece, Haley, had just finished her last day of Kindergarten when we arrived at the farm that Friday. We rolled onto the gravel driveway in my brand new, red Ford Mustang. Pat and I were kid-less, skinny, and awesome.

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Fast forward to two days ago....I open the invitation to Haley's high school graudation party. Doesn't seem possible! Are we really that old already?? So this Memorial Weekend, we will roll onto that same gravel driveway, in our minivan, loaded with carseats, crayons, and cartoons on the DVD player. Pat and I are still awesome, but we might smell a little bit like vomit and fruit snacks. :)

Literature Musuem Day Project

2011-05-11T15:28:00.000-05:00

Charlie was assigned a Literature Museum Day project at school. Museum Day means that we can come and look at everyone's projects at a later date when they're all on display. Basically, it's more or less, a visual book report. His book of choice, The Big Book of US Presidents. Nice choice for a 5yr old. HA!

SO........thanks to Google, we came up with some good ideas for the project. We headed to Michael's craft store on Monday to get the supplies to build it. Here's some pictures of him working on his popsicle stick White House.

After it was painted and glued together, we stacked some books on it to secure it in place.

Installing the White House windows.

Cutting out all 44 US Presidents. Once again, thank you, Google.

Assembling the White House lawn......

....and the rose bushes.

TA-DA!!! All done! With 9 days to spare. :)

The toenail continued....

2011-05-10T11:54:00.000-05:00

Charlie's toenail fell off on Friday. Here's an email I sent to Charlie's teacher today, and the reply I got.

I am sorry that Charlie brought his nasty toenail to school yesterday. I didn't realize that he had done that, until he came home and I went through his backpack and found the toenail in a Ziploc baggie.

His teacher's reply:

He was so funny with it! He first told me that he lost a tooth. He pulled out the baggie and asked me to come take a look. Needless to say…I was completely surprised!!!

Then he had thought out exactly how I should show the kids. He knew when and how it should all happen.

When I asked anyone if they had lost a tooth so that I could chart it on the tooth chart, he said, “No, but I lost a toenail, do you have a toenail chart?”

I just about fell over!

He is quite a kid!

Vehicle Day

2011-05-06T11:04:00.000-05:00

VEHICLE DAY is tomorrow Saturday May 7th at the Lifelong Learning Center in Oak Grove. This event runs from 10-1130am. Admission is FREE with a non perishable food donation. Some of the vehicles this year will include: Police Car, Fire Truck, Garbage Truck, Schwann's Ice Cream (Free ice cream bars!), Tractors, Snowplow, Tow Truck, and many more! We hope to see you there!!!

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I've attached a few pictures from last year's event. FUN FUN for kids!!

Even the big kids (Pat) get a chance to check out all the vehicles!

Busy, Busy!

2011-05-04T08:21:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we made the trek up north to McIntosh, for our nephew, Hunter's, Confirmation. Here's the brave fella reading his verse to the congregation. WHEW...he did it. :)

At least one of them was looking in my direction...? Good job, Mr. Mellgren.

Rachel had her final night of dance practice last night. They were asked to wear their recital costumes and they practiced all of their dances that they'll be performing this Saturday at the Spring Show, that will be held at Blaine High School.

Here's some shots I got of their practice. There's 8 girls in her group. Rachel is 2nd from the right.

Doing her own thing here, I guess...? Either one step ahead, or one step behind. Either way, she's having fun, and that's all that matters!

Such concentration....

Afterwards, they recieved pins and certificates.

And she got a shirt! That she insisted in sleeping in. Oh well. At least I managed to coax her out of her leotard and tights before she went to bed.

Here's Ginger with her evening kill. A chipmunk. She just sat and watched it hobble around, wounded, for about 20 minutes before she took off with it. Gross.

Lulu got the first ride on the new mower! I'm loving the dress shoes that she has on. Whatever works....she did it herself, so I can't argue with that!

Charlie's toe is healing nicely. He goes back in next Monday to the foot Dr for a check-up. The nail has yet to fall off....but it's barely hanging on still.

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Two days in a row with sunshine......I can't believe it! Can we finally pack away the winter coats? Here's hoping!

Charlie's toe...continued

2011-04-26T07:39:00.000-05:00

Note, these pictures are gross!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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First, I wanted to clarify what happened. (I still don't quite understand myself, but this is what we got out of him). He was sitting on a small end table in the basement, watching TV. He leaned forward to grab something, and slipped off the table. The table then tipped over and fell on his foot. 1 in a million shot, if you ask me. I don't get how that particular table did that much damage. It's a small table that even Rachel can lift. It's not that heavy at all. It must have just hit it "just perfect", I guess. Anyway, that's what happened.

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When we got up yesterday, I decided to take the dressing off of his toe. I wanted to get a good look at it and see if the bleeding had slowed down and I also wanted to try and clean up his toe a bit. As soon as I removed the outer sock he was wearing (he was wearing 2 socks), I noticed the inner sock was blood stained. I removed that sock and saw the bloody mess that was surrounding his toe.

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That's it! We're going to see the doctor. I put the socks back on him and I then scored a magical 10AM appointment on a Monday (never happens!!), so I quick got the kids dressed and we headed to the clinic.

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The first nurse wanted to remove the dressing and take a peek. Charlie didn't want anyone touching it, so he took it off himself. Brave boy!

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AND........................this is what it looked like......

I got all cold and sweaty and started to gag. Uff dah. I could never handle the medical field. SO GLAD that others are there to do that for me!!!!!! WOW ~ they're tough. I....am not.

Anyway......we waited a lot. And ate some Goldfish crackers.

And made balloons out of the gloves in the exam rooms.

Long story short, but we ended up in X-Ray, and found out that the end of his toe is crushed. Not just broken, but crushed into many small pieces. So we were then referred to the podiatrist (the foot dr). Becuase of the break, she wanted to clean his toe up real well, take a good look at it, and analyze where/and if at all the toe was cut.

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3 shots of Novacaine, and 45 straight seconds of the loudest wailing by a child that I have ever heard, his toe was all nice and numbed up. She cleaned it all up and said that the toenail was just barely hanging on. The skin directly underneath the nail (not really "skin" but that's what I'm going to call it) DOES have a cut in it, so she suggested that we keep the nail where it is, to act as a "bandage" while the layer underneath the nail crusts over to make it's very own barrier. The nail, by then, will fall off on it's own. She taped and bandaged him all up, and we were on our way.

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As far as the break goes, the end of his toe will heal on it's own. The bone will form a new tip, and he'll be just fine. He's only 5, and he's still a growing boy. Not a problem there. Like I said, the toenail WILL fall off eventually, and he'll grow a new one. It might take more than 6 months....but it WILL come back. So for now, it's more gross and painful, than serious.

He is on an antibiotic....just in case. He really doesn't like the taste, but I told him he has to take it, otherwise he'll end up with a toe infection and the entire toe will fall off. He chugged the meds right down when he heard that! :)

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It's hard to keep that boy still. He wants to play and run and ride his bike SO BAD! I'm going to bring him to school and pick him up the rest of the week. I don't want to risk someone on the bus stepping on it!

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SO.....that's that. On a positive note, Pat's Aflac policy just kicked in last week. Just in time!

Easter Weekend

2011-04-25T08:10:00.000-05:00

Friday night was Marshall and Karen's 5th Wedding Anniversary, so we offered to take their kids for the evening so they could get in a well deserved night out!! Charlie is very protective over his Legos, as you can see here.....but he still let Howie play a little bit. :)

So we decided to dye some Easster eggs instead. Peaceful.....

Her smile is hilarious!

Not the color she expected???

The Golden egg!!

After Church on Sunday, we all went over to my parent's house for the annual Easter basket hunt. Beautiful Ellie loves to ride bike!

I didn't take too many pictures at their house....I had to steal this one from my Mom. I can't believe I didn't take one of the kids in their outfits! Anyhew, here they are! Charlie wants to wear his new suit everday. And the girls are loving their matchy matchy dresses!

Later in the afternoon, we headed back home to take advantage of the sunny day! Pat and I raked a TON of leaves and sticks and sucked them up with the leaf vacuum. Then we thought we'd play fetch with the dog for a bit. Here's Pat showing Charlie how to get the dog to sit.

Charlie gives it a try....

There she goes!! (This picture is actually super cool when it's blown up! Ginger is in mid jump!)

Fantastic wind up!

Laughter! I love it!

Not my idea.

Yep, it's cold!

And then......the finale of the weekend. Charlie fell off of an end table, and the table fell onto his foot. I'm debating whether or not to take him in.....I just might. I'll keep you posted. He'll lose his nail for sure...I'm not sure of the status of the rest of the toe though. Holy grossness though...AND painful for him! I'm glad they don't have school today. I can't imagine putting a shoe on would be possible anyway.

Happy Earth Day!

2011-04-22T07:09:00.000-05:00

Happy Earth Day! Charlie made this at school yesterday. I thought it looked pretty cool! Charlie does NOT like people that litter because "They're SLOBS!" I have to agree. Come on people, use your brain.

Lacey turned 20 months old yesterday! She's turning into quite the toddler, and is quickly losing her baby look. Her hair is now longer than Rachel's. Poor Rachel.....her hair is awful to deal with. What a nappy mess! Yesterday we brought the girls' dresses for Uncle Joshie's wedding, into the tailor to be hemmed. SO SO SO CUTE! I can't wait to see the kids all dolled up!

Another crappy weather day. So glad I stocked up on the Vitamin D supplements! I've seen a vast improvment in the kids' behavior after they started taking them. Coincidence? Maybe. Either way, I'm going to continue to give them to them until the weather perks up!

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Gotta head to the store to go buy eggs this morning. Charlie is off from school today, and he wants to dye eggs for Easter. Sounds like a plan to me!

Book vs Movie

2011-04-20T13:04:00.000-05:00

Being a book reader, I seem to get annoyed when they turn them into movies. I don't know why. It's like I feel that the movie watchers cheated to get the information. Does anyone else feel this way? Which do you prefer? Book or movie?

4 months to go!

2011-04-16T12:43:00.000-05:00

The Susan G Komen 3-Day walk is quickly approaching. Only 4 months to go! Our team attended a shoe clinic this morning and we all came out with some fresh new sneakers for the walk. We're starting training walks soon......that is, as soon as the weather starts to cooperate! Good grief...snow in April. ISH!

Anyway, THANK YOU to all of you that have donated to my team so far. I have currently raised more than 30% of my personal goal!! If you would still like to donate, you can click HERE and safely donate online. If you wish to not donate online, there's a donation form that you can print from that same page, and you can go from there.

Thank you again, to all of my supporters! I couldn't do it without you!

Anoka County 4-H 5K Fun Run/Walk

2011-04-15T09:35:00.000-05:00

Anoka County 4-H is organizing their first annual 5K fun run/walk. It'll be held on Saturday May 14th and the event will be taking place in beautiful Bunker Hills Park! Click on the form below for more details. Print off the registration form and send it in, or you can register online at http://www.midwestevents.us/event/1892. Let me know if you have any questions about the event!

Happy Birthday to my Dad!!

2011-04-10T18:14:00.001-05:00

My Dad is 60. Uff dah. It's not that I think that 60 is too terribly old.....it's just that I realize that I am currently four years older that my Dad was in that first picture. Crap. A wise man once told me, "Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer you get to the end, the faster it goes." True....very true. (To view this picture bigger, just click on it.)

And he says we never do anything fun......

2011-04-06T07:35:00.000-05:00

Charlie actually said that recently. Ugghhh....brat. Anyway, I'm a few days late on this post. I'm sure you'll all get over it. :)

On Friday night, Charlie had a fundraiser for 4-H. They sold raffle tickets for moonlight bowling at Ham Lake Lanes. He loves to bowl! He did very well, and even showed off some of his dance moves. Pat taught him everything he knows in that department!! We had a great time. Thank you to everyone that came out to bowl! Our friends Katie and Eric joined in on the fun. It was great to see them again!

Saturday, we brought Charlie to a karate tournament that was held down at the Minneapolis Convention Center. They showed the judges some individual self defense moves.......

The also recieved a score from the judges! :)

Then his group put their headbands on to show the judges their "forms" as a group. I don't have any pictures of the actual forms, since I was running the video camera at that time. Pat was holding Lacey, and didn't want to set her down since there was about 1000 participants, and their families down there....not to mention that there was a boat show going on in the room next door. There was no way we were going to set her down! Aren't the headbands cute? Reminds me of Daniel-son from the Karate Kid movie.

And then they all got trophies! They're huge! They all did a great job.

Charlie is so proud of his new trophy. He came home and polished it up right away. (As if it was dirty in the first place...?)

Sunday, Pat and Charlie worked on sighting in his BB Gun. They set cans up on a log down by the pond, and tried to shoot them down. He's having a little troubles holding the gun up steady enough to hold his target in the sight. I think Pat needs to build him a shooting table. He really seems to enjoy it. I think Pat will have a hunting buddy in no time!

It was back to school for Charlie on Monday. He was out 3 days last week because he was sick. He is currently on some meds to treat a sinus and ear infection. He's perked up so much in the past few days. It's nice to see him back to his normal self. Here's hoping nobody else gets what he had. I'm thinking we're in the clear......but you never know.

Take me out to the ballgame!

2011-04-01T13:56:00.000-05:00

Anyone else super excited that the Canadian Bear Wrestler will be back in the line-up tonight? I am! By the way, he's super delicious. I got myself a new Morneau shirt just for the occasion today. And bonus...we'll be at the bowling alley tonight for a 4-H fundraiser. They have cable there, so we'll be able to watch the game! ROOT ROOT ROOT for the home team!

Dance, Party, Headbands, and Preschool!

2011-03-29T13:27:00.001-05:00

Last Saturday, Rachel had a dance recital at Fridley High School. Here's her little group of 8 that danced away to the song "Love in My Tummy." It's so stinkin' cute! She really wasn't in the mood to dance that day though. Oh well....maybe next time!

Later that same day, we headed over to New Brighton's Eagle's Nest Indoor Playland for our nephew Howie's 4th birthday party. Lacey figured out how to drink out of a juice box. She thought that was great!

Mitch, Rachel, Charlie, and Lacey.

Ellie and Ben.

The birthday boy, Howie, and his pal Riley.

I bought a few headbands from a fundraiser email that I got from a friend of a friend of my sister's. (If that makes any sense). Anyway, here's a couple of the headbands in action. CUTE! CUTE! CUTE!!!

We enrolled Rachel in a 4 week Preschool Express class through our local ECFE program. Here's our pretty little girl heading in for her 2nd session. I had to sweet talk her into wearing a skirt. Evidentally it's not the same as a dress. Good grief!!

We've got Charlie home from school today. He's spiked another random, wierd, fever. 102 last night, and 102.6 this morning. Here's hoping that it goes away soon. He's fairly sad about missing school. He's got big dreams for the future. He told us the other day that he either wants to operate a jackhammer when he grows up, or be the President of the United States. Funny fella.

Charlie funnies

2011-03-27T19:12:00.000-05:00

"I think all that Grammas do is, drink tea, knit, and take naps. And Grampas do the same, except they also chew gum."

3-Day Walk

2011-03-23T07:24:00.003-05:00

This past year, I got a call from my best friend. My friend that I met so many years ago, in Kindergarten. She told me the news that her mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer. I was speechless. The prognosis wasn’t good. I didn’t know what I could do. How can I help? The answer to my questions was very clear. I can make the commitment to walk this year in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk. With a hard fight, and a double mastectomy, she can now call herself a survivor. Not everyone is that fortunate.

This is my first time walking the 3-Day event. It's a lot of miles to walk but I feel so proud and so honored to be a part of such an amazing event. Walking 60 miles in 3 days is nothing compared to having to battle breast cancer. I gladly accept this challenge. Our team (known as the Northern Nippys) makes a return to this year’s walk with some new members. We're going to walk this walk and raise money until that magical year when this event becomes a celebration - the year we find a CURE for breast cancer. We will be walking through the Twin Cities from August 19th through the 21st. As we continue to lose dear friends and family members, and ache with others just being diagnosed, I am more determined than ever to help find a cure before my daughters are old enough to even know what a mammogram is. Therefore, I’m reaching out to absolutely everyone I can think of.

Would you like to know how you can help?

You can walk with the Northern Nippys – We welcome ANYONE who would like to join us. As a first time walker myself, I am excited to be sleeping in a pink tent. I am excited to know the fine dining of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I also am a little excited to become an expert on blister care. And to know, that in the process I’m helping raise millions of dollars for breast cancer research and education. To join our team, go to http://www.the3day.org/, choose Register, select the Twin Cities location, click on Join a Team, and then type in our team name, Northern Nippys.

You can donate to the Northern Nippys -- Without you, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do. The money you donate goes directly to research, education, awareness and services. I have made the commitment to raise $2300 for this walk. I need your help with that part of my commitment. No donation is too small! You can safely donate online at http://www.the3day.org/. From there, you can choose to Donate to a Participant, type my name into the box, and the donation will go to my team. If you prefer to donate by check, you can make the check out to “Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure” and send it to me at the address below. I will attach one of the donation slips and send it to the 3-Day bank! And of course, all donations are tax-deductible.

As I sign off, I would like to remind you to “check your nippys” and make sure the women in your life get regular mammograms. Breast cancer knows no age or gender boundaries. You are your best defense... early detection is the key!

Many Blessings,

Betsy

213 – 217th Ave NW, Oak Grove, MN 55011 763-434-9570

At least he's catching on....

2011-03-20T15:41:00.002-05:00

....to the spelling lessons at school. Even if he only uses his new skills to dish out hate mail to me and Pat when he's mad at us.

Busted is his new word to describe anything foul, wrong, mean, etc. I don't like it and he knows he's not supposed to be saying it. And this toilet talk has GOT TO STOP! I love the circle with the line through it. That's just a good universal sign for NO! And would you look at the muscles that Mr Big Show is ready to bust you up with! HA!

I will not eat green eggs and ham, I will not eat them Sam, I am!

2011-03-17T10:23:00.002-05:00

But....will you eat green pancakes? Of course!

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

Side note: I am a quarter Irish!

Random Find 1

2011-03-14T13:07:00.002-05:00

While on my cleaning excursion last week, I found a set of keys to Pat's old 1988 Cougar XR7. It was a hot ride! Too bad it's long gone. Not that the carseats would have fit very well in it anyway. :)

Everything gets a spot!

2011-03-09T11:18:00.003-06:00

We've lived in our house for 5 1/2 years now, and it's becoming PACKED full of....stuff. Little piles here, little piles there. Next to the overflowing toybox, under the bed, on top of the piano, and every mantle, shelf, table possible. I always thought that I was fairly organized, until I realized all the little piles. I instantly thought, these have all got to go. Everything gets cleaned, and everything gets a spot!

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On Monday, I started in my closet, worked my way through my bathroom, and already had a 13 gallon bag full of....stuff. Stuff I obviously didn't need, since I have no clue where some of it came from. (NOTE: I didn't even go through our clothes yet!). I scoured our bedroom with a fine toothed comb, and scrubbed everything. I tossed things that were un-needed, and made a bag for donations. I then ventured over to the bathroom at the top of the stairs and then made my way into Charlie's room. Bags to donate and toss were soon overflowing. GOOD GRIEF!

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I went through all the kids' toys yesterday, and now all the toyboxes close with ease! YES! And sad, nobody notices that anything is missing. A huge sign that WE HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF.

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Today's project. All the media types of items. Books, movies, CDs, photo albums, and scrapbooks. This 5 foot armoire used to be so full of all of those things, that it could hardley be closed. I had somewhat of an idea of what was in it...but I wasn't totally sure. Once again, I emptied it all out, fixed the broken drawers at the bottom, scrubbed all of the shelves, numbered all of my photo albums, and filled it up! Wierd...I can only fit photo albums in here now. Shows how packed full of stuff and un-organized it was before. All the movies will be transfered into an end table, and all the books will come upstairs into my newly cleaned out nightstand shelf. (NOTE: see the pile of games on top of the armoire? They will be moved soon to the game shelf in the front closet....after I clean that out.) :)

Everything gets a spot. And I've only just begun!

Big Fat Blog Post

2011-03-07T07:59:00.003-06:00

WHEW! It's been a while.

Here's a recap.

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2/21 - My Gramma June passed away at the age of 84. She had fallen ill recently, and was simply too weak to recover. My cousin Selah from Seattle came to Minnesota for the funeral. It was SO NICE to see her again! We don't see each other nearly enough. My sister and her little girl, Annella, also came to Minnesota from Florida for the week, and attended the funeral for Gramma on 3/1. Bonny and Annella stayed at our house. It was great to catch up with her! Thank you to all who sent cards, flowers, and messages of prayers and encouragement. It really means a lot! Thank you!

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2/25 - I brought both girls into the Minute Clinic because they were on again, off again struggling with a fever and just all around "blah-ness". Turns out, they're fine....however, they both have a fair amount of wax in their ears. Gross.

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2/26 - Charlie was supposed to attend a 4-H Day Camp with his friend Megan, but he came down with a 103 degree fever for the day. So, he took up camp on the couch instetad, and layed there and zoned out with his Tylenol and Netflix.

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2/27 - Charlie was feeling a bit better, so we headed to Stars and Strikes Bowling Alley in Wyoming for my sister in law, Karen's, family's annual Bowling Birthday Bash. 2/27 is also Pat's birthday. He's 42 now.....DANG! :)

3/1 - We had my Gramma's funeral in a church out in White Bear Lake. It was wonderful. My parents did a great job of setting everything up! My Gramma had donated her body to the University of Minnesota for studies, so once they're done with their studies, they'll cremate her, and will return her to us. We'll have a private burial at the church's cemetary at that time. Due to the different types of studies they do, they're unsure when she'll be returning to us. It could be up to 18 months though. So....we wait.

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3/2 - I brought Lacey in for her 18 month checkup. She weighs in at 27lbs, 5oz. She's our tall and lean one. Charlie was that weight at 12 months, and Rachel was that weight at 15 months. Lacey is also taller than both of them at 18 months. She falls into the 83rd percentile for weight and 96th percentile for height. The Dr tried flushing out her ears, with little success. I'll be trying an oil type treatment at home, in hopes to soften some of it up, and allowing it to drain on it's own. Here's hoping that works. She wasn't a fan of the Dr digging in there!

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3/2 - My sister and I got Charlie on the bus to school, and headed to the outlet mall in North Branch. We also met up with Bonny's friend Heidi and had a great time snagging up all the good deals. I got a good start on next winter's wardrobe for Charlie. I can't believe the deals I got! Can't go wrong with a long sleeved shirt from OshKosh fo $1.99! SWEET!

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3/3 - Pat and I hosted a going away dinner for Bonny and Annella. My parents and Marshall's family were able to attend. Bonny and Annella headed back to sunny Jacksonville, FL on Friday 3/4.

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3/4 - Pat and I and the kids loaded up the van and trekked up north to Duluth. We went with another couple and their 8yr old daughter. We stayed at the Edgewater Hotel/Waterpark, right on Lake Superior. It was....OK. The hotel sure is not new, and the waterpark was PACKED. There's no way that there was that many people at the hotel. They had to have been letting people in from outside to swim. I can't imagine that the fire marshall would allow that many people in a pool at one time! We did some swimming on Friday night, then went to dinner at Blackwoods across the street. After dinner, we headed to bed.

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3/5 - We decided to putz around Duluth for a while, since it was so nice out. (33 degrees) :) We went to an OmniMax movie - Dinosaurs Alive. Charlie loved it!

We walked around the pier area. It was wierd to see it all iced over. The lake had pushed giant chunks of ice up on shore. That's going to be a wet, muddy, mess in the spring!

There's a little Army Corps of Enginnerring musuem right on the lake. We took a little tour in there. The kids loved "driving the ship". They had fun role playing, and trying to read the maps of the lake.

"Lacey, can you sit for a picture" Answer = no. She was ON THE MOVE! Complete with her crusty little lamb that she drags around with her. Note: Lamb got a bath when we got home....oh how white it is now!

We toured the Glensheen Mansion located on London Road. WOW. What an amazing house! I've never been inside...I've only seen it from the outside. Here's Lacey sitting on the back patio, on the 2nd floor of the mansion, overlooking the lake. Sidenote: In 1908 when it was completed, the total cost of construction was $850,000. That's roughly $32 million in today's dollars. WOW!

We arrived back home yesteray. Whew. That was a long, action packed, two weeks. Charlie is on spring break, and doesn't have school all week. SO....this week's project = to clean out and re-organize all of the cabinets, drawers, and closets in the house. Here's hoping to have several bags of un-needed stuff in the donation pile when I'm done!

8 seconds

2011-02-23T09:25:00.002-06:00

I just love it when Pat puts these crazy ideas into our 5yr old's head. "Hey Charlie, when I was a kid, I used to ride sheep bucks!" Right when he said that, I knew exactly what was going to happen. Now all Charlie talks about is how he's going to ride a sheep buck next time he's at Gramma and Grampa's farm. And so then I get all nervous and start thinking the worst (you know....that he'll be bucked off and stepped on....seems obvious to me).

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The boys took a little weekend adventure to McIntosh last weekend WITHOUT MOM....and so he got to ride a sheep buck. Of course. (I have to admit, he does look pretty cute, saddled up on the sheep though.) :)

It didn't go that well. I'm thinking he won't be signing up for the PBR any time soon. (Mom, that means Professional Bull Riders....not "the other" PBR. Hehehe....). That's Charlie on the far left, after he was bucked off.

Anytime, I'm not around, I recieve very limited details to what exactly happened. This is what I got out of them.
Charlie: Mom, I only stayed on for 2 seconds. Dad said I needed to stay on for 8.

Pat: It's a good thing he didn't get hurt. The buck tossed him right into that barn wall. It could have been worse though, the buck was headed right for that fence made with that jaggity metal.

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Seriously

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

2011-02-16T12:50:00.002-06:00

I muttled through the entire first half of this book while bussing the kids from one activity to the next. I was busy, and a feeling a little overwhelmed with daily tasks. Maybe that's why I wasn't really getting into this read. BUT....the schedule lightened up a bit, right when this book turned interesting. The book was very odd, yes...but yet interesting. I think I read the last 200 pages in a few hours. I couldn't stop. I had to know what happened. I was hooked. And now, of course, I have to read the other two books in this series....just to see. Because that's how I roll. My name is Betsy, and I can't stop reading.

Crazy.Busy.Week!

2011-02-14T10:38:00.005-06:00

Uff dah. That was a busy week. Jam packed with activities and such of all sort. Monday evening, Charlie had karate, and earned his last "stripe", deeming himself worthy of an invitation to the belt test graduation on Friday. More on that to come in a bit...

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Tuesday, Rachel had dance class. She loves it. It's so cute. I can hardley stand it. I video taped her at practice, so she could learn the dance better for her recital that was on Saturday. She watched the video so much over the course of the week, that Charlie now knows it better than she does! More on the recital in a bit.

Wednesday evening, I went to the Church's rental house and helped them with their restoration project. We're getting it all ready, in hopes to get new renters in there soon. Here's hoping! (It needs a LOT of work!)

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Thursday evening, Rachel had a make up session for dance from the previous week when the instructor was out sick. BONUS! Two dance classes this week! She was pumped!

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Friday, the girls and I picked Charlie up at school (which is an event in itself....you feel like you're picking someone up from the airport. They even have staff on the sidewalks vigrorously waving you on, if you even so barely pause for a second to look for your child. "KEEP MOVING!" they shout.) Anyway, we picked him up and headed to the karate studio. Pat met us there after work and we all watched the belt test graduation ceremony. Here's Charlie with two of his fellow Superkids Gold Belts.

And.....then my camera died. Seriously, what is wrong with me???? Anyway, after a quick battery charge at home, and a change of clothes back into his uniform...here he is! Our new Superkids Green Belt! HI-YA!

Saturday morning, I met some of my 5K pals out in North Branch for their annual Freeze Your Bunz run. We had a lot of fun! Not my best race time, but not too bad, considering we were running in the snow. :)

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Pat took Charlie to a 4-H event while I was running, and a friend of ours watched the girls. Not much data in regards to the 4-H deal. All I heard was "it was ok...." Well OK then!

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Saturday night, Rachel had her first dance recital! You think the other two kids would let me get a picture of Rachel by herself? Negative. Oh well....here they all are! Charlie is fully equipped with his "100 glasses" from the 100th day of school that was on Thursday.

The girls all did such a good job! It was really cute! Rachel is the 2nd from the right. I was worried she'd get stage fright. But, she didn't! She smiled the entire time. She has her next show on Saturday March 26th in Fridley. Can't wait!! Here's to another busy week!

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Oh....wait. I'm just making note here that I really really really really want a camera that zooms in further than this. Going to have to look into something. This was one of the only pics that "sort of" turned out. You zoom in all the way, and then it's more sensitive to movement...making the picture blurry. I'm going to have to do some studying. For sure.

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Oh, and we also other events like dentist appts, meetings, Rachel's Early Childhood Screening, and more....but none of that is really that blog worthy. Especially my attitude right now towards the screening process. I'll just keep that to myself for now. :)

Roger that!

2011-02-07T10:33:00.003-06:00

It's nice now that Charlie is a little older, he understands when you're joking, and why things are funny. (Most of the time). While watching a PBS special yesterday, in regards to space travel, NASA, shuttles, and rockets, I said to him, "Hey, why does it seem like there are so many astronauts named Roger?" He stops.....thinks.....smiles....and says, "Roger that, Roger." Then he burst out laughing. Made my day!

A few notes:

2011-02-04T14:25:00.005-06:00

A tax return is the forms that you file. A tax refund is money that you've overpaid to the government, that you may receive back after filing your tax return. I word it like that too: OVERPAID....not "get back". It's not free money...it was yours to begin with. And while we're on that note: a tax refund is foolish, and you should not be overly excited about it. I personally do not think it's wise to let the government have your money all year long. They're making money on your money. They don't pay you interest on it. Try to break even at the end of the year. That's just my two cents on that.

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It's VALENTINE'S Day, not VALENTIME'S Day. If you're 5, I might let it slide. If you're 45....not so much.

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Minivans do not get good gas mileage. Well, I guess it depends on your definition of "good gas mileage". If your previous vehicle was an RV, then yes, a minivan might seem as if it gets "good gas mileage." 16MPG - not "good" if you ask me.

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I'm almost 1/2 way through the book The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and I don't think it's that good. It's alright....maybe it'll get better......we'll see.

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That's enough from Debbie Downer for the day. :)

I'm still here...

2011-01-31T13:18:00.003-06:00

......just busy trying to cram 12 pounds of crap, into an 8 pound head - also trying to cram 35 days of activities in a month that clearly has only 28 days.

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I'll be back after I send out some "simma downs" to some people, and re-work some scheduling.

Pizza!

2011-01-24T08:56:00.003-06:00

We took the kids out for pizza after Church yesterday. We were then reminded as to why we don't take them out to eat. It's just way to difficult.

Pat shared one side of the booth with Rachel, I shared the other side with Charlie, and Lacey was in the high chair on the end.

Pat: Lacey, sit down

Me: Charlie, sit up

Rachel: I want some pop

Pat: You already have some pop

Rachel: I want more

Pat: Drink what you have first, and then you can have more

Charlie: There's no red crayons in the crayon cup

Me: Just use orange

Pat: Lacey, sit down

Rachel: OOPS! I spilled!

Pat: Don't cry Rachel, it's fine

Rachel: BUT POP IS ON MY PAPER!

Me: Here's another piece of paper....don't cry

Charlie: Hey, no fair, she has two pieces of paper

Me: Seriously.....

Pat: Lacey, sit down

Me: Charlie, don't play underneath the table

Rachel: I have to go potty

This went on and on and on and on...we finally ate, and Lacey finally fell out of the high chair onto the floor. Goodness. We're good to go in the resturaunt department for a while.

Activities

2011-01-21T13:03:00.005-06:00

Last Sunday, Charlie and I went to our nephew, Ben's, hockey game. It was played at the arena in Isanti....nice and close to home! He's 7yrs old now, and does great!!! He scored his first goal of the season at that game. Here he is (#22 orange) celebrating after the big goal. What a cute kid!

Charlie is still in karate. He goes every Monday evening, and is nearing the completion of his Superkids gold belt, and will be earning his Superkids green belt soon! I'll post pictures of that after graduation night.

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Charlie also still is involved with a local 4-H club. His club meets 1x/month with the occasional event on the weekends. At the January meeting, the club packed "birthday boxes" for the food shelf. They packed 10 boxes full of everything you'd need for a birthday party. Cake mix, frosting, a small gift, candles, cake decorations, plates, cups, napkins, table decor, invites, and more! It was a great idea, and the kids in the club had a lot of fun with it.

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We enrolled Rachel in a dance class! It's held right in St Francis (only about 5 miles from our house). Her class is for 3 and 4yr olds, and they meet every Tuesday at 5:30 for 30 minutes. There's about 8 little girls in her class, and IT.IS.ADORABLE! It's through a program called Just For Kix. Click HERE to read more about it! Friendly staff, close to home, LOW COST!

We've hit that miserable time of the winter, where it's SO COLD. -35 for the regular temps this morning....even colder with the wind chill. GROSS. It happens every year, and I hate it. Time to find things to do! One of the things Pat wants to do this weekend, is to hit up LegoLand at the Mall of America with Charlie. This will be a fun little outing for the two of them. Charlie will probably, literally, crap his pants with excitement!

I took a little time off from running, but I'm back at it again! My first scheduled 5K of 2011 is on Saturday, February 12th. It'll be chilly....but a good start to the season! It can only get warmer!!

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Lacey's activities are limited to chasing our dog around (who, by the way, has become a major weinie, and will hardley go outside anymore.) I should just buzz her winter coat off, and let her be an indoor dog. Lacey's new word: "UH-PEEEEE" That's Japanese for "puppy." Well, not really Japanese...but that's what we say that her language is....because we can't understand anything she says. I have a feeling it won't be long before she has a 200 word vocabulary! She's a chatterbox!

Banana Cake

2011-01-16T18:19:00.002-06:00

The picture is lame, but the cake is delicious! This recipe is too good not to share. SO....here you go!

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1 yellow cake mix

1 cup water

1/3 cup oil

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

4-5 ripe bananas - smashed

Mix above ingredients together and put into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 340 (not 350) degrees for 30-40 minutes. This totally depends on your oven. I have a gas oven, and mine took close to 40 minutes. Keep checking to see if a toothpick comes out clean. When the toothpick comes out clean, cool completely, before frosting.

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FROSTING:

1 small box INSTANT banana cream pudding

1 1/4 cups milk

8 ounces Cool Whip

Beat dry pudding and milk together until it starts to thicken. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread mixture onto cooled cake.

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OPTIONAL: Add crushed up Heath or Skor bars onto the top of the frosting.

Keep refrigerated.

ENJOY!

Attn: Enginnering Dept at Boeing.....

2011-01-11T09:12:00.003-06:00

....is his too young to apply? :)

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We spent last weekend up at Pat's parent's farm in McIntosh, celebrating Christmas with them. One of Charlie's gifts was a Lego airplane. HE.IS.IN.LOVE.WITH.IT. He carried the box around with him for two days straight, slept with it, and set it on his lap for the entire 5 hour drive home. (We told him that he couldn't open it until we got home).

Over 300 pieces, and 5 hours later.....he got it all together! With only minimal help from us! He is so happy with it.

He even went and found all of his "Lego guys" and set them in all of the passenger seats. Then, he took them all for a ride!

Legos = Very cool toy!

A sandwich is a sandwich, but a Manwich is a meal

2011-01-05T15:29:00.002-06:00

Another new year, another new resolution. Mine: Meal Planning. I'm tired of having to go to the store (er....sending Pat to the store) for 1 more thing, or wondering everyday at 4PM, "Hmmm....what's for dinner?" SO, here's where my super nerdiness comes in. I suddenly think, "AWESOME, I can make a chart on Excel." I made up a meal plan for the next three weeks, then emailed my personal shopper a grocery list. It backfired on me a little bit in the fact that the list was so long, and the cart got too full.....so he couldn't get everything on the list. A little easy re-vamping to my super cool Excel spreadsheet, and we're back in business.

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Yesterday's dinner? Homemade Sloppy Joes (Not Manwich). OR, if you're from the Northland, you can go ahead and call them BBQs. To me, anything that is the category with BBQ, goes onto a grill. But....whatever. Toe-may-toe, Toh-mah-toe.

We had a couple extra dinner guests last night, and they all gobbled them up!

I acquired this recipe from Pat's Mom, and tuned it up to suit our liking. SO easy!! So, to those of you who already have a Flannel Friendly Cookbook, the recipe is on page 28. To those who do not yet have a copy....go buy one. HA! Just kidding. Here it is!

1lb ground beef - browned and drained

To cooked ground beef, add:

1/8 c packed brown sugar

1/8 c mustard

2/3 c ketchup

6 t chili powder

1/4 c water

1/4 c Worcestershire sauce

3 t onion powder

S&P to taste

Mix well; simmer on low for 15-30 minutes. Serve on buns.

ENJOY!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-28T07:46:00.008-06:00

Wow.......the weekend flew by! We kicked off our Christmas celebration on Friday, Christmas Eve. Pat and I, and the kids attended the 5PM service at our Church. The kids were fairly well behaved (WHEW!). Although, at one point during the service, Charlie turns to me and says, "Hey Mom, KNOCK KNOCK." I'm all, "Charlie...not now." :)

We came back after Church, ate a quick dinner, and opened some gifts from me and Pat. NOTE: The gift that Charlie and Rachel are helping Lacey with is THE ABSOLUTE NOISIEST TOY EVER. Come springtime, that'll be an outside toy!

Before bedtime, Charlie went outside to sprinkle some oats and glitter on the driveway. He was hoping that the reindeer would smell the oats, and the glitter would shine brightly in the moonlight. Can't be having Santa miss our house!!!

The kids must have been very good this year....because they got TONS of new toys! Rachel, with her sweet hairdo, shows off her new Cinderella doll.

Lacey got a new bike.

And Charlie....got his "official Red Ryder Carbine Action 200 Shot Range Model Air Rifle, with a compass on the stock and with this thing which tells time." OK....not exactly that same model...but it's a 70th Anniversary Red Ryder BB Gun. Just what he asked for! One of his "chores" around the house, is to crush cans. Now he refuses to crush them, because he "needs" to use them as targets. Oh boy.

LOOK WHAT PAT GOT ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's the Mothership of kitchen tools. I quote Ferris Bueller, "If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up." IT.IS.AWESOME!

On Sunday, we had my Nelson family over for our Christmas celebration. This year was a little extra special, since my sister and her family are in Minnesota for a couple of weeks! Here's an attempt to take a picture of all TEN grandkids! L-R....Tommy (3), Rachel (3), Ellie (4), Evelyn (1), Ben (7), Annella (3mo), Lacey (1), Charlie (5), Howie (3), and Violet (2mo).

Yesterday, the kids and I attended Annella's Baptism. They were able to have a private ceremony yesterday since they weren't doing Baptisms over Christmas weekend. Worked out slick! Annella's Godparents are our brother Marshall, and Ryan's sister Nicole. And I have to add....what a pretty church! I've never seen so many pointsettias in my life! Well, except in that overly huge display of the giant ones at Costco.

Charlie has the week off from school. He goes back on 1/3/11. We'll head to McIntosh to celebrate Christmas with Pat's family over the weekend of 1/8/11.

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Hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

A Christmas list

2010-12-23T08:17:00.004-06:00

Not a top ten list, just a list of ten things, Christmas related.

1. Although I despise the snow, I couldn't imagine Christmas without it.

2. One of my favorite new traditions that Pat and I have started, is having some of the gifts be from us....and we open them up on Christmas Eve night. Pat doesn't like the fat man in the red suit getting ALL the credit. HAHA.

3. Christmas songs I could do without: Aaron Neville's 'Let it Snow', Feliz Navidad - Taco John's style, and anything by Wham or the Chipmunks.

4. My most favorite Christmas song of all time - Oh Holy Night.

5. The Christmas song that is nearing #2 on my list - Neil Diamond's 'Cherry Cherry Christmas'. Pretty clever lyrics. :)

6. Pat and I need a new tree stand for next year......I cannot believe our tree is still vertical after 50 days.

7. It's going to be awesome this year with my entire immediate family together for the first time in a long time! My sister and her family are here from Florida! Our little Nelson family of 6 has quickly exploded into a family of TWENTY! 10 kids, and the oldest is 7. Uff dah.

8. I love getting Christmas cards in the mail! It ranks right up there with waiting for wedding invite RSVP cards. Not sure why it's exciting at all, really....you know who you're getting them from....Oh well. It made the list.

9. There's just something about the "smell" of Christmas. Pine trees, apple cider, cookies.....AHHHHH.......

10. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Church Christmas Program

2010-12-20T07:00:00.003-06:00

Charlie and Rachel had their church Christmas program yesterday. It was pretty cute. For the past 2 months or so, during Sunday School, they had the kids put their costumes on, and they'd take pictures of them in certain scenes. Then they made a slideshow out of most of it. Here was one of the shots. Rachel is the angel 2nd from the right. So sweet..... (Bonny, that's Erin's daughter on the far left.)

All of the kids sat up on the altar without their costumes on, and watched the slideshow. Then after the slideshow was over, they all went and put their costumes on to sing a few songs. Rachel is the short angel in the front, and Charlie is the giant gold star. :)

Rachel grew quickly tired of that, and came back to sit with me, Pat, and Lacey. Nice scratch on her face, huh? She walked right into an open tool box drawer in the garage. OUCH!

All in all, the program was good. And Charlie was THRILLED to not be a sheep again this year!

Box Tops for Education

2010-12-17T13:17:00.002-06:00

Charlie's school is having a contest to see which class can bring in the most Box Tops. If you have any that you're willing to donate to his class, let me know!

For a full list of products that contain Box Tops, click HERE!

Wii fun!

2010-12-16T10:12:00.006-06:00

As many of you already know, Pat bought me (I mean, the family) a Wii for my birthday. It's super fun! I then scored a sweet deal on the Wii Fit package from a friend. Check out some pictures of Rachel doing the hula hoop game. HAHA!!

...and then some downhill skiing. Family fun for everyone!!

A snowy day project

2010-12-11T14:38:00.007-06:00

Charlie made one of these ornaments at 4-H the other night, and I instantly got the idea to make a dozen of these on our own this year! So off to Michaels for some 1/2 price clear, glass, ornament bulbs. Gotta love a sale!

Gather up your helper, and a bunch of acrylic paints in various colors.

Pour a small amount of a couple matching colors into each bulb, and roll the bulb around in your hand to get the paint to coat the inside. NOTE: DO NOT use two dark colors together....they just mix together and turn brown. We mostly used a main color, and white. A couple we did with three colors, but it's starts to lose it's effect when the colors run together.

If you notice a couple clear spots where the paint missed, ball up a paper towel, cap the opening, and give the bulb a shake. That should take care of the clear spot. If not, add a little more paint. ANOTHER NOTE: A little paint goes a long way.

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Tap bulbs to pour out some excess paint, then leave be on a paper towel to dry. If you get some paint on the outside, don't worry. It just wipes off with a wet washrag when it's dry.

When dry, turn upright, and place the caps back on the bulbs. And yes....we (Rachel) broke one.

Finish off the bulb with a matching ribbon and hang from your tree!

As Charlie would say, "Easy peasy, lemon squeezy." Happy Snow Day!

Mumsettia

2010-12-11T06:37:00.002-06:00

Anyone else annoyed at the obnoxious size and quantity of everything at Costco? It's a little unreal sometimes, and did I mention annoying? All I wanted was a pointsettia, and not one that was 3 feet in diameter, and 5 feet high. SO....for the same low, low, price, I settled for a normal sized mumsettia. Quite lovely, actually.

Even though we never sit at our kitchen table, it certainly makes a nice centerpiece for the Lego station. :)

Charlie funnies

2010-12-08T12:07:00.001-06:00

Me: Charlie, guess what we're making for dinner tonight?

Charlie: I give up....what?

Me: It's one of your favorites! Try to guess!

Charlie: Ummmm......fruit snacks?

Seriously.....

15 months

2010-12-08T10:30:00.002-06:00

Lacey had her 15 month checkup the other day. Here's a little comparasion.......

Lacey is 25lbs 13oz, and is 32" long

Rachel was 27lbs, and was 31" long

Drumroll please.............

Charlie was a whopping 32lbs, and was 30 3/4 inches long.

Good lord, he was HUGE! So far, Lacey is our tall and thin one....even though her stats show near the 90th percentile. It'll be neat to see how they all turn out as adults. What if they're all 5' 10"! Craziness. Here's one thing that I found to be odd. I'm certain that Lacey is left handed, just like Charlie! She eats and colors left handed, sucks her left thumb, and also favors her left almost all the time, over her right. Lacey walked at 12 months, and the other two - not till 15 months! She had to keep up with the other two, I am guessing?

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The appointment went well, and she recieved her next round of shots. Her next appointment is at 18 months.

More ornaments

2010-12-06T13:28:00.003-06:00

By far, the classiest ornament on my tree. This post goes out to my sister, who has never *GASP* seen the movie, The Christmas Story. What the hell.

Ornaments continued....

2010-11-30T10:53:00.002-06:00

Here are 3 oldies, but goodies. These used to belong to my Gramma Peterson. When she passed away in 2007, my cousin ended up with a box of her ornaments. At last year's Peterson Holiday Party, my cousin Melinda brought the box, and all of us took a few for our own trees. Here's the 3 that I chose. Nothing too fancy, just simple hand painted glass ornaments. More sentimental than anything. As are most ornaments! That's what I like about them the most. There's usually a story, or meaning, behind them.

Ornaments

2010-11-29T10:26:00.003-06:00

We put up our Christmas tree on Saturday. I love setting it up! To see all of the ornaments again....well....it's like Christmas! Here's one of my favorites. It's a little wooden sled, with my name and 1983, painted on it. I got it from my 1st grade teacher, Miss Miller. The girls got white sleds, and the boys got red sleds. I wonder how many people still have theirs?

Stay tuned for more of my favorite ornaments!

Another Cookbook!

2010-11-26T15:46:00.002-06:00

This time, not for me. WELL, sort of for me....but not really. I headed up a fundraiser project at the preschool, and it's all done! Alphabet Soup, is what it's called, and it has roughly 150 recipes in it. It was a compilation of recipes from the Early Childhood Family Education, Early Childhood Special Education, and Preschool Place 15. It will be for sale at the annual Tot Shop on the evening of 12/3, and they will be sold for $8 per book. All proceeds will be going to the Early Childhood Programs within Independant School District 15. Check out the link below to the article that the Anoka County Union did on the project. Enjoy, and Happy Cooking! :)

http://abcnewspapers.com/2010/11/26/creating-a-tasty-fund-raiser-at-lifelong-learning-center/

Lulu takes a tumble

2010-11-20T21:29:00.002-06:00

Well, actually, we both took a tumble. Thanks to SOMEONE who left a Rescue Hero action figure on the stairs, I tripped while carrying Lacey downstairs on Friday morning, and we went tumbling down about 8 steps! Poor little girl is a bit black and blue in the eye. She looks rough, but is in good spirits.

A different type of recipe

2010-11-17T08:09:00.002-06:00

Laundry soap! OK....I'm no hippie by any means, nor am I all about "going green." Heck, I don't even know what "going green" means. I'm just pumped because this laundry soap actually works...and works well! OH....and it's cheap! Grate 1 bar of Fels Naptha soap, add 1 cup of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda, and 1 cup of Borax. Keep in a covered container. Use two tablespoons per regular load. BAM....done. Awesome.

If you, or your child has sensitive skin, this might work well for you! Also, this mixture is completely safe for all septic systems. It's fantastic!

Quick Update

2010-11-08T10:09:00.002-06:00

Not much going on here. We're all still sick. It's been 18 days straight of YUCK. We all have colds that simply won't go away. Every one of the kids have shared the pukes with each other. Poor Rachel keeps getting it though. Every 4-5 days, she gets it again. Little Lacey is our latest vomit victim. This little girl never sits still....and here she is, lifeless, watching cartoons. (Note: we normally don't have a crib mattress on our living room floor, but I was rearranging furniture, and this is all the further the mattress from a toddler bed got.) Which I'm fine with. "Whatever works" is my motto right now.

Charlie funnies

2010-11-03T11:25:00.002-05:00

"Mom, did you know that LONG LONG LONG time ago, they didn't have seatbelts in cars?"

I thought that was funny. Then when I told him that Gramma and Grampa didn't have a TV when they were little, he looked at me like I was from outer space.

Halloween

2010-11-02T11:04:00.002-05:00

Another Halloween has come and gone. I love Halloween! Fun, silly, times ~ I think that's why I like it so much. Plus, people don't expect much out of you. There's no big meal, no shopping at wee hours of the night for the perfect gift. Just carve a pumpkin, watch some Charlie Brown, dress up in a costume, and go beg for candy. Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy.

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We carved pumpkins at home this year. Here's Charlie and Rachel with the finished product.

The squirrels were spotted out on the front stoop yesterday having some lunch. Not much left of the pumpkins.....

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We went over to my brother Mitch's house for a birthday party for his daughter Evelyn. She turns 1 on the 4th! They had the party be a costume party as well. SUPER fun!! The kids loved it. Here's a handful of the kids around the kitchen table, having their spooky eats!

It all went downhill after that. We went Trick or Treating on Sunday night. About 30 minutes into it, Lacey started crying because....she's Lacey. Rachel started crying because she was cold. And Charlie started crying because he was sick. He got a 24 puke bug that kept him home from school yesterday. Rachel now has it, and is hugging a garbage can as we speak. Lacey is still a grump, since she not only has the nasty cold that all 5 of us have, but she's cutting 4 new teeth. I am not exaggerating when I say that I'm "knee deep in diapers, boogers, and vomit."

What's in your pockets?

2010-10-29T14:07:00.004-05:00

I always have pockets full o' stuff that I've collected throughout the day. Yesterday it was, wrappers, a random nut that goes onto something I've yet to figure out, $.26, four pieces to Hi-Ho-Cherrio, a pair of dice, two hair binders, 2 pretties, and a broken butterfly barrette.

What's in your pockets at the end of the day?

Ever have one of those days.....

2010-10-28T10:04:00.002-05:00

.......when a bottle of nail polish breaks into 1000 pieces at the bottom of a laundry basket (full of clothes), and you don't even really care, because now you can justify throwing out the ugliest pair of comfy pants in your posession (let's face it...they're sweats).

Trip to Jacksonville, Florida

2010-10-24T14:08:00.005-05:00

BUSY WEEK! Early last week, I finished up on a fundraiser cookbook project I was working on for the preschool. Just in the nick of time too. The deadline for sumbission was on the 18th, and I put the entire thing together and got it sent to the printer early morning on the 19th. WHEW!

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Then I packed bags for Pat, Charlie, and Rachel to take off to his parent's farm. They left when Charlie got home from school on Wednesday, and they'll be back later this afternoon. Lacey and I had a different agenda. We took a little trip to Jacksonville, Florida to visit my sister! Her husband is still currently deployed, and won't be back for another month or so. My Mom came with as well, and we had a FANTASTIC TIME! For a link to all the pictures I took, click HERE. Sorry, I posted them this way. There's so many of them, and it would take forever to post them all on here!

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We had an action packed filled week. We headed to the beach one day. Awesome! AND....for extra coolness....guess what road the beach is on? BEACHFRONT AVENUE!

Funny....I didn't know that A1A was really a road.

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We went to an air show on the Naval Base on day. Super neato that we were able to go before it was open to the public. Bonny and her fancy military perks!!

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We brought Tommy to a pumpkin patch one day, and also picked up some mums for Bonny's planters. After we cleaned out all of her bushes/plants/landscaping out front...and added in the pumpkins and mums...it looked great!

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We had a great flight, both ways. (I got a little sick on the way there though...) Embarrasing! Lacey was wonderful on the plane. WHEW....I had visions of her screaming the whole way!

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It's a little hard to go from 85 and sunny, to 55 and cloudy with rain. Booooo......

Oh well though. Home Sweet Home!

Long time, no see!

2010-10-12T19:59:00.002-05:00

Wow, it's been a while! WHOOPS! :)

Been busy as a bee...that's all! Charlie wrapped up his BMX season on Saturday the 2nd. We'll pick up where we left off in the spring with that. They do have an indoor track in Lino Lakes, but from what I've heard, it's pretty intense....and the little fellas might have a tough time. So...we wait till spring. No biggie. He does Karate on Monday nights at a local studio, and is loving it. Ask him to show you some moves....it's cute! He starts a new activity on Thursday. We've enrolled him in a local Anoka County 4-H group. They meet 1x/month, and have the occasional activity on the weekend. I don't have much detail on that yet...since his first meeting isnt' until Thursday. Should be fun though!

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The weather.....WOW....can't beat it! This has been fantastic weather. It almost hit 90 degrees last week! Insane. Love it. Here's a picture of the view out my bedroom window in the fall. Ahhhh.........

The city of Oak Grove FINALLY installed the swingset that I petitioned for. So of course, the kids and I took a walk down to the park and tried them out! I was none too pleased to see that some nitwit kid carved her name in the new cement sidewalk. Way to leave your calling card EMMA! Lame.
Rachel pushed this doll stroller all the way to the park. It's a good 1/2 mile from our house. HA!

Pat and I took the kids to Como Zoo on Sunday. The kids loved it. Charlie yelled to the reindeer, "HEY, TELL SANTA THAT I'D LIKE A REMOTE CONTROL BUZZ LIGHTYEAR AND SOME MORE LEGOS!!" Funny kid.

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My main reason behind the blog slacking, is that I've been putting a lot of time into this Preschool PTO Fundraiser Cookbook that I volunteered myself for. Hours and hours have been spent rallying up recipes from people, and entering them into the system. Only to find out that the company has doubled their processing time and we wouldn't get them in time. I almost barfed. Long story short, and a mega "small world" occurance....we're back up and running. Thank you to Katie Krogstad from Sugarbrooke for referring me to Sadie from Brio Printing! This will work out even better than I had originally planned! YAY!

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Now if I can just get through the next few days........I've really double booked our family - back to back - for quite a few days in a row. Had to be done though.

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I'll be back with more tidbits in a few days!

My inner nerd is really starting to show

2010-10-01T10:14:00.004-05:00

Now that Charlie is in school, he takes home book orders! AWESOME! I found myself lulling over the 4 pack of the Ramona series yesterday. Do I get it? Do I not? Not that the $8 for the 4 books was spendy whatsoever....it's just....really, do I need these?? Probably not. But how fun it'd be to sit down for an hour and read all 4!

Then I got thinking....I wonder what the Babysitter's Club has been up to? A little help from Google, and I see that they have over 200 books in print! WHAT?? I must not have read them all. I better get on that. You know...important thing in life here. :)

As much as I wanted my very own Babysitter's Club, I also longed to attend Sweet Valley High and hang out with the supercool crowd of Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield.

Anyone else with me on this nerdiness??? A "Totally '80s" bookclub would be ideal for me.

Iris

2010-09-28T07:31:00.002-05:00

I've finished my fall gardening project, and I'm left with a TON of iris bulbs. Does anyone want any?? I'm giving them away to anyone who wants any. Almost all of them are purple and white, like the bunch pictured below.

But I do have some in this pink color.....

And some in this purple and purple color.

I didn't keep track of which ones are which, since they are only in bloom in the early summer, and I couldn't remember which were which, by the time I cut them up/back last weekend. SO, you're guess is as good as mine. I DO know, that 95% of them are the purple and white pictured first. SO...let me know if you want any!

Public School Puzzler #1

2010-09-23T16:08:00.003-05:00

If I have to adapt Charlie's daily school snack, to one that is completely "nut free", due to a peanut allergy in the class.....why is it that they are using M&Ms as a counting/learning tool?

Annella Liane Cunz

2010-09-23T09:52:00.002-05:00

Bonny's baby is here! Annella Liane Cunz (Uh Nell Uh - LeeAnn - Koonz) was born this morning at 2:03AM. She weighs in at a healthy 8lbs, 3oz, and is 20" long. I'm sure 1/2 a pound of that 8-3 is her hair! Check it out!!! What a sweet pea, and I can't wait to meet her in October when Lacey and I go to visit!! Well done Bonzo and Ryan!