A T-Rex Named Sue

Our Great Grandma is GREAT!

Come Grandma, walk with me...

Help me be the best kid I can be.

Take me here and take me there...

Show me now how much you care.

The many hours we share together...

Will be the times I'll remember forever. Grandparents hold a special place in our hearts that is for sure. I feel so fortunate to have had so many years to spend with mine. My grandmother is extremely special and the two of us have a unique bond. I have so many fond memories and don't know where I would be without her. We've spent a lot of time together over that last 34 years and tradition has always been important. It brings me joy to see these traditions shared with my children. Of course, a lot has changed over the years, but one thing remains constant...our unconditional love for each other and the entire family. To see her share this love with my children makes my heart so happy. I am so glad that Nolan and Lilly have been able to get to know my grandma and spend time with her too. They get so excited when it's time to go to Grandma's house, ask if Grandma's going to be there, and wonder if the food I am wrapping up is for Grandma?

Nolan and Lilly enjoy going to their Great Grandma's house. While I help her out with miscellaneous household chores, the kids play on her computer, color, and move and play with every stuffed animal in her house. The big, 30 pound bear pictured below is a must see
when you visit. The remote controlled lamp and chair are also highlights for the kids. Lilly absolutely loves to play "wedding day" with her Willow Tree angels that are on her hutch. She stares at Celina and our wedding pictures and acts out fairytale wedding ceremonies with the figurines. We love to eavesdrop while she's busy. Speaking of eavesdropping, I love to listen to my kids visit with my Grandma. The conversation is always so innocent. They always have a lot to share with her. I can tell that my grandma is impressed by their knowledge and it pleases me to hear her share words of wisdom with them. I can't help but smile when I am listening to the three of them visit. Lilly and Nolan have learned a lot from my grandma during these conversations. Using good manners, faith, angels, treats, and my childhood days,
are a few of the topics that have sparked their interest. My grandma has taught me a lot about life too. We love her more than words can express and think she's really the greatest Great-Grandma in the world.!
And when I say my prayers at night,
I ask God to hold her tight,
Cause when it comes to giving hugs,
My grandma's arms are filled with love!

GoBbLe!!! gObBLe!!!

Our family celebrated Thanksgiving w/ Mike's mom's side of the family this year. We all gathered at St. Augustine's Church in St. Cloud. Their side of the family is rather large, and because Mike's uncle (Father Jerry) is a priest they have access to churches for their reunion style gatherings. This was their 25th Thanksgiving Day feast!
Over 60 family members were able to come this year and this made the whole family happy. Coloring sheets, a gym full of balls, and the annual white elephant prize drawing kept the kids entertained. Lilly enjoyed coloring with her Uncle Rick, while Nolan and Ben wore off their turkey dinners in the gym.

Everyone won a prize before going home. Nolan was a lucky winner. A Harry Potter hat, large pencil, and Sabre paw mittens were things he chose to take home. Lilly has been talking about the drawing since we left. She still can't believe "everyone" won something. She even asked if the kitchen helpers were winners too. I had to smile and tell her that those "kitchen helpers" were part of the family. :) She came home with a Snoopy dog, light-up wand, and a mini nativity set. Mike told the kids that he remembers winning prizes when he was little too. It was a highlight for him then and continues to be a fun tradition for everyone.

Lilly and I enjoyed visiting with everyone. Mike was happy to see his aunts, uncles and cousins too. My grandma joined us as well...she couldn't be happier about the family I married in to. Even though there were so many people present, you felt like you belonged.

The magic of a turkey dinner!

I know Mike felt thankful for his nap, cuddle time with his daughter,

and a wonderful afternoon with his family.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I Am Still Counting My Blessings...

Many of you may remember me journaling about how blessed I was/am last Thanksgiving... well, here I go again:

It’s a pleasure for me to be able to write this Thanksgiving letter. I truly love the season and the Thanksgiving holiday. We all have so many things to be thankful for. It makes me stop to think about all the good things in my life. Here are the things I am thankful for (with a new little twist) and why they mean so much to me:

T- Treats
I love to eat sweets. Chocolate, chips, pretzels, Dt. Coke,…you name it, I LOVE it! I love to give people treats (or surprises). It is fun to see others smile and feel grateful. I also love when people surprise me with treats.

H- Home
I am thankful for our new home. It is a place where my family can spend quality time with each other. Things worked out perfectly for us and I am so glad that we ended up where we did.

A- Amazing Career
I am thankful for my job. Teaching allows me to be creative and sometimes silly. Most days don’t even feel like “work”, because I LOVE what I do. Spending time with my students and seeing them grow is very rewarding.

N- Nice Family and Friends
I am thankful for the fun times I have with my family and friends. They listen to me, cheer me up, and make me laugh. I can always count on their unconditional love and support.

K- Kids
Nolan and Lilly mean the world to me. Life would be rather dull without them around. Their constant energy and love for life keeps me going. Their hugs, kisses, and tender words give me warm fuzzies.

S- Saturday and Sunday
I LOVE the weekend! It is a time to get re-energized, reorganized, and have some fun with my family and friends. It is also a time for me to enjoy my hobbies such as shopping, scrapbooking, blogging, running, and reading.

G- Grandparents
Not only am I thankful for my own grandparents, but I am ever so grateful for my children’s grandparents (a.k.a. my parents). They bring us so much happiness. We love to spend time with them. Many new memories are made each time we’re together.

I- Intelligence
I am so glad that we are able to learn new things everyday. The world is such an interesting place. I am thankful for the knowledge I can acquire through books and the computer.

V- Vacations
There is nothing better than being able to get away from all the stressors in life. It is the one time I can set everything aside and truly relax. Vacations also allow Mike and me to reconnect.

I- Incredible Husband
My husband is a wonderful father and friend. He is always supportive, encouraging, and loving…to our whole family.

N- Nieces and Nephews
Being an aunt has brought me a lot of joy. It is fun to spend time with them. (Nolan and Lilly also like to spend time with their cousins.)

G- God
God has provided me with all the blessings in my life. I can’t even begin to thank Him for everything He’s given me. I have true happiness in my life because of my faith…and for that I am extremely thankful.

When life isn't perfect, I need to remember to think about all the good things in my life. We can be thankful all year long! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

P.S. Lilly has recently taken up photography...I want to thank her for snapping a photo of me for this entry. Could there possibly be another scrapbooker in the family?!

Shop 'Til You Drop!

It looks like this has become an annual shopping trip for the four of us. Jen, Kim, Denell, and I left town early Saturday morning for a weekend full of shopping, food, girl conversation, laughter, and fun. We started out at the IKEA store in Bloomington. After shopping close to three hours and packing my car to the halfway point, we headed to

Arbor Lakes for some outdoor shopping. It was a beautiful night to walk and shop the various shops in Arbor Lakes. We managed to stay on our feet until closing time (9:00PM) and then headed to the

Olive Garden for a nice "SIT DOWN" meal.

Dinner was a blast. Great food, wonderful conversation, and tons of belly laughs.

On Sunday morning, we continued to shop and scored many good deals. Marshalls, DSW Shoe Warehouse, and the Outlet Mall in Albertville were happy to see us! We managed to fill my car to the brim before returning to Sartell...just in time for dinner with our families.

It was a wonderful weekend.

Shop 'Til You Drop!

or

until you run out of car space!

We are contemplating a van or even a trailer for next year's trip. :)

Someday You'll Be Able to Laugh @ This!

Dear Lilly~
I have a confession to make...Your mom is a bit of a nerd. I know this might come as a shock to you, but I LOVED school. I especially loved the start of it, with new clothes, new school supplies, a new backpack, and mostly, the anticipation of learning new things. You on the other hand, are not loving it so much. The start of the school year has been hard on you...and quite honestly, me! I guess I assumed it would be as exciting for you as it was for me, but am sad to proclaim that it's not. Each morning, you get teary eyed when it's time to go. You cling to me when I drop you off, and ask how long will it be until you get picked up. It saddens me, but yet we keep encouraging you.
Your daddy and I have talked a lot about this...asking ourselves if you're too young, what could we be doing different, and is this really the best for you?? We know that children your age can have separation anxiety and honestly think that it's mostly likely that. Tears have also been shed at dance class, daycare, and Sunday School. We keep praying that this will soon pass. We hope it's a phase and in a month or so you'll be over this bridge. Well, it's taken a little longer than we thought. I was really sad to see your school picture come home in your backpack. A true reflection of your feelings right there in front of me...poor Lilly. How long is it going to take for you to feel that same LOVE I felt?

We know that you're a bright little girl who loves to be around others, likes to be creative, enjoys playing, singing, and coloring...so, why?? These early years are so important. We want this to be a positive experience for you, so that you can see how much fun it is to go to school.

2 1/2 months later...

(Picture Retake Day!)

Well little Lilly, you've done a 180 since the beginning of the year. You're cheering about the fact that you have to go to school in the morning, the night before! You're waking up with a smile on your face. Your teacher had a lot of positive things to say about you at conferences this week and she is so happy to see your smiling face each day! There is so much for you to learn. All I can wish for you is to light that fire of knowledge. May you find joy in learning. All the important stuff will come because of it. So, if you happen to become a bit of a nerd, just know that it would make me proud!

P.S. I have both picture packets for your keepsake book...someday, you'll laugh at this.
Love you~
Mom

Welcome to Our Home

Make a Smilebox slideshow

We'd like to thank everyone for coming. Unfortunately, some of our dear friends were not able to join us due to trips, the hunting season, and the Sabre Championship football game...you were missed. We are looking forward to many more celebrations in our home. We feel blessed to have such a wonderful family and group of friends in our lives. We are happy to be settled and are enjoying our new home. You are always welcome here...stop by anytime!

I Am Lilly

Make a Smilebox slideshow

On the way home from daycare today Lilly started listing off all the roles she plays. She told me she was not only Lilly, but also a sister, my daughter, a friend, a girl, a granddaughter, a preschooler, a three year old, a helper, a dancer, and a silly goose. I couldn't believe the number of things she thought of. I want you to know Lilly, that your mom and dad also think you're very special and truly loved!

Trick or Treat

Halloween Night~ October 31st, 2009

Kids in Costume.

Full of Excitement!
They're ready for a night on the town.

Wand in hand.

Weather is tolerable.

Light Saber to guide us in the dark.

Hand over the candy, and no one will get hurt.
Thank-you!

Great friends to share the night with.

Ryan (4), Colin (6), Nolan (5), Maggie (6), Molly (4), Lilly (3), and Ellie (4)

The motherload...nothing beats a bucket full of candy in Lilly's book!

Nolan had a lot of fun counting and sorting his stash. Having him tell me, that he's organzied made me smile. Yes son, that is my kind of organization...and something I did as a child too. :)

It was a Happy Halloween!

The Story of Jack & Jill

Jack and Jill started as ordinary pumpkins. They rode home in the back of our car after being picked from the Shady Hallow Pumpkin Patch in St. Augusta. Nolan knew that this pumpkin was the right one and immediately fell in love with its smooth skin and bright orange color. Lilly picked a smaller one and was happy with the fact that it wasn't too heavy for her to carry. Jack & Jill made great front step decorations for the two weeks they lived here with us, but were ready to get out of the cold and come to life on the night before Halloween. Nolan ever so carefully rolled his in off of the front step and into the kitchen for carving. Both children set to work and enjoyed cutting and digging out the seeds. It has always been my job to cut the faces, while Mike bakes the pumpkin seeds. By the end of the night, our pumpkins had personality. We lit them, put them back outside, and came in to enjoy a bowl of warm, yummy pumpkin seeds. The End