Play Dates

We've had several play dates in the last few weeks.  What fun to get together with our friends!  We are so blessed that there are so many little friends for Pinky to grow up with! 

It's interesting to watch Pinky "interact" (or maybe it's "react") to other kids in our home.  Of course she's used to her cousins coming over to play . . . but not so much kids her own age.  Already, she demonstrates the "need" to play with a particular toy AFTER someone else has chosen it is their own entertainment!  Obviously we need to work on sharing!  HA!  It's also funny to see her reaction when I pick up someone that isn't her.   (She doesn't think it's quite so funny!)

Needless to say, it's been wonderful to have company!  Fun to see all of her new toys being played with!  Books being read.  Fun to see all of her little friends growing like weeds, just like she is!  Not to mention how fun it is for me to spend time with their awesome moms!  :)


We love books!

Do you want a piece of cake?

Fellow co-workers and our 3 girls born in 2010!  And the "big kids"! 

Sharing some bling!

They sure are cute, but gone are the days
we could get them all to sit nicely for a picture!

Are you sure you have to go home? 

Sledding with my cousins! 

Learning to share

Two nights this week, I had to work late.  This is a rare occurrence for me.  I know not many working moms would feel sorry for me.  I confess, I am usually able to leave work about 3:30.  There are days I can stop at the store and still pick Pinky up by 4:00.  I love this part of my job!

Two days this week, I didn't get to Pinky until 5:30 or later.  I don't know how others do it.  I absolutely dread the days I have to work late.  I cherish every last minute with Pinky.  I live for the evenings and weekends with my girl!  And the guilt I feel when I am not with her can take my breath away at times. 

Last spring when Pinky was about 8 weeks old, her auntie Carman was holding her and asked me if I wanted her back.  My response:  "I always want her . . . but I am learning to share!" 

This hasn't changed.  I want to be with her all of the time.  I want to be the one that changes her diaper, gets her dressed, reads her stories, comforts her, plays with her, laughs with her, and rocks her to bed at night!  I do.  I am selfish that way.  I'm still learning to share I guess. 

Fortunately for me, I have wonderful people to share her with.  Of course I have to share her with her daddy!  And her grandparents couldn't love her more.  Her aunties ask for time with her.  The women who care for her at daycare every day couldn't take better care of her.  This is a good thing!  This is such a blessing! 

That doesn't mean it's easy.  That doesn't make days like today go any faster.  However, days like today force me to share! 

Oct. 2010

Birthday Girl!

We have a Birthday girl in the house this week. 

I can't believe how fast the year has gone and how big she is! 

Ready to party!



YUMMY! 

I can't help but think about all of the fun we have had getting to know our little girl in the last 365 days!  She still loves her nuk and snuggling with soft things.  She's still a mover and a shaker, only now we can add climber and escaper to the list!  She still loves to eat and can now sign "more" to let us know she's not done.  Books are one of her favorites right now, but she also enjoys wooden spoons, baby dolls and teddy bears, and playing peak-a-boo!   Her smile continues to light up the room and our lives!

Here's a little look at Pinky's first year:

Pinky's first birthday (1-10-10)



Baptism day, March 2010

Happy Easter

4 months old

1st trip to the lake, May 2010

Sidney Montana, June 2010

Little Farm Girl, July 2010

Beach Babe, August, 2010

Our little pumpkin, Oct. 2010

1st Halloween, Oct. 2010

December 2010

Christmas Morning, Dec. 2010

Happy Birthday, my sweet girl! 
May you always know how beautiful you are and how much you are loved! 



Happy New Year!

What a difference a year makes . . . We really felt that this Christmas! 

Christmas 2009:
We stayed in Fargo for Christmas . . . waiting, as patiently as we could, for Pinky to arrive.  It was one of the few Christmases neither of us were home with our families and it was hard.  My sister and her family were here in town, but their house was full of change, as she had just arrived home with their oldest daughter, and were adjusting to life as a family of 7.

My parents and brother celebrated with a few family and friends, but for the most part, it was a pretty quiet Christmas on the farm.  And Cory's family was also scattered about.  A snowstorm hit the state and kept us all close to home, but far apart, Christmas Day.  Not at all what we are used to at Christmas.

My family was finally together for New Year's, when we celebrated a belated Christmas.  But first, my mom had to undergo her final chemo treatment New Year's Eve morning.  We joked that she had her New Year's "cocktail" early . . . but in all honesty, it was a huge (HUGE) day for us after a long fall of surgery, chemo, and doctor appointments!

On New Year's Eve, after the kids were in bed and the clock had struck 12 . . . we sat around and shared our "highs" and "lows" of 2009.  Our highs were high in 2009, but our lows were low . . . and for the most part, we were ready to start a new year . . . with hope for a healthy and happy 2010! 

Christmas, 2010:
We were ALL HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!  And it was wonderful!  My family was all together on Christmas Eve.  We enjoyed candlelight service together, although this year I didn't light my candle . . . It's not safe with an 11-month-old!  Cory's family celebrated Christmas Day . . . and both of his grandmas were with us!  The 26th, we were all at the farm for a sledding and early birthday party for Pinky.  And for the next week, we enjoyed our time with our families (with the exception of the days the stomach flu hit!).  We listened to our favorite Christmas CDs, played games, watched movies, played in the snow, ate our favorite holiday treats and drank lots of "snowman soup" and  pots and pots of coffee.  It was wonderful!

New Year's Eve, we celebrated my mom's 60th birthday at the farm with friends.  It was a "super" night . . . celebrated "super hero" style.  We ate "super foods", drank "wonder"-ful drinks, dressed in our own unique "super hero" style, and laughed the night away!  One of my nephews declared the party "awesome"! 

At the end of the night . . . or beginning of the morning . . . we sat around and once again shared our highs and lows of 2010.  Our lows were low, but didn't feel as low as they had a year ago.  And our highs felt even higher.  Ours of course was the birth of Pinky . . . and every day since has been one high after another.  She is a joy . . . and it was an absolute JOY celebrating her first Christmas with our families!

God has truly blessed us in 2010.  We look forward to many highs in 2011 . . . and know God will help us through any lows that may come our way.

Happy New Year!

Grandma and Grandpa with the kids in Church Christmas Eve.

Pinky snuggling with Grandpa GB and Grandma Margo

An early birthday party for Pinky

Happy New Year & Happy Birthday Grandma Karen! 

Snow fun!  (This is shortly before Pinky fell asleep in her sled!)

First time in the hay loft

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

We've had a busy and exciting week getting ready for Christmas and enjoying the season. 

• Meatball dinner and Christmas musical at church
• A visit with Santa at Microsoft's Holiday Family Night
• Sledding with nieces and nephew, followed by steaming cups of snowman soup
• Listening to our favorite Christmas songs!  (Pinky loves Jingle Bells!)
• Packing, wrapping and preparing for Christmas!

 

"Who's got a beard that's long and white?" 



Making an ornament
with Auntie Beret.






Helping mom wrap presents



A fun afternoon sledding!  The kids had so much fun with Uncle Cory!!!



Ready for church!





Watching "Christmas Shoes"
with Great-Great Aunt Marge!







What would Christmas be without a few holiday lights?

As you can see, our neighbors kind of get into this!

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas

and a multitude of blessings in 2011!  



Christmas Past

We spent the afternoon decorating for Christmas.  With an almost 11-month old, we modified our decorating a bit this year.  I spent a whopping $4 at the dollar store on plastic ornaments for the tree.  So, instead of the cherished ornaments, we primarily have cheap plastic ornaments hanging on the tree this year . . . but it's still beautiful! (Especially all lit up in the living room this evening!)

Part of the fun of decorating for Christmas isn't that we are decorating for the Christmas to come . . . but we are filling our home with treasures of Christmas past!

Our nativity is carefully placed in the stable my grandpa Carl made for my mom many years ago.  She gave it to me as a home for the nativity she also gave to me!

Our tree is skirted with the tree skirt my grandma Bella made and used for as long as I can remember when I was growing up!  I inherited the hand-made treasure in college when my roommate, Amy, and I had our first tree! 

In addition to the dollar store ornaments hanging on the tree are ornaments from Cory's mom and grandma Deloris.  It wouldn't be Christmas without these special gifts included on the tree!  Of course I only hung the ones that aren't breakable this year!

On our quilt rack is the winter quilt my grandma Eunice and I made together the winter after my grandpa Ellsworth past away.  I spent 3 days with my grandma that winter break making the quilt.  It was a difficult couple of days, as it was the first anniversary of grandpa's passing.  But it was also one of my most treasured times with my grandma.  I didn't get her to myself very often growing up . . . and even in my 20s it was priceless!  What a blessing to have the quilt as a reminder of that time with my grandma! 

As we surround ourselves with these treasures from Christmas past, we anticipate Pinky's first Christmas!  And we look forward to including these treasures in our Christmas traditions for years to come . . . with the exception of the dollar store ornaments of course!  :)



Pinky opening her first Christmas present!
Thanks, Aunt Sharon! 



"My first Christmas" 2010!



We bought this for "Pinky" last year
and hid it in the back of the tree because
no one knew her name yet!  :)



 

Ham Sandwiches

Tis the season . . . for decorating, baking, caroling, shopping and bell-ringing!  Have you heard them?  The Salvation Army Bell Ringers?  I rushed past one at the grocery store today . . . I'm sure most of us have done it several times already this year.  As I did so, I was reminded of the following words I sent in an email April 6th, 2009.  (If you remember, the Red River Valley was experiencing a record-breaking flood at that time.  We were sending email-updates frequently.  This was one.)

 

For weeks, Beret has been waiting for a ham sandwich from the Salvation Army . . . the kind you'd never make for yourself . . . ham and cheese between two slices of buttered white bread, wrapped in a sandwich bag and made by volunteers whose gift in these situations is found in the kitchen!  Most us had one after a night of sand-bagging weeks ago . . . I'm not why Beret passed them up, but she did and has been waiting for another chance ever since.

 

Yesterday afternoon, Cory, Beret, Jason and I got to see what happens when your house isn't on the safe side of the dirt levies and your sandbags don't hold.  George, age 77, and his wife live in a community  just south of Fargo.  They have a beautiful riverfront home which George had helped build.  Yesterday, we helped with the jobs that need to be done before he gets to rebuild . . . His basement had been filled with river water all the way to the ceiling of the basement (but fortunately didn't reach the 1st floor).  In fact when we took out the light fixtures in his basement, water poured out of them.  Not just any water. . . yucky Red River water . . . and they don't call it the Red River for nothing . . . this isn't your beautiful mountain fed crystal blue water running through Fargo . . . It's dirty and stinky!

 

After sending the water soaked carpet through the basement window, we used flat edged shovels to scrape carpet pads off the cement floor.  We used our rubber boots to kick holes in the sheet rock before we ripped it off the walls.  We used garbage cans and Rubbermaid totes to carry load after load of disintegrating sheet rock out of the basement.  These are jobs that need to be done and need to be done quickly to prevent mold from growing . . . and before the next crest.  These are not fun jobs.  There's very little hope in the devestation we were surrounded by, and we know others are much worse off than George.

 

We'd been working for maybe 2 or 3 hours when the guys came downstairs and said "The Salvation Army is here if anyone wants some hot chocolate or coffee"  . . . You know where this story is going . . . they also had HAM SANDWICHES!  And they were delicious!!!

 

Many people have been wondering what can be done . . . and I beg of you to keep praying!  A second crest is still predicted.  Today I saw the National Weather Service has stated there is a 90% chance the second crest will reach 40 feet or more.  That means it is quite possible we will break the record we set last week . . . and we'll need to "re-sandbag" for George and many others like him.  For many, it feels like half-time of a really bad game, as we wait for the 2nd crest.  For others, they reached their overtime days ago and are faced with more than many of us can even imagine.  People are tired and trying to find strength and hope to go through this again.  Your prayers are not unheard and we need every last one of them!

 

I also ask that you consider making a donation to the Salvation Army, who is still delivering ham sandwiches, and most likely will be doing so for weeks to come in the Fargo community!  Whether the money goes to the Red River Valley, or your own community, there are thousands of people who benefit from their presence every day!  Yesterday it was the 4 of us, standing outside George's beautiful home, drinking hot chocolate and eating ham sandwiches.