Very exciting news . . . .

or potential news . . . . for Dan's division 3 college reffing crew: if Mount Union (Ohio) defeats Wheaton College (Illinois) on Saturday, Dan's crew just found out they will be the officiating crew for the 2008 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl in Salem, Virginia on December 20, 2008. The Stagg Bowl is the national championship for the division 3 football!

It will be broadcast on ESPN2 at 10:00am CT.

I know nothing about either team, but GO MOUNT UNION!!!

Happy Birthday Emily!

It's hard to believe that 4 years ago, Emily was born . . . time flies!
Here's a recap of Emily on her birthday:
I look back at this picture from when she was born and can't believe that she was that little when she was born. She was born 6 weeks premature and still weighed in at 6lbs 13 ozs. She would have been a jumbo baby, just like her brother if she'd arrived on her due date!

These are a few of my favorite things. . .

With the Christmas season in full swing, I have to share a few of my favorite things. Candy cane Joe-Joe's are so delicious, if you have never had one get to Trader Joe's STAT and get yourself a box and maybe a separate box for your loved ones at home or sitting in the cart wondering what they are. Cranberry Lime Sierra Mist really needs no explanation. It isn't available in enough places and in cans in diet form. Ugh, but I'll take what I can get. Love it.
Chocolate crinkle cookies, delicious! and my beautiful vintage Rudolph cookie jar. The December that Emily was born our next door neighbor was nearing the end of his battle with cancer. He gave me that cookie jar as a thank you for taking him to the ER in the middle of the night and staying there with him (while I had a 3 week old newborn at home). I love this cookie jar and even though he was a crabby man, I have fond memories of him when I look at it.








We haven't put out tree up yet, but will sometime this weekend. But first, we've got a birthday party to throw for the birthday girl!!!

Thankful

We had a really great Thanksgiving weekend. On Thursday we drove up to Larsmont, a couple of miles south of Two Harbors.





We hit the road around 10am on Thanksgiving Day and got there a little after 1pm. We had to stop for lunch in Hinkley and there was NOTHING open. Louie was ready to get the heck out of dodge. He found these beach sunglasses and didn't take them off the whole way there. He loves wearing them.


We had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with my mom, and all of the Tapio's. Elsie and Melvin were leaving on Saturday for Texas, it was nice to see them before they go. Emily was sitting down next to her Auntie M and learned the proper way to eat olives.

On Friday, the Tapio's went to El and Mel's place to celebrate Christmas. While they were gone, the cookie baking began. I think we baked a total of 125 dozen cookies on Friday and Saturday. CRAZY!

Before we left on Sunday afternoon, I walked down to the lake and took a few pictures. This picture is straight out of the camera. It was pretty cool.

We put up out Christmas lights before we left, it was nice to come home to them on, the house looked so nice.

Last night, "Shrek the Halls" was on. Our kids LOVE Shrek, we don't watch it too much because there was a lot of "shut up donkey" being yelled in our house . . . but Louie had to wear his glasses while he watched it.

We're getting ready for cookie decorating with my friends from St. Kate's on Saturday. It was so much fun last year.
Then we have Emily's birthday party at Grandma's house on Sunday. Another busy week!

Busy weekend . . .

My photography class is going great! I love it! We didn't even talk about anything technical last week, but there were some great questions by others on the Q&A board that prompted me to try some new things. . . . amazing!!! my indoor photos don't look like we live in a home of chain smokers anymore. I can't even believe that one little touch of a button could change the total appearance of a picture. I also figured out how to take a picture with our new lens and not need a flash, also make a huge difference.
We're starting on photo composition this week. Can't wait. My CF card reader isn't working so I don't have any pictures to post right now. Hopefully, tonight I'll have some.
Emily and I made cookie dough all day on Saturday. We made six different batches of dough. She stood on her chair and helped me. It was funny, she kept telling me that she needed to take a taste? I'm not big on cookie dough, wonder where she gets that from . . .
She is too funny with some of the stuff that she comes up with. Yesterday, Ted went outside while we were having breakfast. I said, it's so cold outside he's going to freeze out there. Emily said "Teddy is going to freeze his berries and they'll fall off, his nuts and berries will freeze."
I burst out laughing. Remembering that I had told Ted the day earlier (when I thought no one was listening) to hurry up outside or he'd freeze his heiny.
Also on the agenda yesterday, get the outside lights up! It wasn't really cold yesterday so it was tolerable. Dan and I got everything done. I took a picture and they look great! I'll try and post that later too.

Today is the day!

The Photographers' Workshop begins today!
I'm sure you figured that out, since the countdown timer is complete. Of course, Blogger won't cooperate and let me delete it from our blog, so you get to look at it until I can get that fixed.
I have been anxiously awaiting the start of the class. I'm certain that you'll notice an immediate improvement in the quality of my photos! (wink)

Yesterday, we celebrated Dan's birthday. Emily and Louie went upstairs and woke him up (he had a bad cold all weekend) and screamed "happy birthday" in his ear. They were very excited to celebrate. We had a Butter Braid for breakfast. I would have taken pix, but you don't need to see the bathrobe that I sort of regret giving to him for Christmas a few years back. Let's just say that he LOVES to wear it when he's not feeling well . . .
The kids and I spent a good part of the morning outside getting all the assorted winter greens in the urn on the front step and in the window boxes. They look so nice and ready for winter. I love getting ready for Christmas decorating. We'll put the lights out next weekend . . . can't wait!
Later in the afternoon, we went to the annual remembrance service at Assumption. It is held to remember all in the parish who have died in the last year. It was a lovely service. Of course, I got sad and emotional when my Dad's name was read. That moment was overshadowed by Louie's blabbering on and on. He got all worked up when the name "Thomas (blah blah)" was read. The kid has a one track mind and every track leads to Thomas the Tank Engine. He kept going on and on (loudly) "Thomas, he's a really useful engine. Where's my James??" You get the idea.
After that, we went to Fabulous Fern's and had dinner to celebrate Dan's birthday. The two Grandma's were there. It was really nice and the food was delicious, as usual. Dan had butternut squash ravioli with nutmeg and garlic cream sauce. That was truly heaven in a big bowl. I didn't order it, good thing. I probably would have licked out the bowl. It was so delicious!
Tune in later for updates on the photography class . . .

Happy 40th Uncle Paul!

We went to Uncle Paul's 40th birthday party tonight. It was a fun party. Here's Paul with his two girls and the beloved son, Lorenzo!
Emily and Louie loved playing with the other kids and with Mike. He played catch with Emmy and Louie and they talked about it all the way home and into bed.
Emily also gave a demonstration of her sommersaults. I don't know where she learned how to do that? but she was pretty proud of herself. Louie wants to learn how to do one tomorrow.

It never ends . . .

I just got and e-mail from my mom about Cec, her best friend. They have been friends since they were little girls and have gone to school together their whole lives. They shared their first apartment together out of college when they were both teachers in Hastings. She's been there for my mom through everything in the last 33 years with my Dad and all his cancer treatments, surgeries and hospitalizations.
Anyhow, Cec went in for her routine mamogram three weeks ago. There was a lump and so the normal procedures were gone through. MRI, lumpectomy and ultimately a double mastectomy last Friday. She and her family felt good about everything, as the surgeon told them it appeared that the cancer hadn't spread to her lymph nodes.
Yesterday, she went in for her post op appointment and the pathology came back that it had in fact spread. She is now facing an extensive course of chemotherapy, etc.
If you're reading this, say an extra prayer for her. Cec is one of the kindest, most generous and geniune people that I know (one of the funniest ladies I know as well). I also feel for my mom, she is in the middle of the grieving process for my Dad and now this!

Only one more week!!!

There's only one more week before my photography class starts and I can hardly wait!
It's a nine week course called The Photographers' Workshop . . .
I don't have any plans on making a career out of photography, but I do love to take pictures and scrapbook. The two go hand in hand. I've scrapbooked too many "bad" pictures and want to have nice photos to look back at.

Yesterday, we went to a "Sip and See" out at the Wenzel's house in Lakeland Township. There were lots of kids there and a whole room downstairs full of kids toys. Emily and Louie both had a great time playing with the other kids and all the toys. The party was for friends and family to meet Charlotte. She has really changed since arriving here in Minnesota. She is very mobil and loved to watch all the other kids. It was so different to be around a child that is so quiet . . .
We had a good time! Everyone was exhausted when we got home last night.

What a week!

I guess the best part of the week, the political ads are FINALLY done and we're all on the mend at our house.

Emily went to the doctor on Tuesday to get some antibiotics for her minor ear infection . . . we're hoping the they also combat the upper respitory infection that she clearly has. She's got a terrible cough.

We also had conferences at her school. We met with all four of her teachers and got an excellent report on her progress. They have see her improve since last spring tremendously! We were so glad to hear all the good things that they have to say about her. She loves school and they love having her there everyday.

We had a great time on Halloween and now Emily and Louie want to trick or treat every night.




As soon as it starts getting dark out, Emily thinks that it is time to go trick or treating.

Right now, Emily and Louie are having a conversation about which Backyardigan they are . . .

Emily: I'm Tasha

Louie: You not Tasha, you Niqua

Emily: I'm not Tyrone, you're Tyrone.

Louie: You have Pink, you Niqua and I'm Pablo.



All this, while they are wearing the cowboy hats they got at Bailey's birthday party. (they watched a episode of the Yardigans that was about cowboys today).

Tomorrow, Dan is heading up to Concordia Moorhead for his frozen football game. It will be me and the kids from sun up to sun down and everything in between . . .

We're going to make Grandma Jansen's sourdough pancakes for breakfast for a special treat. YUMM-O. I can't wait for them to have them. We've never made them before. My mom's had that sourdough starter going since our trip to Wind Cave, South Dakota(?) in 1974! That's a long time! Now, we have some of that same starter at our house, who knows how long we'll have it going . . . hopefully for another 34 years!