Merry Christmas

We are heading out today to celebrate Christmas with family. I hope that you are all surrounded by loved ones and travel safely to see them.

Have a very Merry Christmas.

Sad Today

I am having a sad day. We returned Gypsy to the shelter yesterday. She bit Grace again and it was exactly the right thing to do.

But like many things that are right, it was hard and it sucks. I find that even though it is easier to not have her around, I miss her. Caroline misses her but seems to understand. But she will not hear us say that the dog will be happier with another family. Grace misses her but I think she is happy she is gone. I think she misses the idea of a dog.

Now I am confused. Do we wait until Grace is older to have a dog? What kind of dog? What age? Too many questions, not enough answers. I am hoping they will come to me.

My Baby is 5

I cannot believe how fast time has gone. My baby Caroline is 5 today.

I am so excited (I love birthdays) but it hits me how fast time is going. I love all the milestones and changes and I cannot wait to see what she turns into. I just do not need to get any older ;-)

Here are some pictures from her Lady Bug Birthday Party with her friends.

Advent Party

Caroline had her Advent Party at school last week. It was a lot of fun. We love this party every year.



It is fun to play with the girls at school. They had a variety of crafts, games and activities set up in the classrooms.


Then we got to go decorate a cookie and eat it. That as fun. The girls mostly just ate the frosting. But it is a party, who cares right.



Then we went to hear the Nativity Story. Pastor Duane comes to tell the story and uses the kids to act it out. It is really fun. The kids and parents get into it. This year Caroline was King Herod. As Pastor Duane described him, Caroline was the Mean King. Everyone had a good laugh when she was picked. It was fun. After she said she was a little disappointed she was mean but she was happy to be a part of it.

We look forward to doing this again next year with Grace. It should be a whole different experience.

Great Friends

There are times in my life that I feel really blessed. And this last week was one of them. I had to have a small proceedure done and it required a little more than a half day at a surgery center.

With two kids, I was worried about the logistics and details. But my friends were great and made me relax and recover.

They took care of my kids. They hauled them around town. They made sure my house was picked up for me. They supplied me with meals so we would not have to worry over the weekend. They sent me flowers and emails to make sure I was alright. And they called me over the next couple of days to see how things are going.

Thank you. I feel surrounded by people who care for me and nothing can help me heal faster.

Getting So Big

The day before Thanksgiving was a big day around here. Caroline lost her fist tooth. It is really amazing how small it is. And she was pretty excited about the whole thing. I am so happy about that because I was afraid she was going to freak out about it.


Caroline even had a visit from the tooth fairy. It was a lot of fun. We had to bring a purse to Uncle and Auntie's house so she could show them her treasures (a silver dollar and pack of Trident gum, same as her mom got when she was a kid). And that purse has been in her hand most of the time since then.

The only issue we are having is she still thinks she cannot eat apples or chew her gum because of her loose tooth. But we are working on it.

Caroline's Imagination and Milestones

After seeing an episode of Curious George where he breaks his leg, Caroline decided that she had also "broken" a couple of bones. She was serious about this. She needed casts and a wheelchair if we had one. Since we did not, she was happy to sit with her foot propped up. Her imagination sometimes is great.

In other big news, Caroline has her first loose tooth. I am really excited. And I am happy to say that she is too. There were a couple of tears at first but now she is mostly excited to have grown up teeth. She will not wiggle it much but she can do this in her own time.

She is not quite understanding the tooth fairy. But once it happens one time, she will be excited for it.

Facebook

I have had a few of my friends send me multiple invite to join Facebook. I had been holding off because I was not sure that I needed it. I mean I email, look at people's blogs, write a blog, why would I need something else.

But I gave in today and joined. And I should not have. It is a rather addicting site. I have been on at least 6 times today. It is interesting and fun. But I am going to be spending way too much time on it.

If you join up, search me out as your friend. We can chat some more.

Dog Update

Well, things are going pretty well with the new dog. Gypsy is fitting in really well with our family. Even the cats seem to like her (well at least they put up with her).

It definitely adds a little time to getting out of the house. It is like getting another kid ready to go. She is really good about it though. The only issue is that she seems to have some separation anxiety.

As a result, she likes to escape her kennels. She has totally wrecked one and is working on another. We are doing all the things that you should do to get her trained for the crate. And it is going slowly but I think that we are working it out.

The big upside here is that she has chosen us to be hers. She wants us to be around so that she can keep and eye on us. The girls are especially important to her. She likes to sleep with them (and that includes going to bed at the same time 8 pm). When I go and get her to take her out one more time before bed, she goes straight back to "her" room. When she gets there, she checks on Caroline, climbs onto the bed with Grace, checks on her, then she can lay down and go back to sleep.

We are feeling good about this. But it makes us feel even better to see that she feels good about us too.

Getting Fit

Well I am trying to do something about how I look. It is not out of control but it definitely annoying me lately. And since I have a date/event (Ruth's Wedding) to work for I am going to take advantage of it.

But the really cool thing about this is my whole family is taking part. We decided to do a fitness challenge and we are supporting each other to be the best looking family at the wedding. We even have a blog set up to help us keep in touch. I have it linked to this blog if you want to check it out.

Do you have any tips on taking it or keeping it off?? I would love to hear from you.

Bits of Nelson News

We have been pretty busy since I last posted on the blog. So here is an update.


Caroline had a big day at school last Thurs Nov 6. She went on her first field trip without a parent. She went to learn about squirrels and had a great time. The biggest highlight was of course her first ride on a school bus. Although she did inform me that it was not long enough. The only down side was that Grace was really upset about not getting to ride the bus.


Then Friday we went to my Mom and Dad's house. It was deer hunting opener. Kris and I both went out for much of the day on Sat. My Mom (bless her heart) stayed home with all 4 kids (my girls and my sisters boys). They had a great time. Us hunters did not have it so good. I have no pictures because we did not see a thing. The weather was not so cold but super windy on Sat. If was a bitter wind.

On Sun we did some visiting. We saw 2 aunts of mine (Pat and Janet) and my Grandma Moe. Then headed out for pizza. The kids had a great time. And even though hunting was a bust, it was good to be outside and with family.



We headed for home on Mon. When we got home, we unpacked quick and went to get our new addition to the family. We had been looking for a dog and we found one on election day. We put her on hold (since we were going to be traveling) and picked her up when we got home.


Her name is Gypsy and she is a 3 year old Border Collie/Coon hound mix. I see a lot of lab in her but she is really calm. I have only heard her bark once and it was deep like a coon hound. She is great about telling us when she has to go potty and we have not had an accident or midnight potty break yet.


She seems smart. The last couple of days she listens to most things. The only time she chooses not to hear me is when she gets out of the yard. Then she is too into smelling the world to listen to me. This morning she escaped from our bedroom when we were gone for a little while. But there was no damage done so we may be getting close to no kennel while we are gone. Obedience classes are coming and we are really excited to see how well she does with those.


She is very cuddly and happy to be with us. Plus she and cats seem to be finding a way to get along already. Gypsy and Simon made peace the first day and Simon is still in charge. But Amos and she still need to find a good relationship. But they are quickly finding a balance.


She is already a full member of the family. The girls could not be happier, in fact, they will not leave her alone. I am really happy with her personality, size and the whole package. And Kris, who is more of a dog person anyway, has a pet he can really enjoy. We are all happy to have her here.

What an amazing couple of days

I am just recovering from Election Day to be able to make a post. It was such a fun day to be a part of the process. And I hope that you were a part as well.

At my precinct, we were really busy in the morning and then steady all day. And I just marveled at the privilege we have living here. And it was exciting to see so many people actively participating this year. Many for the first time (in my precinct we had over 450 new registrations).

I do not care who you voted for but thank you for coming out. Thank you taking away some of the apathy that goes with voting. Elections are truly an amazing process. I am proud of it and proud to be a part of it.

VOTE!!!

Tomorrow is a big day. Whether you follow politics closely or not, tomorrow will make history for a variety of reasons. One of which is that voter turnout is supposed to be higher than it has been in decades.

I encourage you to be a part of it. And bring your kids. My parents always brought us and as an adult I really appreciate that. I learned a lot by watching them about the responsibilities of being a good citizen.

It is not a hard task. It may be different from your routine or hard to fit into your schedule but it is really important. You have a chance to have a voice and either make big changes or show support for the people who believe in. I honestly do not care who you vote for as long as you vote.

If you think it is too much time out of your day, I just want to let you know what the election workers do for you to make it as easy as possible. Poll open at 7 am but the workers are there by 5:30. They take time to plan to find the best floor plan for the room to make it flow as best as it can. They go to 3 to 4 trainings before election day in an effort to be as informed about the ever changing election laws as possible. They work hard all day to be as accommodating as the law will allow until the polls close at 8 pm. Then they work for a couple more hours to make sure that there have been no mistakes during the day. They take the polls down, the poster down, count write in votes, put the absentee ballots through the machine, make sure that all the numbers in 3 different places are the same. If they are not the same, they have to find out why. There is no stopping until the numbers are found. And when they are done, then they turn in the results and go home. And for an election like this one, that will be after 11 pm.

So before you dismiss it as too much work or too much time, think about the people who work their best to make it as easy as possible for you. And you are lucky!! You have a choice in your government. You have a voice. Think about all the people in the world who live in a place where this does not happen.

One last thing. You are NEVER wasting your vote. The goal is not to vote for the winner (although we all hope for that) but to vote for the person that you believe in. If you vote this way, you will NEVER waste you vote.

Sorry for all the preaching. But I am passionate about this topic. Have fun with tomorrow and get out to vote.

Kids are Fun

There are some days that I am so excited about the preschool that Caroline goes attends. Today was one of those days.


She had her Halloween Party today. We came to school with our costume on so that they could have a parade around the church to show all the staff and pose for pictures for parents. After I changed her back, she went off to her party. They had special snacks, crafts and games. They even watched a movie on the "big" screen.


I know there was not a lot of learning today (and usually she comes home telling us about all the great things she has done) but she had a great day. It is fun to see her so excited.


I also had to add a picture of Grace in her Halloween parade from the nursery crew of my mom's group. She was great. She walked without me the whole time eating up the attention.

Captian Underpants

I had to share this picture with you all. My girls were playing today. And we dubbed them Captains Underpants.

Caroline started with the sword in the underwear (she got it from her cousin who puts it through his belt loop. But undies are short on those). Grace was trying and trying to do it herself, which I have to say made me laugh more than a little. After we were situated, I had to take a picture.

I hope this made you smile. Have a happy weekend.

Fall Rain

It is raining out today. And something about it makes me want to nap, read and curl up by a fire. It is really too bad those kids of mine get in the way ;-)

Happy Birthday to Me

I turn 32 today and am feeling really great about it. I have a husband who loves me. He has taken the time to email me 3 different times today (so far) to tell me that and wish me a Happy Birthday too.

I have 2 great daughters who make me smile. They are beautiful, smart and funny. And Caroline (4) remembered it was my birthday this morning without anyone reminding her. And Grace (2) has wished me Happy Birthday for days.

I am blessed with a God who loves me and gives me many blessings. The blessings of my family and friends is overwhelming. Thank you.

I hope you had a great day too.

Yoga

I have recently started getting up in the morning and doing a yoga video for some exercise. I have to say that I really like it. I have tried it in the past and knew I was not doing it right. But this time I think I found the video that works for me. I like it because I feel like I am working things and getting fit. But I also feel relaxed and calm to start my day.

I really like Denise Austin. She is a little to chipper but she uses the right words in explaining things. I really like her workouts. Plus she has timed them perfectly. She usually put multiple workouts on one tape usually 15 - 20 minutes long. So you can do a one or all depending on the time you have.

The video that I am using right now is Power Yoga Plus. 20 minutes of basic yoga and 20 minutes of Pilates (which can kick my butt or I hope that it makes it smaller). She has other videos too. I really like her Hit the Spot series. It is nice to have some focused workouts and so that you do not have to do the same thing every day.

If you are looking for something that you can do on your own, I hope this helps.

Finally!!!

I have been looking for Grace's tennis shoes for 2 1/2 days. And I finally just found them.

I looked . . .
- through the van, checking under each seat
- under all the furniture
- under their beds
- in the laundry
- in the kitchen cupboards
- in the bathroom cupboards
- in their drawers and closet
- under our bed
- in with my shoes
- etc

I was starting to go crazy. I started to wonder if I had missed them. Had I thrown them out. How could I lose a pair of mostly new shoes.

They were in the step stool that we keep for the kids by our bed. Of course they were there. My little ones like to "put things away."

It is a good thing that I had not bought a new pair of shoes.

The dramas of motherhood.

Fun with Food

The last couple of days the girls have been having fun with food. I know how you are not supposed to let you kids play with their food but it was too cute to stop.



This picture is of Caroline balancing an apple on her head. She was dying to try this because they had read about it at school. For about a week, I did not have any apples in the house. And I heard about it everyday until I finally went to the store.


This pictures is of "eating" their soup. I laughed the first time I saw it. They turned to me and asked me how I liked their mustaches. Gotta love it.

Congratulations Kris!!!

I just have to tell you all how proud I am of my husband.

He reached his weight loss goal today. He has been working very hard to this and I am so proud of him. He started a few years ago but really put a big push in the last few months.

This is Kris before:


This is Kris now:




Congratulations Kris!!!!!!!!!!! The Girls and I are so proud.

Debate Tonight

In case you have not had your tv on today, there is a Vice Presidential Debate tonight. I just wanted to take a minute to encourage you to watch.

It should be an interesting debate because both candidates have a history of making mistakes. Plus, if you have not made up your mind, this should help.

I will be watching at 8 central and I hope you are too.

Visiting Grandma

We made a trip to Willmar last weekend to visit Grandma. It was a great weekend. The kids love going to see her and they had a great time. They even got to spend some time alone with her which they love.


The weather even cooperated. We ate outside and played outside. They girls love the pond and fountain.



I love how they pretend to fly and actually make themselves fly.

Picasa

I am a big fan of Google applications at the moment.

As you have probably noticed, I like to take a lot of pictures. I used to be really good about getting them developed and into albums. But I now take mostly digital pictures so I do not have anything to really put into albums. (I know, I know, I could print them and put them into albums. But I take A LOT).

So, I did a pretty good job of organizing my pictures on my computer but they were hard to share. And worse yet, what if something happened to my computer.

My smarty pants husband told me to use Picasa by Google. I said no. It would be too hard to learn and not worth my time. He said you can make albums and give captions and even share them. But I was afraid it would be too hard for this low tech girl to learn.

Was I wrong!!! I started to use this about a year ago and really love it. It immediately downloads your pictures from your computer when you open it. It organizes them by dates and keeps them in the folders that you put them in when you put them on your hard drive.

And best of all, the albums that you put them in are great. The captions are easy to type in. They are really easy to share. And there are great tools to use as well. You can fix red eyes, mess with the color and light (to the left if a pic of the individual pics. This is where you type captions and work with the tools). Along with some other things that this low tech girl does not really understand. It even holds the small videos that your small digital cameras can take.

One of my favorite features is that you can make a personalized screen saver with your pictures. I know, you can do this with a lot of things but this one is different. IT is kind of like a slide show but not really. It is hard to describe. And my girls think it is really cool to watch.

Anyway, enough rambling on. If you are looking for something new or not, check it out. It is really easy to work with and I love it.

Problems with Palin

As I watched Gov. Palin speak at the Republican, I was really turned off. I understood why so many liked her but she was not the person for me. I was having a really hard time putting my finger on what the problem was exactly but I knew that she was not a person I wanted in leadership.

As I started reading more and more things about her, I finally put my finger on it. She if very much like President Bush in her attitude for how to deal with people who do not agree with her. She tends to get rid of them. She has fired (or tried to) many people who have tried to stand up against her.

I also have not liked how they seem to be keeping her a secret. Their campaign has not made her very open to the public. Again, I understand this. They want to ride the wave of her popularity all the way to November. But you should be asking yourself this question; What is it about her that they are trying so hard to hide?

Now, I am all for passion and fighting for what you believe it. But there is an ethical line that should not be crossed. People can disagree and that can be handled in an adult manner. I also think that disagreement and discussion is an important ways of learning and finding the way to work things out. I do not agree with bullying legislation and policy with fear and intimidation.

Please think seriously about who you are going to be voting for in November. I think that it is important to be comfortable with your decision whether your candidate wins or loses. And remember, you can NEVER throw your vote away. However you choose to vote is your way of using your voice and you have the control.

Water

I think that my favorite thing to take pictures of (besides my kids) is water. I love how it flows over waterfalls.


I love how it looks moving over rocks. . .


. . . or over land.


I love how it sits on flowers.


It is calming and peaceful. They are things I could look at all day.

What are your favorite things to take pictures of or look at?

Been a While

Sorry it has been so long since my last post. We have been busy, just like the rest of you. So here are a few things to catch you up.

We were in Duluth for Labor Day weekend. We had a great time. The weather was great and we were even able to go swimming. We had a different rental house this year. It was pretty cool. It was on Park Point. It got to be hard sometimes with the bridge going up a lot.

After that, we met some friends at the zoo. We had a great time. The kids loved it of course. Again we had great weather so we really enjoyed ourselves. It is amazing how we know how to enjoy the good weather in Minnesota.

That same weekend, Kris took Caroline to her first baseball game. He won 2 tickets to see the Twins in the suite his company keeps. She loved it. Of course, all she could talk about was the food. She especially loved the train ride there and back.

The it was time for Caroline to start Preschool again. She loves it. She was so happy to be back and see her friends and make new ones. This year she gets to go 3 days a week instead of 2. She likes that a lot. Mommy had to work the Primary elections that day but was able to take some time to see her off on her first day. Caroline just went right in. As a parent you love that and hate it.

And this last weekend, my Mom threw a big party for my Dad. He has jujst retired after 39 years of service to Norman County. This is a big decision and a major life change, but it is time. And he will be much happier.

Now, we are trying to get into our new rhythem for the fall. Soon we will be all set.