2011 - Our Year in Photos Enjoy some of my favorite photos from this year. Happy New Year!

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Our First Christmas Program

Lucy's school/daycare had its Christmas program tonight. We've been getting little snippets of songs over the past few weeks but had no idea we would be serenaded with such a diverese mix, among them Mele Kalikimaka and Feliz Navidad, as well as some old standbys like Jingle Bells and my favorite of the night, Away in a Manger:

You see Lucy had a dress twin. She noticed it in the middle of another song. I bought that dress before Halloween, thought I was doing well but no dice! Good thing this isn't like the prom. :)

All is all it was incredibly adorable, as expected, and Lucy was so proud and excited to have us there along with Grandpa and Auntie Marcey. Judging by the singing that has been going on since, I think the spring program will be quite interesting!

Tunes on 2s  - Stay (I Missed You), Lisa Loeb (1994)

You say
I only hear what I want to
And you say
I talk so all the time...so
Any I thought what I felt was simple
And I thought that I don't belong
But now that I am leaving
Now I know that I did something wrong 'cuz I missed you...
Yeah, I missed you.

Listen/watch here.

This was a one-hit wonder for Lisa Loeb for as far as I can remember. Judging by the lyrics I should be telling you some story of heartbreak or love gone wrong. Instead I'm going to tell you about a roadtrip.

I think it was the fall of 1995 that I rode to Cedar Falls with my cousin Chris to visit our mutual friend Josh, who was going to school there. I vaguely remember the visit itself, but the car ride home is etched in my mind. I think it was near a holiday or other break, so Josh rode back with us to Storm Lake.

What you will remember if you know this song is that it's done in a sweet voice, with the type of emotion that can only be wrought by a mid-1990s movie soundtrack involving confused 20-somethings who listen to alternative music and have names like LeLaina and Troy and are played by actors with names like Winona and Ethan (can anyone name that movie?) It could even be said that this song is decidedly" female" and could be assumed to appeal to such an audience.

Not so in my world. This song was played MULTIPLE times on that car trip, with two 20-something guys singing their little hearts out in their best falsettos. I laughed so hard, but I sang right along. We three had some good times and lots of funny stories among us, and it's been a long time since I've thought of those. When I heard this song on satellite radio a couple weeks ago it took me right back to the front seat of Chris' car, with Josh's head poked between the seats leading us in song.

Ah, those were the days.

Thankful

Tunes on 2s - Jesus Loves Me (1862)

Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me! He who died
Heaven’s gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let His little child come in.

Of course this is a song that many of us grew up with in Sunday School, or picked up somewhere along the way. I also associate this song with my daughter's baptism. But today, we entered the church for a different reason, with a large group of family and friends singing this song as we walked down the aisle to the front pews. Today we laid my mother-in-law to rest.

Betty was a woman full of life; known for her crotcheting and knitting, her Christmas cookies, her love of gardening and flowers, and her pride in her family. She had a special relationship with each of her three grandchildren. She loved holidays and always had lots of decorations around the house and in the yard, and she was famous for the Christmas stockings she crotcheted for each family member and many friends. The immediate family also has a stocking at her house, which she would fill with little individually wrapped gifts, like funny socks or even little fart machines that she would take great delight in watching us open.

As a the most junior member of this family (except for Lucy), I am left with a feeling of deep sadness that I didn't have more time to learn from her and spend time with her. I am grieved for my husband, and for Lucy and Brandon. Lucy loves her grandma but probably won't remember much about her. It will be our job to remind her.

Jesus Loves Me. A song so perfect in its simplicity, for those entering life and those leaving it; and for those of us left to navigate between. Betty, you will be greatly missed.

Perhaps a Little Bit of History Repeating?

Husband ca. early 1970s

Lucy ca. 2011

Tunes on 2's - Mr. Wendal, Arrested Development (1992)

I saw a man with no clothes, no money, no plate
Mr.Wendal, that's his name,
no one ever knew his name cause he's a no-one
Never thought twice about spending on a ol' bum,
until I had the chance to really get to know one
Mr.Wendal, yeah yeah yeah, Lord, Mr.Wendal

Listen/watch here.
 
Ah, Mr. Wendal. I was reminded of this songa few weeks ago.  My brother called to tell me it had come on the radio while he was at home painting his livingroom. You might wonder why my brother was compelled to call me about a marginal early-90s rap song about the plight of the homeless. Would it make more sense if I told you I liked the song so much that I named a pet after it?
 
Probably not, but I did.
 
Mr. Wendal was a black, white, and brown guinea pig. I don't remember exactly why I wanted a guinea pig or the circumstances surrounding convincing my parents that I could get one (Mom or Dad may be able to enlighten on that). Perhaps after a long line of gerbils and hamsters I was ready for something more substantial (and we could never have a dog). I was 16 years old at the time, and Mr. Wendal lived in my room in an old aquarium on a bed of cedar chips and newspaper that never got changed often enough. He made a funny "wee wee wee" noise and pooped a lot. I thought he was the cutest.
 
So what happened to Mr. Wendal? When I went off to college he could not come with me. Not wanting to deal with the aforementioned pooping and changing of bedding, my mom donated him to a HeadStart classroom. I like thinking that Mr. Wendal brought joy to some little kids and hope he kicked the bucket peacefully after his years of service.
 
RIP, Mr. Wendal.
 

I couldn't find a picture of me with Mr. Wendal, so I thought I'd embarass my little brother instead.

 It's a kick to see my old room though: posters of The Doors, The Little Mermaid, and Earth: One House, Many Rooms on the wall/door, curlers on the vanity, and my dad's 8-tracks under the pet table. If there was a sports bag on floor that might sum up me as a high schooler.

Halloween Hangover

So yesterday was the big day…Lucy got all warmed up at school with a Halloween party including a magician and fully-costumed toddlers and preschoolers. By the time I got home at 6PM, she was bouncing off the walls and ready to put on her purple butterfly wings and skirt (yes, small girl butterflies have skirts). By the time our first (and only) batch of trick-or-treaters left the front door, she was ready to go trick-or-treating, and I have to say, I was excited too. This was the first year Lucy actually knew what was going on and could trick-or-treat at more houses than just Grandma’s or the one neighbor who turns their light on.

It went pretty well! I pulled her around in the wagon and she got in and out at each house. We live in a suburban neighborhood, no sidewalks, and pretty dark. I forgot to bring a flashlight - rookie mistake - but we were okay. Some houses had lights on, others did not. Quite a few had lights on but just sat a bowl outside, which was a little weird...but I guess if you're out with your own kids, or just don't want to keep getting up to answer the door, it's the way to go. We got to meet a few neighbors which was nice, and several people remarked about how there aren't very many kids who come around anymore. They were just eating up little Lucy in her gold antennae!

I had intended to just go around the block, but was distracted by a well-lit and festively decorated house which led me down a different street. I thought I was following the original plan (did I mention it was dark?) until I started thinking the houses didn't look very familiar. The people were nice though, minus a dummy who saw my two-year-old daughter walking up the driveway and put on a wolf mask to open the door. Luckily her freakout was limited to burying her head in my leg and standing there frozen for a minute until he took it off. I can appreciate getting into the Halloween spirit, but geez!

So we finished our beggaring of the previously unexplored street, we got to the cul-de-sac at the end and turned around, finding our way back to the original route. By then it was getting close to bedtime so we bypassed the remaining lights and headed home. She was awfully quiet so I stopped to check if she had fallen asleep, but she was wide awake - had just stuffed her mouth with a Snickers bar, bitten through the wrapper!

Our last trick-or-treat was to Daddy at home, then she sat down and examined her haul. One house gave a whole plastic baggie full of treats plus a bag of chips, and even gave a candy bag to the parents! Otherwise it was pretty standard fare, and her most prized treasure was a yellow rubber spider.

She loved dressing up and wanted to wear her costume to bed. I got her down to the pants and shirt (wings are hard to sleep in, after all) and she finally zonked out. Halloween had come to a close.

Or had it? Around 4AM, I heard cries and entered her room to find her sitting up in her bed, big tears running down her face, accompanied by sobs of  "I wanna put my skirt back on!" So I put the sparkly skirt back on, and snuggled up next to my little butterfly.

Happy Halloween to you all!

Livin' Leaves

Well, fall is officially here, and there's no shortage of leaves in our yard. Lucy and I raked up a big pile this past weekend and spent about an hour and a half just lounging around in them and enjoying the unseasonably warm October temps. She loved it, and so did I!

 

 

Tunes on 2s
Who I Am - Jessica Andrews (2001)

I am Rosemary's granddaughter
The spitting image of my father
And when the day is done
My mama's still my biggest fan

Sometimes
I'm clueless and I'm clumsy
But I've got friends who love me
And they know where I stand

It's all a part of me...
That's who I am

Listen/watch here.

Several months ago a cousin of mine posted some lyrics to this song on Facebook, and it reminded me of how much I love it. For you see, this cousin of mine and I (and many others) are indeed Rosemary's granddaughters. I'm more a spitting image of my mother; and I consider my dad one of my biggest fans, so reverse that line and it still works. The clumsy lyric reminds me of a story my Grandma Mardie still likes to tell, about how when I was about Lucy's age I would stumble and say "I such a clutz!" And I have to say, I have some of the greatest friends a girl could ever ask for.

But certainly, it is being the granddaughter of Rosemary Overmohle that makes this song give me goosebumps every time. Losing her in the 2003 was a hard thing for many of us. I remember a couple of weeks after this song was re-introduced to me through that Facebook post, I was driving to work on a Sunday night after putting Lucy to bed, trying to get ahead on my workload. I really didn't want to go in, but felt I had to. I was feeling tired and  just plain overwhelmed. Things were just a bit too much for me in that moment. I was listening to the country station on low, my mind racing and my emotions just under the surface. Somewhere along I-94 I heard the opening notes to this song. I turned it up and burst into stress-relieving tears. I am one of those people who believes that the people who have left us send us little gifts, and this was truly one. What were the odds, this song from 2001 coming on the radio at that moment?

I was going to be alright.

I am proud to be Rosemary's granddaughter.

Thanks Jessica Andrews, wherever you are.

There is one photo that I have of my Grandma Rosemary and I. Unfortunately, I have put it in such a safe place that I cannot find it. The best I can do is a photo of the photo, which I put on a sign on my back when I walked in the Breast Cancer 3-Day in her memory (2004).

Goodbye, Summer

As the season changes I thought I’d provide a little Lucy update.
In early June she had her 2-year check-up and weighed 33.5 pounds and was 35.5 inches tall, both 97th percentile. Over the summer she seems to have stretched out a bit, and gotten a little thinner (except the belly, she still has that!) When people see her, the most often remarks are “she’s really tall!” and “what a great smile!” She still has those great dimples, and her smile lights up her whole face. Her hair is really blonde, but underneath you can definitely see some dirty blonde/light brown. It will be interesting to see what happens when all those sun-soaked blonde locks fade over the winter.

 We’ve definitely seen some growth in her brainpower over the summer. One thing we have noticed in particular is her ability to recall/remember events. A few weeks after our vacation she randomly started talking about going to the Mississippi, feeding deer, and how funny the llama was. If you’re looking for something, she can usually tell you where she put it. She remembers names or words even if you’ve only mentioned it once (which makes watch what we say very carefully!) When we get to a certain intersection she knows which way to turn to go to Nathan’s house (her former daycare). She is also getting better at memorizing and can say a good portion of the alphabet, numbers 1-10 and all the words to “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and has been singing some other songs since she’s been at her new school. She's a little shy at first, but once she's comfortable, she'll talk your ear off!

With all of this fun stuff comes some pretty nasty attitude at times. We work hard on getting her to use a “nice voice” and saying please, not just demanding things. She definitely does not like to be told NO, but has no problem saying it to others. She’ll go into fits of crying for no apparent reason (complete with throwing herself on the floor), which lately has been managed by timeouts in her room. It’s hard to stay mad at her for long because she can be such an incredible sweetheart with her free-will hugs and kisses, putting a hand on the side of your face, or saying “I love you.” She’s very cute, but she knows it , too. She definitely knows how to manipulate and if throwing a fit doesn’t work, she will do her best to negotiate. “Just one more, OK?”

Lucy still takes an afternoon nap, and at night she is actually very good - we still count our lucky stars that we have such a good sleeper. She goes to bed around 8PM and usually needs a book or two to be read, then she climbs into her bed with a menagerie of dolls, stuffed animals and blankets. She started using a toddler bed with a rail a couple of months ago, and very rarely does she climb out once she's in for the night. She is pretty good in the mornings but likes to putz, so getting out the door can be pretty frustrating.

We are working on potty-training, although probably haven’t pressed it as much as we could. With the daycare transition I didn’t want to push it too hard. Now that we seem to be settling in I think we’ll work on it a little more. She has peed in her potty many times and gets 2 M&Ms as a treat if she does. On some occasions she has also told us when she needs to go, and wakes up dry from some naps. A couple of mornings last week she woke up pretty dry and then had a really big pee in the potty. Progress!

Lucy is still a pretty good eater, and she LOVES her milk. I'd say we've taken a step back on vegetables, but she hasn't met a fruit she doesn't like. Her favorite things to play with are: dolls, stuffed animals, BOOKS, her kitchen and play food, her “bike,” and anything that makes music. Her TV is still pretty limited to a few minutes in the morning or just before bed, but sometimes on the weekends we lay a blanket and pillows on the floor and watch a "princess" movie. She also likes to putz around outside and "help" with whatever we're doing, and she's fearless on a playground.



So that's our little Lu. Spunky, sassy, and smiley!

Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?

On September 11, 2001 I was 25 years old. I was living alone in a 1-bedroom apartment in a new city, newly single, about 8 months into a new career. I was taking on the world. I had no idea how that world was about to change.

That morning I was at home in my Linden Hills apartment. I planned to be late for work that day because I was going to vote in the primary, so I was home at a time I would have otherwise been in my car driving. I turned on the TV to catch some morning news, unaware that one plane had already hit the WTC. I was glued to the footage. A few moments later, I watched in horror as the second plane hit. I couldn't believe what I was seeing; that it was real. I went in to work that day, because I wasn't sure what else to do. I remember televisions being set up so we could stay updated on what was happening.

I had flown to Washington, D.C. a couple of weeks earlier to visit my long-distance boyfriend. We actually broke up on the trip - I had come to the painful realization that both of us were meant to be in different parts of the country, and it was futile to keep going. I recall sitting in the airport with him before I boarded my plane; this was one of the last times that anyone but passengers would be allowed past security.  I remember being a bit frantic trying to reach him on September 11, because his brother worked at the Pentagon (found out the next day that everyone was OK).


There are a few events in life when you remember exactly where you were, what you were doing. I can count a few in my lifetime: the Challenger disaster; the day the first African-American President was elected; the evening the I-35W bridge collapsed in Minneapolis. However, September 11, 2001 will be burned into my memory not only because of the terrible images and the pain it brought so many; but because of the ways all of our lives have changed and will never be the same. Ten years my wish is that we never forget, but that we have the strength to forgive, and the patience to get us there.

Where were you then, and where are you today?

Me in NYC (Ellis Island) April 2000.

In this photo: Michelle.

Time For A Change

This week, Lucy started at a new daycare. We had been in an in-home daycare since she was 9 months old, but lately were just feeling like she needed something more...a little more structure, more learning opportunities and more social interaction. It was hard to say goodbye to her daycare provider Laura, but even she recognized that it was time for Lucy to move on. Plus, she lives in the neighborhood, so we'll still see her around!

Tuesday was Lucy's first day at a daycare/preschool in a nearby church. They have a toddler room and three preschool rooms, so we liked that there were opportunities to interact with older kids, too. We talked about "school" a lot and even got a new little backpack. She couldn't wait to get in the car the first day.

Lucy has done GREAT this week. I drop her off, and there were a couple of mornings she asked me to stay there and got a little upset, but by the time I got to the door she was over it. The very first day she got in a little scuffle over some crayons and got scratched in the face...but within moments she was fine and has been "best friends" with that little girl all week. We were a little worried at first that she might be a little shy and overwhelmed with so many kids around, but no worries were needed. This Friday when I picked her up the teacher told me she is one of the most popular kids in the room, she is friends with everybody, she has a good time and always has a smile. She loves the music class they have on Fridays, and has adapted well to the pace of a more structured schedule. This week at home she has been singing songs and talking about new things all the time (example in the video below - plus the sparkly skirt she insisted on wearing one day). We are thrilled with this choice to try something different, and know we have made the right one.

Toddlers and Target

Tonight I was home from work a little earlier than usual, Daddy headed to softball, and around 6:15 Lucy and I headed to Target to grab a few things. The trip was a mixed bag, but in hindsight, fairly typical. Let me walk you through it:

I parked the car and got her out; she wanted to walk so I let her, saying she had to be a good girl and hold Mommy's hand in the parking lot. There was no hand-holding, and we stopped 3 times to inspect shiny things (garbage) on the ground.

No big deal. She is 2, after all. Patience, Mama.

We burst through the automatic doors, Lucy moving in a way that is not really walking, not really skipping, but somewhere in between. Swishing in the sparkly skirt she insisted on wearing today, and singing a song from her new daycare, "Lucy's here today. Lucy's here today. Yaaaayyyy, Lucy!!" which garnered smiles and a "that is SO adorable!" from fellow customers.

Yep, she is pretty adorable...

She played with the gift registry computers while I returned something, then we got a cart and continued on our way. She still wanted to walk and did OK until we got to the kids clothing section, where she started pulling toddler-sized plaid shirts off the racks. I patiently put them back, and she continued to walk while we picked out wipes and diaper cream. At this point, she became obsessed with the baby pacifiers and would not put them back on the shelf. In the cart she went, and she was not happy about it. She stopped crying but then started chewing on the side of the cart (eww), because I told her not to.

OK, patience getting a little thin now.

I bribed her by going through a few toy aisles. Heard a lot of "I touch this one!" and "This is Lucy's" but she was still OK and we made it through without anything in the cart, or any fits.

Score, crisis averted.

About this time, I started asking her to "talk in a quiet voice." My daughter talks a lot; (like, constantly) and there is something about being in a store that makes her almost yell while she's doing it. My requests did not matter, of course; and her yelling turned into protests when we grabbed a bag of M&Ms (her pee-in-the-potty treats) and I would not let her chew on the bag.

Temperature rising again...

Somehow her attention was re-directed to something else, and we picked up a few more things. We were in the garbage bag aisle when she started chewing on the M&M bag again, standing in the cart, and everything coming out of her mouth was a whine. I warned her several times that we would put the bag back if she didn't sit down and talk nice. It continued, so I took the bag and put it on the shelf and walked away. WATERWORKS. The kid screamed as if I had just beat her.

Must...stay...calm...

I told her when she stopped crying and sat down, we could go back and get the M&Ms. I turned the corner into the next aisle and it was like a volcano erupted. "MY M&Ms ARE OVER THERE!!" I reminded her again of the required actions. She sat down, but she continued to scream. I crouched down at got at her eye level. She quieted down. I counted to 10. She made it. We returned to the next aisle and retrieved the M&Ms.

Thank you God, for allowing me to remain calm. And for nobody else being in those aisles.

The rest of our shopping was fairly uneventful. She was pleasant, and put the items on the counter for the cashier. She rode in the cart and got in the car seat with no protest. She asked nicely for a cookie and I gave it to her. She said "thank you." I smiled.

She can be a very good girl.

As I was on the entrance ramp to the interstate, there was a calamity in the backseat. There was cookie on her chin, and this was a travesty. Tears and demands to wipe it off ensued. I could not wipe it off, as interstate driving preferably requires two hands. This was not acceptable.

Sigh.

So that was one hour. This parenting of toddlers, it's not for the weak of heart.

The Return of Tunes on 2s!
Centerfield - John Fogerty (1985)

Hard to believe my last Tunes on 2s was April 2, 2009! So this one is in honor of the one who requested its comeback...

Got a beat-up glove, a homemade bat, and brand-new pair of shoes;
You know I think it’s time to give this game a ride.
Just to hit the ball and touch ’em all - a moment in the sun;
It’s gone and you can tell that one goodbye!

Oh, put me in, coach, I’m ready to play-today;
Put me in, coach, I’m ready to play-today;
Look at me, I can be centerfield.

Listen/watch here

Ahh, baseball. This song hands down, reminds me of my brother Josh. I seem to recall countless repeats of this on the little tape deck we had; the same tape deck that I used to record my favorite songs off Casey Cassem's American Top 40, hoping I hit the record button(s) at exactly the right moment between when he started talking and the first lyric was sung. If I remember right, I think we actually had an actual cassette tape of Centerfield, so the full experience was available. I have a distinct memory of listening to it in the little bedroom off to the left of the top of the stairs. The tape deck was sitting on the floor under the window by the door.

Josh was Mr. Baseball of our family. He was always on some kind of baseball team, all the way into his college years. His love certainly didn't spring from nothing - my dad is a longtime Baltimore Orioles fan, and we would make trips up to Minneapolis to see the Twins battle the orange and black in the Metrodome. Since the Mets won the World Series in 1986, Josh and I were fans. Another family trip to St. Louis involved a Mets game, and I remember also fitting in a Colorado Rockies game into a vacation in 1993 (their inaugural season).

"Centerfield" also recalls my own love and nostalgia for the game. There is just something about baseball - especially attending a game in person. I align myself more with the Twins these days, and even living in a city where Major League Baseball is so accessible, I still find myself excited every time I walk into a ballpark. Over the years I have added to my list of stadiums visited, including: Miller Park (Milwaukee Brewers, Mets games with Josh and Abbey), Camden Yards (Baltimore Orioles), Shea Stadium (New York Mets!), and of course, Target Field, the new home of the Minnesota Twins. I plan to visit more, and pass down that excitement to my daughter. I foresee her Uncle Josh participating in that, and with his own daughter!

It's said this Centerfield was inspired by Fogerty's childhood memories of baseball. Considering it went to #1 on the Billboard chart, I'd say it resonated with a lot of people in the same way. For me, it's mostly about my lip-syncing, practice-swinging little brother blasting it from the room at the top of the stairs.

Caption Corner

This photo needs a caption...

Cousins + Pancakes = Priceless

Blogiversary #5

I missed it, but August 1st marked 5 years of blogging. 5 years. A lot has changed in that time.

So it's the annual roll call. Who reads this thing? Comments have been pretty scant, but I also know the blogs have been less frequent, and pretty much all about my kid. So tell me what you'd like to see more of, or less of. No promises...but hey, I'll know where you stand.

Cheers!

Be Our Guest

Tonight we are serving wooden watermelon and imaginary tea and pancakes from our princess tent. Would you like to join us?

Age Ain't Nothin' But a Number

Lastnight I was able to throw a little surprise party for Husband's 40th birthday. My guy is not easy to surprise...nor am I very good at fibbing, so this was a feat! He is also notorious for not being too jazzed about celebrating his birthday. For the longest time when I asked if he wanted to do something for this milestone, he said "no." But then a few weeks ago I asked again and he said "whatever." I considered this an open door! I called on our friend Bryan to help get it all together.

I told Husband that Lucy and I were taking him out to eat on Friday (his actual birthday was Thursday). I was a little worried when he got home that evening, because he said he had a massive headache and didn't feel well. He was a trooper and went out to dinner with us, and then I told him we had somewhere else to go. He didn't really know what was going on until I pulled into the party venue. We actually arrived before all but a few guests, which worked out fine since he's not a big party/surprise kind of guy in the first place. The surprise was in seeing who came through the door next. I was even able to find an old high school friend of his through Facebook, who actually showed up! I think that was a pleasant surprise and they had a good time talking throughout the night. It was a relatively small party, no more than about 20 people, and it was celebratory and relatively understated at the same time. Everything fell into place!

The poster is made of lottery tickets. (I got the idea here).

I think he won about $4 from the $20 or more I spent!Lucy helped blow out the candles!

There were several reasons I wanted to throw this party, but the biggest of all was that life has thrown a few curveballs lately, and Husband deserved to be celebrated and to have a little fun. I hope it is something he will always remember.

For the Love of Fishing

There is something about sitting in a boat in the middle of a lake. There is something about dropping a line in, waiting...the quiet dashed occasionally by the cry of a loon or the sound of waves lapping gently at the shore. There is something about it that forces you to be still, to be in the moment. There's nowhere else you need to be. If you're lucky your solace is interrupted only by the excitement of a pull on the line, an exclamation of "I got one!," and the sound of reeling in a feisty, splashing fish.

I was introduced to fishing by Husband. I don't get out very often, but on our recent vacation I remembered how nice it was to sit out there with him and share that experience. It is something he really loves, and it shows. I know he also gets a kick out of sharing and growing an appreciation for fishing in others, like me and Brandon. On this trip he also got to introduce his passion to my dad, who caught his first fish (or at least the first one since he was a kid). What was special for me was that on this trip he got to pass down this tradition to our daughter. Lucy was so intrigued by the the "fershies" (fishies) - she touched them, pet them, pushed them back into the water, and even wanted to kiss them! It was so cool to see father and daughter share this new experience together, one looking at fishing with brand new eyes; the other looking at it with a fresh outlook. I had a front row seat for it all, and it was priceless. I hope that she continues to enjoy this special time with her daddy, and with the fershies.

A Welcomed Rest

We just returned today from a week-long stay at Rainbow Resort near Waubun, MN (about and hour south and west of Bemidji). All I can say is, we had an amazing time! This is a smaller resort tucked in the midst of a heavily forested/wetland area with limited development, also located on the White Earth Reservation. The resort is right on Little Bemidji Lake, which is also sparsely developed. The view from our cabin looked something like this:

The weather was perfect all week, high 70s and only a little rain later one evening. We spent one day at Itasca State Park visiting the headwaters of the Mississippi River in the morning, and then Paul Bunyan's Animal Land in Bemidji in the afternoon, but otherwise spent all of our time at the resort. Husband spent each morning and evening on the lake fishing, sometimes joined by me or my dad (my parents joined us for most of the week). I think Lucy and I went swimming at the beach every day except the day we were out - she loved to play in the sand and even waded out up to her chest all by herself, and let me take her out deeper and learn about floating in her life jacket. We took boat rides with Daddy and in the pontoon that Grandma and Grandpa rented on one of the days. My dad kayaked just about every morning and Lucy got her first ride; I also took a kayak out for a spin one evening. In the afternoons we often napped or curled up with a book. In the evenings we always managed to entertain ourselves, even going to a concert at the lodge one night. In between we chased grasshoppers, watched bald eagles, laughed at chipmunks, and listened to the loons. It was delightful!


I couldn't have asked for a better vacation (the only thing wrong with it was that Brandon was not with us). Life moved at a slower pace, if only for a week, and it was nice. I feel like we were able to relax and really just be present and enjoy each others company. Lucy was exposed to many things she had never done or seen before, and the rest of us discovered some new things too.

At night I would lay in bed with Lucy and read a few books, sing a few songs to get her to sleep. She often requests John Denver songs (she is my kid, after all) and "Sunshine on My Shoulders" is a favorite. There is a line in that song that makes me smile just thinking about it:

If I had a day that I could give you
I'd give to you a day just like today...

Every day of this vacation, I could sing those words and mean them. This week was such a gift in a time when it was much needed. Memories were made that will not soon be forgotten.

Summer, Summer, Summer...

"...turns me upside down..." (Magic, The Cars, 1984)

So here we are, past "mid" July, practically staring down the barrel of August…with the undeniable feeling that we are on the back slope of summer. I know this time of year I feel an urgency to cram all that I can into the remaining days and weeks.

As I was putting together this blog and lamenting the things we HAVEN'T done yet; I went through the photos and thought - hey, we've done plenty! And it occurred to me that the best summer moments are not always "planned," like these:

Finding a mud puddle, and getting washed with a garden hose.

Getting an unexpected shoulder ride.

Eating ice cream on the deck.

Feeding ducklings.

Bouncing and sliding!

Picking flowers at Grandma's house.

Once again, a valuable lesson comes through the eyes of a two-year-old.

4th of July Fun

We had a nice mini-vacation including the 4th of July. Lucy and I went down on Thursday to spend some time with my mom's side of the family at Camp Okoboji. It was HOT and humid but we got in some good time at the lake, and Lucy got to play with her cousins. Husband joined us on Saturday, and we all headed to Storm Lake on Sunday. We enjoyed some early fireworks that night, and the parade on Monday morning. We were a little surprised that our usual parade-watching spot was in the full sun - the trees had recently been cut down! Husband headed back that day and Lucy and I stayed with Grandma and Grandpa until Tuesday. It was a nice little vacation, but we are all tired and a little crabby...getting off schedule with a toddler is not so fun!

The photo below is one of my favorites from the long weekend. It is taken in front of my grandpa and grandma's house. My dad's family gathered there after the parade, just like we always do...except this year Grandpa was not there. We all miss him and Grandma dearly, but I'm happy I have this photo, and to be able to tell Lucy one day about her great-grandparent's house and how she spent some time there on her first three 4th of July holidays.

Thank you to all the soldiers, past and present, who fight for our freedom. I appreciate what you do to make this country safe for me and my family.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

This past weekend we hosted Brandon's graduation party at our house. We set up in the garage and outside in the driveway. Unfortunately, it rained most of the afternoon...but we had fun anyway. The theme was "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." We had hot dogs, nachos, peanuts, Cracker Jacks, and baseball-shaped cookies.



It was a lot of work, but we had great help and Brandon really liked the party, so in my mind it was a hit. We even had some surprise visitors from my family - my Aunt Mary and part of her family, and my Uncle Bob and Aunt Beth! I was not expecting that. Thanks to everyone who helped make it a great day!