Gingerbread Makers

While waterparks at Thanksgiving(see previous post) may become an annual tradition, Steve has also started another one for the December Christmas preparation. Last year, he decided we should make a gingerbread house…. No, not the kind from the box you can buy. He had to research and find the “homemade” recipe :). So after hours of baking the “dough” for the walls, he is ready for construction! Last year’s was simple, yet impressive. Well this year, he decided to become a little more complex and create a similar appearance to our actual home! Here are some shots of the work in process!!! Steve always gives 100%, no matter what the job! And, of course you have to have a helper at all times!

Make sure you see the stain glass windows, made from melted life savers:)!

Thanksgiving Fun

So we’re a little behind on the posting, huh? So what’s been happening with us?

In November, Steve’s mom came to visit after her big trip to New Zealand. It was fun to have her here for a few days. Ryan and Steve acted out the “Chicken Little” book from the library. This one’s for you Uncle Jim! He read the book many times to Ryan this summer. So we couldn’t refuse the Pop Tart box offer for our very own hats!!!
Ryan and I took a big road trip and drove Grandma back to MI. While we were so “close”, we also decided to surprise Anne’s parents in Indiana… it was Grandma Marg’s birthday and PaPaw “Putty”’s was not too far away either. It was a whirlwind trip with over 1,500 miles in 4 ½ days! What a great little traveler we have! 900+ miles were with just he and I! Since we had done our share of traveling the weekend before Thanksgiving, we decided to stay in MN for the holiday. We headed to a new indoor waterpark in Minneapolis. We had gone to one last Thanksgiving as well. This may become a new family tradition, and hey, the turkey dinner at Perkins wasn’t too bad, either! Here are a few pics from the excitement that day….
Water fun and bunk beds! What more fun could a little guy ask for!

Swimming and Sweets

Ryan had swimming lessons last night at 6pm that did not get cancelled just because of Halloween. So being the dedicated participants, we went. Obviously, the other parents had different thoughts as Ryan was the only kid (out of the 8 normally) there. He had not just one on one, but two on one, instruction for the whole 25 minutes! At least that made for an easier time for me to make a fool of myself and get some pictures for the scrap book. This is his second "round" of just a short 8 sessions. The last round was earlier this year. He does enjoy the lessons, but is more timid than when it is just the three of us in a pool!

After a quick and healthy :) drive thru meal from Burger King, our little swimmer guy turned into Buzz Lightyear--thanks again Andi for the costume!-- and headed out into the 20 degree Minnesota October to ring some door bells in our neighborhood. We considered going to one of the local church's big fall festival... we hear it is lots of fun, but very crowded. Our dozen houses here in the neighborhood was very sufficient for his first "door-to-door" Halloween that he remembers. Last year, we were in Michigan and just did the festival at church and the year before we "hid" in our rental house, as we didn't know many neighbors and it wasn't really a neighborhood, anyway! Ryan said as we came in from the cold... "This was the best Halloween adventure".... where does such a little mind and mouth come up with these big words?

Hope you are enjoying fall, or winter here, wherever you are!

I Thank God for You!

Those were the words--"I thank God for you"-- on the first flowers, a dozen beautiful red roses, that I received from Steve a little over 9 years ago.

Maybe it's because we started a Sunday School class this week on marriage or because our speaker at MOPS this week was on marriage or maybe God is really just reminding us.... we (I hope :) I'm speaking for Steve, too!) are so thankful for our marriage and the gift God gave each of us in the other. Over the past 9 years, we are learning that we may be more different than alike in a lot of ways...which is a good thing... would I want another me to live with!? :)

If we are honest, of course, not every single day is a honeymoon... and for those who know our honeymoon adventure we can now laugh about... I'm glad it's not :)! But seriously, marriage is work. It takes time and energy and commitment and communication! But it's work that pays off and is for a great cause! It's a covenant worth protecting! I'm so thankful for my husband, my best friend.

So here's to all those marriages out there! May you work hard, pray often, and love much!
And Steve..."I thank God for you!"

Christmas is Here!

...At least that is Ryan's perception. Snow comes. Winter is here. Christmas is here! He asked to get the Christmas tree out last night!





We had some "white out" times last night as we looked out the back and couldn't see the field behind us. This is what we saw as the sun was rising this morning! Gorgeous!! Yet still a little cold for October.











And of course we had to capture a few pictures of playing in the first snow of the year. The wind was very strong, and we had to take them quickly or turn so the wind was against us. We hear it was a wind chill of 12 degrees today!

Hope you are enjoying the beauty of God's creation no matter what your weather! :)

Just a Post

to have a post :)....

Sometimes life just isn't full of profound thoughts or wise words, but a good S'more, even in the microwave, can make for a good blog post! Check out those lips and blue eyes!!

Ryan continues to really enjoy preschool. He had his first field trip-all day,too- and school bus ride last Thursday, without mom or dad! They went to a Pumpkin Patch/Farm about 30 miles away. He really enjoyed himself from what we hear. It included a hayride, sack lunch and picking their very own pumpkin from the patch!

Some of you have been checking here for updates on "Grandma", too. Sorry we have not done well at that. She does continue to improve. We were back in Michigan a week ago and it was good to see the progress she is making. The main objectives now are to get all of this excess fluid coming off and to keep her body trying to do what the liver is not. They are estimating she has approximately 40 pounds of extra fluid to go! She is very determined to make her trip, that has been planned before all of this, to New Zealand and Fiji this coming weekend. We want her to be able to enjoy it, but pray she can physically handle it! She is going with family and good friends. They will be gone for 3 weeks... please pray for her during this time as you remember.

Everywhere we turn lately there seems to be a lot "hard stuff" going on. We are reminding our selves, and praying that others keep doing the same, that "God knows what He's doing".... see our previous post for where those wise words originated:)!

Why is Grandma Sick?

Oh... from the mouths of babes!

Steve's mom was taken to the ER a little over a week ago. She was admitted with a severe infection of some kind. When she went to the hospital, she didn't even know her own name. Praise God that didn't last long, and they were able to work to get rid of the infection throughout the week. We debated all day after we got the call when or if we should fly or drive to MI. We decided to use some miles and go on the early Friday morning flight... talk about whirlwind packing!

Over the course of the weekend, Ryan's child-like faith and caring was so precious and an inspiration. When we got the call on Thursday morning, the first thing he said was, "Can we take her some flowers to make her feel better?" Of course, I had to send some and explain that we were too far away to take her some ourselves that day. Unfortunately, they will not accept flowers in the ICU :(. So instead, we sent a big sunshine balloon and a nifty "flameless" candle. Due to the crazy day, I failed to explain this to Ryan. Also throughout that day, Ryan would say prayers for Grandma Donna. Some went like this...

"Dear God, Please help me to get up there (heaven) quick so I can bring you and Jesus down here to save Grandma! Amen."

OR after we got there and visited with her in ICU and Ryan realizes that we didn't send her flowers (he was very upset by this), he'd pray... "Dear God, Please help me to get Grandma Donna some flowers so she can feel all better."

So we had to "help" God with that one and did bring her flowers on Sunday! And another great question which he answered himself.... "Mom, why is Grandma sick?" And I'd attempt to say medical stuff that a 3- year-old could understand like "Her body just isn't working right.", etc. And proceed to say, "But I really don't know why. Who does?" And he answers with his finger pointing straight up, "God". I'd try to explain that's just how some things are. And he answers more profoundly than any of my attempts at an explanation. "That's OK. God knows what He's doing!!!!"

So may we all remember that and cling to that in any and all of our circumstances here on Earth. Donna did get released from the hospital on Friday afternoon and is staying with one of her sons and his family for now. She continues to improve from the infection she had, but she was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. We pray God continues to heal her and slow the progression of the liver damage or stop it completely. But again, He knows what He's doing and may we trust Him completely!

A Preschooler?!?

Yes he is!! Ryan's first day of preschool was this afternoon! We've been counting down with a special activity calendar that his teacher sent this summer. He was more than ready to go. The picture above was taken just before we left with his favorite toy of the week. A "daddy-made" Larryboy(veggie tales) "suction ear"! The most exciting thing since Buzz Lightyear!

So... what a great surprise to find Larryboy on the wall at school!!! Who could have picked a better school, huh? :)

Yes, it's only preschool... but the choice has been stressful, at least for one of his parents. Can you guess which one? We applied for this school that was highly recommended back in December. However they only had their afternoon program open. I thought... oh, he'll be done with naps by next September.... I was wrong. We still very much need them. But, hey, it is only 2 afternoons a week. We will survive... but will his teachers :)? Actually, he did really well today. Steve is correct though... Ryan does great as long as he is occupied and has a task to accomplish. But look what happens once we're home...This little guy NEVER falls asleep just sitting on the couch looking at books! Guess we'll be adjusting schedules as the year progresses!

He said on the way home, "This is the best day ever!" We've had several of those lately! Oh, if we all could live life each day with the same motto :)!

Going Out With a Bang

Well, here it is September...in Minnesota that means summer is gone. :) Well, not really. It was 80 degrees today still. Here are a few pictures of some fun we've had the past few weeks...

These two pics were taken at the "Amaze-N-Farm" a few weeks ago. Ryan's first pony ride and first bunny and kitten "holding". He surprised his Mom a ton. This from a boy I had to persuade and persuade to pick up a caterpillar a few days before!! Aren't we getting brave? We went with 2 other moms and had a 5-yr-old and three 3-yr-olds... all boys! Fun time. Good naps afterwards.
Last Tuesday, one of those friends turned four and had, in Ryan's words, the "best birthday party ever". It was a Disney "Cars" theme and was held at the local go-kart place. And, yes, they let the little guys drive! What a riot to watch... Ryan was overjoyed most of the evening.

If all this wasn't fun enough... Uncle Jim was here to visit last week and we went on a road trip, making the long Labor Day weekend even longer. We visited with Steve's dad in the Chicago area and then headed on to Indiana to spend some time with Anne's family. On our way home, we also stopped in Illinois to visit with one of Anne's friends from college... giving Steve a farm lesson and Ryan a chance to see some BIG farm equipment up close. Thanks Alan and Leesa! Here they are in the big John Deere!

Just Ordinary Days

Just capturing a few snapshots of the "ordinary" days of life for Ryan's scrapbook. Thought I would post them here. Most days are ordinary by worldly standards; but if we stop and enjoy the extraordinary moments and blessings God has given us, every day can be extraordinary!! Ryan is one of those beautiful blessings and 99.9% of the time we remember that :)! No, really, we know that all the time, but it may take stepping back from some 3-year-old situations to bring it to the front of our minds! How easy it is to take our family and health for granted. We thank God for our beautiful, healthy, growing, intelligent and curious little boy. We are so grateful that God has given us the privilege to raise and love him each of these ordinary days!






Another blessing taken for granted... we now have more grass showing than dirt, YEAH... still some weeds, but we'll take care of those after the grass is well established!! Quality father/son time... Ryan really enjoys helping Steve mow these days. He will ride for sometimes up to almost 2 hours! Great time for them and Mom, too :)!

Ryan also spends several days in the sand boat - building race tracks in the sand or scooping dirt like "Bob the Builder".

I love this picture... despite his high energy level around others, he really does play quietly by himself a lot. He will sit and just flip through books for long periods of time. I caught him yesterday playing with his Leap Pad... so innocently! I love those moments!

He is so ready for the adventures of preschool. He'll go 2 afternoons a week starting after Labor Day! Look out world!

Twins and Trains

We decided to have a short get-away at the last minute this past weekend. We've been "teaching" Ryan the basics of baseball with our home-made, chalk-drawn baseball diamond on the driveway (no, we don't have enough grass to move the game to the yard, yet :)!) So, we thought, why not try a Twins game in the Cities this weekend?

I came prepared, as a Mom should, with bug spray, umbrella, sunscreen, etc. Steve asks me, "What do you need all of that stuff for? Isn't it indoors?" Am I alone? I have to ask... How many of you have been to an INDOOR baseball game? Well, sure enough, Steve was right!! That's how it works here, I soon learned !!! Can you tell we really keep up on our teams and their stadiums? Yes, the Twins play in the MetroDOME... totally covered, sheltered from the rain, sun and mosquitos... so yes, I was harassed the rest of the evening by Steve telling me how much the bugs were bothering him!! Regardless, we made it through the game. Ryan was interested off and on... but was asking by the 2nd inning if the game was over yet... guess he takes after his Dad when it comes to following sports!

The highlight of the evening for Ryan was when we were leaving the game and said we were heading to the hotel. He literally jumped up and down screaming..."yeah, we are going to the hotel now.. this is going to be so much fun!"... Guess we should have opted for the really "cheap seats"!
On Sunday, we played in the pool and headed out into the rain to do some shopping and stalling until the next big event. We were headed what we thought was about 30 minutes from where we stayed to enjoy a "Day with Thomas"... for those of you behind or without kids... Thomas is a big blue train! We had driven there on Saturday, hoping to go in the sunshine to enjoy the other activities. They were sold out... but had opened up one more train ride time for Sunday. We took it. But because of the rain, we skipped out on running thru straw bales and face painting and blow up slides... we just waited until the train ride at 3:45. Well, we stalled a little too long and caused me some stress on the drive there... just praying we'd make it. How would I tell Ryan we missed the train and how would I deal with Steve's frustration about the wasted money :)? The drive was about 45 minutes and Steve dropped Ryan and I off at the boarding line... he made it in the end, too! Thomas was a life size engine.... attached to the "back" of the train. Most kids didn't get that. But Ryan sure did. He noticed how we boarded and when the train started, he asked "Why are we going backwards?" We justified it by telling him Thomas must be pushing us, instead of pulling us. When the train stopped and went back towards the station, he piped up..."Hey, Thomas is pulling us now!" Can't fool this guy!

So while the weekend looks like we were just spoiling Ryan... Steve and I had other motives... different restaurant choices than the handful we have here in the big city of Willmar :)! A good time was had by all.

I Love This Man!

Well, we said these posts might not be too profound... but can I just say that I love my man!! :) He is such a hard worker and sooo determined when he sets his mind to something. Here is the big city boy looking rather farmer-like!

We have a pond on our lot that is about 60 x 90 feet, and we agreed as part of our purchase agreement that we would pay to have rock put around it. That's a lot of rock and a good amount of money.... well, we had it done late last summer. We pictured a nice clean landscaped-look. Well, last fall we had LOTS of rain, and most of our dirt yard was washed into these beautiful stones! Thus, leaving them covered in mud in several spots. This summer we have watched this rock bed become a weed garden. So, Steve has spent several hours this week (after Round-Up) pulling and pulling. Today, he borrowed some waders and headed in. While some might like the natural look of the tall grasses, they were not what we pictured. So hours later and several pounds lighter from sweat loss, Steve heads in for a much needed shower! Thanks, hon! As you know, I would have said "This is pointless" hours ago! The pond is looking much better... we'll see if the pulling and raising of the water level keep these natural beauties away!

Can you see the before and after sections? :) I better post this before he finds out!!