p365 Aug 2-8

Emily came home from Utah with this rash all over her body. She also had had headaches for several weeks. Took her to the doctor's on Monday and she took one look at the rash and diagnosed Lyme's Disease. She got put on a 3 week course of doxycycline which is a pretty powerful antibiotic that make her stomach hurt. We have figured out if she eats first before taking the pill, and that seems to make a difference.

Tuesday I participated in Turtle Lake's 'National Night Out' gathering. I don't live in Turtle Lake, but I work there. McDonald's had a booth there. We had activies for kids, and information about the Ronald McDonald house for the adults. Richard brought my kids down and they had a lot of fun with different activites, dancing, free hot dogs and rootbeer floats.

The kids & I did some experiments this week. We had some dry ice and had fun with it, and this is another one... take a plate full of milk (whole works best-good fat content), put drops of different food coloring all over the milk, and then just a few drops of dish soap. It makes the milk come alive with color.

Thursday we went to a couple of parks. We went to a sculpture park, and then to a nature park. This is at the latter. They are watching for their pooh sticks to come out the other side of the bridge.

Friday was my last day as regular crew at McDonald's. I have been promoted to manager, and start that on Monday. So, I came home and retired my hat & old nametag.

I love this stargazer lily, but the picture does not do it justice. I had focus problems, and problems with little people trying to put their fingers in my picture.

Sunday afternoon--a perfect time for a game of Monopoply.

Have a great week!

P365 May 31-June 6

Happy Memorial Day! I got to spend the day at work. It was a crazy busy day. Emily played in the band at the ceremony at the cemetary. Alisha & Michael went to watch. Richard, Sarah & Daniel went and got new tires for the car.

These are my iris that are blooming. I think their coloring is really pretty.

Wednesday night Richard worked on the brakes on his car. I took a picture of the radio on the wall. This is my old boombox that I got for my 16th birthday. Now it is just a shadow of its former self, but it still plays music! :-)

Thursday was the end of the year elementary school picnic. Alisha came and joined us too.

Friday was the last day of school. Richard & Michael went to the Scout Spring Camporee, John was gone at Jenny's house, Alisha went to Valley Fair, and Emily had a potluck at a friend's house, so I took Sarah & Daniel to dinner at McDonald's and then we went to the movies & saw 'Marmaduke.' Not a bad family movie, really. Daniel really liked it.

Saturday we went to a really cool petting zoo in Amery. It had goats, fainting goats, yaks, a camel, a wallaby, a llama, tortises, an otter and other creatures you usually don't see at a petting zoo.

Alisha & Dad sitting out on the porch on a cool Sunday afternoon. It is Alisha's last Sunday at home as we leave on Friday to take her to Utah!!

Have a great week!

p365 May 17-23

Monday was the best band concert of the year. The pops concert, aka the 'pie concert'. and yes, there is pie. Lots of it too. I like the concert because it shows the band progression. First the elementary band, then the Jr. High band, and finally, the High School band. After hearing the elementary band, you can certainly appreciate how well, the high school band has improved. :-)

This is my last daffodil picture of the year. They are now all gone. :-(

Wednesday night was the Cub Scout end of year Pack Meeting/picnic. Daniel recieved his Wolf badge and 3 arrow points.

Thursday night was Bacculareate/awards night. This is Alisha receiving recognition for being a part of SNAP (a group that worked with inclusion of kids of all abilities). She also was recognized for going to Girls' State this past summer, and for being an honor student.

Our ward started having Friday night fireside/picnics last summer. We've started having them again this year. Friday was the first one of the year. This is John, Michael & Richard relaxing by the fire.

O.K., its a carpet. Its a really ugly carpet. But I can see it! Its my basement floor, and I haven't seen it in at least 6 months. Alisha cleaned it up so people can go down there for her graduation party this week.

Today was Alisha's graduation. The class of 2010. I'm proud of her, and she graduated with honors as well.

Have a great week!

p365 April 5-11 99 days

What is this arrow pointing at? part of 10 hours of work that Alisha put in on her prom dress over Easter Break. The dress fit her exactly perfect. Unfortunately, that meant that she couldn't move in it. So, we took the seam out, and then she took the skirt off, re sewed the seams (in the lining and dress) wider, added extra to the trim, put the skirt back on, and re beaded the dress. She also sewed straps on the dress, and added a bit of tulle on top to be more modest. She did a fantastic job and saved nearly $100 in alteration fees.

This is the easter Lily that was given to me by the art teacher that I work with.

Hermione loves her boxes. Even if we have fun putting things on top of her.

Forsooth! a Forsythia! My favorite spring shrub, and I don't have one in my yard, so therefore I am resigned to take pictures of ones that live in other yards.

Alisha and Emily were in a play at school called 'Big Bad.' The Big Bad Wolf was on trial and the different characters that had dealings with the wolf were there to testify. Alisha and Emily were 2 of the three pigs. The wolf's lawyer was the 'Evil Stepmother', the plantiff's attorney was the Fairy Godmother, and the judge was the wise old woman. Also there were Red Riding Hood, her grandmother & woodsman, the 3 pigs, Miss Muffet (who turned out to be the adopted human sister of the wolf, and the step daughter to the Evil Stepmother), and old shepherd and her son, the boy who cried wolf. Cute play.

File this one under: One more project. When at the fabric store, getting items for Alisha's dress, I saw this yarn and wanted to knit. Alisha picked the colors. I work on it on my break at work, riding in the car, and while waiting for kids

Sunday brings the best day of the week. Not only do I teach music in Primary to the 3-11 yr olds, but I also get to go in to the Nursery and sing with the 18 month-3 yr olds. This is our nursery class getting ready for music time. We have pictures that represent the songs, and the children take turns picking the pictures. Its so fun!

Well, Sunday's picture marks day 99. Cool!

Have a great week!

p365 March 22-28

I didn't set out to take a picture of a buffalo. He just sort of happened. I was riding with a friend to a meeting in the cities. We were just driving along and chatting away, when she noticed the flashing lights in her rear view mirror. "I'm getting pulled over!," she says. So, while she is finding her insurance, license, etc. I look out the window, and there is a herd of buffalo right there. Cool! So I snap a few pictures, and the VERY nice policeman lets my friend off with a warning, and we have a story to tell at our meeting. This is a picture of me posting to this blog early in the morning because while I like to try to have things posted by Sunday, sometimes it doesn't happen until Tuesday.

On Wednesday I got to chaperone the 2nd Grade to the Science Museum. 2nd grade is such the perfect age for this trip. They study dinosaurs, and then we go see them at the museum. We also saw an OmniTheatre movie. This one was on the golden ages of Arabia, which was very interesting for me, but I think it went right over the kids' heads as they kept asking "is the movie almost over? How much longer?" etc. But they had a good time. This is Daniel & friends while we were waiting for the busses.

Every year, the Art Educators in the area put on an art show for Youth Art Month. Our Art teacher picks out pieces that are done throughout the year and they get to go to the show. Alisha & Michael have both had pieces go there before. This year, Sarah's version of Matisse's 'Lady with a Green Stripe' was selected to go.

Michael's birthday was on Friday. He has a tendency to use my camera-a lot- so I got him his own camera. This is him taking a picture of his birthday cake (which is green cake with mint frosting and chocolate ganache on it.) We went to the movies as a family. Dad and Sarah & Daniel saw 'How to Train your Dragon', and the rest of us saw 'Alice in Wonderland'.

Saturday was the pinewood derby. (we got the wheels on the car at 11:00 Friday night--no matter how early they give us the car, we are not going to finish it until the night before the race.) We had a pancake breakfast before the derby, so I helped with that, and Richard helped with the weigh in. (He owns the 5 oz. calibrated weight). Daniel's car came in first for the Wolves. (o.k., there were only 3 Wolves, but he still did great. ;-) )

It had been pretty chilly all week, but my newly uncovered flowers don't seem to mind. I came home from church to find little spots of color all over the flower bed. These are the snowdrops.

have a great week!

p365 March 15-21

So, I'm starting today's post with a picture of my pajamas. Why? Because a: they are my favorite. b: they are Daniel's favorite. He being short, his nose comes right at nuzzling level with the bear and he loves feeling and nuzzling the bear. Just a little memory that I won't have when he gets older.
After several days in the 60s, I thought I'd better check my garden beds. So I slogged out there through the mud to pull back some of the mulch. There they were! Little green points coming up through the mud & leaves! I felt like Mistress Mary in 'The Secret Garden.' I was so excited!

Wednesday night, after our Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner for St. Patrick's Day, we went to the church for Michael's Court of Honor. It was Michael's Court of Honor, because currently he is the only Scout in the troop. But he is progressing and recieved the Star Rank advancement and several merit badges.

March 18 was the 5th day in a row in the 60s. I took my Girl Scouts on a field trip to the humane society, and when I got home, this little guy was blooming happily in the garden. Earliest ever for this yard (I could get them to bloom in Feb. in Utah). It wasn't there the next day, so I think it got eaten.

Friday, it got cold again. But now I had flower fever and wanted some more, so when I saw a bunch of daffodils in the grocery store, I had to buy them!

Saturday we worked on Daniel's pinewood derby car. He's going for a pickup truck. I helped, Richard helped, Alisha helped, but Daniel did saw & sand. Now he gets to paint.

John spent spring break up north at his girlfriend's house helping her family move. I drove up half way (Hinkley, MN) to pick him up Sunday evening. On my way out, the sun was just going down, and made a rather spectacular sunset.

Off for another week. Welcome Spring!!

new pics! :-)

I've kept up with this for 6 days now. Woo Hoo! So, here are the latest installments:

Sunday we woke up to -18 degrees. I don't care who you are, that is cold. Snot freezing cold. We are averaging about -10 at night. That calls for a lot of wood in the fireplace. We shove it in there day and night. We have a wood pellet stove that works to about 20 degrees at keeping the house warm. Below 20, and we have to supplement with wood. Especially to heat the upstairs. There are electric baseboard heaters upstairs, but they are expensive, so we don't use them. So, Richard & boys cut trees (gotta love having your own woods) and chop wood and haul wood so that we can have heat. Heat is a good thing.

Monday (1/4) the kids went back to school and I drove to New Richmond to do some shopping. I've passed this tree many times and was always struck by its starkness in the middle of the field by itself.

This is my amaryllis that I have been growing since Thanksgiving. It has 4 gorgeous blooms on it, and a 5th bud as well. Very cool looking!

Have a great day!!