Minnesota Memoirs

Teenager #2!!!!

2011-12-18T15:38:00.003-06:00

Yes, Jacque turned 13 on Friday, December 16. I can't believe she is officially a teenager! We celebrated with 2 ice-cream cakes, both her favorite, one was Mint Chocolate chip and the other was Cookie Dough. Yummmmmmmmyyyyyy!

And what celebration isn't complete without your friends at school? Lucky for her I was teaching 5th grade all week just upstairs, so it was easy for mom to just show up with her camera during lunch!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree!

2011-12-18T15:33:00.005-06:00

Ah, our family's tradition for 10 years to return to the Wolcyn Tree Farm to pick out our christmas tree. We love this tradition. We go each year with our next door neighbors and their family. This year we added a new family with us...we had triple the fun this year! Not sure what Den and I will do when our free child labor is all moved away and we have to actually saw and haul this tree down by ourselves!

Of course, with typically Davis style, nothing is done completely normal...without some sort of bickering!

And of course, the finished tree.......

Nice surprise for me!

2011-12-18T15:28:00.002-06:00

Ben was helping me clean one day and he was being so creative with his work, I just had to share! Love you to Bennyboy!

Brotherly Love

2011-12-18T15:20:00.003-06:00

We took Ben to the Melting Pot in Minneapolis for his 9th birthday. He really likes that place. He had a great birthday celebration. He was sitting by his brother, and from the next set of pictures, well one can only speculate how much his big brother loves him based on his reactions to Ben in the following pictures!

Honestly, how many faces can you make Ben?

Jacque's latest art project

2011-12-18T15:16:00.001-06:00

Jacque had a school project to make a landmark out of household items. She was turned loose in the kitchen for about 2 days and made this! All out of various uncooked noodles! Way to go Jacque!

Boys and their toys!

2011-12-18T14:51:00.010-06:00

So we took Wil and a few of his friends up to the cabin, just the boys, Den and I. That was a lot of testosterone running through that cabin, with me as the only female to ground them! LOL We really did have a lot of fun with them, even though they ate everything they saw! Our grand plan was to wake them up early and take them on an 18 mile bike trail around our lake so it would wear them out right off the bat. Wrong.

We all took off on our bikes, I swear they rode the entire 18 miles like they were on the Tour de France. I was always behind to the point I never saw them. They would just stop at intervals and wait for me to catch up. But let me to you, I wasn't doddle"ing", I was going as fast as I could, not enjoying any of the sights. I'm used to it though, on the ATV's and snowmobiles I am always bringing up the rear. My philosophy, I usually am the one that tips or wrecks, so I would rather hit the ground at a slower speed, rather than higher!

Amyway, we had a great trip...did all 18 miles in an hour. Did that wear them out? No, they went back to paintball, fish, eat, bottlerocket wars, eat, jetski, and did I say eat? We did take them on a ATV trip just before dinner. Well, the second set of pictures shows the problem we incurred. We had 2 boys on one ATV, 2 other boys on another ATV, Den on his own and me in the rear, again. We came across a mud hole, Wil got over it, but his friend got stuck. Den and I were back helping the other ATV get unstuck. Wil went around the corner and called out to his Dad, " Should I go?" Den said, "What's the problem?"....Wil answered, "There's a lot of water." Den told him to make a decision. He did, and went on.

The water is up to their waists, they are standing on top of something there.

It' hard to tell from these pictures, but the water was up to the top of the seat. Den is in the orange shirt, wading out to help them. He was our hero, he got it out, drove it on through the rest of the bog, turned around and brought it back. I don't know what we would do without him!

Yeah, we couldn't figure out what he was thinking either! Needless to say, when we went to eat from there, there were some dirty boys in our group!

Wil and a motorcycle is one thing...but Jacque too?

2011-12-18T14:43:00.008-06:00

Yes, now that Wil has two motorcycles...yes, two, one is his origninal dirt bike, the second one he got when he turned 16...it's just like his dirt bike, only a little bigger and is an Enduro, which basically means street legal.

Well, now that the dirt bike is not being used as much, Jacque decided she wanted dad to teach her to ride the bike in the back yard. She did a really good job, no accidents! But I can say she likes speed. I think about 30 more gray hairs popped out on my head today while videotaping her. Enough said.

First Day of School....and College!

2011-12-17T22:38:00.004-06:00

We made it through the Summer! First day of school and Ben is in 4th grade, Jacque is in 7th grade and Wil is a Junior! For our school, 7th grade is the first year they are in Junior High and Wil is attending a local Community College full time for high school credit/college credit. A big year of changes! Ben and Jacque are off on the school bus and Wil is off on his motorcycle to college.

Reality Check

2011-12-17T22:14:00.006-06:00

On my roadtrip to Arkansas and St. Louis with Jacque and Ben, we drove right through Joplin, Missouri. This picture was taken in Aug. 2011, 2 months after the deadly F5 tornado tore through that area. I was amazed and shocked at what I saw. Majority of the debris had been removed, the high school had yet to be touched, just fenced off. The land looked like it had been bombed and deserted. I wanted to drive Jacque and Ben through to see this. Only as a reminder, that when we complain about how much our life "sucks" because we had our iPod taken away, can't play with friends because we are in trouble, or have to help unload the dishwasher....I wanted them to see just how bad they had it. We should never take for granted just how easy we have it and our bad days or moments we have are nothing in comparison to the hardships others are going through.

Everything we have is a blessing. Every situation (good or bad) is an opportunity. Don't waste our opportunities.

Just a few of the pictures I took.......

Amazing how someone used duct tape to finish the sign that once said Joplin High School, and now it says Hope High School!

This is the gymnasium of the school, where just 30 minutes before the tornado was High School graduation ceremonies!

Everywhere you looked there was nothing.

On a hill, overlooking all the devestation was a church....was a church, but what was left standing....a cross.

Yet again, another picture of how barren the land was. My pictures couldn't catch the magnitude of how wiped out this area was, and how large of an area it was. All gone.

A trip down memory lane

2011-12-17T22:00:00.003-06:00

When we lived in Arkansas 12 years ago at the Wal-mart home office, I had the blessing of making some life-time friends, Ms. Christy and Ms. Michelle....the sisters I never had! Moving away from them was hard, but obviously I have adjusted just fine since I LOVE Minnesota...however, the friendship I have with them has not diminished because of distance! I took Jacque and Ben on a long road trip this summer, and one of our stops was back to Bentonville, Arkansas. I had this picture of our 8 kids on my front porch back when they came to visit me for the first time after I had moved to Minnesota. In this picture, the oldest on, Tori was in 3rd grade, Bradley 2nd, Wil 1st....everyone else were ankle bitters :o)....Ben of course was a newborn, so not photographed yet! So, while we were in town, we wanted to take another picture of all the kids together. Unfortunately, Wil couldn't make this trip, he had just started his first week of work at you guessed it, Wal-mart!, as a cashier. So, Ben sat in for him. The kids tried to recreate the picture, but now the kids are: Tori, Freshman in College, Bradley Sr.in High School, Wil Jr. in High School (Ben, as seen, 4th grade) and the ankle biters are all in Junior High now...boy, do I feel old!

Our kids, 12 years ago.......

Our kids in August, 2011.....Wil wasn't with me so Ben sat in for him. We tried to recreate what they were doing in the first picture :o)

Wil teaches Buster to ride the Jetski....seriously?

2011-12-17T21:50:00.003-06:00

Ummm, yeah, well pictures are worth 1,000 words aren't they? I know I thought it was crazy how we taught the dog to float on a raft earlier in the year, well, we have moved on to bigger and better things apparently! One day this past summer I couldn't find Buster at the cabin, and anybody that knows our dog knows that where I am, the dog is. So, I'm calling for him and calling for him and walk down to the dock. The kids had gone down there to swim and snorkel. I notice the kids aren't there, but the jet-ski lift is down and the jet-ski is gone. Wil must be pulling Jacque and Ben behind the jet-ski on the tube. Not unusual. However, I notice the dog collar laying on the dock next to the jet-ski lift. Hmmmmmmm. I go to the end of the dock, looking to the center of the lake, where I can hear a faint jet-ski sound. It is circling to pick up tubers that fell off, then stops. Faintly, ever so faintly, I can hear a muffled dog bark...yes a dog barking from the center of the lake, which is about 1 1/2 to 2 miles away. As the jet-ski zooms it way back towards our dock, here comes Wil grinning from ear to ear and Buster propped up on the front, barking. Yes, Buster loves to ride the jet-ski now with Wil, and he barks the entire time. HA!

St. Louis Arch....oh man is that high!

2011-12-17T21:33:00.005-06:00

In August I took a road trip with Jacque and Ben to Arkansas to catch up with old friends then swung through St. Louis to see family. We were very fortunate to get to spend some time with my Aunt Marian, cousin Karrie and her family for a few days. One of the things we did while we were there was to visit the Arch. The kids loved it! The ride to the top in these litte egg-pod elevators that fit only five people is a little different, to say the least. It clanks, it creaks, it jolts a bit as it angles up to get to the top. I think that was Jacque's least favorite part! But what a great memory we made!

My cousin Karrie and I :o)

Wil is 16....and what a ride!

2011-12-17T21:19:00.002-06:00

Yes, Wil is 16....and his ride is a motorcycle! This is his first day of school...what a change from the school bus! (Now that winter has settled in up here, he is using my car while I have started driving the Suburban again )Actually, Wil is going to a program called PSEO...Post Secondary Education Option...it is for Junior and Senior High School students that meet a high school ranking or standardized testing requirement to qualify. They can attend just about any public or some private Minnesota colleges or universities where they have residency and take college courses (full time or part time) that will count towards High School requirements and College credit as well, all paid for by the state of Minnesota. Our school doesn't offer the classes to be done on site at our building, so most of the kids that go from our school choose to go to Anoka-Ramsey Community College. He knows a lot of kids there, and attends full time. He just finished 16 hours this past semester, and is registered for another 16 hours next semester. We haven't received grades yet, but so far his first semester has been quite successful! He just may graduate high school with his Associates Degree! This is really helpful considering he is thinking about Pharmacy School and this will have most of his first two years of college finished and paid for.

Let me tell you, he has grown up a lot this past semester! Between his job as a cashier at Wal-mart, full time college load, taking care of his 2 bearded dragons...who has time for girls? ( I like that, can you tell?!!)

Amazing Sunset at the Cabin

2011-12-17T21:14:00.001-06:00

I caught this picture down on the dock at the cabin, just as the sun was setting and a storm was coming in.....God's version of Fourth of July Fireworks!

One cool little fellow!

2011-12-17T20:25:00.002-06:00

This is one really cool owl we found at the cabin, a Sawet Owl. This is a juvenile, they normally don't get much bigger than this. They are naturally pretty tame. Ben found the bird sitting in the yard at the cabin, walked up, picked it up and we played with it for about 45 minutes, with about 5 different people holding it. It never flew off, just sat up on the roof of our neighbors garage, then flew up in a tree, and sat and watched us for a few more hours. God amazes me with all his creations...great and small!

Our Fourth of July Surprise!

2011-12-17T20:19:00.005-06:00

We surprised the kids this year over the Fourth of July while we were at the cabin with a trip in a float plane around our lake area. We took the kids out fishing early that morning. While we were fishing, the float plane landed on the lake and the kids just thought it was a plane having troubles and landing and how cool it was we got to see it land....little did they know we were going to fly on it! It was a really fun trip, we are thinking of making it an annual tradition now :o)

Our floatplane...the Beaver!

Our cabin and shoreline are right below us!

Jacque and her friend Joelle

Ben, our little co-pilot!

One BIG Lesson About Axes....and Ben!

2011-12-17T19:52:00.008-06:00

Well, the Summer of 2011 started out with one BIG bang....Ben had an unfortunate accident with the ax while chopping wood at the cabin in June, 2011. Accidents happen, but what is amazing is how Ben handled this. While he was out chopping wood with his Uncle, brother, sister and cousins, Ben saw the axe go right down into his tennis shoe and stop. He pulled it out, didn't say a word except to tell everyone he was going in to get a drink of water....5 minutes later, he is being carried out by his Father, mother running to the suburban and yelling we are going to the hospital.....let me back track for you for what happened in those previous 5 minutes.

Ben walks into the cabin, I'm sitting in the living room reading a book, his grandfather next to me, grandmother and father all in the cabin as well. He just goes around the corner, away from everyone and sits on another couch, sits back, pulls off his shoe to investigate what has happened. He pulls of his shoe, bloody sock and then sees his toe hanging on by only the skin, dangling backwards off his foot. THEN, he decides to call out to his mother, "Mom, I think I hurt my toe with the ax."...I asked what, he repeated it...and of course as I come running over to see if what he says is really true...yes, I see him holding his foot in the air in front of him, and that little toe dangling. THEN, Ben decided it was OK to freak out a bit! He kept saying he didn't want to go to the hospital, because they would take his toe, and all I could think was, 'Yes your right, they will Ben'...but of course, all I could say is "No, the hospital will fix everything, you'll be just fine."

I tell you, that was the longest 20 minute drive! I'm glad dad held him and I drove though! Who would ever guess up there in the Chippewa National Forest,110 miles south of the Canadian border, the only hospital near us would have a Bone and Limb Facility that specializes in reattaching! All I can say is the doctors were amazing....after a couple hours of surgery, Ben was wheeled to his room for a long night of rest. (Pictures below) The next day the morphine worked wonders on him, as you can tell in his picture of him awake in his hospital bed! They did have to put a pin in to hold everything together, but within 4 weeks, the pin was pulled out and he was back to the same old Ben, just a little slower for a bit...a little slower, not much though!

Today, you can't tell any of that happened except for the slightly crooked toe bending to the left...I'll take the crookedness anyday over a lost toe...besides, it has character now!....just like Ben :o)

(Note, I included a few graphic pictures for your viewing....so be proceed cautiously!)

1 hour after surgery

Amazing what a little morphine can do!

X-ray of what those amazing doctors did!

3 days after surgery......Now you can see how amazing it is that he only cut that one toe, in between the others, and nothing else was cut. Just another reminder how God is truly in all the details....every last one!

4 weeks later, the day the pin was coming out! Swollen, but pink and still there!

Buster Loves the Lake!

2011-12-17T19:22:00.001-06:00

We have found a way to let Buster enjoy the water with us! He normally doesn't like to get in the water with us, but we found this old raft at the cabin, and when we put it out in the water, he always wants to get on it and float around with us. Of course, now we have to figure out how to make him stop barking at Wil when he snorkles by...or is it how do we get Wil to stop bugging the dog?

Our newest additions to the Davis Clan.....

2010-10-13T20:16:00.003-05:00

10/10/2010 was a good day in the Davis household.....we have been expecting sugar glider babies since August....2 babies emerged out of their momma's pouch on Sunday morning, bright and early. So, the babies are called Joey's. Adults are called Suggee's. The joey's will be adults around the time they become sexually mature...for females that is around 6 months, for males that would be 4 months.

Here's the scoop on Sugar glider pregnancy......the babies are in her tummy for 16 days developing, then they crawl out of her female opening up into her pouch on the outside of her tummy. There they spend 8 weeks developing even further, constantly feeding on her milk from the nipples inside her pouch. Her pouch will hold 2 babies easily. Although poor Zoey (momma's name) waddles like a duck when they are all tucked up in there. At the end of 8 weeks, when you see the whole baby crawling somewhere on mom, completely out of the pouch, that is called their Out Of Pouch date (OOP). This was this past Sunday for us. This is considered their birthday. However, they will spend another 8 weeks nursing and growing, coming out to play and romp around, only to scamper back into momma's pouch as quick as they can once they see your hand coming in to get them :o) We are supposed to hold them 5 minutes a day each day once they are OOP, so to get them used to human scent and us, so they will play with us, like their mom and dad do :o)

I wasn't certain on their OOP date range, but I was assuming it would be the first week of November. On Friday evening (10/8/10) we saw a little tail sticking out of zoey's pouch, just no baby. So, I knew we were close, just didn't expect them to appear 2 days later!

So, the babies haven't been named yet, we think they are both boys, not certain yet. I don't think I will go into detail explaining how we tell that, I'll just announce it when we figure it out!

Here is a video we got when they were 2 days old, finally got them away from mom for a few seconds. Looks like they are wrestling! At the very end you can hear their little cry for their momma.

Here is the second video where I brought momma over to the babies...she couldn't stand listening to them cry. I had her on my hand, and she jumps into the picture out of no where on to them....then they try to scramble into the pouch as quick as they can.

What haven't we brought home????

2010-09-23T18:54:00.003-05:00

For those of you that know us well, this is not something new or unusual.....the Davis' catching yet another wild animal. This little raccoon did get to participate in the catch and release program :o) Den was actually trying to help catch this off of his parents deck, and of course we had to play with it a little before we let it go!

I didn't insert the picture when he was showing his full set of teeth at Den, that just took away the cuteness of this little guy! But boy, he was feisty and loud!

This is a keeper!!!!

2010-05-11T15:43:00.002-05:00

I don't get pictures like this too often, so I have to post it! Wil and I together, he's smiling, ....wow!!!!! I love it!!! Just had to share it :o)

My Mother's Day wish for my children

2010-05-08T20:51:00.010-05:00

So, with Mother's Day tomorrow, I wanted to write something for my children. Tonight at church, this was one of the songs we sang, and if you know me, yes, I cried. For those of you that really know me, I'm crying now as I'm writing this...I'm such a sentimental sob! But, since it put to music exactly what I feel, I'll just rewrite the lyrics here...because it says exactly what's in my heart....even on the days the kids really, really, really test me :o) , and by the way, the pictures below are from the day I took the kids to the Melting Pot, and they were testing me then too! You can see by the looks on Wil's face, they were all getting along splendidly.....but memories we did create! ( I do have the song in my playlist as well if you want to "hear" it, courtesy of Mark Harris, "Find Your Wings")

It's only for a moment you are mine to hold
The plans that heaven has for you
Will all too soon unfold
So many different prayers I'll pray
For all that you might do
But most of all I'll want to know
You're walking in the truth
And if I never told you
I want you to know
As I watch you grow

I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage
To dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots
And help you find your wings

May passion be the wind
That leads you through your days
And may conviction keep you strong
Guide you on your way
May there be many moments
That make your life so sweet
Oh, but more than memories

It's not living if you don't reach for the sky
I'll have tears as you take off
But I'll cheer as you fly

Love,
Mom

And the winner is.......

2010-05-08T14:27:00.002-05:00

Yeah!!! Jacque's team won first place in the soccer tournament this morning! Den still has the camera, so I have no pictures to post yet :o( Both kids finished the morning at their track meet, which included pea sized hail several times and averaged about 39 degrees.....yippee! That would be Minnesota for ya! I'm happy to say, we are home, snuggled up and warm!!!!

Weekend Update....

2010-05-02T21:26:00.015-05:00

Yes, Spring is in the air and when all of us Minnesotans come out of hibernation we get smacked really hard with crazy schedules because outdoor Spring sports go full force. Jacque and Ben have been enjoying indoor soccer during April. Good thing Minnesotans have found a good use for hockey rinks when hockey season is over! They are fun to watch and a much faster game since the kids can use the ice arena walls to kick off of....which means there really isn't much "out of bounds." As for parents, all you need to remember is to bring your jacket/sweatshirt...the ice arena can get pretty chilly :o) They play games every Saturday or Sunday. Ben started baseball in April as well. His first game was last Thursday (April 29). He now plays machine pitch and they follow most of the rules of baseball now, except for the length of the game. It is 6 innings or 2 hours, whichever comes first. And then track has started. It is for only 4 Saturdays in May, for K-5th grade. Jacque really enjoyed watching Ben participate last year, so she wanted to do it this year as a 5th grader. So both Ben and Jacque are doing that as well. Unfortunately, these first 2 weeks of May, everything is colliding and happening all weekend.

The good news is, Jacque's soccer team was undefeated and has continued on to the championship game next Saturday (May 8)...yeah!!!!! Ben really loves soccer, baseball and track....and can't wait to start basketball in the winter now. Jacque as well has learned she absolutely loves indoor soccer and finds the track, especially the high jump, to be quite fun.

So below are a few highlights of this weekend...

Ben's Most Recent Creation

2010-04-27T07:14:00.003-05:00

So, Ben brought home some graded homework last night, and this was too good to not pass on. The teacher wrote "Wow! Wonderful! Remember periods!" So, he ended up with 4 1/2 pts. out of 5 for that, but you should enjoy this......

"How I make a sandwich first I get tow slices of bread nexed I put frosting on both of them. Then I smash them together Then I eat it up yummmmmmmmy!!!!! that was good or shood I say delish!!!! and thats how I make yummy sandwichis."

Sad thing is, he has done that when I have had some leftover frosting around....and he loves it. For those of you who know him well, Ben on frosting is not a good thing :o) Needless to say, I don't keep a lot of extra frosting around!

Yes, it's true....Wil is driving!

2010-04-06T18:25:00.002-05:00

Yes, it's true....Wil is driving. This was him leaving for the first time in my car, leaving the neighborhood and officially driving on public streets. He is soooo excited, and loves to drive. Now he wants to take me on ANY errands I could ever need his help on :o) Before, funny, he couldn't stand the idea of leaving the house to go do errands...what a waste of time!!! Well, can't believe he's 15.....WOW!!!! Told me he would trade his XBOX 360 in if he could just have a car and drive!......don't think I'm trading my car for an XBOX 360....that's not that good of a deal for me :o)

Only in Minnesota!!!!

2009-10-28T13:22:00.004-05:00

What a crazy Summer and Fall weather patterns we have had this year! Who would have ever guessed that the last week of July the only way I would get in the lake to swim with the kids would be to put on a full body suit--IN JULY! And that only lasted a whopping 20 minutes if I was lucky. But Wil and I did have fun playing around on these 2 little water motors he uses for snorkeling...they propel you thru the water great! I have to say, it is always Wil that gets in the water, no matter the temperature. When we put the docks in back in May, the water temperature couldn't have been above 55, and he got in, in only his swim suit, while Den and I were out there in full water suits...and we were freezing! He didn't last horribly long though, I believe he had pulled himself out up onto the lift, laying there a little purple and quite cold. But, on that cold July day, he was right back out there, and the water was only in the 60's then!

So, that brings us to October.....I think we may be on record to be in the top 3 wettest Octobers in Minnesota history. We did get a little snowfall, and before this little snowman melted away to fast, I tried to get a picture of him....he looks a little "weak" but what's funny is, the red maple tree, the green grass, then the snowman. Things are just a little off this year!

Welcome Home Soldiers!!

2009-09-11T22:26:00.012-05:00

Back in June, we had the honor of being invited to welcome home some soldiers coming home after serving for a year or more over in Iraq. This was an opportunity given to us thru the Boy scouts and Girl Scouts organization. Jacque was the only girl from her troop to go since it was during the week during school hours for the other girls....we had already gotten out of school for the summer.

Jacque and Ben made their posters and we headed to the St. Paul airport. The children lined the street where the buses drove thru before they unloaded at the hanger. It was a great opportunity for all to be involved with, and in honor of today being 9/11, not only is our family remembering all those involved with the events of that day, but the soldiers as well that have and continue to protect our freedoms............ Thank you.

Out side the hanger.....

On the airstrip behind the hanger.....

Here comes the police escort, buses are coming around the corner

Jacque and Ben in position :o) They created their own posters.....sitting at a McDonald's chowing down on fresh french fries....it was a good morning :o)

The families reuniting with their loved ones just after they were dismissed

Just outside the hanger....the picture doesn't do it justice, but this was really really cool to see, with the flag suspended so high in the air by the ladders of the firetrucks. There were about 50 men and women from a motorcycle group standing at attention with the American Flags thru out the entire ceremony.

Here's the backside of them, looking into the hanger

This is looking thru the fence before we could get to the hanger. The buses had already pulled up and you can see the American Flag hanging already from the firetrucks.

A special treat we didn't know we would get to see!

The end to a great afternoon! A day we will always be thankful we could be a part of.

A peek at a recent vacant staging.....

2009-09-09T22:53:00.007-05:00

Well, back in July, my business partner and I worked on a home with a real estate agent we do a lot of work for. We have worked out a staging deal with him for vacant homes he has where we use his furniture, but our accessories. It's a win win for everyone.....he pays us our time and rents our accessories for only 30 days, he moves in his heavy furniture he owns--so his staging costs are a lot less......and every time we do this with him, he calls us to come get our stuff well before the 30 days is up. This particular property was under contract in 5 days, with 35 showings and 5 offers--over asking.

Usually in these properties, there is quite a bit of work to be done prior to staging, so really these pictures don't capture what all went into it. But, we come in and help determine what definitely needs to be done based on budget....flooring, paint colors, cabinetry, hardware, light fixtures, etc. The final staging part can be a little "trying" since some of the furniture may be dated (i.e. basement furniture), a little ruff around the edges (i.e. kitchen table, not to mention it had no chairs!)...however, he did purchase a newer couch and chair for this property we were much pleased with. You can't understand the seriousness of that until you see the pictures of the living room furniture he had us use in the first property! We learned from that first property, that we can even make "crap" look good...well, that will have to be another posting!! But, even that property was under contract in less than 2 weeks...but it just goes to show, not everyone has "showy" furniture, it's all in how you arrange it and present it (or in this case, how many throws and pillows you can use to hide the flaws in the couch!!!! :o) )

Not all properties can be brand new rehabs or new model homes or the budget isn't there for a full out staging with all the brand new furniture. But, this property is another perfect example that Staging helps to sell properties of all values.......it's all in the merchandising! (and don't forget price too.....can't forget that.)

By the way, I'm still searching for my before pictures of the outside of the house and the living room.....those are just as dramatic, but you can't tell that now...so just enjoy the shots!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Girl Scout Camp memories

2009-09-09T17:53:00.017-05:00

Well, what can I say, it's September 9 and I'm updating you on girl scout camp from June......it's been a busy summer, but yet I couldn't even begin to tell you what made it go by so fast either!!!

Jacque has been in girl scouts for 3 years now, with the same group of about 7 girls. This was their second year to go to camp, and my second year to go with them as a chaperon. Being the troop's cookie mom comes with it's privileges--I'm a registered Girl Scout myself, so I get to attend these events!

We went to camp over by Forest Lake, MN--only about 45 minutes from home. Our cabins this year were without all forms of electricity---and the toilet outside by us had a glow necklace hanging around it at night so you could find it. You can only imagine how much the girls looked forward to that!!! At the other end of the camp, however, there were some really nice shower houses with really nice, fully functioning toilets complete with all the lights you wanted.....we just had to hike to it :o) So, in the middle of the night, we were hiking....even though the glow in the dark toilet was only about 100 ft. from our cabins :o)

We had 2 cabins...attached with a deck and picnic table between them. So we were up on a platform basically. My one picture below may not show that very well. We were at camp for 3 days and 2 nights and the girls had a blast......especially after I showed up from a "sneak" trip to the local walmart in town for a battery operated lantern :o)

The girls got to pick out activities as a troop they wanted to do....canoeing, pottery, archery, swimming, and the last one I just can't think of, it is September, not June......the mind has a way of just forgetting things!

I stayed in the cabin with Jacque and 2 other girls, the 2 troop leaders and the other 4 girls stayed in the other cabin. We had a blast and are looking forward to next summer already!! We have our eyes on the Yurts (circular tent) for next year, one huge round tent on a platform with 6 bunk beds all around the edge--sleeps 12 girls/moms. Hey, now we won't have to take turns with my battery operated lantern at night! One for all, all for one!!!!

Jacque and her bunk mates, Maddie and MacKenzie

The troop!

The troop leaders and cookie mom :o)

Only in Minnesota do you go swimming with your stocking cap on, and it really doesn't bother you or anyone else!!

Before Jacque and her bunk mates board their canoe........

Off they go........................

Hard to tell, but they kept getting stuck in the weeds, and this is about the 4th time they were getting pulled out...................

Jacque and Mom in Pottery class

Our cabins, home sweet home......

The girls just hanging out inside one of the cabins

Jacque in Pottery Class.....she loves anything crafty

We had no idea how good Jacque would be at Archery, she loved it!!!!! Now she practices at home....at a target, not her brothers :o)

The troop and their leaders on the last night....heading out for S'mores in their PJ's!

The Cutest Cake Ever!!!

2009-09-09T17:48:00.002-05:00

This summer, our neighbors had a niece visiting that lives in Canada, and the girls in the neighborhood really took a liking to her and played quite a bit with her while she was here for a few weeks. The day before she went back home, Jacque and another friend wanted to have a going away party for her.....and look what we found at our local Walmart bakery!!! Yum!!!! It was a hamburger made out of cake and frosting.....and it was as good as it looked! As soon as the boys came in, the cake was gone before the sun set!!!!

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here Fishy Fishy

2009-05-15T19:43:00.002-05:00

Den took a friend out on the Rum River the other night in his little river boat....they had some pretty good luck! These two walleye were quite a catch, unfortunately, since all our fileting knives are up at...you guessed it, THE CABIN!.....we really couldn't do much with them. Being the good man Den is, ahhhh-say it with me, Den let Todd take the fish home with him to enjoy. Hmmmm, I wonder what Den will get for Fathers Day this year???

Look Mom, No Training Wheels!!

2009-05-15T19:33:00.005-05:00

So, little Ben, our creature of habit, who likes no change......well, he finally started riding his bike this spring, with training wheels of course. Dad always like to challenge him a little quicker than I do.....Wil would probably still be on training wheels if it were up to me LOL....anyway, after having a few weeks of enjoying the safety of riding his bike along with the training wheels, Den decided to "bend" the training wheels up, vertically I would say, but about 2" he would say. I was furious, kept my mouth shut and went inside. Last I saw, Den was hanging on to the bike, trying to talk Ben into going down the drive, and Ben was adamantly saying no. About 10 minutes later, Dad and Ben come in, Dad says there was no luck. I smirk, to myself. Then Ben comes up and asks me to come out, he wants to show me something. Sure, no problem. This time of year, Ben always has something to show you, be it a new rock, a worm, a bug, a turtle, something he built, who knows!! So, I go out, needless to say, I come back in to get my camera.....and this is what I saw.......

30 minutes later, the training wheels were removed, permanently. Ben's favorite thing to do is hot rod thru the yard and stand up on the pedals as he speeds down the hill, past our house, giving his mother a heart attack.--but with a helmet on.

I must say, I was very humbled, no more smirking to myself, and had to admit, Den was right. This time :o)

A Day at the Aquarium at Mall of America

2009-05-15T19:16:00.008-05:00

One of the perks of the Mall of America is the Underwaters Adventure Aquarium. It is really neat to go thru, and you are in tunnels that go right thru the aquarium. So all the animals are swimming all around you, except below. This is all in the basement of the Mall. So, one day when the kids had no school, I signed them up to help feed the sharks! We went in for a tour, "Behind the Scenes" where they show you their lab, above all the tanks (which is where they feed the animals) and the kitchen, where they store and prepare all the food. This was really interesting, and they only take 4 people for the feedings. I snagged that opportunity up quick! No camera's were allowed down there, as it was the basement of the mall for security purposes, so the only pictures I can show below is from when we were finished and went thru the tunnels.

We were feeding the sharks mackerel and squid. They gave us long tongs, and we tapped the water to get the sharks attention to come eat, and when they would, we would hold the tongs down, and they would come up and snatch the food away--just 3 feet separating us from them. All 3 tried it, however, I did hang on to the tongs with Jacque and Ben just to make sure they didn't get tugged in!! As we were feeding them, this VERY large sting ray clinged to the wall below us, and kept lifting itself up and out ( so you could see him mouth underneath him) and would slide up to the open air a good 10 inches, trying to get the squid from us. So weird. They said that is how they feed the sting rays, and this one was still hungry!

So below are some pics of the kids as we finished up going thru the aquarium......

Typical teenage grin :o) Don't ya just love em' !

A sea turtle swimming by.....

It's a little freaky seeing a shark swim over you....

Some very large sting rays and sharks.....

OUCH!!!!!

2009-05-15T19:11:00.002-05:00

Well, a few weeks ago, we were over at a friends house for dinner, and the kids took their scooters to play on. This is a fairly new neighborhood, so all the sidewalks are new, however, where the road meets the sidewalk, that has not been leveled out smooth. Point is, there is still about a 3/4-1" rise from the pavement to the sidewalk edge. Obviously, from this picture, Ben was unaware of that :o) He took a pretty good fall, head over the handle bars and ended with this skid mark. He wasn't very happy, unlike this picture, which was 1 week later. Wil did come to his rescue and brought him to us, and after that, Daddy worked a little magic on him and made him feel better. All is well now.........

2009-04-26T21:22:00.003-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Cake, Cake and more Cake!

2009-04-02T19:12:00.004-05:00

As I was putting up Ben's birthday post (below) I realized how much cake we had--3!!! For one little boy! His birthday was on a Saturday, and his party was going to be on Sunday. Well, of course we had a cake for the party, but I wanted him to have some cake ON his birthday, so we came up with a great plan of letting him make his own cake. So we baked one the night before, and had it all ready for him to decorate on Saturday afternoon.

There was one pitfall, Saturday morning from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Mommy and Jacque were to be at a Girl Scout Cookie booth, so more than likely, he would be in bed when I left. So, I got a "little" cake for him to wake up to and start his day out with for fun. Then while I was gone, he decorated his cake--chocolate cake with chocolate frosting along with some other colors and candies to adorn it with.

So, when I sit back and look over all the picture, he had 3 different cakes! And yes, 5 days later we are still working on them--although there isn't much left!

Cake #1--Good Morning Ben! It's an alligator! (2 cupcakes smothered in icing!--what can't you find at Wal-mart these days !)

Cake #2 Ben's creation--and it's yummy!--I'm working on a piece of it now as I'm writing this post.

Cake #3 Our cupcake Cake for the party. It had Kung Fu Panda on it--again, thank you Wal-mart Bakery!! Ben's friend Reese, sitting right in front of the cupcakes, well his expression says it all!

Happy 7th Birthday Ben!

2009-04-02T18:53:00.011-05:00

So, Ben's now 7!!! I can't believe how fast the time flies by! We had one big gift for him this year, and actually didn't have enough wrapping paper to go around the box, so we opted to take it out of the box, have it already to play with and just cover it with a blanket. Well, Ben didn't take to that idea so well. He thought "something" was hiding under there and we were going to scare him. He told us later he thought it was a giant frog???? Boys!

So, as you can see, once he opened it, he was not afraid anymore. Oh, Dad actually had to open it for him, Ben wouldn't come near it--that is until he saw what it was! It's actually pretty neat, it is a trick/sport remote control that the boys can build jumps and tracks with it and race it. Thanks to daddy for finding that one!

So, this year, Ben wanted a bowling birthday party. Which was fine with me seems how his birthday crept up on me and I was so not ready for it! We took him and some friends over to Brunswick and went Cosmic Bowling. They turn off all the lights, and everything glows in the dark and laser lights everywhere. We had pizza and cake, it was a good time.

Here's the gang we spent our afternoon with--brother, sister, and some great neighborhood friends.

Our "birthday Hero"--a.k.a party helper, happened to be our neighbor, Travis. So, we had a good time with him. Weird thing is, when we moved here 8 years ago, Travis was about Ben's age--wow, I'm getting old!

Another pic of the group--don't you just love Jacque's photogenic qualities!

No birthday party is complete without a little game of limbo! Go Ben!

And that was the end of our fun day. Ben had a good time with friends, lots of pizza and cake to eat, and fun presents to bring home and play with. I don't know who was happier, Ben or Mommy-- who had no mess to clean up and a clean home to walk into, put her feet up, and rest! :o)

Author's Party

2009-03-14T13:55:00.003-05:00

Ben had written a book, actually everyone in his class did, and they invited special people in to hear them read their books at their Authors Party. We had cookies and hot cocoa. I video taped Ben with my camera reading his book, however, he was very soft spoken that day, (Seriously, Ben was soft spoken that day, really, I'm telling the truth :O) ) so, you can't hear him read his book, but you can see him.

The next post talks about the Medieval Feast, and they were all in costume that day. This party took place on that day, which explains Ben's unusual, dirty attire.

Medieval Feast

2009-03-14T13:09:00.022-05:00

One of the fun things I am learning with PACT Charter school is some of the traditions they do that aid in the learning process for the kids. One of these is the Medieval Feast. They do this every other year so each child has a turn to experience both parts of this Feast.

After spending a week or so learning about this time period, it ends with this big feast that puts it all into perspective in a fun way. This is for grades 1st- 4th. Each classroom picks a Lord and Lady to represent them. And for all the 1st-4th, a King and Queen are picked--thru a drawing. Everyone else, well you become a Knight, lady in waiting, jester, priest, merchant or the lowly surfs. Come the day of the feast, everyone dresses their part.

The actual feast doesn't begin until 12:30, after High School has finished their lunches. Since majority of the elementary eats between 10:15 and 11:30, they have the kids eat a big snack that day before the actual feast. This is where there are two parts to participate in. The 1st and 2nd grades get a "special" snack/feast put on for them while the 3rd and 4th just bring a snack to eat on in their classrooms.

This snack/feast for the smaller ones is really fun and interesting. This is where they really learn about the social "classes."

So, here is the spread for these little ones........mmmmm......it was fresh fruits, cheeses, veggies, breads and jellies

My job for the day was to prepare the veggie/fruit face tray that is presented to the Lords and Ladies before the feast can begin..... not bad eh???

So, here starts the head table for the Lords and Ladies. First to be seated are the Knights, then the Ladies in Waiting.....

....then the Jesters, then the Priests, then the Merchants, and then the surfs....which was of course little Ben. (See him closest to the camera looking at you?) So, this is all the 1st and 2nd grade, sitting, waiting to be served.

Oh, but here is the interesting part. They have to serve each other, by class. Poor Ben, that meant he was served last.

So, here we start with the Knights serving the Lords....

The Lady's in Waiting serving the Ladies.....

The Ladies in Waiting serving the Knights....

The Jesters serving the Ladies in Waiting.....

The Priests serving the Jesters.....

The Merchants serving the Priests.....

And of course, the Surfs get the leftovers, and they serve themselves.....but we gave in there, and the mommies and teachers served the surfs....they were so patient, and hungry :o)

This is Ben's teacher, Mrs. Klismith

So, on to the next part, the Medieval Feast for all..........

This would be the second time a child would get to participate in the feast. As a 3rd or 4th grader, but you just didn't get to do the snack/feast part this time. Ben will get to do this one more time, in 4 th grade. The feast lasts for about an hour, with several courses being served, Jesters performing and other entertainment by the kids all thru out.

Here is the procession of everyone coming in for the feast into the cafetorium....

The King and Queen, and Lords and Ladies sit at the head of the table...everyone else is down below.

Here is Jacque searching for people to bob for apples--one of the entertaining activities they did during these feasts long ago....

This is Ben performing his "part"....they were acting out for the court being greedy, then sharing. So, no Ben wasn't being naughty and running around...... :o)

Ben enjoying his beef stew in a bread bowl--no napkins or silverware allowed--there was no such thing back then anyway!

Jacque wasn't too thrilled with the idea of no napkins....she loved the food.....just didn't want to be so messy!

A new beginning.....

2009-03-14T12:52:00.008-05:00

Well, in February, it became official, all 3 children are now in PACT Charter School! Ben started there in Kindergarten last year, then Wil got his call right before school started this year for 8th grade, and Jacque, well she got her call in the middle of 4th grade. She knew it was always a possibility so there really wasn't a problem--I think it was more her mother than her!

PACT called on Friday, and said there was an opening. The problem was, Jacque's old school had no school the next Monday or Tuesday, and PACT was ready for her to start on Tuesday. So, that meant that that day, Friday, was her last day at Rum River Elementary. I decided I needed to go up to school and tell her that so she would have a chance to say good-bye to all her friends. So, below are pictures of her and all her friends on her last day......

Jacque and Mrs. Schanzen--her main teacher. In 4th and 5th grade, Rum River has those classrooms have 1 teacher for 3-4 classes they specialize in, and swap with another room half way thru the day for their other teacher that specializes in the other courses. She always started the day off with Mrs. Schanzen, and at 12:30, she would go to......

Mr. Moore's room next door. All his class would go to Mrs. Schanzen's room and Jacque's class would come to his. He taught Science, Math and Social Studies. It worked pretty well, something new and I think a way to get kids prepared for middle school in 6th grade and the constant change of classes and teachers.

So, good-bye to our classroom at Rum River.....

Hello to PACT Charter! Guess I didn't get close enough to read her name, but that is her new locker--no more sharing!!

And welcome to Mrs. Maki's room! This is Kathryn Perra, a good friend we already knew and happens to be in her classroom as well, helping Jacque settle in.

This turned out to be a great transition. Just 2 weeks later at conferences her teacher told me it's as if Jacque's always been there. She really likes her new school......but not as much as Mom and Dad like them all being there together now!!

AWANA Grand Prix

2009-03-14T12:18:00.010-05:00

In February, our AWANA group hosted their annual Grand Prix. It is for AWANA children 3rd-6th grade, then there is an open class for older children and adults to race in. Last year was Jacque's first year to compete. She did quite well...1 st place in speed!

Her and Den planned and created the car. It is quite interesting to see the block they start with and what it ends up being. They lose me though with the 5 oz. limit and when they start adding lead balls for weight and the graphite for the wheels..... at least they know what they are doing!

So, this year, Jacque wanted to go more for design. She decided on a snake. So, they worked on her creation for a few weeks out in the shop, and off we went to the races! They always give 1st place for Speed and 1st place for Design. You can't win in both categories. Which is good....we weren't winning all our heats for speed.

(My pictures always come out dark in this auditorium, so get your eye's close up to the screen and look! )

Jacque at the races with her car--we had to take the tongue out for racing.

The race track...there is a large screen behind that shows the heats and times at the end, and who is on board to race in the next heat. If you can see, at the finish line, that little black thing that goes over the track (I'm sure it has a name, you can see how tech savvy I am!) It has a sensor that times the cars as they run under it, and instantly places them in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th--then the times and places are listed up on the screen. Pretty nifty I have to say.

Here are the cars that were racing. This actually was about half the number we had last year....bummer.

Jacque placing her car on the track.

Ready, Set and Go!!!

A better look at Jacque's car, resting between races. That's another cute creation next to hers as well.

This one had to be added. It was quite clever. I thought for sure it would win 1 st for design. When it raced though, it was very slow, and the flag kept coming off. Oops!

Another one of my AWANA girls with her entry. You can't tell from the picture, but the details and the curves on this corvette were incredible. She came too late, so could only compete in the open class--which only races, no awards given out.

And guess what! Jacque won first place for design!! One of the things they look for is the sheen, and thanks to her daddy's extensive workshop :o) hers was the only one with a high gloss sheen finish--way to go guy's!! So, I think that helped to give her an edge in that category, not to mention those smooth curves on the snake!!! Way to go Jacque!!!

I have to say, this was a good year for the girls----Both first place in speed and in design were won by girls in my T&T group!!! Oh yeah, they rocked!!

Merry Christmas!--Yes, I know, it was 2 1/2 months ago....

2009-03-14T11:40:00.010-05:00

Boy, when we go home for Christmas, it's a whirlwind of celebrating, eating, trying to see everyone, eating, catching up on family news, eating .... did I mention eating? By the way, all this means driving, driving, driving, and more driving. When we get back home to Minnesota, we are exhausted....but the great memories and fun we had always outweighs the 1,000+ mile trip. So, I'm posting a few highlights of our trip home.... Enjoy!

Yes, a little boy's dream come true....sorry to say, they weren't all his. On Christmas Eve, all of Den's family gets together and we open presents together. That's 5 families---22 family members + significant others that are starting to join the family :o) But, a little boy can still dream can't he?????

All the "kids" in Den's family with Santa--of course the night doesn't begin until after communion at church, and then Santa always arrives to deliver the first gifts. A tradition that has been going on for years...way before I even entered the family 15 years ago!

The girls with Den's mom and dad, aka--memaw and papa.

My mom and dad, aka Grandma Beep-Beep and Granpa Bruce, at my grandmothers house for Christmas dinner.

Jeff (my brother) and Jeanna and their kids--Jeffrey, Joseph, Joshua, Hannah, Sarah, and Jeremiah.

My uncle Roger and Rhonda with their children. Since I typed out Jeff's kids names, guess I need to do it here as well--so here goes my memory test!!----Zachary, Rebecca, Anna, Emily, Luke, Isaac, Samuel, ...o.k., I've already asked for help on two names here at home, now I need to make a call out to Dad for the rest.....hold on.....Olivia and the newest addition Cora Abigail, born on Nov 11, 2008. Thanks Dad!!! By the way, I completely failed the memory test. :o)

And here we are, Den and I with Wil, Jacque and Ben. It's so much easier coming up with 3 names ! :o)

O.k.--so did you count--18, yes that is 18 children between Jeff, Roger and I. Grandma has 11 grandchildren (Roger's children plus me and Jeff) and 9 great grandchildren. What a house full, but what fun we have!!!!

I know it's March...But Happy Birthday Jacque!!

2009-03-14T11:33:00.003-05:00

So, as I'm continuing to "catch up" on how far behind I got, there are still a few things I want to get in here to catch you up on. So, on December 16, 2008, Jacque turned 10! Just wanted to share a few pics of her on her birthday. We had AWANA that night, so it was a late night celebration after we came home. Luckily, the AWANA christmas party was that night as well, so we had a lot of extra fun that night anyway!

Jacque insisted on Christmas Bells for her cake--I think it was all the blue that she liked the most :o)

Jacque and Buster

Happy Birthday Jacque!!

2009-03-04T20:46:00.018-06:00

Since we don't live close to home and have "family" birthday parties, we wanted to figure out a way to celebrate each of the kids "special day" by doing something as a family--but the catch is it is a total surprise to the kids. Den and I plan something, and we just pack the kids up and tell them we're going. Sometimes it's something big, like a sleepover at a hotel, and sometimes it's not so big. But it's always something fun that will create a family memory.

Welllllll, Jacque was turning 10 on Dec. 16, 2008--which happened to be a Tuesday night, and we knew we would be at church at AWANA, so we planned something special for her the Friday before.

She has been asking to get her ears pierced for the past 2 years, of course when she first asked, her reason was because "everyone else had theirs pierced." Well, that wasn't the reason we needed. So, she has been waiting patiently--sometimes not so patiently :o)--but we knew at 10, she was ready for all the right reasons. So, the plan has been made......we would go get her ears pierced, at Wal-mart, of course. We also decided to take the kids to a Japanese steak house in downtown Minneapolis after that, followed by ice-skating at an outdoor rink in downtown St. Paul.

Of course it started with the usually complaining--by none other than Wil :o) LOL--he can't stand surprises. And as we walked thru Wal-mart, Ben was grumbling--"....is THIS our surprise????" Mind you all this is for Jacque, but the boys seemed a little caught up in how we were putting them out....oh the joys of children :o)..... as we came up on jewelry, I stopped and turned to Jacque and asked if she wanted to get her ears pierced----she just about grinned ear to ear.

The lady the pierced her ears, asked if each brother would hold her hand during each piercing--so when you see the pictures below, the boys weren't just being sympathetic on their own, there was a little prodding...LOL I do think though that they weren't too fond of the actual piercing gun!

Well, the rest of the evening went wonderfully--dinner was fabulous, we always love Japanese steak houses. And the skating was fun--fun for me and Ben to watch, and fun for Den, Wil and Jacque to skate :o) Ben wasn't too interested in skating, and that sounded just fine to me--seems how I'm the only adult that would be hugging the wall as she goes around, not even moving for other children :o) , I preferred to watch from the sidelines with Ben.

So, below is the saga.......

Before we get our ears pierced :o)

Ben's turn to hold Jacque's hand

Wil's turn now.....I'm actually impressed he held her hand, in public at that!!

After--not a tear, not a sniffle, just beautiful!

Dinner at the Japanese steak house--we we're stuffed!

The two proud "bystanders" :o)

Jacque was ready to skate--in her new jacket and hat she got for her birthday!

The outdoor rink....... (can you see the one with no skates..aka-Ben, in the background hanging over the side???)

Another cute pic of the kids... (see Ben again? He was having just as much fun off the ice as they were on the ice :o)

Den, Jacque and Wil on about the 10th lap around

The three musketeers coming around for their final lap....(Ben is finally flat on his feet, momentarily :o)

Across the street was a huge tree--they say it is taller than the one in NY, it's fuzzy, but the kids are at the base of tree to the right.

Ever wonder what it took to light these things up?? I had to look....there were 4 plates of plug-in's, you can only see one side...it was a big box of them around the base of the tree. This picture really doesn't do it justice.

Trying to get a Christmas card picture...not quite, but it's still cute. What a great end to a great evening of fun....we all went home and slept well.

Wow....I'm a little behind

2009-01-14T07:05:00.002-06:00

O.k., so here's just a quick note to let you all know, that yes, I've been bad. I have lots of good things to write about since December, it's just flown by! But, since the temperature is getting down to -20 the next few days and we are under a Freeze Warning--didn't know that even existed--but I obviously have some "cocooning" time to catch up here. So, give me a day or so....I'll be back!

All I want for Christmas is my .....

2008-12-05T08:47:00.007-06:00

O.k, so one more video. The kids went to see Santa last night. It's a great thing we have come across--just about 5 minutes from us, Santa comes to visit this 'portrait studio'--how convenient! We know exactly when our appointment to see him is, so no long lines, and while we are there, he pulls out his list, to see if the kids names are on it, the nice one that is! Happy to report, they were all on there. Of course, just 30 minutes before, I never would have believed that! LOL Actually, I believe I was threatening to take them off myself :)

Wil was also very aware, and made sure I knew it :), that he was the ONLY 13 year old on that list visiting Santa. I guess all the "other" teenagers are texting Santa their wishes. LOL I told him he had about 4 years left--look to the bright side, he can drive us some of those years! Oh the joys of children, but how fast time flys. I'll take what I can get now :)

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree!

2008-12-05T07:38:00.013-06:00

Well, every year since we have lived in Minnesota ( coming up on 8 years this next March!) we have a tradition of cutting down our own Christmas Tree at a Tree farm up in Cambridge, MN--it's about a 30-40 minute drive north of us. We always go with our neighbors, Jason and Karine, and their 3 children. The past 2 years, we have had another good family/friend join us, Delayna and Jeff, and their 3 children. So, we have quite a fun time riding out on the tractors, starting the hunt, sawing them down, hauling them back by trailer, the kids getting hot cocoa and cookies when we are done, then off to home with our trees--where all the fun really begins!

It may sound like a little too much effort to some, but it is one of the few traditions we started up here in Minnesota that the kids (and Den and I included!) really enjoy. One of the best parts is how good the house smells

Of course this year, we lucked out and found our tree within the first 50 ft from where we jumped off the trailer, and claimed it within minutes of looking. Our neighbors, Jason and Karine, weren't quite so fortunate--they hunted, and hunted, and hunted, and Den helped them hunt, and hunt, and hunt--but they finally found that perfect one! This year, the weather was perfect up here--no snow, sunny day, and in the upper 40's--so no one was cold! The first few years, we weren't so blessed--the kids bundled in snowsuits and gear, whipping wind, freezing feet and snow drifts to drag ourselves thru. I wish I could find a picture I have, but one of those years, Jacque was about 4 or 5, and she just layed herself down in the snow, sprawled on her back, crying. She was so tired of having to walk thru all the snow. It was the funniest picture.

So, below is the saga story of finding our tree. I can't figure out how to get the pictures to be lined up more horizontally, rather than all vertical in a row, so for now, just keep on scrolling down!................

All the kids loaded up and ready to go!

Jacque and Cayden, our neighbor's daughter

Let the hunt begin!

WAIT!! Not that one kids! That's too big! How many times have we told you not to wonder around on the tree farm, by yourselves, with the saw??

Now that one is just right!! We'll take it!

Now the fun part, which is always Den's part, the sawing----oh fun!

Oh, but we got smart this year--can you say "child labor?" :)

There is no age limit or gender discrimination on child labor in the Davis household!

OK, I guess we have to help, a little :)

Load it up, we're outta here!

Off we go!

Shake, Shake, Shake!! Our's is on the left

Bag it up please!

It's officially ours--paid for and on OUR trailer :) Tally ho!

But first, let's have some hot cocoa and cookies before we go!

Ahh, finally, home.

All done! Merry Christmas!

And herrrrrrre's Ben!!!!!

2008-12-05T07:17:00.005-06:00

PACT Charter School 1st and 2nd Grade Christmas Concert

Well, he did it! Ben successfully enjoyed himself and sang in public, with a "little" motion included. He definately wasn't as "busy" as a few of the children were. I think one little girl in the front took her dress jacket on and off a couple dozen times :) A few others really projected themselves pretty well. And of course, there is always the one child that likes to be animated to every single word sung. Which of course, that child ends up being front and center, for all to enjoy :) We really enjoyed the program, and Ben had a fun time as well. There is a video clip below if anyone wants to hear a small portion. Enjoy!

Can you spot Ben?

As you can see, he was a lot more "serious" , or should I say, "stoic" than everyone else? :)

This is Ben before the program--looking pretty good!!! (See his name on his desk?)

And here's a sample of how cute they all were! Listen! (Don't forget, you'll have to mute my music player on the side of the blog to hear them)

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2008-11-27T19:00:00.006-06:00

I can't believe it is already Thanksgiving! I can already feel Christmas being over, and it hasn't even started yet! Time goes by so fast! Well, we had our spread today, which ALWAYS includes our deep fryed turkey and Nana's Cornbread Oyster Stuffing . This stuffing is made for Den so he can feel like he's home at his Nana's, I personally prefer "Stove Top." (Not that that makes me feel at home, I just don't prefer the smell of oysters.) Actually a bowl of gravy is about all I need! This year, Jacque decided Den's stuffing actually tasted pretty good. Den swears that it is one of those dishes that tastes better the next day--so we made it on Wednesday, and wouldn't you know when we put it on the table today, it already had one row MISSING! Guess a little taste test was necessary--hmmmm. Too bad you can't zoom in on this picture, you could see it gone. This first picture, I realized Den wasn't in it, and you were wondering "who" that was with me and the kids--well, it is a friend of ours that came to spend the afternoon with us while his wife and children were with family down in Arkansas. So, here is a picture of all of us........ Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving--we sure did!!!!!!!

Sneak Peek at Ben's Christmas program songs!!

2008-11-15T15:25:00.008-06:00

Well, Ben's Christmas Program is Monday, December 1!! Many, well I should say all, won't be able to make that:) That's what we get for living so far away from everyone, I know, I know. So, now that I have found how to work video's on here, I thought I would give everyone a chance to see him in action! This is actually pretty good, considering all thru Pre-school and Kindergarten, he never sang--he just kept his hands tucked deep in his front pockets, and would stare right at his mom. If his eye's ever diverted off my face, he would end up in tears, not to mention I would too! (Which isn't unusual for me as most of you already know!) So this is huge--HE'S SINGING AND LOVING IT!!!! Way to go Ben!!!

You'll need to hit the pause button on my music player, "Playlist", to pause the background songs so you can hear Ben!

Christmas Time is Near (Alvin and the Chipmunks)

Up on the House Top

Mary Had a Baby

Buster and Mr. Jingles

2008-11-15T14:58:00.005-06:00

Ok, trying something new here. While we were at the cabin, we found a little house guest, a cute furry brown mouse. Pretty much like the mouse on The Green Mile, Mr. Jingles--you get the picture. Well, Den first saw him sitting on the pillow on the couch, watching Fox News with him, just taking in the view. Well, he must have needed a change in scenery since he made a dash for Den's tennis shoe, hanging out there in his new little "mouse pad." As you can imagine, I quickly remedied that, and gave the little mousy a new home, OUTSIDE the front door of the cabin. Well, Buster, the indoor city dog that he is, quickly found out what he was actually made for. He had a blast trying to catch that little mouse, and when I finally grabbed the camera and video taped him, the mouse had found a new hiding spot under a tree. So, this was a little glimpse at Buster, doing what most dogs should be doing----unlike what Buster really is, becoming more human/spoiled everyday. :)

Den's 40th birthday at the Cabin

2008-11-15T14:42:00.003-06:00

Well, we got up to the cabin and had a great time. As always, not enough time! We were good though, we didn't eat cake until 1 p.m. the next day--so Memaw, you will be proud of us for holding out, and keeping to a "healthy" breakfast! :) We actually got the first official snow that weekend, even though it didn't add up to much. It was a great weekend for catching up on movies, sleeping and snacking. Isn't that about what it is everytime??

Den and Jacque had a little issue with keeping the frosting off of their noses

Den was opening all of his birthday cards--thank you everyone!

The first official "dusting"--last time the cabin saw snow was April, and Den got

stuck there with the 30" snowfall, along with the ATV's, the car, and the tow truck--this was much easier to handle!

Ben always has fun typing on our 1920 typewriter, still with the original ribbon. One of our great finds from the local "junkman." He just started spelling this week at school, so he was practicing typing his spelling words!

Oh yeah, let the celebrating begin!!! He's 40!!

2008-11-07T14:58:00.004-06:00

Lunch with friends

Den, Jacque and Julie

No school for Jacque!

Well, before we head to the cabin, we squeezed a little lunch in with some friends of Den's to start celebrating his 40th birthday!!!!!!!!! Nothing like some hot mexican food on a snowy day! We had a good lunch, the cake didn't even get cut, so we will dig into that this evening when we get up to the cabin--better yet, have some for breakfast! Yummmmmmmmmm!!!

A "dear" little friend

2008-11-07T14:46:00.006-06:00

Moses

My brother Jeff with Moses

Even with Ben jumping on the trampoline above him, Moses isn't phased by the comotion!

While the kids and I went home for a visit over MEA break, we visited my brother's home in Maysville, MO. We met their newest addition, Moses. Earlier in the Spring, one of their children had rescued a fawn caught in the middle of rising flood waters. They appropriately named him Moses. Moses spent the first few nights in the house, in bed I might add!!, with one of my nephews, Joseph--the one who saved him. Since then, Moses just sticks around. He even sleeps curled up outside the front door. Too bad we can't keep him!!

Oh those pesky squirrels!

2008-11-07T14:38:00.005-06:00

We had so much fun carving pumpkins this year---we even roasted the seeds, which I think Ben and Mommy liked the most. Wil and Jacque seem to still be occupying themselves with all their Halloween candy they need--no want--to eat. But as you can see, the squirrels have had a little fun with the kid's pumpkins. All good things must come to an end at some point!

Happy Halloween!!

2008-11-01T18:21:00.000-05:00

Well, another Halloween has come and gone, which only means Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner!

We had our 6th annual neighborhood Halloween party last night out in our outer garage last night. Den and I started it by thinking of a way to get together with our neighbors for a quick, easy meal before the rush of trick-or-treating, sorting candy, baths (if your lucky), homework and off to bed for school the next day. So, we started with inviting the neighbors on our street, we provide the hotdogs and soda, they bring appetizers/dessert and we eat buffet style. Den does an amazing job of decorating our woods that surrounds the garage with a haunted graveyard theme, complete with huge spiderwebs that come out off the garage, fog machine, a brewing witch kettle, and mounds our leaves into "graves" with tombstones. It's all in good fun for all the kids, no scaring allowed. The first few years we had some really cold Halloween's, and everyone huddled in the garage. Then, each year, I started inviting neighbors on the street over, a few in the back of the neighborhood, and a few of my close friends not even in the neighborhood. Well, 6 years later, we are now up to 37 families! Last night, we ran out of my 120 plates I had, and Den had to come in and rummage in the pantry for more--so I think we are easily at about 135-140 people! It is so much fun to see everyone--actually, it's like a "pre-hibernation" party for us Minnesotans, since we probably won't see much of them until Spring!

So, I bet your asking, where's the pictures of this?? WELLLLLLLLLL, I just created this blog site, the day AFTER Halloween, so I wasn't thinking how necessary it was for me to get pictures, so I will get some for next year--better yet, come join us!!! I've already got 3 more families getting added for next year, so why not, I'm already adding for more anyway!! :) Honestly, it does get pretty busy once everyone gets here, they stay for about 1 1/2 hours--once it starts getting dark, most everyone loads up on a trailer with/4 wheeler driven by their dad, and off they go trick-or-treating. By the time we think of taking a picture, we are in the middle of tearing it all down. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, next year I promise to get some pictures--for now, we are left with the leftovers of 8 various liters of half empty soda, 7 family sized bags of various chips, 1/2 gallon of leftover orange dreamsicle punch (by the way is packed with calories/fat but way to good to just toss, I just can't do it!), only about 16 hotdogs (which is quite good considering we started out with 120!) chili and onions. Guess what's for dinner?????