JetsMama

The Grand-kids Interview their Papa on his 62nd Birthday

2012-01-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey: "What would you want to do if you could to anything in the whole wide world?"

Papa: "Take all of my grand-kids to Yellowstone National Park"

Macy: "What is your favorite meal?"

Papa: "Sauerkraut, ribs, and mashed potatoes"

Jeffrey: "What is your favorite show on tv?"

Papa: "The Big Bang Theory"

Macy: "What is your favorite birthday party you ever had?"

Papa: "When we used to go tobogganing down Hilken's hill in high school."

Jeffrey: "Who is your best friend?"

Papa: "Mikey Anderson"

Macy: "What kind of car do you like?"

Papa: "Camaro"

Macy's 2012 Interview

2012-01-09T16:51:00.000-07:00

Interview with Macy - Age 4 - January 2012

Sing to me the Sunday Night Football Lyrics

(while dancing) I’ve been waiting all day for Sunday Night. Chris and Al are the best on TV!

Is the singer (Faith Hill) Jeffrey or Daddy’s girlfriend?

Daddy’s (she smacks him and laughs)

What would you do if it snowed a foot tomorrow?

Make snow angels

What does it mean to be tough?

If I fall down on the ground like this, I don’t cry.

Who is meaner, Mommy or Daddy?

Mommy

If you could do anything you wanted to do right now, what would you do?

Play when it is naptime.

Smokey or Garfield? (our cats)

Smokey

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Sister

What is your favorite color?

Pink and Purple

What is your favorite food?

Fruit Loops (funny because I never buy those)

Who are your best friends?

Kambree, Emma, Allison, Sophia, Lydia, Emily, and Grace

Jeffrey's 2012 Interview

2012-01-09T16:45:00.000-07:00

Interview with Jeffrey age 6 - January 2012

Sing to me the Sunday Night Football Lyrics

I’ve been waiting all day for Sunday Night. Chris and Al are the best on TV!

Is the singer (Faith Hill) Jeffrey or Daddy’s girlfriend?

Nobody’s! (blushing)

What would you do if it snowed a foot tomorrow?

Snowmobile!

What does it mean to be tough?

I’m tough whenever I do pushups, and I never cry.

Who is meaner, Mommy or Daddy?

Daddy

If you could do anything you wanted to do right now, what would you do?

Play Wii.

Smokey or Garfield? (our cats)

Garfield

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Snowmobile racer

What is your favorite color?

Blue

What is your favorite food?

Chicken burgers, I ate two of them at school!

Who are your best friends?

Bridger, Brock, Jerron, Lak, Ashtin, Daddy, and Grady

Angels

2011-12-20T11:23:00.002-07:00

Grandma Nancy

2011-12-04T11:34:00.004-07:00

To say that my step-grandmother-in-law passed away does not feel nearly endearing enough to describe the woman that Grandma Nancy was to me and the way that she made me feel whenever I was with her.

Getting to spend time with Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Jim is a special treat for Tyler, the kids, and me. Not only do we live a long way away, but work schedules are busy and there are always those darn cows of Grandpa’s to be fed and watered. Because our visits have been few, they each has felt like an extra special treat.

No matter what, Grandma Nancy insisted upon spoiling the grandkids. And when I say grandkids, I don’t mean great-grandkids. It seems like once you have kids of your own, you are just the parents to the grandkids. That was not the case with grandma. She would not take no for an answer when offering to take Tyler, Jenna, and me to Norman’s to get something special just for us…and I have no doubt the rest of you grandkids as well. However, so much more importantly, when I say spoiling, Grandma Nancy did not just spoil us with material possessions. She also spoiled us with attention. When we were in Cut Bank for a visit, we were number one. We got full attention from Grandma Nancy because she was not affected by the distractions of everyday life. Rather, she made us a priority and she was there to spend quality time with us and made sure to do so.

What I think I will miss the most about Grandma is watching the way that she and Grandpa treated each other. I loved getting to witness their teasing banter…some may even call it flirting…between the two of them. For a marriage that lasted nearly 20 years, it was clear to me that they still loved each other, depended upon each other, and liked to spend time together. I loved the way Grandma Nancy would say, “Oh Jim” and slap him on the leg after he gave her a hard time over something. What role models to show us all that love does not fade away with age. It can grow stronger.

Although I cannot be there today to say good-bye, I want Grandma to know that I love her and will miss her. Sooner than we all realize, though, we will see her again in heaven. And I am sure that she will make each one of us feel as though she has been waiting the entire time to see just us…because that’s how special she made me feel each time we got to visit.

Thankful for...

2011-11-28T19:25:00.001-07:00

Last December a man named Jeff, who now goes by Jefferson, took his kids skiing in Montana. Little did he know that one evening while he was out playing pool with a friend of his, that he would meet a woman named Jenna. Summed up, after a few months of dating and traveling back and forth between Dickinson and Laurel, the two fell in love and Jeff moved to Laurel. Now, they are planning a wedding.

Since they are planning a wedding, that leads to our family growing, and not just by one, but by four. Have you ever thought about how much better four is than one? If someone were to offer you four quarters or one quarter, which would you choose? Four, right? If you got to choose between four days of vacation or one day of vacation, the choice would be four. Even better, if you could choose between four inches of snow and one inch, why not pick four? That way you can go sledding and snowmobiling. You can't do those with just one inch of snow. So, when it comes to adding four new members to our family, we couldn't be happier.

Jeffrey and Macy now get to have cousins on their Daddy's side of the family which makes holidays like Easter and Thanksgiving so much more fun. When you are a kid, what's better than having more kids to play with, fly kites with, or make up games together?

Spending Thanksgiving with Jenna and her family made me thankful that she found someone as special as Jeff to share the rest of her life. And because she will share her life with him, we'll share in their life together. Which means that I am looking forward to growing old together, going on vacations together, watching sporting events together, attending graduations, and attending the weddings of our children in the future.

At four you are...

2011-11-01T21:09:00.004-06:00

... just leaving behind a stage of refusing to wear anything other than jeans and your Chicago Bulls shirt or your green and pink hoodie along with refusing to let me brush your hair, much less putting clippies or ponies in your hair. Our mornings we nothing but stress trying to get you dressed and ready for the day. I love that you are finally willing to let me fix your hair and you are willing to wear some of the cute sweaters and dresses that used to hang so lonesomely in your closet.

... stubborn. More stubborn than anyone else in the family. At supper if you don't want to finish your meal and we tell you that you have to, you'll reply, "I don't want a treat anyway."

... a best friend to Jeffrey. Most Saturdays the two of you wake up and start to play without a second thought. I love to lie in bed and listen to you playing down the hall.

... a lover of all animals. Whether you find a cricket, grasshopper, bird, cat, or dog, you are willing to mother the critter and carry it around. Andrews even got you a kitten for your birthday...and you have behaved like no less than his mother since then.
... so anxious to go to preschool. Your friends Kambree, Deacon, and Emma are all several months older than you and they got to start preschool this year. When you turned four, you woke up and told me, "I'm four! Now I can go to preschool." Nope, sorry baby. Now we tell you that you have to wait for KennaDee and Jordan to turn four and you all three can go together.

... still my little baby who loves to be rocked at night. If only Daddy would go hunting more so we didn't get in trouble for spoiling you!

... my best girl.

Cabbage Patch Dolls

2011-10-05T23:12:00.022-06:00

Just over twenty-five years ago my Great-Grandma Eva saw some Cabbage Patch Dolls advertised just before Christmas at BEST (a store that has long since closed). She thought these would make great Christmas presents for my brother and me but wasn't sure which of the hundreds of choices she should choose.

This is where her sneaky nature comes in to play. My Great-Grandma Eva asked my mom to take Derek and me to BEST and tell us that Grandma Eva knew some kids just our age that she wanted to buy some Cabbage Patch Dolls for. The girl "happened" to be my age and the boy "happened" to be Derek's age. My mom told us that Grandma Eva thought that we should pick out the dolls because we would know what the kids would like since they were our age. Sneaky idea, right?

Wrong. I specifically remember walking down the entire isle at BEST and finding one doll that I fell in love with. She was beautiful. That wasn't the doll that I told my mom I thought my Grandma Eva should buy, though. Because although I was young, I realized that if my Grandma bought that doll for another girl, no one would be able to buy it for me. So, I picked a different doll for my Grandma to buy "for the girl who just happened to be my age."

Now, you can guess what my Grandma Eva bought for me for Christmas. The doll that I didn't want. It's funny because although I remember being disappointed at first, I did grow to love this Cabbage Patch Doll. I don't remember her name, but I loved her enough to keep her for over 25 years.

Now that I'm a mom, I've passed my doll on to Macy. We've renamed her Maggie and she has a new friend. When Cabbage Patch celebrated their 25th Anniversary around the time of Macy's first Christmas, I felt that it was a calling for me to buy Macy a doll when I looked down and saw her name was Eva BettyLou.

4 Generations of Women

2011-09-28T16:29:00.003-06:00

A daughter is the happy memories of the past, the joyful moments of the present, and the hope and promise of the future. ~Author Unknown

Most of all the other beautiful things in life come by twos and threes, by dozens and hundreds. Plenty of roses, stars, sunsets, rainbows, brothers and sisters, aunts and cousins, comrades and friends - but only one mother in the whole world. ~Kate Douglas Wiggin

A daughter is a mother's gender partner, her closest ally in the family confederacy, an extension of her self. And mothers are their daughters' role model, their biological and emotional road map, the arbiter of all their relationships. ~Victoria Secunda

Grandma always made you feel she had been waiting to see just you all day and now the day was complete. ~Marcy DeMaree

Grandma Eva

2011-09-23T10:43:00.001-06:00

4 Generations

1979

Eva Anderson, Brandy Spitzer, Gayle Ulrich, Nellie Ulrich, Robyn Spitzer

Written for my blog by my Grandma, Gayle Ulrich...

Thought you might like to know these little things about Grandma Eva. She was actually the third child born to her mother. Unfortunately the first two died of illness. When Grandma Eva was finally born, she was beyond special to her mother. Unfortunately that was not all a good news thing. Throughout her childhood she was not allowed to do so many things to protect her from the possibility of getting injured. Probably some of this may have also stemmed from no money for injuries etc. I was told she was not allowed to skate, ride a bike, or similar types of activities. When Grandma started school she was not even able to speak English. I believe she spoke Ukrainian. By the end of the first semester she could not only speak English but was advanced to the second grade and by the end of her first year of school she was in the third grade.

The house Grandma grew up in was in Wilton and was built by her father, Joseph Baranyk. Her father died when Eva, Mike, Margaret, DuWayne, and Marlin were all young children. Her mother, Anastacia Baranyk, did whatever she possibly could to support them. I know she painted and worked in the harvest fields. Grandma Eva started working in Garrison when she was about 16 as a linotype operator and went by train every week to work and then helped support her younger siblings with her meager paycheck when she returned home every weekend.

Grandma Eva worked all her life, from a young girl until illness forced her to quit. Her very severe rheumatoid arthritis hit her, I believe, about the age of 43-45. I clearly remember her telling me around 50 she did not want to live to much longer, the pain was too severe. She said she could not imagine living another 20 years in so much pain. She did not get her wish, however. God did not take her for another 32+ years.

Grandma Eva knitted and crocheted most of her life. At one time she knit a sweet little sweater for you! I got an afghan. She told me to choose any pattern I liked. Well unbenounced to me, the pattern I chose was a fisherman's pattern where no two rows were the same. She never said a word but went right to work on it. About three fourths of the way thru the pattern she found a stitch back about 30 rows that was not right. She tore out all thirty rows to correct that one stitch!!

When the stitching finally just got too hard for her and those poor crippled fingers could no longer hold the projects, she finally had to give it up. It was at that time she discovered painting. She was not a natural artist, by that I mean she could not draw. Her first efforts at painting showed she was an amateur. That however, did not last for long. I think this must have started around the time you were born. Painting became something that grabbed her attention and she loved it. Soon she was taking lessons to learn more about mixing paint and all the other things a new artist must learn. She learned to appreciate form and color. She and I would go for drives and she would always point out to me all the shades of green in trees and all the different shades of nature. It did not take long for her to get some nice work showing up on blank canvas.

Friends would stop by to visit and see her work, many making comments how they would love to be able to paint like her. It was not long before Grandma Eva was having small little classes in her kitchen. A few of her students completed much of their own work but in some cases the finished paintings were probably more of Grandmas touches than the students', but that was ok too. She loved teaching something she loved so much and the company was certainly good for her.

Probably, Grandma's biggest accomplishment in the painting was winning first place in an artists showing in Bismarck. She also painted for so many family and friends. That was something that was important to each of them. A painting of a house, a farm, a hunting memory or whatever they wanted, Grandma managed to seem to be able to get a special painting to those dearest to her, including most of her grandchildren. And that reminds me of her idea before it was fashionable to paint our Christmas stockings!! That was her idea and while I have seen it since, I never saw it done before your great-grandmother painted for us!!

All of this is wonderful. She was a very nice strong lady who did a job normally done by men most of her life and then when she got so sick and crippled up those poor hands whose fingers turned completely sideways produced some beautiful pieces of art work for us.

Macy Funnies

2011-09-11T16:54:00.000-06:00

While watching America's Got Talent one evening, Macy started taking all of her clothes off and exclaimed, "Now I'm dancing for real."

On our way to daycare one morning, Macy became extremely quiet for several minutes. I actually thought she fell asleep until she told me, "Mama, I want you and Daddy to get married so that we can have a real baby at our house."

Working Men

2011-08-09T07:52:00.000-06:00

“He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.” ~ Clarence Budington Kelland

I’ve often told Tyler that he has to carefully watch his actions because he has a set of little eyes that examine his every move. And by watching his Daddy’s every move, Jeffrey has learned to be a hard working little man.

In order to earn a Nintendo DS, Jeffrey had to fill in a 125 box chore chart. To be able to fill in a box, he had to complete one chore. His chores included shoveling snow, picking up the toy room, getting laundry out of the dryer and laying it flat on the couch, putting clothes from the washer to the dryer, putting dishes away, loading the dishwasher, and vacuuming the kitchen. He had a lot of practice with housework over the winter and now is awesome at doing his chores.

Jeffrey takes branding very seriously each spring. He wants to get up early and head out with Papa Dale and Daddy to help round up the cows and then loves to have a job during the day. Jeffrey gets just as tired and dirty as the “big boys”.

While getting ready for a barbeque this spring, Jeffrey did everything to get the yard ready except mow the grass. He pulled (and pulled and pulled) weeds from the fire pit, moved and set up chairs, helped pot flowers, water flower beds, and got the drinks and ice packed in the coolers and set out on the deck. His excitement for the barbeque and his work ethic made him want to keep doing more.

Now, Jeffrey’s favorite thing to do is not play with his toys, go to the pool, or ride his bike. Nope, Jeffrey’s favorite thing to do is to work with his Papa Dale. Jeffrey loves getting to help his Papa bale and haul hay, move irrigation pumps, work on the combine, and irrigate. While Anny and I were in Minot dropping Macy off with Grandma Robyn, Papa decided that if Jeffrey was going to properly help irrigate that they should run to town to get Jeffrey his own pair of irrigating boots (of course, they made a stop at Dairy Queen on the way home…that’s their tradition). Jeffrey is so proud of those boots.

My favorite little working man story is this one: While driving to Williston one afternoon, Tyler and I were talking about how nice it would be to be able to retire young, like my parents. Tyler mentioned that he’ll probably never retire because he’ll be farming on his own by then. I mentioned that Tyler would be able to trust Jeffrey and let him do the farm work and turned around and asked Jeffrey, “Do you want to work for your Daddy some day?” Right on top of his game Jeffrey answered, “No, I want him to work for me.”

Raising Boys

2011-07-07T13:52:00.005-06:00

My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, "You're tearing up the grass." "We're not raising grass," Dad would reply. "We're raising boys." ~Harmon Killebrew

Raising boys from a mother's perspective means making sure that boys have good manners. Boys need to learn to always use their manners. It's best not to burp and fart for everyone to hear, but if one should slip, say excuse me. Boys need to say please and thank you a t the dinner table and remember to say grace before they start eating.

It is also important for mother's to teach boys the things their future wives will want them to know. For example, boys should always put the seat down on the toilet. Holding the door open for ladies when entering a store or restaurant is also a must. And if a little boy notices that his mommy looks dressed up, he should definitely tell her she looks pretty. It's good practice for the future.

Mommies also need to teach boys that it is okay to show emotion. It is okay for little boys to cry when their pet kitten dies, their little sister punches them extra hard, or when someone hurts their feelings. It is also okay for boys to snuggle buggle and hold hands with their mommy. Boys don't have to be tough all the time.

Raising boys from a Daddy's perspective is completely different, but equally important. Daddies teacher their little boys to be tough and wrestle. They teach boys get to get up and rub some dirt on it if they get hurt. No crying allowed. Daddies let their boys be daring and adventurous. They stand up on and hang off the sides of tubes and always want to go faster. They build ramps for bikes and garages for trucks and shoot their first bb guns at the magpies that hang around the yard and eat dog food. Daddies teach their boys that it is not okay to hit girls.

Yes, raising boys is different whether you have a mother's perspective or father's perspective, but that is exactly why little boys need both.

Cousins as Friends

2011-07-06T15:56:00.000-06:00

Last summer, Jeffrey took a road trip to Fargo with Papa Jeff to visit Uncle Derek, Abby, and Payton. Jeffrey, Macy, and I met Papa Jeff near Killdeer and although Jeffrey was the happiest little boy when he left with Papa, Macy was the saddest little girl. You see, Macy had to stay home. As Jeffrey and Papa pulled away, Macy cried and cried, and by that, I mean that she screamed, kicked, and refused to talk to me the whole way home.

I told Macy that she had to stay home with me because she was not big enough to go to Fargo for that long without Mama. I was already worried about Jeffrey being away from Mommy and Daddy for so long that there was no way I was sending both kids. Macy just kept yelling at me, “My bigger now! See! I can touch the top (the inside roof of the Tahoe)! MY BIGGER NOW!” She just wanted to go see Abby.

It turns out that there was no need for me to worry about Jeffrey. He and Abby had a blast playing together. There is no shyness about them when they see each other for the first time after a few months; they pick up right where they left off. Papa Jeff thinks that there is a little radar between the two of them that they use to communicate with; they eye each other and take off to start tackling Papa, sneak up on Derek, or make a great soccer play. There were so busy playing and enjoying their time together, that Jeffrey did not talk to Mommy or Daddy once while he was gone.

This summer has been much of the same. Abby and Jeffrey play, play, and play while Payton and Macy join in and out of whatever Abby and Jeffrey are doing. This June it was not all roses and lollipops, though. Jeffrey and Abby did have a hard time decided what to do other than playing soccer or baseball.

Abby: “Come on, I want to go and play Barbie.”

Jeffrey: “No, I don’t want to play Barbie. How about we play construction?”

Abby: “No, let’s go play with my dolls.”

Jeffrey: “No, how about we play farming?”

Abby: “No.”

Jeffrey: “Fine, I’ll go play Barbie with you.”

I am sure that Jeffrey and Abby’s relationship with continue to evolve. Even though Abby cried and begged Grandma Robyn to stay in Omaha a few more days this year, (Abby told Grandma, “I’m having so much fun playing with Jeff. Not so much Macy, but Jeff.”), it may not always be that way. For now, I love the fact that the kids are best friends and I will cherish it as long as it lasts and enjoy the fact that Payton and Macy will have such good role models to model a relationship after.

Photographing the Photographer

2011-07-03T12:34:00.001-06:00

My mom has always enjoyed photography. Whenever Derek or I played in a sporting event, had a birthday party, or our family went on vacation, my mom was sure to have her camera. There are thousands of pictures of Derek and me growing up. Lots of those pictures include my dad. Few include my mom. She tried giving the camera to me, or Derek, or my dad, but was never satisfied with our ability to focus the camera in the right spot so I think she probably gave up on us.

Now that photography is a hobby that both my mom and I enjoy, I make it a point to take pictures of my mom when I am with her. So even though there are few pictures of her during her mothering years, there will be plenty of pictures during her grandmothering years. I think she looks so cute (and way too fancy) on the boat ride we took today.

Daddy and Macy

2011-06-23T16:40:00.004-06:00

"Someday I may find my Prince Charming, but my daddy will always be my King."

2010

2011

Anny

2011-06-21T15:58:00.002-06:00

What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And, most importantly, cookies. ~Rudolph Giuliani

I have been blessed with a wonderful mother-in-law and am so lucky to have her for so many reasons.

~Lucky for me, Anny likes to cook (and is really good at it) and we can invite ourselves over for a meal anytime.

~Lucky for me, Anny will watch Jeffrey and Macy when they are sick so I don't have to take time off work.

~Lucky for me, she is always up for a trip to Williston.

~Lucky for me, she knows how to sew and I can send my mending to her.

~Lucky for me, Granny takes us to Billings with her so that we can see Auntie Jen Jen.

~Lucky for me, Granny lets the kids take naps at her house so that I can do my homework.

~Lucky for me, Granny sticks up for me to Tyler.

~Lucky for me, she lets the kids and me stay at her house when Tyler is gone for too many days in a row.

~Lucky for me, Anny and my mom get along so well.

~Lucky for me, Anny is so easy-going and flexible so if my plans change, it doesn't bother her at all.

~Lucky for me, Anny is willing to drive all over...because I don't like to drive.

~Lucky for me, I can take food I don't know how to cook (like a whole chicken) to her house and she'll cook it for me.

~Lucky for me, Anny has the Internet.

~Lucky for me, Anny treats me like her own.

But really, lucky for my kids to have a Granny as special as theirs.

Silly Abby

2011-06-17T09:19:00.000-06:00

One of the many qualities I love about my niece Abby Mae is her silliness. I have hundreds of pictures of her hamming it up in front of the camera. She loves to make silly faces and is terrific at doing so. I don’t know if I’ve ever met anyone else who can stick their tongue out, raise their eyebrows, and give you “the look” while looking adorable.

After spending the day at the zoo in Omaha, I realized that I wasn’t the only one that Abby gave silly looks too. I wonder if she was trying to make the gorilla laugh like she makes the rest of us laugh?

Potty Dance

2011-06-03T15:46:00.004-06:00

While Grammy Robyn was washing the paint out of the paint brushes at Abby and Molly's house, Macy approached her and asked, "Why are you wiggling your butt like that?"

Grammy Robyn answered, "Oh, I just have to go potty, but want to finish cleaning the paint brushes first."

Macy nonchalantly replied, "Oh, I just jump up and down," and walked away.

If you see a camera, run the other way!

2011-06-01T15:45:00.002-06:00

One would be led to believe that between my mom and me we would have hundreds and hundreds of amazing pictures of our family. We both have the camera with us at all times and take between one and several hundred pictures a day. Having great pictures of our family, is not the case, however.

The kids have been horrible about letting Grammy Robyn or me taking pictures of them. They run away from the camera, put their hands in front of their faces, and turn their backs as soon as they see either one of us with a camera up to our eye. I've taken to bribes and threats just to get the kids to look at the camera for one quick shot. Adults are a different story, they usually make silly or mean faces or show us the middle finger.

Today was no exception for the kids. While at the zoo, Grammy Robyn bought the kids tickets to ride the carousel. After the ride, I asked the kids if they would take a picture with Grammy as a thank you. They wildly and readily agreed. I was shocked.

The first meltdown happened when Abby and Jeffrey were faster at getting a spot next to Grammy on the rocks. Macy (I will say that this was late afternoon and it was long past her nap time.) got ticked off (pissed off) and threw a fit. She promptly removed herself from the picture. After Macy calmed down and sat on the other side of Grammy, Abby got up and started looking at some birds. When Abby got back, Jeffrey got distracted and started watching the train.

Needless to say, we didn't get a picture of Grammy with the kids. Luckily Grammy was a good sport and just kept laughing harder and harder as the kids rotated through their positions.

Singing Songs

2011-05-31T07:55:00.002-06:00

Oddly enough, the kids want me to sing them songs quite often. When we are traveling, it is one of the best ways to get the kids to take a nap while riding in the Tahoe.

Since they were little, I have always sung the same songs in the same order to them. As time has passed, I've added a few songs to the end of the list.

Last night Macy was full of questions while I was singing.

Mama: Hush, little baby, don't say a word. Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird. And if that mockingbird won't sing, Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring. And if that diamond ring turns brass...

Macy: Mama, what's brass?

Mama: ...It's a type of metal. Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass...

Macy: Mama, what's looking glass?

Mama: ...It's something that makes words bigger so the reader can see it better. And if that looking glass gets broke, Mama's gonna buy you a billy goat. And if that billy goat won't runs away, Mama's gonna buy you another some day. Twinkle, twinkle, little star...

Macy: Mama, what's twinkle?

Mama: ...it is when something is sparkly and looks like it is blinking. How I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are!   You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...

Macy: Mama, what's sunshine?

Mama: ...It is the warmth you feel from the sun. You make me happy when skies are gray.  You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away.

Well, you get the idea. It went on like that all through This Little Light of Mine, Jesus Loves Me, Jesus Loves the Little Children, and Silent Night. I'm not sure if a light bulb went off in her head that realized that songs were a group of words together and that those words had meaning or if she just didn't want to go to sleep. Whatever her intentions, she made me smile.

Posting

2011-05-25T15:55:00.000-06:00

I just realized that I have five unfinished posts for the month of May. Apparently I had several ideas for the month, jotted my notes down, but not enough time to finish a final draft of writing. Hopefully, I'll be able to catch up by June 20th because after that I'll be in summer school for three weeks. :)

Boys

2011-05-07T21:15:00.000-06:00

Preschool Program

May 4th, 2011

Jerron Rau, Jeffrey Tjelde, Brock Schlothauer, Bridger Free

Among the many reasons that I became a teacher was that I would be able to be a working mom and still be involved in my kids daily activities. I always knew I would wind up living in a small town, I just didn't know that it would be in two states and would create such a mind battle for me.

Since Jeffrey was a tiny baby, I have been fretting about where I should send him to school. You see, Fairview is partly in North Dakota, which has a K-8 school, and partly in Montana, which has a K-12 school. The problem is that we live in North Dakota, but I work in Montana.

I've been debating for nearly six years as to whether or not I should apply for open enrollment. The North Dakota school is tiny, Kindergarten is the only class that isn't combination, there aren't enrichment classes like FCS and Shop, when the kids are older they come to MT for sports anyway, and, quite honestly, I don't work there. For a long time, I thought Tyler and I would send Jeffrey to the MT school. That was until last fall.

You see, last fall Jeffrey started preschool (which is a combination of ND and MT kids). As it turned out, all of the boys that would wind up being in the ND Kindergarten class were also in the same preschool class. These boys became best buddies through the course of the year. They played well together, worked together, and became a tight little bunch.

Preschool was only two days a week, but Jeffrey looked forward to those days. Each Tuesday and Thursday I had to make sure that Jeffrey had a cowboy shirt ironed because all the boys wore their cowboy get-up to preschool. Boots, holsters, hats, bandannas, and spurs. You name it they wore it.

(Brock's mom even told me that she was surprised to see that Jeffrey wasn't wearing his cowboy gear on program day. She also told me that she wouldn't let Brock wear his good cowboy boots to school until she picked him up one day and saw the other boys dressed up and then realized why he wanted to so badly.)

Knowing that Jeffrey's class would not be tiny (there will be 8 kids: 4 boys and 4 girls) and that the boys in his class were good boys from families that have lived in Fairview as long as Tyler's family, helped me to know that even though I don't work at the North Dakota school, Jeffrey will thrive in his class. I'm looking forward to see how the relationship between these boys grows and evolves over time. I expect that there will be fist fights over toys and then sports and girls, but when it's all said and done, they will have been best friends through it all.

"A boy is truth with dirt on its face,

beauty with a cut on its finger,

wisdom with bubble gun in its hair,

and the hope of the future with a frog in its pocket."

Mothers

2011-05-06T17:09:00.000-06:00

Macy, Mommy, Sammy Gayle, Grammy Robyn

Spring 2008

I love my job. I'm teach junior high kids and I honestly could not think of a job that I would rather have.
I love my church. It is truly an inspiring place to worship.
I love my friends. They are the greatest!
I love my community. Cartwright truly knows and demonstrates the meaning of community.
I love my hobbies. Without writing, running, and photography, I might just go crazy.

But there is nothing that I love more than my family. Nothing makes me happier than spending time with my family. Nothing satisfies me more than being loved, admired, and appreciated than my role as a sister, daughter, wife, and mother.

Typically, when I think of family history, I think about my dad's side of the family. We had a huge family reunion when I was in elementary school, I grew up with cousins in Wilton, and as my dad and I worked on the farm together, my dad told me family history stories. I loved every minute of that. But this year on Mother's Day, I've been thinking about my mom and my mom's mom.

This year on Mother's day, I'm thinking about the long line of dedicated, hard-working, and crafty moms that I come from. I'm thinking about how different my life would be if my great-grandmother had not been a crafter. She crocheted until her arthritic fingers would no longer allow it and then began painting.

My Sammy Gayle is a born creative genius and decorator. It's amazing what she can do to make a baby shower, Quinceanera, or wedding look absolutely beautiful. Whenever I need a creative idea for a float for a parade, birthday party, or title for a paper, my Sammy Gayle is the first person I call.

My mom dabbles in all things crafty. She has crocheted, sewn, scrapbooked, made jewelry, stamped, and now is a photographer. My mom is one of those people that it doesn't matter what she does, she is good at it. She has a natural knack for everything she tries.

And now, I am a mother and a crafter. A mother to one of the most beautiful, spirited, stubborn little girls that I know. I hope that when that little girl looks back and thinks about me, she'll know that I put my heart and soul in to my crafts, like writing this blog, so that she may know and understand me and she me not just as her mom, but as a woman.

May Day Baskets or May Day Snow

2011-05-02T09:13:00.003-06:00

N O R TH. DAK OTA. North Dakota!

We've got the wind that sweeps across the prairies.

We've got the sky that's bigger than the sea.

We've got the sun shining brightly down on Bismarck.

Yes, that's what North Dakota means to me!

Then there's the weather...

there's the weather.

If you don't like it stick around and it will change.

Then there's the weather...

there's the weather.

Alberta clipper's whipping down the range.

Easter Weekend

2011-04-26T07:13:00.000-06:00

Each Easter weekend, Fairview hosts the Lovegren Memorial Scholarship Basketball Tournament. Tyler has been playing in the tournament for over 10 years. Although he has played with several different teams through the years, one thing is for sure, he is not going to miss out on playing. For the last several years, Tyler has played on a team that is composed of guys around his age...nearly all who now have boys around Jeff's age. It really does make for a fun and nostalgic time. This year, Tyler's team added another player, Jenna's boyfriend, Jefferson.

For at least a month before Easter, Jeffrey kept asking me, "When is Jenna coming? What day is her boyfriend going to be here? How old are his kids?" Both Jeffrey and Macy were so excited not only for Jenna to be coming home, but also for her to be bringing her boyfriend and his kids. And when the weekend for all of them to arrive was finally here, everything turned out perfect.

Saturday was very busy. Elaine made a delicious breakfast. After breakfast Tyler and Jefferson had there first basketball game. They won so we had the rest of the afternoon free before their evening game. During the break we flew kites Elaine had bought for each of the kids and dyed Easter Eggs.

Before the evening game, Elaine and I decided to take the littler kids across the Fairview Bridge and through the Cartwright Tunnel. Although I've been across the bridge several times, it was the kids' and Elaine's first time which made the adventure more exciting. The kids loved being in the dark and trying to scare Elaine and me.

Tyler and Jefferson's basketball team won the evening game which meant that we would have Easter morning and afternoon free. The guys would play in the Championship game Sunday evening. And so, after a long and exhausting winter, Easter day arrived with the sun shining. We spent the entire morning and afternoon outside enjoying the weather. The whole weekend could not have been better.

First Communion

2011-04-24T17:58:00.000-06:00

Do you remember your first communion? I don't remember mine, though it's not because the Lord's Supper isn't important to me. It's because I grew up attending a Presbyterian church and I have always taken communion.

You see, the Presbyterian Church, today, allows children to share in celebrating the Lord's Supper. As long as children are baptized and are being nurtured in the Christian faith, they are invited to eat and drink, even though their understanding of the Lord's Supper will vary according to their maturity.

John Calvin (a leader in Protestant Reformation) wrote the following about the Lord's Supper, "It is a mystery too sublime for me to be able to express, or even to comprehend; and, to be still more explicit, I rather experience it, than understand it." It think this could be true for all of us, couldn't it? Can we really understand and comprehend God's Love for us?

Now, I attend a Lutheran Church and my children are growing up Lutheran. Because I have not officially changed my membership, I don't know all of the "rules" that go along with being a Lutheran. And so, when Pastor Cal asked if Tyler and I were interested in Jeffrey receiving first communion, I didn't know what I was "supposed" to say. I thought maybe he was too young. There are several kids who are older than Jeffrey that receive a blessing at the alter, rather than the bread and wine.

I think that Pastor Cal must have sensed some hesitation in my expression and said, "I just feel so bad for the kids. Everything else in the church, we learn by doing. I think that the kids can learn by doing in communion also."

Bingo.

We all learn by doing. Whether it be riding a bike, writing in cursive, or mastering math facts, we learn by doing. And because of that thought, Tyler and I decided that Macy should receive her first communion at the same time as Jeffrey. We read the same books and say the same prayers with the kids, so why not receive first communion together?

Do I think that they have it all figured out? No, I don't. I do, however, believe that as Jeffrey and Macy grow and mature, they will not only be learning about God and Jesus Christ, they will also be experiencing that love day each week as they celebrate the Lord's Supper.

Interviews with Jeff and Macy

2011-04-15T17:30:00.001-06:00

Jeffrey's Interview (age 5 1/2)

What is your favorite color? Blue, of course.

Who is your best friend? Grady and Bridger

What is your favorite animal? elephant and lion

What is your Favorite movie? Tangled, Chicken Little

What is your favorite book? Lego Construction, Spiderman, Moose's Loose Tooth

What makes you happy? I like to be silly and goof around.

What makes you sad? When someone punches me.

What is your favorite song to sing? Jesus Love the Little Children of the World

What games do you like to play? Mario Cart and Go Fish

What do you wan tot be when you are all grown up? A soldier. No, I mean a Knight so I can stay up all night long and protect the King.

Macy's Interview (age 3/12)

What is your favorite color? pink

Who is your best friend? Kyra, Emma, Kambree, Allison, and Sophia

What is your favorite animal? Tiger and Lion

What is your Favorite movie? Tangled

What is your favorite book? Click Clack Moo, Cows that Type

What makes you happy? When cows moo.

What makes you sad? When somebody hits me, we have to cry and tell on them.

What is your favorite song to sing? ABC's

What games do you like to play? Play outside, Freeze Tag, Cooties

What do you wan tot be when you are all grown up? Um, a lion!

Sophia and Allison's Conversation

2011-04-08T14:40:00.027-06:00

Shelly and I have teased for the last few years that we would love for Jeffrey and Sophia to wind up together. How awesome would that be? We'd be best friends for years and then get to plan a wedding and share grandchildren. We even have several picture that we decided would be cute to have at their wedding because let me tell you, Jeffrey and Sophia have a knack for taking cute pictures together.

Plans may be changing. Although Jeffrey adores Sophia...he looks up to her and loves to play with her, Sophia is more interested in being a part of the big girl activities. Where Sophia has decided she doesn't want to play with Jeffrey as much, she loves playing with Macy and getting to be the big helper with her. That leaves Allison and Lydia to play with Jeffrey and my oh my do they adore Jeffrey.

I'm sure that through the years the evolution of the relationship between the kids will change. They'll have known each other forever and be best friends and worst enemies. They'll hold each other's secrets that none of us will ever know. They'll be the best kind of friend that knows the worst about each other and loves each other anyway.

I have to share this story from Shelly's blog...

The Things They Say...

We were in the family room hanging out this afternoon. Sophia and Allison were excited because their friends Jeff and Macy were coming out later. That is what started this conversation anyway. So I started listening at the point where Allison sat up super straight on the couch and had a huge smile on her face and said excitedly, "I want to marry Jeff, cause I LIKE HIM!" Almost instantly Sophia answered with a sing-song, "Oh ye-ah, oh ye-ah, now I don't have to marry him!"

Poor Jeff. He just really likes Sophia. He's even talked about marrying her someday. But Sophia just isn't interested at all. It is so funny! But, all is not lost for Jeff. Allison really really likes Jeff. She gets so excited when he comes over to play. He walks in all excited to see Sophia, but first he has to get through Allison who is always right in his face saying "Hi Jeff!" The last time he was here he even had Lydia right there after Allison to say "Hi Jeff!" It is going to be interesting to see where this all ends up in the long run.

All things cowboy...

2011-04-06T07:30:00.001-06:00

Towards the end of last summer, Tyler and I took Jeffrey and Macy to the Richland County Fair and Rodeo. At that point, Jeffrey loved the idea of cowboys, but refused to wear anything cowboy. Auntie Jenna actually got Jeffrey two cowboy shirts and a pair of cowboy boots for his 5th birthday, but Jeffrey refused to wear them. That was until this winter.

I'm not sure why Jeffrey all of a sudden decided that he was no longer too picky to wear his cowboy shirts and cowboy boots, but this winter a transformation has occurred. One Sunday morning Jeffrey decided to wear his cowboy boots to church because then he could wear boots just like Pastor Cal's boots. After that, Jeffrey started wearing his cowboy hat everyday. And soon, I was busy making sure that Jeffrey's cowboy shirts were ironed so that he could wear one to school on Tuesday and one to school on Thursday. Jeffrey now makes sure that it's okay for cowboys to wear rain boots in the spring, because he didn't want to break from his style. Papa Dale even found Jeffrey a warm weather hat that cowboys wear in the winter. (Good thing because he definitely had a cold March and early April.)

Whether Jeffrey grows up to be a farmer or a cowboy, a writer or a doctor, a basketball player or a baseball player, I just hope that he tries his hardest and does the best job that he can do. It's not up to Tyler and I who Jeffrey becomes, we can just lead him on a path that will make him an honest and honorable man.

Up to a point a man's life is shaped by environment, heredity, and movements and changes in the world about him; then there comes a time when it lies within his grasp to shape the clay of his life into the sort of thing he wishes to be. ... Everyone has it within his power to say, this I am today, that I shall be tomorrow. ~Louis L'Amour

Then why don't they come visit us?

2011-03-31T13:51:00.001-06:00

Let's just state the facts:

1. My parents retired this year.

2. I used to talk to my parents nearly everyday.

3. They told me they were going to be gone January and February, back in March.

4. Shelly told me to get over it and be happy for them.

5. Tyler told me it was time to be weened from the tit.

6. My kids used to ask when we could go to Grandma Robyn and Papa Jeff's.

7. They haven't asked in ages.

8. My mom calls about once a week. My dad calls less than that.

9. It's almost April and my parents are not back yet.

10. I finally told my mom that if she wanted me to be happy for her, she'd have to make an effort to call me more often. Everyone is busy. Being busy is not an excuse.

11. Really, I'm happy for my parents. I'm excited that they are having fun and spending time together and with their families.

12. I'm jealous of all the fun they are having without me.

13. If my mom and dad think that this is going to be an annual thing, they are going to have to use the money they saved from not driving up to see me to buy me a plane ticket to come and see them half way through their stay. I'm serious.

14. Jeffrey sums up this whole retirement thing best. "If they miss us, then why aren't they coming to see us."

15. I'm a baby and I'm selfish. I know this, no need to remind me.

16. I do need to get over it. Maybe next year.

17. Only one more month and then they'll be home.

18. I wonder if my parents will spend enough time with us this summer that I'll get sick them?

Short Hair

2011-03-29T19:53:00.000-06:00

You can't tell in this picture, but Macy's hair is just longer than shoulder length. You also can't tell in this picture that she is a pill about having her hair brushed.

Most days I'm lucky to get a brush through her hair once. She cries for me even when it isn't snarly. Of course when Daddy is brushing it, then she sits perfectly still. I ask Macy all the time if I can cut her hair short so we don't have such problems, but she always says no.

Daddy likes her hair long also (I think he just thinks it's funny that she acts perfect for him, but ornery for me.) so he, too, says no to cutting it short. Needless to say, I was surprised when Macy told me a few days ago that she wanted short hair.

Macy: Mommy, I want short hair like that guy on TV, like Daddy's hair.

Mommy: Are you sure?

Macy: Yeah, I want to be just like Daddy so that I can sleep with you in your bed everynight.

Macy

2011-03-07T16:31:00.001-07:00

My Great Grandma Eva used to tease me how much I talked. She often told the story of driving my mom to the hospital on the day I was born (my Dad was in Canada fishing!). From what I gather, she went the wrong way down a one way and didn't make it easy for my mom to be in labor and be a passenger. More memorable to Grandma Eva was that the first time she held me, I looked at her and cooed the entire time she held me. Grandma Eva then would always tease that I hadn't stopped talking since then. Maybe she was right.

Let's say that although Macy didn't come out cooing at her grandmothers, once she started talking, she hasn't stopped talking either. Most of what she says just cracks me up (and makes me nervous for her teenage years)!

At Church: Loud enough for everyone to hear during the Lord's prayer. "Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. They kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Then, silence while the rest of the congregation finishes. After the "Amen" Macy says, "I didn't even finish it!"

Randomly to Daddy: In a sweet little voice, "Daddy, I looove you."

Yelling down the hallway: "I don't want to put my coat away right now! I need to get my baby."

To Baby: "Shhhh, it's okay baby. I didn't mean to drop you on your head."

Asking Mommy Questions: "Mommy, am I going to be 5 pretty soon? I want to go to preschool. Am I going to be in preschool when Jeff goes to school? (putting her arms over her head) See, I'm getting bigger now! When Jeff is 6 will I be 5 or 4?"

Playing Wii Racing: "Jeffrey and Daddy, will you slow down next time so I can win?"

Saying Hello to Anyone: "Hey Chicken-Noodle Bresco Soup."

While Sitting on the Toilet: "Mom! Mo-MMY! Come wipe my butt! Oh, stinky Macy."

After a Bit of Quiet Thinking: "Mommy, I really wish I had a necklace like Jake and the Neverland Pirate Crew so that I could have some pixie dust."

Vacation

2011-03-02T16:24:00.000-07:00

Tyler and I rarely go on dates. Our idea of a fun time (he might tell you that it's my idea, not his), is to pick up pizza from town and watch a movie or play games with the kids at home. Even that rarely happens. Most of the time we are both so exhausted by Friday night that once the kids are in bed, we are shortly behind them. The rest of the weekend we spend doing chores or whatever hobby the season calls for. Needless-to-say, the idea of going on a vacation by ourselves (by ourselves, I mean without kids and with our friends Rachel and Stevie) was exciting.

Although our trip south was disastrous (very short version: we were stuck in Billings an extra night and had to take a red eye flight out of Salt Lake City due to a huge blizzard in Minnesota), the vacation itself was amazing. Tyler was able to go fishing while I got to sit around by the pool and drink a pretty frozen drink with Rachel. Together we toured the Everglades, went out to eat, went parasailing, toured Key West, and rented jet skis. The warm weather, fun activities, and most importantly, our time together lifted our spirits so much that we already making plans for next year.

What I Love About Us...

2011-02-14T07:37:00.063-07:00

Hallmark's Valentine's Day campaign this year was good, really good. Have you seen the commercial? It goes something like this, "Valentine's Day is not for saying I love you, it’s for saying I love us. I love who we are together. How we've grown. From our nervous conversations, to the one we have become. Valentine's Day is for taking the time to say, I love us."

For the past couple Valentine's days, Tyler and I have written a list of ten things we love about the kids individually and at that particular phase in their lives. This year, however, our post is going to be about us, as a family.

Ten Things I Love About Us

1. The kids don't depend on of parent more than the other. They are equally happy spending the day with Daddy as they are spending the day with Mommy.

2. Everybody helps out and does their part.

3. We all love to go outside, whether it is for work or play, we all enjoy the outdoors. (Even in the winter.)

4. We love surprising each other. We surprise each other with presents and treats and with brushing our teeth before being told to do so.

5. We love to scare each other. We hide behind doors, in closets, and around the corner just to jump out and make the other person scream.

6. Tyler and I balance each other out. Whereas Tyler encourages Jeffrey and Macy be mentally tough, and I let them cry on my shoulder.

7. We are all super competitive. Playing Wii can get quite interesting.

8. We have each other's back, not matter what.

9. None of us are perfect. We all have our flaws, but we love each other anyway.

10. We take pride in what we do, there is a desire to be and do the best that we can-no matter what it takes.

Our family would be defined by the love of four closely tied individuals, of what one would do for the other and the joy it is to be together.

Sledding

2011-02-07T15:52:00.001-07:00

Tyler loves to have fun and most of the time that means spending time outdoors. It was one of the reasons I feel in love with him and one of the reasons I still love him today. Tyler is always out and about doing something fun: ice fishing, boating, hunting, snowmobiling, feeding cows, checking calves, farming...and this weekend, sledding.

A few weeks ago, Tyler mentioned that what was a gravel pit would be a nice snow hill for the kids. There was a steep slope and a more gradual slope. There was plenty of room for a lot of kids and there was nothing to run into to get hurt. The only problem then was that it was still twenty something below zero.

This weekend it finally warmed up, though. We called Andrews and Paulsons and we had a blast sledding. Jeffrey found a jump right off the bat and enjoyed trying to catch some air. I can't believe how many time his little legs hauled the sled up the slope. And he wanted to keep going when it was time to leave.

Macy didnt' enjoy the sledding as much. She went down once on the gradual slope and once on the steep slope and that was enough. To my surprise though, she didn't fuss the whole day. Macy was perfectly content playing with Allison and watching everyone else do the sledding.

Although I loved the sledding, I screamed the entire way down every time, I enjoyed getting to take pictures of everyone and all of their crashes. Although it was fun to get to play around with the settings on my new camera, what I really enjoyed was the fresh air, being outside and spending time with family and friends.

Leif and Carol Tjelde

2011-02-01T11:13:00.000-07:00

Carol Faulkner, Grandma Carol's namesake and Tyler's first cousin, asked me to post this picture today as it has been exactly one year since the photo was taken at Leif's funeral. I have stories I would like to add to it, but they will have to come at a later date.

Feeding Calves

2011-01-24T16:33:00.002-07:00

People from around here tell me all the time how much Jeffrey looks like Tyler. Honestly, I don't see it in his physical appearance so much. Sure, he is tall and skinny and he has no butt to hold up his jeans, but I don't see it in his eyes, his nose, his face.

I will tell you where I do see it, though. In everything else. So often, I will start laughing out of the blue and both of them will look at me like I'm crazy. If they could only see what I see. We'll be sitting at the table eating supper and Jeffrey and Tyler will be taking bits at exactly the same time with their other hand in the exact same position. We'll be sitting around watching ESPN and they'll each be on a recliner chair with a pillow behind their heads staring at the TV in the same way. No matter what, Jeffrey studies Tyler's mannerisms and moves. He tries to copy his Daddy to the "t". So, it was no surprise to me that as I watched Jeffrey help Tyler feed calves yesterday that they had the same cadence to their steps and removed the hay from their pitch fork in the same way.

Life is Good

2011-01-14T07:56:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of 2011, my mom decided she was going to do a photo a day project. Not wanting to be left out of anything, I decided to go ahead and do the project also.

You can view her blog at Life is Good and mine at Life is Good, Jr. (I thought I was so cute and clever for that one.)

January

2011-01-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in a long time because I keep thinking that I should have a nice happy blog to write about Christmas break and how lucky we are and how great Christmas was, and although that is very true, the fact of the matter is that Christmas has come and gone. Vacation was over before I knew it and I'm still not caught up on house work. Winter has set in and this week's highs are not even reaching zero degrees. Next week if we really hit the teens it is going to feel like a heat wave. Sickness travels from one person, to the next, and back to the first. I'm already worried about running out of sick days at work. Though I got a new camera, I'm yet to be able to find time to really take pictures with it. Work is crazy and busy...and the heater is out in my classroom so it is cold in there. The laundry is never ending. The kids are cranky. Point blank, I'm cranky.

It's January. Where I wish with all my might that I had the motivation for new beginnings and a new year with new resolutions I just simply don't right now. Right now, I wish that writing full of meaning and stories of the kids and my childhood would overflow from my thoughts into the blog world, but it doesn't. I wish that days would be longer, but they aren't. I wish that I had the motivation to get up earlier so that I could run longer, but I don't. I wish that I had enough energy to stay up later to get the chores done when the kids are sleeping rather than awake, but I can't seem to find it. I wish that the weekend were three days long so that I could find time to spend with my husband, my kids, and my friends, but that is just plain wishful thinking. Heck, if I were really wishing, then I would wish for one more day on the weekend to have dedicated to cleaning and organizing. I wish that my parents had retired to Cartwright rather than Florida, but that would mean that they are just plain crazy.

That's what I wish right now. But do you want to know what? My mom, or maybe dad, always tell me, "Wish in one hand and spit in the other and see which fills up faster." Well, if I did that now, I'd have a hand full of ice because it is January!

This is for you...

2010-12-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

When I think about the many people and things that I am thankful for, one of those at the top of my list is you, my dear friend, Shelly.

When I was getting ready to move to rural North Dakota from a beautiful lake town in Minnesota, I worried about whether or not there would be anyone in town that I would become friends with. Were there really young women in Fairview that had the same values as me that I would enjoy spending time with?

Transitioning from being involved in a sorority and living with a houseful of girls to living on my own in Detroit Lakes was an adjustment for me after college, but I knew that moving to Fairview and living on my own in a small Montana town was going to be an even bigger adjustment. When I moved here, I wasn't nervous about coaching or my job, I wasn't nervous about getting married or living so close to my in-laws, I was nervous about not having any girlfriends. Needless to say, it took a few years. I had to work through getting to know several people, being introduced to others, and then finally meeting you and eventually getting to call you my friend. To tell you the truth, you aren't what I was expecting.

Where I love travel around the state, you love to stay put. Where I am liberal, you are conservative. Where I am outspoken, you are quiet. Where I am quiet, you are outspoken. Where I want a small family, you want a big family. Where I believe in public school, you homeschool. (There are more secret differences that you and I know, but I won't write them here. hehe) Where I love your kids, you love mine just as much. Where I love to just visit with you, you love to just visit with me. Where you pray for my family, I pray for yours. Where you are willing to motivate me, I am willing to motivate you. Where you will go out of your way for me, I will go out of my way for you. Where I know I can count on the truth from you, you know you can count on the truth from me. Where I love you as a friend, I know you love me right back...and for that I am thankful.

(Too bad we don't have any pictures together. Crazy! We are going to have to fix that this weekend.)

The Best

2010-12-01T11:23:00.014-07:00

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Jeffrey is a child whose passions change from season to season.

It used to be that Jeffrey moved from digging the fields and planting crops to harvesting crops. From ice fishing to hunting and back. From calving to branding. Now, however he moves from basketball to baseball to football. moved on to

Last spring Jeffrey loved watching March Madness basketball and studying bracketology. He became a fan of Duke (whom Tyler cheers against no matter what!), picked more right on the bracket than Tyler did, and even had Butler winning the Final Four Championship. Not only that, but he refused to wear a Bulls t-shirt Tyler and I bought him for Easter. He simply flat out refused. It took a few weeks, but I finally discovered that he was a Cavaliers fan because he liked Lebron James and no longer liked the Bulls like his Daddy. After liking Duke and then the Cavs, Tyler shook his head in disbelief and asked, “Don’t I have a say in anything anymore?”

After March Madness was over, we moved on to watching baseball, especially the Twins and playing “organized” tee ball. Throughout the summer, Jeffrey loved baseball and played baseball daily. He constantly asked me to play catch with him and asked me to pitch him the ball. We watched enough Twins games for him to know that the big leaguers didn’t hit off a tee so he didn’t want to hit off a tee either.

Well, summer has come and gone, the Giants have won the World Series, and thus, football is now the sport of choice in our classroom. Football rules our lives right now. Jeffrey loves to watch pro games, especially the Vikings, Saints, and Jets and college games. He knows which team beat the other teams, he knows who plays whom, and always wants to know the scores of the games. Each night Jeffrey asks to play Wii football and wants to play so badly that he has been teaching Macy how to play also. We play catch across the entire living room each night and Jeffrey begs us to play one hand touch in the living room. (It’s just like having a little brother again, so much so that I’ve called Jeffrey “Derek” more than once!)

No matter what the sport, Tyler is emphasizing to Jeffrey that he has to practice if he wants to get better and has to work hard if he wants to be good. So much so that now every time the college basketball commercial comes on TV, Jeffrey takes a timeout and pays close attention to the message that you have to work hard to make the name on the back of the jersey be as important as the name on the front of the jersey. Jeffrey definitely has Tyler’s mentality for sports and he even one-upped his Daddy last night. After Jeffrey was goofing around while playing catch with me, Tyler asked him, “Do you want to be an average football player or a good football player?" Jeffrey answered, "I want to be the best!"

Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T23:08:00.006-07:00

Before eating our Thanksgiving meal, I asked Jeffrey and Macy to say a prayer for what they were thankful for.

Jeffrey: I'm thankful that Daddy works so hard at work and can give corn to the cows and barley to the deer.

Macy: I'm thankful for God and for my mommy.

Not only am I thankful for my two babies, I am also thankful for how they freely give their love to everyone they know, for their faith in God, and for their sweet innocence.

He looked familiar...

2010-11-17T20:58:00.000-07:00

I stood outside the bathrooms waiting for Tyler thinking this guy looked familiar. I couldn't figure out who in the world I would know at the Griz game, but smiled at him anyway just in case. No smile back so I figured I was going crazy. Then Jim, the dad of the player we went to watch, started talking to him and introduced Tyler to John Stockton. I figured I must have heard wrong and maybe he was a coach from our area that just looked familiar. So, I stood around and waited while they visited a bit. After having my camera out and taking hundreds of pictures over the weekend Jim mumbled under his breath as he passed me when they were done visiting, "Way to have your camera ready for that one." I was wrong. It was John Stockton. The one and only. And I wasn't embarrassed to run back and ask him if I could take a picture of us. He looks a little nervous, though. :) I was really proud of myself for thinking that a famous basketball player looked familiar and I thought Tyler should be proud of me too.

Will you play with me??

2010-11-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

(By Grandma Robyn)

Papa Jeff ALWAYS gives me grief about being the FAVORITE amongst the grand kids. He's nicknamed me "the magnet". I tell him that it's not easy to be the favorite, it actually takes a lot of hard work.

Since Jeffrey was a little baby boy, the minute I walk in the door he asks, "Can you play with me?" I always oblige, no matter what the game. I started off with playing cars, or trucks, or farm when he was really little. The we started making hay stacks with homemade play dough. We graduated to goose hunting where we would hide in the "blinds" that we made then "take em" as the geese would fly in to land. We've played basketball, football, baseball, and soccer. We've chased each other, played many board games together, and we even play with the Wii in the winter months and compete against each other.

The minute that Jeffrey walks in to my house, we head upstairs to bring down the bin of toys that I have. Every toy in the house gets dumped on the floor, then we sit down to make our farm. We build a big fence around the living room and play farm inside the fence. Jeffrey can sit on the floor for hours playing as long as there is someone there to play with him. It's not very often that I will tell him no.

Yeah, I may be the favorite and it's not an easy job, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

(Look at Jeffrey's fierce, well armed warriors versus Grandma Robyn's using hand-me-down gear warriors.)

Macy

2010-11-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

A face without freckles is like a night without stars.

Emily

2010-11-10T17:42:00.000-07:00

A long time ago, before my brother had his driver's license, I drove him to Washburn everyday one summer for Babe Ruth baseball. I'd drop him off and head another 5 miles north to Emily's house. At the time, Emily was not my best friend, she was just a great girl who let me come visit her rather than sitting in the parking lot at the baseball field. It wasn't long, though, that the birth of her daughter and the death of a dear friend to both of us brought us to be best friends through high school and lifelong friends after that.

Though months may go by between phone calls and visits, it doesn't matter. We pick up right where we left off. We visit, catch up on family life, laugh, sometimes cry, go crazy with kids running around, and simply enjoy one another's company. We know the deepest parts of the other's soul and love each other no matter what. To me, Emily is the type of friend that this quote was written about. The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart. ~Elisabeth Foley

These boots are made for walking...

2010-11-02T16:01:00.017-06:00

Not all of Macy's boots are made for walking. I'm really not so sure how comfortable they would be on a long walk. What I do know for sure is that Macy loves boots. She wore her rain boots all summer long...with dresses, with skirts, with shorts, with jeans, and even with her swimsuit. Macy has two pair of boots now that she rotates between. She has an old pair of cowboy boots (that she wears with a lot of attitude) and a pair of casual brown boots with pink plaid flannel going up the side (and don't tell her they are too big for her, because "see" she can run in them just fine!). Now, it's snow boot time. Macy has been wearing her snow boots from last year around the house and even to daycare one day. They are a couple sizes too small so I have no idea how she squeezed her little toes in there, but I knew better than to argue. Because if Macy is wearing her boots, she knows what to do...and she just may try walking all over me.

At 3 you...

2010-11-01T18:07:00.034-06:00

...are so full of energy and life.

...fight with your brother with a strong intensity, but love him as your best friend.

...love to play with farm toys, truck, and guns just as much as you play with princesses and babies.

...think Tinkerbell and Dora are the best.

...have a sweet tooth that matches your mommy's.

...are willing to eat almost anything. Your favorite snacks are peanut butter on a spoon, goldfish crackers, cherry tomatoes, carrots, marshmellows, yogurt, cottage cheese, and chocolate.

...always want a piece of gum.

...are sassy and talk back to Mommy and Daddy.

...love to go ice fishing with Jeffrey and Daddy. You even have two pink fishing poles that are your very own.

...like to pick out what you are going to wear for the day, but it's the same everyday: jeans and a soft shirt. Mommy has to work hard to get you to wear anything with a collar or that might be, not on the soft side.

...want to give Tex treats everday after getting home from daycare.

...love Mary and Barb just like family.

...make faces for the camera that are sooo funny. Who knew your eyes could roll in so many directions.

...always want to call and text Grandma Robyn, Papa Jeff, and Auntie JenJen on the phone.

...still like to snuggle.

...are a great actress, especially when it comes to fake crying.

...are one of the toughest little girls I know. You do a great push up!

...like to wear princess dresses to church and love getting to go to Sunday School with Jeffrey.

...think your are a big girl.

...are willing to share your love with everyone you meet.

...are God's angel and Daddy and Mommy are so thankful that he gave you to us.

Sometimes, it's okay to be the "Yes Mom"

2010-10-21T20:46:00.000-06:00

(photo by Grandma Robyn)

While in Fargo this summer, I broke down and bought Macy a talking Jessie doll, Jeffrey a talking Buzz Light Year toy, and Abby Mae a big fancy horse with a new Barbie. This was not typical behavior for me. I tried justifying my purchases to whomever Jeffrey and Macy showed their new toys. No matter what I said, I still felt guilty about indulging them so much.

That is until my mother-in-law told me, "You tell them no all the time. Sometimes it's okay to say yes."

You know, she's right. I do say no to them all the time.

While shopping:
Can we buy this Dora yogurt? No
Can we get some of these cookies for snacks? No
Can we go ride that horse? No
Can we get out of the cart and walk by ourselves? No
Can we get a new toy? No

While in the car:
Can we unbuckle? No
Can we go to Shelly's on the way home. No
Can we roll the window down? No
Can we go in the Post Office with you? No

While at home:
Will you play with us right now? No
Do you want to play football with me? No
Can you read us just one more book? No
Can we stay up later? No
Can we have another snack before bedtime? No
Will you sleep with us? No
Can we sleep in your bed? No
Can we jump on your bed? No (if Daddy is home)
Can we paint our birdhouses before bedtime? No

No. No. No. All the time. Well, that is until a few nights ago. Jeffrey and Macy asked if I would sleep with them and I told them....YES! And the look of surprise and excitement on their faces was totally worth it enough that I just might say yes again sometime.

preschool

2010-10-15T14:52:00.003-06:00

I asked Jeffrey to pick a spot that we could take his picture each year on his first day of school and this is the spot he picked. It's in front of a weeping pussy willow tree that we planted this summer.

As far as I am aware, Jeffrey is liking pre-school. Though the stories that he tells me and what he tells others are sometimes conflicting.

So far this is some of what I've heard...

"I don't remember what I did at school today."

"Guess what? We had to stand in line to go to the bathroom."

"We don't have to bring snacks that Grady can have (milk allergies). He has his own snacks at school just in case."

"I don't want to go to school today. I don't like school. I like Mary's and I want to stay and play at Mary's house."

"The fireman was at preschool today. If you start on fire, 'Stop, Drop, and Roll' and in case of emergency call 911, but not just for fun."

"I don't like saying the pledge."

"We had to go out and say the pledge and I don't like it."

"I'm tired of learning about shapes. It's too much work."

"I wish I was in Kindergarten because I am five and so are some of the kids in Kindergarten."

"I don't want to go to Grandma Robyn and Papa Jeff's on Thursday. I have school on Thursday and I'll have to miss it."

"Bridger wasn't at school today because he had to get shots. Do I have to get shots?"

"I'm supposed to bring something red to school today. I need to hide it in my backpack and if anyone sees it we have to go home early."

It's not quite "You might be a redneck..."

2010-10-14T14:28:00.001-06:00

You know your husband works for research when this is what your carrots look like.

Buddies

2010-10-11T09:49:00.002-06:00

Macy was mad mad mad when Jeffrey started preschool without her. She was angry for days and would yell, hit, and act out at Jeffrey without an apparent reason. Even though I tried helping Macy work through her feelings, she simply had too many feelings going on inside of her that were too hard for her to verbally express. Slowly, however, (and after I got Macy a matching backpack to Jeff's and a folder to put her Sunday School work in), Macy came around and I haven't noticed her acting out lately.

However, this little glimpse of a jealous, lonesome Macy left me nervous for next year. Right now, all of Macy's little buddies are between 10-18 months older than she is. These are her buddies from daycare, Sunday School, and kids of Tyler's and my friends. Macy has always been able to keep up with the kids, speak as well, and is as big or bigger than all of them, so she is completely that while she is still two years old, several of Macy's buddies are nearly four or nearly four. This age difference means that next year, not only will Jeffrey be in school full time, but Macy's best little buddies (particularly the ones she spends nearly nine hours a day with) will be in preschool while Macy is still in daycare. Ouch! I wonder what her reaction will be then???

Halloween

2010-10-10T14:22:00.000-06:00

Growing up, I loved Halloween. Derek and I would plan our route to go up and down every street in town and then have contests about who could get the most candy in our pillow cases. Rain, snow, or shine we were running around town with our friends.

Although I loved the candy (and I suppose the competition with my brother), I did not love the costumes. Well, to be more specific, I did not love wearing my snowsuit under my costume. As a little girl, I didn't even like mixing and matching toys. I was organized and a rule follower. (Not much has changed, I guess.) Needless to say, when snowsuits had to be worn under costumes, I thought it lessened the realness of my costume.

Now that I am a mother, I haven't changed. Since Macy loves all things Fairy right now, Tinkerbell is her choice for what she wants to be for Halloween. I'm having a really hard time letting go and saying okay because I know she'll have to wear warm clothes under or over her costume. What fun is wearing a cute Tinkerbell costume like this one from amazon.com if you have to wear sweatpants, a hoodie, hat, and gloves?

And so I keep asking Macy if she would like to be a monkey like this one from old navy.com. She could stay warm and cozy in this costume and not have to change the look of the costume.

Nope, Macy's three and has her mind set. She doesn't want to be a monkey, she wants to be Tinkerbell. I suppose if you are three and not quite as crazy as your mom you probably won't mind some warm clothes underneath your costume...as long as you get to be a cute little fairy.

Uncle Derek

2010-10-07T09:41:00.002-06:00

Derek and Tyler got to spend almost a week bow hunting for elk together near Jordan, MT this fall. It was the first time Derek had been out west since before Tyler and I were married so we were very excited to have him stay with us.

Even though Tyler and I were excited, I think that Jeffrey and Macy were more excited. You see, Derek showed up very early in the morning and left before the kids were awake. Since Tyler drove his pickup, Derek's Trailblazer was left at our house. It's mysterious appearance had Jeffrey and Macy asking questions all week. Finally, after more questions than I can count, Tyler and Derek finished their hunt and were home cutting up elk meat before Jeffrey, Macy, and I were home from school for the day.

Let's just say that both Jeffrey and Macy were all about Derek. They were giving him hugs, wanting him to play, showing him their toys, and begging for his attention. Derek was a terrific uncle and indulged all their requests.

Tyler, a little miffed at his lack of attention, just sat and watched.

She can do anything they can do...

2010-09-24T17:16:00.003-06:00

(photos and story by Grandma Robyn)

"My a big girl now." That's Macy alright; she is a big girl.

I have been telling Brandy since Macy was nearing her second birthday that, Macy skipped right over 2 and went straight to 3. She has always seemed older than her actual age.

Macy talked in complete sentences way before I thought she should be able to. She surprised us and potty trained herself long before the thought crossed Brandy's mind. And Macy has always had an older brother and older cousin that she has tried hard to keep up with.

If Jeffrey and Abby are jumping off the playground equipment, Macy is right behind them. If Jeffrey and Abby are playing a game, Macy is right next to them. If Jeffrey and Abby are wrestling with Grandma or Grandpa, Macy is right in the middle. When Payton came along, Macy wasn't really sure what to do with him. She was always been a too busy trying to be a big girl that baby stuff was just not her cup of tea. Instead, Macy just looked at Payton out of the corner of her eye and wouldn't go near him.

Macy does not want to be left out of anything that the bigger kids are doing. Yep, she can do anything they can do...except put her shoes on the right feet. :)

At the lake...

2010-09-16T19:24:00.002-06:00

Tyler's Grandma, Carol, has a cabin on Lake Sacajawea just minutes from Tyler's irrigation project for work. Though he and I don't spend a lot of time at the cabin, Jeffrey and Macy got to spend a few days there with Elaine, Auntie Jenna, and Great-Grandma Carol in September.

While at the lake, Elaine and Jenna took the kids to the driving range at a nearby golf course. Jeffrey enjoyed teeing off so much that he got a blister on his thumb and was actually hitting the ball farther than Elaine once in awhile. I guess all those time he's beat Tyler and I at Wii golf have paid off.

They also spent time coloring, which I know Elaine just loved (not really, she has never liked coloring...but she colors with her grandkids anyway!). They also spent a lot of time down by the beach. Even though it was chilly out, the Jeffrey and Macy waded in the water, played with sticks and rocks, and watch the sunset. Jenna texted me a beautiful picture from her phone. Too bad the battery on her big camera was dead.)

On Saturday afternoon, Dale and I headed out to the lake to spend the afternoon and next day with everyone. Dale, Elaine, Jenna, Jeffrey, Macy, and I went on the boat right away while Carol enjoyed some time relaxing on the deck. Although Macy was at the lake several times this summer and loved being on the pontoon, she freaked out when getting on the boat. She screamed and cried for about 10 minutes, and then she finally relaxed enough to enjoy the boat. Macy especially loved when Jeffrey was responsible for getting a new minnow and he showed her the minnow. Jeffrey loved getting the minnows and being in the driver's seat of the boat while Dale was fishing.

One of my favorite parts of the lake was getting to talk to Carol. I love listening to her tell stories of her growing up or stories about Leif and her. This time she told me a story about riding with her Dad to deliver groceries and other goods to a recluse in the woods. She remembered that the man was a veteran of WWI, wore all the clothes he owned all at one time, and kept his belongings hiding in a cave. I'm going to put interviewing her on my bucket list so that I can compile a list of stories all in one place.

Mexican Compass

2010-09-13T11:10:00.000-06:00

(Photo and story by Grandma Robyn)

Ha. This little turtle was given to Papa Jeff by his sister-in-law. She called it a Mexican compass. Its’ little head and neck actually bob up and down with any movement, so when the pickup is moving so is the “compass”. We have is stationed on the dash of the pick-up and every time we are in there together, Papa Jeff makes a comment about how much he enjoys looking at this little toy. I usually just agree that yes, it’s cute, but don’t think much about it beyond that.

Last weekend when we were up visiting, Papa Jeff took Jeffrey and Mac y for a ride down to the river. As soon as this little thing’s head started bobbing up and down, the kids took off for the back seat and couldn’t get back there fast enough. It seems that they weren’t sure what to think about this compass. Now every time I look at it I will have a special memory that brings a smile to my face.

talking on the phone

2010-09-05T18:50:00.004-06:00

One thing I do when the kids are stressed out and can't seem to relax after a long day is let the kids call Grandma Robyn and Papa Jeff. I've done it since Jeffrey was a baby. I'd call Grandma Robyn and beg her to sing to Jeff when he wouldn't stop crying. It's always worked and now the kids love talking on the phone.

Are you the maid?

2010-09-01T09:38:00.002-06:00

There was a week this summer when Macy would come up to me and ask me, "Are you the maid?"

I'd reply to her, "Yes, dear, sometimes I feel like it." What happened next varied from time to time.

Sometimes I'd walk away and start something else and she'd lie down on the floor and throw a fit. Other times she would stand there throwing a fit, stomping feet and crying over and over, "Are you the maid! Are you the maid!" No matter what, I couldn't figure out what she was talking about.

That is until one morning while watching cartoons with her...

Dora solved my problem. She always says, "Let's go, vamos!" But on this day Dora said to the toddlers watching her, "Help me, ayúdeme!"

Oh...all those times I thought Macy was asking me if I was the maid, she was really asking me to help her with something. No wonder she got mad and threw fits when I didn't pay attention. I guess I needed her ayúdeme.

You Look Like a Cow

2010-08-30T16:22:00.001-06:00

After a long summer of planning to "finish" losing the weight that I started losing a year and a half ago, I almost started crying yesterday morning...

Me: (quietly getting dressed and ready for church, wearing a bra and pulling on a long, tan linen skirt with ruffles on the bottom)

Macy: Mom! You look like a cow!

Me: Macy, don't you like my skirt?

Macy: You look like a cow! (jumping up and down on my bed)

Me: Macy, it's not nice to tell people they look like a cow. You should tell them they look pretty instead.

Macy: Mom, are you going to ride a horse now? You look like a cow!

Me: (figuring it out) Oh, Macy...do you mean I look like a cowgirl? Do you think I should put on a cowgirl hat and boots too!

Macy: Yeah! You look like a cowgirl. Are you going to ride a horse?

Me: (relieved)

Summer To Do Lists

2010-08-26T20:13:00.000-06:00

Towards the end of every school year, nearing the beginning of summer I make a list of all the things I'd like to do during the summer.

This year my list included things like these:

Paint Jeff and Macy's room
Redo the little bathroom
Make lots of craft projects with Jeff and Macy
Make a fort out of logs
Paint my bathroom
Learn how to use the weed eater
Redecorate my living room
Train for a 1/2 marathon
Plant more flowers
Grow a garden
Have Jeff and Macy do "school" everyday

I did some of those things, but not nearly as much as I would have liked to do. Now that summer is over and my time is going to be more limited again, I started feeling lousy about the lack of what I accomplished.

But then I got to thinking, I live by lists during the school year. Summer is my time to relax, take it easy, and be spontaneous. Even though I didn't get everything done on my lists, I did a lot more than that. I got to spend quality time with my kids playing and visiting family and friends. I took nine graduate credits. Jeffrey played t-ball and took swimming lessons. I swam a lot of mornings. We went to Fargo, Billings, Bismarck, and the lake. We went to the pool. We didn't cross stuff off our list, but all that stuff can be put back on the winter list and maybe Tyler can help us get it done!

Doll House

2010-08-25T20:45:00.003-06:00

By Sammy Gayle

Grandparents are just suckers....it goes on generation after generation. Those wonderful little grand children come into our lives, steal our hearts, and we are just pure putty in their hands. They eventually do grow up and find out it is a never ending thing that goes on and on.

I am a great grandmother now but have nothing but the fondest memories of both of my grandmothers and the special little things they did for me. My father’s mother always let me dig in her yard with a very special spoon she would take out of the kitchen drawer and hand over to me. She may have done this for all the other grandchildren, but I choose to think it was "our" special thing.

My mother’s mom, well, I was the first grandchild for her, and I still remember the special coat she made for me. I must have been about three and got the most beautiful coat in the world...at least, it seemed that way to me. It was white and fuzzy. My grandmother made up her own pattern and hand stitched every stitch. The hat just didn't photograph as wonderful as my mind saw it. However the most special thing was a little "muff" that hung from a cord around my neck and my two little hands were tucked inside a little tube as my mother and I walked down the street together. Never was a three year old more proud. Thank you Grandma!!!!!

When my mother became a grandmother she was so proud. Duane and I were so young and struggled most of the time. Mom was struggling too but always found ways to do special things for her granddaughters. She hand crocheted little Barbie clothes, always bought them special clothes for holidays, or made outfits. She saved coupons and got little refunds until she was able to take her grandkids to Disneyland.

Dad, also got into the act. He was very creative with wood and once built a hay bailer which ended up costing much more that he ever expected and took much more time to build. Sadly the girls just didn't get how special it was. Now if they had been grandsons it might have been different, but poor grandpa never did get a grandson. He just did the best to try and get into little girly things. It was nothing to see Dad crawling all over the floor being a horse and the girls all loved that. When Dad got great-grandchildren he got more granddaughters and finally, finally got a grandson. My favorite photo of Dad is seeing the joy in his face as he was watching his only male grandchild (my first grandson) playing. When Brandy and Derek, were little Dad built a doll house for his great-grandchildren and no wonder it had to have a garage!!

Now I am a great grandmother, that’s a little strange. My beautiful daughters get to be grandmas and they are doing a wonderful job at it. Their grandchildren are absolutely crazy for their grandma...and they should be. Grandma and Grandpa do anything for the grandkids....it is all they think about. I understand. For me, I sit back more and enjoy my great grandchildren.

Macy, my darling Macy has twice asked to call me on the phone....now that is special. Brandy, Macy’s mom and my granddaughter tells me it was Macys' idea...I choose to believe that as it feels so nice. Little Jeff is everything a little boy could be. He has a smile and eyes to die for and a gentle spirit. Jeff is all about guy things....sports, hunting, and trucks. That is nice but he is so caring with Macy and just all you could ever hope a little guy could be. I only wish I could see them more.

Oh, yes, this is supposed to be about the doll house dad built....

Brandy and Derek lent the doll house to their cousins and after these little girls all put their own personal touches on the doll house it was time for a remodel. This should be a simple little project, wouldn't you think? Oh, yes, but not for me....nothing is ever simple. Brandy and I removed all the flooring and put "hardwood" in the kitchen, stone tile in the man cave, (yes, man cave...it has deer and woodsy wallpaper, suede curtains, and is just cool). The kitchen is all sweet and girly with gingerbread and cupcakes in pinks and teal and pretty curtains. We had to wallpaper the living room and the bedroom and hang new drapes and a add a sports room to the garage. The only thing that had remained the same is there is still no bathroom. However we now have an outdoor rooftop patio with plants and flowers over the garage which is now the man cave/tractor/and sports area. We even decided to stucco the exterior and paint the trim a more modern color.

It was a labor of love and just like my father, I spent more than I thought I would and it took much more time than I ever planned. But, was it fun? Yes. Was it worth it? Definitely yes!! Will my two adorable little great grandchildren someday do this for their grandkids....I absolutely wouldn't bet against it.

Rodeos, Roping, Horses, and Cowboys

2010-08-22T19:40:00.001-06:00

Each year the Richland County Fair and Rodeo is the weekend before Jeffrey's birthday. And so, because Jeffrey is a child of the season, he loves all things cowboy in August.

When Jeffrey was nearing 3, Tyler and I bought him a pair of cowboy boots...that he wore only once to the rodeo at the fair and wouldn't wear them again. He simply refused. Now that Macy is nearing 3, she lives in Jeffrey's old cowboy boots and LOVES them. This lead Jeffrey to be jealous of Macy because she had cowboy boots and he didn't. Thus, he asked his best Auntie Jen Jen for a pair of cowboy boots for his 5th birthday.

Auntie Jen Jen didn't disappoint Jeffrey. She did even better than just get Jeffrey cowboy boots for his birthday. You see, Jenna lives in cowboy country; her neighbor has several horses, makes a custom break away stirrups, and is a real live cowboy. So, while we were in Laurel, not only did Jeffrey get some new cowboy boots, he also got new cowboy shirts, got to ride his first horse, and learned how to throw a rope at a practice steer (he got to be both the header and the heeler and was taught by a cowboy). What a big weekend for a boy turning 5!

“Sit tall in the saddle hold your head up high, keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky and live like you ain't afraid to die, don't be scared just enjoy your ride.” ~Chris LeDoux

On Friendships

2010-08-08T22:11:00.002-06:00

As I was preparing for my wedding and marriage to Tyler, my mom starting giving me advice that she thought I would find useful.

One piece of advice was to pick my battles wisely. I try as often as I remember to do that because she was definitely right. Another was to tuck your fingers when cutting vegetables. Good idea. Yet another piece of advice was to use vinegar (or something) when ironing clothes to get tough wrinkles out. Not so useful, I never iron clothes.

One piece of advice that I have really tried to take to heart was to make sure to keep my girlfriends...and lately, I have been thinking a lot about my friends.

Who do you call your friend? Do they have to be the person who calls you just to talk? Do they have to be the person who is willing to watch your kids when they sense you am stressed out? Do they have to be the person who knew everything about you in high school or college, but now you seldom talk to? Do they have to be the person who knows and loves your kids as much as you do? Do they have to be the person who knows the names of you parents and siblings? Can they be the person who is the parent of one of your kids' friends? Can they be the person who you work with, talk with seldom, but enjoy their company? Can they be the person who you see at church, but don't have anything else in common? Can they be the person who was your best friend in elementary, but moved away and you've always missed them? Can your mom be your best friend? How about your husband?

There are all types of friendships that a person has: school friends, co-workers, relatives, friends of friends, sorority sisters, church friends, parents of your childrens' friends, husband's friends' wives, old friends, new friends, and husband. We all have each of these types of friends, but what I am learning now, through a summer of really trying to work through this...is that for me, a friend needs to be someone who reciprocates my friendship. Friendship is not a one way street. A friend, someone who is truly more than an acquaintance, will make an effort to talk, spend time together, and share their life with me because that is what I want to do with them. It doesn't matter if that is once a year, once a month, or once a day. What matters is that they care about you and you care about them in return.

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." - Anais Nin

T-Ball

2010-07-19T08:09:00.000-06:00

(written by Tyler)

Your first organized sporting activity…………using the word organized is somewhat misleading when you are talking about four and five year old kids but not the case with you. So here we are, at the Fairview baseball diamond, on a nice summer evening. Most of the kids are running around, throwing rocks, and lying in the dirt, but not one Jeffrey, he has his cleats and baseball cap and is ready to go. There must have been twenty kids on the team and they are all on one the field at the same time. So one can about imagine what transpired, remember four and five year olds. But seeing you stand on that mound there was something about that moment that told me there is a determination and a passion with you in sports. Most of the kids were running around hysterically and you had one thing in mind, get the next guy out. There was one point in the game that I actually had to tell you to tag the person lightly and not knock them to the ground while doing so. When it was your turn to bat, it was a routine just like you practiced over and over in the yard. Few cuts, tap the ball, and let err rip. That evening was an experience that I will remember for a long time. As a father that demands a lot out of you even at the age of four, there was a passion in you on that field that made me proud.

Macy's Agendas

2010-07-07T20:09:00.000-06:00

Jeffrey and Macy have been sharing a room for a few months now and everything has been going quite well. Other than the times that Macy wants to keep talking and Jeffrey wants to go to sleep, we really haven't had any problems and let's just say that I haven't had to sleep with the kids in ages.

Last night something particularly cute did happen, though. Macy woke up screaming and crying saying over and over, "I want my mommy! I want my mommy! Mommy!" I rolled over and planned to let her calm herself down and go back to sleep on her own.

Apparently she had a different agenda. When her screams went on and on to no avail she started screaming, "Jeffrey! Jeffrey! Wake up, I want my mommy!"

And so he woke up and asked her, "Macy, do you want me to turn the light on and walk you down to your mommy's room?"

Macy: sob sob sob "Ya."

Jeffrey asked, "Macy do you want me to hold your hand? It's okay, we are almost there, you don't have to cry anymore." He dropped her off in my room, went potty and back to bed.

In the meantime, Tyler put a big pillow in the middle of the bed to act as a barrier to Macy rolling over on him. Once again, she had a different agenda. She may have been screaming for mommy (because she knows on more times than not that I will show up), but I think she really wanted her daddy because she threw that pillow off the bed and snuggled up next to him and was out cold. That is, until she woke up crying again and decided that sleeping on top of him would be a better idea.

(Consequently, it's 6:24 pm and Tyler is near sleeping on the couch!)

Role Models

2010-07-07T13:23:00.000-06:00

On my dad's side of the family, I am cousin number 12 of 16. Growing up, all of my older cousins lived hours away and even states away and so when they came to visit I was thrilled to have them and get to follow them around at my Grandma and Grandpa Spitzer's.

I remember Matt visiting and letting me drive when I was still too young. I used to want to be 5'10" tall so I could be just like Dana. I also remember her being so brave for hiding I thought Sara and Cari were the most beautiful girls I'd ever seen. Lisa always had an edge to her that I adored and Dawn got to take my Grandma on trips to Sweden. Brenda was my spiritual role model and I thought Tom was the smartest person I knew. One of my first memories in life is of sitting on Collete's lap and getting to listen to her earphones. One song was about a yoyo...I'm sure if I looked it up that would date us. Then there were Brett and Pam. Brett got married when I was quite young, but I think I remember skiing for the first time then. At Pam's wedding, I was scared to death of her husband because he was too tall. Both had kids when I was still young. I adored playing with their kids and feeling like I was an older cousin.

Now, I have Jeffrey and Macy. Jeff has been in the group of older kids with our friends and he doesn't have enough cousins to feel much older or younger...that was until he met his 3rd cousin, Hunter, and oh how he looked up to Hunter.

Hunter is traveling throughout North Dakota with my Auntie Gina and Uncle Larry for three weeks this summer and we were lucky enough to have him stay with us for two nights. During that time, Jeff found his older cousin to adore. If Hunter wore jeans, Jeff wore jeans. If Hunter wore long sleeves, Jeff wore long sleeves. If Hunter disliked a food, Jeff disliked that food. If Hunter did a spin jumping into the water, Jeff did a spin jumping into the water. What Hunter did, Jeff did. Where Hunter went, Jeff followed. Jeffrey adored Hunter.

There is a feeling inside of me that is not quite describable. I've always loved family gatherings and treasure them and their memories. So to have Jeffrey developing this connection and belonging to his family, no matter how extended, fills me with happiness, pride, excitement and heritage.

Jeff interviewing Mommy - age 31 years 1 month

2010-07-07T10:23:00.000-06:00

Jeff: Do you like farming?

Mommy: I like playing farming with you?

Jeff: But do you like farming outside in the real pasture? No or yes?

Mommy: Yes, I like farming outside.

Jeff: How do we fall and get bleeding.

Mommy: Well, sometimes, you can trip over something and fall. Sometimes, like this morning, you aren't paying attention and you fall off the curb and then start to bleed.

Jeff: Um, do you like fishing because sometime I might want to go down fishing.

Mommy: You bet, I love fishing, especially when we get to catch big fish. I don't like misquotes that are by the river though. They bother me when we fish.

Jeff: Do you like bull snakes?

Mommy: Bull snakes don't bother me. I'd scream though if one snuck up on me.

Jeff: Now you ask me questions.

Mommy: Who is my favorite boy?

Jeff: Me.

Interview with Jeffrey - age 4 years 11 months

2010-07-06T20:46:00.000-06:00

Mama: Is there anything special you would like to tell me today?

Jeff: Like a lot.

Mama: Okay, what would you like to say?

Jeff: What did you do today? Why are you typing there?

Mama: No, buddy, I ask you the questions.

Jeff: Okay. Why aren't you telling me? How about I do what rhymes with words.

Mama: Maybe later. What is your favorite things you've done this summer.

Jeff: Run and played and I like doing everything in the summer.

Mama: Tell me about when you got to so see Abby Mae.

Jeff: That was like a year ago. We played and went to the park two times. Abby left before me and Macy and Payton. Grandma Robyn went to the park. Abby hit a baseball on the Derek's deck. We hit them across the fence in his yard. I don't know what else we did. Now tell me another question.

Mama: That sounds like a lot of fun. What do you think about growing up?

Jeff: I'm going to grow up bigger than my dad and I'm going to get older than my dad. Mommy, when am I going to be 30.

Mama: You are going to be 30 in 25 years.

Jeff: That's like a 100 years.

Mama: Is there anything else you would like to tell me about growing up?

Jeff: Nope, that's all the questions I can do today. Macy, let's race back to the bedroom.

Interview with Macy - Age 2 years 8 months

2010-07-06T20:11:00.000-06:00

Mommy: Hi Macy. I'm going to ask you some questions today okay?

Macy: Kayayayay.

Mommy: Can you tell me how old you are?

Macy: Twooooo.

Mommy: Macy, what is the best thing you've done this summer?

Macy: Um, I was doing, um, we we was there at the park, um I was at the park. I was not going swimming. Do do do do. Mommy was there and Jeffrey was there.

Mommy: Can you tell me about Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Jim?

Macy: I was going to see Grandpa Jim and Grandma Nancy. Um, I was at Grandma Carol's so. Haheha. Grandma Nancy's, I was at her house.

Mommy: What did you do at her house?

Macy: Um, I don't know. Just went and checked the cows and horses. Just me and Jeff were there.

Mommy: What are your favorite things to play when you are at home?

Macy: My books and and and everything. Mommy, I am done.

The In-Laws

2010-06-18T13:18:00.000-06:00

I now know where my mother-in-law gets her orneriness from....her Dad.

Grandma Nancy: Jenna, stand up and show your grandpa how cute your butt looks in those new jeans I got you.

Grandpa Jim: Yup. It looks like 10 pounds of flour in a 5 pound sack.

(FYI - If you know my mother-in-law, you'll think this is funny. If you don't you may think, "Oh my, she's writing that about her mil on the internet, she's going to get in trouble.)

Her Mommy Told Her

2010-06-08T09:13:00.001-06:00

Tyler told me a story about Jeffrey walking around the yard talking on his cell phone and how funny and natural it looked for him to be doing so. I asked Jeffrey who he was talking to and this is the conversation that followed.

Jeff: I was talking to Mommy, Daddy, Anny, Papa, Grandma Robyn and Papa Jeff.

Tyler: No, I think you were talking to your girlfriend.

Jeff: No I wasn't!

Mama: Do you have a girlfriend?

Jeff: Well, yeah.

Mama: Who is it?

Jeff: Sophia.

Mama: Does Sophia know she's your girlfriend?

Jeffrey: Yes.

Mama: How does she know? Did you ask her?

Jeff: No.

Mama: Well, then, how does she know?

Jeff: Well, her mommy told her!

---So, Shelly...are you aware of this? Did you have a talk with Sophia?

catfish

2010-05-03T12:44:00.000-06:00

Macy and I arrived home to an empty house after being in Wilton for the weekend. Jeffrey and Tyler were out fishing. While I was busy putting clothes away, Jeffrey came bursting in the door yelling, "Mom, I caught a catfish. Come and take a picture of it so you can put it on the computer!"

marriage plans

2010-04-27T19:25:00.003-06:00

Mama: We have to say a special prayer for Baby Brayden today. It's his birthday and he needs our special prayers.

Jeffrey: Who is Baby Brayden?

Mama: My friend Mary Ellen is his mommy. Macy got to play with his brother Parker while you were at the Vikings game.

Jeffrey: Oh...(thinking)...Is Macy going to have a baby someday?

Mama: I hope so, then I get to be a Grandma! Someday you'll get married and your wife will have a baby and you'll get to be a daddy.

Jeffrey: But Mama, who am I going to marry?

Mama: Who do you think you would like to marry? Who do you love?

Jeffrey: Oh ya, Sophia!

You know, Shelly and I would love for Jeff and Sophia to get married also. Imagine, we could probably talk them in to moving back to Cartwright after college and we'd have our grandbabies so close...and we'd promise to be nice mothers-in-law! We just aren't so convinced that Sophia will fall for this plan. By then, she'll think of Jeffrey as a brother and kissing him would be way too weird. Nope, we are convinced that Ally will fall in love with Jeff and then she'll be mad at Shelly and I for having so many cute pictures of Jeff and Sophia and none with Jeff and her!

My Daddy wasn't gone...

2010-04-21T18:04:00.008-06:00

Since September, Tyler has taken 18 credits from Iowa State to finish his Masters in Agronomy degree. Three of those credits were his creative component. Needless to say, he has been very busy.

Most days he left home between 4:30 and 5:30 so that he was able to get a couple hours of homework done before his work day started. Most days, he wasn't home until 7:00 or later in the evening. Most days, Jeffrey, Macy and I longed for him to be home sooner.

Well, we are in the home stretch now. On Monday, Tyler defended his creative component to a panel of four professors in Iowa. He was quite nervous, but I understand that he did quite well. I've talked to him since then, though I haven't been able to give him a hug to congratulate him yet because it's been a very busy April for us. Not long ago, this is what I emailed Tyler just so we could be sure to be on the same page:

-----------------------------------------------
April Dates to Remember

Thursday, April 15 – I leave for Miles City, your mom will pick the kids up from Mary’s and they’ll stay at her house overnight

Friday, April 16 – I’ll be in Miles City, your mom will drop the kids off at Mary’s, you need to pick them up by 2:45 mt (3:45 ct)

Saturday, April 17 – Our Anniversary

Sunday, April 18 – You leave for Iowa

Monday, April 19 – You defend in Iowa, fly back to Bismarck

Tuesday, April 20 – You get back to Cartwright, I leave right after school for Glasgow and stay overnight, your mom will pick up the kids from Mary’s and keep them overnight

Wednesday, April 21 – I get home from Glasgow, you need to pick up the kids from your mom’s

Thursday, April 22 – I have Wimba class (it is required, we have to present our mini-field study) from 7:00 to 9:00 ct

Friday, April 23 – The kids and I leave for Minot (if you can, come with us, it would be fun and relaxing!)

Saturday, April 24 – Marathon relay, kids and I are in Minot, we might or might not come home…just depends on how much is on the credit card by that time of the month.

Sunday, April 25 – Nothing, thank God!

Wednesday, April 28 – Wimba (last session) 7-9 ct

Is there anything I've forgotten?
---------------------------------------------

Needless to say, when Tyler went to his mom and dad's last night to play with the kids and have supper it was no surprise for me to hear about this conversation:

Granny: Macy, did you miss Daddy while he was gone?

Macy: My Daddy wasn't gone from my house!

-----------------------------------------------

Yes, Macy dear, he was gone and you didn't see him for a few days, but it probably felt quite normal for you.

Things will be better soon as Tyler is set to finish his classes on May 7th. He'll be the 72nd graduate in the Masters of Agronomy program from Iowa State and will have finished the program faster than any other student!

Graduate School

2010-04-15T11:24:00.002-06:00

I started Graduate School way back when....when I lived in Detroit Lakes and taught there for a year. That spring, I drove to Fargo once a week to attend night school at NDSU. I took two courses for a total of 4 credits. Then, Tyler got serious with me so I packed up and moved to Cartwright.

My first two years teaching in Fairview consisted of taking twenty-some credits of English courses so that I could become licensed to teach English (even though I was already doing so!). In July of 2005 I finished my last course right on time for Jeffrey to be born!

Last fall I found out that I could take courses for half-price from NDSU because Tyler is employed by them. And so began the process of continuing my education once again.

I love taking classes and love being in school (maybe I'll have Tyler write a post about grad school and he can tell you how much he loves it too!). The big disappointments for me are 1)now I no longer have free time to read books of my choice and 2)I've not been able to spend as much time writing for fun, especially about my kids for their baby books (really, the blog that will someday turn into part of their baby books).

Since Tyler defends his thesis on Monday and graduates in May and I have at least two years left of school, maybe he'll have to take over story writing for me. He really is a very good writer!

(hint, hint Tyler, please write me a post about Jeffrey and basketball, pretty please)

Spring

2010-04-14T07:24:00.000-06:00

We saw our first crocus on Monday and it's been raining yesterday and today. It must be spring!

Whooping Cranes

2010-04-12T11:22:00.002-06:00

Whooping Cranes surrounded by Sandhill Cranes

A pair of whooping cranes.

Dale, my father-in-law, called last evening to let us know that there were two sets of whooping cranes just southeast of our house. Even though I love bird (and even studied them in college), before last night, I'd never seen one in person. They are huge and amazing!

I took several pictures from the road, but decided I'd like to try getting some better pictures and so I started walking towards them in the field. I made it about 50 feet when they flew away. We watched them fly and land in a field straight east of our house. So, we drove down the section line and got within about 45 yards. When we stopped the Tahoe, they flew up in the sky, hovered and landed again and let us watch them in amazement.

It's just too bad that I couldn't find my extra camera battery. As I was leaving the house, I noticed that I didn't have a lot of juice left in my current battery and looked all over for my extra. Of course, I couldn't find it and just as we were super close to the cranes, my batter died.

I'm Sew Happy

2010-04-01T05:58:00.001-06:00

My cousin, Jordyn, sewed Macy some adorable outfits for this spring and summer. (these are just a few...I'll post more when she's had a chance to wear them all). Her blogger address is I'm Sew Happy if you'd like to take a look at other items she's made. She's awesome!

Project Lists

2010-03-29T07:54:00.002-06:00

For nearly two years, I have been starring my favorite posts on google reader. I star everything that catches my interest: recipes I want to try, projects I'd like to make with my kids, color inspirations for future bedrooms, furniture make-over ideas, birthday party ideas, and even sewing projects (though I don't really know how to sew!).

I was looking back at some of my starred items a few weeks ago and decided that unless I took action, I wasn't really ever going to be able to complete any of the projects. So, I started organizing them into different microsoft word documents: mommy projects, kid projects, recipes, birthday party ideas, and household inspiration.

Although I'd love to call myself a crafter, I'm really not. Nearly every project I want to do involves modge podge, hot gule, paint or fabric scraps...of which I have none. I have dusty scrapbook supplies and that's about it.

So, on Friday, I picked up the kids from daycare and we took a little drive to Sidney to buy some fabric and modge podge so that I Saturday we could create these!

(I have pictures of the kids working on these, but blogger is not allowing me to upload them right now. I'll try for flickr later.)

Good Helper

2010-03-23T18:03:00.004-06:00

Macy has been waking up in the middle of the night regularly for the last 3 or 4 weeks. She's not just waking up and sneaking into our bed, that would be nice. Instead, she wakes up in hysterics crying for mommy. "I want my Mommy!" If I don't go down to sooth her, she wakes Jeff up so i try to get there as fast as I can.

(Though one night, I just didn't have the engergy to get up. Instead, I heard two pairs of little feet tromping down the hallway and Jeffrey saying to his sister, "Macy, it's okay. Don't cry. Do you want your mama? I'll take you to your mama. Here, hold my hand." What a sweetie.)

Last night I got up with Macy a few times. On the last time, I finally caved and brought her to bed with Tyler and me. This is what she looked like this morning.

Macy: Mama, I watch Dora in your room?

Mama: Okay, but you have to go down and get your clothes and get dressed first.

Macy: No, you go get my clothes.

Mama: Mama's getting dressed too so you have to go get your own clothes Macy.

Macy: No, you go get my clothes. You're a big helper.

...Hum, I wonder where she got that line from?

Swimming

2010-03-03T16:56:00.000-07:00

After I finally coaxed her in the water...she was fearless and had so much fun. While Abby and Jeffrey were warming up in the hot tub, Macy kept me in the pool so she could keep swimming and jumping. Macy is a fearless little girl who would love to be a fish. When we are around water this summer, she is going to have to be in life jacket 100% of the time because she has no fear.

Tried and True

2010-03-03T00:18:00.002-07:00

This Leap Frog fridge toy is the most tried and true toy that I know. If anyone is looking for a toy to buy a baby or toddler, this is it. When Abby Mae was a baby, she loved this toy. When Jeffrey was a baby and Abby Mae was a toddler they both loved this toy. One of my favorite memories of the two of them together is dancing around Grandma Robyn and Papa Jeff's kitchen. They played for a long time and were completely amused with themselves. Their giggles were contagious. Macy loved the toy and now she loves to play with it with Payton and you can see here how much he loves it. This toy is definitely tried and true.

Snow Forts

2010-03-01T16:24:00.003-07:00

When I was a little girl, we had snow every winter. There was always snow on the ground by Halloween and it always stayed around until March. Growing up a kid in North Dakota makes you adapt to your situations. My brother was definitely better at it than I was.

I can remember being a little girl and watching Derek and his friends build snow forts. They would spend all day outside: digging and working and playing and more digging. I don't remember building many forts myself, maybe I was the older sister that was too busy and so I was unwelcome. :)

On the last weekend in February, my dad, mom, Jeffrey, Macy and I stayed one night at Derek's house before heading to Sioux Falls to meet Abby and Molly for the weekend. As soon as we got to Derek's house, he wanted Jeff to go outside and make a snow fort with him. Jeff didn't really want to do this, but he didn't really know how much fun a snow fort could be so I made him go outside.

Derek started out by making a tunnel on the top of the snow pile that connected with a tunnel at ground level. They connected into a little sitting room that was big enough for Jeffrey and Derek to sit together.

The next morning, Derek, Jeffrey and I added a third tunnel on the opposite side that connected to the sitting room. It was fun, a good workout and an awesome break to having to be inside. I think that I'll have to continue with this snow fort business even though I'm not as good or as experienced as my brother. I'm sure if I need tips, I can give him a call.

Ten (of the so many) Things We Love About You

2010-02-19T08:07:00.008-07:00

1 - You can beat Daddy and Mommy at Memory and will let Macy beat you by showing her where the matches are.

2 - You look up to your Daddy in everything he does. You got mad when he turned 30 because then you were never going to catch up to him in age. You ask Daddy all the time when you get to be as big as he is.

3 - You love God and every night you want to say the Lord's Prayer and then our "Soldier Prayer" where we pray for mommies and daddies, babies and kids, grandmas and grandpas, soldiers and their families, pilots and bus drivers and truck drivers and everybody else who drives and policemen and EMTs and doctors and nurses and nurse practitioners and then for everyone who is in heaven and then for everyone we miss and then for all the bad people....and it has to be in that order!

4 - You give unexpected kisses and say I Love You just to make sure everyone knows.

5 - You've taken a big interest in numbers. You spot numbers on the clock and thermometer and sports clocks on the TV. You know all the Viking player numbers. And you are just now showing interest in learning to write your numbers.

6 - When playing basketball you say, "I have to keep practicing because that will make me better." This is especially important because right now, you hate losing.

7 - Daddy says, "Because you love the Vikings!"

8 - You take care of your little sister and (most of the time) you love to play with her.

9 - Daddy also says, "Because you think the way I do. At least we know there will be two perfect people in the world." (Daddy is crazy!)

10 - Because no matter how bad of day we have, when we get home from work, you come running to us with a big hug and make the day so much better.

Ten (of the so many) Things We Love About You

2010-02-17T17:24:00.011-07:00

1 - Monkey see, monkey do. You look up to your brother in everything you do. We could call Jeffrey Pete and you Repeat. Sometimes when you are sad you just say, "I want my Jeffrey."

2 - Sometimes you say you are a princess, sometimes you say you are a cowboy, sometimes you say you are a football player, sometimes you say you are a basketball player. You know you can be anything you want to be!

3 - You are a handful and keep us on our toes. Right now, we love that you are only two going on three because we are a little scared of twelve going on thirteen!

4. The only lap you will fall asleep in is your Daddy's lap.

5 - You are just (barely) patient enough to sit and play Memory and Sequence with everyone.

6. Those beautiful blue eyes, Norwegian blonde hair and adorable freckles across your nose.

7. You are so brave and willing to try anything. You'll walk through the cows or let Daddy throw you high into the air.

8. Before Daddy leaves for work you are sure to get a kiss and a hug before he walks out the door. Most days you make sure that he gives Mommy a kiss and a hug too.

9 - Daddy says, "Because when you cry at night you only want your mommy and I get to keep sleeping!"

10 - You are very determined in everything you do.

Jeffrey says, "I love Macy because she loves me because she is so pretty. I love Macy to Abell and back 99 hundred eighty-eight eight four eight times."

In keeping up with the Joneses...

2010-02-16T17:02:00.000-07:00

Remember my Halloween snake and spiders and my then our attempt at snowman pretzels.

Well, in trying to keep doing fun things for my kids (I have so many things that I want to do that I can't wait for summer when we aren't all so exhausted from work and play) I made rainbow pancakes for Valentine's Day. Jeffrey refused to eat them in fear they would taste different, but Macy cleaned up this whole plate. I put some chocolate chips in mine and called it good!

Sacrifices

2010-02-01T19:08:00.003-07:00

Before you are a parent, you don't really understand how different your life will be and the sacrifices you will make once you have kids. People try to tell you, but until you are there, experiencing parenthood for yourself, you just can't comprehend it.

And since Jeffrey was little, I have been making sacrifices, primarily my free time. Though that is not what I'm writing about today. Today I'm writing about something much bigger and much more unexpected than having to give up a little free time.

I'm talking about sports, namely football. I'm talking about the love for the Bears and disgust of the Vikings that my Dad has taught me since I was a little girl living in Phoenix and watching the Bears beat the Patriots in the 1985 Superbowl. I'm talking about Sundays growing up in Wilton when my Dad and his Viking friends would put more than one TV in the living room so they could watch both games. I'm talking about knowing not to answer the phone after a Bear loss because there would be Vikings fans calling.

Not only did I marry a Vikings fan, he has brainwashed Jeffrey into being a Vikings fan also. Jeffrey doesn't seem like a typical 4 year old fan to me. It all started with Jeffrey liking Brett Favre because he is number 4 and grew from there. He learned Percy Harvin's number and Chester Taylor's number and Jared Allen's number and Pat Williams, EJ Henderson, Bernard Berrian and Sydney Rice's numbers. He recognizes Brett Favre in his Wrangler and Best Buy commercials. He sees that it is 8:29 and we are on our way to daycare and yells, "Mom, there's Chester Taylor's number." He sees a basketball score of 52 - 69 and screams, "It's Jared Allen's number mom!"

And because I love JeffJeffrey so much, I broke down, made a huge sacrifice, and ordered him a Brett Favre jersey for Christmas. And because I love his Daddy, I let Jeff buy his Daddy a Brett Favre jersey (without him knowing he was getting one!).

Because Papa Jeff knows how much these two num-nuts love the Vikings (and because we drug Tyler to the Bears NFC Championship game in Chicago - they actually WON, by the way!), he bought four tickets to the playoff game in Minneapolis. Tyler and Jeffrey couldn't have been more excited.

And seriously, I made two more sacrifices for this game. Even bigger than buying Favre jerseys. I made a Vikings poster for Jeffrey to have for the game. (We always make Fairview Warrior posters for volleyball and basketball tournaments here so he knows posters area must for big games.) And I actually cheered for the Vikings. I really wanted them to win so that Jeffrey could have fun and not come home disappointed.

Can you believe that? If someone would have told me that when I became a parent, I'd make all these sacrifices for my kids, I'd have told them yeah right! Dream on! And I guess I would have been eating my words as we speak.

Snow Day

2010-01-26T16:21:00.001-07:00

You heard right! We had a snow day yesterday (Edit note - I didn't have pictures of my pages right away so the snow day was really on January 25). It was the first in the seven years that I have been teaching here is Fairview and I'm sure that I was more excited that the kids.

Rather than cleaning house or doing laundry, I decided to spend the day scrapbooking. If I had been at work, I wouldn't have been able to wash the dishes or fold the clothes so why do it on a surprise day off, right?

I had a blast. Jeff and Macy sat at the table and colored for awhile, but quickly lost interest and went off to play their own games so I was able to focus on getting some pages done. When it was time for a nap, Jeff laid down for about 5 minutes and then came out and asked if he could help me. Sure!

Here is some of what I accomplished. (Yes, I'm just starting Macy's book!)

And here's a couple pages that Jeff made.

(I did help Jeff with the cutting on these and placed the yellow and purple triangles for him, but he place them and put on the staples and picked the paper.)

Memory

2010-01-26T15:44:00.010-07:00

Have you ever played a game with a child and let them win? Sure, we all have. Whether it's basketball or tag, Chutes and Ladders or Sorry, we've all done it. I let the kids win all the time when I was babysitting and now that I have kids, I let them win. Or, I should say, that I used to let my kids beat me. Now, they win on their own. Jeff does anyway.

Jeff, Macy, Tyler and I play memory nearly every night. We have several different variations of the game - animals, everyday objects, Mickey Mouse, Old Maid cards - and when we first started playing I'd let Jeff beat me. That is, until I realized that I didn't need to let Jeff win, he did it on his own.

Since I have started actually trying to beat Jeff, it has only happened 2 or 3 times. The same goes for Tyler and for Papa Dale and for Anny (Granny Elaine). I don't know how he does it, but he does and he loves it.

How Embarassing

2010-01-22T16:16:00.001-07:00

(here's a cute picture that doesn't match the topic at all!)

On the way to work this morning I kept asking the kids if they were farting or if one of them had pooped their pants. They kept telling me no, but I had a hard time believing them because of the stink in the Tahoe.

When I arrived at school, I dropped my coat and bags off in my classroom and went across the hall to visit with a friend. When I got to the hallway, not even to my door, I could smell something horrible so I called my friend over to see if it was me or something else?

Definitely something else. After a bit of searching, we discovered it was my Tupperware full of vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower and celery. I looked inside, and too my surprise, it looked delicious (not rotten at all) but smelled horrible.

As we were discussing this - and spraying air freshener in my room and the hallway - several teachers and students walked by asking what died in my room or who had the horrible gas. Nope, none of those, it was just the food I was going to eat for lunch.

YUCK!

Tyler is 30

2010-01-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

I had big plans for writing a blog about how Tyler felt about turning 30, but time slipped away from me. In another lifetime I'll come back to this picture and write what I remember.

Then there's the weather...

2010-01-10T07:10:00.002-07:00

As mentioned, I do love love love North Dakota. I remember singing the North Dakota Centennial song on the steps of the capital building and feeling so proud of my state. Later that summer we sang the same song on our school risers in front of the Wilton Depot. Heck, I still sing it to my kids in school.

This is what I remember...

"N-O-R-TH-DAK-OTA! North Dakota!
We've got the wind that sweeps across the prairies.
We've got the sky that's bigger than the sea.
We've got the sun shining brightly down on (insert city) Bismarck!
Yes! That's what North Dakota means to me.

(There may have been more here)

Then there's the weather, there's the weather.
If you don't like it stick around and it will change.
There's the weather, there's the weather.
Alberta Clippers whipping down the range."

That's what I remember of the song, though I'm sure there must have been more. Maybe you sang it too? What do you remember? Can you help me?

At any rate, it was the weather part that stuck out to me and there is good reason, it's true! On my last post, just 3 days ago, it was 31 below zero. Yesterday, I'm happy to say, it was 32 degrees above zero and it was amazing.

Tyler, the kids and I spent the afternoon outside playing on the swing set, moving snow, shoveling snow, snowmobiling, running and tackling in the snow, jumping off of snow hills and finding the last few minutes outside to take a family picture. It was one of those days in the middle of winter that makes you realize that spring may not be too far off. Though, even though we like this weather, I'm sure change will come and winter is not quite over yet!

If you think you know cold...

2010-01-07T07:59:00.006-07:00

from If You're Not from the Prairie by David Bouchard...

...Still, you're not from the prairie,

And yet you know cold.

You say you've been cold?

Do you know what to do

to relieve so much pain?

Of deep burning from deep down

that drives you insane?

Your ear and your hands...

right into to your toes.

A child who has been cold

in the prairie will know!

Of all of those memories

we share when we're cold

none are more clear

than that hard bitter cold.

You'll not find among us

a soul who can say:

"I've conquered the wind

on a cold winter's day."

If you're not from the prairie you don't know the cold,

you've never been the cold.

--------------------------

My Great-Grandma Eva used to say that 40 below keeps the riff raff out, that's why she lived in North Dakota. That, too, is one of the many reasons that I love this great state and why I chose to stay here. Today, though, I'm just hoping that 31 below (with no windchill) is close enough because it is freaking COLD outside!

Not to heavy...

2010-01-06T16:12:00.003-07:00

So if you watch ESPN as much as we do, you've seen Bud Light's most recent advertising campaign...Not too heavy, not too light.

They start each commercial with a "too light" version of something. A woman barely pinning a corsage on her husband's jacket or a man walking into a party and whispering hello. Then there is the magical "ding" noise that switches to the "too heavy" portion of the commercial. Said woman nail guns the corsage to her husband's jacket over and over again or said man drives a monster truck over the fence at the party.

Though I laugh at the commercials, I had to google the brand of beer as I've never really paid that much attention to them. Macy on the other hand must pay close attention to them because while she and I were playing "Hoopsa Hoopsa Hayla" (an on German song where you bounce the child on your knees) a few nights ago, Macy heard the "ding" and spun her neck around to watch the TV and instantly said, "Not too heavy, not to wight."

I seriously doubt that the target audience for Bud Light was 2 year old daughters of men who watch too much ESPN!

Christmas Suprise

2009-12-30T11:27:00.016-07:00

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~Burton Hillis

It all started back in September when my mom and I decided that for Christmas we had eachother's names and the boys had eachother's names. Perfect, I thought. Shopping for my mom would be much easier than buying for my dad or brother.

Easy to shop for. Wrong. I was plain and simply wrong. What do you get the woman who loves new technology, but buys everything right away because she is so excited for it? What do you get for the woman who sees a pretty necklace or nice purse and buys it for herself? What do you get for the woman who is trying to downsize what she already has in her house and is in the mood for pitching rather than gathering? I had no idea, not even a clue for a long time.

Then one day in October, it hit me. How about I buy a ticket for my Grandma Gayle to fly up here and spend Christmas with our family and without my mom knowing ahead of time? Aha! That was it. Then, I thought realistically...How expensive would the tickets be? and Could we really pull off the surprise? I'm not going to sugar coat it, I'm not one for surprises and thinking about my grandma keeping a secret for that long didn't really seem possible.

It turns out I was looking for tickets far enough in advance that Allegiant Air still had some reasonable priced flights from Phoenix to Bismarck. I was lucky there. Gotta love Allegiant!

Getting the tickets was the easy part, keeping the surprise was the harder part. Amazingly enough, though, we did! My grandma and I both nearly let it slip a few times. I nearly told my mom that Grandma Gayle should be able to get me the painting I want when she comes home for Christmas and Grandma Gayle told my brother that she'd see him in a few days then tried covering her tracks by saying what she meant was that maybe she'd come back in April or May. Neither my mom nor my brother caught on, so we were lucky there.

Or so we thought. When I was thinking "realistically" back in October, I should have been thinking about the weather more than I was thinking about the cost or the surprise. The worst storm of the year was headed our way. Meteorologists were predicting road closures, huge amounts of snow, bitterly cold temperatures and high winds starting on Christmas Day.

My Dad was in Fargo so he could go to Sioux Falls to pick Abby up and then drive Derek and both kids back on Christmas Eve. Tyler and I weren't planning on leaving Cartwright until Christmas Eve afternoon so that we could spend the morning with his family. (It turns out the storm was coming from the west so Jenna couldn't even drive back and we didn't get to see her!) And so, with the storm rolling in, my mom began to worry that she would spend Christmas at home, alone.

And so, I began to worry that she might if I didn't get my grandma to Wilton on Christmas Eve Eve. Grandma Gayle's flight in Phoenix wound up being delayed due to thunderstorms and because of that she didn't arrive in Bismarck until around 11:00 pm. Grandma asked Karlyn to call my mom to be sure she would be awake to hear a knock on the door. When Grandma did knock my mom told Karlyn she wasn't going to answer the door because who would come over that late and she didn't recognize the car anyway. After much knocking, there was my mom's Christmas surprise.

It turns out that even better than the surprise for my mom, was the excitement it gave to my Grandma Gayle on her first Christmas she would have without my Grandpa Duane. The months ahead gave her something to look forward to and plan for and with the kids around at Christmas, it's hard not to have a good time. I know that we all thought about Grandpa throughout the week and definitely missed his presence, but having the rest of us home together was the best blessing we could have asked for.

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time. ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

Macy Funnies

2009-12-24T15:25:00.005-07:00

After twirling and twirling in the kitchen, "Grandma Robyn, your house is moving!"

After watching Tyler spit out the pick-up window, "Daddy, that part of your mouth out there?"

Tastes Good

2009-12-21T12:14:00.003-07:00

Have a look at my flickr or go back and look at all the previous posts here on the blog and you will see that Macy's nose is nearly always snotty. There are boogers in her nose all the time. Sometimes wet, sometimes dried up and crusted over. Because of this and Macy just being Macy, I'm not sure I should have been surprised when she told me, "Mama! My like eating boogers!"

So Many Questions

2009-12-18T08:20:00.003-07:00

Mama: Wow! Did you guys see the owl that just landed on the telephone pole?

Jeffrey: No! Mama back up so we can see it.

Mama: Oh, there it goes, it's flying away.

Macy: Not an owl! It's a bird! A bird!

Jeffrey: It was an owl. An owl is a big bird.

Macy: (yelling) Not an owl! It's a bird! It's a bird right now!

Mama: Macy, it's okay. An owl is a kind of big bird. Owls fly because they are birds.

Macy: NO!

Jeffrey: Mama, when is that owl going to have it's babies?

Macy: Not an owl! A bird right now!

Mama: The owl will have its babies in the spring time. It needs to be warmed outside for owls to have their babies.

Jeffrey: Like when my cows are going to have their new calfies? They are going to have new calfies when it's spring.

Macy: NOT AN OWL! IT'S A BIRD RIGHT NOW! A BIRD!

Mama: Yes, buddy. Just like your cows.

Jeffrey: Mama, do calfies come out of the cows' bellies?

Macy: A bird!

Mama: They don't come out of the belly, they grow inside the belly.

Macy: A bird. Not an owl! A bird!

Jeffrey: Macy, be quiet. Mama and I are trying to talk.

Macy: (cries and whines)

Jeffrey: Mama, did I grow inside your belly?

Mama: Yes.

Jeffrey: Did Macy grow inside your belly?

Mama: Yes.

Jeffrey: Did Daddy grow inside Anny's (Granny's) belly?

Mama: Yes.

Macy: (now singing) Twinkle twinkle little star...

Jeffrey: Mama, who grew inside of Auntie JenJen's belly?

Macy: ...how I wonder what you are...

Mama: Nobody yet buddy. Do you think that Auntie JenJen will have a baby someday?

Macy: ...up above the world so high...

Jeffrey: Ya. Someday. I think she'll need to get a crib in her house then.

Macy: ...like a diamond in the sky...

Jeffrey: Macy, can I sing with you now?