Day 31 - January 31, 2012 Extra Post

My grandmother passed away peacefully tonight. I was so grateful to be by her side with my dad, aunt, great-aunts and great-uncle. She was just as beautiful as ever and I know now she's in heaven watching over her family and pacing back and forth worrying about each and every one of us until we arrive with her some day.

Photos are from December 31, 2011. Grandma put together a scavenger hunt for the younger boys. She was always planning something for them to do together.


Me and Grandma... actually just ignore me, no make-up and making 'chubby face'!

Grandma looks cute as ever though!



Annie, me, Grandma, Robin and Brad





Trent, Cole, Conner, Chase, Grandma after the scavenger hunt she planned for them in the snow. It is a great memory.



Photo from Grandma's outside-Christmas tree



Day 31 - January 31, 2012

Grandma's gardens rivaled the best. She knew when each of her plants were to bloom and exactly how to take care of them. I hope I can keep her gardening alive through my gardens.

Summer 2011



Grandma at my dad's 50th birthday party 2010



Summer 2011 - Lady Slipper



Day 30 - January 30, 2012

Today I was in Fargo supporting my family and being with grandmother. I have no photos from the day.



Christmas (2008 or 2009?) My grandma is in the red sweater.
Missing at the time from the picture: my sister and cousin.



Day 29 - January 29, 2012

The beautiful woman in these photos is my Grandmother, Marian. She suffered a stroke on Sunday.

I love her more than words can say.

My heart is sick, and I am completely empty.

She was hands down the most giving, loving, and caring person I have ever met. She never spoke a bad word about anyone, loved her family no matter what their mistakes might be, and left a mark on every single person who met her. I will miss her every day for the rest of my life.



Gram, Me, Angie, Brandy, Cassidy (2004-2005ish)




Me and Grandma - 90's



Planting trees




2003 - Dad and Annie's wedding with all of the grandkids (Leo, Virginia and Delia came later)



Easter 1997



Christmas 2011

I can't flip the picture... but isn't she beautiful?!

I got to see her 3 times in the past week:

1) at my Pampered Chef party last Sunday.

2) Tuesday randomly when my dad and I were out to lunch.

3) pizza at my house with family on Friday night.

and

yesterday in Fargo at the hospital.

Day 28 - January 28, 2012

I am making a goal. Training for a 10k starting tomorrow!! The treadmill will be the first thing I see when I wake up each morning.

Day 27 - January 27, 2012

Country-Western Day!

Cole wore his Aunt Tara's cowboy hat and his Dallas 'Cowboys' shirt... get it?!
The Cowboys?!

I am embarrassed to admit that I didn't right away... he is obviously much wittier than I am.



Cowboy Cole



Day 26 - January 26, 2012

Catching up on CSW @ Cole's school for my day 26 photos!

Character Day (Tuesday) Mario

Color Day (Wednesday) 5th graders = Wonderful White

Day 25 - January 25, 2012

 Our cat 'Ray the Stray', or Ray for short. We were lucky enough to get Ray when my childhood neighbors moved to the Cities. This cat has a vertical jump of over 5 feet, hunts in the rain and snow, can run faster than any cat I've ever seen and climbs trees with no front claws. He'll often be out by the pond eating frogs or bringing home mice to show off.

Oh and his new love is a laser light... can we say obsessed?!

I'm ready dad!

Just a taste of his jumping skills.

Day 24 - January 24, 2012

 Minnesota Twins Winter Caravan 2012 included:

Ben Revere and Rene Tosoni, Twins Legend Tony Oliva, and Twins announcer Dick Bremer. 

 

Cole and Ben Revere talking about his MLB #1 play of the 2011 season.
We were at Target Field when he made the catch against the Orioles on August 24, 2011!
What an awesome memory for him to share with Ben.

 

Minnesota Twins Legend Tony Oliva signing a baseball card I've had for 20 years!!



Magnets from the Twins fridge-frame.
I Love Today

 

Day 23 - January 23, 2012

CSW @ Cole's school this week!

Monday = Wacky Tacky Day

2 different socks

Old-Man Brett Favre jersey

Sweatband

70's era Bemidji boys basketball warmup pants

Too-much gel hair

(hair done when he got to school so it wouldn't get 'ruined' by his winter hat!)

Day 22 - January 22, 2012

Last night Cole played basketball during the men's college basketball game.

It is so much fun to watch the little guys run around on the same court as 6'5"+ college kids!

It made me realize he is growing up faster than I want him to.

In perspective he is over half-way to college :(

#44

Day 21 - January 21, 2012

The end of the world must be near....

The cats are sitting next to each other and not hissing or batting at the other!

It's a good thing they are both completely obsessed with watching the birds out the window when it is too cold to go outside!



Gray and Ray



Day 20 - January 20, 2012

Friday....

Day 19 - January 19, 2012

Long day, again... Woohoo!

Still had time to make peach smoothies for me and my honey.

Little boy wrinkled his nose which means more for us!

Yummo!

Day 18 - January 18, 2012

Cole loves his Mohawk hat!! Not only is it 10-year-old-boy fashionable but it comes in handy when it is -22 degrees outside!

Day 17 - January 17, 2012

This is my first night of 'almost' not getting a picture posted. I was busy with basketball, back to work, home, dinner, 5th grade homework, and then 1 1/2 hours working on two seperate projects for Cole's school. Whew!

Day 16 - January 16, 2012

I am blessed that what you see below is what I get to see out my kitchen window. We feed the birds suet and seed in the winter. I can tell you this about our birds, they are more accurate than the Weather Channel! If there is going to be a cold snap or a snowstorm these little guys sure let me know! Our feeders have been known to be completely emptied during one days worth of daylight... that's a lot of seed!

This little guy hung around for a while. I got a few pictures but they are a tad bit fuzzy because it through the window and screen. I would have moved to a different window but was afraid I would scare him off. There is something calming about just watching the birds.

*********************************************************************

One of our seed feeders. aka: Grand Central Station

Day 15 - January 15, 2012

Sunday night football!

(He was cheering for the Giants and they won)

More excitingly it was sock matching night!

Cole has turned sock matching into a 'basketball' game of sorts.

He matches and rolls the socks then shoots them into the hamper, you can see the pile in the picture!



My view of him from the treadmill.



I've learned over the years if I want something cleaned it has to be a game.

Day 14 - January 14, 2012

Basketball Champions!

Last year Cole had the opportunity to play on a second competitive basketball team and got to play an extra 2 tournaments. They were reunited this weekend as their team 'Bemidji Hustle'. I'm not sure if these exact boys will get to play again together this season (there are 24 that play on their competitive team) but they are now boasting a 2012 record of 3-0 and won the tournament!

Cole played the whole game, getting baskets, assists, rebounds, a couple fouls, and free throw shots throughout the day, all while showing good teamwork and sportsmanship.

So proud of my little athlete!



The money shot of the day. On the line, just made the free throw and got the ball coming down from the hoop! It is so hard to photograph sports, especially basketball. I am improving each game!



Championship Photo!

I don't know how I feel about posting pictures of other people's kids without parents consent as each parent is different, so I did crop out the rest of the team.

However, they are an awesome group of boys!

Day 13 - January 13, 2012

Finally....................Friday Night!

Cole has a friend over, we had pizza, I ran 3 miles, and tomorrow we'll be at a basketball tournament all day so we'll be leaving early tomorrow and getting home late tomorrow night. 

I think I've earned a glass of wine!

Day 12 - January 12, 2012

I have realized that I need to spice up the pictures, but tonight is not that night. Once again an exciting evening of basketball, dinner, shower, homework, reading, and bed!

I am certain I'll look back one day when my house is quiet, I'm rested, and only cooking for 2... I will really miss rushing to basketball after school, waiting in parking lots, washing jerseys the night before the big game, watching Jeremy correcting pre-algebra, and helping Cole with 5th grade social studies.

But like I said, tonight is not that night, I snuck in a picture and continued enjoying the moment.

Day 11 - January 11, 2012

It is my sister's birthday today! When she was little I tried to get her to call me mama, when we were in high school we got on each other's nerves, she was my birthing partner and in my delivery room when I had my son, and we are each other's children's God Mothers, we've shared secrets, laughed and cried together.

I would have posted a picture of me and Tara today but she lives in a far away land... well, just on the east coast but still too far for a picture.

Instead of a Tara pic here is my piano instead! My mom put in a mirror on the back of the piano which I'm sure seemed like a great idea at the time. However, when I was younger Tara would dance while I would play, and then I'd stop. I'd start playing again and Tara would dance, and then I'd stop. Now I play, and Cole dances, and then I stop. Because of course you can see the 'dancer' in the mirror which is so distracting! But I love my Tara and my Cole and some day maybe I'll let them dance while I play... maybe...

Day 10 - January 10, 2012

Must.Stay.Awake.

Coffee makes me happy!

Day 9 - January 9, 2012

Back to the grind, its a busy Monday!

Better to be busy than bored!



My work-piano.



Day 8 - January 8, 2012

Watched Cole sing with the Bemidji Boys Choir again today. Performance 2 of 3, the next won't be until the end of February. Saw the high school Vocalmotive show choir perform, man can those kids sing and dance! Now to get some work done before the week starts!

He loves singing, I swear!
He was gone all weekend so was a bit tired pre-performance.

Day 7 - January 7, 2012

Bingo and Bloody Mary's today with friends. I didn't win but had a great time!



My most memorable part of the bingoing today was an old man lost his teeth on the floor, dunked em in some water and put em right back in!!

Day 6 - January 6, 2012

My other baby, Gray!

Cole originally wanted to name her 'Red' but we landed with Gray, or Gracie, or Grace.

Now we call her Fudgehog, Baby Racoon, Chublet, Chubbers, Princess, and Baby.

She doesn't always use the litter box, get a little whiny, comes running when the milk jug is moved in the fridge, hisses at the other cat at 2:00 a.m., is deathly afraid of ceiling fans, and now faithfully sleeps on our bed every night between me and Jeremy. She truly is the household princess.

Day 5 - January 5, 2012

Cole hasn't asked yet why I've been taking pictures every day.

I think I'll wait until he asks to tell him about the project! 

Same time, same place at our house tonight.

Basketball.Dinner.Homework.