February 19, 2012

Basketball all weekend. Took awesome pics! This however, was with my phone. Need to find time to download the pictures Monday!

Day 45 - February 14, 2012

Happy Valentine's Day!

We celebrated last night with little gifts and Cole (and Jeremy) making his Valentine box and writing his classmates names on their treats.

I'm not about receiving cut flowers. I think it is silly. So instead Jeremy ordered me trees, Lilacs! Of course, they won't be here until April but that is a longer lasting gift. Sure makes me ready for spring!



My Lilacs - Spring 2011



Day 44 - February 13, 2012

Harder to get back into the routine of taking pictures every day than I thought it was going to be! Funny conversation with my son, who appears to be going through a growth spurt at the moment. I heard a very non-scientific reason for why boys (ages 10-20) are so forgetful, flighty, have no 'listening' skills,  and are just discombobulated if you will. Someone told me that because their bodies are growing and developing so much they don't have enough energy left to think! Haha!

Tonight we had an example:

Cole: I went to the garage and Ray (the cat) was sitting on your car still.
Me: Oh was he pouting? (got in a tiff with the other cat earlier, a lovers spat of sorts)
Cole: Pouting?
Me: Pouting.
Cole Pouting?
Me: Yes, pouting. Was Ray still pouting?
Cole: Pouting?
Me: Yes. Was Ray still pouting? Pouting.
Cole Pouting?
Me: Was. Ray. Still. Pouting?
Cole: Pouting?
Me: Yes, was Ray still pouting from earlier?
Cole Pouting?
Me: Nevermind.
Cole: Yeah he was still pouting.

And no, he wasn't doing this on purpose. He didn't even notice that I was rolling my eyes or that my husband was laughing, at him, not with him. Wowzers, he must need some extra sleep...

My Baby

Day 40 - February 9, 2012

Day 40 already. I skipped posting right after my grandmother passed. Too much going on. Too much family to enjoy. Too much catching up on daily routines. So I'll catch you up! Lots of family, Cole turned 11, and the birds have been out to greet us in full force.

Cole and Delia (my niece/his cousin)

Delia and Samantha (best friend's daughter)

Cole Bday Party! (don't worry, just root beer)

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 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.

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One of our seed feeders. aka: Grand Central Station