Cookies with the Katies

Oh boy! What a fun day! The girls and I headed down to Elko (northern Iowa...ok not really but basically) to make cookies with a couple of my old co-workers. It was chaotic but that's to be expected with Katie A, Katie W, me, Ing, Lil, Calah, and two puppies...and sprinkles! Fun times!!

Lil and IngKatie W, Lil, Ing, and one of Katie A's neighbors - who was an awesome helper!Katie A. and Me

Matchy-match!

Daddy and his girls

Thanksgiving

And the turkey process begins. Well, it actually began at about 9:00 that morning, but now Rog and Carl get to sit outside and watch it. We've grilled it (and by "we" I mean Rog) the last couple of years, but tried to smoke it this year. Um, yum!
Finished product! Delicioso!
Some of the fixin's - baked corn, mashed potatoes, and stuffing muffins!
The girls - Meg, Trish, and me



Lil and Jack. She was pretending to be a puppy (a normalcy in our house) while Jack smiled.

So, apparently I'm out of the loop. A major game has started taking over the world! Words with Friends or something like that. #1 - my phone is not that fancy. #2 - I don't like spelling games. If it weren't for spell-check I wouldn't make it through the day! Rog (sitting in the chair) and Andy (on the couch in the background) are playing each other on their phones. I, on the other hand, can call people with my phone...
*Awe*

A quick list of the things I am thankful for:
1. my hubby and girls
2. family and friends
3. my Heavenly Father
4. our home
5. being able to go camping in Grand Marais
6. having a back yard
7. having a job that I really enjoy
8. Caribou (coffee - not the animal...well they're ok too but just not on my top list of things to be thankful for)
9. my iPod
10. naps :)

What are you thankful for?

Surprise! It's a piano!

Piano!

I've been asking for a piano for a long time, but really started dropping hints about 6 months ago. Subtle little hints like sending home links to free piano's that I found on Craigslist. So, with a few days to go before my birthday I asked Carl if he knew what he was getting me. He said no. I thought, wow, my hints haven't been strong enough! The next day I found another piano for free, sent him the link with a subject line that said, "Me likey! Hint. Hint. Hint. Hint. Hint. "And yes, I think "hint" was used 5 times. So, that night I again asked, do you know what you're getting me? And he said no. I think it was about this point that I may have allegedly said something about, "You haven't gotten the hints?!" and some other super sweet comments.

The night before my birthday we were eating dinner and Carl asked Lilija what the next day was and Lilija said, "tomorrow is Mama's birthday! We get to sing the Happy song! It goes a little something like this (insert Lilija singing Happy Birthday). Guess what Mama? We got you a brush, blowdryer, and a card!"

Now, I thought this was hilarious! This wasn't the first time that Lilija has told the other person what we were getting, and I had mentioned that a new blowdryer would be nice.

That night I told Carl that I was totally going to use that trick for Christmas and tell Lilija that we were getting Daddy socks! I didn't know that Carl was already one step ahead of me...well multiple steps ahead of me and had found a piano, hired a mover, and found someone to come out and tune the piano, and told Lil about a brush and blowdryer knowing that she would say something about that to throw me off the trail. Sneaky and incredibly awesome!

Wonder Pets Ride - Wee!

Mall of America

Nana and Calah Girl
This is one of Lil's favorite rides. She's an animated child anyways, but watching her talk about this ride is hilarious!
And of course, with all of the awesome rides...you must do the quarter carousel ride. Fitting I suppose because on a trip to South Dakota...North...one of the Dakota's...when I was a little girl we went to a show where a guy was wrestling an alligator. Andy and I apparently threw a fit because we wanted to go on the little carousel ride. Oh, how life comes full circle...


Under Water World ROCKS!


This one is for you, Leif! Look at the dragon made of LEGO's! Crazy!
I have not been on any type of amusement ride in years! You would think that a kids ride would be a little lame, but I was laughing hysterically on this. It really whips you around! It was one of the highlights of the weekend for me. Lilija just cuddled right in and giggled the entire ride. :)

The boys go hunting and the girls go shopping!

I love the beginning of November. The air is still crisp, there are some pretty trees with colors aglow, and it means DEER HUNTING is almost here. Now, I have never gone deer hunting, but it's been a huge part of my life. The only deer hunting season that my Dad and Grandpa have missed was the year that I was born. Due Date, October 30th - actual arrival date, November 10th. Sorry about that one Mama! Fast forward 20 some years and Carl enters the picture and a new tradition is born with him going hunting! Andy meets Tricia and she joins the shoppers (but would happily go hunting too!). Fast forward a few more years and Lilija and Calah join the party! More shoppers! And next year, a new baby Freeman will join the party! (Side note - yes, I said Freeman...as in Andy and Tricia...not as in another one for me and Carl.)

Friday: Albertville
Saturday: Mall of America
Sunday: Worked on Mama's bookshelves in their basement (looks SO nice!)
Monday: Back to Albertville

Whew! What a great time. I know I say this a lot, but I'll say it again - I love my family!

My Ducting Unicorns

When I first heard Lilija say that she wanted to be a "ducting" unicorn for Halloween I thought she was saying a naughty word. I was thinking vinegar might be in order until she started bobbing her head around and then I realized...ohhhhhh...you want to a be a con-ducting unicorn! There is an episode in the Little Einsteins where there is a conducting unicorn that directs a band with his horn, and Lil wanted to do the same thing. So nope, not a naughty word at all!

Side note -tonight during bath she told me that when she grows up she wants to be a "Tea Party-er." When I asked her what that was she said, "You have lots of tea parties."

Ducting Unicorn

Time for Pumpkins!

Happy Birthday Tricia!!

We had a family dinner at GGs to celebrate Tricia's b-day! Oh what fun and WHAT GREAT FOOD! Funny...the celebration was for Trish and the entire family was there, but I only got pics of the girls with Bapa, GGs, and me and Trish. I know Mom, Andy, and Carl were there...and Doolie too! Whoops!What's better than warm trippleberry pie? Getting warm trippleberry pie fed to you while sitting in Bapa's lap!
So sweet! GG and Lil on a tractor ride. I remember GG giving me the same tractor rides when I was her age. Awesome memories!

Hay Ride at Berry Hill Farm

Berry Hill Farm

Christmas is in the air, music is playing, the lights are on the tree, and I'm updating the blog with Halloween! *sigh* Maybe I'll have my Christmas pictures up by Labor Day?!

Anyways...we started going to family farms with Lilija when she was just a baby to pick out pumpkins, get apples, see animals, etc. We've gone to a new family run farm every year and this year it was Berry Hill Farm in Ramsey. What a fun time! They had lots of animals, a huge corn maze, and the best tractor ride!