Some kind of berry
Nolan: “Mom, why is she blowing cranberries at me?”
Ingrid has learned how to blow “raspberries” with all of the extra saliva she’s producing in preparation for her new teeth. Today, she blew them at her brother 🙂
Tag: weekend
1st trip to mass
We loaded up the crew and headed to our first mass as family of 5.
Ingrid was pretty worn out afterward, so she needed a nap – ha!
3rd Annual In Nissedalen I Like to Be
The annual cousins’ gathering at Nissedalen was a bit smaller than in years past, but we definitely weren’t missing any food or fun. The weather was perfect! We did have a short rain delay, causing us all to head inside the main cabin, but we played the games Kristin organized (minute to win it style) to pass the time. The boys had a blast, but that probably goes without saying. Lincoln loved jumping off of the dock and Nolan had fun being pulled on the tube.
Boys visit Nissedalen
Kari was in town this weekend (and it was her birthday) so being the wonderful brother he is 🙂 Jake so Jake loaded up the boys and headed north where she was visiting. I didn’t feel up for the trek, so I opted to stay home and get a little (much needed) rest. Judging from the pictures Jake took, everyone had a lot of fun. Stacie and Larissa were also there, so there was no shortage of extra hands if Jake needed help corralling the kiddos. And of course, no visit to the lake would be complete without some casting practice. Forget actually fishing for fish, my kids just like to cast and reel the casting weight back in 🙂
Up North
We visited my extended family this weekend. It is probably the last time we’ll get up their way until after the baby arrives. The drive to get there is about my limit as far as the amount of time I can spend in a car at one time, at this point.
We got into town about 2pm and stopped at my Great Auntie Helen’s house (my grandma’s twin sister.) It was really good to see her. She hadn’t seen the boys in quite some time, so she was excited to have them visit. She gave them animal crackers as we were leaving – they were thrilled!
Afterward, we went to my Uncle Ron & Aunt Judy’s house. The boys were enthralled with the equipment my uncle has in his woodworking shop. They even lended a hand with cleaning up sawdust. Give them a shovel and they’ll move just about anything for you! Ron also took them outside in his yard to see his skid loader and they “played pool” in the basement. It was nice to have them entertained while I chatted with my Aunt Judy and cousin, Jeana.
We went to mass at my Grandma Fran’s church and then went out to dinner with my Uncle Gene, Aunt Ann, and cousin, Amy. After we ate, we all headed for the hotel pool. Unfortunately it was freezing cold! But Jake and Amy were brave enough to take the boys in. I only set foot in the chilly water when Lincoln decided to slide off the edge into the shallow end without anyone there to catch him! Talk about my heart skipping a beat! For him though, it was all fun. The experience didn’t frighten him in the least. That kid is going to be put in swimming lessons as soon as we have him potty trained. He has no fear of water, which is both good and bad.
Sunday morning we woke up and went to Ann & Gene’s house. My parents arrived shortly before we left – they were part of a group of my Grandma & Great Aunt’s kids who were taking them out (in a limo) to celebrate their 93rd birthday. (The limo was a surprise to them – I think they enjoyed themselves :)) Nolan wanted to check out the inside of the car, but Lincoln did not.
On our way out of town, we stopped at the Mineview to show the boys the biggest dump trucks they had ever seen.
We then loaded into our car and headed to Duluth for Jake’s cousin’s 30th birthday party. When arrived at the party, the first thing the boys saw was the giant inflatable cake jumper in the backyard. It was a definitely highlight of the party for the kids. We spent a couple of hours at the celebration and then headed for home. It was a quick trip up and back, but well worth it!
4th of July (on the 3rd)
We celebrated our Nation’s birthday a day early this year. We took a few friends along with us to Jake’s parents’ cabin. It was a fantastic day to be on the lake! We arrived a little before lunch time and everyone headed for the water. We had lunch and then went back for more water play. At one point, the boat had a minor tow rope issue, so Jason, Jake & their dad had to take it to the boat launch to have a look. While they were fixing the problem, Jake turned into a lobster. You could see how red he was getting from across the lake! (Needless to say, the next few days will probably be pretty painful for him!)
We ended the day with a few fireworks on the beach – the kids loved the sparkles. On the drive home, the boys all crashed. Not surprising, I know, since we had spent the entire day outside in the fresh air. Still, the little sleepers always manage to bring a smile to my face – they are just so precious (and quiet) when they’re sleeping.
Rockin’ Rogers
Nolan, Larissa, and I went to a parade today. The “Rockin’ Rogers Parade” as Nolan will tell you. My cousin, Amy, is a flag girl for her high school. We’ve been able to see her perform two of the last 3 summers. Unfortunately, we couldn’t bring Lincoln this year because he was sick. Poor kid. Last summer he missed another parade because of an ear infection. Maybe next summer! The Rogers parade is a great one because of all of the entries. They had over 100 cars, floats & bands. Plus, it’s always more fun to go when you know someone IN the parade. After Amy’s group passed by, we took Nolan over to the midway and Larissa rode down the giant slide with him. You can’t tell by his face in the picture, but he did enjoy the ride.
Father’s Day and 50 years
We spent Father’s Day at my parents’ house this year. The weather was beautiful! We played in the backyard, which the kids loved. Bocce ball, hula hoops, wiffle ball, oh and of course, “water squirters!” Good times.
After dinner, we headed to Jake’s grandparents’ 50th anniversary party. 50 years! What an awesome event to celebrate! Jake had taken some of their wedding slides and scanned them, so those at the party were able to “relive” the original celebration along with Lois & Dale. (Photos taken by Jake’s cousin, Beth.)
What’s new at the zoo?
The polar bears! Jake and I took the kids to the Como Zoo to check out the new polar bear exhibit. It was overcast (and eventually rained on us) but the boys still enjoyed themselves. The nice thing about the Como Zoo is its size – just big enough to keep the interest of the kids for a couple of hours. It’s also small enough to them to walk around and not get too tired. Although from the picture of Nolan in the stroller, you can see he did end up needing a little break.
St. Louis trip 2010
Our family has been privileged to journey with our friend, (now Fr. Joseph) for the last 2 1/2 years of his seminary formation. He has become part of our family and has impacted our lives in both large and small ways. He was present for Shecklet #2’s baptism and will hopefully be able to return in the fall to baptize our new baby. We have shared birthdays, daily life events, losses, and successes. Our boys have also had the opportunity to witness the joy of the call to the priesthood on a personal level. He is an amazing young man and we look forward to seeing where God takes him!
We took a trip to St. Louis over Memorial Day weekend to attend Fr. Joseph’s priestly ordination. Friday evening, my friend Jess and I (who are both preggo) took a short flight to the “Show-Me” state. Our husbands, friend Michelle, and the boys loaded into the suburban and headed south just a little bit before 7AM. Their trip was a tad more eventful than ours. They started the trip out with a delicious breakfast at Michelle’s parents’ house, a visit with Sonic the bunny, and then got back on the road. A few pit stops, books, movies & kid songs later, they arrived at our hotel in St. Louis right about the time Jess and I did. All in all, we heard the drive went very well. Jake and I are both so thankful for Brandon & Michelle’s willingness to travel with our two little guys. Michelle has traveled with our family before, but it was Brandon’s first time – hopefully we didn’t scare him off! I have no doubt that the kids did so well because of the care (and entertainment) they received while Jake manned the wheel.
Friday night we spent a little time walking around the area near our hotel, the Drury Inn, next to the St. Louis Arch. We had a partial view of the monument from our corner room on the 5th floor – it was amazing! The next time we visit, I hope we have a bit more time to explore the parks & fountains in the downtown area. Maybe we’ll even get to take in a Cardinal’s game. As we strolled by Busch Stadium, Shecklet #1 noticed the player banners hanging from the street lights. He immediately said, “There’s Joe Mauer!” We had to tell him that they probably weren’t Joe fans in St. Louis 🙂 After grabbing a bite to eat and eventually settling the kids down, we all crashed at about 11pm.
Saturday morning, we were up early to have breakfast at the hotel before heading to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. The ordination mass was beautiful! It is actually somewhat difficult to put into words what being in the congregation felt like. Being present to witness the transformation of the lives of the 8 newly ordained men was an experience I will never forget. There is something about the rich tradition and ritual of the Catholic Church that is quite overwhelming at times like these. (What I need to remember is that each Sunday I have the opportunity to experience that same overwhelming feeling when I attend mass…something for me to work on.)
After the ordination, we had lunch and went back to the hotel. We had a few hours between the ordination and the celebration reception, so we all crashed for about 2 hours. It would have been fun to check out more of the St. Louis area, (like others from our MN group) but I think our time was better spent catching zzzz’s. The reception for Fr. Joseph was very nice. Throughout the evening, there were several people who spoke of his character, maturity, devotion to his vocation, and genuine love for the people of God. We dined on a delicious tenderloin steak meal and enjoyed cupcakes from the Cupcakery. Yum! The boys also received steaks. And thanks to the fact that there were 3 adult men at our table, I’m happy to report that none of their meat went to waste.
Our final day in St. Louis began with breakfast (again) followed by attending Fr. Joseph’s first mass.
(Mass and family photos compliments of our friend, Rob Jensen.)
After the brunch reception after mass, we packed up our hotel room and spent a little time down by the Arch. (Or, as Shecklet #2 called it, “Big Arch!”) We strategically planned on letting the boys run around for a while before we strapped them into the suburban for the trek home. It was a muggy day, so we took advantage of the air conditioned museum/visitor center underneath the arch. While we were there, I learned something about animals – check out the pictures below.
Jess and I had dinner with our friends, Brad & Libby, before getting dropped off at the airport to fly home. Our suburban counterparts rolled back into town about 2:30 in the morning. Apparently Shecklet #2 had a couple of rough hours on the way home, but once home in their own beds, both boys slept soundly. Over the course of the 2 1/2 days they were gone, Shecklet #1 & Shecklet #2 spent a little over 20 hours in the car and close to 5 hours in the Cathedral Basilica. They were real troopers! I think we’ve probably maxed them out as far as road trips go for the summer though. I think we’ll be staying pretty close to home for a while.