Tag: uncles

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Game day times three plus a birthday

Basketball is in full swing in our house. And the games must go on (even when it’s mom’s birthday!)

Jake is took Shecklet #2 to Duluth for a tournament and we called in reinforcements (my amazing in-laws) to help shuttle the girls. My friend, Michelle came with me and my FIL to Shecklet #4’s game while my MIL and Shecklet #1 went to #3’s game.  Then afterwards, my MIL gave me the amazing gift of time to spend with Michelle going out to lunch – while she and my FIL hung out with the kids.  It was the best birthday gift a mom could receive during this stage of life!

Shecklet #2 had a cheering section of family while in Duluth – Jake’s cousin and her family for one game and my aunt and uncle for another.  It was so nice of them to take time to support Shecklet #2!

BTW- since Jake & #2 had to leave Saturday morning, we celebrated my birthday on Friday night. Chinese take-out and cake.

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Cousins’ Day 2019 @ Nissedalen

We spent the day at Nissedalen with over 40 family members.  The weather was fantastic, the food was tasty, and the memories we made were plentiful.  I love that my kids get to experience the gift of having a large extended family.  There’s always someone to talk to, play with, or laugh alongside. And to think – this is just a portion of the family!

One thing that I enjoyed watching (this year especially,) was the way that Jake’s younger cousins (who are now all adults) have taken an interest in showing my kids how to do certain things – helping them ski, how to safely use a gun at the shooting range, as well as taking the time to talk with them and ask about their interests.

Here are the rest of the photos from Cousins’ Day and the shooting range the day before.

Jake’s cousin, Jess, let the guys ride up north with her on Friday AM. I followed the next day with the girls.

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Impromptu bowling 🎳

Jake’s brother and sister-in-law are in town for Easter and we were able to schedule a little time with them this evening at Bowlero. The kids played a few games in the arcade afterwards.

Guess I only captured Shecklet #3, but trust me, the others played as well.

Before heading out, we captured the latest aunt & uncle group shot with the Shecklets.

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Paddle boarding & Nissedalen @ 50 years

✅ Paddle boarding!!

We spent the day celebrating 50 years at Nissedalen today.  The weather was absolutely perfect and the lake water was warm enough for me to enjoy being in it.  If you know me at all, that’s a pretty big deal!  With summer (sort of) winding down, today was a great day to attempt the next major item on my recovery checklist – paddle boarding.  Jake rented a couple of boards from a local shop and his cousins let us use their trucks to transport them to the lake.  When the little kids weren’t using them, a few of the adults gave them a try.  I was thrilled to not only get up without falling off the board, but keep my balance while paddling down the shoreline and back! Hooray for another recovery item checked off!

Group shot – 4 generations!

Grandma Lois & Papa Dale with many of their grandkids (and spouses) and great-grandkids!

One note about the coloring of the pictures.  The smoke in the air from the fires out west was intense.  These have been tweaked a bit just to tone down the yellow tones a bit – and they still look hazy!

Shecklet #2 also got up on skis today! Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of him, but he wants to go again, so I’ll try to capture one next time.

The rest of the day’s photos can be found here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/kT3NcQ9JhhWmu5878

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Stacie and Nick get hitched!

My SIL got married today!

I didn’t take many pictures – just enjoyed the evening.

The picture of Jake above was taken by his aunt 🙂 I love his zest for life!

ETA: We didn’t get a picture of just the two of us looking spiffy last night, so we took a “day after the wedding” photo instead. We did get a couple of family pictures that I’m hoping turned out well. Fingers crossed!

ETA 12/21/18 – Here’s a family photo from the day.  Don’t we clean up well??

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Sling shots

We went to Jake’s parents’ house today to see Uncle Jason and play outside. The guys made use of the paintballs and play house as they’ve done in the past.

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West coast traveler

Shecklet #1 is on a week-long trip with his grandparents visiting his uncle and aunt in NV as well as seeing some additional sites in CA and AZ. He’s been taking lots of pictures and enjoying seeing a different part of the country. We’re looking forward to hearing more about his travels when he gets home.

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Catapult War

Shecklet #1 spent time with two of his aunts and one of his (almost) uncles this past weekend.  He went to a state park with caves with Kari, Stacie & Nick on Saturday and then spent the night at Kari’s house.  On the way to Kari’s, they stopped at Hobby Lobby and he picked out a catapult kit.  Upon finishing building (and decorating) the catapults at home this afternoon, #1 and #2 decided to create a game – complete with a board, cards, and rules.  I’m amazed (and impressed) by the level of thought and detail they put in to it – without any encouragement or help from anyone else.

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Cousins!

We had a fun group of visitors today – Jake’s aunt, uncle, one cousin and her boys came to see us. The kids had a blast playing with their (great) uncle, who even took them to the little park to help them burn off some energy.

After playing at the park, we had pizza, pretzel jello salad, and chocolate vinegar cake. Jake’s aunt knows my faves 😊

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A Busy St. Patrick’s Day

Shecklet #3 learned about leprechauns last year in kindergarten. Her teacher’s room was apparently colored green while everyone was out of the room and little footprints led to the bathroom where the toilet water was colored green. This St. Patrick’s Day, #3 decided to set a trap to catch a leprechaun. 🍀 I should have taken a picture of her elaborate trap, but I did capture the letter she wrote.

Shecklet #2 decided he wanted a fedora (after a friend of his wore one to school on Thursday.). We found that one was available at Old Navy, so we stopped to check it out today while running errands. Not only did he find the fedora, but also a skateboarding bulldog shirt to complete the outfit. This kid is so much fun! I hope he always keeps his confident sense of style.

The Shecklets all wanted to look dressed up with ties for Grandma Patti’s birthday celebration this evening.

We gathered at Grandma Lois and Papa Dale’s house to have grasshopper pie for Grandma Patti’s birthday.