Quote for the day

A friend hears the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails.
-- Unknown

A Thursday

Jari, along with 2 other boats, are taking a group of HAPS kids up to Powell for the weekend. Even Blayde is going this time. Will be his first trip up there. Have a feeling that it won't be the last one either. Had to sort of chuckle. Jari is just a bit particular about some things. This is the side of the truck ... shined to a sheen (isn't the neighbor's yard nice??).

My sink/dishwasher are functioning in the kitchen which is absolutely fantastic. I have moved nearly all of the china to the cupboards and am happily getting rid of the china cabinet. One less piece of "stuff" around here! Must pack away all the white glass as I have no place to show those anymore. Maybe the next house. Had to tell my dear husband the other week that we may have issues when we go to build. He must stay out of the kitchen & the laundry room ... and I promise not to plan his garage. Fair deal? Here are a few pics ... will shoot some more once the countertops are in.


Algebra is finished for the week, now it is time to go back and read some more literature about Scientists with Brock. Schooling this week has been challenging ... we're playing catch up Thurs, Fri & Sat.

Have a great weekend all!

KUOPPALA'S

A DREAM! Had doctor's appointments for the 3 youngest ones but could only find one shoe for the youngest. We
searched everywhere. Finally the eldest one took the 2
in while I kept searching. She came back but the Clinic
didn't believe she was their sister. Then I thought I'd
take her birth ctf. out of the safe but couldn't find the
key! Your father came to the rescue, got the safe open
but her birth ctf. wasn't in there. Oh, I probably gave
it to her when she got married. Decided a family photo
should do the trick. It had been in my purse and we
were in the car when I realized I had taken all the photos
out with so many other cards filling the wallet way to
bulging! Went back in to get the photo. I guess that's
where the dream sort of disappeared. Don't know if
Jen ever got to the clinic and don't know what they
were even going for! The house was an absolute mess
so it was really difficult searching for that shoe. Found
other shoes but not their mates either. dk

Oh goodness!

Well this is the first time I posted on here besides the grandkids blog thing... but yea... I am a little hyper tonight so i started taking pictures with the webcam.. I showed me mom the most funny picture and she told me to put it on the blog.. dont know if she was kidding but I thought it would be a little WEIRD! but anywho! Here is it and I hope you like it! :D

As you can see.. my mother is helping me brother with his homework!!!:D whew! I am gonna go bye and miss you all!

THE kitchen at my house

Last Thursday this is what my kitchen looked like. My ironing board really can't seem to find a place. I am a "put it" person, so my counters are usually quite put upon! I love white glass, and my cabinets allowed me to fill the tops with it. Along with things like lunch boxes, saw blades, etc. You get the idea.

Friday I worked and then came home to start emptying cabinets. We got some of them done, but saved the majority for Saturday. I absolutely love being off of work on Saturday. Why does it feel like I manage to get so much more done? We emptied and scrounged for rubbermaid totes from anywhere we could find. Don't forget that I had just done that lovely "monthly grocery shop" expedition to Wally World. Anna and Duke look like they accomplished much today! The living room had it's share of Campbell's soup and Rubbermaid.

The old kitchen was gone early in the day Saturday. We set up a temporary "coffee station" at a camp table in the family room. Is still working quite well! Then started the fun stuff! Anna & I went to a wonderful wedding. We joined in celebrating the marriage of Debbie Johnson & Doug Karvonen. And ... even more lovely ... I worked in the kitchen and had to be there at 4 pm. Jari was "happy" to have something to do while I was gone. You see we had a small problem. We sort of jimmy rig things. And ... to have this house legal to sell it sort of needed some electrical and plumbing help. The sheetrock behind the sink side was obnoxious. A trip to Home Depot (should really invest in some of their stock someday!) before I went to the wedding and Jari was good to go. I didn't get home until 10:30ish. And ... came home to a kitchen that was wired, plumbed and dry walled! Unfortunately, we still had to texture and paint before Monday morning. So, Sunday afternoon & evening (with me running a fever and feeling incredibly lousy) were spent on mudding, texturing, remudding (with assistance from Frans), and painting! The floors were even mopped before my head hit the pillow that night.

The old cabinets moved to the back patio. Am hoping to recycle the good upper cabinets for the laundry room ... that is next on my hubby's "honey do" list. (Good thing he gets to go relax this weekend because it is nonstop around here!)

The new cabinets that Jari & the kitchen guy, Keith, picked up were just sitting on the trailer in the backyard waiting ever so patiently!

I really hate to do this ... but you will have to wait until Thursday to see pictures of the new kitchen. It was installed between 8:30 yesterday morning & noon today. It is beautiful. I am so lucky.

Tristan AGAIN!

Yes, more pictures of Tristan. I don't do much else. I ran my dogs
the other day. That went well. They didn't attack anything or anyone
and I was able to get back to my house, running them by myself.
I wasn't wandering down Hwy 53 or I-35, bless those dogs for listening!
I always mention to people who find out I have sled dogs "if you see a lady
this winter, wandering for hours with a bunch of sled dogs and they all look
out of place, call for help! She's out of control. But hopefully Heather will be
with me on alot of those trips.

Heeeeere's Heather

I really don't know what I've been up to. Jenny, I saw your comment on the blog wondering where I've been and Laurie called me last night wondering the same thing.

I'm not sure is the most honest answer. Lately, I had some trainings out of town so didn't get on the internet those days - 4 days so far in the past 2 weeks and another all day training this Friday. In the beginning of November, I will be out of town again for 2 days. I don't know why they have all the meetings/trainings in October/November.

Other than that, I've been working. Being as it is fall, Shawn has decided to do more work around the house (it's always so much more effective to do it when it is 32 degrees rather than 50 degrees) - Good preparation for ice fishing. Last weekend we built some deer stands and brought them out on our other land. Now, to get one that I can hunt out of on our land where we live. Hunting is now only12 days away =)

The other weekend I was in a baking mood so baked some bread and made some squeaky cheese. Got some more people interested in buying some cheese now. It's a good money making proposition but time consuming. It isn't so bad when the weather is cold but is more frustrating in the summer. So, I will have to make a bunch and put it in the freezer prior to summer gettting here. I made too much bread and had to give some of it away. I finally had loaves rise nicely and they look good and taste good.

I started sewing a quilt last night and will also be making several pillows. See, this is actually a way to clean my house. I have so much craft stuff that it is billowing out of the seams, so am hoping to sew some things, knit some things, and have a giving away party. Then, I'll just buy what I need for a project and not hit the clearance aisles and buy everything that I could "use some day". I get so many things that people don't want, etc. but then don't have enough time to make everything. Our other room is supposed to be a craft room / spare bedroom. However, we had to take a recliner from Julia (not sure why, we have 3 chairs, a couch, and love seat in the living room - with only 2 people living in the house and company seldom comes) but Shawn insisted we take it so that's in the room along with a bed, and the room is now storage. Someday, I will convince him to lose the chair and then there will be a lot more room to do something in there. I want another room that is made as a craft room. I really can picture it and dream about it at night, especially as I take down the table I was using, put it away, put away the sewing machine, the fabric, etc. then take it all out the next day, you get the picture. I think every house should have a craft / scrapbooking / painting etc. room. I really am daydreaming again at work.

Julia isn't doing too well. She is very tired, looks run through the mill, etc. When she feels good, she cleans things out of her house, guess where it goes? I finally had to tell her to please stop sending everything to our house. She is downsizing a 6 bedroom house and is giving the stuff to me who has a 2 bedroom house =). Soon, I'll have the windows open on the house to keep stuffing things in and a system to send it all back out.

Here's a quote for the day that I think is great:

A friend hears the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails. -- Unknown

Have a great week!!

Jenny

Hello!
Talk about frusterating.....I am tired, and should not even still be up, and I went and put a blog entry in with pictures....just to realise when I was all done, that I put it on the Forstie blog instead of the kuoppala blog!!
Anyways, here are a few pics from the park on Sunday. We went with our family to celebrate the October birthdays. On the way home we stopped and picked up Anna and Tia who were spending the night. Frans stayed a while and helped Jari do some drywall repair in the kitchen, while us girls went home! Dropped them back at home tonight, and their kitchen looks awesome! The cabinets are darker than what they had before, but I think the kitchen looks bigger. I love it, and am sure they do too! I'm with Becky, maybe after everythings all done, Anita won't want to move! Anita, you should post some 'in the process' pictures!
Anita, I left those shoes at your house, and foregot to give anna some $! Sorry!
Where are you Heather, haven't heard you on the blog in a while!
I would keep rambling, but I am going crosseyed!!
Later, Jenny

Missi and Ivan

Hey all! Not much from here, but I thought I would post quickly. Tomorrow, Ivan should be starting my boss' garage!!!!! Work has been a disaster area for the past two weeks. The concrete guys have done a lot of work and are now almost done. Just half of the driveway left! So next is getting the garage built. That is where Ivan gets to come with me to work for a week or so :-) Otherwise there is not much else. I know this is a short entry, but it is now time to get my girls up from their quiet time. We had a long day and needed some time to relax!

Maybe I will get Ivan on here next week to enter his thoughts on something!

~MISSI~

Mr. B

A few of us went to Bullfrog's the other night for dinner. Liz and I talked to Mr. B. He was very excited to see us and the other Forbes/Cherry "kids" that were there.
Heather

Knock, Knock...

here's a photo of one of my lawn signs. this campaign has been my life lately - doorknocking, lawn signs, etc. - its all good fun.

we just had a "meet the candidate" event and our former oil delivery man ("be-a-man; be-a-truck" to david) stopped by and says hello to everyone...

e.

Is this gray on my head really just blonde stuff coming through?

The title of this post is a serious question. Do not laugh.

While I was in nursing school I found that if I went to Super Walmart (Sorry about that Shawn) once a month and did a massive grocery shopping, I usually had food in the house. You can do a lot with cream of mushroom soup and the likes. Lately I've been going to Costco. Great that you have pickles in the house, but doesn't do much for the dinner menu. So, today Brock & I went to Walmart. Two carts full of food ... and I mean staple sort of things. That means the only junk food I bought today wasn't even really junk food!

Here is the "blonde" part.

Why didn't I turn around when I was halfway there?

Jari called, when I was halfway to the store, with the exciting news that our kitchen cabinets will be ready to be picked up on Saturday.

Do you have any clue what that means???

I just filled all the cupboards with food. All those soup cans, tomato sauce cans, spaghetti sauce bottles, ziploc bags, etc. all have to move.

Am very excited that the soup is here, but where do I put it all on Saturday when I have to move out the kitchen?

Coulda, shoulda, woulda really survived until next Wednesday ... I think.

Am scrapbooking a book about my house. Am going to do a 12x12 book that shows life here. Told Jenny that I wouldn't take a picture of the kitchen unless it was "cleaned" first. So, will snap pics of before and after ... hopefully we'll have new pics to blog a week from now!!!

My other question is: do you suppose I'm getting countertops? I never picked any out.

Anita

Laundry Pile

Hey All!

I saw something about posting laundry piles.
Well, this is a clean pile on my bed and there's
a little munchkin amidst the clothes! Not as
clean as the clothes are, but sure cute.

I have more I'll publish later! : )
: )

LK

Charlie says...

Hey peoples!! I havn't posted here for a while, and I don't have any recent pictures of any laundry piles (I may be wrong, but I think I'd get a boot in my hiney if I posted one anyway) But, I'm working on a webpage that shows a little bit more of my stress reliever/habit/excersize program. Before the weekend is over, I should have most of the pictures on it that I'm going to be putting there, short of later "action" shots of... stuff. The url is www.commandotrailers.com/motocross Its barely started yet, but this afternoon, I'll be gettin a buncha more pic'a'chures.

food

err I mean... chow

Brainerd photos

Pics from Mom & Isa that i'm finally getting posted. The bald eagle was between Brainerd and Stoney; the gorgeous water scene is the pond and Stoney Lake in the background. -e.

Jenny

Our little mozart?



I need lighting equipment for an upcoming wedding, so rented them for today to get comfortable using them. Finally got some pictures of Alanys! Her "1 year" pictures at 17 months! Not bad....now I just have to send them out! Found this little piano at a garage sale last week, and when I brought it home, Frans says....let's not let the kids play with it (and break it) and use it for a prop for pictures... A few days ago it had little 4 inch legs, now they are who knows where! But the kids do love playing with it!
Happy Friday everyone!
Jenny

Birthdays & Cartwheels

We have a darling, most caring, kind hearted 15 year old daughter in our world now. She is counting the days to a learner's permit so she can drive. Yikes!

Watch out world. When she figures out how to make it happen, she will certainly make a difference. Liz, she may give you a run for your job! It must be something in the genes.

The grass is cartwheel ready. You won't catch me out there trying it, but was a good time laughing watching everyone else. Up in the northern parts you are looking at snow ... Jenny & I are busy planting grass. And I am dreaming of leaving this? I may need my head examined!




Even Duke enjoyed a good rolling around!

Jenny

I brought Lindsey to school this morning, and thought I'd surprise Frans and put down the grass seed before he got home from work. I spent about 45 minutes in Ace Hardware with the girls, trying to figure out which seed and mulch to buy. I had to buy some new weed whacker string and a new hose too, because we only have one, and I am not going to be carting it to and from the backyard twice a day! So I got my excersize for the day lifting these 50 pound bags out of the van....some nice fellow helped me put them into the van at Ace. Well, I got home to find the weed whacker was out of gas....it needs to be gas and oil mixed. So Frans will have to stop on his way home to get some. So we vacuumed out the van, and went to story time at the library, and now are home, and Toni and Alanys are napping.
Here is Kierstyn all dolled up....she loves playing dress up when Lindsey is at school and the other two are napping! She keeps saying, "am I the prettiest princess?" This is my girl who couldn't care less if her shirt was striped, and her skirt was polk-a-dot, and she had mismatched shoes on...brush my hair? Why mom?! She doesn't sound like Frans' daughter does she?? So I just love when she plays dress up:)
How is the campaigning going Liz? What are you gonna do when it's too cold to bike outdoors Heather? I can't believe it is snowing there Heather!! It is so balmy here! Hard to imagine snow!
Frans and I are trying to budget our money, and have started paying cash for groceries and gas. Mainly just to see where our money is going. I saved all my receipts for September and sat down last night to itemize everything. I realized that I went to the grocery store about 16 times last month...and that isn't counting my target/wallmart runs! So I called Anita to try figure out if the amount I am spending on groceries is way too much or too little compared to others! And also to try figure out a way to go to the grocery store only once a week instead of 6 times a week! So I made some lists....I listed all my meals I make, (and some I'm going to start making, thanks Anita!), and all the ingredients, etc I need to go with the meal. I also listed everything else I buy like TP, cleaning supplies, health/beauty, etc.. So now I am going to plan my meals for the month, and try do my shopping for the whole month in one trip. So before I go to the store, I am going to go down my list and figure out everything I need! Hopefully this works, and cuts down on my trips to the store. I will run to the store for one thing and leave with 12! Which results in higher grocery bills I'm convinced! Even if you are getting stuff you 'need'! Wish me luck, I will let you all know how it goes!
Well, I better get running, need to wake the girls up and go pick up Lindsey!
I would love to see pictures from everyone too!!!! I am not about to put a picture on of my laundry pile, I would feel too guilty for sitting on the computer!
have a great rest of the week everyone!
Jenny

Where are some pics from the rest of you?

I know there are a few more cameras floating around that have to be capturing things like growing laundry piles & the likes. Where are you?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY REINO, FATHER-IN-LAW, DAD, GRANDPA

You're someone I look up to and someone I care about.
Your devotion to your family is endless and with that there is no doubt.

I respect you and need to take the time to say that you mean so much to me.
You are a strong foundation, a pillar of strength, the roots of our family tree!

You deserve the best, a day of rest, a special day just for you.
Wishing you a Happy Birthday and thanking you for all the things you do!


We hope you have a grand birthday on Thursday!
Dave, Jody, Tanner and Mitchell

more rain

I see there is a lot here I have not read yet and I need to read them soon but I's tired. I was up camping for One day at father and sons camp but had to come home to shoot a wedding on sat. here is a picture of a lake on the way back to Phoenix.

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday dear Alyx!
HAppy Birthday to you!
I LOVE YOU and hope you
have the best 15th Birthday ever!!
Anna Marjanen

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to you;
Happy Birthday to you;
Happy Birthday Dear Gary,
Happy Birthday to you!!

Hope you have a great birthday!!

Heather

Jet Trails

This morning Jari called me to go look outside as Air Force One was leaving Sky Harbor. I looked and looked ... and lo and behold ... the plane was finally in sight.

Didn't have the camera with me. Hadn't thought of that.

Ran in to get it when I noticed the sky. The wind took the jet trails and they were absolutely amazing! Looked like someone was rolling a ball of string around the earth and I was on the inside.

Anita

A little of this & a little of that

Well, life just moves right along. Last week, or the week before, I had commented somewhere that I had this VERY LONG list of things I was going to accomplish. I don't even remember what they were, but do remember not getting ANYTHING on the list done. Isn't it great that tomorrow is still another day?

A few pics from yard progress. Brock riding the dirtbike was taken after the pool came down and before Jari started scraping the yard with the "rental toy". The yard is still not completely done, but ... the grass is green, the mushrooms are growing, the vines are getting water, the tree has new green after the shock of planting ... things are moving slowly but surely!
































Was showing Mom & Dad the latest and greatest thing I found. Learned about it from a visitor at the hospital one day. Works awesome. Suppose to take that nasty tar off the car when you are driving a freshly done road and there is no other way to get where you're going. Also, tho' I've not had the opportunity to try it yet, is supposedly great for cleaning bugs off windshields/grilles etc. I absolutely adore the fact that it takes all those dirty hand brown/black marks off the front of a nearly white microwave. It has that finish with cracks and grooves ... they collect everything they shouldn't. Anway .... it can be found in an auto parts store ... or I found it in the auto section at Walmart!

Was going to take a picture of the nastiest smelling paint remover cans today ... lo and behold ... someone actually took out the trash! The girls' bedroom floor is DONE!!! With the exception of filling tack strip holes, the paint is off the floor. Took a month I think. Used probably a hundred WIDE razor scraper blades (that is no joke ... the hundred are gone) and three cans of JASCO paint remover. (At least they weren't the gallon size!)

Yesterday was a day for chocolate. Should have had several bags in the house and had none. Call it a hormonal boohooing kind of day. (Excuse sounds good anyway!) Today was going to be a great one! Did Egyptian history with Brock this morning, worked on some math .. then headed for a writing workshop. Problem: today is not the 4th as I thought it was. It was a bit of a trek, we took several wrong turns, only to find we were about 24 hours early. Will try again tomorrow! Now I know that there is a JoAnn's in the same parking lot. That must be the reason I went today and couldn't have time to browse. I left my coupon at home. Tomorrow should be interesting as well!

Before I forget. For anyone who likes chocolate & coffee. I bought this at Costco. We make it with water and even I like it. Me who orders plain coffee at Starbucks. I seriously think I must quit going to Costco. That place is ridiculous ... I know why their carts are so big. Wish they had those little baskets you carry. Have gone to Walmart many times and refused to take a cart. If it doesn't fit in the carry basket, it isn't coming home with me. Then ... willpower goes out the window ... and I'm praying for an extra arm or two. Really, just how much toilet paper, bath soap, shampoo, dog food, window cleaner, ammonia etc. can you really fit in a carry basket anyway??

You all have a wonderful day!

Anita & clan

Jenny

Hello everyone! I am up late once again! I had full intentions of being to bed by 9 tonight, but it is 10:30, and here I sit! Frans and I were up till about 1:30 last night...him working on video, and me working on pictures from a wedding last week! Anna and Tia were here for the night, so they all had fun playing together this morning, and I was able to work on pictures some more:)
We went to Mcdonald's for supper last night, and let the kids play in the playplace....they have a ball there! Even more fun with Anna and Tia there! Toni has never gone up to go down one of the slides but one of the girls got her to go up, and once she did it, you couldn't get her to stop...really wish I would have had my camera!
Heather, that is really sad about Julia! I never bring it up to Paul, because I don't know if he likes to talk about it. I have asked him about it before, but it's been a while now. We're all thinking about her and hope all goes well with her chemo!
You should bring your camera along on one of your bikerides, and snap some pictures....of the bikers, and the fall colors! We don't get to enjoy the colors down here!
We were thrilled to have Grandma and Grandpa stay a night with us while they were here! Here are a few pictures....the one with grandma holding Alanys was taken at our house, and the others at Jari and Anita's. Frans was making them look at each other like newleyweds for the picture of them two! And I love this picture of Alyx:) We sure enjoyed their visit, and the girls can't wait to see you guys agian!!
The weather is starting to cool off here a little....ha! yeah right!! It's been right around 100-103, but now this week is supposed to be a little cooler! There is a chance for rain tomorrow, and by the end of the week it should be in the low 90's! Let's hope!
Last fall I was booked solid with weddings every weekend, and now this year it's the oppisite! Frans has a wedding for the next five weeks in a row, to my one!! It's kinda nice tho! Father's and son's camp is this weekend, which we didn't realize when we booked this wedding....so he may miss it. He was talking about maybe going up for thursday, friday and come back for the wedding on saturday. It takes a little over two hours to get to camp, so he could even come home early saturday morning... kind of a bummer for him!!
I better get off here and get to bed now, I am starting to go crosseyed! I will write more later!
Have a good week all!
Jenny