Name search

We are looking for a name for our farm (so we can label our produce with the farm name). I'm looking for suggestions:
So far:
Lindula Farms
Admiral Acres
Cedar Crest

Other suggestions? There will be a prize for the winning name that both Shawn and I can agree with - Good luck, as it may be impossible :)

A couple photos...

It has been too long since I posted, and my posting specialist is at school... I can't remember how to arrange the pictures and comments, so they will be in random order. We went to the range for the evening of the 15th wish Denise a happy birthday. We were able to watch as Laurie and Denise came with the dogs down the last bit of Keenen road. It is an awesome thing to watch! Once inside and warmed up, we had birthday cake and a visit. Brian tussled with Tristan; little causins played together; Kathryn enjoyed different toys; and Sarah entertained us. ...Eric is close to securing/landing a job. He successfully completed the testing and the interview stages. He still has to pass his background and psych portions. (These sound simple, but neither is. For example, not only does he need to fill out a bajillion pages of detailed questions, but he also has to handwrite a biography. Handwritten so the writing can be analyzed.) When asking others in the field what to wear for his interview, the answer was definately a suit. So, here he is, all spiffy in his new suit. ....The remaining pictures are from a progressive dinner we had as a fundraiser for the congregation here. Our house was the final one, where people came for dessert and entertainment. We had chocolate roll, searved individually to 46 people. The entertainment - planned by others on the committee - included winter trivia. Mother & Isa and Pete are pictured here deep in thought on the trivia.

-b

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear Wayne,
Happy Birthday to you!

Wishing you all the best not only on your birthday but the whole year through!
Heather and Shawn

Howard Lake Update

Figured I would say what I did the last few days, since I haven't posted a comment for how long! ~ On Friday I worked half a day and then went to St. Paul. There was a legislative hearing regarding the mining industry and was curious what was going to be said. Very interesting and very glad I didn't chicken out in going! I went to the apartment and slept. Woke early on Saturday and spent the morning crafting and rearranging. That evening I had Sonja and Kiana Wuollet over for supper. Was tons of fun! Slept all day Sunday and am now ready to work for the week! ~ Hope you all were able to enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend!

~jen~

Busy in Brainerd

This Kuoppala Blog is so quiet. I'd like to know what everyone is doing. We are busy in
Brainerd. Your father has started scrapbooking his life and he is doing an absolutely
fantastic job. His penmanship isn't the best so he is typing his comments under pictures,
etc. Uses copy machine in the office to shrink articles, reports, etc.

We purchased a new Singer sewing machine. My old Necchi was not doing a good sewing
job anymore. I still use the old Singer and will use that for carpet rags when the weather
gets warmer so rugs can be woven in the garage. Have to make 3 graduation quilts for
spring '09 so am sewing top No. 1 now. It takes awhile to sew and then the quilting will take
longer! I'm using the new machine for this sewing. Didn't think this old brain would learn
the new machine's threading, etc., but I got it.

Minnesota has been an icebox lately. I think it was -35 in Embarras this morning. Should
warm up this weekend. Hope this finds everyone healthy and happy. dk

Clinton Township

Oh yeah, I forgot about this on the other post, so here I am again. I guess Bob isn't running for township supervisor again. Jeff (he's on the board) asked Shawn if I would be interested. Of course Shawn told him that I would be. The problem is that the filing deadline was 5:00 yesterday. I got home too late and Shawn was following up with Jeff today to see if I could still get in. We will see. May as well follow Mom's footsteps and get on with Clinton Township :) If I can get in, will likely attend a training for the White House Project - Liz is involved in that project - to learn how to run a good campaign - I may not have any competition. We'll see tonight, how it turns out!
Heather

Land for sale

I just heard last night that Broar (?) Isaacson's place is for sale. Miriam is selling it. 40 acres if anyone is interested.

Shawn and I closed on Julie's land yesterday. We are going to have a bit of an issue with her. The furnace was to be left in the house and she took it, so we are planning on pressing criminal charges. Need to send her a serious message or she will just keep coming back. She was hoping we would save her fence posts for her or go and pull them out. I don't think so. The purchase agreement states that fencing, etc. needs to be left, so should be interesting if we see her back here in the spring. Anyway, we will be working on getting that house down soon and working on increasing the size of a pasture for animals. Can't wait! It's so weird to think we own all the way to Hwy 37. Now, to buy land going the other way - Just kidding!
Heather

Happy Birthday Denise

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear Denise,
Happy Birthday to you.

Heather and Shawn

Happy Birthday Jari!

Jari:
Here's wishing you a very Happy Birthday. May you be filled with fun, laughter and love today and every day throughout the year!

~jen~

Birthday wishes for Missi

Wishing you a Happy Birthday (on Sunday)! Wishing you fun and laughter on your birthday and everyday!
~jen~

Happy Birthday Laura

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear Laura
Happy Birthday to you.....

Wishing you the best!
Heather and Shawn

Happy Birthday Ivan!

We had girls crafting night in St. Paul last night. H was working on next year's christmas cards and J was working on gifts that will be given late for this past christmas! We all know who is on top of it and who is NOT!

We both wish to say Happy Birthday to you, Ivan! May your day be as wonderful and as special as you are!

~h & j~

Funeral in Eveleth

Pete Peterson, 71, of Iron was a classmate of your fathers. We went to the funeral today in
Eveleth. He had throat cancer. Survived by his wife who is a resident in the Eveleth Nursing
Home as has had MS for years. Their one son graduated with Jen. He has 2 children.

Other classmates there were Russell Putikka, Don Lampi and Wilmar Salo. Gail Peterson,
Pete's niece, played and sang. Told Gail I really miss her painting classes. I asked how her mom
was doing and that was an obit we had missed. She had passed away 12-10. Gail's dad was
Pete's brother.

Gail's aunt, Eleanor Anderson, was there. Wilhart is in the Buhl Nursing Home. Some of the
others there were Rickers, Briskis: John, Bob and George. Bob was using a cane. George had his arm in a cast. Audrey Wiita, Hartlieb's, Pete Kemp and more. Pete said the Fire Dept. meal
will be on 2-9th. That's the day before we leave for AZ.

Couldn't go to Garys on Christmas Day so went now. Looks nice with all the windows in.
Wood stove is hooked up; was nice and warm. Tristan was napping in the truck. dk

AZ christmas fun continued...

Lindsey had to have ALL of our lights up...she begged and begged Frans until he finally got them all up! They had fun hanging them!Frans and Lindsey singing on christmas eve at Paul and Kendra's....We had to get Lindsey and Kierstyn out of bed on Christmas eve to hang the stockings and put the magic key for santa on the front door (from Anita), and put out cookies and milk for santa...good thing we didn't forget all those things! Opening gifts on Christmas morning... (Lindsey and Alanys)

The girls loved their new jammies from Grandma K! (Alanys, Kierstyn and Toni)And they LOVE their new trampoline from santa!!Toni with her new sleeping bag from Wayne and Becky...had to sleep with it the first night! She used it this past weekend when she stayed the night with my sister Heidi....She was so excited to be bringing it along to use!
Baby Trina's first Christmas!

It's been a while!

This will be kind of a long post....Here are a few pictures of our christmas festivities. We had an awesome christmas, it seems to just get more and more fun every year! It was a bit stressful at times with all the running with a new baby, but we still managed to make it to everything, and still had a good time. Frans spent a few hours trying to fix 3 strands of lights from last year that no longer worked.....got them all working again...but in the meantime, I had already been to the store and back to get new ones....my patience lost out!The girls having fun making a gingerbread house....Kierstyn in the sunday school program...you could hear her loud and clear!Lindsey in the sunday school program..did a great job saying her piece!Kierstyn got this pencil from school....caught them making their wish list to santa...ALL the girls HELPING me bake some cookies....oh dear!
continued in another post above....

Where is everyone?

I like to look at the Kuoppala blog to see what is going on with whom. However, it seems to be realitivly quiet.
Anita - thanks for positing. Sounds like life in Alaska is great.
Becky - how are things going for you?
Charlie - how are things there?
David - How are things going? I keep hoping to see a post from you Jody to let us know how you are doing.
Elizabeth - what is new with you?
Frans / Jenny - how is life in AZ?
Gary - I know he doesn't blog.
Ivan and Missi - how is married life?
Jen - how is work going, what is new with you?
Laurie - how are you doing? How is Tristan?

I would love to see more posting by everyone. If life is just too busy, can you just let us know that? I hope everyone is doing well. Jody - I think about you often and pray that the surgery goes well!!!
Heather

Christmas Break ends in Alaska

It's over.
No more sleeping in until noon for teens in this house.
Mom can't sleep 'til 7:00 anymore either.
"Homework done yet?" will become my chant.
Lunch money pit starts filling again.
Brisk morning walks to the bus stop at 6:30 a.m.
Tomorrow morning Tia gets a ride to school ... after that ....
she is going to catch the bus at Ray & Brenda's in the morning.
Should have had an extra house key made ... oops!

Other than that ...

We are still on the house hunt. Parts of every weekend seem to be consumed with house hunting. What a nasty job when you're of that squeeky Finn variety person. We want everything for nothing. Lost one .. working on the next.

Today Jari & I, along with Amber, Ryan & Nolan, Anna and Tia, went for a Sunday drive to Trappers Creek. Was a bit smaller than I expected! Alyx & Brock declined coming with us. Can't imagine why. So ... I finally saw my moose and saw more than one! No .. I didn't get a picture. Car was moving too quickly. At least I know they exist now. I keep looking and can't find any. For some reason they seem to be in Anchorage. Listen to the traffic report in the morning and you hear "watch out for the intersection of J Street and ______ .. there's a moose in the intersection." I am not kidding. This place is great.

The weather today is a tad chilly again. House doesn't even feel warm, yet it really is. The colder it gets outside the chillier it feels in here. 5 degrees out there now but we saw cooler than -11 today. This outside chilly stuff has it's benefits. New Years Eve I watched folks coming into the house with drinks and salads. You don't need room in the fridge ... the deck works just fine.

And ... I'm threatening to go try ice fishing. They don't use an ice house. Do you suppose a tent with a tent warmer would work? I have those!

Happy New Year!

For New Year's Eve we had people over at our house: Laurie, Tristan, Kathy, Lorrie, Liz, Randy, Shawn, and myself. We had a bonfire and rode the 4 wheeler - spinning all over. We had chicken wings, Shrimp scampi (I made it for the first time ever). It was a lot of fun!

On New Year's Day we had (for Eveleth Horizons) a grand opening of a sliding hill. It was a lot of fun. There was a lot of work done by many people to make the event happen. Citizens wanted a sliding hill, the parks commission wanted a sliding hill and the City supported it. What an asset to the city....

Laurie and Tristan....

Tristan bundled up....

We had a snowmaking contest....

"The old snowman on the mountain"

Not sure of the name for this one....

"Samantha" the Hula snowgirl

Anyone want to come up and hit the sliding hill?

What did others do for New Years? Dave and Jody - did you have your annual New Year's party?

Wishing everyone the best in 2008 - May you find peace and health in the year ahead!

Heather