Life at our house

Sorry that I never get on here. I have to get some pictures put on here at some point!

Miss Heidi is growing like a weed! She has become a little farmgirl who likes to do the chores: feed the cows, sheep, chickens, and pick eggs. She is also a fan of trying to put things in the stove to burn. Mommy is not so impressed! Now when she comes in the house, she spends hours of putting on shoes, socks, another pair of pants... well, anything she can find to put on!

As for farmlife... not much changed. Tomorrow night we are going to be butchering some chickens. During the day tomorrow, Shawn will be hauling home hay bales. He got about 400 round bales this year... that's a lot of hours to haul it all home! Being as there is so much hay, I'm sure he will need to go buy more cows :) We didn't do any square bales this year. I think it is directly related to me being pregnant and not being able to pick them up. I put weight restrictions on and limit it to 50 pounds, so Shawn would have had to do it all himself!!!!

Shawn continues working. The weather has been great which keeps him busy! He is still working at Rob and Amy's building a new house for them.

I'm still working... a really tough work day today... we had a fall festival and went on a train ride in Duluth. Heidi went with me and she had fun! I'm still loving my job! I can't say that I'm excited to go to work everyday, but I can say that I don't dread going to work most days!

Baby #2 seems to be growing and developing as baby should be. So far, so good with everything. Hoping it continues to go well. Trying to teach a 1 1/2 year old the concepts of a baby coming isn't the easiest thing in the world to do. When asked where Mama's baby is, she points at my belly. Then ask where her baby is and she points at her belly. Have even gotten her to do the same for Daddy's baby :)

Maybe I can get some pictures done soon. I have them, just have to figure out how to get them off the camera and onto the blog and facebook. Can't do it on my laptop right now, so have to do it the other way and it is very slow.

Take care and enjoy your fall... hard to  believe it's already almost the end of October. Deer hunting is coming up!

H.

Happy Birthday to our wonderful Dad/grandpa!!!
Hope your day was great!
Jenny

Happy Birthday to my wonderful Father in law!!!
Hope your day was great!
Jenny

Just playin some more...

The last picture was a fun way to spend some time...  but this one, from the middle of a race, is a lil more fun  :-)

Just trying to see whats different now...  Isa used to be able to upload pictures...  so fast in fact, that he was on the verge of wasting coffee, before the high speed, he used to be able to sip away as it uploaded...  With the high speed, he didn't have time to sip!  Since the blog has changed, he can't upload them at all anymore.

October 5th

Happy Birthday Gary.  Hope you have a great day.  In Brainerd sun is shining and makes the fall leaf colors really nice and bright.  Love, Mom and Isä

The wind blows cold ...

there is white stuff of some variety moving in closer by the hour ...

snow is in the forecast for Friday ...

the garden hoses are still stretched out and full of water across the yard ...

maybe we'll use them for ice spears instead ...

took what was probably my last afternoon nap on the porch today ...

the scenery is slowly going to monochrome ...

it is absolutely stunning.

Just playin' :-)

Just seeing  how long it takes me to upload a picture... 

 Reino, I'm not quite sure why you were having trouble uploading this..  I will have Frans call you later to walk you through it to see what's going on..
Jenny

A quick trip to the Range after going to Babbitt first.

Time for Heidi to go to get more feed
Checking to see how the turkeys are
doing.  Should we butcher them for Thanksgiving.  I'm really afraid of the big tom.

Picked up 34 # gr. beef and 13 doz eggs for the Manor residents.  Got in on a good
pork roast supper.  Ruth enjoyed the trip but we can't talk her into going with us to AZ
and TX.

A Quick FYI

I had talked to some of you about Ivan and I having an Open House this October to show off our almost finished house.  Well, we decided to put it off until spring.  We were hopeing to have at least the first floor done, but that isn't going to happen before October.  Ivan wasn't expecting to be working 6-7 days a week for the last two months, therefore not getting a lot done on the house.  So we are going to work really hard this winter to finish as much as we can, then we will be sending out an Open House invite in the spring!

~MISSI~

We're here ... we're alive ...

and we're well.

I'll let Jen share her pictures of Alaska ... but I'll bet she doesn't have this one!

Our world is starting to see more of these on the ground ...

while you can still find a few of these as well!

Greetings from Alaska!

the wknd in Alaska part 1

Flew into Anchorage at noon on Thursday. Picked up the rental car and took off for Fiarbanks. Stopped many times on the way to walk around and snap pictures. This is one of many! Amber (Wuollet) Laulainen had told me that the leaves are starting to change and the drive should be gorgeous, and how right she was! Near the road the yellow, gold and orange were bright and the hillsides were bright red. No picture could capture the beauty (at least not with my camera) so often I didn't even try. There were two things that I have wished to see sometime when I venture up there, to see a moose in that state and to see Mt. McKinley. I was able to see both.

While in Fairbanks, I spent a couple nights at the Super 8. One of the employees saw me looking at a map and questioned if I needed help with finding anything. Told him I was simply seeing where I should go first and wondered if he had any ideas. He told me of Chena Hot Springs, though I decided against going there this time, but... among other ideas he told me where to find the pipeline visiting center. I got in the car and started driving. The fog lifted just about a mile away so I could see this vast thing! 

10 minutes from Fairbanks is North Pole, Alaska! While in the gift shop you will be able to visit with Santa and have him send a letter to your loved ones if you wish. His reindeer are near by and are pretty photogenic so spent time snapping pictures of them as well. I went to the Visitor Center there in town and was fortunate that an elderly woman was working who wanted to talk about the town. There were at least a dozen things she recommended I see, if I had time, and was able to see all of it! Wheter you drive down St. Nicholas drive or Mistletoe Lane or eat at Elf's Diner you are surrounded by Christmas all through the year. Wendy's in town, has christmas decorations up at all times!

As I said earlier, I had wanted to see a moose while in Alaska. On the nature trail in North Pole, I was able to see this mamma and her baby.

While on the internet, before going there, I read about this museum. For any of you who find architecture amazing...you would find this place interesting. The design of the outside is amazing, but seeing the layout inside was even more so. Saw some amazing art, learned alot about difficult things in history and watched a show on what makes the northern lights. I spent a couple hours there, but could easily have spent more!

Been a while...

Its been a while since I've posted on here.

I just spent Labor Day weekend in Staples, MN (actually Browerville, 20? miles from Staples)  A motocross track there had a two day race weekend.  The original plan, was for Jade and Cole to go with me, but with the first day of school being Tuesday, Jade, after a lot of torn thinking, decided that she had better stay home to prepare for it.  I ended up going alone.

A track I had never been to (generally it takes me far too log to 'learn' a new track), so I rode as much as possible during the Saturday practice.  Saturday evening, I went to Brainerd and spent the night at Mother and Isa's.  After Isa made me breakfast on Sunday morning, I made my way back to the track for some racing.  Motocross is raced in a two race format...  meaning you race two races, they add up the scores to get the overall score.  Of course I was racing the the senior citiz...  err  I mean the Senior class (only people over 40 qualify to race in it)...  Although I was pretty un-impressed with my riding performance...  it was good enough to get a 1st in each moto, for...  yep, a first overall.

Sunday night, back to Brainerd for the night, had a nice evening chatting with Pauline and her husband, Ruthy, and I don't remember what the other young ladies name was...

Monday morning after another breakfast fit for a king made by Isa, I headed back to the track for the second day of racing.  The second day went better than the first (same finish, 1st place in each race) but my riding was much better (although it was nowhere near where I think it should be).

I had the option to either bring trophies or t-shirts home for winning the races, but I thought that Jade would like to see the trophies.  She put in a lot of hard thinking and considering before deciding that she couldn't go.  So I told her I was bringing a couple of presents home for her.

Photo's of the 'presents' are below (if I can figure out how to post a picture)

Hello again everybody!  My two oldest started school on Monday, so now I have a short break during nap time to check my email and the blog.  Sarah started 4th grade and Molly started 2nd, when I started here Sarah was in preschool and Molly was home with me all day.  I will be five years next week that I have nannied for Sarah and Molly.  They started a new school this year, luckily it is the same one my sister works at, so they get to see her and that made the transition easier for them. 

At the house, things are moving along slowly.  I can't complain much because Ivan has been working 6-7 days a week for at least the last month.  This weekend Ivan actually gets Saturday AND Sunday night off, so he is going to replace the stairs.  Unfortunately that is not something that we planned on doing in the begining, but oh well, the stairs do need to replaced sometime.  The first floor is done except for flooring and trim.  The second floor is a bit more behind.  The study is done (except for the trim and light fixure), and the loft and one of the bedrooms are painted.  We just put the casing and trim on the three windows in the dinning room.  They look really nice! 

Soon we will be getting new appliances in the kitchen, we just have to schedule a delivery date.  We are getting a new fridge, a dishwasher, an over the stove microwave/hood, and a stove.  I can't wait until I can load the dishwasher instead of having to wash everything by hand!

Well, back to work,
~MISSI~

does anyone read this thing anymore???

Happy Anniversary

Time to celebrate another anniversary.  Today it is Frans and Jenny's 10th.  Congratulations and wishing you many more happy years.  We got a card once from
Merry and Dan:  "I do"  "I do".  Aren't you glad you did?  Happpy Anniversary.

Anniversary greetings

Happy Anniversary to Becky and Wayne celebrating 25 years today though they have already celebrated.  Anxious to hear about your trip to Ecuador.

Happy Anniversary to Charles and Machelle also celebrating an anniversary today, their
8th. 

Will mention here that we went to Outlook for Jason Parks - Kendra Ylioja wedding.
What a surprise to be escorted into the 4th row!  I questioned Trent and he said it was
for Minnesotans!!  Jason played his violin as Kendra and her dad came up the aisle -
"Oh Perfect Love".  We stayed overnight at Leah and Jeremy Simonsons.  Gladys R.
stayed at Art & Irenes.  They wondered where we were staying!  Hannah and Diane Barber stayed at Myla Pirness'.  We had a laughing and gabby bunch in the back seat.

Today we canned 13 pints of carrots and have 2 1/2 lbs. of large ones in the frig to throw in with roasts.  Potatoes left to can.

first day of school!

Today was the girls first day of school!!  They were soooo excited to start!!  And I was too, even tho this summer was really fun for us!  I am ready for a routine around here and much quieter days!!
Alanys was way too excited to be nervous....until this morning...then she got a little nervous, but she did great!  We are going to miss her home with us!!   Trina came out of her room in this dress and said "I'm all ready for go to school!"  she has been convinced that she is going too....so we have played along!  She did just fine when we left the girls at school and she came home with us.  We went to the grocery store after the school, and walking into the store she tells me "that was so fun, huh mom, that was so fun going  to school!"  too cute :)

when do the rest of you start?

Brainerd reporting

How many of you remember the yellow flowers growing by Grandma's house?  These
are the ones we brought from there to Brainerd.  There are some also in Grandma's

Memorial Garden.

Even though he doesn't like to eat cukes, peppers, or squash, he likes to grow them.

Have given some peppers to residents here at the Manor.  Gave one squash away also.

Sliced one cucumber the day we served sandwiches to those going on the Breezy Belle.

What am I going to do with tomatoes being produced on eight plants? He doesn't eat them either!

Seniors on an outing

Seniors go on an outing on Pelecan Lake out of Breezy Point. Total of 56 from all around Minnesota including Brainerd, Menahga & Wolf Lake were joined by the Southern group which included Minneapolis, Elk River, Rockford & Cokato.  The boat ride was a 2 hour ride out on the lake.

Some found the wind to be a bit Chilly.  After the boat ride which began at 1:00 and was to last for 2 hours (went little over the 2 hours ) we met in Brainerd for a lunch and fellowship. We were even joined by 3 from Arizona. Much enjoyed by all.