Go Fly A Kite

Rocky Mountain National Park...take 7

2010-07-28T08:12:00.004-06:00

Justin's working on making the pictures look better. (We were unaware of the schmutz that was on the lens whilst we were taking pictures.) But I wanted to put this one up here. This was the view climbing up to Flattop about three miles up the trail at 8:00 AM.We also saw new animals on our hike. There were many furry "little" pikas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pika) running around that afternoon.

Hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park

2010-06-29T14:24:00.016-06:00

Justin & I spent some more time at RMNP this past weekend. It was a beautiful day for a hike, except for a couple of minor setbacks. It wasn't quite a early as usual, our hike started around 8:30.

Our first "stop" on the trail was the same as when we visited RMNP with my parents. This is a picture from that outing at Alberta Falls.Alberta Falls: there were very few people there at 9:00 in the morning. It was quite different when we visited with my parents.
The trail was very clearly marked, except where it's covered in snow, then you just follow footprints.
The second "stop" on the trail was The Loch. Fed by snow melt from higher up on the mountains, the water was freezing. On our way back down the mountain people were fishing here.View of The Loch from further up the trail:We try to have a good time hiking, Justin really likes the new camera, too.Most of the trail took us along various creeks/streams/falls. This is another one. It might be Timberline falls, but I'm not sure.It's always amazing to see the snow when you're walking around in 70degree weather.

Justin is the greatest. He ordered a backpack for day hiking and carries pretty much everything! We stopped to look here for a short bit while we waited for the people ahead of us to complete the next obstacle.

We reached a point on our trail where we had to do some climbing. In the "summer" (i.e. August) this trail would be just a boulder scramble. At the end of June, because of all the melting, it was a waterfall we had to negotiate our way up.

Shortly after the climb we made it to the Lake of Glass (we thought was Sky Pond) and stopped to have lunch. We realized (with a little help from the GPS) that Sky Pond was further along. After some more boulder climbing and a little confusion when the trail turned to snow field again we made it to Sky Pond and stopped to have a looksee.

By the time we got to this elevation it was colder and windy so I donned my jacket.

There were places where the trail looked like this so it wouldn't wash away and to help get over streams.We're on our way back down at this point and Justin turned the camera over to me for a bit, we also stopped to look at a spot we found on our way up to take a picture.

Besides the snow, there were a couple of places where downed trees created obstacles for our amusement. Justin wore his jacket for a little bit when it started to sprinkle.

The water is so clear because it is fast moving down the mountain and is freezing cold, maybe good enough to drink.
After 6 or 7 miles the we are not necessarily as excited about the trail as we were at the beginning.
Especially when the weather takes a turn for the worst and starts hailing on us. Luckily hats protected our heads from being pelted and jackets saved our arms from wind and damage. Justin was laughing a bit as I walked along saying, "ouch", "ow", "ow" when my legs got hit by particularly sharp pieces of ice.
Afternoons in the mountains lead to interesting weather. We were fortunate that the hail stopped. Justin removed his hood/ear protector, and we continued down the train and home safely.
Hiking is great fun and this time was definitely an adventure!

2010-06-23T20:10:00.009-06:00

We've been doing more hiking this year and enjoying the great outdoors. Justin has documented some of our trips on his site, but I wanted to post a picture or two here to share with you all.

My parents came to visit and we took this train to the top of Pikes Peak.

You can see Pikes Peak above the trees on our ride up.

We could see Kansas from the train!

The view from the top. It's always amazing to be above the clouds. I got Justin to sit for a picture:
The easiest Fourteener we'll do this year:

CHEESE!!!

2009-12-17T14:45:00.002-06:00

'Tis The Season!

2009-12-09T14:23:00.002-06:00

FOR A SNOW DAY!!!!

The blowing and drifting left the patio/sidewalk behind the garage, as well as the deck, fairly clear. BUT............it is still pretty limited space for Mr. Morrie, who is used to having 1+ acre to run around in. Reality bites, sometimes, Mr. Morrie.

This is the view out the front window. Please excuse the smudge on my lens. I didn't wipe it off after we came in from Blizzard Inspection.
I tried to go out to get the mail, but the drift in front of the garage door is about 5' tall. Morrie tried to figure it out, but gave up after awhile. Funny thing, tho. The driveway is clear with the exception of the snowdrift.
I wonder if Randy has a shovel in the truck??

His First Northern Pike

2009-06-13T20:34:00.002-06:00

Last night, Mason caught his first Northern Pike. He was a very proud boy (and still is). Mason and Craig called me when he caught the fish, and he could barely breathe as he told me the story.

While Craig was cleaning the fish outside, Mason ran in and said "Mom!! As soon as dad cut the fish, all I could smell was fresh fish, like someone was cooking a fish, really fresh! You need to go out there and smell it!! It smells good!"

He also keeps telling people how he "set the brakes" to reel it in! and how s-l-o-w-l-y he had to reel the fish in because it was so heavy, and how his rod, which is usually straight, bent waaay down. He also likes to point out that Craig only caught a Bluegill, Rock Bass and Perch. Ahhh, what a sweet boy and a great memory for him!

The fish was 19 inches long and Mason just can't get over that! (All he has ever caught before are a couple of sunnies and maybe small trout)

Updates

2009-06-03T16:43:00.002-06:00

The wedding website updating was scarce during the move/school year. Now that I'm done with school and my options are wedding/cleaning/packing/sleeping I am more inclined to break up the monotony with some sharing via the internet. Take some time and check out the new posts/pages. I hope to see you all soon.
Oh! if you know someone who has not RSVP'd give them a little encouragement, please.
*love from Denver*

It's A Boy!!!

2009-05-26T14:03:00.002-06:00

And I think that his name is going to be Murray, but, at the moment, the votes are tied between 'Morrie' and 'Murray'. Randy likes 'Murray', and I like either one. So far, he's being a good boy. Sasha is stricken (that's a word you don't get to use very often) that there is another dog in the house.

Remind you of anyone? =)

One less molar in the world

2009-05-18T17:27:00.001-06:00

Now, this is a mastodon molar, but mine was just about this big. At least I can say that my tooth was white..........

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T19:19:00.001-06:00

This should be good for an 'Awwwwwwwwwwwww'.

Flew Kites (after a nap, of course)

2009-04-14T20:58:00.005-06:00

Amy and I took our kites to the lakefront and celebrated the tradition. Wish you all could have been there. Except the box kites. Too hard to get in the air. Amy went with the American Eagle. I went with the classic diamond stripe. Windy and cold. Just like Washburn.

Happy Easter!!

2009-04-13T08:06:00.002-06:00

I was going to post this yesterday, but our internet was down...

April 12, 2009

2009-04-12T08:28:00.004-06:00

Three months from yesterday is the wedding, but today:

HOPPY EASTER!

A little bit of Sunshine....

2009-04-01T21:19:00.003-06:00

on a cloudy, snowy day. When will Spring be here? We definitely have cabin fever over here, so a trip to Menards was a big event for us! It was snowy again today. It melted right away..thank goodness!!!

All I can see on the blog are the posts (which is good), but where did the other stuff on the left side go?

The Wedding!!!

2009-03-26T09:23:00.006-06:00

Can you believe that all my cookies are aligned so I will post a few pictures of the wedding of Steven James and Amy Elizabeth Nelson . It was sooooooooooooo beautiful!!!

Mr. and Mrs. Steven Nelson with Mom and Dad!

Wacky Weather Contrast

2009-03-23T16:17:00.002-06:00

Before Steve's wedding: birdwatching with the French Door open.

After Steve's wedding: my car covered with about 1/4-1/3" of ice.

Now for a public service announcement:
I have made the last 5 posts on this blog. I'm not going to post, again, until someone else puts some stuff on here. Sorry, but if it's going to be a 1-woman show, it makes more sense for me to post on my own blog.

C'mon, guys. You can do it.......

It's St. Patrick's Day!!!

2009-03-16T16:53:00.003-06:00

And Heather's Birthday!
What a cutie patootie!
I was wondering what she caught, but I'm pretty sure that Justin is the catch!

This is posted a day early because I didn't want it to be late. See you Friday, Heather!

The Countdown

2009-03-15T08:37:00.002-06:00

Sisterly Reminder

2009-02-28T13:34:00.002-06:00

Just reminding everyone to send in their RSVPs for Steve & Amy's wedding.

I just finished doing the response cards/envelopes for Justin & Heather's invitations, so it's kind of on my brain......

What I Have To Deal With...

2009-02-20T15:53:00.002-06:00

So, I was trying to take pictures of the progress that I've made on Justin & Heather's wedding invitation. The sun was out, so the lighting was perfect.
And, then, Sasha started channeling Ginger. That is: she just had to be where ever I was AND where ever the camera was.
What you can't see from the picture is that Sasha is standing up on her two back feet, trying to get to the camera.

And you just can't hear the purring.

Skype

2009-02-18T13:46:00.002-06:00

Okay, folks. Over the weekend, a friend and I figured out how to use Skype. Hey, my webcam even works, and you can SEE me when I'm talking. Very cool.

Here's the problem: Nobody else is on Skype. So, download Skype, and email me w/ your i.d.

Maybe I'll call you! Or you can call me.............

Guess who will be 21 February 17th??

2009-02-16T21:36:00.003-06:00

Isn't she a cutie??? Happy Birthday, Alyssa!!!! May all your dreams come true.
( Sorry I couldn't find another picture but I love this one)
Grandma Jan

just trying this out..it looked fun

2009-02-06T22:50:00.000-06:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Say 'Hello' To My Little Friend....

2009-02-01T19:37:00.005-06:00

HP Pavillion dv5
Ordered by my 'dealer', Justin. 'Cuz I had no idea what to get.

The Alterra Coffee is courtesy of my coffee dealer, Steve.

I think that I'm almost in the year 2009. Well, I will be as soon as I figure out Facebook, the webcam, and Skype.

I also found this....

2009-01-23T21:22:00.002-06:00

Monkey face...

Going through old pictures and videos....

2009-01-23T21:06:00.003-06:00

and I came upon this....

Another Link...

2009-01-22T18:31:00.003-06:00

This is our photo tribute to Ginger. It makes me smile everytime that I watch it.

Another New Website!

2009-01-21T15:36:00.001-06:00

Steve and Amy's Wedding

I put it in the links on the left, as well.

Now, go read!

I Hate To Be A Downer

2009-01-20T22:02:00.001-06:00

but I've posted on my blog about Ginger's condition.

Now, I've gotta go look at the wedding blog.......

Heather and Justin Wedding 'blog'

2009-01-20T21:16:00.001-06:00

I've finally created the H & J wedding 'blog' at:

http://grubadittmannwedding.wordpress.com/

Pretty bare, for now. But Heather seems to be having some fun with it :-)

Comment Setting Change

2009-01-19T19:16:00.002-06:00

After receiving an unwanted and unnecessary comment for the previous post, I have changed the comments setting. Only members of this blog will be able to comment from now on. If this is a problem, we'll have to make some changes, but, for now (in order to avoid comment spam) you have to be a member of this blog in order to comment here.

Some people just have to spoil it for the rest of us.......

Workin' for a livin'

2009-01-19T18:09:00.011-06:00

Bingham Lake, MN (RD) News flash: I have accepted a position with POET, the largest ethanol producer in the world, to be the General Manager of their Bio refinery in Bingham Lake, Minnesota! I start on Monday, February 2nd. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers over the past several weeks, I'm convinced it made the difference! For all you need to know about ethanol and my new company, check us out at http://www.poet.com/

Copy-Cat Calendar

2009-01-16T12:25:00.005-06:00

I am going to try to make a family calendar. This is a blatant robbery of the calendars that Heather's family does every year for Christmas. BLATANT. I make no apologies. I'm a robber.

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

Charles Caleb Colton

So, with that formality out of the way, email me with your birthdays, anniversaries, significant dates, and, even, pictures. Who knows? This may be the answer to what to get EVERYONE for Christmas. Forever.

Stay warm! Randy and I actually took the dog for a walk today. It seemed warmer w/out the wicked wind blowing, but that could just be my feeble attempt at rationalizing.....

changed some settings

2009-01-16T10:54:00.003-06:00

I changd the settings on my blog. so people shouldn't need a password to comment now.

A couple of Pics to Warm you Heart

2009-01-15T22:56:00.002-06:00

I have been updating my blog..just in case anyone has nothing to do...I am really trying to get some stuff on there everyday...we'll see how that goes. Stay warm!!!

How LOW did it go????

2009-01-15T10:27:00.002-06:00

This was taken at 9:00 AM. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!

How are you staying warm today? I'm going to find a good

book to read. MOM?AJ

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

2009-01-13T23:10:00.004-06:00

Just a little reminder of warmer days....

Say a prayer for your mailman! It's cold!!

Happy Birthday To You!!

2009-01-13T12:28:00.002-06:00

When I lived in Nelson Hall, it was against the rules to take the screens out and sit on the roof.

What a trouble-maker!

Happy Birthday!

Remember this?

2009-01-13T10:50:00.003-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!!

I hope you got to the dentist this past year!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT JANIS

2009-01-13T10:01:00.003-06:00

Love, Craig, Jolee, Mason and Maddox

A Little Birdie Told me.....

2009-01-12T21:30:00.002-06:00

That it is someone's birthday tomorrow!!! I wonder who?? Hmmm........
I will wish this person a birthday tomorrow!!!

MoreFamily Pictures

2009-01-12T13:50:00.003-06:00

I am going to share a few more of the shower pictures that I took.
I'm sorry I didn't get everyone that was there.
Enjoy!

My favorite kids!!

Krystle and Dom

The Wiedigers The Polcaros

The Pedersens with 8 ball Jesus
I think I'm going to have to work on backgrounds for my
pictures.
AJ/MOM

Happy Birthday, Steve!!!!

2009-01-05T23:05:00.001-06:00

Guess who is another year older!!!!

2009-01-05T22:21:00.003-06:00

Can you guess???
Here he is!!

Steven James is going to have a very exciting

year!! Enjoy every day!!
Happy Birthday to you.

Love, MOM

More SHOWER pics!!

2009-01-05T16:27:00.003-06:00

I can't do the fancy stuff like Cathy does but I will share a few of my shower pictures. I would have liked to have gotten more families but the battery died on me. Oh, dear!!

Happy Couple, Steve and Amy!!

Happy Couple, Justin and Heather!!

Steve cutting the cake with supervision!!

Two of my favorite people. Thanks for sharing
your home with us!! Mom was happy!!!

Shower-Power

2009-01-03T15:53:00.000-06:00

Must Be Santa

2008-12-25T13:47:00.003-06:00

Our family has different words, but this is the G-rated version. Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas to ALL!!!

2008-12-24T14:11:00.002-06:00

It seems that every year we are wishing for a White Christmas!! Well, this year we didn't have to wish because the snow started early in December and hasn't stopped. ( Does this mean that spring will come early?) We don't have as much of the fluffy white stuff and places south but the roads are slick.
Everyone be careful on your way to church to welcome in Christmas.
Merry, Merry Christmas!!!!!
Steve, Amy and Jim's sister, Marie, will join us for Christmas dinner and we hope to see the rest of the Haugen clan over the weekend. Hopefully, someone will take a few pictures to post.
Love and Peace,
Mom/Aunt Janis

Warm Wishes to All!!

2008-12-22T10:51:00.002-06:00

It's been freezing cold here, but it looks like it's even worse in other places. Stay warm this Christmas and safe travels to those who are braving the weather to visit their families!!

Happy 24th Birthday Justin!

2008-12-17T17:27:00.001-06:00

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Trip to Denver

2008-12-11T13:57:00.006-06:00

Amy and I had a very nice weekend in Denver. We mostly visited with her brother, Dan and his wife, Michelle. They showed us a great time. We also enjoyed some time with Justin and Heather. Can't wait to go back. I also had my first straight-razor shave at a place called The Art of Shaving. Enjoy. We had a characiture drawn. Holiday lights parade and played pool - Amy was quite the shark.

Deer Hunt 2008

2008-12-04T23:47:00.004-06:00

Unfortunately the only deer horns we saw during hunting were on Dad's goofy friend at the venison burger feed. The antlerless version revealed itself Sunday morning right before Dad and I went out. Needless to say, we won't be eating venison until next year's free burger.

Hello

2008-11-30T23:37:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!!

Justin and Heather that looked like a tremendous feast!!! yum

Cathy and Aunt Janis, it was so nice seeing you last weekend!!! I wish we could see each other more often! And I wish I could have been there longer.

I just updated the blog in case anyone doesn't have a lot going on and needs something to look at. I put a lot of pictures on there and many posts, so you may want to pace yourself if you do check it out :) You may get a Wiediger family overload!

I hope all is going well with everyone!!

Thanksgiving in Colorado

2008-11-27T18:34:00.006-06:00

Happy Turkey Day!
Heather & Justin had a wonderful day cooking and cooking and cooking...
The turkey took a loooong bath in an orange five gallon bucket from HomeDepot.
And 12 or so hours later came out of the oven being all delicious. We cooked enough for about 8 people: (leftovers for a week)
We'll relax by the fire for the rest of the evening and maybe play some games that don't require much movement. Then eat a little more. Apple pie is waiting with Justin's favorite secret ingredient:

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2008-11-27T13:58:00.003-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving from the Nelson's in Tomahawk. I hope everyone is enjoying this very special day!

Just Because I'm Tired of Kissy-Face Pictures

2008-11-20T10:03:00.002-06:00

How did King Kong escape from his cage?
He used a monkey wrench.

Why don't the monkeys in the jungle play poker any more?
There are just too many Cheetahs.

What happens when you throw one banana to two hungry monkeys?
A banana split!

Which rock group is a monkey's favorite?
The Monkees!

Why did the monkey wear red suspenders?
The blue ones broke!

H & J: Engagement Photos

2008-11-10T20:05:00.002-06:00

Our photographer just sent us the link to our online photo album - we'll pick up the photos on Wednesday, but for now everybody can get a 'sneak peek' at the following webpage:

http://www.photodreams.com/gallery/index/module/media/category/gallery|weddings|justin/start/0

Here's a juicy one to get you started...

hi there

2008-11-07T23:41:00.003-06:00

Here is the big 6 year old!!! He is growing up so fast! I can't believe he is 6!! It is crazy. He does like being 6 though! On the morning of his birthday I asked him if he felt any different or older and he said "No, but I am pretty sure I am taller"

there are more pictures on my blog.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MASON

2008-11-05T16:32:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday Mason!! He is 6 years old today!! 6!!! I can't believe it!!!

I'll post pictures later tonight. We had a fun day and Sunday is the big Volcano Party!!!!!!!!

No Tricks, but a Couple of Sweet Treats

2008-11-03T20:37:00.002-06:00

Thank you to Cathy for making these wonderful costumes!!!!!! The boys looked great in them and had a great time!!

I'm putting more pictures on my blog...not much writing, but pictures. Still no sleep.....we will beat him!!! We must win!!!! He is getting checked out at the Dr on Thursday to make sure nothing is wrong. Some day my sleep will come!!!

Set your clock back!

2008-11-02T07:51:00.000-06:00

I Need some HELP!!

2008-10-31T10:57:00.002-06:00

I just discovered that I don't have addresses for:
Derek and his girlfriend ( her name) or
Dominic and Krystal ??
Is there anyone out there that can help me out??
I suppose everyone is out there celebrating Halloween. Mr. Jim and I are going as retired folks. I'm looking forward to seeing all the costumes.
Have a great celebration!!
Aunt Janis/MOM

First official act as incoming member of this party:

2008-10-31T08:36:00.004-06:00

I would like to share a picture of what got me into this mess:)

Heather and Justin Dancing to Alyssa's Favorite Song!!

2008-10-26T19:48:00.001-06:00

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Happy Birthday, Marshall!!!

2008-10-26T07:53:00.002-06:00

I was, initially, going to post this because nobody was posting after all of the engagement announcing. Get it? Can't Touch That kind of post? Well, then I realized that it's Marshall's birthday.

That seemed like a better fit. I mean, seriously, only Marshall could carry off those Genie Pants. Or could that be a good look for a wedding party???? Oh, well......

Break it down!!!!

We Are Happy to Announce an Engagement!!!!

2008-10-13T08:02:00.007-06:00

Sunday, October 12 Steve and Amy arrived in Tomahawk to announce their engagement. We are soooooooooooooo happy for them. In fact we are ecstatic! What a week this has been. So much good news. Congratulations to all.
Here are a few pictures of the happy couple.

Steve and Amy early Sunday morning at the lakefront in Milwaukee.

The happy bride-to-be!!

Happy, Happy Steve the soon-to-be groom!

Hey, where did it go???

Oh, there it is!!!

We are so happy for the happy couple!! I am speechless!!

Love you all!!!

MOM

just a little something to brighten your day

2008-10-10T14:26:00.002-06:00

I just added a bunch of pictures to my blog...just in case anyone needs to see a couple of cute kids:)

It's time for a WEDDING in this family!!

2008-10-07T13:53:00.002-06:00

Justin and Heather are engaged!
Word in the street is that the wedding will be sometime next summer.

What we really want is to see the ring........

We had Visitors!!

2008-10-05T14:30:00.007-06:00

We've had a few visitors during the past few weeks so thought I'd share a few pictures with you.

First the turkeys came.

Turkey season started so these Jakes paid us a visit.

Next came the big buck and his lady friends. The hunters were excited to see him.

Our next visitors were Steve and Amy. Steve was filming in Merrill on Sat. so we were lucky enough to have them stay over to watch the Brewers and Packers. A sad, sad day for both of the teams.

Tonight we get cultured. Going to a concert to round out a great weekend.

MOM/AJ

Just some pictures

2008-09-28T14:06:00.003-06:00

How lucky am I to be treated to these monkeys every morning? It doesn't get much better than this.

Can you believe this!!!

2008-09-26T08:21:00.006-06:00

I finally got on the blog to post something. The stars must be lined up in the right order. Mr. Jim and I have not done anything too exciting. We do enjoy watching leaves turn color, grass grow and the DOW do funny things. We have our Stealth Cam up and running so I'll post a few of the wildlife we've seen lately.

Here's Mr. Racoon eating corn A doe and her fawn

Mr. Bear and a spike buck. He's one of two.

Now I also received a few pictures from Junal so as long as I am on the blog I'll post them, too. Looks like she has a houseful with all her pets.

BOOKENDS???? I'm going to come back as a cat or a dog. What a life!!

Looks like Zelda is well loved. I wonder who caught all the fish. I bet it was Gianni.

This post should fill up the whole page so I'd better stop.

Love to all, MOM/Aunt Janis

Cathy, you'll have to fix this page because I can't make the spaces between paragraphs smaller.

Hi

2008-09-25T15:45:00.003-06:00

Just hanging out in the highchair.

Enjoying a treat from Dad. They walked down to Dairy Queen the other day.

How is everyone? Mason posted on his blog and I posted some on mine too. I put quite a few pictures on there if anyone is in the mood to see a couple of cute boys :)

Are these pictures a little fuzzy when you see them? they don't look that clear on our computer, but I don't know if it has something to do with the pictures or our computer. I take pictures with the highest setting on our camera...could that be the problem? Does anyone know?

I swear I saw a mouse in the boys bedroom the other night, but we haven't caught anything. I am hoping I was just delirious and overly tired. It was at around 2 in the am, so it's hard to say. I cannot STAND those things. gross.

Sleep is alluding us again. I am beginning to doubt we will ever sleep again. I think Maddox is now getting an eye tooth, so that could be it. It does seem like something is bothering him because he has been very clingy during the day..unusual for him and he is content to sleep in our arms...also unusual.

I hope everyone is well.

my own blog

2008-09-19T21:25:00.002-06:00

i am starting my own blog. nothing fancy or spectacular, just something to do. the address is: www.mudpuddlesmischiefandlove.blogspot.com

There really isn't much on it right now, but hopefully in the next few days I'll be able to add a lot to it and get the pictures going.

Hope everyone has a nice weekend!!

We are being taken over...

2008-09-18T19:45:00.004-06:00

our little detective
could he get any cuter?

by a 9 month old!! Maddox offically tore this apart tonight and it is going to take a bit of work to get it back together.

I cannot get this picture to move around.

I can't believe Maddox is over 9 months old. He is such a sweetie! Today I was lying on the floor next to him while he was playing, and he turned to me, with the biggest smile and scooted over as fast as he could to me and laid his head on my shoulder and then rolled over into my arms and snuggled up. My heart just melted!

He is babbling all the time now. When you say "bye-bye" he waves and whenever he sees a door he waves at it. Sometimes he says "bye-bye" while waving. He is saying "A Dah" for all done...and lots of other things too, but he will copy it. And he'll point to some things we name for him. He wants to know what everything is and points to everything for us to name. He laughs at himself all the time and loves "rough" play.

The crusties on his head look a little better today. All he ate was cereal and avocado. i hope we can figure this out.

Today Mason said "Mom, i wish Maddox never had allergies", to which I replied "Me too. We can pray about it and see what God says". Mason's reply "Well, what if He says 'I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do. He is just going to have them forever?" I didn't really know what to say to that.

He is going to Nana's tomorrow to spend the night with Gianni. Then Sat morning they are selling popcorn in front of my dad's office during "East End Days". He has been dying to go all week. Tomorrow will be a long day for him until he gets there.

Get All of Your Affairs in Order

2008-09-17T15:43:00.003-06:00

After writing a comment to Jolee's post below, I turned to see this:

Princess (the cat) seems to be getting bolder, as she has been terrified of Ginger since Day 1. On a few occasions, I have found them within several feet of eachother....but the camera has never been closeby. This time, it was right next to me.

The spell was broken shortly after this picture was taken when Ginger got up to get a drink of water (notice the water dish to the right of Princess), turned her head to the left, and drenched Princess with all of the water that wasn't contained by Gingie's big mouth (dogs don't have lips, you know).

I wish that I would have gotten some video of that. It was quite entertaining.

AHHHHH....

2008-09-17T14:32:00.004-06:00

Mason's first day of Kindergarten. That is when we started making the volcano. I can't believe he is almost 6 years old and that every day I love him even MORE!! Many mornings when he wakes up before Maddox, he will crawl into bed with me and snuggle right up. I know the day will come when he won't want much to do with me, but I hope I always remember moments like those. I do wish they didn't have to grow up...but everything keeps getting better and better as they do...expect for the having to let go part. Just watching Mason, I can see how much he has grown up. His sayings, the way he relates to the world and how he moves. it all seems so grown up at times (and then he will burp and laugh or make up a rhyme about poop).
Mason and I completed 2 thousand piece puzzles over the last few weeks. They were both Santa ones, and he did most of the work.

The deer love the neighbors apple trees. One day a doe, buck and fawn were all doing this to get at the apples. Crazy!
Maddox found Mason's stick and you would have thought he found the Holy Grail!! He was in Heaven!!

How do you move these pix around?

I am getting sleep. For about 5 nights in a row now. Maddox has been going at least 6 hours before needing to be fed at night. It is amazing!!! I love sleep!!! Hopefully soon this will turn into 10 hours, but I will definitely take 6-8 hours instead of getting up every 3-4. Hallelujiah!!!!!( I think I messed up the spelling).

Not a whole lot going on around here. It is nice having a schedule again with the Homeschool. I really need some kind of schedule...nothing too rigid, but more of a schedule of events and Mason REALLY needs a schedule. He is loving it as well.

As he approaches 6 years, I wonder if we are in for a storm with him. Noticing a lot of perfectionism and mood swings. I have heard that 6 years can be hard for children, so we will see. He is still a sweetie though and I do love him dearly!!! He picked flowers for the neighbor yesterday because last week she gave him one of her sunflowers. He's still cracking me up, but my brain just went blank with all his funny stuff and sayings. He still says "Mayonnaise!! Mayonnaise!!" when he pretends his plane is crashing. I'll need to tell him it is "Mayday" soon. Kids will be making fun of him.

We think Maddox may have developed an allergy to bananas. He was playing with mashed bananas yesterday and his arms broke out in hives. Noticing some not so nice stuff in his diapers too and a few crusty spots on his head have returned. Man, he loves bananas! I hope he isn't. I'll need to call the allergist to make an appt to have him tested to be sure. I just don't want to make another appt. It has been nice having a break from Dr.'s. I thought he was maybe allergic to carrots or peaches, but now I think it's bananas. I hope that is all it is, but then I wonder if he will just develop more allergies as he eats more foods? I keep letting him play in the dirt so his immune system will have something else to fight in the hopes it will leave the food alone.

Well, that's about it here. Just enjoying the wonderful weather and taking the kids to the park everyday that we can go before the "you know what" comes and we need to stay in for the next 8 months :)

Rain Rain Go Away

2008-09-14T18:59:00.003-06:00

one of my favorite pix
this is how Mason set up our yard. To the left a rope is tied from the bushes to a garbage can and a quilt is hanging on it. We look like the Hill Billy's of Duluth :)

Well, we have had a lot of rain. I hope it stops tonight.

Tonight Maddox somehow reached up and tore off a piece of the wrap around a stack of copy paper and tried to eat it. I was napping, but according to Craig and Mason, he was almost choking and then threw it up. Right before I fell asleep, I just wanted to go get him and protect him, so I said a prayer for him and then fell asleep. This little guy is definitely going to be keeping us on our toes!!! Just like when I was pregnant with him.

Mason bought a new transformer tonight named "Snarl". It is a rhino that transforms into a robot. HE has decorated his room with cutouts of Transformers.

I'll try to post a couple of pix everyother day. That way I won't overwhelm everyone with a million at once. IT still takes a while to post them though...still trying to get this thing working right.

hello

2008-09-12T21:42:00.003-06:00

This is Maddox's 1st day in the baby pool. He LOVED it!! he loves water and he would just wail when he saw the pool until I put him in.

Well, the DSL isn't always running right, but we are getting closer.

Things are going pretty well here. Still not much sleep, but one of these nights I just need to get tough and let Maddox cry a bit. We have a had a pretty good summer and fall is looking good too.

Maddox has been doing great with the solids and hasn't had any serious reactions in quite a while. Just some occasional hives here and there treated with hydrocortisone. He is scooting all over the place now, exploring the house and getting into all sorts of things. Today he ate part of a flashcard. Good thing he isn't allergic to paper. We have also found out he isn't allergic to mud, grass or dandelion leaves. He is 9 months already. That is crazy!!! He started waving "bye-bye" on Monday and on Wed started saying "bah bah" while waving "bye-bye".

Mason is doing well. He set up our yard like a campsite with bags and objects hanging from the hedges and "rooms" set up for him to sleep in. His imagination continues to grow. He is loving school and this week has gone well.

2008-09-11T14:51:00.001-06:00

Mason just posted on his blog. We are going to try and post on there once a week now.

So, this is what I've been up to....

2008-09-11T14:42:00.007-06:00

besides homework, of course...

I decorated my room. Scrapbook paper was on sale at Michaels. I also went to Walmart where tulle was on sale and made a bed canopy.
The picture above is something I sewed in my costume construction course!!! It's a really fun class and I've met a lot of people there. We get to make the costumes for three of the plays, one being the musical, which is Seusical the Musical. So the costumes are going to be really crazy. We got some of the fabric in. Some of it is really fluffy and it's going to be difficult to work with. My other classes are going well. I'm taking differential equations and intro to statistics. All of my professors are great. My stats course is much easier than I had anticipated.

If anyone needs a babysitter, I'm done with class at noon on Thursdays, 11 on Tuesdays, and 3 Monday, Wednesday, Friday. :)

-Alyssa

2008-09-10T14:30:00.003-06:00

here are the 2 monkeys!!

this is Maddox eating a piece of rice chex for the 1st time ever. He is eating tiny chunks of banana as well.

OK, we are still having a little trouble. The tech was just here and helped out, but they need to figure out some stuff still. I probably won't be able to post as much as I want yet, but here are some pics anyway.

Things are going pretty well. Maddox is doing well and eating some solids.
Just trying to get him to sleep through the night now. Hopefully soon!! He is scooting everywhere and has already taken a vent out of the wall, and almost took apart the bottom portion of our dishwasher.

Mason is doing well too. We started Kindergarten yesterday and he has been very excited. We are doing the creation story , so we are making a paper mache volcano. Tomorrow we hope to make it erupt!! He is still imaginative and has set up some pretty elaborate things.

Well, Maddox is under the buffet and found a microphone attatched to a keyboard and is yelling in it, but is shoving it in his mouth.

I hope all is well with everyone.. Hopefully in the next week I'll be back and maybe even have my own blog. oooooo

We have DSL!!!!!

2008-09-10T13:43:00.001-06:00

We have been trying to get DSL for about a month now, but we were having all sorts of troubles. Thankfully the company we are going through didn't relent and worked VERY hard and got us our DSL...today!!!!

So I am going to attempt to download some pictures!!!! HOORAY!!!

All I've Got To Say Is....

2008-09-05T13:15:00.002-06:00

Where is everyone?

Raspberry Jam

2008-08-26T13:11:00.003-06:00

On Alyssa's last day at home, we made Raspberry Jam.

16 cups of raspberries and 14 cups of sugar later and, voila!

Natural, organic, and homemade. Made with real raspberries picked from our backyard.....this morning. Yum.

The Oval Office and The Politics of Demolition

2008-08-11T13:06:00.003-06:00

Ha! I'll bet that that got your attention!!

As I was vacuuming this morning, I came upon Sasha in the entryway. She, of course, was not interested moving, so the phrase 'Oval Office' popped into my mind.

And politics really have no part in the deck demo, but I thought that I'd share some photos, anyway. The deck is undergoing a makeover/transformation/whatever due to the previous owners building it without tools or a level. It was plain dangerous. Sooooo, the lower deck is being completely removed and rebuilt as a platform-type structure. Stairs will not be required, and the view will not be compromised. The steps to the upper deck (off of the kitchen) are being eliminated, so it will be somewhat of a balcony rather than a deck. I wish that we would have the money to use plexiglass panels instead of the traditional railing, but that's how it goes. As you can see from the photos, Ginger enjoyed being out there so much that I put her blankie outside. 'The better to see the squirrels with.' Spoiled dog.

My job was removing and stacking all of the loose boards so that we can reuse the wood.

This is what it looks like today:
It's a little harder getting to the squirrels.

The raspberries are growing like crazy. Unfortunately, the bears are enjoying them, as well.

Alyssa's New Car!

2008-08-04T13:19:00.003-06:00

Okay, I've waited a week for Alyssa to add the text to these pictures. That's long enough. She can write about it when she gets back from her Luther Point Reunion, but, for now, you will have to be satisfied with the photos:

So, I'm Going To Be Gone

2008-07-23T07:38:00.002-06:00

Within minutes, I'm leaving for a Women's Weekend at the cabin. There will be lots of food, wine, knitting, and laughing. On Monday, I'm driving to St. Cloud to visit with Alyssa. We may look at cars, altho that is not my forte. Tuesday, I'm getting my hair cut/colored by my long-time hairstylist, Noreen. Then, I drive back to Thunder Bay.

Please pray for all of the pets and plants at my house!

and so it goes.....

2008-07-22T20:51:00.002-06:00

well.....got the Claritin around 5:00pm today. When I read the ingredients it contained lactose...which of course is milk. so I called the on-call doc...which was thankfully our own doctor. He called back and all I had to say was "Claritin has lactose in it". And he understood. so he called the pharmacy and ordered a prescription of Zyrtec syrup for me. However, our insurance wouldn't cover it, the pharmacist called the insurance co. and they said they couldn't do an override with her, but if I called they could probably work something out with me. I called the insurance co., went through all the menus, just to hear "Our customer service dept is now closed. Please call back during normal business hours." I wanted to scream! I refuse to pay for the prescription without insurance helping out...just being stubborn I know, but I am so frustrated with everything right now...and the hives aren't as bad as last night.

I am treating the hives with the Benadryl cream Dr. Steve and it is working better than the hydrocortisone. Thank you for that suggestion. Hey! I just realized our Dr's name is Steven. Maybe you could cover for him when he is on vacation!

The hives came back after a walk tonight. All in areas where certain types of clothing rub and fit closely. And where you sweat. But they aren't really spreading. just little patches here and there...but my do they itch!!

And here is a suggestion. If you ever have hives or irritated skin...I do not recommend shaving. No matter how badly you think you need to shave. It will not be worth it.

Maddox had his first fun day at the park today. Usually he sleeps in the stroller, but today he put his feet in the sand and LOVED it!! He dug into that sand as far as he could with those little feet and had such a look of pleasure on his face! He could not get enough of it! Then he sat in the baby swing and had a great time with that. Just leaning back, holding onto the chains looking like he's been swinging all his life!

Mason attempted the monkey bars and was able to swing to the 4th bar...quite an accomplishment for him. He was pretty proud! Also sliding down the fire pole like nothing!It is fun to see him try some of these things that have been so intimidating and scary for him in the past. He's growing up! i'm so proud of him.

Off to bed now. We are going to Hoyt Lakes tomorrow to visit Craig's mom for the day. i hope i am done itching by then.

Claritin here we come...

2008-07-22T13:04:00.005-06:00

I have been given the green light for Claritin!!! As soon as Maddox wakes up from his nap we are going to buy it!!

These stupid things are still hanging around...well, the hives are gone but my skin still itches and burns. I was up every 3 hours with itching because the hives kept moving around my body, but in a symmetrical pattern. It was wierd. Whatever was on my left arm was in the exact same place on the right arm in the exact same pattern.

When I put my deodarant on today, my armpits started itching within 20 minutes. After I washed them, it stopped. Maybe it's the deodorant? Who knows. I've narrowed it down to a few things: Olive oil soap, dried apple chips, deodorant, apple cider vinegar, stress. OnceI have the Claritin, I will begin experimenting.

I've been trying to read the comments, but haven't been able to for some reason. I'll try again.

Maddox's skin was so clear this morning, but now that I am using the regular handsoap again, his skin is getting blotchy again...maybe a different olive oil soap would work.

On a bright note...I rinsed my hair with apple cider vinegar water last night, and my hair was completely tangle free this morning. Even after sleeping with wet hair in a pony tail all night--and that is unheard of for me. It also felt really soft. But, maybe it contributed to all the hives?

Torture...

2008-07-21T23:40:00.002-06:00

the itching...itching...itching. I was awakened to itching at midnight as the hives have spread. They are all over my trunk, forearms, wrists and neck. The pharmacist did not think it was a safe idea to take Benadryl for a variety of reasons, and the Cortaid just isn't knocking back this batch of hives.

Trying to find natural remedies, but putting pressure on my trapezius point did absolutely nothing except aggravate the hives because I had hives there.

I feel like i am in the Twilight Zone or an Alfred Hitchock movie. I know stress can cause hives and I realize we have had a bit of stress, but I was feeling pretty good today.

All I want to do is loofah my entire body. My heart breaks even more for little Maddox, because this is pure hell!!! I read that they only last for a couple of hours, but we are past that now. Hopefully in the morning these will be gone. I hope I figure out what caused these so I do not have a repeat of this. If I could roll around in a sand pile it would be heaven.

Has anyone had this happen? Does anyone have any suggestions?
always an adventure around here.

THE MAGIC OF OLIVE OIL

2008-07-21T20:29:00.002-06:00

We have discovered olive oil soap. I tried it out and it is pretty nice. It comes in a bar, and is unscented...not a great scent..but very moisturizing. When I wash up with it, I feel like I should jump into a frying pan. We found some scented ones online and some liquid soap, so we are going to order that. Also found some olive oil body cream we are going to try.

I tried a bit on Maddox, and he didn't react. Hooray!! I have been rinsing his hair with vinegar water everyother day and that seems to help with the itching of his scalp.

Oh nice. I just realized I have hives all over my armpits while writing this!!! What the heck?!?!? Maybe the olive oil soap is not a good idea. I tell ya!! I have no idea what just caused that. Who knows.

Maddox is cute as ever. so smiley and sleeping a bit better...when I don't take fish oil. i am assuming he is allergic to fish. I am sorry Dr. Steve, but I will not be taking the fish oil, but I am taking flaxseed oil instead. i hope that is OK?

Well, I am off to figure out what the heck is wrong with me now and try to get rid of these hives. Always something at the Wiediger household. Thankfully nothing terminal or life threatening...just annoying.

Mason's W's Dictionary

2008-07-21T20:23:00.003-06:00

Mayonnaise: a distress called, commonly used by pilots when their planes are going down. Example: "Mayonnaise!!! Mayonnaise!!! My plane is crashing!!"

Tomato: a storm in which clouds form a funnel and strong, damaging winds are present. Example: "There is a tomato warning!"

Michigan: a place where people tells others about Jesus. Example: "The missionaries live in Michigan"

One of Mason's newest toys...avocado pits. He loves them. Can't get enough of them. After they dry out, he peels them and rolls them all over the house.

Mason posted on his blog

2008-07-19T12:45:00.004-06:00

Hi there. Mason wants everyone to know he posted on his blog, and he changed the name of his blog to "Go Fly a Frisbee" (address stayed the same) because he likes the name of this blog so much.

Things are relatively stable here...hooray. Just doing a lot of research on Coconut free products. For shampoos, I either need to use a clay based one or a shampoo bar. Sounds fun. Maybe I'll just grow dreads, then I really don't have to worry about washing my hair. Maddox occasionally breaks out in hives and we don't know what from, but a little hydrocortisone is all he needs to knock them out. That is an improvement. AND he can use a regular terry-cloth towel now after bath without breaking out all over. We are moving forward.

Maddox is getting mobile. Starting to roll around the living room a bit. I was hoping to hold off on that for a bit longer. Now I am going to need to scrub my floors on a daily basis to make them safe for him. Between Mason's dust mite allergies and Maddox's food allergies, my house should be pretty clean (operative words being "should be").

I'm not a real doctor, but I play one on TV . . .

2008-07-18T13:27:00.002-06:00

I had some time today so I got picked to be the doctor in a video we are doing for vitamins and supplements. Not much of a role, but I better remind you to take a multivitamin and your fish oils today.

Happy Birthday 'eh!

2008-07-18T11:31:00.005-06:00

Forty some-odd years ago today, the world welcomed a very special lady. (Hold your thumb over the guy on the left to get the full effect since this is the only picture I had access to right now)

Happy Birthday 'eh - Cathy.

Our Guest This Morning

2008-07-16T09:58:00.003-06:00

Was the baby eagle. Well, not quite a little baby. This one is probably 2 years old. The 1-year-olds are flecked with more white. I was getting ready to do Pilates when Ginger 'went off'. I mean, she lost her mind. I looked outside and couldn't figure out what the deal was. Nothing. I ran upstairs, fully intending to scold the offending barker, but when I saw the eagle on the pergola, all I could do was run for the camera. This must have been some gutsy eagle, because s/he seemed unruffled (ha ha) by the barking abuse. Let me assure you that this bird was HUGE. I can see how an eagle could pick up a dog or cat. Ginger had better watch out..

The Collector

2008-07-14T22:22:00.002-06:00

Mason informed me today that he is collecting the boxes toothpaste tubes come in and Orbit gum boxes. He had done some funny things today, but my mind just went blank.

We did some rummage saling this past weekend and found a matchbox ice island car track. Mason has played with it for hours everyday since we bought it!! It has been wonderful for both of us!!

I 've gotten a few other good deals at the sales this summer. A winter jacket and snowpants set for Maddox for 4.00 that looks brand new and a Johnny Jump-Up for 2.00. I also found a brand new baseball mitt for Mason that will fit him next year for a couple dollars. I love the rummage sales!!

Thank you again Cathy for the nioxin tip!! I am going to look into that right away!

Well, might be some severe weather heading our way. Lots of tornado warnings to the north and i hear a few rumbles of thunder outside right now. think I'll head off to bed.

NANA'S LULLABIES

2008-07-14T22:17:00.002-06:00

Last night Maddox would not fall asleep, even though he was tired. My mom had done such a great job getting him to fall asleep in Washburn, so I called her.
She sang him lullabies over the phone and it was magical. He settled right down and just listened. when my mom was done singing, I was talking to her and the little guy flipped to his side in my lap and started to fall asleep. I was able to put him down in minutes.

Nana may need to move in with us.

Coconut Milk

2008-07-13T22:34:00.003-06:00

Well, we found out tonight that Maddox is allergic to Coconut. Of all things.... Thankfully we found out before I ate the meal with the coconut. Mason had tasted the coconut cream and had a coconut mustache and Maddox touched his face, and lo and behold..minutes later his hands were covered in hives. Cortaid knocked them down and they didn't seem to bother him (thanfully). I read that Coconut allergies are extremely rare (of course they are ) and that most people are allergic when touching the coconut rather than eating it. Maybe that is Maddox's case...I hope...

But, Coconut is in every shampoo and soap and cleaning product in our home, and I think it will be a challenge to find ones with out it. It may explain why he still has som eczema that continues to flare up.

HANDY-DANDY:

While walking outside with Mason he said :Yep. These are dandy sandals. Handy Dandy sandals.

He was helping Craig with the doorknob (again) and brought out his toy tool chest exclaiming "Well, in my handy tool chest I have a lot of tools"

While reading the newspaper (yes, he began reading the newspaper...he read the back as Craig was reading it..not all of it, but enough to get the gist of what the article was about)...he saw a picture of a pig and talked about how cute it was and how it looked like Wilbur (we're reading Charolette's Web) and Craig read the caption and it was about a pig named "Sprinkles", and Mason said "Sprinkles?!?! That's a food, not a name!!"

Mason made Limeade tonight from a lime and tasted it saying "It isn't just perfect limeade, but limeade"

FEE FIE FO FUM

Mason's made up rhyme he plays with Maddox while wiggling his thumb:

"FEE FIE FO FUM, HERE COMES THE GIANT THUMB beep-beep (as he beeps Maddox's nose)

Mason almost rocked Maddox to sleep the other day and it was the most precious thing. He hummed a little toon and Maddox was so content and comfortable in his big brother's arms.

Mason has been making up songs throughout the day about what we are doing. It is like living in a musical. The funny thing is that they usually rhyme, and have a good beat. It is pretty funny.

MADDOX

Maddox is getting cuter everyday. Tonight Mason said Maddox was just the cutest and wishes he would stay a baby forever because he is so little and cute. I told Mason he was pretty cute to and he told me "Well, I'm not the cutest person in this house. Maddox is. I'm cute, but not the cutest!"

Maddox is in the stage where he will reach for us now, and we all just love it. He even reached for Nana over the 4th as we left to give her a "luv".

Sometimes it looks like he is trying to give those open mouth baby kisses too. And when I lay down with him (during those desperate moments when I need a few minutes of sleep), he'll flip to his side and grab my face with his hands and snuggle up his little head to my head. so sweet.

Maddox has very ticklish shoulders and is into hanging upside down over my leg. He'll just lie there with this flat expression on his face until you say something to him. He needs to know what is going on at all times as well. It is getting in the way with eating though. He is a curious child.

Well, off to bed. It's nice having a few moments with both children in bed sleeping and the house silent. Maddox is turning into a very loud baby. Mason's way of coping with it is to yell out noises that are louder than Maddox and cover his (mason's) ears. We are going to work on a way for Mason to have some alone, quiet time in his room to get a break from the noise.

WELCOME BACK!!

2008-07-13T22:32:00.002-06:00

That looked like a FABULOUS vacation!! How wonderful for everyone to be together like that!!!
Was it hard to come home? I can't believe all the fun things you accomplished on your vacation!! Everyone looked so happy and relaxed in the pictures.