Halloween 2010

I was worried this year that the kids might not want to carve pumpkins anymore - since they think they are so grown up.  But all three were ready to go & had some fun ideas for how they wanted to carve their pumpkins.  When it came time to clean them out, they were all laughing & squishing the "guts" between their fingers.  Lauryn was the only one who was a little reserved about it!  But then we cleaned the seeds & made home made pumpkin seeds (that I can't keep my hands out of!).  

 We also enjoyed a few Halloween parties this year.  Jim & I had a couple adult parties we attended & the kids all had their parties at school.  Then they also made plans to hang out with friends while trick-or-treating.  I was surprised to still see Lauryn out there, collecting candy.  I had told her if she stayed home with me & helped me pass out candy, she could eat anything she wanted out of the bowl.  But she informed me it was not about the candy anymore, it's about running around the neighborhood with friends.  Here we are in our costumes...

At the end of the night, Zach took off his costume, put on fake blood, & went & sat out on the front porch to pass out candy to any of the kids who dared come up to our door.  He had been looking forward to doing this all night long.  That kid makes me laugh! 

Denver Marathon

I just had a wonderful time running the Denver Marathon with my sister-in-law, Kathi!  So down with marathon #9!  We had such a good time.  Jim & Lauryn came down early & cheered us on.  I also had one of my good friends (from back here in MN) that was out on the course to cheer us on.  Then around mile 15, the whole family came out.  There was nothing better than seeing the family, having them hand me a cup of beer, ringing the cow-bell, & running with us.  Along with the marathon, we spent some time in Breckenridge, where we were able to relax, shop, & enjoy Colorado!

Drinking our glass of beer at mile 15 

 My favorite picture, where the kids came out & ran part of the course with us:

Kathi, Jake, Susanne, Lauryn, Me, Zach, Sean, Jack

 At the finish with Kathi & James (our friend from MN who ran too)

Kathi, Jim, Lauryn, & I



Pumpkin Patch

Last Friday my kids did not have school, so we decided it was a great day to go to the Pumpkin Patch.  It was nice because Jim ended up meeting us there.  I just had to post this picture because I don't think there has ever been one year where we went to the pumpkin patch & the kids were all wearing shorts!  AND...  We were all still hot!   

It was fun to carry out our tradition of the wagon ride, running through the maze looking for the "golden nugget", and picking out the perfect pumpkins.  This is my favorite time of year, with all our traditions & the holidays just around the corner. 

Twin Cities Marathon 2010

This past Sunday, Jim ran the Twin Cities 10 mile race & I completed marathon #8!  Jim did great, accomplishing his goal of running 10 minute miles.  I had the honor of running with dear friends and all three of us finishing together.  The best part of all, I got to be there when my girl friend accomplished her PR.  I was lucky enough to run her first marathon with her, and then be there with her again on Sunday when she finished 8 minutes faster than her overall best.  We had a fun training season and an amazing experience together on Sunday.  Now I am off in less than 2 weeks to run marathon #9 in CO.  I hope I am fully recovered by then!

Jim at mile 2...  Looking good!

Mile 17 - Todd, Carol, & I stop for PB&J

Running in to the finish & pushing for that goal.

Jim & I - my biggest fan!

Friends - Cindy, Jenny, Me, Todd, Carol, & Pam

60th Birthday

This past weekend we had a surprise 60th birthday party for my Dad.  It was a great party including many family & friends!  It was fun to see my Dad so surprised once he walked in the door & realized everyone was there for him. 

All through my childhood, one of my fondest memories of my Dad is him playing in the band.  All through growing up I would dance in the basement while the band rocked away practicing.  My Dad is very passionate about music and loves playing the drums.  He had been in a band since my Mom & Dad first met - in high school!  So, for my Dad's 60th birthday party, my Mom hired a band that let my Dad play a few sets.  It sure was fun to see him in his element & having such a good time!  He did a great job of getting all our family & friends out on the dance floor.  The grandkids were in heaven!  Many of them have never even heard him play.  A couple of my Dad's old band mates were there as well, so they had a good time re-connecting & making music again.  It was a pretty fun night!

My Mom & Dad

Canning

Last weekend I went to St. Cloud to learn how to can salsa.  My sister has been doing it for a year or two now & I have been dying to learn so I could have my own jars all year round.  We had such a good time!  We spent the whole night chatting and laughing.  We stayed up Friday night until after 1:00 AM & then started back at it Saturday morning by 8:00.  All together we canned 61 jars!  We had such a good time, we decided to make it a tradition every fall.  I can't wait until next year!  Until then, the kids & I have been busy enjoying chips & salsa.   

Blanching the tomatoes is the worst part (& most time consuming)!

Even Little Nora wanted to help us out

Pat was so awesome...  He did the worst part of cutting up the jalapeno peppers...  Definitely need to wear gloves for that one!

61 jars of yummy-ness

Notre Dame 2010

Notre Dame is full of traditions, so it is only fair that we have our Notre Dame traditions too.  Two years ago, Zach got to go to South Bend with Jim and so this year it was Lauryn's turn.  Jim & Lauryn, along with friends, Todd & Ceci, enjoyed a long weekend in South Bend & Chicago.  Friday they enjoyed walking campus and attending the pep rally.  Saturday they went to the painting of the helmets (another ND tradition).  Usually the painting of the helmets is not done publically, so they were lucky to attend during a weekend where they were doing it in front of the crowd.  They also went to see the football team do their traditional walk from mass to the game.  Then the game...  Unfortunately Notre Dame lost to Michigan in the last few minutes of the game.  Regardless, it was an amazing experience and father/daughter time!  On Sunday, they headed back to Chicago & before their flight left in the evening, they stopped at the bean & made it to a White Sox baseball game.  Although me & the boys were happy when they got home, Lauryn said she wished she could have stayed longer.  She truly loves Notre Dame & has high hopes of attending school there one day! 

Are You Ready For Some Football????

Football season has begun for the boys! Zach is playing heavy weight tackle football. In the past years, Zach has been red-striped, meaning he could not carry or advance the ball. Well this is the first year where they separate the "heavy weights" from the "light weights". So now he can carry the ball & he is LOVING it! His first game he scored his first 2 points ever from a conversion. Then his second game he got to play in the Metrodome (or Mall of America Dome... sorry, it will always be the "Metrodome" to me!). And Zach scored his first touchdown! Then he also got another 2 point conversion as well. He's sure having a blast!

At the Metrodome

Right after his 1st touchdown

And this is how Sean (& friends) prefer to watch the game...

Sean is also playing flag football this season. What a difference from last year! Last year it seemed that he would just run around & try to look busy. This year he gets it & is understanding the plays. I am sure it helps that now his & Zach's favorite thing to do is watch football games on TV together. But Sean had his first game of the season yesterday & scored his first touchdown too! He ran it 40yards! He was very pleased with himself (& loved following in Zach's footsteps).

Little Seaners...

There he goes...

After the touchdown, Sean's famous words, "Y.E.S!"

First Day of School 2010

I have to say, this is the first school year where I have been sad to see my kids off to school! I don't know if the years are going by faster & faster... but that was the shortest summer we have ever had! I felt like I was not ready for school to start and would have truly enjoyed a couple more weeks with the kids at home. They are just at such great ages and they are so self-efficient. But, they were excited to see their friends again and so I guess it was time.

Lauryn is a big 7th grader this year... Junior High! She just looked so grown up yesterday morning with her khaki pants & belt (7th & 8th grade get to wear khaki's instead of the navy blue they are all so sick of). I still remember when I started junior high... Boy, did I think I was grown up! Zach is in 5th grade this year & Sean is in 2nd grade. I say it every year, but time just flies by so fast.

So after I was finished taking all the kids pictures, Jim wanted to know why I never take one of him on the "first day of school"? So, had to post his first day too!

Another Seanism...

See a couple blogs below...

Sean had another good comment the other day. Him & his friend were talking & his friend asks him, "Sean, what do you want to be when you grow up?" To which Sean replies, "Well, I want to be a Marine... I think... I haven't quite decided that yet. But I do know I want to be a professional football player!" So his friend replies, "Oh, I want to be a professional baseball player." Sean says, "I like football better. But... I do know that I want to be a billionaire! It would be a W.O.N.D.E.R.F.U.L life!" (don't we all?)

Minneapolis Duathlon

Jim & I participated in another hard race... The Minneapolis Duathlon. Okay, since I am in training for two marathons coming up, I did NO biking what-so-ever to prepare myself for this. And let me tell you, it was HARD! So we started off by running 3 miles, then biking 18 miles, then back to running another 3 miles. I could not believe how hard it is when you get off a bike after 18 miles & have to move your legs to run. I used to tease Jim during his triathlons that I didn't understand why he would be walking at the start of his run. Well, now I get it! It takes awhile to get your legs back in to the swing of running. Needless to say, it was a good time and we enjoyed spending time with our friends again!

Here's our group... We had to be there by 7:30 to have our bikes set up in transition area, but then some of our waves were not set to go off until 9:30. Even though we jumped in to an earlier wave time, we had a lot of down time before the race started!

At the finish... Cindy, Jim, Me, Jen, James, Carol, & Todd

Muddy Buddy

Jim & I, along with some friends, had a great time racing in the Muddy Buddy. Although it was SUPER fun, it was one of the hardest races I have ever done. Lets just say the WHOLE thing is up hill at Afton Alps Ski Area. So the race works like this... You have a partner (Jim & I were team Mud Wiser). One partner (Jim) starts by biking, while the other partner (I) start by running. You both race until you come to the first obstacle. Jim obviously beat me there, he did the obstacle, & then left the bike & started running. Once I run up to the obstacle, I do it as well, then jump on the bike & off to the next obstacle. So we keep leap frogging each other the whole race. Well, even when it was your turn to bike, the hills were so steep, you couldn't bike. I ended up pushing my bike up the hill. Then for the short while that I had a steep down hill, I wiped out on my bike and it freaked me out. So I ended up pretty much walking down the hills as well. I guess I have no sense of adventure in my bones because others were just flying by me! Then for the last obstacle, you wait for your partner and together, crawl through the mud pit. It was FUN!!!The group before hand (Vettels, Us, Postons)
The mud pit


Jim & I at the finish

The messy group afterward

Seanisms...

Sean! This kid comes up with some of the funniest things! We have titled his comments as "Seanisms" in our house. We sure appreciate the good laughs. So, wanted to share a few...

*"Man, I L.O.V.E. the smell of waffles in the morning!" (when it is after noon)

*On a road trip, the boys are fighting & fighting. I finally tell them I have heard enough. At this point Sean starts crying & saying how he wishes he had never been born and how Zach has ruined his life. So I respond by telling him how sad that makes me feel because we have worked so hard to give him an amazing life and that we love him & Zach so much. And how important family is... So he replies with, "Well..., I'm just so sick & tired of people treating me like I am a Little Man!" What do you even say to that??? :)

*So I have been trying so hard to not have Sean eat PB&J for lunch during the summer since he eats it EVERY single day of the school year. So finally one day we needed to pack up lunches & I made PB&J. While Sean is devouring this sandwich he says, "I love peanut butter & jelly sandwiches... This is just heavenly!"

*We have some family friends that also enjoy "seanisms" and one day the Dad says to Sean that he needs to talk with him so that he can share it with his family and they can talk about it while sitting around the table that night. To which Sean replies, "That is just precious!"

We just love this "Little Man"!

Lauryn's photos

I tell you... I don't know when this girl grew up? I think I woke up one day & she was a little adult! We finally got her 12 year pictures taken, and I can't believe how grown up she looks. I have had so many people ask me what happened to her baby years? There must be something magical about 12 for girls! Anyway, wanted to share our top pick of pictures...

Wicked

Our family had an amazing night together, eating dinner downtown and then seeing the show Wicked. Lauryn & I had already seen it, but when we heard it was coming to town again, we encouraged the boys to see it too! Jim said it was the best play he has ever seen??? The boys both loved it too, despite the fact that they probably don't even realize how it ties in with the Wizard of Oz. If you haven't seen it... Highly recommended!!!

The kids: Sean, Zach, & Lauryn

14th Anniversary

14 years ago today, I married the man of dreams. I am so lucky that still today he is the man of my dreams & my very best friend! It's amazing all that we have experienced together in 14 years. I look forward to all the years we still have ahead of us...

Jim & I had a fun day today together, celebrating our Anniversary. First we went to the gym & worked out. Then I got to plan something fun for the day & Jim got to plan something fun for the day. So for my plans... I lined up a couples massage. It was wonderful! For those of you that like DEEP tissue (there's no falling asleep during this type of massage)... You have to go to Massage Retreat in Plymouth & see either Nacole or Tracy. There were moments I wanted to jump off the table, but once it was done, my muscles felt wonderful! It was well needed with all the running & strain I put on my legs.

After our massages, we went to lunch at Toby Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill in St. Louis Park. Another great recommendation! We had a good time. The bar is really cool!

So then after lunch it was Jim's turn to plan something & he took me to the shooting range. Today I shot a gun for the first time. I shot a .38 special & a glock. I was so nervous! I have to say that although I am super glad I tried it, I don't think it's all for me. Jim thinks I just need to get more comfortable with it, but that only sounds like he plans to take me out to shoot more??? We'll see?

After our massages, lunch, & shooting..., we came home to swim, eat dinner, & head out to Sean's soccer game. It was a wonderful Anniversary!

(Our annual Anniversary picture)