Easter Fun

Mark was out of town this past weekend visiting a friend, so the babes and I were on our own for Easter. Here is a recap of the day's activities.

We had a lovely trip HOME for Easter. (Someday I will post a blog about my definition of HOME, but not today). Dean made sure to wake me bright and early on Easter morning. With no need for an alarm, I was busy dressing and doing my hair at 6 AM. I had loaded the car and carefully layed out all of our clothes the night before. At 6:30 I began dressing the kids, and we were on the road just before 7 AM to pick up my Dad and head to Hector. (Of course there was a quick stop at the Caribou drive thru). We were early to church in Hector. My dear Aunt Toot's was arriving at the same time. She kindly shuttled a bare legged, Easter dress clad Marly inside for me. Meanwhile, Dad and I gathered up Dean and the necessary stuff to keep them occupied in church. Thanks to the help of Kris, Marissa, Toots, Barb and Charlie, and Dad, both Marly and Dean were pretty quite in church. Okay... Marly was quite, Dean was a squirmy wormy. What a blessing family is! To my family, I THANK YOU for your help.

Next we were on to dinner at Aunt Jan's and Uncle Sheldon's. Everything was delicious, but I will tell you the best part is the the gift of time with family. Because the ride out and church was generally uneventfull, surely blunders would follow. First, Dean kicked a wine glass on the counter top, setting it sailing on a crash course. Sorry Aunt Jan! Next, my kids could be defined as "good eaters" at dinner. What this really means is they got food all over the floor. Sorry Aunt Jan! The last debacle was all Mommy's fault. Everyone and everything was safely loaded into the car around 3:30 PM to head back to the cities. I began to back out the Pacifica. I THINK I am backing onto/toward the road... but NO... I am backing over a shrub, onto the lawn, and into the snow. I need to be pushed out by several men. YES, I am a bad driver! Sorry Jan and Sheldon... Will you please still invite me back (even though I also didn't even offer to bring something)! THANK YOU Jan and Sheldon for a wonderful Easter gathering. THANK YOU to everyone who helped to take care of Marly and Dean.

We all arrived home safely and without further incidents, and Mark arrived a short time later. You would think Marly and Dean would have been at the end of their ropes by this time, being up early and generally lacking good naps. I am THANKFUL for their good natures. Mark walked in the door and they smiled with delight. I am THANKFUL Mark is such a good daddy.

All around, we clearly had a very enjoyable Easter. I hope all of you had an wonderful Easter too. I admit, I neglected to take a single photo. I did notice Laura snapping away when I got the car stuck at Jan's! I will be staging a photo "redo" with the kids next Sunday when they wear their Easter attire again.

Easter, Lilies, and Memories

scroll to the bottom of this post for spring photos of Marly & Dean!

When I returned from my work trip to Orlando, an Easter Lily awaited my arrival. The wonderful and penetrating scent of each new bloom brings a flood of memories of my mom. She use to take care of the alter flowers at our small country church. At Easter, the two lilies for the alter stayed at our house until Easter morning because the church was too cold during the week. One Easter, not a single lily bloom was open the day before Easter. Mom heated the entry way with space heaters and turned on a humidifier in an attempt to coax them open. I recall her anxiety and stress in having chosen two plants which were not yet ready to blossom. I do NOT remember if she found success in her attempt to force them.

The lilies are just the beginning of my memories this season. I remember the beautiful dresses in delightful spring colors my mom made for me each Easter (and every season actually). Now that I understand the art of sewing as an adult, I realize she must have spent MANY, MANY hours on each dress (each of which had YARDS of ruffles).

I also remember we had an Easter Egg tree every year. It was a branch cut from outside and forced to leaf out in a big coffee can of sand with water. It was decorated in real egg shells which were embellished with fabric and ribbon.... I still have those eggs!

I am looking forward to this Easter and the renewal of life. Funny, I also remember the Lutheran Brotherhood Easter pop-up, paper displays which were distributed to kids and showed Jesus standing by the tomb with the stone rolled away. Any other Lutheran's out there remember those???

Happy Easter from the Thombergs!

Marly & Dean at Como Park Conservatory.

Ga Ga for the Osmonds!

I have just returned from my work event - the Children's Miracle Network Celebration. At Celebration, CMN hospitals from across the US, Canada, UK and Ireland gather to honor our fundraising sponsors at Disney World in Orlando. Also, one special child from a hospital in each state (Canadian provinces, etc) comes to represent Children's Miracle Network as a Champion. Marie Osmond and John Schnieder are the founders.... so on Friday, the Osmond family performed and the ENTIRE family got on stage for our gala event. We were also live on Good Morning America that day. I was like a giddy school girl to see the Osmonds. Seriously, my manger (who was attending like her 16th Celebration), was probably most entertained watching ME unable to contain my excitement for the hoopla! I remember my mom LOVED Donny and Marie, and we went to see Donny when he was in "Joseph". She use to say, "Those Osmonds are such good people!"

Besides going ga ga over the Osmonds, of course I was moved by each Champion child and the extreme medical circumstances these children encounter. Our chosen child for Gillette & MN was 9 year old Nick Nelson. He has been featured on KARE several times, as well as NBC nightly news, and the Today show. He choose to have one of his legs amputated due to a very rare medical condition he has had since birth. The expression on his face was amazing as he RAN onto the stage to accept his medal from Miss America. On Friday morning he asked if I could come with him to Disney. Of course I told him I would love to join his family, but I had meetings to attend!

Anyway, I was probably most happy to return home (even though the weather was wonderful in FL). On Sunday, I simply could not give my very healthy Marly & Dean enough kisses and hugs. I am tearing up now just imagining what the Champion children I met endure, as well as their families. They are a true inspiration, as are all the children I am honored to work with at Gillette.

Wishing each of you many blessings, and your children too!

Snaps of Marly & Dean

Hello all - I am off to Disney World for the Children's Miracle Network Celebration tomorrow. Before I left, I thought I would post two recent snap shots of Marly and Dean hanging around the house.

What to blog? Simple thanks...

Now that I have a blog... What do I write? How often do I write? Does anyone care? Time will tell.

I can tell you my blog will NOT be all about my children (although I love them dearly). It is an opportunity to share about myself and my thoughts in general. This fine Monday I thought I would GIVE THANKS for three small, minor, and mostly material things in my life this past week.

I work in fundraising. I devote a lot of time and energy giving thanks in a variety of ways to my sponsors. It is critical to find ways to give thanks that will properly honor and motivate my sponsors. It is also an enjoyable job when I hit the mark. In my personal life, it is also important to GIVE THANKS. I suspect that is going to be a common and ongoing theme in what I post.

Again... I will tell you today I am being simple minded in my thanks, because they are VERY self centered.

I am THANKFUL for the salon gift card Rachel got me for Christmas! I have not gotten my hair cut professionally since before Thanksgiving. Is that actually possible for someone who is very critical of her own hair and is utterly devoted to a curling iron (even though the '80's are LONG gone!)??? I got my haircut last Thursday. The stylist at the Aveda salon was very curious about my hair as she cut. She began to question what scissors and tools I had at home since I confessed I hadn't had a professional cut in months. It is true, I have been busy cutting away in my own bathroom. The clogged sink proves it. She asked me NOT to tell others where they could buy the scissors to thin out the hair. The gift card also purchased the custom color conditioner and shampoo I love to keep my red locks bright!

I am THANKFUL for my trip to Cub Foods yesterday. Marly and Dean were strapped into the cart that holds TWO small kids in front and enjoying their ride about the store. A grandmotherly lady came up and said my children were adorable. She started to move on, then turned around and commented that I was adorable too! Sometimes when we are out as Mommy's, we seem to lose ourselves to our fine children. My thanks to this lady for seeing me too and taking a moment to make me feel good. It takes so little time and just a few words to make someone else's day bright!

I am THANKFUL for coffee. I love coffee. I have loved coffee since I was a small child and my grandpa use to tell me it would stunt my growth. I have received several fine Caribou Coffee gift cards recently. A coffee purchased at the drive thru with a gift card on the way to work really is an indulgence that makes my morning. My sponsors for work (when I am at events honoring them) always comment on my perky persona. I usually have coffee near me when I receive the comment. I always alert them I drink mostly decaf.

Anyway, I promise next time my thanks will be for more profound things! After todays post, you may never check back again....

First Birthday Fun!

CAKE!

Reflecting back one year...infant Marly and Dean, wearing their "under 7 lbs" size sleepers.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARLY AND DEAN!

Marly and Dean celebrated their first birthday on February 27th. It is a crazy thought to think back a year and of their delivery at Mercy Hospital. Last Wednesday, I took time to reflect on their birth, our arrival at the hospital, how BIG I truly was, our first visitors, the snowstorm that hit, and our arrival home. I think back to how blessed I was with GREAT in home helpers for three weeks...

The year has gone quickly. They have moved beyond sharing one crib and now enjoy "peek a boo" with each other. Dean is taking just a few steps. Marly cheers him on! They have been very easy going, good natured babies who are quickly growing into toddlers! We are blessed indeed.

Hello from Andrea!

Hi all - I truly enjoy my friend's blogs, so I thought it was time I create my own. I admit I am probably doing it mostly for my own enjoyment. I hope it is a good way to catalog and document my life and the life of Mark, Marly and Dean.... since there is no hope of me scrapbooking!

"Thomberg" is what many of our friends started calling Mark and I before we got married. Of course it is a combination of both of our last names. We toyed with, and seriously considered making this our last name when we got married. When we went to get our marriage liscense, we chickened out!