Gratidute - Day 4 & 5

Day 4/Tuesday - I am grateful for a certain someone who sought out Mark to order a large quantity of coffee beans. Caribou has contests and bonuses for managers based on sales numbers. The sale of the Reindeer Blend was a nice shot in the arm for his numbers. I am grateful for how clean the downstairs and bathroom were when I got home from work. I am grateful for the wonderful Willow Tree nativity set Chris just gave me as a pre-holiday gift (and the kids can't break it!) I am thankful Mark put in on display for us.

Day 5/Wednesday - I am grateful I went and ran my Thanksgiving errands last night after the kids went to bed. I am grateful there is a delicious pre-made, ready to heat meal in my fridge for supper. I am grateful for the anticipation and excitement I feel for the Thanksgiving festivities and travels we are engaging in Thursday. We are headed to Hector to Mike and Laura's for a delicious meal.

Daddy + Haircut = Dissappointed Mommy

I am grateful Mark took Dean to get his hair cut yesterday. Unfortunately, there is a BUT... so this makes the THANKS void.

Mark called me on the way to Kidz Hair for Dean's 3rd professional cut (with lots of Mommy trims between.) I really like/prefer Dean's hair grown mostly one length on top with the back and sides tapered neat and short. Mark said, "Should I tell the lady to take off a 1/2 inch?" This seemed reasonable to me while sitting at my desk with no visual cues, and my response was simply, ".....umm... Sure." I did not give Mark any further explanation of what I hoped for.

When I arrived home from work, I was met at the door with a very short haired little boy. He now has a haircut that reads, "My mommy and daddy don't want to have to bring me back and pay for another cut for a loonggg time, so I have the practical crew cut!"

I won't lie. I am really disappointed. I know, I know...it is silly. I remind myself, it is only hair. It will grow. I will also assure you I in no way blame Mark for Dean's hair.

Pizza Party Shout Out

To those who know my Dad... We hope to see you at the Annual Pizza Party this Saturday! Many friends and family received a snail mail invitation some time back from my Dad, but inevitably... someone gets forgotten. (Tracy - married lady...are you out there? I bet you didn't get an invite!)

History of the Pizza Party - The Melberg Pizza Party inauguaral event took place when I was in the 8th?? grade. My cousins' Jared, Michelle, and Jason were in college at Fargo/Moorhead. My mom thought we needed a non-turkey gathering so we could see those 3 (and Michelle's then boyfriend/now husband) Chad... thus began the Pizza Party. It was pretty simple - pizza picked up in Hutch, maybe a leftover salad from Thanksgiving, pop, and paper plates.

As years went by, the Toren clan joined in, and any neighbors and friends too. After my mom died, this was an event my Dad felt he could/should still host and handle. The event moved the the cities when our house in the country was eventually sold... so here we are in 2008 with another pizza party just days away. The pizza party is an event I am thankful for. It has evolved with our changing lives.

You know, this may be the 20th annual. I was in the 8th grade in 1988...???

Anyway, I know I will see many of my blog readers (is that maybe 8 people if I am lucky! - j/k) and I am looking forward to it. For those of you who are traveling elsewhere for the holiday, I wish you a safe journey and return. If you want to attend, but need more details, just give me a holler.

Gratidute - Day 2 & 3

Since buying into the concept of a 'Gratitude Groove' on Saturday, I am going to attempt to express gratitude or thanks every day, as a follow up to yesterday's post. Although I will not post daily, I will express thanks from each passing day in some manner (hence the various tenses, as I may record and save until a later date - bear with me). With Thanksgiving on Thursday and Christmas around the corner, 'tis the season! Surely there are times when the holiday's become overwhelming for each of us. I feel this excercise will help me stay in tune with the true meaning of the season. If you should like to join my excercise, feel free to post comments or e mail me thoughts you may with to share.

Stay tuned for the next 38 days! You may also see my thanks in bold/italics when woven into upcoming posts.

Sunday/Day 2- I am grateful for our church and worship. I am grateful for the $1.59 gas at Costco. I am grateful for my Twinners and husband and how fun they make a Sunday trip to Costco. I am grateful for Marly and Dean's personalities and enjoy watching them express themselves so differently in public.

Monday/Day 3 - I forgot my usual lunch including a baby spinach salad with my own vinaigrette and a hard boiled egg on the counter at home. I am grateful Jodi from the Publications Department invited me to a vendor meeting, and the group went out to lunch afterward. The Ahi tuna I ordered was a treat I can't get at home and fit my desire for something healthy too. I am grateful to be heading to my Dad's straight from work where I will be meeting Mark, Marly and Dean then going out for a bite to eat. I am grateful for my best friend Gretchen. I exchanged an e mail, then a phone call from her in the midst of my work afternoon.

Gratitude Groove

Saturday morning I left my house bright and early at 8 AM. I was headed toward Eden Prairie to take part in the Community Ed Cookie Bake with Rachel and two friends. This is the third or fourth year I have attended. As I was driving, I was listening to my usual women's talk radio station - FM 107. The topic was about getting into a 'Gratitude Groove' with a teammate/girlfriend and expressing gratitude EVERY SINGLE DAY for 40 days. The 40 days correlates to the idea that it take 40 days to change or form a habit.

I arrived in EP and followed my map quest direction to the same school the event is hosted at yearly. Somehow, I could not find where I needed to be. I ended up in an empty middle school parking lot at a locked door. I attempted to call Rachel on my cell phone. This was futile. My cell phone is on the blitz. I can hear the person on the other end, but they can't hear a word I say. I head back up the road to find a gas station and happen upon a small BP on Mitchell Road. There is actually a pay phone outside. I try to operate the system, but keep dropping and losing my coins in the snow. I can't figure out if I need to dial then drop coins or vice versa. I feel stupid I can't operate a pay phone in the cell phone world. I am about to be late and my anxiety level is on the rise.

I go inside the small store and a very kind looking man comes out from the back. I am grasping my cell phone and directions and fumble to explain my dilemma. Please can I use his phone? Yes! He gives me the phone and politely stands to the side as I call Rachel. While I am talking and scribbling directions, he silently put a fresh coffee in front of me. When I get off the phone, he proceeds to get out a map, and highlights where I need to go. I am overwhelmed by his kindness and desire to truly help me.

I was only a few minutes late to the correct entrance of the middle school (along a different street) and cookie bake went off with out a hitch. When I was done, I stopped back at the gas station and brought him some cookies.

I am grateful for the kindness of this stranger. These types of things happen less and less often. As a society, we also seek out help from strangers less and less often. Instead, we rely on technology to get us out of a fix or bind. I believe in kindness to strangers (and friends and family) and hope Marly and Dean will see this trait lived out in my actions. I hope I can instill in them the same goodness to others as was demenstrated to me on Saturday morning.

So today, in the blogger world... perhaps this is day ONE of expressing some gratitude. We will see...

My Little Miss Marly

As a blogging twin mommy, I actually feel guilty when a post is centered just one of the Twinners, which is completely ridiculous - and I am getting over it RIGHT NOW. I love them both equally, but they are two seperate human beings.

Mark took these photos of Marly recently, and they are just irresistible. Cousin Laura Melberg knit the lovely boiled wool hat. Isn't it just darling! Dean has a blue one, but he wouldn't cooperate when the camera turned his way. True to form, Marly was at home, so she had a few smiles to share. People comment Marly looks like me as a child (I honostly don't know). I do know she has her daddy's big brown eyes.

Also, if I could rewind for just one hour to an age where it was cool to wear a shirt called a onsie that snaps between your legs...Marly and Dean's days in onsie's have nearly drawn to a close.

Fly in friends!

Lucky for the St. Paulie Gal Pals, our friends Dawn and Derek were travelling from Dawn's home in Colorado back to their own home in Massachusetts and had a long lay over in Minneapolis this past Sunday. Dawn took up residence in MN post college. Somewhere along the journey, Dawn entered a circle of gal pal friends, starting with me. Derek came into the picture numerous years back, and joined her in MN briefly before they married. Then Derek whisked our dear friend off to California to complete seminary, then to Germany to intern, and then our Lutheran pastor friend took a church on the East Coast. WHAT!!! You two decided not to return to MN, the epicenter of the Lutheran's in America!!! Too cold for you???

Well, at least we got the pleasure of a quick fly through visit this past weekend. Jess shuttled them to and from the airport. We met for brunch at Bonfires on Grand Avenue, our old stomping ground. There were plenty of babies to hold and toddlers to run after (niether of which existed when they left). The crew was either a great motivator for Dawn and Derek to start a family, or the best method of birth control. I am not sure which...

Dawn is the tall one near the back.

Only two of the six children present are pictured.

NOT PICTURED - all of the men in attendance.

Katelyn & Kalvin's Birthday Party

Saturday afternoon I loaded the Twinners into the Pacifica and we headed in the general direction of home (A.K.A Renville County, Hector, the Farm, etc.). Just after Brownton, we hung a right at the four-way on Hwy 212, and a few miles later we pulled into Koenig Park. We were attending Katelyn and Kalvin's joint b-day party at their home.

K & K are the children of my dearest childhood friend - Cindy K. We all had a fun time. Look at all the kids!

Once in a blue moon I get to see Cindy's sisters, Lori and Jenny, and the rest of her family, which is fun for me. On the car ride home through the dark countryside, my brain washed over long ago memories of Disco Mickey Mouse in their living room, Lori getting sick from pizza (or the cheese), the playhouse, Debbie's baked goods, the pond Chip flooded outside their house one year to skate on, their two tone Suburban, bike rides, cats, sleep overs, Cindy's room in the basement, and so on.

While I took a trip down memory lane, Marly and Dean giggled and babbled for about 15 miles, then drifted off to sleep... (they had Capri Sun juice boxes for the first time. What a treat! Not even the sugar could keep the tired Twinners awake after all the party excitement!)

Kalvin is right in the middle in red - Katelyn is to the left of him & Marly.

Family Photo Fun

Last week we had family photos taken at Victoria's Gallery. I picked this studio in Hastings because I had met one of the photographers from the Gallery at a Gillette event I attended. Nick had helped plan a lovely wine tasting fundraiser, and had a great personality I suspected our family would enjoy.

We had fun at the shoot and Nick just sent me this sampling of photos to share on the blog!

Dean acted like he was the GAP baby. Marly stayed true to form and choose to save most of her smiles for at home. This was not unexpected by Mark and me.

We are delighted with the images Nick and Victoria captured on film.



Click on the photo and it will enlarge on your screen!

The boot hoopla!

There is just a bit of snow on the ground this morning in Blaine. I suspect Marly & Dean will be outside with Nanny Auntie Kelly to check out the white stuff. They have coats, they have mittens, they have hats, and they have snow boots.

Finding snow boots was actually more of a challenge then I anticipated. I wanted PLAIN, sturdy, warm boots. I did not want them to light up. I did not want them to have princesses or hearts or soccer balls or spider man on them. Is a plain jane children's product too much to ask for in this retail driven mass marketed world we live in?

Saturday Mark and I went to Kohl's (I had a coupon). We went to JCPenny (I had a coupon). No snow boot luck. The more we looked, the more we got ticked off by the crowds, the lack of choices, and the lack of costumer service. The truth is, I don't even want more choices. I just wanted to see one good option amongst the sea of branded kiddy stuff. Deep down, I knew I would NOT find this at a big box retailor. Deep down, I know this is why I shop at smaller stores which specialize in a given area.

Monday I went back to the mall and went to Stride Rite. I purchased Marly nice simple pink boots. I purchased Dean nice simple navy blue boots. No coupons, but at least they have a 10% Twins discount. (Although I appreciate the twin's dicount, how am I any different then someone with two kids who need shoes??? hmm...I degress...)

Next year I will be buying their snow boots online at Land's End and avoid the mall all together. Two mom's did alerted me to this fine option before I even started my boot quest. Should have went their FIRST and LAST.

Oh to be Marly & Dean! They don't have to do the shopping, but they were interested in the purchase. Monday night they stomped about testing out their new PLAIN footwear. Then each took theirs off and insisted on wearing the other's for a while.

I do feel slightly redeemed in my wasted time spent boot shopping. I was able to share my experience with my friend Molly (whose son is the same age as Marly and Dean). She has a brand new baby besides, so I bet she is online today shopping Land's End from the comfort of her home for Charlie, and ordering two sizes larger then his shoe size for correct winter fit!

Shoot... they do still need snow pants. NO stuff embroidered on them PLEASE! Well, almost there!

Overall weekend update....

Friday evening I attended an event for work at a small private school hosting a waffle supper and silent auction. Several kids from the school come to Gillette, thus we were being granted some of the funds. Much to my delight, there was a gift certificate on the silent auction for a sitting with the photographer who shot Mark and my wedding - Dietrich Gesk. SCORE for the Thomberg's. I won the item for a very good deal. We just got family photos taken last week at a wonderful studio (also a Gillette fundraising connection), so we will be saving the sitting until next year. The best part is we get the CD after the shoot to print as we like.

Saturday I brought the kids to Rachel's for an overnight. She took them to the Macy's auditorium display. Mark and I had a great evening out with the Lyon's. We ate at the Talk Town Diner in Mpls and had drinks at the View and Figlio's afterward in Uptown. The lights turned on Figlio's at 1:30 am and the parental group could not believe we were out so late. Photo was taken at the View, as we enjoyed espresso martinis.

Hope you all had a nice weekend too. Stay warm!

Weekend Pass

Tomorrow around 10 AM I am dropping off the twinners with Auntie Rachel... and we won't get them back until Sunday morning. Wow! What a deal! Mark and I aren't quite sure what to do with ourselves. We can sleep when we want. We are going to dinner with friends. It will be a nice time for sure.

Thank you Auntie Rachel. Rumor has it the kiddos are going to the zoo and will be meeting new friends too!

Halloween 2008

This Halloween we went to Grandpa David's and Nana Chris's for pizza & trick or treating. Brett and Rachel joined the fun. Obviously both kids loved the candy! I swear, they had a good time and were full of smiles... but not for the camera. We should have taken the pictures FIRST, and then given them their candy. Their only concern once they tasted the sugary treat was getting MORE in their mouth. Notice they have candy in their hand & mouth in every single photo.

Before we left for my dad's, we saw the neighbor girls in costume and collected candy from a few folks who were home.

Where's mom's princess costume?

We were blessed with beautiful MN fall weather. It was a perfect Friday.


Jammies and more candy later in the evening at Grandpa's.
Dean got scared of some the costumes on the trick or treaters that stopped by. Of course they fell sound asleep on the car ride home.

I Voted

Hope everyone will get out to vote today! Mark just called me giddy with voter adrenalin coursing through his veins. He exclaimed, "Honey!!! I have been kissed by Liberty!!!!"

What - "Kissed by Liberty!!??" Seriously, the man gets a high off of performing his civic duties. Mark and I will be glued to the TV with a big bowl of air popped popcorn tonight!

I should have cruised by Starbucks on my way in to get my free coffee with my "I Voted" sticker. Too bad we don't have a Ben & Jerry's near us. You can bet Mark and I would be indulging on our free scoop!