Memorial Day 2012

We had a wonderful, long holiday weekend. Sunday morning we got up, excited to be heading to Brett and Rachel's on Lake Pierson. I remember as a child being giddy on Sunday's and oh so ready to head to Kandi to Donald and Lou's cabin and all the cousin's. I remember how impatient Brett and I could be, waiting to GO! (Let's GO MOM!!!)

 I was giddy this Sunday,  but I was playing the adult role of "mom". This means I ran to the grocery store at 8 am, made a pasta salad, whipped up a pan of rice crispy bars, packed every one's overnight bag and beach ware, and loaded the car. While I was doing the prep work, Marly and Dean were checking in regularly wondering how long before we were GOING!. Ahhh yes... I remember that.

We arrived before lunch. We ate hotdogs and headed to the boat. Marly took to the water right away, despite the initial chill. Dean thought he wanted to water ski, then decided it was way too cold.

He was all smiles back on the boat!

Dad and Chris arrived for supper. Afterwards Dad skied for the first time of the season.

61 and up on the water.

Monday morning we headed down to the dock for a boat ride after the overnight storm and before heading back to B.P. Mark is way out their on the dock. If there are photos of ME this post, which means Mark was behind the lens. Poor guy is not otherwise photographed this time!

The kids stayed an arm's length from this snapping turtle that must have gotten confused during the severe weather overnight and ended up at the neighbor's across the street, before being returned to the water.

Anyway... as you can see, we had a good holiday and hope you did too.

 

And - We THANK our troops for serving our country. We remember the reason for our liesure! I especially want to acknowledge my Uncle Dick for serving and his son Rob who serves today.

Mother's Day 2012

Someday I won't be a mom here on this Earth. I am sure that someday is a long, long, long way off. When this someday comes and my kids are grown, I am sure they will want to see pictures of themselves with their mom, or even photos of just me.

Each Mother's Day, Mark has taken photos of the three of us. The photos are for each of us to cherish in the years too far ahead to focus on or foresee.

I am glad it has become a yearly tradition. The smile on my face in these photos is very real and very accurate of the day as a whole. I am happy.

I am also contented and comfortable with my role as daughter to a mom NOT here on Earth. 

If my mom were alive, I would make her Mother's Day fantastic. I would make it my goal to make her feel appreciated for all she did. When she died, I was 25. I was still not mature enough to truly focus on HER on Mother's Day.

I now believe it takes being a Mom yourself or the wisdom that comes with age to show TRUE appreciation and gratitude to our own Mother's.

I do NOT remember the Mother's Days that occurred in the first few years after my Mom's death. I do not know what I did or where I spent my time. I am sure this is because the memories are too painful. I struggled as a 'motherless daughter' in the year's after her death, and not just on Mother's Day. The one thing I recall about those Mother's Days was  feeling a sense of gratitude for my dear aunts who have played a wonderful role in my life. Those aunts who loved, supported and cherished me all the more after my mom died and left this void in my life.

With a whooping five year's of Motherhood under my belt, I cherish MY Mother's Day.

I make each Mother's Day happy for myself. I do not expect my husband to wait on me hand and foot (although cleaning up the kitchen after brunch with out being asked is truly appreciated), or to plan my perfect day (although I love going out for greasy burgers for supper), or to buy me extravagant gifts (although I loved stopping at Patina on Friday and purchasing the fun fushia neclace I am wearing, and I love the Caribou gift card Mark picks up every year, and I love the homemade cards and craft items the Twinner's create).

I discovered it best to create my own plan for the day and have my husband be there to love, support and appreciate me in those ways husbands/father's do best. I am assured to be doing what makes MY heart happy.

For the past five years, I have hosted Mother's Day Brunch at my house with Mark's mom and/or Chris (and the men too). The menu is one that pleases me (always egg related and always with mimosa) and the table is set with china and crystal and flowers. Last year my Aunt Toot's joined us, and it was a true honor. This year Rachel came, and it was an honor to host the newest mom to the family.

This is exactly what I want to do with my day. I want to honor the role women have played in my life, or the life of those significant to me.

Then I want to take a nap, take some photos, and go out for that greasy burger!

*Dean took the photo of the flowers in our yard under the willow tree!*
*PS - While I was taking my nap, my children also cleaned the broken crystal goblet I dropped on the ceramic tile when getting it out from the downstairs cabinets before lunch. I ran out of time, and knew the guests would not be in that area. I was so proud of them and their desire to "help mom" on Mother's Day.

Lights, Camera, Action!

Marly had her first ever dance recital about a week ago! She started going to "lessons" at pre-school on Thursday mornings.

I am slow to the draw. We did not inititaly sign up for dance in the fall like many other little girls. I just wasn't paying attention. After the holidays, there was room in the class, and Marly's teacher asked if she would like to give it a try.

She went, and her teacher, Miss Yelena, assured me she had fun. But, back at home she told me she didn't want to go!

She went back the next week, and I got the same report. Finally I had a phone conversation with the dance instructor, Miss Missy. Miss Missy thought Marly was intimidated by the idea there would be a "recital" in the spring.

Marly returned to dance class with the knowledge she could go dance on Thurday's, but didn't need to perform on stage, and did NOT have to be a part of the recital. This seemed to resolve any problems.

As the weeks went by though.... she warmed up to the idea of being on stage. Just between me, Mark, and Miss Missy though... this was the grand plan anyway.

Miss Missy teaches at the multiple Step by Step locations. All the students from the various schools and classes come together at the Minnetonka Arts Center for Miss Missy's Step by Step recital.

Each group took turns performing three short dances to various songs. Marly was all smiles the ENTIRE show. Her shy-ness dissappeared, at least while she was on stage.

She did a  GREAT job, and was clearly having  fun the entire time.

The whole show and all the little girls were darn cute. There is nothing compititive about Miss Missy's dance classes. It is just for fun, and just for enjoyment.

Nana came to take in the show. We all had a good time! (and we are pretty proud of Miss Marly too!0

Growing Up

On a recent Friday a few weeks back, the kids had a sweet little musical performance at their school. We were delighted and amazed by their understanding of rythem and harmony.

It was a pleasure to see our Twinners performing and learning.

Then last Tuesday we had a kindergarden informational night. The kids spent 45 minutes in a kindergarden classroom while the parents got the low down of the operations of their new elementary school.

The Twinners will be going to a public school which focuses on math and environmental sciences. It is not the school we are districted to attend, but we were lucky enough to win the lottery. We also enrolled them in all day/every day kindergarten.

The Crystal Ball 2012

In case you wonder why I disappeared for a while, I was busy with our annual hospital gala. The event was sold out, had nearly 600 guests, and raised over $288,000!

Some of the magnicicent volunteers that make the night a reality!

Cocktail hour and silent auction.

This year  guests had hand held smart phone bidding devices called BidPals, increasing the amount raised on our 160 silent auction items.

My lovely co worker Kenna and I. Yes... my sash matches the Tiffany blue theme! I had is custom made by an Etsty seller.

The butterfly ice sculpture

Butterfly pendant jewelry raffle.

The Ballroom

Me with my husband/volunteer for the evening!

Fund a need speaker Rachel Russ, talking about the Cancer Patient Emergency Fund.

Rachel and our auctioneer Glen Fladeboe helped us raise over $44,000 for the fund in just minutes!

The night wrapped up with the WhatNots playing for the Crash the Ball after party.

The Whole 30 in Review

I just realized I never posted any sort of wrap up to the Whole 30 diet Mark and I took up for 30 days. We completed the "diet" on Tuesday, April 17th (just 5 days before the hospital gala I coordinate).  I continued to eat Whole 30 until Friday. On Friday I was at the Northland Inn until after 10 pm setting up with our two fabulous event co-chairs. I drank wine and ate chicken wings and calamari. The wine was fine. The food was so so.  I would have prefered something else...

Saturday I ate Godfather's Pizza, since that is what I ordered for the Crystal Ball set up volunteers. It was okay, but felt all around too doughy for me. It was my first encounter with cheese and bread for more then 30 days. I didn't get sick, but I didn't feel great either. Since then, I have endulged in dessert one day at lunch. I have had a burger and fries too. I took the kids for donut's at Jack's on Friday and we re-engaged in Thomberg Family Pizza night.

So here is the end result on April 17th.

• Mark lost 20 pounds!
• Andrea lost 10 pounds.

Where do we go from here?

• I have continued to eat a mostly "paleo" diet.
• I eat limited dairy.
• I am back to my 'Bou latte fixes (with skim milk).
• I  had a cheeseburger and fries when Dad took us to the Galaxy Drive in last week.
• I have drank beer, wine, and so forth.
• I have taken back a pound or two.
• Overall, I plan to continue to eat in this manner in the future when I can.
• I liked the diet.
• Many of the things I learned are becoming habit for Mark and I.
• I feel very good about the diet.
• I had an intense desire for DQ yesterday, and it was tasty.
• Mark and I will totally continue with our protien and heathy fat breakfasts.

Did we cheat on the Whole 30?

• Mark and I shared a small popcorn at the movies for Mark's birthday
• I ate a piece of a cookie on Easter
• I ate a rather large slice of POPPYSEED CAKE that I baked for my Dad for his Birthday in April. We served it after dinner at Lola's in Waconia, where we met family on a Sunday evening. It was DE-LISH. There was NO WAY I was going to pass it up. I also licked the batter when I baked it.

New Recipes we will continue to make

• Salty Fudge Bombs
• Chicken drummies seasoned and baked on high heat until crisp
• Chinese 5 spice ribs in the crock pot
• Vegetable marinara sauce
• My green breakfast smoothies

Things that are now a staple in my pantry

• Coconut milk
• Avocado oil
• raw shredded coconut
• Kambuchi drink
• Salsa with no sugar added
• Avocados

That's about all folks. Carry on....

No training wheels!

**Disclosure! Dean and Marly should have on helmets. Children SHOULD wear bike helmets. This was BAD parenting for Mark and I to let Dean take off his training wheels with out a helmet. I accidentally ran the helmet over this past winter in the garage when it rolled off the shelf, and forgot to replace it. Then one night, Mark and the kids were outside.... and there was Dean all ready to lose two extra wheels!

Marly has one training wheel off. This is Mark's bizarre method of teaching.

Look at my five year olds roll!

Oh gosh.... thinking back to my curly haired girl when we moved in... hot to trot on her TRIKE!