Halloween

My nephew & niece, Trevor & Preslee(the Grouchy Ladybug - just like the book by Eric Carle)

Trevor was Scooby Doo

Family Gatherings

My Uncle Gregg was visiting from Texas this weekend, so we had a little family get-together. Of course everyone got to hold Preslee. She is still adorable as ever, but now anytime she's awake, she usually wants to eat. And she doesn't sleep through the night anymore. She loves bouncing in your arms, loud white noise, looking outside, and singing.

Preslee with her Great Great Aunt Joan.
Great Uncle Gregg & Preslee (showing her belly and telling us she's hungry).

Amy & Preslee

Me & Preslee after I just got her to sleep by bouncing.

Kaitlin Blake

Matt's sister, Angela, had her baby on Tuesday, October 13. Her name is Kaitlin Blake. She weighed 7lbs 3oz and was 20 inches long. She has a head full of dark brown hair, Ryan's feautures, and Angela's nose. She is very adorable!

Proud Parents Angela & Ryan

Kaitlin & Me

Matt & his niece

Getting her check-up from the nurse.

Proud Big Sister Teagan holding Kaitlin.

The girls of the family: Angela, Teagan, and Kaitlin (under the blanket).

I mentioned that Aubrey's toy looked like Tyler, so Matt had to take a picture of the resemblance...Weird.

Fixing-up Mom's House

We've all been helping out around my mom's house getting it ready to sell. On Saturday we were all there doing various odd jobs: washing windows, hanging new doors, and re-installing the closet tracks after getting new carpet.

This is Jon, my brother-in-law, power-washing the deck. We had a cold snap that day, and unfortunately for him he had to freeze (along with all the water he poured onto the deck.)
At least he was dressed for the weather.

Pooky looking out the now completely open window while I was washing it.

I heard some giggling downstairs while I was working and had to investigate. I found Matt and Trevor playing a game with the newly installed door. Ahhh...it's the little things in life. (sorry it's sideways)

I am always trying to get Trevor to tell one of his great long stories. He gets so animated and uses different voices and hand guestures just like his dad. This was the best I could do. I think he's telling about the time he hit his face on a clothes rack at the store.

Snow in October?!

Woke up to a fresh layer of snow this morning.
It must be Global Warming.

The Twins Game

Our brother-in-law, Jason, got us tickets to the Twins game Tuesday night! There was a record attendance of 54,088 people. It was loud, tense, and amazing! We will truly miss the close atmosphere of the dome, although I'm sure the new stadium will be awesome.

Shake your Homer Hanky!
TC

The Dome

Me, Jason & Melanie

Me & Matt

This was a nail-biting game!

Joe Mauer batting

Cuddyer, Mauer & Gardenhire at the mound.

Jason - this is his excited face.

Matt - "We're gonna win!"

We Won!!!!!!!!!!!

A lot of the game was played like this - many close calls and very tense!

Even though he was out at first, we advanced our runner.

Go Vikings!

Aubrey is ready for the game!

Sorry Grandma Bernice; Fav-ray is on our side now.

My Beautiful Niece

We visited Preslee at her house. She was very awake and alert.

Look! She is reading my shirt! What a smart girl.

All kids are scared of Matt (just kidding, she was just hungry.)

Preslee Sue

My sister, Kacie, had her baby last night - Preslee Sue! She was scheduled to have a C-section today, but last night her water broke so she had her earlier. She was born at 12:25 a.m., weighed 9lbs. 14.5oz and was 20 inches long! She is so adorable and looks a lot like Eric! She and Kacie are doing very well!

Amy & Trevor...waiting to see the
baby!

One big happy family...
Eric, Kacie & Preslee


Precious

Proud Papa Eric

Grandma Cindy & Preslee

Me & Preslee

She opened her eyes to look at me!

"Hey, I recognize that voice!"

My sister, Amy & Preslee

Trevor, Amy & Preslee

What a peanut! She's so adorable!

A Sneak Peak into Basement Progress...

You will only understand this if you are a die-hard Ace Ventura fan. (Yes - I know I'm a dork, Matt already told me, but I had to do it - I just love a good laugh.)

This is our exposed pocket door to the bathroom; it glides like it's on butter! Matt has been polyurethaning all of the doors, and they are now all installed! Next he will polyurethane and install the closet doors, baseboards and trim. Tonight we also installed our beautiful pine handrail! It's all coming together! I'm so excited! Now we just need carpet!

Camp Ajawah's 80th Reunion

My sister Amy, nephew Trevor, mom and I went to the 80th Reunion at Camp Ajawah. I started going there when I was 9 years old, and was a Camp Counselor for two years when I was 16 and 17. It is a 2-week long overnight camp, with separate boys and girls sessions. It includes canoeing, swimming, arts & crafts, sailing, and tons of fun games. Ajawah is boyscout based, so it is very rustic and focuses on nature, leadership skills, survival skills, and making friends. My sister, Amy, and I loved it there and like to visit often.

These are the tents that the campers and counselors sleep in. They have a raised wooden platform with a canvas top. There are 5-7 cots inside each one. My favorite sound in the whole wide world is hearing the rain beat down on the canvas tent.

A totem pole that stands up in main camp. Ajawah has a Native American background as well which Dave, the Camp Director, tells the story of Ajawampus at every camp session.

Trevor and I eating lunch in "The Mess Hall". Every meal is served family style. Each counselor has a nickname too; my nickname was "Bo-Bo". I picked the name from the Alpha Male wolf at a wolf ranch down the street. (I love wolves).

Trevor riding piggy-back on Amy.

Walking the trails.

The Waniki - I'm not sure where the name is from, but this is our bathroom. Again very rustic, no flush toilets. They did make some improvements though, and now they have stalls. It used to be just a couple of holes lined up next to each other.

Trevor in the tent.

Someone's bed. There are T-bars for every bed that you tie your mosquito netting to. It's very peaceful once inside.

Amy, Trevor & me.

The stairs down to the beach.

The beach.

Everyone gets a metal washer with their name on it and must check in and out of the water for safety. On the right is your tent, and the left is where you are going. I took a picture of Trevor here because I have a picture of myself standing there when I was little.

We also went canoeing. Trevor was a little scared of tipping over, but he got used to it.

Trevor played in the sand.

Then we went to the craft shop and made friendship bracelets - I'm making one for Matt.

There was an All-Camp game of "Steal The Stakes" (The stakes are laying in a pile behind the guy in the cream shirt.) The red building there is "The Lodge" where campfire and other events are held when it rains (which it did today).

Everyone running to steal the stakes.

Amy and Trevor tried to steal a stake, but didn't make it, so now they are "in jail".

Trevor stole a stake!

All of these people have tackled someone and they're trying to steal a stake back! Games at Ajawah can get very rough.

These two guys are brothers - the one on the ground had been tackled.

Trevor was tuckered out.

Many of the boyscouts that come here are Hmong. In fact, some of them even stay during the girls' session to help out in the kitchen. These are a few boys from boycamp that are leading us in a song after dinner.

"Notso Swift" giving Dave Moore "Pooh Bear" the Camp Director's Award. Dave has been the Camp Director for the majority of the time. Even though he seems to be getting very old, don't mess with him during Capture The Flag! Dave picks one camper every session who he thinks deserves his special award.



This is a boys' camp song, and Doug (whom we all know very well from church) was singing to Trevor. Trevor has the weirdest look on his face!

Dave accepting his Camp Director's Award.



Dave told the story once again about Ajawampus and his friend, Red Arrow. While he tells the story, some of the Hmong boyscouts reinact it. They have bells on their ankles so you can hear every step they take.

Ajawampus asks Chief Chingachaku how to kill the Grunduff, an 8 legged monster.