Saturday- Went to church and after mass and supper went to town to celebrate my grandpa’s 86th birthday with him. My papa is the sweetest man in the world hand’s down!
Sunday- Taught catechism where we watched parts of the movie King David with Richard Gere . Could not let them see it all since it’s rated PG-13 but I stuck with the parts that most closely reflected what the Bible teaches. It’s a very good movie if you haven’t watched it.
Monday- Had a Boy Scout meeting tonight. The focus tonight was on learning more about leadership skills.
Tuesday- Took a nice long, hot bath tonight. How relaxing! Also spent some time filling out another grant application for Boy Scouts and did my Bible reading for Bible Study on Thursday. Then- watched the Wild’s awesome victory!
Wednesday- came home from work and put supper in, made dessert for us and a cake for the funeral luncheon on Thursday at our church. After supper we watched Fireproof. A friend told me I would cry but she didn’t tell me I would sob during the ENTIRE movie! Later, Jeff and I drove to the church to drop off the cake.
Thursday- Bible study tonight. It’s so good to get back to it again after 2 weeks off. We focused tonight on 2 Kings and learned all about how the kingdom divided during this time frame.
Friday- The Mighty Eagles Boy Scout Patrol came to my house tonight. We had pizza, cookie pizza for dessert, played some Wii and watched the Wild game and the movie Hot Rod. Go Mighty Eagles!!
Highlight Reel January 24th-January 30th, 2009 January 31, 2009
Dishwater Hands January 25, 2009
About 2 weeks before Christmas my dishwasher went out. It needs a new pump I think because the water doesn’t drain away. As someone who HATES to do dishes I told my husband that we would need to get it fixed RIGHT away. Well finances before Christmas prevented us from doing that and so the couple times a day dishwashing duty began.
I never thought I would say it but I’m liking it. Because we are a busy, going all the time family we try to at least sit around the table for a half hour a day and eat together. It’s our chance to catch up on everybody’s day. But once supper was over and the table washed off we would scatter like the wind to rush to a friends, catch up on work, etc.
Dishwashing duty has changed that. Now we have an extra 20 minutes where we are all working together to get things done. So I will contend with the dishwater hands and buy more hand lotion…for now. Just as long as it’s fixed when it’s my turn for the family Easter holiday.
Highlight Reel January 17th-23rd, 2009 January 24, 2009
Saturday-Watched a friends child while she went out, went to our first Saturday evening mass at St Mathias, played 9 hole golf with Monica and Tyler
Sunday- didn’t have to get up early for church since I went the night before and there was no catechism, yay!
Monday- The Boy Scouts went sledding tonight. What a beautiful night! The snow was coming down in big flakes by the light of the fire…
Tuesday- I had my Tri-Parish council meeting on clustering tonight. Very interesting what comes out of some of these meetings. Afterwards went to St Mathias Bar with the rest from our church for a soda.
Wednesday- Zach, Jeff and I played some Deal or No Deal. I lost both games but we had fun anyway.
Thursday- Bible study tonight was cancelled due to a few people who were unable to make it. We will probably double up on a few lessons to get caught up.
Friday- my beloved Fridays! So quiet… Janeen came over and her and I worked out. Ty was working and Zach was staying overnight at a friend’s house. After Jeff came home we had a quiet supper, sat and talked for a while and then tuned in to Planet Earth. I just love these episodes. The photography is stunning and even though the narrator says so little, you learn so much.
Working Up to Work Out January 24, 2009
One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to work out daily. It was also my first resolution to bite the dust. It’s not that I don’t like working out or that I find myself particularly lazy, I just don’t like doing it alone so I always find something better to do with my time. A wise man once said (actually it was the father of a friend) “The hardest part about working out is putting on your tennis shoes.” How true!
Once I get my shoes on I have committed to working out. And once I start I enjoy it. I feel healthier immediately (something about all that blood pumping) and I have a good time. Janeen has always been my workout partner. We started years ago as I tried to lose weight after the birth of my first son. Then when we started Weight Watchers at the same time we became even more intense. It’s our chance to get together and catch up. It’s easier in the warmer months when we can walk outside, harder in the winter months when all we want to do when we get home is throw a blanket on and watch a movie. Such was the case last night.
Janeen called me Thursday night on her way to bowling and we agreed that we would get together Friday night since we were both free. Friday after work she called to say she was feeling really lazy after a hard day at work and she was going to skip out on me. Well, I told her I was not going to accept any more excuses and I “guilted” her (her words) into coming over. It worked and we worked out.
I’ve already done my workout this morning. I’ve had my nudge. No more excuses for me either. I’m ready to start my New Year’s resolution. I’ll let you know how I do!
Highlight Reel January 10th-16th, 2009 January 17, 2009
Saturday-took in the movie Marley and Me with Zach. It was a good movie but not fantastic. I was hoping for more comedy and less drama. Definitely too soon after losing Holly to take this one in.
Sunday- went to church and taught my catechism class. This week we learned more about the Eucharist and manna (which one of my students kept pronouncing moana). Both Jeff and Zach beat me (not at the same time either!) really bad at 10 penny. Good thing I didn’t go to the casino!
Monday- no heat until almost 10am. Brrr! Tyler brought his new toy home to show me. So what did I do to warm up? Went for a snowmobile ride with him. Yeah…I know, dumb. We had a scout meeting tonight. I was very thankful this was not the night we had planned to build the quinzee. (snow hut)
Tuesday-Book club tonight was great. The book we read Sarah’s Key was about the Jews that were “rounded up” in France. Interesting as many of us did not know about this (sad, huh?). We went with a Jewish food theme and tried different things like Jewish cheese bread, Orange Ginger Chicken and Matboucha.
Wednesday- Tyler’s 19th birthday! We celebrated at home with supper, cake, ice cream, presents and his grandparents came over as well as his girlfriend and best friend Aaron.
Thursday- We stayed home (didn’t want to venture out in the cold!). Monica came over and we played Monopoly (the new version with credit cards) and made malts. Bible study was cancelled due to the cold.
Friday- Zach and I played “marbles” on the game board my Grandpa made out of wood. we also played Wii and watched a movie.
Little Start for a Big Man January 15, 2009
My son Tyler turns 19 today. Where have the years gone? It seems like only yesterday I was caressing my bump of a stomach and dreaming dreams and making plans. Of course we all know what happens to the best laid plans…
Tyler was born independent. He didn’t want to wait for his due date. He was excited to enter the world and all it had in store. So he did. Tyler was born 3 months premature and weighed only 2 lbs. 7 1/2 ounces. He was such a little peanut, and that’s what we called him. He stole the hearts of the NICU nurses that tended to him everyday when we couldn’t. It was hard to go back to work and leave him in the hospital but that’s what we had to do. I needed to save all my time off for when he came home because he would still require a lot of care.
In no time at all, he had caught up to other kids his age. Still independent, still stubborn. He always wanted to do things himself. We would try to show him how to do something new but he would take the toy, or book, or craft from us and try it himself. And he often succeeded right away.
As he reached his teen years (those wonderful, trying teen years) he decided he didn’t need mom and dad, that his friends were the network that was important. If he wasn’t with them, they were with us.
Now he’s 19 and he’s turned into a wonderful young man. A man who knows the importance of a good work ethic at his job. A man who is good at saving and better at adding to his toy collection (2 trucks, a car, 2 snowmobiles, a motorcyle, and a 4-wheeler) then we ever were. A man who still thinks friends are more important than mom and dad but also knows how to show us he loves us. A man that makes us proud (and sometimes aggravated!) every single day.
He had a little start, but he’s grown and so has my heart since he came into my life. I love you peanut! Happy Birthday!
Highlight Reel January 3rd-9th, 2009 January 9, 2009
Saturday- a day of sadness as my friend Karen lost her battle with cancer.
Sunday- the Vikings lose, the Wild win and I win 2 games of Can’t Stop over my family
Monday- Christmas break is over and life goes back to normal. Went to my grandparent’s house and spent my lunch break with them. We had a Boy Scout leadership meeting tonight to plan the next few months and elected new officers.
Tuesday- stayed home and watched the Wild game.
Wednesday- went to Karen’s visitation tonight. The family had made up some picture boards of her and her scrapbooks were there which is what she wanted. Even though the circumstances were terrible it was nice to see the family again.
Thursday- Karen’s celebration of life was today at St Francis Church. Father Kris did a wonderful job of capturing just who she was. His kind and sometimes humorous words were a real comfort to me. Afterwards, the burial was at St Mathias Church. It was a very emotional day as I learned right before Karen’s funeral that our dog, Holly, had died as well. We spent 15 years with her and it was very hard on the children.
Friday- I love Fridays. Very seldom do I have anything scheduled on Fridays so it’s a nice opportunity to relax after the hectic workweek.
Memories of Karen January 4, 2009
Yesterday our Lord Jesus called Karen home. Her battle with cancer is now over and though we on this earth will miss her she is now in her eternal home. Many thoughts of Karen filled my head last night as I came to grips with losing a very dear friend. I could not help but smile through my tears as I remembered-
the first day Karen came to work in my department. She said “I don’t know anything about electronics” and she was right. She couldn’t even figure out how to turn the radio on. I thought oh Lord, what have I got myself into but within weeks she had become my best salesperson.
how she would thank her customers by name and with a handshake, a practice that’s not used anymore, but how those same customers would come back and ask for her by name
how others in the department would complain that she was too much of a slavedriver but she would just crack the whip harder and make sure things always got done on the weekends
how she wore her “Goofy ears” for days after the promotion because they were just too much fun
when we were working overnight mods and she cranked the radio to “Rockin’ Robin” and sang, danced and tweeted around the department.
long afternoons sitting on my porch swing sipping iced tea
rides around the countryside where she would reminisce about her growing up years while 
looking at the farmland out the car window
taking her out to the Seafood Buffet at the casino and watching the butter drip down her chin as she savored every crab leg
the book burning we had at bookclub where she raised her hands over the fire and chanted “Burn, book, burn!”
playing the bongo drums on the table at Coco Moon
the discussion we had where we talked about our dreams and aspirations where she revealed she’d always wanted to be a saint
her birthday celebration at her house where she donned her red hat and we all became the red hat society for the evening
the monthly potlucks and get togethers with Bernice and Lori at Karen’s house and how she’d fall asleep because she was getting so tired but still didn’t want us to leave
playing Mexican train
the hugs she gave my boys when they would run into the department to see her
Karen has given me a lifetime of memories and I have become a better person for having her in my life. John, Jim, Jeff, Joe, Julie, and Jenny you had an incredible mother who loved you all so much. May her love be with you in all that you do in the future and make you take solace in knowing that she was very much loved.
Highlight Reel December 27th-January 2nd, 2009 January 3, 2009
Saturday-I think exhaustion finally broke down the stronghold and I succumbed. Spent the day in bed for the most part.
Sunday- same as Saturday. I even started and finished my book club book. Jeff and Zach had more energy then me, they got up at 5 am to go ice fishing.
Monday-watched the Wild game and Zach, Tyler and I snacked on homemade potato chips.
Tuesday- took down the Christmas tree to make room for my New Year’s Eve party then Tyler, Zach and I watched Lethal Weapon. I enjoy introducing the boys to “classic” films they have never seen.
Wednesday- Had my New Year’s Eve party. Thanks friends for ringing in the New Year with us. It was fun!
Thursday-rolled over to my cousin Trever’s for the New Year’s Day party/surprise 70th birthday for my uncle Vernon
Friday-Jeff was off today but I had to work. Got a call this morning about my friend Karen taking a turn for the worse. They called family and close friends to come say their goodbyes.
