Two very different outings - PICS ADDED!

Last Saturday, my parents and my sister were in town. The original reason for the visit?  The Great Minnesota Get-Together (aka, the MN State Fair). Ahhhh.... I love the fair. I would show you pictures but sadly I forgot my camera and forgot to ask my parents and sister for some of their pictures. Oh well. If I get any, I'll have to add them later.  We like to start early and were there by about 8am and started with mini-donuts for breakfast - melt in your mouth yumminess.  Then we headed to the barns (mostly because everything else was closed) and the sheep barn came first.  We got to see some sheared and unsheared and a lady sheep get inseminated by a boy one.... all very interesting fair fare.  Oddly, they were showing and judging rabbits in the sheep barn... we had never seen rabbits at the state fair before, so this was a first.  We looked at all the different kinds and liked them, that is until Greyson's eyes started to itch and water.  We left that barn soon after that.  Next was the oink barn, where oddly they were showing and judging sheep.... still we love seeing the baby oinkers and the largest sow.  Cheese curds (okay) and scottish eggs (YUM!) followed.  As we made our way to the Art Building, we listened and danced to a big band.  We have been interested in buying art in the Art Building but everything we are interested in is sold by the time we get there.  Maybe next year we'll go on the first Thursday instead.  Next were Pronto Pups and then sadly (since there was so much left undone!) and excitedly, my mom, my sister and I left to do something totally different!


Wedding Dress Shopping! So much fun to help my sis try on so many different kinds of dresses and see her light up with excitement when one looks almost perfect on her!  The next few months are going to be full of wedding planning since Liz, as an accountant, won't be able to work on it much from January to April. I'm pretty excited....

Feats of Un-Cluttering

Anyone who knows my sunroom knows that this is a miracle...  Thanks Dad, for the help and motivation! This will a great place to hang out with a cup of tea and a book or laptop for the next couple of months.  I'm planning more feats of un-cluttering... namely a crapcraftroom, garage, and closets.  Stay tuned!

"Grand" Trip to Wisconsin Dells

Last year, my parents started a tradition of taking a grandkid on a trip.  Last year Madelyn went to Duluth and this year they took her to Wisconsin Dells.  She had a BLAST!  Well, except for riding the Duck, a boat that goes from driving on ground to motoring in water.  She found that VERY boring.  But hotels, out to eat, pools and waterslides, and go-carts and rollercoasters.... what more can a 6yr old want?  [Sidenote:  Before you start thinking that Greyson is the poor left out one, it will probably be his turn next year.  He's been too young for such a trip so far.]

Attention Caribou Lovers! {EXPIRED}

I know that there are Caribou LOVERS out there that will love this deal!  Caribou Coffee is selling $10 gift cards for $5. You can get yours here too (expired).  (You have to be in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area to purchase.)  It is getting to be the time of year that I like to get Caribou coffee and chill with a friend in the cooler autumn weather...

PS - Something about posting this makes me feel strange...   is it that I don't usually post deals on my blog and that to mix this in with our family stories seems wrong?  Is it that this post feels too much like the couponing blogs that I visit every day?  I don't know.  All I know is that I was SUPER excited about this deal and wanted to share it with my friends.  I hope it brightens your day too!  :)

Current Events

Waiting for mom to pick her new jeans

Leaving for Wisconsin Dells
(we'll see how exhausted they are when they return!)

The spice cabinet Ben is building - YEA!

The onions Melissa grew (notice the garden in the background)

What you do with 25+ lbs of extra garden tomatoes

Greyson's favorite pastime of late
(and asking when Madelyn is going to be back... he loves that girl.)

Reap what you sow

To be honest, this year I have had limited success with the garden. I guess that is when I compare it to previous years. For instance, I planted whole lines of onions, carrots, and green beans, expecting 12 plants or more each and even though I've had some results, I haven't had the results that I have come to expect. The onions stopped growing early (I don't know enough about onions yet to know why) and the carrots and green beans only gave me 3 or 4 plants each. If I'm really honest with myself though, I could have corrected all these "problems" early though but my gardening motivation was also not up to what I've come to expect. You do, truly, reap what you sow!

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." Galations 6:7-10

Okay, so God is not exactly talking about my lack of motivation to garden... but He probably is talking about my waning motivation to do some other things He HAS called me to.

In the meantime, I sowed about 40 seeds in the spring and have reaped only four carrots. But they are beautifully HUGE carrots... God does great things even when I'm not motivated.

Wordless Wed: Jam Session

a mama's pride

Madelyn turned six today - actually yesterday now.  I still can't believe it.  Where did the time go?  When did she turn into such a lovely, smart, thoughtful, precious, talkative, bossy, forgetful, and clumsy kid?  (This mama isn't completely blinded!)  What she did today though was really amazing.  She woke up today and before she even came out of her room she was dressed and had her bed made.  Then she found out that instead of getting everything ready for her party, we had to take her brother to the doctor.  She then found out that her extended birthday celebration of dinner, movie and sleepover were going to be curtailed by her brother's symptoms of strep. (We don't like getting our friends sick!)  And she did all of this without complaining and whining!  But what I'm most proud of is that she chose a week ago to take her friends to Feed My Starving Children to celebrate her birthday.  I wondered how much of that choice was because her dad and I chose to celebrate our birthdays that way.  Then I heard her talking to her friends on the way to pack food, and she told them all about how there are children in the world (and she mentioned Haiti specifically) that don't have food all the time and that they will be packing food for children like that.... my heart smiled.  I'm immensely glad for Madelyn's developing servant heart.

Madelyn's milestones - Six years old marks the start of self-directed, solo baths (and a very sad Greyson).  It also marks the start of using a bed light for reading after bedtime.  She reads so well and is so excited about having this time for reading to herself.  She also received her own portable stereo and some headphones for her birthday and is VERY excited about those too!  Can't wait to see what the next year brings!