This & That

Sometimes…well it’s honestly most times…I need to be reminded that I do accomplish quite a bit during the week.  I like lists and being able to cross an item off.  It’s satisfying to see a job through to completion.  And then there are those weeks where it’s just a good thing we all survived Monday…or Tuesday!

I’ve been trying to help Greg register for the ACT for the last couple days.  It wouldn’t let us register and I finally figured out why. Duh!  The site where ‘he’ wants to take the test doesn’t offer the test on the ‘date’ he wants.  Sheesh…at least it’s figured out.  He’ll have to drive a little farther to a test site.

Today has been one of those days where I want to duct tape at least three kids to their seats so that I don’t have to run off to find them (or in my case, yell up the stairs because I don’t have the energy to go up two flights…AGAIN!).  Focus, focus.

Apparently at snack time, which I’ve really tried to eliminate (due to the above reason!), Zeke decided his snack would be cookie dough.  Angelina told me he started tossing ingredients into a small bowl and then proceeded to eat it himself.  He mixed it with a WIRE WHISK!!  I only know this because he didn’t wash the whisk and it was sitting on the counter, full of cookies dough, when we all came up for dinner.  Other evidence was flour all over the floor and counter.  Ugh.  My brother and I used to do this with my mom’s spices in either a brown sugar or powdered sugar ‘base’.  We would then dare each other to eat the concoctions.  I often wonder if she figured out where her supplies went.

Eric is gone all week, again.  Last week it was for work, this week it’s for fun.  He went snowmobiling (can’t remember where, but East of ND) with a couple relatives and friends.  My brother, Collin, likes winter as much as I do and plans a snowmobile trip every year.  I actually encourage Eric to go.

Father-Son Camping

FMCHE – our homeschool group – has an annual Father-Son Camping Trip.  This year it was at Itasca State Park in MN.  Eric has taken the boys each year (they’ve been at least two years old).  This year, Greg went out early on Thursday with friends.

Though Eric does this, it’s always during Spring planting.  However, it’s that bonding with ONLY boys that they need…and I think he (Eric) needs it, too.  To be around Catholic dads who support what we are doing and the goal we have in mind.

So, Friday, May 17, 2013 at around 3pm, they were packed and ready to leave the farm.  It’s about a three hour drive to Itasca. 

Louis, with his new ‘Cars’ fishing rod, above.  Graham fishing, below.  Eric said they caught a few fish.  One of the other dads is gracious enough to clean the fish and they’re usually eaten that day.

Oh, yeah.  It typically rains during their trip.  It makes Eric feel better about leaving the farm (this year we need the rain)!  And, it makes for wet everything at the campsite.  Raining makes it more of an adventure…wouldn’t ya say?

The guys are usually back Sunday afternoon, but with the rain here, it might be later this evening.

Just Suzie…

I am not sure when I will find time to blog consistently again!  I seem to lament about this a lot – not so much online, but in my own head.  I see I am not alone in this lament!  However, REAL life keeps me in the present and away from a keyboard.  Or, maybe it’s the fact that one more little soul in the house leaves less time for idle pursuits.  Yes, in many ways, for me this is an idle pursuit.  I didn’t set out to make waves or gain ‘friends’, or become followed by many.  While I am pleased, blessed and fortunate to have made friends because of this electronic pursuit (and make them ‘in-real-life’ friends), that just wasn’t my goal.  I DID, however, want to record my family life!  So, I suppose my priorities have changed, or in the very least, I’ve adjusted them.  And, that is good.  Besides, posts bulging with pictures are just my speed right now and they will do.
For now, blog posts are caught up to real life.    What better thing to do during a BLIZZARD.  The kids enjoyed playing their electronic gadgets; we ate leftovers when hungry; Eric was the only one to venture outside into the blowing snow after we came home from church this morning; Angelina gave Marcus a bath by himself – he enjoyed it immensely; Eric read to the kids and maybe we’ll be able to watch a movie…cuz we sure won’t be going anywhere tomorrow!  Thank goodness the electricity hasn’t even flickered.
The lower third of the state was covered in red closed roads?  Yes, we won’t be going very far out of the farmyard.
This Blizzard has been in the forecast and predicted and talked about for the last two to three days.  We were in the 8-10 or 10-12 inch range.  Most of us hoped that the weather people would be wrong or that it was a late April Fool’s Day joke.  It’s not joke and the weather forecasters weren’t wrong on this one!  I’m sure we’ve had at least 8 inches, but it isn’t done snowing.  The snow is heavy, wet and sticky.  Drifts are deep.  Clearing it will be a chore, but my husband just said, “However, it probably means we can get the snowmobiles out again.”  Yes, I see snowmobiling being in the plan for tomorrow.
Do we take a snow day from school??  I’m not as sure on that…the kids may drive me crazy if they don’t have something to do for at least part of the day.  I’d sure enjoy it though!
Good night, friends!

March 5, 2013

 

Eric & Dash needed mugs for CYAC (Catholic Youth Advisory Council).  Dash serves on the council and Eric is his sponsor/advisor.  The kids help plan the Senior and Junior High Youth Rallies for our Diocese.

I couldn’t believe my good fortune in getting a photo of this deer and am amazed it didn’t get frightened away by me or by the dog!  If it had been eating on the trees closer to the house, instead of a lilac shrub, I might have run out to chase it off on my own.  The deer have congregated around the farm this year.  None of us can recall seeing this many deer around the farm for years, though there have been herds in the area, they just haven’t chosen our farm for their resting spot.

February 17-28, 2013

 

Let’s see, this is the beginning of Lent.  I actually felt very prepared for Lent this year.  I’d made copies of sacrifice charts, I’d colored a calendar for Lent and hung it in the kitchen, we all made it to Ash Wednesday services…basically I had a plan.  And then we all got sick.  For two and a half weeks all the junk that everyone else had been dealing with finally came knocking on our door.  Even Marcus had his first major cold – the kind where you sorta sleep in a chair so the baby is upright and can breath and maybe sleep. 

So, you can be thankful there are not pictures!

During this time, Angelina made it to NO dance classes on Monday, but she made it to every single Hunter’s Education class.  Yes, she is now certified!  And, I think she enjoyed the class as much as Zeke enjoyed reading her manual when she came home each night.

Eric missed everything because he, for the most part, was gone to a meeting or golf trip.  Lucky him.  That’s probably fortunate, because he was responsible for taking the kids to all their activities on the weekends when he was home.

He and Dash attended Citizenship in Action, an Extension sponsored event, at the state capital (Bismarck).  Dash was elected Lt. Governor, so had quite a good time and learned a lot.

Eric and Dash also went to the Catholic Youth Advisory Board planning meeting in Langdon.  This was their first planning retreat and they had a great time.  They planned out the Jr. High Youth Rally.

Our church had their Mission weekend the last weekend in February; I really wanted to attend because the talks sounded so wonderful.  I dropped Angelina off to help with childcare each day.  Eric and the three older kids made it to the Friday night mission talk…me?  Nada.  Sick kids.

HOPEfully we are covered in immunity!  And February is at an end.

February 10-16, 2013

This is the FIRST day we’ve had the snowmobile’s out.  And believe me, this is cutting it close for snow.  They’ll have to be careful not to go out in the fields or the tracks could be ruined.  But, the guys are all excited to get some sledding done!

Marcus is 6 months old in these photos taken on February 12.  The time has gone incredibly fast.  However, he is such a fun, happy little guy.  He’s lighter than the other kids have been at this age…easier on Mom, for sure.

 

Dash is on the sled closest to us, and Mr. W, my nephew who is here for a visit, is on the other sled with Eric.  He was thrilled to get a ride, too.

Sorry for the window reflection…I really didn’t want to go outside!  Zeke is in the sled with Louis and Graham is standing with our dog, Bella, behind the sled.  It’s so nice to be able to get the boys outside to run off some of the energy.

 

And still, we do not have much snow.  You can still see the stubble in the field.

This is absolutely my favorite picture from this bunch!  Marcus is hilarious.

And, the elusive teen who is hard to catch on camera.

Miller Ski Trip 2012-13 (#3)

 

Now, my dad has a crazy sense of humor. I may have inherited a bit of it, but I tend toward the sarcastic.  This is totally my dad!  He found these crazy hats at a truck stop and decided that his grandkids would thoroughly enjoy them.  And, they did!!

Our family trip wouldn’t be complete without pictures.  So, first it’s Grandpa & Grandma with all the grandkids.  With this many, it’s hard to get a bad picture …or a good picture depending on how you look at the scenario.

The headbands are a little big for the littlest Golden Acre Grandkids, but they persevered.

 

The Lahlum Family…and another of the headband conquers baby pictures.

 

My parents, to whom we are thankful for giving us life and these wonderful family memories.

 

I didn’t include all my sibling family photos, but I have to include my brother Eric.  He has a great sense of humor, too.  He was replicating the Karate Kid in the above shot.  I have no idea where that came from…

now, this…I take complete creative credit for the idea that began it all.  I made an offhand comment to Anna, my sister-in-law, that, “I think they should make NDSU.”  Said sarcastically, of course!  And, from there we have the following fun…we ladies stood up on the balcony and directed the guys into proper position…and LAUGHED and LAUGHED!

Don’t worry, the guys do get better with practice.  From scrunched up on the carpet…

…to rolling up the carpet and moving some furniture..

…to the best we could do with this many people and this little space.

Then, the guys had to have their own brand of fun!!

Happy New Year!  Go Bison…a few of the group will be headed down to TX at the end of the week for the championship football game.

While the snow cover on the mountain was sufficient, the night we left…on into the morning of our departure…it snowed A LOT.  Wish we could have stayed to ski one more day. 

I should note that I chose not to ski this year.  Getting all the kids to lessons and having a 4 month old baby would have made it challenging.  And, I did want to relax.  In addition, there was ‘baby weight’ and I had no desire to shop for post-pregnancy ski pants!  This was the year to ‘take a break.’  I enjoyed visiting, reading my Kindle, watching the kids in their ski lessons, and playing Scrabble with my brothers (they actually used a timer!!).

This is the view out the balcony door on the morning of our departure.  We left for home on Jan 2.  We drove all the way home.  Thank goodness traveling wasn’t affected by the snowfall.

Overall, another excellent Miller Ski Trip.