KandL

My Grandson's First Birthday Party!

My grandson Caleb turned one year old April 22nd.  I can't believe its been a year already since he was born.  What an adorable little boy. I am the luckiest grandma ever! I really wished I lived closer to them so that I could help babysit.  I'm so proud of Steven & Danielle, they have done an awesome job as parents.   We celebrated his birthday at the Ramada Inn in Bozeman, MT on Saturday.  Tara, Michaela & Larry were the only other ones able to come with me as the others had to work or had prior commitments. A great party with family and friends, pizza and cake and a short time in the pool...we got kicked out of the pool because the manager didn't realize it was a party and thought it was outside people just coming to swim. Larry got it all fixed with the management but everyone had already dried off and dressed. Caleb had a blast playing with all the kids and being the center of attention.  Sunday morning it was breakfast at Perkins then we got to go check out Steven & Danielle's new house that they will be moving into in mid-May. It's beautiful, I'm happy for them. Now all they need is a puppy!  I happen to know where they can get one! 

Kansas With The Kids :)

On our way back from Tennessee we were able to stop and spend the day with Teah, Tori, Justice & Isaak (Larry's kids and grandkids).  Good times :)  Teah had to work, bummer, but we met her for lunch and walked around town for a little while.   It was a beautiful sunshiny day, we took the kids to the park to play and Tori brought her friend Teresa and her kids along to join in the fun. The day ended all too soon and we had to get back on the road again.  It was a good day...and the breakfast we had at midnight when we first got into town with Tori and Teresa was a lot of laughs.  Check out the photo album to see pics of the kids at the park.  I'm sorry I can't remember Teresa's kids names, I'm terrible with names, but I will get them.   

Walking in Memphis

What wonderful memories of Memphis Larry and I bring back with us. First Graceland and then St. Patty's day spent with our good friends Bradley & Amy.  It was a perfect day for a ride on the riverboat. Our tour guide did a wonderful job giving us a little bit of the history of the river and surrounding area.  We learned about Memphis Hero Tom Lee who pulled 32 people out of the river after the sinking of the M.E. Norman in 1925. We saw the shoreline where the worst maritime disaster in American history (even worse than the sinking of the Titanic) the sinking of the Sultana took place in 1865 and learned why it received little publicity. We saw the hotel where Martin Luther King was killed, talked with kids that were auditioning for "So You Think You Can Dance" competition, walked and shopped the shops along Beale street, talked with some of the locals willing to tell a story for a few dollars to pay for their dinner...like Gino, listened to the music being played by all the many bands along the way, even danced a little.  The weather was beautiful the company was great and getting to spend some much needed time with my honey was the best. 

See Memphis photo album. Pics from trolley and Beale street I borrowed from Amy...I'm hiring her to do our wedding pics...she doesn't know that yet :)

 

 

~~~ Our Theme Song For March ~~~

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Spring Break 2009: Graceland, Memphis, TN

I remember as a little girl, one with an enormously huge crush on Elvis, sitting awe struck in front of the TV watching Elvis perform.   I felt like that same little girl again today as I walked through the doorway into his home.  I can't find the words to describe how it felt to be that close to what had been a close part of him.  To walk the halls where he had walked.  I was heart-broken when as a little girl I heard that he had gotten married, he was suppose to have waited for me to grow up and marry him.  I was devastated when he died, but kept it mostly to myself....tired of getting teased.  Visiting Graceland, standing by his graveside was an experience I will always treasure.  I will always wish that I could have met him in real life...maybe in the next.  It was a wonderful day.  Larry was awesome. In-spite of his being sick, he let me spend as much time as I needed including letting me cry on his shoulder at the grave site and the hours spent wandering aimlessly at the gift shops finding just the right souvenirs. Larry claims to never having been that much of an Elvis fan in the past, but after his  experience at Graceland came away a fan.  Check out our Graceland Photo Album. 

Spring Break: Mall of America, Minneapolis, MN

(Duplicated for those of you not on Facebook).

 

What a day! We got a late start getting loaded this morning (we are on the big truck) so it was late by the time we got to the Mall.  It's ginormous! 4 levels and you can walk forever. My bright idea was to do the fun stuff first and shop later so we wouldn't have to carry stuff around. Well consequently by the time we got done seeing all the things there was to do besides shop, all the shops were closing including the ice cream shop...bummer. Anyway, we spent quite a while at "Underwater Adventures" which is a big glass underwater aquarium that you walk through where fish, sharks, turtles, octopus and all kinds of aquatic life are swimming over the top of you as you walk through the underwater tunnel. It's way cool...check out the awesome pics.     Then we had to go on a few of the rides at the amusement park "Nickelodeon Theme park" also inside the mall. Larry talked me into going on the straight up and then straight down roller coaster....fun. See photo album. We didn't realize how late it was getting, so when we came out all the stores were closing up, so we didn't' get any shopping done...didn't get to go back to check out the cute purses I saw. Dang it! Then we took in a movie "The Last House on the Left"....bloody and scary. It's 1:00 AM now, and we are on the road again. Don't know how far we will make it tonight. It's been a great day!

Wedding Date Changed!

Larry and I have decided to postpone our wedding.  With all the many things we both have going on this year, we started feeling a little overwhelmed trying to squeeze the wedding and too many things in all at once. We haven't set a new date, but since we would like to have an outdoor wedding, maybe July or August of 2010? We will keep you posted.

-----To sit patiently with a yearning that has not yet been fulfilled, and to trust that, that fulfillment will come, is quite possibly one of the most powerful "magic skills" that human beings are capable of. It has been noted by almost every ancient wisdom tradition.   ---Elizabeth Gilbert

Winter on the Yellowstone

I love it when the weather is nice enough to be able to walk along the Yellowstone river in the evenings.  This is the view from last night!

     

Spring is coming, the ice is starting to melt!

 

I love sunsets!

  

I like this picture, it looks like the clouds have wings!

To My Valentine

I love you!  I love you for seeing the good things in me that I can't always see in myself.  I love you for giving me a push or the many little pushes to step outside my comfort zone and little box of my somewhat limited and naive little world.  Your encouragement to experience life not with fear and insecurities, but with love and laughter.  I love you for holding my hand in public (especially in front of your biker buddies). I love you for giving me wonderful romantic memories of bridges and lightening storms, park benches and kissing in the rain, hot chocolate and cuddling on the couch. I love you for being my GPS so I take the "scene it" route less often, and texting in rhyme to the rhythm of Dr. Seuss.  I love your 'other way' of doing things. But mostly, I just love you for no other reason than I couldn't not love you if I tried. I just love you. I'm so glad to have you back in my life again.  Happy Valentines Day.  PS- I love you more than there are chocolate kisses and candy hearts on valentine's day!

21 Years Ago Today (February 10, 1988)

21 years ago this morning, I was a full time college student, pregnant (one week over due) single mother of two. I sent my son, age 8, off to school, took my two year old daughter to the college daycare and attended all my classes including taking a government test in the afternoon.   I was miserable. My friend Carolyn was able to convince the doctor that he needed to induce me.  So later that night she along with my son (who carried my bags in for me) proceeded to check me into the hospital.  It was kind of scary being in the labor room all by myself for the first few hours with no family around to help.  My friend had to go home to take care of my kids and hers.  She ended up bringing my two year old daughter in later that night to the emergency room sick with Virile Pneumonia...too dangerous for a newborn baby to be around. I was told I couldn't see my two year old for 10 days. I might contract the disease or pass it on to the baby. Try making a sick two year old understand why she can't come home and why mom can't see her...especially when the new little baby gets to.  Thank god for good friend(s) and moms who drive through blizzards when help is needed. 

21 years later....my daughter can't make it home for her birthday today because all the roads are closed due to a ND blizzard. Keeping my fingers crossed that both daughters & Larry make it home for the weekend and our planned birthday/basketball trip to Billings.