This is how my mind works.....scary, huh?

Hi. How's everybody today? Hope all is well. We pass this sign a lot going to the camper. Each time I pass it, I think how great that would look on a maternity shirt. Hahahaha. Just had to share this picture with you.

Have a great weekend everyone. Hugs. ~Laura

Hello........testing 1...2...3... Is this thing on?

Hey!!! Anybody still out there??? Helllloooooo!!?? Sorry it's been so long. I really have missed you all. I'm back for today but there's no telling how long I'll be back.

Today Alex and I had a fun day with Sue and Max. We went to see the holiday display at Macy's downtown. This is the first time Alex and I (I know, I know, I grew up in MN. Whatever.) have been to see it. It was really cute and we got to see Santa too. I'd love to show you some GREAT pictures of Alex on Santa's lap!! Sigh! If only I had any. Alex was scared to death of him and wouldn't let go of me. I was shocked. Here I was picturing Alex hugging Santa and talking his ear off. Nope. Not today. Here are some pictures from our outing.

I hope everyone had a GREAT Thanksgiving. We sure did. We celebrated on Thanksgiving Day at Doug's sister Lisa's house and then with my side of the family here on Black Friday.

Talk to you soon (I hope). Sure hope everything is going well for all of you. Extra hugs and happy thoughts to Nolan and his family and to Karen. Hugs. ~Laura

Still trying to catch up.

Hello everyone! I am still trying to get caught up on blog posts. Life has been happening so fast that I feel as though I barely have time to take a deep breath. The following pictures are of Alex at his tuxedo fitting for Jeremy's (our oldest nephew) wedding (in October). The pictures were taken at the end of August and here they are:

This week I picked up a dress for Carly to wear to the wedding. I wasn't too sure about it but Doug REALLY likes it so I think we will keep it. What do you guys think?

Hope everyone has a nice, peaceful Sunday evening. Talk to you soon. Hugs ~ Laura

This and That

Hi. Hope everyone is enjoying summer! I cannot believe how FAST it's flying by.

We have been having a great time at Springvale (Do I say that every blog post?)! This summer there has been a game going on. Someone hides a lawn gnome (See picture below.) and whoever finds it can turn it in for a FREE icecream cone. Alex found it in early August. I cannot believe how that little gnome blends in with his surroundings. He's not easy to find!!

Below is a picture of my own beautiful little gnome.

On Sunday, August 2nd, we celebrated Grandma Palmer's birthday with dinner at Red Lobster. Yum.

Below is a picture of my boy, asleep for the night. Don't you love the goggles and hat. He's so funny. Can't wait to bring this picture out on prom night and/or graduation. :)

On Thursday, August 13th, me and the kids went to Springvale for the day. We had fun in the pool, took a few golf cart rides, hung out at the sand pit and had some lunch. A very nice way to spend a day.

I started this post on August 14th (Today is August 31st. How could it be possible that tomorrow is September 1st???). Just haven't felt like blogging although I do have a lot of stuff to tell you guys (Nothing exciting, just "normal" stuff.). I will try to catch up with more blog posts later this week. Had to at least let Jessie and Clayton out of my livingroom after getting pressure from family and friends this weekend to release them. Be free Jessie and Clayton!!! Love and hugs. ~Laura

An unexpected visit.

Got a call from my niece Jess this morning that her and my grandnephew were looking for something to do. Jess and Clayton spent a few hours with us this afternoon. Look at how beautiful they are!!


Jess looks WONDERFUL and you would never guess that she gave birth less than 8 months ago. Clayton is sweet and very good natured. So handsome too.

Thanks Jess and Clayton for being the bright spot in our day.

One more thing. Happy Big 3 - OH to Stuart !! Hope your day is happy. Hugs. Laura

The legend of Ubu.

Alex attended preschool at Handke last year. In front of the building is a statue of a yellow lab. A couple of employees at Handke dress him up every day. Here's Ubu dressed up as a MN Twin complete with Joe Mauer sideburns. We have a lot of fun checking out Ubu to see how he is dressed for the day. Here is a picture of Ubu and Alex.

Our local paper did an article on Ubu. To read more, click here .

We FINALLY got some much needed rain this morning. I didn't realize how much I missed the sound of a good thunderstorm in the morning. Usually the kids sleep in on a day like this. No such luck today. Alex was up at 6:30 am. Makes for a LONG day if we can't get outside. Wish me luck. Hugs. Laura

The yummy smells of summer

Yes, it really is summer. Doesn't feel like it when it's only 60 degrees in the middle of July. I really LOVE all the good smells that come with this season. The smell of fresh cut grass and sunscreen on Carly and Alex are a few of my favorites. I also love the smells of the flowers and trees. In the picture below, the white flowers are alyssum. If you have never smelled this dainty little flower you should definitely do that. They are delicious. I can smell them when I am sitting in the rocker on the porch.

I also love the smell of the flowers that appear on the Linden tree. We have one growing in the front yard. It's a slow grower, we've had it for at least 14 years. The blooms are so fragrant that you can smell them all over the front yard. The bees ADORE this tree. There are so many hanging around it that when I water the plants at the base, I can hear a constant buzz from them. It's cool but just a little bit creepy.

Gotta go and get the kids ready for bed. Have a good night. Hugs. Laura

Another fantastic weekend (BEWARE..Contains bragging)

Our friend Evan and his family invited us to go to a Saints game for Evan's birthday. Evan's brother Nolan and Carly share a sped class together. We had an absolutely amazing time!! To be honest, I was hesitant to bring Alex to a ball game let alone Carly. I just couldn't imagine them sitting for 3 to 4 hours watching a ball game! Well, they did. We had GREAT weather, Carly and Alex behaved beautifully and we were with EXCELLENT company.

Before the game we tailgated. Right next to the tailgating area there are railroad tracks. So we had the extra bonus of having the trains go right by us. A huge hit with the boys for sure! Below is a picture of Alex and Evan watching the trains go by.


Below is a picture of Carly having a GREAT time. That is Nolan next to her. I think this is the only time that he wasn't trying to sneak a kiss from Carly. Nolan is quite the Romeo.


This was our first visit to a Saints game. We had been wanting to go for quite some time. As far as I am concerned, this is what baseball is all about. Tailgating, an outdoor stadium and pretty much every seat is a good seat. There is something going on in between every inning. For example, in between one inning, Petey P. Cup, Pokey syringe and a big tooth (I don't know what the tooth's name is.) played Twister. If you are wondering who these "people" are, see HealthPartners web site. It was pretty funny. Maybe you had to be there. The Saint's mascot is Muddona. She is pictured below. Isn't she cute!!??
Thanks Kathy and Scott and all for a really GREAT day. You guys rock.

Children of the Corn

If it's true that corn should be knee high by the Fourth of July in order to have a good crop, this year's crops should be fantastic. Some of the corn in some places has already tassled. Can't wait till the Minnesota corn is ready. Yummmmm!! Have a good weekend. Hugs. Laura

Fourth of July

We had another fabulous weekend at Springvale. We went up on Thursday night. Friday night there was a street dance at the campground. Carly LOVED it. Alex......not so much. He told me several times throughout the day that he was going to dance but he never did. We didn't get to stay long but it was a lot of fun!! The picture below is the only one I was able to take at the street dance.

Springvale had their annual Fourth of July parade. The Boys of Springvale always lead the parade.

This year we decided to bling up the golf cart and be in the parade. The kids had a great time but the Dads decided that next year the Moms could be in it and they would watch.

The picture below is of Kels and Kat (the two in the middle).

We really had a GREAT time. Can't wait for next year. Maybe we will be able to stay for the whole dance AND win the parade "competition". :) Hugs. Laura

Planting shrubs

My next door neighbor asked me to water her plants for her while she was on vacation. As a thank you, she gave me a beautiful Weigela shrub, a couple of Coneflowers and another flower out of her garden (Not sure what that one is called). So I planted the flowers but decided that that one little shrub needed some friends. Yes, I know, it's a sickness. It's a little bit like buying a throw pillow for the couch and then deciding you need to re-paint, re-upholster, etc. I'm sure there's an intervention for this somewhere. So I ended up with 8 shrubs (yes, 8) and still would like 2 more (Couldn't find 2 of all that I wanted.). Well, anyway, we planted them yesterday while Sissy was at school.


Not sure what kind of shrub this one is (below). Pretty sure it's a dwarf variety though. :)


Alex's favorite part was the pile of black dirt in the back of the pick up truck. He probably would have slept there last night if we had let him.


This cool weather today and yesterday is kind of a bummer but it sure is GREAT for doing outside chores!! Talk to you soon. Hugs. Laura

TripleShot

Went to Doyle's Lounge last night to see TripleShot. For those of you who don't know, that's Mikey (my BIL) on the left. They rocked the house as always and played some new songs (Songs that I hadn't heard them play before.). It was a lot of fun!!


The following picture is of my sister Cathy, my dear friend Bennie and my Mom. Just like old times, they kept me out too late. For many years, I have been a firm believer that nothing good happens after midnight (Unless, of course, you are in your craft room. Lol.). I still truly believe that. We didn't get home until 2:30 am. I am totally exhausted.

Have a great weekend. Hugs. ~Laura

The best weekend ever!!?

Thought I better get this post done. I had meant to do it Sunday, then Monday........then.......well, the week got away from me as usual. Last weekend we had the best weekend. If you don't want to hear a mom shamelessly brag about her family, then this post is not for you!! I warned you. ;)

The Friday before Memorial Day weekend Doug got off work early and came home with a golf cart (Golf carts are VERY common at campgrounds that have seasonal sites.). I have been against this idea all along (I think we need the exercise. Plus, now I have a 4 year old that whines when I suggest we walk anywhere.). Carly absolutely LOVES it. She happily rides along in the woods, "singing" away the whole time (usually smiling too).
Carly was outside the camper way more than she was inside the camper this weekend. This is a huge deal. She usually doesn't like to be outside/away from her camper for very long. She also led me over to the slide to help her go down. This too is unusal. Usually when we are near a slide I make her go down once with her protesting the whole time. After I helped her up, she sat at the top for awhile and eventually pushed herself down the slide.

We also went to the pool. Carly LOVES the pool. In fact, it gets difficult to even walk by the pool because she wants to go in it so bad. She is now standing up in the pool on her own (with floaties on her arms). I didn't have to hold her the whole time. A couple of times she was even floating. When it was time to get out, she did really well too (this can be an unpleasant event).

On Saturday during the afternoon, they had a kids craft up at the Lodge. The kids were able to make a Father's Day gift. I brought Alex (Crafts usually just aren't Sissy's kind of thing.) up to do the craft and Sandy and gang wanted to know if I wanted to bring things back to the camper so that Carly could do it too. Since she had been doing so great, I decided that I would bring her to the Lodge. She did super!! The kids made a t-shirt. The front says: This Dad deserves a pat on the back. The picture below shows the back. They also got to make a card and they placed a coupon for a free waffle for Dad in the card. Super cute!! Thanks Sandy and all!

Saturday night me and Carly went up to the Lodge to get icecream. We had a sundae and ate it sitting up at the counter. She sat so nicely. The gang at Springvale treats us like family. Where else can you go where the person who gets your icecream will also reach over with a napkin and get a bit of fudge off your sweet girl's face? Thanks Kels. We finished our icecream and even sat for a little bit at the counter.

On Sunday, Doug went home early to enjoy some quiet time on Father's Day. Me and the kids stayed for a little while longer. We went back to the Lodge for icecream. Carly was a little upset when we were up there so I told Alex that we would take the icecream back to our camper and eat it. On the way out of the Lodge I suggested that we sit on the bench (just outside the door) and eat our icecream. So we did!! Carly sat still the whole time and we shared an icecream sandwich. So sweet!!

For those of you who don't know Carly well, these are all MAJOR things in her/our life. I am soooo proud of her. A HUGE thank you to Sara (Carly's para) and all at Parker. Your hard work and dedication is paying off!! Alex also had a fabulous weekend. He was very well behaved and I am super, duper proud of him too.

Hugs to all.

A bit of home improvement

Aren't these Decor Elements cute? These are available through Stampin' Up! . I had bought them last fall but didn't want to put them up until I had a fresh coat of paint on the door. The actual painting didn't take long but getting around to it did (story of my life!). The color is called Warm Brownie. Just didn't see how I could go wrong with a color by that name!! We also got some new light fixtures for the outside of the house. I'm always amazed at what a BIG difference such a little home improvement can make. By the way, I TOTALLY copied this idea. Thanks Gretchen! Thanks for stopping by!!

A Big Day and a "DreamNight"

Today was a big day! It was the last day of school for Carly and Alex. Carly finished second grade and Alex finished his first year of preschool. Carly had cake and icecream to celebrate three of her sped classmates going on to middle school and Alex's class had icecream treats too. Alex also got crayons and chalk from his preschool teachers. A huge hit!! Here's a pic.

Then, last night we went to the MN Zoo. Cities 97 and many others were sponsoring DreamNight. This was a private event that invites children with special needs and their immediate families to spend a free evening at the zoo (free admission, dinner AND parking!). The event was from 5 - 8 pm (The zoo was closed to the public at 6 pm.). Our ride south was a little long (It took us 2 hours!) but well worth it!! We got to pet a chinchilla (OMG how soft!). Here is a picture of Sissy enjoying the softness.

We had the opportunity to see some of the animals up close and personal. Like this beautiful grizzly bear. Isn't he sweet!!?
Here's a picture of Carly and Alex with their friends Evan and Nolan. Thanks to Kathy for letting us know about this great event. So glad we got to share it with them!! They even got to feed the giraffes!! Cool, huh!?

After the zoo event, Doug and I were off to see Triple Shot. My shy friend Bennie was there. I really need to find a way to get that girl to come out of her shell (LOL!). They played awesome as always.

A little R & R.......It's a good thing!

I had a super, fabulous weekend up at our camper.....ALL BY MYSELF! I had gone up there for a little R & R as well as to try to work on a quilt for Carly (I've had the material for about 4 years!). The picture below is what one of the blocks will look like (If it looks a little goofy, it's because I haven't sewn the 4 units together. If it doesn't look goofy....never mind. :) ). I didn't get nearly as much done as I thought I would (Story of my life!). I really enjoyed what I did get done. It's been awhile since I made a quilt so I was kinda out of practice. Thanks to Kris and Sandy for the fun chats at Springvale!!

Shade Lovers

I just love this time of year. It's so much fun to see everything bursting into bloom. It's also fun to see what I planted the year before that I may have forgotten. I also like to see what the birds have planted for me or what plants may have re-seeded. Here are a couple of my favorites. Even though we need rain really bad, these two are looking really healthy.