A mother's wish for her daughter on Mother's Day

A wish for my daughter on Mother's Day

I wish for you to look at me and see I am strong and proud and there for you.
I want you to see my human qualities and that we are all just learning as we go.
Please take the qualities I am trying to pass onto you and use them to the best of your abilities
But, please, don't try to be me. You are you and that is amazing.

You are stubborn, and strong willed, and kind, and smart - funny and clever. You are all the best of me and so much more. Please learn to be you. I am here to help along the way but do not let me hold you back.

I wish for you to be a mother some day if that is what you want. But I wish most on this Mother's Day that you learn to be you and appreciate all that is.

I love you -you make me a mom, you make me better, you make me proud

Water Park Getaway

Once a winter Addie's family tries to make it to a water park for the weekend.
February is a good month to go. The winter is getting long and cold, and cabin fever starts setting in. There are few days that we can get outside to play, and a change of scenery is in order. February is also Addie's birthday month. It is a good way to spend some time together as a family around her day.

We went to a casino/hotel/waterpark about 2 hrs from our house. We left right after school on Friday and returned Sunday afternoon. We spent the entire day on Saturday in the waterpark - taking breaks to rest and eat back in the hotel room. We also went back to the water park for a few hours on Sunday morning before we left.

The relaxation, warm hot water, and "sunny" atmosphere really does do a lot to lift the spirits. Having fun doesn't hurt either.

Water slides, the lazy river, swimming pool, kiddie area, and hot tubs were a great way to spend the weekend and to beat the winter blahs.

A Sledding We Will Go

Today, as a family, we went sledding

While the temperatures were not ideal
about 15 degrees F

and the snow condition was a bit icy

We still had a great time.

Ice Fishing

Addie went ice fishing with her dad and brother. They went to Red Lake, MN. If you Google a map of Minnesota you will see the Red Lakes, as they are very large.

They drove up Friday night and slept in the fish house. They fished all day Saturday and returned late Saturday night.

Walleye was the fish of choice for the weekend. They caught a dozen fish and kept 8 of them.


Here is a pic of the ice hole that you fish down inside the house. The house has a small woodstove that keeps it warm.

Do the lakes freeze hard enough to ice fish? Do people partake in this sport?

Suffering to be beautiful

Over Christmas Break Addie got her ears pierced. Her mom had given her permission to get them pierced when she was 7 but Addie wasn't ready until a few months back.The opportunity arose and we grabbed it.

Her mom's only stipulation was that there be two ladies there to pierce both ears at the same time because she remembers very well how hard it was to have the second ear done after feeling the pain of the first.

Addie made it through quite well, and only flinched a little.

But a smile quickly rose up after she saw the final product in the mirror.