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.

a big girl bedroom makeover

on sunday, sabin's room got transformed from little girl room to big girl room. we took her bed down from its legs and moved things around. we didn't repaint it, since the paint was still pretty fresh (and since the house is for sale), so it's still two shades of pink.

we moved the bookshelf over by the door to act a bit as a room divider and create a more inviting play space.

we haven't yet moved the stuff on the wall that used to be under the bed and above the desk, so the clock is in kind of a funny spot.

we decided to shelves the books in color order, using (for the most part) the ROY G BIV rainbow order (plus white, brown and black down at the end). we're pretty pleased with how it looks.

since's sabin's bed will be used more like a couch when she has friends over, i'm making a sturdy bedspread and pillows with the bright, cheery fabric below. i'm backing it with fleece, to make it soft and usable as a blankie to cuddle up in and watch t.v. as well. we do love ikea, they have such bright, cheery fabric designs.

sabin feels the room suits her much better now and she's looking forward to hanging some things on the wall. she had really been complaining about the lack of wall space since the only wall was previously blocked by her bed and the other one is a vaulted wall that's hard to hang things on. the only new item will be the new bedspread, otherwise, we got a totally new look just by changing things around. but it feels so fresh and different, it's like having a whole new room.

Which Way to the Witch?

Halloween has come and gone.

The candy bags are full.

The costumes tossed aside.

The pumpkins are rotten.

Addie was a witch this year.

Almost as cute as the Humbug Witch

But, it is hard to be as cute in real life
as an illustration.

These little rugrats come close.
Addie - Witch
Aiden - Army Guy
Keegan - Fisherman
Tryllen - Batman

Fun was had by all. I wonder what Addie will be next year? She has been a cheerleader, an Asian Princess, Butterfly, a cat, and others we have already forgotten. I also wonder how many more years we have before she no longer wants to dress up.

Do you only celebrate a Fall festival, or is there Halloween and Trick-or-Treating there too?