Put Me in the Zoo

(The photo is one I took in the butterfly garden. I believe it's called a Cynthia. You can correct me if I'm wrong.)

I am a little ashamed to admit that my children had not been to the Minnesota Zoo since Abby was 1 and Emily was a newborn. (Yes, do the math; that means Nathan's never been there at all.) In my defense, they haven't been completely zoo deprived, though. They have been to the Como Zoo (for those not from around here--that's the free one) a couple of times, and once to the Potowotami Zoo in South Bend, IN.

So today we changed that. My sister Bria is leaving in August to teach in China for a year. (Sniff Sniff.) She wanted to spend a family day at the zoo before she leaves, and insisted on treating everyone--including our folks and my family of 5. (Thanks so much, Bria!) Well, then we did the math, and it wasn't much more to purchase a membership good for a year. Then we even decided to upgrade to the "Household Plus" for just $6 more; then we can bring an additional guest along too each time we go.

Alright. So I'm bound and determined to get good use out of this membership! Those of you who frequent the zoo...what are your favorite things to see? What about your kids?

Anybody else who wants to go with us--either with your own membership, or as our guest (you'd just have to then pay for any kids over age 3)--let us know. We'd love to go again soon!

Good Book

Came in Nathan's room the other day to find him sitting on the floor by his bed, reading the Bible. Very intently. Turning pages, pouring over the pictures scattered here and there.

Me: Hey Buddy! Are you readin' the Bible?
Nathan: Mmm-hmm. (Concentrating. Doesn't even look up.)
Me: That's awesome! Do you know Who wrote the Bible?
Nathan: Mmm...Ab-by-did.

(OK, so this one needs a little work.)

So a little more time passes. Nathan's still deep in concentration. I try again.

Me: Nathan, do you know what the Bible says?
Nathan: Says God forgave me! (Looks up at me with a big smile.)

So maybe we're getting somewhere after all.

(I'll have to pass that one along to Toni Nelson, too. What a great job she and the other workers do in that 2 year old nursery at church.)

Twelve Years and Counting...

(This post is from yesterday.)

"I feel the wind in my face...see the blue in the sky...it's days like this I realize...It's good to be alive." Geoff Moore.

We try to get away for at least a night or so every year to celebrate our Anniversary. This year we got adventurous and decided to go 4-wheeling! Drove to Prairie Farm where Wade's folks live, parked our car, borrowed their ATV and leisurely made our way to Turtle Lake & the surrounding area. In total for both days, we covered 100 miles of rolling hills, quiet roads, farmland, wooded trails, and old railroad beds now converted to ATV paths. Saw a family of raccoons, a fox, a turtle, some black ravens, and some chipmunks. Wade saw some wood ticks, too. They seem to like him better than me.

We've got another tradition--Bed & Breakfasts. I think we've stayed in 10 or so total. Wade usually does the choosing and surprises me. This year he picked the Canyon Road Inn, in Turtle Lake, WI. We could 4-wheel right to it. A beautiful B&B on Skinaway Lake. We even had our own balcony with a gorgeous view of it. Kept our patio door open at night and went to sleep to the sound of the loons. Glorious.

Twelve years ago today (23rd) Wade and I were married at Faith Community Church in Hudson, where we've attended church now for the better part of 14 years! On our wedding night, we stayed at the Jefferson Day House--a B&B on 3rd Street right in Hudson. And so began the tradition.


Happy Anniversary Honey! I look forward to many more with you.

A Crush

Emily asked me the other night at dinner "Momma, do you know who I have a crush on?" (Uh-oh. It's happening already?) No I didn't.
"God." She revealed. "You'd let me have a crush on God, right?" Phew.

You betcha, baby. Love Him above all others. Give Him your heart, mind, body, soul, and spirit. You'll never regret it.

And guess what else? He says you can even be the bride of Christ. How's that for cool?

Evening at the Beach

At 5:00 pm last night the kids and I decided to scrap supper preparation, throw out the schedule, and head for the beach! They've been begging to go since school let out. Wade met us there after work & brought sub sandwiches. A picnic on the beach and an evening swim to boot! Have I mentioned that I love summer?

Birthday love

A few shots from Emily's birthday.






We've got a tradition--Grandma P. makes the birthday cakes each year for the kids' birthdays. We tell her the theme and she gets to work! This year was Scooby Doo. Some other cakes she's done for us have been: a ladybug, a duck cake, a music note, a Barbie bride complete with train and veil, a tractor, & a big strawberry--for Strawberry Shortcake.



We aren't normally extravagant spenders when it comes to birthdays or Christmas, but the girls have been wanting a house for their Barbies for forever. So...ta da! Their wish came true! It was from us, along with Grandma & Grandpa Knutson, and also Aunt Bria (with thanks also to a great online discount.) Emily is standing next to it--it's that big. (It was a bit tricky, however, explaining to the girls that it was Emily's birthday present, but was for both of them to use.) We wanted Emily to feel really special--lavished, as sometimes the second born gets the shaft when it comes to new things.

Planning for & hosting parties tends to overwhelm me a bit--no matter how much I pray about it ahead of time. But this one went really smoothly, actually. I had Wade's help, and I was more relaxed than I usually am. Dare I hope that I've actually made some progress in this growth area? Well, in any case--another party down, and the next one won't be until November when Nathan turns 3. :)

Happy Birthday Emily & Ryan!

Happy Birthday to Emily who is 6 today! And Happy just born Birthday to our new nephew Ryan, who was born yesterday! (Born to Wade's brother Chad, and his wife Jennifer.) That makes 12 Grandkids on the Prestrud side so far! (This photo is just of our 3 and Chad's 4.)


Emily will be celebrating Scooby Doo style today. Em, you are such a blessing in our family. I love your kind, gentle spirit, your childlike excitement about life, your generosity...I love the way you play with your little brother and try to include him even when he pesters you. I love it that you like to snuggle. And I'm so glad that your heart is tender toward the things of God. We pray blessings for you on your birthday, this next year, and beyond. May you come to know even more the God who loves you and gave his life for you. He is the only One who satisfies, the only One who can sustain true joy. I see Him often in you, my little girl.

The Red Dragon

Introducing...The Red Dragon! At least, that's what the family we bought her from calls her. (She makes a funky roaring noise when the power locks are activated. An easy fix, but they didn't mind.)

Anyway, she's a 2000 Grand Caravan, and we bought her Saturday from a really nice family out in the cities--for well under Blue Book value. Thank You Lord for providing for us! I'm so thankful to have working air conditioning again.

We're not sure if we'll keep her name, or give her a new one. Any suggestions?

Our trip to Fort Wayne, Indiana

Disclaimer: this may be a long post. I want to record some of the details from our trip. Partly because I want my kids to have the memories recorded, and partly just because it's fun for me to write about. So bear with me. :)


The kids and I flew to Indiana last Saturday to visit my friend Danielle, and her girls, Ariana & Ivy. We met them when we were all living in South Bend. As many of you know, our 2&1/2 years in Indiana was largely a lonely time for me. But a year into our stay there, God provided Danielle--a true friend and sister in Christ. We met through the mom's group at our church in Granger, IN. We were both pregnant, and ended up having our babies (Nathan & Ivy) one day apart. :)

...So the kids and I flew standby through Wade's flight benefits, of course. Thankful to have that perk, but OHHHH can it be stressful. See Naomi's post to see what I mean. Then couple that with the fact that somebody somewhere screwed up & Nathan got taken off the list as an eligible family member--so they wouldn't let us list him for the flight. At all. We almost couldn't go & I almost had a nervous breakdown over it. Not really. OK, kind of. But literally, by the grace and favor of God we encountered some nice NW employees who pretty much tossed the rules aside for us and we made it!)

We spent 4 days together and some of the fun included: water balloon fights, playing dress up, hot fudge Sundaes at McDonalds, a trip to the (free) splash pad, (we really need some of those at the parks here) a visit to Chuck E. Cheese (thanks to Danielle's hubby, Manuel, who took the older ones there while the mommies and 2 little ones went out...intending to check out an old fashioned soda shop but ended up at Cebollas Mexican restaurant.) One day we tried to attend a program on animals at the library but found it full when we got there. Instead we checked out the Little House on the Prairie pilot movie and spent an afternoon snuggling on the couch. The girls were enthralled.

Let's see...one day we hired a babysitter and Danielle (& I) got a much needed break. We visited the Peony Tea House for a beautiful lunch & tea. (My first time at a tea room.) Though I may not decorate my own home with florals and lace, it was such a treat to be in the presence of such lovely and feminine surroundings. We each chose the chocolate decaf iced tea. I also requested sugar and cream for my iced tea. The owner thought this a bit odd, but soon tried it herself and decided she's going to make it a regular recommendation!

A couple photos from the Splash Pad:





During moments when we weren't tending to little ones, we even managed to get a bit of reading in...various excerpts from The Ministry of Motherhood, Elisabeth Elliot's Keep a Quiet Heart, and some fun stuff from Mrs. Dunwoody's Book of Excellent Housekeeping. (I don't think I have the title right...help me out Danielle.)

After the kiddos were in bed, we kept our tradition of watching as many episodes of Gilmore Girls as possible. And of course, we had to get Culver's (Heath concrete mixers are my weakness) during the show--just like old times.

Each of my 3 managed to injure themselves at least once on the trip:
Emily: twisted her ankle while jumping off a mattress. She was down & out for a day
Abby: climbed atop the freestanding porch swing, fell, and scraped her arm up good on the way down
Nathan: (He has two) dropped a toy cast iron pot lid on his face during a diaper change & bruised up his eye just a little. And at the park he climbed to the top of the climbing wall & fell on the way down. Face first. Scraped up his nose. (He looks cute, actually.) I also caught him trying to eat the wooden "pills" from the toy doctor kit. Close call.

Danielle, thanks again for your hospitality. I'm so glad we came. I loved seeing your home, observing how your girls have grown, and just getting extended time to hang out, talk, and pray together.

...I had been praying that we could really be a blessing and an encouragement to Danielle and her girlies, but I think they blessed us more! What a great trip, and a great start to summer vacation. :)

Mini Van Update

The kids and I are currently visiting friends in Indiana. And I just finally figured out how to login as myself under by blog...

This post is for Erin, who's been waiting anxiously on the edge of her seat...

No exciting news to tell, actually. We're still looking. Part of what's taken us so long is that Wade had a coworker who had a relative who--it sounded like--had a van to get rid of & barely wanted anything for it. We waited for weeks as she wanted it tuned up/checked by a mechanic, and she wanted to make sure she wasn't asking too much for it. As it turns out, she wants more than Blue Book value, even. (BTW...did you know dealers often sell vehicles for well LESS than Blue Book value, while For Sale By Owners often ask for the Blue Book $ and think they're offering a good deal?) That's what we're finding anyway.

We've got a certain dollar limit and mileage target, and are willing to go back to 1997's if need be. We've seen several mini vans that have matched what we're looking for, but they've been snatched up quickly, or by some fluke we didn't see them when they were first listed. That's happened several times. But we're still trusting God to provide, and to give us wisdom. Keep praying!

Last Day of School!

Today was Abby's last day of 1st Grade. I'm thrilled that she'll be home for 3 months! She, however, came home in tears--missing her teacher already. She is excited for summer vacation, too, though. Especially trips to Brown's Beach. She's been begging to go swimming, even on the days we're all wearing coats. :)

I'm a simple girl at heart. Though I am detailed and fairly scheduled myself, I don't like life to be as packed full and scheduled as the school year seems to get. I'm looking forward to not having to set an alarm clock (though Nathan will still provide that service anyway) and I'm excited to spend lots of lazy days at the park and the beach with the kids. Truth is, I really love having them around. I love it when they come and snuggle in the morning--especially when they're all in the mood to squish in and be read to. I love hearing the girls play together. I love hearing that Nathan's being included. Don't get me wrong-- there are plenty of times when they fight, bug each other, and exasperate me...but mostly it feels good when they're all here. Or at least that's what I choose to remember. :)

Yesterday we had a little preview of togetherness...a chocolate milk tea party on the front stoop!




I find myself often being nostalgic over how fast the kids are growing up. But I really am enjoying the stages they're at right now. And I'm looking forward to lots more times like these.



P.S. Happy Birthday Jen! And thanks for sharing your cake with us. I know your actual birthday-day this year may not have been as adventure packed as last year's flamingo yard raid...but I'm still just as grateful to be in Hudson to celebrate birthdays and other milestones with you again. Love you friend!

Confessions

Emily and I were painting our nails. Em was all excited and told me how she feels pretty when her nails are painted. It's fun to be a girl. :)

So first we clipped them and cleaned all the dirt out from her outdoor adventures. As I was clipping, she confessed in hushed tones..."Um Mom, I do actually pick my nose. And when you clip my nails,...I can't."

Fend For Yourself!

I grocery shop on Tuesdays. So today, Monday, is the tail end of my grocery week. I plan out my meals each week, but I just wasn't in the mood for the last meal left on my list. (Wade agreed.) And fast food wasn't in the budget tonight. I suggested pasta. Veto. Wade said he'd prefer something light. I rummaged through the cupboards but nothing looked good. I asked God to help me come up with something decent...

After scouring the fridge I had a plan! Gourmet salads with Romaine lettuce, baby spinach, chicken strips, leftover citrus fruits, walnuts, & a yummy raspberry walnut vinaigrette. Honestly, I thought it tasted like something you'd pay $8.95 for at a restaurant. Apparently my family didn't agree.

For the next 20 minutes, I heard nothing but comments such as these:
"This is what we're having for supper?"
"Is this all we're having?"
"Can I just have chicken nuggets?"
"How much of this do I have to eat?"
"Why did you make this, Mom?"
"Um, I should have had you leave the dressing off mine." (That one was from hubby.)
"The fruit is hurting my canker sores." (That one was from hubby, too.)
"The walnuts smell like the chicken." (Hubby again.)

OK people.

This is coming from a family who is used to eating good amounts of fruits and vegetables--and salads often. Guess they just don't like the combo as the main dish. Finally I told them with a smile and as much kindness as I could muster...to fend for themselves. I tried.

Delusions of Grandeur

Why is it that the world is good and all seems well when my house is clean? And why am I always convinced that I will be able to keep it that way for more than a day?