Happy Birthday Nana (yesterday) and other stuff

The Huskies lost in the championship game last night.  It was a bummer.  It was a great game for the first half, but the second half Totino Grace just out played us.  What a great season the guys had.  It was so much fun.

 

Look who came to visit us Friday night after we put up our tree and everyone fell asleep.  Welcome back Elfie!

 

Yesterday was Barb’s birthday so knowing that we wouldn’t be at Thanksgiving, awhile ago we planned to meet up with her over the weekend.  Her friend Nancy and Grandma Doreen were able to join us. 

Today we headed out to meet up with them.  I had to take this picture of all the boys playing some type of electronic.  Sad isn’t it?!

 

We met up with them at the Trempealeau Hotel.  Trempealeau is a tiny town on the other side of the river from Winona, in Wisconsinland.  The food was yummy (known for the walnut burger) and the company even better.

 

After lunch we headed to the Elmaro Winery for a glass of wine.  We were a little unsure about bringing the boys in, but the people were so welcoming and told us to come right in.  They obviously have had lots of children because they had this cute little kids table over in the corner.  The boys sat nice and colored and played their games. 

It was a short visit, but very sweet. 

Happy Birthday Nana!  We love you and wish you many many more.

Oh Christmas Tree

We have quite a few traditions for Christmas and one of them is going to get our tree on the Friday after Thanksgiving.  It just feels nice to do it and then still have the weekend to decorate and do other things if needed.  Plus, this year the Huskies are in the state championship game tomorrow night.  Woo hoo!

After I took my little nap, we headed out to get our tree.  We went to the same place we have been going to for the last few years and honestly had a hard time finding “the tree”.  We like to get a big one because we have the ceiling for it.  I don’t mean to sound picky and ungrateful, but we just kind of like a big one.  We finally did find one that we were satisfied with and that the boys liked. 

Lucas pointing to our tree saying “This is it guys!”.

 

 

Nolan saving one he liked while we go to look at a few others.

 

This year’s tree!

 

Matt cutting it down as the boys watch.

 

Connor being the big guy now helping Matt carry it…

 

while Jacob, Nolan, Lucas, and I went to get hot cider and cookies in the warm shed. ;)

 

 

Lucas held on tight the whole ride home to be sure the tree stayed on the van. ;)

 

 

I have to take advantage of the boys being excited about the whole tree thing as long as I can because I know it won’t last long.  They each have their own bins with their ornaments that they have made and received.  Every year it’s always fun and exciting for them to take them out one by one and remember.  They were awesome helpers today.  We had a great afternoon and evening.

 

 

   

 

Another tradition we have is after we get the tree up the boys get to unwrap their new pajamas.  I don’t think they truly enjoy this as much as they pretend and humor their mom.  Though I do have to say they got some pretty cool ones this year.  After they got ready for bed and all clean and comfy we got out sleeping bags, ate popcorn, and watched a movie. I love sitting around with the only lights being the Christmas tree lights.  Something magical about it.  The boys are hoping that Elfie will come tonight.  In the past he comes the night we put up our tree.  We'll keep you posted.

Thanksgiving and shopping

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have so much to be thankful for.  Family.  Friends.  Love. Health. 

Jokingly, yet kind of serious -right now, I’m also thankful for a husband who is finally home and done working 24/7 or living up in the cities for the last month for his new catalog.  ;) I am grateful!

With Matt being gone so much this past month we stayed in Owatonna this year for Thanksgiving.  It was nice to be able to just relax and hang out.  We spent the day at mom and dad’s and Matt and Kristin and the girls were there as well.

 

 

We had yummy food like always, and I ate way too much like always.  Grandma had an afternoon of fun planned for the kids with activities, a scavenger hunt, and games.  They loved it.  We watched football and planned out our shopping. 

  

Mom, Kristin, Diane, and I decided we were going to go shopping again and be categorized with those crazy people.  ;)  Last year we went out to Medford for a little bit, but this year we stepped up our game.  It was crazy windy and cold out.  Kristin, Mom, and I were going to go to Target at 9:00, but one drive by the store and parking lot and we turned right around.  We headed to Wal-Mart quick which wasn’t so bad because it had been open for an hour already since 8:00.  We met up with Diane out at Medford at 10:00pm and stayed out there until midnight.  Kristin was ready to call it a night, but mom, Diane, and I braved it out to Kohl’s which opened at midnight.  After Kohl’s mom decided to she was ready to be done, and the night owl Diane talked me into doing some more with her.  She didn’t have to work too hard to convince me.  I was on a role and getting some good deals.  The whole thing is silly actually because you know the prices are going to be just as low come closer to Christmas.  It really was fun though.  Diane and I went to Target, back to Wal-Mart and then decided to wait for Fleet Farm to open.  At Wal-Mart we avoided getting smacked by some glass that flew off a truck and smashed into the ground, and Diane chased down my lists that got blown out of my hands.   We got some coffee and cookies and pulled into the parking lot at Fleet Farm ready for what we thought was the 5:00am opening.  We parked the car and were excited because the line wasn’t that long outside of the store and there was only 20 minutes or so until opening.  We thought we were really cool.  As we’re waiting for the doors to open the clock turns to 5:00, 5:05, 5:10….no doors opening.  Diane finally looked it up on her phone and it wasn’t opening until 6.  What dorks!  No wonder the line wasn’t that long.  If I was by myself I probably would have skipped it and headed home, but Diane was staying….she wanted her pistachios. ;)  So to kill and hour of time we had some great conversation and good laughs.  This goes to show my old age…at one point Diane was talking to me about how her phone was a pain to charge and I actually fell asleep on her, for about 5 minutes.  She just let me, kindly didn’t wake me at all.  I have no idea what woke me back up, but it seriously was for only about 5 minutes.  I got my catnap in and was ready to go.  We stepped outside after the store had opened shortly and the line was shorter.  We got these cute little puppies for being some of the first ones in.  What a perk! ;)  We were pretty delirious by this point and getting very silly.  When we were done shopping,  I was ready to go home.  She dropped me off, put up her feet for a few minutes at our house, and then was heading to one more store.

It was a very successful night/morning and so much fun with the ladies.  I took about an 1-1/2 hour nap later, but there was too much to do to get anymore than that. It definitely caught up to me later.

Christmas before Thanksgiving?

 

It is always so hard to get together with our extended families now that everyone has families of their own.  However, I am so glad that we still try to make an effort to do it.  This year my mom’s side decided to do it early because it was what worked best for most people.  I think we are going to continue to do it early and just call it our Christmas/Thanksgiving.

Lucas smothering Megan like usual and Jacob and Kelsey hanging out like usual.

 

 

Natey with Sr. Bernadette and some of the men talking.  It is actually amazing that Sr. Bernadette is still around.  She was not giving a good prognosis earlier this summer and didn’t have much time.  However, she went through a surgery and dialysis and is been given the gift of time.  It was nice to be able to see her, though the afternoon really wore her out.

 

 

The adults always bring a gift and then play dirty bingo.  This year the kids tried their own version.

 

Cards are always a big part of any family get together, on both sides actually.  We had to chuckle because here are the young men playing their own version of poker (they went around the room collecting money), which wasn’t even close to poker, but they thought they were cool.  It’s fun because I think back to all the fun times I had with my cousins at all the gatherings.  Now, our kids are doing the same thing.  The older men and ladies got their game of cards in as well.

 

 

 

We tried to get a few family photos outside.  This was the best one.

It was a nice day, relaxing and fun.

Way to go Huskies… on to the championship

The Huskies football team is heading to the state championship game.  It’s so exciting.  We’ve been able to make it to all the playoff and state games so far and can’t wait for next week as well.  We wouldn’t miss it.  My brothers both coach and my cousin plays.  It’s in the family!  We’ve had someone involved in the Huskies football program from our family in someway whether it was playing or coaching since Mattey and Natey were playing.  It’s been so fun to watch.

This game was one of the best high school football games I have been to since watching Mattey play in the state tournament back in 1998.  It was a nail biter to the end.  We were all on the edge of our seats or on our feet for most of the end of the game.  The Huskies pulled out the win in the final seconds of the game and the crowd went wild.

 

 

 

Our fan club!

 

 

 

It is so fun to watch these two guys coach.  Not to sound corny as an adult talking about two other adults, but I told them I am pulling the older sister card and saying how I am so proud of them.  I am so proud of who they are and so happy for them that they get to do something they love and are so good at.

Mattey is down on the field and is the running backs coach while Natey gets to go up in the booth and coach the wide receivers (obviously fitting since it’s what they both played in high school and college!).  What’s even cooler is that they get to do it together. 

 

 

Thought this was funny.  I snapped the first one without saying anything and the only two looking are Kristin and Sharon.  They were all too in to the game.  Then I asked them to look quick.

 

 

Look at the excitement and  happiness on that face and sharing that excitement with the players.

 

Look at the excitement and hustle to get down on the field with everyone else! ;)  Also, sharing the excitement with his players.

  

 

These are my favorite…

 

 

 

The boys and their uncles.  What incredibly awesome role models for our boys on and off the field!  Future Husky players?????

 

Dad and the coaches!

 

 

 

Way to go Huskies!  Way to go Mattey and Natey!