Schmidgall Scoop

Harvest Party

2011-11-05T04:35:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago the girls and I drove to Janesville WI to attend an annual Harvest Party at Gary and Doreen Moser's home. Rustin had to work so he didn't make it. We were invited by the Koehl's and were so glad to see them and spend time with them.

Candice and Grace were inseparable.
Kaitlin and Eden

These girls played well together

Maddie Candice Leah Grace

Olivia and her cousin Malachi

Grace and Grant bobbing for apples

Scarecrow making

We left before the pumpkin carving so we took one home and carved it the next week.

Susan this shirt is for you. Someone said this looked like a Susan shirt. I agreed except for the fact it is PINK:)

October

2011-10-17T15:09:00.000-07:00

Wild West Days horsey ride
To prove that yes Eden and Tirzah do attend these fun events.

Cowgirl

We could hardly drag Grace away from the dancing.

Our new cousing Cecily Rose. Grace was excited to hold her.

Eden was there but more interested in Bob and their coasters.

(thankfully:))

The girls riding on their train.

Wee Tee

2011-09-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

We went mini-golfing with the Beutels on Saturday.

This was the kids' favorite hole. Eden was sopping by the time we left.

Athens Alabama

2011-09-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

We visited Susan over Labor Day Weekend.

Not a sight you see every day in IL.

Cotton Ball up close

Grace had fun staying with Susan.

In front of Susan's apt. (It was very bright out:S)

This is how Grace watched movies while in the car.

July and August

2011-08-31T08:55:00.001-07:00

Abbi Grace Tiffany Eden

Just Chillin

Two good pumpers

Tiff having fun

We did alot of swimming at the Rocke's this summer.

Grace Megan Emily

We enjoyed a trip to Mn in late July.

Alexa Kylie Grace

Morris School has an awesome playground!

Eden Sharon Rustin Alexa Katie Kylie Tommy Grace Travis

On the way home we stopped at the Dells and stayed at the

Polynesian Isle. Perfect for our kids:)

These jumperoos were perfect for Eden.

Buffalo Phil's was a fun restaurant. One room had a little train that delivered the food. The wait was 1 hour so we decided to just watch and sit somewhere else. (Yes Eden peed through, no we don't usually hang out in our diaper in public.)

At the Cheese Factory. Always have to get the WI cheese curds!

Good Times in the wagon!

Greg and Sheila Reuter came down for the Mens' Sing. We had a blast with them. You can tell Grace and Emerson are both oldest children. There were maybe a few shouting matches.

The two 1 year olds: Eden and Kailee

Eden is walking more and hopefully there will soon be a 1 year birthday party post!

Where a Kid can be a Kid

2011-07-08T07:17:00.000-07:00

Cousin Tiffany came down from MN so we went to

Chuck E. Cheese'S.

Much fun was had by all: BIG and SMALL.

Eden liked Chuck E. better far away. (So did Grace:)

I just love summer flowers.

Holiday Inn Express in Morton

2011-07-02T14:33:00.001-07:00

Grace likes doing butt busters.

What a ham!

Eden and Grace with one of their favorite people.

We're Alive and HOT

2011-07-01T14:45:00.001-07:00

Settling Down

2011-02-22T11:47:00.000-08:00

I thought I better update after a month of moving and unpacking. I finally feel like I live somewhat normal. As of now we are renting and the place is fully furnished, so we don't need a lot of our stuff.

We thought that all of our belongings would fit into this 26' beaut, but on that cold, snowy Monday morning we made a quick trip to Morris to pick up a 12' trailer to follow the Expedition. I wish I took a picture of our train. Rustin and Grace drove this pulling the Saturn on a dolly. Eden and I were in the Expedition pulling the trailer. There was not an empty hole for nothing or no one. If we had to do it over we probably would go with a different company. This truck was not designed for Minnesota snow! It was stuck atleast 6 times during our hauling. Most of them in our alley.
This was one room of the house on Monday morning. All of them basically looked like this. Grace was getting a little frustrated at having no room to play and nothing to play with.

As you know we picked the worst week in 100 years to travel to Illinois. Ah, the memories! We made it to Jackson, Mn monday afternoon and decided we had enough sliding around for the day. At one point I almost rear ended Rustin. Thankfully I slid right up next to him. Lets just say it wasn't fun driving. Grace got a little swimming in that night and we got up bright and early to maybe make it all the way. The roads got much better closer to Iowa and we made great time until we hit Cedar Rapids. It started to snow and accumulate and we knew we had 3 hours left on good roads. After talking with Il people we decided it would be wiser to stay in Coralville(Ia City) than to get stuck somewhere between Moline and Peoria. At that point I thought we would be staying there 2 nights. Grace would get in plenty of swimming! Unfortunately she got the flu sometime during the night and it lasted until the next afternoon. I think this was God's way of telling us, you are going nowhere... just stay put another night. By Wednesday afternoon Rustin was going crazy so he went out and dug out the vehicles. Since Grace was still sick, we took separate walks to the mall by our motel. By the evening Grace was better so she was able to go swimming one last time. We were on the road by 7 on Thursday morning and made it to Tremont by 10:30. After seeing all the vehicles in the ditch, we were glad we waited the storm out. The rest of the day was spent unloading all vehicles and we are finally all unpacked!

We bought a new camera, so Grace gets the old one. She is very excited. I think she shows some promise.

self portrait

Since we've moved we started Eden on baby food. She gobbles it right up and is usually asking for more.

Grace is still the one who can make Eden laugh/smile the best.

We Are................................................................

2011-01-15T20:00:00.000-08:00

MOVING!!!!!!!!!!!

That's right, we are moving to Tremont. We feel God's direction to move south, and Rustin found a job at Sun Ag, so in three weeks we will no longer be Minnesotans but Illini. This has been a couple months of ups and downs and much prayer, but we have a peace and are excited for a new venture. Rustin's last day of work is the 28th and then we load up the next week and go. Thanks for your continued prayers!

Let's Roll

2011-01-06T05:50:00.000-08:00

You'll have to ignore the background noise and abuse, but Eden can now roll from back to front and front to back. She just all of a sudden rolled from front to back at my parents over Christmas. We had a nice time down there. Short as usual. We celebrated Schmidgall Christmas the week after. One night we were all snowed in because of a blizzard. Worst one I've been in yet. Good Times. Here are some px of the past few weeks.

Grace is standing in this snowbank at our house. This was before Christmas, so there is about 12 more inches on top of that.

Grace helping the men scoop off my parent's drive. Later that day it snowed another 6-8 inches so they dug out the snowblower.

all ready for sledding

the 3 2010 babies
Eden, Mia Dill, and Avery Hughbanks

Grace Eden Olivia Mia Grayson

Grace received a decorate your own cupcake set from Bob and Jenny. She loves it!

This is the only px I took at Schmidgall Christmas because ReKeeta has a way better camera. As you can see Eden's cheeks are holding up the glasses not her nose.

the Projector

2010-12-01T04:26:00.000-08:00

Grace likes to snuggle with Eden in the morning when we let her.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T17:40:00.000-08:00

ONE OF THE MANY BLESSINGS OF THANKSGIVING!

Blogging Blues

2010-11-22T08:28:00.000-08:00

I've decided it's a good thing I'm not a journalist. I would probably be fired. We've been busy and I haven't been motivated to write. Rustin has been at his new job of hauling combines/tractors for Amundson Peterson in Benson for a month now. He likes it best when he's in the truck. I like his hours ALOT better. And he is gone overnight very little. The girls and I vacationed in IL for two weeks in October. It was a lot of fun and unrushed, but of course I took no good pictures. Greg and Mary and fam came up the other weekend. Wii had a lot of fun playing Rustin's new Monopoly game. The only px I took was of the kids in the tub. As you can see Eden was not impressed. Soon after it was taken Grace tried to pawn her off on Max. Eden's bathtime was done:)

Starting January 1 I won't be working any more. I am excited to spend more time at home with the girls but am also a little nervous how the winter will go. I have never not worked! The girls are interacting more each day. Usually it is short-lived with Eden crying and Grace in timeout but I will leave you with a video of our entertainer.

2010-10-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

CAN YOU GUESS OUR MOST RECENT NEWS?

3 days to Tremont!!!

August Days

2010-08-24T11:21:00.001-07:00

Grandpa and his girls

Grandma and her girls

Wow! I can't believe that Eden is 1 month old already. I also can't believe that my Mom has been gone for 2 weeks. She did so much for us while she was here and we really appreciate it. Thanks, Mom! She and Grace read ALOT of books. Grace's favorite one was the 'Grocery Store' book. They read it multiple times a day. Since Mom has left we have only read it twice. Nothing is quite as fun unless it's with Grandma. We also froze corn and peaches while Mom was here. One night it stormed through the night so the next day, the three of us picked up sticks in our yard and our neighbors' yards. I don't think my house has ever been so clean, (and probably won't until the next kid:))

The day Mom and Dad were leaving Grace happened to be spinning around in church. She went to her dad and promptly puked all over him, her, and the assembly floor. I got the cleanup duty and we made a fast exit. Thankfully she wasn't sick, but unfortunately the Koch stomach lives on.

Grace has been riding her bike around alot lately. If we are outside, all she wants to do is go on a bike ride. This works out great for me since I need the exercise. We have also been working on potty training which is going okay:S Feel free to let me know if you have any great advice. I've noticed lately that although it may be hot during the day, the nights are cooling off quite a bit. This saddens me a little that winter is coming. Seasons come and seasons go

Summer Days

2010-08-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

Nothing beats Summer days like fresh corn on the cob!

Grace loves feeding Eden, but I'm not sure the feeling is mutual.

Matching dresses that Aunt Jenny made.

So Cute! They wore them to church for Eden's first Sunday and received many complements.

Today we went to the Splash Park in Morris with the Grandmas and the Cousins and Jody. It was a good, hot day for this.

Eden cashed out in Jody's arms.

Tiff and Grace - typical girls sunbathing

Tory Tiff Grace and Luke

My mom is here for another week. We sure are getting spoiled by having her here. It has been so nice though, and much has gotten done. Rustin left for Colorado last night so we are extra thankful that Grandma is here. Reality will hit next week when Grace won't have undevided attention and I won't have a 24 hour nanny!

Eden Rose Schmidgall

2010-07-30T13:02:00.001-07:00

Eden Rose
7/26/10 7:58 am
8# 2 oz.
20.5 in.
strawberry blonde/brunette hair

What a stud in scrubs!
The week before the due date we decided to have a C-section due to complications from Grace's birth. It went pretty good besides the fact I couldn't swallow and was having drainage. (Notice the suction tube in my hand.)

We think she looks like Rustin and a little like Grace did.

Grace is such a ham! She loves being a big sister and holding Eden as much as possible.

Grace smothers Eden with kisses quite frequently.

This is my little homie! We skyped my parents and my Dad caught this at the perfect moment. This shows that my girls can have hair at birth!

Life at home has been going slow but well. Rustin has been having short loads and is able to help out. Each day the pain is less and I am looking forward to the next couple of weeks when I can do stairs alot more comfortably. My Mom and Dad are coming up today, and Mom is going to stay for two weeks. This will help out a ton! Life is different with an almost 3 year old and newborn, but hopefully we will all adjust in time.

Sunday School Fun and MattSusan visit

2010-07-22T05:49:00.000-07:00

On July 15 Jodi S. and I took our SS class to their hunting club for some food and fun. We did numerous relays, some of which Jodi found on the internet. I thought they were hilarious. We played kick ball, and of course a water balloon "toss." I think Jodi got the wettest at that one. I kicked the ball twice and ran around the bases and decided I better stop before starting labor. The kids got to ride the golf cart around the property, and I think this was the highlight of the day. Rustin, Grace, and Keith came to help with a weinie roast and then we packed up and went home. It was a fun day, but I don't know why anyone would purposely have octuplets.

the girls smothering Grace

the entire class

the boys in an all out water balloon war

This was one of the games Jodi found on the internet. Thankfully Paige and Lauren obliged to be the targets. It was a disgusting but fun time.

Susan and Matt showed up later that evening and this marked the last of our summer visitors before the baby. Friday we went to Alex to find Matt a water bottle and finish getting groceries for church serving. We ate lunch at Culver's which was delish. I take every opportunity to eat there I can because Rustin doesn't care for it. That afternoon and evening I browned 15# of hamburger in the crock-pot for taco salad. This was a first time experience and it actually went pretty smooth. Saturday we went swimming at the Benson Pool with Tommy, Amber, and Kylie. The girls had a blast in the kiddie pool. Grace tried to surf down the slide on her feet but didn't quite make it. I still have an issue with no life preservers at the pool because guess who wanted to be in the big pool all the time, and guess who was watching her while everyone else went on the slides and diving boards :S Saturday evening we ordered in Pizza Hut and crashed. Sunday we arrived to church at 8am and started getting ready for taco salads. Prep was done by the time church started, and I think lunch went pretty smoothly. I am thankful where we are located Grace can run outside and I know she will come back and not get hit by cars. Usually I watch her closer, but I was a little busy on Sunday. One lady at church thought Matt and Susan were a couple. I laughed but I don't think Matt was impressed. In the eve we went to Rustin's parents for supper and 4-wheeler rides. We went to bed early because everyone was a little short on sleep. Susan went with Rustin on his Monday run to Northern IA. I hear she slept a lot of the way. Matt, Grace and I just lazed around home all day. We ate at Buddies for supper. Oh so good!

They left Tuesday morning, and it has been a week of Dr. visits. 2 weeks left!!!

June and July 4th

2010-07-09T11:32:00.000-07:00

We have been having many visitors lately, hence less time for blogging. ha ha Michelle came up in the middle of June and Grace (and us) had a blast. Rustin had to work all day Saturday so us girls hung out. We ate at Pizza Ranch for lunch. It has been quite awhile since we've eaten there because we'd almost forgotten about our special 3-D pizza. Half pizza, fourth cheese bread, and fourth dessert pizza. Oh so yummy! Except we ordered pepperoni, green pepper, onion, and mushroom and it came out with alot of mushrooms and aLOT of green and black olives and none of the other ingredients. Maybe next time will be better. Saturday night we just hung out at home. Grace is into matching colors or styles of clothes or pretty much anything, so Sunday she had to wear a teal dress to church because Shell had on a teal top. We went to Rustin's parents for Father's Day. It was nice except Grace was freaked out of the fire crackers. Monday Michelle left for a vacation in Duluth. I'll have to admit I was a little jealous.

The rest of June flew by. I helped at getting the town ready for the 4th celebration. I am very thankful I am pregnant in Mn and not Il this summer. The few days it has gotten hot I get pretty beat. Lots of water!!! Don't worry, this week is my last week of work before #2 comes.

Bob and Jenny came up for the 4th weekend. We hauled the poor people out of bed at 8:30 for the pancake breakfast on Saturday morning after little sleep the night before. For the parade we sat in front of Meadowland which was a bad idea for sun/heat. At least we had an endless supply of drinks. Afterwards we crashed in the AC until later. At 10 we headed out to watch the fireworks. Grace sat in her car seat most of the time with her ears covered and a blanket over her. She wanted me to shut the windows but with it still being upper 80's I figured that might not be a good idea. Sunday we went to church and to Rustin's folks afterwards. Grace liked riding the 4-wheeler with Bob the best because he would let her hold down the throttle. On Monday morning Bob and Jenny left for Il. Besides wanting to "match" Jenny all weekend, Grace would go up to Bob, wrap her arms around his legs and say 'My Bob.' She of course made sure Jenny was watching. When we were kids we had a Commodore 64 for a computer. Some of our favorite games were Pipeline and Ugh-lympics. Bob found a website with these games on it, so we spent some time playing from our past. The only downside is the keyboard is a lot harder to catch the hang of than the joycestick we used to have. Such problems!!

the only px I have of the last 3 weeks. Grace in the car during fire works

After Bob and Jenny left we went shopping in Alex and met Keith and Lois for counseling:) and supper. We hadn't chatted with them in a LONG time so it was very refreshing. Next week Susan and Matt are coming up for a while, so we are excited about that. I'm guessing that will be the end of visitors until the baby comes. Hopefully August 3rd still!

Serenity Lake

2010-06-16T21:41:00.001-07:00

What great family shots. Thank goodness for the tripod and double px take on the self timer. For the complete show go to my Photo Gallery.

I had a great time in Wisconsin. It was the most relaxing vacation I've ever taken with the least amount of traveling and the least amount of things to see and do. I anticipated getting more reading done but forgot what it's like having a 2 year old around. The weather was almost perfect with having only one full day of rain. We all went stir crazy that day except for maybe Bob and Matt. They did their best to master the Wii game Tanks. One day Susan, Jenny, and I took a walk and realized the ticks were thick. We had to do thorough body checks when we got back so that put a damper on walks. I think we were still finding ticks around the cabin and vehicles days later. Dad rented two canoes so there was much time spent on the lake. The lake itself was black due to the pine needles in it. It was extremely cold so the only swimming we did was in the hot tub. Grace loved this. We used our new fry daddy on cheese curds, onion rings and of course fish. The fishing rules were very strict so we mainly only ate 4-6" bluegill. They were still tasty, just small. I didn't get any px, but there was a momma duck with 8-10 ducklings that waddled through our camp quite often. Grace loved this. After the lake we went to Baraboo for a night. We toured the Ringling Bros. circus where they stayed over winter. It was a great place for kids. We were disappointed to find out our motel only had an outdoor pool that I think was colder than the lake, so once again no swimming for Grace. On our way home we stayed a night in the Cities at a Holiday Inn. Grace got to go swimming twice so I think this appeased her. It was all she could talk about. This week has been back to work and trying to catch up. Only a few minutes for blogging!

Graceless

2010-06-04T17:22:00.001-07:00

Wow! This is called service. Where else can you go 600 miles and get a free car wash without asking? I believe Grace was the first one to get wet by Grandma of all people. Good thing it was a hot day. Grace Susan and I had a water balloon 'toss' afterwards. Grace was scared of them at first because she thought they were fireworks. I think 4th of July won't be very fun for us this year. Grace travelled the best she has yet to Grandma and Grandpa's only asking 900,000 times if we were at Bapa Koch's house yet. Saturday night we had supper at Bob and Jenny's. It was delish, especially the volcano cake. After was Susan's testimony. One memorable question was how Susan typically made friends. She answered: by showing off. I inwardly chuckled, and groaned later on when Grace was the main attraction of the young group that night at lunch call at my parents. Maybe I made friends the same way when younger:S I choose to forget certain parts of my childhood and some of it is reliving through my daughter. Monday morning we left at 5am (and in IL it is not light yet at 5am.) I was pretty tired but got voted for first shift driving. Grace got to stay at Grandma and Grandpa's all week. I think they all forgot what it is like to have a 2 year old around, but I know she is having a blast. Every time I call she has little interest in talking on the phone especially if she is going to be around Jessie soon. Rustin left Monday night for Colorado and didn't get back until Thursday night. Let's just say I was ready to see a human being in the house. I worked for the city all week so was able to stay busy. Today I have been running errands and packing and getting the house ready for when we go on vacation next week. I'm excited to see my little peanut and my family of course.

I have to share a revelation I had the other day. I was mowing at one of the parks and came upon a bird nest that had fallen from the picnic shelter rafters. One of the baby birds was dead and the other looked and sounded like it was going to die soon. At first I mowed farther away from the shelter, but when I came nearer I noticed the mother was laying on top of the dying bird sheltering it from harm and showing it she cared. It just hit me that no matter what race or species, a Mother's love is universal. Maybe I was missing Grace or maybe I'm just plain weird but this experience even brought a tear to my eye. A few minutes after, a bunch of kids came over and were looking at the bird, so I never saw the Mom again and don't know what they did to the bird. Not every day I have revelations on the lawn mower. I do find it is a good prayer time!

Sunday Afternoon 'Drive'

2010-05-26T21:28:00.000-07:00

We took a Sunday afternoon boat ride on Minnewaska with my co-worker Stef and her family in their new boat. Grace wanted to drive it.

It was a little windy on the lake, but perfect temperature.

After grilling hotdogs and hamburgers the kids played on the beach and around and in the boat. During the ride they all fell asleep except for Grace, who slept on the way over.

Grace pretty much stayed on the beach since A: the water is still freezing cold, and B: she fell off a rock and face-planted in the water. She was not real impressed with that, but I was thankful she had on her life jacket. I'm hoping she remembers this experience in a couple weeks when we to the lake in Wisconsin. It seems she has no fear of water, but this might have broke that!

This week has been in the 80's and I'm loving it. It's so nice to feel some summer weather. Tomorrow we head to IL for Susan's baptisms and Memorial Day weekend. I'm ready for some R&R!

Is it April or May?

2010-05-11T15:28:00.000-07:00

We definitely were spoiled in April with nice 60 degree days. So far May has been dreary, cold, and rainy. That's life, so I'll quit complaining:( I have 3 months to go until baby #2 arrives. I find I am more tired and more whimpy with this one. Grace is excited about "her" baby coming. It will be interesting to see how she interacts with him/her.

Mom and Dad came up the last weekend in April. Unfortunately Grace was sick with fever and flu all weekend. You know that Grace is sick when all she wants to do is sit on your lap and snuggle. Poor thing. One of the blessings of daycare! It was rainy most of the weekend so we sat around and relaxed alot. One great thing about when my Mom is here is that the dishes get done after each meal! I can't say that happens all the time otherwise. They left Sunday night and the next day I got a fever and pounding headache. I layed around for 2 days and popped tylenol. It was bad enough that I sent Grace to daycare for a little peace and quiet.

Thankfully we are all healthy and looking forward to some warm weather. This Friday is the Hancock City-wide garage sales and we are doing one with Brent and Susie Wulf. I am ready to unload my junk! Hoping for no rain:)

We are anticipating Susan's baptism on Memorial Day Weekend and then a week later going to Wisc. with the family for a week on the lake. We'll see if our family can handle the outback!

Mid-April Madness

2010-04-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

So I've been feeling a little guilty that all I do is check blogs and don't update mine. I feel like my updates are boring and I am not a good picture taker, but I'll try and catch you up.

Busy would be the best way to describe us right now. 2 weeks ago the City called to see if I would work Monday and Tuesdays until summer. During the summer I plan to work 4 days for them, so it will be a little less hectic to just have one job. The thing is, when it's nice I love working for the city and can hardly turn them down. I've decided that being pregnant really slows a person down. Oh well, it's probably good for me. Rustin's loads have been steady so that's a good thing. Last week he went to Colorado. He had to take two-lane out there because of bio-security. That was somewhat annoying, but you gotta do what the farmer says. His bonding day with Grace is Saturday if I have to work. We have had amazingly warm weather lately so they spend alot of time tinkering in the garage or taking 4 wheeler rides. She loves 4 wheeler rides. She has a little one of her own, but for some reason the knack of steering hasn't set in yet. Grace loves to be outside playing, but if we are inside she entertains herself by reading books outloud or dancing to the piano, or messing with play-doh. She also has a doll that she yells at. Sometimes I hear sayings to that doll that I think I've said to her:S

Sundays are somewhat of a challenge because we have a very active, loud daughter. I teach Sunday School in the morning so Rustin has her most mornings. There isn't really a baby-room to take her so sometimes they have to visit the car for 'gentle' reminders. Everyone tells us they don't care and love having her around so I guess I have to get over my own complex. She really is a joy and some of the things that come out of her mouth are down right hilarious. The other day she told a group of ladies she was three. I didn't even know that she knew that 3 came after 2. I guess she's practicing for November.

Sunday eve. we went to Russ and Beth Koehl's for pizza and the evening. Dawn and JR and Mike and Carmen R. were up for a visit. It was so good to see Tremont folk. The highlight of the night was Beth calling her girls Pekin kids when they imerged from the sandbox. I could've taken offence being one myself, but rather found it amusing. Many laughs and a few squabbles constituted a nice evening. Grace thought she was queen-bee being pulled around in the wagon all night, but didn't like to be told that she had to take her turn in pushing. I of course forgot my camera but I'm sure Beth and/or Carmen will have some on their blogs.

On Friday my parents are coming for the weekend. We are anticipating a nice time with hopefully the nice weather!!!

I'm back...at least for now

2010-03-11T16:50:00.001-08:00

Well in case you were wondering, the month of February is over so hibernation is officially done. I honestly think the the shortest month of the year is the longest one. One thing Grace and I have done this winter to pass our time is go to Nancy Wulf's for quilting on Tuesdays. Grace plays with Kara's kids and Kara, Susie, and I have been knotting comforters for overseas. Then after supper we have been battling out Monopoly Deal. If you haven't played this game I would recommend it, even if you hate Monopoly.
We have had a straight week of rain so the snow is definitely melting. Now we are back to a lake in the backyard. Oh well atleast Spring is in the air!!!
We made a trip to Illinois at the end of February. It was nice since we hadn't been back since Thanksgiving.
Here's a few px from the month.

Grace and Kylie at a calm moment.

Grace has discovered she loves puddles. Good thing for frog boots.

I can't believe Grace and Abbi would sit in the car together without fighting.

Meadowland is branching out to Morris, so we have been busy with stocking that store. Grand opening is next Friday and we are excited.

Happy Birthday to me

2010-01-23T05:41:00.000-08:00

28 years ago my Dad and Mom struggled up the icy road, calling neigbors and uncle for help, so they could safely arrive at the hospital and have their firstborn child. It kind of reminds me of the weather we are having right now. Thank goodness for front-wheel drive and 4wheel drive technology.

Also...we are expecting #2 in early August. Maybe on Grandpa Koch's Aug. 6 birthday! Grace is excited as a 2 year old gets. We are excited for some competition for her!

Our little ballerina

2010-01-21T07:23:00.000-08:00

It has been a couple of weeks since the last update, so I guess it's time again.

Rustin got snowed in at Sioux Falls for two days and two nights, one of them happening to be our 3rd anniversary. So Grace and I had a romantic evening at home :) We celebrated a day later by eating out at Bella Cocina. I can hardly believe we are already on our 3rd year.

Last Thursday Susan and Erica came up to visit. They helped a little at the store and then we made homemade pizza for supper. Things just weren't mixing, cooking right so it was more a midnight snack. On Friday we lazed around until Rustin got home from his pig run and then we headed to the Cities. Grace talked all day about going swimming, she even wanted to wear her suit around the house. I decided it was too cold for that. We arrived in time for a stuffing Perkins supper and then we swam for a couple of hours. She loved it and I was glad to work off some supper.

On Saturday we met the UofI/ISU young groups at a tubing hill in Eagan, MN. Grace was reluctant after her first time down, but soon she was heading down by herself in a tube. Where was her mother? I think I was warming up inside. When I first heard it I freaked out, but then I stood at the bottom and realized she did fine. We went to the Mall of America in the afternoon for an hour and then headed back to church for a Mexican Fiesta. Great Food!!! We sang in Spanish and then went to the Dill's for the evening. Grace loved playing with their dog, Nan. She did get a little upset when she claims she dropped her apple (but we think she did it on purpose) and Nan took off with it. Thankfully there was popcorn readily available for Grace to feed Nan. We spent the night at Duane and Bonnie Rocke's and Grace slept great once she got there. We have been having sleeping issues lately.

On Sunday after we said our good-byes we stopped a few places and headed home. We were exhausted when we got there so we all went to bed. What a great weekend!

And now for the post title. I don't think she's my daughter. I don't have those moves!

New Year Visitors

2010-01-04T11:25:00.000-08:00

Grace and Maria

The week between Christmas and New Year's went by really fast. We finished up Christmases, and Michelle came up on Tuesday. Grace likes it when 'Chelle' comes. We went shopping all day Wednesday. I'm pretty sure Grace was sick of shopping by the end of the day. Thursday I had to work all day so Michelle went to visit cousin Amber. We went to New Year's service in the evening and stayed up till 2:30 talking. We had a few people over, but they left at 1:30. I don't know what I was thinking because going to bed at 2:30 and waking up at 8 don't go well for me. Tom, Dale, Meg, and Maria arrived at 12:30. Grace immediately took a liking to 'Ria' and was very aware of where she was at all times. Over the course of the day we played many games of Euchre and Monopoly Deal. I realized if we are ever a family of 8 a dish-washer will be a must. As you can see in the video we put together our little jumper thing. Grace likes it better now than at 6 mos. While Maria was in it was the only time Grace was fussing around.

We went to the store and to Rustin's truck on Saturday morning. The guys decided it was a good thing they didn't go ice-fishing this weekend since it was -teens the entire time. They'll have to come up some warm winter:) They left Saturday after lunch to head back to the Cities, and the rest of us crashed for the afternoon. We ate Pizza Hut that night and watched the annual classic 'Christmas Vacation.' Michelle left Sunday morning to pick the Koch's up in the Cities and we are now visitorless for a week. We hardly know what to do with ourselves. I guess laundry keeps calling my name! We are looking forward to Susan coming up next week.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2009-12-25T20:33:00.001-08:00

This Christmas was different than any one I have experienced ever in my life. First of all Rustin's sister hasn't made it up from IL due to the weather. Secondly church was cancelled due to the weather. Third, Rustin's Mom was a little under the weather, so we didn't go to their house. But this is all okay because there will be another day to get together with family and friends. It was a good time to reflect on the True Meaning of the Season of Jesus and his birth and sacrifice for all of us. Merry Christmas to you all!

How can it be December already?

2009-12-02T08:56:00.001-08:00

We arrived back in cold, somewhat wintery Minnesota on Sunday night. (I saw a few snowflakes today!) It was such a relaxing week in Illinois. We had the perfect amount of visit time and 'home' time. Grace travelled her best on the way home. Strange, since this was the longest she was in the vehicle. Monday she had her 2 year checkup and everything checked well. The shot nurse is one of our friends so I think Grace was a little shocked that she poked her. She didn't cry too long, but I'm sure next time won't be so easy. Last night she was up all night wheezing and coughing. She had a temp. this morning so I decided I better take her in. You never know with all the H1N1 going around. We were waiting for the doctor and she decided to empty her belly all over herself, me, and the floor. I tried to get her to use the wastebasket but she wasn't interested in that. Thankfully they moved us to another room. They swabbed her throat and nose to test for strep and influenza and sent us home with tamiflu. Thankfully both of those tests came back negative. I guess Grace has the good old-fashioned flu. I can tell she's not acting normal because all she wants to do is sleep and snuggle. This too shall pass!

Here are a few px from the week. I put them on backwards chronologically by accident:(

Susan and Grace fed the Baer's cat, Smoky.

The kabob grillers.

We decided to do kabobs for our Christmas dinner.

Grace's favorite toy.

Grace always wanted to feed Jessie a bone. It was quite comical.

Grace playing with Abbi and Avery-a boy ReKeeta watches.

I have proof that ReKeeta does work in the kitchen once in a while!

Now I just have to get motivated to put up Christmas decor. If only there was snow on the ground!!!

The Birthday Girl

2009-11-09T18:25:00.001-08:00

Our little peanut turned 2 on Saturday. If you ask her how old she is, she proudly holds up either 1 finger or all five and says "TWO". We celebrated her birthday with Tiffany last weekend, so on her actual day we went shopping in St. Cloud. One of our neighbors made her two of the cookies she's holding. I have to admit they were scrumptious. She is becoming more talkative as the days go by. Her new phrase is "I funny." Although, usually she is doing something she knows she shouldn't be doing. I get my stern face on and die laughing inside. It is interesting in how different boys and girls are. Before going to daycare, Grace didn't have a clue what guns were. Now anything she can get her hands on is a gun. Of course she only shoots 'aminals.' I just have to laugh and hope she is a little more girly than I was.
Two weeks from now I hope to be in Illinois for a week. I am so excited!!!

October Happenings

2009-10-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

Grace is sporting the colors!

Grandma and Grandpa Koch came to visit in the middle of October. Unfortunately it snowed while they were here so we were house bound most of the time. We of course ate at one of the family favorites, Ranch House. Grace always enjoys it when Grandma is here because she gets held more often than normal.

Last week Rustin made a pig run out to Pennsylvania. The trip lasted four days and was the longest one yet. Thankfully he doesn't have to do that often. Grace and I spent our evenings with friends and family. Saturday we left for Sioux Falls, SD to do a little shopping and then we went to Lester for our friend Taylor's wedding. We stayed Saturday night with Rustin's cousin Karla and Monte Gerber. They have four kids who loved Grace and she loved them back. Grace is definitely a social bug. She, however, did not sleep very well. This was the first night away from home since she is NUK free. She slept a few hours after we went to bed. Let's just say Sunday was interesting with a crabby Grace and a crabby Sharon.

So far this week has been brisk and sunny. We'll just hope that winter is staying away a little longer:)

Already causing a stir!

2009-09-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

I got a call at work from Grace's Daycare saying she had a bite mark from another kid. I laughed thinking it would just look like a tooth mark on her cheek. Come to find out Grace was dragging some kid down on her and got chomped in the process. We don't know if it's accidental or on purpose. Either way I still think it's hilarious that Grace has met her match. She started at this place when school started, and the two year olds are having territory issues. After this incident they are more or less avoiding each other. Grace likes it when the preschoolers are there so she can play with the big kids. There is also a baby girl whom she dotes on. The girl's mom told me that Grace is gentle with her which shocks me. The last time Grace was around babies she was treating them like she treats her dolls. There's a reason for the term ragdoll.

I was a little nervous with going to an actual daycare, but this one was run by my friend's friend. The lady built her basement as the daycare, so there is a huge 'playground' in it. Grace is always talking about the slides and going to Julie's house. I am thankful that she loves it so much, and seems to get along with most of the kids quite well.

I have to tell another Grace story that I thought was cute. One of our neighbors are Frank and Gertie. A few weeks ago Grace started calling Frank, Hank. I guess the Fr sound is too difficult. Anyways, every time we are outside she is wondering where Hank is. She gets really excited when she sees he's out. The other morning we were getting in the car to go somewhere and she said, "Hank, Mom?" I told her I didn't know, he was probably sleeping. She replied, "No, Mom... Eat." I busted out laughing because she must have thought it was too late in the day to be sleeping. She's heard me say that Frank is either eating or sleeping a little too often!

Hope you have a great week! It's sunny and fall-like here!

The Smokies

2009-09-14T15:48:00.001-07:00

We are finally back from our week long trip to the Smokies and Gatlinburg TN. It was a much needed relaxing vacation. The ONLY downside to the trip was that it rained almost every day. Oh well, more sleep time, right? You can look in the photo gallery for more px if you are interested.

Friday 4: We left Hancock at 4am to head to Champaign. We met Susan around 3 and she showed us around campus. I forgot the camera. Dad Mom Matt and Michelle met us at O'Charley's for supper. That is my absolute favorite restaurant and of course there are none in MN.

Saturday 5: We drove to Clarksville Tn to have lunch at my friend Tammy and husband Dave's house. He is an army lawyer at Ft. Campbell. They showed us around the fort, which was neat since I've never been to one. It basically was like a little town that was gated. We arrived in Gatlinburg at 11:00pm.

Sunday 6: We had a late church and then went to the Flea Market. We found a few bargains we couldn't pass up, and then went back to go swimming. Grace loved it as usual. She is always asking where her 'hwim huit' is.

Monday 7: We slept in today and went to Ripley's Aquarium in the afternoon. It was pouring buckets so this was a good place to go. Afterwards we walked a little of downtown Gatlinburg.

Tuesday 8: Rustin won us a ticket to Cirque de Chine at our resort's 'Get to Know You', so we went there in the afternoon. The morning was spent at another resort convincing a salesman we didn't want to buy a timeshare with him. Let's just say 'only 90 minutes' lasts 4 hours and free cash and restaurant gift certificates isn't always worth the time you have to spend warding off vultures. We learned our lesson in timeshares! The Cirque de Chine was very entertaining with the Chinese acrobats, drummers, and motorcyclists in a cage. Even Grace sat bug-eyed the entire time. Later that evening we were out walking around the resort when out of the corner of my eye I saw a bear walking by rooms. I freaked out and gave Rustin the camera. I took Grace back to the room all the while hearing "Where's the puppy Mom?" Nice puppy! We had been warned that bears like to stroll through the resort around dusk, and I'm kind of glad I safely witnessed it.

Wednesday 9: We devoted this day to the actual Great Smoky Mt. Nat'l Park. When my family came along time ago I remember it being very curvy and stomach unsettling. Unfortunately this hadn't changed. We hiked to Laurel Falls and very much enjoyed the views. We headed to Cherokee NC to the Indian reservation since it was raining. Grace enjoyed the Bear Zoo and we did a little window shopping. We headed back anticipating climbing to the top of Clingman's Dome. The turnoff to the dome is halfway between Cherokee and Gatlinburg and then you still have 7 miles of up-mountain driving. It was pouring so we debated going but decided to anyways. I decided it would've been a neat place to hike on a sunny day. Oh well.

In the evening we ate at a pizza joint with an arcade. Grace loved it. Rustin liked playing Deal or No Deal. After we played one round of golf.

Thursday 10: We went to play our other round of golf this morning. Here is Grace in her attire. She loves George as long as his leash is loose!

We walked the streets of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg one last time.

Friday 11: We left Gatlinburg at 4am again to head to Tremont. The trip was pretty uneventful and we picked up Susan in Champaign because her car was broke down. Bob and Jenny came out for supper and Eric and ReKeeta and Abbi came after work for the evening. We had a nice time visiting.

Saturday 12: We girls did a little shopping during the day, and then we visited the Grandparents in the afternoon and evening. Grace loves all of them but kind of gets confused when we say Grandma and Grandpa and my parents aren't there. We got to see Brett and Laura's new home that evening.

Sunday 13: Church was packed for a wedding in the morning. We said our goodbyes and left after lunch. We made it home in a record 10.5 hours since Grace was born at 10:30.

I was so excited because today I didn't have to get up and go to work. My summer, city job is through so I am now working 2.5 days a week. Hopefully I will be able to catch up on house work, or maybe a book or two!

It was good to get away. I came back refreshed and ready for fall to come. This is always an exciting time of year!

A Funny Feeling

2009-08-25T19:10:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I was sitting at the lunch table eating away when Grace decided it was time to sit on my lap. She started to eat some grapes and cookies. All of a sudden my lap felt wet like I had urinated the wrong way. I was so taken aback at first and then it hit me Grace had peed through her diaper. After consulting with my neighbor that yes the spot was just on the front and not all the way through my legs to the back, I grabbed my shield and took her to the baby room for a changing. Of course her dress was spotless since she was sitting on me. I hurredly found Rustin eating and told him we'd meet him in the car. Needless to say we had afternoon service via the phone line. Grace's diaper usually lasts till after lunch, but I guess she had more drinks than usual.

Truckin' Around

2009-08-19T08:38:00.000-07:00

Well... This is Rustin and his new truck. He loves his new job, and the pigs aren't as bad as he thought. (Thus far he has had no bad experiences either.) His major routes are to Storm Lake Iowa and Sioux Falls S. Dakota. Every three weeks he goes on a 2 day trip to Missouri. I am looking forward to an IL trip sometime. I am adjusting well to the new hours and quirks of the job. For some odd reason I thought he would be gone more than he is. Grace got to ride in the truck with him yesterday. She looked like she was having a blast.

Last weekend was the county fair. Grace and her friend Kylie went on all the 2 year old rides and had much fun. Once Grace found the horn on the cars, that's all we heard the rest of the ride. Grace Rustin and I went on the Ferris Wheel which I hadn't done in a long time. Grace didn't like it when the ride would stop so others could get on, so she tried climbing out of the cage once when we were at the top. Talk about being a nervous wreck. We enjoyed tasting all of the good fair food, and I personally am glad when it's over!

July

2009-07-30T20:20:00.000-07:00

Wow! A month has flown by and I have failed to blog at all. Sorry to all you faithful readers. A lot has happened in this month also, so I'll try to keep it brief and to the point. (Sorry in advance if I happen to miss something important. I'm sure I'll be reminded.)

July 4 - Annual 4th of July celebration in Hancock - Grace and I rode with Rustin in the fire truck during the parade. Grace had much fun playing with cousin Abbi.

July 11 - Kerry, Kelly, Sam, and Allison came up for the GI Jr Fort Sam reunion. We visited the store, the dairies, and had a bonfire. Sam and Grace played well, but Grace picked on Allison most of the time.

The guys took a bike ride to Trico.

This is where Allison was most of the time to get away from that meanie!

We also attended Rustin's 10 year class reunion that weekend. It was a blast :( I didn't know anybody so an hour of 'reminiscing' was long enough for me.

July 18 - Susan and Matt came for a week long visit. I hope they had as much fun as we did. They did alot of watching Grace because I still had to work most days. She definitely enjoyed their company. She named them Wu and Bat. While they were here we went to Fargo to the Art Fair and shopping. We also took them tubing on a 70 degree day in a 60 degree lake. Needless to say I didn't get in the water. Grace loved it though. Thursday we started out for Chicago for Tim and Melissa's wedding.

July 25 - We had a blast at the wedding (Grace slept through it,) but not so much at the reception (she woke up and was in high gear.) We had a nice time seeing some family and extending the weekend with my family. We played Phase 10 (a Sally favorite) went to a place with mini golf, bumper boats, water wars (I got soaked) and an arcade. Rustin won over 800 tickets on his first coin in the slot of Trucker Dump. This traded in for a U of I basketball.

On the way home from the lake after tubing Grace saw her first irrigator. As she does with everything she asked what's that. Of course every field after that had an irrigator so we heard this the whole way home. I don't know what was funnier, hearing her say it or Matt's annoyance with her saying it so much. (Sorry for the dizzying end. I was trying to catch a px of the irrigator.)

July 29 - We are home and visitor free for about a month. Grace is getting back into her routine. Tomorrow is Rustin's last day at Trico. He is changing jobs to becoming a truck driver. He is hauling pigs for a guy in town. It is mostly day trips with a few night trips a month. Sometimes he wil be hauling to Peoria area so Grace and I will probably hitch a ride. We are excited for the new opportunity and praying the changes and adjustments go well. We know and are thankful that whatever happens God will provide.

PS - Grace's hair is finally coming in and is, I think, a cute little bob!

Oops!

2009-06-25T18:00:00.001-07:00

There's a reason why I prune shrubs and not cut hair! I thought the back of Grace's hair was scraggly so I decided to trim it so it would grow evenly. Underneath it looks shaved, so people really think she's a boy. Hopefully a couple weeks/months will help it.

As you can see she doesn't care.

Grace is having fun with Kaitlyn, Candace, and Grant this summer. Her attitude is becoming more 2 year oldish. At least her please and thank-yous come out almost as much as the no's and mine's do.

Recently for the City we have been doing cleanup for the 4th. I'm guessing we'll be trimming branches next week. I take care of the flower pots on Main St. I love it: it brings back wonderful Slager/Avanti's memories. We just got a truckload in at the store, so we're back to busy- marking/stocking. We are trying a new thing of ordering blueberries and bing cherries. The first load arrives next Thursday so I'm anticipating chaos. People seem really excited that we are trying this. Hopefully they taste/look good or we'll never be able to do it again.

The weather is finally in the upper 80's and 90's. I love it!!! Everyone up here complains how hot it is, but I'll take this over snow any day!

West Bend

2009-05-31T13:35:00.000-07:00

Rustin and I haven't been to West Bend since we've been married, so we decided to visit over Memorial Day weekend. It was a blast! I haven't stayed up that late talking for so many consecutive nights in a long time. We stayed with Carl and Sara Gerber on Saturday night. Grace got along great with their 3 kids, especially 2 year old Claire. (You can imagine how it was the majority of the time.) I just hope Grace doesn't get U's all the time on her Kindergarten report cards for 'plays well with others.'

Sunday evening we met some families at the Grotto park so the kids could play together. Grace slid down the slide most of the evening. Towards the end Rustin took her to the top of the Grotto. If you ever make it to West Bend I recommend stopping by the Grotto. It tells the story of Salvation through rock sculpture.

We stayed the night at Kent and Jolene Fehr's. Grace loved their slide and dog, but did not like her first introduction to pigs, even baby pigs. I guess some unknown creature squealing at you isn't the best for first time meetings. Grace loved playing with Monika. I think she scared the three boys with her expressiveness.

This Friday and Saturday we spent up at the lake. It was cold and windy so we didn't get on the lake like we'd hoped to, but we still had a nice time.

Little Blurps

2009-05-20T06:46:00.000-07:00

Isn't this so nice? Grace gave me a Mother's Day kiss with me only asking once. She usually is very limited with her kisses. She was probably thinking, if I do this she'll leave me alone. We had many failed picture attempts previously.

This is a long overdue picture of April 9, 2009 the second Grand Opening. This is the front of the store, looking down main street. If you look three buildings down at the building with the white awning, this is where our old store was.

This summer looks to be hectic. On Mondays and Tuesdays I am working for the city again, helping out with cleanup and preparation for July 4th. So far I love it. They purchased a new tractor which I have gotten to experience using.

This weekend we are going to West Bend to visit old friends. It has been years since I or Rustin have been there and I am excited for the trip.

Happy May Day! (a little late)

2009-05-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it is already May. Time goes so fast. This past week was extremely busy and this one looks to be busier!

We had a great time in Tremont/Washington last weekend. I was so close I felt like I was at my own wedding all over again. It was a good service to hear and be reminded of different things you don't think of every day in your marriage. (But I probably should.)

Bob and Jenny at the delicious Rehearsal Dinner at the Lariat Steakhouse.

The proud parents.

Beautiful flowers and the smashing Groom's parents.

Two peas in a pod.

Unfortunately all 8 of my camera batteries were dead at the reception, so I got next to nill in px. I guess memories will have to do for now. I'm sure Su has some px up her sleeve - we just have to get her to update.

Grace and I stayed until Tuesday and laze around and she played with Jessie. She really isn't biting Grace's hand although it looks like it. Grace liked Jessie at this distance and preferrably a little farther. She was bowled over a couple times. We had great travels and if Grace doesn't change, I think I'd do it again.

Last Thursday the Rapid Response guys came to install our new furnace and haul the old one. As you can probably guess, the hardest part of the day was taking out the 500+ pound furnace. After much struggling, we called a couple of neighbors over to help out these two and Rustin. It went much better after that.

What a long, grueling day, but we are happy, thankful, and very excited for next winter's heat and heat bills.

Side Note: Yes we really are trying to wean Grace from her Nuk. Unfortunately every px she has it in her mouth. She really is doing pretty good except now I find her gnawing on her thumb and pointer finger. Help!

Grand Opening #2

2009-04-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

Friday April 10 was Meadowland Market's Grand Opening at the new location. The crowd far exceeded our expectations. The weather was perfect for the 'brat and a pop for a buck'. We planned on serving 150 between Friday and Saturday. Friday wasn't half over and we needed more brats. We ended up serving around 500 in the two days. It's neat getting to know the townspeople and they once again showed great support.

We just love the upgraded building. There is twice the room in the store area. The middle bay is enough to hold all the food and our working table. The back room has three bays for non-food storage. Its amazing how much better a building is with more lights, windows, and fresh paint!

It's nice to be back on my normal work schedule. The week prior to opening was alot of hard work and not alot of Grace time. She and I are looking forward to travelling to Illinois this Thursday for Bob and Jenny's wedding. Rustin will fly in on Friday night. We are excited for the extended visit and I hope the Tremont townwide Garage Sales! (unless they changed the weekend)

Whoda Thunk It?

2009-04-20T09:35:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I've never been a winner of contests, sweepstakes, door prizes, whatever you want to call them...until last week. We aren't winning a Million Dollars, but we are winning a brand new furnace.

We found out we officially have the oldest furnace in Stevens County!!! During the month of March, a company called Rapid Response held a contest in which contestants had to send in the make, model, serial number of their furnace, and whoever's was the oldest received a brand new furnace. We thought we might have a fighting chance since we couldn't find the serial number and the company was nowhere to be found on the web. We called up the previous owner's daughter and she thought the original coal-burner was installed in the early 1950's by her grandparents. (It has since been converted to natural gas.)

Tomorrow a rep from the company is coming to our house for interviews, pictures, and possible (I hope not) radio time. I have never truly appreciated an old house until now. There are sometimes advantages. Mostly we are thankful to God for His timely intercessions. I'll keep you updated.

75% Mad Dash

2009-04-06T06:11:00.000-07:00

You want to see something funny? Have your entire store at 75% off and watch the crazyness begin.

Last week we had our moving sale bargains at Meadowland Market. It was the best and busiest 3 days we've had in a long time, except for the fact that everything was 50 or 75 % off. In the three days we even gained new customers. Thursday and Friday were busy days at 50% off. But Saturday topped them all with everything 75% off. I stood at the till all morning long while the lines stretched back to the storage door. People just hauled out junk after junk. It was great entertainment. The best was the order at the end of the day. (Good thing I wasn't in a hurry and in a good mood.) A lady and her friend pull up to the till as the last customers at about 12:10. It took me a good 10 minutes to do their orders. Once I was done with his she was already back finding more stuff. I rang up her extras and he was back finding more. I got those done and he decided he was finished and went out to the car. She happened to find the Texas Hold 'Em electronic games we've had for awhile. She'd put five on the counter, think about it, and put five more. After 20 minutes of debating she finally bought all 30 games we had. At a buck you can't go wrong for Christmas presents! We were trying not to laugh, but didn't succeed very well. I was able to finally shut the doors at 12:45.

This is the last you'll hear from me for a week because we are busy stocking the new store for the GRAND OPENING on Friday and Saturday!

Bell

2009-04-02T06:35:00.000-07:00

Well it's almost been two weeks since Bell (the foreign exchange student from Thailand) came for a visit, so I thought I'd better post before I forget. We had a really nice, fast weekend with her. She came on Friday night and left on Sunday afternoon. Her husband and child couldn't make it because her son was sick. Not too fun to travel with a sick kid. Rustin, Grace and I stopped over for a quick visit Friday night. He and Bell are the same age so they had a definite brother/sister relationship. He hadn't seen her for 10 years but you never would have guessed it.

We worked the store on Saturday morning and then we all went to Mom and Dad's for the day. It actually was a relaxing day with much laughter, playing, and chatting. In the evening Jody and Keeta set up an Easter egg hunt for the kids. Grace just didn't quite get it so here is what she mainly did.

Here is a px of the 5 grandkids. What a bunch of cute kids!

Luke Abbi Tiffany Grace Tory

Last Saturday we had Tommy and Amber and Kylie over for dinner and the evening. It was so much fun. Grace and Kylie were hilarious together. They played well together and picked on each other pretty good.

At one point (about 9:00) Grace was getting a little crabby, so Kylie thought she would help her out by handing her cheerios. Pretty soon Grace was like a princess and Kylie her servant except Kylie just kept handing the wrong thing. We all were dying laughing. I love Kylie's laugh when Grace would squawk. It's good that Grace gets a little taste of her own medicine.

Today marks the day where everything in our old store is 50% off to try and rid of it before the move. After we close on Saturday everything is being removed and taken to the new store. (Hopefully it won't be much.) We are closed next week until Friday. And then... The Grand Re-opening!!! We are all very excited and ready to be in the new store. ( I think we are ready for some regular sleeping patterns too!)

The new word of the week is 'PLEASE'. Grace wanted something and out came a 'pea'. I was shocked because she has never said it before. We'll see if we can keep it up!

It's going to be a bright sun-shiny day!

2009-03-19T07:20:00.000-07:00

This is Grace's new smile. She squints her eyes (usually more than this) and flashes a cheesy grin showing all teeth. I love it!

Since I usually complain about the MN weather, I thought I'd say how wonderful it has been this week. While we were having 60's in IL and MS this past weekend, so was MN. Grace and I took a walk yesterday, and I was even getting hot! We've got our back yard to drain so it isn't a pond, but I think it might be going to the basement! Thank goodness we've never carpeted it.

My siblings gave Grace blocks for Christmas. She loves building towers and destroying them. Usually hers fall before she gets a chance, so she really likes it if I build the tower.

She's also into trying on our shoes. Here she's trying to get my boots on. Once on they went up to her butt. I could never get a good shot!

Last Wednesday we started out for IL. I was amazed at how well Grace travelled. Other than wanting to eat every five minutes, she napped or looked out the window the entire time. Rustin and I listened to Amazing Grace by Danielle Steel. (He actually liked it.) In fact, we almost ran out of gas because we were both so into the book. On the way home we listened to Where the Red Fern Grows. I forgot how good that story is. It sure makes the time go by faster.

We stayed in Owatonna that night and Grace slept ok. On Thurs. we hit Tremont about 3:30. Jenny came over for supper so we got to spend time with her and the family.

What a cute couple!!! They are perfect for each other.

That night Grace's pants kept falling down so we had to get a px!

On Friday Grace and I went to visit Kelly and Sam. (Allison was sleeping.) Sam and Grace played together pretty well as long as Sam kept his distance from Grace and as long as she stayed away from his endloader. The first thing he said when he saw me was, "We're going to your house on 'cation." They are hoping to come up in July for a reunion. Hopefully the time passes by fast for him because July seems like a long ways off. Friday afternoon Mom and I went dress shopping for Bob and Jenny's wedding. Grace was the only lucky finder that trip. She was able to stay home with Daddy and Grandpa and take a much needed nap. Susan came home that afternoon and watched/played with her while the men went to Sears and Menards. That evening Jenny and Michelle came over for pizza. Us girls played Dutch Blitz for a long time. Jenny creamed us all by over 100 points.

Sat. morning we visited both Grandparents.

Grace enjoyed the cuckoo clock at Koch's. She was toodling around and opened a cupboard door and took out a squirrel figurine. For some reason she didn't want to let go of it. When she gets something in her head, watch out!

We went to Beutel's where she found the Dutch shoes which have been worn by all kids who have entered there!

She also found her Daddy's hat and her stinky diaper!

They gave her the dog Grandma is holding and she played with it about the whole trip home. She loves dogs and saying "woof woof."

Saturday afternoon we drove to Quincy to the Stoney Creek Inn. I noticed a Steak and Shake within walking distance so I knew where I'd be eating supper! We helped Rob and Marcia watch Tim and Jenny and Daryl and Christy kids while they went to the rehearsal dinner. The older kids played together and the younger ones just wanted to wander the halls. After helping the kids with pizza, Dad Mom Matt and us went to S and S for supper. It was sooooo good. I haven't had it in a long time. Minnesotans just don't know what they're missing. Mom and I went shopping afterwards for dresses. Mom was successful!!! I was not, but still have a month to find something.

Grace and Darcy! Poor thing had a cold and looks shot. She is such a happy-go-lucky girl. Grace kept trying to tickle her so it was hard to get a good px.

Finally Grace met her match - Max! He wouldn't let her push him around without a rebound.

The wedding was great. I met Ashley for the first time and feel she will be a blessing to Mark and our family. It's so exciting to welcome new additions to the family.

This weekend ReKeeta's are coming up and so is Bell - the Schmidgall's foreign exchange student from when Rustin was in high school. Looking forward to another great weekend!

In like a Lion

2009-03-03T17:52:00.000-08:00

Our small Minnesota March world has come in like a lion.

Last week Grace had diahrrea - the big molars are coming in.

It snowed 9 inches. (They said 8-10 inches, so I'll average.)

And the best and a first for us: Grace awoke with the flu this morning at 4am. Rustin thankfully was the one who first saw and smelled her. (I got to take care of it.) Poor little thing. Every time she ate or drank anything today, up it came. It's hard not being able to do anything for her. You know Grace isn't feeling good when it is 5:30, she just woke from a 4 hour nap and she lies on the floor saying nigh-nigh. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for her!

I hear predictions that there is going to be another big dumper this weekend. We'll just wait and see! Honestly this winter I would love to be in Il. Oh well, it builds character, right? I'll quit my complaining and keep my sights set on SPRING!

Steph's Survey

2009-02-20T16:46:00.000-08:00

After reading the survey in Steph's blog, I decided to fill it out myself. So... enjoy!

Since the only thing I think about these days is babies, I thought I would do this survey:

First Born

Here you go mommies - a different kind of survey for a change - it's all about your first born (or adopted!)! Just copy and paste it in a new note for yourself!

Let's see how much you remember!

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED?
No, not really.

2. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS?
Denial, then joy.

3. HOW OLD WERE YOU?
25.

4. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT?
My body began to feel different and I took a pregnancy test.

5. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST?
Rustin and then our parents. We didn't have to tell too many more!

6. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX?
I did, but my husband didn't. He won that argument : )(same as Steph's)

7. DUE DATE?
November 10 or 12.

8. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS?
No.

9. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE?
I didn't have specific cravings but was always in the mood for Mexican food.

10. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST?
Not having the same amount of energy as before.

11. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX?
Girl.

12. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING?
I did some at first, but Rustin wanted a girl. (I am very thankful for a girl, now.)

13. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY?
Theoretically 40. But actually 45-50. You have to remember I was at my all time record low from the wedding jitters!

14. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER?
Not before she was born.

15. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW?
No.

16. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY?
I didn't except for the occasional uti.

17. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH?
SCMC.

18. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR?
From 6am on the 6th until 11am on the 7th. It wasn't all hard labor!

19. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL?
Rustin.

20. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH?
Rustin, Dr. Tatsumi, Cheryl, and Amanda

21. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION?
Natural.

22. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN?
Nope. I think I might in the future!

23. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH?
7 pounds 2.6 ounces.

24. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN?
November 7, 2007 at 12:41 pm.

25. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER?
Grace Anna.

26. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY?
15 months.

A Belated Happy Valentine's and President's Day

2009-02-18T08:20:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd start off by showing you what Grace and Rustin do in their spare time when I'm not around. I found several interesting pictures on the camera when I was uploading others. At least they have fun together!

Church serving went smoothly. I had great help and could hardly believe it when it was over. Unfortunately it was a small Sunday so there was lots left over. The guys at Trico were the beneficiaries of much of it.

For Valentine's Day Rustin and I went to the Fellowship Hall for the "Love Supper." It was put on by some dear friends of ours. There were 100 of us for the meal. Afterwards we played some table games, sang, and listened to a few speakers on love - mainly God's love. There was a lot of time and effort put into the evening and we enjoyed it immensely.

Grace received her first Valentines from Emerson and Abbi. Emerson also gave her a huge lollipop. She took one lick, threw it on the floor, and it broke into many pieces. I decided that she might appreciate them more in the future.

On President's Day I decided to be adventurous in my cooking (not because it was President's Day.) I marinated some pork all day in teryaki sauce. I later sauteed the veggies and boiled-in-a-bag the rice. This was my first attempt at cooking and eating stir-fry. We decided this meal could be added to the list of Rustin acceptable meals. Here's a pic of the final product.

Since I've been talking up Grace's walking for so long, I put on a video so you can enjoy. She still is a little tipsy, but please note that she can walk and drink at the same time!

I tried to get her to say uh-oh spagettios, but she wasn't interested. If you ask her to say hi on the phone she'll say it for you.

This week I started cleaning the Hancock Community Center. Why...I'm not sure, but it will be a little extra spending (ha-ha) cash. It's only once every two weeks, so not too time consumming.

If anyone is in need of an antique upright piano, give me a call. I've had a few bites from Craig's List, but no offers to drive to Hancock and seriously look.

Groundhog's Day

2009-02-02T13:46:00.000-08:00

Happy Groundhog's Day!

Actually I forgot it was until I went to yahoo news. I don't know if it saw its shadow or not, but hopefully spring is near.

Two weeks ago my Mom was able to hitch a ride up and visit us for a couple of days. We had a Schaefer funeral and some Tremont Schaefers drove up for it. It was short and sweet. The first evening we played Phase 10, a family favorite. Mom babysat Grace while I waited a table at the funeral, the next morning. In the evening we went to the Peterson's to begin a half week of baby/house sitting.

We have found out what it is like to have four kids ages 15 months, 3, 6, and 10. It is alot of work. (The sad thing is we were only with them in the morning and evening.) Rustin's coworker and his wife went to Mexico for a week so we stayed at their house and took care of their children. The mornings usually started around 5 with Grace crying because she was hungry and in a strange place. (We put her in a pack n play in the walk-in closet.) We tried to calm her down asap so the other kids wouldn't awake. About the time we got back to sleep the alarm would go off and time to get up for work and school. Thankfully they already had a routine of going to school or Grandma's so this didn't change. I forgot how hard it is to get kids up and ready to catch the bus. After work, Rustin picked up the kids and I got home around 6:30 to make supper. Grace cried herself to sleep everynight. (only about 5 minutes worth) She is becoming more picky as to where she sleeps. The three year old is a girl and she loved playing with Grace. Grace liked being mothered for the most part. The last day we were there Grace threw up in the hallway. I asked Rustin to watch her so I could clean it up. He must of smelled too close because pretty soon he was running to the toilet. At least one of them hit the toilet. I always said I would never clean up puke. It looks like I am going to have to eat those words.

While we were babysitting we heard from Bob that he is engaged to Jenny Wyss from Washington, IL. We are very excited for a newcomber to the family. We are extremely excited that we know and like her already! Our spring and summer is already filling up with wedding trips to IL and Missouri. The only thing I wish I could observe is Bob as an engaged person. I get a pretty good sense though just by talking to him.

Grace took her official 'first steps' the other day. Some day I will get it on video, but it happens not very often, almost accidental. She gets pretty excited though. She knows where her belly button is: she lifts her shirt and points in the general area and says something that resembles belly. She'll find yours too if you let her! It is enjoyable to listen to her babble away.

This Sunday we are serving church lunch for the first time ever. Everything is baked and ordered. All I have to do now is wait for Saturday and set tables and prepare things. I'm not too nervous, but I'll be glad when it's over.

Brr!

2009-01-16T06:10:00.000-08:00

Not alot is happening up in Minnesota. Just trying to stay warm and indoors. The temp has reached an all time low for me of -32. I can tell when it is below zero when I walk outside and immediately start coughing and it hurts to breathe. The store is a little slower due to the cold weather. We are nearing the end of a load and it is going to be a couple of weeks until a new one arrives, but this will be a good time to get rid of the old so the new can fit. This week the guys have been installing the furnace in the new store so progress is being made, little by little. We are still hoping to be in the new store by Spring. We'll see!

Last week we had Greg and Sheila and Emerson over for supper and the evening. Emerson liked doing dishes as much as Grace does. In fact she was a little protective of her step ladder and was making a little fuss. From the picture it looks like she kept plenty busy in that cupboard. They stood together for awhile until they started pushing at each other.

Grace is making progress towards walking. She now voluntarily stands on her own and giggles in delight. Pretty soon I think she will make the 'first step.' She now blabbers all the time. Her favorite saying sounds like 'bidabidabidabidabida.' Rustin thinks it's funny to encourage her to say that. I'm trying to talk normal to her so she talks with real words. One of her favorite 'real words' is uh-oh. The other day Rustin was reprimanding Grace for something she was doing and she looks at him and says "bidabida....." I started laughing. See what you get when she thinks it's funny! She is also shaking her head no and sometimes yes.

This coming week we are house/kid sitting for a co-worker of Rustins. They have 3 children. It will be an interesting week. Their 3 year old daughter loves Grace and dotes on her except when Grace is in her things.

This weekend's forecast looks like a balmy 20's to 30's. I can hardly wait. Maybe winter is almost over!!!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

Now that we lived through another Holiday Season I can get back to blogging and regular life. I really do enjoy this time of year: visiting family, eating once a year food, and most importantly reflecting on Jesus and His humble entrance into the world.

One of our dear friends, Larry Nohl, passed away the week before Christmas, so his visitation was on Monday and funeral on Tuesday. Our original plan was to leave for IL after his funeral. After looking at weather reports between here and there we decided to leave Monday night after visitation and drive until we got tired. The roads were fine except for fogginess until we reached IL and then they became a little slippery. We showed up at Mom and Dad's at 6:30 am and visited a little and then crashed. Tuesday evening we braved the icy weather and ate out at Flat-top Grill, Rustin's favorite restaurant. Those of you who have eaten there and know Rustin's food choices are probably as surprised as I am that he even will set foot in the restaurant. Afterwards we dropped Mom off at Bergner's and the rest of us went to Cold Stone for ice cream. Wednesday we visited Grandma and Grandpa Beutel since we were unable to make it to the Beutel Christmas. Grace loved the buttons on Grandpa's wheelchair and she was her usual chatty self. 4:30 was the time for the Koch Christmas, so we headed there next. Grace did pretty well considering her nap schedule was all messed up. She was definitely the squakiest, but that's not unusual.

This is after we opened presents and Olivia decided to push Grace on the scooter. This went well since she can walk. However when Olivia wanted to ride and Grace push, Grace would try to get her off. I think she may have some of her mother's tendancies (bossy, lazy?)unfortunately. That evening when we got home, a few of us played triominos. Thursday morning we awoke early to attend Christmas service. After visiting for awhile we went home. I wasn't feeling the best so I took a nap until we opened presents. We didn't get many px of Grace opening gifts because she was rather crabby. We opened hers and put her down for a much needed nap.

Susan and Matt are good at teaching Grace new tricks. This time it was to take a drink of pop and say ahh! Grace hasn't perfected it yet, but even now a week later she still will do it. After opening presents we made supper which consisted of roast, potatoes, and carrots. It was delish! We played Phase 10 later on.

On Friday we met the Slager crew for lunch at Avanti's. It was nice to catch up and eat some great Italian food. I took a nap when we got home. My sinuses were acting up this trip. When we left Hancock it was -2 and when we arrived it was 20. The temp kept rising all week. That evening we had some cousins over that I hadn't previously seen. We played games, watched babies and talked. Rustin commented that he hadn't seen so many 'babies' together at once.

Grace and Max got along quite well as you can see. Poor Max had just woke from his nap when they came. He came out of his shell later.

We left IL on Saturday morning at a balmy 60 degrees. The temp soon fell as we headed north and west. On Sat evening and Sunday evening we went to Rustin's parents for Christmas. Everyone was there so it was a full house. Now that 2009 is here I am hoping for a short winter and mild weather come about April! (There are new px in my photo gallery.)

Spearing and Shopping

2008-12-16T09:05:00.000-08:00

Two weekends ago Rustin and I parted ways for an extended weekend. He was invited to go up north on a 'men only' spearing trip. There's a reason why it's a men only thing. He took the camera, so unfortunately there are no cute pictures of Grace in the Cities. We left at noon on Saturday and met Michelle at our hotel. We stayed at the Embassy Suites by the Mall of America. I would recommend it, especially if you have kids. Grace slept the best she ever has at a motel because each room has two rooms in it. She felt like she was in her own little. As we arrived it started snowing and didn't quit until Monday evening. Thankfully not much accumulated, but it made for unfun traffic. We ate supper at TGIFridays and then went to the mall for the rest of the evening. On Sunday we arrived at church and met many old friends and quite a few surprise visitors. Grace did pretty good in the morning and was a crab in the afternoon. Pretty typical. She needs her sleep just like her mom. After church we hunted down a Target in the area. We went back to the mall in the evening. On Monday we had a full day planned, so we got up at 6 with Grace and started getting ready. I should comment on the complimentary breakfast they offer every day. There are about 6 different stations filled with fruit and breakfast food. They have a chef who will cook you an omelet to order or pancakes or whatever you want. In the evening they have a happy hour with a spread of snacks and veggies. We were well fed. There were 9 or 10 floors and our room was on the 5th floor. Grace loved to go into the hall. It overlooked the lobby, restaurant and tables set up for breakfast and happy hour. There were many trees and plants and ponds mixed in the setup also. The only negative was that Grace, if not watched closely, could slip through the bars, so she didn't get to spend as much time in the hall as she would've liked. It was nice to have Michelle along to help with Grace duty. After breakfast we went to Rosedale Shopping Center. It is located in northern Minneapolis. It was a nice, less crowded, mall. I was going to take Grace up to say hi to Santa, but when we were about 30 feet away, she was tensing up so I decided not to push it. We ate lunch at Ruby Tuesdays and then travelled to the Somali Mall. It is located in downtown Minneapolis, so we didn't want to get there too late in the day. We felt fairly safe as we entered the gated shopping area. It was very different than I had imagined. We wound through a long hallway and arrived at the store, greeted by an eager saleswoman. We looked through the many skirt racks as the women would hover around and speak to each other. Who knows what they were saying! We noticed that if you picked up a skirt that said size large, it actually looked like it would fit a size small person. When you wanted to try on a skirt they ushered you into their booth and pulled a flimsy curtain and sat and watched you commenting how good the skirt looked. After a half hour of looking around and being pestered, we left with one skirt. It was a neat experience for me, but I don't know if I will have to go again. We went to another shopping center on the west side of the Cities. By the time we were leaving the snow was falling harder and rush hour was starting. It took a little over an hour to get to our motel where usually it takes 20-30 minutes. I was tired so we decided to order in pizza. Tuesday morning we didn't get down to breakfast in time so we travelled around for a LONG time trying to find a Denny's. We finally found one and the breakfast was delicious. We were going to shop at IKEA but decided we didn't know how the roads would be, so we parted ways. Grace and I stopped in Willmar to pick up her 1 year photos and do some more Christmas shopping. (I'm almost done!) Michelle drove through rain and snow almost the whole way, so it's good we left when we did. Grace and I slept good that night.

Rustin didn't leave til Sunday after church. They drove through snow up to a resort. (I don't know which one.) They arrived late but stayed up late buying groceries and playing games.

This is Rustin's catch after a whole day of spearing. That's from 9 til 4 or 5. They set up these spear houses and each of them sits in his own house with a propane heater all day by hisself. I don't think too many women would want to torture themselves this way.

This is Rustin's catches for Tuesday. Two 7 pounders and one 5 pounder. It was a little more of an exciting day for him. Every night for supper they eat fish. They each brought a bunch home, so I get to try my hand at making fish.

In case you didn't know, this is what a spear hook looks like. They lure the fish into their hole with some sort of bait and then stab them with this hook.

Here's Rustin and the Guys.

This past weekend church was cancelled because of the snowing and blowing. We called into Tremont and had a very relaxing day at home. I'm kind of holing up at home and trying not to go out if I don't have to. Yesterday the thermometer said -20. I'm looking forward to heading south next week. Hopefully we won't bring the snow and cold with us!

Thanksgiving

2008-12-02T11:47:00.000-08:00

I just want to say to the commenters on my blog, Thank You for providing entertainment for the rest of us. I'm glad you enjoyed Grace's first birthday as much as I did. It's good to know my diary is being read, and I'm not doing this for naught.

My Mom and Dad came up the Sat. before Thanksgiving and stayed until the following Sat. It was very enjoyable to have them here for awhile. They were surprised to see how much Grace had grown. She was a ham for them which I was thankful for. When they walked in the door she went right to them with smiles and blabbering. On Monday, Mom and I took Grace to Willmar to get her one year px taken. She screamed and cried the entire time. You wouldn't be able to tell by the px, though, because the photographer was excellent with kids. She distracted Grace enough to snap a shot and then the crying would start back up. I was glad when it was finished and happy to see some good ones.

We did alot of relaxing, visiting Rustin's parents, house projects, sleeping, outdoor projects, just enjoying the time together.

My siblings arrived early Thur. morning. Grace welcomed them here at 2 am and proceeded to stay awake crying until 6 am. I honestly think this was the worst night I have ever had with her. She fell asleep until 9 am and woke up her cheerful self. I don't know if she had a stomach-ache or if she was teething. This is what I am blaming it on. She has 4 teeth coming in on top, so even her face is starting to change.

We celebrated Thanksgiving at Rustin's parents in the afternoon and evening. I always look forward to the scrumptious turkey dinner.

I worked Wed, Fri, and Sat at the store, so Mom came with on Wed to help out. I think she had fun, but you'd have to ask her. She was able to peruse the aisles anyway and fill up boxes to take home. Good thing they didn't have any passengers. Fri I took off some to spend more time with my siblings. Rustin put them and Dad to work trimming trees in our yard. One branch almost fell on our house during the last snowfall, so we decided it should go. Later in the evening he hung Christmas lights outside.

My family left on Sat so they could make it to work and school on Mon. They arrived to Tremont just in time for a 4 inch snow. I was glad that for once it was them and not us! Sat. evening we went to Rustin's parents for one last shindig before ReKeeta went home. She was here for two weeks and Eric came up for Thanksgiving and a ride home. Abbi and Grace had much fun together in the two weeks. Abbi is 6 months older than Grace, so there was definate tasks she could handle that Grace couldn't. After observing Grace crawling everywhere, Abbi started crawling sometimes. It was cute when Abbi would tell Grace 'no-no' for things she thought Grace shouldn't be doing.

This week has consisted of putting up the rest of the Christmas decor inside, cleaning up the house, and playing around with Grace. Jody came over on Mon and we made cookies for a cookie exchange we are both in. This weekend the Christmas gatherings are beginning! On Sat Grace and I are going to the Cities to meet Michelle for a few days. Rusting is going Spearing up north with a bunch of guys, so I thought it would be perfect timing for a girl's weekend.

One!

2008-11-10T11:14:00.000-08:00

The eve of Grace's birthday brought snow to the great region of Hancock. I'm not sure I'm ready for it, but Rustin assures me this is normal November weather, the previous has been abnormally mild. Since he didn't have to work, we decided to go to St. Cloud overnight so Grace could swim. We didn't get there until 8:30 so she only swam a little bit. At first she was timid, but soon she was splashing and laughing. We unfortunately forgot the camera so there are no pictures. She slept better than the last time we were at a motel, but it wasn't perfect. That's what's hard about having such a good sleeper; the littlest changes can be dramatic. She fell asleep in our bed at about midnight and we transferred her to her crib. Other than Rustin not being able to sleep very well and a middle of the night unwanted, inebriated visitor, we had a good stay. We did some shopping on Saturday and then headed home. Sunday evening we had Grace's birthday party at our home. Trevor was sick, so his family didn't make it so it was Mom and Dad Schmidgall. We got pictures and videos, so here they are. This morning Grace got three shots and blood drawn. By the time they were drawing her blood, she was fit to be tied. I hope she'll nap this afternoon!

Flu Shot

2008-11-06T07:32:00.000-08:00

Grace really isn't walking yet without force. She does love it when we put her behind her cart and she can walk/run/get dragged. As you can see she is a little tipsy. Bob, Susan, and Matt got her a Kirby toy for her birthday. She is pushing it on her cart. They thought Kirby and Grace have the same roundness of face and are lookalikes. She is enjoying sleeping with Kirby. I think she sometimes uses it as a pillow.

The other day Grace and I went to the clinic for our flu shots. Because of her age, Grace has to go back for a booster. While registering there was a kid screaming for 5 minutes straight. I started getting nervous like maybe it was a painful shot. It's been a long time since I got a shot. Afterwards I realized he was just being a typical kid. I took mine first and then Grace got hers in her thigh. She took an audible breath, and then was fine. She is still too young to know any better. Thankfully, because she gets her one year shots next week and then the booster in December.

Yes, our baby turns one tomorrow! It's hard to believe. The last few months have went faster and easier than the first few months. Looking back I wouldn't want to trade any of it. We plan to have her birthday party on Sunday, so I'm sure there will be pictures and maybe videos to show.

The Leaves are Falling

2008-10-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

Last year we let all the leaves pile up and 'raked' them all in one day. We decided that it would be to our advantage to gather them more frequently than that this year. Rustin bought a lawn mower with a bagger from the neighbor so he as been using that while I get them out of the flower beds. So far he as done it three times. There is a compost pile a few blocks away from our house so we have a convenient dumping place. One day I was watching Tiffany and she wanted a leaf pile to jump in so I told her we could rake up a pile. Grace loved it also, except she thought she would try the leaves for taste. This was also the day that Tiffany came into the house without Grace and all of a sudden I looked out the door and Grace was climbing our back, cement steps for the first time. Talk about heart stopping!

If you read Susan's blog you know I was in Tremont two weekends ago for a surprise visit. I had a nice time. A good amount of work and play! Mom seems to be healing well. Every day there is less pain and more mobility.

This past weekend I had the urge to go shopping so I convinced Rustin we should go to St. Cloud. The only reason he was able to go was the inches of rain we have been receiving. I decided we needed to buy a gun cabinet because one day Grace and I were in her room and I looked over and she was playing with one of her daddy's guns under the bed. I didn't think that was a good idea, so we found one this weekend. Grace did really well shopping. She's a woman after my own heart.

No, Grace still isn't walking, but I think her vocabulary is exceptional. (I might be a little bias.) Some new words are up, hello - with her hand (the phone) held up to her ear, Bob, baba - bottle, uh-oh, and of course mama and dada. She smacks her lips really loud if she wants to eat something. She's getting good at pointing at what she wants. It's hard to believe my baby is going to be one in a couple of weeks!

11 months

2008-10-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

Grace turns 11 months today. My how time flies. She and I took a walk this morning and I just had to laugh. She was waving from her stroller like she was a queen in a parade. Then we arrived at the post office and she wouldn't wave at the postmaster for anything. She definitely brings much laughter to my day. (usually!)
Last Saturday we went to Keith and Lois' house in Alex. (They are the couple I worked for during my internship.) They had bought a large quantity of paint from Sherwin Williams and offered some to us for our new store. After loading that up we took them out to eat at Dolittles. It served great Italian food. Grace seemed to charm everyone around us. I sometimes think she is misbehaving but atleast they weren't upset. We played games at their house afterwards. It's always a good time with them.
Rustin does soil-sampling at work. I was at Meadowland on Sat. morning and he called not having a good soil-sampling day. The previous week a head-gasket was replaced. Then on Sat. the truck was making noise again. He felt like it was his fault. I had to reassure him of the fact that you can't expect an '88 truck that is driven through bumpy fields all day to be in perfect condition. He called back a little while later and said the truck was finished-he had blown it up. I don't totally understand engines but I think a rod went somewhere it wasn't supposed to. I personally was glad because nickeling and diming old vehicles can be a pain. This week he has been transforming one of their other trucks into the 'new' soil-sampling pick-up.
It has been a little rainy up here this week, but this is a good time to catch up on indoor work and organizing. Sometimes even a little book reading!
My mom is having her hip replaced this Thursday, so hopefully all goes well with the surgery.

Fall is here!

2008-09-25T07:12:00.000-07:00

For one entire day our phone and internet was down. I hardly knew what to do with myself. Isn't that pathetic. It's crazy how that works. (I'm really just making poor excuses why the blog hasn't been updated.)

Two weekends ago Grace and I along with my in-laws went to IL for an extended weekend. I had a very nice time although away from Rustin. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and the phone calls more often!

We visited Grandpa and Grandma. Grace loved fiddling around with Grandpa's wheelchair. Then Mom, Grace, and I went shopping in Peoria. We found lots of goodies (mainly for Grace.) Michelle met Grace and I for supper at Carlos O Kelley's. Good Mexican food. Afterwards we went to Carol's for brownies and ice cream. On Sat. I went to my first web-cam shower for Steph. It was neat to see everyone there and especially Steph. We just hung out as a family in the afternoon and then Matt had a Madrigal event at 5 that we listened to. He had to sing in the park. Thankfully it was under the shelter since it was pouring buckets. We went to the new Avanti's on Knoxville for supper. Some man who had been observing Grace from his table came up to us as he was leaving and said that she looked like trouble. Grace hasn't learned her restaurant ettiquite yet.

Sunday was the dedication of the new church. We went to Grandma and Grandpa's afterwards like usual.

Sam was riding his scooter and it looks like Grace was pushing him. (or trying to push him off) Every time Sam goes to my parent's house he says he's going to Grace's house. I find that cute because he has only seen her there a few times. Sunday evening Mom and I went to listen to Matt at ACYF in Tremont. We left Grace with Dad and Bob. They did great except they weren't too impressed when she messed her pants.

On Monday before Mom took me to ReKeeta's we went to Laura's for lunch. It took Bryce a little while to warm up to us but soon he was laughing at us. Too bad for him he couldn't crawl.

I thought this picture was cute. At ReKeeta's we relaxed all afternoon and then she and I went to get Monicals for supper. Delish! We gave Grace and Abbi a bath together. There was much water all over but I think they had a good time!

Grace always has her tongue hanging out!

It looks like Abbi is teaching Grace one of her tricks. Monkey see, Monkey do!

We traveled home on Tuesday. Grace was a trooper. 10 hours in the car is rough on a kid. She only fussed for about the last hour and a half. She was excited to see her Daddy when we got home. I was too!

This week we got a load on Tuesday. It is all banana boxes except for 3 bins of dog food and 1 bin of cat food. Back to the grind!

Here's Grace saying Bye-Bye!

Mid-September?

2008-09-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have told me that it has been one month since I've updated, you are partially wrong. Today is Sept 13 and I updated on Aug 18. I kind of get stuck in ruts and this time it was that I was trying to create a photo gallery and couldn't figure it out. Until I did this I just couldn't get myself to update. My experienced cousin Steph helped me figure it out and I think I am learning a new more efficient way to post pictures. Hopefully this is enjoyable to you viewers. The first set is our trip to Duluth which we made on Labor Day weekend. Rustin, Grace, and I went camping for Grace's first time. It was quite an experience. We were in his parent's pop-up atleast. Grace did ok the first couple of nights and the last night she was a bear.

Rustin is at the beginning of his busy season. Fehrs are chopping silage for their dairies, so during the day he soil samples all of their fields and some evenings he drives truck for them. Grace and I rode with him one Sat. Grace soon got bored with trucking and wanted to play with all the buttons and gadgets on the truck so we didn't stay too long.

Right now Grace and I are at my parents house and Rustin is in Hancock. We came down with his parents who are visiting Eric and ReKeeta. I am enjoying myself but do miss Rustin. It's good to get away from the busy life sometimes. So far it has happened about once a month. I suspect that will come to a halt when winter arrives. I can hardly wait!!! (not)

Where has August gone?

2008-08-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

I think August has went by faster than July. Hardly seems possible! The first weekend in August we spent in the Cities for Dale and Meg's wedding. It was so nice to see many friends and family. My family and us stayed down there until Wed. sightseeing. We saw Minnehaha Falls, went to Como Zoo, and of course we went to the Mall of America.

Matt, Susan, and I at Minnehaha Falls.

The Four Ladies

Grace and I at the zoo.

We took Grace to an Old Fashioned Studio in the mall. She cooperated quite well as long as money was in her hands!

On Wed. we all came back to our house. They decided since they were so close and hadn't seen the remodeling, they would like to see it. I think they had fun watching Grace while Rustin and I worked. Dad got in on a truck unload. It is quite an operation. They left Sat. morning to head home. The next weekend was the Stevens County Fair. It is similar to the Turkey Festival and the 4-H fair combined. Rustin really enjoys the fair because he sees all sorts of people he hasn't seen in a while. I, on the other hand, could spend one night at the fair and be happy. (We compromised for a night and a day.) Rustin took Grace on the Merry-Go-Round and she loved it. That ride spins faster than I remember it spinning. I could hardly watch without getting dizzy.

This past weekend we watched Luke and Tiffany so Trevor, Jody, and Tory could go to the state fair. Rustin keeps saying that someday we'll go. I've heard it's one of the top three in the nation.

Grace received this hat and sunglasses from one of our friends. The glasses wrap around her head so it's much harder for her to get them off.

This is our experimental garden. On the left is carrots and on the right is kolarabi. We had to tear out the radishes because they were too leggy and there wasn't enough room for all three. They are producing quite well.

The latest is that Grace has a tooth. This explains some of her unexpainable crabbiness the past week. Labor Day weekend we are going camping near Duluth. I am ready for another get-a-way!

Grace is CRAWLING!

2008-07-25T07:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, it has finally happened. My life will never be the same. On Tuesday Grace took her first forward crawls. I think she somewhat surprised herself. As I watch her move around and explore I realize how baby proof our house isn't. I suppose there will be some changes made. The first one will be moving the refrigerator over a few inches. The cord sticks out somewhat and she is pretty interested in that one. I think from this moment forward I will be losing weight as well as Grace. She is already starting to lose some of her cute chubbiness. It is so amazing as to all that happens in 8.5 months. Last week I took Grace into the doctor because she had fevers and she wasn't eating anything. (Thankfully she would drink bottles.) She was diagnosed with tonsilitis and put on amoxicillin. I can tell by her facial expressions and her willingness to eat it that the stuff tastes so good! (not) I think the meds are working because she is back to her cheerful self. She sleeps for 3-4 hours at a time so they must be strong! Now I am looking for teeth so maybe she can eat more solids. During her sick time I did find one food she would eat and that was pudding. Too bad they don't make pudding flavor with veggies. This weekend we are going to Detroit Lakes with Rustin's parents. The following weekend and part of week we are going to the Cities for Dale and Meg's wedding. On Wed. my family is coming back to Hancock with us. I am so ready for a little R&R, so this should be just the ticket.

The 4th

2008-07-10T05:09:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel like a broken record when I post. Still busy at Meadowland, Grace is eating better and still can't crawl, etc. We had a short but sweet visit to Tremont a few weeks ago. We visited the grandparents and just took it easy most of the weekend. Eric and ReKeeta came up for the 4th. Hancock has our big celebration which starts off with the firemen serving breakfast. The parade starts at 1:30. Afternoon activities include Bingo and a tractor pull. And then of course there's fireworks that start at 10. We went to the breakfast and then I went home to clean while Rustin stayed and help serve pancakes. This year we decided to have a float in the parade. Jody and some of her sisters made two 'can' costumes which then her nieces wore, and we also decorated a float. When we bought the store we acquired 3 boxes of princess crowns, so we crowned little girls on the sidelines and also threw out candy. Jody and I handed out our magnets and pens. Gotta use free advertisement when you can! After the parade we were open for a crazy two hours. We didn't know how it would go, but we decided it was worth it. Supper was held at Grandma Schmidgall's with most of the family there. Afterwards Rustin and I were tired so we went home with the intentions of going to bed early. He got a fire call around 8:00. Luckily it was only a grass fire, and they were able to contain it pretty easily. We still got to bed relatively early and had the fireworks put us to sleep. On Saturday we headed to South Dakota to buy fireworks half off. We stopped in Ortonville on the way home and played on the playground that Rustin and ReKeeta played on in fourth grade. They lived there until that age and then moved back to Morris. It is neat to see where Rustin grew up.

Grace's first slide ride

Grandma and her grandkids

What a cutie!!!

Grace and Abbi playing so well together.

Just an Update

2008-06-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry no pictures this time. Grace still looks the same - cute as a button. She is napping right now so I have some quiet time to update. Two Fridays ago we got in another truckload for the store. We bought through a different broker and so far we are very impressed with this guy. We have thrown away less bad merchandise and most of the product looks as though it will sell quickly. We are getting ready for the big 4th of July festival. There will be a parade and fireworks. I told Rustin he could be with me and Grace this year and let the other firefighters set the fireworks off. We'll see if he listens to me. Meadowland Market is creating a float for the parade. I'll have to show pictures later. We are hoping to involve a few bent and dent cans that will walk through the parade. Grace is doing a little better in eating food and lets us know when she's full by spitting at us. (Rustin is really impressed with this.) We planted a garden of carrots, kolarabi, radishes, and cucumbers. Hopefully it will be very fruitful. After hearing of all the flooding south of us, we can't complain of all the rain we've got. We are prayerful for all those who have lost so much. I never made it to Boluxi but it hits home more when two neighboring states have so much devastation. Hopefully we will be able to find a route home this weekend !!!

I can't believe June is almost here!

2008-05-28T07:21:00.000-07:00

Of course it still feels like March up north! Rustin's busy season is coming to a close. I am excited for this. It wouldn't be so bad if Grace could talk to me. I guess I shouldn't wish that upon me too soon! We mowed our grass for the first time last week. We waited a little too long though, because it needed to be raked. The store is going well. Grace is crawling backwards, which is great except for when she runs into something and gets stuck. She doesn't like this very well. She is aquiring more of a Koch/Schmidgall tempermant which is both a good thing and a bad thing. Her adaptation to real food is going extremely slow. She is more content to drink her bottle. I guess when she' s ready she'll let me know. If you have any good advice in this department let me know!

We watched Emerson the other night so Greg and Sheila could go out to eat in peace for their anniversary. He was a lot of fun and a good fortaste as to what Grace will be getting in to. Grace looks like she isn't enjoying herself, but actually she likes 'playing' with other kids. She likes playing with her tongue also. Sheila and I took the two of them shopping the other day and it was quite interesting. Shopping went well, it was the eating out that was interesting. The two of them generally wanted the same menu or toy. After puking and screaming both Sheila and I were ready to leave. It was a fun day though.

On Memorial Day Weekend the three of us went to the Cities for the weekend. We stayed near the Mall of America and IKEA so we shuttled alot. Including us there was 20 people at church so they were glad to see us. This is Grace in her cute little bikini. She is still at the cute stage for bikini wearing. Unfortunately the pool was too cold for her so we didn't stay there long. We are hoping to make it to Tremont sometime in June. Happy Beginning of Summer!

Eating Peaches

2008-04-29T11:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the weird background noises but I thought this video was too cute to pass up. Yes, this was the first time Grace ate real food besides rice cereal. I'm not sure she is fond of it yet. But judging by her eating habits thus far, I think she will adapt quickly.

She and I had a great start to the week last week. We decided to fall down the entire set of 12 stairs. Since I was on the bottom she was spared alot. She did, however, puke up her breakfast after it happened. And then she puked the entire following day. I took her into the doctor but he said she probably was just shook up and didn't have a concussion. I was thankful to hear that. Parenting is stressful at times! This week we are hoping for a less exciting week.

Last weekend we got our snow and are hoping this is the end of that. Today has been sunny and 50 so alot of it has melted. The store is busy and going well. We are waiting on another load so we can keep busy! My days off consist of cleaning, laundry, and doing dishes pretty much, so I better get back to the grind.

April 26, 2008

2008-04-27T07:13:00.000-07:00

10 inches, need I say more!!!

Mid-April Update

2008-04-22T18:24:00.000-07:00

Isn't she so cute???? I am finding out that children are alot of work but also alot of fun. Grace is 5.5 months. She can almost sit up by herself. She rolls from her stomach to her back, but only because she hates being on her stomach. She is constantly grabbing at anything in sight and putting it in her mouth. I'm excited for her to crawl but also nervous cause then I will have to watch her like a hawk.

Bent and Dent is going great. We are keeping very busy. We hired Jody's sister to help us so each of us can have a day off a week. This seems to be working out well. Grace goes to Kara Messner's on the days I work and she seems to like it there better than at the store. (Something about the needing attention business!)

I left ahead of a snow storm to make it Brett and Lauras' baptisms. I had rain most of the way but atleast I got out of the snow. It was a nice but short weekend. I was ready to see Rustin though.

This past weekend we had baptisms and communion. It was a long but very encouraging weekend. Since it is actually warming up and staying relatively dry, Rustin is starting to put in longer hours. I'd say in the next week or two I won't hardly see him except to sleep. I don't particularly care for these hours but it only lasts about a month.

Well it's 8:30 and it's not dark yet. I love MN spring and summer!!!

As I said, Grace grabs anything in sight!

Grace and her twin Darcy. Still the same size and hairless!

Dent and Bent

2008-03-28T20:10:00.000-07:00

I guess you could say my life in the last few weeks has been crazy. Rustin and I and Trevor and Jody bought a store called Meadowland Market. It is more commonly referred to as Dent and Bent. It was started about 2 years ago by a family in Hancock and they sold so they could go on tour. The type of things we sell are non-perishable items that are overstock or a little less than perfect. After weeks of legalities, running around, advertising, and so on and so forth we are going to open on Tues. the 11th. This week we have been stocking some very bare shelves. It was neat to see the variety of items that came on the load. Warehouses fill banana boxes full of a hodge podge of stuff - some things you can make money on and some things not. Right now I have been run rugged, but I am looking forward to opening day.

We made it home to Tremont for Easter. Everyone exclaimed how much Grace had grown since the last time she was down. I think the most exciting thing with Grace is that she responds to anyone. All you have to do is look at her and she smiles. She is good for me, because I can be really mad and she will smile, and I can't help but perk up. Matt especially enjoyed making her giggle. She has found her fingers and her voice ( at loud decibles) so life is interesting.

If you ever come to Hancock, you'll have to check out Dent and Bent!

Is March going to come in like a Lion or out like a Lamb?

2008-02-26T12:12:00.000-08:00

I don't know if this question applies in Minnesota because winter seems to linger on through the entire month. It is still neat to observe weather patterns. I have major cabin fever if you can't tell. Two weekends ago, as I previously stated, we were Trevor and Jody's invite-a-couple. During the supper prayer there was so much hacking going on, you could hardly hear the speaker. I mentioned to Rustin that if we didn't all get sick, it would be a miracle. Famous last words! I got sick. Tuesday afternoon I had a fever so I took many naps. Wednesday I felt fine so we babysat 5 girls like we were going to. Me and the girls made chocolate chip cookies for Rustin and their family. It was fun to see how 5 girls take turns. They did a good job. Thursday I woke up and knew that it was going to be difficult taking care of Grace. Thankfully Rustin came home from work at 10 and took her up to visit Grandpa Fehr at the hospital. I laid on the couch the entire day. Friday wasn't much better with the fever, sinuses, sore throat, etc., and on top of it all Grandpa Fehr died that day. The visitation was on Sunday night and the funeral was yesterday. Although there is always sorrow when a loved one dies, we could rejoice because Grandpa was I think 94 and had wanted to go Home for many years. The sad part for me was I knew him the least of anyone because when I first met him last year, his mind was already going as far as short term memory. When we took Grace into see him when she was born, we told him her name is Grace Anna. He looked at us and said, "Anna is my wife's name." We knew his longer ago memory was better. Back to the funeral, we took Grace up to the front with the family and she did the best she has ever done in church. She did so good that I didn't want to even hold her in case I moved wrong. However as it usually goes when things are going so well, she decided she needed to mess her pants so I went out to change her. Upon going back into church she started fussing, so unfortunately that was the last of her being in church. I didn't miss too much of the service, and someone held her while we had the last viewing. Grandpa always had a smile on his face which is something we can all strive for. Rustin worked for a couple hours in the afternoon and then we ate a Pizza Ranch for supper. Hopefully this week will be a healthier, sunnier week than last!

Remodel Px

2008-02-16T12:23:00.000-08:00

I will attempt to show some before, during, and after px of our remodel job.

This is the livingroom before.

This is the office before.

In the bathroom video, this is the hallway I am talking about. Rustin should've been a carpenter. (Actually it isn't his most favorite past-time.

Rustin reaching from the bathroom into the office. Now we have insulated rooms!

This is what I lived with for 2 months.

I am very thankful to be done with the project. Now I have more Grace time. This weekend we are Trevor and Jody's invite-a-couple. Not much else is new.

Weekend in the Cities

2008-02-11T14:15:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning we left in a blizzard to meet Susan in the cities. She and others from the UofI young group came up for the weekend. They went tubing in the morning and we met them at the FH for lunch. After lunch we broadened Susan's horizons by taking her to our favorite store, IKEA. I don't think she was as impressed as we always are. We didn't have enough room in our car for what we wanted so we will have to make another trip down. After checking in to our motel, we went to Dewayne and Larae Dill's for supper and the evening. It was a nice time of food fun and singing. Sunday we arrived at church, and not 15 minutes into the service Grace puked all over Susan's skirt and her own blouse. With much wiping we cleaned both of them up pretty good. After church we said our good-byes and went our separate ways.

Last week I have been helping Jody paint an older couple's house. It hadn't been touched in about 30 years so the walls and cupboards are pretty disgusting. We are hoping to finish up this week. I was supposed to help her today, but I had to take Grace into the doctor's. She has a nasty cough and I wanted to make sure it wasn't RSV. It turns out she just has a nasty cold but also found out she has an ear infection. This is the second one in her life. Hopefully she will be feeling better in a few days. You just feel so helpless in helping these little guys that can't tell you what's wrong. Fully clothed Grace weighed 14.2 #, so I'm guessing she is between 13 and 13.5 #. I think right now it's all in her head!

We're Almost Done!!!

2008-01-23T11:23:00.000-08:00

After two months of remodeling, our project is almost done. I am so excited! We lengthened and widened the bathroom and knocked out the wall between the office and the living room. It seems as though there is more room. I have never been through this (that I clearly remember) - where you live in your remodel job with nowhere to put things so you have to cover everything and not use most of it. It has been somewhat stressful but it's looking up. I've decided if we ever buy another house that needs remodeled, we will hopefully remodel before we move in. I don't have new px yet, so you will have to wait for a later blog. I do however, have px of Grace. She is fastly growing. At her two month appointment which was 2.5 weeks ago she weighed 11#12oz. and was 23 3/4 in. long. That puts her in the 75 % for weight and 90 % for height. She is starting to sleep through the night until anywhere from 6-9 almost all the time. I am excited for that. Now that I have written it she will probably revert back to her once a night wake-up, but that is just babies. She is a real smiley baby. It really warms my heart when she smiles at me or whoever. She seems more human now! She went through a fussy bout with her formula, but thankfully she seems to have grown out of that and now just eats all the time! Here are some px of her around Christmas time.

Grace and her TWIN 2nd cousin Darcy Wiegand

Grace's first swim with her Daddy. Her swim diaper was
so big that she had to wear a regular one underneath it.

I'll have to keep updating px of Grace, or many of you won't recognize her when you see her!

Remodeling

2007-12-13T13:40:00.000-08:00

Sorry I don't have much time to report. Grace seems to be hungry and demanding my attention.

We are remodeling our house. It started out as just the bathroom but has extended to the office and living room. So now probably wouldn't be the best time to visit Minnesota! I will have pictures at a later date. Since our computer is in the office and is not able to be used, I probably won't update as often over the next few weeks. Right now I am using Trico's computer.

Hope to see alot of you at Christmas!!

Time Marches On

2007-11-29T08:47:00.000-08:00

Grace in her first church outfit. Her Mom and Grandma both wore it to their first church service.
Three Generations

It has been a little while since I've posted, so I'll try and recap the past weeks.

Two weekends ago my Dad brought my Mom up so she could stay for a week and help out. She definitely was a great help to me and Grace. Mom just had knee replacement so her mobility is yet limited. However, she was always willing to hold Grace and take care of her needs. I've decided that when you have a baby, the housework comes second. (Of course this was true before Grace, I just didn't have an excuse.) While Mom was here we spent a lot of time relaxing. Grace had a 2 week check-up so while we were there, I showed Mom the room I had in the hospital. She was impressed with how everything is advancing, and how I labored/delivered/recovered in the same room. We saw some of our nurses, so that was neat for them to see how much Grace had grown and filled out in 2 weeks. Another day we went shopping in Alex for necessary items (diapers, etc.) Grace did great at Walmart, but by the time we went to Target, she was hungry. I fed her in the car, but she was kind of fussy. I had my first panicky moment of, what if she starts screaming in the store. She ended up being fine, but I realized that more than likely she will be one of those screaming kids in the store some day. I've always been annoyed by those instances, but I assume my day is coming. We also went to Rustin's parent's house and visited with them some.

Grace went to church for the first time on Thanksgiving. Rustin kept her and she slept all morning. Phew! We went to Rustin's folks after church. My Dad and siblings arrived in the afternoon so we ate a Turkey dinner and played games. It was neat to see Uncle Bob, Aunt Susan, and Uncle Matt interact with Grace. She definitely wasn't used to all the attention. On Friday Dad helped Rustin put in the shower downstairs. The rest of us cleaned the upstairs and relaxed. On Saturday noon the kids left for Tremont and Dad and Rustin finished downstairs.

On Sunday Jonathan Joos and Mindy Wulf were married. I didn't catch a whole lot of the sermon because I was in the Baby Room all afternoon. My parents left for home right after church and we went to the reception.

This week we are focusing on our upstairs bathroom. We have bought almost all of the stuff needed, so now we are tearing it down piece by piece. By this weekend we will either have a big mess, or the bathroom will be on its way to being rebuilt. Sometimes it seems like life flies by in a blur. Before we know it, Christmas will be here!

Grace Anna Schmidgall

2007-11-12T14:11:00.000-08:00

Born Nov. 7, 2007 7#2oz. 19.5in. 12:39pm
Grace smiling at her Dad
Grace and me (you can tell I'm a little drugged)
Grace holding hands with her first boyfriend, Emerson Reuter.

(I think the Dads lended a helping hand.)

It has been an interesting 5 days. On Tues. I woke with labor pains and had them 10 min. apart all day. We went to the hospital at 9:30 that night and had an "enjoyable" night. The Doc came in at 7 Wed. morning and broke my water. From then till 12:39 pm I won't go into detail, but 'labor' is definitely an accurate term. The placenta separated from the U-cord so Doc had to knock me out and remove it. I ended up staying an extra day at the hospital because of this. We went home on Sat. afternoon. Grace is a good baby. She eats and sleeps, alot! It's hard to imagine life before her. There is never a dull moment with a baby around.

39 down, 1 to go

2007-11-05T08:53:00.000-08:00

My husband informed me that it has been almost 2 weeks since I last updated. I don't know where the time went, but I apologize for being negligent. I visit the doctor weekly and he says everything looks the same. The head is down and ready, so now we just wait. Since there is no possible way that we can personally inform all of you when the baby arrives, we will publish the news and pictures on the blog. I'm not sure if the hospital puts pictures on a website, but I'm sure that, since we are smaller than the Peoria hospitals and they don't update regularly, it will be faster to come to this site to see baby Schmidgall.

Rustin is still very busy with anhydrous. There is a shortage of it this fall, so he thinks by the end of the week he will be close to finished with applying. I am excited. I'm not used to these late hours. Thankfully it only lasts a few weeks out of the spring and a few weeks out of the fall. I generally ride with him at some point every day. I've found out that the plowed corn fields are the bumpiest, so I try to go when he is on a bean field or a ripped corn field. His tractor has a GPS system on it, so all he has to do is press a button and the tractor goes straight. This feature allows him to concentrate more on the applicator behind him and his books on tape.

This past weekend we had 5 people give their testimonies and were baptized. There were 2 couples who are Rustin's cousins and one of his (our) single friends. It was encouraging to hear of the sincerity of changed lives. It's always a blessing to hear of how God works in sinners lives. Gary Hertzel from Sabetha and Wayne Grimm from West Bend were visiting elders. For those of you who don't remember, Wayne preached at our wedding service, so it is always special when he comes to Morris and we can visit. It reminds me of the good times I experienced while interning for his son and daughter-in-law in West Bend.

Well, the weathermen say it is supposed to snow today, and while I was at the doctor's they said it was flurrying. Judging by how windy it is out, it is a good thing it's not already on the ground or we'd be having a nice blizzard.

This week is pretty open. I am going to watch my niece and nephews some, but doc says to take it easy, so I think I'll just take his advice!!

37 Weeks

2007-10-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast time can go sometimes. Three weeks left till a new journey. Somewhat scary, very exciting. I don't always look at my past blog entries, so please forgive me if I repeat myself. We can just blame it on being pregnant. Last Thursday Rustin and I went to St. Cloud and purchased a computer. Neither of us know a whole lot about computers so we talked to our dads and got some good advice. When we got it home and tried booting it up, we had all sorts of problems with it not starting, starting and then freezing up, and numerous pop-ups of how some stuff was installed wrong. Thankfully the Geek Squad had installed everything so we knew it wasn't our fault. We took some pictures of some of the pop-ups and headed back to St. Cloud on Saturday. (There is some benefit to a week of rain in the fall.) The hour and a half trip there was a little tense, not knowing what type of service we would encounter. The Geek looked at our computer and said it didn't look like anything was wrong at the moment, but since we had pictures of proof of nasty pop-ups and since we had just purchased it a few days ago, we could swap computers. Without any hesitation I said "YES." I didn't think we needed a 'lemon' sitting around the house, and Rustin hated calling the HP hotline and talking with hard-to-understand help, so we waited while they installed the new computer with anti-virus/spyware software and we headed home. Thankfully when we arrived home and hooked everything up, it worked. This brightened our weekend. I know computers tend to have minds of their own so I'm sure things won't always be peachy, but I am going to enjoy it until that point. Everyone has their opinion of Best Buy and the Geek Squad, but Rustin and I decided that they were very helpful to us, and we were glad to talk to actual humans face-to-face.

This week, thus far, has been sunny, so today marks the beginning of my temporary widowhood. Rustin is now applying anhydrous to area fields, so I will see little of him for a couple of months. Hopefully when I go into labor, I'll be able to reach him. At this time last year, we were engaged and I spent many nights up till 11 or 12 talking to him while he was finishing up a field. I think it will be different this year with me actually living up here. Ask me in a few weeks if I'm cut out to be an Ag wife.

One of my dear cousins reqested a picture of how I look pregnant. So after reading this section, you might want to exit out before you are forever scarred. Rustin delighted in taking many pictures, much to my dismay, so most of them have been deleted. Here are a couple.

It's still raining

2007-10-16T10:48:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we just have to face the fact that we don't always get our way with the weather. It is still rainy and gloomy. This makes it difficult for Rustin to get into the fields and apply anhydrous. Last Saturday was a nice day though, so we finally finished the rock part of our landscape. We needed about half a bucket full, so thankfully some of our friends had an over-abundance left from their project so we could use that. We don't have the mulch down on the one side of the house yet, but we are going to wait for spring to do this. Last week I went in for my 36 week check-up. Everything looks okay, so now we just wait for the baby to come. I'm ready for it sooner rather than later, but I guess I'll just have to be patient. I have weekly appointments now so the arrival seems more real. At this point I would say that I would take the first 7 months over the last 2. I think this is because I felt better then, and didn't feel so clumsy and nauseous and big. I'll stop complaining though, because a lady at church told me that she vomited every night from month 3 till the end. I just don't know how she did it. Last Friday we helped at the first annual Fireman's chili/hamburger fundraiser. (It replaced the Fireman's Auction, which I thought would've been neat to go to.) People kept showing up, so I think they did pretty well for the first year. I am finally beginning to recognize people from Hancock besides church people which is exciting to me. Rustin was giving fire truck rides around town to whoever wanted one. There were four of us in his truck at one point and his pager went off signifying a fire call. Luckily we were only a block away from the fire hall, so he whipped the truck around and dropped us off. One anxious fireman was in such a hurry that he practically drug me out of the truck. Obviously he has never been pregnant. Since all of the firemen except one were gone, some of us wives stepped up and helped a little more. It ended up that the fire was in a different county, so they all came back in about 10 minutes. I'm always comforted when I hear of these dispatch mishaps. If my house was burning I don't think I'd be impressed if it took two or three tries to get the right people there. I guess so far nothing drastic has happened so that lives were lost, but if you get a chance ask Rustin to tell you some of the rather humorous Hancock Fire Dept. mishaps. It will make you glad you live elsewhere! Because it was raining yesterday, Rustin was able to take off a little early and we went to Alex shopping. We purchased a curtain rod and a toilet for our bathroom project. Thankfully we cleaned out the office so there is room for all this stuff. We also did a little Christmas and baby shopping. It's good to get out and enjoy different scenery!

The Philistine Army

2007-10-01T12:29:00.000-07:00

Last week was kind of a slow one. It rained most of the week, so this was a good chance for me to do some house cleaning and rearranging. We bought a computer desk that has two wings for storage underneath. The armoire and one of our desks left the office and are now on the front porch. The office is less messy and things are more accessible. The store-all table is now used as my drafting table. This fall I have a couple of drawings and proposals to do. One of them I need to get done this week because they will be done with harvest by next weekend and the men can start on the landscaping. I enjoy the design aspect of landscaping and am hoping to acquire more business in this department. I am looking to invest in a computer program for design which will make my job much more efficient.
The title of my entry is what stuck out in the sermon yesterday. I don't remember where we were reading, but the theme of the morning was - allowing God to remove the Philistine Army(s) from our lives. It is easy to get bogged down with weights or fears or whatever else Satan can bog us down with. But, if we put our trust in God and give Him our whole heart, He will help us to destroy "the Philistines."
Other Sunday highlights were that my old roomate, Mindy Wulf, was engaged to Jonathan Joos. He was an usher at our wedding. We feel they will be good for each other and are excited to have another young couple in Morris. In the evening we went to Rustin's parents with some other families for a fish fry. It was some good fish! Hopefully this week will be a little sunnier so the fall weather can be better enjoyed.

Big and Bloated

2007-09-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago we went to Tremont. It was a very nice weekend, but by the time we reached home I was sore and my feet swelling. This was the first time this happened. Sometimes I am ready for our child to come out right now. I suppose it's better if I just acquire a little patience and realize that soon enough he/she will be here. Last week was in the 40's and 50's during the day. True Minnesotans were commenting how nice the fall weather was. I personally thought that it was a little chilly to be considered fall weather. This week it is back in the 70's which is more my cup of tea. The garden is finally done. I enjoyed working with it and reaping fresh produce, canning, freezing, etc. but after awhile they can become somewhat of a burden. The only thing we have left to freeze is potatoes, but we are going to wait to do this until later. We may as well eat them while they're fresh. Last Friday I did something I don't usually do for the City. I don't totally understand it, but the runoff or something from the sewer plant empties into a drainage ditch. The phone company was running fiberoptics through the area and cut through a sewer pipe, so this caused a problem. An excavating company came in and had to redig the ditch and needed trucks to haul the mud/grass/sewage to a nearby field, so for most of the day I got to drive a big dump truck. (It is used for a snow plow in the winter.) It was fun but I felt like a definite beginner. The excavator finally would put his bucket out to the exact spot he wanted me to back up to. My only consolation was that a fellow truck driver said it looked like I had been doing this all my life rather than for my first time. He might have just been making me feel better. It was pretty enjoyable except for it would get muddy from stuff slushing out our trucks, and then he would have to push us out with his back hoe. Also carrying a baby and driving over extremely bumpy fields isn't exactly the most comfortable always.

I also started another job last week. It is couple days a week over noon time. Doug Nohl started a business called Wurst Machers which translates to Sausage Makers. We travel to area companies and grill (on a huge grill like Famous Daves' uses) pork burgers and sell them. He has a man named Benji who kind of runs the show. Everything we do is in a trailer pulled behind a pick-up. A lady named Jeannette and I mainly do the bag packaging and meat packaging when it comes off the grill and distribute food when people come to our window. This is the second week of business and we have high hopes for the future.

Today I started pressure washing the trucks from last week. It was a disgusting job that I think would have been easier to do on Friday. Then in the afternoon I went shopping in Alexandria. I have decided to start Christmas shopping while I am feeling up to it.

Babies R Us

2007-09-05T05:06:00.000-07:00

Michelle Mueller stayed with us last week - one last vacation before school started. We went boating on Sat. We mainly stayed close to shore and viewed the spectacular lake homes. Unfortunately both of us had to work so Michelle had the mornings to her self. (I don't think she minded the R & R.) My boss' dad passed away so I worked by myself the entire week except Friday. More mowing, painting, and branch clean-up got done. There are 57 fire hydrants in Hancock and 55 of them were painted by me. The other two were brand new. In the afternoons we had to do some canning, but one of the days we went to Alexandria shopping. It is a quaint little tourist town. The mainstreet is lined with shops so we stopped there. Rustin had to truck a couple evenings, so Michelle road with him once. She decided trucking maybe wasn't for her. As she headed home on Sat., we headed to the Cities to clean-up Rustin's dad's business. It took all day to cut and haul branches, so I was beat by the end of the day. We stayed at the apt. down there and went to Cities church on Sunday. It was the same weekend of the State Fair so there were several visitors. For those of you who don't recieve the Minneapolis Star Tribune, you missed a top story involving some of my relatives, the Wulfs. Wulf Limousin Farm was unloading their bulls when one of them got loose at the Fair. It couldn't find any other bulls so it got scared and took off running through the crowd of fair-goers. For some unknown reason (I think it was meant to happen) it bucked a fire-hydrant and fell dead on the spot. Fortunately no one was hurt and the city people had some excitement for their day. We didn't go to the fair, but instead after church went to the Mall of America to walk around. Our purpose for going to the cities was to baby shop. On Monday we hit Babies R Us and Target and purchased items such as crib, changing table, stroller, carseat, pack n play- using our parents' gift money. Since it was both of our first time in Babies R Us, we thought it was a neat store. After an all day shopping spree, we now feel like we are more prepared to have our baby. I'm glad Rustin was along to help choose items. Soon he will have no time to go shopping as he will be in the fields. Tomorrow we leave for Tremont, and sadly enough this will be the last time before the baby arrives. Just a side note: I have had dreams about the baby being either sex, so I think there is no clear sign as to what we are having. We will wait and see!

The Bat Fiasco

2007-08-24T14:23:00.001-07:00

I really thought I was going to have to move before I was even in this house for one year. In an 8 day period we had 6 bats. Mostly they would come out at 3 or 4 in the morning. We were thankful for the tennis racket (and for Rustin). I think by the end he was sick of killing them. We found a company called Exclusive Bat Proofing on the Internet and called them up. We were put on a 2 week waiting list but given high hopes. Let me tell you, it was a long two weeks. They came the day we left for IL and did their job. As you can see, first there is proof of bats in our house. They put a 25 year sealant on all the cracks around our house, mainly on the roof. They also put up wire mesh doors, so the the bats already in the house could get out, but no new ones could get in. Thus far it has been a sucsessfull investment. I still cringe when I open the basement door, but I suppose in time, I will get over this. Unfortunately if you have bats and live outside of the state of MN you will have to find someone else to service your problem, as they only cater to Minnesotans.

Life otherwise has been hectic. Rustin is now hauling silage for the Dairy and does this when they need him from 4pm to 2am. I rode with him till midnight and decided I needed some sleep. I have been doing much canning and freezing in the past weeks. Since it has rained and temps are falling I have been helping my boss with his side job of seeding lawns in the afternoons and evenings. This explains the lack of updates. It's too bad that computers haven't advanced to where you think a thought and it types. Well maybe they have, but it hasn't reached MN yet.

Detroit Lakes

2007-08-09T11:42:00.001-07:00

This is a picture of my two cute nieces. They seem to like each other. We had an enjoyable time at Detroit Lakes. On Saturday evening Dad S., Eric, Rustin and I went fishing. This was the first time I remember going fishing with die-hards. (minus Rustin) I caught a Northern, but unfortunately I don't have a picture of it. It got thrown back into the lake. We were on the lake for 3 hours. This was plenty long for me considering how many fish I caught. On Sunday afternoon we went to a flea market. We got some bargains and lots of sun. Other than this we mainly lazed around and went swimming. Very relaxing. This week has consisted of working in the mornings and canning and freezing beans and corn in the afternoons. Also I am currently in a pitch-all mood so there is major organizing going on. I got our brick-edge finished one afternoon, so now all we need is mulch and a little bit of rock. This weekend is the Stevens County Fair which is a mixture of the Tazewell County 4-H fair and the Tremont Turkey Festival, downsized. We plan to go there tonight and delight in greasy fair food. We leave tomorrow for Tremont for the weekend.

Wisconsin Dells

2007-07-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

It's vacation time! On Wed. the 18 I went with my mother-in-law to St. Cloud to go shopping. By the way I was wanting to spend money, I could tell it was time for another shopping trip. Rustin met us there after work, and we headed down to the cities to stay at his Dad's work apartment. Thurs. morning we went to IKEA and some other little shops and then we met my family in the Dells. It had been awhile since I'd seen everyone so it was good to see them again. We stayed at the Tamarack resort, which I would recommend. It is a couple miles from the main drag, but it is very scenic and the traffic is much calmer. Besides, you have to drive practically everywhere on the main drag anyway. We crashed and bought a few groceries. We ate supper at Moosejaw Lodge. Good food. We tried their infamous mozz. sticks wrapped in egg rolls. Excellent! On Friday we mini-golfed and went to Riverworld Waterpark. Because of the baby I tried to tame down a little. Saturday we ate at Paul Bunyan's restaurant. After lunch we went to the Tommy Bartlett Show and played Bocce ball. In the evening Dad, Mom, Rustin, and I went to the Wisconsin Opry. We were among the youngest people there. After CD church on Sunday we went and rode the Original Wisconsin Ducks. They maneuver on land and water. Mom and I agreed this was our favorite part of the vacation. Check out these chicks!

We played more mini-golf that afternoon. On Monday Rustin, Bob, Susan, and Matt went to Mt. Olympus to enjoy water and themepark rides. Dad, Mom, and I decided we wouldn't get our money's worth, so we opted out. Mom and I went shopping instead and found some bargains. That evening we packed up to leave the next morning, bright and early. On the way home, Rustin and I stopped in Rochester to visit his uncle who had open heart surgery. He wasn't in Mayo clinic, but the nearby St. Mary's Hospital. After a short work week, it's hard to believe the weekend is already here. We are going with Rustin's family up to a cabin on Detroit Lakes for an extended weekend. It's too bad we can't vacation all summer!

Itasca State Park

2007-07-11T16:34:00.000-07:00

First of all, here is our baby waving hi to you! July 4th seems like a while ago. Rustin was up at the firehall for a pancake and sausage breakfast at 6:00. I went up to eat with him at 8:30. Then we went back at noon for lunch and at 12:30 we set up barricades for the parade. Rustin drove a big 4 wheel drive tractor with an applicator and anhydrous tank pulling behind. I pulled the classic "Hancock drum" with the city pick-up. My father-in-law says that it was in the parade when he was a kid. It was fun, but I hardly knew anyone on the sidelines. Vern, my boss, rode with me, and his grandsons threw candy from the back. We went to Rustin's aunt and uncles for supper and then went to the Community sing. (we watched) In the evening Rustin helped light the fire works. It was a nice 80 some degrees but this is what he looked like.

I sat at the car and craned my neck to see the fireworks. Overall they were nice and loud. Since it is after the 4th my hours have been cut back to 7-12. Seems like my afternoons get filled with landscaping, garden stuff or other house chores. This past Friday and Saturday, Rustin and I took his parent's camper up to Itasca State Park and camped. This is where the Missisippi Headwaters are. It was very pretty. We also took our bikes and started down a 17 mile bike trail. 3 miles down we decided we had done enough hills so we headed back to our camp site. 6 miles was perfect for us.

On Sunday afternoon we went to Starbuck Beach for a picnic. Ginny Wulf and some girls from Gridley were up, as well as Curt and Norma Witzig and family. It was enjoyable to drive Brent's boat and to watch people freeze as they swam. This week is flying by, but as promised here is some pictures of our new landscape. To get the full picture, you'll have to come visit!

July 1, 2007

2007-07-01T18:32:00.000-07:00

It seems like a long time since I have seen this computer. Same old thing. More painting of curbs, garbage cans and park benches - which I've been told isn't the best thing to do when pregnant. Hopefully after the 4th this will come to an end. Tomorrow and Tuesday will be long hours because of more setting up and sprucing up. After the 4th I have a feeling that things will slow down drastically. Last Friday I pulled a sweeper behind the town's pick-up. It took me 6 hours but was pretty enjoyable. More landscaping (trimming) has been done in the evenings so Rustin and I have been busy. We finally have our landscaping almost done. It looks much better to have the weeds covered and plants planted. Pictures will follow.

Last weekend Greg and Mary came up to visit. We spent the day in Alexandria shopping and mini-golfing. In the evening we had friends and relatives over for a weiner roast. We invited our friends Greg and Sheila Reuter, but they had their little baby boy on Friday night. So instead we went and visited them at the hospital. His name is Emerson Jerry Reuter. Last night we took them supper and mother and baby are doing pretty well. They say you don't know what lack of sleep is until you have kids. Sheila can attest to this. We are excited that our kids will be close to the same age and hopefully will atleast get along.

Hope you have a great 4th!!!

News

2007-06-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I have been a little lacking in updating the Blog. Sorry about that. It seems like Summer is here and I spend all of my time outside and not in front of the computer. As life goes on I realize that sometimes it's just better to keep my mouth shut. It's not a good idea to tell people when you are or aren't going to have kids because you just never know, one might show up in mid November. Everything is going well as far as we know. We got to see the baby move on the ultrasound. That was cool. Now we have a few months to get used to the idea that we are going to be parents soon. Last night we were with a couple that is due next week. We decided that we should get together one last time while we are childless.
At work I have been very busy sprucing up Hancock for the 4th of July. I mow, clean storm drains, trim trees, paint fire hydrants, and most recently paint curbs. This latest task will take me awhile to get them all done. I'm glad Hancock isn't any bigger. I have a boss but mainly work by myself. I enj0y this. I can pretty well come and go as I choose. I am only supposed to work 20 hours, but lately it has been more like 30. Things will slow down after the 4th.
In the evenings, Rustin and I have been tackling some small landscaping projects. It makes for a long day, but so far we have enjoyed working together and slowly we are getting our name out.
It seems like our social life goes in cycles. Sometimes we have nothing going on for a few weekends. Lately we have been busy, busy, busy. It can be challenging deciding what fun activities to do. I'm not complaining, though. Tonight we are meeting some families at a park for a cookout. We are the only kidless couple, so it should be interesting being with a whole bunch of kids.
We are doing a garden with Trevor and Jody. So far everything is coming up pretty well. It has rained alot so this helps Jody out. It is at their house. I go over once a week to help weed. We put straw and grass clippings down, so this has helped immensely on the weed population. Hopefully we get a good crop to can and freeze.
I hope everyone has a Happy Father's Day tomorrow and may we remember our Heavenly Father and all He has done for us.

Separation

2007-05-31T15:36:00.000-07:00

Last week Rustin and I were separated from each other by two states. I went home to Tremont to attend two of my sibling's graduations. I also spent time with family and friends. I was priveleged to go visit my week old niece, Abbi. She is pictured on the left. She slept most of the time and of course is as cute as a button. Thankfully Rustin and I were able to converse via telephone or I don't know what we would've done. I returned home on Friday, just in time for people from the Tremont Young Group to show up for Memorial Weekend. We had a houseful of girls on Sat. night and Sun. night we kept cousins and Bob. It was a very enjoyable weekend. Monday we went to the Cities to help Rustin's Dad move into his "for work apartment." It is cheaper than buying hotel rooms for a couple nights a week. On Tuesday I started my job for the City of Hancock. I picked up branches and cleaned storm drains. Good thing I did this because it rained Tues. night and Wed. The drains were somehow clogged up by the end of Wed. On Wed. I cleaned out the shop. Today I mowed from 7 to 4. Needless to say I have a nice burn.

This morning a first happened which I hope is a last. To back up... 2 weeks ago I went downstairs to do laundry. As I reached the bottom of the stairs a bat started flying at me. I shrieked and started running up the stairs. Rustin, thinking I had fallen down the stairs quickly ran over to see the commotion. This is when he realized there was a bat. He quickly slammed the door and went to get the broom. Of course, when he went back down there was no bat in sight. Then for two weeks there was no sight of a bat. You could hear it scratching in the walls at night which freaked me out. Then at 4:30 this morning I heared this whirring noise in our room and thunk thunk. I immediately knew it was the bat. I dove under the covers and started kicking Rustin awake and saying the bat is here. He didn't hear it at first and it took him a while to come to full conciousness, but then he dove under the covers. Once it hit the wall so hard that it was momentarily stunned. Rustin rushed out of bed and ran downstairs to get the tennis racket. After a few swings he killed it and took it downstairs with a pliers. I told him I didn't even want to see the ugly thing. For all of you who now may not want to stay with us, please reconsider! We plan to call the bat exterminator and have our house exterminated. This is just one of the joys of living in an old house. Rustin saved the day and truly is my hero!

The Time Flies On

2007-05-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

The time really does fly by. Sometimes I wonder where it goes. It seems like it has only been a couple days since I updated my blog rather than a week. The Garage Sale was a success. 25 garages were on the map for the Hancock townwides. Kara Messner and Susie Wulf brought some of their things and stayed to help me, so I was able to shop around for a little bit also. I just love garage saling; especially when I find good deals. I bought a wheel barrow and a fertilizer spreader and Rustin found a sledge hammer. We only have a couple boxes left to take to Salvation Army, so I say the sale was a success.

Last week Rustin and I were working on a retaining wall for our friends Mark and Lori. It was again on the outside of a cement pad to hold the gravel in. I was feeling pretty proud of myself that the wall was fairly level until I got to the end and the block was 2.5 inches above the concrete. Then my intelligent husband made the comment that the driveway sloped 2.5 inches. The little things I don't take into consideration! So, we went back about 12 feet and gradually sloped the wall so that it butted up to the driveway. Someday I'll learn my lesson and not jump into a project without looking at all angles.

This week I have been working on a lady's landscape in Hancock. It was a pile of weeds and perennials that she didn't want anymore. She told me to clean it up and put in something she won't have to touch. The only thing I can think of is decorative rock, but I don't think that is what she had in mind. I put in a couple of bushes and brick edge, and today I will finish up by putting in the rock. Yesterday it was upper 80's and today it is 65 so there must be something going through.

I became an aunt again on Mother's Day. Eric and ReKeeta had a little girl in the afternoon. They named her Abigail Lisa Leman. I haven't seen a picture of her yet so I can't share what she looks like. I'm sure she is cute though. I am excited because I will get to see her while I am in Illinois. The rest of the week looks like cleaning the house and finishing up a few ID and trimming jobs. I plan to leave on Friday when Rustin goes to work. So hopefully I will see many of you soon!

Farmer "Tax Season"

2007-05-05T07:51:00.000-07:00

It has been eons since I have been able to sit in front of my computer and update my life. Sorry for all of you who diligently read the Sharon saga. The past two weeks I have arose with the sun and went to work at Trico from 6:30 till 8:30. I usually answer the never-ending telephone, file, and sweep the floors. It's amazing how much dirt the guys track in in a day. Then, since this week was the end of one month and the beginning of another month, I stayed longer on a few days to help out the bookkeeper. Rustin has generally been working from 6 till about 9-10 at night. Everyone wants fertilizer NOW. It makes for great togetherness, but atleast this will only last a month or two. I have been spending a great deal of time out at Trevor and Jody's helping them on a landscaping project. They put in a cement patio in their back yard, so we put retaining wall around it. I love it. When the project is finished I will update with pictures. I have been getting landscaping or maintenance jobs here and there, so I think I will spend most of my summer doing what I love best. When Rustin slows down, he hopes to help with some projects. Yesterday it finally rained. Everyone was glad for the reprieve. Since Rustin was home for the evening we actually got to celebrate his birthday. I made him my favorite meal, which is roast, potatoes, and carrots, which he likes too. Then we worked on putting together a futon bunkbed which we purchased to house more company. Today it is raining also, so he didn't have to work long. I think we are going to relax. Tonight we have testimonies so I am looking forward to those. This next week I am looking forward to the Hancock town-wide garage sales. I doubt they are as well traveled as Tremont's but this will be my first garage sale ever. I guess I have alot of cleaning, hiding, and tagging to do!

Spring is here, I think!

2007-04-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

I had a very nice, relaxing weekend with my parents this weekend. They arrived on Friday afternoon, and we sat around visiting until Rustin got off work. We then went to A. Stella's auction. Thankfully we all took coats because as the evening wore on, it got a little chilly. Rustin helped his dad with the auctioning, so I got to bid on everything. We ended up taking a few tools home. Mom even bought a blanket and many cookies for the kids there. Afterwards we went to Rustin's parents for pizza. Saturday we slept in a little. After a waffle breakfast we toured Trico. My parents thought it was a neat little place. We had to drive around the yard because it was a big mud pit and none of us were too excited about getting muddy. Rustin and Dad went back to the house and Mom and I went up to Bent and Dent to get some deals. We left with only a couple of bags, so it wasn't too bad. It seems like when parents are around work gets done. I don't know if it's the motivation thing or if it's because there are more helping hands. Anyways, we cleaned out our basement and garage. We can actually walk in our garage now. We were storing a kid's 4-wheeler for some friends. Dad was pretty excited to ride it to their house. Too bad we didn't have the camera ready. We delivered all the goods and ate Subway for a late lunch. We found out that instead of having a two bathroom house, we now have a four bathroom house. While cleaning the garage, my dad thought this one room looked like it could be an outhouse. After moving junk around and some prying of boards, we found a two-seater. It was quite an exciting find. I guess this tells how old our house is. Thankfully someone had filled the holes in. The rest of the evening we played Rummikub and Phase 10. Grandpa, you should be proud: your eldest stomped us in Phase 10.
On Sunday we had butterbraid and eggs for breakfast and then headed off to church. Mom and
Dad enjoyed visiting their old friends and people they thought they knew; they just had to ask them their name. Rustin's parents are visiting ReKeeta and Eric so we checked the trap and fed/watered the cats. He has been noticing that much cat food has been missing, so this explains the trap. He suspected a racoon. Friday he caught a skunk, so we were hoping this was the end of it. Of course not! A huge racoon was caught in the live trap. It definitely filled the trap. We suspected it was well fed with cat food. Rustin shot it twice in the head, but it wouldn't die. We decided to leave it and come back later when it was for sure dead. It all grosses me out, so I just watched from inside the house. (When we came back later, rhigamortis (sp) had set in. Now we just have to dispose of it and clean the trap. After this excitement we went to Dave and Nancy Wulf's for a snack and visit. After much laughter and talking, we went home so Mom and Dad could get on the road. In the evening we were invited to U. Gary and A. Velma Domnick's. I was excited to learn that they were serving fish. I don't get it very often and it was some good Northern as usual.
Today has been spent doing much laundry. The awesome part is that I have my windows open and a short sleeve shirt on. I never thought I'd see the day of short sleeves. Spring has sprung!

Our Second Guest

2007-04-12T12:36:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a nice Easter. We went to Rustin's parents house for a nice chicken dinner. I took jello and one of them flopped. It was a good thing I took two. I think I must have put too much liquid in because it didn't set right. The disgusting thing was that I have made this jello before and this never happened. I guess learning from our mistakes is our best teacher. On Monday I spent the entire day giving our house a good cleaning. Since this task isn't really my forte, it took a little while. Then in the evening I went to Amber Nohl's for supper. Doug and Rustin and some other men had to go move our A. Stella's stuff for the big auction coming up tomorrow night. The other reason for going to Amber's was to pick up Michelle Mueller, our guest. On Tuesday we woke up bright and early to go shopping in Willmar. The forecasters were calling for lots of snow so we decided to leave early and beat it. There is a fabric warehouse in Willmar, so that was our main intent for shopping there. Michelle bought some fabric and then we went to the Mall so I could return something. After a bit more shopping we ate at our favorite restaurant, Culver's. The closest Culver's is 45 min. away, so I take every chance I get to eat there. By the time we arrived in Hancock it was very windy and freezing cold. No snow, though. We visited Rustin at work, and unfortunately for Michelle, since it was so cold, we didn't feel like taking the Trico tour. We then went to the local Bent and Dent store. Michelle didn't act as impressed as I am with the store. I like to buy fruit snacks for Rustin there. In the evening we took the truck in for repairs and went out to eat at Pizza Ranch. While we were eating, it started to snow. It snowed through the night, and thus, ruined our plans for Wednesday. We were planning to go to Alec and shop around there but decided it would be better not to get stranded 45 min. from home. Instead we slept in and lazed around all morning. It cleared off in the afternoon so we ate lunch at the local restaurant, Buddies. It is the new bar and grill in Hancock. I have never been there in the evening, but they say that the smoke factor is a lot less in the afternoon. Rustin and I like the food and recommend it to anyone who is driving through Hancock. Later on, Michelle and I went to Morris and did a little browsing and picked up the pickup. For supper we made Polachinka (sp.) This is a favorite of mine and basically it is a thin pancake kind of like a crepe and I put jam or cinnamon/sugar on the polachinka, roll it up and sprinkle powdered sugar over the top. It is an excellent meal any time of the day. In the evening we went to church. This morning Michelle left at 8:30 to head south. Tomorrow my parents arrive for the weekend. The visitors are pouring in! We appreciate every one that comes, just give us a heads-up.

Good Friday

2007-04-06T10:55:00.000-07:00

Rustin and I had one of our first compromising situations this week. I prefer longer hair and he prefers buzzed hair, so we compromised that in the Summer he will have short hair, and in the Winter he will have long hair. So, for those of you who saw him last weekend, he looks totally different. Unfortunately for him, it turned cold after we cut it. He has received many comments on his nice haircut!
This last Wednesday evening was Morris' Easter Program. Each child up through 7th grade recited part of a poem or scripture which centered aroung Easter. Having grown up singing a song with my class, I was impressed that none of the kids got gun shy. They all did a good job. Throughout the evening the Bible Class and 8th grade sang Easter songs. At the end each of the children who performed and in those the audience received a bag of peanut butter M&M's.
On Thursday I awoke with Rustin at 6:45 which is very unusual. His mom and I went to Alexandria, more commonly pronounced Alec, to go shopping. I went along mainly for the social outing and for the monthly trip to WalMart. Nobody except his mom, Jody, and I appreciate Chinese cuisine so we enjoyed a delicious lunch at The China Buffet. We checked out the used book store in town and found a few bargains. Then we went to Ron's Warehouse, which is a store that you never know what treasures you are going to find. I decided I am going to have to go back when I have more time to browse. That evening Rustin had to help a friend move, so I stayed home and cleaned out our guest bedroom. Our second guest arrives next week.
Today hasn't been overly stressful. It's cold outside still, so it's better to stay inside. I have been filing papers for Rustin's dad and did the dishes. You'd be surprised at how many dishes two people can go through in a couple days time! Today I have also stopped and pondered at what our Savior went through on this day for us. It's unfathomable. Wishing everyone a Happy Easter!

The return to Minnesota

2007-04-03T12:35:00.000-07:00

This was the sight I awoke to this morning. Actually it's after I shoveled, but it's a little windy. Whatever happened to April SHOWERS? It's only supposed to stick around until the weekend, and then next week is supposed to be in the 50's. We had a very nice weekend in Tremont. We arrived around 2 am on Friday and royally surprised my parents later on that morning. They even slept through the watch dog alarm. Everybody except Mom went to work or school, so Mom and us ate brunch at Bob Evans. We had to do a little grocery shopping for the weekend. It's amazing to me that I can go an entire week without seeing someone I know, and during the 2 hours I was in Pekin I saw at least 4 people I know. In the afternoon Rustin put together a desk that was Matthew's birthday and graduation present. I went to my hair thinning appointment. I haven't found anyone in Morris yet, so I have to get it done while in Tremont. Friday evening we had some people over for games and to try out our new icecream maker. It took 3 hours and it still wasn't completely done but it tasted okay. On Saturday morning we met Eric and ReKeeta at Cracker Barrel in Morton. We had good food and good visiting. For lunch we went to U. Dennis and A. Mike's for the annual Koch Potato Feast. It was awesome as usual and I ate way too much. It's kind of like with haystacks where you start small and all of a sudden you have a mound. In the evening my family celebrated Bob and Matthew's birthdays. On Sunday we went to church and it was good to see everyone there. People say "welcome to Tremont," but I don't feel like a visitor; I feel like it is still somewhat my home, so thats kind of strange. I know they are being nice, though. In the evening we went to U. Dean and A. Karen's for Easter. Once again a feast was served. We sat around and sang, visited and played games. Rustin and I left for MN around 8 Monday morning. We stopped in Minneapolis at IKEA and looked around. We plan to do our bathroom this summer so it's always neat to look at different ideas. Then we met his dad for supper. He was on business in the Cities so it worked out perfectly. We arrived home around 9 and crashed. As I said earlier, I awoke to 3-4 inches of snow that needed to be shoveled. Thankfully it won't stick around for weeks. The job hunt keeps going with more possible prospects.

Causeway on Gull

2007-03-21T09:12:00.000-07:00

I know, it's hard to believe that I could be so busy that I didn't have time to update my blog for a week. That's life! Causeway on Gull was just what I needed to relax and recoup and get away from the same old. On Friday night, Rustin and I went to St. Cloud which is about halfway to Gull lake. His aunt lives there so we visited her for a couple of hours. Then on Sat morning we went shopping. I think this was the forth time I've been shopping since I've been married. Some days I miss the Peoria closeness. Later on in the afternoon we met his parents up at Causeway on Gull. Of course we forgot our camera so I have no pictures to show. If you go to Causeway on Gull.com you can see where we stayed. We decided the entire Schmidgall family could stay there pretty comfortably. There is a hot tub in the house so we spent some time there. We pretty well ate food, played games, did puzzles, and lazed around, relaxing for the weekend. On Sunday, Rustin and I thought we would be adventurous and play tennis. The front desk said the courts were clear, so we ventured over to play. Needless to say, there was a foot of snow on the court so we had to make our own court in the parking lot. After supper on Sunday, Rustin and I headed home. It took about three hours. I would like to go back to the resort in the summer. I think they would have more options for outside recreation. Rustin's parents ended up staying there the entire week.

Last week, Rustin and I made two trips to Iowa. They bought this semi truck and trailer that needed a wet tank mounted on the trailer. On Tuesday we drove the truck down and the company gave us a car to come back home. That was a long day. We could've stayed down there, but Rustin has been very busy at work sandblasting and painting The Wulf Farm's gates. They have a big sale coming up at the end of the month. So, on Thursday after work, we headed back down to Iowa and stayed in a motel. Early Friday morning we picked up the semi and headed up north, back to work. I made a lot of progress on my thank-yous. It seems like there is always something more enjoyable to do, but I just want to get them done so I can move on to other projects. Rustin and I kind of agreed that no decorating can be done until the thank-yous are done. I think I only have a couple of days left! I went to a couple's house last week and got some creative ideas for decorating our house. It's amazing what a little paint can do. Last week we also bought a piano for the right price. All I have to do is strip and varnish it and it will be ready for our house. For all those interested, I am still looking for a job. Sometimes it's nice to set my own schedule, but other times it would be nice to be contributing the household income. This afternoon my niece Tiffany is coming over, so her mom can go help out at school. I'm sure there won't be a dull moment!

The Housewife

2007-03-08T12:24:00.000-08:00

I have posted a couple of pictures of the snow we received in the past week. Thankfully it is supposed to be in the upper 30's so some of it will melt. This week I decided that I need to exercise. Unfortunately the scale told me that one. After Rustin leaves for work I take a 2 mile trek around town. It took me awhile to figure out my route because Hancock is such a confusing town. If any of you have been to Hopedale, Il you know what I mean. There is a railroad that runs through town that is not parallel to any main roads. So, half the town is parallel to the railroad, half the town is parallel to the main road, and the other half of town is parallel to I don't know what. I have found that after this brisk walk, I feel awake and ready to attack the day. This week I have been focusing on writing thank-yous, so you should be getting yours in the next month or two. It takes alot longer than I thought it would. The rest of my day consists of cooking, emailing, dishes, laundry, grocery shopping, and whatever else I can think of to take up time. It's really not that bad, but I am very ready for spring. I am applying for a few more jobs, so we'll just wait and see what happens. One job I already have is answering phones at Trico (where Rustin works) between 6:30 and 8:30 am. It seems I am becoming an early to bed, early to rise woman. My sister-in-law is a consultant for Swiss Colony. (like Pampered Chef or those other parties) Tonight she is hosting at one of my friend's house, so I will go and spend some more of Rustin's money. I showed him the magazine though, and he picked out some things that looked good to him. Swiss Colony consists of alot of food items and some home decor. Tomorrow we have our tax appointment and then we are heading to St. Cloud to go shopping and visit his aunt. St. Cloud is halfway between here and Causeway on Gull where we plan to spend the weekend. I am ready for this relaxing trip!

Life in Minnesota

2007-03-01T09:08:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!
After almost 2 months of being married, I am finally starting my blog. The past 2 months have been spent: putting wedding gifts away
getting rid of Rustin's 'treasures' (don't worry, I haven't been too mean!
finding places for all of my junk
cleaning
I am beginning to feel like a real housewife. Every day he comes home for lunch, or if you're in MN - dinner, so I get to cook 2 meals a day. Lots of times he gets leftovers for lunch, but he doesn't mind. The last two weeks we have been housesitting/babysitting a family from church. After watching 2 high-schoolers and 1 grade-schooler, we have decided that we are glad we are kidless so far. They are way busier than we are used to. As of today we have 18 inches of snow and it looks like we could get around a foot more. I'm glad to be indoors most of the time. At least when it is snowing (in March) the temp. stays around freezing. I never really understood what -30 meant until I experienced it. We haven't even been too house-bound. We just put on 4 wheel drive and plow through. Since the house is finally starting to look in order, I am starting to put out resumes and maybe get a job. I am looking for a flexible job that I can do some landscaping on the side in the summer. Rustin tells me good luck, but we'll see. Since I do such a horrible job of emailing, this will be the best way to keep up with my life. unless you call me!
Take Care!