So much to be THANKFUL for

Mav and I are in the midst of some big changes, starting with a new place to call HOME. Mav has accepted a job with OtterTail in Jamestown, so we will be moving/transferring there in January. We are excited about the change and Mav is excited to learn about a completely different side of the company (no power plant there). We are trying to muddle through all the things that come with moving but are also trying not to lose sight of the wonderful Holiday season. We are hoping to make it to Valley City tomorrow to spend Thanksgiving with some of my family and then visit Jessie tomorrow night in Grand Forks. No matter where we end up or how busy/crazy things are going to get, we are so grateful and thankful for our family, friends, and loved ones. You are the ones that we gather strength from and rely on and we want you to know that we appreciate and love you! THANK you for being amazing people and we know how lucky we are to have you in our lives! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy Halloween!!

Here are some pics from this weekend. Judy threw the kids a Halloween party and Mav and I brought early B-day presents for Hails and Cole. The kids definately had a blast at the Halloween party! They docorated cookies, played a bean bag game, ate pizza, and had a bonfire. All this while eating as much candy and sugar as possible! We all tried to get them to sit for a pic so that we could see their costumes but you can just about imagine how that went down. I threw in one pic of my giant spider web hanging in my entry way at home and one of the Frankenstein cheeseball my mom made for her work Halloween party. Yes, I swear it is all edible!!!

A friendly reminder

JUST in case we have forgotten what Winter is all about...

I may be a VIKINGS fan

Last weekend for Mav's "REAL" birthday, Judy took both of us to a Vikings game! It was the first time either one of us had to been to an NFL game. We left Thursday and spent the night in Fargo at Kel and Mal's and then left for the cities on Friday. We had a fantastic weekend shopping, eating, and spending time at Mav's aunt and uncle's house in Eagan. Steve met us there via a work trip (I know, nice work trip to a Vikings game in a suite at the stadium!). It was amazing being in the stadium with all those people - 62,000!!! We had really awesome seats, only 24 rows up from the stadium floor. It was a good game and the Vikings WON!!! Thank you thank you thank you Judy!

Craft time again...

I spent this last week and weekend at Jess's house in Devils Lake. I think we spent most the week doing some craft projects for the upcoming Halloween/Thanksgiving seasons. She sent me this link for a NO SEW runner, which I decided to make for the top of my piano. You basically cut the fabric to size and then iron bias tape (with heat bond) to both sides of the fabric. It was super easy and turned out sooooo cute and professional looking! :) I also tackled a Fall apron, curtesy of a pattern that Jess and I had reverse-engineered the last time I visited. I had an awesome time visiting and enjoyed our girl time together! We need to do that more often as I miss our crafting adventures, diet cokes, and junk food! :)

The end of deck season

As of today, I have officially accepted that it is now Fall. Mav and I did manage to have our family BBQ/deck party/early birthday party this last Saturday and it turned out to be a decent day given the change in season. The sun did make an appearance for Saturday and the temperature reached 55 degrees despite the ice and snow on the ground from the day before. We had a house full of family and had a really great afternoon eating, laughing, and enjoying the sun. Judy and Steve, Kelly and Mal, Jessie and Patrick, and my mom and dad all stayed with us on Saturday night. I loved loved loved having everyone under one roof and we all had fun just keeping each other company, trying to finish off the leftovers, and playing the wii. Here are just a couple of pics from the party. I was basically running around like a maniac trying to make sure everything was going ok (and it was, it was just me trying to be PERFECT) so I didn't get too many snapshots.

THANK YOU to everyone who came and graced us with your presence! We are blessed to have you all in our lives!

FAMILY BBQ

This is for all the family members that may have missed out on the calls, emails, and grapevine!!! :) Mav and I are having a family BBQ on Saturday, September 18 at 1:00 pm MT. We would love to have you there to help us celebrate the completion of our biggest project this summer - the deck - and to also help us celebrate Mav's 30th birthday!! (the real 3-0 is on Oct 16) Celebrating with family will be a great way to spend one of the last weekends of the summer!

MBA

This fall Mav has decided to go back to school. He is going to be attending U of Mary ONLINE to complete his MBA. He actually had his first day yesterday and is already hard at work reading and studying. This accelerated MBA course spans 18 months and requires that he finish each class one at a time, sometimes only spending a couple weeks on a class. I know he will do great and I hope that these next 18 months just fly by!

CONGRATULATIONS Mav!

Mav has been working so hard these last two months training to compete in a triathlon. The triathlon was this Sunday in Mandan on THE hottest day of the year (for real, it was like 95 degrees by 11:30 am). He participated in the Sprint race, which included swimming 500 meters, biking 13 miles, and running 5k. He did AMAZING! Out of 23 individuals who completed the sprint race, he finished 9th!!! I am so proud of all his hard work and dedication and am inspired by his ability to tackle anything he sets his mind to!

6 kids, 4 adults, 2 dogs...All in one house

This past Thursday and Friday, Mav and I had a full house. Judy, Steph, and all our nieces and nephews came for a short visit. The plan WAS to swim at the new pool here but for some reason it was closed (how on earth they decided to close it on the two hottest days of the summer is beyond my comprehension). We improvised and headed out to Beulah Bay Thursday afternoon. We played on the beach and in the cold water. The kids all seemed to have a really fun time and Mav and I even waded in. I forgot my camera but managed to take some pics of Cole, Jas, and Brielle playing in the sandbox at home. YES the sandbox was finally put to use!! We had awesome (hot) weather those two days and spent equal parts playing outside in the water and then soaking up air conditioning. It was a hectic two days but we love when they come to visit!