Four Generations

Dan's grandma is 97 years old! Until recently, she's been living in her own home. Now she's in a care center as she recovers from a fall at home. Over Christmas break, we stopped by a few times. We captured a pic of four generations!

Read!

I've been having fun volunteering in Annika and Lauren's classes this school year. I can work just as much or as little as I want, and I can incorporate some of my fun ideas every once in awhile. And the biggie benefit for me is that A&L always seem so much more excited to see me when I'm at school than when we're all home together. Go figure.

One project was our local library's Read! campaign. You may have noticed posters of celebrities encouraging kids to read posted in the local library. Our library took a twist on that and took pics of local folks, some famous, some not-so-much, and made them into Read! posters.

I saw this and decided to do it with my own daughters. So we took a pic of our four girls holding Dr. Seuss books with two cast members (who also are our babysitters!) from Seussical the Musical which our local high school performed.

I submitted it to the local library, and Cassie will be turning it into one of the posters!

Well, taking that a step further, Cassie said we could submit as many as we wanted. Woot! First graders, here I come! So Mrs. S let me come with my camera. Each student grabbed one of their favorite books and we clustered the students together to take some photos. Here is one of the completed posters after Cassie worked her magic. Lauren is in this one. You'll note the kids were all celebrating Mickey's birthday--thus the hats.

Our 2011 Christmas Letter

It’s amazing how easy it is to forget the many things that happen in a mere 365 days.

We are still in Fairmont, Minnesota, completing our second full year here. We now have kids in third and first grades and two preschoolers. Emily and Megan will be 5 and 4 respectively next month. Crazy, eh?

Since not much has changed in our situation in the last 12 months, I thought I would try to find some of the more memorable quotes from our kids this year to share with you.

Cute Kid Quotes

·         For my birthday this year, Lauren invited all of her classmates to my party!

·         "I'm going to be five my next birthday," Emily said. "And then six and seven."
"Stop!" Annika, age 7, replied. "It's so weird to hear little kids talk about growing up."

·         Pupcakes--what Megan wanted more of at Dan's birthday (cupcakes)

·         "I slipped. Good thing I didn't plop. Plops hurt." Lauren

·         "Somebody made a clock that runs on lemonade and water--no electrocution!" Lauren

·         "It's the human mushrooms," says Emily, talking about garden gnomes from Gnomeo and Juliet

·         "My toes are hiding," says Megan as she walks around in her slippers.

·         "See? They're sparkles," says Megan about her many concrete-caused scabs on her knees.

·         Overheard at Annika’s tea party birthday party: "This is the best tea party I've ever been to. I've never been to one before."

·         Megan's newest cell phone is made from three Lego pieces. I have no idea how good the reception is; she seems happy with it.

·         Emily discovered “squirrel” ice cream this summer. Or, as I like to call it, swirl.

·         Emily also likes “cabinets”—where one goes on vacation in the northwoods.

·         Megan likes watching those pretty black and white-spotted ducks, the “balloons.”

·         Lauren: I can't hear Jesus, but I can see him.
Mom: How can you see him?
Lauren: I have super vision because I'm a fairy, you know.

·         Emily singing in the shower: "I am a friend of God/ I am a friend of God/ I am a friend of God/ He calls me Frank."