Livia, Ballerina in the Making

So I got this awesome text w/ picture from my brother the other day. It totally cheered me up:

Even with jelly (I think) in the corner of her mouth, how cute is this kid? Seriously.

I Almost Made It...

I nearly made it out of Target, with only the items on my list. But, wait! What is this!? This delicious little friend, beckoning to me from its lofty perch amidst the checkout lanes. Why am I so weak? Why can't I resist?

Because they're friggin' delicious, that's why. To hell with food poisoning outbreaks related to peanut butter - it's worth the chance, baby!

I Can't Wait!

Like many Minnesotans, I've found myself unable to root for the Vikings on a regular basis. I am woefully uninterested in the Wild, and hopelessly depressed by the Timberwolves. There is, however, one bright spot on the playing fields in Minnesota: The Twins.

I am really looking forward to seeing them this season, but also, greatly anticipating the opening of the new stadium for the 2010 season. This commercial ran the other night - I love it!

http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/min/fan_forum/commercials_2009.jsp

My good friend, magnetbabe, will most likely love this - this one's for you!! We gotta get you back here for a game next spring - maybe home opener in the new ballpark? Hmmm?

The View

Upon awakening in the guest room at Brian & Jessica's last weekend, this is what Jarad & I saw:

Does it get much better than this? Seriously.

Great-Grandma

We said goodbye to Great Grandma (Mabel) this weekend. She was a neat lady in many ways. She was a Norskie down to her toes, and always spoke with a thick accent. She used to swear in Norwegian when she was upset, and always referred to my mom as "Dee-bbie" instead of "Debbie". Cute!!


I know she's with Great Grandpa now, where she has wanted to be since he passed in 1997. I have been so lucky in my life to have grandparents and great-grandparents; what a wonderful bunch of memories I can carry with me.


My favorite memories of her will always include:


- getting sugar cubes from her "special dish" in the kitchen
- watching 4th of July fireworks from her front porch
- the dirty jokes she & Great Grandpa used to tell (even in their 80's!)
- her chewing tobacco habit
- her love of mums
- the Cracker Jacks & Hershey Bar she always gave us for Halloween
- how she said "uff dah" - with that thick accent of hers

Look Who's....70! 60!

February brings with it a bevy of birthdays - too many to list, really! But there were two in particular that I celebrated this year - Joan, who turned 70, and Charlie, who turned 60!

Joan Paulson, Charlie Chalberg

These dear friends of mine are wonderful human beings, and I miss them every day now that I don't live in Forest Lake. Charlie, of course, is my "sweetheart" and once-upon-a-time landlord. Joan is my all-time favorite substitute teacher. Both are drinking buddies, mentors, and above all, friends.

Heather & I threw a birthday bash for the two of them in mid-February. In conjunction with the teacher's regular pay day celebration, we acknowledged these landmark birthdays.

Beverages consumed, wishes extended, we had a wonderful time, and made sure Charlie & Joan did, too! (Heather did the honors of cutting into the birthday cake!)