My Birthday

I had a great birthday - thanks to so many people

who remembered me! My cards were hilarious,

starting with this one from my friend & neighbor, Allie:

Then, my cards took on a definite theme:

All said, I'd say this is a nice pictoral of my cards,

and tells me something -

my friends sure know me well!!

Holiday Fun

Just a few pictures from Christmas 2010...

Livia spends some quality time with her new pets!

Jarad & I stop along Hwy 61 to see Splitrock Lighthouse.

Not sure who's cuter, Livia or Auntie Lora!!

Our Trip to Colorado

Jarad and I ventured west...to Estes Park, CO, in August. Jarad's grandma, Betty, is an alum of the University of CO, and a member of their hiking club. This club has met for reunions every 5 years (and sometimes more often) since the '40's!! We were happy to escort Betty out there and to and from various destinations. We stayed at the YMCA of the Rockies, a beautiful location. Below are pictures from our trip...

The three of us at a picnic site in Rocky Mountain National Park...

The lodge we stayed at in the YMCA of the Rockies...

The three of us at Bear Lake, one of the most popular destinations for hiking and sightseeing in Rocky Mountain National Park...


I made some new friends when I spotted these elk at the entrance to the YMCA. They were pretty content in their meadow, and didn't seem to mind intrusive people with cameras (like me!)...

Jarad & I stop for a quick pic at Bear Lake...you just can't beat the view! Oh, and the mountains are nice, as well!!

Fun Happenings

We've been having fun this summer! On July 6, we attended the John Hiatt & Levon Helm show at the MN Zoo Ampitheatre - good times!!

We cheered on our friend, Joy, at Grandma's Marathon in Duluth on June 19th. This is us, waiting on the final turn near the finish line.

We made it to Target Field for the first time on June 12th (Twins vs. Atlanta). It was part of my TCF branch's "Best Branch" award...totally a blast!!

Random Happenings

Just some random pics...nothing too crazy happening lately. Enjoy!

Pudder, in full lounging mode...

Tulips growing outside in Dickinson, North Dakota...

Jarad & Di in Wadena, MN a few weekends ago.

A Touch of Spring

Jarad got me the most beautiful get-well tulips recently - they were this wonderful, rich shade of pink, and were just amazing!! I caught them in some of the nearly-springtime sunlight coming through the window a week ago...I can almost feel spring when I look at them!!

Music Therapy

Jarad's friend, Rick, asked if he could come jam with him at his mother-in-law's senior care home last weekend. I asked to come along, and ended up really enjoying the experience. The guys (and Rick's son Alec) played a nice mix of tunes, and the residents and staff really had a good time. It felt good to do something nice for others, just to do it. I think we'll go back for an encore!

True Love

The Vikings beat Dallas on Sunday (our 1-year anniversary). It must be true love.