Oh, my...I haven't updated our family blog
since Christmas!
So here we go....
Shae presented us with another beautiful Granddaughter
just after Christmas!
Calla Lucile arrived after just 3 hours of labor!
Sorch and I drove down to Indianapolis in a snowstorm to meet
this beautiful new person and to see Wren
and Shae and Chris, too!
Here is Auntie Sorcha enjoying Calla.
I actually got to be a Grandma and stay with Wren
while Mommy, Daddy, and Calla were in the hospital!
One of the BEST days of my life!!
Wren is having a tea party!
and we played with snow....
Here is Wren meeting her sister...how sweet!
My baby did great!
She is such a great Momma!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE them!
Calla does have a rare genetic disorder...
It is called Incontitentia Pigmenti and
first develops as a recurring blistery rash but can effect
teeth, hair, eyes, heart, and can have neurological complications.
Calla so far is right on schedule for all developmental stages...
so we are hoping for the best!
Here is a link to Shae's blog to
answer some of those questions for you..
Here is a pic of Calla's last EEG test..
poor little kiddo!
Her brain function for this hour test was
completely normal!!! YAY!!!!
Big sister Wren LOVES to read!
Here are my girls!
Stay tuned for more updates through Shae's site!
Back in Minnesota for a very snowy winter...
FINALLY!
We love playing in the snow!
One of our favorite places is the Bronk State Land
area between Stockton and Winona.
We walked the 7 mile trail again...this time with FOOD!
John is so good at cooking in the woods!
And he carries most of it...I am a lucky lady!
Shae keeps us updated with lots of Skyping
and text messages....
this is one of my favorites of Calla!
I also love this picture of my youngest kiddos!
Our first candlelit cross country ski adventure of the season
in Preston was canceled due to high winds...
so we went to Cherry Berry in Rochester instead!
Oh, how YUMMY!
If you are like me, you pin and pin and pin
things on Pinterest but never get around to
actually making or creating ANYTHING!
Sooooo....we had a Pinterest recipe weekend!
The little carrot hearts in the soup were a hit....
as were the little Irish potatoes cooked in chicken broth and butter....
The taco roll ups were okay....not a bit hit with the kids, though.
The baked crab rangoons were not my favorite....
But the little croissants wrapped cheesy pepperoni bites
were good!
and every one's favorite:
Cinnamon roll pancakes!!!!!!
One of our favorite chickens spent an afternoon
warming up in the house after we found her near frozen!
She is the one who rode into town with me last summer
under my car after I accidentally ran her over!
She apparently has 9 lives!
My school family has kept me busy with many fun
and educational themes...one of my favorites?
Cooking Chinese Noodles for all 3 classes!
Fionn loves his HOBBIT HAT
it is actually a dwarf hat from the movie The Hobbit,
Which we have seen 6 times now!
Our cross country candlelight ski 2 was near Faribault...
Lovely weather....but not enough snow...so it was a hike in the
forest at night with candles...just like a fairytale!!!
Shortly afterward we finally got more snow...and ice!
I sent this picture to KTTC and they actually used it during the weather report....I has thrilled!
My 15 minutes (or seconds) of fame?
I'll take it!
Cross Country Candlelight ski 3
was in Whalan....
Another lovely fairytale night!
Our Samayoed, Pippin, LOVES the snow!
As do I!
I especially love the hoarfrost!
Back to my school family...
oh how quickly we reached the 100th day this year~
as we had kindergarten everyday for the first time this school year!
In February I had a pretty big milestone..
the big....
Nice flowers from the big kids....
So now that I am an adult...
hee hee...like THAT is ever going to happen!
Fionn and I went to the Ice Fest in Rochester....
Then the rest of the family met us at
HuHot for a nice birthday lunch!
We loved the smores!
Lee came for a visit!
I just love it when my adult children come home!
Crazy kids!
Sorcha celebrated with a kiddy daquari
after working hard to pass a geography test!
Thanks, Lee, for helping us study...
she will NEVER forget where Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria are!
Here we are just before another BIG ADVENTURE...
we backpacked almost 11 miles from
Weaver to Elba
through the Whitewater Preserve....
Yep, that is what I say for 4 hours...
John and Billy way up ahead...
This was halfway....
hee hee....
Shortly after I put my feet up....
While John made lunch...again!
Chicken Teriyaki in the wilderness is awesome!
I was beat!!!!! But I did it!!!!
Meanwhile back at school...
The kiddos won the door decorating contest for
Read-Across-America! Nice!
Maeve loves the swing...even in Winter!
We also LOVE going to Lake Winona to the
warming house!
They have ice skates and snowshoes for use...
I am a horrible ice skater...so I use ski poles to maintain
a bit of balance...geez, I am a dork!
Sorcha is like a ballerina on ice...
John is super graceful, too.
Maeve was just getting the hang of it...
And Fionn spent lots of time on the ground!
But he probably skated more that any of us...
We are so lucky to live in such a lovely spot on the Earth!
Our next wintery adventure?
Why, hooting for owls under the full moon
at Whitewater State Park, of course!
A DNR officer gave a little class first...
it was fun being a student!
Then off we headed to call for the owls...
No luck, though...but we had fun!
Maeve created this lovely M&M sculpture while....
Sorcha and Fionn made these little
green eggs and ham candies for my k kiddos!
Fionn and Friend took a hike with us so Daddy could
cook for them in the forest!
Food and Hiking...a common theme for us?
That explains why I haven't lost a single pound this winter
even though we have been quite active!
Billy loves to hike, too!
This is blueberry cheesecake that John made
with the cookstove!
MMMMMM!
Yep, another snowstorm of 12 inches or more!
Hopefully we will get enough sap to make maple syrup this year!
Love love love these little ducks!
We hatched out 2 little call ducks in the house!
Love them, too!
Oh, yes...ANOTHER huge storm left behind this
7 x 30 snow drift!
So, John dug a large snow cave into it!
Here is Fionn helping his daddy haul the snow out...
Pippin wasn't much help!
Sorcha enjoyed the warmish day (32 degrees!)
Boys!
I only worked for about an hour on this
3 hour project....a snow cave warms you up
just making it!
Here we are all snuggled up for the night...
3 kids, 2 dogs, and a tired Mommy and Daddy...
Yep, we watched The Hobbit in the cave!
That sleeping bag is rated to 40 below...
We really weren't too cold...just a little frosty around the edges
shhhhh
First light!
Yes, we didn't DIE of exposure, or carbon monoxide poisoning,
or a cave in. or a wolf and/or bear attack
as I had imagined!
So, there you go....
100 pictures to cover 3 months of
our crazy life!
Also, my newest obsession:
Until next time....
Love you all!
