Inflatable Fun!!

     You've never really lived unless you've chaperoned a middle school activity night..ha ha!!  Friday night was my turn, so some of the teachers decided to have some fun (before the kids arrived) trying out the inflatables: bungee run, obstacle course, and human darts. 

Here are some of the teachers who chaperoned activity night.

Teachers and parents having some fun in the concession stand...:0)

     Darci and Mike's son, Logan, joined in on the fun before he headed over to his basketball shootout at the elementary school.  When we were at the cabin this summer, he definitely wasn't this tall.  I sent this picture to Darci, and she had to laugh that he is as tall as me now.

Preparing for competition

Strapped in and ready to go...

It's a close match...to begin with.

Then I pull ahead! :0)

Osty wins!!!  Notice Logan is lying down.  He flipped backwards quite a distance.

Next up was Renae and JeNee.  It was a wild one!!

Kyle and Alisha took their turn, and they had a lot of fun!!

"Bald is Beautiful"

     Today was a great day!! My friend and colleague, Heidi, came to school for a visit and brought me some homemade lefse. :0)  It was so nice to see her, and she looks fabulous.  It's fun to see her hair growing back, and she even wanted me to touch it.  WOW!  It's SO soft!!!  Since she met me in my room during my prep, we were able to meet up with Patrice, another colleague, who just got the good news that she is also cancer free.  It was fun for Patrice to be able to share that news with Heidi today.  Much laughter was enjoyed in the office at the same time. 

Heidi and Patrice, cancer survivors :0)

Patrice was inspired by Heidi's mantra, "Bald is beautiful," so off came her wig!!!

 Just like Kool and The Gang...

Celebrate good times, come on!!!

Thanksgiving Day Memories

     We hosted our annual Thanksgiving gathering at our house on Thursday.  What a beautiful day it turned out to be with our family as well as the weather!!  Here are some pictures from the day:

 

 Preparing the tables for our big Thanksgiving dinner

We welcomed our newest great-nephew, Ian.

Here is our other great-nephew and proud big brother, Gavin.

Cheryl took lots of pictures. :0) Here is Jill and Ian, Patti, and Dean.

                                        Dani                                   Dean and Me 

Gavin and Uncle Erik

Ian and Me

Grandma Cheryl with Ian and Dani (and a "hint" of JJ)

Jill just had to have Gavin sport a Packers jersey knowing how big of a Steelers fan I am!!  Gavin enjoyed JJ since she looks just like his Golden Retriever, Molly. Then we covered up his Packers jersey :) in order for him to head outside and help Uncle Darrell turn on the Christmas lights (which is also another tradition when we are all gathered together on Thanksgiving night). Boy, did he enjoy pushing the remote controls to turn the lights on. He was VERY excited!! He spent a lot of time with Uncle Darrell turning them on and off!! It was so much fun seeing his eyes light up each time!! 

  

 He even wanted to have his picture taken with the lights. :)

     Toward the end of the evening, it was very emotional as Mom recognized her last Thanksgiving with us.  She was struggling to breathe most of the day even with her oxygen.  The prednisone really has made her look "puffy" as she would say.
It was bittersweet taking family pictures with her.

Patti, Paul, Erik, Evan, and Mom

 

                      Gavin with great-grandma                  Dean and Mom

Darrell, Michael, Dani, Mom, and Me

Thanksgiving 2011

This year Darrell and I are so very thankful for many things...

Hosting this special day with his family

Attitude for gratitude journaling is a daily activity for me

Never a day passes without saying "I love you"

Keeping those less fortunate in our thoughts

So thankful for good jobs and fun colleagues

Grateful for family, friends, and freedom

In everything give thanks

Very tasty food will be shared and football will be watched

I'm/we're thankful for every moment

Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart (Seneca)

God's blessings to our family and friends this holiday season!

Angry Birds = Surprised Cat

     So I was playing Angry Birds Seasons on my iPad last night, and Benji decided to jump up and investigate.  Much to his surprise, there was movement on the screen.  Needless to say, he was VERY surprised and couldn't quit staring at the birds and the screen since there was snow falling during the game as well.  He ended up trying to play right along and proceeded to move his paw across the screen!!!  This went on for quite a few minutes; Darrell and I definitely enjoyed a few laughs over this escapade of his. :0)

     On the other hand, the dogs weren't so excited about the event and stayed right where they were.

"You Say It's Your Birthday..."

     It was a girls' night out for a some of us to celebrate Simona's birthday.  We planned on going to the Cities for dinner and a comedy show quite awhile ago, and then we heard about a funny comedian, Mary Mack, headlining in St. Cloud at the Paramount Theater.  Our dinner destination was the White Horse prior to the comedy show; what a delicious dinner!!  Afterwards, we walked to the Paramount and, surprisingly, saw our former principal and his girlfriend and then Simona's mom and dad when we entered the theater.  The whole night was a surprise for Simona, so it was a "double surprise" for her to end up in the same place as her parents. 

Sara, Nicolette, Simona, Jill, Alisha, Heather, and I enjoying our dinner at the White Horse.

                

        Simona, the birthday girl, and Heather        Alisha, Jill, Simona, and me

                          Sara and Nicolette                      Jill and Simona

Here we are with our former boss.

Simona and me

     Part of the comedian's show was this "vintage '80s" vinyl jacket.  I guess you could call us the lucky recipients?? 

     Alisha and I bumped into the comedian's "sidekick" and were presented with the vintage coat.  It will, no doubt, make its way through the middle school for some good laughs!!

Simona and her mom and dad...what great people Marty & "Stubby" are!!

Having a good laugh at intermission

After the comedy show...:0)

LEEA Night and Mammo Night

     Congratulations to my good friend, Bridget, who recently was honored for the LEEA (Leadership in Educational Excellence Award).  We have taught together for many years, and she certainly deserves this recognition.  Way to go, my friend!

Here we are after the banquet in St. Cloud.

     A group of us attend a yearly "Mammo Night" each October sponsored by CDI.  Darci organizes the event, and it is well attended each fall.  Ann, Jean, and I have gone for the past five years, and it sure makes getting a mammogram much more fun.  It's designed to be a girls' night out.  Wine, cheese, fruit, Lillian's, mini-massages, etc... are all part of the deal.  Darci does a great job organizing everything, and the four of us always enjoy each other's company.  Now we just wait and hope for good results!!