Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Candy Corn Match Up

My latest school project (for my Methods and Materials: K class) dealt with having to do a lesson plan for kindergarteners. Since learning capital letters, lower case letters, and sounds are important with this grade, I decided to do the Candy Corn Match Up.
I mixed all the pieces up for the children and they had to put them back together. I then put Velcro on each piece so they could stick it on the board I had made and together the kids would make a candy corn alphabet!
(I only wish I would have laminated each piece so that the pieces would last longer and wouldn't bend so easily...)
Three mixed up letters.
One of the boards.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

What do chipmunks eat?

Today I stayed home with grandma while mom and Will went to Eagle Bend for convention. During lunch today we were sitting at the table eating Chili when grandma asked,
"what do those chipmunks eat?"
I replied, "they eat bird seed". I must have said the word "seed" a little quiet because she looked at me and asked,
"they eat...birds?!"
haha I am thankful that we don't have bird eating chipmunks!

Saturday, September 29, 2012

83 degrees

Today mom and I saddled up the horses and went for about an hour ride...it was a perfect day for it.

Friday, September 28, 2012

The Camper

 *Warning: This post is lengthy! I was so busy writing I didn't realize how long it had gotten!* 

When I found out that mom and Will had rented a camper for Hunter convention this year, I was beyond excited! And then when I found out that it was big enough for both Elizabeth and I to stay in it (along with room for grandma, mom, and Will), my excitement level hit the roof! I sleep terrible in the bunks...and that is not an exaggeration. By the time all the giggling and whispering dies down in the bunks, the snoring begins. And the longer I stay awake listening to the snoring, the more frustrated I get. Yes, I was excited that I would be staying in the quiet camper this convention.

When Aaron and I arrived at Hunter on Friday and found the camper, we were welcomed by Will. He was busy cutting up tomatoes for salsa all the while listening to a crackling AM talk show. After a couple minutes mom, Elizabeth, and grandma joined us in the camper and I remember commenting how nice the TV and stereo in the camper were as I toured around our home for three days.
"You would not believe what happened," Mom started out as she pointed to the stereo. She then proceeded to tell us that the day before, her and Elizabeth were returning to the camper after lunch when they heard "AL QAEDA" and "RUSH LIMBAUGH" coming from loud speakers. The closer they got to our camper, the louder it got. I guess the stereo system on our camper has outside speakers...that Will did not know about...that he accidentally had turned on! 

We all had a good laugh from that as we settled in around the table in the camper to talk about how school was going among random other things. Within ten minutes, my eyes started to water and burn. What the world? I thought to myself. I looked over at Aaron and his face was red and his eyes were just as watery with a couple tears rolling down his cheeks. "I gotta get some air", he managed to say as we both charged out of the booth by the table and opened up the camper door. Will had gotten to the onion portion of his salsa making...and I've learned that campers are a really bad place to cut up onions. We had our second good laugh of the night as we headed off to the evening meeting. 

Returning to the camper that night, I was excited. The bunk beds in the back of the camper were cozy and there was even a door between mom and Wills room and the rest of the camper...so that was good just in case snoring would occur! Little did I know, though, that snoring would be the last thing on my mind that night...
I settled in around 10:45pm after talking to Aaron on the phone. He had driven back to GF for the night and would be back the next morning. Elizabeth and I chatted a little bit and then things got quiet.  It always takes me awhile to fall asleep in a bed that is not my own so it must have been around 1:00am when I was just dozing off to sleep when...
knock, knock, knock, knock, knock "Say Lin?" I heard grandma knocking on mom and Will's door. I then heard some shuffling and the door open. "Say Lin," grandma continued,"it's free-sing in here! Just feel my feet, they are ice cold!" 
"Here, I turned the space heater up on high," mom replied and she brought the heater closer to grandma's bed.
"Why is it so cold in here? Can't you turn the thermostat up? I'm just free-sing!" This went on for about 15 minutes while mom piled up blankets on grandma's bed. Things finally got quieted down but it wasn't long before I heard grandma get up again and use the bathroom. And then...
knock, knock, knock, knock, knock "Linda?" I heard grandma again. I once again heard mom get up.
"I just can't get warmed up! It's just ice cold in here!" I heard grandma say.
"Well mom, I turned the heater on high..."
"It's free-sing in here!"
"Maybe your cold because you're by the window...here, let's move you to the couch, it may be a little warmer..." I then saw the lights go on and felt the camper rock (we had forgotten to put the stabilizers down) as mom made up the couch into a bed and piled all the blankets on it.
"Try this mom, it should be warmer."
"Why is it so cold? Just feel my feet!" Grandma continued as she got into the bed mom had just made. By this time, I was wide awake. I checked my phone...it was 2:15am. 

I laid awake staring at the ceiling and it wasn't long until I heard, for a third time...
knock, knock, knock "Lin?"

I sighed deeply as the conversation that had happened between mom and grandma previously, repeated itself. 
"Elizabeth?" I whispered, not quite sure if she had managed to fall asleep and stay asleep.
"Yes?" she sounded wide awake. I learned that she had yet to fall asleep for the night and when I checked my phone, it was 2:30am. 

"Want to go back to Grand Forks?" I asked her. By then, I didn't even care if we would be getting to Grand Forks at 3:30am...I just knew that I wasn't going to be able to fall asleep. 
I made my way to the front of the camper to let mom and Will know we were leaving when I remembered that neither Elizabeth nor I had a car there. I had ridden to convention with Aaron, and Elizabeth had ridden with Danika and Greg.  
Mom'll let us take the Kia, I thought to myself as I knocked on mom and Will's door. When I slid their door open, the first thing I noticed was the thin blanket mom and Will were huddled under. Mom had donated all their big blankets to grandma's bed! I couldn't help but laugh at our situation.  
Turned out the Kia was unavailable because mom was planning to leave with grandma "first thing in the morning because this was just not working out!" 
Mom continued, "since the Dodge is still connected to the camper, I told Will just to get in the pickup and drive us all home right now!"

Things did end up settling down once grandma got settled and warmed up. Elizabeth gave me some Melatonin sleeping pills and I believe I got at least 2 hours of sleep that night.

Needless to say, I was a companion of Aaron's on his drive back to GF the following night. :)

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Duke

If I had to describe Duke in one word it would be 'happy'.  His tail seemed to always be wagging and he was always up for anything this family had in mind, whether it be:
  • Hunting with Will,
  • or walking with mom,
  • or attending dog obedience,
  • or traveling back and forth from ND to MN,
  • or ferociously killing muskrats,
  • or exploring with me back in the trees...
I could go on and on, but the fact of the matter was, he was happy no matter what was going on! He was Miciaha's partner and ally as well as a wonderful companion to us. 


So Duke, like I said on facebook, you won our hearts when you were a puppy and this family loved you every second of your 11 years. Enjoy the happy hunting grounds, we miss you already.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Here are some shots from our engagement pictures that you didn't get to see!

Such precious brown eyes!
What a cutie I'm marrying. :)

The dip that didn't quite go according to plan...
(Looks rather awkward, I know haha)
Under the umbrella...

I'm not quite sure...but, it makes me laugh.
One of my favorites.
And lastly, another one of my favorites.
Aaron and I were so happy with how our pictures turned out. The whole experience was wonderful! Thanks, Annie, a bunch!
Next step on the path to marriage: dress shopping!

Monday, June 25, 2012

Engaged

To check out the rest that Anne Elizabeth Photography has added, click below:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.479126375434882.125393.388404131173774&type=3

1st picture preview!

This weekend Aaron and I traveled back to our college town for some engagement pictures! They were super fun...especially with Annie as our photographer! She's not quite done editing them...but this is a preview she sent.


Thursday, June 21, 2012

Our own sea horses

Looking for the best place to lay down...
...and Tobey's down.
Now Rio's turn.
Now both enjoying the water together.

I love these two.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Changes

"Time is a traveler. Where did it go? It left, but it didn't leave you empty handed. No, it left you with the gift of beautiful memories, that you can keep in your heart for safe keeping, to cherish forever, and ever."  -Jane Adams

Today I found out that my grandma on my dad's side had fallen and had broken her hip as well as her wrist.  I couldn't quite grasp it because I had just saw her less than a week ago and she was (and has always been) so great at getting around! When I think of an elderly person breaking a hip, I think of a person who is frail, has trouble walking, and/or is in a nursing home (or close to being in one).  Grandma was none of those things. 
It really got me thinking about life changes. So, I went up to the loft in the stable and dug around for some pictures; I found these.





They were taken the same year (must have been 2004) at a piano recital for me, Elizabeth, and Chelsey.  I look at these pictures and it makes me think, "ah I wish they could just stay that age...just stay like that for the rest of my life". But of course, the pages of life keep turning.
Like the quote at the top of this post says, I am so thankful for the beautiful memories I had growing up with both of my grandparents. 

Thursday, May 31, 2012

No truck? No problem

Aaron recently purchased the Mazda from Will...and I really think Aaron enjoys driving around in it. 
"Except for the rust, it's a great car!" He tells me enthusiastically. I have a feeling we'll have that car well into when we're married. What is it about that car?! Whoever buys it can't seem to get rid of it or sell it!

On his way home from our place this last weekend, Aaron found a 4-wheeler he really liked...except he didn't have the proper hauling vehicle or equipment.
That wasn't a problem for long!


I'm thankful he only had to drive about 30 miles like this. I just had to laugh and shake my head when Aaron sent me this pic.

Monday, May 28, 2012

The Titanic

Today on the drive home from the Memorial Day services I read an interesting, short, non-fiction book.  It was written by one of the survivors from the Titanic, Lawrence Beesley.


I have seen the movie 'Titanic' and while there are events that occurred in it that are true, there also were things that were fictionally documented.  For example, Lawrence Beesley tells of how calm and and how much respect for authority the passengers on the Titanic had.  They did as they were told and waited in silence for each order they received from the officers. "Similarly, the engineers below, the band, the gymnasium instructor, were all performing their tasks as they came along: orderly, quietly, without question or stopping to consider what was their chance of safety". (Beesley, 128)
Also, I didn't realize that the main reason a lot of the lifeboats were only half full was because people simply refused to get on. Lawrence Beesley talks of how safe and lighted it seemed on the big "unsinkable" ship and when faced with the choice to get into a small life boat and row into the darkness, many people refused the latter. 
One last bit of information I found interesting was that the iceberg field the Titanic was in when it sunk was 70 miles long and 12 miles wide. Wow!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Another gorgeous sunset

I think sunsets are my most favorite thing to take a picture of. Here are three different shots I took from this evening.




I wonder if sunrises are just as beautiful? Maybe one morning I'll have the motivation to get up early enough...

Friday, May 18, 2012

It was another great evening! 90+ degrees during the day...but the evening cooled off nicely. Nice enough for me to saddle up Tobey and ride for a bit. 


I think grandma enjoyed watching. I know she often times tells of how much she loved to ride horse when she was growing up.


Thanks mom, for thinking of bringing out the camera!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

The perfect evening

This morning/afternoon = drizzly, cloudy, and very windy
This evening = clear, peaceful, and simply beautiful


Now, while looking at the picture above, imagine the sound of loons.
I'd say it was pretty close to the perfect evening!

Thursday, May 3, 2012

A Friend like Henry


Lately I have been really interested in non-fiction books. There's just something about reading a true story about real people or events that actually happened.
The latest book I've read, which was exceptional, was about an autistic boy and the golden retriever his parents got for him which ends up unlocking his world.  It's called A Friend like Henry by Nuala Gardner.
I don't know very much about autism so it was interesting to learn that:
"Autism is diagnosed when there are deficits in three main areas. The first is the inability to communicate both verbally and non-verbally.  The second area is lack of imagination and flexibility of thought. The third is the inability to socialize, make friends, and make sense of the world we live in." (Gardner, 8)
Like I mentioned above, Henry unlocked Dale's world in so many ways.  Here is a clip I found that gives a brief summary of what the book is about. There is so much more in the book though -- I  recommend reading it.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Flotsam

This week in my children's literature class we had to critique wordless picture books.  I wasn't too excited about it so when I went to the library, I snatched two off the shelf without really looking at them and brought them home. Wow, was one of them a gem!
 It's about a boy that finds a camera on the beach. You'll have to read it (or rather look at it) to find out what happens! But it is very original and unique. I'm tempted to go out and buy it right now!

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Fishing #2





I told Aaron the DNR was coming...and he was gettin' out of dodge!

haha jk, I actually think he was trying to beat Kiah to the TrailBlazer.
It was another fun (but cold, 2 degrees out) Saturday!

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Fishing #1


The very first fish I caught. A Bass!


Miciaha was in the small tent for about 3.6 minutes. Too crowded with the fishing lines, bucket of fish, coffee mugs, fishing tackle box, and three persons inside! 

One of the unlucky fishes!

Had a fun Saturday! Now back to homework *sigh*...

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Caught in the act!

After showering this morning I came down the stairs with the camera...and happened upon this scene.


Miciaha took a quick glance at me and then proceeded to shovel as much bird-seed in her mouth as possible before I got to the door to scold her. What a pill!