Bobby, Sara, Paul & Claire

Some way overdue photos!

2012-01-19T12:29:00.015-06:00

Claire and Isabella at the MN Zoo.

Banging away on the drums!

My little Wild fan.

Making cookies with Mommy.

Singing songs with Auntie Amy.

The Macy's display with grandma.

With the big man himself!

Testing out her new sled in grandma's home.

Our family photo.

Claire loved reading with Uncle Doug.

And laying amidst all the wrapping paper.

On a hike with Grandma Irene and mommy in Detroit Lakes.

Lunch with cousins Joe & Mason.

And listening to a story with Auntie Marjanae.

Thanksgiving & Birthday

2011-12-05T14:26:00.012-06:00

For Thanksgiving this year we went out to Kandyohi to Sara's Aunt Sheila's home. We had a wonderful time with everyone, and of course plenty of great food!

Claire was happy that it was so warm out and that she could trike away! She found this old school trike and rode for hours.

All the cousins, poor Mason, the only non-blondie.

Sara and all of her cousins.

Kissing cousins.....can't wait to show her that one 15 years down the road.

Loving on Grandma!

Claire discovered the main ingredient, dark chocolate, and she actually like it!

The girls hard at work making the cake from scratch.

The girls sang happy birthday and we had fun blowing out all the candles, all 27 of them!

Claire certainly enjoyed the cake!

Guess what???

2011-11-23T21:48:00.005-06:00

We're pregnant! Well, Sara is, that's for sure! She's due with baby #3 April 20th!

Claire is excited to be a big sister!

Pretending to nap....

leads to lots of tickling!

Taking care of daddy with stickers.

Of course jumping in leaves is a blast!

Claire loves building with her blocks, that is for sure.

And checking out the inside of gourds is fun too!

We are all super excited for the new baby to come!

Off to Milwaukee!

2011-10-31T20:50:00.012-05:00

We went to Milwaukee a few weekends ago to visit Grandpa Bob and Grandma Maureen! Claire was super excited to visit them!

She loved riding on this rocking horse, she was on it all the time!

This one at the apple orchard was just a bit too big.

Claire and Grandma Maureen were all smiles at lunch.

Claire and Grandpa were watching the birds out the window.

After lunch, we fed the goats. Claire loved it!

On Saturday we went to tour the Sprecher Brewery, they have fantastic sodas! Claire learned how to say "Cheers!"

We went to the Milwaukee Zoo, it was a beautiful day outside and we had a blast!

Claire and Grandpa checking out the elephants.

Claire and Grandma loved watching the penguins. We had a wonderful time visiting the grandparents, we sure wished they lived closer so we could see them more often! Claire sure loves her Grandpa Bob & Grandma Maureen!

Tumbling and more...

2011-10-18T13:15:00.015-05:00

Every Wednesday we take Claire to a tumbling class with other kids her age, and she loves it!

Claire also loves Ms. Amber! Claire is kind of a teachers pet, following her around everywhere!

Amber actually teaches 4th grade at my school, that's how we found out about the tumbling class and got Claire involved.

As you can see they have fun running around and doing great activities together, Amber is really good!

Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy!

Claire loves walking on the balance beam as well!

We've been lucky enough to have Amy, Mason and Joe visit us quite a bit lately, and on one occasion they brought the dog. Look who found a fun place to play!

Piling on Amy to read a favorite book!

Out in the backyard playing with blocks.

Claire is getting very good at cleaning up after herself, she loves scrubbing!

Two peas in a pod, they loved riding together!

Looks like it was daddy's turn to help with bath time. Sorry for such a long delay in getting pictures on the blog, I'll do my best to keep it up!

Wensmann Family Gathering - Happy Big Birthday to Grandma Irene!

2011-08-27T22:13:00.004-05:00

This was the best family photo we ended up with for Grandma Irene's birthday celebration. The birthday girl wasn't looking but surprisingly everyone else was looking at the camera. Happy Birthday Mom/Grandma!

We spent the day at my aunt and uncle, Marilyn and Bill's, place in Hayward, Wisconsin. My mom had a big birthday and it was fabulous for my family to be together!

The Cornelius Four (Irene, Nate, Amy and Sara). I wish my dad was in the photo. He would have had a good time as well.

Claire and Isabella had a wonderful time together. They were inseparable most of the day.

Claire, Isabella and Joe. We have to be sure Claire does not kiss or lick poles in the winter! Joe is thinking, "I don't know if that is a good idea, Claire."

big bubbles

such cute girls

Claire loved the flower garden.

Bobby caught this amazing shot on the camera.

All of the grandkids: Claire, Joe, Isabella and Mason. Grandma made tutus for the girls. She is going to wear it to church tomorrow. The boys received other toys of course.

holding hands

Up at the cabin...once again

2011-08-15T21:48:00.016-05:00

We headed back up to the cabin this last weekend, and once again we had perfect weather and it was a wonderful weekend!

This time we brought up our friend Brent & Dana Richardson, they are visiting us from Woodland Park, CO. Brent and I have known each other since 8th grade!

Claire has a new best friend...Dana!

Claire wanted to take off her shirt as well, so..... here we are showing you our underwear!

The double decker. Just looking at this photo makes me want it all over again, mmmm.

The Lindgren's came over to visit us on Sunday morning, and the Mikaela and Claire had a blast swimming together! You can see Claire was sick of sitting still and wanted to get back into Elbow Lake! It was great having our relatives come visit us.

Brent and I did some tree clearing along the path.

Brent's victory cry over that log.

My girls just chilling. Claire loves swimming, especially in the buff!

Brent, Dana and I had a great time jumping off the dock into the inner tubes, it was either a huge splash or a success each time.

This is what it takes to get Claire out of the lake, she loves the cabin and so do we!

Up at the cabin

2011-08-02T19:38:00.025-05:00

We went up to my grandparents island on Elbow Lake this last weekend, it was a wonderful trip up there! We had perfect weather, great food and wonderful fellowship.

Our friends Dan, Rebecca, Ezra and Kendra joined us once again up at Elbow Lake.

Claire certainly loved the island, she was all over the place all weekend.

I schooled Dan at cribbage all weekend long, take that Dan! Is that Rebecca goosing her husband?

The ladies had a nice time putting together a huge puzzle. Needless to say, we played cribbage and puzzled only after the kids had gone to bed, they were busy bodies all day long!

This was the first time Claire walked all by herself across the island! Notice all the pine cones in Sara's arms, Claire stopped every two seconds to pick up a new one!

Ezra was the trail blazer and the girls followed suit.

They loved playing on this rocking swing!

Dan's double decker, is there anything more delicious than a S'more? Notice the Hershey's on top and the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup on the bottom? Pure indulgence.

Dan's showing Ezra the proper technique for wolfing down a S'more.

Claire LOVED her S'more!

Both nights provided wonderful weather. The bugs weren't bad at all, the sun was shining and the kids were happy as clams.

Claire and Mommy floating around.

While daddy had no problem jumping in and dragging Claire out into the middle of the bay. She loved learning to swim, and asked many times to go swimming!

Mommy and Claire enjoying the sunny day.

We had a wonderful time with the Quicks and can't wait until summer of 2012 so we can do it all over again!

Grandpa's Birthday!

2011-07-25T14:51:00.009-05:00

My Grandpa Gus turns 90 years old today!

Claire was helping Great Grandpa Gus open cards, that is until mommy showed up with cake!

I mean seriously, I have one adorable daughter!

Playing with her 2nd cousin Mikaela in the fountain

Loving on Grandma!

While Claire discovered the joy of squirt guns, Reid and Ethan played baseball in the yard.

Claire loved the rocking horse, it made sounds and she loved that! Will patiently waited his turn. We had a great time with the whole family celebrating Grandpa Gus and his 90th birthday.

Up to Detroit Lakes....

2011-07-12T19:55:00.009-05:00

We spent the fourth of July weekend up in Detroit Lakes visiting Grandma Irene!

Claire sure loved sitting on the stool!

And reading with Grandma in the morning on the deck.

Someone sure likes cinnamon rolls!

And leading the way!

Or trailing behind.

I mean how cute is that!

But Grandma, I want to touch the water!

Checking out the Blue Heron in the stream. We had a great time with Grandma and can't wait to see her again!

Grandpa & Grandma come to town...

2011-07-04T20:27:00.010-05:00

What? It is NOT time for bed mommy and daddy! I want to hang out with Grandpa Bob and Grandma Maureen.

Yeah!!! Grandpa and Grandma came to visit us for the weekend, we had lots of fun together.

Trying to restore Rody to his old glory days.

Grandma and Grandpa brought a nice birthday cake for us to share, yummy!

We went to the MN Zoo and had a blast together!

Grandpa is pointing out the turtle trying to hide under a log.

Claire and I love reading her "Your Big Backyard!" magazine! Come back again soon Grandpa & Grandma, and next time we'll make sure to take more pictures!

Claire lately....

2011-06-10T15:44:00.013-05:00

Enjoying the new picnic table from Grandma Diana.

Ice Cream at Sebastian Joe's with Mindy, Erik & Tryg. Claire noticed that Tryg had his shoes off, so naturally....

Her latest breakfast kick.....cheerios.

Someone's upset because her father won't let her out into the alley.

Check out my rain boots!

We had a surprise birthday party for Sara, you can tell she was really surprised!

Claire and Great Grandma Josie.

Hanging with her cousin Joe.

And of course trying other peoples shoes.

Grandma Irene with Claire and Isabella.

Her latest fun, putting the elastic band over my toes, it's hilarious.

"I'm ready for the bike ride daddy!"

"I'm hungry, what's for dinner?"

Happy 4th Birthday to Paul

2011-06-01T12:36:00.004-05:00

It's hard to believe that it's been four years since Paul was born. We wish he could be here with us today to celebrate his fourth birthday, but we know he's rejoicing with angels today in Heaven in the presence of God. We miss him dearly.

So today we spent the morning playing at a waterpark with Claire after a nice family breakfast, and now it's naptime at home. We shall spend some time at Paul's grave this afternoon and have a small picnic with some cupcakes to celebrate his birth.

Thanks for all the cards, notes and emails today, it's nice to know that others remember Paul's birthday as well.

The blondies

2011-05-17T20:50:00.000-05:00

"Hey Nicholas & Oliver, I think we should start a band together!"

"Let's figure out a good tune together."

"Now let's get the beat down Nicolas"

"Claire, it's one two, one two, one two......three four!"

"I think we need to make this group a duo Nico, I think your brother would make a better spy than musician these days...."

"Back to the drawing board Claire, at least we have each other."

"This might be easier with an actual piano bench Nico."

"I really like playing with you Claire, you've been practicing and it shows!"

"I think my brother is spying on us still, he must think we have the secret documents."

"Bye Claire, I'll miss you. Keep practicing, and we shall make our band a reality some day."

She's 2!

2011-05-15T20:39:00.017-05:00

So yeah, this posting is long over due, since Claire's birthday was actually April 27th, but here it is! We had a small gathering for Claire at my mom's house (it was too cold and wet for an outdoor party this year)

Claire was overwhelmed by the generosity of our friends, and had lots of great gifts! She also had plenty of help from her friends to open all the gifts, like Alex!

Oliver was willing to give his help as well.

Claire really liked her laptop from Uncle Brad!

We had a great time with friends and family!

And Claire really liked the cake as well!

Here's Claire showing off her pretty new boots sitting with Grandma Diana.

She's surprised by the gifts in the mail, a doggy purse and new shoes and dresses from Grandma Irene.

Claire likes to brush the long hair from her Tangled dolly from Sandy.

One of the gifts we gave Claire was a magna doodle, she loves it!

And a little bike from Grandpa Bob and Grandma Maureen, she's riding this thing all the time around the house. Thanks to all the friends and family who gave gifts to Claire and helped to celebrate her second birthday.

April & Easter Sunday

2011-04-24T21:12:00.018-05:00

Someone loves grapes....it's Claire! She picked each grape off the stem and placed them in her bowl before even eating one of them.

And she loves dogs too! Here she is with Mason's dog Jack

Amy and Joseph, we went down to Wilmont, MN to visit Amy, Mike, Mason and Joseph for Joseph's dedication at church a few weeks ago.

Claire and Joseph chilling on the kitchen counter.

Here she is with her cousin Mason petting the guinea pig.

Claire sure loves reading books with Mommy!

And running with daddy! The minute we always get home, I'm exhausted and she always says "More daddy", she's my motivation and motivator!

She can't believe what was in her Easter basket, two new coloring books and yogurt covered pretzels, wow!

Pretty in her pink Easter dress, so cute!

We spent the afternoon at my Uncle Jim and Aunt Anna's house, it was a wonderful time.

Claire and Grandma Diana. Thanks for the cute Easter dress Grandma!

I told you she likes dogs, she's leading Lisa's dog Winston around the house.

Eyes on the prize! We had a fun little egg hunt in the back yard, it was a perfect day for it!

Any eggs in here?

How many can you fit in your hands there Claire?

It's about time eh?

2011-04-04T19:58:00.018-05:00

She's one ticklish little girl!

Getting ready for church on Sunday morning.

Helping her friend Tryg zip up his jacket, she's very helpful.

Claire and mommy working on an art project at home.

They made caterpillars out of old egg cartons.

Taking her time painting.

Claire's new favorite breakfast, apples and cinnamon oatmeal with some craisins thrown in.

Claire must have gotten dirty at daycare and they ran out of little girl shirts, she looked like a little boy, it was funny. We sure do love reading together!

Helping daddy with his NCAA basketball bracket.

Claire loves playing the piano, each day she goes in and bangs away on the keys. Here she is pretty in a pink tutu.

Claire Bear

2011-02-28T09:53:00.012-06:00

Claire is growing up so fast, it's crazy! She's starting to put together words these days to make sentences, it's so awesome. She likes to say "Mommy (or) Daddy in shower", "get down cat" and "more please".

She still loves to wear our shoes. Yesterday, she brought me my slippers and tried to untie the shoes I was wearing as we were getting ready for church. "Daddy slippers" she said, again, out of this world cute.

Here's a game we like to play, she moves me side to side for about 5 minutes.

Whenever it gets super quiet in the house, she's either dismantling my wallet or Sara's purse, or reading in her room. We like the reading better, that is for sure.

Breakfast! Each morning Claire sits in this chair and eats her breakfast, she does really good sitting there and eating.

She loves to help us set the table and unload the dishwasher.

Nothing beats mommy. I tried all weekend to get her to say "daddy" first, but it's always "mommy, daddy" And when I tried to get her to say just "daddy" she would say "mommy". She so smart!

Claire had a blast in the tub with her cousin Joe, it was fun to see them splashing around together. Can't wait to show them this photo in 15 years.

Busy weekend

2011-02-11T20:33:00.011-06:00

Claire loves to play her instrument: a bundt pan with chopsticks!

Now trying it upside down.

"I love chewing on this porkchop!" Seriously, the bone was almost cleaned off. I couldn't believe my eyes.

"Uncle" Brad was visiting and Claire likes giving him hugs.

Broomball was fun this year. The Isotopes had a tough loss in the playoffs, 2-1, but it was fun. I did not make it to the penalty box this year, oh well. But it is also nice for my brother, Nate, to play on the team with us.

The Cornelius siblings and children, together at last! It was a very special day! We tried for better photos but the kids all had to eat crackers just to be convinced to stay on the couch for a few minutes.

Grandma Irene with Claire and Isabella. They are about five months apart.

Grandma Diana and Claire. Say Cheese!

Auntie Marjanae came to visit and watch Claire for the night. They certainly had fun together!

The past few weeks.....

2011-01-10T21:32:00.009-06:00

Hey everyone, I had a great Christmas break! Here's a few shots of what I've been doing over the past two weeks. I was able to spend time with all my grandparents, and they spoiled me something fierce, I loved it! Daddy put all the pictures in reverse order, starting with New Years and ending on Christmas Eve, enjoy!

So here I am helping mommy take down all the ornaments from our blue tree. We have a blue tree in honor of my brother Paul who is up in Heaven. I wish he could be here with us, so do mommy & daddy.

Here I am helping daddy put together his new snowblower, now he can't wait for it to snow!

We went to visit Grandpa Bob & Grandma Maureen in Milwaukee for New Years Eve. I wanted to stay up, but I was too tired after spending the day at the zoo. I loved all the fish!

Roar....I like lions.

And this Cheetah was pretty cool too.

Relaxing by the fire with Grandpa, fire is "hot" as I like to put it.

Reading with Grandma Maureen, this book was full of A words...like ants, apes, apple, apricot, anteater...the list goes on and on.

Bath time with the grandparents. They gave mommy & daddy the night off. Notice my new dolphins for the tub, they whistle when I bop them in the water, what fun!

I'm reading the new book I got from Auntie Marjanae with Grandpa, we liked reading together. I'm already pretty good at saying "please", but it's good to know why I should say it too!

Here's mommy with my cousin Joseph. I was a little jealous, but he's pretty cute himself.

Mmmm, chocolate, so good! I love mommy's peanut butter blossoms!

Here's my Grandma Irene with me and my cousins Mason & Joe. I liked playing with them, that is for sure.

I had so much fun with my Grandma Irene!

I'm so cute aren't I?

Here's my Grandma and Auntie Amy, we were opening gifts together up in Detroit Lakes. It was a long drive, but so much fun!

I got my own kitchen from mommy & daddy!

Here I am with my Grandma Diana, we had dinner on Christmas Eve with my family.

Check out this great sweater my grandma gave me, I love it! I had a fun time opening gifts with my Grandma.

Grandma and I went down to the Macy's display, we had lots of fun!

Grandma and I walked all around, and she even let me walk on the stage! We saw lots of elves and Santa's workshop.

And here I am with the big man himself, Santa Claus. He was a little intimidating, but I was cool. I had a wonderful Christmas & New Years. Thanks everyone for all the great gifts, I can't wait for next year!

Random Cuteness

2010-12-19T19:35:00.010-06:00

Claire loves to wear shoes, even if they aren't hers. She clomps around the house and has a blast.

Is that a mischievous grin or simply a cute grin?

Yea, it's Grandma Irene!

Claire wearing a little halo.

At the Wensmann Christmas gathering on Saturday, the kids had an impromptu manger scene.

I love the crayons being held in her shoe.

This time Claire was wearing Daddy's extra snow boots, watching him out shoveling the snow.

Boxes rule.

Thanksgiving with family and friends....

2010-12-02T14:13:00.020-06:00

We went to Underwater Adventures at the Mall of America last Wednesday, it was great!

We went with Amanda, Jer, Mom and the kids. Notice Jer and I trying to get the kids as high as possible. At one point I accidently hit her head on the glass, but it didn't stop her from saying "wow" to all the fish, whew.

I was thrilled to get a free one year membership for being a teacher, and Claire is free until she turns 3, so it looks like we'll be going back there for sure!

Notice which kid can't sit still, ours.

We all went to Ikea for a great cheap lunch! Emma and Jacob sure loved it.

Julia loved the Mac & Cheese

Claire liked the meatballs and veggies.

It was great to be able to spend time with Amanda & Jeremy as well.

Skip forward a day, no Thanksgiving pictures, sorry. We went over to mom's again to decorate the Christmas tree. The kids brought down all the ornaments from mom's attic, what a relief!

Claire hanging with Auntie Amanda & Julia as they decorate the tree.

Hanging out in front of the fire, it was a delightful day! After spending the afternoon at mom's house, we all headed back to our place and made pizza together, it was great.

I can 't believe we got them all to stand still for so long! It was so nice to see and spend the end of the week with Amanda, Jer and the kids, we wished they lived closer! Claire can't wait to see her cousins again!

And to end the weekend we went out with our friends Dale & Hannah and Kirk & Sarah who were all in town, we got a sitter for the kids and went out for a great dinner at Buca's. We were absolutely stuffed, but we simply had to have the colossal brownie sundae, it was awesome! It was great to hang out with them all and catch up on the old times.

A few firsts...

2010-11-22T19:40:00.009-06:00

This isn't the first time Claire has seen snow, but it is the first time it's registered in her head that something white is falling from the sky. She was fascinated by the snow, she kept on saying "no" and pointing outside, she just can't get that s in there just yet.

Check me out in a box!

Claire got a hold of Sara's cell phone on Saturday morning and called her friend Kendra. "Hey girl, guess what, I'm going to get my haircut today!"

"Oh I've got to let you go, my mom needs to use her phone. Talk to you later!"

"Check out the mess I made!"

Here's Claire at her first haircut, she did great!

"Just a little off the back please"

All done, just a snip off the back and sides and some pony tails and Claire was good to go!

Then home for lunch, Ravioli, mmmm!

Claire and Sara had a great day together, daddy was stuck at school in a workshop all day and missed out on all the fun!

Claire's 18 month photos....and a few other cute shots

2010-11-10T19:48:00.015-06:00

Umm Daddy, can I borrow your iPod?

Here's the Strawberry Fairy for Halloween, we walked around Calhoun Square and she picked up pretty quickly what to do, it was super cute.

Claire loves Belle, too bad that cat doesn't feel the same way. Notice the new winter boots, she loves walking around the house in them.

We headed over to Lake Nokomis to take a few shots last Saturday, it was such a nice day outside, we had to take advantage of the weather!

Not sure if this was a plane or a huge V of geese, but she definitely notices anytime something is flying through the air!

Love that smile!

Wearing Mommy's boots, she enjoyed it for awhile....until she realized how hard it was for her to walk around.

MEA weekend...

2010-10-30T10:44:00.012-05:00

So for MEA weekend, we went down to Maryville, Missouri to visit our friends the Katsions. But before heading down there, we stopped in Owatonna to have a fabulous breakfast with Kirk & Sarah Livesay and their boys Oliver & Nicholas. I like this photo, one has finger up the nose, the other one has a finger in the mouth, kids.

Nico & Claire are two peas in a pod, from behind, it's hard to tell which one is who, they are both super cute!

John and Peg Katsion. John has always been my favorite college professor, I spent quite a bit of time with these two in my glory days at Pillsbury. They just moved back to Missouri (Previously Vancouver, WA) and John now teaches speech at Northwest Missouri State University.

Claire is helping Peg get ready for church on Sunday morning.

Lincoln and Claire are off for a snack in the kitchen.

Here are the boys - Jacob (9th grade), Elijah (4th grade) and Lincoln (8th) grade. I love these boys, they are the best.

And this is pretty much how it was all weekend, rough housing, playing four square, shooting each other with air soft guns, bickering and basically having a blast!

This is Eddie, their border collie. He's a great dog, and can catch a Frisbee like no other dog I've know, it was fun. We spent a lot of time in the back yard having fun.

Elijah and Claire reading her favorite book. It was so cool to see the boys interacting with my little girl, it made me very happy.

Lincoln pulling Claire around the driveway, she had so much fun with the boys. Thanks John & Peg for such a wonderful weekend! I can't wait to see you all again!

2010-10-17T19:58:00.005-05:00

I am sharing two songs that have significant meanings to me. The first song was actually written about a baby named Paul, not mine, but it really brings me back to the time at home when Paul stopped breathing and the week we spent in the hospital. I rarely allow myself to switch the radio station when this song comes on. I want to think about Paul and think about how much I still love him.

"Held" by Natalie Grant

Two months is too little.
They let him go.
They had no sudden healing.
To think that providence would
Take a child from his mother while she prays
Is appalling.

Who told us we'd be rescued?
What has changed and why should we be saved from nightmares?
We're asking why this happens
To us who have died to live?
It's unfair.

Chorus:
This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we'd be held.

This hand is bitterness.
We want to taste it, let the hatred numb our sorrow.
The wise hand opens slowly to lilies of the valley and tomorrow.

(Chorus)
This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we'd be held.

Bridge:
If hope is born of suffering.
If this is only the beginning.
Can we not wait for one hour watching for our Savior?

The second song is more recent. I love to shout "no matter what" in the car when this song is playing on the radio. Claire laughs when I rock out in the car. This song reminds me to keep going, keep trusting in God, in such an empowering way. It definitely makes me smile.

"No Matter What" - by Kerrie Roberts

I’m running back to Your promises one more time
Lord, that’s all I can hold on to
I’ve gotta say this has taken me by surprise
But nothing surprises You

Before a heartache can ever touch my life
It has to go through Your hands
And even though I, I keep asking why, I keep asking why

No matter what, Im gonna love You
No matter what, I’m gonna need You
I know that You can find a way to keep me from the pain
But if not, if not, I’ll trust You
No matter what
No matter what

When I’m stuck in this nothingness by myself
I’m just sitting in silence
There’s no way I can make it without Your help
I won’t even try it

I know You have Your reasons for everything
So I will keep believing
Whatever I might be feeling
God, You are my hope, and You’ll be my strength

Anything I don’t have, You can give it to me
But it’s ok if You don’t
I’m not here for those things
The touch of Your love is enough on its own

No matter what, I still love You
And I’m gonna need You

Random Cuteness

2010-10-05T19:41:00.021-05:00

Just chilling on the floor.

Supporting her favorite Twins player!

Very rarely does she wear these glasses, so we had to take a quick shot.

Relaxing with Grandma.

Claire loves to play with all of Grandma's bracelets.

Looking forward to winter!

Hanging at the apple orchard on a great Saturday.

Claire loved petting the sheep.

This one was really friendly.

Walking around the orchard. We met Dan, Rebecca, Ezra & Kendra at the orchard, and had a great time with them.

Claire and Kendra are pretty darn cute together.

Reading with Uncle Nate. Claire sure loves having her Uncle Nate around.

Husking corn with mommy.

Nothing is better than chocolate pudding!

Claire loves the slide!

And reading at her table.

Target Field

2010-09-15T06:49:00.000-05:00

Sara and I are huge Twins fans, and have really enjoyed going to Twins games this summer, but who wouldn't at the new and incredible Target Field! Claire hasn't experienced Target Field yet, maybe next summer, so it's been wonderful to have dates with my wife to the games.

Our view from our regular seats, it's upper deck, but we sure like it. We get the downtown view and it's pretty awesome. But there really isn't a bad seat in the whole place, this stadium rocks!

My game with Brad (sorry Brad for no photo of you, but thanks again for the ticket) we got his company seats for a night, great seats! I almost caught a free t-shirt from t-shirt cannon, it was great.

I dragged my buddy Kirk to a game, he hadn't been to a game since the 90's (and in the dome), but even for non-baseball fans, it's a cool experience to be there.

We met Sara's grandma Josie at the game on Sept. 2. She came with her church group all the way from Willmar. They didn't get home till 1:30 in the morning, but it was cool to see her at the game!

Grandma and her girlfriends. She listens to most Twins game on the radio and was super excited to experience Target Field herself. She's also a big Twins fan.

These are the seats out in center field, a group from my church went to the game last week and called me about an hour before the game with an extra seat. It was cool to sit there and enjoy the game with all the kids.

Here's Roy and I, he was cracking me up the whole game. It's fun to go with teens, but they hardly pay attention to the game at all! We have one more game to go to next Monday and I sure hope that the can go all the way this year. Go Twins!

Mail time

2010-09-11T14:59:00.002-05:00

Look what came in the mail today!

The Great Minnesota Get Together

2010-08-31T14:46:00.022-05:00

This past weekend, my Dad, Maureen & Marjanae came to visit us. We spent the whole day on Saturday at the MN state fair.

Claire was excited to spend time with her grandparents.

And Auntie Marjanae too!

She certainly enjoyed riding on Grandpa's shoulders.

But getting down was tricky, notice her grabbing Grandpa's hair.

Here she is checking out all the huge fish in the DNR pond.

With Grandma Maureen petting a new born lamb.

Reaching through the barrier to pet the sheep.

What's in this stall?

With mommy looking at the horses.

And Grandpa too.

Claire certainly loved being held by Auntie Marjanae.

Petting the horse was a cool experience for her.

"Daddy, the cows are over there!"

She liked all the cows as well. Then it was off to the pig barn

Claire wore this hat for a bit, and then it was off on the floor.

"This is an Angeln Saddleback pig everyone" I think she was right.

She spent quite a bit of time with this fellow, he was very nice to her. Claire loved the pig barn.

Auntie Marjanae showing Claire how to use the phone properly.

"What is that on a stick?"

"Look at the planes Grandma"

Who doesn't love bubbles?

Nothing beats mommy.

Walking out of the fair. We had a wonderful time at the fair, we shared a lot of food, walked around everywhere and had a blast. Thanks Dad, Maureen & Marjanae for coming up and spending time with us, can't wait to see you again.

And of course after two minutes in the car.......out like a light.

Visiting Great Grandma Josie, new cousin Joseph, cousin Mason & Auntie Amy

2010-08-25T10:32:00.006-05:00

Claire and I went to visit Great Grandma Josie.

"I didn't know that Grandma, what else can you tell me about plants?"

Trekking through the garden together

"I forgot the name of this plant, Grandma."

Claire and 4 month old cousin Joseph have matching blue eyes. It was precious to see Joseph again. He's much bigger than when we saw him at one week old.

Claire is playing with the dollhouse I played with as a child (Sara). It was so special! The dollhouse has held up very well. Grandma made it a long time ago!

Claire is telling her cousin Mason all about the cucumbers from the garden. She is sitting on the stoop that I sat on many times.

Claire loved being in this car, it must have reminded her of her wagon at home. We went over to my aunt Sheila and Uncle Dick's house for their 40th anniversary. It was great to see them and my cousins.

Up to the cabin....

2010-08-03T11:11:00.013-05:00

Last Thursday we went up north to my Grandparents cabin on Elbow Lake which is in the small town of Cook, MN. Cook is 240 miles or so from Mpls, so a good 4 hour drive. We went with our friends Dan & Rebecca and their children Ezra and Kendra. Here we are crossing over to the island around 9pm, it was just getting dark and we barely made it in time.

After a rough night of sleep for both girls, Claire was ready to explore the cabin.

After breakfast we went for a walk across the island, check out the sweet baby carrier I got on Craigslist last week for a deal! Claire enjoyed being in there, we had a blast.

We had a great time hiking that morning, right before the rain came and rained off and on all day long on Friday. We swam between cloud bursts and hung out all afternoon.

Our family photo on the island's rock of Gibraltar, not to be confused with the real Rock of Gibraltar.

Kendra and Claire are 8 days apart, Kendra is older. They are both mobile and pretty much got into everything. We were constantly picking up after them and entertaining them, but Ezra was a huge help with that. Here they are reading with Sara.

I taught Dan how to play cribbage this weekend, he got the hang of it and we played quite a few games, it was great. Ezra helped us peg and cheered on his dad, although that didn't always help Dan as I pretty much cleaned up on him all weekend long.

Pretty in pink.

We all went swimming in the afternoon on Saturday, it was a beautiful sunny day, awesome weather. We had a bonfire at night and a sauna as well, it was great!

Claire took her time adjusting to the water, but once her legs got kicking underwater, she went to town in the inner tube that Grandpa Bob & Grandma Maureen sent her.

Here the girls are all hanging out on the dock, Mikaela came to join the party and brought her parents Matthew & Theresa.

And there's Reid jumping off the dock into Chase's arms. Uncle Peter & Aunt Joann came as well as we all swam for a few hours in the wonderful afternoon sun. It was nice to see my relatives and have fun with the kids.

We had a wonderful time with the Quick family, and look forward to more trips with them and the kids. It was great to get back up to the cabin and remember the good times that I had there as a child, and think of my grandparents. We hope to go back each summer so that Claire can build her own memories.

Here she goes....

2010-07-22T17:20:00.003-05:00

Paul

2010-07-17T12:10:00.004-05:00

Today marks 3 years since Paul went to Heaven. It's been a long week, thinking back to our week we spent with Paul in the hospital, but God is good and has blessed us immensely with our darling Claire. We spent some time this morning at Paul's grave, had a little picnic and enjoyed the morning. And today we will be surrounded by friends at two different birthday parties. It's hard to think about what it would be like to have a 3 year old boy running around, helping us with Claire and making our family complete. But we know that we will see him again, and that is why we put our hope in Christ and not ourselves. Thank you for all your messages this week, texts and emails.

Hanging out...

2010-07-14T21:34:00.016-05:00

Grass is good......to eat.

Sara and Sarah are chatting it up.

Claire and Nicholas are bound to be friends, here they are splashing away in the bubble soap that spilled everywhere, they loved it.

They are about the same size, shape and hair color as you can see. It's like they are two peas in a pod.

But Claire likes to remind him that she is 13 days older than he is, she's the boss!

There's Oliver behind Claire and Nicholas. There would be more pictures of him, but he was streaking most of the night, and this was the most modest picture of him that we have. It was fun watching him run around jumping in and out of the pool and just being as free as a jay bird.

Mindy and Erik brought Tryg over for us to meet him, it was so delightful to have them over for dinner and for us to meet their new little guy.

Tryg was out like a light most of the night, he was a super cute baby!

Kirk busted out a wild berry pie for dessert which he made from scratch, it was so good.

Claire decided the other day that we needed to have us a little tea party.

So we all sat around the table and pretended to have us a little party, it was so much fun!

Can you guess what I am having with my dinner?

It's pita bread! I love it!

Summer fun

2010-07-02T10:28:00.014-05:00

It's all smiles for Claire this summer. She's been going through some lousy diarrhea these past two weeks, but she's still as chipper as always.

Grandma Diana called yesterday to say she found a wagon at a garage sale and I said "buy it!" Claire loved it, we must have pulled her around for at least 20 min. before dinner.

Walking down the yard, Claire did a great job balancing in the wagon. For only $20, this was a great deal!

Claire flat refused to get out, she would go down to the bottom and sit there until we gave up getting her out. Then she would sit back up and expect to be pulled around, it was cute.

"Salad? I was hoping to get a bite of that pizza"

Uncle Nate came over last Saturday with Isabella and they all went to the Como Zoo together.

Here's Claire with her younger cousin Isabella and Auntie Sara.

More smiles, notice the cool Crocs that Grandma Irene sent in the mail.

"Did I make that mess?"

It was crazy hair day at daycare this week, I was all over that!

"Do you like my mohawk? I pity the fool who doesn't. Leave a comment and tell me what you think!"

Out like a light after a long day. Shamu is hanging out in the back, he's a staple in the crib these days.

keeping them coming!

2010-06-22T21:24:00.010-05:00

Claire has been feeling a bit under the weather lately, she's had nasty diarrhea for about 8 days now, so it's been daddy daycare lately. It's been lots of naps, like this one, watching world cup soccer, and hanging out. We've done a bit of yard work here and there, and trying to keep the house clean.

Sara put Claire in the flower box/Belle's window perch to see her reaction, I think she enjoyed it.

We had pancakes for breakfast the other day, and I thought it was only fitting that Claire get a pancake in the shape of a C, she was excited.

Uncle Nate came over on Sunday for lunch, and Claire was interested in tasting what he had in his sippy cup.

Grandma Irene came to town this weekend to help Sara paint a few rooms, and of course Claire was delighted to see her and spend time with her.

Lunch at daddy daycare = asparagus & meatloaf. Claire actually really likes asparagus, but I think she prefers the thinner stalks, these were more tough for her to chew.

Claire fell asleep in my lap today, I didn't even know she was tired, I just thought she wanted to cuddle. She had crawled over to my lap from previously playing on the floor and so I picked her up and continued working on my computer. The next thing I knew, she was out like a light.

Dinner was a mess, as usual.......

But Claire and Sara had a fun time cleaning up in the tub!

Smiles galore

2010-06-10T20:55:00.009-05:00

Claire and Sara are ready to head off to church, Claire is wearing a cute outfit from Thailand courtesy of Sara's friend Mary.

Someone found the toilet paper.

Claire loves Sara's homemade veggie pasta with carrots, squash, onion and tomato.

Click on the image to make it larger, and you can see Claire looking through the bowl at Sara.

Those pigtails are so cute!

We went out to have dinner with Great Grandpa Gus a few weeks ago, it was a delightful time.

Weekend at Grandma's

2010-06-07T21:19:00.007-05:00

For Memorial Day weekend, we went up to Detroit Lakes to visit Grandma Irene. It was a wonderful and relaxing weekend for us all. Here Claire is discovering Grandma's pots and pans. It's like she's saying "Hey, check out these mini pans!"

I love how Claire crosses her legs and just relaxes. Here she is enjoying breakfast with Grandma.

One word: Blackberries

Claire and Grandma played a fun little game of riding on Grandma's shins.

On Sunday afternoon we took naps. I had waited until Claire fell asleep in her playpen, but she woke up after a few minutes and spied me on the bed. She cried until I picked her up and laid her down next to me and we napped together for quite a long time.

Grandma and Claire reading one last book before we had to take off.

That big pile of white is a whole bunch of tissue. Thanks to my good friend Dale for the suggestion to do with a cranky child who is sick of traveling in the car: Give them a box of tissues to pull out. We laughed so hard, it was tough concentrating on driving, it was so funny watching Claire pull out tissues one after another for a good 20 min. Good call Dale!

Happy 3rd Birthday to Paul!

2010-06-01T20:14:00.009-05:00

It's hard to believe Paul would be (is) 3 today. I never know how to say that. Well either way, it is his 3rd birthday. We came back from Grandma Irene's house today, spent lots of time on the road. But we made it to Cupcake and bought 4 fancy cupcakes this year. Claire got her own mini cupcake. We then drove over to the cemetery to visit Paul's spot. It is nice to talk to him there.

Then we finally arrived home and saw our rose bush in bloom for the very first time! How special and exciting! My friend Mary gave it to us because the rose name is Paul's Scarlet Climber. We have had it planted for two and a half summers and today is the first day we saw any blooms. Truly a special moment.

We also have a peony bush that our friends, Corey & Jessie, gave to us and it bloomed for the first time last week. (I didn't catch the bloom on camera) Such thoughtful friends we have. It is great to have beautiful flowers to remind me of my precious Paul.

Ten years = Tenure

2010-05-27T18:38:00.004-05:00

So after 10 years of teaching in the Mpls school district....I finally achieved tenure. You say 10 years, yep it took that long. As many of you may know, I taught at Lincoln for 3 year and was on the way to tenure. Then the district had budget issues and I was laid off and not rehired, I then subbed for four long years.

Then 3 years ago, Pillsbury came out of no where and hired me on. I finished all the requirements for tenure this school year, and they rewarded me with Tenure! And I will be back at Pillsbury next year, teaching 3rd grade again, so Praise the Lord for a good job!

What would a blog posting be without new pictures of Claire? I know why you all keep coming back, Claire! Here she is showing off her afternoon snack of crackers.

And here we are on Sunday morning before heading off to Church. Claire is SO close to walking, she's been practicing with mommy & daddy each day. Maybe this long weekend will be the trick to have her finally walking!

lately...

2010-05-23T08:22:00.015-05:00

Claire wore pigtails for the first time last week, it was super cute as you can see. It was Sara's birthday on Friday, and Claire and I surprised mommy at work by coming to her desk and bringing her flowers.

For some reason, Claire did not want me to hold her at that very moment, she wanted her independence!

So I gave it to her, and that lasted about a minute before mommy was there to rescue her.

Crazy hair after a bath and right before bedtime. Claire goes down regularly around 6:45 or so, she's exhausted after her long days and then sleeps all the way till after 6am. If we could just get her to sleep in more on the weekends, we'd be golden. But like they say....

Healthy sleep, happy baby!

Check out my teeth!

We had a baby shower for our friends Mindy & Erik last weekend, and Claire found Auntie Holly's lap and just cuddled with her for quite a long time.

Mindy & Erik showing off the quilt that my mom made for their little boy. You can see Claire's head in the picture, she just always has to be the center of attention, we could be in trouble.

Cottage Cheese is delicious and messy at the same time!

Claire's first party

2010-05-12T19:36:00.013-05:00

Claire had her first birthday party last Saturday!

Claire and her girlfriend Kendra are chatting it up about walking these days.

Claire is surrounded by so many gifts, she was spoiled by our family and friends, that is for sure!

Here's a few of them hanging out.

Cousin Kate gave her a wonderful little dress just like the one she was wearing, so cute!

You can tell by her fingertips that she was eager to dive into this cake.

Claire was ready to chow down, it's like she's saying "C'mon grandma, take the picture already".

She loved the cake, and with this frosting, it got pretty much everywhere.

I mean everywhere, and when she started dropping it on the ground, it was time for a bath!

So Claire left the party to take a quick bath and freshen up for the crowd. You can tell by the photo that daddy was in charge of this bath time.

Here's our big girl sitting in her cute little chair from grandma. Thanks to all of our friends and family for their love, support and gifts for our little girl. She's working on the thank you cards, they'll be in the mail soon. Love you all!

1 year photos

2010-05-03T09:22:00.010-05:00

On Sunday afternoon Sara and I took Claire over to the park by Lake Nokomis to take some 12 month photos. It was a bit windy, but still a wonderful May day.

Claire's first trip down a slide!

She then waited patiently for mommy at the bottom and Sara swooped her up in her arms.

Claire simply loves swinging.

Checking out the tree with daddy.

Claire also loves riding on daddy's shoulders and sticking her little fingers in my ears.

Swinging her around, Sara got a great shot at how flexible our little girl is.

"What are you talking about daddy?"

Sara and Claire clapping together.

It's too bad the tripod doesn't talk, Claire attention was clearly on something else.

Claire is awful close to walking on her own. She likes to pull herself up on everything and is cruising along the furniture or pushing her little scooter these days.

Nothing beats that smile.

Silly daddy trying to give me kisses.

Claire was quite curious when it came to the tree blossoms, she liked picking them off and apart.

How lovely are they?

We had a wonderful time at the park and are simply amazed at how fast our little girl is growing.

Claire's First Birthday!

2010-04-27T19:40:00.003-05:00

Today April 27th is Claire's first birthday!

First was Mommy & Daddy's gift to Claire, a Fisher Price little people playhouse. She loved it! We also got her a new book - 10 little penguins.

Here she is digging into the gift from Grandma Diana, pulling out the tissue paper left and right. Grandma brought her a new coat, swimsuit and cover-up and Crocs.

Claire got her first swimming pool from Grandpa Bob & Grandma Maureen, we can't wait to use that this summer! She also got a floater for swimming in a lake with mommy & daddy, and some super cute tug boats to play with in the tub.

Three of my 5th grade students from last year (Clara, Emilie & Grace) surprised me at school last Friday by bringing in a gift in for Claire, they remembered her birthday, it was super thoughtful of them. Claire was excited to walk behind and scoot around on it.

Opening the cards from her cousins Emma, Jacob & Julia. They went right into her mouth, they were delicious! They also sent her a cute dress & onesie.

Auntie Amanda & Uncle Jeremy also sent Claire a super cool animal puzzle and crayons to color with.

"Let's get going, I'm hungry and I want that cake!"

First we had dinner, Claire loves fish & broccoli and then we introduced Cous-Cous for the first time, she loved it!

Grandma tempted Claire with the cake.

At first she was just checking it out, but soon she dived into it. Sara made this cake and frosting from scratch last night. It really was good!

"I love this stuff!"

"Here Grandma, give this chocolate frosting a taste, it's delicious!"

You can tell that she was super happy and enjoyed this day. After dinner and cake, it was into the tub to clean up and then off to bed. Even with the sugar rush, she was still exhausted after her long day and went right to sleep.

The Lord has truly blessed us with this wonderful little girl.

Swinging Time

2010-04-21T21:39:00.007-05:00

Grandma Diana gave us this swing when Paul was born. We are getting to use these contraptions now with Claire and she LOVED it!
She cried for a couple of seconds, as she usually does with new things, but then she quickly started smiling and laughing.

Look at that tongue!

Here's Mommy cleaning the swing

Claire also loved sitting on Daddy. Look at her eyes ... she was so excited! Grandma had a great idea by setting her up there.
She loves to hold her socks and "shake, shake, shake" as I always say (quickly and in a high voice). We love watching her excitement. The Lord has blessed us greatly.

Cousins!

2010-04-15T21:33:00.009-05:00

Claire is playing with her cousin Isabella, my brother Nate's daughter. She kept trying to take Bella's pacifier out, like she's trying to ween her off of it, it was cute. They are almost 6 months apart.

Isabella is already working on crawling. It was so precious to spend some time with her and Angela. It's quite something that my brother, sister and I had babies within one year. Claire is a giant next to them now but I'm sure it will even out soon. We'll see if she bosses them around.

My sister Amy just delivered Joseph Patrick on March 28, what a cute little boy he is!

We drove down to Worthington to visit and I held Joseph for a couple of hours. Claire napped on Daddy's chest for one of those hours, she was tired from traveling the whole way there.

Claire loved seeing Grandma. She likes to touch faces as you can see.

Claire's cousin Mason wrote her name in mega blocks as you can see. She really liked it!

Angela and I holding the opposite daughters. We hope to continue spending lots of time with cousins as they grow up. Thanks Angela for stopping by and letting the girls hang out, it was a wonderful time together.

San Diego Part 2

2010-04-08T18:22:00.020-05:00

You never know how the picture will turn out when you ask a stranger to take a picture of you, but it never hurts to ask. I'm just glad we all made it in, even if it isn't centered. So I cropped it a bit, took out the stranger in the picture, and it worked out just fine.

We went to the San Diego Zoo on Monday. It was a beautiful day outside, perfect to walk around the zoo all afternoon. The orangutang was quite interesting to watch.

It was fun to see Elephants, they were all eating when we finally found them. That zoo is huge!

The Camel was very photogenic for everyone, standing perfectly still.

It took Claire a long time to get used to wearing her pink hat, but we wanted to make sure her head was protected when we were out in the sun.

You can see that Claire felt comfortable to put her feet up and make herself comfortable.

These giraffes were huge, it's amazing how tall they really are.

Then on Tuesday, we went to SeaWorld, it was great! The weather was a bit cooler, in the mid 60's, but I was still in a t-shirt and shorts no problem at all.

Claire loved looking at all the pretty fish! With the cooler weather, the crowds were definitely thinner, in parts of the park, we felt like we were the only ones there, it was great!

Claire liked wearing my hat for awhile, but eventually she took it off and gave it back to me, it was cute.

In the dark halls of the ocean aquarium, Claire was out like a light.

But she was wide awake for the Shamu show. It was quite a sight to see all those killer whales.

It was quite amazing to see them jumping and splashing and showing off. It was only half the normal show though, ever since the attack of a trainer a few months ago, the trainers no longer get in the water with the Orcas.

We had a wonderful time in San Diego and were really luck to go visit both of these parks. I suppose when Claire is older, we'll have to take her back again, but it will be worth it, San Diego was wonderful.

San Diego Part 1

2010-03-31T20:06:00.016-05:00

We made it out to sunny San Diego last Friday, nothing too exciting the first night, but the next morning Claire woke up at 4am (still on MN time, she normally wakes at 6am). So we got some breakfast and headed out to explore San Diego!

We went to see the seals as they laid on the beach in the sun, it sure smelled fishy down there!

The coast and beaches of La Jolla were quite beautiful.

Watching the waves crash into the shore.

The main reason we went out to San Diego was to attend Rebecca and Matt's wedding last Saturday. The wedding took place at El Prado at Balboa Park, it was a beautiful wedding and reception. Claire didn't really like wearing her dress, we had to change her out of it at the reception, but she sure did look cute!

Sara and her friend Becca, they have been friends since their days back at Bethel. We had a great time at the wedding, and were so glad that we could make it!

Sara and Claire down at the tide pools, we stood there watching the surfers hit the waves and searched for star fish and other sea life attached to the tide pools.

She wanted to hold the map to the tide pools the whole time we were there, it was cute. She loves holding on to paper of any kind these days.

Claire touched the ocean for the first time, it was nice and cold!

Here we are at the Point Loma lighthouse and Cabrillo National Monument. We could see all of San Diego and all the way to Mexico, it was quite spectacular.

The Lighthouse, obviously.

Claire was super excited for her fish taco at Wahoo's Fish Taco restaurant. The best fish taco I've ever had, it was super good! We also loved eating at Phil's BBQ, they had awesome ribs!

Claire's first time in the pool with Daddy was a bit scary, but I went slow and steady with her.

But once she was back in mommy's arms, she was more comfortable. She said "mama" super clear this trip as well for the first time, it was super cute. Stay tuned for part 2, SeaWorld and the San Diego Zoo!

Everyday life with Claire

2010-03-24T19:37:00.012-05:00

Sara and Claire love to read together

Out like a light on the way home from daycare.

Roar goes the lioness.

"I need something to drink with this sweet potato". Claire loves to eat now, she usually double fists her food straight into her mouth.

Claire loves to wave, it's super cute.

She loves it when I chase her down, she crawls away giggling until she rolls over surrendering.

We spent one Saturday afternoon with Will, Kate, Jessica & Luke. It was great to have the kids playing together and spend time with each other.

Claire likes to head to the stairs and climb up to the first one. She hasn't been brave enough to go past the first step, whew. We have to watch her like a hawk!

This is what happens when daddy is in charge of baths.

Sara's bath time routine is much more normal. We love our little girl so much! Stay tuned for photos from sunny San Diego coming next week!

Super cute Claire

2010-03-15T19:18:00.004-05:00

Here's a cute little video of Claire we made the other day, she now claps and waves to everyone. Of course I hate how my voice sounds on it, so if you choose to play the video with sound, no laughing at me, only Claire and how cute she is. Enjoy.

How cute is this girl?

2010-02-22T20:25:00.012-06:00

Hey daddy, check out me and mommy!

Ugh, I can't stand Monday mornings.

But I love to wrestle with Daddy! (it's the highlight of my day)

Got your glasses!

I don't like these tomatoes, but the avocado on my forehead is really good.

Do I have something on my nose? Is it more avocado?

Claire has upgraded to the tub, no more mini bath tub in the sink! She loves splashing around in the tub, half the time Sara and I end up just as wet as she is.

That bath was delightful!

Give me some more food to eat so that I can get back into that tub, grrr...

Are you taking pictures of me?

One last parting shot, Claire does get upset once and awhile, and it's a great chance to photograph those two little teeth!

City of Lakes Loppet

2010-02-14T21:34:00.012-06:00

Last Sunday I competed in the City of Lakes Loppet, my first cross country ski race. I raced in the REI tour, which was a 10K race, check out the map of where we started and finished. It took me two hours to finish the race, my method of skiing is slow and steady, and I made sure that I wasn't last place! You wonder how I got into Cross Country Skiing? Well one of my fellow teachers and good friend Mr. Trumper is a hard core skier, and he said to me last summer - "Hey Lundquist, we're getting your a** in shape, you're skiing in the loppet next winter." And so he hooked me up with his old skis and boots and has really encouraged me this winter to practice up. It's been interesting learning to ski, I am not super balanced, but the more I do it, the better I get.

But first, on Saturday, I skied with my kids from school in the Sons of Norway Minne-loppet, we have been practicing cross country skiing for about two months, every Wednesday morning for an hour. This is the third year in a row that I have been able to do this program with my classroom. With sponsorship from UCare, our school has been given skis, boots and poles for the kids to use, and they also hooked us up with coaches to teach the kids. It's been quite a bit of fun for my students to learn as well as myself.
I was wiped out that afternoon, it was nice to take a nap with Claire and recover from my morning of skiing. I want to thank my wife for encouraging me to keep this up, and for patience as I would be out skiing and not home helping out. And thanks to Mr. Trumper for hooking me up with boots & skis and pushing me to sign up and race, I appreciate it. I'll be back practicing this week, I just needed a few days off to recover.

The Blue Dress

2010-02-05T07:12:00.000-06:00

Claire is modeling "the blue dress" which all girls on the Cornelius side of the family wear at some point when they are babies. We'll have to find Sara's photo from 30 years ago.

Claire and mommy are happy as can be!

Great Grandma Josie recently made this quilt for Claire. When Claire moves up to a big bed, she will have a beautiful, warm quilt from her namesake.

What are you doing up there daddy?

Checking out Uncle Nate working on his computer.

Already showing off her underwear, I'm going to have to have a conversation with her about that.

What a cute little smile!

Gimme that spoon!

2010-01-31T18:46:00.001-06:00

Claire got silly when eating her dinner the other day, holding the spoon in her mouth and giggling the whole time. It was a fun game to watch.

Fun Fact: Claire enjoys vegetables more than fruits.

Personal Fact: Claire now has two teeth on the bottom, right in the middle! Of course she's too shy to let us photograph them, but I am working on it.

"Oh daddy, that flash is bright!"

Our little girl is growing so fast, and is super adorable, don't you think?

Happy Happy 9 Months with Claire

2010-01-27T20:44:00.002-06:00

It's hard to believe Claire was with me 9 months on the inside and now 9 months on the outside. It is her 9 month birthday today. We love her dearly and love every second with her.

Daddy Time!

2010-01-26T07:08:00.000-06:00

Here's a color version of one of my favorite photos, snapped by Auntie Marjanae over Christmas. Claire actually has a diaper on, but you could never tell. She was squirming around the whole time I was changing, so I just plopped her on my lap instead.

Here we are using the computer, this photo is taken by the computer in fact. Claire loves checking out the computer with daddy.

I love to wrestle with Claire each and everyday.

Checking out her brand new doll for Christmas, such a serious look for such a young girl.

Down at the Macy's display, I couldn't keep Claire from licking her stroller non stop.

Claire's first shower. We were running behind on time, and she needed bath and so did I, so I jumped in the shower and Sara handed her over. She was a little confused at first, but eventually she enjoyed it.

Daddy and Claire watching the Vikings win, we were both bummed out that they lost. Don't worry Claire, there will be many years of joy and frustration ahead.

Here's an old one, I took this with the computer and emailed it to Sara at work last summer. It made her laugh to see us both yawning. I sure love my little girl!

Happy Birthday Amanda!

2010-01-23T20:11:00.004-06:00

Happy Birthday Amanda, you have finally hit the big 3-0! I hope that you have a great day today! Hope to see you again soon, Claire misses her Auntie Amanda. Love ya!

Ladies Gathering

2010-01-22T10:01:00.009-06:00

Some of my friends came over for brunch to celebrate Holly & Jessa's birthday. It was so fun to catch up and see how much the kids have grown! Wanna see them seven months ago?

Holly & Alex, Hannah & Oliver, Jessa & Nyah & Elena, Krista & Macy & Kate, Sara & Claire

Claire is hanging out with Holly.

Claire is not so sure of what Mommy said, "Uh, I don't think so Mom."

How many kids can play on the exersaucer at one time? Four at this point!

Oliver is such a big boy now! He's signaling " Touchdown Vikings!"

Nyah is not so sure of her mommy (Jessa) holding another baby.

Getting the attention of 6 little kids can often be challenging!

Christmas and New Years Eve

2010-01-10T10:30:00.016-06:00

Grandma Irene and Uncle Nate came down the day after Christmas and spent a few days with us. We enjoyed spending time with her and hanging out. Grandma also watched Claire while we went out to play some broomball, they were sleeping like logs when we got home.
Claire is amazed by the new doll that Grandma Irene gave her for Christmas. It's funny, you see that little bottle with the doll? Claire has been seen trying to get milk out of it herself, it's a riot.
Claire took her first plane ride, we flew to Milwaukee to visit my dad for New Years Eve this year. Amanda and Jeremy had already gone earlier in the week, so we caught up to them there as well. We had a wonderful time with them, enjoyed hanging out, watching football, eating way too much food, and spending time together.
Julia and Claire are reunited, in matching outfits none the less, and it's hugs all around. Grandpa Bob sure loved holding these two, we had to pry them from his loving arms.
Claire is showing Grandpa how she can roll all around, he was very impressed! Big news - Sara noticed Claire's first tooth on New Year's Day! It is very exciting. We'll try to take a photo, it's hard because she sticks her tongue over it when we try to look in there.
Claire and Grandma Maureen had a great time together. We sure enjoyed your cooking, I could go for some more of that Cioppino!
Jacob & Emma attack Sara and tickled her to pieces, we had a great time with Emma & Jacob (A & J too).
Claire and Aunt Marjanae are just chilling out. Make sure you check out Marjanae's Blog, she has some super cute pictures of Claire.
Grandpa enjoying his grand daughters, these three had so much fun together. I can tell there is going to be lots of crazy times in the future.
Grandpa Bob is teaching Claire how to play cribbage. Not so sure she should take his advice though, he only beat me once, and that was b/c Maureen was giving him advice. Better luck next time dad, keep practicing!
Grandma Maureen feeding Claire her bottle for the day, the grandparents were always willing to help feed Claire.
Claire loved ripping the paper off of her gifts, once she figured it out, she went to town ripping and pulling it all off. It was a blast to watch her go at it. We had a wonderful time out in Milwaukee.

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day

2010-01-04T19:56:00.013-06:00

We started our Christmas Eve off my meeting my mom and Amanda & Jeremy down at Macy's to go through the display and see Santa Claus
Here's mom and the grandkids, they all enjoyed going through the display.
We then had dinner with my Aunt Anna (holding Claire) and Uncle Jim. Also my Aunt Kay and cousins Lisa & Chris. It was great to spend time with them and enjoy a traditional meal of Korve (Swedish Potato Sausage) and potatoes & Lingonberries. Then we had a white elephant gift exchange and hung out.
Claire and Julia had a great time playing together, many more pictures of the two of them to come.
We then spent the night at mom's house and woke up early to have Swedish Pancakes and open gifts together.
Claire isn't so sure about wrestling just yet, but sure loved the attention.
Emma was always willing to help open all Christmas gifts, it was fun to watch the kids open all their gifts and have fun playing with them.
We made a snowman that afternoon, it was that thick wet snow that was perfect for rolling and throwing, it was cold and yet tons of fun.
That evening, we opened some of Claire's gifts from us at home. Here Sara and Claire are checking out her new doll.
And I got to help Claire open her favorite toy of all, the talking tea pot. Actually, she loves the pink plate the most. It was a great time with Amanda & Jer and my mother and all the kids!

Our blue tree

2009-12-21T21:05:00.006-06:00

We have our blue tree up once again this year, we decorate our tree blue each year to honor and remember our son Paul. We so wish that he could be here with us as we celebrate Claire's first Christmas, it would be his third Christmas.
Sara and Claire are posing with Claire's new stocking which Sara embroidered herself, and in the car none the less! I was driving, Claire was sleeping, and Sara doing the needlework.
Claire wants to chew on it of course, everything goes into the mouth these days, we are constantly pulling things away from her. The whining may start when we pull things away, but the minute we put something new in front of her, she's happy once again.
Claire is talking more and more these days, none of it makes any sense, but she's trying! She's getting that "da" sound down pretty good, I'm shooting to have daddy her first word, look out mommy!

Your turn to share now, what was your child's first word or your first word?

Too many sicknesses

2009-12-10T20:23:00.007-06:00

Our little girl (not so little, she weighs 18 lbs, 2 oz already) is under the weather again! It has been one thing after the other. Now she has some version of pink eye or a cold that also affects the eyes. Her eyes have dark pink rings around them. She was trying to smile and have fun with mommy & daddy today, but toward the end of the day, she couldn't hold back the fussiness. Please pray for her. We went to the pediatrician's office 3 times in 8 days (for unrelated things). Last week her ear infection check-up turned out fine and then she had a bout of diarrhea for several days. We are thankful everything has been fairly mild and not too scary. I am also glad her deep cough is gone. I hate it that she has to suffer and feel terrible.

Tuesday's office visit ended up being funny, after the fact. She had dark spots on her torso and chest in the morning. It was quite worrisome and the nurse on the phone wanted us to come in. At the appt. we figured out that it was the new vitamins (Tri-vi-sol with iron) that I gave her the prior evening. The doctor told me last week to give it to her since she is mostly on breast milk. The iron stains easily if not wiped off and I must have touched it after wiping her mouth. Then in the process of changing her diaper, I touched her belly in a few spots. Since it wasn't wiped off, it stained. What a relief!

No more photos please, I've had enough.

Okay, one more, and that's all.

Birthdays and Thanksgiving

2009-12-01T20:56:00.011-06:00

We celebrated Bobby's birthday on Sunday! He was excited to spend the day with Claire and me. He is wearing his Twins birthday jacket in this photo. We went to church and then went to brunch at Granite City with Grandma and a bunch of great friends.
Claire is learning how to use the computer already!
Just had to throw in this photo. Claire loves to grab Mommy's hair.

"Yummy bottle fills me up"
Partial Thanksgiving crew - Auntie Amy is holding Claire. Claire always loves to see Amy & Grandma Irene.
Claire with her great grandma Josie
Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma Diana's on Friday - Claire turned 7 months on Friday! How time flies. She is doing so very well! Thank you for your prayers when she was sick (and always).

Our little girl...

2009-11-19T21:04:00.008-06:00

Ever felt like this? I know you all have, and now Claire is experiencing it. Our little girl has an ear infection, and it hasn't been fun for her at all. She's been full of snot, coughing like mad, and having trouble sleeping (which means we have more trouble sleeping). So please pray for Claire that she will get over this cold and that her health will improve quickly!
Even when you are feeling down, you need to have some good playtime with daddy, that's very important. I'm the entertainer, Sara is the comforter, and she's been overworked lately. Claire only wants mommy when she's unhappy lately, it's been tough on Sara. Pray for strength for Sara to keep going. She stayed home all day today and took Claire to the Doctor.
Claire did get a new high chair this week, it's her second one (the first one was missing the crotch belt, I figured that out after I assembled the whole thing). She has been slow to adjusting to it, she prefers the Bumbo chair.
Here are a few close ups of Claire in her dedication dress.
It's been passed down amongst all the women on my mother's side.
Thanks for your love and prayers.

Claire's Dedication Sunday

2009-11-09T21:23:00.011-06:00

This past Sunday we had Claire's dedication service at our church. We were super happy to have lots of family members around this weekend, and we had perfect weather to add to it all!
Claire did great as our pastor Walt carried her down the aisle to share her with the congregation. She looked back at us a few times, but no tears were shed and she did great!
Claire loves spending time in her exersaucer, she bangs away with her hands and loves to pull everything towards her mouth.

Bath time is the best, especially after a messy meal.

Carrots were yummy, she ate them up with no problems at all.
Cleaning her face is sometimes the hardest part.
Claire enjoys climbing on me and is now rolling around all over the floor. She rolls and rolls and rolls, it's great.