Jon turns 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jon turned ten on Friday. He chose to have a small family party and get the gift of his choice (Icoaster) instead of a large party with all the extras. I was relieved. It's so much more relaxed. Steve took him and a friend down to Game Zone where they played video games for a few hours and then we came back to the house to have dinner and cake. Jon requested a "slime" cake from his Nickelodeon cookbook. It was fun to make.

Decorating the tree

Our very own bumble!

Yvonne

Hi Yvonne! Heard you are doing well. Hope you are enjoying retirement, you sure earned it. Later :)

Christmas Programs

*EDIT At the request of Kipp and Lynne Ivey, through their attorney, the picture of their daughter Becca is no longer available on the blog.

The kids all had their Christmas programs recently. I only got 1 good one of Jon, we were sitting in the balcony and the lighting wasn't the best. Lauren's hair looked fabulous at her's. Emmye styled it right before the program. She looked like a living doll. The pic I have of Cassie isn't the best, but it sure shows how much she looks like Lauren! She was darling in her program. Someday she will know we were always looking.

Santa is Coming....

Here are some of Jon's recent school projects hanging on the wall outside his classroom:

And Lauren's:

Lauren's class made tools, toys, etc. that Native Americans would have done. She made a necklace out of chicken bones. It is hanging on the net on the bottom right of the picture. Luckily we had chicken that weekend! I told her since we took a picture the original had to go. I can only imagine the SMELL after a few weeks. YUCK!

Both are excited for Christmas. Jon is pining for an X Box 360, although he knows he isn't getting one. We have a Wii and that is quite enough. He and his friend do play Steve's old X Box in the basement. I think Steve is really the one that wants the 360. Jon really likes things he can build, like motorized erector (sp?) sets. He also LOVES anything to do with art. I think he takes after his Grandpa Don when it comes to that.

Lauren still loves Littlest Pet Shop. She likes to play school and really wants an MP3 player. Actually they both do. Don't know if they will get one this year. I'm unsure if I want them going around with things in their ears all the time. She is showing interest in pierced earings. Loves jewelry. Her ears were pierced when she was young but i think they have closed. I may get them done again if she is up to it. Her choice.

Pumpkin Carving Time

Chinese Acrobats

Last Saturday we went to see the Chinese Acrobats at the Berry Event Center. They were pretty good but they sure focused on balancing. Not a whole lot of acrobatics. Worth the price of admission, though.

Fall Fun!

Mall of America

This past weekend we took a quick trip to New Richmond Wisconsin to visit the kids cousins. We went to the Mall of America on Saturday. We've saved for the past 2 months so they could go. Realistically, we will probably never get to Disney so this was an achievable alternative. The kids had a blast. At the end of the night Jon gave me a giant hug and said it was his best day ever! I've never seen that kid so happy.

These are at the Underwater Adventures Aquarium:

Inside a shark cage:

Check out the eye in the stingray video above.

Of course we HAD to stop at Build-a-Bear for a new outfit thanks to Auntie Merry:

Dinner was McDonald's overlooking the park:

They take photos of you when you are on all the rides and they are available for purchase. If you look closely, you'll see Jon in the photo on the left and Lauren and I in the photo on the right. We are on the log ride. Cool!

The kids didn't want to waste time having their pictures taken with the characters so I just had them stand to the side for a quick snap:

Jon was brave enought to go on Rock Bottom, the ultimate ride at the mall. I was sick just knowing he was up there. He loved it! He went on it 3 times.

Gnocci

I have been on a homemade cooking kick lately. This weekend, I tried gnocci. It was delicious! The first time I make it we just put on a marinara sauce, but this time we fried it with onions and garlic in olive oil. Tasted something like perogis. Definitely something we will make frequently.

Mia

We had a surprise house guest this past weekend. A girl from Sweden that Steve was friends with in Helsinki stopped by for the weekend. She and her parents came to the states and visited DC and NY. Mia rented a car, alone, and traveled west to visit Steve and a friend that lives in Minneapolis. She is a very sweet girl and we really enjoyed having her. It was fun to get a foreigner's take on life in the US.

Here are the kids this morning

Lauren was VIP at school the other day. She was proud :)

Homemade Pasta

My terrific neighbor Cindy stopped by on Sunday and showed me how to make homemade noodles. I put them in a chicken soup I was making and they were fabulous! I decided to try on my own yesterday.....well, they weren't quite as good as hers. They were good though and I will keep trying until I get it right. Easy to make, just flour, egg, oil and water. Oh, and the tomatoes and zuccini were the last from our garden. I'm really gonna miss being able to go out back and gather fresh vegetables.

Family Photo Fun

Steve Graduates!

Steve has just graduated with a Bachelors in Business, Computer Information Systems, concentration in Networking Administration. We decided it was better for him to graduate now with a business degree and continue through next December working toward a second degree in Clinical Systems Analysis. That way he is eligible for student employment and for loan money to carry him through. I wish I could help more but we'll make it. It hasn't always been easy for Steve in a single parent household with no support from a father whose priorities are another family. It's gonna be tough but well worth it in the end. WAY TO GO STEVE!!!

Strut your Mutt

There was a fundraiser for the Marquette County Humane Society on Saturday. They raised over $11,000. We walked Cloey the 3 mile course. It was a fun event.

First day of school

The first day of school was yesterday. It went well. Lauren was excited to see all her friends from last year. Jon was a little nervous as he was going to a new school. His friend was there at the door when we got there so it helped to have someone to go in with. They said the day went well and they liked their teachers. Time will tell!

End of Summer

It's the end of summer vacation. The kids have their first day of school tomorrow. We had a terrific dinner at the new neighbors. He's a wonderful cook. Wanted to get a family pic but it just didn't work out. Steve was at the beach with Emmye and we were all getting tired. Have to get up early tomorrow for the big day.