The year 2008 started out with typical MN cold. I for one, wished for the winter to hurry by as fast as possible. I did not enjoy celebrating Easter in the middle of snowstorm. The kids however do enjoy outside winter fun and took advantage of ice skating, sledding, and plenty of ice fishing.
Thankfully, we escaped the winter blahs and headed southeast to the magical land of Disney World in April! Ahhh, Florida. Seaworld, Mickey Mouse, Disney Princess, playing in the ocean and experiencing more thrilling rides then one can imagine. It simply was the best trip ever. And since I turned 35 years old during the trip, I really couldn't complain since I was at the happiest place on earth.
Spring was filled with swimming lessons for both kids. Trent played his second year of baseball and improved greatly over the season. Addy was in her first dance recital and she truly was the star of the show! She did not “get the stage fright” as she described, but danced and twirled her way across the stage.
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Summer kicked off with Trent’s 7th birthday and an Indiana Jones extravaganza! He enjoyed a birthday party with friends (both boys and girls) from school. In true Indiana Jones fashion, we had a quest for a golden idol and the kids had to work together to solve riddles & puzzles in order to get the next clue.
We headed north to the family cabin and to the Neutgens cabin, where a good time is always had. The kids love fishing, swimming, boating, and just being up north in the woods. Totally take after Russ in that regard. We also traveled to Kentucky again this summer. We stayed in Lexington, at the same hotel as last year, and visited a bunch of the same places that we enjoyed together. This time, however, we traveled to Carter Caves State Park. We toured one of the caves, and Russ and the kids did some spelunking in another large cave in the park. I opted to sit in the sun and read after the bat in the first cave nearly flew into my hair!
Shortly after we came home from Kentucky, we learned that Russ had received a promotion, which is always good, but in this case, it was wonderful news, because it meant no more traveling for him! He is now Production Manager for the wall mount unit at the Anoka plant.
Fall was the busiest one we have seen so far! Trent started 2nd grade. He has his first male teacher and likes school a lot. He was moved to the challenge math class, and that continues to be his favorite class, along with reading and gym. Addy is in her last year of preschool. She turned five this October and we celebrated her birthday with a fun weekend in Minneapolis at the Depot Hotel and water park, dinner at the Spaghetti Factory and tailgating at the Viking game. Addy absolutely loves her stuffed animals and reading. Trent got her hooked on the Magic Treehouse series and now most nights before bed, you can hear at least one person in the house reading about Jack and Annie’s adventures! Three things rule supreme in our house: Pokemon, Littlest Pet Shop, and Legos.
In-between cub scouts (Russ is the Den Master), Addy’s dance class, and Trent’s religion class, we also spent many, many nights out on the football field. This was Trent’s first year with Elk River Youth Football and it turned out to be so much fun! He was the smallest kid on the team, but truly had the most determination and drive. All he wanted to do was “sack the quarterback!” He played defensive tackle all season long and did indeed sack many QB’ of our opponents. He had wonderful coaches, and he has developed a real love for the sport.
This fall, I was also diagnosed with a heart condition. Mitral Valve prolapse with mitral valve regurgitation. Once you get past the scary name, it thankfully doesn’t require surgery at this point. It is more bothersome than painful and I am learning to deal with the symptoms. The doctors have recommended more exercise, so I am looking forward to joining the new YMCA in town after the new year. Otherwise, I continue to scrapbook, hone my photography skills and run around after the kids. I volunteer in Trent’s class every Thursday and in Addy’s preschool class once a month.
We will also be heading west to visit Russ’s mom and dad. Tim retired this summer and they finally made the move to Spicer. They are right by the lake and are now only about 90 minutes from us. Babysitting opportunities increased dramatically for them! Russ continues to venture north to Rainy Lake in May for his fishing trip with the boys (pretty good fishing this year) and again to the cabin for deer hunting. After getting skunked last year, Russ was not about to let that happen again, and he shot 3 does in a span of less than 30 seconds. Deer be warned: Not a wise decision to think you and your friends can run past his stand!
With the completion of our deck this summer and the landscaping in the front, I can say that north, south, east, west, our home is the best! We simply love the neighborhood we live in! We have made many friends, and it was so nice to be able to sit out on the deck to watch (and read while) the kids ride bike on the trail, play in their tree house in the woods or swim in the pool. We also have many visitors from the woods. Most notable are the herd of deer, flock of wild turkeys, and the snapping turtle that have found their way to visit us.
With the end of the year approaching quickly, it’s always nice to sit back and reflect on the past year’s adventures and wonder what will happen in the new year. So, no matter what direction you head in 2009, we wish you luck in your journey and hope your destination is filled with love, laughter, and good times.
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