A Day at the Aquarium

As you read from the last post, Mom and I went to the aquarium today. Although it's only a little ways south, we've never gone. Suprisingly, it was a blast! We played the tourist, looking at things, and taking each other's picture. We look kinda dorky, but who cares?

The above was a bus we saw on the way home. Isn't it awesome?!

Not such a good picture of me.

What an interesting way to haul things.....

On a side note, my Mom touched a sting ray. Is she the coolest Grandma or what?

Minnesotan Weather

Hello out there! Hope your weather is better than ours cause we had SNOW earlier. Not just little flakes either, big, white, fluffy, decrease visibility snow. It's stopped now, thank goodness. I've been griping to Mom and Dad about it, but my dear father doesn't mind the snow. ??? It's late April and just insulting. He's right of course, it won't last long and will green things up, but still!

We had a good Easter. Mom and I went to church (the Vineyard) at the exact wrong time. Everyone from the last service was leaving, and people were arriving for the next one. They actually had a couple guys out directing traffic so it wouldn't get too mucked up. But, the music was good, sermon was interesting and at the end a couple people came to Christ which was pretty neat. Had dinner at my Granparent's house. There was only 15 of us this time & we ate cheesy potatoes, ham (of course!), jello (not a dessert), cole slaw and wood tick salad.

Mom and I will be going south tomorrow to do some running. I want to get my pictures developed, get some more hotpads stuff and we'll be visiting the aquarium. The library gives out free tickets to various things around here and Mom got 2 for us.

I've been going through a dry spell in writing. All of my penpals wrote me back a while ago so I wrote to all of them, plus my personal journal, this blog, emailing a friend, and a small journal for other purposes. Whew. A story gets old after telling it 7 times. Speaking of stories....

We had my two nieces over yesterday for a short. I was taking pictures of them and they were both saying "cheese" as kids do. Then, Isabelle started saying "cheese-ah". I said "Cheese-ah! What does that mean?" She responded: "It's French". So cute.

A Totally Random and Probably Boring Story

I forgot to take my iron supplement this morning so I've been tired all day. Around 4:30 I decided to lay down, I wasn't totally zonked out, just enough that I could hear everything but was interested enough in my dreams so I didn't care. Heard my Dad come home. Didn't matter enough to make me open my eyes ("surely Mom would talk to him, right?" my sleepy mind said. My now half-awake brain is saying: "Duh.") Poppy (my dog) decided to join me, inviting herself up onto my bed. This is fine because she just layed down next to me and kept me warm. Then, she heard the neighbor dog barking, shrieked, and raced down the stairs after upsetting my glasses and a sewing project.
So ended my nap.

Happy Easter (2 days early)

Whew! Been a while since I've given an update on what's going on.

Not much actually. My parents went to Market last weekend so I had the house to myself for 36 hours. I worked the shop on Sunday from 9:30-4:00. On the way back Kelli called and invited me over to hang out. After doing dishes, making my dinner (meatloaf & a baked potato), taking the dog for a walk, being on the computer and eating my dinner I headed over. They were doing some cleaning so I kept her company and watched a movie ~ Resident Evil 2. After their living room and bedroom were clean Jamie wanted to play a video game. Growing up we never had one so he is much better than I am. (Kelli's had some experience since she moved out) I'm horrible. It was one of those shooting games and Jamie liked to follow me around, and one of the times I saw him and of course panicked. So I was throwing 2 kinds of granades, shooting, jumping, and running (or trying to) all at the same time. Naturally, it didn't work but he got a kick out of seeing me try!
The next day I did some spring cleaning. :-) Yes, I am a dork. Cleaning is one of my favorite things to do, there is just such a sense of satisfaction when it's all over with. So most of my day was spent doing that. Parents got back that evening and life has gone back to normal.

This Sunday is the big Easter dinner at my Grandparent's house. There's usually 17 of us, but this year my Auntie Jean and Jeff will be away somewhere south. The best parts of the dinner are: all of us sitting at one big table, the ham, and the cheesy potatoes. :D Yum.

A Very Neat Quote

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds-and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung high in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung my eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace, where never the lark, nor even eagle flew - And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod the high, untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

John Gillespie Magee (1922-1941)
A Canadian Spitfire pilot in
the Battle of Britian  

A Case of Mis-Heard Lyrics

This is (as you saw from the title) a case of mis-heard lyrics. This song is from "All Star United" called Superstar. It's actually a good song with a nice beat to it ~ great cleaning music!

This ball the disco,we get a little misty remembering Menuto and all those old pros. They say rollers and pinky tusks it must be of meaning~ call us like cattle with gum stampeading to new romantics. Everybody wants love titanic and tiger be Jesus
You! It's true we were born to worship someone it's true. Aye!
You! You are my Superstar and they know who you are. You're never fading. Yeah, You! You are the only one my Far* because You are You're never changing.
Jackson's offence: we got that jet-a to comp that cause and have a poison/ All have a mighty night and have fun.
 (chorus)
No, you never had infection and you never made the cover of a rat like Hit Parade. I could have never known enough. When I tasted the friend and I tested only one. And I might to anything but have you shot.
 (chorus)
You are my Superstar!

* Far = Father in Swedish

Pictures

I forgot the pictures for the last post!
 The one above is of their feet. So cute! Isabelle is on the right, Morgan on the left.

Can you tell which one is having more fun? :-)

 Morgan

A Very Good Day

Today was a great day. :-) Got up early this morning and headed over to the R's house to watch the girls. Jamie got a job & has to have a backround check and Kelli was working so they needed a babysitter. Isabelle was up when I got there so I got her dressed. Once I finished Morgan was up so I got her a new diaper (although she is mostly potty trained). Then we got her dressed, hair brushed and shoes on and headed out to the park. The girls were quite happy to be there and explored the woody area. We saw 3 deer and Isabelle was creeping towards them stepping on many loud twigs going "Shh!!". They both enjoyed swinging and Isabelle sang the whole time. Morgan would sing/chant occasionally. After a while we headed by to my house and got some lunch. They chalked on our little chalkboard, bickering minimal. We all did the dishes, and now I rather wish I had set up a camera to show us all standing close together in a line. Isabelle was on the left rinsing, I was in the middle washing, and Morgan was playing with the bubbles and washing the sink area. Such precious girls.
Jamie got back around then and we hung out until Kelli got done with work and then they all went home.
Went for a walk, it's beautiful out again!
Did my downtown running, this time I drove. Although I'm 18, have a permit, can drive a stick, can drive forward, I still pretty much stink. I did fine with the highway driving and with the in town, but them Mom decided that I should practice other things... like backing into our driveway. Truly, we were in hysterics by the time I finished. And nobody who could drive would park the blazer as I did. Also, I seem to always want to drive on the left side of the road.... not good.

Contentment is Happiness

There is a feeling of contentment in our house at the moment. Mom made a soup that is currently simmering on the stove, it's wonderful oniony smell permeating throughout the house. Dad just got home from the shop and they are chatting downstairs. Obviously, I'm on the computer (it's that time of day). I've been working on those hotpads for the shop and they are coming along. It's a fairly nice day out, 45 with a bit of a wind off the lake. Quiet day around here, but I got everything done that I wanted to. :-)

This Friday I need to get a package sent out to my penpal, Esther. We've been corresponding for about 2 years now and like to send a package to each other about once a year. I recieved hers a few weeks ago and have her letter all written out, just need to get the stuff to put in it...

Well, gee. I guess that's all for now.

Llamas and Hotpads

A few days ago I went through my fabric stash and came up with all the little bits (less than 10'' long) and cut them into 2 1/2, 5 and 7 1/2 inch incraments. Started sewing them into hotpads to be sold at the shop. The first few went fine enough, but then I entered into the difficult ones. This is when I entered into the U.T.W.C.G.V.B.W. (Urge to Throw a Waterford Crystal Glass Vase at a Brick Wall) syndrom. Or bang my head against the brick wall or perhaps just throw my hands up and laugh with fustration. Anyway, I took a break and decided that some of them will be ripped out and re-designed.

During this time I got a call from my sister wondering if I would like to go to the zoo with her and the girls. Of course I said yes and we all had a great time. (wish I had bought along my camera!) We went to the petting zoo and the llama was awesome. We walked around for a bit and the girls loved the animals. The tiger was stalking about when we saw him and he came right up to the window, much to our delight.

The ride home was fine right up to the end. Isabelle was complaining that her stomach hurt and the seatbelt was too tight but otherwise was content. Morgan on the other hand looked as though she would fall asleep except at the end when she got carsick, poor dear. She is doing fine now, splashing around in the tub.

( I wonder if my parents would notice if we suddenly had a llama strutting about in the back yard...)

The Things I Miss

This poem says what I have been feeling today...

An easy thing O Power Divine,
To thank Thee for these gifts of Thine.
For summer's sunshine, winter's snow,
For hearts that kindle, thoughts that glow.
 But when shall I attain to this: --
To thank Thee for the things I miss?

For all young Fancy's early gleams,
The dreamed - of joys that still are dreams,
Hopes unfulfilled, and pleasures known
Through others' fortunes, not my own,
And blessings seen that are not given,
And never will be, this side of heaven.

Had I, too, shared the joys I see,
Would there have been a heaven for me?
Could I have felt Thy presence near
Had I possessed what I held dear?
My deepest fortune, highest bliss,
Have grown perchance from things I miss.

Sometimes there comes an hour of calm;
Grief turns to blessing, pain to balm
A Power that works above my will
Still leads me onward, upward still.
And then my heart attains to this--
To thank Thee for the things I miss.

~Thomas Wentworth Higginson