Thanksgiving Weekend

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year I stayed in town for Thanksgiving. Cousin Pat was getting married in Milwaukee so I did not venture out to Vegas. Instead, I accepted an invitation to join the Nordin's at Julie and Don's house. Dinner was great - everyone was there - Greg/Mary Joy, Julie/Don/Zach/Travis, Heidi, Michele/Kelsey/Abbey, Jon/Genevieve. After the food and some Wii time, the cousins retired to Inver Grove Heights for Enchanted. Good Family Day movie! :)

Me, Heidi, Julie, Genevieve, Jon at the movies
(Michele joined us later)

I hung out with the Jerome/Olesens on Friday and then went to Heidi's to spend the night. We woke up at 5:30am to start getting ready to head out of town for the wedding. As we were chit chatting about the trip - and yes, I was still a little anxious about the 5 hour car ride and my "issues" . . . Michele's name came up. (She was not in the original plan for the road trip.) So - I called and left her a message at 6:30 am - she called me right back - and the Wedding Crashing began! Heidi headed up to St. Paul to pick up Mary Joy and Julie while I headed to Cottage Grove to get Michele. We didn't officially caravan - but were 5 - 10 miles apart for the 5 hour trip.

We were a little concerned with the level of rudeness of crashing a wedding. Where would this fall? Would the fact that we're all cousins of the groom matter? Would the meal be formal? Sit down? Place cards? Would this stress out the bride? The groom? The groom's MOM?? We decided that if the meal was formal with place cards, we would just leave for dinner, and then come back for the party. (Turns out Pat and his sibs were delighted to see all of us - and before we even got to the reception, LaVonne had arranged for Mary Joy to sit at the Stumpf family table (aka "Table of Honor" - as it came to be known) to make room for Michele at the Venice Table with us. PS - Thank you Pat and Stephanie for putting me (and our fam) at the 2nd best table in the house! Thank you for not placing me at the "Raiders" table! :)

Anyway - between the actual wedding and the reception - we had some time to kill - so drove down by the lake (Michigan, if you're keeping track) - and grabbed a few photos. I love this pic of Mary Joy and her girls:



Back to the dance - it was a blast. Besides me and the Nordin girls, Jomie and Nancy and Jim were there to "represent" for the Jeromes. Everyone had a great time dancing. . . and here's proof:

Uncle Jim and Cousin Mary cuttin' a rug.

Jomie and Nancy - Tom and Mary Joy behind them - and even further back - Larry and Joan

Of course - with a bunch of cousins in one room - we had to get some pics. We never got all of us - but here's the Jerome Girls who were present. (Jomie and Pat were the Jerome boys present) :)

Joan, Cathy, Michele, Beth, Mary
Heidi, Julie, Me

We had a great weekend. Our journeys to and from Milwaukee were uneventful (so good). And - Pat and Stephanie are married now! So - YAY! - and Congrats!!

2 Weekends of Alice

I've been taking Alice out more than usual - trying to give Lonny and Jaime some much needed craftin' time. Last weekend I took Alice to Rosedale. We met Jaymie, Beth and Bailey. We went to Big Bowl for lunch (well, Alice had an Arby's Roast Beef) and then did a bit of shopping.

Alice's first trip into Hollister? (Beth bought a jacket)


Bailey and Alice hung out while waiting for the teenager to finish shopping.

Today, Alice and I went up to Blaine to join the Christenson girls in learning how to make lefse. We had a great time! Auntie Sue is such a great hostess! (I don't think we stopped eating for the 6 hours we were there!) Alice had just a brief nap in the car on the way there - but did great regardless!

Insert adorable picture of me and Alice getting ready to leave Minneapolis here.


Lunch with 2nd Cousin Caleb.

The girls getting ready to make lefse.
Katie, Sarah, Kyla, Auntie Sue, Paige, ME & Alice, Bridget


Playing with Caleb.


Tasting krumkake with Cousin Bridget.

Watching Baby Einstein.


She had a great time.

And now for the part of my life that is not Alice. :) Melanie and Fabio closed on their house Thursday. They spent Saturday and today at their new place in Columbia Heights painting and getting it ready to move into. I joined them on Saturday - helping them out just a bit - and then they came over Sat night for a light dinner, a movie, and a place to crash so they could get back at it right away this morning. I'm so excited for them - and can't wait to see it once they've moved in!

Painting the living room.

Short week this week - only 2 days of school. . . Thanksgiving. . . Pat Stumpf's wedding. . . . should be a fun week!

A Bee & Some Pot Roast

So, whilst my tummy was tied up in knots waiting for that "verdict" from the City. . life DID go on last week. Alice Mae participated in her first "real" Halloween (last year she was just so little!)

She was a Bee. . I like to think of it actually as a Bee Princess. . . isn't she adorable???

Lon & Jaime took her all over the City to get her true Halloween experience - and ended up here. Even tho it was past her bedtime, Alice got to hang out for a moment. She watched the puppies like a hawk, begged Vanhtha to watch Blue's Clues, and posed for a bunch of pics!


Friday night, the Jerome / Olesens came over again - this time for dinner. V had a craving for Yorkshire Pudding. . and while we really don't know what Yorkshire Pudding is. . (yes, I know we could Google it) . . .we did the next best thing. He bought some yummy rolls, I made a roast (complete with potatoes, carrots, and onions) in the crock pot, and I made my very first real gravy!



I think you can tell by his face just how yummy it turned out. :)



This week at school was busy - it was the end of the quarter. Kids had today off, so I got a lot done at work today! Now the weekend is here again, the puppies are on their way to Fargo with Paul, and I'm ready to relax! (You know I'll have SOMETHING fun to report tho. . so stay tuned!)

The Week of Waiting is Over!

The ruling arrived today in the mail. No declaration is being made on Bella at this time! I got home and saw the thick envelope on the dining room table. . . .my heart started racing. After taking the dogs out to pee I ripped it open to find the letter announcing her freedom from persecution/label and copies of the City Ordinances about Dangerous and Potentially Dangerous Dogs.

Whew. I'm so relieved, but still bummed that this whole incident happened in the first place. . . oh well. . hopefully we won't be dealing with this ever again! Sorry for the rambling post - but wanted to keep all of you Bella-Lovers informed!!