I have decided....

 

...that getting ready for this move would be much simpler if we didn't need to eat or wear clothes.

 

Now, of course that would be too weird and the neighbors might have some issues with it.  It was just a thought today I had as I was running around like a chicken with my head cut-off.

 

Actually, I cant complain, I have wonderful help this week...my amazing in-laws are here and some of my best babysitters  are in full force at my house. 

 

 

 

We have lived in this house for almost 17 years.  I love to garden and so this week I have been trying to dig out and divide 17 yrs. worth of perennials.  Thats a lot of digging!  (Especially for someone whose exercise this past winter consisted only of chasing of small children)   I hurt all over tonight.

 

 
Now, I also can't complain because we have movers who will pack us up and move us down to our new house.   But I also don't want them moving 17 yrs. worth of accumulated junk (aka old treasures) so I am trying to sort and clean out.   Thankfully, it was clean up week here.  So...I piled the junk high at our curb and enjoyed all the curb shoppers!

 

Today I spent the morning with my little girls in their special needs pre-school. That was a blast!  That is one busy little room! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I had lunch with Sam at his school.  Taco salad -he actually said it was one of his favorite meals!

 

 

 

 

 

(Sam with one of his best friends)

 

 

We are starting to say our goodbyes.  That's hard...really hard.   We have sooooooo many dear friends here that we love so much.  This Sunday is our last Sunday at our church.  We are going to have Katie and Emie dedicated.  We have a wonderful church family. They have taken us through so much.  It will be so hard to say goodbye to them.

 

But, I am confident we are doing what the Lord wants us to do.  As hard as it is to say goodbye, we are also so excited to see what the Lord has planned for us in this next phase of our life.  We are so thankful to Him for leading and guiding us.

 

And don't worry we will be fully clothed and eating as we get ready for this move!

We're moving....

 

I have been wracking my brain for a more creative way to make this announcement but it just wasn't coming.  So, after 17 years in the great state of North Dakota we are now moving to the great state of Minnesota!  

 

Lee has informed me that it has now been 36 weeks since he began commuting down to the cities, leaving the kids and I here Monday to Thursday.   I think we would all agree that it has been 36 very loooooooooooong weeks without a Daddy and a husband during the week!  

 

The Lord has provided a lovely house in the Twin cities, with a bigger kitchen (thank you especially for answering that request of this mom, Lord!) and lots of rooms and lots of yard to run and play.   All of the children and I are so excited to be with Lee and be all together as a family again! 

 

We will miss our friends here sooooo much.  I can't even begin to imagine life without all of you!  You have taken Lee and I through some very difficult times.     When we moved here, we  were newly married with no children and only a cat.  After years of infertility, the Lord chose to suddenly pack in 7 children in 12 years time!    Its been an incredible journey that we have been on, but I wouldn't want it to be any different.   Life with Jesus is anything but boring!   Now, we are leaving with a bunch  of kids and of course, a cat!

 

As of now, the plan is to start the move right after Memorial Day.  It will be crazy busy in our household for awhile and I am thinking the blog posts in the next couple months might be a bit scarce....(ha, ha....like I post that often anyway!)   So, if it looks like we've dropped off the planet, don't give up on us....we're still around!

Fence Painting......

 

So, of course, when you are going to sell your house you want everything to look tip-top shape!

 

Almost all the family got involved in this little job! (even Scooter the cat.)

 

The Painters.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So maybe a little of the paint didn't end up on the fence...

 

 

(By the way, Scooter does not normally sport a white streak across his  tail)

 

 

The "Wannabe" Painters...:)

 

 

 

 

 

The finished product!

 

What else to do when you get 2' of snow on the last day of March....

 

If you're little, you bring the snow inside!.......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you're big, you play outside!!!....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What to do when you get 2' of snow on the last day of March....

 

Bake Cinnamon and Caramel Rolls!!!

 

The Dough rollers......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The caramel sauce makers....

 

 

 

 

One of our resident Iron Chefs...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The finished product....

 

 

 

 

 

- rolls by Sam and Andrew

 

 

 

 

- rolls by little ones....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full and happy tummies!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mmmmmm...homemade rolls are yummy!!!

 

(and yes that was 2 "feet" of snow! - in 24 hours time) - only in North Dakota!

11 kids, 2 guys and 1 Wii

We would have had 12 - but Annie was over @ friends for a weekend sleep-over. From this post - you can see we are highly qualified to handle many children.

It was a long week for many of us in the Red River Valley. For those not in our region - we had a 24 hour blizzard (a real one). About 10" of snow - 40 mph winds, 4-6' snowdrifts and bitter cold - it was -16 on Wednesday morning. Normally - this isn't too bad to handle in the middle of winter - but it is supposed to be spring (at least soon). These always seem harder to take at the end of the season. Anyway, 2 days of school missed and the kids get a little cranky. Anyway - the two great ladies that we are married to needed a night out. . . so my friend Roscoe (aka Billy Bob) - the same guy who last summer tried to sell my house (and car, cat, motorcycle, sofa) when we were in Ukraine and I - brought over his lovely daughters: Bernice, Beulah, Bertina and Baby Bertina - and his son Spike - and we had pizza and a Wii tourney.

Proof we fed the kids

Anton (aka Andrew) won with a perfect score of 105. We do point totals and everyone tried to play everyone else - we had a spreadsheet with 36 races on it - and ended up about 80% done - so then we went by finish averages - the totals were:




Everyone had a good night - Spike was a little scared of Scooter the cat - but nothing that a few sessions of counseling won't cover. Rumor has it our lovely wifes had a relaxing and enjoyable evening in the nearby town of Fungus Flats.

Spring is only 4 days away!

120 Seconds

Look at what can happen in 120 seconds (or less) - and this was with 2 (kinda) responsible adults around. The first could be subtitled - self serve cereal (2 kinds at least).

Also, note who was in the middle of both of these! Uff da!

Lee & Karen