all decked out

Remember our awesome nasty mud pit that was filled with rock, smashed concrete, and faded wiffle balls? It has been replaced by a gorgeous cedar deck!

Tim has worked so hard on this project and this past weekend he got a little help from his dad and brother. By Saturday night, we were eating our pulled pork sandwiches on the deck, admiring their hard work. All that's left to do is put a few more pieces on the step, stain, and add some landscape rock around the outer edge.

using a lot of brain power to get the step to come out just right

Bucket hat Bob preparing a custom piece of wood for the step

Zach, the one who put in nearly every single screw on the floor boards. Bravo.

carrot cake leftover from Tim's pre-birthday supper last night

p.s. Happy birthday, Tim. I love you more and more each day, and am so excited to make you a dad. You're the best.

weekend // pancakes, Swedish furniture, and Garrison Keillor

It may be March, but the snow is flying outside my window. I was of course hoping that would translate into a snow(boarding) day, but no such luck. Oh well. Coming home after a long day of work and relaxing by the fire as I watch Tim shovel is too shabby either.

This past weekend was another weekend to remember. For the past couple of years, I've become a fairly avid MPR/NPR listener, and with that came a love of A Prairie Home Companion. So much so that I added it to my life goal list. And last weekend that goal was lived out. Bob and Mary gave us all tickets to the show as a Christmas gift, and were planning a little family weekend in the Cities. But the Lord had different plans, as Bob was diagnosed with prostate cancer and was scheduled for surgery the Thursday before the show. So while the show was every bit as great as I imagined, it was a little bitter sweet not having Bob and Mary there.

Just like the "olden days"though, they listened to the show on the radio and we would text them pictures throughout the show. My cheeks seriously hurt after the show from pure joy. It was that good. But how can a show be bad when it includes Garrison Keillor, steel guitar, Heather Massey, and Emmylou Harris?

Other weekend highlights include:
+ babysitting little Miss Chatty Cathy aka Evelyn Ray
+ an early morning breakfast of blueberry pancakes and cheesy hashbrowns at perhaps the worlds smallest diner, Al's Breakfast in Dinkytown
+ hunting for deals at Midwest Mountaineering and REI
+ shopping the showrooms and aisles of IKEA
+ sushi at Osaka's
+ hearing Garrison say, "And that's the news from Lake Wobegon. Where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average."

friends of rodentia

You know how every year at Christmas there's that one gift that you really excited to give? Well, this year, Bob was the lucky recipient of that gift and anticipation. Quick backstory: Bob is the squirrel whisperer. Seriously. On any given morning, there are between 10 and 20 enormously fat squirrels feeding in his yard. One evening, Tim and I were picking up a few things at Menard's and happened to find this little gem of product sitting on the shelf - the "Cobs A Twirl."

After nearly rolling on the floor with glee and awe that such a product even exists, we quickly threw it in our cart and counted down the days until Bob would open it.

And giving it was every bit as good as I imagined it would be. Tim and I could hardly contain ourselves. Maybe the best part - Tim modified the product name to be "Bobs A Twirl." Perfect.

christmas #1

You know you're blessed when you have multiple Christmases to look forward to. This weekend marked celebration #1 of 3. Up first was the Mesman family Christmas, complete with

• oyster soup (just the broth, please)
• games, games, games
• falling asleep to Home Alone and Rudolph
• pretty, little gifts
• the Christmas story (read on an iPad)
• orange zest tea
• Christmas carols at church
• meeting the newest member of the Galbraith family

Christmas celebration #2 will be quiet and spent at home tomorrow, just me and Tim. I'm really looking forward to it. We're hardly ever home on Christmas day. We have a schedule of events made, a menu created, and holiday movies rented in preparation for a laid-back and festive day.

Merry Christmas Eve!

new traditions

One of my favorite times of year is here.
Crunchy leaves begging to be walked on.
Crisp mornings with their sweatshirts and steaming mugs of coffee.
Sunny afternoons that make me want to curl up and take a nap.
Yellow school buses driving down our quiet street.
Quilts making their way back onto the beds.
Kitchens toasty and warm from baking spiced breads, cookies, and crisps.
I love it all.

You know what else I love? Family traditions. This past weekend we were with Tim's family for the annual Turkey Day weekend (which is a tradition in itself) and started talking about traditions, how cool they are, and what traditions we could each start. Part of the reason I love traditions so much is because I love predictability and I'm a sucker for nostalgia.

A new tradition I have subconsciously started - photography baby Ev, the cutest baby I've ever seen in real life. A lot happened this past weekend - watched the runners in the 10K, met up with old friends, took in the parade - yet 90% of pictures turned out to be Evie-centered. And I, for one, do not have a problem with that. Seriously can't get enough of her big eyes and that giggle when every time you squeeze her thighs.

hey beautiful baby girl

turkey day parade 2012: NOT the big one

Bob on stilts for the parade

 a tushy heart = adorable.

"uncle tim, you sort of have hockey hair."

family vacay, round 3 :: oh, the food

Just in case one big family vacation/get-together wasn't enough, we decided to do another, this time with Tim's side of the family. We spent 4 days in the pristine north woods of Wisconsin, soaking in everything that the slowed-down-pace of cabin life has to offer. Our gracious hosts (Jim, Karen, Kyle, & Tyler) showed us nothing short of a good time. After a few weeks of non-stop busyness and traveling, it felt SO good to wake up to no alarm, never know what time of day it was, and not hear one piece of national news all weekend.

Another thing that was great: the food. Oh my. Aunt Karen is one of the best hostesses and cooks I've ever met. Everything was not only delicious, but beautiful. There was egg bake, shrimp salad, Chicago dogs, cream puffs, cream cheese jalapeño dip, marinated pork tenderloin...I could go on and on. Amazing.

Other highlights:
Morning coffee on the deck
Wakesurfing (seriously, funnest thing ever)
Listening to the loons on the lake
Kayaking
Evelyn (it was her first trip to the cabin)
Evening pontoon rides
Food (see below)
Jam sessions in the "tree house"
Walk through the woods
Dinner conversations
Sunsets
Lawn games

family vacay :: round 2

Well, it's the middle of summer and I'm loving it. Right now life is full of sweet corn, road trips, the hum of lawn mowers, 9:00pm sunsets, early morning coffee in the sunroom, and smelling like dirt and grass after an evening of working outside. Mmm... I am trying to soak in every moment of the summer goodness because I know there's not much left.

This past weekend, we made the 10 hour journey out west to the Black Hills of SD for a mini family reunion. Growing up, Mandy, our cousin Jaci, and I used to spend a week every summer out there with Grandpa and Grandma, so going out there is always a little trip down memory lane. And this time was no different - we even stopped Storybook Island (a childhood favorite) and got ring pops. We all love putting on our tourist hats when out in the Hills, so each day was jam packed with activities and site-seeing, all the while surrounded by sunshine and the warm scent of pine trees that will forever be one of the best smells of life.

The Activities:
Wall Drug
Harney Peak
Lunch and naps by Sylvan Lake
Mini golf and Pirates Cove
Breakfast on the deck each morning
Mt. Rushmore
Salt water taffy and trinkets at Keystone
Rushmore Cave
Storybook Island
Boat show on Canyon Lake
Late night ice cream

Yep, we know how to vacation.

let the painting begin!

What do you get when you mix a new house, paint and a continuous playlist of 90's country?

Yep, you get a Mandy covered in green tape and a t-shirt that says "Rebel Attitude." 

I knew Mom was planning on coming to help paint for the weekend, but Mandy didn't want to miss out on all the fun so she surprised me. I may have screamed a little. We they got SO much done. While I was at worked, they painted their little hearts out. It was epic, and I am in love with how everything turned out. After much deliberation, every color is perfect. But my real pride and joy is the striped wall in dining room. I couldn't be more ecstatic with how it turned out! I can't help but smile every time I walk past it. It was worth every minute of careful taping/measuring/marking/painting. Here's a sneak peek at the piece de resistance in progress...

our weekend :: birthdays & vacations

We just spent a wonderful weekend along the beautiful North Shore of our beloved Minnesota with my family. It's such a blessing that we all have such a great time together. There was much laughter, good food, and a little R&R by a giant Minnesota lake. We...

• stayed in a cabin overlooking Lake Superior
• ate breakfasts of omelets and pancakes on the deck each morning
• slept with the windows open
• fished for northern
• took in the sites of some of the most beautiful MN state parks
• stuffed ourselves with pasties and pie at Betty's Pies
• got sunburnt
• explored Canal Park and its museums and antique stores
• celebrated father's day/mom's birthday/Tim's birthday all in one night

Now it's Sunday night and as we watch the storm clouds roll out our patio door, it's sinking in that this is the week we've been waiting so long for. It's officially we-become-homeowners week! The boxes have been found, the lists have been made, and we have a goal of not buying any groceries this week. Let the craziness begin!

happy mother's day

To my mom, the best mom a girl could ask for. Thank you for teaching me to not eat dandelions. Thank you for letting me get good and dirty outside. Thank you for being the tooth fairy and always making me breakfast in bed on my birthday. Thank you for making bows to wear in my hair. Thank you for showing and teaching me the love of Christ and how important it is. Thank you for rocking me and humming a lullaby when I was sick or couldn't sleep. Thank you for letting me be independent and adventurous. Thank you for making roast and potatoes and carrots every Sunday. Thank you for praying for me. Thank you for everything. I love you!

Graduation weekend

We had another great weekend spent with family - ate great food, celebrated Mandy's graduation from nursing school, road-tripped around SD/MN/IA. Here are some photos from the weekend.

 

Dinner guests

Guess who came to visit? Matt and Marji and my fave little Evelyn! They were car shopping in St. Cloud and stopped by for a grill out and lawn games. Evie liked sitting outside, staring at the sky. So Marji put her little cardigan on (so cute), wrapped her up, and she quickly fell asleep. What a little trooper. It's stuff like this that makes me so thankful we close to family.