Saturday, November 15, 2008

Savannah is 2!

I can hardly believe how fast time goes by! Savannah is 2 today and she is such a sweet, loving little girl.....ok she might have a little attitude and sassiness at times! We are going to take her to Red Robin today because she absolutely loves the Macaroni and Cheese there. I know- pretty ridiculous to go out and eat Macaroni and Cheese- but you only turn 2 once right? I have a couple pictures taken from my cell phone- but having a hard time loading them- digital camera is still out of commission. I'll keep trying.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Halloween '08

What a wonderful, warm night it is was for trick-or-treating! This is the first year in many that the kids haven't had to wear their winter coats, boots and stocking hats! Noah was Captain Rex clone trooper, Natalie was Sleeping Beauty and Savannah was a ballerina, despite the cute kitty outfit we bought her! She just kept saying "pretty dress". So...thankfully, Natalie has a closetfull of dress-up clothes and we found one that fit her and she could also have her "pretty dress". We went to about 30 houses in our neighborhood and have more candy than we can think about- but somehow I think it will all get eaten pretty quickly!

Monday, October 27, 2008

Leaf Fun at Mom and Dad's

We enjoyed the beautiful leaves on our drive down to Lake City a few weekends ago. And then....the kids enjoyed them even more when we got to Mom and Dad's house. They played in them for hours and probably would have kept going- but stopping to snack on cookies had to happen at some point!

Friday, October 17, 2008

Time flies.....

Time flies, when you are having fun. Everyone always says that, but obviously it has caught up with me. I apologize for not staying up to date on this blog. A lot has happened since my last post. So here it is:

Natalie turned 5 on Sept 2nd. She got so many things pink and princess like- she loved it. Noah started 1st grade, that same day.

I went out to California Sept 7-9th with my colleauges to visit one of the cochlear implant manufacturers sites. We got to see how the internal device was put together- very cool!

Hears to TaTa's started and finished the Breast Cancer 3-Day walk on Sept 19-21st. What a wonderful experience! Only a few blisters and some aching bones, but many great stories were heard and memories were made. There were 3,000 walkers and the Twin Cities alone raised 7 million dollars! Thank you so much for all of your support!

Jason turned 36 on Sept 21st. For about 6 more months (at least by numbers) he will be 2 years older than me. After 10 months of working on the 1997 Escort- Jason successfully replaced the head and gasket, hoses, plugs, bolts, wires, covers etc.. This was no little feat! Many would say...Why are you bothering with such an old car? Well, as you may remember the 1994 Cavalier died earlier this year and we kind of like to have an "airport car" that Jason drives and lets sit there while he is at work. So, this is the airport car- and it is running!

Noah finished his 2nd year of soccer. He is such a little athlete! I am so proud of what he can do and the progress he has made at being a good sport (losing is a little hard on him).

October 5-6th I had the opportunity as one of the Northern Voices Board Members to fly to St. Louis and visit the Moog Curriculum School (MCS). Don't know about Northern Voices? Go to www.northernvoices.org. Basically, it is an oral school, here in Roseville, MN, that teaches children with hearing loss to listen (through hearing aid amplification or cochlear implants) and use spoken language. It was great to meet with everyone who came from the other 7 MCS and also to see the "pie in the sky" possibilities of what a dedicated space for the school could look like.

Noah had the week of Oct 13-17th off of school for MEA. So we took that opportunity to head out to Pennsylvania and visit Jason's parents and family. The kids were super excited to see Grandma and Papa since it had been over 9 months! Unfortunately- school, work and distance don't allow us to see them as often as we would like.

We flew out Saturday morning, Oct 11th, and fortunately, made it there without any problems. Nearly all of the aunts, uncles, cousins, etc...made it out Steve and Angie's on Sunday. It is always nice to catch up with them. On Monday we visited Hershey Chocolate Factory- the kids loved it! The outside air smells like chocolate and they have Hershey Kisses that cover the street lights!

Tuesday, Oct 14th was our 8th anniversary! Jason completely surprised me and planned a trip to New York City for 2 days and to see the Broadway show- Wicked! In my 34 years of life I have never been to New York City! Well, I guess I have been there once when I was 2- but I don't remember that and once when we went to Niagra Falls but that is long way from New York City! We took the Amtrack Train from Mt. Joy, PA to NYC- that was fun too-the fall leaf colors were beautiful! We did a lot of sight-seeing while in NYC: Went to the top of the Empire State Building, visited Liberty and Ellis Islands, rode the subway a lot, ate in a Little Italy outdoor cafe, checked out Times Square, went to Wicked, walked through Central Park, saw "the" Wall Street, etc... we could have easily spent a few more days there! The weather was absolutely beautiful in Pennsylvania and New York. Thanks to Steve and Angie for watching the kids!

Now we are back in Minnesota- the weather is seasonably warm. Jason put the second ping pong table together today. The first one cracked after some brackets were put on wrong- fortunately the directions were bad (they really were) and Jason was able to sweet talk the manufacturer into sending us a new one at no charge!

I am getting ready to have the Neighborhood Halloween Party at our house next weekend and doing some laundry from the vacation. I hope you are all well. My digital camera is broken for now, I hope to get some pictures up of our adventures soon!

Love ya,
Jen

Thursday, August 28, 2008

22 days and $2,200

I have met my minimum goal of $2,200 for the 3Day Breast Cancer Walk! Thank you so much to everyone who donated and if you haven't....It is not too late! Just click on the 3Day icon to the left and go to my personal page. There are only 22 days until we begin the 60 miles. We have been walking as much as our crazy lives allow us to- hoping that we can be prepared and reduce the amount of blisters that occur. I will post pictures after it is over. Thanks again for your support!

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Kansas City

We drove to Kansas City for our summer vacation! The 6 hour drive took 7 1/2 hours on the way down...thank goodness for DVD players! I don't care who says we are spoiled! How did our parents do it without these modern conveniences? The gas prices conveniently went down right before we left to $3.76- yoohoo!

When we head back to Kansas City there are two main priorities. 1)Hang out with family and friends and 2)Eat at places that aren't in Minnesota. Spoiling the kids with fun activities is just a bonus! So we stayed with Jason's brother and wife, Brandon and Krisi. Which means that we spent quality time with Colin, our nephew. He is adorable and so laid back! He's already got a deep little voice that is so cute and although he hardly ever cries, when he does I have to almost laugh because it is so quiet! I am used to the toe-curling screeches that my children make!

Noah turned 7 the day we drove down- July 28th. I cannot believe my little boy is already 7! He was very excited to open his gifts which included a Nintendo Wii (this was a joint gift for him and Natalie), a basketball, a Razor scooter and helmet, and some Pokeman cards. Brandon and Krisi got him a new baseball glove. The reaction to the Wii was classic- uncontrolled screaming and a lot of jumping in the air was involved! (We got it on tape!) Needless to say- any waking moment that we weren't running around doing something else was spent creating Mii's and playing each other. It's fun for the whole family! There is a skate park not far from Brandon and Krisi's house so of course we spent some time there as well- going down ramps and attempting half-pipes! CRAZY! I think he had a great birthday!

Other fun adventures took place at CoCo Key waterpark in the Adams Mark Hotel, a Royals game, Science City in Union Station and Paradise Park to hit in the batting cages and ride some go carts. We also spent some time walking around our alma mater- CMSU- ok, I guess it is called UCM now- whatever. Jason and I felt like we had never left- the speech and hearing center is still there but the audiology program no longer exists. The airport looked the same and even some familiar names remain- including Lindbergh the cat!

Some great times and good stories were spent with the Gum, Hensley and Teichman families. All eight children ran around with endless energy as always! There was mention of another adult vacation possibly coming up with this group- I'm thinking....GOOD IDEA! When we all went to the Turks and Caicos Islands in 2007 it was a vacation to remember! We also drove out to Richmond, MO to visit with the Morrills. The kids had fun playing out in the country- launching baking soda and vinegar rockets and swimming in the pool.

So, I am sure you are all dying to know what we ate that we cannot eat in Minnesota! First- Fazoli's- I know...not that exciting but, I love pasta and the breadsticks are so buttery and garlicy- yummy! There used to be one in West St. Paul which was about a 20 minute drive away- but it closed down. Next was Mr. Goodcents subs- there is not a sandwich place out there that makes bread as soft as they do! Smokehouse BBQ- because that is what you eat in Kansas City and Jason loves it! We don't have many options for BBQ- Famous Daves is about it and they don't have sliced meat just pulled- which Jason is not a fan of. 54th Street- I love the Gringo dip and chips! We also had Minsky's pizza and I think that is about it- at least those worth mentioning.

Speaking of pizza- we did try to go talk with our old boss from our Pizza Hut delivery days but unfortunately she wasn't in. Maybe next time?

We all had a great time! The ride home only took 7 hours. Thanks to everyone for putting us up and hanging out. We already miss all of you but hope to see you again soon! Maybe you should come to Minnesota and stay with us? You are always welcome!

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Success!

Our Fundraiser at Sally's was a HUGE success! We raised over $1,100! THANK YOU to all of you who came out last Thursday, as well as all of you who have already donated, to help us achieve our fundraising goals! We have about 9 weeks now until we walk 60 miles in 3 days. We continue to train preparing our bodies, feet and minds for this great adventure! Thanks again- as I have said before- we couldn't do this without you!

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

3 Days- 60 Miles

On Sept 19-21, 2008 myself, along with 3 other co-workers, (team name- HEARS to Tata's- we had to have an audiology reference in there!) will be walking 60 miles in 3 days to help end Breast Cancer. I have been collecting donations since March and I happy to say that, because of all of you, I am very close to my $2,200. minimum requirement! Again, THANK YOU to all that have donated towards this very important cause! You guys are AWESOME! If you have not yet donated and would like to- just click on the icon to the left and it will take you right to my personal page. We are also having a fundraiser on July 17, 2008 at Sally's Saloon and Eatery (on Washington St. in Minneapolis) from 4-6pm. There will be raffle tickets to buy for a chance to win some great restaurant gift cards and other prizes. Bring friends if you'd like-the more the merrier. It should be a fun Happy Hour in support of the HEARS to Tata's team!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

06-07-08 Introducing Valerie and Uriah Peterson

Valerie and Uriah got married this weekend! The day started with a powerful rain storm that passed quickly-however, there was a possibility of hail- so thankfully at the Plote house we have large garages to stash all the cars in. Somehow we got our minivan and Impala as well as my mom's Grand Prix all in one garage! Supposedly rain on the wedding day brings you wealth? Or is it good health? I never could keep all those saying straight!

We ended up taking the majority of pictures in mom and dad's backyard- which I think will look amazing! The wedding was beautiful and the reception was a lot of fun out at Treasure Island Casino. It was a great day!

The kids were not in the wedding but we decided to get special little dresses for all the girls and the boys had a ties- clip-ons! They all looked so adorable.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Keokuk, IA

We spent Memorial Day Weekend in Keokuk, IA. Jason played in the Greg E. Kraus Memorial Golf Tournament and the kids and I spent some quality time in the hotel pool and visiting with good friends that no longer live close enough to us! (we miss you Kraus family!) There were garage bands on Friday night that were very fun to listen and watch the little kids dance to. Saturday there were 19 total children watching their fathers in the golf tournament and driving the staff at the country club crazy with cheetos and french fries on the floor and constant running around! There was music all night long and a great time was had by all. The 5 1/2 hour trip did get a little long for Savannah mostly- she is not as mesmerized by the DVD player yet- but overall was not too bad of a road trip.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Scars

At the ripe old age of 6 years and 10 months Noah now has another scar to show off! Wednesday at daycare, Noah was washing his hands at one of the old school sinks like in our elementary school days where you push the pedal with your foot and the water comes out like in a rainbow for many people to stand and wash their hands. Well, supposedly....another kid was splashing the water out of the sink onto the floor. Noah, unaware of this- finished washing his hands.... did a little spin on his heel- (because everybody does that when they wash their hands-right?) to get a paper towel and in the middle of the spin landed chin first on the tile floor. It left a good gash- enough that the pediatrician felt the "glue" they can use instead of stitches wouldn't work. After 4 shots of novacaine and 4 stitches- he stated he "wouldn't mind doing this again", because "it didn't really hurt!". Somehow, I think we will try to hold off on that one!

Friday, May 9, 2008

Bittersweet Goodbye

Well, we finally had to say goodbye to a dear old friend. Barney, the purple 1994 Cavalier has finally died. It has been the best car- I bought this car back in October 1995 all by myself. To get approved at 21 without a parent to co-sign for the loan was a really big deal at the time! Shortly after I got the Cavalier, I began babysitting quite often for a family in Warrensburg, MO and their three little children helped me name it after their favorite purple dinosaur, Barney! It has almost 177,000 miles on it! Despite all the fender benders that Jason has been in with it- it was a blown head gasket that ended the life of Barney. I truly believe that car has driven from Minnesota to Missouri (which is nearly 1,000 miles round trip) at least 40 times plus a few trips to Keokuk and Cedar Falls, IA, Madison, WI and a trip to South Carolina and back. And how could I forget the countless hours that I drove around Warrensburg delivering Pizza Hut pizzas!! So, we got a new car- the most prized characteristics being a large back seat....to hold 3 car seats and a large trunk....to haul everything needed for 3 children. (Stayed tuned to hear about Ernie, the 1997 Escort in the near future!)

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Garage Sale

We (my sister Tina and I) decided to have our first garage sale on 4/25 and 4/26, at mom and dad's house in Lake City. We spent 6 hours on Sunday 4/19 (with a little bit of a headache from my little sister Valerie's bachelorette party the night before) organizing and pricing the rows and rows of clothes. We were a little crazy by the end of the day. Darin, Tina's husband, kept the older 4 children occupied by taking them for rides up the Plote hill and the little two slept or hung out in the garage with us. As you can see, Savannah took a little break from running around and sat in the bathtub- what a perfect seat!

Well, the garage sale was a HUGE success! Yes it was raining- oh yeah.....and snowing, but thank goodness the people of Lake City still perservered. I am not so sure that I am ready to do it again next year but, it was worth it to see all of those clothes leave my house and go to someone elses! It also helps that dad has a heater in the garage to keep us and the shoppers warm! Needless to say the number of bins containing clothes that is now in my house has greatly reduced- only to be filled as our wonderful children continually seem to grow like weeds.

Jennifer

Friday, April 25, 2008

Our First Family Blog

Hello! Welcome to The Minnesota Wards Blog! Since we have so many family and friends that we don't see often enough, and...we have so many great things to tell, show, and update you on- I decided to start a family blog so everyone can share in the craziness and joys of our life. It will be a great way to get out recent pictures and the happenings going on here in Minnesota. So, Welcome to The Minnesota Wards Blog!

Visitors