The Sky Over Fargo/Moorhead on 7/5/10

Did you see it for yourself? It was gorgeous! And for once I thought to grab my camera. Just in case you missed it, let me fill you in:

Still nothing creative or juicy to report. Maybe if I remember to strap my camera around my neck more frequently I'll become a little more inspired. We'll see.

Fall Findings

With H1N1 (a.k.a. "swine flu") making its presence known lately, we've been a bit hermit-like in these parts. Due to the fact that Avery and I have no obligations to the outside world on a day to day basis, I thought we'd just weather this storm in the comfort of our home.

Then I remembered we currently share a home with my mother (and who filled in at the pediatric department last week, assisting in the treatment of approximately 40 sick children).

As I was thinking of all those scary germs, I remembered another frightening fact: money is some of the most germy, yucky stuff on earth. It just so happens that money is something my husband handles EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. *shudder*

Needless to say, I implemented a strict hand washing law; the minute one walks in the door, hands must be washed, and clothes must be changed.

I feel I need to defend myself...I am usually not a germ-a-phobe. The 3 second rule for eating food dropped on the floor in our house is sometimes stretched to 5 and even 10 seconds. Heck, if a piece of candy goes unnoticed for a few days, and Avery snatches it up and eats it, I've even managed to not cringe.

But this flu has us all in a tizzy, so we've stayed in. We've been baking (more to come on that later), doing craft projects, reading books, and playing indoor games. Autumn has all but passed us by. Then, yesterday I glimpsed the sun shining through the window as my son jumped wildly on my couch cushions.

Okay, so we won't be going to the park and exchanging nasty high-fives with germy kids, or careening down the booger-smeared slide. But we sure can walk around the neighborhood! So off we strolled into the crisp autumn air.

By the time we returned home, I had an armful of "pwetty weaves."








I'm so glad we didn't miss this.

I'm Still Here!

Well, there's been an awful lot going on lately. The most dramatic thing going on would be the flooding. I think we've all heard enough about that lately that we don't need another dose from me.

The most exciting piece of news is that I got my dream camera for my birthday! Yay! My Nikon D60 is everything I could have hoped for! I've been out and about snapping photos...and hopefully will be able to post some of the decent ones on here soon.

I just thought I'd better make sure you all weren't planning to send out a search party for me. The move went all right, slow and painful, but it got done! And I can't tell you how happy I am to be out of a ground-level apartment considering the state of flood waters in this area!

I'll be back soon.

Oh baby, it's cold outside!

It is now nearly 6 pm. After a full day of not venturing outside to even run errands, you could say we're a little stir crazy...well, some more than others. Avery doesn't seem to care that he'd be knocked over by blowing snow and his tears of boredom/frustration would freeze on his little cherub face.

He just wants to get outside - NOW.



Sorry, kiddo, this what it's like to be snowed in.

Autumn Greeting

Apparently summer is backing away from us, and autumn is eager to fill its place. This week, we're already getting down into the 40's during the night. Brrr!

I'm one of those people who are impossible to please. I hate sweating the second I walk out the door during the summer months, but I also despise shoveling snow and bundling up. I suppose that's human nature, right? Let me feel a little bit better about my constant state of discontent when it comes to this region's weather...agree with me, please.

I dragged out my crock pot today. This chilly weather is putting me in the mood for something slow-cooked and wholesome. Beef roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, and some fresh garden peas should do the trick. Mmmm...I can't wait for supper and it's not even noon!

Spectacular Summer!

I thought after my last post, I needed to add something positive here...

We spent some quality time at the lake cabin this weekend, and were fortunate enough to have lovely weather! Here are some of the highlights:














After all that excitement, we had an awfully tired child on our hands. Naps were taken whenever there was an opportunity!

While Snow Pelted Fargo...

We were in Nebraska enjoying warmer weather!



Chasing chickens


Giggling with Grandma
and cousin, Teghan


Playing


Having
FUN
with
Grandpa


AND
EATING
MUD!!

The Winter That Never Ended

That'd be this one, of course.

My view from our patio. Our poor newly-purchased grill is covered with a blanket of ice and snow. Avery's multi-functional Radio Flyer wagon is also getting beat up by the elements.

Will we ever see spring and summer?

About Me

It has recently been brought to my attention (Thanks, Matt) that I blog primarily about Avery and not as much about myself. So - here are some tid-bits about myself.

1. I LOVE to read - I get caught up in a book so easily, hours can pass without my even realizing it.

2. My favorite holiday is 4th of July. This is mostly because as a child we'd always spend it with my grandparents and aunts, uncles, and cousins at the lake cabin near Detroit Lakes. Grilling, swimming, tubing behind the speedboat, staying up late playing Pinnochle...there are so many great memories.

3. I have birthed two children without an epidural. (The first was purely by chance. The second, by choice. And I realize to many of you, this is a strange inclusion...but it's a motherly thing of pride for me.)

4. As a child, meatloaf and canned peas were a staple in our home. Both of which made me gag. Today, I can stomach my own meatloaf, but do not come near me with canned peas.

5. I love trees. If there is just one thing I would change about North Dakota/Minnesota it would be the addition of more trees. (Second would be the nasty winters.)

6. I have never lived anywhere more than 45 minutes from my hometown: Arthur, ND.

7. I am a tough person. It takes a very serious situation to cause me to break down.

8. Taking #7 into account, I get very emotionally attached to pets. When our childhood dog, Gypsy (an ever-curious, good-hearted, & VERY patient Golden Retriever) died, I think I cried for a week. Seriously. Also, I had to put my teenage pal, Payton (the friendliest - and most responsive - cat I've ever met), down when he contracted Feline Leukemia. Matt and I took him, with his withering little body wrapped in an old bath towel, to the nearby vet's office. I remember sobbing all the way home, his dead little body still wrapped in that towel, enclosed in a medical supply box. I hugged that box tightly, repeating: "It's just not fair" over and over again.

9. I'm very handy. My father never had any sons, so there were never "boy tasks" in our home. Anything was fair game to everyone. I can replace caulking and points on 50+ year-old storm windows, drive a stick-shift (at this point it'd be pretty rusty though), drive all sorts of farm machinery, lay shingles, change the oil on my vehicle, etc. Farm life definitely promotes independence.

10. My love of English can be credited to my high school English teacher, Mrs. Nyberg.

11. I love coffee; plain black, mochas, iced lattes - you name it, I love it.

12. I remember when I told my first lie. (Terrible, right?!) The whole family was sitting in the living room watching television and I told my mother I wanted a piece of gum. She said "No, it's too close to bedtime." I left the room, snuck into her purse (she always had spearmint Trident, and her purse always had this aroma of mint and tobacco), took a piece of gum, and returned to the living as though nothing happened. If you're familiar with spearmint Trident, you know you can smell when someone is chewing it from about a 6 foot perimeter. My mother asked me: "Megan, did you take a piece of gum from my purse?" Me: "No, Mom, I didn't." Mom: "Spit it out in my hand NOW." Me: (spitting the gum out) "Sorry Mom." -- Not an especially evil lie, but I couldn't have been more than 3 or 4 at the time. Shame on me.

13. I have seasonal allergies so bad that sometimes my eyes swell so badly that all I have are little gunky slits to see out of. (Pleasant mental picture, right?)

14. I have ALWAYS wanted to learn to play guitar. (I just got one, so hopefully soon I'll be serenading you all soon!)

15. I have never traveled out of the country - unless you count Canada, which I don't.