I'll be absent

Just a reminder- I'm leaving Monday at 5:30 am and probably won't be posting to our wonderful blog! Crazy! Today I hope to do some packing and other odd jobs. I hope I don't forget anything. Don't worry, I've already purchased sunscreen and a goofy looking hat with a big brim since I will be exposed to extreme sun at 14 degrees north latitude. Anything else you think I should bring along? (besides clothes, that's obvious)

I hope you all are well
SarahA

Good times!

Here are some fun pictures from last weekend! Sorry we high-tailed it out of there so fast, I could see Micaela's fever rising at the time went on. She was better, and now is sick again with Croup Cough...I'm beginning to freak out because 1. She is ALWAYS sick and 2. If I miss anymore work I'm going to have a panic attack! Anyways, congrats to the Siverstson-WI is almost as cool as WA...but at least your in "visitable" range!

Packer fans?

Well, the job offer has come and been accepted...and we are now on the path to moving to Packer Country. That's right, folks, we are on the way to Green Bay, Wisconsin. And that is good. :)

David got offerered this job on Tuesday, and accepted it today. He starts in the fall. He will be a jack of all trades there, teaching lots of things, but he is excited about finally getting started.

Other than that, I guess there is no news to report. After waiting for that to come down the pike, everything else seems anti-climatic. :)

Anyway, I have to go; Julia is sick with a bad cold and has woken up about 4 times already and its only 8:15. Poor thing. It may be a long night. Fun times. David took his turn last night while I conferenced with nobody at school and then played VB until what felt like the wee hours of the morning, but was actually only 10:15 p.m. So, its my turn tonight. :)

Anyone else pumped for the winter storm? I am so excited! Stay warm, safe, and great! I love you guys. Thanks for being amazing!

Mandola

Wow.

That is an amazing picture Scanders! Congratulations on LOTS of new exciting things happening...you're going to be a poor student again...how fun!

Life up here has been a little less than fun, Micaela had an ear infection this past week, so I missed 3 days of work. It was 72 hours of crankiness and she could really only sleep sitting up, so I was propped up on the couch for three nights...not so fun! Missing work wouldn't be so bad but LENT is days away and the middle school musical started this week...so I'm feeling behind.

But, in one hour I'm hitting the road and traveling to see Scanders, SBooms (nice nickname) and the Seth. I'm very excited-even though I'm totally behind in everything and my daughter is still a cranky little punk...I'm taking the risk and going. I need a little mental break!

Here is a little story for you...in the midst of a crazy day getting back to work yesterday I led the program for Bethseda Birthday-which the group here at church that goes to various nursing homes once a month and hosts a birthday party for residents. We usually sing old hymns, read Scripture or poetry. I was so amazed yesterday at this group that was supposed to be "not so with it" yet the old chorus of "I love to tell the story, I'll sing this theme in glory! And tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love." is imprinted so deeply on their hearts that they sing along so strongly...many with tears in their eyes. I can only imagine the memories and feelings those old hymns conger up for these fragile souls.

It made me wonder what music will be brought into our nursing homes when we're old and fragile? Will an entire rock back have to come in to lead us in edgy worship? Its kind of a funny picture! Anyways, I'm amazed each month I go and play piano for these people that have seen so much and know so much...and love to sing the "old, old story of Jesus and his love."

This picture says a lot

Some of you may be able to guess where this picture is from. Yes, Guatemala, but more specifically Antigua, Guatemala. In two and a half weeks I will be boarding a plane to Guatemala for a month. Don't let the physical feature in the background fool you into thinking it is a mountain...it's a volcano. Guatemala is a little smaller in size than Tennessee and has 30 volcanoes. Antigua alone is surrounded by three of them.

I also picked this picture because of the cross in the foreground. Today I received an acceptance letter from Luther Seminary into the Master's of Divinity program. On July 9th I will begin studying the Greek language. In September I will move to campus and begin full-time. Lots of changes to look forward too.

A Response

Hello all! I am responding to Sarah's question! First of all, we DID in fact have a fun SuperBowl party at our house, but it did NOT include the fabulous afore-mentioned Prairie Dog recipe. Yikes! It is also rather amusing that you pose the question, Sarah, about the unused merchandise because our party guests posed the very same question!! And yet, we were unable to come up with a concrete answer -- our hope was merely that it wasn't just thrown away!! Ok, and in response to your final most EXCITING question, my favorite cake has got to be word for word identical to yours! Carrot cake RULES!!! I challenge anyone who disagrees!!!

Ok, I'm off to enjoy what's left of my Sunday evening before another long week starts at work tomorrow a.m.

Love, love, love!
SBooms

random fun stuff

Hello friends-

1. To answer Sarah's question, my favorite kind of cake would be angel food. My mom makes it with a really thin glaze that is delicious.

2. Sarah's second question about the prairie dog dip touched me very deeply. I know that the actual prairie dog meat was substituted with hot dogs and that makes very much sense because prairie dogs are HOT DOGS!

3. I thought I would show you a couple of pictures dealing with some frolicking that happened at my school. We (the Student Council) organized a Snow Week and one of the events was a snow sculpting contest. I was very nervous about what would happen, but I was PLEASANTLY surprised! Some of them turned out really really cool. Ours however was going to be the Kool-Aid man, but turned into a big red blog of snow. FUN!

4. Happy mid-February. Even though it is cold, you should all go play in the snow. It was very good for the soul.

Love,
Breanna

Please respond

Did anyone try the prairie dog recipe at their Superbowl party. I intended on serving it to my many football-loving guests, but alas I had to work and was unable to catch even one commercial of the Super Bowl. Somehow my week has managed to start well even though I haven't been able to be apart of the post-game talk about commercials and who won. (On a Super Bowl side note, do you wonder what they do with all the merchandise that was made for the losing team? You know they have hats made for both teams in advance that say they both won, so what do they do with the loser merchandise? Would they really just throw unused items away?)

Even if you don't have the answers for the above questions, I would like a response to the following question: If you could have any kind of cake, what would you like? I've been thinking about all the cakes that people used to make in the good old days when Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines weren't around. If I were to choose a cake...what would it be? Well, I'll tell you my answer, if you promise to share yours. Carrot cake, homemade with real grated carrots, raisins, spices, and of course cream cheese frosting. Nummy!

A recipe to try for your upcoming party

Prairie Dog with Chilean Hass Avocados
Guacamole:
2 ripe Hass avocados, peeled and seeded
1 plum tomato, cored and diced in 1/4-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 small onion, finely choppes
1/2 tsp coarse salt
Dash white pepper
Juice from 1 lemon wedge

Tomato and Corn Salsa:
3 plum tomatoes, diced in 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
4 tbsp fresh or frozen cooked corn
1 clove garlic, minced
4 springs cilantro, chopped
1/4 tsp coarse salt
Dash white pepper

Hot dogs:
6 beef/veggie hot dogs
1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 hot dog buns
1/4 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
Prepare guacamole: With a fork, mix togeth avocados, tomato, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and lemon juice to achieve a smooth consistency. Chill, covered, until using

Prepare salsa: In a bowl, gently mix togeth tomato, onion, bell pepper, jalepeno, corn, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until using.

Prepare hot dogs: Slowly sear hot dogs in oil in a frying pan until slightly browned. Place hot dogs in buns and add guacamole on one side of the hot dog and salsa on the other side. Spring Cheddar on top.



No lie, this recipe was in today's Star Tribune Taste section. If I were to make up a prairie dog recipe, I don't think it would have so much spice. I would make something that involved bland Midwestern ingredients because I think that's what prairie dogs would like. But, it's good to have some additional spice. At least the recipe didn't involve real prairie dogs.

So, I've been excited to go to Taize France since the opportunity came up in November. I just got an email today that the trip has been canceled. I'm so bummed! I know in the big picture, this is not that big of a deal...I'll get over it. But, the money given from my church is still mine to use for whatever continuing ed. I can find...so that's what I'm hunting for right now.

And its so cold here...about -5 today (that's without windchill of course) and its supposed to get worse, "hazerdous to be outside" is what the weatherman said last night. On a high note...my kid is cute when she's all buddled up!

Hope you are all warm and happy today!

Rough Day

Hey ladies...
I just had a bad day and thought maybe I could vent to you. First, we found out this morning (actually, I found out last night) that a 10th grader was in a car accident that will leave her paralyzed over the weekend. She is in ICU in Rochester and it is going to be a long recovery process. Needless to say, since I teach 10th grade, it was a rough day. And actually, the most frustrating part of the day was kids who didn't even care and said things like, "She should have been wearing her seatbelt" or "We have heard about this 100 times today." WOW.
Then, the less bad event was that after looking at a house this weekend and talking about all the cool things about it and how we could fix the weird things about it, we found out today that it sold this morning. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. It was just really exciting and then my hopes were dashed. Oh well.
Hope you all had a good weekend and have a good week!
Love,
Breanna

Hi ladies! How are all of you? I'm sorry its been so long again since I've written. Things have been rather crazy around here since our fantatic Christmas of sickness. I feel like I never really "caught up" like I thought I'd get to do over the break. Anyway...

Although busy, things here are going pretty well. David has his last recital next week (the 24th) and he has been working very hard to get ready for that. It will be nice to have that done. Also, he has been fielding some job opportunites that have been pretty exciting for him, but stressful. He has had phone interviews in the last week or so with the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, same at Oshkosh, and also Augustana in Rock Island, IL. Green Bay liked him, and he will be traveling there on the 31st for an interview. He is one of three candidates left! :) We haven't heard back from Oshkosh, and the Augustana interview was just last night, so its a little early to tell. He also made a "select group" (whatever that means) of finalists for a job at PLU--go figure Elizabeth--for which he had to send some extra materials in to them. We're not really sure what to expect from that one, but at least he made it that far. :) Anyway, he's been stressed getting ready for all of these phone interviews, his recital, and preparing for the actuall interview in Green Bay, for which he has a LOT of music to learn.
As for me, things are going well, too. School is keeping me busy. The semester is over today, so next week, I start with a whole new batch of kids. I am sad that won't see the kids I've had again, but it will be nice to try something new. Other than school, I've been trying to pick up the slack for David working so hard, which means I'm EXHAUSTED at the end of the day. I seriously don't know how people manage two full-time jobs and running a house. I'm thinking next year I'll stay home. That would be nice if we acutally had MONEY! Ha! :)
And then there's Julia who has turned into a little person with her own BIG personality and newly found attitude. Being a parent has taken on a whole new meaning now that we actually have to discipline. I don't really like it yet; its hard to say "no!" and follow through when she cries. And she cries like she's getting her arm cut off. What a drama queen. However, as I teach the shit heads in my kindergarten classes who absolutely don't know how to listen AT ALL and therefore don't learn anything, and furthermore are undeterred by any consequence, I see how important it is to introduce tough love. Hopefully it will pay off.
She has been a blast most of the time, though. She talks a lot, had sprouted a lot of new teeth, runs, climbs, teases, sings, etc. The last three months have been amazing as far as what she's learned. That part is fun.
So, what's new with you guys? I loved reading about the "dream wedding" of Breanna's. Sounds super classy. :) What do you guys think about Bush's new "Surge" plan? Anyone want to sound off? How about Pawlenty's new budget for education? What a joke. Maybe we should buy an island and create our own government where no incompetant people can be elected. Because we would be the only people there. :) ha ha.
I'm not full of funny dream stories like Sarah, so I'll stop here. I really hope that you are all doing great!! Anyone who wants to drop by David's recital, its at 7:30 at the Floyd Ultan recital hall in the music building on Wednesday, the 24th. I'd love to see you there!! :)
Love to you all,
Mandola

A unique fashion

The day was Breanna's wedding day and everyone was dressed with killer style. Her bridesmaids were wearing the black tea-length dresses she picked out and the groomsmen were wearing snazzy tuxedos and everyone else in attendance looked their Sunday best. My brother was playing the interesting selections Breanna chose for her wedding day. My focus then shifted to Breanna, the bride at the front of the church. She looked like a stylish 40 year old straight from the 1980s. She had on a maroon silk blouse-type top which had large puffy short sleeves (like the kind Anne Shirley wanted to get when attending the Christmas ball from the fictional series, Anne of Green Gables) with a round, almost boat neck. Okay, a little different than your traditional bridal gown, but then when I saw the skirt I had to keep myself from laughing. It was a gold embroidered pattern worn right around the belly button and tailored tightly through the butt and hips with no flare and cut off straight at the knees. It was quite the outfit and no one really seemed to notice the poor fashion selection on the bride's part. The service was full of hymns because Breanna believed that to be important and most of them were appropriate. I had to stop and think why Earth and All Stars was selected for a matrimony hymn. But none of these atypical wedding occurrences affected the excitement in the air as Breanna tied the knot with Chris (he was still the groom). Oh, silly dreams. You may think the maroon and gold relates to Cobber colors, but both colors were each darker than what Concordia uses.

SarahA

2007 rocks

Hi everyone-
A review of lunching last Friday...
We (Elizabeth, Micaela, Sarah, Lindsey, and Breanna) ate a delightful lunch at Perkins. We discussed how our holidays went and things like that. Micaela had fun throwing french toast around, and I had fun encouraging such behavior...he he he. Although too short, it was fun to chat. I wish more of you could have been there as well!

As for me, I am currently finishing up my work for the weekend just in time to relax for a few hours before it is bed time. Actually, I have been relaxing quite a bit this weekend. Chris is on call, so I came to Mankato to hang out with him since he can't leave the city. We have been playing rummy and other fun things since he does not have cable yet. We also played some Atari games on Playstation...weird. Then, when he gets called into work (which has only been twice) I have done some correcting. It has been good to just sit and relax. We often don't do such things. I am glad we were made to.

P.S. Sarah, I wish I would not have taught Chris rummy because he thinks he is way better than me. But, he was underpriviledged as a child and did not play cards ever! WEIRD! At least I can teach him by my rules!!!!

Hope all of you are having restful weekends as well!

Love,
Breanna

Lunching with ladies??

Hello all! I am just writing to get the update on how the lunch went the other day with those of you who were lucky enough to get together for lunch?! I am very sad that I could not be there, but would love to live vicariously through ALL of you and hear how it all went. Tell us all about it!!!!!

My New Year's Resolutions are as follows: (I, too, am not a big fan of these, but here goes!!)

1) Get better at returning phone calls (those of you who know me best know that I SUCK at this!!)

2) Become more acquainted with the treadmills at the local YMCA (if for nothing else than to feel better about myself!)

3) Spend more time with those who mean the most to me (including each and every one of you)

4) Find something that I am TRULY passionate about and pursue it like nothing else

Love you guys!!
SB

Resolving!

Hey ladies, so I'm not usually into the New Year's resolution thing, but the lessons learned in the last year are proding me to set some goals and be resolved to accomplish them. Are any of you setting resolutions? Here are mine...

1. To read through the Bible, I have a Chronilogical Bible that I would like to read this year. Its about time I get back to the Word I've neglected for a long time.

2. Lose 20 lbs. (I miss those old jeans)

3. Leave Micalea with a babysitter once a month and so something fun/social.

4. Explore the area up here in the hopes that I will find places and things here that will make me appreiciate my surroundings as much as I did in Washington.

That's it, nothing too serious but all things I really hope will set me a good path for 2007. May this year be a year of adventure and dreams for all the F-n ladies. Love to you all!

Elizabeth

pooping for Christmas

Yep, that's right. The fun continues. Its now Thursday, nearly a week since the first barfing by Julia, and we are still not back to normal. After helping Julia through getting the flu twice, (David, too) and now dealing with her diarrhea (how do you spell that?), my Christmas has been awesome. Cleaning up barf and poop. Fun times.
Needless to say, I am not going to be able to make it tomorrow. I'm sorry, but Julia is just not well enough to take a trip like that. On top of her bottom end problems, she also has a cold, and with the runny nose, I fear we may spread the fun to some of you.
We left Clear Lake early yesterday as the bugs were swarming the house; everyone had been/was sick. Seriously. How gross. At one point, we had 8 adults and 4 kids in the house; half of us were sick.
Anyway, I'll stop venting. I wish you all a great time tomorrow. I wish I could be there. :( We'll try to catch up sometime soon.

Love you all,
Mandy

Corporate America

So there are some times in my life (more often than not, I think) when I regret working for corporate America. Right now is one of those times. I HATE that I don't get a Christmas vacation, that the only day I had off for Christmas was yesterday, that I have to pretend that I care about all of the bullshit they tell us every day and that, most importantly, I DON'T GET TO SEE YOU ALL ON FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SO upset about this. I had to miss out on the last F-ing get-together as well because Seth and I were on a trip that weekend, and now I have to miss this one too??!! Stupid work. I think that we're still going to be in the Cities overnight Saturday night, so probably Sunday morning/lunch would work best for us (we have a family Christmas in Fairmont Saturday at 1pm, then a Schreier family thing in the Cities Saturday evening at about 6pm). Is there anyone available on Sunday at all?? Anybody? I am feeling sad and want to see you guys!! Let me know what's up!

SarahB

barfing for Christmas

Hey ladies.
I'm here in good ol' Iowa with the Severtson clan. After finally finishing all of my concerts this week, I sure was looking forward to a little time to relax. However, on the ride down here (its just Julia and I in the car) Julia threw up four times. It was so awful. I didn't know what to do! Was she car sick? Have the flu? Well, since nearly everyone else here has had some kind of weird bug today also, I'm thinking it was the flu. Great. Fun times here. Fortunately, the bug has passed most quickly, with limited barfing. Yuck. I hope that never happens to me again. At least if someone else was with it wouldn't have been so bad!
Since we're here until Wednesday or so, I'm not sure if the Friday lunch thing will work, but I'll check when I get home. That weekend is the Jepson Christmas, and I don't know what the exact plans are. Plus, I'm now terrified of driving with Julia any long distance. I'll have to get over that I guess.
Anyway, I hope that you all have a super great Christmas!!! I love you all very much and am so thankful to have friends like you!

Love,
Mandy

My bad

Sorry, its Friday...whatever the date is...29th? Its totally Friday, all the way Friday.

Too many bulletins, too much wine.

Love you all!

Elizabeth

Clarification needed

Elizabeth,

Did you mean Friday the 29th, because the 30th is Saturday. I hope you meant the 29th because I'm off the whole day and would love to see all of you. However, if it's Saturday I can do lunch because I don't work until 2 pm.

Happy holidays!

SarahA

Let's do lunch!

Hey ladies! I talked to the blushing bride (Breanna) last night and we have decided to do lunch on Friday, December 30 somewhere in the Minneapolis area. Who will join us? It would be a shame to let the holiday season go by with no get together...so get blogging/emailing/calling so we know you can be there!!!

In other news, I have finally finished all the Christmas bulletins and feel much relief! Of course, we're already looking ahead all the way through Lent...but its good to have the first major load done. Now we just get to enjoy the services. Micaela turns ONE in 4 days...I'm trying not to freak out..but seriously, where did the year go? Its been a good milestone to reflect on the past year and feel like we're actually going somewhere with our lives. This one year old is really good at trashing the house each night, so my nightly ritual of picking up has extended to every inch of our home!! AAHH!!

Also, the Lutheran Center that I work with at UND is sending a group of students to Taize, France in March. Using some continuing education funds from Calvary and UND...I GET TO GO! They are sending me as the staff person, so there will be a little work involved, but we're pairing up with Boston University and I'm so excited to go and experience that community and see the source of this worship and prayer style that I love so much.

Okay, we'll be waiting to hear from you all that you're available for lunch on the 30th!

I finally put up my Christmas tree!

Ok, so no excuses from me about not writing sooner. I am sorry. I do have lots to say, but I will try to keep it nice and short this time (Yah, right, you're all saying!). For starters, Seth and I have made the HUGE decision to stay in Marshall. For now, anyway. Seth has been offered a position with a local independent insurance agency as an insurance agent and is in the process of training, as well as finishing up with finals this week at school, and then will be taking his licensing test in the next week and a half. WHOA! We both are excited to a certain degree to be sticking around good ol' SW Minn, but sometimes I think we both dream of bigger and better things. For now, though, this is a good step for us - we will be close to family, which is a big plus, and Seth will be able to get started in something career-wise without us having to make huge lifestyle changes. I am hoping it will be EXCELLENT! :) For me, this means staying with Wells Fargo for the short-term, and maybe looking into something different in a few months. I am not really sure yet. Sometimes I think that management is for the birds.

We also just put up our Christmas tree today and the first of our Christmas decorations! This was a big step as I've been procrastinating forEVER because I have kind of not been looking forward to Christmas this year as much as usual. I am not really sure why, other than that I know that the buying of gifts for everyone makes me very stressed out and get crabby very fast. Surprise, surprise, right?! Also, I hate having to try and juggle family schedules for meals and opening gifts and such - why can't we have just one BIG PARTY?!

Other than that - for anyone who would like to come to Marshall this weekend, Seth and I are throwing a very informal and probably fairly small (but fun all the same!) party for Seth's graduation. We're going to get a keg and have some munchies - if anyone of you are feeling adventurous and/or daring, please let me know! You are ALL welcome and I would LOVE to see you!!!!!

Lizabeth, I am SO proud of you for being done (as stupid as that might sound) - I am extremely grateful to have you back. Mandy - my gosh, girl, I don't know how you've survived without complaint! I hope your tests turn out well - you'll be in my prayers.

As far as getting together is concerned, I will be in the Twin Cities the last weekend in December for my dad's 55th birthday, which is actually New Year's Eve. Keep me updated on any possibilites!

Love you all,
Sarah Christine B

Last night advent started

Those that believe in the Christian faith say the season of advent started last Sunday, but for me it started last night. Somewhere in my years at Concordia the Christmas concerts became my way preparing for Christmas. After attending last night's concert at Orchestra Hall (which was mostly good) I felt as though today I was allowed to turn on the Christmas music, get out the nativity, and put up the tree. It was fun today to listen to the Chipmunks Christmas CD and get out some of the decorations that have been around longer than I am old. While I no longer have an advent calendar that has a piece of chocolate behind it to eat everyday, I am still trying to be somewhat intentional about Christmas preparations.

SarahA

belated thanks

Hi, everyone! I haven't written in a while, and I'm sorry to those of you I've been playing phone tag with (or just haven't been very good at replying to your messages). Life is busy, but it's no excuse.

Things I am thankful for:
-My niece, Shawna, was diagnosed with Stage 3 Melanoma in September (meaning it had spread into her lymphatic system). She has had two recent successful surgeries, and they are hoping she is cancer free. She does not need to go through chemo, and they are going to monitor her regularly to make sure she stays cancer-free.
-My grandpa also had a successful cancer surgery, and he is now cancer-free! (You suck, cancer!)
-I FINALLY graduate in June!
-I am almost done with my current clinical internship -- I have loved working with the kids, but I don't like being gone from 7:00 am to 7:30 pm every day.
-wonderful friends and family
-all of God's blessings

So, that's what I'm thankful for in a nutshell. Mandy and Elizabeth, I promise to call you back this week.

I would love to see all of you soon! I'm on Christmas break from December 15th to January 8th. I'm going to be in Mexico the week of the 17th to the 24th with family, but will be back into the cities after Christmas.
Take care -
Lindsey

annoying

Hi gals-
I guess I'm part of the "unthankful club" for not checking in sooner. Sorry. I do have lots to be thankful about. Lots.
This week has been more than a little stressful...here's why: The last few months I have not been feeling so well. On and off, I've battled UTI's, infections, and have just felt kind of crappy. Its been annoying. Finally I got sick of trying to feel better and told my doctor I felt like there was something else not normal going on. So I had a pelvic ultrasound yesterday before school (fun times) and sure enough, two things showed up. I am glad to know that I was right, but I'm not sure what these things mean. The ultrasound tech saw a fairly large cyst on an ovary, and I also have a very large kidney stone. Both things could explain why I've been feeling crappy. My doctor now has to look at the ultrasoud pictures, and from what I understand, neither of these thing are serious, but both might require some kind of treatment other than medication. Its annoying and I still feel kind of nervous, but I am glad to know that I wasn't just feeling bad for no reason! :) I'll let you know what I find out.
Tonight David and I have to perform in this town production called the Holiday Showcase. It is a concert of local musical talent that resembles the talent show on "Dirty Dancing." :) There are about 7 good acts and about 7 that are kind of painful. :) It will be fun, though. I consider myself part of the painful group, but whatever. At least we can check this off the list of things to do this month. :)
I hope that all of you are well. Maybe we should all take a trip up to the Northland and form a small army to ward off all of the men that Elizabeth will be fighting off now that she's a hot single woman. :) Sounds like fun to me. :)
Well, I have to get back to the babes here. :) Just noticed this week that Julia thinks it would be fun to have ALL of her teeth come in together. Yikes. I didn't even check the back of her mouth for a long time, assuming that her top two teeth would be the next two to come in. This week I looked and here she has two teeth--one on top and one on bottom half way back! Opon futher inspection, she's got nearly all teeth trying to get out. Ouch. No wonder she's been a bit crabby.
Anyway, have a nice weekend, stay warm, and I hope to talk to you all soon!!

Love you guys,
mandy

yesterday...

at 2pm i became offically divorced...it doesn't feel very good, not very different either. it feels like the sound when you drop a coin into a big empty barrell...hallow. perhaps i will try and fill the void with christmas lights, candy canes and "do you hear what i hear" which has been resounding in my head for a week straight....

so, that's my update! now that i'm single i'll have to go back to beating the boys off with a stick...damn.

I am thankful...

that Chris doesn't really have a mullet.

A Get-Together???

Hi again,
I have been checking daily to see what everyone is thankful for, but it only looks like we have 3 thankful individuals who belong to this blog.
Anywho-I am available over the break on Dec. 28th during the day (Thursday), or anytime on Friday, Dec. 29th, but I have to go home that night or early the next morning for Christmas with the Bectholds. So, Saturday, Dec. 30th is out for me.
I will give all of you ungrateful people one last chance to say your thanks.
Happy Holidays!
Breanna

Post-thanksgiving gratitude!

'ello ladies,

I would like to include my list of blessings...do they still count after thanksgiving?

Micaela~happy, healthy and a handful!
Mi familia
employment
spring in 4 months
God's faithfulness
a nice place to live
Mt. Rainier
all you ladies

Its been awhile since I've written so here's an update! Micaela and I have returned from our trip out to Washington, we saw lots of people. Its hard being on a baby schedule when no one else is or at least some of the folks we saw didn't really care about the baby schedule, so that was eye-opening and I underestimated how exhausting it can be travelling with baby, I was really sick when we came back. Micaela has had the flu twice. Thanksgiving was awesome, no travelling involved...just lots of relaxing with wonderful people.

So Christmas time is approaching, we will be in the Twin Cities area Dec. 28-30, and maybe longer but I have to check on work. Is there any chance of all of us getting together?

So Happy Post-thanksgiving Monday...can we get some updates from those other ladies?

Peace my sisters!
Elizabeth

More thanks

Breanna, I thought your favorite holiday was Fourth of July? Hmmm...fishy. Nonetheless, I too have lots to be thankful for:

Healthcare
A support network of family, friends, coworkers, and others
Family traditions
Music
Knitting
Meteor showers- last weekend was great by the way, even if I frostbit my 10 toes :(
Hostas and lilies
Walden Pond
LVC
the Resurrection
and of course a lot more!

Safe travels and Happy Thanksgiving!
Sarah A

Thanksgiving

Hi friends...
I just wanted to take a moment to say what I am thankful for as my favorite holiday approaches. I think I like it because we can tell people we are thankful for them without getting them presents to prove it.

I am thankful for:
Chris
My family
My students (even when they are shitheads)
All of you lovely ladies and what you have shared with me throughout the years. I will always cherish our times together.
My health
Books
Music
Relaxation
Warmish fall days
My bed
Love


I could keep going forever...I just wanted to share and hope that you will all do the same.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Love, Breanna

here I am!

Hi everyone!
Its been awhile since I've written and I'm sorry. I, like Breanna, am tired teacher. :) It sure has been fun to read some of your entries, though. Sarah, sometimes when you write I think you should get a job at a newspaper--you have great persuasive, informative entries!
Things here have been fine. It gets a little monotonous to go to school, come home, cook, clean, and put Julia to bed. I love playing with her, but the rest of the stuff get old FAST. I am not a person with a cheery attitude about housework. I think if I didn't have to work on top of it, I'd be okay. Anyway, that's life, so I'll deal.
I have a couple of concerts coming up in December, so I am busy getting ready for those. One is on Friday, December 8th at 1:30 in the afternoon if anyone wants to come! :) Anyway, I spend too much time thinking about the concert and it makes me feel stressed out. I also have been fighting a womanly infection (TMI I know...) which means I've been on pretty strong antibiotics for week, and they make be feel disgusting. Nauseous, tired, just gross. So, when I add stressed out to that, it kind of sucks. On the up-side, David has been a little extra helpful this week, so that has been nice.
Julia continues to grow and make us smile. She is really starting to talk a lot. We hear words like thank you, more, please, uh-oh, oooohh, and tree a lot. :) They don't always sound perfect, but once you hear them enough you realize that's what she's saying. Its so amazing to watch her learn and figure things out. She is really getting tall, too--31 inches long! Wow. When she stretches out in the tub I always think, "Oh my gosh!! How did she get so big!" :)
My parents had a very interested couple look at their house this week...they may get an offer and have to move out by January. Now that its more real, it kind of makes me sad, but that's life. I need to realize that our house is just a thing and its the people that i care about. It will be hard to leave behind all of our memories there though.
My brother got a new job in Bloomington. He is still working for US Bank, but in a different department. He has worked there for MAYBE three weeks. His department met their quota or something like that this week, so they all get to go to Cancun. He gets to go too! Sounds nice. I think they should send teachers to Cancun after the school year. Or maybe in the middle. But wouldn't that be nice to go there after only working for three weeks?! Sounds like a nice job.
Elizabeth- how was the trip out West? I hope that you had a nice time visiting and have a feeilng of closure getting all of the loose ends tied up!
Sarah- How is your mom? Thanks for the info on the meteor shower. Cool! And I agree with you about the whole parent thing. For some they just don't care, others they are working so hard they don't have time to care. It is sad, and a cycle that I think is hard to break. But hey, lets go for that performance-based pay anyway, right Mr. Pawlenty? parents have nothing to do wtih it!
Breanna- I'm sorry you're sounding so burned out! I hope that once in awhile your kids show you why it was you went into teaching. You are a super teacher!!!! They'll be so much better off because of you, even though you might not see it now.
Everyone else--WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU!!
Well, Have a very Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! I love you all, and love that we can catch up on this blog. What a genius idea, Sarah. :) Have a fun weekend, and hopefully we can all see one another soon.

Love ya,
Mandy

Meteor shower

Friends I have been alerted to the fact that tomorrow night is the perfect time to see a stellar meteor shower. The best time to see it will be between 9:30 pm - 2 am. I am hoping for a clear night because a friend and I intend to drive out of the city and find a cornfield to watch the stars. Of course I also plan to wear my long underwear and bring a sleeping bag as the temperatures continue to drop these days.

Who else is looking forward to Thanksgiving? I will enjoy a couple days off, that is for sure. I plan on going to St. Cloud on Thursday to celebrate with my dad's side and then a dinner on Saturday night with my mom's side. It should all be nice. I'm going to make homemade pumpkin pie from the pumpkins that have been sitting on my front step this fall. As I am making them from scratch I will think of years long ago when people did not have the convenience of Libby's pumpkin pie mix to dump into their pie shell and bake. I suppose if I were really trying to act like a pioneer I would also make my own crust, but I think I will settle for convenience on that one.

Breanna, I feel I can relate to not being satisfied with the educational system and the students being pushed through grades that do not have basic skills. While it is frustrating, I can't help but be somewhat optimistic that teachers do not intentionally pass students along. I think there are exceptions, such as the student with the extreme behavior issues and a teacher looks forward to having them gone even if they're not ready. I believe a large portion of the problems in education falls on the parents. And ladies with children, correct me if I'm wrong, but what I see is a lack in parenting. Not in all cases, but some. Does society invest in its parents and teach them skills needed for positive parenting? Just the other night I was at the grocery store and there was a small child (around 3) balling uncontrollably. She kept saying, "I want my mom. I want my mom. I don't want to go outside." The man who was with her (presumably her dad) said, "Am I hurting you? You're crying for no reason. Stop it right now!" etc. The tone in which he spoke to his small child in a crowded place was concerning. While I was not fearful for the child's physical safety, I wondered if she experiences the harsh tone of voice regularly and what affect that has on her emotional status. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if children continually experience confrontation and an 'in your face' approach, that's what they come to school with. The skills needed for positive social interaction and problem solving seem to be lacking. Just the other day I had the classroom I was in turn into a boxing arena because some boy said something about the other boy's momma. Instead of ignoring it, or responding differently the boy shoots back some equally condoning words and the boys are then acting like silver back gorillas huffing and puffing and trying to prove that they are mightier than the other. This of course happens when I am trying to give instructions and teach. So after I get them out of the classroom and everyone else is excited because of the 'fight' I am supposed to continue teaching like nothing has happened. So if teachers in the upper elementary and middle school grades must spend time teaching proper social interactions and problem solving skills then there is time being taken away from academic instruction and I believe this undoubtedly contributes to some of the low skills we see.

I do not intend to put all the educational systems problems on parents, but I think it is a big factor. Investment should be made in parents not just in the preschool years but also beyond. And how do we support those parents which are forced to work two and three jobs to make ends meet in order for their families to have basic needs met?

Okay, I will stop for now, but certainly welcome others opionions and thoughts. And don't forget about the meteor shower!
SarahA

A Tired Teacher

Hi all,
Both SarahA and ElizabethR had great titles to their last blog. I don't believe I can out-do them, but I thought I should make some alliterative cutesy title. Also, this is the truth.
First, about the tired teacher. I had a sad conversation with some of my 11th grade students who were my first group of 8th graders. They were asking me how I had changed things since they were in my class and how it was going. I told them the truth as I was gearing up to correct some papers from my 8th graders. I showed them the NUMEROUS papers that lacked ANY punctuation, the ones who NEVER use a capital latter at the beginning of the sentence, the ones that NO ONE (including the kid who wrote it) can read. As I was ranting, the 11th graders were shocked by the completely half-ass work I was trying to correct. But, then they said this..."You were so much more peppy when you first started. You seem kind of crabby this year." OUCH...but true.
I have become so tired of lazy kids who don't listen to what I teach them, not even the simple stuff that they should have learned in first grade. It makes me sad because who has allowed this lack of care and concern for education. Of course there are still the kids who care, but in this particular class of 8th graders, the number is VERY small! Has this half-ass attitude been allowed in other teachers' classrooms? Do this many parents not care how their children do in school?
But, the biggest question that I have been asking myself lately when looking at the attitudes of my students is "Why do I care more than them?" and "Is it worth my time?"
How sad it that?!?!?!?
So, sadly, although there are classes that I love (my 11th graders), I don't know how much longer I can continue to teach. I get stressed out about their work level. People blame English teachers for the results of the BSTs, and MCAs in Reading and Writing...but I don't even have enough time to TEACH because I am constantly critiquing what they should already know. GRRRRRRRR.
Enough about that.

Thanksgiving is coming sooooo soon. Chris and I will be heading up to Walker either Wed. or Thurs. and staying until Friday afternoon. Then, we have family Thanksgiving with his side on Saturday. It is fun to have a lot of things to go to, but a little stressful too. ON a sad note, we are not taking our annual shopping trip, because Grandma Vonnie can't really shop til you drop like the rest of us anymore. :( She is still way cool though.

Ok- Hope all is well with everyone!
Love,
Breanna

The tale of an introvert working in retail

So maybe it's a tale, but as I was driving home at 11:15 tonight I was reflecting on my day. This afternoon as I pulled into the World Market parking lot, it was packed. Right away I was not excited to go through the doors and put on a smile and pretend I was interested in helping customers. I was not in the mood for contact with people. I simply wanted to get my work done and not have anyone interrupt me. Luckily, I was able to slip toward the back of the store and start a mind-numbing task of sorting and organizing Torani syrups. I did this will little interruptions and could simply think. After a few hours I felt as though I had had enough time to myself and wasn't annoyed when customers asked me questions. A definite qualification for my next job is some time to work by myself.

Elizabeth R.- I enjoyed reading about your conversation with the radio although it sounded like a frustrating one. I know the Pacific NW is quite liberal, but so are some place in the Midwest, and you can shake some things up in the Red River Valley.

What are people doing for Thanksgiving? Let's hear from a few of you that have been dormant from posting on the blog lately? Good night!
SarahA

Frickin' winter blahs...

That's how I feel...its windy and cold and I can't remember why I live in a place where my limbs are already so chaped I may start molting at anytime. Yesterday....talk about a policital hangover, thats what it felt like all day yesterday. I was listening to a Christian radio morning show and the overall message was "Why aren't Christians voting?" Asserting that Christians must not be voting because the Democrats are taking majority. I called in...the radio guy would only talk about abortion and gay rights, I guess we have to leave "love thy neighbor" to the pagens. Then, as I sat at home having breakfast with Micaela I listened to two other callers basically say I wasn't putting my "Christianity" to work because "Scripture doesn't allow compromise."

So, I find myself resisting the urge to jump on a plane and go back to the good 'ole progressive Northwest. Also, I get tired to being a house-bound grandma. Micaela goes to bed around 7:30pm, so no matter what I'm doing, it has to be done by 7pm. Or I have to get a babysitter. Neither make for great options.

Wow, sorry I'm so negative! On the upside, we're headed to Washington on Wednesday to visit some people and deal with the last of my stuff that's been sitting out there. Work is great, no major complaints. And the whole family will be together this weekend b/c Matthew is doing a concert at a Coffee house in Grand Forks.

So, I hope we can see each other soon..I miss you all a lot. I just heard from Rapp that she will be around mid-December. Perhaps we'll have to plan something!

Love to you all
e

Their Father's God

I recently finished reading Their Father's God by O.E. Rolvaag. It was alright. Peder Holm, a Norweigan Lutheran, marries Suzie, his Irish Catholic neighbor. You can imagine what problems this causes because it takes place in rural South Dakota in the late 1890s. In the end his unwillingness to be somewhat open-minded was detrimental to their relationship. I have drawn some parallels with this novel to present-day society and the close-mindedness many people have. While I enjoyed reading the book, I honestly wouldn't recommend it. At times the book was frustrating, maddening, and a bit ridiculous in my opinion. I am enjoying my current book much more, Twentysomething.

I had an eventful weekend. Saturday, in celebration of Halloween, I attended an outdoor puppet show. There were larger than life puppets, pyrotechnics, free food, stilters, and a make-shift orchestra. Afterwards there was free and tasty organic food. On Monday I went to a concert at the Xcel Energy Center. It was sponsored by TPT (which tells you what kind of music it is). The featured artist was Andre Rieu and the Johann Strauss orchestra which basically meant: Lawrence Welk meets Victor Borge. Even if my hair wasn't the right color (gray), it was still fun and my friend and I even waltzed right up by the stage to one of the songs. Yes, I danced in front of 10,000 people. I made sure we were on the side so only 9,000 could see us. This Friday's concert with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra is sure to be a bit different.

Good night friends.

What are they doing to us?

You can pick your friends, you can pick your nose, but you CAN'T PICK YOUR FRIENDS' NOSE!

Hi guys-

This picture formatting thing is tricky! Sorry if I took up a huge amount of space or the captions don't match up. It never looks the same after its posted! :) I thought I'd add a few more pictures from our weekend. It was soooo great to see you guys. I think I went through withdrawl this week.

It was nice to have a few days off of school this week for MEA, but I feel like all I did was work! I need to go somewhere just me with no cleaning up after babies and husbands. :) Any ideas? Let's all go to Hawaii! Or lets go on a cruise! As soon as I win the lottery, I'm there. I gues I should start buying lottery tickets then...

Have a great week everyone. I love you so much!

Mandy

WOO HOO

Here we have it! Soooooooo fun to see all of you!
Love,
Breanna

Success!

I would just like to say JOB WELL DONE to all the ladies! This weekend was wonderful, and everyone is so flexible and accomadating its just easy to get together.

I was talking with a UND student last night as we prepared for worship and she was telling me about her weekend-her roommate came home with her for the first time and then she raved about how amazing her floor is as well. I could help but share with her this group of friends that is rooted in Hoyum 7...what an amazing thing...who would have know?

I don't have a camera and thus didn't get any pictures from this weekend. Could those get emailed around? Muchas gracias amigas!

Head Count

Yes, Becca, I think everyone you posted on your blog entry are the ones coming. I can't think of anyone else. See you tomorrow!

Okay, I'm bordering on obnoxiousness (is that how you spell that?) but I couldn't resist posting these cute pictures. :)

We can't wait to see you guys! We'll meet you at Becca's when we get there. I can't guarantee staying the whole football game because Julia will want a nap and its going to be pretty chilly for her, but we'll try! My brother will be there and he can't pass up a chance to hold Julia. :) We'll for sure join you for the rest of the festivities, though.

Lindsey, sorry to hear you won't be there! Bummer! We'll have to catch you in the Cities soon.

Well, we'll see you on Saturday!

p.s. Got an e-mail with request to pass on the info. from a certain friend named Elizabeth Lerohl about a proposal and a "Yes!" answer...more wedding bells are in the air!! :)

Love,
Mandy

So sad!

Hi, everyone! Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to participate in the Homecoming festivities. I've had some things come up, and I have to be back to St. Paul by Saturday morning. I hope you all have a wonderful time, though, and I'll be sending happy thoughts your way!

I'm all done here in Detroit Lakes on Friday, then back to the cities for my next affiliation. To those of you in the metro area, I'd love to get together with you sometime soon! To any of you who may be planning a visit to the metro area, I always have an open bedroom waiting for friends!

Take care, everyone!
Lindsey

Saturday

I've contacted Becca and she is open to most anytime on Saturday. I asked her if 10ish would work at her place. I told her I could bring coffee cake/muffins. You know, a little coffee hour. Then we could progress to the football game, followed by a delicious meal, and finally a concert. It will be wonderful. Key word for the weekend: flexibility, since we don't have specific times. I think we can all handle it. :) See you all soon.

Topic change: Hey friends that haven't written on the blog yet, want to tell us how you're doing?
SarahA

Go Cobbers

Hello ladies...
I am 99.9% sure I am going to be coming to Concordia this weekend as well. How exciting!
Sarah...can I still ride part-way up with you gals? Also, where are people staying? Sarah, I may camp out with you and your mom if that is ok on Friday. Also, Sat. after the concert are you going to head to Ryan and Leah's?
I am pumped to see all of you. I will have to do laundry so that my Cobber sweatshirt is available...who is up for a Cobber sweatshirt picture?
OK....I should teach or something. Thank God for teaching novels.
Love ya

Homecoming plans!

Yay another family to join us...here is what we know thus far, let's all stay in touch this week to make sure everyone knows where to be!

Friday: Sarah, Elizabeth, Breanna?, Lindsey? will be at the Storyhill concert

Saturday:
Sarah is trying to get in touch w/ Becca about a mid-morning visit to the Miedinger house
Football @ 1pm for those interested, if its not too cold
Elizabeth is providing a hearty, warm your britches dinner...probably at Peace Luth.
Concert @ 6:30pm...I'm going to brave this w/ Micaela...so that means Julia has to be there too! :)

Yay!

What is this on my head?

Hi everyone!

Sorry its been awhile since I've been on here. Looks like a lot of us have been busy lately! :)
First thing I want to say is that David, Julia, and I have decided to join the rest of you in Moorhead for the Homecoming shindig!! We won't be there until Saturday around noon, but we hope that we can catch all of you and have a great time!! Would anyone be willing to update me on what the plans are? Thanks!!
Things here have been going well I guess. I have a cold, Julia barfed all over the car this weekend, and David is constantly working on his letters of application to various places around this country, but all in all we are happy, so I guess that's good.
This pictuere is from Juila's birthday party. She doesn't look the happiest, but she is trying to figure out what that is on her head! Kind of a funny girl, she is. We had her picture taken at a Sears portrait studio two weeks ago, and the pictures are just priceless. I will bring them with this weekend for those of you who will be there!
Not much else is new. I can't wait to see you, and for those of you who won't be there, I wish I could see you soon, too!! Have a great week, stay warm, and here's a BIG HUG from me! :)

Love,
Mandy

Maple trees

If I were technologically advanced, I would have a camera phone. Then I would be able to download my pictures on the internet and upload the beautiful maple trees I saw on my way to school today. The scene was like something out of an ABC afterschool movie. Beautiful colors of red, yellow, orange, brown, and even dark green lining the boulevard of a street, with just the right amount of leaves fallen down below. The only thing that would have made it better was seeing a small child walking their golden retriever, then it really would be like an afterschool movie. But, you will have to use your imagination since I do not have a camera phone. Luscious colors call for posts on the blog. What wondrous sight have you seen lately?

We've moved!

Well Micaela and I spent our first night in our new place...the poor girl had a rough day getting passed around at church, having a different evening babysitter, teething and then spending the night in a wierd place! But, we survived and I am so excited to be in this place where Micaela has her own room and I have a walk in closet! Whoa! Its a townhouse style apartment so there is a large living area and kitchen downstairs and two 1/2 wonderful rooms upstairs! We have room for guests so book your stay now. Otherwise life is pretty much filled with work and being a mom, so I'm looking forward to the exciting Homecoming weekend at Concordia...so far I know Scanders, Lindsey and I will all be there...hope the rest of you can make it!

We got to see Lindsey and Shripes recently...very fun! Love to you all!

Elizabeth and Micaela

I was in a cave!

Last weekend I went to Lanesboro, MN and found myself visiting Niagara Cave. It was a fascinating place to visit. We went 220 feet below the Earth's surface and saw three different layers of limestone, fossils, a waterfall, stalactites and stalagmite, and much more. If you're ever in SE MN, I highly recommend it. I also went to an art show by my friend, Mark. That was wonderful as well. The show is entitled "Wicked Game," and displays 15 bias-motivated crimes in MN. They ranged from anti-Semitic acts to religious crimes to homophobia and violence against the homeless. The 'game' portion comes in because you get a sheet of paper that has 15 paragraphs about each crime and you must match the description to the painting. I thought it was a good way to engage the viewer. He's hoping to tour around the state with the show so if he's in an area near you, I'll let you know.

My mom went to the eye specialist yesterday to examine her eye. There is no change...all the blood is still there and her vision in that eye is poor. If she looks straight ahead she can't see anything, except some peripherally. The doctor said he can't give an exact time that it will heal, but probably 3-6 months. It's very difficult for her. Please keep her in your prayers.

HOMECOMING is coming! SOON! Let's plan. Who's in? I'll be up in the area Friday evening - Sunday morning worship and then heading out. I would like to attend the football game and the Homecoming concert. Beyond that...? Hope to hear from you ladies soon!

This is what happens when you feed Julia spaghetti

Hi everyone! It is good to see that the blog has been active! Our lives here have been pretty crazy since school started. :) We've had some exhausting falls into bed at night, but life is good. Tonight, Julia had spaghetti, as you can see. Apparently she enjoys it. Or at least she enjoys spreading it all over her face, hair, hands, etc. Great for bath night. :)
I got to stay home with Juila on Tuesday, which was actually very nice. Not for her, though; she had an ear infection. She is feeling much better and is back to her cheerful self, but Monday night was NOT a fun experience. Lots of crying and being awake. Poor girl! We are in the preparations for the big first birthday party. :) Should be fun with all of the grandparents. I hope we don't get too wild! ha ha
School is going well for both of us. I have a few very interesting kids this year, but most of them are pretty good, and I am enjoying my days. David is keeping busy, but has a much lighter load than last year, which is very nice. We're a little more relaxed around here. :) Did I tell you that he is teaching one class at Northwestern in St. Paul? Don't ask him to drink, dance, or do anything else that is remotely smile-provoking. Just kidding. He really isn't supposed to drink, dance, etc, though. Its pretty hard for him since he was getting pasted every night and dancing naked in the living room.
I don't know if we'll be able to make it up to homecoming, but I'll check it out. It would be fun!! By the way, has anyone heard what kind of baby Jake and Amy had? You know what I mean... boy? girl? Has anyone heard anything? Just curious.
Well, that's all from Litchfield, MN, home of the Dragons and Julia Severtson, the spaghetti queen (and also queen of pooping in the bathtub it turns out). More fun times.
I think maybe I'm going a little cooky this Thursday night. I love you all!!

MJ

So much fun

I will probably be able to attend as well. Let me consult the schedule!
Happy almost Friday!
Breanna

Cobberland, here I come

Hi friends. I'm heading up to Homecoming on Friday evening with my mom and leaving Sunday. I'm driving her up, since she can't see very well, because it's her 35th class anniversary. You should come too because it will be fun. I also know of a good party happening on Saturday night.

An Event!

It is so fun to have new people posting...welcome!

So Scanders and I were talking about Homecoming the other night...and I'm extending an invite to any and all! Its Oct. 13-15 and there is a First Decade "Storyhill" concert on Friday night, football game Saturday afternoon and a Homecoming Concert on Saturday night. Of course there is a lot more going on, but I thought these looked like the most fun.

If we really get orginzied quickly I'm sure we can find accomedations and nice people to stay with....

Check your schedules ASAP and let's all get together SOON!

My first post!

Hi, everyone! I really hope I'm doing this right -- I'm not very technilogically (did I spell that correctly, teachers?) advanced.

I've had so much fun reading all the previous posts and seeing the great pictures! Thank you so much for inviting me to join! This is a really great idea, and a great way to keep in touch with everyone!

I guess I can fill you all in on what I'm up to right now. I'm currently in Detroit Lakes, MN, doing my first clinical affiliation. I'm working at the hospital here. I've been here since August 15 and will be here until October 13. I'm really enjoying my experience. I'm mostly doing acute care in the hospital, which means I'm seeing a lot of total joint replacements right after surgery, as well as some medically complicated patients who are in the hospital for various reasons (pneumonia, heart attack, etc) and just helping them to get out of bed and back on their feet so they can go back to their homes as soon as possible. Because it's a small rural hospital, I get to see a little bit of everything. I have some of my own outpatient orthopedic patients as well, but my favorite part has been the pediatric patients I have been working with. I really love peds, and I'm pretty sure that is the area I would like to practice in when I finally graduate (June 2007 -- 9 months!). When I'm done here, I'll be back in the cities for the remainder of my affiliations.

I'm excited to keep in touch with you all through this medium! I hope everyone is doing well, and I hope to see you all soon!
Love, Lindsey

Fall is fabulous!

The last couple of evenings have been wonderful. I know that often people are leary of the weather cooling because inevitably what follows is sleet, ice, wind chills, cold cars, and foggy eyeglasses. However, last night I rather enjoyed having the window open, a cool breeze blowing across my face and blankets covering me with warmth. Today, I visited historic Fort Snelling where they replicate what the fort would have been like in 1827, and they had many wood fires in the buildings. It was nice to feel the warmth and smell the wood burning. I think fall is great. Does anyone remember when we spent a nice fall day at the state park outside of Moorhead with our homework, blankets, and frisbee and had lots of fun being outdoors? That, too, was a nice time.

I'm not sure I told anyone this yet, but a couple of weeks ago my mom had a hemmorage in her right eye. We spent several hours seeing many different doctors before she had laser treatment on her eye. 1100 laser beams were shot into her eye! I even got to see all the blood that has collected in her eye. It is a serious condition and one that is scary. She still sees through the blood in that eye (red/orange coloring) and she will have blurred vision for a few months. Thus, this makes many everyday tasks challenging for her: reading, grading papers, driving at night, etc. Please keep her in your prayers.

Ta-ta for now!
Sarah A.

Right on!

Way to get 'er done ladies! It was really fun to read all those posts. Julia is so big, is she walking? And May 12th is on the calender-you both look quite beautiful in those dresses.

Here in the NorthLand everything is going well. The job is great, really. I have no complaints the staff is so affirming and laid back and yet there is much to do and lots of room for growth that I think is very attainable...so I'm excited to be here and doing this work. Its still scary being in Grand Forks. We have a couple living in my dad's basement (while they build a lake home after retirment), its been just fine but I'm anxious for Micaela and I to be able to stretch out and have our own space. If I were rich it would be no problem! :)

Yep, that's it for now I miss you all a lot already. Perhaps we should begin discussing future weekend/holiday plans? I know that sounds crazy but I know you people and your busy lives and I work at a church so the holidays are going to be a bit hectic.

No, the other girls are not on here yet...Scanders I'm emailing the addresses I have (Becca and Linds) right NOW!

Love to you all!

Hi!

Hello all! Beautiful pics all around! I guess I am not talented or smart enough yet to figure out how to put my own pics on here - or maybe I just haven't had the time! :) It's so great to hear from all of you and be able to keep up on what's going on in everyone's lives - I know we've all mentioned that before, but I thought I'd reiterate!

This past LONG weekend (long in a good way because I didn't have to work today) Seth and I spent up in Hopkins again with my aunt and uncle. We were able to help move my cousin Nick down to St Olaf today for his senior year - it was hard on everyone, especially my aunt Mary who is still having a very hard time dealing with Cara's death. These past few weeks have been spent talking with all of them on the phone nearly every day as well as heading up there just about every weekend - it has been good for all of us, as weird as that might seem - I just know that it has helped me immensely with the grieving process (which totally SUCKS, by the way!!!!).

Anywho - I have absolutely no pity or sympathy for any of you who have to start school tomorrow - SOME of us have jobs that require us to work YEAR-ROUND and therefore the summer feels just like winter practically! HAHA - just joshin' ya! Ok, well it does all feel pretty much the same, besides the weather part...

I don't really have any new news for everyone - Seth and I spent a lot of time this weekend talking about where we'll end up in December when he graduates. Oh wait - we talk about that ALL the time..!! All of our friends/family (including some of YOU!) are trying to get us to move up to the Twin Cities area - I must say that this is definitely a possibility, but who knows really?!?!?!?!

Ok, I really should go to bed - tomorrow is going to be a busy day at the bank! Good luck to all of you starting school tomorrow and Sarah, keep your head up! (I liked Plan P the best, by the way!)

Love you all MUCHO,
Sarah Schripes

Wowzah

Can you believe it is September? I am also excited to get back to school but I am stalling as we speak to go to school and get my shit together for TOMORROW! Holy cow the summer went fast. It is ok that things are going fast because I am pumped for MAY 12th to come around. That is the wedding date for those who did not know. WOO HOO!
I have a few pics for you too. First, Sarah and I did a great toast for Sue...aren't we pretty. Then, Chris and I at the wedding...too bad you can't see the dress and all you can see is boob. Well, that happens.
OK- must get going.
Love you all!
Breanna

Hi everyone! :)
After the scolding from Elizabeth, I figured I'd better get on the ball here! However, if you're going to scold, Elizabeth, you have to post something with content at least. :)
How is everyone? I thought I'd get the pictures of Julia on here since it didn't work last time. Isn't she just a sweetie? :)
There is really nothing new here. We are both getting ready for school to start on Tuesday. I am actually feeling ready except for the whole leaving Julia part. I am feeling excited to see the kids, though. And, after an entire summer socializing with basically only David, I am ready to see my "teacher friends" again. :) Not that David is bad, but you know what I mean, right?
This weekend Julia and I went to Granite Falls to help my grandparents move into a new house in town. They bought a house on the "bluff" there and have a spectacular view. It was kind of weird for all of us to see them in a new house, and it will take some getting used to, but that's how it's going to be! It was a little depressing, though...did I tell you that my parents have to move into the house that my grandparents are leaving? It is small, old, and kind of smelly. My mom and dad have put our fun, big, non-smelly house on the market already, and have had some interest. They are hoping to be able to rennovate my grandparents' house a LOT before they have to move there. It will be weird to know that someone else is living in the house where all of my childhood was spent. Oh well.
We were going to go to the fair today, but it was so cold and rainy, we decided not to. I was really looking forward to some cheese curds and also going to the animal building. Maybe next year if we're not living in Alabama. :)
What's new with everyone else? I'm going to stop rambling now. I'm sure you're all bored. Have a great week everybody!! I LOVEYOU!!

Love,
MJ
p.s. Are the rest of the girls on this blog yet? (Becca, Lindsey, Amanda?)

The search continues

He-hem Elizabeth, where are you job updates, huh?

As usual there has either been no communication from my latest interviews or another qualified candidate has been chosen. Therefore, I will go to Plan P: plunder and pillage with Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom on the next taping of "Pirates of Caribbean III: Forget honest work and become a pirate."

Or, perhaps skip Plan P and move onto Plan Q: Quit looking, or maybe Plan R: Rest assured that something will come my way, or perhaps Plan S: Secure relationship with wealthy man so working is optional. How about Plan T: Take action in writing stand-up comedy. Plan U: Urge others to look for jobs too so I'm not alone. Plan W: Wonder and solve all the world's problems. (If I follow through with this plan I can't have a job because wondering and problem solving will take up all my time.)

Well, I'll start with Plan P and go from there. This weekend I will be joining members of my dad's family at the lake. More than any other year I feel like Labor Day is getting quite a bit of attention because supposedly it is the last weekend of summer. Whatever happened to the autumnal equinox in September signifying the change in the season? Therefore, I will cling to summer until that day. I will continue to enjoy the sun, blue skies, bike riding, and nice breezes that come through my window at night.

Sarah A.

hello?

anyone out there? no teacher updates, interviews, wedding plans...come on people...weak efforts!

Finally, I can share this picture with you

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life. And see if I could not learn what it had to teach and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." -Thoreau

Persistance.

Persistance is a word that I have learned a lot about in the past year. In particular, I was persistent is attempting to upload this picture that I specifically took to post on the blog. After repeated efforts, my computer finally gave in. And I feel that I have certainly been persistant in my job searching. I've gotten my hopes up multiple times for jobs that I feel I should have gotten and have been disappointed more times that I care to remember. It will happen again tomorrow when I am at a second job interview from last week's round of interviews. My hopes will remain high and I'll let you know what happens.

This picture is me at beautiful Walden Pond. I suppose an argument can be made that it is like many other bodies of water that we are familiar with in MN, but it was different walking around it, knowing who lived there for two years, two months, and two days (Thoreau). While walking around I felt a certain inspiration throughout...could I too live in a home that was 10 feet by 15 feet with only the bare essetials? I imagine a house that size would not have enough outlets for our society filled with iPods, computers, cell phones, irons, stereos, televisions, and so much more. Nonetheless, it is exciting for me to think about the idea of living on only what is needed (which should probably be another entry altogether since everyone has a different definition of need). Being at Walden Pond made me think about my days of LVC when I was alotted $100 a month for personal and $80 for food. It almost seems impossible to me now, but surprisingly at the end of the year I had money left over. As a house each month we put that $80 into a community fund, so I guess technically we had $480 for food each month. That seems like a lot, but living with my mom, we can spend anywhere between 250-300/month on food. Yet, during LVC that was our month for food, our phone, and we even threw parties and went to movies on that money. At the end of the year we even had leftover. Maybe you're asking why I share this on our blog? I think part of me wanted to take a trip down memory lane about simplicity and remind myself of ways to be more simple, and I guess I wanted to share it with all of you as well. Thanks for reading.

This past weekend I got to spend time with the enjoyable, Breanna Schoeck. We were in Sue Halverson's wedding and gave a kick ass toast, so in the future if you need to give a toast, let us know. We went bowling, enjoyed spirits, dressed up, and danced. It was quite fun.

Elizabeth, I am in complete agreement that we should invite more people to the blog. Why don't you email me their addresses and I will send them the link to register. I'm not sure if I'm the only one that can invite others, but I hope so because being the person in power is the best place to be. (I'm kidding, I thought I should clarify that my tone has changed since the rant about Walden Pond and simplicity.)

Adios chicas!

Sarah A.

3 things...

Hello lovely ladies, I have 3 issues (well I have A LOT more than that, but I'll spare you for now!)...

1. THANK YOU to SarahA, SarahB and Lindsey for meeting Micaela and I this weekend! I am so thankful that we can all get together without a cross-country trip! And please, all are welcome up to the North Woods ANYTIME!

2. I don't know how to invite someone else to our blog community! Lindsey, Becca, Amy, Amanda and many others should be "team members". Does anyone know how to do that? Scanders, do you have some executive power being the originator?

3. My brother, Matthew has recorded a great, soulful, acoustic CD which is now for sale. Want to support a starvin artists? click here https://www.myu.umn.edu/public/damicocd.html CDs are $9 Tell everyone you know!

Much love to you all!

A Verryy Long Week

Ok, so I think that I will start out by saying that this past week or so has been one of the worst I've had in a very long time. I have been meaning to write this all down for you guys, but to be honest, I haven't really known how...

Last Weds. morning I got a call from my dad at 6:30AM (1st inclination something was wrong). The first thing he said to me when I answered the phone was, "Sarah, are you with Seth right now?" (2nd inclination something HAD to be wrong). Anyway, to make a long story short - my 26 year-old cousin (Cara) committed suicide from an overdose of her antidepressants and basically any other pills she had in the apartment late the previous evening. She leaves behind one of the most loving and kind families you will ever meet (her parents and a younger brother and sister) as well as a 3 1/2 year old daughter, who is currently living with her father (Cara's ex) in Wisconsin. Her funeral was Monday morning - we spent the weekend with family -- crying, remembering, crying some more, and mostly spending time trying not to let it all sink in. My mom and I sang, which was a really great experience just because it made me feel like I could contribute something. Mary (Cara's mom) is my dad's younger sister - the baby in the Schreier family. I can't even begin to tell you how much my heart breaks for them every time I think about them, which is pretty often. It's just been really really hard....

ANYway, next thing - Tuesday evening of this week my older brother Chris had a full-blown seizure at home at about 2:30am. Now Chris has had his fair share of problems in life, as I'm sure you all know, but he has not had a seizure since he was in 2nd grade, so this was a huge shock for all of us. My parents had to call 911 and have an ambulance come and get him and take him to the ER in Marshall. He seems to be doing fine now, although answers as to what could possibly be causing this (as well as problems he's been having with his heart racing) are few and far between. He and my mom made a trip to Sioux Falls today to meet with both a neurologist and a cardiologist, but even after that, questions that no one can seem to answer still linger...

I guess I'm writing this whole huge thing not because I'm asking for anyone's sympathy or trying to complain, but just because I feel like I need to get it off my chest, and I just want to ask all of you to keep my family in your prayers. The past week has been very hard on all of us and I'm hoping the next few days will be better. Our plans for the weekend are to come back up to the Cities and spend our time at Chuck and Mary's (Cara's parents), as well as meeting up with Elizabeth and Micaela(too bad for those of you who have to be in a wedding!!!).

Ok, I'm exhausted (still! or maybe again!) and should try and get some sleep before 6am comes way too fast!

Scanders - you are in my prayers for your interviews. Anyone who doesn't hire you has absolutely NO IDEA what they're missing out on. You will find the right job and the right people will fall in love with you, just like we all did.

Mandy - I am glad to hear that you don't have to sacrifice this time around and I am glad to hear you're not moving farther away!!

Breanna - have a great time in Sue's wedding this weekend!

Lizabeth - can't wait to see you!

Thank you all for being wonderful enough to let me blab on forever and for making me feel comfortable enough to tell you everything that's been going on.

I love you all dearly,
SarahB

its been awhile!

Hi girls-
It was fun to check the blog today and see so many postings! I agree with Breanna that it is fun to check this every day. You guys are just so fun and interesting! :)
David, Julia, and I have had a busy couple of weeks. We were in Clear Lake, Iowa from August 1-5, and we got back last night from Mayville, WI where we spent four days at a family reunion/Andrew's wedding. Andrew is David's little brother, and we were both in the wedding, which was fun. I am ready to be home for awhile now, though, and start thinking about school.
We had a bit of a crazy few days in the midst of all of this travel. David was asked to interview for a position in Eau Claire at the U of Wisconsin. To make a long story short, the people there pretty much acted as if he already had the job, so we made all of these decisions, like to move there (which was a toughie!), I would quit my job, etc... Anyway, it turns out that they interviewed three other candidates, and hired someone else. We waited a week and two days after David's interview, being on pins and needles the whole time, and finally we heard the outcome. It was NOT a fun time, but that's how life goes I guess. We're both disappointed that it didn't work out, but I'm sure there is something else that is meant to be, right? David is pretty bummed. It will be nice not to have to move, though. It would have been a rush.
I am also glad that I can still be teaching this year. I would have felt pretty crappy leaving at this time of the summer. :)
Being married is hard sometimes when you have to make decisions like that! It is totally worth it, but sometimes I get frustrated when it is time to sacrifice something you love or believe in (i.e. teaching) I guess that is what really good relationships are about, though. If you love someone, you want what is best for them, right? I hope that David doesn't stay bummed too long. I tried to tell him that everyone has been in the situation where they didn't get the job that they wanted, and it will be a good learning experience. I know that doesn't help him, but I'm not sure what to say!
Anyway, enough of the philosophical crap. :) Good luck with your interviews, Sarah! All of the jobs sound like fun! :) How are the wedding plans, Breanna? I hope that you have found a soloution to the rock/hard place problem. :)
I'm going to attach a few photos so you can see Julia. She pulls herself up on EVERYTHING now, and is into EVERYTHING! she keeps us busy, and makes us smile by saying, "HI!" at least 50 times each day. :)
Sorry for this long post. I may have just need to "talk" :) I love you all!!!!!

M.

I don't know why

Why did my posting look so weird? And why would it post on Friday, 8/11, when I uploaded Saturday, 8/12? Perhaps because I created it yesterday and saved it. And why was it centered? I didn't click on that button. Or maybe I should stop trying to do things late at night after work. Good night.

FUN!

Sarah you are at Walden Pond! Or at least you were there and so was Henry David Thoreau.

As far as babies go...tell Daniel and Katie congrats!

Keep posting! This is so fun!

Another baby!

I'm having another baby!

Just kididing, wasn't that funny!

My sister-in-law gave birth to Isaiah Daniel Damico today, August 12th @ 2:38pm. He was 6 lbs 9 oz. It was a very fast and easy labor AND 16 days early, I'm trying not to be jealous! He is doing just great, he looks like an old man with a cone head! :)

Love you all!

Elizabeth

Frustrated

For the past two nights I have been trying to upload another image
to our blog, but apparently my computer is prohibiting me from such actions. I waited 14 minutes tonight to tell me that my image is uploaded, only to discover that it was lying. Perhaps I need DSL. And Breanna, you are right, I am at Walden Pond, but that entry wasn't even posted. Did you read it as a draft?

Okay I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and share a little bit of what's going to be going on in my life next week (besides being in a wedding with Breanna.) I have three job interviews, one on Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday. I wasn't going to tell anyone because we all know what my track record has been like, but I can't keep my big mouth shut. And I also agree with what has been previously posted about being honest with our friends.

Monday's interview is with Minneapolis Public Schools working as an adult basic education teacher. I have to plan a 10 minute lesson to present to the committee interviewing me. Tuesday's is with an organization called, Junior Achievement. They work with kids k-12 in economic entrepreneurship education. And Wednesday's is with a northern suburb school district for a high school social studies position. It's hard not to get my hopes up once again with these opportunities, but I'm trying to maintain a positive attitude. After all, someone has got to see that I'm employable.

Sarah A.

I guess I better put the 'A.' after my first name, I forgot there was another Sarah on this blog until she mentioned it. Shhhhh...don't tell her.

FYI

Hi ladies,
Just so you know, I have now marked the blog as one of my favorites pages and check it each morning along with my emails and things. However, it hasn't been very fun to check lately. Hope you are all doing well.
Love,
B reanna

Times of transition...

Hello ladies! Wow, who knew the blog was so popular a place to be. Now that I know that, count me in to check it much more often! (Thanks for mentioning it Mandy!)

I love your ideas about sharing your thoughts and feelings with good friends because you know you can trust them. I think all of us have been through, are in the process of, or will soon be going through transitions. Although transitions are fun, they are so scary at the same time. This whole marriage thing is so exciting and new to me because I never have really pondered it before, so Chris and I have been talking about so many things that were never brought up before and it can be really frustrating. But, it also gives me the wiggle in my tummy that tells me how exciting and exhilerating the next step will be.

No matter what our next step will be and who we take it with, I am so thankful for always having my friends in my life. It is a bond no boyfriend (or fiance) can hold a candle to.

I love you all so much and appreciate your support even when you don't know you are giving it. Just the knowledge that you are a part of my life is all I need.

So, I have been more emotional than ever before in my life the last month or so.... You may not recognize this Breanna, but while I am having mushy thoughts toward people, I thought I better share it.

Tomorrow will be cooler!!! Thank goodness!

Here I am!!!!!!!

Ok, ok, OK already! I apologize from the bottom of my HEART for not posting on this damn technologically advanced, too scary for me to try until I talked to SarahA and received some serious encouragement Blog.

How ARE you all? I feel like I could go on and on responding to all of the previous entries, but I think I'll start by echoing Lizabeth's sentiments about HONESTY with our friends, regardless of how shitty we think our situations are or how stupid or embarrassed we feel. The weekend I spent with Elizabeth was amazingly refreshing and full of good talks (as she previously mentioned) where we laid it all on the line and were completely honest about our feelings/pasts/everything. (There was also some QT with Micaela). I think this can also tie back to what SarahA was talking about in regards to professional identity - who cares what we do for a living unless we actually enjoy what we're doing? And in all actuality, aren't most peoples' answers a glowing and exaggerated report of something that is probably quite mundane and average anyway? Seth (ok, yes, I am going to mention my husband only ONCE in this conversation) thinks that the first question we ask people when we see them again or meet them for the first time should NOT be "What do you do?," but rather "Do you love your job?" I must admit that I, too, am going through a bit of soul searching in regards to my life's work. I had a conversation with SarahA about this last evening and am searching for other options - when Seth is done with school in December we have NO IDEA where we're going to be or what we're going to be doing. All I know is that I do NOT want to work at a bank anymore!! I have been thinking that I will try and get into something with disabled kids - I feel more and more strongly that this is what will make me feel satisfied at the end of my workdays. Ok, so that's totally a new and exciting thing for me, so don't hold me to it (apparently I told SarahA and others at the F-ing Festival that Seth and I would be staying in Marshall - what I THINK I said was that we had recently thought about the idea of staying in Marshall....but now we are both pretty much over that, just so you all know!), but in all honesty it makes me very excited to think about doing something else.

Ok, so now that I have blabbed more than ANYONE (I think that should count for SOMETHING!!!), I will relieve you all from going cross-eyed because you're looking at the computer screen too long and say my good-byes for now.

I love you all and can't wait to see you again!!

SarahB (I am purposely distinguishing myself from SarahA because apparently she is ABOVE me and does not have to use an initial to tell us who she is) :)