A New Year...

... a new look for our blog...

...same crazy kids!

Happy 2007!!

2007... Bring it On!!

Whew! Is Christmas over already?! Wasn't I just contemplating the fact that Christmas was closing upon us? We had a fantastic holiday, spent with family in the Kansas City area. Grandma, aunts, uncles, cousins, food, presents, movies, hours playing Nintendo Wii, shopping, laughing and truly enjoying the season is how we spent the past week.

Claire and Nolan even participated in a children's pageant at my sister's church on Christmas Eve. Our kids definitely have a flair for the dramatic... I have no idea where they get that from...

Next week is back to school for Claire, Kelly has one more week. And it's time to pack. We have several large furniture items in our house in Mayer as well as many items to pack such as glassware and china, not to mention the garage. We close on the 12th, but would like to be all packed up before then. Then comes the packing of our apartment, we're looking at rental homes for the time being. Have I mentioned how much I love moving?!

We are so grateful that our house has sold, and the process has been smooth. The inspection went well and we finalized all the paperwork while we were on vacation. I do a "thank you Jesus" dance everyday when I realize that we are remembered, taken care of and loved like no other.

We are soaking up our last couple of days off this weekend, with a low-key New Year's Eve (I'm sure it'll involve movies, popcorn and an early bedtime). Dinner with friends tonight, and bit of shopping (returns, exchanges, sales... you know).

We head into 2007 with excitement for our future. We eagerly anticipate an amazing year - can't wait to see what's in store! Happy New Year!

(Local) Celebrity

Nolan was recently featured on the local news during a quick visit with Santa at the mall. He & I had been at Caribou sharing a hot chocolate and cookie when Santa set up for business. We weren't planning on the visit, but Nolan was eager to see the big guy. We had been told that the media was there, but we didn't know if or when it would actually air. Santa asked if Nolan had been a good boy this year, and his answer: yes! He then asked what Nolan would like for Christmas and Nolan whispered his wishes in Santa's ear. We didn't see the newscast ourselves, but many others in Rochester did. Here's to our celebrity!

SOLD!

...At least that's what the sign will say on our front lawn. Yes, we are happy (no - thrilled!) to report that we accepted an offer on our home last night. It's non-contingent, the buyer is pre-approved with great credit, with a quick closing: January 12th.

Thank you to all of you who have remembered this little detail of our home in your prayers. We consider it a fantastic Christmas present!

Now, so much to do, so little time...

Engines & Birthdays & Cookies, Oh My!

A breakdown of our life this week:

1) Engines: I've posted previously that our Blazer has given us some trouble. Well lately, she's up to no good. We replaced the starter after we moved to Rochester. Last week we did an overhaul of several various parts... which ones, I'm not exactly sure - you'll have to ask Kelly about that, but it was quite a bit. And after having her back for 24 hours, and a new sound like a motor boat (as Claire observed), she was back at the garage. After much work to figure out what what wrong... the Blazer is getting a Christmas present: a new(er) engine! We're passing this vehicle down to our kids, that's all I can say.

2) Birthday: We had the pleasure of spending an evening with the Fisks and various other long-time friends to celebrate Mitch's birthday. The babysitter managed to put all 5 kids (Spanns & Fisks) to bed by 10:30 pm, so all in all, it was a success! And a great time...

3) Cookies: I invaded upon the Morgan's kitchen yesterday and baked, baked, baked. Baking in our oven is nearly impossible, and if you want to bake cookies to give as gifts, it's not a good idea (unless, half-baked, half-burned cookies are someone's idea of a perfect present). Ang and I both created many Christmas goodies to share. We head back on Wednesday to finish the project. Thank you Ang! (And Happy Birthday!!)

Is it true, less than a week until Christmas? Perhaps it's the lack of Christmas decor, absence of snow or just our new circumstance, but Christmas has a different feel this year. Saturday we head to Kansas City to visit family, we're looking forward to it. Our trip to Texas has been cancelled as Kelly's mom is unable to travel at this time. We're enjoying receiving Christmas cards and letters... the photos and cards remind us of the people we love and miss during this holiday season.

We're praying that our family stays healthy, as Christmases past have been greeted by flu and other illness. And we pray that you & yours are able to celebrate the season with your loved ones, to reflect on the real reason for the season, to thank God for the ultimate gift: His Son.

Many blessings! Merry Christmas!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

That's what the song says, anyway... But truly, we have entered the Holiday season with lots of activity - much of it just this weekend! Friday began with my visit to Claire's classroom to make gingerbread houses. It was a treat to see Claire in "action" among her classmates and listen as they performed a few songs. It was a fantastic mess, but the final product is fit for a gingerbread princess...

Friday night we headed over to the Santa Sock Hop at the Y. We did the hokey pokey, the "reindeer version" of the chicken dance, hung out with Santa, made crafts and ate cookies. Claire really said it best when she stated that "It didn't look like Santa... but like someone who dressed up as Santa." Smart girl.

Sunday afternoon, Claire & I went to a Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party, hosted by the cast of our local Nutcracker production. We dressed up, ate more goodies, drank hot chocolate and enjoyed a mini-version of The Nutcracker.

And finally, Sunday night we all went to our church's "Follow the Star" family Christmas celebration. It was three hours filled with stories, crafts, movies, a petting zoo, dinner and worship. It was a great reminder of what the Christmas season is all about.

Zero

It is currently 0 degrees in Rochester, Minnesota. (But the windchill makes it feel like it's -18). Thought you'd like to know. At least it's sunny...

Back Again

Another fast weekend to Mayer & back again. We left Friday around noon, met with our new realtor, decided to lower the price of our home (again) and do a bit of painting and cleaning to spruce up the place. Then we headed to New Germany where we spent an evening with the Purcell and Moorhead families. After a great evening of food & friends we headed to the Fisk home where we spent the night, visited and ate some more. Saturday morning found us back in Mayer, cleaning and painting, while the kids were with friends. That afternoon we went to the Hazelbaker home where we were treated to a late lunch and more visiting which stretched in to the evening.

Road Trip

If you look closely, you can see drool...

Classic photos from a Spann road trip. We'll take a short one back to Mayer this weekend to re-list our home with another realtor (as 6 months have come and gone...) and yet again to Kansas City and then to Texas for the Holidays. Where's that minivan when we need it?!

Family

We made it back in one piece... the car didn't break down (or blow up, as we feared)... we met family members for the first time... we ate... we ate some more... it was Thanksgiving at it's finest.

Claire & Nolan met their great-grandmother, aunt, uncle & cousins (as well as many other relatives) and Kelly & I saw them for the first time in seven years. We also saw my sister, brother-in-in law and their 6-month-old. It was a week stuffed with family and it was great.

Now comes the re-adjustment period. Getting used to real life again. Back to school, work, laundry and housekeeping and working out. We head into the holiday season with Tea Parties, school & church events, traveling, shopping, baking and celebrating the real reason for the season.

Some good news: we had a few showings over the holiday week, including a second showing on our house. No news yet, but there's still hope!

Here's hoping your holiday was fantastic, and that you're making the "adjustment" well! Happy Holiday Season!

Happy Thanksgiving

We have so much to be thankful for! May you & your family experience all the joys of the season... Love, The Spanns

So Close... Yet So Far

It almost happened... we were this close.

We nearly had an offer on our home. A family had accepted an offer on their home, looked at ours and planned to return on Saturday to make a non-contingent offer. The offer on our potential buyer's home (are you following this) was from a couple who were going through a divorce. This couple has decided to reconcile, and will not be purchasing the home, therefore, our buyer cannot make a solid offer on our home. They are still interested in our home and something may still come of it... but who knows.

Sometimes I'd rather be in the dark then to know what could have been. Sigh...














Ed Note: We're totally happy for the couple who is not divorcing!

Friends

The snow came on Friday, but friends didn't. After waking up to several inches of the white stuff, it was decided to cancel our "girls weekend". Everyone was disappointed, but sometimes the risk of traveling in bad weather (especially with babies & kids) isn't worth it. (Of course, the sun showed up around 3pm and the roads began to clear... sigh.)

We did get to see the Fantastic Fisk Family Friends, however, much to our delight! A Saturday morning lunch invitation took us to Chevy's near the Mall of America - a quick chance to say hello. That evening we went to the Morgan's where we enjoyed friends once again.

Friday was Crossroads' home basketball opener for both the men's & women's teams. All went smoothly, even if the Knights didn't put up a win. The kids & I didn't get to the game... the sacrifice for having only one car, but Kelly said they had a decent turnout. Kelly is training a new announcer for the games, something I know he'll miss doing. Many people have said he should do it professionally.

That's Kelly: a man of many talents. Really, isn't he awesome? Ask him about basketball officiating. Before we had kids, Kelly attended many camps (yes, they have camps for officials) where he was told he could get to the professional level. It was a huge time commitment, and he decided he had to choose between pursuing a career in athletics & coaching or focus on officiating. He hung 'em up, but still pays just as much attention to the officials as he does the players when watching an NBA game.

I'm not sure why I just went in that direction, but just want to share that my husband is amazing. He's incredibly talented, is really great with people and one of the funniest people I have ever met.

But if you know Kelly, you already knew all that.

Thank goodness I like him so much... we're together all the time. He's my best friend.

Snow Day

View

The view from our front door, 7am this morning... and still snowing.

Weather You Like it or Not

Weather.

Minnesotans are obsessed with it. Now that I have lived in MN for a combined 9-or-so years, I'm also obsessed (as you can tell by my posts!). I log on to weather.com everyday to check the forecast. But when you consider the week we're having, it's totally understandable. We're enjoying a beautiful 65 degree day today: the kids are playing outside with short-sleeve shirts, and I'm still wearing my workout shorts (much to the dismay of my fellow Wal-Mart shoppers). But what are we expecting within a day or two? ...Snow.

Only in Minnesota.

Beautiful Day

We're thankful for another beautiful Sunday afternoon. It's 60 degrees, sunny, no wind and nowhere we have to be. My ideal day.

Yesterday our family attended a movie premiere. No red carpet or anything, but there was a sing-along. You gotta love VeggieTales. Gideon: Tuba Warrior was everything you've come to expect from the Veggie crew. FYI: Did you know that the creators of VeggieTales met while attending Crown College (then called St Paul Bible College) and began their company after they were both "dismissed" for chapel skips?? Something I found out pretty recently, although many people apparently already knew this.

We've begun making holiday plans, none of which we'll spend at home this year. We plan to drive to Kansas City for Thanksgiving, and while my sister and her family will be in Colorado, we'll see Kelly's uncle, aunt and grandmother, along with many other relatives. Our kids have not met most of Kelly's family, so it will prove to be exciting. For Christmas, we will head to Texas to see the remainder of Kelly's family, while stopping in KC again, where my family is spending the holidays. We've been pretty wimpy when it comes to traveling but are taking the plunge this year. Claire and Nolan are very excited - really, we all are.

And this weekend, a group of my college friends will gather in Rochester for a girl's weekend. This particular group usually gets together a few times a year, but with the birth of 4 babies just this year, it's made things a bit difficult. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone!

We enjoyed a fun couple of days with my mom visiting. We put our regular weekly plans on hold (Claire even missed a day of school) and just enjoyed "grandma" time. Short and sweet, but we were grateful for the visit.

We are deeply missing our friends and family, and are looking forward to these upcoming times to reconnect. Our little Spann Family of Four has greatly benefited from this time, however, as our home is wherever we are.

As the holidays approach, let's remember the real reason for the season, and remember to cherish those we share it with.

(Practically) November

We did it. We went out on a date. After buying pizza for the kids, our dinner out, the movie (& required snacks) and paying the babysitter, we remembered why we don't go out often! Boy, it adds up, but was worth it. We saw The Prestige, which was dark, but thought it was pretty good.

Today is Halloween, which our family doesn't celebrate. We don't ban our kids from all things Halloween, that's pretty much impossible. Claire had her "fall party" at school, but truly it was a Halloween party, complete with spider hats, bat-shaped cookies and pumpkin face painting. Claire understands that we don't celebrate it, and basically we've told her that some people make Halloween very scary and God doesn't give us a spirit of fear. We definitely don't want to be a 'We don't celebrate Halloween - it's evil and you are too' kind of family (which we totally don't agree with). If you're wondering why we don't celebrate, here's a link to an article that I found which is a pretty good explanation.

One thing we will celebrate today is my mom's birthday, she's flying in and staying a few days with us. We're all looking forward to her visit, especially the kids, as we haven't seen her in nearly a year! It makes me sad that so much time goes by between visits, but we're grateful to see her today. Happy Birthday Mom!

So we still have no news on our house. We've accepted the very real fact that it may not sell until next year. Now that it's (practically) November and the holidays are nearing, our chances of getting an offer are rapidly declining. This fact makes us so grateful for having housing in Rochester provided to us. Were we having to pay rent in addition to our mortgage, it would be impossible. God is good.

And I'm sad to report that we've lost a loved one... Stars the fish has "passed on" (to the toilet bowl). Stars belonged to Nolan and he took it very well, actually, he didn't really care. Claire sobbed huge tears as she cried "I'll miss him!". We're blessed that this is the only tragedy our kids have had to face. Stars was quickly replaced, by a goldfish named Stink. Ah kids, ya gotta love 'em!

Date Night

As you can probably tell by now, I'm all over the map with this blog. What can I say? I'm a Sanguine! No, not a penguin, a Sanguine. Or at least that's what Hippocrates would say. I've taken many personality tests over the years and am visiting the subject yet again. I'm reading A Woman's Guide to the Temperaments: How Understanding Your Personality Type Can Enrich Your Relationship With Your Husband And Your Kids. It lays out the positives and negatives of different personality types and I immediately thought of several friends and family members as I read the descriptions. There are many books on the subject, and many different types of tests. Very interesting...

It's Friday night and DATE NIGHT! Kelly and I are going on an actual, bonafide DATE! Dinner, movie, babysitter, the works. It's been months since we've hired a sitter (not since we said goodbye to our beloved Ruthie). Kelly & I are looking forward to seeing a movie that's not animated and the kids are excited about Abbie coming over to play.

Wednesday was Parent's Night at Awana. I attended with Claire, and Kelly joined Nolan's class. It was so fun to watch Claire as she ran relays with a team and cheered "Let's Go Blue, Let's Go!" (It's a new cheer, mom!). And her scripture memorization is fantastic. I was hesitant when we first signed up, as we're an early-bedtime family, but the later evening once a week is worth it. I highly recommend it!

Kelly has 2 playoff football games tomorrow, let's hope the sun stays out. He heads to Lakeville in the afternoon and Jordan tomorrow night. Tuesday he found himself in Duluth - his crew chief loves those games!!

Fall remains beautiful, as we're able to shed our winter coats for a few days. (Isn't funny when we think 45 degrees is warm??) Sunshine definitely brings an improvement in overall attitude.

May your weekend be filled with warmth & sunshine!

I Want to Be Transformed

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- which is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

If you are Christian, have spent time in church or reading the Bible, the above passage is probably familiar. I read it again while hastily doing my bible study "homework" this week. The study is called Real Faith and it's a back-to-basic study, a fantastic reminder of what studying the Bible and being a Christian is all about. The passage wasn't for study however, but used as an example of how to break down scripture for interpretation and application.

I couldn't help but be confronted by the words.

Most of my adult life, I've always said that I've longed to give more of myself to the Lord. That if only I had a little more time in my day, I'd spend it with Him. Well, since we've moved, I find myself with more time than I know what to do with. Our life has been pared down to the essential. Housecleaning doesn't fill my time, the apartment is small and easy to maintain. Laundry is done just 1 or 2 days a week, due to the facilities. I am not working outside of the home, a luxury I hope to maintain, but one I take for granted, I'm sure. One of my children is in school for half of each day, the other is growing more independent. My excuses have disappeared.

And yet, what have I done with this time? I've mentioned TV shows and silly websites, shopping and eating out. All things which aren't necessarily bad, but too many of these consume my time.

I don't bring this up because I want to change you, but because I want to be transformed. I seem to have a long list of prayer requests, but my time spent in prayer is minimal. I want to be transformed. When I think of this word, I can't help but think of the toy. I never played with Transformers myself, but the image of changing into something or someone totally new and fresh comes to mind, with new perspective and ability.

God's will is good, pleasing and perfect. I want to be in agreement with Him, to know that our needs are and will be met, perfectly. To erase the doubt, the questions I have about the way things sometimes happen. I can't do this without offering God all that I have, all that I am.

I know of many people, friends and family, who are experiencing a time of transition. Hard times right now. We are waiting to hear what the next step is going to be. I don't know what will happen from here, but I do know my next step: one that is humbly closer to my God. I am so thankful He allows me to come.

A Day On The Train

The passengers have returned! After a quick change of plans, we made the voyage to Wisconsin (we stayed overnight in Red Wing, Minn., before heading to LaCrosse to spend the day on Friday and returned that evening). Here are a few of the highlights...

Waiting for the train to arrive in Red Wing

On board Empire Builder No. 8

At the Station

Playing at the Children's Museum of LaCrosse

Trains & Bridges at the Children's Museum

Firefighter at Work

Beloved Prizes at Chuck E Cheese

Engineer in the Making

I am officially a fan of Amtrak! The ride was smooth, stops were short, and a fun experience overall (though I didn't envy those passengers riding from Chicago to Seattle, especially those sitting in coach!)

We enjoyed swimming in the indoor-outdoor pool at our hotel, though no one got any sleep... And our day in LaCrosse included lunch at Chuck E Cheese, a movie, the Children's Museum and dinner at The Train Station BBQ. It was quick and fun and we made memories to last a lifetime.

Amtrak's Empire Builder

Why I Love Wednesdays

Wednesdays are great days. To some, they're "blah" days - the middle of the week, busy, and not close enough to the weekends. I used to work every Wednesday evening. I had 2 Wednesdays off in 2 years (really). But now...

I LOVE WEDNESDAYS. It's Awana night! I love that the kids are going to church, memorizing Bible verses and learning truths about Jesus. They're running around, making friends, being loud and eating cookies. They wear their vests, earn patches and are part of a team. Everything kids should do. And Kelly & I get date night! We have an hour and a half of uninterrupted shopping, talking, sitting, teasing, laughing, playing, out-and-about time. Tonight, however, Kelly had a football game in Mankato so I had a date with myself, which was also very nice (though I did miss my guy). I forgot what a treat it was to sit alone in a restaurant and read a book.

I love my children. They are really good kids. They are funny and smart and challenging. And I realize that I only have 2... I often think of friends who have much larger families, or infant twins (and a toddler!), and am fully aware that I have it pretty easy. And I have a wonderful husband who is a full partner in parenting and in our household. Yes, I have it better than easy. But, to have a break from the "MOMOMOMOMOMOMOMOMOM" which resonates in our home, Yogos in the nose (a yogo is a small round yogurt covered fruit snack and the nose was Nolan's), the dishes, the driving and the countless other things that come with parenthood, I'm grateful for a bit of me time.

And another reason I favor Wednesdays is Project Runway. Tonight was the finale. It's been my guilty (very guilty, really) pleasure, thanks to Bravo - courtesy of Crossroads College! Who would have thought! For any other watchers out there... what do you think of Jeffrey as the winner??

May we all see the beauty and opportunity in every day!

Here's to Wednesday!

Tropical Delusions

It's a rainy Monday. A perfect day to daydream of a tropical vacation. Warm sand, blue ocean, fruity drinks, the smell of suntan lotion and days spent lounging in the sun. Sigh...

It's MEA weekend coming up, which means no school Thurs and Friday. We do have a trip planned, but it's not quite as described above. The Spann Fam is headed to the station - the railroad station. We're taking the Amtrak Empire Builder #8 to La Crosse, Wisconsin for an overnight trip. We'll stay at a hotel with a small tropical-themed waterpark (Kelly & I can pretend we're somewhere exotic). We plan to hit a children's museum and possibly take in a movie. The kids (especially Nolan, who is our own little engineer) are very excited. We're looking forward to a great weekend.

Since I won't be burying my feet in the sand today, maybe I'll bury my nose in a good book - while sipping something warm and steamy... sounds almost as good!

Fred, OJ & Little House

Just another sign that I've been spending too much time on the internet...

Celebrity Face Recognition

While browsing the 'net, I came across myheritage.com, a website where you download a picture of yourself, and using 'Face Detection Technology', they tell you which celebs you resemble (or vice versa). The website says it's "taken the internet by storm" so maybe it's old news, just new to me.

Anyway, apparently, Melissa Gilbert (of Little House on the Prairie) and Mare Winningham (of... other things, but I don't know what) are who I look like most. (I was waiting for Molly Ringwald to come up, because once upon a time many people told me I resembled her, but that was also when I had thinner cheeks and redder hair...)

One of Kelly's top matches was OJ Simpson! I can totally see it! (And think it's absolutely hilarious!)

I ran both Claire & Nolan's photos and Fred Savage came up for both of them.

This is particularly comical because when I was in those ever-so-painfully-akward middle school years, I was given the nickname "Kevin" (Fred Savage's character on the Wonder Years). Yeah, I loved that. I've since shared that memory with friends who think it's funny and even like to bring it up occasionally. Good times.

So, that brings me to you... when you have several minutes to waste and nothing better to do, find your celebrity match! The site also looks like it offers other cool features, too, like creating a family website and genealogy info. FYI: You do have to register, but it's minimal and free.

Have Fun!

ps - do I need a job or what?!

La La How The Life Goes On

Last night we attended a Crown volleyball game. Seems it would be simple to understand, but not so much for our family. After speaking to April Fisk (and buying 3 pounds of cookie dough from Micah!) we decided to drive an hour over to Owatonna, Minn. to watch the Storm take on the Pillsbury Comets. When we told the kids what we had planned, they were ready to cheer on the girls! You see, in the six-or-so weeks we've been in Rochester, we've spent much time reminding the kids that we were now cheering for the Knights, instead of the Storm. Nolan still says CROWN COLLEGE as we drive into Crossroads about 30% of the time.

So at the Crown game, we cheered for them all - the Storm, the Knights, Crown and Crossroads. We're a multi-college loving family! We convinced the rest of the Fisk family to make the trek to Owatonna, and a great time was had by all. The Storm won in 3 games, the kids played with their much-missed friends and feasted on candy (the official snack of college athletic events) and Kelly & I caught up with the Fisks, be it ever so briefly. I was warmly greeted by many of the girls I had in a small group bible study I hosted last season. It was so nice to see familiar faces.

Seeing friends is always bitter-sweet: It's fun, and gives us a deeper appreciation for our friendships, but also makes us realize just how much we miss everyone.

Life continues for us here. The volleyball and soccer seasons are winding down, basketball will begin soon. (Oh the athletic life - we're defined by the seasons!) Kelly is doing an excellent job of reshaping the athletic department here at Crossroads. He's still officiating varsity football on Friday nights and this week should be a doozy (see next paragraph). And sadly, he sorely watched his Cowboys hand Sunday's game to the Eagles... his new hat didn't do any good.

Brrrr... It's cold - flurries and all. We're thinking of hibernating until spring, although Claire is praying for snow to play in. She loves it - she declared that winter was her favorite season. Kelly & Nolan, on the other hand, want nothing of it. Getting a coat on Nolan takes much pursuading (some call it bribing, I call it incentive). I, personally, am desperately trying to hold on to fall. Weather.com gave this forecast at 8am: 36 degrees. Feels like 20. Yikes.

Any baseball positions open in Miami?

Confessions

I do love to blog.

I like to think that there are people (namely our friends and family) who are reading this, keeping up with the adventure that is the Spanns. Whether there are readers or not, I still enjoy the "creative release" it brings. I know I'm not a phenomenal writer, but I like to put my thoughts to paper, er, keyboard. If there are those who check in on us once in awhile, leave a comment or email us to let us know you're reading. Even if I'm writing to myself, I'll continue, if only because I enjoy it so much!

One particular part of our life that I've failed to mention is our goals for weight-loss and general improved health. I've left out this detail on purpose. Kelly has no problem sharing, but I'm the one who is self-conscious. So here it is: We're trying to lose weight and get in shape. Whew - that wasn't so bad.

We've joined the YMCA here in Rochester, and while it isn't a new, state-of-the-art fitness facility, it's a great place for us. There are people of all shapes and sizes, all of the machines and classes we need, friendly staff, and probably most important - a great kids-care program included in our membership.

Kelly has already begun losing weight, I'm not seeing such results. My endurance has increased, however, as I now can do hills for 30 minutes on the elliptical machine without feeling like I'm on death's door. Today I started a food and exercise journal, as I already know that it's the food part of the equation that's stalling my efforts. I will not give up, however. Just promise that the next time you see me you'll wait until I'm not looking to see if I've had any success!

So now that I've heaved that load off my chest (and soon to be my backside!), I wish you and yours a fantastic weekend!

Field Trip

On Wednesday, Claire and her fellow kindergarteners went on a field trip to Northwoods Apple Orchard. Mom went along too, a great time was had by all. Here's a few of the highlights...

Mrs. Stekel's AM Kindergarten Class

Claire & Freddie making their way through the corn maze

Top Hat - (apparently) the funniest rooster in Minnesota

We saw goats, chickens, pigs & bunnies... we picked apples... we sang songs... and made our way through the corn maze, finding clues along the way.

We plan to return to the orchard as a family, and highly recommend the experience to others! Big kids, little kids, everyone can enjoy the smell of sweet apples and crisp fall air! (Even if it was 85 degrees on Monday. That's Minnesota for ya!)

Sports Sports Sports

It was a rather busy weekend for the Athletic Director at Crossroads College. As I've mentioned before, Kelly IS the entire athletic department. He does have one work-study student help him out a few hours each week, but the budget is very tight and Kelly actually had to "let go" a second student he had hired due to budget restraints.

Friday night consisted of a volleyball tri-match (3 matches in one evening) and a soccer match. Saturday was Parent's Day, which saw another volleyball tri-match and a second soccer match as well as a presentation by Kelly to the parents in the morning and a picnic in the afternoon. The difficult part was that the sporting events were taking place at the same time in different locations, about 15 minutes away. The same line judges worked both games, so it was a little tricky, but Kelly pulled it off. He had rave reviews for his "speech", filled with humor and sincerity, of course, and earned bonus points for acknowledging the parents with flowers, photos & thanks at each of the games (something which hadn't been done before).

Today brings 2 more home sporting events, we haven't seen all that many this year. Soccer and volleyball both play Pillsbury, to which Crossroads is pretty evenly matched. Men's soccer has previously tied with the Comets and volleyball lost in 5 close games when they last met. Hopefully the Knights can pull it off.

All this means I'm put to work too! My duty is to create the Game Day sheets for each game (a stat sheet - with rosters, school info, etc). Kelly considered listing me under my maiden name as the SID - just to make it look like Crossroads has an athletic staff - but we decided against it!

On another (sporting) note: Kelly is going to the Twins playoff game tomorrow with a friend and former assistant coach, John Cerney. This he needs to do. We're so grateful to be making friends - and to have Jeff & Ang Morgan as "built-ins" (easy, wonderful friends we can relax and have a great time with!) but Kelly is still lacking relationships in his day-to-day life. And he doesn't get out much - living & working on campus can take it's toll.
Let's hope the Twins call pull off a victory, too!

GO TWINS! GO KNIGHTS!

Fabulous Fall

Autumn is by far my favorite season. I'm sure it has a lot to do with growing up in California, where a change of season meant it might rain, or that the coastal fog would linger a bit longer during the cooler days. I do remember that it felt cold at the time... of course 60 degrees is freezing to many coastal Californians.

Well, we couldn't live in a better place to enjoy the season. I've seen Aspen, CO in Autumn - pretty amazing - but truly, there's no place like Minnesota to experience fall.

Today was a perfect day. Life feels simple. I enjoyed a morning of bible study with a large group of women from church, followed by lunch with my family. (Kelly comes home almost every day for lunch. Am I a lucky girl or what? After all the time we spent together this summer, I think I'd experience Kelly-withdrawal if I had to go cold-turkey!)

And this afternoon, after the kids and I put on new coats and played outside, we came in for cinnamon toast and hot chocolate. Really, does it get any better?

Crossroads in Color

Our Life at Crossroads College in Pictures...

Home Again??

When will Rochester be home?

We made a quick trip back to Mayer this weekend, causing a bit of confusion for Claire & Nolan. Prior to leaving Friday afternoon, a teary Claire insisted that she would miss Rochester. We promised that we'd return the next day, but I don't think she fully understood. We arrived in Waconia and after spending an hour with our friends, the Bechtles, we headed to our (mostly empty) house in Mayer. "Everything looks so different, Mom. The stairs are shiny and the doorknobs are rounder," Claire observed. (I think she just wasn't used to seeing it so clean.) We bedded down on an air mattress and sleeping bags and watched a movie on our 7" DVD player. (I did several loads of laundry, trying to clean as many clothes as I could without having to pay $2 a load...)

The next morning as we got ready to head to breakfast, Nolan was upset that we'd "left all our toys in Rochester!". I explained that we were only visiting our house and that we'd return to Rochester later in the day. Really, he couldn't have been more confused.

All in all, we had a great time with the Fisk Family on Saturday, enjoying lunch, playing & shopping. It was very quick, to say the least, but we needed to pick up a few forgotten items and make a price change on our home with our realtor. We wish it could have been longer, that we'd been able to see more friends, but it's difficult trying to exsist in two places at once. Kelly & I have stopped referring to either Mayer or Rochester as "home", not wanting to confuse anyone, including ourselves!

We hope that with time (and the sale of our house), Rochester will become home, no matter how long we're here. Some days we can see the future here in Rochester, other times, well... let's just say we're staring intently at the calendar, wondering what's next.

As a family, we are enjoying ourselves. Life is very simple right now. We're taking advantage of the conveniences of Rochester, including the many restaurants and ample shopping close by. We're eating out more often than we should (but if you saw our kitchen, you'd understand!) - and we've not frequented a restaurant more than once so far! It's fantastic!

And today, a lazy Sunday, we enjoyed a morning of worship, followed by lunch and a sunny afternoon: reading the paper, riding bikes, jumping in mud puddles, and finally, everyone napping as I write.

Claire & Nolan enjoying sunshine today for the first time in a long time

We hope you're also able to enjoy some "lazy Sunday" time with your family.
Have a fantastic week!