Monthly Update!!

Wow!! We are well into 4th grade with Malia and a mountain of homework every night (thankful for the homework--seriously!).  Malia is also on school patrol this year (crossing guard duty)!  She loves this "job" and does it with confidence and pride in keep her school and the kids safe!!

Morgan is loving 2nd grade and her teacher is great!  She's in class with a few of her Kindergarten friends and doing well!  She loves to be social and to talk, but she is learning about when that is appropriate and when it is not!!  

AND--Marshall is a going machine who loves his trucks and mighty machines (however is a smidge sad that all the road construction right in front of our house is done)!
It's hard to believe, but Marshall is in preschool!  He goes 2 mornings a week with some buddies of his from our babysitters group and then 1 day a week to a program at a local Community Center.  He is a very social little guy!!

4th Grade

2nd Grade

Marshall & his buddy all ready for preschool!

All ready for patrol!
Patrol RULES--according to Malia!













Malia is finishing up her first travelling season of fast-pitch softball!  It's only a 6-week Fall season, but it has felt longer and she has learned a lot.  Her team is a great group of girls who encourage and cheer each other on!  It's been fun to watch each of them grow and learn!

Excited and nervous for the first game!

FRIESE #81!  I love that girl!!

Batter up--Swing Malia!!

The Team-
Mounds View Mustangs--Go Mustangs!

Still smiling after a couple great games in Baldwin, WI!

 Tim is well into the football season and enjoying his crew of officials!  Nothing like a good Friday night of football and cheering for the refs!  We're thinking they should apply for the NFL right now!! =)

Work is good!  Life is busy & crazy at times--but good!
Seems like we are entering the phase of "always on the run"--"gotta head here, then go there--then do it all over again"!  It's good though--because even in the midst of the craziness I see God working in and through us, through the kids and thankful for His guidance.
Seeing Malia stand up for her faith in school already is so amazing.  The conversations that we've had with both girls and how they are able to be confident and "tell it like is" just causes me to pray for them even more and for all of us to be bold and know that God is in control and we need to faithful.

I hopefully won't let another month slip by before I update again...especially since Malia's State tourney is this weekend and I still have a lot of updating to do from the last month--but if it does, well then, that's just how I roll!!  =)

My dad--retired?!!

While we were in Montana we celebrated my dad's retirement!  It's weird to think that he doesn't get up and go to the City Shop anymore--but to be there and experience him home all the time is great!  He has his toys out in his shop, the guys went shooting and prairie-dog hunting, riding motorcycle out to Uncle Larry's and taking care of Grampa Arnie--he's busy!

Here are some pics from the fun BBQ and all the friends/family who came out to celebrate with us!  It was a great night, great food & lots of laughs!

My brother and brother in law did the grilling!  Tim did the fly/bee swatting!!  =)

My Grampa Arnie!

Time to chow!

Mel!!  Wait Mel...Jump for the next picture!!

PERFECT!!!  =)

What a fun crowd of a lifetime of great friends!

Whoa...I thought my burger was "well" done, but not that well done!  j/k...you cooked
some great burgers bro!!

Add caption

Mel & the Shari's Berries!!

M3 enjoying a Berry!!  

Dad--the man of the hour!

I guess something was "stinky"??!!

Katrina (my dad's old boss' daughter!), her and Malia had so much fun!

Montana! Montana!

August--celebrating Morgan's birthday--being in Montana!!

check, check, check!

It seems that August has become our time to head to Grama & Papa Haugen's and

try to get my whole family together and have some end of

summer fun!  

We tend to be there either during the county fair or smack dab on Morgan's birthday!!

We went a week later this year, so we missed out on the fair, but we celebrated Miss Mo's birthday in style!

Candles in a donut for her breakfast--perfect!!

Marshall loves loves loves this 4-wheeler!  Standing--no hands--eyes closed....

you name it and that's how he rode it!

We also enjoy our time out at my Uncle Larry's!  With 5 horses (some are just being boarded there)

the girls are in their element!  Malia especially loves these monster animals and enjoys getting them

ready to ride!  She has become quite the horseman and I think would spend all her

time out on the ranch!

Girls with Suzie-Q

Trampoline for the little crazy peeps!

Heading out on a ride on the "real" 4-wheeler with daddy!

I love the rolling hills and back roads!

Heading out on a trail ride with Auntie Wendy!

On the hill above their property--Malia in the lead!

Church at the nursing home with Great Grama.

Monkeying around....

Super star!

One of the elementary schools just built this awesome new playground!!  Score!!

Cleo--sitting still for a couple minutes!  She's a little
unsure of Marshall!

Luscious--such a patient pooch!  We love her!

Auntie Mel's IPad was very popular!  First time playing Angry birds for our household!

We also celebrated Erica's birthday!  She'll be 5 in  September!

Happy Birthday!

Time for a mini-pedicure!

Catching some bugs with Erica!

Love this big BUG!

Great Grampa and the electric fly swatter!  Marshall tried to "borrow" it but Great Gramps
was not giving it up!

Hunter Sven

Cooling off & goofin around!

Silly boy--who are you?? Where's your cute face?

Oh, Luscious...she's just such a good dog!

Good job Morgan--leading Suzie-Q all on her own!!  Way to go!

Time to trot??

Papa & Marshall...trying to catch up to big sis Malia!

Ribs Dinner--Some good cooks in my family!

My parents and all their Grandkids & Grandpups!

The whole family--minus Tim & Jose--(somebody had to take the pics!)

Hunter & Malia...looking forward to 4th grade!!

My brother and his kids!

It was a great week and it's always amazing at how fast the time flies.  You look forward to this all summer, then it's here and then it's over and we're all headed home and getting ready for school.
The kids all enjoy being at Grama & Papa's and definitely look forward to seeing their cousins.

I love being with my family like this and having our kids experience Montana--it's how I remember going to Wyoming every year to visit my grandparents, ride horse at my Aunt Pat's and just make some awesome memories and then looking forward to next year and doing it all over again!  Good times!

I even had a chance to see three great friends from high school!  We haven't all been together in about 10 years and to sit and chat for almost 4 hours was the best.  So good to catch up and hear about each others lives!  Next time---we'll remember to take a pic!