Grandpa Lyle came for a visit this weekend too.
They all had haircuts Saturday night. Lookin' good boys!
Before...
After
Cory, his Dad and Grandpa Virgil went fishing 
Noah is growing up. In size and by his
"Big Boy" behaviors and sayings. He says
the funniest things! I need to start carrying a pen
and notebook in my pocket. Seriously, how can I forget things
so quickly?
Something he now will ask us each day is...
"so mom (or dad) how's your day?" He uses words like "probably" example being, "Mom, you could just probably leave it there." Or he used the word "actually" the other day and said "actually I don't think so." Something else he will use often is "no, maybe later", and " yeah, I think so." It is all very matter of factual.
He also is 75% potty trained! He stays dry all night in his diaper and is wearing underwear all day long. The other 25% is still getting the #2 thing down. He loves his new "Lighting McQueen" underwear and does prefer underwear over the diaper.
He also started Sunday School today and stayed in the classroom with very little hesitation. He asked me tonight if he could go to his school again. So I think he liked it!
Here he is all ready to go to church.
I had to be to church early so Cory
got him all ready and off to Sunday School.
Weekend project...install new microwave.
Before...
After
I was so glad to free up my counter space
and now it just looks finished.
Nevermind the mess below on my counter.
Noah was in charge of Styrofoam destruction.
We just got back from a few days in Itasca State Park. We enjoyed getting away and what a great place to visit. Noah talks about his camping trip from last year and was eager to go again. He loved it!
We rented a cabin this year vs. a camper.
Crossing the headwaters with Mommy
then again with Daddy.
Headwaters of the Mighty Mississippi
Standing in the Mississippi
Hiking with Great Grandpa Virgil...
we were here last year with the whole Albertson crew. My grandpa Virgil suffered a heart attack while here last year and had to undergo open heart surgery. Now a year later here we are again. Not the whole Albertson crew, but some of us and Grandpa is back and doing so well. What a blessing it is to have him here with us a whole year later. Noah adores his great-grandpa Virgil.
Lake Itasca at sunset near our Cabin/Campground
Cory took Noah all the way to the top of this tower. 
This was in the Visitor Center. They had
Campfire, coffee, conversation...what could be better?
Cory was determined to keep us warm with only the use of
our fireplace. (there was also a heating system in the cabin) I think
that kicked in when our fire died out in the night.
It was a very cozy cabin and the fire came in handy with the cool evenings.
Itasca has fun bike trails so we did some biking too.
Playing with cousins!
These would be my cousins children.
Does that make them my 2nd cousins and Noah's 3rd cousins?
Either way, cousins are cousins!
Great Grandma Mary and Noah at
the Visitor Center.
Great Grandma Mary
is always prepared and Noah knew she had good
snacks along to share with him.
My grandparents rented a Cabin as well and so they were
close to us which came in handy.
Great Aunt Denise reading stories
around the campfire.
We went back and forth between the Cabin and the
campground area where the rest of the group were staying.
This is how Noah traveled!
Noah picked this snake out at the gift shop!
Cory celebrated turning 3 decades old Friday.
I made Cory his favorite fruit pizza for his birthday cake.
It was worth the time it took to make! We
had some family over and hung out at home. We
had been fighting colds last week. Yuck!
I ordered 30 balloons for Cory. Noah and I picked them
up Thursday night. I did not even think about how I was going
to fit 30 balloons in my car. So good thing we didn't have far to go.
Noah was totally engulfed by balloons. I could not see him and I was worried
about the plastic bag close to his head. So we practiced singing "Happy Birthday"
all the way home. At least I knew he was OK if I could hear him.
I attached all the balloons to Cory's truck before he left for
work Friday morning. He looks so excited, doesn't he?
What is it about boys and mud? Certainly not one without the other! It was funny to watch him go directly to the mud puddles. It was like they were calling him by name! We sure needed the fresh air and spending time outside yesterday
was great for all of us. We were plenty wet and muddy when we went in but nothing the washer and dryer can't fix.
Noah is really good at saying "cheese" when you want to take his picture but it is the looking up at the camera we have trouble with.
Who's wet, muddy, cold, runny nosed kid is that anyway?
It has certainly been too long again. Noah and I are waiting for warmer days as is Cory and waiting for work to pick up again. We have had a great winter and Noah is up to new tricks and always testing us in new ways. We have been without the Nuk now for about a month. Was nice to see it go and Noah was a champ about it. He still asks from time to time "Mommy, what happened to my nuk"? I told him the Nuk Fairy came and took it to little babies who really needed them. One day he said "my Nuk is at baby Jaxtin's house". So I think he got it.
Not the smoothest story to come up with but it seemed to work for us and that is what is important.
Next on our agenda...potty training!!!
Noah memorized this last week. It was our bible verse from Tuesday School at church. We recited it a few times over breakfast the next day and he had it down. Never to young to memorize scripture. So fun to listen to him say it with such enthusiasm. If we could all keep that "child like faith", this earth would be better off for it.
This was the verse if you did not catch it all.
Mark 1:17 "Come follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."
So much for bye, bye nuke's.
Out with the old...
in with the cold...
Back side of the house.
Cory went out bow hunting this morning and brought home
this young buck.
Our backyard deer taking refuge in our neighbor's yard Sunday.
