Hello again!

So much for bye, bye nuke's.

Here are finally some updates for all of you fellow bloggers. Enjoy!

Home Improvements

Out with the old... in with the cold...

and finally brand new.

Back side of the house.

Our projects have begun again at our house. The windows arrived last week and Cory got a start on them this weekend. I think it is 16 windows he is replacing and he has 4 done already. Yeah! The siding is coming off as well and Cory is adding Styrofoam to the outside walls. Siding will come eventually but it may be awhile for that project. I am really excited about the windows and it is one step closer in getting rid of my current window treatments which are old bedsheets. We haven't bought anything for them yet because we needed the new windows in and the trim to be done before we would know for sure what the measurements would be.

Our new furnace is in as well so we are praying for cheaper gas bills this winter!!!

Monster Deer...or maybe just meat for the freezer!

Cory went out bow hunting this morning and brought home this young buck. Our backyard deer taking refuge in our neighbor's yard Sunday.

"Bullets 'N' Barbecue"...

Murder Mystery Dinner: Town of Drygulch Western Frontier, 1872 You are invited to mosey on over to the Paradise Saloon for some western hospitality and a feed of good grub. That is just what we did Saturday to celebrate my Mom's 50Th Birthday! It is the wild west in the year 1872. On a clear July morning, dawn is just breaking over the tiny frontier town of Drygulch when a single gunshot rings out. The townsfolk rush to the scene and are horrified to find their sheriff, Take Noble, sprawled in the dust, dead from a gunshot wound. He was bushwacked from behind and you are a suspect. Juan Bandito: A Mexican Bandit played by Cory and my Dad Sally Forth: Attractive English Lady played by the Birthday Girl, Sheryl Rowdy Azell: A smooth-talking, fast-dealing gambler played by Shawn and James Miss Patience: The town's prim and pretty school marm played by Dessica Doc Mallard: The Doctor of the good folks of Drygulch for the past 30 years played by Grandma Bev Bibi Gunn: An entertainer working at the Paradise saloon played by Erika Our Host and Cook: Grandma Mary Our host and cook for the evening.

Juan Bandito 1 and Bibi Gunn

Sally Forth and Juan Bandito 2

Noah came after to join in on the fun!

The Birthday Girl...and the Murderer!

This was not revealed to any of us until the end. So when we were all given the parts before hand we had no idea the Murderer would end up being the Birthday Girl!

Grandma Mary had the house decorated so well and put so much work into making the evening come alive for us.

We were not the smoothest actors and actresses and figuring out the mystery was confusing at times but by the end we had figured our parts out. We laughed until are guts hurt! Was a fun evening had by all!

Sesame Street Live!

Saturday Morning we took Noah to Sesame Street Live at the Fargo Dome. Noah was glued to the stage the minute it started. I think he enjoyed himself but he was starting to get tired after the intermission and the last half. He made it through to the end and sat so well during the show. Was really fun for all of us!

Noah and Ruger

Noah's friend Ruger came to play last week and I caught some cute pictures of them. Giving rides in the dump truck.

Being silly, don't worry I took the picture and then told them both not to stick those in their mouths.

Starting young...who are they talking to? I think we will need to watch their cell phone use!

Hunting Weekend 2

Marty, Jeanette and Torunn came up last weekend so the boys could do some pheasant hunting. Jeanette, Torunn, Noah and I just hung around home. The Olson's came over Saturday night for supper. We managed to get a picture of all the kids together. Noah is a little out numbered by his female cousins!

Trick or Treat

Here is our Little Frog who now likes to hide his face when we want to take his picture! Noah went visiting most of the day and was a trooper about wearing his Costume. We were at the lake visiting Great G&G Albertson and G&G Komestakes then, to Great Grandma Bev before ending up at church for the Fall Family Festival. We were not very good about getting pictures with any of them except Great G&G Albertson. Sorry G&G Reinertson, unfortunately the trip is just to long to come and trick or treat your way. But we look forward to seeing you this weekend!

G&G Albertson

Jumping in the leaves at G&G Komestakes.

Noah and Maddie

Fishing for "Treats" at the Church. Noah and his friend Cohen. I am on the Children's Ministry Team and we were all suppose to wear silly head gear.

So I am wearing Cory's Gopher Hockey Helmet Hat. Cory and Noah went around and took in all the games and did some Trunk or Treating in the parking lot at church. Noah liked filling his bag up with all the treats.

Pheasant-Deer-Moose

Cory has been out hunting pheasant with Miley and loving every minute of it. Noah gets excited about the birds and Cory usually gives him a tail feather to hang on to. Marty came up a while back with his dog. Cory and Marty have the same type of dog. Here I am looking out our office window into our neighbor's yard. Can you see the three deer? We have seen the same three deer off and on all summer and fall. On this day I first saw them around 2:30pm and when I left the house around 5:00pm they were still in the backyard just hanging out. This past Wednesday Fergus had a Moose sighting early in the morning. I knew nothing about it. But I woke up and heard our neighbor's dog barking and barking so I thought I would look out and see what he was barking at and I see this Huge Dark Deer...which so happened to really be a Moose. It was right by the swing set in this picture. I was so shocked, my mouth dropped and I could not move. My camera was right there but I didn't have enough time to react. The dog's barking scared it off pretty fast. But I was so excited to actually see a "wild moose" out my kitchen window. So next I call Cory and the first thing he says is, "did you see the moose"? I am thinking "how did you know"? He then told me he had heard on the radio that the police were asking for people to call if they saw this moose, that they were trying to push it back out of town so it would not cause any problems. So I called the police and saw them drive by but I didn't see the moose again. I was bummed, I didn't get a picture of it. I have always told Cory that if he ever had the chance to hunt a moose and actually kill one that he could hang it anywhere in my house. I think they are a cool looking animal. Weird. I know!

Father Like Son...

Happy Birthday Dad! We Love You.

Update!

My Grandpa is out of surgery and it sounds like things went well. He ended up having four done instead of three. They will watch him close now for any excessive bleeding. Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for a safe & speedy recovery. Love, Erika

Prayer Needed!

My Grandpa Virgil is having open heart surgery (triple bypass) tomorrow morning at 7am. For those prayer warriors out there I ask that you would please keep my Grandpa in your prayers. Also for my Grandma Mary, my Mom and my Uncles as they wait for him to get out of surgery. I think they said it could take anywhere from 4 to 6 hours. So it will be a long wait for them.

I will update when we know more.

This was taken this past June at my cousin Lindsay's

Wedding. My Mom and her brother's and of course G & G.

Noah and Great Grandpa Virgil. This was taken in April of 2007.

This was Summer of 2007.

Noah sending a message to Grandpa!

We love you Grandpa Virgil. We will see you soon.

No, I Love You!

Cory and Noah started doing this just a couple of nights ago and I thought it was cute!

Vroom..Vroom...

It has been a week since we said bye, bye nuk-e. It has not been easy. We went from lay me down to sleep and he sleeps. To lay me down and scream to sleep and he sleeps, somewhat, but not long enough. Early in the week he some how catapulted out of the crib, twice! He had never tried to attempt that before. So now we have upgraded to the toddler bed. Our good friends Jim and Cari said we could borrow there toddler bed and it happened to be this very cool car! So we talked it up and got Noah excited about his new bed. But he thinks it is much cooler when he is not put to sleep in it! So the dilemma is what do you do to keep a 2 year old in his bed? Give him his Nuk-e back for awhile? The crib is no longer an option due to the high percentage of being hurt. Shut the door and not let him come out of his room is not an option either because he can open his door. So the challenge is still in front of us...what to do, what to do?!

Bye, Bye Nuk-e...

Yes, last night was the night. We took away Noah's nuk-e. He has only gotten it at nap and bedtime for quite sometime but it still is not going to be easy. I am not sure who it was harder on Noah, or Mommy? I think that this means my "Baby", is not a baby anymore. Makes me a little sad but it is time and the longer we wait the harder it will be. It just breaks my heart when he says to me, "Mommy nuk-e". I just have ignored his pleads, although Cory took the other approach and said he threw them in the garbage. Which I find out by Noah telling me "nuk-e in the Garbage, Mommy."

"Working"

Here are Noah and Daddy "working" together on Miley's new kennel floor. When Noah wakes up in the morning's he always asks "Where did Daddy go"? So I tell him "Daddy is working". So these past few days Noah has been grabbing his tools and he tells me "Noah working, bye bye, see you later." It is too cute! Noah loves it when Cory lets him help out with his "real tools". Noah has been talking up a storm. It is so fun to hear the words come out of his mouth. Another new thing this week is, "It's too messy". Great Grandma Mary asked him if he would like to sit on her swing outside yesterday and he told her, " no,too messy". Notice the pink sweat band? Nevaeh left this at our house and Noah knew right where to put it!