You are dust, and unto dust you shall return.

I didn't know what time church was at for Ash Wednesday.I called my mom and she said "what do you want me to do? I don't know." I guess it was just reflex :). So I got a hold of a fellow church member. She said 7am or 7pm. I decided to go at 7pm and I wasn't planing on bringing Luke, but at the last minute I decided to because I wanted him to get ashes too. I didn't expect him to be good since it was rather late for him. But to my surprise he was an ANGEL so to speak :). He talked to the babies behind him, and flirted with the catholics around him. He even walked back to the pew all by himself :). And at one point I was kneeling on the kneeler and he sat right next to me on the kneeler and folded his hands just like I had mine. TOO CUTE! Must of been the blessing ;)

(not a very good picture, its the best i could get)

BOO!

Zach taught Luke this new trick. he didn't do it as cute in this video as he has done before. but i wanted to share this with my mom

Finding Memo

Luke isn't much for watching T.V. unless there's a good commercial on especially the Pillsbury dough boy, he loves him :) But I thought one day maybe I could put in a cartoon movie and see if he liked it. well the only cartoon movie we have is finding Nemo which is a great movie besides...soo I asked Luke, "do you want to watch finding Nemo?" and he says "MEMO?." So I put it in, gave him a snack and his blankie. I couldn't believe it, his eyes were glued to the T.V for like the first 20 min. which is a record for him! Ever since then (a week ago) hes had to watch "Memo" everyday. He gets the DVD and tries to put it in the DVD player. He would watch it more then once a day if he had it his way. but its a nice 20min where I don't have to worry bout him getting into anything naughty and he sits there very contently...Not saying I agree with sitting your child in front of a T.V all day buuut it is nice for a little bit :) . Plus who wouldn't like that movie!

Na night Nonny

My parents recently left for there 3 month vacation in Tucson AZ. Which they have been talking about for what seems like forever. My dad letting me know what I will be in charge of when he was gone (the shop). It should have been no surprise then when they were packing up their stuff and getting ready to go. But the day before they left it hit me! I said goodbye to my mom and she gave me a hug ...(our family doesn't hug)that's when I knew it was serious, they were gonna be gone for 3 whole months! thats a long time! Who was gonna make me and Luke dinner? Who was gonna sew my clothes? Who was gonna get the grease stains out of our clothes? Who was gonna make sure my car was running alright? Who was gonna watch Luke at the drop of a hat? Who was gonna be my mom and dad?! Conclusion....ME! I was telling a friend about this and he told me "welcome to the real world Mary." I know I can do it. It's just gonna take some getting used to. Everybody keeps asking me what are you going to do without your parents!? Is it that obvious that I depend on them that much? I'm the baby thats what we do :).
What I really didn't realize is how hard it would be on Luke. He saw my parents almost every day and every time we drove passed the house he would say Nonny (thats what the grandkids call my mom). Now when we drive by and don't stop he whines. and he always says, "Nonny Grampa?" And I always have to tell him that they're in Tucson. So the other night when I was laying Luke down for bed he does this thing where he says na night, or bye bye to everyone he knows, and I just listen. He said mama na night Dada bye bye (he was working) then he said Nonny Newson(a.k.a Tucson). It melted my heart. He knows there "Newson" but he doesn't know what or where that is.Too cute but he definitely misses his Nonny and Granmpa.

A little Elf came to visit...

So this morning me and LukeBoy went to church and sat with Kelly, Nathan, and my mom. Luke was acting like he had 3 cups of coffee! He was all over the pew!

When I came home I went in the living room and looked at our Christmas tree, since it's kinda the focal point of our living room at the moment. And I saw this hanging from the tree. I said ahhhh whats this? Zach said oh an elf must of came and put that there. I said yea he must of, because you sure can't wrap gifts like that ... he replays with " don't under estimate my wrapping skills !"

Later me and Zach made the gingerbread house, our family tradition every Christmas. And when Luke woke up from his nap he sure wanted to try it!...

The Flower Monster

My mother got me this amaryllis flower kit, she said it was really easy, didn't even have to water it. I said ooook....

I watered it once and after like 3 weeks it looked like this! Zach said he was scared of it, I told him it will bloom on Christmas into a pretty flower. He said no it's gonna open on Christmas and EAT US! I told him just to wait and see :) I was kinda curious myself to what it was going to look like...one flower? two flowers? what color?.....

a few days later it revealed what color it was going to be...RED!

And a few days after that I woke up one morning to a surprise of not one ,but THREE BIG RED FLOWERS! With another little bud that hasn't bloomed yet down in the lower right corner. Zach was re leaved.:) and Luke looks at it and says ohhh nice :). What a fun easy thing to do. Thanks mom.

Lounging Around

So I have been meaning to post a picture of Luke in his baby recliner that he got from his grandparents.. He loves it, he will get magazines and sit in the chair and pretend to read them. Its TOO cute!

You Learn Something New Everyday

Me and Zach just got picture messaging on our I phones. So the other day while he was at work

I thought I'd send him this picture with the caption,

"talking a bath"

A few minutes later he sent me this picture with the cation

"escaping the bath"

It scared the crap out of me! Then when I actually figured out what it was I laughed ... He said he had to do his first pig roast and had not a clue what he was doing. He was man handling this 110 pound pig up and down the stairs of the resort first trying to roast it but the pig was so big it wasn't cooking fast enough, so he said he had to shove it in the oven by breaking it hooves, and cutting its butt off! what a eventful day at Grand Superior Lodge... needless to say the wedding party enjoyed there pig.

* p.s- thankful to be a stay at home mom!

BOARD GAMES!

I've always wanted to have a game night....but I always thought who would want to come over to my small house in Two Harbors (most of our friends live in Duluth). But the other night we were invited to our friends house to have "game night" and when she asked if we wanted to come I said no we aren't much for watching football, sorry...and she replied with.. NO, BOARD GAMES! Me and my simple mind, it gets me every time :) It was a blast who knew it could be so much fun! On our way home Zach said he would like to have game night once a week! I hope so :) because the next game we plan to play is this. Enjoy your Saturday. I hope I inspired you to have your own game night :)

What does a Giraffe say?

Luke's first trick-or- treating experience was fun :) In the morning we carved pumpkins, Zach's had rotted so he carved Luke's, its a spitting image of him too! :) In the afternoon we went around to all the relatives houses. We also stopped at Zach's work to show him off to all the employees ;). Last stop was grandma Janet's where he got the best treat of all, a baby recliner !(I will post pictures in the future). Then we all sat down to feast on ham :) yummy.

As for me and the Mister? We went to an annual Halloween party that our friend has every year we always have a great time and this year was no different. There was a tin man, Billy Mays, my cousin Corey and his lady friend dressed up as these guys, Clay dressed as Gallagher, there was a purple teletubbie in there somewhere it was lots of fun, and lots of good costumes...what did we dress up as you ask? Well.....

Can you guess?????

I'm losing my mind!

We have had to make due with one car lately...the mister is getting his worked on....so the other day I had to borrow my mothers highlander (which I love) I feel like such a big girl when I drive it :). So Luke and I went to the "grocery"(as people call it now a days) to do some serious shopping . Luke WAS NOT in the mood so I felt rushed going through all the isles trying to get the best deal while trying to make him happy/quiet. When I finally made it to the check out with a crabby baby I had found my favorite check out lady, she's the only nice one I've met. As shes checking all my WIC stuff I had to run back and get different bread (there sooo picky). While all this is going on Luke is standing in the front of the cart wanting to get out, and I couldn't strap him down because the strap was broken! *note to self, look at straps before picking out a cart. So I finally got checked out which felt like forever! I had a loaded cart, I barely had enough room for Luke. I go out to the SUV and realize I have lost the keys, and the doors are locked. $@#%! So I had to go back through the store with my huge cart of groceries looking for my keys asking for the stock boys to help me ... and then a girl I went to school with yelled down an isle to me MARY ARE THESE YOURS!? Yes I said, embarrassed while everyone looks at me....where were they I ask. Up at the check out....UGH!! I was sweating by the time I got in the car, I was SO frazzled! How am I ever going to handle more then one kid!

*another note to self....never let Luke play with my keys again!

I love RED

When I was in beauty school one of my friends and I fell in love with the color red. Red shirts, red nail polish, red shoes, red bead spread it was ridiculous how much you can love one color! We would always just randomly say "i love red" (you would have to hear me say it to get the full effect) so today it was easy finding red it's all over my house...but noooo pink I'm not a fan... and I was unable to do any picture taking outside the house because I was to busy being my sister's model .

Lets Stay Together

When I think GREEN I think nature, outside... and this is what i found

It also reminds me of this man and the song he sings, its the song me and my husband danced to at our wedding almost 2 years ago now!

what rhymes with Orange?

This is the ORANGE that I found on our family outing to Toms Logging Camp today

Yellow

Happy Yellow Monday! may not be the best picture...but i tried

I have cute friends

In high school I had a group of friends and we called ourselves the 'fab five' and when Jeska (yes that's how she spells her name)asked me to be in her wedding I was ecstatic, I have been friends with her the longest out of all of them,16 years! and when she told me she was having seven bridesmaids including all the members of the 'fab five' I knew it was going to be a good time, and it was! The wedding took place and her and Zach's place of employment and the ceremony was beautiful. I think I cried more at her wedding then I did at my own. The food was also very good, since Zach cooked it ;) We all had a great time and danced the night away! Congratulations Tom and Jeska!

Sound it Out

Zach and I were laying in bed the other night, and I was telling him how when i was younger (9-12) that I would lie in my parents bed with my dad every night and he would read the readers digest to me. I kinda laugh about it now, but back then I thoroughly enjoyed it. So I came up with the idea for something fun for the two of us to do at home (besides movies)....We should read a book together, we would alternate chapters. Zach knew just the one, he said it was his favorite childhood novel and has read it a few times, so we went to Barnes and Noble and he picked this good read. We started reading it the other night. We get all snuggled in, he says "are you ready?" he waits for the OK and he said, "you have to pay attention because I'm NOT gonna recap anything!" So I listen intently, when the chapter is over I say OK my turn, and Zach says no, his explanation is that I can't read as well as he can. "How do you know you have never heard me!" So he says fine....We are on the forth chapter and I have read one. what does that tell you? Looks like I'm going to be revisiting my childhood of being read to every night... It may sound dumb and cheesy for us to be reading a book together, but so far we're really enjoying it...did i mention the book is good too? :)

Taystee

We decided that we should do something fun and free as a family...so after Luke took his nap we headed to D town. We went to this cemetery that my parents took me to as a kid to feed the ducks....there wasn't as many ducks as when I had been there in my younger years, maybe they also thought they should go and do something fun with there family on such a beautiful day....So we got out the bread and started feeding the few that were there. Luke was more interested in earthier eating the bread, or chasing the geese, so mainly me and Zach did the feeding. As I was standing there feeding our feathered friends, I got the most vivid memory of a book that was read to me as a child,the scenery is what i think reminded me of it. I think I may have to read it too Luke someday :) But it was a good time until Luke had an accident...or maybe I should say the goose had an accident...

Labor Day

We were asked by my "bestie"and her boyfriend if we would want to join them and others on there boat for Labor Day, they were going to Pike Lake. Since Zach had his first holiday off in 3 years, who would pass it up! So we made it up there on a gorgeous 70 degree day not a cloud in the sky. We had a great time with good company. A certain someone said he wasn't going to go tubing, as if he was too good for it. But the next day was complaining of Soar shoulders and hands. While the ladies relaxed and got some sun. the day couldn't have gone better! It was a perfect way to spend Labor Day with absolutely NO labor involved :)....

Until that night, I got home and my body felt like it was on FIRE! I was so burnt! Zach said he had no sympathy for me because I knew that was going to happen, but I don't tan unless I burn...

NOTE TO SELF:

Wear some sunscreen with a LITTLE s.p.f. :)

♪Isn't it GREAT that I articualte♪

Luke is officially 1 1/2! and he's getting so big! I can't even believe the things he learns all on his own. The things he understands, it's so fun! He LOVES his blankie, he gives kisses, hugs, says "ta tu" a.k.a thank you, and he's working on other words besides mama and his favorite, da da. He's a total goof ball always trying to get a laugh out of anyone who will watch him..i don't know who he gets that from ;)... He's definitely a total BOY he loves to ride the tractor, golf cart, and lawn mower out at "gamma's and gampa's." He puts a smile on our face everyday, with every little new thing he does :) pretty soon he will be singing this song...