Meeting Mattea Kate

Four days old! We got to meet our newest precious grandchild!

She opened her eyes to see me! Isn't that sweet?

But she settled into Grandpa's strong arms and slept soundly.

Here she is, looking all around!

Tomorrow is her baptism day!

Happy Birthday Justin!!

Happy Birthday to my daring great-nephew!
(He's the one on the bottom...)

whoa, he's GREAT!

10 little booties.. all in a row....

My grandmother necklace is getting kind of heavy...

each little bootie represents a sweet grandchild.

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It's funny when I walk into that jewelry store...

...kind of a yearly event!

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A few cute pictures

I haven't yet seen little Mattea Kate in person, but with the wonderful benefits of the internet, I can enjoy seeing these cute pictures.

They are pictures from Andrea's camera, taken in the hospital.

Thank you, Andrea!

Isn't this the most tender picture??

Let's hope this tenderness continues for years to come!

So far only Josiah and Hannah have met their little sister.

Timothy and Luke will meet her tomorrow; they have been on a little vacation of their own with Grandpa Bruce and Grandma Judy.

Josiah and his sister Mattea

Hannah is thrilled to have a baby sister!

She is going to be a huge help!

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We'll be seeing Mattea in person this weekend

and you can be sure there will be lots more pictures!

It wasn't hard to wake up this morning....

It wasn't hard to wake up this morning....

with tornado/thunderstorm sirens going off around 6:15 a.m.

Nope, not hard to get up at all...

But there was another great reason to rise and shine...

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Got to run to the computer and check and see if there was any news and/or pictures of

OUR NEW GRAND-DAUGHTER...

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She's here! She's born!

Grandchild number 10!

Our fourth Grand-daughter!

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Mattea Kate

6 lbs 12 oz.

20 inches long

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(pronounced Ma tay ah)

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I could get up in the morning for THAT!

It doesn't get any better than this...

Ah.... a perfect day in Minnesota, don't you think?

FABULOUS hardly seems like a big enough adjective to describe today.

Perfection. Total perfection.

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Did I mention that we have a new battery for our pontoon??

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But it wasn't just the weather and the new battery in the working pontoon that made the day so grand. It was the addition of good friends with whom we could enjoy our river cruise.

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My friend Barbara.
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And her hubby Joel...
and my hubby... hm.... not sure what to say about him....
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Honestly, the picture opportunities were endless today.
Barbara and I just kept taking one photograph after another...
You can see why...
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However, the afternoon was enhanced by
a time of refreshments...
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Healthy eating was the order of the afternoon.
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Along with cute plates...

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We even brought some stemware for our iced tea...

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The Captain kept us on course while we relaxed

and enjoyed the afternoon.

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Around every bend was another beautiful scene awaiting.

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Including this one.

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A good time was had by all.

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Again

Kumpa Marinara?

Last evening we went out to eat at a cute little restaurant in a neighboring town.

Wally's brother Phil and his wife Betty Jo were visiting so it was extra special.

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The fun part, along with the company, was the type of restaurant.

Norwegian- Italian! Quite the unusual combination for this area especially.

LOTS more Scandinavian heritage then Italian heritage around here!

(No, they did not serve kumpa marinara...)

However....

Once you've had HOT DISH Pizza, or Ole's STEAK AND MASHED POTATO PIZZA...

you'll come back for more!


Well, not everyone likes pepperoni, I guess...

However, others were more then ready to eat...

And happy when the food finally came....

This little sweetheart just couldn't seem to get enough...
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A Good Time Was Had By All.

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Another reason to love Minnesota lakes...

I love Minnesota, the fresh air, the lush green trees and the sparkling lakes... and the loons that make the most wonderful loon sounds.... If you have never heard a loon, take a listen....

Bring a Grandparent to camp day

Happy Birthday brother...

Happy Birthday today to my older brother John.

I wish I were on the farm celebrating with you today!

Quite the traveler.....

This little girl woke up in Amsterdam this morning...

actually, at 3 a.m. Minnesota time she was leaving Amsterdam with her mommy and daddy after a week in Norway..

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and here she is, still going strong!

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Her mommy was happy to be back to snuggle with her oldest two sweethearts..

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So was Daddy, who was enjoying snuggling with
his youngest son.
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Daddy was probably pretty tired with the time change ..



however, it looks like someone else was just as tired, and he didn't go to Norway!
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(He didn't really fall asleep though, and perked up to eat supper and play.)

Kale what?

Okay, in the interest of "full disclosure"... not everything I make in my kitchen tastes delicious...

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Case in point...

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Today I tried making "kale chips"... perhaps you have heard of them? Nope, didn't think so. Me neither. However, we have joined a "community sustaining agriculture" group that provides fresh produce on a weekly basis. And the fun part is that sometimes you get something you have never had before. This past week we received kale.

It's full of nutrients! Great news! We like to hear that!

So, there is the suggestion that one can make kale chips. Like potato chips, only WAY MORE nutritious, right? One recipe said they also bet you can't eat just one. hm...

Cut the kale up into bit size pieces, wash and dry, drizzle olive oil on it, sprinkle with seasoned salt. Lay on cookie sheet and bake in oven for about 10 minutes.

So far, so good...

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Yeah, nice and green and tasty looking...

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Okay, the finished product isn't all that delicious looking, but looks don't always count..


They were crispy little pieces. Some dark and

some still a pretty green.
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But I thought they tasted like eating green air.

They were right when they said they bet you can't eat just one.

Don't bother...

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I will be looking for some different recipes for kale from now on.

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I did bake bread though.

Seriously, have you tried this?

The book is called

"Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day"

and it always comes out like this.

Fabulous.

What are you waiting for?

All those lakes...

It was a picture perfect day here in Minnesota today.

Land of 10,000 lakes!

Crystal clear. Fresh air.

Warm.

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A perfect day for young people to jump off bridges...

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and for us older people to put our pontoon boat into the water.
Oh, it was so perfect, and I couldn't wait to take a ride...
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However....
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It was not to be.

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After all that work....

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the battery was dead....

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I guess it's not good to leave the radio switch on....

Just remember ...

Just remember on this HOT July day not to complain too much....

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it doesn't last forever.