Favorite photos from the weekend...

We had a wonderful trip "up north" this weekend to see the Mangelsen family and be the proud sponsors of baby Grace at her baby dedication (according to us and her parents). It was a relaxing time with lots of bumming, 4-wheeler riding, fishing and game room time (think Pole Position, Ms. Pac Man, foosball, darts and pool... Our boys' dream room!). We got to check out H and J's newest (soon-to-be)acquisition- the cutest kitchen store EVER! So friends and family- let me know what's on your wish list {Within reason, or I'll just give you directions :)} Mom, you and I are going to have a BALL there! Here's a photo of each of our pumpkins...

Bella- making "clay balls" from a cool clay deposit in H and J's beach:

 












Noodle- maxing and relaxing in the hammock:

 












Doodle- hard at his favorite pastime (for the record he never caught a fish, and never gave up trying. His attention span is not lacking.):

  

We're having a great week at the Dahl house. Noodle finished up soccer this week- I think they even had a winning record! He really had fun and learned a lot from a great pair of coaches. School for Noodle is going well. He likes his teacher a lot and seems to be enjoying third grade.

Doodle is reading more and more... We're working through a chapter book together. He reads a page, I read a page, etc. Next comes the "adored by many" Magic Tree House Series... Then we'll be talking bookworm. I'm really proud of how much effort he's putting in.

Bella and I are reading "Little House in the Big Woods" and having so much fun with it- I am truly not sure who is enjoying it more- I think it might be me.

We're looking forward to the Bulldog Homecoming game tomorrow night, and a rousing Boy Scout Spaghetti Supper beforehand. Hoo Yaa! Even better (I know- hard to beat), we get to spend a weekend with the Mangelsens at their cabin. I'm so excited. :)Rumor has it Jacob turned 30 this week (hee hee hee...)

School pictures came in yesterday. Oh boy- don't laugh. Doodle has a great toothless smile- but his dear mother didn't check his face beforehand and if you look close there's PEANUT BUTTER on his CHEEK! Mom of the year, folks. Look NO further.

On that note- I'm headed to bed. Have a great weekend one and all and we'll try to post a photo update early next week.

I found this on Jodi's blog and it looked fun. I laughed out loud at the memories some brought on!

If you care to give it a try, copy and paste it- then put each one you have done in bold. Let me know if you play along!

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula(A fifth grade teacher in our school had one- incidently he was a finalist for Christa McAuliffe's position on the Challenger)
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree (The redwoods!)
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris (Sadly we were on the last leg of our trip and were only UNDER Paris!)
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea (Does Lake Winnebago count?)
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game (Nolan Ryan's 300th major league win with my Uncle Larry!)
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment (probably- I don't remember a specific time)
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk (No comment... I wasn't a very good caretaker, right HoJo?)
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country (Mexico- at some girl's 16th b-day- Think Deana Carter "And We Danced Anyway")
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero (Doesn't every Mommy?)
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class (It was short-lived)
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music (Lottie, are you laughing right now? Remember the "Mrs. Dern" song?
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children - still raising!
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour (hee hee.. I was close with a local favorite- Vic Ferrari!)
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge (drove it!)
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth (watched and helped are very different...)
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild (Right, Joyce?)
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours in 48 hours (it's called jet lag!)
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head (ONLY the bottom half! I know- I can't believe it either.)
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

Apple Pickin' time!

Last week we enjoyed a beautiful evening of apple picking! The boys each brought a friend and in short order we had 2 bushels picked! It was a fun time, with beautiful apples to show for it.


 

Tex Mex Chicken Chili

I tried a new (and very easy) recipe the other night that was an instant favorite. I got it out of Jake's staff cookbook... but will give it to you with our alterations:

Tex Mex Chicken Chili

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken cut into small pieces (The original recipe didn't specify cooked, but I did poach it.)
1 can (15 oz.) tomatoes with juice (home canned pint)
1 can black olives (omitted by the Dahls... I would have been eating all the picked out black olives...)
1 can black beans
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 cup frozen corn
1 onion, diced
peppers, if desired

(I added 2 cups of water at this point as we are more soup eaters than stew eaters. The original recipe was called "Chicken Chili Stew" and no water was added.)

Cook 7-9 hours in a slow cooker. Add cream cheese at the end if a creamier result is desired. (We didn't - just added shredded cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips at the table.)

Mmmm... Soups are so good! This seemed so healthy (at least until I added cheese and sour cream), and the kids loved it. Can't beat having supper ready to go by 8 am!

Friday Update

It's a cold, windy and rainy day in the Northwoods. The kind where you kind of wish you had a fireplace and unlimited hot cocoa. And candles.

I let the little ones escape to the basement to watch Sesame Street before we officially begin our day. After all, isn't that show the 4-year-old-kindergarten of an entire generation? That and a loving stay-at-home mom were my 4K!

Not much to report... It was picture day yesterday at school. Doodle's first-grade photo is destined to be my favorite ever as those newly-lost front teeth will be front and center. Noodle claims he had a hard-core serious look... Jake thinks he's just trying to get my goat. We'll see in 3 weeks!

We have a quiet weekend ahead of us. The boys are attending the Fall Festival at our local camp tomorrow (they are very excited). Jake, Bella and I will cut wood (A Dahl family fall tradition that is necessary, yet fun). I hope there's a little lunch outing involved!

Happy fall to all...

The Dahl funny of the week

This summer our family increased by two as we brought a pair of kitties into our home. After a short adjustment period Maya (the 5 yr. old calico) has done wonderfully. She's beautiful (I'll post a photo another time) and sweet. Jack, on the other hand, has been trouble. He was the sweetest little handful of orange kitten when we brought him home, but has since become a wild child who attacks passing ankles and poops defiantly behind the dryer.

Darn boy cat...
I've blamed every bad behavior on his maleness.

I'm eating those words.
We brought him in to get fixed and declawed on Monday only to find out "he" is a she.

Meet our crazy GIRL cat, Mango...

  

We're back!

After a 2 1/2 month hiatus the Dahls are back to doodling about our lives. We had a fabulous summer and are back into a fall routine. Doodle and I are working hard at first grade with Bella joining us for "preschool." Jake and Noodle are back at school during the days- Jake in his TENTH year teaching and Noah in third grade.
All is well with us. The Lord is so good.

Here is a photo from a "mystery outing" we took the kids on towards the end of summer:
 

Now I'm going to TRY to be better about posting photos and news about our lives... To keep our friends and family informed. We love you all! 

He's still got it!

My dear husband had a chance to put his football finesse to the test yesterday when his name was drawn for the "Kick for Cash" challange at the high school football game. At halftime he had to start at the opposing 40 yard line and with one kick and one throw had to be able to be in position to kick a field goal. He actually had to throw back upfield after his kick to get a better angle, and made a perfect field goal!

Here he is (yes, I made him pose with the check- it's blurry because the Vikings are on and he's trembling with excitement... ), my stud...

  

Missing: Two front teeth

Doodle has just begun his first grade year. He's doing great. We are striving for diligence and neatness! :)

The biggest change so far though has been his smile... Isn't it cute?

  

Oh, Bella!

Sometimes I ask the kids a quick question like, "What are your five favorite things to play with?" or " "What is your favorite spot we've ever been?"

I just asked Bella, " What is your favorite thing about Jesus?"

To which she replied, "That He's my servant."

I said, "Oh, honey, Jesus isn't our servant, He's our Savior. We should be His servants."

She said, "Well, who's MY servant?"

Me: You don't have a servant.

Her: Yes I do. You and Daddy are my servants.

Me: At times it may appear as such, but we are not here only to serve you.

Her: oh.

Shedding these Lenses

It was way back in second grade that I began to wear glasses. My best friend Ellie had just gotten glasses and I'm sure my mom thought my first complaints of blurred vision were sympathy pains. My glasses were replaced by contact lenses in 8th grade. I wore them without complaint for 17 years.

A new era is about to begin as I am able to go in for Lasik surgery on Tuesday. I am so excited! I can't wait to wake in the night and see the clock... or to go swimming for the first time without my contacts. I'm excited for the first late night movie- usually I need to switch to glasses as my eyes are dry and tired- but Lord-willing Tuesday will bring an end to that! Please pray all goes well!

(More photos...)

A family photo from the Animal Kingdom (OH, I loved that park!):



The boys sharing a smoked turkey leg (bunch of little carnivores!):


Bella and I enjoyed a Princess Dinner- here she is with her favorite princess, Aurora!


One of the kids' favorite parts of the trip- the hot tub in Mom and Dad's bedroom!


Bella and I on the teacup ride- special bonding!

It. Was. Wonderful!

We are back and recovering from a very fun filled vacation. I will leave you with some photos... and no promises to my diligence in blogging this summer.

Here the kids wait in eager anticipation for their first commercial flight:


Noah with Beauty and the Beast:



Not a bad shot for an eight year old!


Doodle working hard at a Kids-cot project at Epcot:


Bella with the joyous mist machine:

Only two days...

... (whisper) and I can't believe I'm saying this... but I'm ready.

I know- I can hardly believe it. Everything is packed that can be. Just waiting on the toothbrushes and makeup bag. I have a handful of errands to run tomorrow, and I need to clean the upper bathroom, but I'm pretty sure that's it! I get to attend Noah's year-end picnic, trim Jake's hair (Oh, he has to mow) and I think that's that.

M-I-C... K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E--- Here. We. Come.

Tis true, tis true!

I got this in an e-mail yesterday-- Ohh, I laughed hard. Definately made up by a blogger...

Checking things off the list

The packing continues at the Dahl house as our departure date is now only FIVE days away! Yikes! I got my hair cut, have consolidated all the good Disney info we have accumulated (to one page Cliff Notes of highlights for each park including highway exit info, park hours and times for parades, fireworks etc.), and have the suitcase out and ready. A friend graciously offered to take the little ones Monday and I intend to do a room-by-room deep clean and final packing. It will be the last day of school for Jake and Noah, so we'll have a celebration dinner of any and everything left in the fridge. Whoopee! Check, Check, check.

Tonight is our last day of soccer. Jake will bring the kids as I have three-in-a-row at work starting tonight. He'll be heading up with 3 kids, 3 soccer balls, clothes to change said kids into after their games, and a list for deposits and withdrawls to do at the credit union. Check, check, checkity check ...

Today we have a precious 15-mo-old spending the day with us. All is well thus far! She is a sweetie.

Doodle graduated last night from Bible Buddies (Our Wednesday night program for kids age 3 to kindergarten). He's now a Kidquest kid, and was SO ready to move up. His Mommy and Daddy are thrilled, too, as we help out in Kidquest and now have both boys with us!

Well... I better keep moving. check.

Life is good.

Yes, it is this warm in the Northwoods. Eighty one as I type. The shrieks and squeals coming through the screens are what summer is all about. Life is good.

(and if I was all schmancy I'd be able to share video of Noah's "waving flag" dance as he hummed the Star Spangled Banner-- I think Jake and I both peed a little bit as we rolled on the lawn in laughter... He is so going to hate that footage.)


  

A clean cut

Noah has taken an interest in his hair over the past year. He wanted it longer. He wanted blond highlights. Things that really weren't a huge deal. However, with our impending trip to FL and the humidity that is to be taking the Northwoods by storm this weekend, Mama decided it was time for a cut.

So the before...



















And the after...





He wasn't overjoyed, but I assured him he would thank me in the days to come. I hope it's a non-issue in school today!

Please pray...

For months now we have been following the life of Ed Horn, a friend of a friend, who has been battling cancer. He is at a new phase now- preparing for a Bone Marrow Transplant. His wife, Kelley, is wonderful at updating the details of each phase of treatment, as well as the spiritual highs and lows their family has faced- always giving God the glory for carrying them through. Would you please pray as he prepares for the transplant on June 2nd? There are so many risks and variables leading up to the transplant itself. So many of us will be faced with cancer... Kelley and Ed's faith story is a true inspiration.