Girls' Weekend in Minnesota

You know that I'm a Paper Crafter. One of the ladies I craft with went to this big Paper Crafting event in Minneapolis last year and has not stopped talking about it. She invited the rest of us to go with her, but we didn't jump at the invitation. Ever since she returned, she has been raving about it. So of course we had to go this year. She was off with her husband and didn't come with us. She did leave us with plenty of instructions and suggestions though.

Our flight left at 6:00 AM!!!! Who knew there were flights at this time? 

The event is called Scrapfest 2013 and it's sponsored by Archiver's, a chain of stores that I would LOVE to have here locally...Dave, very happy they're across the country. They carry all the cool, hip, and happening items, and the displays are fabulous! Seriously, look at all this paper!

Did I tell you the event is at the Mall of America? This is the largest Mall....filled with plenty of stores, restaurants, and an entire amusement park!!!!!

There's a Lego store with all sorts of displays...made from Legos of course. There's even a section where anyone can wander in and build something

Archiver's is located in the Mall. They hold the event through out the Mall. There are displays galore, "Make and Takes" (I made two necklaces at a bead store that are so cool people stop and ask about them! and NO I will not be taking up beading and/or jewelry making), and all the paper crafting Rock Stars teaching classes....Tim Holtz, Becky Higgins, Teresa Collins, and plenty more.

We rode the light rail (the ticket machines give change in dollar coins! Very fun! a little heavy to carry around and then all the stores know where you've been when you pay in dollar coins!) to the downtown. This was Sunday and the Vikings were playing at home. The fans are about as hopeful as a Raider fan. They thought for sure they'd win.....they lost. Here's the Mary Tyler Moore statue in front of Macy's (which has the LARGEST inventory of scarves.....for winter....seriously, racks and racks, aisles and aisles).

There were plenty of interesting buildings....like this wall filled with music. We walked past the Dakota Club to see if anyone interesting was playing. The flyways that connect the buildings are very interesting. My photos didn't turn out too well. I may snag Teresa's later on to show you. They're definitely something you won't see in CA!

We had really good meals....except for the free breakfast which we only ate once. The restaurants in the Mall run from the usual McDonald's, A&W, Cinnabon and then to Grille's with old school wood panelling and linens, and then we even had Sushi. We did not starve. We discovered Minnesota's Wild Rice Corn Chowder which is seriously the best ever.

My favorite meal was meeting up with my brother, his wife, and son. They took us to their favorite family restaurant, "It's Greek to Me". I have no idea what we ate, but it was delicious. I mostly liked the company. We live so far apart that we hardly ever see one another. It was a real treat.

The weather was absolutely the best and the people are the nicest. All the jokes about the uber polite people? Yep, they're all true. I was startled the first time a child cut in front of us and the mom immediately corrected him and told him "that's not nice to do that to people". Now there's something you don't hear too often around here.

We did our part for the Minnesota economy. I even purchased a suitcase to bring home all my new loot. There's no sales tax on clothing and shoes, how could I resist? Teresa did introduce me to several new stores and we both discovered Flips. This is a store that sells nothing but......flip flops! Dave even has a new pair. I have no idea why this isn't in CA.

The sales people were all so nice (Minnesotans!) articulate and educated. Most of them had at least two jobs. Honestly, I don't know how the young people can make it.

Great time, glad we went, not sure that I'd go all this way again. Perhaps next time a long weekend to....?????

Theo is Two!!!

Our #2 grandson turned Two. He didn't get a Birthday when he turned One, so his Mama decided to make it up with a super Second Birthday party. And since we are the Swenson Annex, it was at our home. It ended up at the tail end of our two week visit from our cleaning people and we actually had to tidy up on our own to prepare. Oh well.

We had a house full of people that we love and that love us, does it get any better? Nope!

Theo is fearless and lovable. He gives the best snuggles and kisses.

As soon as he enters our house he runs and leaps in to our arms for a snuggle and a kiss. And to ask for  juice and a cracker (which is his word for snack). Sometimes he leaps before we're ready to grab him and there have been those times that he falls back and smacks his little head. No worries, he jumps up and gets a hug. He has a slight club foot which means he trips and falls, and then he gets right up. I think he will grow up to be resilient, persistent, and not a whiner. The sparkle in his eyes and sweet grin will open many doors and arms.

Theo refers to himself as "me". He's clear that he wants something and is not afraid to take it. Especially if his older brother may have what he wants. He does admire and adore his older brother. If both seats are open, he'll go for his brother's.

He calls his sister "Juju" and that's now her nickname. He will snuggle and kiss his sister. If she happens to be on the floor for some tummy time, both boys are all over her with snuggles and kisses. Theo may push her head down in to the floor until she screams and we rescue her. She doesn't get much tummy time. It isn't safe with the adoration of her two rough and tumble brothers.

Theo is a boy of action and so far has not embraced sitting on a lap and reading a book for anything longer than a few seconds. He is getting better. That may be to humor is G.Ma.

This boy is still a terribly messy eater. He shoves huge amounts of food in to his mouth. It is horribly unsightly and dangerous. We're working on getting him to take smaller bites, chew and swallow, then take another bite. We have a lot more training to do.

Theo is a serious dirt magnet. He can take a bath with a full scrubbing and then within an hour be grungy again. We're not quite sure how he does this, right before our eyes.

We are so in love with this little guy and can't hug him enough.

Knowing That Your Schedule Is Way Too Full

So I'm busier than a one-armed paper hanger and I'm not sure that's a good thing.  I can feel my anxiety level rise and am most definitely losing my sweetness. It is nearly impossible to remain sweet when you haven't any margin in your life. Now the hard part, cutting back.

The last time I remember being this way was years ago when I tried to fit too many things in to my schedule. When you're dreading going on vacation because you are just too darned busy, that is a sign that you need to make changes in your life.

How did I get in this situation? I had a pretty full schedule and then I accepted the teaching assignment . I am now over the edge. I'm pretty sure that the first time teaching a class requires a ridiculous amount of preparation. That doesn't even count the time to learn all the new systems and programs. So do I teach the next semester? Just to see if the second time around is much less time? First I need to be invited to return. Then we'll talk about it.

Why Yes, We Are Alive

You know how you see someone that you haven't seen in ages and they ask "What have you been up to?" and you can't think of a single thing to tell them? I just tell them I'm crazy busy but nothing terribly exciting. How can that happen? Want details? Here goes......

Since we last met, the app "MyFitnessPal" is my new best friend. If you haven't heard of this one, this is a free app that's used to track the calories consumed and even credits you for activities. I won't go in to detail, just that the horrible escalation of the numbers on our scale have finally stopped climbing and have reversed direction.  I've resumed WW, that's mostly to spend time with my friend....and to face someone at the scale as well as receive new ideas, encouragement, and "atta girl". The WW app is not nearly as easy as MyFitnessPal. My man is on board too. We boldly went in to uncharted territory together, so we're righting the ship together.  The first two weeks have worked quite well.

Then there's my new job. Yep, that's right, I'm an employee. First time I've been an employee in 25 years! Funny since I went back to my old job! I'm teaching accounting at the local community college. I wasn't really looking for more work, it fell in to my lap and I couldn't say no. During the summer I had hours, and hours, and hours, and more hours of training, learning, meetings (my idea of hell on earth), and watching online tutorials. Now that class has started, it is exhilarating and exhausting.

Crafting time has been few and far between. I cannot even remember the last time I completed a scrapbook page. I have yet to finish the vacation album for Spain and we're almost ready for our next non-riding trip. I have sorted everything from our riding trip and have yet to put things in their proper pages. Living life now, will scrap it later.

Oh, and the grandchildren? They are even cuter than the last time we chatted! I know, that's hard to believe, but true.

Mr. & Mrs. Telstad

We attend plenty of weddings. I sometimes joke that we're professional wedding attenders. Well, we just went to a special wedding for a very special couple. Our lovely, sweet, and adorable niece was married! We LOVE her husband. At first, we loved him because he loved and adored her. He treated her special, as it should be. Then, we loved him because of who he is, fabulous young man.

The wedding was so wonderful. We enjoyed chatting with all the family and friends. Everyone was kind, considerate, and joyful. If you dreamed of what a wedding should be, this was it. The three toasts were emotional and humorous. Her father brought down the house and had us all smiling and weeping at the same time. He had props too, her elephant slippers from when she was nine!

 

J took lovely photos so here's the link to her post: http://theswensonfamily.blogspot.com/2013/07/michelle-scott.html

We love Michelle, Scott and our whole new family!

Best Wishes for a Happily Ever After!!!!

This Little Guy LOVES Running Water!!!

It's hot, T is having a tough time inside. What to do? I know.....let's take him outside and turn on the faucet!

I gave him a big plastic bowl that he could stand in, arrange for the water to fill it up, lift and dump the water on the plants, put it on his head. There were all sorts of possibilities. I didn't allow him to use the hose though!

And when he was thoroughly soaked, I wrapped him in a towel and we came back inside to put on a dry diaper and toss the wet clothes in the dryer. See how easy that is?

Isn't He Cute?

Here's my youngest grandson. Isn't he cute?

Doesn't he look sweet? And innocent? Well, I should probably tell you that he's sitting in his big brother's seat. Drinking his big brother's juice. He's like any little brother. He wants whatever his big brother has. And that includes the seat and the juice. Still, he is just adorable!

What Do You Remember?

As we're sitting around eating our dessert, Strawberry Sparkle Cake, we're chatting and I say to J, "I wonder what they'll remember about Family Dinner and what they did at their grandparents' home". J turns to E and asks "what do you do at G.Ma's?" and E says "I watch Octonauts".

We laugh and I say, "I wonder what else he'll remember". So J asks E, "what else do you do at G.Ma's?" and E responds "watch more Octonauts".

Argh!!!! What about all those books we read? and the T-Ball? and the walks? and the.....well, you get my drift.

It will be interesting to see what he remembers when he's older. I hope I'm around to hear what he remembers. And I really hope that it's not all the episodes of Octonauts that he watched!!!!

Best Family Dinner, EVER!!!!

I may have hit it out of the ballpark on this one. Thank You to Ree Drummond, aka The Pioneer Woman. I was working on the menu, looking for inspiration, and once again, found the perfect answer on Ree's website. She makes real food, for real people. I read out the title, sometimes give some of the ingredients, to Dave and we go from there. I bet you're wondering what we served.....here it is:

Pork Sandwiches with Cilantro-Jalapeno Slaw

Baked beans....okay, some pieces and parts are just fine dumped from a can and heated up. Sheesh, I don't do everything from scratch.

Strawberry Sparkle Cake, my boys LOVE it when grandma brings out the mixer...they know they're going to get a beater to lick. What happens when all three want a beater? There are only two beaters. Oh no!!!!! I'll worry about that later. And this photo was taken a little late. It was much prettier earlier on.

I pretty much lifted part of her Fourth of July menu. All the food can be prepared prior to dinner, and there was tons of food. We will all be having leftovers for many more meals....and NO ONE is complaining about that!!!!!

Park Time

You may remember last year when we began having both boys, at the same time. We took them to the park and well, I may have let T take a header off the steps where there may have been blood involved. I am happy to say that we have survived and are thriving at the park. We're learning what T can handle and also, what we can't handle. T is doing much better than we are. While we can still move about, it is tough on the joints. Especially difficult is trying to fit in to the tunnels and crawl. We do that once, learn, and do not repeat.

The slide is always fun, for everyone

Theo set up shop, Ezra was his customer before he went pirate

Theo still loves the speakers and I'm happy he can reach them all by himself

Look at that blond hair! He looks so much like his cousin Charis that it fools iPhoto.

Road Trip 2013 - Fourteen

We woke up 441 miles from home with a forecast of hellishly hot temperatures that we had to travel through. The plan was to stop around Ukiah midday, spend the night, and get up early the next day before it got hot. Well, we were like horses headed back to the barn and went all the way home.

We left Gold Beach at 6:30 am, trying to beat the heat that we knew we would encounter. As soon as we left the coast the temperature began to rise. We stopped in Garberville and I grabbed my shirt, buff, and cooling vest to wet down. Dave wisely told me to get in the air conditioned car. I am so glad I followed his direction. It wasn't that hot in Garberville (90 ish), but when we stopped in Ukiah it was 111 degrees. Dave, who is a lizard and loves the heat, looked red and wilting. After we filled up we headed to McDonald's on the next block to get a cold drink, cool down, and wet everything down. Well, their AC wasn't working!!!!!!! We did get ice water, wet down our shirts, cooling vests, and hair. We even filled the neckerchief with ice cubes. This was the hottest part of the day. Do I need to remind you that there is no AC on the bike?

It was fun watching the temperature drop over 30 degrees as we rode over the bridge and went through Berkeley. It did warm up as we entered P-Town, but not even close to the heat in Ukiah.

We love taking road trips whether by car or motorcycle. We live in a diverse country that you don't experience when you fly. Especially if you are only hanging along either of the coasts. The road trip was fun and it is always nice to be home.

The stats? 4,218 miles, 9 states, and a butt load of fun!

Road Trip 2013 - Day Thirteen, Continued

We rolled in to Gold Beach, Oregon around 4 pm. We originally thought we would get to Brookings, located 30 miles down the road. This is July 4th week and Dave was getting a little anxious about finding a room. We had researched our options the night before and wanted to get a look at them in person. At the southern end of town we stopped to have a committee meeting. We were right outside of the Ireland Rustic Cottages which are rated number one on TripAdvisor. One look and we knew Donna wouldn't pick this one. The rest of us went for it. They look like log cabins, very funky. As we're standing in the office the phones are ringing and people are coming in after us and standing in line. We took three rooms. Donna balked and then jumped in. We think this may be our favorite hotel on this trip.

We all met on the balcony (it was still too windy to take advantage of the large decks and picnic tables) for cocktails and dinner. Remember our abandoned plans for a picnic lunch? We modified the plan and it became a picnic dinner. We had a spectacular view. There was a family of deer romping through the brush. Dave and I weren't moved since we have them at home and consider them antlered rats, but the others enjoyed watching the baby. There were four whales just beyond the lighthouse that spouted, breeched, and hung around for at least 30 minutes.

After dinner some of us headed over to the hot tubs. There were three and we had one all to ourselves.

Dave had a horrible night. His sinuses were draining and he just couldn't stay asleep. He ended up moving to one of the big recliners (yep, our room had two huge comfy recliners) where he was able to get enough sleep so he could function the next day. We loved this place and would return.

Road Trip 2013 - Day Thirteen

The temperature was nice and chilly when we left Lincoln City and stayed cool, gray, and foggy all the way to Gold Beach. We made a stop in Coos Bay. They have a friendly Visitor's Center (located right in the middle of the road where it splits) and yet another Quilt shop. The guys checked out the wine store (it was closed) and headed down to the river for a view......and to stay out of the quilt store. I did make a purchase here and you most likely will be seeing my pillow case creation in an upcoming post. We've decided that quilting is still popular in areas with horrid winter weather. People quilt while they're home bound.

We filled up at a Fred Meyer. This is a chain of stores, groceries mostly. This one was HUGE. We had to go inside because they didn't have restrooms at the gas pumps. Another funny thing about Oregon, they have people pump the gas, you can't pump your own. For motorcycles, they come out and enter some code and then you pump your own. Anyway, back to Fred Meyer. This is a super store. They have everything. It reminds me of an indoor market because they have alcoves for electronics, or other things, on the outskirts of the main store. Again, this place is HUGE. About as large of the super WalMarts in the Midwest. After our comfort stop, we head to the delicatessen and bought stuff for a picnic lunch.

Our next stop was Bandon. I had heard this was a really cute town, although Diane says it is boring. We loved it. We had lunch (it was way too windy for our planned picnic) and then while the guys paid the bills (we have had seriously good luck with splitting checks on this ride. They even ask us if we want to split the bill before we ask them. Why is it such a big deal in CA? Oh, and they don't automatically add the tip like they do in CA) we walked across the street.

There was yet another wonderful Quilt & Fabric shop where we all found lovely things to buy. The fabric on this road trip has been spectacular. They carry so many more lines than we have back home. Many I've seen (and purchased) off the Internet. It is so wonderful to be able to see, touch, and feel them in person.

Right next store to the Quilt & Fabric shop was the brand new Face Rock Creamery. They make cheese and have plenty of fun stuff to eat. They have a tasting bar of some of their cheese and curds. I tried curds for the first time. I'm no Miss Muffet, I won't be purchasing curds, unless they are greatly enhanced when combined with whey.

Road Trip 2013 - Day Twelve

The temperature is rising, so much for the perfect weather we had for days. The wise decision is to head to the coast so we leave Walla Walla, WA to head to the Oregon Coast today. We're not too sure how far we'll get, and we still have plenty of vacation time.

We rode along the Columbia River, which sounds scenic and it is not. At least for most of ride it is not all that scenic. See?

We did get to the beautiful Oregon Falls area, took the Historic Route 30, did a little walking up the Multnomah Falls, stopped for the Vista House at Crown Point to see the panoramic view of the Columbia Gorge.

We rode in to Lincoln City, OR and stopped for the night. Funny, we ended up at the same hotel we stopped at years ago on our first long trip.

Instead of the Road House we ate at last time, we opted to go upscale. The food hasn't been gourmet on this trip. We ate at Kyllo's Restaurant which is a great location, very good view, and above average food. They're not as cool, hip, and happening as they think they are, still better than what we've experienced. Donna & Bret, who do not eat fish, were good sports and found things that they liked.

Road Trip 2013 - Day Eleven

We planned to go from Kalispell, MT to Moscow, ID. The mileage seemed low but we might find an interesting stop that would take up some time.

We needed fuel and a comfort stop and found a delightful stop. It had all sorts of interesting "crap" and food. Huckleberry is the big thing in these parts. We bought a slice of huckleberry pie to share for dessert. I almost bought Christmas PJs but they just weren't quite cute and functional enough.

We arrived in Moscow, ID (pronounced Mos-coo) and still had too much time and energy (the others did, not me, it was getting upwards to 100 and I was melting) so "we" took out the iPhone, GPS, and old school paper map. After much discussion it was decided we could easily make it to Walla Walla, WA and Bret downloaded the route via his laptop to his GPS.

I used the sink to soak my shirt and buff to cool off. Then I walked across the street to buy Idaho postcards. We continue to purchase and mail a postcard in each state for our grandsons. The chain was broken in Idaho. The postcards were purchased but not mailed in Idaho. The post office was around the block and it was just too darn hot to search for it. We did mail them but it wasn't until Walla Walla. I was just so sad that the chain had been broken that I was giving up the postcard mailing. Later I got over my silliness and sent more postcards. I did miss out on WA, but we weren't there long and never saw anything interesting during our ride. Perhaps because it was so hot and a bit tense.

Remember a few days back when I told you I was going to take more responsibility and help Dave with directions? Well, about that. Today was a debacle.  It could be the heat. It could be iPhone maps. It could be my eye sight. In any case, it wasn't pretty. We did get to Walla Walla.

Road Trip 2013 - Day Ten, Continued

After the ride through Glacier, we stopped for the evening in Kalispell, MT on the edge of the Flathead (which is a really HUGE lake. The largest natural fresh water lake west of the Mississippi). Our hotel was on the outskirts of town, just down the street from the Harley dealer.  This all worked out really well.

We pulled in, registered, and began to unload. That's when we discovered we had lost a few screws from the saddlebag. A quick trip to the dealer and we were all patched up. Good thing because we want the top of the bag to fit snuggly, not fly open while riding, and be able to lock it up.

None of us wanted to ride to dinner and all we had nearby was a gas station Mini Mart. What to do? We had pizza delivered and sat out on the balcony having dinner, enjoying wine, and chatting with our new best friends (other riders who had stopped here for the evening).

We had our plan for the next night, the laundry was finished, and off to bed we went.

Road Trip 2013 - Day Ten

When I tell you that AIS is before 8, please remember that we are now an hour ahead. So it means that I have my butt on the back of a motorcycle before 7 in my body's time zone. And I shouldn't need to remind you how much I dislike getting up early. Being married to Dave means early mornings. I knew this when I married him, so here we go.  Off we go to ride The Road To The Sun. 

Just before we enter the road, we stop in Browning to put on more layers (which we ended up not needing since it wasn't as cold as we expected. Once again, we continue the blessing of perfect weather).  Browning is one of the many Indian/Native American Reservations in these parts. It is creepy, yucky, and poverty ridden. We even were approached by a young man that was high on something. Just breaks your heart when you see that.

This is one of the top motorcycle roads to ride and it is great! The road goes through Glacier National Park in Northern Montana. The road just opened last week and still has a bit of snow around the edges. This ride exceeded all my expectations. Just spectacular.

Big lake, snow covered mountains, water falls, long horned sheep, walking through snow, red cedar trees. So much beauty.

And yes, we did sing tunes from The Sound of Music while riding through the park.

Road Trip 2013 - Day Nine

AIS was 8, so a slower start today, the miles are low. You never can tell how long it will be though. We might find a stop that looks interesting, or road construction slows us down. Lots of road construction this time of year in these parts. With the severe winter weather, they need to get it all done in the summer. It really slows travel and the gravel & dirt roads are no fun.

Today we left Billings and stopped for the night in Great Falls, MT. The weather is still good, but it was hot. Especially sitting on the road waiting for the pilot car, and then stopping at every light while riding through Great Falls. I cannot imagine traveling across the country in a covered wagon.

Lodging in this area is limited. We're planning on traveling through Glacier National Park and riding the Road to the Sun. That road is only open a few months a year, when they can get in to clear the snow. Accommodations are limited and we missed out on three rooms two weeks ago because we dawdled. Now we got as close as we could on the East side, Great Falls. We have booked rooms as close to the Park on the West side, in Kalispell.

While driving through town, we passed the Harley dealer where we discovered it's the Montana Bike Rally while we're here. They had the Bison cheerleaders (Great Falls High School) washing bikes. Not sure how I'm feeling about that. My daughter's cheerleading squad washed cars to raise funds. This is for a Motorcycle Rally. It just seemed creepy and exploitative.

We checked in to the hotel and that's when we saw the poster. The Rumble is scheduled for tonight. What's that? An annual Fight Force (MMA style event......street fighting). Well, that's a first for us. Interesting demographic.

Unloaded the bike, got in the room, laid down to test the bed....woke up an hour later. Dave told me if  I wanted to go to the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center I need to get up, I rolled over & slept another hour! I didn't even think I was tired. I was planning on doing laundry....good thing we still have clean clothes! I must be finally relaxing....or perhaps it is the heat.

For cocktail hour (I keep calling it that but there are no cocktails, only wine & water) we ended up poolside. It's a lovely  New Orleans style with wrought iron and plenty of trees and plants. Really lovely.

We ate dinner at the hotel and it was amazingly tasty. Our entrees were duck (yes, in Montana and it was fabulous), roasted chicken, chicken hunter, florentine salad with chicken. For dessert, I ordered the featured chocolate caramel pie for all to share. It was the least I could do since I've been tasting theirs all week! Great service and tasty, LOVE!

Tomorrow I should be able to find spectacular postcards for the boys!

Road Trip 2013 - Day Eight

Today we leave Keystone and say good-by to Annette. We're down to two bikes and our chase car and yet another day of fine weather. It did get a tad warm, but no rain, thunder, lightening, or high wind so we're calling it wonderful. Nothing that taking your shirt and wetting it in the sink can't fix, or if you're Bret, dunking your head in the sink.

It was a long day of riding. We went through three states.....South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. We saw plenty of antelope grazing in the fields along the highway (and yes, I hummed "Home, Home   On the range, where the deer and the antelope play" each time). We missed a turn and ended up in road construction on a gravel road. Our lunch was at the bowling alley in Broadus, MT, population 455.

Our big stop was at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, location of Custer's Last Stand. I thought they did a very good job of explaining the battle, historical significance of the event, and honoring of both sides. Why, oh why does man continue to inflict harm on one another? And the government hasn't changed much either.

We arrived safely to our hotel in Billings, MT and we love it. The ladies that checked us in were fabulous, one is a CA transplant. Our room minimum is going to take a beating and may need to be adjusted. There was a little communication trouble and I realize I need to take more responsibility and help Dave. I was so enjoying being the fluff on the back of the bike.

Two of us went to Fiberworks, a quilt and fabric store. I was in heaven. The woman that owns this store is an artist. I saw fabrics and designs that I have never seen before. I will be purchasing from their website. The woman that helped us is yet another CA transplant. Very interesting discussion on why she moved here (husband's family) and what changes in lifestyle she has experienced. She was explaining how the weather isn't that bad, I'm not convinced. Then she explained the town is close to 100k population but including the surrounding communities it is 400k. Then she told us that if you need medical treatment for "big stuff" (explained as cancer treatment and most complicated surgeries) you had to go to Minnesota or Washington. If Dave tells you I moved here, look for my body.

Here's one of the MANY fabulous quilts. Just a little different than what you usually see.

Quick cocktail time and then my favorite road trip dining establishment, CRACKER BARREL! Great waitress, good food, low price of $17!

Road Trip 2013 - Day Seven

Today began with singing Happy Birthday to Peter who turned.......we won't say because it's a big scary number. Then we were off for a ride to Deadwood. We've been through here before and thought it was a really cute stop. We got there before everything opened up, paid $4!!!! To park. Not terribly impressed. The riding was beautiful and we are blessed with yet another day of perfect weather.

We walked in to the Midnight Star, a casino (which are seriously all over the place), to use the bathroom. Awesome old style building. A employee stopped us, we thought "oh no, she's going to say something about the bathroom is for customers only". We are so wrong. She told us about the place and to go upstairs and look around. People in this part of the country are super friendly. She told us the place is owned by Kevin Costner. He made the movie "Dances With Wolves" around here. We were wondering why there were photos of Kevin. Now we know.

We continued on to Sturgis, the place where they hold the big, raucous motorcycle rally. We took photos that I wish I could include but I still can't figure how to get the iPad and blog to behave.
We said good-by to Tim & Deb, they were headed back to Indiana.

We rode through Spearfish and along a beautiful byway road. It's such a wide open scenic country. The beauty and diversity is amazing. They do not appear to be ethnically or culturally diverse, mostly white people that are really wide. We aren't in CA, that's for sure.

Some went to Devil's Tower (we've seen it, once was enough), and Iron Mountain Road (which we rode a couple of days earlier). We went back to the hotel and went swimming.

Some of us had lunch at Culver's, a fast food place with frozen custard. I think this would be a hit in CA. I LOVE frozen custard, which is big in the Midwest.

Another fine cocktail hour (sharing bison stories) and then a very tasty birthday dinner at Gideon's, this is a new, higher end place in Keystone. We are so spoiled living in the SF Bay Area, an abundance of fine dining, not so in these parts.

Road Trip 2013 - Day Six

Today we rode through the Badlands, way out in no where, and tried it find out how far we could go on a tank of gas. Fortunately we stumbled upon a gas station before we found out. Old rule is once again a new rule, ALWAYS FILL UP BEFORE YOU HIT THE ROAD. Seriously, services are few and far between in these parts.

We visited the Minute Man Missile Center and were reminded that we all lived in fear of a foreign terror strike. Gee, there really is nothing new under the sun.

We stopped at Wall, S.D. For lunch. A funky tourist stop that has been a popular stop along the highway since 1931. Very cute story about how it started during the Depression. Cars drove on by until they came up with the hook of giving out free ice water. They still give free cups of ice water. But now they own the entire block with a cafe, string of shops, and a huge dinosaur.

The wind kicked up on our way back. Dave and Bret's hands were going numb from fighting the wind. Gee, please tell me how this is fun. We stopped in Rapid City at the Harley dealer. Huge place. All the people were so friendly. They fixed my communication device. The clip cracked and no longer secured the boom to the helmet. My boom was hanging loose. So annoying. But now it's fully attached, and they charged nothing. So great!

We returned to the hotel, showered, had cocktail hour and then next door for what might possibly be the most horrible dining experience ever.  Less than mediocre food, messed up orders, one didn't get food until the other eight were done, and then they shorted the change. We complained to the owner, but we're pretty sure he was drunk. Then we checked Yelp. Ugh, should have looked before we ate there.

Tomorrow is another day.

Road Trip 2013 - Day Five

The rest of the gang returned to Mt. Rushmore and we went for a ride. We stopped in Hill City where we walked along the street in this really cute town. Mostly stores filled with what Dave calls crap. We did find one store with good crap. I found two absolutely adorable board books that our grandsons must own. We ended up at the post office and mailed them off. There isn't a ton of room on the bike and this gives them a package to open. Really, who doesn't love getting a package in the mail? The clerk was incredibly nice, helpful, and witty.

We road on the Needle Highway and Iron Mountain Road. The Iron Mountain is a big deal, especially for bikers. It has twisties, awesome views, amazing tunnels (one that frames Mt. Rushmore), pigtail bridges, and herds of buffalo.

We found ourselves stopped on the road surrounded by a herd of buffalo. I may have been scared stiff, trying not to move, and praying that they keep on walking. There were so many of them, within six feet of us, and we're sitting on a bike. I could go on, but without the photos, did it really happen?

We came back to our hotel and went for a swim. Then another cocktail hour and dinner at Ruby House. It's a funky restaurant on the main drag where the decor and uniforms are all frontier saloon style. Great service and good food. Yet another walk around town, looking at crap, and then back to the hotel for bedtime.

Road Trip 2013 - Day Four

Eight a.m. AIS. This means Ass In Seat. Fueled up and ready to drive. Two bikes and two cars. This should be interesting. We have a groove with our riding partners and now we're changing it up. I am happy to say that it is working out fine and we're all having fun..at least I think we're all having fun.

Another day of fine riding weather all the way to Keystone, South Dakota. Well, after the really cold morning. By our lunch stop, we were peeling off layers.

We checked in to our hotel where we're staying for the next four nights. Pretty sweet, we can actually unpack. Walked around town and returned to the hotel. We carved out an area in the lobby and hosted our own happy hour. Then off for dinner. Ugh! I am done with Mexican food. I eat too many chips. I think the food here is not going to be great. I'm lowering my expectations.

We were able to take in the evening program at Mt. Rushmore. Awesome!

Road Trip 2013 - Day Three

And we're off to Laramie, Wyoming to meet up with our chase car. Now this is the first time we've travelled with a chase car. We're pretty sure that a chase car means following behind, hence the term chase. Our car left two and a half days before us!!! Not to worry, we did meet up with them. Good thing since they are carrying the wine!  We also met up with another car that will be with us for a few days.

Yet another great day of riding weather. There was lightening in the distance when we were checking in, but we only experienced a slight sprinkle. We did hit gusting 35 mph winds, and I do mean gusting.  Our room made the $100 cut! And our lunch was under $10, oh, did I forget to mention that's another of our road trip games? We like to "eat fresh" at Subway while we're on the road. Not every lunch, but really, you can't have a healthier fast food.

We met up for dinner at Linda's. We sat outside in her beautiful garden and chatted. I totally ate too much of the fresh cherries and cheese and just couldn't even eat the dinner. At my age you would think I had more discipline so I wouldn't spoil my dinner. We still had a great time. We took a tour of the neighbor's home, very nice. We learned much of the local flavor.

And Peter is getting a puppy! He was thinking of getting a dog in about five years, when they stopped traveling as much. But he fell in love with Linda's dog while visiting and when Lindà mentioned there was a litter on the way, he jumped in! He put in an order for a female. Next thing, we were planning a puppy shower for the adoption! We thought it might be the wine talking, but in the sober sunlight of the next day he was still going with it.

Road Trip 2013 - Day Two

We took this trip three years ago and meandered on our way to South Dakota. We arrived to discover the fabulous riding with only one day to ride. That's why we're headed back. We're riding straight there, along Interstate 80, so we'll have days to ride in South Dakota. Then we'll meander back.

Big blessing that the weather was only in the 70's today. If you think it's boring driving through the Nevada desert and the Utah salt flats, it is worse on a bike. And when it's hot, it is horrible!

We made it to Salt Lake City, Utah. We found a room near the airport. Here's where things get silly. We check TripAdvisor and/or AAA to see how the places rank, amenities, location, and price. When you walk in, the price is usually higher. We show them the Internet price and they match it. That's not what happened this time. We found ourselves in the lobby trying to book the room online, as the power on our phones was running out. Annoying! We did get it booked, then walked over to the desk and checked in. The systems are updated immediately, so at least we didn't need to wait. What is wrong with this crazy travel industry? Oh, the good news? Below our $100 limit, Score!

We walked around the corner to Robert's for dinner. Really good food, excellent service, and we were all  happy with the 10% discount from the hotel until we saw there was a 50% Groupon deal! Bummer! Now we need to figure out the Groupon thing.

In the a.m. We rode downtown to see Temple Square (white shirt and black tie, is this a Mormon uniform?) and the state capital building. I also ran in to a hotel to buy and mail postcards to the boys. We send a card from each state we visit. We're in Utah a short time, so this was a crunch.

Road Trip 2013 - Day One

If it's June, it must be time to fire up the Harley and hit the road. We left town in the early afternoon, hoping to miss commute traffic.

Let me just mention that the Sacramento  area is crazy busy. We made good time, there are just so many vehicles on the roads. How did we ever commute for years? We're pretty sure we would never do that again!

We arrived safely in Sparks, NV where we scored a room for $53 at The Nugget, and got a sweet parking spot to tuck the bike in for the  evening. Part of our road trip fun is finding cheap rates on a room. We like to average below $100 and get real excited if we get below $50. A huge plus is a covered parking spot (a soggy seat in the a.m. is not fun) up close to the front door (makes us feel the bike is safe and we have a shorter walk to lug all our stuff off the bike).

After riding all day, the last thing we want to do is get back on the bike to go to dinner. We usually shower (The water pressure was Old School here. We have used low flow for so long, we forgot what it was like.  We laughed and said it was like The Seinfeld episode where Kramer bought shower heads on the black market!)  and throw on street clothes and flip flops to walk to dinner. Since The Nugget is along the highway and a bit isolated, we ate there at the cafe. We ordered their "famous" awful-awful burger, which is awful-awful good. I had mine with thick fries. UGH......I was stuffed!

I'm posting this on the iPad and have not figured out how to get the photos inserted. Stay tuned and check back later to see if I've succeeded.

Brothers

Lucky is still a favorite toy. He no longer speaks and his mouth won't move, but he is deeply loved. Two can't quite fit and yet they still try to make it work.

And NEVER let that adorable face of Theo fool you....that little guy can torture his brother

Helping With Dinner

Everyone wants in on the action

And then there's the clean up

Time With Great Grandma

We LOVE Family Night......Family, Fun, and Food!!!

Ezra is showing his imagination. He found an old looking box (well he started by taking down a decoration that looks like an old treasure chest and I had to lead him to this box to get my decoration back!) and made up a game with it. Here he is sharing his story with Great Grandma and brother (that's what he calls T)

I'm Not Proud

We had the boys for the weekend. By Sunday morning, we were running out of tricks so we did what anyone would do.....right? They climb in bed with us and we turn on the TV....don't judge.....

 It's not as bad as it seems....do we get points for PBS? Super Why?

We did feed them and dressed them for church. They were a big hit. Our nursery is full of girls and the teen boy helping out was so grateful to have a couple of boys to play loud and rambunctious games.

My Granddaughter Has Her Own Nail Polish!!!!!

Vesper has her very own nail polish!!!!! OPI has a line of Bond Girl colors. Coincidence? I think not.

Another Grandma?!

Family Dinner includes all the generations. Here's a precious photo of V with one of her Great Grandmas

Party Hats & Candles

We like to put the Happy in Happy Birthday....and that does require party hats!

Wine Country Visit

I think this might just be our very first wine tasting trip of 2013.....we are working way too much.  Off we go with our Wine Rock Star friends to a "pairing" at St. Francis.

The weather was perfect and the grounds are absolutely beautiful. The staff is friendly, unpretentious, and they all are informed and passionate about wine.  They were debuting a new menu and everything was really tasty. The wine is very good quality and the prices remain a good value (especially since our friends are wine club members so we share the discount). We were hoping to find a few items for a wedding shower gift and we did score several nice items in their gift shop. We loaded the car and were off to the other side of the hill, to Napa.

Sequoia Grove is a sister winery of St. Francis so our friends get free tastings and super discounts. This is a very small winery located in a grove of redwoods, hence the name. We had a great time here. Our pourer was Sarah and she was fantastic. We tried a few wines, she took us down for a quick tour of the cellars where we did a barrel tasting (and I'm pretty sure I need to come back in a few years to buy some when it's ready), and then we sat at a table in the grove tasting the high end stuff. Sarah's pours were very generous and we had reached out limit...or some of us had reached our limit. We did find a couple more items to add to the shower gift, SCORE!

We had a stop to pick up wine at Onward, chat with the winemaker Faith, and play with her new little girl, Chloe. Our final pick up was at Acacia. We arrived just after they closed, so we knocked and they actually opened up and offered us up a quick tasting while they got the wine club shipment. We did buy a few bottles so everything worked out for all of us.

By now it was the commute time and we had been tasting all day (except for our DD, designated driver). We wisely chose to grab dinner and then head home.

Our wine closest is now full. Time to kick back on the patio and open a bottle.

See Ezra Ride His Bike

I may have mentioned, once or twice, that my grandchildren are "over achievers". Well, here's a video of E riding his bicycle, without training wheels, just shy of 3 1/2 years old.

http://theswensonfamily.blogspot.com/2013/06/so-proud.html

They had to reshoot the video because his mother was SCREAMING with excitement. Go ahead, take a few moments to watch the video of the amazing feat....once or twice.

See, I told you he was an over achiever!

Water Baby

If there is water running, or water that T can make run, he's going to find it and get very wet. Great photo J.

Hair Cuts....Theo's First!!

One of our duties as grandparents is to have the boys' hair cut. Do you remember when we found the most wonderful place to have the boys hair cut? Well, we went back and might even be happier this time, if that's possible.

First one up was E, he thinks he should go first because he's the big brother. We think he should go first so he can show T how it's done. It was a little difficult to keep him away from the toys. He whipped his head around to see all the toys, making it very challenging for Erika to cut his hair.

She worked her magic, going for a very layered surfer boy look....looking good.

Next, it was T's turn, time to cut the baby mullet and get rid of his gorgeous curls....

Erika gave us his curls in an envelope so I can include it in his album....if I ever get back to working on it and bringing it up to date. He still has some curls and Mama approves...although she was afraid to look at him when she picked the boys up since she though she would cry.

.

Looking at these images makes me want to hug and kiss their adorable faces!

Fathers' Day at The Pool

We headed to the pool for swimming and dinner. After only a few visits to the pool, the boys are getting very comfortable in the water. They can stay in there until their lips turn blue.

The place was busy and Jessica visited with one of her friends from middle school. They run in to one another around town and their children know one another. T played with Ryder and was impressed to find they both wear teething beads, although Ryder has an anklet and T wears his around his neck. E and Lily spent their time climbing the tree. Jessica? Well she mostly enjoyed a Mai Tai while the Fathers took the boys in the water.

I got to hold V, she was particularly cute in her swimsuit.

Let The 2013 Wedding Season Begin!

Our sweetest and most favorite niece is getting married!!! To a fabulous guy!!! We love them both and are so excited to attend the wedding next month. They invited us to their family "couples" shower and we had a blast. We are so excited for the the couple and everyone LOVES them both. We had so much fun meeting our new family and catching up with the family members that we haven't seen in a very long time.

We are so happy for Michelle & Scott

My Oldest Grandson is a Genius

My oldest grandson is on the iPad, working on an app with shapes, letters, numbers and colors (I know it is late, don't judge us) and he's getting them all correct!  Except for when his Grandpa helps him. Grandpa can't hear and he's color blind. If Grandpa were a horse, well.......

It's just so funny to watch because a few months ago he didn't know any of this and now he's getting them all correct. I should probably give a shout out to his Mama.

And it is so cute when he earns a sticker.....he picked the motorcycle and told Grandpa he was picking that one for him. Can you get any cuter? I don't think so!!!!!

New Style of Baby Blankets

I've been making hand-tied baby blankets to give away at baby showers for years. You may remember my uber long post describing this in detail. Well, I have learned a whole new style and I'm LOVING it.

While at the baby shower for J, one of the ladies made a blanket and my friend, Teresa (remember her? she's the wine rock star that knows all things crafty too...oh, and she can cook too...that lucky Peter) says, "oh, I forgot about that style of blanket". Of course, Teresa is a magician with fabric and sewing machine. And all I had to do was ask, and she said "sure, I'll teach you how to make one". 

I mentioned the upcoming lesson to Donna (she's my friend that got me started with the hand-tied baby blankets) and she was in too!  We went to Teresa's for a lesson (which is really funny because I used fabric that Teresa had given me) and we each had a blanket in a couple of hours. I was spoiled when I used one of her many fine sewing machines...my machine is like a Ford Fusion and Teresa's is a Lamborghini.....I am NOT buying a new machine.

Today was my first attempt at making one on my own. I did make two quick calls to Donna for encouragement and questions....there is SO MUCH MATH in sewing these.  I did make a silly mistake on my first piece of fabric, had to run to JoAnn's for thread, and still it turned out pretty darn cute. I'm all ready for the baby shower on Thursday.

Then, because I was having such a good time, wanted to prove that I could make one without making yet another silly mistake, plus I really LOVED the fabric, (and the weather is too awful to go outside) I made another one. It was so much quicker the second time around.

This one turned out so perfect and I LOVE the fabric. Can you see how both prints have itty bitty hearts? ADORABLE. I just might have to keep this one for Vesper because I don't think I can part with  it!!!

Maui Time

I wish I had a fabulously entertaining post about our recent visit to Maui.....alas, I do not.....because we do what we do while visiting Maui...that would be NOTHING!!!!  Really....nothing.....this is a vacation and not an adventure. We go for a week of detox....nothing....only relaxing. We do not turn the TV on....barely check our messages.....just lay around, quick visit to the fitness center, sit by the pool, and have fine dinners.

I'll see if I can find a few photos.....

Adventures in Hair Cuts for Boys

Let's make this clear, I MUCH prefer that little boys have little boy haircuts. In this family I am in the minority. Our daughter likes that we take E for haircuts, but I must be accompanied by Dave. They're in fear (and not completely unfounded) that E will come home with short hair. The one wish I am granted is that the hair is not in his eyes.

We've tried a few places and nothing really works. We are just not feeling the vibe and the cut isn't that good. Granted, we are limiting the stylist by our demands and we're going to the cheapest places.

We stumbled on a place that was only $10, we all felt comfortable (could be because it's a little family owned shop where there were wee ones and birds), the stylist was friendly, comfortable, quick, and talented. And the best part? I got a text from J that it was the best haircut ever!

We'll be back to the Haircutting Co.

Filoli Gardens with Dave and Friends

Can you believe that Dave consented to a trip to Filoli Gardens? Friends invited us to join them for a look at their annual Mothers' Day floral exhibit. There's a theme, this year it was Storybooks.

This is one of my favorites, based upon the book "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes", which I am not familiar with....but will be very soon because I ordered the book from Amazon while still on the tour. Isn't technology awesome?!

Dave wasn't enamored with the floral arrangements, but he did really enjoy exploring the house and learning about the history.

We all enjoyed walking through the gardens. I just can't imagine how many people were required to plant and maintain the gardens.

Then we went for lunch nearby at the Lobster Shack (Great food, friendly staff, and perfect weather) and took a tour of the local neighborhood where Teresa showed us the home her dad built. Another great adventure with friends.