Look What I finally did!

Okay, some of you may think this is a bit morbid but I think a beautiful cemetary plot can be a great gift to your loved ones.
It had been over two years since I had gotten to Wanamingo to Grandma & Grandpa Norstad's grave sites (also buried next to them is Emory and Myrtle) also there are Ruth and Conroe, right behind G&G's headstone. A few years ago Jim met me out there and we made a "curved" flower bed and planted a hosta and some annuals....I went two years ago and planted some more annuals but didn't get there last year and have felt awful about that. So, I went today. ohmygosh! the weeds were thick and about to my mid calf. I dug and shook and dug and shook and cleared it all out! Then I put a "trim" around the edge and planted some perennials and some annuals and watered with miracle grow and then put mulch down...It took me an hour and 1/2!
Then the gate to the cemetary had gone closed and the inside "open" button didn't work...I was starting to panic...thankfully, I could reach my arm through the gate to hit the other "open" button.

Here are a couple pictures.

(PS G&G Paul are taken care of every year by me...they have pots {one for G&G and Ervin and another for Emil}..I fill them every year as well as mom and dad's.

I should send pics of mom and dad's .. Debra plants flowers there too and it's very beautiful...I walk over there at least once a week and check, weed, and water.)

Love to you all.

Deb

Happenings in Oz

well, we have officially settled in to our life here, with the arrival of our stuff last weekend. I went from sleeping with long underwear, flannal pj's, wool socks and a stocking hat on a cold air matress to sleeping naked on my new bed set with a down comforter- needless to say our sex life will improve drastically.

Heres some pics of going-ons

I bought logan some dinasuar stickers and he proceded to stick all of them on his face to make himself into an elephant, see how it is a trunk?

I bought a sydney hiking guide book so we tried one a couple of weeks ago to the wildflower park. the kids did great on the hike and walked the whole thing, whick is pretty great considering when we got done we found out the hike we were on was the difficult track
Chesney's school had an open house today for education week, so we got to see her classroom and she showed us some of the activities they do each week
This is the building that houses chesney's class, there are three classrooms in this building.
Logan and chesney are in swimming lessons at a swim school down the street from us. their teaching style is amazing, the kids are doing more in the water in the 8 weeks they have been there then i could get them to do the three years they were in lessons in Tas. Heres logan with his teacher.
The veiw from the front of our house. there is a huge valley with a river that opens up to the harbour, lots of hiking paths along it.
I was trying to get a picture of chesney in her winter school uniform when logan jumped on in the shot. always the life of the party.

Logan has started at daycare on mondays and fridays and loves it. he thinks he is such a big boy going to "school" each day with is school hat and backpack. And I get some time to do things easier done without him, ie. massages, pedicures, etc. The gals at care told me logan was an angel and they wish they has more like him. what the? where is my out of control toddler I know and love. anymore comments like that and I may start questioning my parenting abilities.

Chesney has started this thing when in the car when a song comes on the radio, she asks "Mom, do you want me to make this song more rockin' ". then she makes a beat with her mouth to go with the song. its quite funny .

Logans birthday was today, my baby turned 3. we are having a party on saturday and logan has requested a cake shaped like BooBoo from Yogi Bear. should be interesting to try and pull that one off. chesney has decided we need party games at the party, of course the four of us will have a rockin' great time as the ONLY guests there. we may all go away with prizes from the games. I will have to get good ones.

I will put photos of the cake next week, stay tuned. Love to you all- Kelly

Happy 4th Birthday, Mira!

Mira's 4th birthday is today! She was really excited to get up this morning and open her presents and have cake for breakfast. Here she is wearing one of her new dresses and holding her Sunshine Care Bear.

MIra and Amelia's birthday party

Mira and Amelia had their birthday party today. Here are a couple of photos. For more, go to the Watch Mira Grow blog!
Michelle

The Norstad boys go fishing!

Here are some photos of Jeff and Justin going fishing at the Lake of the Woods last weekend. It was the season opener and incredible fishing!

Here is Justin with his 26" walleye when he was pre-fishing on Friday night:


Justin with a 30 1/2" walleye, the largest walleye in their group on the trip!


Here is Jeff with a 25" walleye:



Another 25" walleye for Jeff!


Their friend, Jack, caught a 38" northern.

It's no secret where the fish were. Many fisherman during the harsh weather found them here!

Update on Linda

Hi all,

Keep the prayers coming for Linda. Steve called yesterday PM...said she was the first in and was back to her room around 11:30 and was in good spirits and up and around a bit. Everything went well. If all continued to be good throughout the night she could be released as early as noon today (Friday)....praise GOD from WHOM ALL blessings come.

I do want to ask for prayers for Gregg's niece, Cindy...see below. Cindy had her first baby on Saturday May 10...this is an email we got on Tuesday:

Things are not going well here....Cindy is now in the Cardiac ward at
Methodist. I'm going to try to be brief. There is something wrong
with her heart function. It could be one of three things, an artery tear, post
partum myopathy or stress cardio myopathy. We are hoping for the last thing, as that
is the less devastating. What we think happened is when she was administered
the epidural (sp?), her eye started puffing up and she developed a hive
type thing on her eyelash, they swooped in and gave her benadryl and epinephrine,
and that's when the real trouble began. She must have had a reaction to that,
she felt she was going into cardiac arrest immediately after having that. If
it is the stress myopathy, it will be temporary, the other two, more permanent damage.
Her blood pressure is high, her pulse rate is high, they are giving
her beta blockers to reduce heart rate. Lucia is with them in this tiny little
room, Joel in on a cot, Lucia is healthy, so no longer covered by insurance.
So there needs to be an adult with Cindy, as the baby is no longer cared
for my the Baby department. Getting all this? We are worried sick, and the
latest is that the MRI is over, but she will be there for a couple days.(Cindy)
She has had ekgs, Mri's, Echo test, just everything to figure this out....Ron
is there now, I will be taking the afternoon shift, I am focusing on remaining
calm and supportive. And I thank you for all your thoughts and prayers in this
very trying time. Diane (Joel thinks they screwed up, he heard them say,
uh-oh, gave her a large dose of that medicine)

"Please Lord in Heaven, be with Cindy and the doctors at this time.
Guide them as they take care of her. Put your healing hands on Cindy
and heal her heart issues so she can go home with the daughter you have blessed her with.

Lord, we know all things are possible through you and with you. In
your name, we pray. Amen."

Thank you all!!!
Deb

Linda needs our prayers

Hi Everyone,

My mom asked me to let you all know about her upcoming surgery. As you know, she has had heart problems for the last four years. The doctors have recommended that she get an internal defibrillator. It will not correct the problems that she has or make her heart stronger but, if her heart stops or goes into an irregular rhythm it will shock it to get it pumping again. They have highly recommended this procedure based on all of her test results. Her heart beat is currently very irregular.

She will be having her surgery on Thursday, May 15th, at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester. If all goes as planned, she will go home on Friday. I don't know if she will be up for visitors but, we would appreciate if you would keep her in your prayers. We will let you know how everything goes.

Thanks for all of your prayers and concern.

Stephanie