The Great Christmas Get Together: Great Coffee Needs?

So, next month we will host a Christmas celebration and I find myself constantly thinking about food and sleeping arrangements, activities for the kids, food, serving dishes, presents, food . . . I'm looking forward to the crazy days to come and the sweet peace that follows at night. Even the following mornings, lazily stumbling into the kitchen for a cup of coffee, wait a second . . . coffee??? How many people? With only a french press? Oh, no this will never do.

$6 Coffee Maker, 12 cup capacity, removable filter basket, Pause 'n Serve function, ergonomic handle, non-stick warming plate, easy pour, non-drip carafe, convenient cord storage.

Ready for a Good Morning, family!

Treats

Sometimes the best treats don't come on special occasions. T loves helping, especially in the kitchen. Now, this "help" gives me one more thing to keep track of at dinner time, yet I'm so amazed at how fast he learns new things and wants to do things on his own :)

Tonight we decided to rearrange our pumpkins' outward (and inward) appearance. T was having a great time placing little poke holes in the pumpkin. I have to be careful not to miss these little moments. It was my idea to start carving pumpkins before dinner, but I found myself completely busy with the food prep. Luckily, I came to my senses, washed my hands and grabbed the camera.

Treat for Mommy

T: Mommy, treat. [pointing at his plate]

Me: The leftover crusts? For me?

T: OK. Welcome.

Wow, thanks, kid.

In the Bright Mid 'Tober

Have you tried fresh-pressed apple cider in a little paper cup? Oh so good . . . .

We joined our church family at the Montgomery Orchard following service last Sunday. Nothing puts me in a thankful mood like a bright, sunny day outside with friends, apples right off the tree, a dirt road off the beaten trail, groves of goldenrod and the combines out in the field.

Nothing steals my thankful attitude like laundry. But, finally, when it's clean
out of the dryer and folded, ah, life is good again.
Stats from yesterday's 2 loads:

24 sock pairs

15 underwear

5 bras

4o tops

21 bottoms

2 jammies

1 blanket

Tall Ships

We went to see some tall ships in Duluth.

Always a Party

When cousins show up, if you show them your pool, chances are they'll ask for their swimsuits. The Mom will get everyone's swimsuits and usher them back towards the pool. Upon stepping into the water, they'll see a toy fishing pole and 10 plastic fish and want to hook the fish. They'll need to take turns "catching" the fish and eventually loose interest, but catching and releasing water proves just as fun, so they'll need a bucket. They find a green bucket, which reminds them of lounging on the beach in Mexico, so they'll go over to the sandbox. In the sandbox, they create towers and castles. Between the sun and sand they get pretty warm, so they head back into the pool. The breeze picks up, so the cousins ask for towels. You get green towels for everyone and herd them over to the picnic table for pizza and watermelon. After eating, they remember how nice the freshly-cut grass feels on the feet, so the cousins will run in circles chasing each other through the lawn. As the sun gets lower in the sky, they'll realize that they still have a few hours of driving until they get home, so they'll change out of their swimsuits back into clothes. Time for a bathroom break! On the way to the bathroom, they'll see brownies and ice cream and ask for a bedtime snack. After eating the snack and getting bathroom breaks, they are sent out the front door toward the car . . . best not to show the pool again . . .

Thanks for the Party!

Momma Day Highlights

The 3 of us on Mother's Day

T's cute head

A duck nest with 7 eggs outside our front door (snuggled in the creeping juniper)

He is Risen

Happy Easter all!

So Far So Good

This week marks the first for me as non full-time employee. So far, the weather has been beautiful and play time outside is so good. We've discovered a magical time (between 3:30 and 4:00p) when several school buses are motoring by one of the 3 roads seen from our house. T's exuberance with proclaiming the arrival of bus after bus into his field of vision is pretty fun to behold. All the excitement is addictive and I find, even when I'm by myself, announcing, "Bus" when I catch it in my sight.

Even with the excellent, spring fever-inducing weather we've experienced, it is necessary to spend a fair amount of time indoors, preparing the house for its new owners. I can't deny that I'm thrilled when T can entertain himself for a little while during the cleaning and/or packing escapades. (One week left in our current home)

Hello!

March Madness

I guess Spring Fever is coming on fast and furious. Along with it is this burning need for change which cannot be held back and refuses to drag out over the course of years (a.k.a. this is not like our house projects). So, within March there will be 2 milestones: the end of my full-time employment and saying goodbye to our very 1st home.

Weekend Recap

Weekends are worth their weight in gold around here. This weekend was no different and it started Friday evening as T and I goofed around while waiting for John to get home from work.

Saturday's activities included lots of reading, walking about with stars around our ankles, blueberry scones and a visit from Grandma and Grandpa Berge.

To take advantage of the nice weather, today we spent some time at a park near our home. The snow was deep, but we were still able to climb on the equipment. T's fav is the swing to be sure.

Here's to being refreshed for another week!

Our Underwater Adventure

These adventurers, upon being displaced from their home for the day, set out to find some new land worthy of exploration. The Mall of America was chosen even though that land has been covered many, many times - mainly due to its proximity to home and easy access to bathrooms and eating establishments. Yet, there was one MOA destination yet to be traversed by the Berge fam: Underwater Adventures Aquarium. The littlest explorer learned how to say "Wow," and did so many times. It was great! Thankfully, the voyagers returned home safely and are resting up since who knows what tomorrow may bring?

Lay Your Burdens Down

In light of a not-so-terrific ending to the Vikings season, I'm still chalking this weekend up to a great one. A Saturday afternoon house showing and Sunday night football game gave us two excuses to hang out with good friends.

Saturday was dedicated to honing our marching band skills. Here's T-bird after his first drumming lesson and demonstration by big T.

Here is big T and T-bird along their parade route from the bedroom to the family room.

Post parade jam session

Sunday night cheering on the Vikings

Sweet Z

T-bird and Z taking a beverage break

Is it past our bedtime? Nah.

Reason to Shout Hurray!

Many good things come in 1 and a half, and usually for me it is dessert helpings. Today it is T's age. Here's our buddy having a great New Year's Day.

He loves stacking blocks.

Watch out for the Lion!

We love having you in our lives, T-bird.

Last Nosh of 2009

New Year's Eve was pretty quiet at our house.

John and I combined our meal requests into one great dinner - steak and "fun"due!

For dessert, I made a lovely sour cream lemon cake with blueberries on the side.

A certain someone loves blueberries and learned how to slurp the remaining juice from a certain Grandpa . . .

Happy New Year, everyone!