Family Reunion in a Day

We were up at 4:00 A.M. today in order to get to Fargo early enough to maximize our limited time there. We had to return again tonight due to our previously scheduled obligations in Dickinson tomorrow. However, we wanted a chance to see Susan's family, including her out-of-state sister and her family!

Cassie and her family live in Tennessee but were in Fargo for the weekend to participate in a friend's wedding. Susan, Hillary, and I headed east to spend some time there visiting. (Suzanna and Abigail couldn't join us because of their jobs at a summer Bible camp.)

Here is an infrequently gathered group: Nick (Susan's sister Cassie's husband), Roger (Susan's dad), Jerrett (Susan's brother), Cassie, Susan, and I.

After eating dinner together at Doolittles Woodfire Grill, we headed to the Holiday Inn, where everybody but us will spend the night . . . and where the kids spent most of the afternoon in the pool while the adults visited poolside. After some Happy Joe's pizza for supper, we said our goodbyes and hit the road for home. A short-but-sweet visit.

Cassie and Nick's kids, Marly and Davis, are so! danged! cute! and sweet! They spent a lot of time with their cousin Hillary, not only in the pool but also at the arcade games near the pool.

Such a handsome family! We surely wish that we all lived nearer one another--but it's terrific that, whenever we do get together, time doesn't seem to have passed. Well, except that our nephew and niece keep growing up!

2011 June 20-26

On Monday, the girls (and Susan and Cassie) took their cousins swimming at the West River Community Center.  This was Marly's opinion of an opportunity to swim.

Davis, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy it!  (That's Abigail holding him with Suzanna to the left and Hillary to the right.)

Davis, his cousins, and "Unka Kevin" played outdoors a lot.  (I think his hat may be a little too small for my head.)

Marly is nearly as amused with bathing in the bathroom sink as she was with swimming at the WRCC.

Thursday, June 23

I had to go to work, but Davis and all the ladies took a daytrip to Medora just to walk around and see some sights.  Davis liked Medora's Wild West theme.

Suzanna, Davis, Hillary, and Abigail at the children's park 

In Medora, the group met up with Susan and Cassie's aunt Jake, her kids Jon and Kelli, and Kelli's daughter Kynnedi (that's Jake in the red and Kynnedi to her left) for some ice cream.  They live in CO but are in the area for a family reunion that starts tomorrow (more pics on that to come).

2011 June 13-19

Friday, June 17

The arrival of house guests: Susan's sister Cassie and her two kids, Davis (two years old) and Marly (three months old--and my soon-to-be goddaughter)!

Davis needed sunglasses for the car ride.  Clever style of wearing them!

Abigail and I were delighted to meet Marly Sue!

Daddy's Home!

Many thanks to Grandpa Gustafson for staying with the girls last night through this evening!  He got them to/from their piano recital last night, school this morning, and swimming practice after school.  In exchange, they made his meals and showered him with affection.  Fair trade.

I spent the day driving around northeast Minneapolis, MN with my colleague Dawn (remember?).  We visited with school administrators from an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school, all with highly diverse student populations (i.e., 80-90% of the students speak English as a second or third language and come from low-income families).  We would like to take our own teacher education students to these three schools for experience working with students in settings featuring urban diversity, something they don't get much of in Western ND!  The Minneapolis schools were receptive, so we will move ahead with this initiative in the coming months.

I came home tonight to find the sweetest thing awaiting me:

Scandinavian Recipe Redux

Without Susan here this weekend (remember?), the girls had to spend the morning alone as I attended the university's commencement ceremony.  After the speeches had ended and the reading of the pages and pages and pages of graduates' names had begun, I zoned out a bit until I heard my own last name read aloud!  I looked up to see my cousin Joel's daughter Michaela walking across the stage.  Then I looked over toward her cheering section in the bleachers, and sure enough, there were my uncle and my cousins!  My cousin Myrna must have spotted me earlier because she had her eyes on me when I looked up and scanned the bleachers, and she grinned and waved!  What a fun surprise.  Michaela got her degree through our Bismarck campus, so I hadn't even recalled that she was a student of ours--therefore, it didn't occur to me that I would see relatives today (albeit only from afar).

And that wasn't the end of the day's activities . . .

A Weekend Without Susan

The girls and I are Susan-less for the weekend!  Yesterday she drove to Mandan to spend the night at her brother Jerrett's place so that she could get up early this morning and fly out of Bismarck to their sister Cassie's place in SC.  Cassie and her husband Nick recently had a second child (remember?), and Susan is there to meet the baby (Marly Sue) and spoil her and her brother Davis for a few days.  Wanna see Marly?

A Child Is Born

In November we got news from Susan's sister Cassie that she and her husband Nick were expecting a second child.  Well, their son Davis is now a big brother to a sweet little girl: Marly Sue!  "Marly" is a family name on Nick's side, and "Sue" was Susan and Cassie's (and Jerrett's) mom's name.  Sue passed away 12 years ago; we think Marly's middle name is a wonderful tribute to her memory.

Wanna see some photos of our beautiful new niece?  (She was born over a week ago, but I'm just now getting around to sharing photos . . .)

So Big!

It's been a while since I have shared photos of our awesome nephew Davis.  Today is a good day to do that because it's his second birthday!  The kid is getting so big and looking less like a baby and more like a boy all the time.  Here is photographic evidence:

Christmas Road Trip: Day 11

Road Report
Today's route: Tioga, ND to Dickinson, ND via Hwy 2, Cty Rd 21, Hwy 1804, Hwy 23, and Hwy 22 (148 miles).  Minimal drifting on the way to New Town; some compacted snow and ice between New Town and Mandaree; lots of wind and drifting while driving through the Killdeer Mountains and on into the town of Killdeer--otherwise, nothing too bad and an uneventful drive overall.

Notable Events
Beverly had extra pasta left over from our spaghetti supper the other night, so I volunteered to make dinner for us today at noon and made use of those noodles.  Suzanna helped by browning some Italian sausage while I diced an onion and a green pepper, which Suzanna then sautéed with the sausage.  We added the leftover spaghetti sauce from Thursday and added cans of garlic- and cheese-flavored tomato sauces, into which we added the leftover spaghetti noodles until they had warmed and separated and become coated with the sauce.  We stirred in shredded parmesan, asiago, mozarella, and white cheddar cheeses and served the bowl of pasta with grated parmesan to shake atop individual servings.  Susan made garlic toast in the oven to complete the meal.  Pretty danged good.

An Uncle Again!

Today I received a text message from Susan's sister, Cassie, mother of our darling nephew Davis.  It was this photo with this message:

"Big bro to a lil sister!"

We've known for some time that Cassie and her husband Nick were expecting another child, but they just today found out its sex.  A niece!  That's great news . . . because now we can unload a lot more of our own kids' baby stuff on Cassie and Nick!  No, really, congratulations to you two and Davis, too!

Darling Davis

Susan's sister Cassie and her son Davis stayed at our house this past weekend.  They were in town for Susan and Cassie's grandma's funeral (remember?).  Although the occasion for their stay with us was not happy, it was a delight to have them as house guests nevertheless and to spend time with Davis, who changes so much between visits.  It's been a while since I have offered you pics of the little tyke, so here you go:

Scandinavian Seafood Delights

For this Scandinavian Saturday, we had special guests: Susan's sister Cassie, her son Davis, and Susan and Cassie's dad Roger.  Because of the busy-ness with the funeral yesterday and the house guests this weekend, Susan wondered if I'd like to postpone today's Nordic meal.  Instead I took on the challenge of preparing an ethnic meal that would allow our family to try new Scandinavian recipes but that would not turn off our relatives with ingredients or flavor combinations that were too out-of-the ordinary.  Suzanna was my assistant this week, and here's what we came up with:

Death in the Family

Susan's first day of school this year started with a phone call bearing sad news: her grandma Laura had died the night before.  (That's why Susan wore to school that day a necklace that Laura had rosemaled--remember seeing it in the photo a couple days ago?)  Just last November, Laura's husband (Susan's grandpa) passed away (remember?), and Laura's health declined steadily in the months thereafter.  Laura moved from a nursing home in town to one in Richardton, ND, where she lived her last few weeks with good care and individual attention.  Susan and the girls stopped there to visit with her about a week ago, and Susan's dad Roger and a couple of his sisters spent most of their time with her in her final days.  She died peacefully Tuesday night, and her funeral was today.

Abigail's Two (Out of Three) Birthdays

Abigail, our "middlest" daughter (as she refers to herself), turned 11 years old today, and she couldn't have been more excited for this day to arrive!  And why shouldn't she be excited?  Today was her second birthday celebration, and she still has one more to go!

Bye-Bye, Blonds

Looks kinda devilish here, doesn't he?

Biblical Bane, Bevy of Blonds, and Belated Birthday

Okay, today was a mixed bag.  We just returned last night from a long weekend in Missoula (remember?), so there's laundry to do and a lawn to mow and flower beds to weed and water and tasks at the office to go tend to . . . but that's all on hold for one annoying reason and one delightful one.

One Full Year of Cuteness

I have been remiss in not posting these photos sooner . . . but better late than never! A few weeks ago, our nephew Davis celebrated his first birthday! Here are some recent photos of him. Note how much older he looks even just three months after we last saw him at Christmastime. Cute little bugger!

Davis still enjoys bath time. When he was at our house in December and it was time for his bath, he would lean back or lie down (using his mommy's hands as a pillow) and kick ferociously, kind of like pedaling a bicycle as though his life depended on it! He looks much calmer here, but I'll bet he still likes to splash and put those leg muscles to good use.

Davis' grandma (mom to Davis' daddy Nick, husband to Susan's sister Cassie) flew from ND to SC to spend a week with them and was there to celebrate with Davis. He seems to have enjoyed her company!

Ah, a Sesame Street-themed birthday party with balloons, a cute cake, an angelic boy with a devilish grin, and a huge mess. Looks like a success to me! Happy belated birthday, Davis!

Stormy Christmas

Sadly, we were right; as predicted, the weather was bad yesterday morning when we awoke to get ready for church, and the forecast was for the blizzard to get worse as the day went on. If Susan's sister Cassie, her husband Nick, and their 10-month-old son Davis were going to make it onto the airplane for their flight back to SC this morning, they would have to leave yesterday morning and spend last night at Susan and Cassie's brother Jerrett's house in Mandan. So we skipped church, ate brunch, opened some Santa Claus gifts, posed for photos, and sent them on their way.

As it turned out, the drive--which usually takes just over an hour--took them about three hours due to reduced visibility! But they made it to Jerrett's safe and sound; and as of this morning, their flight today is delayed but not canceled. I'm sure they'll be glad to be home again and away from the uncertainty and inconvenience of Midwestern winter weather. But it was terrific to have them here this past week and to spend so much time with that cutie-patootie new nephew of ours, Davis!

Hillary, Suzanna, and Abigail with their cousin Davis

Nick and Cassie with Davis

Davis with a gift from Santa Claus, who found Davis at our house . . . but probably still left other gifts for him at his own house in SC.

Davis saying goodbye to Grandpa Gustafson

With all our guests gone by midmorning yesterday, our house was suddenly very quiet again, and we went into holiday relaxation mode. Our afternoon included a family nap on the bed in Susan and my bedroom! Then we opened the gifts from Santa Claus that he left in and near the girls' stockings by the fireplace upstairs. Then we migrated downstairs to open family gifts from beneath the Christmas tree in the family room. I lit a fire in the fireplace while Susan made homemade pizza, and we ate our supper in the living room. We played games and ate snacks at the coffee table while the fire died down. Then we all camped out for the night in Susan and my bedroom.

Hillary, Abigail, and Suzanna waited impatiently before the pile of gifts from Santa Claus.

Santa usually brings new pajamas as part of the girls' gifts (a tradition from Susan's own childhood days). This year: footie pajamas!

The girls pretended to sleep in order to model how their new pajamas work. Convincing.

This morning we peered out the windows and marveled at the snow drifts that had formed overnight against our neighbors' houses and along the side of our house and down our driveway. It's still blowing and snowing, so I'm not venturing out to shovel or snowblow just yet--let the blizzard stop before doing that, I say. Instead I tried out a new gift that Santa brought Susan and me: an espresso/cappuccino maker! He also brought us an espresso bean grinder, so I ground some beans and made us each a cappuccino. We don't have any flavored syrups at the moment, so they were just plain ol' cappuccinos--very bold coffees, I must say! Should give us both plenty of energy for . . . well, for doing whatever we happen to feel like doing. We're on vacation, so we don't plan on doing much, for a change. Merry Christmas to us! And merry Christmas to you, too!

Season's Eatings

Our nephew Davis makes a fine centerpiece for the dining room table.

House guests do not go hungry at our home, thanks to Susan. This week she has been preparing lovely meals to delight her dad Roger, her siblings, her brother-in-law, and her nephew (and her husband and children, as usual). Let's review, shall we?

Sunday

• lasagna
• green beans
• buttered corn
• garlic toast

Monday

• supper at Susan's aunt and uncle's

Tuesday

• meatballs in gravy
• mashed potatoes
• steamed broccoli

Wednesday

• 17-lb. ham! (courtesy of Roger)
• cheese buttons (a tradition in Susan's family: homemade noodles filled with cheese, onions, and dill, folded into dumplings, boiled, and served with melted butter)
• dill pickles

Thursday

• smoked salmon cheese ball and crackers
• shrimp cocktail
• lobster macaroni and cheese
• crab-stuffed mushrooms
• oyster "stew" (another tradition in Susan's family; it's a misnomer, though: instead of a stew, it's literally a kettle of warm milk and melted butter with oysters dropped into it)

There's a storm a-brewin' and headed toward this state, and it's expected to affect our area tomorrow and Saturday. Susan's sister Cassie and her husband Nick already changed their flight plans to leave ND from Bismarck on Saturday instead of from Fargo, but will they be able even to get to Bismarck without leaving our house early tomorrow (instead of Saturday, as they had planned)? Their getting home safely is our main concern . . . but here's what they could miss:

Friday
brunch:

• egg bake
• sausage
• banana/chocolate chip/oatmeal muffins
• fruit salad
• coffee and fruit juice

supper:

• homemade pepperoni and Canadian bacon pizza

In the meantime, it's Christmas Eve! Susan started the oyster "stew" early and sent some of it with Roger, Cassie, and Nick, who took the "stew" and the kiddos to Roger's mom Laura's nursing home so that she could enjoy the traditional oyster dish and see her granddaughter and great-grandchildren. Meanwhile, Susan and I stayed behind to prepare the seafood meal for their return.

Laura with her granddaughter Cassie, her son Roger, and her great-grandson Davis

Laura with her great-grandchildren Davis, Suzanna, Abigail, and Hillary

After they returned and we ate supper, we had Davis open the gifts from our family and our daughters open the gifts from Davis and his family . . . just in case they have to leave early tomorrow due to the weather. All the presents were well received, but the very best part of the holiday has been the presence of our extended family. Gotta get to bed now; the girls have written Santa a note, left him some cookies and an empty glass ("There is milk in the fridge; help yourself"), and hung their stockings by the fireplace, so I'd better get to sleep so that Santa can make a stop at our house tonight!

Davis Claus!

Full House

Today was the last day of school for Susan and the girls until January 4! They got to start their holiday break with a family reunion at our house. Susan's dad Roger, his three kids, and their kids were all in our home tonight, and it was very nice to be together again. [Susan's sister Cassie, her husband Nick, and their son Davis arrived from SC on Sunday {remember?}, and Susan's brother Jerrett arrived from Mandan today.]

My break began last week after semester exams ended, so I've been around during the day to entertain our guests while the ladies have been at school yesterday and today. After shoveling the driveway this morning (third time in two days, btw), I made Cassie and Nick a breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon (very dark bacon . . . think "carbon"). Jerrett arrived while Cassie and Nick were getting ready for the day, so I made frou-frou coffees for the both of us (real men aren't afraid to drink frou-frou coffees). Then they all went out to lunch with Roger while I took a turn in the shower and got dressed for the day.

Everyone was back at our house by mid-afternoon, and Susan made us a delicious supper of steamed broccoli, meatballs, and mashed potatoes and gravy with an assortment of Christmas cookies for dessert. The adults hung out in the living room visiting and playing with Davis while Suzanna, Abigail, and Hillary suited up and went out to play in the back yard around 9:00 P.M.! Roger went back to his apartment for the night, but everybody else is bunking here overnight. More family time and food will follow tomorrow. Meanwhile, enjoy some photos:

It was a mild night with enough snow on the ground for the girls to bury each other! Here's Suzanna next to Hillary beneath the snow.

Here's Hillary lying atop Suzanna's snow-buried body!

And here are Hillary and Suzanna having just buried Abigail in the snow.

Meanwhile, in the warm living room, a freshly bathed and lotioned Davis played on the floor and looked cute.

He enjoys chillin' with Uncle Kevin. (Who wouldn't?)

Dang, this kid is cute!!