A Taste

As 2010 quickly approaches, Noah and I are getting closer and closer to our new home. Here is just a taste of what is to come...

The House! We made some changes, so it will be a bit different, but basically the same.

Fiber Cement Siding in Woodstock Brown

Silestone Countertops in Rainforest

Maple/Cherry Hardwood floors throughout

Cherry Cabinets in Shaker Style

We met with the lumberyard yesterday, and should have our plans next week! We plan on breaking ground in the late spring/summer, and *hopefully* move in in the fall! YAY!

Holy Moses

Who knew building a house had SO MANY decisions to make?? I did. But not THIS many decisions before we even broke ground! Grrrrrrr. But it's fun, right? RIGHT. Well, sorta. :)

We met with our builder this morning, and found out that building a house costs.....money. Yep, that green stuff. True story. Oh how I wish it didn't. But alas, it does. And as if money wasn't a big enough issue...there's foundation, siding, over hang, porches, AC, heating, fire places, walls & ceiling textures, flooring, plumbing, toilets, counter tops, cabinets, trim, stain, windows, doors, and SO much more. I gotta stop blogging, I have lots of work to do!!

HEY SANTA!!

Noah and I sure picked the right time to head to the gym tonight. What I thought would be a quick and quiet drive through Annandale turned into quite the excitement! Little did I know that Jolly Old St. Nicholas would be in town! I saw some flashing lights a ways in front of me while driving, and slowed down, thinking there was an accident, since the roads were pretty icy. As I drew nearer, I saw loads of people and police directing traffic. Then I saw it. The 2009 Canadian Pacific Holiday Train made it's way to little ol' Annandale, MN!! There were people everywhere, a band, and of course Mr. Claus! We didn't stop since we had no warm clothes on, but it was still awesome to see. We had our little workout, and on our drive home we noticed that it was about to leave town, and go where?? Right by our house of course! I watched out our window until Santa drove by. I'm pretty sure he saw me and HO HO HO-ed to me :) I know I'm 26, but I still get darn excited for Santa! I love CHRISTMAS!!

TA-DA!

I finally got them! YAY!!

I've been wanting to get critical habitat plates for quite some time now, and Noah made the deal with me that if I shot a buck this year I could get them! And....I DID! So, of course, I chose the buck plates. The contribution goes to the Reinvest in Minnesota Critical Habitat Program, and helps preserve important wildlife habitat and plant communities. It's a great cause, and I highly recommend YOU do it too!

How...

seriously cute are these kiddos?

I don't think I'll ever be able to leave this job! Of course there are days when I just wanna scream, but it's also a lot of fun, and I'm really enjoying watching them grow up right before my very eyes! I will be sad when we move next year!

I'm Baaaack!

Yes, I realize I have not blogged in quite some time. I know you missed me dearly, and have been wondering what in the heck I've been up to. Or not. I'd like to think you have. Anyways, I apologize for going MIA as of late. Life has taken a few turns, and I have not had a second to spare. Or a square to spare if you're a Seinfeld fan.

My first hunting season was a blast, literally. I ended up getting an 8 point buck on Saturday of 2nd weekend. It was a lot of fun, and I'm already excited for next year to see if I can outdo myself. I still have to take firearm safety, which I'm bummed about, but oh well. I'll go hang with some 12 year old boys if I must.

Thanksgiving came and went, and I ate and ate. We were fortunate enough to spend Thursday with Noah's fam, and the rest of the weekend with my fam. There was lots and lots of good food, fun, and laughter. And of course it's always fun to see my favorite nephew Ben. We played lots of cards, and I even got some shopping done.

I'm still working for the Boikes. Charlie started school 2 days a week, so it's nice having him out of the house for almost 4 hours. He is there right now, and Lewie is sleeping so I finally have some time to myself.

In other news, Noah and I are moving. Where you ask? We have no clue. Hopefully somewhere close enough to both our jobs, and close enough to Watkins so Noah can play ball there again next year. We have been looking and looking and looking, and have not found much of anything. We really don't want to move back to St. Cloud, and we really don't want to move into an apartment, so that makes things tough. We are also trying to save money to build our house, which means we need a cheap rental house south/west of St. Cloud, that accepts dogs. Hmmmmm.

Anyways, I'll try to get on here more often...not promising anything though! I'm getting excited for the upcoming holidays, and can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm ready for some snow!!

Ichabod!

We decided to carve our pumpkin last night, and here is the result...don't get too scared!!

(if you look closely, you can see my cute lil ghost candle inside...I just love him!)

Hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween weekend!

Trick or Treat?

TRICK!

I'm sure you've all heard about this new phenomenon. I've been hearing all about it on the radio, TV, and internet...and it even made the front page of the Annandale Advocate. Yes, this is the type of news that makes the headlines here in Annandale. If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it, since it's easy and pretty darn amazing. All you need is a broom! And not even a magical witch's broom. For some reason, people are really amazed (myself included) by the fact that a broom can stand upright on it's own for hours on end. I even did this test today, and yep, it's true. Here's the proof--

Oh, the things that keep me entertained while battling this illness! If anyone has any other easy ways to pass the time, let me know!

Sick as a Dog

And no, not Harry the dog. I am on day 4 of whatever has attacked me. Everyone has a different opinion of what it is, and what it comes down to is...that it sucks. Period. No matter the name, seasonal flu, H1N1, etc. Blah. I finally ate some crackers yesterday, which sat fairly good! So I got a bit excited and decided to try some mac & cheese for dins. Nope. Bad idea Lo! Just for fun I hopped on my Wii Fit yesterday to see what not eating for 3 days does to my weight haha. They congratulated me on achieving my goal weight in record time. Little did they know! It was the first time since I've gotten it that I had to set a new goal weight by actually adding pounds! I chuckled. And then slept. A lot. I decided to take the rest of the week off just to make sure I don't get the little kiddos sick. Erika texted me yesterday and said Lewis is walking like a mad man! Yay! What a lil cutie. I hope to be better for Halloween, so I can show off my awesome referee costume in Pearl Lake/Watkins!

Other than sleeping, I've been catching up on my TV favs, watched a few movies (Marley & Me, Juno, Ghost Dad!), and snuggled lots with Harry. I took a puzzle out yesterday and did the edges, but have no gumption to actually finish it. It would be much better if I could do it laying down! Anyways, that's enough for now, I must go watch more Price is Right :)

Sittin on the Dock of the Bay...

Summer is officially over. This past weekend we took the dock and boat lift out. And by we, I mean Noah and Marty. It was quite the entertainment. Noah forgot his waders, so he froze his tootsies off! But don't worry, he took some breaks to warm them up in my boots...

It was about a 2 hour fiasco, but lo and behold, they got it done--

Harry was a good spectator too, cheering the boys on-

When all was said and done, He rejoiced in the big accomplishment and painted the sky in glorious color-

THE END

Did ya see the Turdy Pointer? Turdy Point Buck!

I just had to write about my good friend Scott O'Konek. Okay, he's not really my good friend, but I do idolize him. He got a 32 point buck with the bow in Fort Ripley the other day. A feat that most likely will break the record in Minnesota. And my favorite part is...he's from South Haven! A stone's throw from our house! Way to represent Hwy 55 Scott! Click here to read the exciting article! I'm so jealous. I told Noah that if I don't get a deer this big this season, that I'm giving up hunting. Okay, not really.

Here are some pics from Field & Stream...

Black Betty

It's official...I'm a hunter! I got my very own shotgun and I'm ready to blast some bucks. I just took 3 days off work and I'm excited to get out there in the cold! Okay, not really excited about the cold, but hopefully the weather will be nicer than last year! Here is me and my new girl, Black Betty--

I just have to get the scope mounted on her and I'll be all set! Oh, and I got a new coat, hat, and carhartts too :)

Work is going pretty good, just tiring working 10 hour days. Hopefully my hours will lighten up a bit in the winter! Speaking of winter, here are a few pictures I took yesterday at the Boikes--

I can't believe how early we got snow this year! The only good thing that comes from winter is ice fishing! I can't wait!

That's about all I have to say for now! I'll leave you with a couple of really cute pictures I took of Charlie last week on our last wagon ride of the fall.

Where Have I Been?

Yes, I know I haven't blogged in quite some time. Working 10.5 hour days doesn't give me much time to do anything! I do enjoy the job though, or should I say tolerate it! It's a lot more work than I expected, but I am looking forward to winter when my hours should shorten a little bit.

Other than working, I have not been up to much of anything. I usually get home to a nice meal ready for me, thanks to the best husband ever! We eat, take Harry for a nice walk, relax, and hit the hay. Suddenly the alarm is going off and we do it all over again!

Noah is gone tonight bow hunting in Little Falls, so I am trying to decide what to do. I will probably head over to Watkins to see what those guys are up to. Probably no good! Sorry this was a lame blog, but there is just nothing to report. Same old same old! Looking forward to AC & Julie's wedding next weekend, that's for sure! YAY!

Back to the Salt Mines

After a nice 6 week vacation from work, I officially survived my first week back with the Boikes. I was drooled on, licked, kicked, and kissed. By the end of the day my feet felt like they weighed 100 lbs each, but it's a whole lot better now that Drew is back to school. I get to spend my days lugging 12 months Lewie around, while chasing after 3 yr old Charlie. They are some wild kiddos, but so cute that I could never get too mad at them! It's nice to be back in the working world, but miss sleeping in and relaxing by the lake. I guess the time had to come to start bringing in some chedda! We do have a lot of fun, and I'm glad I get to watch these little ones grow everyday!

My Favorite Boike: Willow!

Stuck in the Middle

This past week I have found myself in a very "in between" kind of place. It's a bit awkward, and I'm not entirely sure what to do with myself. It is my last week off before starting work again Tuesday. I feel as though I should really really enjoy these last few days, as I will be working 40+ hour weeks very soon.

Baseball season has also come to an end. In past years, I always looked forward to baseball being over, and was glad Noah played for a bad team so they never made playoffs. This year took me by surprise! I didn't want it to end! We met so many great people, and I was spending the entire week looking forward to their weekend game(s). This season went almost 2 months longer than past seasons, and it still seemed short. I can't believe they started in April! Playing for Watkins was probably the best thing that has happened for not only Noah, but me too! Since everyone in Annandale is like 90 years old, it's nice to have that group to hang out with only 15 minutes away.

Summer is pretty much over (except for the fact this weekend looks gorgeous and we will spend LOTS of time on the lake), and bow hunting has not yet began, another in between place for us. Noah has spent a few days up in LF putting up deer stands. Bow season officially begins in 2 weeks, and we're looking forward to spending some time in the woods together. I am even going to attempt to do some gun hunting in November! I'm so excited.

As much as I love summer, I am really excited for winter. I didn't think I'd ever say that! I'm not excited for the cold, but the ice fishing! It's going to be so great to walk out the back door and drill some holes. Have to pee? Hungry? No biggie. Just walk back in the house! If Noah is out by himself and gets hungry (weird), I can hop on the snowmobile and bring him a hotdog!

So anyways, being stuck in the middle isn't the worst thing in the world I guess, it's a time to relax and look forward to the next adventures in life. Noah and I are just really bad at not "doing" anything. We must always have something going on or a place to be. We are really excited to spend the weekend on the lake and having fun!

Is It Friday Yet???

As you may or may not know, the Clippers won their first game in the MBA State Tournament! Wahoooo! We are still bummed that Noah had to miss it, but super pumped that he gets to play Friday! Since we missed the Saturday celebration, we headed to Watkins Sunday evening to have a couple victory brews with some of the guys. It was so much fun, and I was sad when Noah said it was time to go home! Friday cannot come soon enough! We will hop on the bus in Watkins around 2, and make our way to Arlington for the 6pm game vs. Winsted. We plan on crashing in Watkins Friday night, as I'm sure there will be a major celebration, win or lose. It's been a great season, and I will be so sad when it's over. Best of luck to the team on Friday, I know they will do great!

Here is the team photo from the tournament...since Noah was gone, I photoshopped him in-kinda :)

Beware! Killer Flip-Flops!!

After reading THIS article, I became quite nervous! I wear flip-flops pretty much every single day, May-September. I never knew my cute little sandals could very well end my life! Not that I am going to stop wearing them or anything, no way! But when I read this, “I’m not saying don’t ever wear them,” he said. “They are nice for the beach and the pool and perhaps even in your home. ... My thought is they should be worn temporarily. There is a place for them.” I had to laugh at myself. I wear mine allll day long. Inside, outside, upside down. Okay, not really upside down. But anyways, just thought I'd put a warning out there. Don't lick your flip-flops!!

State Bound

A big congratulations to the Watkins Clippers amateur baseball team! After playing 9 years of amateur baseball, Noah finally has the opportunity to play in the state tournament! Or does he? Since their game is on Saturday at 5pm, he may not. Noah is in a wedding on Saturday, so our only hope in making the game would be if it's pushed back for any reason. So we are praying for rain, extra innings, ANYTHING!

It was a super fun weekend of celebration, spending Friday night out and about in Watkins. I had such a blast with the team, they are awesome, and I hope Noah gets to play with them next season. Best of luck to the team, and I can't wait to cheer them on the rest of the season!

The Cheez Ball Conspiracy

Noah and I had (what we thought was) the most awesome idea ever the other day... buy some Cheez Balls! And not the cheap immitation "Cheese Balls", the original Planters Cheez Balls! You know, these ones:



We quickly added it to our grocery list, and headed to the Marketplace. I literally ran down the chip isle looking for these little balls of cheesy goodness! My eyes ferociously scanned the shelves up and down, up and down, to no avail. Where have all the Cheez Balls gone? We were so sad! I did some researching yesterday, and found that they have been discontinued! Boooooo! Damn you Mr. Peanut! That's right, I said the "D" word! While doing my cheesy research, I found thousands of others also wondering what happened to this delicious snack! I also came across this, a petition to bring back the balls!

Okay, I'm done complaining now. Well one more complaint...since they didn't have the Cheez Balls, Noah decided to buy my absolute favorite chips, Dutch Crunch, when he very well knows I'm on a no-chip diet! Grrrrrrrrrr.

Ode to Harry

How could you NOT love this face??

Isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen? Yes, of course he isn't always perfect, and yes, he costs us money we wish we could save, but he's totally worth it!

This is the very first picture we ever saw of him. It's the picture that was on the Tri-County Humane Society website when I first fell in love with him!---

I talked Noah into going to take a look at him, but when we got to the shelter, he was already outside with somebody else. I was so sad! We decided to go back the next day, but he was already adopted. I was totally bummed, but spent the next week looking for a new doggie love. Then suddenly, low and behold, I was looking online at the TCHS again and THERE HE WAS! My Harry! I was freaking out! The shelter was already closed for the day, so I called first thing the next morning. It was really him! Turns out the family who adopted him was allergic to him! And there wasn't a deposit on him yet! I was so excited that I was shaking. I told the woman I was interested, but had to ask my husband first. I immediately called Noah at work, but he didn't answer. I left him a message (that he probably could barely understand since I was so excited) and told myself I would wait an hour for him to call back. Well, I didn't hear anything for 15 minutes, and just couldn't wait any longer. I didn't want to lose Harry again! I took matters into my own hands and put a deposit down on him! YAY! I was so glad I did because they said they had many phone calls about him already that day. Harry was offically ours, and we picked him up the following Sunday, after a fun-filled weekend at Camp Olson. Here is the first picture I took of him and Noah...

They both have short hair!

So that is the story of Harry. Who, in reality, we rarely call Harry. Some of the most commonly used names for him include: Monster, Potato, Stink, Friend, Wompus (thanks to Nicole!), McGuff, and of course Harry Scary. I try to make a point to call him Harry more often, because I don't want him to forget his actual name! He had been the greatest dog in the world, and I can't imagine life without him!

Piddle Paddle

Noah, Harry, and I went for our very first paddle-boat trip of the summer last night, and it was tons of fun! Our lovely neighbors Willie and Barb (who are here maybe every-other weekend) are so nice that they let us use their paddle-boat whenever, so we finally had the opportunity last night to take a little cruise. It was a gorgeous night to be on the lake! We even ran into Marty who was out on Louise.

Besides our paddling journey, we also took Harry to the vet to get his shots, took a trip to the market, and had an ice cream cone from DQ! Since I know I'm going back to work in a month, I'm trying to get all the fun in I can! I'm bummed that I can't go tubing, and have a hard time fishing, but OH WELL! We hope to have one more summer on the lake, so there's plenty of time for that. We must get all the lake-fun we can right now, because between now and the end of October we have 5 weddings, and 4 of those weddings either Noah or I am in, so we won't have many free weekends to play on the water! We are so blessed to have this opportunity and I will never forget it!

Gettin' There!

Noah made the trip to Little Falls last night after work to mow his parents' lawn, and got the opportunity to stop by our potential building location to snap some pictures. It was nice to see the land from "inside" the woods, since I'd only seen it from the road. Here are a few of the photos so you can get a better idea of where the house would be located...

We have officially narrowed down our house-plan choices to 3. A small, medium, and large. We love them all equally, and the final choice will come down to the price our contractor can build them for! I had a little fun this morning since I was up early (Harry is STILL in bed!), and photoshopped our potential homesteads into the pictures! Which one is YOUR favorite?

Option Small:

Option Medium:

Option Large:

I think they ALL look great!