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Fish, Fish, Fish

2012-02-01T07:26:00.000-06:00

Here are a couple more fish from the aquarium...

For my nephews...

2012-01-29T11:30:00.000-06:00

After going to the aquarium, we spent some time walking around the Mall of America. One of their displays/stores is a Lego store. I knew they would love these HUGE Lego displays, so I couldn't help but take a few photos for them. I am also posting them for my brother who I have many many memories of putting together dozens of Lego sets growing up.

Annika's Photo of the Week - 32

2012-01-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

Annika - 32 Weeks

Annika's photo of the week...or what happens when parents play with their kid's toys.

We bought these Stackadoos with some Christmas money from my sister after watching Annika and her cousin Jadon play with them the last time we were home (Jadon plays with his every day). But lately its turned into a bit of a competition between Phil and me as to who can come up with the certain designs. From the beginning we have been building windmills; when I came home from work this week, Phil had built two (Annika knocked over one of them in this photo). There is also a camera by Annika's foot. But we have built many other creations including pyramids, towers, airplanes, cars, boats, robots and even a dachshund.

Annika is not yet building, but she loves knocking over what we build and pulling pieces apart and of course, chewing on them.

A Day at the Aquarium

2012-01-28T21:06:00.000-06:00

Phil and I took Annika to an aquarium today. Sea Life, which is located at the Mall of America, was a great first aquarium to take Annika to. They had a wonderful series of tubes to walk through with plenty of sea life swimming right next to, and over us. I have been wanting to take Annika here for a little while and was pleased with her reaction of awe at everything around her. From little tiny seahorses to great big sharks, each creature added a new bit of excitement. The adults around us were having as much fun as their kids.

Annika's Photo of the Week - 31

2012-01-22T14:58:00.000-06:00

Annika - 31 Weeks

It finally felt like winter in Minnesota this week. While so far the winter had been quite mild, we finally saw subzero temperatures this week. Annika especially did not like this, but we were sure to keep her nice and warm. We've started more new foods this week; however, Annika seems to prefer snacks she can pick up and feed herself. Last night we went to Gasthof Restaurant to celebrate a friend's birthday and Annika was serenaded by the accordion player. She wasn't too sure what to make of the music and was sure to keep and eye on him the rest of the night.

Snowy Day at the Farm - 5

2012-01-19T15:00:00.000-06:00

Snowy Day at the Farm - 4

2012-01-18T15:00:00.000-06:00

Snowy Day at the Farm - 3

2012-01-17T15:00:00.000-06:00

Snowy Day at the Farm - 2

2012-01-16T15:00:00.000-06:00

Snowy Day at the Farm - 1

2012-01-15T20:10:00.000-06:00

Annika's Photo of the Week - 30

2012-01-15T20:05:00.000-06:00

Annika - 7 Months

Annika will be 7 months old tomorrow! She had a busy weekend playing with her cousins and attending a two day candidacy retreat/interview for her dad. Annika did a wonderful job at the retreat and was able to meet some of our friends from college and a couple of Phil's mentors. At the retreat, Phil was approved for ordination. He still has one more semester to finish up before he can take a call and we are currently waiting to find out which region of the country he will be assigned. The end is in sight.

Annika's Photo of the Week - 29

2012-01-08T21:51:00.001-06:00

Annika - 29 weeks

I tried to take a few photos this week of Annika playing. Usually when I take the camera out she looks right at me and smiles or at least stares like, hey, what are you doing? But she has really gotten serious about playing as of late. She can get quite frustrated when something is out of her reach and its quite amazing to see her bend all the way so that her belly touches the ground in order to reach something and then sit back up without using her arms! I'm not sure I can do that! She still loves "singing" into her toys (as can be seen in the bottom right photo, which is the shell of a turtle that you can put shapes in). All of this play has helped further define her fine motor skills making eating little snacks at the table easier too.

Annika's Photos of the Week - 27 & 28

2012-01-03T21:38:00.000-06:00

Annika - 27 Weeks

It was such a blessing to spend Christmas with both of our families this year. We flew back to NY with no problems on Christmas Eve and were able to stay in town until New Years Day (hence my lack in posts). Sadly, we all caught a nasty cold during our trip and are still recovering from that.

I thought Annika would be too young this year to really enjoy Christmas but she loved the shiny packages and curling ribbon so much that her little arms shook as we helped her open the packages. It was a much more laid back Christmas than I remember during my childhood; we all slept in, went to church and then all got together to open presents followed by a nice Christmas dinner. My sisters boys provided much entertainment throughout the day (and following week); they are so sweet with Annika.

It was also nice to see Annika with her cousin, Maddie (Phil's brother's daughter). She is seven months older than Annika and was doing a great job sharing her Little Tikes animals with her. She even helped her learn their animal names in Spanish. But I think most of all it was fun to watch Phil and his brother play with their daughters; they were on the floor non-stop building towers out of blocks and passing a soccer ball.

Annika with Maddie - 28 Weeks

And lastly I'll share our family photo from Christmas morning.

Annika's Photo of the Week - 26

2011-12-15T20:32:00.002-06:00

Annika - 6 Months!

We celebrated Annika's 1/2 birthday today. She also had her 6th month check up today. The toy Annika is playing with in the photo above is actually a Christmas present for her from my mom, but when it arrived in the mail we couldn't help but open it for her. She absolutely loves it and does such a nice job sitting by it and moving some of the pieces with her little fingers. She also discovered that she can stand and lean on it real well. Speaking of sitting, since last week she is now sitting for minutes and minutes on end all by herself. She seems quite proud of herself and her new accomplishment. So, tonight we let her sit on her own in the bathtub for the first time and she had a blast splashing the water with her hands over and over again. It's such a joy to watch all those little firsts that happen in a baby's life. We forget the excitement of the realization that we can do something new, or that when we do something a reaction occurs; when I hit my hands on water, it splashes! There are so many things a baby learns in the first few years of life that we forget and take for granted.

Photo of the Day #183 - Christmas Train

2011-12-15T20:29:00.000-06:00

Christmas Train

Photo by Rachel Roushey

Annika's Photo of the Week - 25

2011-12-10T21:17:00.001-06:00

Annika - 25 Weeks

Annika is so close to sitting up on her own. She does a wonderful job sitting unsupported on your lap for a little while or on the floor with a boppy for support, but without one she still tips over after a few moments. She does well at self correcting her balance and when she does tip over she doesn't seem to mind and seems to tuck and roll.

Last night she got to meet Santa. The seminary had a family night for those who live on campus with their families and had asked me to take photos of the kids with Santa. What a hoot. We had at least 36 kids who had their picture taken with Santa and a couple who opted out either out of fear or embarrassment. It wasn't your typical everyone stand in line and wait quietly for Santa the way you see in shopping malls, but a rather laid back yet a little chaotic which kid is going to want to come up next. The older kids easily took turns and told Santa what they wanted, got their picture taken and were handed a candy cane from Santa; some of the younger kids were pushed forward by their parents. It was fun to see the ones who at first were scared later come back up to Santa all on their own. It was a real blessing to have Santa come visit and to be a part of creating a memory for those kids.

Saint Nicholas Day

2011-12-05T23:04:00.001-06:00

Growing up my family celebrated Saint Nicholas Day. On the evening of the 5th we would find a pair of shoes and leave them by the fireplace. On the morning of the 6th we would find a small gift waiting for us. This is a tradition which I have tried to carry on since getting married. This year it will be even more fun with an even smaller pair of shoes to fill.

Here are our shoes are out and ready...

...I wonder what Saint Nicholas will bring....will it be small toys? Treats? Or something warm to help us get through winter?

Do you celebrate Saint Nicholas Day? What fun traditions does your family have this time of year?

Annika's Photo of the Week - 24

2011-12-04T16:00:00.000-06:00

Annika (with Micah) - 24 weeks

I thought since last week I shared a picture of Annika with her youngest cousin, this week I'd share a picture of her with her oldest cousin. This is my sister's oldest son, Micah, who will be six in March. It was so much fun watching him interact with her while we were home. He was so good with her.

Thanksgiving Food

2011-11-29T21:43:00.001-06:00

I can never resist taking photos of food; there was plenty of food to be thankful for at our Thanksgiving feast! I also loved the place settings my sister made for our meal.

We somehow fit everyone around "one" table by adding a folding table to our dinning room table in the shape of a T. Three of the six little ones however took naps during the meal and missed being in this photo. It was wonderful having Thanksgiving with my entire immediate family and grandparents.

Annika's Photo of the Week - 23

2011-11-28T21:29:00.001-06:00

Annika (with Matthias) - 23 weeks

Annika is no longer the youngest cousin in my family. This past week we got to meet the newest member of our family, Matthias Benjamin, my brother's son. He is two months old but nearly as long as Annika. We had a wonderful week not only hanging out with Matthias but Annika's other four cousins (six all together all under six years old) and the rest of my family. We celebrated Thanksgiving and Matthias' baptism. We are his proud Godparents as well as his aunt and uncle. I think Matthias looks a lot like my brother but looking at this photo of the two together I can definitely see a family resemblance.

Art Project: Thanksgiving Cards

2011-11-22T06:36:00.001-06:00

While I can't share the finished product with you just yet, I wanted to share a little photo journal of a recent Thanksgiving project. Unfortunately, I did not get to create as many cards as I had hoped. I thought Annika might enjoy feeling a little watercolor on her hand; however, she wasn't too sure about the whole thing.

Thanks to Amanda for holding Annika for me during the process and for Phil for grabbing the camera and capturing the moments without me even asking; I'm impressed.

I think at the end Annika was asking....tell me again, why did you want my hand print on this piece of paper?

Annika's Photo of the Week - 22

2011-11-19T22:50:00.001-06:00

Annika - 5 months

So I broke this headband about 4 minutes after taking the picture....I think it was meant for someone a little bigger than Annika but at least she got to wear it once before it met its demise.

It seems like Annika's hair is starting to grow back in; her head looks like its covered in peach fuzz. She has also perfected rolling over this week; she likes to roll back and forth when she thinks you aren't watching. For the most part she still likes to stay on the blanket where you set her down. It's quite amusing to watch.

I can't wait for her to show her cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and great-grandparents how much she has grown next week. My immediate family hasn't been able to all get together since May of 2010. Since then three babies have been born and this will be our first chance to get my parents to have their six grandchildren altogether. While everyone is together our newest nephew will be baptized. We are looking forward to celebrating that as well.

Photo Quotes - 3

2011-11-14T15:00:00.000-06:00

Photo Quotes - 2

2011-11-13T16:00:00.000-06:00

Photo Quotes - 1

2011-11-12T19:29:00.001-06:00

Annika's Photo of the Week - 21

2011-11-11T17:12:00.001-06:00

Annika - 21 weeks

Annika is now not only rolling from her stomach to her back, but also from her back to her stomach! We also had her try bananas this week which she really likes. I can't wait to use my Beaba Babycook to cook up baby food for Annika. My sister generously sent me hers to use now that she is done making baby food for her little ones. Its a compact blender, steamer, food warmer/defroster which will hopefully make creating nutritious foods for Annika much easier.

And one other milestone Annika reached this week or last week...she found her toes!

Annika's Photo of the Week - 20

2011-11-06T18:10:00.001-06:00

Annika - 20 Weeks, First Food

Annika has been showing a lot of interest in food lately. She has been sitting with us at dinner for a few weeks now in her hook-on chair. At her 4 month appointment our doctor said Annika was ready for solids but to try and wait if we could. When we had been eating, Annika would reach for our food and watch us intently. Then after talking with some friends we decided to give it a go. She was quite curious at first, then she wasn't quite sure what was going on, then she still wasn't sure but each day has gotten a little better. We have started with rice cereal and I'm sure it doesn't have too much flavor...but that will come later.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-05T09:47:00.000-05:00

The seminary had a great party the day before Halloween. There were pumpkins to carve, pumpkins to paint, food, games, coloring and much more. I painted this small pumpkin for Annika as I thought it was just the right size for her. She enjoyed watching all the other kids carve their pumpkins.

For Halloween, Annika was a monkey. Her cousin Jadon let her borrow his monkey costume from last year. It fit her perfectly and I added a little bow to the costume as well.

And Klaus of course had to put on his pumpkin shirt. He was pretty tired by the end of the night so he put up with just about anything (hence why he let us put Annika's hat on him too). I guess listening to all the kids running up and down the stairs looking for candy wore him out.

What Are Babies Thinking?

2011-11-04T16:28:00.000-05:00

I just watched this great video on CNN that I thought I would share today. Since having Annika I have often thought and had other people verbalize, "I wonder what she is thinking." This video might give us some insight. It would be interesting to hear more about the research they are doing.

So the next time I look at Annika during one of her more pensive moments I will think of this video and think of her as a little butterfly out flying around taking everything in just as I would if I were in love for the first time in Paris after drinking three double espressos.

In case the video above does not work you can view it here and read the article as well.

Annika's Photo of the Week - 19

2011-10-29T14:36:00.001-05:00

Annika - 19 Weeks

Annika's fine motor skills are beginning to develop. She is really getting the hang of reaching for objects and pulling them into her mouth. My mom bought this giraffe for Annika when she first learned that I was pregnant with her. It plays a lovely little lullaby and has an excellent texture. But when there are no objects around or within her reach to grab she will settle on putting her hands in her mouth or grabbing her shirt and using that instead. Its so much fun to watch her little curiosity blossom and wonder what in the world is going on in her little mind.

Outside My Window

2011-10-27T21:53:00.000-05:00

Even though we are living in the same complex we lived in just over a year ago (before our year "up north"), our view is quiet different now as we live on the third floor. We like to call our apartment the tree house apartment as it feels like we live up in the trees. I love our big floor to ceiling window. While I miss our perfect view of a lake, having some nature outside our window still warms my heart. It's been perfect for viewing fall color.

Earlier today Phil took this photo of a squirrel who was quite busy getting ready for winter.

Annika's Photo of the Week - 18

2011-10-21T20:37:00.001-05:00

Annika - 18 weeks - Family Portrait

While at the Apple Orchard someone was kind enough to take this family portrait of us. It was in front of one of those wooden facades that has the faces cut out for you to put your face in....but instead of doing that, we sat down for the picture in front of it.

Annika went to the doctor this week for her 4 month check up; everything looks good and the doctor was pleased with how much Annika had grown (we are too!). It was so nice having the last two days off from work to have even more time to spend as a family.

Right now Annika's favorite things include sitting on our laps, standing with help and bouncing up and down while trying to balance, wiggling all over the floor, putting her entire fist in her mouth and gumming it, and petting Klaus when he sits by her on the floor. She is starting to reach for toys and of course pull them into her mouth. Last weekend when my aunt and uncle were in town they gave her a toy sea turtle with a mirror on his belly and teething rings for legs - it was an instant hit for her and a must have when she's in her car seat.

As you can see in the photo it has gotten a bit cooler here. We have had a couple of frosts at night which means we have added a Bundle Me to her car seat to be sure she is warm going in and out of places...and when we go out for outings like the one above, we are sure she is bundled up too.

Pine Tree Apple Orchard

2011-10-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

One of the great charms of Pine Tree Apple Orchard are their old barns and beautiful farm house. One of the larger barns which is off to the left in the above photo is a large where they sell their apples and other wonderful treats. They are open August through February selling a variety of pies, and other wonderful holiday treats. The first apple trees on the land were planted in 1904; now the orchard, pumpkin patch, strawberry patch and cornmaze cover over 300 acres.

After spending some time walking around the orchard we were sure to stop in the bakery and enjoy some apple doughnuts and hot apple cider. I love fall! The barn below serves two different purposes today. The upper building was originally a hay loft, but now has a wonderful display of photos of the orchard throughout different seasons. And the lower building provides a space for small groups to gather and eat in more of a private setting.

Photo of the Day #182 - Tracks Through a Lake

2011-10-20T21:15:00.000-05:00

Tracks Through a Lake

Photo by Rachel Roushey

We spent the morning at Pine Tree Apple Orchard in celebration of not only a beautiful fall day, but also of a day off from work (MN schools have a four day weekend the third week of October). We took a wagon ride through the orchard which is named after the lake it overlooks, Pine Tree Lake. I found it fascinating that the railroad tracks went straight through the edge of the lake rather than coming onto the property of the orchard; by looking at a map of the area I saw that this is not the only lake that they chose to cut through rather than go around. It adds a unique charm to the lake and to the orchard. Unfortunately the only train that went by while we were there passed while we were getting out of the car. It would have been neat to see a train walking on water.

Annika's Photo of the Week - 17

2011-10-16T19:03:00.001-05:00

Annika - 4 months old

Annika is 4 months old today! On Friday we got to spend some time with my aunt and uncle from Saint Louis who were visiting for a friend's wedding. It was great to see them and have them meet Annika. Other than that it was a pretty normal week around here with lots of laughs and giggles from Miss Annika. She also started blowing raspberries. It is so cute to see her mimic and try and do what we do.

Apples, Apples and More Apples

2011-10-11T07:16:00.000-05:00

Bayfield Apple Festival

2011-10-10T07:51:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we went to Bayfield, WI for their annual Apple Festival. It was ranked one of the US's top ten fall festivals. The wonderful weather this year made it a great weekend for the festivities. We filled out bellies with delicious Apple Brats, Apple Cider, Apple Sundaes and Apple Donuts....mmmm....

The drive along Lake Superior was beautiful; the leaves were at peak. This is the second time we have attended this festival with another couple from the seminary and their 3 year old son. We rented a van this year so that we could all ride together. We were able to spend the night in Duluth, MN at their aunt and uncle's house and so we were able to enjoy Duluth as well on our quick weekend trip.

View from the house we stayed out in Duluth overlooking the river and one of the bridges. They had a small garden and a chicken coop complete with three chickens.

Annika enjoying the morning sunrise with some new faces and the smell of coffee and fall (I thought I would include this photo as I missed her photo of the week this week).

The beautiful house we stayed which they are in the process of restoring; it was just gorgeous and their view even more so!

After breakfast we were off to Bayfield.

A view of one of the streets with vendors. Cranberries $1/lb! Note the people way up on the hill walking up to their cars, the city of Bayfield was built on the shore of Lake Superior but the houses and streets were all built on a hill. It was quite the hike back up to our car.

And I couldn't go to Bayfield without sharing a few photos of Lake Superior. One of the Apostle Islands can be seen on the horizon. Phil and I hope to come back when Annika is a bit older to explore the Apostle Islands as we have heard that they are beautiful and great to kayak around.

Now, I haven't mentioned apples yet.....but I will post more about those tomorrow.

Stillwater at Night

2011-10-09T13:28:00.000-05:00

The city of Stillwater, MN sits on the St. Croix River overlooking WI on the other shore. Last night while driving home from Bayfield, WI, where we attended an Apple Festival, we crossed the St. Croix River and were stopped on Stillwater's famous lift bridge. While we waited for a few boats to pass under the lift bridge, I jumped out of the car and snapped a few photos.

Stillwater was always a fun place to shop, spend time on the River and explore, but now it is also the town where I work. It has a population of 18,000 people and is a popular place for tourists who want to visit their small shops, restaurants, bed and breakfasts or attend one of their many festival days on the river.

Fun Fall Days

2011-10-04T21:58:00.000-05:00

We have been having some gorgeous fall days here in Minnesota and we are trying to take advantage of it. We have eaten outside the last couple nights trying to soak up the comfortable evening weather and went to a park this evening as the sun set. Phil had fun looking at the different colored leaves and showing them to Annika. She looked intently at the different colors but was quickly distracted, but we are glad that she seems to love her stroller rides through parks and in the woods (she even puts up with me taking crazy photos of her!).

Some trees have really popped where as others are still green. One interesting thing that we noticed was that the trees on the east side of the lake we walked around had mostly turned; the trees on the west side of the lake were mainly green.

And luckily I found someone who was kind enough to take a photo of us to remember our walk. She was gathering leaves for her class in the morning and didn't seem to mind taking a quick break to snap a photo.

Annika's Photo(s) of the Week - 15

2011-09-29T22:19:00.002-05:00

Annika - 15 Weeks

OK, so I cheated this week; I couldn't resist sharing both of these photos. The first one was taken before we went to the second to last Minnesota Twins game of the season on Tuesday. As it was a brisk fall evening we pulled out the bear suite I picked up for her at a huge sale at the State Fairgrounds last weekend. Annika is now way bigger than her blue bear which Phil bought for her a few days after she was born.

The picture below was taken this afternoon before Phil had to go to his evening class.

I have been a bit behind on posting and editing photos in general as of late. Going back to work has been an adjustment for me and I find myself spending much of my time with the little one pictured above! I will actually be switching schools beginning Monday, picking up an extra hour and a half a day while still getting home at the same time (I will still be in the same district)!

Annika continues to roll over from her stomach to her back and has become more vocal cooing, "talking" and laughing. Her head is becoming more and more stable each day and as much as I enjoyed the newborn stage I am loving watching her personality continue to develop and seeing her fill out. We are going to have to start thinking about what we need to put away or out of reach as she is beginning to put things in her mouth (mainly her fist or any rattle we put in her hand).

Annika's Photo of the Week - 14

2011-09-22T22:11:00.000-05:00

Annika - 14 Week's

Fall is only hours away; already trees on our street have turned red as if they know something the other trees don't know yet. The squirrels have been busy and our wardrobes are quickly changing. Even Annika is learning why it's important to wear long sleeves and pants. She wore her first pair of blue jeans today. A small warmth came over me and I wanted to show her off. I had a vision of the future, of what could be, of the two of us on a fall day when she is old enough to ride a horse and both of us putting on our favorite pairs of jeans and going for a ride. Maybe it's because I have been driving by so many little farms with horses as of late on my way to work. There are so many small hobby farms and private stables along my route, much different from the large fields of corn and soybeans and fields of cattle that I had last year on my drive. Fall is a time of change; I love the smell of the brisk fall air.

There has been more change in my family this year. My brother and his wife celebrated their son's birth on Wednesday just after midnight. They welcomed Benjamin Matthias into the world. He is very lucky to have an older sister, Abigail to show him the ropes. He weighed 7 lbs. 15 ounces. Annika better watch out...he might be bigger than she is soon! I can't wait to get them together sometime soon.

Annika's Photo of the Week - 13

2011-09-17T20:38:00.000-05:00

3 Months Old!

Annika turned 3 months old on Friday. We have no idea where the time has gone. She is adjusting to her new schedule and continues to sleep well at night.

Another big milestone this week happened on Friday; Annika rolled over! It hasn't happened since, but on Friday before I went to work I was playing with her on the floor and she rolled from her stomach to her back. Phil had just walked out of the room and sadly missed it, but I let out a little squeal which made him come back into the room. It's exciting that she continues to grow and learn new things, but I know that with that comes new obstacles and challenges. We have to watch her even more carefully now that she can roll over.

We also put shoes on her for the first time as it has gotten a little cooler here in Minnesota; we saw 34 one night this week! Wearing little shoes made her look even more like a little doll.

Around Campus

2011-09-14T20:29:00.002-05:00

As I have mentioned in previous posts, my husband is a masters student at Luther Seminary. I don't believe I have ever shared pictures from around campus so I thought it might be worth sharing some of those. There are a lot of beautiful buildings on the campus that I just had to share. Since moving back to campus this fall, Phil and I have tried to make use of the nice weather by walking up to campus and then around the neighborhood.

Looking back at these pictures from just two weeks ago makes me miss the warmer weather; we are supposed to see 35 degrees tonight! It's not just a frost advisory...but a freeze warning. But, luckily it will warm back up to the 70's this weekend. I love the feel of fall...but I'm not ready for winter just yet.

I am happy that the weather service is predicting the best fall in Minnesota in the past 10 years. I better go dig out a coat for the morning ride to school.

I also noticed that I only posted two of the buildings on campus...I'll have to be sure to take a few photos of the other buildings in the future. The main campus center is currently being updated, so maybe once that is complete I will be sure to get up there and see the finished product.

Annika's Photo of the Week - 12

2011-09-10T21:44:00.000-05:00

Annika - 12 weeks

Annika is getting so big! At least to us, she is over 10 lbs now and has gotten too long for the bassinet she was sleeping in. We even had to move her car seat straps up a notch today. She is getting into more of a schedule and is still only waking up once at night. It seems like 3 am is her hour to want a late night snack.

Her personality develops more and more every day. She is laughing and smiling and grinning so much that it is just melting our hearts.

I went back to work this week which was not easy, but I have a great new job (working as a paraprofessional at an elementary school, just like last year) and each day has gone by really fast. Annika is enjoying time with her dad at home three days a week and is staying with a close friend on the other two days. Knowing this makes things a little easier to leave her behind. Her papa is keeping her busy during the day by bringing her up to campus to meet lots of new people and reading her lots of books. In the picture above, she is looking at his Kindle. I think she will be a great reader!

It was wonderful seeing my parents last weekend in Chicago and introducing Annika to more of our family members there. They couldn't believe how much she had grown and had some nice surprises to share with her. It's hard having her grow up so far away from home, but we are so glad that we can share pictures and Skype with family so they don't miss a step.

Our Neighborhood

2011-09-08T22:28:00.000-05:00

The neighborhood we live in is called St. Anthony Park. It is one of the many neighborhoods of Saint Paul and conveniently located in walking distance from our apartment. Most of the houses in the neighborhood have large flower and rock gardens in the front yard. There are alleys behind the houses where people have their garages and park.

One of our favorite places to frequent is Speedy Market. We usually stop in there every Saturday to pick up our meat for the week and a few other basic groceries or for a sandwich and a drink. They are a great little convenient grocery store with all your basic needs. We've gotten to know many of the people who work there and even after being gone for a year we were greeted with a smile and a "look whose back" once we returned from internship. In the summer they have an ice cream cart outside in the evenings as well.

Across a side street from Speedy is our bank. It's a great local bank who does a lot for the community. Phil likes stopping in there for a cup of coffee and a cookie for $1. All proceeds go to a local charity which changes every month.

Here is just a view looking down the street. My doctor's office used to be located to the left, but they sadly closed about a year ago.

Here is the post office and a cute baby/kid's store, Peepods, and one of the two dentists in town. I stopped in Peepods the other day and could have spent hours in there checking out all of their unique toys and supplies. Annika's pretty lucky there is a store like this just down the road.

A few stores down from Peepods is Bibelot, another great little shop filled with kitchen gadgets, home decor, clothing, gifts, jewelry, cards, crafts, toys and much much more. It is a shop that my mom always has to stop at when she is in town and where I try to go to buy gifts around the holidays.

I absolutely love the building; it has such a great design and it doesn't hurt that the Finnish Bistro and Dunn Brothers Coffee are located just inside.

Continuing down the street there is a cute little courtyard of shops called Milton Square, many of which I haven't yet explored. But down that street there is a nice little wine shop, The Little Wine Shoppe, and a small bookstore, Micawbers Books. The Little Wine Shoppe is a great place to go if you are looking for a nice bottle of wine whether you know a lot about wine or not, they do a wonderful job helping you find the perfect bottle of wine to match your meal.

Muffuletta Restaurant is also located in Milton Square and is a wonderful restaurant if you are looking for a nice dinner or want to enjoy a glass of wine sitting outside on the patio.

And finally at the edge of the neighborhood is the Saint Anthony Park Branch Library. We are hoping to visit here more often this year to get book's for Annika. I told Phil I wanted to make it a tradition to walk there every Saturday...he then reminded me how cold its about to get soon....so maybe not every Saturday, or maybe we'll just have to drive on those really cold days.

Chicago Wedding

2011-09-06T21:10:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we drove to Chicago for my cousin's wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony and reception with an amazing band (so much so that we noticed guests from other weddings starting to wander in as their receptions slowed down). Their reception was located on the campus of McDonald's headquarters...sure enough at 10:30 pm someone brought around McDonald's cheeseburgers!

Annika was a real trooper for the 7 hour drive. We were quite impressed with her! It was so wonderful to visit with family with whom we hadn't seen in over three years.

My aunt (on left lighting the unity candle).

My cousin, Amberly, holding Annika before the service.

My parents, walking in as the bride's baptismal sponsors.

My uncle and cousin walking down the isle (sadly I didn't take any photos during the actual ceremony....I was holding Annika).

Their wedding cake...I just loved the flowers.

Overall the trip had no huge glitches, unless you count the fire alarm going off at our hotel at 11:30 pm; we were on the 10th floor and had to walk all the way down the stairs carrying a very sleepy baby and then walk all the way back up 10 flights of stairs after we got the "all clear" from the firefighters. I was really glad that it was a false alarm and was also amazed at how quickly the fire trucks arrived at the scene. Luckily it was the day before the wedding and we were able to sleep in a little to make up for the late night fire alarm.

The Great Minnesota Get Together: Transportation and Fashion

2011-09-02T04:45:00.000-05:00

There are many ways to get around the Great Minnesota Get Together.....Annika chose to ride in style on what was her first real stroller ride. She was not alone being wheeled around the fair but probably one of the younger ones in the bunch. It was a much cooler way of traveling around the fair and made it much easier for her to see everything. We thought she might sleep the whole time at the fair, but she was wide eyed most of the time trying to take in all the lights, people, rides, smells and yes...food.

But majority of people at the fair did not have the luxury of being pushed everywhere they went but went around the old fashion way...by foot. Now, I want you to start to take note of some fashion styles going on...especially the women in short shorts and cowgirl boots. I missed the memo that this fashion was in and was slightly confused as many of the women did not look as if they knew how to ride a horse and quite frankly any real cowgirl in her right mind wouldn't just hop on a horse in a pair of shorts. Then again, all of these boots are fashion boots and probably wouldn't fit into a stirrup properly anyway. On a day when its almost 90 in August, I don't think I would want to throw on a pair of hot leather boots unless I was going to spend a few hours on a horse. My guess is most of them were heading to the Kenny Chesney concert.

Now this guy chose a different style of transportation (and style) as well....flying through the air. No, he was a trampoline artist and I couldn't resist snapping a shot of him flying through the air.

Gotta love the trolleys to get you from here to there. I'm not sure what the girl on the left has on her head....possibly a cheese head? Maybe she's from Wisconsin.

And of course, my favorite mode of transport, the Minnesota State Fair Skyride....they used to have enclosed booths, but now model more of a chairlift or Merry-Go-Round seat. There are two of these on the fairgrounds and while we did not ride in them this year, it definitely looked like a great way to see the fair.

I honestly think they used the old Skyway seats for the Merry-Go-Round as that is what the Skyway seats used to look like. I don't know if these count as transportation in this sense as you just go round and round...same with the little bee ride, but oh well.

Now normally I wouldn't take a photo of just one person's fashion, but I thought of my friend Jen with this one and a little contest she has every year when she goes to her local fair (I know this guy won't qualify for your contest, but I just had to share these pants anyway). I think he wins my fashion award for the day. y friend Amanda was disappointed that the seams didn't line up. And then again, you can also see the shorts and cowgirl boots.

As for our fashion sense...we went with the ever amazing Gander Mountain fish hats....at least for a little while! How could we resist?

Sadly no one was riding around the fair in these little guys....they were out of commission this year.

The Great Minnesota Get Together: Food

2011-09-01T14:19:00.000-05:00

The Great Minnesota Get Together happens but once a year....and people from all over flock to the State Fair grounds for all sorts of food, fun and entertainment. The Fair is famous for their food on a stick. You can find just about anything on a stick, deep fried and delicious. There are also many varieties of potatoes, hot dogs/corn dogs/bratwurst and all of your other favorite fair food.

And of course when you come to the Minnesota State Fair you must stop at the Mouse Trap for some cheese curds...in order to pick them up you must wind your way through what looks like a mouse maze.

Yes, the even have s'mores deep fried and on a stick....here is Amanda showing off her s'more on a stick!

Nice and gooey on the inside, crispy on the outside...

Phil opted for chocolate covered Key Lime Pie on a stick, not fried, just covered in chocolate.

But I waited till we found my favorite spot....deep fried candy bars....

How can you go wrong with deep fried Oreo's? You get 5 of them and they are conveniently located across the street from a milk stand that sells milk for just $1.

After walking around most of the evening I was ready for a colder treat. So I went for mango sorbet in 1/2 and orange...it was a perfect refreshing treat! You don't need a dish or a bowl, just hold it in your hand and spoon it out.

Annika's Photo of the Week - 10

2011-08-27T22:55:00.000-05:00

Annika continues to get bigger and bigger. This week Phil started playing "peek a boo" with her and it was great to see her smile and quietly try to laugh. She has been such a trooper coming along with us just about everywhere. We made another trip to the zoo with week, this time to Como Zoo, a wonderful free zoo just down the street and took her first major league baseball game. She is starting to establish her nap schedule which has been a wonderful blessing and allows us to get things done around the house or out and about. Sadly I have not been good about "sleeping when the baby is sleeping." It's been hard adjusting to the hustle and bustle of city life and I miss the relaxing evenings at the lake. I think I need to find a screen saver of a lake with loons, or take a drive to one of the many lakes around this area and just sit by the water.

Annika seems to love when we read to her; we picked up a few new books tonight and Phil and I read "Green Eggs and Ham" to her while she was falling asleep. I hope this is a tradition that we keep. Going to the kids section of a bookstore transported both Phil and I to our childhoods. We each kept grabbing books and asking the other if they had read it. This past year while working at a school I read many books with my student and found some new favorites, one of which is "The Gruffalo." I made sure to pick it up this evening and had Phil read it to Annika. What are some of your favorite children's books? Do you have any must reads? At one of my baby showers each of my friends gave their favorite children's book; it was so much fun seeing what everyone picked. I hope Phil and I can instill a love of books and reading in Annika.

First Twins Game

2011-08-27T09:23:00.001-05:00

We took Annika to her first Twins game this year and while they are not doing their best as of late and have had a rough season this year we still had a wonderful time at the game. Target field is a wonderful stadium to watch baseball; especially, when there are no clouds in the sky, a cool breeze and you are sitting in the shade. It was a perfect afternoon for baseball.

The view looking straight ahead. I was so glad we were in the shade and not in the sun the entire time like these people were.

The view looking down at the field. We were pretty high up there but still could see everything going on. The seats at Target field are positioned in such a way that every seat faces toward home plate.

By about the fifth inning, Annika got a little sleepy. Around this time one of my friends and old coworkers who I hadn't seen since we moved "up north" stopped by our seats. He held her for an inning or so while we caught up. Meanwhile, some lady sitting a few rows behind us came up to me and told me she took the cutest pictures of us and wanted to share them with me. I've never had a stranger come up to me and tell me they took my photo. I haven't received them yet but I'm curious to see how they turn out. As my friend pointed out, anywhere but in Minnesota it would be creepy if someone came up to you and said they took your photo.

We also got the classic family photo of us standing in front of the field...Annika doesn't look too enthused at the moment....oh well.

I guess technically this wasn't Annika's first Twin's game as when we were home in NY, we went to a Rochester Red Wings game. The Rochester Red Wings are the AAA team for the Twins and we saw many of the same players who at the time were down at Rochester but have now been called back up to the Twins.

Here are some photos from our game in Rochester:

I think I forgot to mention that there was a 2 hour rain delay just as the game was about to start. We may look dry above...but about 15 minutes later this was not the case.

The tarp finally came off and we were able to watch some baseball. While they were getting the field ready to be played on, they put the Buffalo Bills preseason game on the big screen. People started to cheer once they put the game on. I think after 2 hours they wanted to watch something.

We didn't stay for the entire game but were able to see a three run home run by the Rochester Red Wings and left while they were still ahead. So far I'm glad that Annika seems to like baseball; she at least tolerates us taking her to games.

Friendly Ducks of the Erie Canal

2011-08-24T03:33:00.000-05:00

The ducks on the Erie Canal in Upstate NY may be a little too friendly....I fear they are too reliant on people for their food. They will just about walk right up to you until they discover all you have it a camera in hand then turn around and try to find someone else. These ducks are much different from the ducks we usually see "up north" who would not approach people like this but rely on their natural instincts to find food. Since there are plenty of people who walk along the Erie Canal and stop at places like this, I can see why these ducks have adopted to a different kind of life; a life with no fear of duck season. I think these ducks need their good "Life is Good" t-shirts.

Even once in the water, this mother wanted to double check that we didn't have any food for her babies.

Nope, sorry little ones....you'll just have to wait for someone else.

Post for World Bird Wednesday.

Schoen Place and Nothfield Commons

2011-08-22T22:16:00.000-05:00

While visiting upstate NY, Phil and I met a friend for breakfast at The Coal Tower in Pittsford, NY. It is located in a wonderful side street that runs parallel to the Erie Canal called Schoen Place.

The Village Coal Tower Restaurant

Having grown up in an Erie Canal town and moving away I forgot how quaint this area is. Most of the builds have been restored and are no longer used for their original purposes but I love the fact that they were able to reuse these wonderful historic buildings and fill them with wonderful shops and restaurants.

One section of Schoen Place is called Northfield Commons. The entire area was once a lumber yard. Slowly it was developed into a shopping center along the Erie Canal where owners remodeled old lumber sheds, mule barns and tried to create rustic New England style buildings. More information on the history of Northfield Commons can be found here.

These buildings all have so much charm and helps make this area a unique place to shop and visit. While most people drive here to shop, others walk from the Erie Canal tow path or make a stop during a cruise in their boat or kayak. There are two ice cream shops which often draw lots of customers.

As we drove away we passed a few stripe malls and I was saddened that we do not have more places like Schoen place where there are unique shops in a historic business center. I love visiting places like this and seeing how these small businesses can thrive and carry on their own charm and serve those who are willing to try something new from a place that is old. Sadly I fear we too often stop where it is convenient and quick rather than taking the time to explore and find something new, something different, someplace where we don't know exactly what to expect.

Post for Barn Charm.

Lions and Tigers and....Rhinos?

2011-08-21T22:37:00.000-05:00

So I have never seen a rhino before. At least not until last week. They have never been at one of the zoo's that I have visited, at least as well as my memory serves me. I knew they were large animals but I didn't not expect them to be as big as they were. While I was home visiting family, we went to the zoo with my sister and her three boys. What a treat. I do have to admit though that going to a zoo with a 5, 3, 1 and 2 month old is a little different than going alone. Kids have a much shorter attention span and I would find myself having to catch up as they would soon be moving on to the next animal.

Seeing these two rhinos at the zoo made me feel like a kid again and feel in ah of the wonderful creatures that are on our planet. I'm sure it would be even more breathtaking to see a rhino in the wild but these two were quite the sight to see. After really taking a look at their horns though I'm not sure I would want to come across an angry rhino.

My other favorite animal I saw that day was this little guy. He was enjoying the sunlight coming in from his sky light. He seemed quite content.

Annika's Photo of the Week - 9

2011-08-20T22:38:00.000-05:00

"Cousin Time with Grandparents"

This past week, Annika got to spend a lot of time with both her cousins and her grandparents (not to mention aunts, uncles, great grandparents, friends and other family). While we were together I wanted to make sure to get some photos with Annika with her cousins; these are my sister's 3 boys. My sister had picked up these lanterns for her youngest son's birthday party and I convinced her to let me use them for this photo. I love the color they add! I was also glad that Annika's head control has gotten to the point where she can sit in this Baby Bumpo so we could easily get her into the photo. She actually liked it so much that she would start to cry when we took her out of it....guess we'll need to pick one of those up too.

This week's facts/updates/insights:

-Annika had her 2 month doctors appointments and was a real champ getting her shots.

-She is in the 6% for weight and the 20% for height.....based on that and our current heights, they think she will be 5'4" when she grows up.

-We found a great pediatrician here in the cities and even though we had to wait a little while as she was running late it was really worth is as she gave us her full attention and had wonderful bed side manner.

-2 month olds travel real well and look to be much easier to bring through the airport than toddlers...much less gear/toys/stuff to keep track of. Also, airplanes make Annika real snuggly and content.

-IKEA is full of lots of space saving/organizational items and you can easily get lost in the store for a couple of hours and not even realize how much time has gone by.

-Annika is smiling and getting so big (to us anyway)!

Photo of the Day #181 - Evening at the Farm

2011-08-16T18:01:00.000-05:00

Evening at the Farm

Photo by Rachel Roushey

We have had so much fun hanging out at the farm with my family. I think my favorite time of day at the farm has been in the evenings; either sitting on the porch in the rocking chairs watching the horses stare back at us wanting their evening grain or spending time in the garden picking green beans. Today one of the bulls left the farm to go visit fifteen ladies for the next two months - he's going to be one happy bull. But it's still fun to look out and see the other two bulls grazing in the pasture. Luckily we fixed the fence where they had gotten out last week and they haven't been causing any more mischief.

The reason our barn has a fox on its weather vane is because when we moved in there were two families of foxes living on the hill behind the barn.

Photo of the Day #180 - Washed with the Water and the Word

2011-08-15T11:06:00.000-05:00

"Washed with the Water and the Word"

Photo by Christy Roushey (my sister-in-law)

Yesterday was an extremely special day for Annika and our family; we had her baptized. What made the day especially special for me was that my Grandfather and Phil were able to perform the baptism. Phil only has one year left of seminary now and my Grandfather has been an ordained minister for over 55 years. My Grandfather has retired a few times now but is always willing to participate in special events like this. He baptized me 25 years ago, gave me my first communion, confirmed me and was one of the ministers at our wedding three years ago. I feel so fortunate that he has always been an important part of my life and am so glad that he is a special part of Annika's as well.

My grandfather was not the only great-grandparent there yesterday; but, Annika had all six of her living great-grandparents there to celebrate. We had a lovely lunch at the farm after the service and were able to get some wonderful photographs with Annika and her Grandparents and Great-Grandparents. What great lasting memories these photographs will make.

Annika's Photo of the Week - 8

2011-08-11T17:52:00.000-05:00

"Time on the Farm"

Annika - 8 weeks old

We took Annika on her first real trip this week; back home to upstate NY to visit our families. This Sunday we are going to have her baptized and have both of our families come together to celebrate for a brunch at the farm afterwards. I took this photo last night after we had gone up to the garden to see what was growing. We picked some green beans with my dad and a couple squash as well. It's been nice to be home so far and I'm glad we have a little longer trip this time so we can relax and have it feel like a real vacation.

So far this week Annika has:

-met 3 of her great grandparents

-flown from MN to NY (luckily it was a direct flight)...on that flight she slept the whole way!

-went to the zoo with her 3 cousins (I discovered how nice a Snap and Go is as my sister had one we could use while we are here)

-got to meet her first horses and cows up close (today she "helped" us get a loose bull back into the pasture....and by helped I mean slept in a sling while I stood by the opening in the fence and Phil and my mom walked behind him to encourage him towards us......don't worry, they are quite docile)

Cows and Coffee

2011-08-10T17:56:00.001-05:00

One bakery/coffee shop that I will miss where we used to live is located in Perham, MN. The inside of this old fashion bakery (where you can get wonderful donuts, homemade bread and many other tasty treats) is decorated entirely with cows. A friend of mine from high school have always had an inside joke about cows and for a while we used to buy each other small gifts of dairy cows....here was an entire bakery full of items just like them; how could I not take a few pictures?

I think one day I might have to have my kitchen decorated with cows....but not this many.

A Closer Look

2011-08-09T19:52:00.000-05:00

Before leaving our internship site, Phil and I made one last stop at the Round Barn just down the street from church. The owners of the barn told me that I could stop by and take a closer look....and so finally I stopped by and feel so blessed to see an amazing barn like this one up close.

The door going into the lower level of the barn:

A view looking up while standing in the upper level (hay loft):

View of wall and roof:

Old tractors in the hay loft:

Holding stalls for young calves:

Milking stalls for the cows:

View of the automatic floor/manure cleaner:

A close up view of the outside of the round barn:

Post for Barn Charm at Bluff Area Daily.

Photo of the Day #181 - S'More Cupcake

2011-08-07T23:27:00.000-05:00

S'More Cupcake

Photo by Rachel Roushey

My friends in Saint Paul had a wonderful shower this past weekend for Annika. Our original date was back in May when I had my preterm labor and so the ladies were nice enough to reschedule and have it once we moved back to the Twin Cities. It was a lovely afternoon and I felt so blessed to have Annika surrounded by my good friends and showered with gifts and some of their favorite books.

One of the things that we have always done together (some of the seminary girls) is go out for cupcakes; and so it made perfect sense when one of my friends, Stephanie, made cupcakes for the shower. This was one of her masterpieces. I could not believe she made them when I walked in the room! I thought for sure they had picked them up from Cupcake! She made several varieties and we had plenty left over to bring home and share with the boys who also reconnected that weekend. I will try to get some more photos up of these wonderful cupcakes and from the shower as well later this week.

Annika's Photo of the Week - 7

2011-08-05T17:30:00.001-05:00

"Bath Time"

Annika - 7 Weeks

This past week has been absolutely crazy. Sunday was Phil's last Sunday at his internship site and shortly after the last service we drove down to the Twin Cities with all of our belongings. Someone from church was wonderful enough to let us borrow their trailer, so I drove the Subaru with the kayak on top, pulling the trailer and Annika in the back seat while Phil and Klaus drove in the Ford. We only stopped once (it's about a 3 hour drive) for lunch and to feed Annika. We then had some lovely friends help us unload the trailer and retrieve our other items that had been in storage all year.

Five days later its beginning to feel more like home. There are still a couple of boxes that need to be unpacked but I'm feeling much better about how everything is looking.

This afternoon Annika got her first bath since we moved. I picked up this lovely foam insert which you can use in a sink or a tub. For now she can fit in the sink, but I'm sure eventually she can get upgraded to a tub! :) She seems to really like bright and shiny objects so this location really works well, plus our new bathroom sink is deep enough that the water won't spill everywhere.

We have also learned the joys of a swing this week - a much needed baby item. She loves the movement and it definitely seems to relax her (and has freed our arms a bit so we could unpack).

She also finally seems to like her pacifier and will keep it in her mouth for more than 30 seconds.

Annika has been out on many shopping trips since we moved and I have mastered the art of stacking lots of larger items in the cart around her car seat. I think her favorite trip of the week was to IKEA this morning where not only did Phil and I eat breakfast, but she was also able to relax and eat before we went shopping (we learned they have free coffee between 9:30 and 10:00 and $1 cinnamon rolls....yum). We also had no idea how many people showed up at IKEA just before 9:30 in order to be first in line for breakfast.

I also remembered this week how much larger the Target's are down here in the cities than the one we shopped at all year in Fergus Falls. We walked in the baby section and I could not believe how much more they had. We will definitely put the gift cards we received to good use!

And...Annika is now 8 lbs 3 ounces (it's hard for me to image if she had come out this big)!

Annika's Photo of the Week - 6

2011-07-28T21:42:00.000-05:00

"Time with Daddy"

Annika - 6 weeks old

We only have three days left here at the lake. It's hard to believe this will be Phil's last Sunday at Zion. It's also hard to believe that Annika is already 6 weeks old. I haven't weighed her since Monday as I have been packing all week and put the Wii balance board away (which is what we use to weight her). It has been hard to say goodbye to everyone and quite the transition to move back to the Twin Cities; but, I'm glad that we know the area and have a close group of friends waiting for us to return.

Annika has had a wonderful week so far saying goodbye to people. We have been busy going over to people's house for breakfast, dinner and even late night game nights. I guess that really means she has had lots of love and has been held a lot! She will also miss the lake. But I know we will come back and visit.

We're almost packed and I can honestly say that I'm glad we are living in a furnished house because it has made packing up much easier with a little one. It will also be interesting getting our things from storage; almost like opening presents at Christmas.

Photo of the Day #180 - Growing Heavenward

2011-07-26T06:22:00.002-05:00

Growing Heavenward

Photo by Rachel Roushey

Barn Charm - Summer Chicken Coop

2011-07-25T19:35:00.000-05:00

I posted photos of this chicken coop previously; however I wanted to show what it looks like not only in the summer time but also complete with chickens. I also posted photos of these chickens as chicks and wanted to show how much they have grown. The coop and chickens are located across the street from us behind our neighbors house. They have an absolutely lovely setting for both their farm and their little chicken coop.

I just love the design on this chicken coop. There is plenty of room for the chickens to move around and for their caretakers to get in there to care for them while still protecting them from any predators.

They have added a new door as well.

"Rainbow Layers"

I don't know too much about chickens but I love the feathers of the chicken on the left in the photo below!

I think I might have scared this chicken; she wasn't too sure of me.

But once I started walking away the chickens came back out to see where I was going.

Post for Barn Charm at Bluff Area Daily.

Annika's Photo of the Week - 5

2011-07-21T21:20:00.000-05:00

Annika's First Turtle Race

5 weeks old

It's amazing how fast time seems to be flying by this summer! Annika is already five weeks old and once again we had a busy week. Phil's parents came to visit on Saturday and left this morning. Annika had lots of time to snuggle with her grandparents while they were here. Yesterday while I was having some work done on my car we went out for breakfast and then went to the International Perham Turtle Races. Annika and I were two of 355 racers that morning (her grandpa held her turtle for her and as you can see she is quiet impressed with the whole operation). Luckily they put the racers in groups of 10 and we were in the 10th race so we didn't have to wait for too long. Our turtles didn't win; mine started off to a good start but then decided to turn and head back to Annika's turtle. Oh well, we had fun and thanks to her grandma we were able to have a few pictures of the event!

Interesting insights/facts/events from this week:

-Annika weights 7 lbs 6 oz! She continues to get bigger every day.

-One night this week she slept for five straight hours and I think she is getting used to waking up only once during the night (if you don't count waking up at 5:30 am).

-Annika went to her first wedding rehearsal and wedding (while Phil helped officiate).

-I found out the hard way that I might want to keep an extra outfit in my diaper bag or car while at the wedding reception. Luckily I was able to get a little cleaned up and as long as I was holding her no one could see the stain on my dress (it wasn't spit up...and somehow none of it got on her dress).

-Papa's need naps too.

-It's great having a few extra hands around.

-Annika's resilient to heat and thanks to air conditioning we survived four days with the heat index above 100 (being able to jump in the lake helps too, but Annika wasn't able to do that yet).

Immature Egrets

2011-07-20T17:21:00.000-05:00

Post for World Bird Wednesday

I made it back to Fergus Falls to see how much the egrets had grown in the past few weeks and once again I was quite impressed with their growth! The egrets really overwhelm their island now and the young have begun flying and exploring the shores of the park. I was quiet pleased when one egret who was spending time with several geese allowed me to get quite close (probably within four or five yards).

Phelps Mill Festival

2011-07-19T06:53:00.000-05:00

Last weekend Phil and I went to the Phelps Mill Festival. It was hot but we still enjoyed walking around looking at what the vendors had for sale and supporting our youth group who were selling Funnel Cakes and Cheese Curds. Every year at least 3,000 people come out to Phelps Mill for this festival.

This year due to rain they were not able to have the vendors set up on the grass near the falls because of all the rain we've been having. So, they set them up along the street and in the parking lot near Phelps Mill. Luckily, they were still able to set up the stage near a few trees which everyone crowded in to avoid the hot sun. I was glad we went on Saturday when it was slightly cooler than on Sunday. Phil however had to go back on Sunday to help sell Funnel Cakes and as a result came home with a lovely little tan line on the back of his neck from his apron. I was not jealous of him for having to stand by a fryer when it was 90 degrees outside.

I was glad that we found just enough shade for Annika to rest in while we listened to some music (I had been carrying her in a EcoSash and was able to just untie it and let get relax in the shade).

Here was our view:

I have to say though, my favorite part of the festival was the tractor ride to and from the parking lot. You could park for $3 within walking distance of the festival, or you could park a few fields over for free and ride a wagon pulled by members of the local Lions club. Annika didn't seem to mind the ride either...and riding in a comfortable covered wagon sure beat walking on a hot day!

They dropped you right back off near the cars once you wanted to go home. They must have had six or so trackers going back and forth all day.

Photo of the Day #179 - Sunset Before the Storm (and a story)

2011-07-17T22:51:00.000-05:00

Sunset Before the Storm
Photo by Rachel Roushey

My last photo of the day was a photo from some sunshine after a storm...today's photo is of a sunset before a storm. Weather has been an interesting thing here in Minnesota. Today not only did we have severe thunder storm warnings, but we also had a tornado watch and a "excessive heat warning" as well (I love that they call it "excessive heat." Today, the humidity was 96%. Just walking outside caused my sunglasses to fog up all day. When I went out to take this photo I kept having to wipe my camera lens as the humidity kept fogging it up, too. The heat isn't going to stop either. The next few days will be in the 90's as well, with more storms likely. Luckily, the more severe storms went south of us (as they usually seem to do).

To stay cool we went to Granny's Pantry, a candy and ice cream shop in Battle Lake, for some ice cream and frozen yogurt. I think the heat got to me a little because as we were leaving I left Annika's diaper bag sitting right on the sidewalk next to the chair I was sitting in. It wasn't until we made the 20 minute drive home and stopped in the driveway that I realized I didn't have it anymore! So I handed Annika off to Phil and his parents (who are currently visiting) and drove back into town in hopes that someone had turned it in...and don't you know that sure enough they had it waiting for me behind the counter. I was pleased that nothing was missing. All of my credit cards, cash and even the diapers were still there. We are thankful that someone saw the diaper bag and turned it in without seeing what could have been in it for them, as this is not always the case....

....Last summer while Phil and I were unloading groceries form our grocery cart, Phil accidentally left his wallet sitting in the basket of the grocery cart. He didn't notice it when I went to put the cart back in the little cart aisles in the parking lot. Once he sat down in the car, he went to put the receipt in his wallet and then realized he didn't have it. He thought perhaps he had dropped it on the way out from the store or had left it near the check out. So, he walked back to the store while I looked around the car. As he was walking back to the car, disappointed that they had not seen his wallet, he walked towards a women who was holding his wallet in her hand. He asked if she had just found it and she said she saw it in the grocery cart and was going to return it to the store. Phil thanked her over and over again and then got into the car. It was only then that he realized that she had taken all of his cash out of his wallet. Luckily, that was all that she took. I wonder how she felt after running into the owner face to face. We were a little upset but figured she must have needed the cash bad enough if she was going to take it out of a wallet and then turn it in. We were also thankful that she didn't just take the wallet and run.

Annika's Photo of the Week - 4

2011-07-15T02:49:00.000-05:00

"A Dachshund and His Girl"

Annika, 4 weeks old

I think Amanda would be mad at me if I didn't use this photo as the photo of the week as it almost made her fall out of her chair when she saw it! It's been another busy week with trips into town three days so far this week. In saying that I think I'm starting to get a hang of it, as it Annika. We also went to the Phelps Mill Festival (I will share photos of this at some point) and had two evening events at church this week (Phil's intern committee threw us a goodbye potluck and the church women had a wonderful baby shower for Annika). That being said, Annika got lots of love from so many great people.

Interesting insights/facts/events from this week:

-Annika has gained 24 ounces in the past two weeks and is now 20.5" long.

-Annika was wide awake for five straight hours on Monday evening; after which she slept for two four hour periods and I got the most sleep at night I have yet!

-I have discovered its better to leave the monitor on "voice activated" than "on."

-While at the dentist office, you can easily dangle a foot down to rock the car seat while they work on your teeth.

-The backseat of a Subaru Outback is quite comfortable to nurse in.

-Phil's best quote of the week...."I know our daughter is a hippie like her mom because I have never seen her in a pair of shoes."

-We gave Annika her first bath in a baby tub.

-When giving your daughter a bath, it's probably best not to do so on her father's lunch break when he's dressed for a funeral as you never know when the baby tub is going to leak all over!

-Swimming in the lake is a wonderful way to cool down when it's 90!

-Dachshunds are very loyal and love their babies; at least ours does....Klaus has continued to be fantastic.

Photo of the Day #178 - Sunshine After the Storm

2011-07-10T21:20:00.000-05:00

Sunshine After the Storm

Photo by Rachel Roushey

We had a pretty good storm move through the area this evening with heavy rain and lots of lightning and thunder. As things were slowing down and the storm clouds passed the sun began to shone through and we were left with a very unique sunset. Even though it was still raining, there was a calmness about the evening, especially after the hard rain and loud thunder. Annika slept through the whole thing while Klaus cowered in fear.

Annika's Photo of the Week - 3

2011-07-07T22:46:00.001-05:00

3 weeks

Annika is 3 weeks old today. This photo was taken on the 4th of July. We spent the day at our neighbor's house with their family and a couple of our friends from church. The morning started with a boat parade on the lake (something totally new for me) and ended with lots of food and great company. One of my friends from church has a daughter who is 5 weeks older than Annika so it's been fun being able to see her grow and progress to know what we have to look forward to with Annika (she also has a 5 and 3 year old who added lots of fun to the day.....my highlight was watching Phil kayak with the 5 year old).

Interesting insights/facts/events from this week:

-Annika now weights 6 lbs 8 oz. and is 19.75" long!

-Her cord fell off this morning.

-She is now waking herself up at night to eat so I don't have to wake her every three hours but she can tell me when she wants to eat (which is still about every three hours at night).

-We had our first family picnic at a park in Fergus Falls after running a few errands in town (I finally got the packages mailed that I tried to last week with the help of Phil).

-I have learned that my feet are an extension of my arms when I need to pick something up off the floor and don't want to bend down and wake a sleeping baby in my arms.

-Living in a small town is great; I stopped by school to show Annika to a few people and when no one was in the office I noticed there was a softball game going on and recognized some of the students I worked with this year. They were excited to meet Annika and were able to tell me where one of the people I was looking for was. After that I ran into three other people from work who were excited to see Annika. I will miss "going into town" and all the wonderful people I have gotten to know this year.

Photo of the Day #176 - Stoic

2011-07-07T08:58:00.001-05:00

Stoic

Photo by Rachel Roushey

Growing Egrets

2011-07-05T14:46:00.000-05:00

The baby egrets have gotten much bigger since the last time I went to see them. I was just amazed to see how much they had grown in little less than a month. I noticed a lot fewer adults hanging out around their nests; I'm guessing it's because they have to spend most of their time getting food for all of these hungry mouths. For the first time while photographing here I ran into another photographer from Buffalo, MN. He and his wife had driven two and a half hours just to come to this park and see how big the chicks had gotten. I can't say I don't blame them, they really are incredible birds.

For more images of birds from around the world, visit this week's World Bird Wednesday.

Annika's Photo of the Week - 2

2011-06-30T20:48:00.001-05:00

2 Weeks Old

Annika is exactly two weeks old today (the day that was supposed to be her "due date"). Here are some highlights from the week.

-We said goodbye to Grandma as she had to get back to NY (but she will be back at the end of July).

-Annika got to meet our best friend, Amanda, who came up to visit for a couple of days and spent lots of time holding and snuggling with her.

-Klaus makes a great pillow and is essentially a boppy with a heartbeat during feedings.

-I learned that taking a nap in the morning helps give me energy for the rest of the day.

-If I don't get a shower in before Phil leaves I can shower in under 2 minutes just in case Annika happens to wake up (my sister tells me that eventually my showers will get longer).

-I think I've sung more songs these past two weeks than I have in the last year.

-I'm still finding time to read.

-The only time we seem to have a "fussy baby" is when she is being changed (so far).

-At the grocery store today I found that not all grocery carts will fit an infant car seat in the basket and that I should have put a carrier in my car. Annika's car seat did fit inside the cart and if you utilize the basket and the space under the cart you can get most of the groceries you need.

-The post office in town closes at 4:00 pm sharp and even if you show up with baby in tow at 4:06 the post office will not reopen for you.

-Everyone you pass in town or at the store has to look at the baby and tell you that she looks like a doll and comment on how small she is.

-It's OK to take 80 photos to get the one shot you want...especially if baby is well fed just before you attempt the photo shoot.

We have 31 days until our move back to the cities, which means Phil's internship is wrapping up. It will be hard to leave as we have made lots of wonderful friendships over the past year and have thoroughly enjoyed our time up here in the lakes country of Minnesota.

Photo of the Day #175 - Female Brown-Headed Cowbird

2011-06-29T07:50:00.000-05:00

Female Brown-Headed Cowbird

Photo by Rachel Roushey

Brown-headed cowbirds lay their eggs in other species of bird's nests, leaving other birds to raise their young. It is thought that they have laid their eggs in over 200 different species of bird's nests. While some birds will reject the eggs others will raise chicks who sometimes are twice their size. There are 750 species of birds world wide who are parasitic. Here is a link to a great photo of a reed warbler feeding a common cuckoo probably at least three times its size.

Over the past few days we have had several brown-headed cowbirds, both male and female visit our deck. The males are much easier to identify compared to the rather dull female. I've always wondered why it is the male birds that tend to have more vibrant colors.

For more images of birds from around the world, visit World Bird Wednesday.

Dragonflies

2011-06-28T07:07:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I had a post about the swarms of dragonflies that have been hanging out around the lake. Their numbers have decreased since then but I'm hoping they will come back as I have been starting to see mosquitoes and I'm hoping the dragonflies will help keep them at bay. I never did post any photos of these little guys so I thought I would do that today. They are fascinating little guys and kind of creepy looking with their huge eyes.

I am just amazed at the tiny little details these guys have, right down to the tiny little hair like fuzz on their bodies.

Photo of the Day #174 - Peach Sunset

2011-06-26T14:50:00.000-05:00

Peach Sunset

Photo by Rachel Roushey

I admit there have been many nights the past 10 days that I have gone to bed before the sun has set and have been up to see it rise. Trying to catch sleep when I can between feedings can be a challenge. Luckily on this particular evening I was able to sit on the lake shore and watch the sun set below the clouds. I will definitely miss these sunsets this fall....only 5 more weeks until our move back to the Twin Cities.

Annika's Photo of the Week - 1

2011-06-25T09:22:00.000-05:00

Once a week I would like to share just one photo of Annika from that week as a way of watching her grow. I will try to pick my favorite picture of her and add a little update as well. I have created a shutterfly family website for friends and family where I will post a majority of photos and they can order the ones they like. This way I do not bore you with photos of her all the time. I will still continue my usual posts as well and believe it or not I have been out taking some shots that I will share with you later this week.

Annika is doing well. We had a bit of a scare with jaundice this past week and had to have her hooked up to a light machine that wrapped around her midsection and made her glow like a glow worm! So that is what I have been calling her, my little glow worm. Her levels peaked on Tuesday and we had to spend one night at the hospital under an even better machine. The bilirubin in her system made her so sleepy that she didn't seem to mind. That machine worked wonders and her bilirubin levels dropped from 21 to 12 overnight! (I guess the "normal range" is 1-10). It was really hard seeing her in a machine like that but honestly it looked like she was lying on a beach getting a sun tan under a blue light. She has since perked up quiet a bit and seems to think that the best time to be wide away is from 1-3am but that's OK for now.

It was so nice having my parents here this week. My mom goes back today and we have also enjoyed having people stop over to say hello and hold her. Klaus is doing great with her! He definitely thinks its her job to watch over her. He will sit right next to us as we are holding her and if she starts to cry in her bassinet he will run over to check things out. At first he really wanted to lick her hands and feet but with some kind reminders he seems to understand that he needs to giver he some space.

We are overjoyed with our little one and are trying to get into a routine and stay organized. My mom bought us some great bins and we spend the morning sorting and organizing while Annika took a nap.

Introducing Annika Claire

2011-06-23T03:53:00.001-05:00

It is almost hard to believe that one week ago we were blessed with the healthy birth of our daughter, Annika Claire (pronounced ah-nee-kah; meaning He has favored me, gracious, merciful, sweet-faced). After a scarey trimester of preterm labor I am thrilled that she waited until 38 weeks to grace us with her presents. She was a little peanut at birth weighing 5 lbs. 12 oz. and measuring 18.5 cm in length.

So now instead of bed rest, it's feedings every 2-3 hours and cat naps in between but it is more than worth it! It is amazing how quickly your life and change and how instant love is.

We're so glad to have her home and finally in our arms!

More Spring Offspring

2011-06-15T16:29:00.000-05:00

I don't know if its because I'm pregnant or because its spring, but it seems like there is a variety of new offspring everywhere I look. I'm looking forward to being able to hold my little one and am certainly glad that I won't have to have this many little ones to look after! They are cute though.

This Week's Loon Watch

2011-06-12T08:13:00.001-05:00

I am so happy that these three loons were close enough that I was able to capture their red eyes. The red eye of the common loon is something that the juvenile loons lacks. Did you know that the color of a loons head is not actually black, but a really really really dark green?

The common loon's legs are so far back on its body that it has a hard time walking on land; hence their name coming from the Swedish word "lom" meaning "lame."

Having their legs so far back on their body makes them great swimmers and divers. They can dive up to 200 feet to catch some of their favorite fish including pike, sunfish, bass and perch. They usually weight 8-12 pounds.

One of my favorite things about living on the lake here in Minnesota is that usually at least one if not two of these guys are out on the lake a few times a day. They have such a beautiful call that is so relaxing to hear any time of day.

For more posts about birds, please visit World Bird Wednesday.

Great Egrets II

2011-06-08T16:39:00.000-05:00

I thought today I would share the rest of the egret photos from Monday. The weather here has dramatically changed over night. On Tuesday the high reached 95 and today it is only 57! The rest of the week looks like it should be in the 70s which I think is the perfect compromise.

The past few mornings I have spent sitting out on our dock in the shade before the afternoon heat took effect. While sitting down there I was surrounded by hundreds (literally hundreds) of dragonflies. It was a beautiful thing to witness. Thanks to them I did not have to worry about any gnats sitting by the water or even walking through our yard. It was like having a hundred tiny helicopters going to battle keeping me safe from the pesky gnats. I don't know why I was so surprised when one of the dragonflies hit me in the back of the head. Klaus didn't seem to mind the dragonflies either, perhaps he too knew what they were up to.

So even though the photos of this post have nothing to do with dragonflies, they are both two creatures who for some reason have really fascinated me this week.

Photo of the Day #173 - Swimming Mallard

2011-06-08T07:50:00.000-05:00

Swimming Mallard

Photo by Rachel Roushey

Some may not regard mallards as all that exciting of a duck; they seem to also be present in every pond, lake, river, stream or canal. However, I think this guy has a little charm of his own. In a lake full of geese, egrets and other birds he was confidently swimming around not seeming to care that he was one of the only bachelors in the whole lake. Unlike many other birds, male mallards usually leave after the female has laid her eggs and do not help in raising their young. I guess this life style leaves him feeling pretty care free while other pairs are busy watching their young and teaching them how to feed.

I have to say one of my favorite physical features of male mallards is the curled tail feathers.

More Great Egrets

2011-06-07T11:05:00.001-05:00

It's been a while since I stopped by Adam's Park in Fergus Falls, MN and I was curious to see if the egret chicks had hatched yet. I was amazed at how lush everything was, but there was one nest which I could see four little egret chicks popping their heads out of their nest. Many of the other egrets were sitting on their nests so I assume either their eggs haven't hatched yet or their chicks were napping.

I highly encourage anyone who is in the Fergus Falls area to stop by and visit Adams Park; it is such a unique park with an island where not only Great Egrets nest, but also Cormorants and Black-Crowned Night Herons. The park is run by the town and it is such a blessing that places like this are being preserved (it is also conveniently located just 4-5 blocks from my hospital/clinic so I was able to stop by there yesterday after an appointment). It was so refreshing to stop by the park and watch these beautiful creatures in flight.

I will be posting more photos of these egrets later this week and have also uploaded some of them to my FAA site where they are available for purchase as prints and note cards. Please stop by World Bird Wednesday to see more wonderful photos of birds from around the world.

Baby Chicks

2011-06-06T13:21:00.000-05:00

Yesterday our landlords told me they had something they wanted to show me. They had just picked up their "Rainbow Layers" the day before at the post office. They recieved 25 baby chicks who will grow up this summer into 25 big hens.

This little gal was my favorite due to her coloring, she had an awesome stripe down her back. They are only in the laundry basket for the day; the chicken coop is just getting cleaned up a little.

I can't wait to see how big they in a couple of months. I hope one day once we finally "settle down" to be able to live somewhere where we can have a couple horses, some chickens, a pig and maybe a goat or two. It would be nice to have some fresh eggs in the morning and be able to raise some of our own meat for the freezer.

Nursery Art Project II

2011-06-05T20:05:00.000-05:00

Today I started and finished a simple nursery project using a few things I had around the house, cardboard and acrylic paint. Once we move to our new apartment the walls are an off white and we are not allowed to paint, so I wanted to be sure to have something fun and colorful on the walls.

First, I drew out simple shapes on cardboard and then I mixed the colors and painted right on the cardboard. Once the paint dried, I cut out the shapes. I taped them to this door for the photo, but these can be arranged in any way or even put throughout the room. I have seen on several websites decals that you can buy and put on your walls but I thought before going out and buying them, why not try and create more art for the wall (I already have the dachshund 1, 2, 3 art project). Once we get everything set up I can see how they look and always make more if need be.

I definitely think it will add some color to the room!

Photo of the Day #172 - Early June Sunset Over Pickerel

2011-06-03T08:48:00.000-05:00

Early June Sunset Over Pickerel

Photo by Rachel Roushey

We now have 15 hours and 24 minutes of sunlight. On days when we haven't had thunderstorms the sunlight has been energizing. Neighbors have been busy outside getting their gardens ready, mowing lawns and picking up sticks. Every evening several pontoons and fishing boats slowly float by on the lake. People work hard here so that they can relax. The weeks are quiet but the weekends on the lake are busy. Phil was amazed this past weekend at how alive Battle Lake seemed when he went into town for groceries; cars everywhere, people walking in the streets, boats on trailers in the parking lots, stores that had been closed all winter now open. After Memorial Day everyone wants to be right here, in our little town, on the lakes of Lake Country. And looking at the sunsets here on Pickerel, I can't blame them.

I'm saddened by the fact that we now only have two months left here in Battle Lake. Phil's internship is wrapping up, the school year here is finished so my job at the school is also over and so we are preparing ourselves for yet another transition in our lives. We will be moving from wide open spaces, lakes around every bend in the road, farm fields and small towns scattered about the country side to return to the Twin Cities for one more year. Phil will only be a part-time grad student next year and his class schedule is such that he will be able to be at home with our little bundle of joy most of the day.....so I have begun to once again look for work (this happens when you move around a lot). I am happy to let you know that I already had one phone interview yesterday. I have been looking for a similar job to the one I had this year as I loved working at the school and helping students reach their highest potential. I know that the job I left behind when we moved up here is not available, but I'm hoping to at least volunteer when I can.

New baby on the way, moving soon, the seasons changing...

you can't stop change, you have to embrace it.

36 Weeks

2011-06-02T09:12:00.000-05:00

If you had asked me five weeks ago if I thought I would still be pregnant today I think even my doctor would have said no, but today marks 36 weeks and our little one is still in the womb! After several scary days at 31 weeks I thought for sure I would be having a premature birth. All the bed rest, relaxing and staying off my feet has been working! I wanted to post this as one of my friends from the cities sent me an email a couple days ago and said, "Have you had that baby yet? I've been getting nervous as you haven't blogged in a while." I have been doing well, I just haven't been able to get out there much and I've been busy reading, watching movies and trying to get as much rest as I can before our little one comes as I have been told by many people that this will be the last time I'll be able to relax for a long time!

(Phil took this 3 days ago)

Photo of the Day #171 - Good Mood Food

2011-06-01T22:08:00.000-05:00

Good Mood Food

Photo by Rachel Roushey

We finally took the cover off our grill for the first time this year. Today was a beautiful day here at the lake and when Phil came home he said he wanted to make burgers on the grill. I was not about to stop him. So he took 1 lb of ground beef, added 1 egg, some oatmeal, a splash of Teriyaki sauce, a shake or two of garlic powder and ground ginger and formed 4 patties. Once cooked he added Swiss cheese and served on fresh buns from the bakery. I then cut up an apple and put together a salad with iceberg and romaine lettuce, craisins and a few croutons. Doesn't this plate just look like summer is just around the corner? It definitely made me quite happy tonight!

The Inner Thoughts of a Squirrel

2011-05-25T18:37:00.000-05:00

Maybe if I hold really still she won't see me....

Come on...it's raining and the birds left these seeds behind!

Fine...I'll just take some seeds and eat here in the tree.

Photo of the Day #170 - Silhouette

2011-05-22T11:35:00.000-05:00

Silhouette

Photo by Rachel Roushey

I don't have too much to say about this little guy, but wanted to let you know I took some time to write the reviews/thoughts of the books I have read thus far, so please feel free to check them out on my Books on Bed Rest page. The most recent reviews are on the bottom.

Change of Scenery

2011-05-21T10:17:00.000-05:00

I've been developing a little bit of cabin fever. So yesterday after dinner Phil asked if I wanted to go on a short car ride to church. He had forgotten to pick up coffee and realized after supper that he would have no coffee for the morning. Since our grocery store in town doesn't have the largest selection of coffee and our church sells coffee through Lutheran World Relief, he likes to pick up coffee there (you also can't beat $7 for a 12 ounce bag of good, fair trade organic coffee). So we loaded up the dog and went to church. While Phil went inside I got out of the car for a moment and took a few photos of these beautiful white blooming flowers.

While I was taking photos and Phil was inside church, Klaus was not too happy that he was left outside.

Each week when I drive to the doctor I am amazed with how much has changed in just one week. Everything here is getting so green and the fields that farmers have turned up look so rich. I love the spring and all of the colors and smells that go with it.

Photo of the Day #169 - Waiting

2011-05-17T17:48:00.001-05:00

Waiting

Photo by Rachel Roushey

This pair of wood ducks has a lot in common with my husband and I; they too are waiting for their little ones to be born. Phil woke up before I did this morning and told me that the wood ducks were back and looked like they were waiting for something. It is not uncommon for us to see the female sitting on her box like this nor for her to go in and out of it in the morning and late evening.

We were beginning to think this past weekend that we had missed the ducklings being born and jumping out of the nesting box as the normal incubation phase for wood ducks is 28-36 days and it has been over 40 days since we first started seeing them on a regular basis. I am thinking that we will have to keep an extra close eye on when they come back in the next couple days so that we won't miss the little ones leaping out of the box for the first time and then swimming away after their parents never to return again.

In our case, we are hoping to "incubate" just a little bit longer. Thursday will be 34 weeks and every day continues to be a blessing. I'm feeling good, but the warmer weather has been feeling a little bit of cabin fever. Luckily I have been able to sit out on the deck with my legs up and read.

(photo taken by Phil)

Speaking of reading, I have been doing a lot of that lately! A few people from church have each dropped off bags of books for me to read while I am on bed rest. I thought it might be fun to keep track of what I have been reading and a total page count so I created a new page called Books on Bed Rest. Right now I just have a list, but I might add some of my thoughts on these books and maybe come up with some kind of rating system.

Chipping Sparrow

2011-05-14T10:51:00.001-05:00

A new bird has shown up this week at my feeder, the chipping sparrow. At first I would see him on my deck picking up seeds that the chickadees had dropped, and then I read that that is how they usually feed. So I put a ground feeder down for them underneath my feeder so that they could more easily get seeds. I have seen one or two on the actual feeder since. The male chipping sparrow is quite vocal and I have found that these birds are very social and not shy. Even when I am taking my dog out, these sparrows will let us get almost 3 feet away before they fly away. Here are some photos I got of one of them yesterday.

I loved the way the wind blew his feathers in this last one. They are an interesting little bird and although I enjoy their little chip-chip-chip-chip-chip call, it was one of the first things I heard this morning.....not that that's a bad thing....

To see other Camera Critter's today, please stop by Misty's blog and Pine River Review for World Bird Wednesday!

Photo of the Day #168 - Kayaking After Sunset

2011-05-13T12:41:00.000-05:00

Kayaking After Sunset

Photo by Rachel Roushey

We had a beautiful night the other night with perfectly calm waters on the lake so Phil took the kayak out after sunset and I caught this photo of him on his way into shore.

Fishing opener starts this weekend in Minnesota so I'm sure there will be many more boats out on the lake for the rest of spring and summer. I'm linking up with Skywatch Friday, so please head over there and see what the rest of the world is up to this week.

Adams Park

2011-05-10T18:10:00.000-05:00

Over Easter weekend my mother-in-law came to visit. One of the places I wanted to take her was to Adams Park in Fergus Falls, MN. I have recently posted a few photos I have taken there but wanted to show what the park looked like at large. Luckily, my mother-in-law had her camera at hand and took this photo of me taking a photograph of the egrets on their island.

As you can see, the island is quite close to shore, especially if you walk down to the right a little and don't mind going into the brush a little. I was also glad that the egrets don't mind sharing their island with other birds including geese, ducks and cormorants.

I call this one, "Communal Living."

Here are some more shots of the egrets:

OK, I hope after all of those you aren't sick of egrets! I'll try to get these up on my FAA site soon. Also, did you notice my awesome camera bag that I'm sporting in the first photo? It's the 5 million dollar bag from Crumpler that my husband bought me for my birthday! It's perfect for my Canon Rebel and two lens (28-135mm and 70-300mm) but could definitely fit another lens or other camera gear. It also has great pockets for car keys, cell phones and other personal items. It's really sturdy, well made and was a perfect birthday gift from my hubby!

To see other fantastic bird shots, visit The Pine River Review and Springman's World Bird Wednesday to see beautiful birds from all over the world!

Thank You Cards

2011-05-09T21:30:00.000-05:00

Since I've had a little time on my hands, I've had some time to do some editing and playing around in Photoshop Elements. One of the things I have been working on is Thank You cards.

Earlier this year I had designed a few cards and ordered them via Shutterfly, and as much as I loved them, I didn't like their size (3x5) as they did not provide a lot of space to write a note of any length. On my FAA site, they offer prints of any of your work on 5 x 7 note cards, so I thought, why not create some Thank You cards and upload them there. Here are a few of the cards I created, but there are more on my site. I also thought that by putting them on my FAA site, they would be available for other people to order and use as well (who doesn't love getting a thank you card?)!

The cards are printed on 110 lb. card stock with a semi-gloss finish. The come with a white envelope for mailing and are priced as follows: $4.95 for 1 card, $25 for 10 cards, and $50 for 25 cards. The cards are produced and shipped within 48 hours of the order being placed. The inside of the card can be customized on the site to say whatever you want, or be left blank.

Photo of the Day #167 - Vanilla Frozen Yogurt Dessert

2011-05-06T21:42:00.000-05:00

Vanilla Frozen Yogurt Dessert

Photo by Rachel Roushey (also enjoyed by)

It's been a ong time since I've had a food post, but after eating this last night I couldn't help but share this....vanilla frozen yogurt topped with berries and chocolate syrup...need I say more? I love frozen yogurt as I am lactose intolerant and the live active enzymes in the yogurt make it not bother me. As Phil will tell you...I've eaten a ton of frozen yogurt this pregnancy...almost every night! Frozen yogurt is also a great healthy alternative to ice cream.

Company on Bed Rest

2011-05-06T14:14:00.002-05:00

While I know I am fortunate to be surrounded by many friends, family and many church members while I am on bed rest (not to forget our wonderful dog, Klaus), I am also glad that we live in a spot where I have many different kinds of birds to keep me company. From my spot on the couch I can look out, listen to and photograph a variety of winged friends (esp. thanks to my 70-300mm lens).

Here are some of the different birds I have seen this past month, while I was not on bed rest at the time, most of these were taken while sitting on the couch with my husband looking through out family room window. It always seemed if I tried to get up and sneak outside I would scare away whatever it was I was trying to capture on film.

So while I am on bed rest I know I will get to see.....

Common Loons....

Turkey Vultures....

Northern Flickers (and other members of the woodpecker family)....

Immature Bald Eagles (and mature ones)....

House Finches (and other song birds who like to visit the bird feeder)

And of course....wood ducks...

So although I won't be able to get out and about with my camera, I'm glad that I am still surrounded by nature just outside my window. :)

Please visit Camera Critters to see other lovely critters!

32 Weeks

2011-05-05T10:39:00.000-05:00

(30 weeks, 3 days, photo taken on Easter by my mother-in-law)

I never thought I would be as excited to reach 32 weeks as I am today. Today marks 32 weeks; a day a week ago I wasn't sure we would make it to....

Last Thursday when I arrived home from work I wasn't feeling myself. I felt a lot of cramping and thought it warranted a call to my nurse (I had already been to my doctor on Monday and Wednesday of this week because of the cramping and he had instructed me to call if anything felt different). My nurse told me to come to the OB floor of the hospital/clinic to get checked out just in case. So Phil and I grabbed a couple of things thinking we would only be gone an hour or two.

When we arrived at the hospital, they hooked me up to some monitors and a few minutes later said, you are contracting two minutes apart! Immediately I knew I wasn't going home that night. I was in preterm labor.

My doctor came in to see me, they started me on several different medications and he did yet another cervical exam. We went over a bunch of scenarios and I was told that if I started to really dilate or if my water broke I would either be moved to Fargo for delivery or after delivery my baby would be taken to Fargo. I pictured myself having the baby in the back of an ambulance en route to Fargo, ND.....I pictured my baby being in a NICU in another state if for some reason they couldn't stop my labor before we left this hospital. I tried to remain calm and not think about how little my 31 week baby would be.

They gave me steroids for the baby's growth and monitored me all night. Luckily they moved us into a room with two beds so that Phil did not have to sleep in a reclining chair. The nursing staff was wonderful throughout our whole stay.

So now I will jump ahead to Sunday morning....yes, still at the hospital. I am skipping a whole lot, but basically they kept adjusting medications through an IV or by giving me shots whenever the contractions would get closer together. I hated the way the meds made me feel as one made my legs and whole body feel like Jello and the other my made heart race and feel like it was going to jump right out of my chest.

We had some friends come up to the city on Saturday and I was feeling a lot better and was thinking they would send me home to bed rest on Sunday. The contractions hadn't stopped all together but they were getting more spread out and less painful. On Sunday morning after Phil woke up he gave me a kiss on the check he went to church (as he is an intern pastor and Sundays are one of their bigger days). About an hour later one of my friends stopped by to be with me while Phil was gone.

I woke up coughing, actually I had coughed on an off all night but didn't think much of it. I was having trouble breathing and it turned out my lungs had filled with fluid. After a chest x-ray, a heart echo and an EKG, they found that there was nothing structurally wrong with my heart (thank goodness!), but they couldn't understand why a young woman's body would react this way. Sure they had been giving me a lot of fluids via the IV, and I was on a high dose of the meds that they were hoping to wean me off of, but still my lungs should not have filled with fluid. With the help of some more drugs and being put on oxygen, my lungs almost cleared out by the end of the day, but the doctor and nurses at the hospital thought it would be better if I went to Fargo for care. They were worried about my breathing and my heart if I were to go into labor there....

So, at 10:30 at night after a 60 minute ambulance ride and shortly before the President announced that they had killed Osama Bin Laden, I arrived in Fargo where they took me off all of the meds I had been on to stop the contractions. At this point I thought for sure I was going to deliver. But thankfully I didn't....and on Tuesday around lunch time, my doctor finally gave me to go ahead to go home. On the drive home, I was amazed at how green everything had gotten in the 6 days, 5 nights I had been in the hospital.

So now, I am on bed rest and if I go into labor in the next 4 weeks we have to try the best we can to get to Fargo where they have the best care for my little one. Every day is a blessing that she stays in as it gives her more time to grow. On Tuesday they did an ultrasound and told us she was 3 lbs 6 ounces....I'd like her to at least 7 lbs if not bigger.

But, I feel lucky that while I am on bed rest this is my view!

(panoramic view of Pickerel Lake, taken by my mother-in-law)