Before We Go....

I thought that I should add a picture of Stella before we leave town to make up for our last blog entry. Sorry if you don't understand it...neither do we. Nick and I are still baffled about the incident with the water in bed.
To rectify the situation, I thought we'd leave you with Stella's bright smile to start your Labor Day weekend!
We're getting ready to welcome Grandma and Grandpa Freeman and Uncle Jimmy to town tomorrow. Then we'll all join Grandma and Grandpa Bettcher in Killarney, Ontario, Canada for a long weekend in the great north! Hope you have a wonderful Labor Day!

A Glass of Water

The scene: It’s two o’clock in the morning. Liz and Nick are both sound asleep in their bed (still a mattress on the floor given the remodeling in progress). Suddenly, a glass of water is mysteriously dumped on Nick. The volume of water is so great that it splashes off of Nick and ‘his side’ of the bed and onto Liz and ‘her side’ of the bed.

Nick: Gasping by the utter shock of being woken by a glass of water, instantly sits up on the edge of the mattress before he can realize what just happened and is speechless.

Liz: While lying down with her eyes closed, she whines, “HONEY!?” in a tone that can only be translated as, “What did you do!?”

Nick: Remaining confused by the situation and trying to come to as best as one can after being woken from a deep sleep by cold water, he replies, “Huh?”

Liz: Still lying down with her eyes closed, “What did you do?”

Nick: With a keen eye for good detective work, he states the facts, “A glass of water spilled in the bed.”

Liz: Somehow with eyes still closed, she pulls the covers up and over the puddle of water that consumes Nick’s side of the bed, as if to mask the situation at hand. “It’s fine, just go back to sleep” she says while patting the top, dry sheet that has already started to absorb the puddle that lies beneath

Nick: Confused by the idiotic suggestion and now fully alert, he realizes that Liz is the only one who brings a glass of water with her to bed. “Are you serious? A glass of water was just dumped on my side of the bed. I can’t sleep there.”

Liz: Swift to respond with another solution that will allow her to fall back asleep more quickly, “Well then go down and sleep on the couch.”

Nick: Realizing the culprit will not own up to her actions tonight, he slowly makes his way downstairs, stopping only to change into dry clothes. He lies on the couch with one question repeating itself over and over in his head, “Did that really just happen?”

It never gets old...

Babies!

Ava Lynn Andolina
Born: 8/3/08
Status: precious and perfect

Proud mama Katie

Kyle Eric Cicak
Born: 8/9/08
Status: precious and perfect

Mike & Gail...new Daddy and Mommy!

Two of our favorite families in Cincinnati just welcomed new additions to their homes. I got to spend a few hours on Sunday welcoming these precious babes into all of our lives. It's been a while since I held a one week old and a one day old. It's an amazing feeling to experience such a miracle so soon after it's happened. We are overjoyed with their great health and happy news. Stella is extra excited to have some new friends too!
Kyle & Ava...we look forward to watching you grow. Katie & Mark and Mike & Gail...we look forward to experiencing parenthood with you! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Where to begin???

Now that we've been back a week, I am finally getting around to updating this...
We had a WONDERFUL week in Minnesota.
How about I sum it up real quick?

Tuesday: Stella and Liz arrive, lunch with Grandma and Great-Grandma, quiet dinner at home.

This is how Grandma welcomed Stella to town...
spraying her with the hose!

Wednesday: Liz has a day with old friends...lunch with Nikki, dinner with Emily.
--no photos...oops!

Thursday: Uncle Jimmy arrives!!!! (On the red-eye at 6am...we have to bug him to play, there will be no daytime sleeping!) Cousins, Meridith, Stacy and Ali and Uncle Chris arrive from Texas!!! Hang out, watch Stella blow bubbles...mom, Liz & Meridith get manicures and pedicures.
Thursday night--dinner out with all family members in town! Grandma, Grandpa, Kelly, Buddy, Jenny, Logan, Blake, Aunt Julie, Aunt Ann, Mom, Dad....the list goes on and on!!

Great-Grandma's favorite dinner companion (after Great-Grandpa, of course)

Cousins Stacy and Meridith and Uncle Jimmy

Cousins Kelly and Blake

Grandma, Great Aunt Ann, Great-Grandpa & Great Uncle Chris

Friday: Cousins meeting, play at Grandpa's pool! Nick arrives!!!
Dinner and game night at Grandma and Grandpa's house!

Chicken fight! Michael and Logan vs. Buddy and Blake!

Meridith, Stacy, Liz, & Laura

This is how many people participated in game night...
our family LOVES games and LOVES to laugh!

Saturday: Paint dishes/gift for Grandma's birthday, lunch out, tour and reminisce about living in Edina, get ready for party.
GRANDMA'S 80th BIRTHDAY celebration at Interlachen Country Club!!!
Liz visits ER---long story, all is ok, nothing to worry about

Uncle Jimbo, cousins Carolyn, Ali, Logan & Jenny!

Stella's masterpiece!

This is most of the artists, although we're missing a few in the photo!

Now, for the main event...
THE PARTY for Grandma Christianson!!!

Ready for a big bash!

Grandma surrounded by most of her grand-daughters!

Dad and cousin Laura--dessert experts

Sunday: Liz and Nick sleep, while everyone goes to church, to catch up after their 12am-7am visit to the hospital (again, everything is ok, no problem!)
Meet up with everyone at Mall of America! Shop, ride rollercoaster, see movie!

Aunt Julie with "the girls"

Mom and Nick

Monday: Go to Grandpa's pool, say goodbye to cousins leaving, swim and have lunch poolside, take nap, start getting packed.
Nick leaves. :(
7pm--Twins game vs. Chicago White Sox--Twins win 7-0! (headed to 1st place!!!)

One more dip in the pool!

Yes, that's my mom riding the shark!

Stella, Logan & Blake

Go Twinkies!!!

Cousin Carolyn with the foul ball that sailed into our suite and hit her in the shoulder!

Cousins Jenny, Kelly, Logan and Blake!

Tuesday: Back to Ohio!

It was such a great long weekend together. This is the first time that our entire family has been together since May of 2004 (our wedding). We had a blast...lots of activities, tons of laughter (which might be why I ended up in the hospital), great opportunities to catch up with each other and hope that there's another reunion in our future sooner than later!

Now we're home, the bathrooms still are not complete...although they're very close! They look really good and we can use one of them if we want (it's just missing a shower door). We'll get photos of the progress posted sooner than later.