Valentine’s Day

This Balentine’s Day (as one of my preschoolers says) was nice and quiet. We didn’t do much. I spent all day at school having Balentine Party all day. It was fun to watch the kids give Balentine’s to their friends. I got home and found flowers on the kitchen counter with a card from Jakin. He never gets me flowers, so that was nice! They were pretty! Reminded me of spring and warm weather! Jakin told me NOT to worry a bit about supper that night. He grilled steak on the grill, had corn and baked potatoes. We spent supper talking about how long we have been married, neices and nephews, kids and whatever else came the way of the convo.

A few pics from a frosty, beautiful day in February.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lately….

We haven’t really been up to much….a couple weekends ago we went out for supper with my parents and Nate. That same weekend we went to the Pheasants Forever supper thing…Jim is apart of it. It was fun…ate some good food, and they had a ton of door prizes.  We have been so boring lately! That’s ok….it’s nice to just spend time together . Last weekend we went over to the cabin to celebrate Cathy and Steve’s 25th wedding anniversary that is on Valentine’s Day. Marg made pheasant…..oooo it was so good! I didn’t think that I would even try it…but man it was tasty! The rest of the night there was card playing happening. Becky, Mitch and the kids came up for the day…so it was good to see them! Beck and I decided that I need to come down there for the day and hang out….Ruth and Dan also came  . I think Cathy was surprised to see the amount of people there. It was a good celebration!

Work has been going ok…..just the usual. Parent teacher conferences are coming up so will get to be a bit busier! I have been having a ton of Fridays off, which has been super nice! I have been doing things around the house….cleaning out a closet one Friday, super cleaning the basement another one and this past Friday I found 2 laundry baskets full of socks and such! I have never owned so many! If it had any kind of hole in it or didn’t have a match….it went in the garbage! I filled up a HUGE garbage bag….if felt good to get rid of that much of something! I’m thinking within the next few 3 day weekends I am wanting to paint our bedroom! Chocolate brown one wall with the other 3 walls a lighter brown?????

Ok so have to clear up something from the last post….

So I am getting older…I don’t remember things so much….but the one pic of me holding Ella I think if I remember right was when I got off the plane but she didn’t really wanna be held or something I faintly remember. This pic was really THE first time I really held Ella:

Ella is 5!

Wow! Ella you are 5! I can’t believe it! I remember the first time I saw and met you….right when I walked in the door from getting picked up at the airport Eric put you in my arms. I thought, “wow you are my niece.” I absolutely fell in love with you the minute I saw you El. You are such a fun kid! I love playing, talking, doing whatever with you! You are so smart too. So incredibly smart! I love hearing and seeing all the things you can do! I have learned a lot from you too….to be patient, to really enjoy the little things in life and to be silly! I hope that you have had a GREAT birthday and Uncle Jakin and Auntie Mandie love you TONS!!

This past summer at Fish Trap Weekend

 

First time I met Ella

 

A-ma-zing=Miranda Lambert concert!!

This past weekend Jakin and I headed to Fargo to take a break from life and have some fun!! We got tickets to go to a Miranda Lambert concert!!!! Ah, I had been waiting for this my entire life! I don’t mean to sound starstruck, but it was so cool to see! I got so excited when it was time for her to come out! First, Jerrod Neiman sang and then Chris Young. They were good but Miranda Lambert was a ma zing!! I appreciate music a TON! It is a de stresser for me….I listen to it in the car…while I cook…while I clean….when I work out……all day I listen to music. So when I get to see a singer I really, really like is so cool! This woman is one of the greatest singers I have ever, ever seen and heard! So talented!!

We met Jakin’s cousin and wife (Craig and Janel) up there. We went out to eat at Ruby Tuesday’s first then headed to the concert. It was nice to see Craig and Janel. It’s so fun to hear about their two boys Hunter and Brody….we talked about Craig’s cool job (he works at Mortenson:) ) ….my awesome preschool job…..summer and how we have to get together with them more often and just life! The next morning we went to IHOP for breakfast! All I can say is YUM!! It was a great time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

halfway through January….!

Ugh…this past week or so has been hard! Oh yea, I know you reading and thinking quit your crying and complaining! I went back to work last week of having the BEST, WONDERFUL christmas break EVER!! So it has been hard to get back into the swing of things. We finally have like a dusting of snow…but it’s cold!! Supposed to be -20 tonight!! AHHH!

Some things we have been doing since christmas break are we celebrated my mom’s birthday! We took her out for chinese in Wadena. Browsing internet and reading a book on my Kindle Fire….I can not let this thing out of my hands! I am reading a book called The Secret Holocaust Diaries…..so interesting and FREE! Also with the new year I have decided that it’s time to start working out and watching what I am eating…I do this every new year! It’s so funny! We also want to start watch we are spending…so thinking of ways to cut down on costs of things! Any suggestions are great! As I say that with watching what we spend this coming weekend Jakin and I are headed to Fargo to go to a Miranda Lambert concert and stay the night! I am super excited to get away for a night and not have to worry about whatever…just fun! Jakin and I don’t get away together very often so it’s ok  .

Christmas

So Christmas break was really, really good! You just wait for it the whole month of December and then it’s here and you love it and then it goes by WAY too fast! My first day of break I think I spent it grocery shopping, oil change and getting ready for Sarah and Emma to come over for our little Christmas that we do every year! It was REALLY great to get caught up with these two as we don’t get to see each other so much anymore. We spent the night talking about college, what they wanted to do when they get to be “adults”, fun things to do in the summer and when is Amanda gonna have a kid? Who knows?     We had so many Christmas’s to celebrate at….it was wonderful to see everyone! At my Grandma Mary’s I think each and every one of us was there. We celebrated with Jakin’s extended fam in the beginning of December and then Christmas Day at our house with immediate….was fun to see the kids opening all their presents.  The rest of the week Eric, Em and family was here. Higligts of the week include: riding on the tractor, going to Harvest Time Bistro drinking coffee and chatting, painting canvases, taking Ella to my classroom, looking at the animals at Grandma Mary’s, pizza party with hayride, watching Ella and Edie at our house while Jimmer, Betty, Eric and Em went for an afternoon out. All in all, it was a great, much needed, relaxing and fun break! We spent New Year’s Eve just hanging out at our house….with taking little cat naps before it was midnight!

 

Stuff

Christmas cookie baking with Sarah

All the Great-Grandkids at Tyrrell family Christmas Dec. 10th

Jakin with new neice Sydney May

Our Christmas tree without ornaments

 

 

 

Thanksgiving Break

Oh, wow here is it December already! Last weekend we had Thanksgiving. On Thursday we headed over to my Grandma Runyan house for lunch. I think just about everyone was there. Thursday night included early black friday shopping at Wal-Mart at 10:00…totally worth it….Baby Alive for 10 bucks for Edie .  Friday we went all of the girls in the family went shopping on black Friday, some went REALLY early, some a little bit later and then Betty, Em and I went not so early. We still got all of the things that we wanted. I love this tradition that we have done for awhile now.

Saturday Runyan fam headed over to Long Prairie to the craft show there. There were so, so many people there. The parking lot was packed, the gym and the hallways were packed, everywhere was packed! I ended up getting a new pair of mittens and hung out with Edie. She loved looking at stuff and saying, “What is it?” or pretty! We then headed to the tree farm to get a Christmas tree….or 4 of them! We ended up getting for Eric’s fam, ours, mom and dad and one for Grandpa and Grandma Runyan.

Saturday night we celebrated Jay’s birthday of being 22 years old! Wow! Jay you are 22…..you are so great! We played the new game Quelf….it was great and so hilarious! The highlights of the game were Jim being a gold announcer throughout part of the game, Betty standing in the letter X, Eric saying peek a boo anytime someone talked to him and Jim running in slow motion around the table to a song he had to hum! It was a great Thanksgiving, many things to be thankful for for sure .