Catch up

Hello, I hope you are all doing well, It seems I have some catching up to do. I do like to keep our friends and family updated on our events and activities. Living so far from everyone, know we appreciate hearing and keeping in touch with you.

Well, as most of you know we have cancelled our trip to Isla Mureies, Mexico due to this swine flu. I am way bumbed :( but we will go some other time. We do have other events coming up to keep our mind off the disappointment. Just to mention a few, Essa prom this Saturday, Mothers Day around the corner, Fritz has a birthday, Essa's graduation June 4Th, her party June 6Th, My mom coming that week to stay (very excited about that). Bible camp for Ryan, and Fritz goes this year too, Ryan's trip to Utah, Fritz piano, science camp, and golf lessons, Bella's Gymnastics, swim, ballet and Tap. And of course, my summer in the car reminding myself over and over that being a mother is a gift God gives us.

Easter was another successful evet at our home! Most of you know the last three years we have had Easter at our home for those who can make it out. This year we had Lori,Dave and thier 2 kids, Dale, Mom and Dad Eckstrom, Darren, Brandi and their 3 kids. A full, fun filled, house! The kids had a ball. Every time we get together as a family the men have to work on some project, so they cut down the trees for our neighbor, while the gilrs had a spa treatment that morning. We colored Easter eggs, I made OUR family traditional Easter Bunny Cake, with cupcake chicks this year, darling. We also made chocolate suckers, and this year we had a special treat of having lamb for dinner. I have never had lamb, or cooked it, so this was going to be an adventure. I have to say, it turned out wonderful! I recommend it for any Easter dinner. I made cute matching dresses for the cousins girls, (you'll see the pic) We had a nice Sunday Easter devotional by Uncle Dave, a Easter egg hunt, and church service. Sunday lunch went perfectly with Lori's stuffed grape leafs and marshmellow nests. We were just missing the Gormong family, with good reason, Uncle Ron is a Pastor, and it was Easter weekend! We sure love them, and missed them. In this time and place in life, family is so important. I am so grateful for my family and Dan's family. I love them all very much. we are all diffrent, diffrent ideas, personalities and lifestyles, but love each other all the same. Life is a journey of learning, loving, forgiving, excepting, we can improving ourselves everyday by remembering these in our lifes. Luke 24:46-47 ESV (46) and (Jesus) said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, (47) and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. AMEN OK, the remodeling of our room has been improving slowly, we have floors to refinish and new closet to re due and we are done! Dan had to re frame the windows, we finally got the paint right after buying 3 diffrent colors of paint, (tip, don't trust colors under florescent light, it totally changes under natural light). We found the perfect bed at Pier One, it ties in the antique Victorian feel of our home, with the fresh new today look. I will not post pictures until it is all done. Our garden is coming along as well. I am so excited for fresh vegetables! I really look forward to the fall,canning, making jams and bottling fruit, I know it is crazy. I hope this year to do it with my good friend Lynn who also loves the process as I do. Her garden last year, you would die, it was amazing, tomato vines taller than me.

This summer our project will continue outside yard work. Cement to pour and new drive to pave. We hope to extend the deck to wrap around the back. If we can finish these project by next year we can look to selling and moving to the country. Yes, you heard right, we are going to move again! We want to move to Lena, WI just an hour North from here. It is in the country, but close to city living, and closer to our good friends Lynn and Will Petska. We really are a country living family.

OK, I am going to post pictures of Ryan's first track meet Tuesday April 27Th. He won 1st place in the 4/100 medley, 1st in the 400m, and 2ND in the 800m. We are so proud of him. Essa's new tattoo, I told her no, but now she is 18, I know kids have to learn there own way, lets hope this lesson is learned and no more of these, I still love her though. It says, Never Give Up, it could be worse I guess, at her age I had her. Sturgeon Spawning, our first experience, wow it was amazing! Bella, in her first Ballet class, Tap class, and Swimming lesson. Bella's school party "Under the Deep Blue Sea" very cool! Ryans Snowboarding, Fritz and the piano, he loves his lessons Fritz, Ryan and Bella ice fishing with Dan, Lynn, Will, there kids and myself. Fritz played Johnny Appleseed in the school play and did amazing! Fritz had drive in movie night at Sparks (Awana, church program) very cool. He and Dan built a pretty cool car.

These pictures wont be in order sorry, I have my limits with how much time I spend doing this. OK, thanks for letting me brag about my children, I think they are pretty amazing.

Dan and I are doing well,staying strong, and just trying to keep up. We are so grateful for the lord,he has given us so much to be thankful for.

Love you all, keep in touch, Magan