Kelly Moore Bag

Happy New Year! Again....

Well it was quite a year off. I started the new year with a "new attitude." Everything old is new again, right?

I'm hoping to travel more (old) and take in travelers (new). I think I'll blog about my experiences.

One of the only things on my wish list this year was a camera purse. Not a camera bag, a camera purse. I've been looking online and I found Kelly Moore makes the cutest bags. I couldn't decide on a favorite, so I asked Bob to pick one out for me as a surprise this Christmas.

He failed! But he DID try. You see, he is a Christmas Eve shopper. When he finally got around to ordering one (not Kelly Moore) he needed to have it shipped overnight and wrapped. Gift unseen it went under the tree. Judging by the look on his face, he was more surprised I was when I opened it. The bag he ordered was cute, stylish even, - just as I asked. The problem was, it was the size of a small carry on suitcase. NOT what I wanted. I wanted a camera bag that I can use daily as a purse. Last year I bought a point and shoot camera I could keep in my purse. It's nice to have in a pinch, but the quality of the pictures is lacking. I want my SLR with me, whenever I feel the need to capture the moment. My current camera bag is just that- a camera bag. It's not cute and fun. It only goes with me for "big" events. Everyone knows you can't just throw it in your purse.

So this year marks a first for me. I'm returning the gift and getting what I wanted. Now I have the task of choosing the style myself. I think I want the Posey bag because it has room for all of my credit cards. I really like the hobo bag style.... and there are so many colors to choose from. I'm not good at these things. Maybe I won't stop with one! They are the cutest camera bags around. Ask me - no I'll show you when it comes, just how cute it is.

Check out all of the bags here: http://www.kellymoorebag.com/

Happy New Year!

Well it's been a year since I started blogging. I have to admit I kinda faded at the end of the year. Why??? Well, thanks to some persistent friends and relatives... I joined facebook late in the year. I have to say it it SOOOO much easier to stay in touch with friends and family via facebook.

So this is my last posting.
Don't cry :( you can always friends me on facebook.

Bob and I ended the year with a trip to Vegas. Angie turned 40 on New Year's Day! She's been in Vegas over 10 years - maybe 15??? and she's never left the house to celebrate. We thought it sounded like a good reason to kick in the big 4 - 0.

Not to disappoint - or - to add to the fun, she decided to get married on New Year's Eve. It was a twofor :0 ) In the end she postponed it until Valentine's day...

Zachary, Bob's Nephew- Karen's oldest son, called and invited us out to California, mid December, for his wedding. Since he said there wasn't going to be any family that could make it, I suggested he meet us in Vegas. Lucky for us it worked out.

The bride and groom, along with her family, and a handful of friends from base... made the trek to Vegas fo a January 1st wedding. What a great day for an anniversary. We were fortunate enough to spend a little time with the newlyweds - talk about making me feel old!

So we left Vegas broke, tired, and maybe a little ready to return to the cold MN weather. NOT

When we got to the airport they told us to check in at the gate for our seats. Bob said, right away, "We're not getting on the plane."

He was right. They overbook the flight. He was the first to run up and volunteer to stay in Vegas an extra night. They booked us a room, paid for dinner, a cab, and $400.00 flight credit for each. So Vegas wasn't such a loss in the end.

The best part of leaving Las Vegas was the Viking's won their game 5 minutes before our cab ride back to the airport.


SKOAL VIKINGS

Well, thanks for blogging with me the past year - I'll catch you of facebook.

Nancy

Happy Halloween

Luke wanted to be Waldo this year. How fun is that? Remember all the hours spent finding waldo in those cool "Where's Waldo books? Bob and I joined in the fun and created a where's Waldo page of our own.

Unfortunately Luke worked on Halloween - I should say fortunately because a lot of people enjoyed his costume. He didn't get out on Saturday because he needed to finish is application for MIT. It was due November 1st.

It sounds like he's leaning toward going to the U of M, but IF and that's a big IF - if they accept him he might change his mind.

Bob and I went as Waldo to our friends party, the kids did NOT know who we were. Who raised them kids? I didn't know there were people out there that are not Waldo fans. Anyways, Jim does a great job taking the gang through the neighborhood. Check out the trailer the ride around on. The die hard kids made three trips around the nieghborhood.After the party we came home and passed a cop car parked close to our house, she was waiting for back up. We passed a couple of young adults stumbling down the road. It looked like someone was having fun!

We decided to unwind in the hot tub. Shortly after we got in we heard sirens begin. At first we were thinking, "Thank goodness, it wasn't us getting a ticket." The sirens continued to circle the block, more and more cops circling with sirens. our thinking changed to "Uh Oh, someone must have been having a good party." Shortly after the helicopter was over the neighborhood, searchlights were going through the trees..... "Whoa.. maybe we better lock the doors!"

It turned out the neighbor 3 or 4 houses down had a party get out of control. Over 300 people showed up to his party - thanks to facebook. A few people who were not invited started scrappin' with broken bottles. Three people ended up being taken in for stabbings. The police released dogs to catch those who were escaping through the woods. An innocent runner had his arm mauled by the police dog. And we still haven't heard if the guilty parties were found.

All this in our quite, rural, neighborhood. To think we moved out of the city for this!

Well - Happy Halloween. Stay safe!

Family Heritage

kit: Daddy's Love by Blind Sight Designs

I have a goal to scan and save all of our family pictures, so I can create a heritage album. I'm not too sure how much the future generations will enjoy the book, being they won't know anyone. This is the first page I created.

Leona is my Mom's mom. It's so fun to see her as a young-attractive lady. Hopefully this is why we preserve our memories. I have very few memories of"Uncle Jack." He lived in my grandma's basement. There was a mystery about his room. We weren't allowed to go in. I always wondered why. Looking back I'm sure nobody wanted little children diggin' through a bachelors belongings. If my memory serves me right I think the older boys were occasionally let in. hmmm I wonder if they found anything that lead to life lessons or unanswered questions.

Anyways I love this picture, it represents a time I can't even imagine. Grandma was always an old lady to me. I wish there were stories to go with it.

CT update

Now that my computer is up and running I am hoping to do some more designing for Blind Sight Designs. Here is my latest layout using her Family Ties Kit.

Labor Day Weekend

It's funny how all summer the weather was cold and breezy... except for Memorial Weekend, The Fourth of July and Labor Day Weekend. At least that is how I will remember this summer.

We spent the weekend with my family out at Lake Alexander. Surprisingly, we got to visit with everyone's family this year.

Matt came out without the rest of his family... work... Brittany turned 21...

Jeremy and Angie stayed for the weekend, a pleasant surprise since they usually stay home and enjoy family time on Pierz Lake.

Tom and Dayna brought up Dayna's mom, Summer. She moved to Minnesota this a few months ago. She has such a positive outlook on Minnesota and Minnesota weather, we'll see how she feels after the winter cold stretch.

Mike came out with the kids... no Amy, I think she's busy studying. Gracie celebrated her birthday with a home made cake. Yummy! She was also wearing the cutest outfit, but she changed before I could snap a picture.

Sarah and the kids stopped by on Monday, they had just returned from their summer vacation in Arkansas. They brought back cool crystal they chiseled off the mountains.

Pat and Sarah were up for the first half of the weekend.

Jim and Dez brought out James for a day. We looked at some of her dress options for the wedding, talked about colors... etc. James starts kindergarten, along with Eli, this year. Soooo according to Dez she's ready to have another baby.

Johnny and Meagan were out for a little while. They were gone before I got a chance to sit and talk with them, but we caught up with them last weekend. John is back to school, so I'm guessing he left to study as well.

Even Jacob was out for the weekend. He is still in Fargo, but working in Jamestown. He spends the day compacting sand by remote control.

Meagan bailed on us, she had to work. Levi bailed on us... too poor to visit, but he should be home TODAY!!!! He has a short leave before he heads to Mississippi. Luke came along to visit Milissa, he probably would have bailed if she wasn't at the lake. He is back at the U of M today. Senior year, and I forgot to take a back to school picture....argh! Maybe his Dad can come through, more likely we'll have to fake it tomorrow.

And last but not least... Curt and Nancy and Mary and the kids were out. Curt is teaching in Randall this year.

That's the latest, I'll take time to add pictures shortly. Back to work and back to school...

Summer, parting is such sweet sorrow!

Rebuilding New Orleans

March 2007 we took the boys to New Orleans hoping to find work that needed to be done. If you talked to anyone in the family, you know they weren't ready for our help. They suggested we enjoy what New Orleans had to offer, and to return home to promote "coming back to New Orleans."

Well we had a fabulous time enjoying the bayous, shopping, architecture, food, and New Orleans traditions.

This past summer our church's youth group was heading down to New Orleans for a rebuilding mission trip, organized by Youthworks. Two weeks before their trip they put a call out at Sunday mass looking for a volunteer driver. Since Bob has so much free time, and he didn't really rebuild the first time he was in New Orleans, and he really loved the experiences we had while we were there, and we love the enthusiasm of our youth director, and ..... well there wasn't really any reason for him not to volunteer, he volunteered. a couple days before he left he said they had room for one more chaperon, and I really had no reason not to help out.... SO we both headed to New Orleans with St. Joe's youth mission group.

We really didn't know what we were signing up to do. We knew no one other than Denise the youth director and only in a very professional manner. Our first lesson was taught on the road trip down. Red (girls) and Blue (boys) don't mix... ie. make purple! We had to make a detour to pick up an additional mattress. What were we thinking? In seven days I seen less of Bob than I typically see him in a day.

Here's a glimpse of our experience...

The city of New Orleans is a vibrant city that boasts some of the greatest entertainment and finest cuisine in the world. Residents welcome tourists to the city with hospitality and flair. But in 2005, Hurricane Katrina swept through New Orleans with devastating results. Eighty percent of the city flooded—much of it completely destroyed—leaving thousands of people homeless. Your group has a unique opportunity to partner with local ministries in their amazing recovery efforts. You’ll help wherever you are needed most, through work projects, children’s ministry and more. -youthworks

Bob's group helped Miss Margaret work on her house, painting and yard work. Her yard has not been touched since the hurricane in 2005. Bob has a great story she shared about how she was rescued in a boat and how the boat was found lying on a road sign two years later.

They also worked with the youth at Kingsley House, imagine 8 hours of piggy back rides.

My group work with Recovery School District. We painted the second floor hallway of Charles Drew Elementary. It hard to imagine a public school in such poor condition. The second and third floors were not even damaged by the flood, but the quality of the decor was way below standards.

BEFORE

AFTER the first coat

My Group

My group also worked with the youth of New Orleans creating and implementing "Kid's Club." I monitored the craft room... pop tab bracelets.

Both groups also spent time with the elderly.

We traveled all that way and my favorite part of the trip was getting to know the outstanding youth in our community. They are all leaders with an unending amount of generosity to share. We are so fortunate to have amazing children coming up behind us.

If you have never "payed it forward" whether it's with a church group or not, I would highly recommend it. The amount you gain is so much more than you can give and even greater than you could imagine.