Brandon's Band Concert April 2009

Mother's....just a thought

M O T H E R S

Real Mothers don't eat quiche;

They don't have time to make it.

Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils

Are probably in the sandbox.

Real Mothers often have sticky floors,

Filthy ovens and happy kids.

Real Mothers know that dried play dough

Doesn't come out of carpets.

Real Mothers don't want to know what

The vacuum just sucked up..

Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?'

And get their answer when a little
Voice says, 'Because I love you best..'

Real Mothers know that a child's growth

is not measured by height or years or grade...

It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother...

3rd Grade Musical 2009

Our Little HAM Tyler is in a green striped shirt.
ENJOY! (I did!) :)

Great - Great - Great Grandma's China

I was deeply honored during my last trip to Florida. My parents couldn't get any more riders on their insurance because they live in a hurricane zone and my Mom wanted to make sure the families china was safe from harm. It has been in our family for generation after generation. I wept when she wanted me to ship it home. It's just one more sign that I wont have my parents with me forever.

While in Florida, we went to the local Pac Mail and for an hour they wrapped, taped, and packed up these precious pieces of family history. I was shocked at the cost at shipping them back to Fargo, but lovingly paid every penny, knowing that having a professional pack them, meant that the chances of damage would be decreased.


The china arrived yesterday, and I began opening it with awe as I realized just how much care they took in packing these aged dishes. I opened layer after layer and marveled that not one item was damaged or even chipped. When I opened the last piece I paused, knowing that it was safe, and that at least for now, this generation hadn't failed to protect our families legacy.


I dusted off my small cheerio cabinet and then placed each piece in, one at a time. Brandon was helping me and it was a great time to talk about family heritage, the passing down of family heirlooms, and what they mean to preserving a families history. Wee chatted about how when we use the China it gives us a chance to talk about family memories and how it evokes memories just like a picture does.


Brandon asked me who would inherit this family treasure next. I replied only, whomever will treasure it most and pass it on best.

Grandpa's Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

Plump Chicken Legs (thawed completely)

Season Salt (Lawry's)

Spray H2O Bottle

TLC Grilling

Preheat grill on med/high

Preseason chicken all the way around with Lawry's

Place seasoned chicken on grill and grill 10 minutes on one side over indirect (400) flame

Flip and grill 10 more minutes

Flip every 2 minutes until juices run clear

Spray grill flame periodically if flame gets too hot

It will cause the grill to steam and keep the chicken moist

Enjoy!

Grandpa's Chicken

Grandpa Steve

Man this is GOOD chicken!

Ahhhh, that's the face of a very HAPPY grandchild!

The boys begged Grandpa to make his famous grilled chicken while we were in Florida last weekend. They gobbled up a WHOLE pan!

I'll post the recipe soon!

Minneapolis Break

We took a break from all the flooding news, drama and trauma to visit Minneapolis with some friends the week before Easter. We went to the Science Museum of Minnesota, Mall of America, Camp Nickelodeon, Monsters VS Aliens and Lego Land. We had a blast and it was fun to celebrate Brandon's birthday (even if it was a little late).

http://www.inforum.com/pages/floodmapwiki

Up to the date map of the flooding and evacuations.
Warning, the link takes a LONG time to load!

Sandbaggin and savin the Farm

Tyler in the rising waters.

Tyler in the Blue Cap and Brandon in the Blue hoodie, sandbagging.

Le Ann, the farmer's neice.

3 foot of sand bags protecting the house.

You sit in a chair and hold the bags while the 'filler' dumps loads in, then you heave it off to the side for the 'riders' to take it to the needed areas. You can fill twice as many bags because the bag is stable on the ground and your not moving if your sitting so the 'shoveler' doesn't miss the bag.

The 'riders'.

We filled 9,000 bags at the farm in 2 hours!

The 3 colleges from the area completely shut down to allow the students to volunteer. They were an absolute HOOT!

Tyler and Brandon helped fill bags with Pastor Chris.

Today the boys and I were called to help sandbag for a relative of one of our church members in Oxbow, ND. It was so much fun to bag sand and surround the house knowing you were helping out in the name of God. The kids were plum tired by the time we were done and had mud from head to toe, but they had fun. When the end of the sand and the bags came, and the sand bag dike had been erected, we just stood back and took in all that we had accomplished....together. The farm owners were very grateful and thanked the boys 10 times over for their service. No one that young had helped bag sand or lifted the sand bags in the ‘receiving’ line before. Brandon just replied, ‘It had to be done, so we came. It’s what’s your SUPPOSED to do, right?” Tyler replied, “It was fun to play in the sand pile and ride the tractor!”

To each his own I suppose, but the sense of community was so strong. Standing 12 inches from another person for hours just handing them 40-50 lb bags of sand one after another, sweating, laughing, and touching each others hearts without even so much as a handshake. I loved it! I loved that my boys were by my side doing the very same thing. Helping people we didn’t even know battle a fight that hadn’t yet even come to full fury. God little warriors! It was a proud moment as a Mom to watch the boys work side by side with people more than twice their age and muscle mass, but yet keep on plugging as long as their was sand to move.

Psalm 146:5
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God!

Continue to pray that all residents and businesses of this flooded area get the help they need and the hope they are looking for. It’s been a 24/7 fight and many are tired, pray also please that they have the endurance to keep on fighting until the floodwaters are no longer a threat to life or property.

Thank you!

Piano Men

The boys have had three lessons and they have a pretty good handle on their first songs.
Enjoy!!!

Tyler sees again!

Look at our little guy, he's so handsome in his NEW glasses!
Last week we found out that Tyler is nearsighted and needed glasses to see the chalk board. Today we went and picked them up. They are soooooooooo COOL! Of course they are green, his favorite color!
LOOK, now all the Noffze's have glasses! :)

After the Storm

We ventured out today just for a little while after yesterday's blizzard. Things looked a bit different. The snow was white, the sky was blue, and it was beautifully sunny!

First we had to make it out the front door. After looking at these drifts we decided to go through the garage to get out. The drifts were taller than we were!



Then we saw this HUGE drift climbing up the grocery store walls. The drift was almost two stories HIGH! WOW!


Watch out below as that one melts! :)

Blizzard Watch

The house across the street had snow drifts almost covering the windows!



Tyler all wrapped up in his favorite blanket watching the storm.



All day we watched as the blizzard whirled around us. You could hear the snow pelting the siding and the tarps flapping in the wind covering the house being built next door.

Out our front windows on the porch was a particularly strong whirlwind which made the most interesting drifts. Here's the photo's of it's progression throughout the day.





The snow drift outside the window looks like a GIANT cartoon character head! It's over 5 foot tall!
WOW!