Martin Luther King Day of Service

Maddy showing us the Ivy

We believe it is important to give back to your community. For the second year in a row, our family has participated in the Martin Luther King Day of Service. Each year Kirsten Greene of Cogan Owens Greene (Steve's firm) chooses a service project for the firm, and invites all employees' families.

This year we participated in a project to remove invasive English Ivy from trees along Glendoveer Fitness Trail.  Our crew was assigned certain spots where ivy infested trees were marked with blue ribbons and our job was to clear the trees of the ivy while picking up any trash (or golf balls...as the trail weaves around a golf course) along the way.  Maddy and I concentrated more on the trash, as some of the trees were a ways back and ivy tends to snare little ones' feet.  We all had a good time being outdoors and working to benefit the community.

Cogan Owens Greene Crew

Bonus find = Golf Balls!

Happy 2015!

We celebrated New Years sleepover-style at the Flynns home. The Gregorich family and Eric and Emily also joined the festivities. Maddy, Kieran and Riley had fun playing up until about 9pm, when we had a New Years countdown for them (the kids celebrated on East Coast time), then they headed to bed. When asked if she wanted to sleep on the air mattress with me and Steve or in her sleeping bag upstairs with the boys, no hesitation: with the boys. So glad Maddy likes sleepovers! 😄

The grown ups (I use this term loosely) played games (cranium- girls win!) until the wee hours, stopping briefly at midnight for a big cheers. Eric and Emily Braves the walk home and the Gregoriches slept over, Althea already snuggled in for the night.

The next morning Brendan made breakfast and we all hung out in our PJs. Megan brought out Kieran's karaoke machine and Kieran and Maddy sang "Let it Go" from the movie Frozen repeatedly. Maddy loved it!

Kieran and his Santa Suit

Maddy and Kieran singing "Let it Go"

Christmas 2014

Our Little Angel

What a wonderful Christmas season filled with family and friend time!  We enjoyed every moment of our visit. Christmas in Minnesota started with a heat wave and melting snow; luckily part way through our trip there was a five inch snowfall so we were able to enjoy Minnesota snow...and sledding!

We arrived in Minnesota on December 19 and spent a couple of days with Mike and Jan, spending some time with friends (thanks to Joe and Heather for hosting a kid-friendly gathering) and family. Jana and Colin spent one night with us at Mike and Jan's, which was lots of fun for Maddy.

We headed to Duluth/Knife River on Sunday and spent the next several days (through Christmas morning) with the Sebastian side of the family.  Joel, Silver, Anali and Lisa (foreign exchange student from Germany staying with them) were also at my parent's and we all had a great time!  The Johnsons came on Monday, including Grama, Uncle John, Aunt Sharon, Jared and his daughter Jemma, and Janine.  Catching up with them was fun, lots of reminiscing!  The next evening we went to Bentlyville and enjoyed the lights, and went to dinner at Blackwoods, where Maddy finally got her first taste of walleye.  Christmas eve dinner (pigs in the blanket and pork tenderloin) was fantastic as always, and that night Maddy loved playing elf and handing out gifts.  Everyone was very generous as always, and we all enjoyed our gifts!  Grandmom helped Anali and Maddy put together a plate of cookies for Santa/carrots for the reindeer.  There were a few Elves hanging out at Mom and Dad's including Maddy's own "Simi Newmi" so we all hoped for a good report to Santa.  Santa did not disappoint, and everyone had gifts waiting on Christmas morning.

Our family headed back to the cities, where we stayed with Jeff, Sara, Jana and Colin.  On Christmas day we had the Faust extended family gathering at Ben and Shelly's on Christmas, attended by the Thurnaus, Mike and Jan, Tom and Susan, our family, Uncle Bob, Chuck, Debbie, Rick, Randy, Matt, Seamus and Finnegan. Friday the 26th we celebrated the Faust Family Christmas at Ben and Shelly's, complete with steak, mushrooms, potatoes and all sorts of cookies and ice creams for dessert.  We exchanged our gifts and a great time was had by all!

Saturday was the day we had the 5 inches of snow, and all the cousins gathered at the park near Jeff and Sara's to go sledding. We all had a great time, minus the snafu where Steve and Maddy collided with a dog while tubing down the hill. Maddy's hysterics subsided when we saw there was a swing nearby, and after a bit of time swinging in her snow gear (which she thought was hilarious) we were back on track, and sledding once again.  That night we had Movie Night at Jeff and Sara's and the adults enjoyed a movie upstairs while the kids watched their movie downstairs.

It was a wonderful visit and nice to have time to spend with everyone on both sides of the family.  Steve and Maddy headed back to Portland on Sunday and I stayed on a couple more days at Barbi and Erik's (thank you!) so I could work a couple of days from my home office in Minneapolis. That went well, and I flew back to Portland Tuesday evening, making it home in time for New Year's Eve.

Christmas Dinner at the Sebastian Home

Great Grama (GG) with Anali, Jemma and Maddy

 

 

Little elf

Cookies for Santa, Carrot for the Reindeer

Grandma and Grandpa Faust and the grandkids

Yay, sledding! (Except for the dog)

Movie Night!

Maddy and Sister Eunice

Goodnight Routine

Recently Maddy's bedtime routine shortened up considerably.   Here is Maddy's former, very specialized way to say goodnight right before going to sleep:

Maddy:

I love you to the moon and back, goodnight, I love you to the moon and back, goodnight, I love you to the moon and back goodnight! You make me smile every day!  Goodnight puggynit* (Marnie or Steve), puggynit (Marnie or Steve), puggynit (Marnie or Steve)!

Marnie or Steve:

Goodnight puggynit Maddy, puggynit Maddy, puggynit Maddy!

Maddy:

(Thumb and index finger to lips) kiss sound, kiss sound, kiss sound...cluck, cluck, cluck.

Marnie or Steve:

(Thumb and index finger to lips) kiss sound, kiss sound, kiss sound...cluck, cluck, cluck.

And Maddy would close her eyes before we even shut the door.

*Puggynit = "peanut" in Scottish according to the Loch Mess Monster book.

Santa!

Cookie Party 2014

Happy Cookie Party!

We had our annual Cookie Party this past weekend and it was a smashing success!  Lots of friends gathered at our home, kids decorated Christmas cutouts (read here: gobbed on frosting and heaped sprinkles), and a fun time was had by all.  We were more pressed for time this year so the cookie spread was thinner than in years past, but no one seemed to notice (we have kind friends).  Overall, it was wonderful spending time with our friends and catching up.

Each year I ask everyone to bring a food donation, and this year we collected three bags of non-perishable food items for the local food shelf.  It is nice to be able to give to those in need, especially during the holidays.

The Decorating Station

Cookie spread

Baking with Maddy - she loves sifting flour

Grama's Puffballs

Rolling out the cut-outs!

Thanksgiving 2014

Snoqualmie Falls, Washington

We celebrated Thanksgiving in Seattle with the DeCock family again this year and had a fantastic time. We drove up to Seattle after work/school Tuesday arriving just after 8:00.  Dave, Jane, Kim and Riley had not arrived from Wisconsin yet, so Maddy, Steve and I settled in, then hung out with Chris and his boxer, Koda, for a bit before Maddy went to bed.  The plane from Wisconsin was delayed, so I also went to bed before their arrival.

It was great to see everyone in the morning, and after a short time, Maddy lost her shyness and showed her true silly Maddy colors.  Late morning we went to Snoqualmie Falls, where the waterfall was rushing due to high water levels/lots of rain.  Although there was flooding in the area, the upper viewing area was safe.  We went out to lunch afterwards then back to Chris's home.  Maddy absolutely loved hanging out with everyone. Maddy spent a good deal of time that afternoon giving away her stickers by sticking them to everyone's faces, thinking it was hilarious! Everyone was a good sport and accepted the face-stickers graciously. Later that night after Maddy went to bed, we watched a movie.

Thanksgiving was a very mellow day filled with appetizers, then the magnificent feast of fried turkey, gravy, lefse (made by me and Steve a few days earlier), pearl onions, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, salad and for dessert...pumpkin pie!  Everything was scrumptious. Sadly, I had to leave Thursday night and took a Bolt Bus back to Portland so I could work on Friday.  All went smoothly for my trip home.

Steve and Maddy spent one more day with the DeCock family, and it was dubbed "tickle day."  Maddy had made an agreement with Dave the night before: no more tickling Thursday night...but he could tickle her all he wanted the next day (I would have advised against this, but figured Maddy could learn this lesson on her own).  They had a great time, went to a mall with a carousel where Maddy rode a dragon, then Maddy and Steve headed back to Portland.   Overall, an excellent Thanksgiving holiday! Maddy  already asked if we can go back to Chris's house next year.

Maddy and Dave

Path at Snoqualmie Falls

Snoqualmie Falls

Maddy and Koda

Chris gets his stickers

Jane gets her stickers

Kim gets her stickers

Turkey Frying Crew

Maddy riding a dragon