Hi Dad

Hi Dad,

I just wanted to tell you thanks for checking my blog.  I hope you have a great week.  I love you.  God bless and good night.

me

Oh, Moooommmmm

Once upon a time I had fewer worries.  Then Brigid learned how to climb. Remember that?  We rearranged our school room so she wouldn't climb on the little desk and fall down.  Well, she's found a new climbing platform.  She's a risk taker. She's lucky she has guardian angels in the form of older brothers.  She has yet to learn the lesson of "climb high, fall hard" because she always has an angel save the day.

 Brigid - SCORE!! Someone left the chairs pulled out.

Blase - Oh, MOooommmm!!  Brigid!!

Mom (as I'm walking toward the school room) - What is she doing n..BRIGID!  What are you doing up there?  (Yes, the camera happened to be close by.)

Brigid - Watch me walk off the end of the table, 'cause I can.

Blase (whose hands you see in the corner of the picture) - Brigid!!  No!  Ahhhhh!!  She's trouble, Mom!  (as he catches her)

Normally we are not in the habit of letting little girls climb on tables.  She was so stinkin' adorable and innocent.  How can you not take a picture?  Besides, her biggest guardian angel was there the whole time.  He'd never let anything happen to her.

Within minutes she decided that if she couldn't climb on a table she will just climb on the step stool and try to get on the counter.  Lucky for us she is still short.  Brigid will be more than a handful when she gets a little more height to match her "no fear".  I hope you are smiling at this sweet little handful.  She's one part delight and two parts stress when she gets that impish grin.  Heaven help us!

It's My Book

Don't get between a girl and her book.

 Brigid had a book.  Kiara wanted it.

Kiara lost.

Stephen and Uncle John

Last month (yikes, oh man where has time gone?) Stephen and his Confirmation sponsor, Uncle John Bestgen, were finally together and dressed up so we took a picture.  John was unable to attend the Confirmation, but we were glad to have him and his family stop in for a quick overnight visit on their way to visit some friends.  It is always wonderful to have family visit.

Basket Babies

This is how I found my twinnies this morning.  It just makes me smile when they have fun.  I wish I knew whose idea it was to climb in the baskets in the first place.

Swimming Lessons in Pictures

Today the kids had their first swimming lessons.  They are taking lessons in a private home.  I like that because it is just us for the lessons.  That is what happens when you have enough kids for a single class.  The boys did great today.  Brech has not had any lessons prior to this.  I asked him who taught him to be so good in the water.  His reply, "My Godmother."  His Godmother teaches him everything and is the most important person outside of this house.

All the boys did a great job.  Cormac used to be scared to death of water and had to cling to the back of his former swimming teacher.  Now he was going underwater and trying everything.  I'm so proud of him.  Rex was a bit more hesitant to go underwater today.  I am sure he will be better next time. Blase and Stephen both did a wonderful job of swimming.  I am sure they will be moved to the next level soon.  Overall - a good first day of swimming lessons.

Itasca State Park

Two Saturdays ago we made the drive to Itasca State Park in Minnesota.  It was a long, boring drive.  OK, so it was only long for me and boring for a couple of the kids.  Our plan was to drive over there, look through the park, then find a place to eat lunch on the way back.  Sounded like a great plan, except we changed it mid-park viewing.  We decided we would head over to Grand Forks and stop by Cabela's to exchange a coat that didn't fit Stephen.  That added a bit to our drive (yah a long bit!) and also eliminated the chance for lunch.  We finally ate again at supper time, but it was worth the wait as we ate at Culver's.  That is Brech Earl's favorite.  :-)

 You can just barely see the water behind the kids, mostly Gianna.  That is the start of the Mississippi River.  We have crossed the Mississippi River more times that I ever imagined we would.  We have crossed it in numerous states and used it as a landmark for drives.  I am glad we were able to see where it started.

Why when you say, "Look at me and this will be over sooner," does there have to be ONE or TWO that just won't look at the camera.  This is a particularly telling picture on how many pictures it took to get the kids to look at the picture.  In the above picture Blase is smiling.  In this one he is doing the "death to the picture taker" glare. 

 We got to the open area just in time to see a riverboat turn around and head back down the river.  As you can very well imagine - that was followed by many requests to ride on the boat.  That's just what my stress level needed to send me over the edge.  We did NOT take a boat ride.

 There again - look at me...at me....AT ME!!!

 Gianna and the twins hung out with me while the boys and Darren did a bit of hiking.  She was being a ham for the camera.  She was also every person's best friend that day.  I'm sure she made the day of at least three old women and one dog that stood taller than she did.

 This tree was just hanging out over the road.  Can't say I was excited to see that.

 Thanks for the "nice" picture guys.

It was great to see fall colors and clear skies.  Oh and a few hills too.