129 years

It's my mother in law's parents back in 1981.  That's Dan in the high chair, John swinging something at Grandpa John.

Grandma, my mother in law's mother, wielding the baby bottle at some point.

 And my cute mother in law and her mom, back when she was younger than I am now by far.

And her dad, our most beloved John Becker, Johann.

Until we meet again.

So much love, on your birthday and always,

Love, Jay, and Val, and Everybody

when your grandchild can drive

 Okay, that's a milestone!

Way to go, Buddy!

 We are so proud of you.

Be CAREFUL. Go SLOWER.

We love you, Grandma and Grandpa and Everybody

a productive weekend

Maria's bathroom is complete and beautiful.  

I did first quarter, and ordered Tim's senior pictures. We helped James move to his apartment, and then Tim moved upstairs into James' old room.  Jay did spring clean up in the yard.  And for the grand finale on Sunday night, Elin had a bath.

She was so unamused.   We have to be sly and intentional, not tip our hand ahead of time and the sneak to put the non slip rug into the tub.  We cannot start running the water until she's in there or she hides. 

We did it. Dog is clean and smelling like a tulip.

Speaking of tulips--the rain and sun have brought the yard to life, fresh plants springing up everywhere.

Moving James went fast, many were there to help, Tim and us, and also Jay and Katie and Aaron.  Getting the couch in was the worst, bulky, heavy, wouldn't fit in the elevator, so up the stairs it went, dodging around light fixtures, and Little Jay was on the top stairs, Dad Jay and James hoisting from below.  Praise Jesus, it made it into the apartment and voila.

I keep expecting to run into James around the corner, up the stairs, in the kitchen.

Nope.

Guy has a right to grow up.

Tomorrow is Monday.

Onward.

We can do it.

Tomorrow night is the turtle tank, and I'm really going to get serious about my continuing ed.

So much love, Val

guy's got a birthday

 You!  You do!

It was so lovely to talk with you on the phone before school this morning.  I hope your whole day was wonderful.

Your gift was in the mail today to, and it's going to be wrapped, and brought to you as soon as we can.

You are a ray of sunshine in this family, just a pleasure to know.

Can't wait to see what this next year brings.

We love you like crazy.

Happy Birthday,   Love, Grandma and Grandpa and Everybody

pictures from the lake

 

Love, Val

happy birthday, mom!

 I didn't think of taking any pictures today, so this one will have to suffice.   

It was so lovely to be together, for the first time in over a year, sit at the table, enjoy a snack and almost two hours of conversation.

How I have missed you both in this long time. We've done our best, and the phone sure works, but it's felt so, so long.

What a perfect day to be together.

Thanks for loving all of us the way you do.

Hoping this year will be a better one.

Happy Birthday with so much love, Val and Everybody

cuties

We stopped at my sister's to drop off a baby gift, and surprise! The babies were there, so we got to enjoy them for a little while.  He was so excited, loved his gifts, and she's just a little doll, golden hair, so pretty.

We also went to Jay and Katie's to look at the well that runs the sprinkler system.  They did figure it out and then we went upstairs to say hi to the cat before we left.

Callie was perched on that piece of wrapping paper.  Jay said that's why they left it there because she's so attached to it.

Weird!

He said before that it was a receipt from Target.  He kicked that big puff and said they'd bought her a big memory foam cat bed, but no. She prefers random scraps of paper.

Made it through the weekend and into Monday and what a strange, sad week this is turning into in Minneapolis.

Onward.   Love, Val

 

the vase is found

There it is.  While we were looking for something else misplaced, we were searching around the house with flashlights, thinking and thinking.   Then I picked up that suitcase and thought it felt very heavy for an empty suitcase.  I unzipped it and voila.

This was put into the suitcase while we were putting away Thanksgiving decorations, putting up the Christmas tree, and incidentally also done with our trips to the cabin for the winter.  So I put it in my suitcase where it would be safe and not crushed, and rushing around that day, don't remember doing it.  

But there you go.

And while we were doing this, I casually mentioned to Jay that there was water on the floor behind the boiler.   He was immediately alert.  Was that clogged gutter that always leaks into the basement doing that?  Nah, too far awy.  Was the chimney leaking? Nah, doubt it. Has never leaked before.

He ran downstairs and inspected the pump on the back of the boiler and looked at the gauge.  No lost pressure.  That's not it.

Then he looked at the water heater--the pretty new water heater.  The first water heater was old when we moved in and lasted for almost 30 more years.   But this one is still shiny, out of the wrapper new looking, except it is not. It was leaking like crazy.

So new water heater time.

Thanks, lost vase.

Onward.   Love, Val

happy birthday, kari

There you are, right in the middle!

Beautiful woman now:

Lovely child:

Those big hazel eyes:

You and me with Julia back in 2004 when you were a four year old child at our first summer at the cabin.

You and Tim and Dad:

And tonight, this weird quarantine birthday, negative test and all, here we are, struggling through.  I'm so sorry this is your birthday, but we tried to make the best of it, keep everyone safe.

Opening presents on the stairway landing:

So much love, my precious Lydia Karina, aka Kari.

You are a most assured and attuned, sensitive and complicated woman, who understands the complexities of relationships and life in general.

We are so lucky you're ours.

Happy Birthday, Darling. We could not love you more.  

Love, Mom and Dad and Everybody.

beautiful baby

 So beautiful.

So much love, Val and Everybody

a few pictures from last week

We stopped by John and Dannell's for a little while.  This is new equipment, and the kids are talented with the stunts, including fetching things from the window well.   They are so sweet.  It so nice to see them.

Kirsten was here with these guys.   They were excited to be here, and Elin thought she would love to play with them, but we didn't let her.   Kirsten said on a day she drove by our house doing errands they came at the house in a different direction than  usual, but he still recognized the place and cried and cried.

Such a good little girl:

And these people.  These pictures were taken the day I lost the baby.  How could I lose her? Where could she go?

I ran to look in the garage and outside, then back to the baby doll room.  Nope.   I texted Heidi and ran upstairs.  

Yeah, I found her in her sister's room with the door shut.  When I opened it, she held up a hand and said, "Hi."  Yeah, hi yourself, scaring me like that.  There she is leaving again, off to conquer other rooms.

And now it's today, 83 degrees and storms in the distance.

So much love, Val

first weekend at the lake

The swamp is getting noisy!

So many toads and frogs singing away--

Love, Val