Miscellaneous Fun Photos

This is our youngest niece, Katelyn. She turned 1 last week, and on Sunday they had a birthday party for her and Tyler. I didn't get a picture with our oldest nephew Tyler, but he also turned 13 this month. It was a great party! I love my family.


This picture is priceless. Gavin, Carter and Nicole, trying to make a break for it into the kitchen. Actually, Nicole was just being a great helper, trying to keep the "boys" entertained.

Carter and Michael at the Whipholt beach.

Carter and daddy with the tomatoes from our plant. Bryan loves to eat them, and Carter just likes to pick them. He tries to convince us that the green ones are ready to pick. We tell him they have to be red first, and he says, they are red...let's just say you can't change a 2 1/2 year old mind

It's FAIR time!

What would summer be without a trip to the good ol' Crow Wing County Fair?

We had a great time. Carter enjoyed seeing the animals. While in the poultry barn, we walked past a turkey, who had its head nestled in its back feathers. I said to Carter "He's sleeping" and Carter said "No mommy, he's dead"! How he even knows what dead means is beyond me, but we laughed it off and moved on.

We got into the sheep and swine barn, and within 5 minutes, Carter started to gag. I thought he was going to toss his cookies right then and there, but he held it together and had no further gagging episodes after that. Perhaps the sweet smell of swine was just a bit much for his little nose. Regardless, we had a wonderful time and Carter thoroughly enjoyed himself. He enjoyed a kid version of a farm. He collected eggs, fed some chickens and even picked some carrots. At the end of the night, we were all ready to head home and "de-germ".

I almost forgot, we did enjoy some cheese curds, french fries and gyros at the fair. We OF course had to make a trip to Dairy Queen before we nested for the night

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Scout reunites with her birthfather!

Ok...so the post may sound a bit funny, but if you are a pet owner, you'll totally "dig" this story. (Scout helped me with that pun on words, get it, DIG, like a dog?) On to the story.

A few weeks ago, I went out to our house to do some work. When I pulled up, there was a man (who later turned out to be someone working on our electrical) and his dog in our garage. The man was working, the dog was sound asleep on the dirt floor. It was a HUGE Golden retriever. When I say huge, I mean Beethoven (the drooling St. Bernard) HUGE. Anyways, he was white in the face and looked so cute. I'm a dog lover, so I immediately knelt down and pet him. His owner and I got to talking and a to make a very LONG story short...it turns out that this gigantic dog, named Bear IS Scouts birth father. I say birth father, because of course, Bryan is really her daddy!

It was so amazing to see where she came from. It's not too often when you get a dog from a litter that you ever see a sibling or even the parent again. I called Bryan in excitement. Later that week, we brought Scout out to the house, and Bear was there. They had a nice reunion, and within 10 minutes, they didn't care if either existed. Nonetheless, it was fun to see the resemblance in them. Many may laugh at this, but Bryan and I could see that they had similar noses and eyes. What a fun experience.

Scout is on the right. She is 8 and her doggy dad is 12.
This picture shows I was NOT kidding. Bear is HUGE, especially for a Golden.

And the house project continues

Here are a few pics of the project. Since I took these, a HUGE transformation has taken place, and soon I will post those photos. For now, enjoy some not-so-exciting looking pics of the electrical and plumbing. I had to take a picture of the laundry shoot as well. I am so excited to heave my dirty clothes down a laundry shoot. Now, if the maid in the basement can keep up with the laundry!

Bryan and our friend Chris wired our entire house for internet, phone, TV and speakers. I LOVE music and requested speakers in our sun room. I cannot wait to enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine in that room while listening to some music. Some of the simplest pleasures in life excite me the most.




Also, you will see pics of our sun room floor, in progress. We wanted something a bit different for the floor, so we opted to stamp the concrete with big rubber stamps. We chose a slate pattern, and I must say, it turned out fantastic! After Bryan stamped it, he waited 24 hours and applied the color of our choice. I selected English Amber, which turned out to be a copper/rust variation. It looks AWESOME! I'll post a picture of the finished product soon, but if you want to see it in person, we'd love to have you visit. (Don't come before October, because we won't be moved in yet!)

Carter on the day the concrete for the garage came.

I call the cement truck "liquid progress"

Hard at work.

THE laundry shoot. Carter has already learned how to throw things down it. None of which were clothes!

Guest Bath

BBQ with Grandpa and Grandma Miller

We spent last Sunday at Bryan's dad's house, near Park Rapids. Carter got to play with his cousin Lucian and also enjoyed some time with his Aunt Alisha, Grandpa Calvin and Grandma Maria. We are looking forward to next weekend, as Lucian is going to stay with us for a few days. Carter will LOVE having a brother to play with.

Carter and Lucian wrestling with Grandpa Calvin
Racing across the lawn

Carter chillin' with his daddy

Jennifer, Alisha and Maria

A nice family photo

Grandpa and Grandma with the boys

Love this picture of Bryan with his dad and sister

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Mini-Golfing

While Bryan went golfing at a real golf course, Carter and I hit the greens at Pirates Cove. We had SO much fun. Thanks to Shayna and Ryan, we had the perfect foursome!

Potpouri of summer fun

We've been having fun since my last post on July 13th. We've had visitors, been to the beach, been mini-golfing and many other great things.

OH YA...our house is really moving along nicely. Right now, pictures just don't do it justice. Plumbers, heaters, electricians and others have now taken over the inside. I wish this meant a break for Bryan, but it doesn't. He is excited though to start working on the outside of the house (siding). Next week he is hoping to pour and stamp the concrete in our 3-season porch, and then pour the garage floor too. After that comes the insulators, sheet rockers, and a kick-butt painting crew (I'm the lead painter on that crew!)

We are hoping to be in by the middle to end of October. It will be almost exactly 1 year since we started. Pretty amazing considering up until now, all the progress has been at Bryan's hands.
Thank God for good health and his many blessings!

If you look closely, you will see a home-made cement shoot. This was used to get the cement in the basement once the mud truck got stuck. That's a whole DIFFERENT post, one of which I'm not in the mood to write about right now!

Carter and Daddy checking on the floor progress.

The morning the floor was poured.

What In-Floor heat looks like before the concrete is poured over it.

Note the parmesan cheese on Carter's plate. He is obsessed with "seasoning" his own food.

Here's a better view of the few noodles he had under all of that cheese!

Carter, hitching a ride in Bryan's new backpack he will use in Colorado. He will use this pack to haul out Elk meat! I think a bag o' Carter is cuter.

Hangin' at the Blexrud's beach.

Fun day at Grandma Sue's. Here is Carter with his cousins and Great Aunt Dardie.

Visiting with Jen from Colorado

Kelly and I sharing a drink FAR too large for either of us!

Martini Night at Iven's on the Bay in Brainerd

Martinis with Jen

Martinis with Kelly