Happy New Year!

Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.

Helen Keller

Cheers to 2012!

Christmas 2011

 Santa baby

 Christmas baby

 Not sure what happened to Turner's clothes, 

but here's the Bjerke grandkids!  :)

 You would think he's embarrassed by his lack of clothes, 

but not really!

 The Great-Grandma's with Lilli Jo

 Great-Grandma Elsie and Lilli Jo

 The Batcave!!

 Lilli Jo got a Radio Flyer wagon from Grandma & Grandpa Bjerke

 Not sure what this conversation entailed, but knowing Preston he was telling Great-Grandpa that the tractor was not his.  :-)  

Dad never thought he would be buying a blue tractor! Turner got one too!

 Best.Christmas.Present.Ever. 

I've worn them every day since Christmas!!

Still can't believe that Mom knew I wanted them. I really don't remember telling her.

 The superhero's, ready to save us from impending doom!

Aunt Nichole & Uncle Randy got Preston a superhero chest with these costumes.

Baby's First Christmas

This outfit was Preston's from his first Christmas. 

She doesn't look very excited, but she enjoyed her first Christmas!

 Santa came to our house ...

 And got Preston a batmobile!

 Opening presents with the Beringers on Christmas Day

Pez!

My camera was full after that last picture was taken, so I didn't get any more pictures from our time with the Beringers. :(

We had such a great time with both our families. Preston loved all of his presents and I think Lilli Jo was even excited about hers. She got a new rattle and the cutest doll that has the funniest laugh (from Grandma & Grandpa Beringer). Her face just lights up and she giggles right along with the doll.

We hope that you all had a very Merry Christmas as well!!

Congratulations On Your Retirement, Dad!!

After 25 years of service with the Volga Fire Department, my Dad is retiring tonight. 

It seems like my Dad has been a fireman my whole life. He almost has been, really. 

I always knew when it was 6:30. Brookings County sent out their radio test at that time. When the radio went off any other time than that, Dad would race off (if it was a call for Volga, that is).

One of the craziest memories I have is from quite some time ago ... I can't even remember when. 

My parents drove a Ford Escort station wagon (I think) at the time. We had gone to the movies one night. Mom and Dad went to Backdraft. I don't really remember what movie Nichole and I went to. After the movies, we headed to Econofoods to do some grocery shopping (where Dunham's is now). Mom was commenting on the way there that it had been a while since Volga had gotten a fire call. Sure enough, Volga got a fire call. And we were standing by the meat counter with a grocery cart half full of groceries. Mom and Dad just kind of looked at each other and one of them said to the nearby clerk, "We'll be back!"

We raced out of the store, got in the car and Dad took off like a shot. We headed East on 6th Street to 22nd. From there, we got onto Highway 14 and headed to Volga. My sister didn't care for the ride there, as Dad was driving just a touch above the speed limit. I thought it was awesome! Dad pulled up in front of the fire hall, jumped out and raced inside. We watched the trucks pull out of the station and from there ... well, I don't really remember what happened. I'm sure at some point we went back and finished our grocery shopping.

This year for Halloween, Preston was a fireman. Dad took him to the fire hall to see the trucks yesterday. Preston really got a kick out of it.

 

Congratulations, Dad, and thank you for your service!

MMMM! Food!

 Let me help you, Mom

 Open wide!

 I think there's some on my chin

nom, nom, nom!

We gave Lilli Jo rice cereal for the first time last night and she did pretty darn good. Preston freaked out the first time we gave him rice cereal, he just wasn't having it. The second time around for him went much better! We just finished her "supper" tonight and she did even better this time around. I think the bib might even be salvageable for one more feeding.  :)

You Better Watch Out!

Santa Claus came to town!

The LARSON Christmas party for the kids was Friday night. Such a great company ... We don't even work there, yet my children get presents from Santa because my Mom works there. 

Grandma and Grandpa brought Turner because Nichole and Allie were in Mitchell for Allie's cheer competition (her team got 2nd!!!! After a rocky start, this is great news!).

Merry Christmas!!

Watch Me Grow!

Lilli Jo at four months ...

12 lbs 11 oz

23 1/4 inches

Preston at four months

And baby girl started rolling over!

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Merry Christmas!

That's exactly what Preston said when he threw on the stockings and Santa hat today.  

He is obsessed with Santa this year. We watch Santa movies on an almost daily basis and we sing Santa Claus is Coming to Town every night before bed. Throughout the day, he'll sing "You ... better watch out! You not better cry!" 

Christmas becomes just as fun and exciting as it was when I was a kid as each year passes with Preston. I look forward to Lilli Jo's excitement as she gets older!

 

Last weekend Dustin got the lights up on the house and I got all the decorations up inside. Friday night we bought our tree. We got it up last night and decorated it today.

By Dustin's calculations, there are 1,750 lights on the tree!!

Preston Makes a Pizza

 

Preston helped me make our pizza tonight. He's quite the little chef ... it was delicious!

Little Lady's Man

Dustin's cousin, Amy, got married yesterday down in Sioux Falls. 

I have become terrible about taking pictures lately, so I didn't get any of the bride and groom or of our little lady all decked out in her LBD. Oops.

I did manage to remember I had my camera with me when I saw Preston out on the dance floor with these lovely ladies. They were seated at the table next to us. Preston had been sitting on their laps getting his picture taken with them earlier in the night. Such a flirt!!

He's going to be quite the heartbreaker!

Thanksgiving

 My First Thanksgiving!

 Snoozin' with Great Grandpa

 Chillin' with Daddy

 Everyone (except me and Lilli Jo) took Preston down to see the ducks and geese 

(at least I think it was ducks and geese) and Preston got to throw some bread their way.

 They had just put up the snow fence so he couldn't get real close. 

We had tried to go down there the last two times we visited Jeff and Cindy but never got around to it.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the Beringers in Yankton. Jeff and Cindy served as our hosts in their new house and Grandma and Grandpa Beringer, Jon and Deb, and Amy and Derek came for dinner.

We sure missed having Bryan, Jessica and Cyrus there. Bryan, as you know, continues to serve our country and Jessica and Cyrus spent Thanksgiving with her family.

The night before Thanksgiving we headed to my parents house for some homemade pizza and to make lefse. Uncle Rolfie and Abby joined in on the fun as well! I took some of that lefse down to Yankton with me and even got a couple people to try it! Someday they'll all embrace my Norwegian ways! Next time we get together, I'm going to try to get them to eat some smoked oysters, I think.  :)

We have much to be thankful for ... two happy, healthy children and wonderful families to support us.

Next weekend, we'll head down to Sioux Falls for Amy and Derek's wedding. Can't wait!

Lillian's Baptism

November 13, 2011

Almost everyone was able to make it to Lillian's baptism (we sure missed you, Grandma Trego!) and it was a great day. Her baptism was during the early service and we headed to Mom and Dad's house afterwards for a delicious brunch. Mom and I made most of the food the day before and Dad helped finish things up after church.

Nichole, Randy, Matt and Jessica served as sponsors and I cannot thank them all enough for being part of Lillian's special day.

Lilli Jo wore the gown that Allie wore at her baptism. It was made from Nichole's wedding dress. We used the blanket that was made from my wedding dress as well and again used the handkerchief that belonged to Great Grandma Lillian. The handkerchief will someday be Lilli Jo's.

This little girl is quite blessed!