Baker Golf Classic 2008

Dustin's family has a reunion every year down in Freeman at the golf course. We were finally able to make it down again and we had a great time! I haven't golfed since last year and even then I only made it out once. It was kind of like riding a bike and after a few holes I got the swing of things. Ha!

Our caravan. I still think our team was the best even if we didn't win!

I know, I know. I'm pretty awesome! And the shot was really close too.
I hear Lance is quite the golfer so it was pretty impressive that I got this pin prize.

Celebrating my skills!

This is what your form looks like when you are 26 weeks pregnant. It must have worked for me. I out-drove the guys on a couple different holes.

Happy Birthday Mom!

"The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been."
Madeleine L'Engle, quoted in the New York Times (April 25, 1985)

Mom's birthday was Friday and we celebrated with a garage party! We had an amazing variety of food as everyone brought a dish to share. It was so much fun. Happy Birthday Mom ... I love you!!

Summer Fun

We took the boat out to Lake Oakwood Sunday afternoon (which was the perfect day to go, as all the holiday campers were on their way home!). Nichole and I commented several times that it's been far too long since we've been to Oakwood. Things have changed so much out there. We definitely need to go more often and I think we just might!

The anticipation was almost more than Allie could take!

This little girl has no fear, she was ready to jump out of the boat a couple times.

Uncle Dustin let Allie drive us back from the swim beach. She's an excellent driver. Now if we can just get her to look up from the steering wheel!

Happy Fourth of July!

It is the Soldier

by Charles M. Province

It is the soldier, not the reporter,

Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the soldier, not the poet,

Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,

Who has given us freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier, not the lawyer,

Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the soldier, who salutes the flag,

Who serves under the flag,

Whose coffin is draped in the flag,

Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

Landscaping!

Before

After

With my mother's vision and a little muscle from Dustin and my father, we got our landscaping done! I could not be more pleased with the end result ... it has completely transformed our house. We planted hostas and a spirea, a shrub of some sort and azaleas. Mom gave me the fun bamboo wind chime and the planter with the impatiens. The rocks are courtesy of my uncle's farm, the flower is something cool I picked up at the Art's Festival last year and of course, my bird. I'm so happy that he finally has a decent home! Now he needs a fresh coat of paint and a name!

Hannah & Eric's Wedding

Isn't my husband handsome?

The bride and groom ... and the long awaited picture of pregnant Christi

Hannah and Eric were married on Saturday (this was the wedding that I was able to just attend, no responsibilities!). We had a great time and again, stayed out way past my bedtime.

Big News

I paid off my car today!!!!

Patio Improvements

Dustin and I decided a while ago that we needed to do something about our patio. It's a little too open on the east side and we wanted a little privacy, plus a barrier of some sort for the thousands of leaves that blow onto our patio. So we went to Lowe's. We had no idea if our little plan was going to work, but Dustin set about anyway. It turned out great!! He did a wonderful job installing our little privacy panel of sorts. The next step is planting some ivy to grow up the panels. I love it!!

Old Timer's Day

Volga celebrated Old Timer's Day this past weekend. Friday was filled with rummage sales city-wide ... Dustin and I took the day off to check them out. We didn't find much and spent most of our time at my Mom's rummage sale. Friday night we went to the golf course for, as Mayor Tom calls it, Volga's best kept secret. Food and Fireworks! After a brief rain shower, during which we all crammed into the club house, we enjoyed the fireworks display. It was fantastic!!

The parade was on Saturday. Mom was in the parade (she's on the city council) and Dad drove the firetruck that they rode on. After the parade, we headed to the park for food. There were several food vendors there again and we checked out a few of the craft booths. We were also able to hear my cousin Morgan sing. She's one of nine Sioux Valley band and choir students that will be touring Europe next summer with Midwest Ambassadors of Music (the same tour that I went on in high school).

The street dance was Saturday night and I went for a couple hours before heading to Nichole's to pick up Allie so Nichole could head to the dance.

Nichole and Allie at the parade

Mom and Allie at the park

Nichole's friend Courtney and her daughter Kiera

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the incredible father's in my life ... I love you.

A father is neither an anchor to hold us back, nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose love shows us the way.
George Webster Douglas

Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.
Proverb

Baby Beringer

Can you see the face? And the thumbs up on the left side of the pic?

Peace!

Stretch!

We went to the doctor today for another checkup and got an ultrasound too. This will most likely be the last one that I have (I had one at 9 weeks, my first appointment). We probably could have found out what we're having but we didn't. We just know that it's a baby and everything is going very well for both of us. The baby weighs 1 pound right now and I'm 21 weeks along. Craziness!

Let the Wedding Season Begin!

Dustin and me

Kyndal, me and Shel (maid of honor)

Cool cake!

Kyndal and Chad were married yesterday and I played piano for their wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony and a great reception/dance. I stayed up far too late but had a wonderful time.
We have another wedding to attend in a couple weeks. This will be the first wedding that I have not played piano for or been in in a long, long time. I'm not quite sure what to do with myself!
My cousin Rachel will be getting married in August (on my sister's birthday) and then I'm playing for another wedding, also in August. I think that might be it for weddings this year. :)

The Weekend

This weekend started off great. We went over to my grandparents new house Friday night and helped them move some stuff and went back on Saturday to help move the rest. It was a great day for moving ... and I probably say this because I didn't have to do much! I unpacked some stuff and Randy came over with Allie in the afternoon so I just chased her around.

Then Saturday night I went to Sex and the City with my friend Lucy. It was amazing. I cannot wait for the movie to be available on DVD. Thanks again for going with me Lucy! And Dustin thanks you too ... Ha!!

Saturday also marked the halfway point of my pregnancy. So exciting!

Sunday was not so good. About a half hour after I woke up, I got sick. I had a brief period where I thought I was getting better and then it got bad again. The last bout of vomiting gave me a bloody nose, so we called Ask-a-Nurse. Upon her recommendation, and the recommendation of my parents and sister, we went to the emergency room. Now, normally I would have toughed it out. But when you're pregnant it's not just about you. Got to the ER and they gave me some anti-nausea medicine and an iv to get me hydrated. We hung out there for about an hour or so and then went home. I felt better than I did before we went, but I still felt like crap. On doctors orders, I'm home resting today. I feel much better though. Just tired and sore. I'm on the BRAT diet and it's going well. I'm just anxious to get back to normal.

Congratulations Wayne!

My cousin Wayne, a staff sergeant in the Air Force, was recently recognized by the Department of Defense with an amazing award. Check out the story here.

Congratulations Wayne ... your family is very proud of you!

Learning

Every once in a while I come across tutorials that help me develop my skills in the programs I use. This little ditty is one I've been working on the last couple of days. So fun!

I Heart Long Weekends

There's nothing better than a long weekend. Knowing you get that extra day makes all the difference in the world. We did nothing on Saturday. I literally mean nothing. We did manage to do the dusting and "swiffering", but other than that we didn't do much. We went out to Rolfie and Anne's (my uncle and aunt) Saturday night for some grilling. We had hoped for a bonfire, but the wind was terrible so that was a no-go. But it was still a fun night and the food was great! Thanks again Rolfie and Anne!

Sunday morning we awoke to a hail storm. That was fun. I thought a tree was going to come crashing through our roof or something. But by the time church was over it had turned into a beautiful day and shortly after lunch, we were on the lake!

Lake Sinai

Lake Sinai

The fisherman (?)

Dustin fished (if you can call it that, he didn't catch anything!) and I read my book. I've never been a lake person and I'm starting to wonder if that's because we never had a boat. Now, I think I'm a lake person. It was gorgeous and so peaceful out there. I love to waterski, but that's not an option for me this summer. I don't think my doctor would approve! But if all I can do is sit out there and read, I am more than okay with that!

We saved the lawn work for this morning. I mowed the front and Dustin mowed the back. Our neighbor told us this morning that our lawn looks the best it has since they moved in about 10 years ago. Dustin is quite proud!! He always says his dad had a nice lawn and he intends to have a nice lawn as well. So thanks, Jeff!!

Tonight is grilling at Mom and Dad's, which I always look forward to. I hope everyone had a great long weekend and Happy Memorial Day!! Thank you to all those who serve and have served.

Random

Let's see ... hosted book group last Thursday and made my weird food. It wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't great! I don't know that I'll make it again, but at least I can say that I made some Afghanistan food to go with the book. Ha!

Did some yard work this weekend and I've decided that I need some plants or flowers or something on my patio. I have to find things that won't mind if I forget about them ... I have a tendency to kill any type of flower or plant I come in contact with. Mom, this is where you come in. We might have to hit up Medary Acres or something this next weekend.

Went out to Jessica and Josh's Saturday night for supper. It's always so nice to go out there and just hang out. We had a very informal supper (and discovered that we both like grilled cabbage) and then had a fire and listened to the coyotes. It's so peaceful out there.

Just realized today that RibFest is next weekend. I'm not quite sure how summer managed to sneak up on me, but I'm sure glad it did. Mom pointed out that it's been so chilly lately that it's hard to believe summer is on it's way. Also realized that I don't have to work a week from today. Good to know ... I probably would have went to work. ;-)

I ordered a couple new books from my book club (Doubleday) and they arrived today. Yay! Except I realized that I already own one of the books that I purchased. I must have really liked it! I know exactly how it happened. James Patterson has a new women's murder club book and I thought I ordered that one. I didn't. Oh well.

I think that's about it. Not much else is going on. I've had a couple doctor's appointments and everything is going great. We go again in June and I've been told that we'll have another ultrasound. Dustin and I purchased a new printer for our computer and it's also a copier/scanner, so I'll be able to share the ultrasound with everyone!!

Book Group Menu

I think I have a pretty good idea of what I will serve my book group Thursday night!

Noodles with Yogurt and Mint and Kofta Nakhod (meatballs with chickpeas). You can click on either dish to view the ingredients.

Hopefully I can find all the ingredients ... shouldn't be too hard. Our grocery store is pretty good about stocking ethnic items. I'll be sure to let you all know how it turns out!

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers in my life!

May Book Group

So, if anyone pays attention to "What I'm Reading" you might have noticed that the picture hasn't changed in a while. This would be the time of year that my reading takes a direct hit, as I find myself with a million things to do. Needless to say, I haven't quite finished the book from last month. For the month of May, I'm supposed to be reading The Kite Runner.


Luckily I have already read this book (and I highly recommend it ... you should also read A Thousand Splendid Suns). It is my turn to host though and book group is a week from tonight. I need to figure out what I will serve. We try to have foods that relate to what we just read, so I'm looking for Afghani dishes. I'm hoping to find Naan, which is quite popular throughout the book, but I'm not really sure about anything else. If anyone has any ideas please let me know!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Dustin and my dad planted a tree for us yesterday
Dad says in about 5 years we'll have a really pretty red maple towering in our yard!

America's Pastime in America's Capital

On Sunday we went to a Washington Nationals game. While no one is a die-hard 'Nats fan, it was fun to see them take on the Cubs. And they won, which I'm told doesn't happen very often! The ballpark is brand new this year and it's probably one of the nicest ballparks I've been to. There were "Welcome Home" signs everywhere ... seems the folks of D.C. are very excited to have their team back in the city. And no, the main display you see above is not from my company. :(

Vacation Photos

Washington Monument

Korean War Memorial

WWII Memorial

WWII Memorial

National Air and Space Museum

National Air and Space Museum

The White House

Vacation

Last Thursday, Dustin and I headed out east to visit his parents. Jeff and Cindy moved out to the D.C. area a few months ago and we had been anxiously awaiting our trip out there. After a delay in Sioux Falls (thunderstorms) and a mad dash through the Minneapolis airport (not fun), we finally made it to D.C. Jeff and Cindy treated us to some surf and turf that evening ... steaks and lobster tails, shrimp and scallops ... delicious!
The next morning we had a tour of the Capital building. Dustin's sister-in-law's cousin (got that?) is an intern with a Senator from North Dakota and she was able to give us a tour. Very cool.
After the tour, we had some lunch at Union Station and then hopped on the Metro and headed to the Mall. We walked down around the Washington Monument to the Vietnam Memorial, stopped by the Lincoln Memorial (where we got trapped in an elevator) and then stopped at the Korean Memorial. While at the Korean Memorial, the coolest thing happened. There was a lady standing next to the monument, pointing to a picture (there are pictures engraved all over the wall of the monument). Turns out, the picture she was pointing to was her! While I can't remember what she did during the war, I did manage to ask where she was from. She's living in Anchorage, Alaska!


Next we headed down the path towards the WWII Memorial. This Memorial is new since the last time I was in D.C. It was awesome. Then we headed back to the Metro and made our way to King Street, also known as Old Towne Alexandria. Jeff works on King Street and we quickly discovered that it will be a good long while before I can ever afford anything from the shops on that particular street! But it was still fun to walk down the street and look at all the shops. Jeff and Cindy then took us to one of their favorite haunts, Chadwicks. We had a couple beers (mine of the non-alcoholic variety) before heading back to the apartment, which we affectionately called the hotel! I kid you not, their complex is pretty much like a hotel. It's awesome!
On Saturday we got tickets to tour the Holocaust Museum and also went to the National Air & Space Museum and the National Gallery of Art. We quickly discovered that while we had 80 degree temperatures, SD was getting 10+ inches of snow!!
We also walked by the White House and stopped at the Iwo Jima Memorial before heading down to the Marina. Jeff and Cindy took us to a fish market and then we went to Phillips, a seafood buffet. This place was huge and had the best crab legs!! We got home just in time for a cool thunderstorm and lots of rain.

Greetings from the East Coast

Dustin and I took a little vacation out to see his parents, Jeff and Cindy ... I'll be sure to post all about it when we get home (tomorrow).

Just wanted to let everyone know that Jeff and Cindy have joined the world of bloggers! I've set up a link on the side ... be sure to stop by their site!

New Computer ... New Desk

Yes, ladies and gentleman, I am finally posting from a new (and much faster) computer. Since we got the new computer I decided we needed a sleek new desk as well. So after the Hovey dinner in Watertown today we stopped at Target. We managed to pick up this desk, new throw pillows for the couch and I found a couple maternity tops on sale. I love Target.