Family of 3

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!

This was the eighth Christmas Marty and I spent together, and the fifth Christmas together as a married couple. Wow, that really is a long time. Seems like it was just yesterday or maybe last month we were trying to decide if it was appropriate to invite each other to our separate family Christmas celebrations. And here we are now with our very own family of 3. In years past we have just exchanged gifts at some random time during the holiday, not really making any big deal of it, which was fine because it was just us two. But since we now have our own little family, I wanted to designate an evening to our "family." This evening was the Friday before Christmas, Dec. 21, 2007. We invited over Marty's parents to celebrate with us. I made a nice supper complete with our good chinaware and even opened a bottle of wine! Gracie of course enjoyed her baby food meal of sweet potatoes and peaches, along with a few cereal puffs. Gracie as you will see below was dressed as cute as a button in her Christmas dress.

She had been trying all week to get into these presents...

such a temptation they were for her. Finally she can dig in. And of course playing with the ornaments on the Christmas tree, except now the needles are getting pretty brittle and fall off whenever she touches the tree.
Santa brought Gracie this shopping cart walker. She hasn't really started to stand yet on her own, but with some help she does pretty good.
She does try to get up, but those legs get kinda wobbly when they are on their own for to long.

Grandma Betty (Malecek) gave Gracie this caterpillar, its just like a rocking horse, except it's a caterpillar... it plays music and lights up. It caught Gracie's eye immediately. She is a little small yet, but I am certain in a few months the "rocking caterpillar" will be the source of many hours of enjoyment!

Our first Christmas celebration as a family of 3 was a joyous time. I hope to have many more celebrations to come and fond memories to cherish.

Christmas with the Extended Relatives

Every year since before I can remember we have had huge family gatherings at each Grandparents home to celebrate Christmas. This year was no different.

Last weekend (Dec. 15-16) were the gatherings.

Sunday was the gathering of my Dad's family at my Grandma and Grandpa's Sohre's house. Every year a few more babies are added and amazingly I would say over 1/2 of the entire crew shows up. It gets pretty loud in the basement.

My grandparents have (if I counted and did my math correctly):

• 5 sons


• 5 daughters-in-law


• 20 grandchildren
  
• 13 grandchildren-in-law
  
• 29 great-grandchildren (and probably some more on the way)

To think all this happened because "two people fell in love"

Look at all those stocking on the wall... and that isn't even all of them. Grandma can't keep up!

Above is my Grandpa Sohre... a wonderful man!

Letting the food digest after the big meal.


On Saturday was my Mom's side of the family...

a little smaller, but equally as grand.
This year my sister Christy hosted the gathering.

Here's the stats from this family (again if I counted correctly):

• 3 daughters
• 3 son-in-laws
• 12 grandchildren
• 7 grandchildren-in-law (soon to be 8)
• 15 great-grandchildren (another on the way)

Below: Gracie and Great-grandma

The kids opening presents and giving Grandma a hug.

I think Grandma very much enjoyed the day!

As I see how these families have grown over the years... I wonder what Marty and I's holiday gatherings will be like in 40-50 years. Will both of us be around? Will we have tons of grandkids and little great-grandkids running around? Will our kids want to come home to celebrate with us? Will we want them home with us (J/K)? Will we be happy and healthy? I hope so!

Gracie in College?

For those of who do not know I am working on my Master's degree to become a Clinical Nurse Specialist at Minnesota State University, Mankato. This semester I took an advanced nursing assessment class, which had to meet on campus every Friday morning (most of my classes are online with once-a-month onsite meetings). The last 4 weeks of this class was pediatric assessment. On our very last day my instructor wanted us to bring in some real-live children so she could demonstrate some assessment skills to the class. I volunteered to bring in my Gracie. So Gracie got her first visit to the big University and to go to school with her Mommy! She, of course, did a wonderful job. She let all my fellow classmates look in her ears and listen to her heart. She was a little squirmy when my instructor was demonstrating on her, but overall got an A+ for the day.

Since we were on campus, we of course had to go visit my Mom, who works at the campus Hub. Grandma was very eager and proud to show off her granddaughter. I think we met 50 co-workers in 30 minutes. Grandma showed Gracie how to use the computer! I think Gracie will be able to bypass Kindergarten and 1st Grade... She attended college the entire time I was pregnant and now at 8months old has been in a college classroom!

Our visit was lots of fun...

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gracie and I decided to make the ever famous Chocolate Chip Cookies. She didn't really know what she was getting into at first... but as you will soon find out as you scroll through the pictures... she has learned what the best part is when using a mixer!

The best part is licking the beaters!! and oh boy did she enjoy it! I took the beater away form her and she started to cry... so we moved onto the spatula... then she was happy again.

Then we needed a break from the high chair so...on to watching the cookies bake in the oven...

and then on to .....
Eating the cookies...

at first she didn't quite know what to do with the cookie... but once she figured it out...

I don't think she really even ate that much. It was more like a bunch of crumbles mushed in her hand... but it sure was fun watching her discover what this cookie buisness is all about.

Winter Wonderland

~Beautiful Winter Sunset in Minnesota~

For some of you that do not live in this cold region of MN, I thought you might like to see what our first snowfall looked like for the 2007-2008 winter! So far it has not warmed up... so the snow is still on the ground. Marty said we got around 6 inches on Saturday and more is to come this week. With it snowing outside it was a great day to stay inside and put up that beautiful Christmas tree. These pictures are all taken out of the windows from our house! I didn't even have to go out and get cold!

We are still working on getting the railing for our deck... I think it will wait until spring!

Sure makes shoveling the snow easy!

Gracie helped decorate the Christmas tree... well, sort-of!

It took her about 1 minute to figure out that she could try to reach the ornaments... and she persisted until she got it. She would go from her back to her tummy until she could touch it and grab it. She looked like a little kitty that was pawing at a toy! Needless to say we had to move a few ornaments up a little farther. After she achieved grabbing the balb she then went for the water in the tree stand!!! The joys of having a baby!

Our finished tree complete with the star and stocking on the fireplace!!

We are ready for SANTA!

Thanksgiving Celebrations

Our 1st Thanksgiving together as a family!

We had a very nice holiday weekend. We went to my Mom and Dad's Wednesday evening. We met them in Mankato and went to Church Wed. night. Then Thursday Mom made a delicious TURKEY and all the fixings! Homemade food is always the best. Darrin was home from Washington DC so it was a pleasure to see him and visit. Wendy/Jason and family were there as well and Grandma/pa Sohre. The rest of the clan (Shelly/Jesse, Christy/Ted) had the stomach flu... so they stayed at there own houses! Didn't want to get everyone sick! We were sure THANKFUL for that!

Friday/Saturday/Sunday we were back home at our house and Marty's family were visiting. His sister Lisa was home from Pittsburgh.. which is always a pleasure. Jim/Denise/Rochelle were visiting as well. We very much enjoyed seeing everyone and hanging out.

Now it is Monday and back to work!! Back to daycare for Gracie!

It sure is hard to have to leave her after spending 5 whole days with her!

Auntie Denise, Cousin Rochelle, and Gracie

Gracie and Grandma Betty

Auntie Lisa and Gracie match... they are both wearing green long sleeve shirts!


Time for pumpkin pie... yummy!!!

Uncle Darrin, Cousin Margoe, and Gracie


Auntie Wendy and Gracie

Gracie has learned how to clap and she is showing Great-Grandpa Sohre


Gracie's favorite place is under anything... this particular picture is under the couch.

She squirmed under there herself. She also likes to be under the coffee table, chairs, you name it... if she can wiggle her little bootie under it, she will!

We have pig-tails!!!

Gracie has a load of hair on the top of her head... so I thought I would try two ponies, aka pig-tailes, instead of one... and it worked. She is soo cute. It is like playing with dolls all over again! (except my dolls never moved around so much!!)

Gracie sure likes playing with her Grandpa Joe! I think he likes her too!

We look forward to seeing our families over the Thanksgiving weekend. We have much to be thankful for... family, health, home, food, pets, jobs...

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone!

More Events of the Summer...Grandparents and Families

These first few photos were taken at the Bridal Shower we had for Shelly before her wedding. At such a nice event it was a great time to get those cherished photos of Gracie with her Great-Grandmas and Grandma.

Picture: Gracie's Great-Grandma Sohre and Gracie

I am so fortunate to still have among me, both my Grandmas, and one Grandpa. My entire life has been blessed with the presence of these wonderful people. I grew up living next door to my Dad's parents, as I call them Grandpa and Grandma Sohre. As I am now older I realize how GREAT this was. Many hours I spent with Grandma Sohre learning how to make homemade cinnamon rolls and her famous Monster Roll (very very good), baking apple pies, baking Christmas cookies. Grandma always had cookies in her freezer!! And my siblings and I always new Grandma would offer us some (of course just before we were to go home to eat supper!) She also was the first person to teach me how to sew and how to crochet. She is an amazing person! Then of course if we (my siblings and I) were not in the house with Grandma we were outside with Grandpa, who is also an amazing person, who today at Age 92 still mows his lawn and goes out in that big tractor in the fall to chisel plow. Boy, has he seen some changes in farming... With Grandpa we spent more time just following him around the farm and pestering him I think. He calls me, still to this day, "Trouble #1" and then my sister Shelly is "Trouble #2." I can't imagine what we did to get those names!! We would follow him around the farm constantly taking his hat off and messing up his hair, putting grass in the hole in his cap and in his shirt pocket... anything to get him to laugh and us to laugh as well. We helped him shingle the "pump house" and many painting projects too. Since my Mom's Dad died before I was born I think I have an extra-special bond with Grandpa Sohre... he is my only Grandpa... he has to do the job of two Grandpas. I think he has and still does a terrific job.

Picture: 4 generations
My Mom's Mom, my mom, me, and my daughter



















My Mom's Mom, Grandma Maas and later Grandma Summers, is as the other two above, a blessing to have as a Grandma. My Grandpa Maas died of cancer before I was born and after being widowed for many years Grandma found a wonderful man to marry and spend her retirement years with, who we called Grandpa Don. Growing up, Grandma Summers lived in Mankato, so I didn't see her quite as often, but the special bond we had with her was she would in the summer take 5 or 6 of her grandkids at a time and have us stay over night at her house. She would take us to the park, go swimming, go out to eat, play in her backyard, put the sprinkler on in her back yard and us cousins would just play, play, play. One time Grandma took us to Arnold's park in Okabojia in Spencer Iowa.... we again had so much fun. I grew up on farm... so spending a few days in town was a big deal. At my farm we didn't have a park with swing sets down the road or a bike path with TAR (we had gravel)... so it was always a treat to be able to spend time at Grandma's enjoying the privileges of "city" life. Grandma was always "on the go." Going on trips, going to card parties, going gambling, going visiting. She has taught me about the importance of enjoying life and treasuring the moments you have to do recreational activities and visiting with friends and families.

These Grandparents I have spoken of are still in my life... therefore my darling Gracie has the privalege of having them in her life as well. We never know when these treasured people will leave us on earth, these pictures of Gracie with her Great-Grandparents are keepsakes! Gracie may someday not remember her Great-Grandmas... but I'll be able to share with her the wonderful memories I have of them and hopefully she will treasure these precious pictures.

The younger generation of girls at the bridal shower, who are to be the newest gang of Sohre GIRLS: (cousins)... Left to right: Margoe (6), Maesee (5), Gracie (5 mo.), and Maddy (3 1/2) (missing one girl cousin, Paige 1 1/2)

Now to flip sides of the family... these are the current Malecek Girls. These are pictures from this summer when the Mekkelsen's came from Pittsburgh for a vacatin to MN.

Grandma Betty holding Gracie, Terri, Denise with Rochelle in front, Debbie, Lisa, and Bridgette.
Denise, Debbie, and Lisa are Marty's sisters. Rochelle (5) belongs to Denise and Bridgette belongs to Lisa (her husbands daughter).

To go along with my thoughts of Grandparents... Gracie has the fortune, as I did, of living right next door to one set of her Grandparents! It is such a blessing!

Grandpa Joe and Grandma Betty with all there grandkids! Miller, Rochelle, Gracie, and Bridgette. A pretty good looking group.