AK!

Oh, and I booked my trip to Alaska. I'm joining Sara K, Sarah D and Steph on their trip from April 5 to the 14. Yay!

Sledding on Water Tower hill

We took advantage of the snow we finally got, and went sledding! Plus, I got new Baffin boots I wanted to try out.

It was just as much fun as I remember it being. And the walk back up just as tiring.


We're getting more snow today, as I'm sure a lot of you out there are. It's pretty, but I don't want it to stick around more than a few days. This town doesn't plow very well- they haven't been out yet at all.

In other news, we have a brand-new fellow North Dakotan. Henrik was born yesterday morning to Tony and Alanna. I stopped by the hospital to see him, and he sure is a cutie.

He is the spitting image of his father and two older sisters.

So sweet!

Still lucky

Due to inclement weather in all three states of travel, my friends did not get to come visit. Sadface. We are going to try another weekend.

However, Mark and I are discussing an Alaskan trip, for me! I really hope it works out.

I'm so lucky!

-Mark and I had a great massage and dinner out. I also scored some new (to me) clothes, and ran into a fellow DC '05 grad at the mall (always fun to see some Minnesotans).

-I already got to see my sis and her fam. They came to visit on Sunday, and I got to love on the two little ones who are getting so, so big!

-Four MN FRIENDS COMING TO VISIT next weekend. This deserves all caps. I am unbelievable blessed to have them as friends, and so happy that they want to come all the way to visit me. One is even traveling from WY.

-My mom sewed my dress for me. I started a cute blue dress a long, long time ago, and of course never finished it. This morning my mom, who is da bomb, told me she finished it! It was apparently very hard to sew, and I'm sure I would have never picked it up again, so thanks Bev!


-One point five weeks until SLW. This is a very exciting weekend, and more so since I missed out last year. Get your fascinators ready! (It's Victorian themed)

-My husband does the dishes for me every night :)

Family in ND

I now have a sister living in the same state as me. That feels amazingly awesome! She is only 2.5 hours north, instead of 7.5 hours east. Mark and I are already thinking about visiting her family on Sunday. I haven't been up to their town yet, and since it is the hub of the oil field, I would like to see it.

V-day. I'm not so into the commercialism of the holiday. Fuzzy bears and cheap red plastic roses, ugh. It is fun to make things and give things to people I love, though. My hubby and I are getting a couples massage and going to a Japanese steakhouse in Bismarck this Saturday because it's just time for a day out, and we're calling it our Valentine's Day celebration.

Us ladies got together to celebrate V-day with our kids (in my case, my nanny boys). The food was amazing, and the company fun!

The kids are Teija, Esmie, Chance, Colt, Clint (my two), Grant, and Eleanna.

And don't forget sleeping baby Tenley.

The ladies (minus Lana)!

Me, Alanna, Melissa, Lorina, and Clare.

A peek into our home

We finally, finally got a real bed. Up until a week ago, we were sleeping on an air mattress. I sure love going to bed on our Sealy.

Our bedroom has cupboards along one wall, which looks quite strange, but is useful to have instead of dressers.
My mom made us the quilt for our wedding, and Jocelyn and Claire collaborated on the LOVE squares above the bed. They look really neat up close because they have a layer of shellac over them. It gives them a professional, glassy look.

Notice my new Vivian Kay bag on top of the trunk and suitcase. Vivian Kay is a line of handbags named after my niece, designed by my sister's sister-in-law. I finally got one, and I love it! It's so roomy, and made of supple leather. It will last!

Our bedroom really isn't that cute, but it's hard to put money and time into it when I know we won't be here for a long time. I'm much happier with it now then when we moved in, though, and it's comfortable to us.

P.S. The small mirror on the wall is ugly in its natural wood color. I'm thinking I will paint it black or dark brown, but of course I haven't gotten around to it. Right now it matches the cupboards, I guess.

You know you're in ND

when you see bumper stickers such as:

Oil field tra$h making
Oil field ca$h

and

If not for the Bakken,
I'd be walkin'

(The Bakken Oil Shale Formation is the name of the subsurface where all the oil is coming from)