What a weekend!

What a great weekend it was!  Kayla had a double-header weekend at soccer, unfortunatley due to the rain at 8:00 am their team pictures were cancelled...again.  First game was at 9:00am, yes...still raining...and very cold but the girls pulled off another blow-out game winning 7-0 against the Galaxy girls.  This was a very sweet win for all of us as this also is the team that holds the 2 girls that have given Kayla so much grief over the past year or so.  Also at this game one of the dads decided to come and stand next to me as he uses for one of his intimidation tactics..this time it didn't work but boy did I get to hear all the wonderful things that came out of his mouth... it didn't hurt that Kayla did some scoring, great defense and was all over the field showing us (and them) what a true athlete she really is.  We all left beaming with pride along with the girls as they continued their undefeated title since last fall.  They repeated their winnings at the 4:45 game beating that team 11 to 0.  Way to kick some soccer ball girls!

This is a photo from last Saturday, I didn't want to bring my camera out in the rain and wind that we had yesterday.

Part of the team that we took to the game last Saturday, they were a little tired from Kayla's birthday sleep-over with 6 other girls but none the less ready for a 9am soccer game.

We also had a great weekend visit with my sister, brother-in-law and my nieces and nephews.  We were not able to do as much as we had hoped outside on Saturday but none the less it was a great visit.  Once upon a time we used to spend a great deal of time together, many many weekends together but now that most of the kids are involved in hockey through out the winter and summer activities...as well as more hockey it can only happen on those rare weekends that both families are free.  Guess we'll take them as much as they come.  Maybe someday we once again can liver closer than 2 hours apart.

Here is a picture I took last year of all the kids as a suprise present for my parents.  Jordyn (14) is on the far right, Makayla (10), Nick (9), Justin (11)  and Amanda (6) on the bumper.  They are a great group of kids that I hope will let me do more photo sessions with me this summer!

Now our weekend winds up and I can feel the Sunday blue's sitting in with all of us as we prepare for another week of school and work...all the while it is sunshine, blue sky's, and little wind...will we ever get a full weekend of great weather??

I haven't had a chance to photograph it but we have a mother robin nesting in our pergalon again!  Hopefully I will get a great view of her this week.  This is the third set of babies we have had!  Last year we had two sets of babies born in the same nest...does anyone know if the same bird will nest twice in the same nest or would that have been a different robin?

All Lit Up

Last week was a busy week for the Prairie Restoration crew as most spring times are.  With spring being late just leads to long hours and all of us missing dad.  On Thursday we stopped by to see him and bring him and some of the other crew a much needed beverage.
I myself have not witnessed the details that they go into to perform a site burn, nor seen the gear that they wear, the kids thought it looked pretty funny but myself thought he looked as good as it gets.

Here is what we saw as we drove up, Blaine is spraying a section of fire keeping it in the area that they need it to stay, avoiding burnig any vegetation that should stay green.

Here is how he starts the fires, he has a small fire thrower that he walks down a path lighting as he goes.  The fire does not take long to start and pyro's that we are...were all excited to see it burn.

This is what it looked like after he rounded the corner, needless to say it was a matter of seconds for the grasses and flowers to be torched.  I can only imagine how quickly it can spread if it get's into the wrong area.

 This is what people will see from the roads, this causes some people to call in thinking that there is a problem, but as one would have it I was sitting on the road myself and the police were already inspecting to make sure no smoke made it on the highway.

Look'n good!  A close up of the fire gear that they must wear during their burns.  Looks super happy about my taking his picture!

 This is their Fire Truck, it has followed them around for some years now and has even been called to help in wild fires, has been on the news and has been a much needed resource for fires that have gone astray.  (Yes, tree's, barns and things of other sorts that should not have been burned...have been burned to the ground)

Blaine was not the only one lit up these days.  After much deliberation on what kind of music lessons we should sign him up for it was finally decided that school lessons was not going to get him to the road he has so eagerly wanted...they tell us he need 4-6 years of either piano or some other insturment to play his guitar in high school.  I personally don't agree with it so I signed him up at Marguerite's for weekly lessons.

As for me, I am still on my weight loss journey; I guess I took a little detour down junk food lane after I got out of the hospital and during Kayla's birthday but I am back on track this week and so far I have lost 1.3 pounds and have two more days until my weigh in so I'm sure hoping I can drop the full 2 pounds that I gained back.  As with everything in life, there are up's and downs, in this case...I'm hoping for more downs.

Perfect 10

I always knew that I wanted to be a mom but I never dreamed what joys in life were brought by such little things in life like hearing mommy for the first time, the sheer delight in them taking their first steps, cheering them on through everything that they try to do...and wishing you could bottle up these little people so that you could open the jar up to that special moment and relive it all over again. 

One of my joys in life turned 10 today, it is one of my pleasures and privelages in life to have her call me mom.

On the morning of April 30th, I awoke to some minor contractions and a sense of relief that I would finally get to meet my daughter, 2 weeks early but to me not a day too soon.  I cheerfully called into work and announced that I would not be coming to work that day.  Sadly to me...a few hours later...everything stopped.  Blaine and I eageryly went to the mall for a long walk and then an out to eat hoping that we could get things started again.  By 3pm still nothing so we went and picked up Justin from the sitters and brought him home.  We played the rest of the afternoon without any further contractions.  By 7pm I felt pressure in my lower back making my dear sweet 75year old nieghbor insist that I was still in labor.  I laughed and told her I think I was just lifting Justin to much; I saw the twinkle in her eye and heard her chuckle in her voice as she said "ok, we'll see her tomorrow".  Boy was she right!  At 9:30'ish that night Blaine called into the hospital, to advise what was going on.  No need to come in yet they tell us, wait until she cannot talk without labored breath.  Ok, I thought.  At 11:00 my contractions were very close but I could still talk well so we thought there was still some time...then a big one hit at about 11:30 and the contractions were about 4mn apart, up Blaine came from bed, called the sitter and out the door we went to drop him off...Doreene met us outside in her robe and wisked him away; thank goodness he was still only 21months old so he slept through most of this.  We quickly drove to the hospital and made it to the emergency room, they pointed us in the direction of the elevator and after several stops along the way to deal with contrations we fially made it to the elevator...then she holloars asking if I want a wheel chair, I gracefully decline and push the button.  We make it to the 6th floor and find the nurses waiting, as I start to get their gown....I feel a so familiar feeling...my water breaks! I am even more excitied and I suddenly remember that we are still in April and if she comes soon she will have a diamond for her birthstone - lucky girl I think.  They tell me that they have called Dr. Howden and he will be up within an hour and for me not to be too concerned as there is pleanty of time.  Then they actually check where I am at...it is now approximately 11:50 and she is ready to come ...NOW.  The nurses tell me I cannot push and that I must wait for Dr. Howden....I tell them I cannot and the head nurse announces that I must "hold" her in.  How does one do this I wonder...then I feel her pushing back on me and telling me to hold it...repeatedly she says this.  I tell her I am not pushing but she is coming anyway.  I was never so happy to see my doctor walk into my room but I don't think he was as happy to walk in and only have time to pull his watch off...no time he says to put on a gown as I watched him wisk off his watch and the additional nurses help him get gloves on..... the head nurse moves her hand and out comes my little girl.  Dr. Howden was there just in time to catch her for us, he smiled as he layed her on my chest and I felt my heart swell with more love than I ever thought one could feel. 

Ten years ago today, at 12:03am I gave my heart away for the 3rd time as my second child Makayla Rae Keller made her way into this world weighing in at 6lb's 8oz. 

Makayla came into the world the same way as she leads her life, confidently, with a mission, and no one stopping her, she wasn't born in April to get that diamond but I think she had planned it that way so that she could be our little May Day basket.  Makayla was named after her great grandpa on Blaines side, and Rae is after my only sister.

Justin was such a proud big brother, as I started to take pictures for her birth announcement he insisted that he too get to be in the picture, after all he was the big brother.  How could a mom disagree.

Makayla was a delight as a baby, once we were prescribed medicine for her reflux she was a very happy baby.  She slept through the night after only a few short weeks, we couldn't believe it since Justin was 19 months before he did!  Along with the reflux came a few challanges.  She could not be layed flat on her back nor on her belly, she had to be in an elevated position at all times.  Time quickly went by and my little tiny baby was now crawling, and getting into everything!

She was quite the go getter and even though it took her a little longer to start crawling, once she figured it out she was a speed crawler trying to keep up with her big brother.  On her first birthday, she was not quite walkng yet but her smile sure lit up a room and she was quite a little momma's girl. 

Before I new it her 2nd birthday arrived and I had a bright, very energetic little girl who talked up a storm.

Today, she is one of the lights of my life.  As she turns 10, I look back at how quicly the time has gone and I wonder if there is any way I can keep her just as she is; sweet, innocent, loveable, and still very much a momma's girl.  We baked a cake yesterday together to have a party with grandpa, grandma, my sister and her family, she loves to cook and she mixed and baked the cakes entirely by herself, then she let mom do the frosting and writing on the cake.

So today, I celebrate not only her 10th birthday; but I celebrate having someone as special as her in my life.  I believe God had a special plan sending her to me, she lights up my day each and every day with her smile, her zest for life, her eagerness to do her very best at everything she does, her sensitivity to those around her, her compassion for animals, the young and the old, and her want to be the best that she can be.  At the age of 10 her goal in life is to become a doctor, if she continues to have this dream I believe she can achieve it. 

My wish for you today my dear sweet Makayla Rae is that happiness surrounds you all through your life and that you don't let the road blocks that will always surface stop you from being who you are or stopping you from going where you want to go. 

You are truely an angel sent to us; happy birthday Makayla, I love you.

10 years of cuteness!

Dear Grandpa.....

One year....has it really been one year that you have been gone?  Is it not your cologn that I still smell? Why then do I sit and wait for you to walk through the door with your two handed waves and your infectious smile.  Why do I still feel your whisker rubs, shoulder rubs and warm hugs? Why do I still talk of you so often and still in present tense? I long to be able sit beside you, hold your hand and listen to your stories of way back when.  Oh do I miss your stories...really...it has been a whole year?

For all you did for me growing up, I sure hope I was able to give back to you in some sort of way.  I pray that through the end you always felt my love and new how much you really meant to me.  I always told everyone I knew that you were my second dad and how you could not be replaced.  The stories I would tell them showed everyone what a great, caring, compassionate, strong person you were...I am most certain that they could see and hear how much you meant to me just through my own stories.
I loved that you came to see my first born child be born...and that you share the same birthday, how special can that be for anyone...sharing a birthday with someone as special as you are.

Thank you grandpa, for always being true to me, you were there every step of my road no matter what you had going on in your own life.  You always had time to come to swim meets, concerts, band recitles; as an adult you were there to help Blaine and I move each and every time no matter how cold, or how many steps there were to climb.  When we moved to Fargo, you were there to help us pack up and met us back in Grand Forks to clean out the old apartment.  I hope you knew how much that meant to both Blaine and I.

Our last Christmas together, all be it difficult, will be the most memorable to me.   I saw the light in your eyes appear back when we came to visit, you handed me my last Christmas present from you and said my name and that you loved me...with the money that you gave us I purchaed a ring that hold the stones representing the month that you and grandma married.  It is my way of keeping the two of you close to me.  I wish I would have been able to have shown it to you.

I will always cherrish the last picure that was taken of all of us that Christmas...it was a present in itself to see you smile...but your wave wasn't understood until just a few short weeks later.  Then it was heart wrenching to see.

After your passing I planted a tree in your honor, it stood so proudly in my front yard speaking many words to me that you will forever be with me.  I cannot wait to see the tiny buds coming back to it this spring showing signs that life has been rejuvinated.  I will place the little plack that I made for you on it again and hang the little bird wind-chime that you made for grandma back on it also so that you two can also be together once again.

I love you grandpa, and someday I will be able to tell you to your face again.  Until then, please continue to visit me in my dreams telling me you love me, please keep sending birds to talk to mom, letting her know you are ok and please bring happy thoughts to grandma as she misses you more than words can say.

As a tribute to you, here are a few more of my favorite pictures from the past.

In loving memory of

Claude Edward Robertson

8/26/26 - 4/25/2010



Gotta love the pink

On Monday night we had all the squirt travel teams and their siblings meet at MYHA to decorate pink purses for the Vicky Westra Spaghetti Benefit, the kids had a blast.  I loved seeing all the pink surrounding the lobby.  The purses were then sent home for the parents to add little treats to them and then back to the kids to go out and hang on their neighborhood doors notifying everyone of the benefit.  By the looks on the kids faces during the decorating...fun was had by all.  They were even told that they had permission to ding-dong-ditch if they so wanted to.  I wonder how many did!

 

As for me I am slowly feeling better, but little movements do still remind me that I am not 100% yet and I usually belter out an "ouch" that sends Blaine looking and asking what I did.  I am still having some discomfort behind my right hip bone so this is something I will have to notify the doctors of on Friday when I call in with my update...I am thinking this will probably speed up the MRI and/or the visit with the OB.  But all in all I am 100 times better than I was even a week ago so I have no complaints.

I am looking forward to visiting Blaines mom on Saturday, I haven't been able to see her for quite sometime and have been feeling pretty lousy about it.  I made up a large easter basket for her filled with comfy things, books, games, treats and cards that the kids made, we will be mailing it to her tonight so she can have a fun surprise show up before we get there.  Blaine is also making little notes to add to each of the eggs, they will look like little fortune cookie notes so with each egg she opens up she will have a message from him.  I sure hope this brightens her spirit up a little as she has been having a tough go these past 2 weeks.  I will get some pictures of her this weekend as to put a face to her name.

I just have to add a blurb here to Vicky...yes you ARE a writer.  If I had 1/2 your talent I would be blogging, writing books doing anything to show off that talent.  I absolutely love reading your blogs and never tire of them!  I'll call you after Easter to see if your up to my coming over and I'll bring you a DQ!

A new beginning

It's a new year (and well into it I must say) and a new chapter for myself as well as some loved ones.

I started this year out hoping for change and happiness with myself as well as my surroundings; knowing that the only thing that can really change is within myself.  I still need to remind myself of that often. 

Here is a quick re-cap of what has happened so far this year:

In January we learned that Blaine's mom has a brain tumor and unfortunately it is an agressive one.  She had 2 operations to remove the tumor in mid January; the first one took place and she seemed to be doing well but 9 days later she was back in the OR getting the same tumor removed that seemingly grew back as quickly as it was removed.  This surgery unfortunately left her paralyzed on the right side.  She has recently completed radiation and her first her round of chemo and was able to go home after nearly 3 months of being in the hospital/rehab.  She was just put back on seizure medications last week due to the seizures returning and will be starting back on the chemo treatments soon.  With each passing day I pray that she will find comfort and that some sort of remission or cure will come her way.

For myself I set a goal to take off the weight that I put on the previous year by the beginning of summer, I am happy to say that to date I have taken off 25 pounds!  My goal has not yet been reached but all in time.

Blaine and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary March 2nd.  I cannot believe how quickly time goes by......15 years - wow!  Who would have thought that the person I took lunch breaks with back in 10th grade driving around Grand Forks looking at all the old houses and picking the ones we would like to live in would be the person that I would be celebrating 15 years of marriage with.  He is my one and only love and truely my best friend...I'd be lost without him!

Makayla was invited to represent the "North" in a hocky tournament (yes she joined hockey this year) called the Minnesota Super Series this spring.  We have been told that this is a great honor for anyone to be invited to.  The kids that get to play in this tournament are recruited or referred by coaches.  Makayla was referred by her coaches.  She started out the hockey season as a newbee but by mid-season her coaches had moved her to center and were calling her one if their super-stars.  One thing I can always say about her is that when she sets her mind to do something she gets the job done and uses every bit of energy she has.  This spring she will be playing soccer again, she was asked to join the summer league but after talking with a few other parents that were involved last year we decided that this might not be the best option at this time.  Maybe next year as the Soccer association is starting some new programs and have new staff heads that might make the program run more smoothly.

Mid March I thought I had pulled a muscle in my leg helping move a large television, two weeks later I was being admitted to the hospital for a 7 day stay for an abscess and large infection in the right hip and leg - oops guess it wasn't a pulled muscle.  I am still carrying around a PIKK line to take antibiotics at home, but I am hoping for a good doctor visit tomorrow where I can have it removed.  Most of my pain is gone and I am left with a slight limp but that too is slowly going away as I gain muscle strength back.  The PIKK line....what can I say...it doesn't hurt but it's a large pain to have it; I try to hide it as much as I can but man does it itch!  Blaine has been such a trooper through all of this, he sat by my side as much as he could that entire week; he took care of the kids, paid bills, did all the house work, went to work, made all the phone calls, setup our house for guests to stay 2 different nights as they were traveling through town and found time to console his mom as she struggled through some recent changes...he amazes me how he does this all without complaint, still has a smile on his face for me and the kids, and is so gentle when it comes to helping me do what ever it is that I need to do.  I also want to thank all my friends and family that came to see me, sent flowers, sent prayers and get well messages.  I was very touched that so many people cared and took time out of their busy days to check in on me.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.


Justin is currently working on building up his guitar playing hours to earn the guitar that he really wants.  Oh how I love to listen to him play!  During my hospital stay Blaine and the kids were walking through the building and found the piano that is on 1st floor; Blaine was suprised to learn that Justin knew how to play it...something that neither of us have ever heard him do nor had he mentioned that he has had opportunities to even tinker with one.  Odd how kids don't talk about those kinds of things.  Trying to be funny, Blaine asked him if he could play Beethoven5 and to his suprise, Justin blasted it out - not all of it of course but none the less it was Beethoven!  Wish I would have been there to see the look on Blaines face!  This spring he will be trying Lacrosse, he is pretty excited about it and has even gotten a few other friends to join with him.  He just purchased his stick so he has been practicing outside when he has time.

Sadly a very dear friend of mine was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer in March, I was none the less speachless when I received the news and could not even move from the shock.  I sat their wishing there was something that I could do to make this all go away for her.  For now I will pray, hug, love and do anything she needs until she is completely healed.  I am so thankful for the Hockey Family that I have been blessed to be a part of.  Many are gathering to put their heads together to find as many ways to help out as possible and planning events, meals, errands really anything.  Thank you to everyone, you make me proud to just to be a part of it all.

After reading through many of Vicky's blogs (again) and seeing what a trail of memories she has been creating through her wonderful words and pictures and then talking to her and finding that you can actually have someone print out your blog into a book, I decided this is a great way to provide memories not only for myself but also for Blaine and the kids.  Again Vicky, you inspired someone by just being you; your a very special person!  Love you!

As for April, so far it has been quiet and I am eagerly waiting to see the tips of the Tulips I planted last fall break through the soil ensuring that summer is on it's way.  Please old man winter...do not send the snowflakes or send the cold that is being predicted for the next few days as we all need some well deserved sunshine, fresh air and a nice relaxing sit outside.

Thanks to you all for being a part of my life, till next time,

Becky

"Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live!”