Happy 67th Anniversary mom and dad!

On November 7th , 67 years ago my parents were married. This called for a celebration. How many people get to celebrate 67 years together??!! My parents are living in the Eventide Retirement Community. My dad is 92 and my mother is 89. We are blessed to have them a part of our lives. Here are a few pictures of the day.

Kimmie's Confirmation

The first week-end in May found us in Moorhead at Triumph Church at Kimberly's confirmation. They confirm their students in 9th grade.
This is Pastor Jeff Seaver giving Kimberly the confirmation verse that he choose for her and telling her why he picked it just for her.
Kimmie's confirmation verse
Here is Richard with the confirmand and his sister Carol(Kimmie's mom) and his brother's Chris and Tim.
Here are the women. It was a nice day so we thought one picture should be outdoors. Here I am with Kimmie, her mom and sister Alison and her Aunt Sue from Wisconsin. Believe it or not it was so bright that we could hardly keep our eyes open. Congratulations Kim!

Good Morning Sunshine!

Early one morning Nicholas awoke to sound of Wyld Life students and their leader running up the stairs coming to wake him up! Nicholas has been a part of this in the past as a Young Life leader and this time these young men were repaying the favor. Fortunately for him they arrived with breakfast! Here he is barely with his eyes open!

Here's Wishing Dad a Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to a great Dad and Husband! We hope you have a wonderful day!

A "SWEET" GET WELL WISH !

One day Nicholas recieved a very tasty get well wish from three special friends when he tore his MCL. Erik, Noah and Annika (Levang) Bjorndahl made this get well card for #7. Well, I think they might have had a little help from their mom and dad. The good news is that the card is working. At the doctor yesterday he reported that Nick is 1/3 of the way there. So, we will just sit down and enjoy a treat and let the healing continue. Thank you dear friends!

Side lined photo's

These are some pictures we have snapped of the football season. Since we don't have any to show in uniform we are just going to show a few side line pictures. We have to have some pictures for the scrap-books. Some of these are taken on Senior night. This was a common scene on the sidelines this year....Nick and Adam.
Lauren and Kathryn cheering on their Otters.
.................Mom with two of her favorite guys!..............
The senior moms. What a fun bunch of ladies to hang out and cheer with.
One of my favorite Otter Fans...Kathryn Walvatne
Nick and some of his friends on senior night
.....................THE TRIO....................

Nick's senior poster that mom and Lindsay made.
Introducing the seniors on Tuesday night
.......................The walking wounded........................

Nick and Adam with their mom's and Darin!

"SIDELINED"

Who would have guessed that just half way through the Otter Football season these two young men would be comforting each other on the sidelines. Nicholas tore his MCL last week in practice and Adam fractured his Tibia during the second game of the year. So tonight they enjoyed watching the Viking vs Packer game together.

It's been said that "misery loves company". These two have demonstrated this more then once. In ninth grade they both had pnemonia in their left lungs at the same time and now....they both injure their left legs! We may need to separate them.

The coach has had enough of this. Who says it takes this long to heal a fractured tibia?

Do you think he might be serious?" Could we at least remove the rust from the saw first?

Darin, Adam and Nick or "The Three Muskateers". This was Nick and Adam's response when Darin came downstairs complaining that his leg hurt. With Darin's leg in their grip, they are trying to give him something to really complain about!

So, what does a mother say to her senior son when he hears his season is most likely over? As mother's we have an incredible need and desire to fix a hurt and yet the truth is that sometimes we can't do the fixing. So, as I wash Nick's maroon and gold uniform for the last time and know this is way too early, I wipe my tears. I grab his football shoes and begin to remove the dried mud caked on the leather. I see letters coming through the mud that spell "SCHU" . It is an abbreviation of Adam's last name. It was written by Nick on his shoes after the second game when his best friend fractured his tibia. I keep chipping away at the shoe and a bible reference that has been on all of Nick's athletic shoes for as long as I remember appears Philippians 4:13. "For I can do all things thru Christ who gives me strength". Then I am reminded that it will be His strength that will take our adversity and setbacks and make them building blocks rather then stumbling blocks. That God takes no pleasure in our misfortunes. He doesn't want to see us beaten down in life. But, God does expect us as His children to be overcomers and to achieve His will on earth. So, the first "Friday Night Lights" arrived after Nick's injury. It was more difficult then I imagined. I was sitting by Adam's mom as Nick and Adam were "sidelined" and it was with blurry eyes that I smiled as I saw Nicholas pat his team-mates backs, offer them encouraging words, and "coach" from the sidelines. It was then that I knew the healing process had begun and I was witnessing a true champion's heart.