That feeling you get...

...When Grandpa and Nana are coming to visit.

Our daughter and family have moved stateside.

Jack’s daddy will be away for some training.

Congratulations to Jack’s mama,

who has just secured a job.

We FaceTimed during Jack’s dinner,

he had plenty to tell us.

Nana will travel first to help with child care

while Mama goes to work and

gets the family settled in their new house.

Grandpa will stay home to take care

of things in the office, and most importantly,

take care of our cat.

Grandpa will join us for the last part of my stay.

We can see both of our daughters,

both of our sons in law,

and help celebrate Jack’s Birthday.

We are blessed!

So I showed you how Jack looks when we FaceTime.

Apparently this is how we look to them! Ha

I blame it all on the trifocals.

Take care,

~Natalie

The Most Wonderful Time of Year ~Christmas 2019 ~Now a Memory ~Here’s the Rest of the Story

My digital album is filled with random photos

of the time we all spent together this past Christmas.

It was short...but oh, so sweet.

Remember the photo of great grandma sitting

in her living room while the younger generation prepared dinner?

She was actually watching Jack play with my hubby’s old toy cars.

And what was happening on the home front

when Jack was napping?

Jake wanted to try his hand at wood turning.

Hubby was pleased to take on the role of instructor.

In fact, the guys spent quite a bit of time in the man cave...

This was probably the best $20 Hubby spent at Menards

when we were prepping for the holidays.

The family bundled up to enjoy time outside.

I’m not sure who had more fun...little Jack or the “big kids”?!

And then, there was this.

When you live in the Midwest you take the

Winter Storm Warnings seriously.

They had no choice but to pack up

a day early and get on the road.

Just like that, the house was quiet again.

However, we are still loving the memories

we created during Christmas Break 2019.

Take care,

~Natalie

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of Year ~Christmas 2019 ~Now a Memory ~How We Spent Our Mornings

Like most families, after breakfast,

we all just hung out together...in our pajamas.

Our time together was short,

so we made the most of every minute.

A family friend let us borrow this tub of Legos for the week.

I’m not sure who had the most fun...

Was it Little Jack?

Or was it Uncle Jake??

Or perhaps it was Lizzie? Do you see how

she’d like to get in there to play, too?

So they constructed a Cat Mobile.

Her inverted hut provided a seat for her to ride.

A good time was had by all...

Take care,

~Natalie

Woah, Oh Listen to the Music ~Doobie Brothers Concert ~ Here’s my Report

Hubby purchased tickets to the Doobie Brothers Concert

months ago...he worked till noon on Thursday,

and then we were on the road.

We drove cross-country,

and saw some cows that look like Oreo Cookies!

Driving cross-country also requires us to 

drive through a car wash when we get to the city.

Once checked into our hotel,

we changed into our concert attire.

Then, we left to hang out 

with the rest of the 70s Rockers!

First stop, The Toasted Frog...one of our favorite places

to get a pre-concert bite to eat.

Our good friend, Alan,

drove over from Valley City and joined us.

Then we walked over to the Civic Arena

for the Concert.

The Doobie Brothers did not disappoint.

They played all of our favorite songs.

We had seats in the second row of the balcony.

By curtain call, we were down on the floor!

Look how happy these boys are

in their new Doobie Brothers Souvenir Caps.

It was a great way to kick-off our weekend.

Take care,

~Natalie

Are You Ready For Some Football ~Cheering for the Bison

Can you believe it is already Football Season?

We have been planning this trip to Target Field 

for the Bison Opener for months.

We purchased our tickets last November.

We were up and at ‘em early.

...but, Coffee first.

My Helper Cat supervised the selection of 

my weekend wardrobe.

We were all packed up and on the road in good time.

After a stop midway for lunch and a break to stretch, 

we made it to the cities in plenty of time.

The Pre-Game Pep Fest.

The NDSU Bookstore was set up for shopping convenience.

The fans enjoyed food and beverages, live music...

...and reuniting with college friends.

Hubby and I stayed late and listened to the band.

Then walked the few blocks back to our hotel.

Game Day

Cowboy Jacks was the perfect spot to stop

for some pre-game snacks and to visit with friends.

We weren’t the only ones that thought so...

There were three levels in this sports bar that were packed,

wall to wall, with Bison Fans.

Target Field opened up at noon for a Pre-Game Concert 

by Jordan Davis.

Fans were filing in to our left...

...and to our right.

The Gold Star Marching Band took the field.

There was plenty of action in the game.

This is a cool photo courtesy of the Minnesota Twins site.

Cousins Betty and Drew came over to our section

for a chat at halftime. It was nice to see them again.

It was a great day to be a Bison Fan!

Take care,

~Natalie