Wrapping up Fall Sports

 Somehow, it's Halloween already, so we have some catching up to do. 

On October 10th, I was able to see the Northern Lights from our deck. It was really cool, and I got some really good pictures. John was in Sioux City for a work retreat and the kids were in bed already, so I just got to enjoy it and take some really cool pictures. The kids were really mad at me for not waking them up, and in retrospect, I wish I would have, because it was a really cool experience. 

On October 12th, we had a parent-player volleyball game. And funnily enough, the parents beat the kids in 3 straight games. It was fun, but I was pretty surprised to see the parents play so well. After the 3 games, we split up the parents and the girls and scrimmaged a little more, this was more fun. Emma and I were on the same team, and it was really fun to play together. 

After the games, we had fall clean up day at church. So, we spent some time cleaning up the grounds and the inside of the church. Then on Sunday Elliott had a soccer game. It was a fun weekend. 

Two weekends ago, Katie, John and I went to Fargo to see the Dakota Marker Game between SDSU and NSDU. Katie wanted to take us to Fargo to show us around. We ended up taking Katie's Grandpa's truck to Fargo. We got to Fargo around 4:00pm. We stopped at The Noble Hare for a cocktail, and then stopped at Junkyard Brewery. We enjoyed some visiting and cocktails. After all that, we stopped at a Tai Restaurant for supper, and then on the Brewhalla for drinks at Drecker. It was a really fun evening, and we met up with some of Katie's friends, who were really nice. 

Before we knew it, it was 11:00pm, and we were all shot. We actually stayed in one of Katie's friend's apartment, which was really nice. It saved us a lot of money and it was nice and cozy. So, we called it a night. 

On Saturday, we did some shopping, ate lunch at a Bar and Grill, and then went tailgating before the football game. The tailgating in Fargo is pretty insane. There are so many people out tailgating. There is free food, give-aways, live music, and lot of drinking. All the fans treated us pretty well, even though we had our jackrabbit gear on. We had a really good time, and the weather was beautiful. We couldn't have asked for a better time. 

We entered the stadium with plenty of time to see the band perform. We had really good seats for the game, but we weren't treated to a very good game. It was boring, both teams played poorly, and then the Jacks ended up losing for the first time in 4 years. So, it was a little lackluster for us. But, it was still a fun game and a great weekend. 

On Sunday, we got up, packed, and then had brunch. Then, we were ready to head for home. We listened to the Vikings game on the way home (they lost) and then we were very happy to be home. We unpacked, started laundry, and then got kids from Grandma and Grandpa's house. 

Last weekend, Emma and I headed to Minnesota by ourselves, while the boys stayed behind to go fishing. Emma and I got to Minnesota on Friday evening, had supper with mom and dad, and then played 31. After all that, we were ready to head to bed. 

On Saturday, we had a nice quiet, calm morning. We went for a walk, Emma rode the e-bike, and we just enjoyed ourselves. We headed to New Ulm around 11:00am to go to Schell's for a beer. Then, we met Ryan and Emily at Turner Hall for lunch. We all had some really good food, and then we headed to Sweet Haven for some cocktails. I was the only one who enjoyed my cocktail, but we had a good time. 

After that, we headed to Mankato for a Trunk or Treat with Elena, and then we headed back home. It was a busy day, but I was happy to be home. On Sunday, Elliott had his last soccer game for the year. His team ended up losing, but they had a really good year, and Elliott really enjoyed it. I think we were all ready for the season to be over, but we sure enjoyed watching his team play this year. 

This past week has been a little quieter with the fall sports being done. It's nice to have some evenings back. Today is Halloween and I actually got mandated from work. So, I spent the day shopping, putting supper in the crockpot, preparing for Fall Fest tomorrow, and doing some baking. It's been a really nice day, and I really like Halloween. We have our decorations up and we have our candy ready. This year is really weird for us because the kids are trick or treating with friends this year. Emma is going around with her volleyball team by Good Shepherd, and Elliott is going with Polzins. It's just going to John and I this year. We plan to eat Beef Stew, hand out candy, and just chill this evening. I'm sad to not be trick or treating this year, but I'm happy for the kids. 

Tomorrow is Fall Fest at church, which is always a good time. And then on Saturday, we are going to the SDSU Football Game in Brookings. It should be another fun weekend!

Happy Halloween!

The Northern Lights 

Fall Cleanup Day

Volunteering at the Humane Society 

Eye Appt 

Parent-Player Volleyball Game 

Fargo

Fall trees 

Emma's Halloween Costume 

Sweet Haven Selfie 

Elliott's Soccer Team 

October Things.

 Well, here we are 10 days into October already. We continue to have a busy fall. The weather continues to be warm, dry, and windy. We are consistently in the 80s still. The leaves are really changing around here and everything looks beautiful. 

Last week was a really tough week. My cousin, Julie, was living in Marion, NC when a devastating hurricane, Helene, hit the town. The house Julie and her fiancee were staying in was completely destroyed and washed away, and Julie ended up washed away as well. She was missing for 8 days, before she was finally located, and she did not survive her injuries. It was an emotional week, but I am glad the family got some answers and some closure. Hurricane Helene caused a lot of damage and many deaths, and now yesterday Hurricane Milton hit Florida. The weather continues to be a crazy, dangerous force. 

Emma is just about done with volleyball She had her last practice on Monday, and then the player/parent game is on Saturday at 10:00 am, and then she is done for the season. She really enjoyed volleyball, and she had a lot of fun with the Good Shepherd girls. She is actually going to trick or treat with some of them this year, and she is really excited about that. 

Elliott continues his soccer season. His team got their first two wins last weekend, and Elliott scored his first goal of the year. He was super pumped, and we were very excited for him as well. The weather has been great for soccer, and Elliott really enjoys hanging with his teammates and playing soccer. It's been a fun season. He has two games left, and 3 practices, so his season is starting to wind down as well. 

This past weekend was a super busy one for us. On Friday evening, the kids and I went to For King and Country at the Denny. The concert was so good. Elliott had never been to an official Denny Premier Center Concert, and he loved it. He said it was the best concert he had ever attended. Emma also really loved it. They had stages that went up and down, awesome lights, energy, and overall just a great show. I'm really glad we went. John decided he didn't want to attend, so he dropped us off and picked us up for the concert, which worked really well. It was a fun evening, but it went until around 10:00pm, so we were all tired and ready for bed by the end. 

On Saturday, Emma and John went to Jerry Auto's 45th Anniversary Party, which was partially for work, and Elliott and I went to his soccer game. After the soccer game, Elliott and I got a free lunch at Hy-Vee, shopped, and then stopped at the library. After all that, we went home. John and I ran to Lupulin for Octoberfest and a beer. Then, we picked up the kids and went to the Stampede Game home opener. I got free tickets from a co-worker, and we got the kids some free jerseys. We ate an expensive supper at the Denny, watched two periods of hockey (they still aren't very good) and then we headed home. We were not home much at all during the day, so we were ready to get home and relax. 

On Sunday, we did the church, Sunday school thing, Then, we had another Elliott soccer game in the afternoon. Elliott scored a goal! It was very exciting. After soccer, we headed home to clean up and load up the truck, and then we headed to Hartford for our 4-H meeting. It was election of officers time, and Emma was elected to be secretary, so that was exciting. She seemed pretty pumped for it. I was proud of her for accepting the position. After the meeting. we headed out to Jim and Barb's house for supper with Samantha and Jeff. We also hauled out some lawn clippings, the animal zoo, and other odds and ends. 

It was a very busy, very tiring, but rewarding weekend. This week has flown by pretty quickly. We've had some practices, and Monday evening was so beautiful John, Elliott, and I decided to take our bikes to the bike trail while Emma had volleyball practice. It was a beautiful evening to bike ride. We put on a solid 6 miles (we ran out of daylight) and then John and Elliott played catch in the park for a while before we went to pick up Emma. 

On Tuesday, Emma and I went to Elliott's practice and played volleyball in the park, and walked around and just enjoyed the weather. It was another beautiful evening. Today, I had the day off from work. So, I spent the day doing some deep cleaning, going to the gym, running errands, and just overall enjoying myself. The kids and I are on our own tonight because John is on his work retreat. They went to Sioux City for today and tomorrow. So, tomorrow I have to shuffle kids to Tomczaks' house in the morning, and go into work a little later. It will work out, but it does take a little extra shuffling. 

Tonight, the kids and I are going to eat at the new Quickstar, and then just enjoy a quiet evening at home. The kids might play some Nintendo Switch in their fort they made downstairs, and I plan on watching some playoff baseball. The Royals, Tigers, and Guardians are all still in the playoffs, so they have been fun to watch. 

This weekend looks a little calmer for us. We have one soccer game for Elliott, a sleepover for Elliott, and that's about it. The rest we will just fill in as much as want to, and try to not be as busy. 

It's my favorite time of year, and I am loving every minute of it!

Volleyball 

Emma's Halloween Mask 

For King and Country 

Boston 2024

 We just got back from an amazing trip to Boston. John had an Inbound Marketing Conference in Boston, so he left on Tuesday after dropping the kids off at school. I held the fort down on Tuesday and Wednesday, before flying out on Thursday, after dropping off the kids at school. 

The kids had a great weekend with their grandparents. Emma had a volleyball game while we were gone, and they ended up winning their first match, so that was exciting. They spent Saturday at the farm, playing with their bunnies and just being farm kids. They also helped with the Touchmark pots in town. And then on Sunday, Elliott had a soccer game (they lost by 1) and then they all picked us up from the airport. 

Anyway, back to Boston. I flew out on Thursday, at around noon. Katie was nice enough to pick me up and bring me to the airport. I was literally the only person going through security, so it took all of 5 minutes to get through, then I got a coffee and waited around. I had to fly to Chicago first, had a 2 hours layover, and then onward to Boston. I landed in Boston around 8:00pm, and then had to get my bag from baggage claim and then a Lyft ride to our hotel. This was my first official time flying by myself. I was a little nervous about it, but it all went really, really well. I had a couple delays along the way, but overall, it was great. 

I met John at our hotel (The Omni Parker House), dropped off my luggage, and then went in search of food. We ended up at an Irish Pub. I got a New England Clam Chowder, which was amazing, and John got a dish which had Shepherd's Pie, beef stew, and and chicken pot pie, it was also good. Then, we headed out to walk through Boston Commons, the public park, and then we even saw the outside of the Cheers Bar. It was a great first evening in Boston. At around 11:00pm, we called it a night. 

On Friday, John had a pretty full day of sessions at his conference, so I was left on my own. We stopped at Dunkin Donuts for some breakfast, and then parted ways. I ended up downloading a Freedom Trail tour on my phone, and spent the next 4 hours doing the Freedom Trail walk. It was really amazing, and full of history. I saw State House, Park Street Church, the headstones of John Hancock, Paul Revere, Sam Adams, and more, the old State House, USS Constitution, Paul Revere's House, and Bunker Hill. I also made a few more stops along the way, including Mike's Pastry's and I got a mint chocolate chip cannoli, which was amazing. 

I ended up with 30,000 steps, but I had such a fun time exploring. I learned a lot of new fact about our American History, and Boston is just a fun, beautiful city to explore. It was kind of weird to explore on my own, but I still enjoyed it. 

John met up with me around 3:00pm. We ended up walking to the Sam Adams tap house and having some beers on the patio. This place had a fun vibe and the beers were really good. Then, we walked through Quincy Market and got some pizza for supper and just had fun exploring. 

At 6:15pm, we got an Uber ride to Fenway Park. We were lucky enough to have the Twins in town to play against the Red Sox. We arrived a little early to look around, snap some selfies, and take in the sights. Fenway Park is really cool, and full of history, but overall it's an old, kinda dumpy park. But, I loved seeing a Twin's Game there. We had really good seats in the outfield, and then we watched the boring-est baseball game ever. Each at bat was like 8 pitches long, we saw a ton of foul balls, and not much action. It was tied 1-1, and then went into extra innings. We watched one extra inning, and then we decided to leave, since the game was at like 3 hours and 25 minutes at that point. So, we ubered back to the hotel and called it a night. But, what a cool experience. We also were surrounded by Boston fans, who are known for getting rowdy, so that was entertaining. 

On Saturday, it was rainy, windy, and cool the entire day. We had plans to go see the USS Constitution and climb Bunker Hill, but those things were not an option with the weather, so we had to pivot a little. We ended up going to the JFK Library and Museum. This was a cool experience, and really have a good picture of JFK and his life and becoming President of the United States. And then of course it was sad when we walked through the halls about his assassination. We spent a solid 2 hours there, and then it was time for lunch. 

We took some advice from a local Bostonian, and went to Lolita's for lunch. It was really, really good Mexican food. I got steak tacos, and John got fish tacos, and then we shared them. We also got some chips and guacamole, which was also fabulous. 

After lunch, we walked to our boat tour around the harbor. We booked a boat tour before coming to Boston. We had a nice, large boat and took a great 90 minute tour around the Boston Harbor. We took in some great sites, and got some great views. We also learned a few more facts about Boston. It was still chilly, rainy and windy, but we made the best of it. After the tour, the rain let up a little, so we walked to Harpoon Brewery. We got a couple beers and a pretzel, and just enjoyed ourselves. 

Then, we had a 7:30pm reservation at Legal Seafood, which was also a recommendation. We knew this was our last decent meal in Boston, so we got a nice spread to try some different things. We ordered New England Clam Chowder, Lobster Bisque, Crab Cake, and then a Lobster Roll. It was amazing. Like really amazing. The crab cake was one of the best things I had ever eaten, and then the Lobster Roll was also amazing. We couldn't stop talking about how good the food was. It makes the seafood around here pure garbage. It was definitely a top 10 meal ever, and that's saying something. It was a great supper. 

We ended up walking toward our hotel, we needed a walk after all that food. We walked through the park a little again, and then we went to Beantown Pub for a couple drinks to end the night. We tried to soak everything in, because we knew we were leaving the next day. 

Sunday was a long day, full of travel. We started our day with a coffee and a walk, and then we decided to attend the 8:30 am church service at Park Street Church. It was really interesting to attend church in such an old, historic building so far from home. It was a good service, but the sermon went on and on for 45 minutes. so we left after the sermon. We walked through the historic cemetary again, and then we had to head to the hotel to pack and get ready to leave. 

We ordered out last Lyft ride, and then headed to the airport. We ended up with some time to kill, and there was a North End restaurant in the airport, so we got to enjoy some really good pasta before we got on our plane. 

Then, we traveled. We had a layover in Chicago again, and then on to Sioux Falls. The kids and Jim and Barb picked us up at the airport, and then we went to Dairy Queen for supper and stories, before heading home to do a lot of unpacking and laundry. 

John and I actually had Monday and Tuesday off as well, since we didn't know what exact days to take off 6 months ago. So, we have had plenty of time to catch up, clean, and get some errands done around the house. 

We had a really fun trip in Boston. I really enjoyed visiting, but would not want to live there. We did see some rats at times, and the traffic and crowds were a little much at times. But, the history and the big beautiful trees changing colors were pretty amazing to see. And traveling is just always fun. And the food was amazing. 

Touchmark Pots 

First Meal in Boston 

The State House 

Ben Franklin's Parent's grave 

Paul Revere's Grave 

The Old State Building-site of Boston Massacre 

Paul Revere's House 

Paul Revere with North Church in Background 

USS Constitution 

Bunker Hill

Fenway Park 

Emma's volleyball game 

My cannoli 

JFK Library 

Lolita's 

Our boat cruise 

Farm shennanigans 

Boston Skyline