Forgot this pic!

So Much Fun!

Yes folks - we had another great weekend with our grandbaby! We had Dillon over for most of the day on Saturday to play and he was so much fun! Billie and Mark came to the lake to visit for the weekend so we all had some much needed "alone" time with him. As you can see, he was performing for us with a few smiles and general happiness - he took a nap under the cross-stitch blanket that was made by his Great Grandma Caroline (he looked so sweet and comfortable like she was there wrapping her arms around him!!) and in some of the pics you can see that he was fascinated by his Great Uncle Mark's whistling. What a doll - I just can't get enough!

We had a great time with Bil and Mark there - and our cousins Scott and Deanne and their daughter Ashley and her boyfriend Joe came over on Saturday nite. A great time - and so nice to see them! Lots of fun. Greg got home on Saturday from his classes for his new adjuster job. He said it was interesting, but they threw alot of information at him for 4 days - and it seems a little overwhelming. We are all sure he will do wonderful at this new venture - he just needs to jump in and do it - he will be fine! And as we look out the window at all the snow left to melt and the water around - we are again thanking God that we made the decision to get out of farming when we did! Whew! So nice not having to worry about when the crops might get in!

Easter this year will be spent at the lake - we are having the fam over for a late "picnic" style dinner. I didn't want to deal with ham gravy so we are doing salads and Billie's "lava hot" mashed potatoes. We are also cooking a turkey for the non ham fans like me! I can't wait for the first salads of the "summer". They always taste so great the first time of the year! I have cut back at work to 32 hrs a week getting every Friday off so it will be a great weekend and it makes it so great when it can be a three day weekend! Getting everyone together is certainly icing on the cake! Have a great Easter everyone! Love to all! Becky

Is it over yet???

Hi everyone- that question applies to both winter and the flood! Granted, I have not much to complain about, we still have our house and the water is nowhere near us, but I am getting very tired of all the problems that come with this flood. I spent all last week carrying around my suitcase after spending one night at Bil and Marks in Harwood so I wouldn't miss work. There has been so many questions about what the river is going to do - and Tom is making us take vacation time if we miss work (and I'll be damned if I will waste a vac day on that!). So day to day I try to decide where I will spend the nite. Right now I am at home (Sat) after I just tried to get to the lake to see Dillon (I miss him soooo much!!). I-29 is blocked from Hwy 200 south so if I want to get to the lake or Harwood for that matter I have to go to Casselton to get there! I will need to do that either Sunday nite or very very early Monday morning to get to work the way it sounds cause as the ice and snow melts, the water over the interstate and 81 is only going to get worse for the next few days. Again, I hate to complain about this, but it just ticks me off.

Now for the real problems - my Grandma Elliott was evacuated from Bethany Homes to a place in Bismarck for goodness sakes - they took them on a 30 minute plane ride! I haven't talked to her to see how that went yet, but we know she got there safe and she is ok. I worry about her. Jenn and Mike have been sandbagging all week so they are exhausted, Greg has been pumping the yard all week because the ditches are still frozen to a certain extent and the snow is still melting filling the yard with water, and he also has to make sure the sump pump keeps running, and he is supposed to go to Fergus Falls this Tuesday to start his class for Crop Adjusting. He call his "boss" and told him the problems around here, and he said with his background they would possibly waive this class and just let him do the reading and classwork on his own. So that was good news, cause if I have to stay in Harwood - someone needs to be here for Riley and to watch the pump. Oof - what mess! I hate when plans get changed - it drives me crazy!

Also - while Billie and Mark were in Norway, we had to try to decide what they would do with this flood coming. On Wed nite when I stayed there, Dana their neighbor called me and said that the city was very very nervous that they would not be able to get the equipment they needed to build the dike on the north road by their house. He said he was getting all the "important" things out of his basement and advised us to do the same for Bil and Mark. Now, how do you decided what is important for someone else??? I just started bringing up all the small stuff that I could carry and then we called in help the next day for the bigger things. We basically took all the electronics, pictures, and anything we thought that would be irreplaceable. My only concern is that I was the one that unhooked the computer, internet, speakers, tv, etc. You can imagine what mass of wires that was - I sure hope my favorite brother in law can get it all put back together without too much trouble! They fly into Mpls Sunday at 5:30 so they will call to see what the options are - whether they should drive home that nite or wait till Monday morning. So many questions! Everyone in our area wants this to be done!! With no more damage to anything! Pray for spring - when this will all be a memory! Take care everyone! Love, Becky

Hi Everyone! As you can see we had a great weekend at the lake with our favorite new little person! We got to babysit Dillon overnite on Saturday while Andrew and Meagan went to a "March Birthday" party at a friend's house in DL. It is Meagan's birthday today! Happy Birthday to you, Meagan!! They were a little nervous about leaving him overnite, but it sounded like they had a great time and so did we! Dillon is such a sweetheart and we had a great time playing, talking, dressing him up in Bison clothes, and I even saw my first real smile while I was changing him! It was so sweet! He likes his plug as you can see, and for some reason that's the only time I had my camera going, but he doesn't always use it! He is eating great and growing like a weed and we just had a ball having him. What a treat! We also had Briggs this week while Jenn and Mike are in Hawaii. She texted today as they are on their way home late tonite - she said they have had a wonderful time and she is having a hard time leaving paradise! I myself can't wait to have her home. We were gone one week and she the next so it has been along time without phone contact between us. It has been weird! I Will be so glad when everyone is safe at home again! And that includes Mallory in May, and Bil, Mark, Shannon who are going to visit her at the end of this week in Norway. The snow is melting and the weather is getting better! We have to go thru all this water to get to the really good weather, but that's ok. Let's just hope the flood doesn't get to bad.

Also GOOD LUCK to the Bison on Friday as they take on Kansas in the "Big Dance" and the Sioux hockey in the Final Five also in MPLS. I wish I could at least watch the bb game on Friday, but its at 11 am! How am I going to concentrate at work with that going on?!?!? GO BISON!

Have a good week everyone. Love Becky

We Had to Come Back?!?!?

4 1/2 days ago we had our tootsies dipped in the Carribean on the beach at Aruba and now we are looking out the window at a full blown blizzard! I'm lovin' the storm day, but wondering why the hell we live here! Yes, we had a wonderful time on our cruise and the memories and pictures will just have to keep us warm until spring finally arrives if ever! We cruised to St Martaen, Dominica, Grenada, Bonaire, and Aruba, and we were surprised by how much we loved Bonaire, and totally fell in love with Aruba. We whale watched on Dominica, sailed on a old Dutch historic sail boat on Bonaire, toured the "Spice Island" Grenada (they love Americans for "liberating" them in 1983), saw boobs and butts on the beach at St Martaen (ick for me but Greg wasn't complaining), but it was a beautiful beach, and spent almost the whole day at Palm Beach at Aruba after shopping where we bought a beautiful emerald necklace! We found a great beach bar at the beach and had a wonderful lunch and many beers and we certainly want to return for a week sometime so we have more time to explore! Our day at sea home was spoiled a little by 50 t0 60 mph winds so being 13 stories high on deck was a little scary, and very NOISY! We finally gave it up and went to our balcony where it was better and I got some more sun and read. Our table mates at supper were from Atlanta - he a very rich software salesman, and she a true southern belle! The second couple were from New Jersey - he was a Joe Peschi (SP?) look a like and she was a pilates teacher who talked like they were rich, but we are not really sure. It was definetly interesting talking to people so different from us, and I would love to hear how they described us!!! We had totally wonderful food (we even remember lobster nite - hee hee - no pirate ship this time!!) and equally wonderful wine and martinis - a great time - very relaxing! I'd do it again in a minute! How about tomorrow - anyone care to join us??

We were thrilled to get home (thanks again Mark) and find Andrew, Meagan, and Dillon there waiting for us! I got my baby fix - got to spend some alone time with him - took over for Andrew and Meagan after they fed him at 4:45 AM and we talked and bonded for about 4 1/2 hrs until he couldn't wait to eat again and Mom had to get up. I loved every second of it! He gets cuter every minute!! On Sunday we went into Grandma Elliott's and took a five generation picture - we think it turned out pretty good!

Jenn and Mike are leaving (hopefully) tomorrow morning for Maui - lucky ducks! We have Briggs here and he is being so good! He and Riley are getting along wonderfully finally and while I'm sure he misses his "mommy" I am loving spoling him rotten! It's so great to have a lap dog again! To the lake this weekend where we maybe get to babysit for Dillon on Sat nite! Whoo Hoo! Can't wait! Hope you all enjoy the pics - may post more later. Stay warm everyone - pray for spring!! Love to all, Becky

Cutie Pie!

Yes folks - he gets cuter everytime we see him! How am I ever going to be away from him for 2 1/2 weeks??? We leave on vacation this Friday for a week and we won't get to see him until we get back to the lake the weekend of the 14th! Oh my gosh - he could be walking and talking by then for goodness sakes! I'm sure I will have to sneak down here a little early that week we are back cause I just won't be able to take it! Jenn and Mike came for a visit this Sat- it was great having everyone together. We went to Zorbas for supper with them and had a great time! Andrew and Meagan had some friends stop over so they stayed home - but they needed to get to bed early anyway. Dillon is sleeping pretty well - but sometimes likes to talk and play with Mom after she gets done feeding him, so he doesn't always go right back to sleep. Most of the time, but not always. He is a really good eater and is growing like a weed. I just can't get enough of him!

Greg and I leave for a Carribean cruise on Sat. We are flying to MPLS on Fri nite cause the plane leaves really early Sat morning. I can't wait to feel some heat! I an getting so sick of this winter - I hope it is getting nicer by the time we get back! We get to see some islands we've never been to before, Aruba, Grenada, Bonaire to name a few. Should be alot of fun. We will sure miss our traveling companions Bil and Mark, Mike and Lavaun, and Dave and Kim though. But it will also be nice to get away together and just relax just the two of us. Jenn and Mike get to go to Hawaii (Maui) the second week of March. It's a business awards trip for him, and they are really looking forward to it! They have both been there before, but not Maui so they are very excited. We will watch Briggs while they are gone - I'm not sure how he will survive - he is very attached to his Mommy. I will just have to spoil him rotten too! This will be my last post for awhile, so Shannon you will have to rely on Meagan to keep you posted with pics - but I hear you get to see the real thing this weekend - so sorry we will miss you! Take care everyone - love to all - Becky

Great Weekend!

Here we are traveling back home after a three day weekend at the lake. It was wonderful - saw Dillon quite a bit - relaxed - ate out - just perfect. On Saturday we went to some Polar Fest activities in DL. We watched the Polar Plunge at the Lakeside and then went to Zorbaz for the Chili Cookoff. It was a cold day, but no wind so not to bad. Lots of crazy jumpers just like Meagan last year and she is already planning her jump costume for next year!! We also drove on Big DL lake and watched the fireworks show. It is so beautiful when the air is so cold like that! I was a little freaked being on the ice, but survived! Afterwards we went out to the old Holiday Inn for Valentines Day supper. It was ok - not spectacular - but nice anyway. Anytme someone cooks and cleans up for me its ok. Sunday nite we had Andrew, Meagan, Dillon, Jill, and Mandy, and Chase (Meagans Mom and Sister and her son) over for supper. Mandy came to do Dillon's photo shoot on Monday morning. We stopped there and they said they took over 700 pictures!! OMG - what a treat to have a professional photographer for an Aunt! I can't wait to see them and share with you! They will be very special for sure. With such a beautiful subject how could they be bad They said he cooperated very well by sleeping through it all! He is changing and growing gaining a pound just last week, and sleeps alot and is eating really well. Just perfect - very mellow - and the kids are sure hoping it stays that way! Greg and I did get to babysit on Friday nite for about 2 1/2 hrs while they went to the curling club for a bit. It was so much fun!! Anytime guys - anytime! Have a good week everyone - Take care, Becky