Attack of the Pony

Murray and Mariana

Don't they make a great couple?

We spent a lovely afternoon at a local pumpkin patch yesterday with our friend Kristine, and her daughter, Mariana. It was by far the best patch we've visited. The kids had a blast with the many activities that the farm had to offer.

As you know, I love, love, love animals, so when I learned that they had a small petting zoo, I was more excited than the three year olds.  The baby goats were great fun, the cow kind of boring, the big horned sheep precious.  Next up, I visited the miniature horse.

I was gently petting this seemingly sweet guy when he started to nibble on my arm.  He got a bit agressive, so I turned around and attempted to walk away.  The darn creature put his hooves on the top of the fence and attacked.  I swear he was trying to eat me.  He bit me so hard that my skin was punctured.

Despite the fact that I can't sleep on my right side and my back is a swollen rainbow of colors, I find the whole incident pretty hilarious. Really, who gets attacked by a petting zoo pony? Clearly, I do.

This is what I felt like doing after the bite:


Whinny.  Giddy up.  Let the horse jokes begin.

Photo credit:  Kristine

Westward

It's been a while since my last post.  The break from blogging wasn't intentional; life just took over.  I've been crazy busy at work, trying to keep some semblance of order in the house, etc., etc.

We hopped in the car on Friday afternoon to head "out west" (as Murray says) to spend some much needed quality time with my Dad.  We had a great time, but it was an adventure.  The trip was going smoothly until after a quick stop for gas.  We had just gotten back on the freeway, when suddenly the most horrible odor filled the car, leaving us all gasping for air.  Our oldest Golden Retriever, Nala (she's 13) had a terrible accident in the back.  What a mess. I won't go into detail, but it was NOT my idea of fun.  She's been having more and more accidents of late; we're chalking it up to her age, but a trip to the vet is in short order.

I was able to connect with some high school friends on Saturday, and it was just like old times, only we were all. . . well, older.  :) 

Murray loved my Dad's horse, and of course everything about his Grandpa Doug.  They did all sorts of things together; Craig and I were second fiddle.  He was all about Grandpa.  It warmed my heart to see the two of them enjoying each other.  I am already looking forward to our next trip "out west". 

The roads were treacherous coming home yesterday, but we made it, albeit a slow ride home.  Now we're back to reality. . . and a mountain of  laundry to prove it. 

Until next time.

A Night With Emily

Please pop over to Peace Garden Mama for an adventure that we shared.  She writes about our magical evening so eloquently; I didn't feel I could do it justice here.  Trust me, this is a must-read.

Duwoof

Last weekend, Craig had a conference in Duluth, MN. Duluth being one of my top five favorite cities, Murray and I decided to tag along. Following is a synopsis of our "adventure in Dulwoof" (Murray's words)

Day One:
Hop out of bed and hit the pool. Murray was out the door wearing only (yes, only) tennis shoes before I could fully open my eyes. After reigning him in and getting dressed, we swam for a good couple of hours, played in the arcade, and then it was back up to the room to dress for lunch.

We treated ourselves to a delicious lunch and breath-taking view at the JJ Astor, the hotel's roof-top revolving restaurant. After that, it was off for a long nap.

After nap, we had time before Craig was finished with meetings for the day, so we decided to visit the aquarium. Although I've grown up with fresh water fish, there were many exciting species that were new, and besides, every thing about the aquarium thrilled Murray.

Craig met us after our aquarium adventure for a walk on the beach; stopping along the way to watch the bridge rise and let the ships go under. We had a fantastic Italian dinner at down-town Bellisio's. We all fell into bed; all five senses having been stimulated to the max.

Day Two:
Murray and I were exhausted, so we slept in, ate a late breakfast and walked a block south to board the Northshore Scenic Railroad, which took us to the edge of the city and back. One of Murray's greatest loves are trains, so you can only imagine his delight at the prospect of riding on a real train. His eyes were round as saucers, and when the whistle blew, he joined in with a merry "WOO WOO"!

One of the advantages of having a two-year-old is that they still need naps. So after our train excursion, we headed back to our cozy room for a long rest.

Craig finished his convention shortly after we woke, so we met some friends for dinner, and took another walk to watch the ships come and go at night. Beautiful!

Day Three:

Finally, family day. We decided to drive north. I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story (unfortunately, we forgot the camera in the car when we were at Lutsen).

When it was time to leave on Monday morning, Murray and I both had tears when we drove away from Duluth. At one point, our little traveler even tearfully exclaimed, "I want to go b-back to Duwoof!" Me, too, Murray, me too.

Murray's Big Dip

When I heard how hot the weekend was going to be, my first thought was "lake". Despite the fact that Craig had a departmental party to attend, there was no way I was going to sit around in the heat. So on Saturday morning, Maggie, myself and Murray hopped in the car and hit the road. Forty-five minutes later, we were reveling in the beauty that is the lake. With the dogs, Murray and I all away, Craig was happy to enjoy 24 hours of solitude.

It turned out to be one of those "golden days" (as my mom would say). The August-warmed water looked like a sheet of glass, the sunnies were loving their "free" corn dinner from Murray's hook, and I enjoyed a good book and a long nap in the sun.

After nap, Murray wanted to take a boat ride. Grandpa and Grandma were on the pontoon with friends and it's been years since I've driven the fishing boat, so we opted for the paddle boat. The two of us had a great ride; Rudy followed us on shore while Maggie relaxed in the waning sun in a lounge chair. When we returned, I unloaded Murray and began to crank the lift up. I turned around, ran into Murray and the next thing I knew, he was in the lake. Maggie almost had a stroke. No worries here - the kid loves the water - he was wearing his life jacket. I calmly leaned over, pulled him up and after he caught his breath, he giggled. I made light of the situation so as not to scare him for future swimming and lake activities. It worked; he wanted go swimming about 10 minutes later. Poor Maggie; she was scared out of her mind. Hence the reason Murray is not allowed on the dock without his life jacket, which has been our rule since day one. He's been having a blast telling his story of how he "fell in the lake deep!". After all, he is a lake kid.

Breaking the Silence

I apologize for my silence lately. I am on day seven of a cold that I can't seem to shake. When one can hardly move, creativity and the desire to write leaves one's brain. It was only this morning while preparing for Mass that I was "writing in my head" again. With that, I knew it was time to post once again and get back on track.

I still feel awful and am wondering how long this will last. I can't taste or smell a thing and haven't been able to since Monday. I even attended a gourmet food and wine dinner and while I enjoyed the company of my "date" Rose, she had to describe the aromas and taste of the food and the wine that accompanied each course.

There is so much I want to write regarding our big adventure to Emilie Lemmon's gathering, but before I do so, I need to catch up on Roxane's posts. We experienced a celebration that I'm not sure how to put into words, but if you are curious before I can write more, check out Roxane's post from the last week. I'm positive that she can describe the events more eloquently than I can. That being said, I met some wonderful new friends (God bless Emilie for bringing us together) and was even able to experience Solemn (or High) Mass at the Cathedral of St. Paul, which is located next door to The Catholic Spirit, where Emilie worked, as well as our new friend Christina.

The saddest part of this journey that we took together is that my camera wasn't working, so again, for pictures, check out Roxane's site.

I'm going to cut this post short because I'm still under the weather, but know that I will be back tomorrow with more. In the mean time, GO VIKES!

Driving Miss M.

I did it. Drove on 35w that is. All by myself, except for my good friend Tom Tom. It was kind of a mistake, but none the less, I managed to cruise my way to Super Target in the middle of rush hour. I even had to stop at one of those "one car on green lights". I am super proud of myself. I know it sounds silly to all of you who drive in heavy traffic on a regular basis, but keep in mind that I've been terrified of driving on the interstate (even in Fargo) since I crashed my father-in-law's truck on the the BOD (bridge of death - I94 west-bound from Moorhead to Fargo). So I'm feeling pretty darn good right now and even asked Craig if I can drive tomorrow while we visit friends before I check into the next hotel for the second leg of my adventure.

Speaking of hotels, we had a bit of trouble last night. We were settled in for the night; Murray was asleep and Craig and I were having a nightcap. When I went into the bathroom, I was accosted by an extremely potent aroma (not what you might be thinking). It almost smelled like lighter fluid. Craig went in check it out. I certainly wasn't over-reacting (which I tend to do). We called the front desk, who sent maintenance to our room and his response was, "Well, I don't know where the smell would be coming from." With that, he left. The odor kept getting stronger and there was no way we were going to sleep in 407, so the front desk moved us to another room. We had to re-pack everything, move a sleeping Murray and his pack and play, and then unpack everything again. I love this hotel, but I'm getting a bit frustrated. When Craig and I stayed here in December, the front desk gave someone else a key to our room, and they walked in while I was in the room. They did give us free breakfast coupons, so I suppose I can't complain. Anyway, that was the Beckerleg drama for the night.

My big sister from another mother came over to visit us today. Tricia used to be a lifeguard and swim teacher, so she taught Murray and I some basic things about learning to swim. She is absolutely wonderful with children, and well, I guess just wonderful in general. I am thrilled that we were able to connect again. We spent about two hours in the pool until Murray decided it was time for lunch. Thanks Tricia!

Craig is sick and feeling pretty down. He suffered through his meetings today and after my run to Target for Sudafed, he's resting in bed. I feel so bad for him; he sounds awful. Tomorrow he has to go home by himself with Murray, so if he's still ill, he'll have to find someone to take Murray.

I'm off to take Murray to the pool one more time before bed. Craig will have some quiet time, and little one can burn off some energy.

Weekend Getaway

We arrived in the cities at about 5:00pm. After a quick stop at Marshall's to buy Murray some swim trunks (we forgot the most important item on the packing list), we finally got to the hotel. Murray and I have already been in the "POOO" (the pool), talked with Grandpa and Grandma via Skype and room service was just delivered.

Craig has meetings tomorrow, so Murray and I will meet up with family for breakfast and a pool day. I'm hoping my Aunt and cousins can make it over as well. I also have a good friend that I will try to meet up with sometime during our stay.

Craig and Murray are leaving on Saturday, and Roxane will arrive. We are attending a celebration of the late Emilie Lemmon's life (it would have been her birthday). The fun part about the adventure is that all of us who have connected through Emilie will get the chance to meet in person. On Sunday Roxane and I plan to attend Mass at the St. Paul Cathedral (I've always wanted to experience Mass there) and then have brunch. I am relaxed, happy and looking forward to the next few days with family and friends.

The interview went well, but my enthusiasm may have been a bit over the top. When asked what one of my short term goals is, I replied, "to secure this position". Laughter all around. I'm hoping I didn't botch it. Anyway, the interview lasted almost three hours and consisted of meeting with several different committees and departments. There are eight finalists so the competition is pretty stiff. I'm relying on God and his plan and if it doesn't work out then I'm certain He has a different idea in mind.

I just tried to take a picture of Murray eating room service (walleye fingers) on his tray in the big chair, but of course, the batteries in the camera are shot and I forgot to bring fresh. I'll have to pick some up tomorrow. You'd be surprised; I'm learning the city and with the help of Tom Tom, can generally get where I need to be. I'm definately not ready to navigate the interstates, but I can at least manage the suburbs without an anxiety attack. I'm making progress.

It's almost Murray's bed time, so I will say goodnight now. Sweet dreams all; more tomorrow.

M

Tots, Toys, and the Terrible Two's

When Murray was a baby, toys were pretty easy to manage. His first Christmas we didn't purchase anything for him because he was only 6 weeks old. The second Christmas rolled around and we kept our buying to a minimum. This year, his third Christmas, I have to admit that I went a little crazy. Not only did I go nuts spoiling him, but so did his aunts and uncles, grandparents, great-grandparents as well as his great aunts and uncles (I prefer to refer to the greats as regular grandparents and aunts and uncles, but for posterity, I included the great because, well, they are great). Anyway, I spent a good portion of a day last week packing up toys that he no longer uses and/or has forgotten. What I realized is that the older he gets, the more little parts and pieces there are to keep track of. I feel that I spend a ton of time running around making sure that things like the Handy Manny tools are in their tool box, the Lego's are in correct bin, the puzzle pieces match up and the seventy-nine Matchbox cars are out from under foot. Don't get me wrong, we are so pleased to be as blessed as we are. It's just that baby toys are much easier to keep track of than a toddler's. Murray is super at helping to pick up (thanks to Lyn) but I stocked up on cheap see-through boxes today and with the help of Maggie's label maker I plan to get a bit more organized.

I don't think Murray received a gift this year that he didn't absolutely love. Wait, I take that back. Santa brought him a new outfit and the second he opened it, he threw the clothes aside and was digging through the box looking for more toys. Needless to say, we're going to have to reign him in. With his birthday and Christmas so close, he thinks Santa should drop off some gifts every weekend. So, while I will be sending out thank-you notes (plan for those to arrive with the Beckerleg Christmas card), we are very appreciative, especially Murray.

We had a fantastic time with my dad, Miss Maddie, Maggie and her new beau, "Q". It was just awesome to be together and of course my dad (the real live Santa) made our belated Christmas just perfect. We spent a couple of hours with my Aunt Sue, Uncle Pat, Flynn and Casey yesterday. I haven't laughed so hard in a very long time. I am so glad to have them close.

I cried when my Dad left this morning, and we all miss Maddie. Although it is quite a bit less chaotic around here without a four-month old puppy. Even so, I'd welcome her any day, any time. For being so young, Dad is doing a fantastic job of training her and she's really a sweetheart. I know that Rudy misses her; he finally had someone to play with which they did almost non-stop.

Last but not least, Craig and I didn't have a lot of time to visit with my Dad or spend time with Murray. Murray spent two days hauling my dad around the house from toys to meals, to playing and singing songs. My dad has always had a giant heart when it comes to children, but when it comes to his grandson, well, I guess even a reformed Grinch couldn't compete with my dad. Murray has him completely wrapped around his finger and they have a pretty cool bond. My cup runneth over.

Good night, friends.

The Reason For the Season

We celebrated another "first" on Saturday. Murray received hockey skates for his birthday. The weather was beautiful and the pond behind the Beckerleg's had a shimmery, clean sheet of ice. Craig and I were prepared for the fact that Murray would be scared, even to put on the skates, but as soon as we began to lace them up he was thrilled. He kept repeating, "skate, hockey, ice skate, hockey" and when we finally put him on the ice he was in his own version of heaven. Of course he's in need of a lot of help (one person on each side) but even when he took his first fall he just giggled and got right back on the horse, so to speak. When we explained that it was time for a break and took him in the house, he cried, so Craig trudged back out and let him practice. We are thrilled that he enjoyed it so much. I suppose it's time to start saving our pennies - I wonder if Moorhead Youth Hockey has a lay-away plan? I did take a ton of video, but I can't seem to get it to download. I'll keep trying.

As we prepare for the wrap-up of advent and the celebration of Christ's birth, I've noticed a pretty awesome change in myself these days. This year I've spent more time reflecting upon our blessings, asking questions and learning more about our faith, and pondering the wondrous gifts we received when Christ died on the cross for us. Tonight will be the first time I attend reconciliation in 5 years. I'm apprehensive, but I love the feeling of being cleansed and am so grateful that Jesus died so that we can be forgiven of sin. I pray that my faith journey will flourish in the days and weeks to come. I have to thank my friend Roxane for this gift of new-found faith; through her and her wisdom I've embraced Christ in ways I hadn't dreamed possible; of course I know that God gave us the gift of our friendship and for that, I am honored.

May you have a blessed Christmas filled with peace and joy!

Clint Black and Conflict

I've never been a person who enters contests. Even when the prizes are, for example, a vacation in the Bahamas or front row tickets to see George Strait. Besides, since I've been in the advertising world, I've not been legally allowed to win said contests. But now that I'm not, I called a radio staion a whim today. The prize was tickets to see Clint Black (whom I love) at a nearby casino. I answered the question correctly and won! The problem lies with the fact that Craig has to be in the cities for meetings and Murray and I had planned to join him. I can't help but thinking that the concert would be super fun but I wonder if I would have as much fun without him. Craig hates concerts so I'm thinking he will skip it.

I just realized that this a ridiculous problem to have - sheesh - what's happened to me? I've gone completely materialistic and selfish. Anyway, I don't know what will happen, but it was fun to win. My guess is that the tickets will be given to someone who really wants them unless Craig is able to be home,
More tomorrow. Much love!
M

Two Two-Year-Olds

Craig and I had a wonderful mini-getaway. Although Craig had meetings on Friday, I took advantage of a "free" day and went shopping. I can't believe that I actually have a head start on my Christmas list. I'm usually running around frantically on Christmas Eve trying to find the "perfect" gifts. I had lunch with one of my girlfriends, Tricia, that I haven't connected with in a while. It was awesome to catch up (even though I sent her to the Mall of America instead of the Rosedale shopping center - oops).

We went out for dinner on Friday evening, and then had brunch with our friends Amy and Jeff on Saturday. (Amy used to live and work in Fargo, but moved to the cities several years ago). I've missed them so much! Jeff cooked a fantastic meal, and I'm pretty sure he makes the best bloody marys in the tri-state area.

As relaxing as it was to get away for a while, we missed Murray so much that by the time he hit Moorhead, Craig and I were both so excited to see him that I'm surprised we didn't get a speeding ticket. I cannot believe what a little parrot he is. He just loves to show off all the new words he's learning.

Yesterday we went to Mass, watched the Vikes, and then attended our nephew's second birthday party. It was a great party; we're so lucky to have such a great family.

Have a fantastic Monday. I'm counting my blessings today, and there are many!

Boys Will Be Boys

Last Saturday, I went to play bingo with the "ladies" of the family, while Craig, Jon and Troy stayed at home with the boys to watch the Gophers play hockey. This is what I came home to:

It was kind of like watching miniature sumo wrestling. The camera is shaking because I was laughing so hard.

After a while, the boys decided that dancing would be a great idea. We adults weren't so sure:

Life has been crazier than usual with Craig traveling so much. I'm going to tag along on his next trip, hopefully to get some Christmas shopping done. Murray will be staying with my sister so Craig and I have a mini-getaway.

We had a lovely Sunday at the lake, celebrating my Grandpa's birthday. Craig's Grandpa's birthday party was the same day, so we had to split up. I hope they both had a wonderful celebration!

Murray is turning 2 on Saturday and he is very excited. If you ask him how old he will be, he shouts, "TWOOOOO" (while holding up his index finger). We're having a small family gathering to celebrate.

I leave you with this:

"When we are no longer children, we are already dead."

. --Konstantin Brancusi

The Aftermath

Maggie and Murray
Fredster and Murray

Mari and Murray

Murray's first trick-or-treating experience went much better than we expected. He loved his costume and when we showed him in the mirror, his face lit up like a Christmas tree. We went to close friends and family members and finally got home at about 10pm with one very tired child.

Despite the crazy night before, he was a perfect angel at church yesterday. Usually we have to take him out. I think sitting closer to the front helps so that he can see what's taking place. He even danced in the pew to the children's choir!

Happy All Souls' Day!

Did You Know? Day 6 & 7

Murray was tired of pictures, but we made him pose with Maggie:

Day 6 & 7:

1. Give your child (over 1 year) honey for a cough and sore throat; it coats the throat and isn't worrisome for overdosing.

2. If you go to the pumpkin patch and put your toddler on the barrel trains, he/she may be reluctant at first. But after the first time, you end up spending the rest of your tickets on the barrel trains. Tears will prevail when you take him/her off after each time until he/she is distracted with the goats.

3. Pygmy goats generally have twins (a young girl taught me this today, as one of her goats is ready to give birth). When I was very young, we always had goats at Fort Detroit, but it's been 25 years; it was great to re-learn.

4. Just when you think that your toddler has kicked a habit, it comes raring back. Murray decided that it was time to wake up at 3:00am this morning. After checking to make sure that he wasn't ill, we left him to cry it out. Forty-five excruciating minutes later, he finally realized that he wasn't getting out of bed and went back to sleep. The problem was, our human alarm clock slept until 7:45 this morning, so we were all late.

We had a fantastic weekend. We arrived at the Pumpkin Patch right when they opened at 10am. It was perfect timing; there was hardly anyone there, so we were free to spend as much time as possible at each attraction sans crowds. Murray's favorite things were the goats and the barrel trains. My sister loved the Peanuts display in the not-so-scary haunted forest.

Family photo op:

How about those Vikings? What a poor display against the Steelers yesterday. There were times during the game that I was so frustrated that I had to walk away from the television. Certainly, the referees were not great (that tripping call was bogus), but our running game was just not up to par. Turnovers, sacks, penalties (sheesh, enough false starts anyone?); my heart would soar and plummet through the entire game. Oh well, the Vikings will certainly come back for a win against Green Bay! I still have faith. . .

Have a great Monday - I think we'll see some sunshine today!

M & M's

Murray, myself, Jamie and Nadia had a special Mom/kid day. We began the day with Yunker Farm.. The two of them are hysterical, and Nadia is an absolute beauty.

After the kids wore themselves out, we went to McD's, which is a very special treat for Murray. He didn't care for his chicken, so he ended up eating my whole cheeseburger. After lunch, we went home and napped (me too).

I wanted to find something creative and fun after nap, so we wound up at "Clay Your Way". We had so much fun - we may go back tomorrow after church. Murray loves to paint.

We are going to be an aunt and uncle again. Craig's sister and brother in law just found out that they will be parents to a babe in December. We're all thrilled! In the mean time, if you are a facebook friend of Amy and Todd's, please don't post anything other than you are happy for them. The two of them are going to fantastic parents, and we are all thrilled to have a new addition on the way.

Cheers to the S's on their new their new arrival!


I have a few more (or MOE in Murray speak) but unfortunatley my timing is off. I hope to be back at it very soon!

Special prayers to Dee Tangari (our great and talented) great aunt. We will miss you!

Blessings,
Marie, Criag and Murray Beckerleg

P is For Peace Garden

I think we have everything set for the benefit. It's been an awesome journey and I am so excited to raise the funds that the Murray family needs. Every penny will go towards Flynn's fund. The benefit should be a ton of fun; great food, wonderful people. and a ton of raffles and silent auction items. Please join us on Sunday!

Murray is a very silly boy. I've been wanting to tape videos of him, but our camcorder is missing. Plus, Criag keeps forgetting to bring the memory card home from work. We've missed a month of memories - I'm so sad. I can't wait to post pictures of him. He continues to learn new signs and words and his dancing is something that would make a group of the saddest people in the world laugh. I will post a video soon!

This afternoon we are taking Murray to the homecoming parade at MSUM. The last parade we attended he fell asleep, so we're hoping he will really enjoy this one.

Last night, my friend Roxane came over to visit and sign her book (for the benefit) "P is for Peace Garden". We had an awesome chat and are looking forward to many more. She is so amazing. Roxane is a mother of 5, a fantastic wife,mother of five, author and she sings too! Goodness, I'm lucky to have such a special friend who also has become my mentor. se

Hope to see you on Sunday!
Blessings,
Ree

Random Happenings

Where to begin today's post. First of all, we spent the weekend at home for the most part, and enjoyed ourselves immensely. On Saturday, Craig cooked a turkey (his first ever) and some good friends and my sister and her boyfriend joined us for football, Wii, dinner and cocktails. I do believe we all had a good time, but I can only speak for myself.

Saturday was my day to sleep in, so Craig and Murray went shopping. When I woke from a pleasant slumber, I discovered that Craig had re-arranged the house. I do like it, but long for more space!!! Most of the problem is that my crafting/scrap booking supplies take up a ton of room. I must find a system to organize it all, so it's not so daunting when I want to work on Murray's album, or even clean around it. However, I am so thankful for our home that it doesn't matter. I will find a solution; I just have to get creative (and motivated)! You should excuse the prose - I just finished re-reading Heidi, and I'm afraid I've caught the 1800's language bug.

On Sunday, we thought about heading to the lake, but decided to go to Buffalo River State Park instead. Our good friends and their daughter joined us. It was a beautiful day and we couldn't get the kids out of the water, even when their lips were blue and they were shivering. Unfortunately, our camera was out of juice, and for some strange reason, we can't find the video camera. We've searched and searched, to no avail. I sure hope we find it - how does one lose a video camera anyway? Maybe if I dig through my disorganized clutter it will turn up. In the mean time, I will pray the patron saint of missing items and hope he can help!

This week brings a busy week again, with hopes to head to the lake on Friday. In the mean time, I'll keep plugging away with a smile in my heart and on my face. Hurray for an abbreviated week. We still have until September 22 until summer is over!

Tonight I'm off to an event meeting and tomorrow another. A shout out to Dacotah Paper and the UPS Store, as well as many others (did I really just say that) for their donations for Flynn's benefit.

Later. . .

A ZOOper Weekend

We had the best weekend. Craig has been talking about visiting the Dakota Zoo in Bismarck since before we got married (not an exaggeration). Bright and early on Saturday morning, we packed up and headed west. Murray slept most of the way so he was in great spirits when we arrived. The weather was cool and rainy, which was perfect for zoo day. It wasn't very busy, and the cooler temps bring the animals out and they are super playful. We had an absolute blast. Murray LOVED feeding the mischievous goats, the noisy donkey (who brayed quite loudly anytime someone put money into the corn machine), the enormous Clydesdale horses, and my personal favorite, a beautiful family of white tail deer (probably because it brings back warm fuzzy childhood memories). I could have climbed right in the pen with the deer. The buck still had velvet on his antlers, the fawns still had their spots and were nursing, and the brown-eyed doe look wiped out (can't blame her, I can relate). After the zoo and lunch, we went to our hotel for swimming and resting. As usual, Murray didn't want to get out of the water.

On the way home, we stopped in Valley City to visit some good friends. Thanks for your hospitality, B & C! We loved seeing you (and Lily, Izzy, and Monster too).

We polished off the weekend with a backyard barbecue at Craig's brother's home. The boys had a terrific time playing in the pool and only had a few minor tussles. We adults always enjoy good conversation, so it was the perfect end to a perfect weekend. If you turn the sound up on the clip below, you'll hear that all four adults are laughing at the boys. Might as well let them fight it out, right?

Goodbye, Nuk, Goodbye Sleep

It's day five. Day five, you ask? Day five of Murray sans pacifier. It has been a very long five days. It takes us 45 minutes to put him to bed, and to top that off, he's awake at 5:30am. On the bright side of things, he doesn't wake up in the middle of the night several times due to loss of his pacifier. However, DH and I are exhausted. We'll get through this, I am sure, but life in our household is a bit less peaceful lately. Even the dogs are affected. Rudy groans quite loudly when Murray's cries (screams) wake him, and Nala won't leave my side. The latter means that whenever I need to sleep on the floor in Murray's room, she's right by my side. Don't get me wrong - I love that she feels the need to be with me. The problem is, Murray begins to bark at all hours of the night. Woof, woof. If the cat walks in, it starts all over again, this time with Murray's version of meow.

I had the best day today. My friend Roxane and I were FINALLY able to meet again. We had a fantastic lunch at Toscana - I only wish we could have had more time. However, I'm grateful for the time we had. Thanks, Rox! I wish you well next week!