Happy 7th Birthday!

Happy 7th Birthday, Teresa Rosemarie!

It's a busy day of cake baking, costume wearing, and trick-or-treating!

It's beginning to look a lot like . . . Halloween!

Of all the available fall traditions, I have to admit that carving jack-o-lanterns has not been among my favorites these past several years of having kids.  As a child, I loved it!  As a parent, not so much.  

It's messy and involves sharp knives--not exactly the ideal kid-friendly activity in my book.  For the past few years, I have waited to see if the kids would notice or not.  They forgot at least one year and I breathed a (silent) sigh of relief as Halloween passed without my hand fishing seeds and guts out of a pumpkin.

This year Nathan remembered with plenty of time to spare.  We received some massive pumpkins from our neighbor's garden earlier this fall that were just begging to be carved.  We decided that Tuesday after school would work out best.

Landen prepped the table with our usual garbage bags and newspaper.  Then an amazing thing happened!  Each of the three big kids began carving their OWN jack-o-lanterns.  I was close by to supervise, of course, but I barely had to touch any pumpkin guts at all.  Wohoo!

As a side note, we discovered that the Pampered Chef My Safe Cutter knife works GREAT for carving pumpkins.  The boys used the two knives that I had from beginning to end and they wouldn't give them up.  Teresa was stuck with a usual paring knife, but that worked out just fine, too.

Rachel wasn't too excited about the whole carving idea, but she did show up to make some funny faces for the camera.  

Here are each of them displaying their creative ideas and carving skills--

With a row of jack-o-lanterns now lining our deck, it's beginning to look a lot like Halloween!

Moms' Night Out

Moms' Night Out was in theaters last summer, but it never worked for me to go.  Yes, it is true.  I couldn't even find a night out to go to a movie about moms!

I finally watched it on DVD and it was even better than I thought it would be.  It is true to life, funny, and inspirational, but not preachy.  I was laughing and also at times holding back tears at how much we moms have in common and the pressure we put on ourselves.

I was expecting to have most in common with the TV mom with which I usually identify (Patricia Heaton), but lead character Allyson (Sarah Drew) was definitely my near-mirror image in this one.  She is even a blogger . . . who sometimes struggles to have anything to say. :)

This movie is entertaining enough for men, but women will most identify with what these moms go through in their lives and their quest for just one "Moms' Night Out."

This is one I will be adding to my movie library.

A Big Day!

Today, October 27 is a big day in my family.  It was my great grandparents' wedding anniversary, my grandpa's Godmother's birthday (which I just learned), is my grandparents' wedding anniversary, my grandma's birthday, my aunt Marian's birthday and my cousin's son Jordin's birthday!  Whew!  With so much to celebrate, we had to start on Saturday!

Our family held a Family & Friends Open House on Saturday to celebrate my Grandpa and Grandma Kallas' 60th Anniversary.  Eight of their twelve children were able to be there, as well as in-laws, out-laws, grandchildren, and the like.

To add a little life to the party, my mom, aunts and uncles shared memories of growing up that we used as part of our centerpieces.  My aunt and uncle read these, and some more were added.  

My favorite story was from 1980-something when several (or all) of the 5 boys brought baby skunks into the porch.  Grandma was worried about the smell, but they assured her the skunks weren't old enough for that.  By that night, they called her where she was in town to let her know that they were "old enough."  

I don't know how my grandparents raised 12 kids, worked hard on their dairy farm, and still look so young for 82 and 88!

I love them so very much and they are an inspiration to me every day!

American Girl(s)

I really didn't see this coming.  This is big.  Like if I went to SDSU and called myself a Jackrabbit big.  Out of the blue.  Unexpected.
The American Girl catalog arrived last week.  I pondered throwing it away, as I often have in the past to simply bypass the begging. Then I decided to let Teresa have her fun.  They don't make JCPenney catalogs anymore, so when does a girl have a chance to dream?  She was so very excited to find the catalog on the counter after school, but not so much when she started asking me about prices.  (Seriously, these dolls wear more expensive clothes than I do.)
A few days later we came across adorable hand-made doll clothes at the Faulkton Arts and Crafts Fair.  I let each of them choose an outfit for their treat for the day.  $11 versus $40?  Yes, I can do that.  It was then I realized (or maybe remembered) that although my daughters have several baby dolls, neither has an 18" doll to dress. 
**Big moment right here!**  Out of nowhere, it hit me.  I was going to buy my girls American Girl dolls for Christmas.  A splurge, yes.  But, Santa could make it happen.
Before jumping in too deep, I did a little non-scientific survey and asked what the difference was between the American Girl dolls and their less expensive friends.  What I learned was many are very happy with their non-AG dolls.  The big difference was in the quality of the doll's hair. 
I decided I wanted good hair.  Who doesn't? 
Good hair comes with a price.  Who's doesn't?
I turned to eBay to help me find a bargain.
I used to read the American Girl book series when I was growing up, and those characters are among the first dolls.  American Girl has many, many more dolls and their pets and, like I said, more expensive wardrobes than my own.  Dolls may also be ordered with customized features, including skin, hair, and eye color, as well as freckles and earrings.  If you do this, you can give your doll her own personality.
*Evidently, you cannot do this if you buy a doll who already has a name and personality of her own.  It's strict Doll Code.*
I decided that THIS is what I was going to do.  It would be neat, since I'm going through the process of this anyway, to find dolls that have similar features as my girls.  (Personalities would be up to them.  I have enough personalities in this house to deal with already. . . .)
I haven't made any purchases, but Teresa's features have been no problem to find.
Then I hit a little snag.
Red heads with blue eyes and freckles are the among the rarest red heads.
The same is true for American Girl dolls. There was one with long, curly hair, but it wasn't quite right.
Back to eBay I went to try to find a deal.
As it turns out, with a little clicking and searching, I learned that Nellie is the girl I'm looking for!  Light red shoulder-length hair, blue eyes and freckles!  Perfect!

Guess what?  It's the same Nellie that has been retired for several years.  

Of course she was!  And some, OK many, sellers are asking for a lot more pennies than I am willing to spend.

Thankfully, I did find several others on eBay and finally placed a bid on a slightly-loved-in-excellent-shape Nellie.  We will see if she is "the one" or not in 1 day and 22 hours.  

I just hope she has a pleasant personality.

Bathroom humor

I am covering a couple of shifts at the school book fair this week, which is a pretty great job for a person like myself.  Browsing through books, helping students find books, and seeing students excited to buy new books are all some of my favorite things.

Each of my kids chose a book to add to their personal libraries.  Landen and Teresa stayed true to their interests--facts, history, and princesses.  Nathan found something new.  I have a suspicion that Captain Underpants will be his favorite series.  How could it not be?  Actually, I am surprised that the Captain hadn't found his way into our home already.

I have to admit, in the parts that they read aloud to me, the writing was clever.  It's easy to see how this series is still popular with kids since the first novel was published in 1997.

I'm sure I will be hearing much more from Captain Underpants as Nathan continues his reading.  Maybe it will get some of his bathroom humor out of his system.

Or maybe not. :)

Opening Weekend

Opening weekend was a success for the hunters in our family--both pheasant hunters and craft fair hunters!  There was the added excitement of a skunk spray for one of our guys this year.  (Humorous for the rest of us, not so much for him.) :)  

While the hunters were out, we got the 7 and under group together to play for the afternoon.  They all got along really well.  At least Isaiah and Reid have each other with all of those girls around them!

Sunday was our annual Melius birthday bash.  We were able to have the inflatables outside this year.  We had a BEAUTIFUL Sunday afternoon and evening to play.  The kids discovered that combining inflatables with Nerf guns makes them even more fun.

Aunt Darla even joined in the fun!

There were a few presents to open, too.  Rachel loves her Hello Kitty shirt from Aunt Amanda.

Teresa couldn't wait to play with her present from Aunt Amanda--markers, scotch tape, and 500 sheets of paper just for her!

Comfort & Perspective

Let me start by declaring my love for fall.  I love everything about it.  I love its familiarity, its security, its comfort.  First the apples arrive.  The leaves begin to change.  Then harvest begins.  The pumpkins appear.  And pumpkin spice lattes.  Then the pheasants and their hunters.  There's plenty of hot coffee, hot apple cider, cousin Lisa's traditional pumpkin roll, and the local craft fair.  Yes, I love the comfort it brings.  I love fall.
However, because it is all so familiar, I am finding it difficult to write anything new lately!  Harvest begins and I find myself doing the same thing as the year before and the year before that.  Making applesauce.  Admiring the trees.  Feeding the hungry farmers.  Picking pumpkins.  Indulging in those lattes.  Getting our "orange" ready.  Having just one more slice of the pumpkin roll.  Searching for that new holiday decoration for my home.  As much as I love all of these things, I've already blogged about them, so what else is there?

In seasons like these, when I feel as though it's all been done before, it is easy to get caught up in the hamster wheel of being a wife and mom. For me, it is compounded by the fact that my friends are also busy with their own responsibilities and traditions this time of year, so we don't see much of each other.  Without their reference point, it is easy to lose myself in it all.  I am just a laundress.  Just a cook.  Just a maid.  Just a sounding board.  I feel like I don't even say much to my own husband because there isn't much new to say!
I happened to see my dear friend Cathy in the grocery store parking lot yesterday.  Because our times together are so sporadic, our brief reunions are always joy-filled, whether it be in a parking lot, park, or noisy community supper.  We each talk and listen as quickly as we can before our life responsibilities call us away.  With each of us having young families, our friendship is quality, not quantity of time.  Yesterday, two of her former teachers were visiting from New Jersey, and she introduced me to them.  She called me a former teacher, a stay-at-home mom, a blogger, a book club member, a photographer.  Wow, I thought later, she made me sound quite interesting.
Later last night, I saw Proverbs 31 Ministries shared this on their Facebook page yesterday:

It's all a matter of perspective.

And I thank my friend for providing that for me.  

Adding it up

I don't feel as though I've done anything particularly blog-worthy lately.  However, maybe if I put it all together, I can still salvage it into something.  What have I been doing? Let's see....


1. Growing my hair out (slowly) for my sister's wedding.  I realize this doesn't require much effort on my part, but I thought I'd throw it in there.
2. Praying that the maid of honor dress that I LOVE and fits JUST RIGHT will still be that way after the fall and holiday feasts.
3.  Because of that, upping my walking by a little each day.  (At least it's not going to hurt anything.) :)
4. Roasting my own sunflower seeds.  (Hey, why not?)
5. Admiring the beauty of the landscape in the "golden hour" of the evening. I was only able to admire if for a few seconds, but it was still beautiful!
6. I went to my first high school cross county meet last week.  Go Wildcats!  It will be interesting to see if any of our children become cross country runners.  It's safe to say that I won't be their coach.  But, I can be a good cheerleader!
7. Organizing my grandparents' 60th Anniversary reception at the end of the month.  They are quite amazing grandparents and I am so grateful to have them in my life.
8. Digging the Garth Brooks tunes back out of the archives to gear up for our big reunion in November.  (I know Garth is looking forward to it as much as I am.)
9. Pre-ordering the newest Garth Brooks CD that comes out Nov. 10.  (Again-why not?)  It took me back to college when my friend Peggy and I drove out to the mall music store and sacrificed our meager incomes to pre-order our own Garth Brooks boxed sets.  You never know, they might have sold out!  They didn't, but you just never know . . . .
10. Thinking about trying new pumpkin recipes
11.  Getting ready for opening pheasant hunting weekend.  It's quite a turnaround how what was once one of my least favorite weekends of the year has become my favorite as our children are older and are also able to enjoy it.  (Boys hunting with dad, girls shopping with mom and playing with cousins!)
12.  Preparing the menu for our 2nd Annual Melius Birthday Bash on Sunday.  And, realizing that a menu probably isn't necessary.  As long as we pick up the inflatables, all is well. 
13. Going to our family's first orthodontist appointments.  I knew this day was coming.  No braces yet, but someday . . . .
14.  Admiring the reds, oranges, and yellows of fall.  I never tire of the changing colors.
15.  Watching the corn come out of the field, thankful for a harvest once again!

Fall Photo Shoot

 Today was a perfect day for our annual fall photo shoot!  

The kids decided to change our route for the walking photo to the road east of our house.  It actually worked out very well with their shadows.  Callie joined us, too.

And then I took a few more . . . .

What's a walk to the creek without wrestling?

Whirlwind Wedding Weekend (and a birthday!)

Whew!  What a weekend!  

It was just decided a week prior that harvest and the stars and everything else that had to align were doing just that and we would be able to attend David's cousin's wedding in Minneapolis.  

There was just one little snag.  

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but we have 4 kids!  Usually that isn't a problem, but once in awhile it presents a little bit of a challenge!  (For example, when we are invited to an adults-only wedding several hours from home.)  But, with many, many thanks to our friends and my sister, we were able to divide boys and girls for the weekend and make it all work. 

We fit a whole lot of fun into a little bit of time!

Here we are at the reception, enjoying wine, hors d'oeuvres, and our little mid-harvest break!

David with his cousins Josh and Jordan

Since last year in Breckenridge, the Melius cousins have mastered the art of stuffing as many of us as possible in a photo booth.  Mission accomplished once again.

Here are all of us (spread out just a bit more), with the beautiful couple, Michael and Kate!

After we returned home and before harvest could reconvene, we had a birthday to celebrate!  Dad's 37th birthday to be exact!

Landen bought this table top golf game for his dad.

Teresa photographed some of his cards for us.  When you start to get OLD, you get some pretty funny cards.  :)

We ended the celebration with a delicious supper, made by my mom.  (Really if I hadn't been fortunate enough for the weekend, the icing on the cake was returning home and having people in my kitchen making apple crisp with a lasagna and coleslaw in the fridge!)  David's parents were able to join us, too.  Yay--instant birthday supper!

We are thankful for our friends, family, birthdays and for the harvest we have returned home to!

There's nothing left to say but the obvious. 

God is good!

Hitchhikers

Remember this lovable little kitten?

As it turns out, she loves to travel.

And she's not the only one.

About a week after we adopted our three kittens, the orange and striped one disappeared.  They had stuck pretty close together all week, and our neighbors hadn't seen them, so I assumed they had either wandered away or were eaten by the same wild animal.

A couple of days later, I returned home to a message that they had shown up in town 2 miles away!  Although it is understood by our kids that farm cats come and go, we were still happy to have them back.  At first I thought they had walked into town, but then I realized that they must have hitched a ride under the van the day they went missing.

Last Sunday, we returned home from church to another call.  This striped kitten had shown up at another nice lady's house and again had spent the night in town.  Truth be told, she had stumbled onto what sounded like THE Cat's Meow of homes, but that nice owner already had enough cats and so this one had to be returned to our farm.

All had been well this week.  All cats and kittens were present and accounted for.  I even saw this one enjoying a tasty mouse yesterday.  Way to go!  

One of our mama cats had had kittens in a barrel several weeks ago and the kids finally let them out since Mama Cat didn't seem too interested in doing it herself.  They had been playing with them and taming them down.

This morning Rachel and I did a little grocery shopping in Faulkton (20 miles away).  After I left the store, I decided to stop at the animal feed elevator and pick up some dog and cat food.  I did as I always do, pulled up to the door, told the man what I needed, and he carried it out to the van for me.  I don't usually buy cat food, so I told him that we had recently adopted some cats.

Then he asked, "Do you have a cat in there now?"

"No," I laughed. I hope not!"

We both thought it must have been a toy in the van and dismissed it.

Until I backed away and the meowing got louder.

He flagged me down.

Oh, no.  I DID have a cat in there!

I stopped, popped the hood and there--right under the hood and scared as can be--was one of those kittens from the barrel!  It was so freaked out, it bit the guy (which I still feel terrible about)!  Showing much more compassion than I would have in that situation, he went across the street, got a cat carrier, and I took that terrified little thing back home in my front seat.

I really hope this kitten hitchhiking is over now.

At least we know one thing.

They always find their way back to us.

I have a feeling this batch of kittens may be staying around for a long while.