family memories Archives - Arrow Hill Cottage

AROUND HERE: FEBRUARY 2020

Around here, we have been…

FINISHING the house. We have until April 8th to get this house project finished up. We feel like we are so close, yet so far away. Still a lot of effort needs to be put in, both from our builder and by ourselves.

Each week though, more is being checked off of the house to-do list. And we are now able to eat at our table, with the top finished. Still need to make the base for it – but that will be after the construction loan is closed out!

CELEBRATING our middle son. {I} had his golden birthday this month, and he requested to invite a few friends over to the house for some fun and pizza.

He is such a sweet boy, with a thirst for knowledge. Always coming up with a new contraption or invention. Always willing to help out with siblings or a task that needs to be done. We all love him so much!

PARTICIPATING in winter activities. Both at home, and through school, we have been very busy this month. The older two boys finished up their basketball season. Both have improved so much!

The girls were able to cheer with a group at one of the games, and had an absolute ball!

{D} had a wonderful orchestra concert at the middle school. It is so fun to see them all play as a group to make beautiful music.

At home, the kids have been having fun both indoors and out. We are really starting to love our home the more we spend time here and realize how well it works for our family.

SADDENED. An early morning fire in our historic downtown area devastated the area, causing multiple businesses to be displaced and many other buildings to suffer smoke damage. It was a huge loss for our community.

This photo provided by Douglas County (Minn.) Emergency Management in Alexandria, Minn., shows firefighters fighting a fire Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020 that destroyed several buildings in downtown Alexandria. (Julie Anderson/Douglas County Emergency Management via AP)

Thankfully there were no casualties, and all of the fire personnel were kept safe. Knowing first hand the risks that these people walk into when battling a blaze, we thankful, at least, for that happy ending.

This is just a glimpse at what our family has been up to. If you’d like a closer look, be sure to check out our weekly ‘mini vlogs’ on our family YouTube channel ARROW HILL FAMILY. Be well everyone!

AROUND HERE: JANUARY 2020

Around here, we have been…

LABORING. On, you guessed it…the house! The completion of one project seems to lead into another, in a seemingly never-ending cycle.

We are narrowing down to a firm final construction date, when we need to close our loan. With that date in mind, we are realizing that staying on task is going to be very important if we are going to get everything done in time!

SHOVELING a lot of snow. It just keeps coming down, and we are running out of places to put it.

At least the temperatures haven’t been super cold. And, having an attached garage has been amazing. So we aren’t complaining too much!

ENJOYING school activities. The boys are continuing their basketball season. Their teams play well together and both boys are both improving so much!

The kids are also coming home with a bunch of really cute art projects.

CELEBRATING the Lunar New Year. We kept things really low key this year, during all the hustle and bustle. Taking the family out to eat at the local Chinese Buffet was the perfect fit.

Of course, {M} knew exactly what she wanted to dig into first. The girl loves her noodles!

AROUND HERE | NOVEMBER 2019

Around here, we have been…

BUSY! If I could use one word to describe our lives at this moment in time, it would be this one. The days are speeding by so quickly it is as if they don’t even exist. With school, finishing the house, traveling for various activities and the holiday – we have been finding ourselves spinning.

To be honest, I genuinely hate being this busy. I do know that this is a season in our lives that will eventually pass. And with that knowledge, I am able to press on.

In the midst of all the craziness, our sweet {D} became a teenager! How have thirteen years passed so quickly? We are so proud of the young man he is becoming.

SEEING a lot of progress at Arrow Hill Cottage. Some of the bigger milestones that were hit this month include having our furnace hooked up to natural gas, installing the upstairs pine ceilings and the cabinets throughout the house, and getting a working bathroom!

We are doing a good chunk of the finish work ourselves, specifically all of the flooring. Craig already finished the basement vinyl plank floors and has moved onto the hardwoods. I am in charge of the tile work in two of the bathrooms. It is a bit slow going, but we are making progress and we can see a teeny tiny light at the end of this long tunnel.

MOVING our things to the new house! Though it isn’t quite ready for us to move into yet, we wanted to open up the rental farmhouse to the new renters before December first. Beating the snow and cold temps was also very important to us.

With our belongings safely in the garage, and the rental farmhouse all cleaned, we were invited to sleep during the night at Craig’s parents house. We are so fortunate to have family so near!

GIVING Thanks for all of our many blessings. We took a short trip to visit family over Thanksgiving. It was wonderful to be able to visit and just relax. Angela’s 95 year old grandma was able to join in the festivities and had so many amazing stories to share of her history.

The kids all had a great time with their cousins too, playing with play-doh and the vintage Nintendo game system.

AROUND HERE | SEPTEMBER 2019

Around here, we have been…

STARTING a new school year! All the kids are once again at the same school. It’s fun that they span in grades from Kindergarten to Seventh, and yet all still be together and see each other off and on throughout the day.

{M} was extra excited for her first year of full time school! She has been pretty tired though, so we are careful to make sure she gets naps in on the weekend.

CELEBRATING birthdays. Both of the girls have September birthdays. We decided on a new tradition this year by taking each child out on a date, with just with mom and dad. This one on one time has been awesome and means so much more to the kids than any presents could!

The girls also were able to choose a small gift. They went for art supplies and snacks. Nice choices!

PLAYING a lot of football. Both {D} and {L} are in leagues. This is {D}’s first year of true tackle football. His real passion though is, of course, kicking! He has already had quite a few chances to kick extra points during the games, and hopes to get in a field goal or two before the season is over.

{L} is doing flag football and is learning the basic skills of the game.

In the evening, and on the weekends, Craig is busy with all three boys – outside playing two on two games. They have so much fun!

TAKING family pictures out at the new house. With the house starting to look a lot more like home, we thought it would be special to take our Fall family photos at the site.

We absolutely can not wait to live here! I’m sure we will cherish these pictures for many years to come.

AROUND HERE | JULY 2019

Around here, we have been…

VACATIONING to ND. We took a trip over the 4th of July weekend to visit Angela’s extended family. It was such a great relaxing trip and we were able to see relatives that we haven’t seen for quite a long time. Together we celebrated the early 95th birthday of great grandma Amy.

The cousins had a great time together playing, and taking in all the sights – including the annual Independence Day Parade. There is something really special about small towns!

SEEING our house take shape. Once the foundation was finished, things really started to go more quickly and now they are finishing up the framing! This has been the most exciting part of the process to date, as it is finally starting to look like a house!

CHOOSING items for the house. With the building in full swing, we are busy choosing the finishes and fixtures we want to be installed in the home. There are so many choices to make, including flooring, lighting, and even toilets!

At the same time, we are fixing up/refinishing items that will be going in the new house – such as this cast iron sink!

RUNNING with a goal. Craig had the idea to improve his mile time this summer. His overall goal was to run a mile under 7 minutes. And he reached it! He has since gone on to run it in 6:50. And his new goal is to get Angela under 7. We shall see about that…

AROUND HERE: JANUARY 2019

Around here we have been…

PLAYING basketball. The older two boys have been enjoying basketball season at their school. It is {I’s} first year to play, and {D}’s second.

They think it is fun being on a team together! We are really impressed with how much both of them have improved, and are proud of the hustle and good sportsmanship they show out on the court.

CONTINUING to tidy. One of Angela’s New Year’s Resolutions is to declutter the entire rental house before we break ground on Arrow Hill Cottage in the Spring. It is a hefty challenge, but we have already made great progress.

In January, she was able to get her magazine collection in order and simplify the linen closet.

Craig even got in on the action, and decluttered his clothing.

KEEPING warm. The temperatures over the last couple of weeks have been absolutely insane. In fact, school was even cancelled for a couple of days because of the dangerously cold temps and strong winds.

We were thankful to be able to cozy up inside our house, staying out of the elements. And we look forward to next winter when we will be enjoying Arrow Hill Cottage – and especially the Rec Room on these cold winter days!

TRYING new hairstyles. January seems to be the time of year our family members like to experiment with their hair. The boys all got fresh cuts and {M} tried some curls.

And…Craig shaved his beard off! We all couldn’t believe how different he looked right away! I bet with the cold that is here, he maybe wishes he had kept the beard a while longer!

This is just a glimpse at what our family has been up to. If you’d like a closer look, be sure to check out our weekly ‘mini vlogs’ on our YouTube channel ARROW HILL FAMILY. Be well everyone!

AROUND HERE: OCTOBER 2018

Around here, we have been…

EXPERIMENTING with different things. Apparently {M} wanted to try to see what it might be like to be a hairdresser. She grabbed a scissor and cut a big chunk right out of the front of her hair!

It’s crazy to think that even though we have 5 children and have been parents for nearly 12 years, this is the FIRST time we have had this issue. One of the boys went through a phase where he would cut small holes in his shirts and pants, but never his hair! Luckily, we can easily cover {M}’s little whoopsie with a strategically placed bow or hair clip!

RECOVERING from a scary accident. Unfortunately, {L} got hurt. It was a strange twist of events that caused him to break the pinky finger on his right hand and sever one of the tendons in the finger. Craig took him directly to the ER, where they needed to do emergency surgery. The tendon was stitched back together, as was the skin. All told, he was given over 10 stitches. Because the bone in his finger was exposed, he needed to spend one night in the hospital to receive antibiotics through an IV.

A few days later he was put in a cast to protect his finger. He chose purple, for the Vikings of course. They were able to cast him so that his pointer and thumb where left out. This allowed him to be able to use his right hand as a ‘helper’ and to write! The cast was on for two weeks, during which time {L} learned to do many things left handed, including throwing a football.

New X-rays were then taken which showed that the finger is healing nicely. He was given the option of a new cast for 2 weeks, or a removable sling. He chose the sling.

This has all been a lot for a seven year old to take in, and honestly, he still has a little bit of post traumatic stress from the incident. He doesn’t like to talk about it much at all, and refuses to look at his finger when the wound is exposed. We don’t blame him. He has been so brave though, and we are all happy that he is on the road to a full recovery.

PRACTICING with the big boys. After finishing the season completely undefeated AND without any points being scored against them, Craig and {D}s team was pumped. In the final game of the season, they felt confident enough to kick field goals during the game itself.

From what we understand, it is the first time that a field goal has been attempted in 6th grade football history in our community. The first kick {D} tried was blocked, but the second, from 25 yards, soared straight through the uprights! It was such an exciting moment and the perfect cap for a great season. Though coaching definitely took Craig out of his comfort zone, he gained hours of special boding time with our oldest son, which is something he will cherish forever.

{D}’s kicking practice caught the eye of the high school football coach, who was able to put him in touch with a former college kicking athlete from the U of M. He has been training {D}, as well as the high school kicker, on proper form techniques.

This is such a great opportunity for him and his form has already improved! We don’t see his love for this sport going away anytime soon. In fact, he has been mentioning summer camps that are available and can be seen in our backyard for at least an hour every day, kicking.

PREPARING for Halloween. We have decided to take this year off from trick or treating, and will instead hang out at home with our favorite candy and a movie. Carving pumpkins and roasting the seeds is also on the agenda.

Though we aren’t dressing up, the boys still wanted to try on some things at the store. This ape mask was a hit.

We are considering this a bit of a ‘transition’ year. By this time next year, we will hopefully be in our new house. Those who don’t want to go out trick or treating can stay home and pass out candy, while the others will be able to walk around our new neighborhood. Having lived in the country for over 4 years now, we are looking forward to that!

This is just a glimpse at what our family has been up to. If you’d like a closer look, be sure to check out our weekly ‘mini vlogs’ on our YouTube channel ARROW HILL FAMILY. Be well everyone!

AROUND HERE: SEPTEMBER 2018

Around here, we have been…

CELEBRATING birthdays for both of the girls! {K} turned 8 and {M} turned 5! Last year we celebrated their birthdays together, but this year we decided to have small family parties for each of them separately.

{K} had a ‘magic pony’ aka unicorn party. We even bought her a a unicorn headband so that she could pretend to be one herself. She received many art supplies and creative tools, which she loved. Her biggest wish, though, was to unwrap her ‘stinky present’ – her purple arm cast. ha ha! That wish was realized about a week after her birthday, and she is now cast free!

{M} had a confetti/ celebration themed party and received gifts that included a magnet learning toy, drawing book, and a wooden pizza party set to use with her play kitchen. She soaked up all the attention, especially at school with her friends – while passing out cookies and listening to them sing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song to her.

We are blessed to have these two little girls as part of our family and pray that the year ahead of them is filled with favor.

GETTING our exercise. Before the very cold weather blows in, and the snow begins to fall, we are trying to pack in as much outdoor time as possible. Both {D} and {L} continue with their football programs.

Being the first year for {L}, he is still very much learning the rules – along with his teammates. It is sometimes funny to watch them out on the field. That being said, we are proud of {L}’s hustle and his ability to follow instruction.

Craig is coaching {D}’s team, and reports that they are a great group of boys. As of the writing of this post, the ‘mean machine’ (team name determined by the kids) is undefeated, and have yet to have any points scored against them! In his free time, he is still living and breathing field goal kicking. Through a series of events, he was able to match up with a former college football kicker – who is willing to give {D} private kicking lessons!

This Fall has found {I} doing a lot of running, and he seems to really love it! His first experience with distance running was the elementary 1 mile fun run, which is an optional event for all 4th and 5th graders in our school district. Though he was hesitant to sign up, Angela took him on a practice run. Once he realized that it was possible for him to go the distance, he was all in! He finished his mile race with a time of 7:47! Since the race, he has run with Angela a few different times – up to the distance of 3 miles! He is always trying to beat his time for the mile, and now has a PR of 7:25. Perhaps he will have a cross country career in his future?

WORKING our jobs. This month, Craig took a work trip to Philadelphia where he was able to take in some of the famous city’s historic landmarks, such as the Liberty Bell and the ‘Rocky steps’. He was also able to eat a classic Philly Cheese steak sandwich.

Angela began her new part-time work venture – as a para/ aide in the Preschool room at our kid’s school. She is now with {M} for half of her school days on M/W/F. She loves the position so far. Because it is part time, she is able to run errands in the afternoons on those days and ‘recharge’ on the days between.

CHANGING some of the design aspects of our future house. While doing a bit of fine tuning and simplifying, Angela somewhat stumbled upon a major planning change for the new house. It adds so much value, including an attached bathroom for the main floor bedroom. We are really excited about that!

We will soon be contacting the bank and getting our preliminary estimate/appraisal done. At that point we will also work with our contractor and excavator to determine the house position, and begin to cut down some of the main trees that will need to be removed. The large trees, we hope, can be milled into boards that we can use for furniture pieces in the house.

This is just a glimpse at what our family has been up to. If you’d like a closer look, be sure to check out our weekly ‘mini vlogs’ on our YouTube channel ARROW HILL FAMILY. Be well everyone!

AROUND HERE: AUGUST 2018

Around here we have been…

HEALING. {K} had her follow up appointment to see how her hand is healing. The doctor was very happy with how things looked, but decided that it could use one more month in a cast. She was a bit bummed at the news, but we trust the doctor’s recommendation. If she were to fall on her wrist or thumb before it was completely healed, it could mean more surgery.

She chose a purple cast this time – for the Vikings.

MAKING memories with family. All three boys, Craig, and both grandpas were able to attend a pre-season Vikings game in Minneapolis. For both {I} and {L}, it was their first time at an NFL game. Sadly, the Vikings lost to the Jaguars and didn’t seem to play their best.

That didn’t seem to matter to the boys. They had fun all the same and came home with huge smiles on their faces.

ENJOYING the last days of summer. It really is hard to believe that summer is nearly over. It is going into the record books as one of the most enjoyable breaks we have ever had as a family. I was trying to figure out the reason it has been so great, and have come to the conclusion that it is likely because we have had no major life events this year. No moving to a new house, no adoptions, no adding of new family members. Just us and the gorgeous weather.

We have been spending the last couple of weeks at the Fireman Cabins here in our town. A stay there is a perk of the Fire Department. Craig had signed up for our stay before his retirement, so this – our 11th year – will be our last official stay.

We have always loved our time at the cabins. There is something so peaceful and relaxing about the setting.

PREPARING for the start of school. This school year, six of our seven family members will be spending time at school. Angela accepted a position as a part time pre-Kindergarten classroom aide. It just so happens that miss {M} will be in her class, something they are both pretty excited about. Angela has been doing training with her colleagues in preparation.

She has also been sorting through school supplies and divvying them up among the kids. It’s amazing how many pencils we have! Back to school open house was yesterday, when the kids were able to meet their teachers, find their lockers, and see where they will sit in their classrooms. They are probably most excited to spend more time with their friends, and not so much looking forward to the extra work load that is sure to come.

{K} worked very hard this summer to get through the list of sight words her teacher had given her. The goal was that if she was able to learn them all, she would be able to get her very own library card. She did it, and was all smiles!

The kids are also starting their school related activities. {D} is signed up for football again this year. He is excited to have Craig as one of his coaches! They look forward to a fun season of learning together.

It has been one full year since the ‘Around Here’ feature began on the blog – take a look back at August 2017’s happenings. There are a lot of similarities this year!

This is just a glimpse at what our family has been up to. If you’d like a closer look, be sure to check out our weekly ‘mini vlogs’ on our YouTube channel ARROW HILL FAMILY. Be well everyone!

AROUND HERE: JULY 2018

Around here, we have been….

CELEBRATING with family. The fourth of July holiday has always been a special one for my family. Growing up, it was tradition to visit my grandparents and take in all of the small town festivities – parades with lots of candy, sparklers, and of course a ton of barbecued food. Now, going home, it’s fun to watch our kids doing some of the same things. It was wonderful to see both of my sisters and their families. I cherish these moments.

This year, my hometown was having an all school reunion the same weekend as the 4th of July festivities, and so I was able to catch up with two of my best high school friends, and meet their kids. It was a blast to wander around our old high school and bring up all of the memories (both good and bad) that were had there.

RECOVERING from surgery. As part of her arthrogryposis, some of {K}’s joints formed in unusual ways. The hand specialist she sees in the Twin Cities evaluated her left wrist and thumb and let us know that there is potential for both of them to be more functional, which could help her gain more independence. However, he also mentioned that the window of opportunity to improve these joints is limited, and that if not done in the next year or so they may be permanently stuck in the stiff and awkward position.

We did a lot of talking with {K} about what she wanted, and ultimately, though she was scared of having the surgery, she wanted to have it done so that she could have the best possible function. She also wanted the surgery for aesthetic reasons. Our little girl was very brave and although after her surgery she was in quite a bit of pain and discomfort, she is now is back to her happy self with her bright pink cast, which will be removed in August.

TRYING new things, and trying old things again. We gifted {D} a flight lesson coupon for his 11th birthday last November. He saved it, waiting until the weather was perfect to take to the sky. He had a wonderful experience and is excited to continue on his training.

Craig finally got his hands on a box of King Vitaman. It was his absolute favorite cereal when he was a kid, and he wanted to try it again to see if it was everything that he remembered. The cereal is still in production, but in very limited quantities. Buying it online is an option, but an expensive one that we were too cheap to invest in. His sister and her husband bought him a box as a birthday present, and he was pumped! See the video of his reaction to the first bite HERE.

STARTING to cross things off of the never-ending project list. Being renters for nearly 4 years, we haven’t had much to do in the home improvement realm. It’s been a nice little break, but as we are preparing to build Arrow Hill Cottage in the not too distant future, our thoughts are once again turning to DIY. I organized a list of projects that I want to tackle for our new home.

I have to admit it feels pretty good to be getting my hands dirty again, and the kids have even gotten into the action. We will see if we can finish all of these tasks before we break ground!

This is just a glimpse at what our family has been up to. If you’d like a closer look, be sure to check out our weekly ‘mini vlogs’ on our YouTube channel ARROW HILL FAMILY. Be well everyone!