Big anniversary

Congrats to my parents, who celebrated their 50th anniversary on the 18th. Pretty darn big milestone! Adrienne had a parade that day. It was warm and sticky but she loves everything about marching band...

Later, at my bro and sis-in-law's, the kids surprised their grandparents by playing Unchained Melody for them to dance to. 

Doesn't get much cuter than this! Don't look directly at my dad's legs though (hey...I warned you) 'cuz the brightness might cause temporary blindness. Love you mom and dad!

May madness

Zach and Nicky had pieces in the district art show earlier this month

Nicky played in the SEMBDA honor band again

Mother's Day 2016...four big kids and a fur baby

Kitchen getting prepped for new counter and backsplash (still in the works)

More destruction - the Lake family working together to remove carpet at my folks' house

Cute post-recital pic of Nicky and his violin teacher of 4 years, Ann Bur

Bored Adrienne waiting for her band to play in the final band concert of the year (3 hours long - yikes)

Slightly less bored Michael playing in the always fantastic Wind Ensemble

and finally...Michael alerted me to a pretty sunset last night

Zach's 1st communion!

Sunday was Zach's big day. Michael and Nicky were altar servers and took some direction from the deacons before the mass:

Deacon Mark Pavlak will be ordained in about a month. He has been helping out at All Saints while finishing at the St. Paul Seminary. He gave Zach his first communion.

Our family - yep, the kids are getting so big...

Grandparents and Zach..what a blessing that they could all be there:

And speaking of blessings, Aunt Jo has been able to make it to all the kids' 1st communions...

Zach counted down the weeks to his first communion and we did, too. From now on, no one in our family will be left behind in the pew as others receive the Eucharist.

Easter! plus b-days and Skippy shaming

A few weeks ago Skippy ate Nicky's leather belt. The aftermath was very unpleasant. Why, Skippy? He tore up the corner of one of our new chair cushions, too. Now he gets to stay in the laundry room when we go anywhere, which he hates. But he made his own (doggy) bed.

Happy Easter 2016...

...yeah!

Nana and Papa came up this weekend to celebrate Nicky's and Michael's birthdays...

Yet another Sam's Club cookie cake for Mikey the 17 (??!!?!) year old. Holy cow, those years went fast.

golden b-day boy

Nicky is getting to that pre-teen stage of spending more time in his room and has more occasional sullenness in his 'tude. He just turned 12 and wanted cheesecake for his birthday. Mmmm.

This pic is from January after a concert. We got rid of the old baby grand and reworked the living room arrangement since then. Thank goodness the piano stayed in one piece long enough to get it off our hands. Well, I mean the movers had to take off the legs and such, but at least the soundboard didn't fall out or anything while in transit.

He wasn't quite sure what he wanted, but decided he was "okay" with getting an iPod for his 12th b-day like his siblings before him. Ho-hum. I think I got shampoo on my birthdays. Kids these days. Oh yeah, new glasses recently too.

Skippy getting cuddly wuddly during present opening

Learn the Animal Kingdom

Is the snake danger noodle wearing a top hat? That makes no sense. But everything else does.
 

busy b-day

Don't like to seem like I'm tooting my own horn about having a bday this weekend, but except for that crappy getting older part, it was a nice one. Nate arranged for my family to come to our neck of the 'burbs for dinner Saturday night, and then Nicky played at Orchestra Hall in the MYS winter concert Sunday afternoon. And later the Super Bowl, which the Vikings graciously avoided so I wouldn't have to really care who won. Speaking of, did some lazy and/or corny person name the Super Bowl? It's Super! Short for Super Duper Bowl!

new shower fresh 2016

The holidays have come and gone. December was warm and rainy and occasionally even smelled like spring, so it was hard to get in the Christmasy mood.

Christmas Eve at home, after the 4:00 mass where Michael played in a brass ensemble again, and after our feast of ham and mashed potatoes *not* made from dehydrated flakes, woo hoo!

Adrienne was happy to get some clothes and a kohl's card to buy more clothes and cash for likely more clothes...

Nicky on the other hand made no attempt to disguise his displeasure at receiving a flannel shirt.

This one just cracks me up. One of the "off list" things we got Zach was a book light, 'cuz he likes to read before bed. But he didn't know what the blazes it was at first.

No need to feign excitement here; the boys were glad to finally get Mario Maker.

Skippy came with to Waconia and made himself cozy under Grandma Elaine's blanket...

And Duane and Doreen got this cool gift of a framed photo of the whole family in Branson last summer, where we celebrated their 50th anniversary. Nate's brother Erik made it with wood from the barn on their farm.

Happy 2016!

MYS on MPR

Most of Nicky's orchestra's portion of the November MYS concert played on Minnesota Public Radio yesterday. We forgot to listen live, but found the link: click here Scroll under the ornament picture and click listen. Some choral music plays first, then the orchestra starts at 12:27. It didn't work for me in Firefox or Chrome, only Internet Explorer.

full link:
http://www.classicalmpr.org/story/2015/12/10/home-grown-for-the-holidays-ii

November concerts

More of the kids tootin' their own horns. Last month Nicky had his first MYS concert on the Bethel University campus. They played in the hall that Nana Doreen's graduation ceremony was held in, so that was kind of neat. But no photos or video allowed during the concert.

And band and jazz concerts. Michael didn't want me to fuss with his tie to try to straighten it.