Where did the month go?!

Kids are in full swing with school. Owen has been to the apple orchard; Olivia has lots of homework every day; Gloria is going to the MN Zoo soon!

Apples are done - finally!!! We have been snacking on them for a few weeks now. YUM!!!

So much to share - its easier when someone is asking me questions I guess. Either that or I am just too tired to remember what we've been so busy with - actually... Dozinky was awesome - we got our picture in the local paper. Too funny! My 9th grade volleyball team took 3rd in the conference & we beat the 10th grade in a scrimmage. 27 days & counting until season end. I'll miss it the second its done. Religion classes have started! I love it - too bad the kids don't quite as much as I do.

Tim's plans are nearly set - Devils Lake here he comes. Our freezers are full of turkey and beef! Where will the ducks & geese go?!?

Sylvia asks every day if it is her birthday yet. Why do they want to grow up so fast?!?

School days, school days. Time for golden rule days...

SUPER CUTE "first" PICTURE OF OUR SONS

FIRST GRADE HERE I COME

MIDDLE SCHOOL HERE I COME

...Reading & writing & arithmetic. Watch out for the hickory stick.

Does anyone remember that song?!!? My dad used to sing it all the time as we drug ourselves out of bed day after day years ago. Funny how I am now dragging myself & Olivia out of bed. That's right- 6:35 A.M. she's outside waiting for the bus. Owen's bus time is 8:05am. This is such a delicacy these days! Of course we had to have an eventful 1st day - Olivia managed to get on the wrong bus after school - 4 or 10 does the bus # really matter?!?! I watched bus 10 zoom by our house & never came back. Needless to say about 1 1/2 hours later Owen's school called (after calling about every other district building) to let me know Olivia would arrive home with Owen. Since I was at the high school trying to work thru all of this my volleyball team was freaking out way more than I did. Just about the same thing happened when she was a kindergartner except she made it home in a much shorter amount of time~ enough about school!!!

Labor Day weekend was another GORGEOUS WEEKEND!!!!!!!! We nearly froze in the tent Friday night but Saturday & Sunday was not so bad. No ones fingers or toes turned black. :) Just about everyone looked like they had the chicken pox (except Daren) from all the small, tricky, nearly invisible mosquitoes they have up north. Still itchy...

Labor Day can never go by without the McGregor cornfeed!!! It was a mildly off year - The Lemke family only ate about 146 cobs of corn in 5 hours this year which ties last year's number. Tim & Josh tied for the guys at 16 cobs each usually its over 20. I'm not sure where I put it but I blew everyone out of the water in the women's division (again) eating 13 cobs. I am proud of this but keep thinking I must have miscounted?! I know I wasn't that far from Tim in the last hour - he was at 14 & I at 10. I threatened to catch up & thus we both added a few more cobs before it was all over. Man it was fun!!! I even took 2 of the nieces, Syli & Glo to the dance area to polka for a little while.

I love bragging, I mean updating... since it was so beautiful I couldn't wait to go water skiing again - its been about 10 years. Tim claims he has never seen me water ski but his memory deceives him since I know I did once at the cabin. Year after year I watched him get better & better being pulled behind the boat (although he can't do one ski yet) while I sat in the boat with a child in my abdomen. :) This year it was going to be me back there!!! So finally Monday as we ignored the fact it was time to go home I jumped into the freezing cold Lake Minnewawa & slipped on those skis. It was great to be back there - no matter what Tim tells you I loved it! Maria asked if I got to go skiing & all I said is I decided I am getting older. I need to figure out how to use these muscles that are so super sore & get them back into shape before next year.

Have to throw this out there...Dozinky is only a week away!