We Have A One Year Old

Hello again everyone! It has been awhile and it has been a whirlwind since July 4th. We were expecting our weekends to kind of slow down, but that has not been the case.

Libby continues to grow and change every day. We now hear her say "ma ma" and "da da" and she babbles a lot. She loves music and "bops" to music, any music. Every time the Empire Carpet commercial comes on, she stops what she is doing and just watches the TV. When I pick her up from daycare after work, I have the 80's Hair Band station on my XM Radio and she will bop in her car seat on the way home. She is so close to walking and has tried to take a few steps unassisted, but ends up on her bottom. Good thing those diapers serve as some padding. She had her one year checkup today and came in at 22 1/2 pounds and just under 30" tall.



Over the past six weeks, Libby has gotten her first taste of a parade (and lollipop), firemen water fights and of the beach. She really seemed to enjoy both of them (slept through the water fights) and we hope to get to the beach again this weekend if it warms up enough. Weekends this summer have either been rainy or unseasonably cool, but this Labor Day weekend is suppose to get up into the 80s, so we will see.

Denise and I left Libby with a baby sitter from outside the family for the first time when we were visiting my sister Stacy, her husband Dave and their twins Abby and Maddy. Stacy and Dave had a neighbor girl and her friend watch Libby , Abby and Maddy one Friday night so we could head out on a St. Croix River Cruise. Denise and I were a little worried, but Libby was none the worse for wear and we are very glad we did it.

Finally, with Libby turning one, we had to have a birthday party for her. We got some decorations on the new deck and in the house, a DQ Ice Cream cake and had a small group of friends and family over. It was a fun time, but it is still hard to believe it has been a year ago that Elizabeth Rose joined our lives. We wouldn't trade it for anything, and yes, I mean that even at 4:00 in the morning when she refuses to go back to sleep.......




Now that summer is over, it doesn't look like our fall is going to slow down. Denise has gotten much more involved with Verizon operations. Her days have gotten much busier and she has been involved with upgrades at night. She will be going to Denver for a couple of days of upgrades and then will be in Minneapolis the next week for a couple of days to complete the upgrades. She is assigned to a network that has "hubs" in Minneapolis and Denver, so when hardware upgrades happen, she will more than likely have to travel.

My job continues to be busy. With the economy the way it is, we see our enrollment increasing for Medicaid and Medicare benefits. But the positive is that PrimeWest has been in the forefront of the "Public Health care Option" debate as an example of how things could be handled.

Denise and I also have a little fun planned as we will be taking a cruise this fall to the Eastern Caribbean. It will be a week away from Libby, but we are confident that she will have a load of fun with Grandpa and Grandma Danielson.

Also with fall comes the start of the college hockey season, and yes, we did renew our season tickets to Bemdiji State hockey. Next year, they will be members of the WCHA and they will have a brand new arena to play in, so the excitement is building (okay, for me at least it is).

Well, that is about all from here. I am going to leave you with some pictures from Libby's photoshoot celebrating her one year birthday (and a picture of her on Grandpa Danielson's bike). Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

Troy, Denise and Libby

Fourth Of July, 2009

How about this........ Two posts in a little over a week!

Denise and I figured we should get some of Libby's first ever Fourth of July pictures up!

For the Fourth, we were invited out to our friends Roger and Peggy's seasonal campsite on Pelican Lake between Ashby and Evansville. It is about 15 minutes from Garfield and is very wooded and back off any main roads, so it feels like you are away from everything!

The resort where Roger and Peggy's campsite is, has an annual 4th of July boat parade. Peggy and Denise brought along boxes of decorations. They decided to decorate the pontoon in red, white and blue, and Libby found this headpiece!

This is the second time we have been out to Roger and Peggy's site. The first time we were there, Libby didn't really know what to think of Roger. This time, we were out there a little late and it was time for Libby to go nite-nite. Unfortunately, she would not take her eyes off of Roger. Once we left the camper though, Denise was able to get her to sleep in minutes. Well, in the picture below, you can see she was having lots of fun with Roger. Hey Roger...whadda ya drinking??

Around 2:30, we headed towards the boat for the parade at 3:00. Of course, everyone knows with a little one you cannot pack light, so we needed the half hour to get everything loaded on the boat. Luckily, we took Libby's wagon with us, so we were able to haul a lot of the stuff in the wagon or on Roger and Peggy's golf cart. And yes, it all fit on the boat with lots of room to spare.

This was Libby's first ever boat ride. As you can see by the pictures below, she did not like the life vest at all (she does like hats though, so that is a plus). We had a zipper up one that fit her better, but was way more confining than this one. But, she hated that one with a passion. We were hoping to get Libby into the lake that weekend, but the swimming area at the campground had "the itch", so we didn't want Libby anywhere near that. During the parade though, we did see a nice "public" area that had a bunch of pontoons and boats pulled up on shore and lots of people swimming (and partying) so we may have to check that out next time.

Here is the boat we voted for first place. I would say we were second as a lot of the boats (27 in all) had no decorations what-so-ever. Ironically, these people have the seasonal site right next to Roger and Peggy. And yes, that is an giant inflatable Uncle Sam on the front of their pontoon. Guess where the valve was to inflate him? Yep.............. and one of the sisters took care of it without an airpump. Hmmm?!?!?!

Goofy hats and plenty of beverages were in order for the day. Obviously, I was following orders quite well!

Libby was a real trooper all day and really enjoys anything outside, including her first ever boat ride. But even for her, a few hours on the boat and in the sun was tiring. She did get a hold of Roger's "do-rag" for the next look! Is it patriotic to dress like and arab on the 4th of July???

The next day (Sunday) was a beautiful day to spend out in the yard. Again, Libby likes anything outside and loves the wind in her face. She absolutely loves her swing!

I decided to lay down in the shade and grass and rest up. Libby had other ideas though.....

Libby always seems to be on the wrong side of the door..........

Well, that is about all from here! Until next time!

Troy, Denise and Elizabeth

Third of July Update

Hello everyone! It has been awhile since we allowed Libby to update the blog, but you are going to have to deal with me in this one since Libby is taking a nap right now. It has been a month, so it is time to rack my brain and try to remember what has been going on since then.

We did get the new landing, errr, deck on the front of the house completed. It turned out really great and once the railing was added, it just tied into the house nicely and looks like it has been there all along. It ended up being around 9 feet by 9 feet, so we were able to put two chairs out on it for sitting in the evening. The house creates some shade on it in the evening, which is something we don't get on our main deck out back.

Libby got to meet the Kertz side of the family last weekend as one of Denise's cousins got married in Edinberg, ND. Libby did real well on the three and a half hour car ride, only requiring two stops. The minivan worked out very well as Denise was able to crawl into the back with Libby and feed her while I kept on driving. All of Denise's aunts and uncles got to meet Libby and she did very well with all the passing around. A side note, just to show how small of a world it can be sometimes. A former student of mine was a bridesmaid in this wedding.

Libby has gotten her third tooth, this one on top. She has one more coming in for sure, maybe another two, which would give her four on top and two on the bottom. Of course, she is running the "teething fever" right now and has been a little fussy.

Libby is getting very close to walking right now. She is pulling herself up with anything she can get her hands on and has done a little furniture walking. She is even getting very brave and holding onto things with one hand and showing off. But she hasn't mastered balancing with no hands yet.

Otherwise, there has not been a whole lot else going on here. Denise and I are looking forward to this three day weekend. We made a vow to each other that we were just going to veg out since every weekend leading up to it has been dealing with yard work, house improvements or traveling. Ahhhhh, it feels good just relaxing!

Of course, what blog entry would be complete without updated pictures. So here they are. We hope everyone has a great and safe Fourth of July!

Troy, Denise and Elizabeth

Having Fun

Long Awaited Update

Posted by Libby:

First off, I need to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Auntie Stacy!!!! I could try singing to you like Maddy did for daddy, but you would not be able to understand it!

Like mommy has said, where has the time gone! I blew by my eighth month birthday and will have my ninth birthday on June 2nd. Since the last blog, I have gotten my two bottom front teeth and my top two teeth are getting very close to pushing through. Of course, this has caused me to make several trips to the doctor's office for ear infections. Mommy and daddy never know what they are going to get from me, some days I am crabby and others, I am the best baby in the world.

On my eighth month birthday, I got to stay overnight with Grandpa and Grandma Danielson. Mommy took daddy with a couple of friends to the casino. I don't think they won big as I didn't get anything from the trip. I kept Grandma and Grandpa on their toes, but I think all three of us would do it again.

The other big deal in my life is that I started crawling on Thursday. I am not motoring around yet, but I am giving mom and dad a good idea of what needs to be baby proofed. Mom has a couple of decorative baskets with things in them that have been some of my first targets. I keep trying to bypass this crawling thing and get up on my own two feet.

Memorial Day weekend I got to travel with Grandpa and Grandma Danielson (and mom and dad) as we went to Humbolt, Iowa, for one of mom's cousin's highschool graduation party. I got to meet a lot of the Danielson family and Great Grandma Beulah. She was great! I got passed around a lot that evening, but I still kept my eye on mom and dad. In a few weeks, I will get to meet the Kertz side of the family and one of mommy's cousins on her mom's side of the family is getting married.

Dad started a major project this spring, which was putting a bigger landing on the front of the house. Well, this landing turned into a 9' by 10' deck. I don't think he and mom realized how big it was going to turn out when they spray painted the outline on the ground. But now, three weekends later, all he has left to do is put the railings on. We ran to Menards today to purchase them, but they were out and there was a 10-13 day wait for them. So, the new deck will be railing-less for a couple of weeks. If anyone falls off though, it is only a 2 foot drop to the ground. There are also plans to put up railings on the back deck this summer.

I have been in the tree swing a few times this spring and I just love it!! When mommy pushes me I hang on tight and cant stop giggling. Also, the feeling of the fresh air blowing through my red locks is AWESOME!

Until next time.....

Libby, Denise and Troy

Why does life always get so busy?
We know its been awhile, but we promise to have a new post on here by the end of the weekend...stay tuned!!

Not Much Here But Pictures

Well, it has been a while since we last updated the blog, but we have just been too busy with things that it has taken a back seat. Well, with today being a rainy, foggy, cold day, it is time. We have a few pictures to get up also, and we know that is what you all wait for.



Libby continues to grow and learn new things. We are starting to baby proof things as she is getting ever so close to crawling. She is babbling up a storm and is sleeping through the night occasionally. She will turn 8 months on May 2nd, which is also daddy's birthday (Denise also had a birthday on April 3rd)! Libby enjoyed her first Easter with the Mills side of the family, where she got to see relatives that she had not seen since baptism.



The snow is gone from here, including the huge snow drift we had in our back yard. The last snow storm we had pushed it close to the 100 inch high mark. It was nice enough yesterday that we were able to get the lawn dethatched and cleaned up before the rain today. Up next will be hanging a swing for Libby in the back yard and building a railing on our deck as well as building a new landing for our front door (bigger and nicer, just for you Stacy!). On the nice days though, we do get the stroller out and go for a walk with Libby, heading up to the bike trail here in town (part of the Central Lakes Trail that runs from Fergus Falls to Osakis where it links up with the Lake Wobegon Trail to Avon).



On the hockey front, Bemidji State lost in the National Semifinals, 4-1, to Miami of Ohio, in Washington, DC. It was a great run (they were the #16 seed out of 16 teams) and will make the off season that much shorter. Bemidji will make their pitch to the WCHA on Monday, April 27th, to try and become a member of that league as the league they are in, College Hockey America, will disband after this upcoming year.



That is about all from here for now, so here are the pictures!


Libby playing on the floor with her stacking cups.

Red headed and a girl power bib. We may be in for a little trouble!


Staying home with mom as she works from home is hard work!

Libby on her way to Easter Dinner at Great Aunt Esther's

Libby ready for one of the many stroller walks we have taken this spring already.


Libby with her hat on and out playing on the deck as mom and dad do some yard work.

Libby with her pink sunglasses on!
Is this Libby's Rocker pose????
But mom, this is how all the kids are wearing them at Daycare????
A cup with holes in the bottom can be an exciting toy at bath time!
The is what mom and dad do with me when I am ready to go and they aren't!!! I really wish they could get ready on time........

Have a great rest of the month of April as May is just around the corner!!!!

Troy, Denise and Elizabeth

Just Have To Get This On The Blog

GO BEAVERS!!!!

The Bemidji State Beavers Hockey Team will be playing today in the first game of the 2009 NCAA Frozen Four (Final Four of hockey). The game will take place at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC, and will be on ESPN2 at 4:00 CDT. A win by the Beavers and they will play on Saturday night at 6:00 on ESPN for the National Title.

Daycare Drama!

Okay, so no pictures with this post, but Denise and I have been talking about daycare and what we observe every day when we drop off and pick Libby up. We find it kind of funny, so we thought we would share.

In the morning, Denise drops Libby off at daycare. The last couple of weeks, when she sits Libby down on the floor to play, one of the other girls in the room, Alexa, always comes over to her and they start "gabbing" away. This morning when Denise dropped her off, she sat her down and Alexa came over and started talking with Libby. Well, Libby coughed some and Denise patted her on the back. Alexa walked behind Libby and started patting her on the back just like Denise had. Alexa also likes to rub Libby's hair according to the daycare personnel. Looks like Libby has her first friend!

In the afternoon, I get to pick Libby up. It is the complete opposite with Isabelle and Libby. Every day when I walk in and get Libby, Isabelle and Libby will just stare at each other. I have never heard either one of them babble to each other, let alone smile! They just stare. Looks like Libby has her first enemy.

Denise said something to the daycare staff the other day and they had noticed both of these situations also! Libby also likes to laugh at the kids that throw temper tantrums. The other day one of the boys in the room just had a fit and was laying on the floor kicking and screaming. The staff was trying to get him to calm down when all of a sudden they burst out laughing. Here, Libby was sitting off to the side, just letting a great big belly laugh out. The more she laughed, the more the boy kicked and screamed. The more Libby laughed, the more the daycare staff laughed, and the more upset the little boy got. I guess it is not the first time she has done that as they have said she will laugh at kids that are crying.

Not a whole lot else going on here. Our hockey travels are over until October now. Bemidji is still playing as they won their conference tournament and now will play in the NCAA Tournament. They drew Notre Dame in their first game and will play in Grand Rapids, MI. Lucky for me, the game will be on Saturday night on ESPN Classic at 6:30. It will be a very tough game for them as Notre Dame is ranked number 2 in the nation right now, but in a one game playoff, anything can happen. If they win, they play Sunday, if they loose, they are done.

Both our jobs are still going very well. Denise just got done with a weekend upgrade that switched a portion of the Unicel customers over to Verizon. She had to work Saturday night from midnight to Sunday at 6:30am to complete the task, but it is done and Unicel is no more (for the most part). But as I have stated in earlier posts, her job looks pretty secure.

Our snow is, whoops, WAS just about gone. We had a pretty good blizzard a couple of weeks ago dropping 8-10 inches of snow with 40 mile per hour winds. That made the drift behind our house push 100 inches in height. Right now, after three days of rain, that drift is about down to 12 inches tops. It was also about the only snow left in our yard. But now today, we have gotten about an inch, maybe two. As far as flooding goes, we are pretty high and dry here. Our cul-de-sac had a nice pond for about three days, but that is now gone. Otherwise, most of the flooding is at least an hour from here.

That is about all from here. We will try and have some pictures for you next time!

Troy, Denise and Libby