Family Roots

4 Generations have graduated from our high school

Holey Family about 1942

The town I live in is full of my family history. We may not be the "big name" in town, or have all the money, or know the right people, but my family has been here for 5 generations (or more). I have relatives buried in nearly every cemetery in the area and you can hardly turn a corner without a family story being told. "So and so lived there..." "Remember when we....".  My children are the fourth generation to graduate from our high school.

Several years before my Mama passed away, she and her sister came to me and asked for computer help to search for a long lost relative. It was when Google was just starting and they weren't sure how to use it. We typed in some information and soon we were going back generations!

Martin and Maria Smeby Family

Now, granted, this particular branch of our family tree is large, prestigious on the East Coast and nobility in Scotland, ensuring there are many records and a proliferation of information. I was able to trace my maternal grandfather's family (on both his mother and father's side) back many generations and found many stories of notable and notorious relatives, including a pirate, noblemen, soldiers, and even a Vice President.


Family Stories

I have relatives who are helping me do the same on my maternal grandmother's side. And my father's side is already done. It is amazing to hear the stories, to see the pictures, to piece together the lives of those that have gone before me. It gives me a sense of belonging, giving me a knowledge of who I am and where I came from!




Family Tree

There is something to be said for appreciating where your family comes from and thankfully I have been dubbed the Family Historian.  Relatives send me pictures, old letters, and stories. I have funeral cards, obituaries and birth notices.  I have copies of birth, death, and marriage certificates, wills, land titles and census records, all tracing my family back through the years.

And now, Princess Pea's social studies teacher has assigned a project creating a family tree. The more generations she can add, the more extra credit she can get. I told her she has an unfair advantage. She laughed and said "I know". She wants to ask her teacher if she can just bring in my books and binders instead of drawing it all out on a piece of tag board. We will figure something out I'm sure.

Princess' Project

In the meantime, we will put it on the tag board and squeeze in as many as we can. And I get the pleasure of teaching my beautiful daughter all about her heritage. I love to see her engaged and excited about this project. I love her asking the questions, her eyes lighting up to hear stories. Praying she will be the next family historian!


My Parents with their Grandchildren

3 Generations, My mom, Princess Pea, and me



Weekend Recap...

Sleeping Beauty!

 

Changing the Diaper

Good Morning Dear Friends...Praying you had a restful and blessed weekend. Mine was full of family, fun and football. I was blessed to have my younger brother and his wife come for a visit on Friday night with their sweet baby Adelia! Honey and I were home alone so I got all kinds of time to snuggle on her without having to share!  Eventually though, Princess Pea came home and stole her away from me. But that's ok, she ended up having to change the wet nappie! She offered and it was good experience for her. She had never changed one so small.



Looking for something?

Saturday was a rough day for me. I have been having a hard time with constant exhaustion. I'm not sure if it is due to illness, depression, lack of exercise or what but I can't seem to wake up and all day I feel like I just want to crawl back into bed, along with feeling achy in my muscles and joints.  This has been going on for quite some time and its enough for me to start becoming a bit concerned. Now that I have medical insurance again I will be sure to go in and have the tests run. 

I  was able to get the remainder of Christmas down and put away on Saturday, but that is about all I accomplished.  The puppies thought there should be another gift under the tree and had to dive under to search for it! After all that and little laundry, I laid down for a little rest and woke up 3 hours later. Eeek...so much for a productive Saturday.
 

Sweet Baby



Packer Backer! :)

Multi-tasking!

Sunday was a bit better. Princess Pea and I attended church and she went to her confirmation class. Then home to a house full of family for the Packers/Cowboys playoff game. The whole family was there, a pot of chili was on and there was loud cheering for both sides (Honey is a Cowboy's fan). Baby Adelia was passed around and loved on a lot and the dogs played until they dropped. My brother, Eric, brought his year old beagle, Dory and she played and played with Luna and Emma.

kisses!!

 Steve

Janet



Becca and Adelia

 

Tired Girls...Anessa and Adelia



Watching the Game

Focused!

Grandpa and Adelia

 

Tired Emma

 

And Luna too...

I'm researching some shows to watch on Netflix. Let me know if you have any suggestions. I'm kind of liking Mrs. Fischer's Murder Mysteries, The Librarians, Murdock, and Forever right now.  I'm also looking for books to read that mirror Jane Austen and such. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

Well  another (mostly) great weekend in the books. I promise I will keep  you posted on what the doctor says about my exhaustion and any follow up on that.  Now, on to another week of work, school, dance and fun.

  

A Week of Giving Thanks



Brr.....who turned down the thermostat? It is cold and blustery here, though thankfully the sun is shining. I so meant to get this post up over the weekend but a migraine came at me out of the blue
and knocked me on my keister for the weekend. Blah!




Snow outside my work office
 

It snowed last week. Only an inch or snow, but enough to remind us that winter is here once again. It makes me want to hibernate and plan my garden for next spring. I am such a dreamer. To me winter is a beautiful, magical time of year with warm fires, cozy blankets and cups of tea and cocoa. It means baking cookies, knitting, and reading or movies. All of course, as along as I can stay inside and watch the snow fall outside the window.  I believe I would make a fantastic hermit!

Honey and I have been working hard to get ready for Thanksgiving dinner. We will be hosting 8 total with several others coming later after visiting other relatives first.  I worked on pumpkin pies (though I did cheat on the crust this year) and found all my Mama's beautiful china dishes. I love bringing them out every year and running my fingers over them as memories rush through my mind. How many times I'd set the table with these exact dishes as my Mama cooked up feasts in the kitchen. Laying the silverware just so beside the blue and white plates. Making sure the napkins were straight and the crystal cut glasses were in just the right place. Taking pride in the fact that my Mama trusted me with her most beautiful dishes.

 

Honey worked so hard making all the wonderful foods that go along with Thanksgiving feasts. A turkey in the roaster, a crockpot full of mashed potatoes, meatballs and gravy and sweet potatoes. There were homemade rolls, rice and cherry salad, and fresh cranberry sauce. Delicious....so grateful he is such a fantastic cook! :) 

 

Unfortunately I was so swept up in the delicious food and visiting with family, I didn't take any pictures. My Aunt Lynda and Uncle Alan were here with their son Brian. They go to Florida for the winter and Brian lives about 4 hours away. We don't see any of them much and I guess I wanted to sit and visit rather than take pictures.  I was able to knit while we visited and was able to finish a pair of mittens intended as a gift for one of my adopted children.

 

There is so much to be thankful for. And even though I find myself feeling down in the dumps and fearful on the future, I am thankful for all my many blessings....my family, my friends, my home, my job, and My God.

 

God's blessings on all of you this Holiday and as we get ready to celebrate the Savior's Birth!

Happy Thanksgiving...

Busy Time of Year!




My Desk at Work...

Eucalyptys Shower Soothers



Stacks of Fabric!

Hanging Towels...

So it's that time of year again.  You know when the cold,  dreary weather weather forces everyone inside.  We have been keeping very busy with many projects and activities.  I have been busy working many sewing projects, among other things.  I made hanging towels for our kitchen, some eucalyptus shower soothers, and these crazy rice filled owls to warm on the microwave.  The owls were such a hit that I am now selling them in a local store with another store interested in having them. How exciting!


 

My Owls...Lots of Colorful Characters

Princess Pea and her buddy R at Dance!

Cookie has been working 2 jobs, trying to get his car fixed and figure out what he is going to do in life.  I so wish I could help him more and I wish I had guided him better as a young child.  But what's done is done and I can only go from here trying to guide him and give him advice as I can.  

 

Princess Pea is active as usual.  She finished up her volleyball season and headed straight into dance.  She is also busy with FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America)  and Forensics.  She is on the color guard squad and in choir and jazz choir.  She also plays flute in the concert band and saxophone in the jazz band.  Whew... I get tired trying to keep up with her.  

 

Making Beautiful Music



Smiles

Last night she played in the District Honors Band.  This organization takes a few musicians from several local schools, gives them music to learn and practice.  Then they pull all the students together for a day to play the music together under a guest conductor. After a full day's rehearsal, they perform a concert.  It is an incredible experience for the kids.
 

Emma!



Getting in on the Selfie Craze! LOL

One of Cookie's friends has an opportunity for a wonderful job within the state corrections department. I am so happy for him, but during his seven week training, he needed someone to watch his 3 month old golden retriever/german shepherd puppy. Yes, seven (7) weeks and yes 3 months old... Meet our house guest - Emma! She has the sweetest temperament and disposition. She is gentle and loving and playful. She does however think she is a lap dog and deserves ALL attention leaving sweet Luna to feel a bit jealous at times. Mostly they play well and we laugh at them. She is learning manners slowly and has found great fun in a game of fetch (as long as Luna also plays). I'm not sure what the two of them will do without each other when Emma goes home...

Enjoy a cuppa!

  

We are also planning for deer camp this weekend. Rifle season for deer opens on Saturday morning at day break. It's a tradition in our family that everyone gathers at my home on Friday night(since it was previously my parent's home) to swap stories and look at trail camera pictures and plan strategies. Some stay at our house, others go home, but they all wind up back at my place for breakfast around 5 AM on Saturday morning. This means up at 4 to start cooking! :) Then they all traipse off to the woods leaving a mess in the kitchen and me to start the chili and chicken noodle soup. And then I spend the day making cookies and treats as they filter in and out to warm up and eat. Some spend the night again on Saturday night and more of the same (minus a 5 AM breakfast) on Sunday! :) It is really a wonderful tradition that I truly look forward to every year. To me it starts the holiday season!  Check out this post about last year's Deer Camp to see just what I mean!

So tonight will be a night of planning, taking inventory of groceries, making more owls, and doing some laundry.  I hope you all have a wonderful day and I will check in with you later!

 

Technology - Good or Evil?

Lately I have been wondering at the technology available in our world today. We have smart phones, desktops, laptops, tablets, and now even watches that bring the world and information to wherever we are in the blink of an eye. It has made us more knowledgeable, aware of the world around us and connected to people all over the world. Information is available immediately and profoundly, right, wrong or indifferent.  And while having information is good, I’m not so sure it’s the best thing to have it at our fingertips 24/7.

 

Technology has isolated society, teaching them that communication is better done via a gadget than face to face. People’s opinions are screaming at us from all angles, news reports send “breaking news” alerts to tell us of the latest tragedy. Bad news overrides good and social media has brought bullying and worse into our very homes via the internet.

The art of conversation has been lost. We sit with our faces plastered to screens instead of looking each other in the eyes. (And I am just as bad as anyone…I even blog from my phone) Stunted text messages convey messages that can be easily misinterpreted without the body language that is so vital to true communication.

I may be old fashioned or nostalgic, but I miss the days of front porch conversations and Sunday family dinners.  I miss the card parties, the family functions with kids playing games and talking, and outdoor activities. I dream of the days when kids ran free outside, not tethered to the wall by a cord. I long for human connection (even as a severe introvert). I long to be heard, acknowledged, and understood, seen and validated.

 

I am sorely tempted to turn the internet off at home, swap out the cell phone for a landline with an answering machine. I want to put a sign up on the door that says:

I understand the benefits of having a cell phone for emergencies. I also know that children today need to have internet at home just to do homework.  This is technology used for good. But how does one balance the good with the evil? I have come up with a few suggestions or ideas…

1.    Do not purchase smart phones/iPods. These lead to isolating behaviors and can create divisions in families. If cell phones are that much of a necessity, purchase old standard phones that do not have internet access. Or use the pre-pay phones. These can be used in an emergency but won’t cause people to have their faces glued to the screen.

2.    Set timers on the internet for use during needed hours only. If kids need it for school or adults need it for work, set it to shut off during non-needed hours (8 PM to 8 AM maybe?)

 

3.    Instate a “No Cellphone” Policy with guests. Of course if you do not have Wi-Fi this will limit the usage while they are at your home, but if this is not the case, a no cellphone rule makes it clear that you would like to visit with them, not sit and watch them on their phones.  

4.    If your child has friends over, collect electronic devices so that they spend time with each other, not online. (I did this for Princess Pea’s 13^th Birthday Party and the girls all said it was the best birthday party they had been to!)

I know that in today’s world, these ideas will be balked at, shied away from or even laughed at. Most people see technology as a necessary evil that can’t be avoided. I beg to differ. By making conscious choices in our lives, we can use it for what it was meant to be…a help. We need to realize that human interaction is being sacrificed for the sake of technological advances and our families, friendships, children and relationships are suffering because of it.  And we need to make an effort to stop or slow down how technology negatively affects us now, before we lose our children to its grip.

 

Autumn Bucket List

Hello Dear Friends....

I hope that God and the weather have been treating you well. It has been hot and steamy here in the Western Wisconsin, forcing many of us to retreat indoors as much as possible. We have had temperatures near 90 degrees with heat indexes over 100 and humidity at 80 - 100%. So much for my natural curls behaving themselves! (Like they ever do!)  Face it, us Wisconsin-ites aren't cut out for 100 degree days! :) Especially us Norwegians!

All this hot, steamy weather has me longing for the cooler days of Autumn. I know, don't rush it right? I mean we have 6 months of winter here, I should be enjoying these hot, sticky days. And I do, but Autumn is my absolute favorite time of year! There is Football and Hot Chocolate, Pumpkin Patches and Apple Orchards, Cozy Sweaters and Warm Fires - What's not to love? The colors are beautiful, the temperatures are perfect and it's a season of thanksgiving and gratitude!

There are really only two things I am not big on in the fall. The first is Halloween, not the scary part at least. I love seeing the littles in their cute costumes and I have nothing against other's who participate in the "scare-fest." I have just never liked being scared so I have no desire to go to a haunted house or watch scary movies. The other activity I don't take part in is Oktoberfest. I am not a drinker (and let's face it that is what Oktoberfest is all about) and I do not like huge crowds. We have a local Oktoberfest that draws tens of thousands of people and I can't go. Again, nothing against people who partake of either drinking or the festival. It's just my personal choice.

With all that being said, I have decided to make a Bucket List for Fall...I have a life bucket list of places I want to go, activities I want to do and things I want to accomplish before I die, but this is different. As I said in my last post, while I am feeling more hopeful, 2014 hasn't been the best year for me. So I thought, to battle the yucky feelings, I would come up with a ; list of things to do this Fall; activities that I enjoy, places I want to visit, all related to this season of the year.  And hopefully things that don't cost very much money....When winter rolls around, I am  hoping I will have made lots of memories and can look back on the Autumn of 2014 with smiles and fondness instead of the way I look at the beginning of the year. So, here goes...my 2014 Autumn Bucket List...

1. Have a Picnic in the Park
2. Try New Pumpkin Recipes (Done!)
3. Volunteer at the Community Thanksgiving Dinner
4. Knit Something Cozy for Someone (One done...more in process)
5. Decorate Porch and Front Yard for Autumn (Done)
6. Hike at Kickapoo Valley Reserve
7. Go to a Football Game (Go Norse!) (Done)
8. Make Gratitude Stones for my Garden
9. Collect Acorns, Leaves and Pinecones for Decoration
10. Jump in a Pile of Leaves
11. Make and Eat Apple Cider Doughnuts
12. Go Apple Picking at an Orchard
13. Make Chili
14. Go on a Fall Color Drive (Photo Safari)
15. Go to the County Fair (Coming up this weekend!)
16. Be Thankful (Ongoing)
17. Go on a Hay Ride
18. Plant Flower Bulbs for Spring Blooms
19. Donate Food to the Food Pantry
20. Go to the Pumpkin Patch
21. Read Books - Lots of Them
22. Go Wine Tasting
23. Write in my Grateful Journal Every Day
24. Light Candles Every Night
25. Wrap up in a Blanket and Sit on the Porch with Tea/Cocoa/Cider
26. Have a Bonfire with S'Mores
27. Invite the Family over for a Packer's Game
28. Have a Garage Sale
29. Roast Pumpkin Seeds
30. Make and Eat a Caramel Apple (Done)
31. Make Apple Crisp (Done)
32. Make Glycerin/Wax Leaves
33. Visit a Corn Maze
34. Make Leaf Shaped Sugar Cookies
25. Have an Adult Girl's PJ Party (Planned for Dec. 6th!)
26. Make Homemade Apple Cider
27. Go to a Craft Fair
28. Create a Thankful Jar
29. Run the Turkey Trot 5K (Planning with a good friend!)
30. Make a Scarecrow
31. Organize my Home Emergency Binder (In process)
32. Can and Freeze Veggies/Food for Winter (In process)
33. Press Leaves in Books (Done)
34. Make Fairy and Gnome Homes
35. Keep an Updated Prayer List (In Process)
36. Autumn Pictures of my Kids
37. Have a "Mexican Movie Night" with Cookie and His Friends
38. Start Making Homemade Christmas Presents (Started)
39. Have a Pedicure Night with Princess Pea
40. Finally Master Knitting Socks!
41. Put Gardens to Bed for Winter (Done)
42. Write Thank You Notes and Letters to Those Who Mean the Most to Me
43. Star Gaze
44. Go to the Farmer's Market
45. Watch "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown"
46. Make Homemade Cocoa Mix
47. Make a Fall Banner
48. Make Goodies for the Neighbors
49. Make Pinecone Birdfeeders with Peanut Butter
50. Make new Hat, Gloves, Scarf, Cowl, Hood, Snood for me!
51. Buy Halloween Candy and Hand Out.  *This one didn't get done this year... :(
52. Bake Homemade Bread
53. Make Beef Stoup

Wow! Look at that List...I'm going to have a fantastic Autumn this year! And many of these items require little to no money! Most of them include the kids, Honey, family or friends. What better way to spend time than with those I love most. Check back often to see how many of these I have checked off and the pictures that will most likely accompany my adventures! :)  

Sending you all God's Blessings!


 

August already? WOW!

Oh my gosh! How can it be August already? Where has the time gone? I had so many great intentions of writing, photography, blogging and capturing my days, but the camera gets put down, the pens and journals get put away, and life just takes over. Then, before you know it, six months or a year has gone by and you have nothing to show for it.

Life has a funny way of doing that. Just taking over until you feel like you are floating along in life with no direction, and not really living, just surviving. That is how 2014 started for me. Survival was not the word I picked to live in 2014. This year started with worry, sadness, and uncertainty. But as the months have passed, we added laughter, fun, accomplishment, and determination. And now as we move into the last months of the year, I feel Hope creeping back in. I am feeling more creative, more determined to live and experience life fully, to renew my relationship with my God, and feel the joy that normally fills my heart.

In this post, I am going to try to document the best (and worst) parts of my year so that with the next post I can move forward. Put the past behind so the future is able to be accessed right? Ok, well here goes.

January:
In January I lost the job I had been at for the last year and a half. I still am not sure what happened, but the VP, Plant Manager and my supervisor met me at the door with a pink slip on a Tuesday morning. I had no idea it was coming and I was not given a reason for it. So there I was out of work barely a week into the new year.

February:
A month of survival, snuggles and snow...

Snow on the Birdfeeder

Snuggling with Miss Sassy

March:
A month of preparation for the end of the school year, job hunting, Princess Pea's last choir concert of the year and more snow.....And then Cookie got sick. For a week he was sick, off and on, then continuous, for four days...first throwing up, then fine, then severe stomach pains. First diagnosis was dehydration, but after nearly 24 hours of a pure water/chicken broth diet and no relief, he was admitted to the hospital for his appendix. Emergency surgery followed. Poor kid...

Cookie after his emergency appendechtomy

Pea's last 7th Grade Choir Concert

April:
In April Princess Pea competed with her dance team for the very first time! In the first competition, the team received gold which moved them on to Nationals in June! In the second competition, the team received platinum which is the highest award a team can be given. Their scoring was only 2.5 points away from a perfect score! We were so excited! One of her best friends was able to come with and cheer her on!

Princess Pea and Mama

Her very first medal!

Princess Pea and one of her best friends D-

May:
May was eventful with Syttende Mai, Dance Recital, my niece's graduation and Cookie Monster leaving for Basic Training for the Air National Guard. We ran like crazy, cried and laughed.

Cookie and Friends for a great send off!

Cousins goofing around!

Dad, Cookie Monster and Princess Pea in the Airport

Cookie and a sad proud Mama

The family before we send Cookie Monster to TX for Basic Training

Cookie Monster and Princess Pea

June:
In June we received a call from Cookie Monster telling us that he was being discharged from the Air National Guard due to panic attacks, anxiety, and sleep walking. He was currently being held in Med Hold (infirmary) and would be home soon. It is difficult seeing my oldest have all his future plans ripped from him in one fell swoop. He is still drifting and not certain of what to do or how to get there. I try to guide him the best I can but at 19, the decision lies with him.

Princess Pea had Dance Competition Nationals in Wisconsin Dells in June. Her team took Gold and a coveted Judges Award! And as soon as competition was over, she left for a week at dance camp. She was in heaven!

Headed to Nationals!

National Champions!

July:
July was an exciting for several reasons....first, one of my close friends and her son came from Kentucky to stay for a few days over the 4th! At the end of the month, many of our family members travelled to our home for a family reunion. We had 65 people plus from 7 branches of the family tree and we skyped with cousins in Norway. What a weekend! My delicious cousin Anna over at A Messy Indulgence and her beautiful Mama came to stay with me for several days. We laughed, we cried, we shopped for antiques, we stayed up til all hours, we photographed and we connected. It was the most beautiful weekend of my summer! The Sunday after the reunion, we took seven or eight canoes down the Kickapoo River and met the rest of the family at Rockton for barbecued chicken dinner....YUM!



Me and Jeannette



Cousins having fun!

My Delicious Cousin whom I adore!

Luna enjoying her trip in the canoe!

A Day on the Kickapoo!

Perfect Day!

Relaxing

August:
August has already been a whirlwind and we are already 19 days in. One of my best friends, Scott, was here from New Orleans for his reunion and was able to squeeze in a visit. We haven't seen each other in about 20 years. And of course, August is my birthday month, so there was that little bitty celebration (Cookie's friends, my adopted children, made me a cake at midnight before my birthday). There have been beautiful flowers and a glorious harvest of green beans, puppy sitting, sleep-overs with giggly girls, lazy afternoons on the porch swing, rides on the motorcycle, hunting beautiful antiques, and glorious God filled Sunsets. Honestly, there is nothing like looking back through your pictures to realize that there may be rough times but life really is a wonderful, awe-inspiring event. I'm glad I was able to share some of it with you!

Gladiola



Add caption

Green Beans to can!

Our First Rose Bush Bloomed!

Morning Glories...one of my favorites!

Puppy Sitting Emma

Antique Quilt...Sigh...

Jadeite!

Princess Pea enjoying the porch swing!

Silly Girls! Pea and her bestie L-

Even Luna loves the porch swing!

Ready to Ride!

Sleep Over with D-, L- and Princess

Glorious Sunset!