Winter 2009

Vacation to Briggs Woods. view album->

Vacation to Lost Lake Lodge, Zoo, water park, and more. view album->

Claire turns 5 and Snow White paid a visit. view more>

Garrett turns 3. view more>

(12.26.2009) The kids have been having a wonderful time on Christmas break! Last night our friends Eric and Lisa came over to play Wii. Garrett rocks at Wii Resort Swordplay and devastated our friends. Today he played the computer for about hour and only lost twice, and is borderline pro status already. Today we played outside in the snow after lunch. The snow princess, bear, and fort we made earlier in the week are all ice. A fact my little man learned the hard way with his face, left side of the poor kid's face is road-rash. Poor guy. Claire had fun staking chunks of ice from the street plow into snowmen in the neighbors yards. Tonight we had plenty of family snuggle time watching movies.

(12.24.2009) Well it's official. Thanks to the weather we're staying put in Ames for Christmas this year. It's difficult because we're on the rainy side of the winter storm. However our destinations are iced and snowed in and we'd be hard pressed to make all 7 hours of our journey without incident. They're talking a foot plus snow just 15 miles from here, so it's tough. Well, the kids still wanted to get out some holiday cheer this year so we made a few quick videos last night that I'm posting here. Hoping everyone is staying put someplace warm and safe this year, and have a very Merry Christmas and celebration of the birth of Christ.

(12.22.2009)

Christmas Greetings from the Galvin Family.

Merry Christmas!  Another year as passed and it's time to take a moment to remember the reason behind Christmas and the celebration.  It's also a special family time, a time to slow down and reflect on the true gifts we've been given.  Claire and Garrett are our greatest joy and they bring smiles to our faces even on the toughest days. Both continue to grow, learn, and always make us proud.  

Claire started kindergarten this year, and is starting to read and write.  Gone are her imaginary stories of Penny the Dog and Tiger Dragon, now she expresses her artistic side through drawings, crafts, and dancing.  She continues to take dance lessons, and has learned to swim in deep water this year.  During summer vacation she learned to kayak and ride her bike without training wheels. 

Garrett started preschool this fall and absolutely loves it.  In a room of peers your realize just how big he's going to become.  Garrett took swim and soccer lessons this year and loves riding his bike, playing video games, and solving puzzles.

From our family to your's, may you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love,

Glen, Laura, Claire, and Garrett. 

(12.08.2009)What an odd week. Sunday the kids traveled back in time to about 2000bc. There they met Sara and Abraham, then moved forward in time to meet Isaac, then further ahead to meet shepard's, olive farmers, fishermen, wise men, beggars and outcasts overcome with leprosy, overwhelmed inn keepers, market place vendors, and eventually made our way to a couple with a new born child in a manger. Yes, it was the annual Walk Through Bethlehem at our church. What a great event and it continues to improve and evolve over time. The costumes are elaborate, the roll playing well rehearsed, and storyline you must hear. Fast forward from there to current times, 48 hours ago the weather was delightful and we'd seen no significant snow for the season. Today I've shoveled my driveway 4 times, we have 11.4" inches of snow, with more snow on the way. School let out early today and is already canceled for tomorrow. Claire cannot wait for her first snow day. Dad has the next two days of as required furlough so much fun shall be had.

(12.01.2009) Tonight we took Claire to the Wizard of Oz show at Stephens Auditorium. On the way in she had the biggest smile on her face. She thoroughly enjoyed the show, which was very well done and geared well toward kids. She loved Dorothy and they used a live dog for Toto that caught her attention every time. The cast was great, I especially enjoyed the Lion. Only problem was the show did not start until 7:30 which makes it tough on kids bedtimes. Garrett got to stay home with one of his favorite babysitters.

(10.31.2009) Halloween! Spooks and haunts galore this year. Claire picked a witch costume accented with a broom, and Garrett went as a Transformer. Earlier this week Claire drew up a jack-o-lantern design on paper in the morning. That night she drew the face on her pumpkin and cut out the parts by herself. Garrett choose a spider design for his pumpkin, and with a little assistance from dad it turned out pretty cool! The night turned out perfect after a week filled with over 4 inches of rain, cooler temps, and high winds. We set out around the neighborhood to visit friends and neighbors. When the kids tired we returned home to enjoy the bountiful loot, pizza, and share a Halloween movie. Click on the collage bellow for more Halloween pictures!

(10.17.2009) This weekend we took the kids to the Wasserbahn Waterpark while mom was attending a nearby conference. Earlier in the week I told the kids we should secretly surprise mom at her hotel, little did they know the hotel had a waterpark until that morning.The kids had a fantastic time. Both kids quickly worked up the courage to go down the big green body water slide. Garrett was a madman as he enjoyed far more trips than either dad, Claire, or mom could endure. Claire also improved on her swimming skills. She is tall enough to enjoy every part of the pool. When we were not hitting the slides we played catch around the pool, played hide-and-seek with the dive rings, and spun ourselves dizzy in the whirlpool. Click here for pictures of the weekend.

(10.12.2009) Been awhile since I've updated anything here. We've been busy that's for sure. School continues for both kids, though Garrett is far more enthused by preschool than Claire is of kindergarten. Last week Nana Galvin came to visit a few days while our daycare was closed again. Last week was also mom and dad's last week of beginner dance lessons for foxtrot, waltz, swing, and about 5 minutes of polka. The weather has turned cold fast here with a heavy frost this weekend that knocked the leaves off our trees literally overnight. The kids and I reluctantly tore down the veggie garden and potted plants. Snow has been teasing us while it's been accumulating elsewhere. Last night as we were driving back from the Mall of America we'd hit a few flurries and reminds me how much I'm not ready for winter. On the bright side it's apple orchard time and the kids always enjoy those visits.

(09.18.2009) Happy Birthday to Laura! The old gal turned +1. The kids surprised mom by baking a cake two days ago, a double chocolate layer cake with chocolate whipped topping, and white pastry accents, and candles of course. Laura said it tasted like a cupcake, whether that's good or bad I don't know. The kids and I bought her gift certificate to a favorite shop in town, and a fancy new bike for her to ride around on. We decorated the house up nice, took mom out for Red Lobster, then surprised her at home with the cake, confetti, and noise makers.

(09.08.2009) Garrett started Preschool today! Claire started the morning out by pumping Garrett full of the exciting things he'll do at school. Garrett was psyched up and ready to go. He described his first preschool experience as "totally awesome!". He played with gears, play dough, and stamps, he raised his hand to ask questions and addressed the teachers by name. He's going to be a teachers pet I suspect.

(09.07.2009) Vacation day 4 - last day. During breakfast mom and dad started loading and preparing to leave later. The kids choose to go fishing and canoeing for the last day activities. For lunch we made a special trip to McDonalds for happy meals. After lunch the kids watched movies in mom's car while we loaded the last couple camp items and prepared to leave. Everyone was ready to be home and have a warm bath. Both kids were ready for bed, including G who starts Pre-School tomorrow! How exciting!

(09.06.2009) Vacation day 3. After a quick breakfast we loaded into the truck, headed for the lake, and tried out the canoe. After a brief bit of hesitation from G we quickly paddled around the lake to the enjoyment of the kids. We say a resident crane flying around and thousands and thousands of small pan fish, and some bass hanging around the shorelines Later mom and G headed for the beach to play in the sand while dad and C continued to canoe around the lake. It was a great time! For lunch we fired up the campfire and let the kids roast hotdog's. In the afternoon we hiked trails through the woods and saw two small waterfalls. Everyone was pretty exhausted and hot so mom took us for ice cream at a local DQ. The evening saw more bike riding, more games, more smores, popcorn, and lots of hanging out by the campfire. The kids both fell asleep in mom and dad's arms by the fire.

(09.05.2009) Vacation day 2. We took the bikes out for ride around the lake and we logged 4+ miles for the novice bikers. The kids learned, sometimes the hard way, how to brake on their bikes. G took some tumbles and kissed a chain link fence but did great on his new bike. C started biking on 2 wheels 4 days ago and already looks like a pro. The afternoon we were exhausted, took a short nap, then went fishing off a dock. The kids and mom quickly caught some bluegills, but dad was pleased to pull in a decent 15" walleye, much to the amusement of the kids as well. The evening was spend playing more games, more biking, and more smores by the campfire.

(09.04.2009) Vacation to Briggs Woods! Dad spent the morning packing the truck with outdoor activities while mom ran to the store for some last minute errands. At noon Garrett was dropped off from daycare and we headed out with the truck. The girls followed a few hours after kindergarten was finished. G helped dad unload the truck and setup camp and setup games. The girls arrived with the food and we spent the afternoon hiking on the bike trail. Back at camp we played games and the kids rode their bikes around. Evening wrapped up with smores by the campfire.

(09.01.2009) Big excitement in the household. Today mom broke down and bought Garrett his own bike. It's a bit smaller than Claire's bike but he is overjoyed with the new addition. Claire tried it without training wheels and did so good we went and bought her a smaller one to match. And presto - in less than a block she was riding all on her own. She's tooling up and down the bike path now, giggling the entire time with joy. Her old bike we realize now was simply too large to learn with. Lesson for all you parents out there - don't try skipping a bike size to save $. We'll get some photos of the two excited cyclists uploaded soon. Our other excitement this week is Claire's now full-time at kindergarten and loving it. Garrett starts preschool next week. Follow that with soccer and ballet lessons for the kids, wine club and dance lessons for the adults, throw in some holidays, football games, and conferences. This fall is going to fly by fast. Our sad news is that one of our neighbors, and one of Claire's close play pals, is moving. The neighborhood universe has balanced itself with the arrival of a new 6-year old girl at another house. Poor Garrett is still drastically outnumbered by girls to play with in our neighborhood.

(08.24.2009) Claire has started kindergarten! She's already made new friends and reacquainted with old friends.. Looking back at some old pictures I cannot believe my little girl has grown up so much.

(08.14.2009) Butterfield! It was the annual camping weekend with the Rosenberg's at the Butterfield tractor and engine show. This year uncle Paul brought down one of his ice houses he built for the kids to play in, and for us to sleep in. The weekend was spent checking out all activities, plus cleaning mom's tractor, and many tractor rides. This year I took it easy and did not take any engines. The Fordson was acting up Friday and Saturday so we elected to not show it in the parade. This freed me up to actually enjoy Butterfield with the kids for once, and we had a fantastic time. Tractor rides, tractor pulls, horse drawn wagon rides, mini-train rides, petting zoo, candle making, blacksmith making us horseshoes, broom making, rope making, butter churning, home made ice cream, watching the wood smith and printers, checking out the hundreds of tractors and engines of all makes and sizes, playing on the playground, pumping water, windmill and grist mill, log cabin, outdoor church service and live music, and getting wet at the lake. We packed a lot into the weekend and we had a great time with the kids this year!

(08.08.2009) Big wedding day! The kids have been practicing all week for their big roles as flower girl and ring bearer for Kathy's wedding. Last night was the rehearsal which went fabulous. Today is set the be the hottest day of the summer, and the boys are in suits. More pictures to come.

(day after) The wedding ceremony went fantastic! The kids executed their roles excellently and without flaw. Several people commented on how beautiful and handsome the kids looked. Kathy went out of her way to include the kids into her wedding, including special activity packages and introductions at the reception. Both kids were on cloud 9 all day and night. As the reception went on Claire and mom were having a great time on the dance floor while dad and Garrett wound down.

(08.01.2009) Return from Canada. Spent the last 8 days driving over 23 hours and 1400 miles to do some fishing near Ear Falls, Ontario. It was the bi-annual fishing trip to Canada with Paul Harrington and his family. This year was a bit different as I took along my dad and my new boat, and we were joined by Doug, Brenda, and Robert VanBeek. The trip up took agonizingly long as another boat trailer blew a tire, and we hit some serious road construction that set us back a couple hours. Once there the weather was fine with the typical rain you expect. Fishing was slower than desired, partially because of my inexperience with operating a boat, partially because the weather has been cool and unsettled, but mainly because I wanted my dad to have a memorable time up there. As fate would have it, I think the old guy out-fished my everyday but one. Big fish for our boat was a 24.5" walleye, though some 20" walleye put up much better fights. We caught walleye, perch, and the occasional stinky pike. Now that we're home it's time to catch up on some serious sleep and take a long hot show.

(07.02.2009) Big upgrade in the household today. Our existing washing machine sprung a leak that eluded my first repair attempt. With holiday discounts, and cash credits from the city and our utility we could not resist buying a new front load washer. It's big but super quite. The kids enjoyed watching their blankets washing through the glass door. Earlier in the day we hit Reiman Gardens to see the dinosaur exhibit which the kids loved. Claire also bought a new razor scooter that's age appropriate. x

(06.29.2009) Claire gave me her recap of vacation that I've posted on the Kids Page.

(06.27.2009) Vacation decompress. We took over 350 photos of vacation, the photo highlights are here. Spent the day getting groceries and catching up with current events.

(06.26.2009) Vacation Day 7 - Last day of vacation. Woke up bright and early to hit the water park for a few more hours. Poor Garrett was exhausted. Claire hit both the big slides a few more times, but was not her biggest accomplishment of the morning. She's been working on her swimming and this morning dad hauled her into the deep end where she could not stand, and she successfully swam to the shallow end. The glorious look of achievement on her face was unforgettable. She repeated this task multiple times for mom and dad! We left the park to enjoy lunch at a local Fudruckers, the kids were starved. Next stop after weaving our way through construction traffic was an outlet mall so mom could do some shopping. We followed this up with a stop at Cabelas for some early Christmas shopping and boat parts. The rest of the trip home was uneventful and we were all eager to return. We quickly unpacked and reacquainted ourselves with our rooms and favorite toys. A quick meal, few phone calls, and off to bed. It will be nice sleeping in, and waking up in our own home tomorrow, but we have nothing in our refrigerator. It's been a great week full of surprises. Tomorrow Claire wants to tell about vacation in her own

(06.25.2009) Vacation Day 6 - Last morning at Lost Lake Lodge. Bit slower getting going. Kids hit Fishing with Hank at Kids Camp again. Once again Claire was the big stud of fishing, catching the biggest panfish of the morning, and Garrett caught the second biggest. Claire was Hank's favorite, even winning a dollar bill from his wallet for the biggest fish. Again attrition was high but Claire remained, and continued catching fish after fish after fish. We were able to get the car packed while she fished. By noon we were on the road, though we only went a few miles before stopping to play some putt-putt golf at a pirate theme park. The kids both hit some hole-in-one shots and had a great time. Next we stopped off for some Perkins and a snap-shot with a Paul Bunyon and Babe the Blue Ox outside a local bowling ally.The kids were pleasantly surprised when we rolled into our next stop, an Holiday Inn with indoor water park. Claire surprised us all by hitting the large water slides over and over and over and over again until both mom and dad could not make it up the stairs anymore. Garrett tried both tube slides once, liked them, but refused go again. Both kids were a bit dejected as the park closed and we headed to our room. They were happy when we let them have unrestricted snacks, drinks, and we played some family games before bed. When it was finally time to head for bed neither offered resistance and both were out within minutes. Mom and dad took the chance to catch our first news on TV in several days, headlines are the deaths of Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Ed McMahon. As a family we're nearing the point of vacation exhaustion and I think everyone is ready to head home. Tomorrow we'll start a meandering journey back to Ames, stopping on a whim if need be.

(06.24.2009) Vacation Day 5 - Final full day at Lost Lake Lodge. Started the day with breakfast then the kids went to "Kids Camp" where they walked the trails. They were pretty cute decked out with nets, bags, cups, binoculars, walking sticks, and magnifying glasses. They saw the indian burial grounds where they learned their spirits are still alive and they are buried in a sitting position. The camp has multiple signs about various nature points of interest they stopped and learned about. While the kids were at camp we took the opportunity for alone time on Lost Lake in the paddle boat, a game of shuffle board, and some lazy time in the hammock. After camp we returned to town to eat at Ganley's and to compete with 300+ kids at the turtle races. We raced two heats but did not win either. It was hot hot hot so we quickly retreated to the local A&W for some cool treats then back to the camp for some more lake time. Claire immediately grabbed a kayak and took off on the lake for her first solo run, and she did great! We tooled around the lake for quite awhile and she enjoyed every minute of it. Later Garrett and dad took off around the lake with the paddle boat. As cooler clouds moved in we headed back to the cabin for baths and to dress up for supper. Supper went fine, Claire ate walleye again, dad too but I envied Claire's the whole time, and mom retried the diver scallops, and Garrett had mac and cheese for the 4th night in a row. We wrapped up the evening with some simple outside play time, mom and dad played horse on the basketball court. The bugs motivated our retreat to the cabin for some card games and bed. We're all pretty exhauster and suspect we'll all be sleeping like logs tonight. Tomorrow is checkout, the kids will do camp again (fishing) while mom and dad pack and get us checked out. Next stop is a water park a couple hours away from here on the way home, then we hope to hit some more stops on the way home. Today was the first time anyone's expressed a desire to go home which is a good sign we're about played out here.

(06.23.2009) Vacation Day 4 - Thee kids were motivated to wake up early so they could attend "Kid Camp", a daily mini-session run by the camp. We powered through breakfast. afterwards Claire played softball with a new friend while Garrett tried out the hammock. Kid Camp was "Fishing with Hank", they put on their life vests and headed to the Gull Lake docks. All I kept hearing with "I need another worm" as the kids went crazy catching panfish and even a few bass. Attrition was high as the hot sun beat down on the kids, but Claire just kept going and going. She learned quickly where the fish were hiding in the shadows of the boats and caught fish like crazy. Hank and his assistant were hoping busy putting worms on hooks and pulling fish off all morning. Hank then took the several buckets of fish caught over to Lost Lake which lost all it's fish over the winter due to low temps and heavy snow. While Claire finished her fishing mom ran to town for some shopping and to pickup some Subway for a hiking lunch. Upon her return we hiked about half mile then turned around back to camp. the bugs and lack of suitable eating stop motivated our return. There's always tomorrow... After lunch we headed back to the cabin for some "quite time" in our beds, the kids were exhausted. Nobody napped, so we jumped into our swim suits and headed back to the Lost Lake for more swimming! Garrett loves anything sand so he was in heaven most of the day. We all took turns on the water-totter, and dad took both kids for spins around the lake in the kayak. Mom showed Claire how to swim with her life vest on which then opened up a larger set of water opportunities for her. She front floated, back floated, and simply floated all over the place. Later while "the boys" were out for a spin in a kayak, mom taught Claire how to kayak around the swim area. Tomorrow we'll let her loose to meander around the lake. Later in the day we boated the kids to the swim platform where mom showed them how to jump in. Claire's brave and took the leap, but did not enjoy the plunge. We wrapped up the evening with some most delicious food again, mom eating the Filet Mignon, and dad the Shrimp Primevara. After supper we took a family walk around the camp where the kids spotted a turtle. Dad picked him up, the kids were in awe how much a turtle can pee in defense. Claire touched his shell, but Garrett was timid.We kept the turtle around long enough for some pictures then let him on his way. Later the kids played with an inch worm and let him crawl on their fingers. We headed back to the cabin for some family games (bingo, dominos, and Uno). Dad re-read the story of Babe the Blue Ox, and we sang hit singles like "5 Little Monkeys", "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", and "5 Speckled Frogs, Sitting on a Speckled Log". Neither kid offered resistance going to bed and they were both out in a matter of minutes, leaving mom and dad with just enough time to download pictures and enjoy a few moments together before bedtime.

(6.22.2009) Vacation Day 3 - The rain has stopped! We awoke early, had breakfast, took a short walk near Gull Lake, then wandered over to Lost Lake to let the kids play in the sand. The sun finally came out and it was hot! We took the kids out on an apprehensive paddle boat ride. During our ride a resident loon flew right at us, circled around behind us, then landed about 5 yards beside us. The loon sat there for about a minute hamming it up for us with a large fish in his mouth before diving under the water and swimming to the other side of the paddle boat. A little more hamming then she left. Later we learned there is a pair nesting on the lake, and they have two little ones. Dad tried out a one-size-does-not-fit-talls kayak, one is not too stable when your knees stick higher than your head, making it difficult to paddle. The morning was not without it's humor as we got to watch a daughter and her aged father tip over a canoe twice while trying to board. It was hilarious though his cell phone was toasted. Around noon we loaded up the kids and headed into town to eat at a local greasy spoon called Ganley's. We visited them year before too. They have a "Famous Chicken" sandwich there that's to die for! The kids were not up to shopping so we went back to camp, put on swimsuits, and spent the afternoon playing on the beach, making new friends. and overcoming all fear of water and boats. Claire made several new friends, and even took a spin on the paddle boat with a 7 year old girl and later her 9 year old brother. The camp brought us out a pair of larger kayak that mom and dad each gave the kids rides in. During our rides we came across the pair of loons and their pair or babies. They're pretty tame and let us boat right up to them and watch them. Mom then took both kids for rides on the water-totter which they loved. Dad helped the kids start sand volcanoes and rivers, the fun was joined in with other kids whom played with our kids most of the afternoon. Mom and dad hung on on the beach long enough to get some good sunburns. Later Garrett overcame his apprehension of the paddle boat and made dad take him out on a loop around the lake. We wrapped up play in time to shower, dress, and make supper. Claire had the walleye again, but this time they brought her a large half-walleye portion (likely intended for an adult). Garrett chowed through some gourmet Kraft Mac and Cheese, while mom and dad both indulged in the ribeye special. After supper and a brief walk it was back down to the beach to play with our friends and wait for the campfire to get hot enough to toast marshmallows. As darkness fell it was back to the cabin for stories, mom read them the tales of Paul Bunyon and Babe the Blue Ox. Both kids were exhausted and were out in a matter of minutes. Mom hit the sack so here I sit downloading picture from the camera and feeling a bit verbose. It was a great day and something the kids will remember for life. Both kids are getting so big, and especially Claire.She's not timid about introducing and involving herself with the activities of kids twice her age, and I had to laugh as she defended her brother when an older boy said Garrett was a "little boy". We are blessed to have such wonderful children. They're everything I could have ever asked for and more. We have no hard schedule this week so we're enjoying every minute with the kids and creating memories of a lifetime. More tomorrow. G-night.

(06.21.2009) Vacation Day 2 - Garrett crawled into our bad at 5AM to get the day off to a sleepy start.We drove into some light sprinkles that have persisted the entire day. For breakfast we hit Nelson Brothers by Clearwater for some fantastic breakfast. The kids each devoured their french toast, bacon, eggs, oranges, and some of dad pancakes. Fantastic food, a must-stop anytime. Claire's been passing her time in the car by drawing pictures after pictures, and she's starting to read some words! We are softies and stopped at Toys R Us where each kid got to pick one toy, and we picked up some floaties to help Claire swim in the deep end, a task she was doing very well with last night. We made a quick stop by the Nisswa visitors center for a picture with Paul Bunyon. At last we did arrive at Lost Lake Lodge and the kids are in heaven! The rain has dampened our activities a bit, but the kids have their rain coats on and are playing outside. They also learned to play checkers in our cabin, and we visited the playroom at the lodge so they could play doll house and Lincoln Logs. For supper Claire had the walleye and finished the whole thing. Garret devoured a large cheeseburger. Mom had the best pan-fried diver scallops, and I ate the most tender salmon I've ever had. We wrapped up the evening with some stories, dad told Jack and the Bean Stalk, Claire made up a story about a princess and some frogs, and Garrett devised a complex story of fire breathing magical dragons that lacked a plot.

(06.20.2009) Vacation Day 1 - We started the day off with great energy! Everyone got up early and headed out the door and into the packed car. We powered through to Clear Lake before stopping for breakfast. Next stop was St. Paul for a light lunch before surprising the kids with a visit to the Como Zoo! It took us over a half hour to get parked, building up the excitement for the kids. At the zoo we met up with Glen's former college roommate and friends Ryan dna Jeri, and their two boys. The weather was unpleasantly hot but we had a good time. A short drive to the outskirts of town gave the kids a short nap, a tour of downtown Minneapolis and the Metrodome, then we arrived at our hotel. We checked in, ate a quick meal, then played in the hotel pool until bedtime. The kids gave no resistance getting into pajamas and bed, though as I type this they are laughing and giggling while mom and dad are in the next room relaxing. It's been a great day, the kids are great, and we're right on schedule to arrive at Lost Lake tomorrow.

(06.19.2009) Tonight is the eve of an extended family vacation. Watch here for some updates as the adventure begins!

(05.15.2009) Rainy day here in Ames. We've certainly been enjoying the Spring weather, taking advantage to plant some of the gardens and get the deck stained. The last couple years we've had a young rabbit living harmlessly in our backyard. Tonight he/she had two friends in the yard playing. Fear we're going to have more baby bunnies running around soon. Another nature first for our yard- a squirrel has taken up temporary residence in our quacking aspen tree. All the trees are looking great but we've discovered a severe hole in our ash from a borer, slight possibility it's a European ash borer. Hoping it will recover but the experts say we're toast.

(5.08.2009) Happy Mothers Day to all mothers out there. The kids colored up a sign to surprise mom when she returns home from her conference this weekend. We even recorded a quick video message for the grandmothers.

(4.28.2009) Took Claire to the musical Cats last night. she absolutely loved it. She was transfixed on the lights, sound, and dancing. It certainly helped that we read the story line for the show ahead of time or she may not have enjoyed it as much. Her biggest applause was for Mr. Mistoffelees and his big dance. At mom's office today she drew a picture about last night that I love.

(4.25.2009) Claire's Dance Recital! She was a perfect angel. Claire's dance group was one of the last performances of the day. As her group walked out it only took her two looks to locate dad kneeling down front with camera in hand. Her face lite up with a smile and a couple small waves to acknowledge each other. This year was a tap dance routine to the song Can't Buy Me Love. She nailed ever move perfectly. Afterwards she received an instant hug and new puppy doll from her brother, flowers and hugs from everyone else.

(4.22.2009) Day home with a sick girl, so taking the chance to update our blog. Spring is finally here and we've been enjoying the warmer weather outside. Last week we had an open house at Claire's school where the kids got to play, make pinecone bird feeders, and start some plants for out garden. Rest of the time we've been keeping busy playing outside, hauling out the spring gear, and starting plants in the basement. Last weekend was Veishea but we skipped it. Instead of the parade we went to Ankeny to get the kids fitted for a wedding they'll be in come August. It was our first big trip in mom's new car. Yes, the Impala is gone in favor of a Ford Freestyle!G told me he's not liking the truck so much anymore, has has much more room and a DVD in the new car.

(3.28.2009) Tonight we're sitting tight waiting for the ISU Women's Basketball team to play their Sweet 16 game! This week G learned he really does like fish and likes taking showers. C learned all about Spring at school this week, learned about hibernation, and made kites they got to fly. Mom's car is showing it's age and needing some love, so we're looking to trade it in. Just call it our personal economic stimulus plan. Last night we rented the animated movie Bolt - and the kids absolutely loved it! Can the Easter Bunny fit that into an egg? Tomorrow we're going to surprise uncle P for his birthday by showing up on his doorstep with a ham and dozen buns. Later well wrap that up with a visit to the Bobber Shop, and possibly Cabela's, looking for boat and fishing supplies for this year.

(3.22.2009) What a beautiful weekend! Kids enjoyed their first full weekend of outside. Friday C got a DVD from when Snow White visited for her birthday, it's cute - I'll try to get some clips on-line soon. Saturday the neighborhood kids kindly assisted in digging holes in the garden so I could plant strawberries, hoping frost is done for the year. Today the kids and I started some tomatoes and pepper plants in the basement, another sure sign of Spring. Will start flowers when I get my gardening stuff out of the attic. Grandma and Grandpa Rosenberg made it down today for a visit and to see the boat. The boat's coming along nicely and should be ready to go soon. Tonight G had his first really bad nightmare - just got him back to sleep. Not sure what it was about, but the poor guy was terrified. He's not napped in two days so sheer exhaustion did not help. My last newsworthy note - Laura is now on Facebook! Look her up and add to your friend network.

(3.18.2009) Time to get back to blogging. Kids have been at the Galvin grandparents since Monday, and we're anxious to get our kids back Thursday. They've had a great time at the farm from the phone conversations we've heard. Mom and dad took the free time to try out some no-kid restaurants in town, and celebrate St Patrick's day yesterday. Dad's taken some of the free time to resume some much needed exercise (still down 10 lbs), clean the garage, and plant a couple dozen tulip bulbs that did not get planted last fall. Mom changed the house decor from Snowmen to Easter and Spring, and sorted through the kids old clothes. Hurry home soon kids.

Also new: updated content in "About Us" and "Glen's" tab.

(2.25.2009) Claire got a day with her dad to do whatever she wanted today. Dad went with her to school and played with the kids, read a story to the class, and served some treats. For lunch she picked chinese carryout. For supper she picked chinese buffet. The rest of the day was spent playing with birthday presents that had not been unboxed yet, watching her movie choice of Bambi, painting at the easel, coloring pictures, and generally having a good time.

(2.23.2009) Oh what a weekend. This past weekend was our annual swim park getaway! The weekend got off to a rough start, we were supposed to leave Friday but the brakes on the car wore out and had to be replace before we could leave town. When Laura brought the car home from the shop I checked the tire pressures and found a screw in a tire, not enough to keep me home.We finally made it to the park and swam until closing on Friday night. Saturday was a 13 hour marathon of swimming, shared in part by Laura's folks and my brother Grant and his girlfriend Laura.The day wrapped up bad as Laura broke her toe on the water slide and I gave myself a nasal enema. Sunday everyone was moving much slower, the kids were worn out and ready to go home. The car tire was flat and needed some air before we could leave town. We finally made it home and unpacked - poor dad was feeling exhausted. Monday recovery consisted of dad sick on the couch all day and Laura getting x-rays and fitted for a walking boot. But overall we had a great time and certain to do it again.

(2.15.2009) Snow White birthday party weekend! It's safe to say all kids had a spectacular time! Claire was the princess of the hour and relished her role. Snow White and her assistant provided great entertainment. Mom and dad laughed constantly at the curious and innocent comments kids make. The party included multiple princesses and an adorable frog prince, and of course Garrett as the "tough" prince (knight).

(2.12.2009) What a crazy week. Kids are in their second week of swimming lessons .We're getting ready for Snow White to make a visit to Claire's Birthday party this weekend. It's Valentine's weekend, the weather's been unseasonably warm and we have a big snow storm in the forecast for tomorrow. To top things off we went ahead and bought a fishing/pleasure boat. It's a 1991, 16.5 foot Lund that belonged to a friend. Now all we need is a place to store the boat - anyone have a garage for rent?

(02.08.2009) The first batch of wine is bottled! Many thanks to Cara who came down to visit and helped run the corker while Claire sanitized the bottles and dad filled the bottles. Garrett helped keep the operation running smoothly.Once the wine ages a few months in the bottle we can pop the first cork. Lesson learned - be careful of the sediment at the bottom of the carboy! The bottles have a bit more sediment hardened on the bottom than I'd liked, but it will be fine with careful handling. Next - we're looking at doing a Chilean Malbec in the near future.

(01.18.09) Finally a break from the bitter cold. Highs in the negative teens with wind? That's hard even for the die-hard Iowan. The kids, and parents, are stir crazy from the week long break from school due to weather and illness. Kids are napping as I type, exhausted from playing outside this morning in knee-high and thigh-high snow. Dad and mom are enjoying some quite time in sunshine shinning through the window. Mom and dad are also a bit sore from working out now that we're part of the Live Healthy America program. Dad is doubling his workout routine and feeling it, not from the 85 minutes spent running on the elliptical but from the 30 minute WII Fit workout. Figure by working on this blog I can delay my next session by a few minutes. Oh yeah - wine making update: Last Saturday I moved the wine from the primary fermentation bucket to the secondary container. Fermentation has Nearly ceased the last couple days so the wine should be getting closer to the bottling, maybe tomorrow if the hydrometer readings confirm it's stabilized. After bottling it's another waiting period before we know what the end product will be like.

(01.08.09) Happy Birthday to Garrett! One excited little boy today. Claire, mom, and dad awoke him to the singing of Happy Birthday. Mom then took him out for a special pancake breakfast then dropped him to his daycare pals at his place of choice - Burger King's play land. After naps dad picked them up, picked up mom, and we all went for a special dinner at Hickory Park. His checks turned cherry red as the waitresses sang to him. We concluded the day with a Spider Man chocolate cake, more candles, and more singing. Bath night was forfeited so the kids could talk to grandparents and watch his new Kung Fu Panda movie. Life's moving fast and it's hard to believe he's already 3.

Garrett 3rd Birthday

(01.03.09) Welcome to 2009! We've made it through the Christmas present assault and I've personally been enjoying several days off with the kids as our daycare was closed this week. Christmas was fantastic, the kids were great and we received many wonderful gifts this year. We were able to see both our extended families including one of my cousins I've not seen in something like 12 years. We begun our Christmas trek by heading to Laura's folks for candle light services, gifts, and a visit from uncle Paul's puppy. Ice fishing was out this year as the heavy snow cover has prevented solid ice formation and would have been too difficult for the kids to navigate. Uncle Paul did get his snowmobile out and gave the kids "really fast" rides around the neighborhood. Christmas day we stopped by Laura's grandmother Rosenberg's to visit which the kids always enjoy. After learning I don't like minced meat sweats we began the trek to my folks in hopes of making the winter Galvin reunion. The weather slowed us down and we missed the reunion which did allow both kids to grab a quick nap in the truck and let us get our presents moved into the house and some dinner items made before the folks got home. The next day was surprisingly warm and started melting so we took the kids sledding at a nearby county park. The kids had a fantastic time and it took only a few trips up the hill to walk the kids into submission (and long naps). On Saturday the Willhoite relatives came over dinner, presents, then we headed back to Ames so the kids could enjoy the gifts Santa delivered days ago.

(01.02.09) Wine time! Chardonnay is in the primary fermentor right now. Look us up in several more weeks for a sample of some home made wine!

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