The Ozmerican Life

It's November in MN. Sunset yesterday was 4:44pm. Which makes me feel like I should be sleeping by 6:44pm because it's already been dark for two hours. Grrr.....I don't like that about winter.

There is also something about this time of year that makes the kids not want to go outside. It's cold but there's no snow...it's just weird. But since they want to stay inside all day it makes it a lot easier to get all their school work done. I can't really compete with riding their bikes or dirt biking.

This time of the year also brings about the church Christmas program practice. Nathan and I dislike Christmas and all sounds involved with it. I tolerate their music. I have to. Although it brings about a smile to my face listening to the kids try to figure out the words....

"Glooooory, Yaaaaaahtzee And Shell Seas Dayo!"

Classic.

It's the little things in a marriage that make it great. Anyone can have a decent marriage. Anyone can be married to another person and view them as "fine". It's the little things that make it great...and I think a huge part of great kids is a great marriage.

This morning Nathan was going to take is motorcycle to school. We live in Minnesota, and it's November. The high today is 38 degrees, winds at 20-30 mph, which makes it actually feel like 25. Most folk would call that a bit nippy for riding a motorcycle. In the effort to save a little at the pump, Nathan was geared up last night, going to fish his snowboarding ensemble out of storage, bundle up and brave the cold.

We have a heated garage and a not heated garage. I park in the heated garage...we both park in the heated garage...duh! All other motorized things we have are parked in the heated garage. When I park in the heated garage, everything else is blocked in. Nathan last night told me to leave my van outside so he could get his bike out in the morning. This morning at 6am his enclosed, warm and toasty gas hog of a car **with heat** looked a little more appealing...I can't say I blame him!

I needed to load something in my van and I knew it was outside. Yuck.

I geared up for the arctic blast. I opened up the door to the garage...My van was in the garage, nice and toasty warm, out of the frigid wind.

That is greatness.

It's the little things that say, I thought of you, I went out of my way for you, there was only benefit for you in what I did, you were worth my extra time.

Kids, that's what it's all about...follow your daddy's lead. And if you have a spouse...do something a little extra special for your honey today!

PS....I love you :)

Me: "Jentzen I hear you did awesome at MMA last night!"

J: "Yeah! There was this really strong boy..."

Me: "Really?"

J: "Yeah, really strong! Strong like I think he had lumps on his tummy....I BEAT him!!"

It seems they've been watching a few adult MMA fights...adults with some abs :)

Keira was wearing her big fluffy princess dress today. She's always dressed up in her princess dresses.

She had to pee.

I had to hold her dress up.

I thought of her wedding day.

Tears.

This year's MEA break brought about the 2nd tri-annual Pahl Family Vacation. When there are 28 immediate family members each with their own schedules, in laws and other things that keep people busy...my mom discovered that Holidays are no longer all inclusive. She came up with the idea of a mandatory tri-annual vacation. We all go. Every single person. For the entire trip.

For me it's all about the kids. There is nothing better than seeing all the cousins together. I grew up without cousins and am so glad that my kids have oodles of memories with their cousins. I had cousins...lots of them...but honestly I could pass most of them by walking down the street and not even recognize them. And the others live in Iowa. Logistically, it just wasn't possible.

We went to the home of Dolly Parton, Gatlinburg TN. After a quick google, we found out that it was in the general area of Gatlinburg. There was a little google debate on her exact roots.

Tennessee and Minnesota are a ways apart...turns out a long 17 hour drive apart. How do I know? Well turns out we missed our flight and had to drive. Oops! I'll take 100% responsibility for it. I can admit when I make a mistake. This was kind of a dousy as far as mistakes go. Of all days to miss a flight...MEA break was not a good one. And for sure not a good one when traveling with 6 people. I thought about taking the one spot available on the next plane and ditching Nathan with kids to drive...What? I can't lie!

We left MN about 330pm and arrived around 9am the next morning. It's a good thing my kids are EXCELLENT road trippers. When we first departed, they asked if it was as long as Iowa. We informed them that it's 3 times to Iowa. Big eyes, dropped jaws...and that was it. It was 17 hours of smooth sailing. It was a good test for them...seeing as we have a serious road trip planned for our next visit to Nathan's homeland.

It was a great trip. We toured underground caverns, saw the Aquarium, rode go karts, went on rides, went rafting, did a zip line and ropes course. Yep, still feeling that ropes course. We saw the Dixie Stampede, and a Lumberjack show, and the kids went "swimming" in the hot tub. The Smoky Mountains are beautiful and our lodging was perfect for our family.

We will definitely go back, there's lots more we want to do there...hopefully another road trip with the Brewins!

Nathan turned 37 on Wednesday. I could go on and on about this huge rip-roaring party we had and the 100's of people that came to celebrate with us...but for those of you who know us well, you would know it's just plain not true. And I thought that to be a lot of typing just to say "just kidding" at the end.

The day came and went...I even ditched him to go play some volleyball with friends. Lame, I know!

Maybe that's what I love most. We don't need to make a big deal out of a particular day, he knows, hopefully, each and every day that I love him more than ever.

I was asked awhile back what I loved most about Nathan. I had to sit and think, and think, and think...not that I couldn't think of any reasons. The problem was more that there were 100 reasons why running through my head...and how could I choose just one. There were reasons when we were dating, then when we were first married, when we first had kids, when we had more kids, and then now. We have grown over the years.

The reasons I love and adore him continue to grow and change. We are different people than we were when we first got married, even different people than we were a year ago. I love that we have grown together. There's so much growing apart happening these days, but not us.

Nathan is constantly giving me just one more thing to love about him. I could go on and on with a list of all the attributes he has that I love. It is one thing to be great...but to have a desire to be greater...that is something to admire. He desires to be a greater husband, a greater dad, a greater friend, a greater student...and he has the confidence and knowledge to do just that. With that, there are no limits. I see it working out in his life everyday. That is what causes me to sit and stare at him every chance I get and think, "Man, I love that guy!!"

To my Man,
Every year gets better and better with you. There is absolutely no one I'd rather be with. I said it in my vows on our wedding day and I mean it even more today...You are God's best for me! Happy Birthday!

Jentzen's lesson last week was Long Letters with the Magic "e" at the end....or Silent "e"....or the Zapping "e" as Jentzen likes to call it. You know, when the "e" at the end is quiet and it makes the vowel in the middle long. Words like name, tote, like. Then it was time to make the long "e" with the silent "e" at the end.

I wrote Pete. That fit the letter requirements. Then I went to write the next one....and thought....and thought...and thought? Seriously...are there any other words with just a single "e" in the middle with the silent "e" at the end?

I couldn't think of any. Not a single one. I thought of tweet, nope. Then bead, nope. Then scream, nope. All long "e's," But not the right long "e". Are there any others? Anyone? Anyone?

So poor Jentzen. I wrote bede, twete, and beme. He looked at the words and said bead, tweet, and beam. Mission accomplished.

Next week's lesson...spelling.