Macy...

Thank you Lori....

Thanks to my sister Lori! Thank you for everything you do for me, for always being so thoughtful and loving. Even though I don't always tell you, I want you to know how much you mean to me. Thanks for the 3 hour talk on your back patio the other night until 2:00 in the morning. I appreciate you and your advice during times of need. I love you!

In Loving Memory....

Lawrence Glynn Beckstead

April 12, 1943 - July 21, 2005

This is always a really hard day for me. I miss my Dad so much! He was an amazing person. I miss him all the time, but especially at times in my life when I could use his loving and caring heart, his listening ear, and his awesome advice. I love you Dad!

My sister Heather...

Heather ---- I just wanted to tell you how much I love you!

Happy Birthday Noriane!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NORIANE!




I stole this picture from your blog page!!!! But I wanted to wish you the happiest birthday ever! I'm very sorry I missed your party last night, I really wanted to be there but Russ worked late, and Taylor had piano lessons, along with a few other issues that came up last night. I have something for you though, I'll swing by your house this weekend. Thanks for being a great friend and neighbor, and for sharing your daughters with Taylor.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Happy Birthday Grandma Hazel....

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Today is Russ' grandma's birthday. She is the sweetest Grandma ever, and I'm really glad we got to spend some time with her recently.

We love you and wish you the best birthday ever!

I love Twilight!

My favorite book series ever. Noriane, this is for you because I know how much you love Edward too.... I found these and thought you would like them. I want to go with you the night the 4th book comes out, we'll stand in line all night if we have to.

Always time for laughter and smiles through the tears...

It was such a emotional week for everyone with the passing of Tom. There was alot of family in Park Rapids for the funeral. Tom has 5 kids, and they were all there with their spouses and children, along with Russ and his two sisters, and their families. There was alot going on, so I wasn't able to get alot of family pictures, but I did manage to get a few.

Here is Russ, with Taylor and Madison, and his grandparents, and the girls' great-grandparents, Hazel and Delmer

Taylor and Maddie with their cousins, Natalie and Parker. They haven't spent time with them in a few years, so they had so much fun.

May God Bless You Always Tommy!

Thomas Chatfield Wheeler

December 28, 1938 - July 7, 2008

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free

I'm following the path God has laid for me

I took His hand when I heard His call

I turned my back and left it all...

I could not stay another day

To laugh, to love, to work, or play

Tasks left undone must stay that way

I found the peace at the close of day...

If my parting has left a void

Then fill it with remembered joys

A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss

Oh yes, these things I too will miss...

Be not burdened with times of sorrow

I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow

My life's been full, I savored much

Good friends, good times, a love one's touch...

Perhaps my time seemed all too brief

Don't lengthen it now with undue grief

Lift up your hearts and peace to thee

God wanted me now, so set me free...

Happy Birthday Parker!

Happy Birthday Parker! I know this wasn't the funnest birthday you ever had in the mist of all the planning for Grandpa's funeral, but you'll always have one thing ---- you'll have a special place in your heart, and you'll always remember your 11th birthday forever! You are an awesome person, and one of the sweetest, kindest boys ever. We love you tons and are so glad we got to spend a little time with you over the past week! Keep your head up high, and remember we love you!

We'll miss you Tommy!

We got home from our 4th of July trip Sunday night and got a call Monday morning that our dear Tommy had passed away. Tommy is Russ' step-dad, but more like a dad to him. He's been such a great example and influence in Russ' life since he was about 12 years old. He's an amazing person, and I've always loved and respected him.

We were very saddened to hear the news. Although Tom had been through a few heart surgeries going back to October, he was at home and doing a bit better, but back in the hospital for a few days because he had been retaining a bit of water. They found that his kidneys were shutting down, so they prepared Monday to perform a simple surgery to put in the port to get him ready for dialysis. Unfortunatly, his body had been through so much, that he didn't make it through that surgery.

We hopped on a plane with 3 of our 4 kids on Monday night at 10:00 p.m. to head to Minnesota. Our kids were troopers, going without any sleep since they woke up Monday morning, and they were up all the way until Tuesday when they took a 4 hour nap at the hotel around noon. I love my kids! It's amazing how crazy things can get but they were patient with the whole situation we were dealing with and understanding the emotions that go along with this whole thing. I love and appreciate them! They were amazing....

I also want to thank my neighbors! I love them and I have awesome friends in my neighborhood. There's nothing like great neighbors... It's nice to know you have neighbors who: offer to take your kids if you need them to, offer to watch your house or take in your mail, will water your plants, bring in your milk, and take your garbages out on garbage day. I love all you guys!

Today's only Wednesday, and I had a few minutes, so I thought I'd get this entry in. This is the only picture I could find of Tommy (it's an old one) at the moment I was making this entry, so I will find a better one to post later. This will be a crazy and emotional week for the family. It brings back tons of memories from when my dad passed away in July, 2005, so the emotions are coming back, but I will try my hardest to be the support to Russ that he was for me when my dad passed away. If I can only be half the support that he was to me at that difficult time in my life, he was great. I LOVE YOU RUSS!!!

Tom was the kindest person who always made those around him smile. He was a fabulous husband to Russ' mom, Barb. She was extremely lucky to have a man like Tom in her life, and he was extremely lucky to have her. They had a very special love. He was a great step father to Russ and his two sisters, Lisa and Karen. And an awesome grandfather. We love you and will miss you Tommy!

Fun with the Barbers!

The kids had so much fun visiting Aunt Lisa and Uncle John. They went to a movie to see 'Wall-e', we went to the Sacramento Zoo, they chased turkeys in the backyard, we watched fireworks from the deck on the 4th, and they got to eat tons of junk. Here are a few pictures from our trip.....

Just reach out to touch someone!

We were all sitting out on the back patio at Lisa & John's house and we somehow got on the subject of step-kids. Russ has two step-kids, and Lisa has two step-kids. Being that Russ pretty much raised my two boys with me, he's been in their lives since Rocky was 7 and Chad was 4, he has always been very close to my boys. So during this conversation, I told Russ and Lisa both that I feel they should both reach out to their oldest step-sons a bit more, by calling them more often. They both came back at me and said, "Well, everytime we call them they don't answer their cell phones!" I said that I didn't believe that one bit, and that they must not be trying hard enough. I said that they should both try right now to call their step-sons, so they both picked up their cell phones and........ well, let's just say that I was right, of course.... Both John (Lisa's step-son), and Rocky answered on the other end, and needless to say, along with me being right (I love it when I'm right!), they both felt very good inside that they had both reached out to their step sons at that very moment! I love both of you for taking on the challenge.. Even though they may not always answer their phones, or keep in touch as much as we would like them to, they KNOW you guys love them when you reach out!

Winnemuca or Bust!! (no really....)

Welcome to our trip!!! We decided to take a road trip this year and visit Russ' sister, Lisa, and her husband, John, for 4th of July. They live in Placerville, California, which is just outside south Lake Tahoe. It was just us and the girls, Chad couldn't come this time, he had to work. But here is a little bit about our trip.....

First, we decided to leave Wednesday night after work, instead of Thursday morning, so we could get half of the drive in early. We stopped half way in a small town called Winnemuca of all places (has anyone ever heard of this place? I never have...) All I have to say is, this place was quite interesting. Right when we pulled into town, Russ mentioned he could hear a banjo playing in the background (haha!) and several people whistling through the front gap in their toothless mouths and it was quite clear there wasn't a dentist anywhere in town.

Then, because it was so late, we stopped and stayed at a hotel. Well, actually more like a motel, which I wasn't very excited about. Any one who knows me knows that I'm a 5 star resort type of a girl, so I didn't do well at the Winners Hotel and Casino. Because of the holiday weekend approaching, there weren't many rooms open in this small town, and the next town wasn't for a ways. We had tired, whining kids, so we stopped and stayed here.

After a nights rest (I guess as good of rest as possible, considering the beds were as hard as a rock and the showers were disgusting), we got on the road early and stopped for breakfast at the local breakfast restaurant, then headed out of town. The whole adventure was quite comical, and we made an enjoyable trip out of it.

The girls were very excited when we arrived at Aunt Lisa and Uncle John's house around 1:00 p.m. No longer did they have to ask every 10 minutes "Are we almost there?" They for sure will have a blast along with being spoiled while here this weekend. Here is a picture of Taylor and Madison with their Aunt Lisa and Uncle John.