Make a Smilebox slideshow

we celebrated mom and dads anniversary last night at 'Party Cove' had a great meal and lots of laughs.

camping

we went camping this last weekend with mom and dad. had a great time. Dad and mom went down on Friday and us girls ( Liz, Vicky, and myself) came down on Saturday. we had a lot of fun, great bonding, and a lot of laughs. Dad tuckered out early so he was off to bed by 6:30 and we had a girls night.

Today I'm having a professional photographer come and take pictures of dad and mom. Dads all excited, mom not so much (she hates having her picture taken). It will be nice to have some current family pictures.

Dad is doing well, a little tired but over all continuing to be the stubborn Norwegian that he is.

Just wanted to give a SHOUT out to my friend Janet (who's doing the pictures) She is not only a FANTASTIC, CARING nurse, she is also the proud owner of a new business called


JANET JOHNSON PHOTOGRAPHY

I highly recommend her. She does a fantastic job. So if there's anyone out there that needs family photos, senior pics, baby pics, or what ever look her up!!!!

we made it

We got Jake all moved in to his dorm. It took most of the day ( or maybe we were going slow to put off saying goodbye ) Shannon got his desk area and food shelf nicely organized not realizing it's a guys dorm and probably wont look that neat an hour after we left. We got a chance to meet his roommate, Alex, and he seems very nice. (that's him in the pictures). Jake room was very cozy and home like when we left. It was still hard to say goodbye. Shannon and I held it together but Darrick...well not so much, which made all of us cry. Jake was pretty funny though as Darrick was giving him the last hug good bye all Shan and I heard was..."Damn it dad" and that's when we realized Darrick wasn't holding it together. (cute). We already miss him. The house seems so empty, (hint hint Shan you should move home)

This sucks!!!

Well Jake leaves tomorrow for college....He had some guys over last night as there last her ah. They had a good time tell this morning...and then the tears started...anyone that knows Jake knows he's a big stofty but looking from the outside you'd see an out going LOUD kid. With outgoing LOUD friends. But they were all reduced to a puddle of mush this morning. 4 boys, all 18, all baseball and football players, all well liked and looked up to kids, all A PART of our family, all crying because they're leaving each other for different colleges. The worse part is they come upstairs for a little support from me...yeah good idea...I was up there trying to hold it together myself that is till i saw them. I quickly turned into a puddle of mush to. So now I'm trying to tell them they'll see each other often and all that in between my sobs...I was a lot of help...NOT.
It SUCKS because I know this is part of growing up but I don't want them to leave...heck there's a 4 year college right down the road from us. Why can't they stay here...and live at home????



(tears are flowing again) I just gave Ryan D., Dan, and Ohly a hug good bye....wished them all the best, told them that Darrick and I are always here for them, and gave the Kleenex's.

I just realized why it's so hard saying good bye to these kids ( besides the fact that I love them . Jake's leaving too. Saying good bye to Shannon's friends was hard but thankfully Shannon stayed here to go to school. I didn't have to lose her too. She gradually moved out to her own house. ( I think while i wasn't looking. however I cried the night she fully moved out...you know the whole 5 blocks away) Maybe because he's the youngest or maybe because I get to see Shannon almost every day. I don't know just knowing that He's not here or even blocks away.

I don't like this, I don't like this at all. And yeah I have issues with letting go I get that. I want them to be little again, I want to wake up in the morning and find that Jake has crawled into bed with Shannon and their tucked under her "little Mermaid" comforter, sound to sleep. That's not to much to ask is it????

softball

Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" width=386>

Make a Smilebox postcard

Well the summer is coming to a close. ( why is it summer goes so fast and winter seems to last forever???) Jakes mens "c" softball legue ended last week. They took 2nd overall. Shannon and Jakes "D" legue ended last night. They played 2 games, the first game they won 19-8 and the second game they lost 13-3. They did pretty good considering most of the girls had never played before.

We had to say good bye to one of Jake's best friends last night too, Ryan left for college this morning. It was really sad, Ryan has been a staple in the Kostel house for many years and now we wont get to see him very often. It's kinda strange thinking that all these boys we've known since they were little are grown "men" now. We're not just sending Jake off to college we're sending several of our "adopted" sons off to college. People keep telling us it's going to be so nice with all the kids gone, your house will be so quite....I don't like quite....since we had kids there was always "extra" kids in our house. We love that. Shannon and Jake's friends became part of our family. Many of them we've watched grow from awkward dorks to mature, responsible, loving adults! I'm not sure if I'm liking this part of our life. I know most people rejoice in there kid free Independence, I'm feeling...uncomfortable...I like having 12 kids in my house eating me out of house and home...really I do!!! I want them all to be 10 again...is that possible?

P.S. maybe i can get shannon to move back home with us...and bring a few freinds with her...=-)

slideshow - Powered by Smile box" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" width=386>

Make a Smile box slide show

we took dad and mom to Jeff Dunham comedy show this last weekend. Mom laughed so hard she cried. He was very good!!!! On Tuesday Shannon's best friend Nicole brought her baby (Noah) over and we got to babysit for a while. I love babies!!!! Can't wait to be a grandma. Well OK i can wait but I'm looking forward to it!!!! love you all

slideshow - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" width=386>

Make a Smilebox slideshow

we HAD A CHANCE TO GO TO MINNEAPOLIS THIS WEEKEND WITH JUST THE KIDS. WE HAD A GREAT TIME. STAYED DOWN BY NICOLETTE MALL AREA. FRIDAY NIGHT WE WENT OUT TO EAT, HAD A FEW DRINKS, AND EVEN BOWLED A COUPLE OF GAMES ( I SUCKED!!!) SATURDAY WE WENT TO THE MALL OF AMERICA, DID ALITTLE SHOPPING AND THEN WENT TO THE TWINS GAME. IT WAS A GREAT WEEKEND.