Someday I, Too, Will Be the Mother of a Pre-Teen Girl

Hey girls, do you remember what it was like to be a pre-teen? I do. I thought it was God's will for me to marry Jonathan Taylor Thomas (or JTT to us teeny-boppers). You remember him? The kid from Home Improvement? Anyway. Everything that went wrong when I was a pre-teen was the END of the WORLD. HOW could LIFE go ON?! Even when I was in the 10th grade, I locked myself in the closet and cried for a half hour after the infamous '98 Vikings lost by a missed field goal to the Falcons in the NFC Championship. Cried for a half hour. In the closet. HOW could LIFE go ON?!?!

Remember last spring when David Cook won American Idol over David Archuleta, the teen heart throb? Maybe you don't; it isn't what I'd call the most thrilling moment of my life...or even the most thrilling moment of that day. But to some pre-teen girls out there, it was the worst day of their young lives. I found a video on YouTube of a group of girls and their reaction to the news that their puppy love had lost American Idol. Watch and laugh, I mean, uh...mourn with them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70f0chZVudA

I definitely laughed and laughed. And then I realized that someday my little Abi might be throwing a similar fit over something just as trivial. Oh yes. It's inevitable: someday, I, too will be the mother of a pre-teen girl.

Thankfulness and Gluttony: Part 1

My family are my best friends. This Thanksgiving, I was thankful to be able to spend a few days spending time with them and laughing with them. Mom always puts together the most diverse and delicious menus, Dad gets on the floor with Abi (playing blanket monster!), and us kids partake in games, snacks, walks, movies, and adventures! This Thanksgiving, Dad packed up his firearms and some ammo and we drove out of town a few miles for some target practice.

Jon, Dad, and Brian loading up the guns.Here were our targets: a pumpkin, a beer cozy, and a Pepsi cup.

Jon starts things off with the 9mm. This is Brian's Beretta from Grandpa Westerbur, the same type of gun Jon had strapped to his leg for 10 months in Iraq. I even had a chance to shoot the Beretta a few times, then I got scared! :)

Brian takes aim with the shot gun. I did not attempt the shot gun.

Dad shows us how it's done.

Jon gives the 357 a try.

Ah, the boys.

Our poor pumpkin.

Sunset over rural Minnesota.

Father-daughter duets! Preparing for Carnegie Hall!

"Let's start eating already, I'm starving!"

The spread is gorgeous! Now let's eat!

Saying grace, being thankful, praising Jesus, and then...

LET'S EAT!!

Michelle and Jon and I gave Brian his birthday presents. He is ecstatic about his new argyle socks and Itunes gift card from Michelle! (and YES his Tshirt says "Gustav is my homeboy")

"Oh Abi, thank you! Thank you...you can let go now Abi."

Brian's taking Ancient Greek over J-Term at Gustavus so we got him a Greek-English Interlinear New Testament. Jon picked it out :)

Abi was happy to get a new handbag.

Mmm...post-dinner naptime.

The Lions were getting creamed by the Titans so we changed the channel.

Oh yes. We watched the dog show. I was rooting for the terrier and the basset hound.

Jon practiced his German.

And Michelle spent lots of time with her new fiance Tristan via text!

That night we picked out some bridesmaid dresses, finished up our game of Hand and Foot (a card game), ate lots of pie, and opened a few windows. Then we tried to get Jon and Brian hooked on a Santa Claus movie starring John Lithgo and Dudley Moore, but they didn't bite. So we watched Home Alone and I cried like always when the neighbor was re-united with his family. We didn't want to leave this morning, it's always so relaxing at mom and dad's. It's like we travel to a different world or at least time slows down out there. I'm so thankful for the time we got to spend together. One more Thanksgiving to go, and then I go on a leafy green diet for a while!

Dressing Up This Fall

Well, fall wouldn't be fall without dressing up for Halloween! Our little Abigail dressed up as a ladybug and we went trick-or-treating with some friends up the street.

Abi loved holding her pumpkin! She wouldn't let me hold it at all!

And here she is sneaking some chocolate. Ah, yes, she is her mother's daughter!

Then we went to visit Jon at work. The family!!

She started counting her candy right away cuz she knew that mommy would sneak all the chocolates out.

Abi wasn't the only one who dressed up! I went as Sarah Palin and Jon went as Joe the Plumber. People told me I was a natural Palin. They also commented that I had nailed the accent. What accent?

Jon also dressed up as a flame-thrower!

Abi loves putting on all her hats from the hats and mittens drawer.

She also loves necklaces and barrettes. Dressing up is one of her favorite things to do!

And between dress-up times she takes cute baths :)

And of course in November, she dresses up WARM to go walking with daddy!

Baby Wrestling

Every other Monday night, Abigail goes to visit her friend Sammy. Sammy's dad Dale took these pictures he titled "Baby Wrestling." Abi's really just trying to hug Sammy, but she's a little aggressive at this point. Dale wrote the greatest captions to them, so I got his permission to re-post them on my blog! Please, enjoy them. This is as good as it gets! (By the way, Sammy is about 3 months older than Abi, so don't feel too sorry for him!)

You know my Dad's a Marine, right?

He taught me how to treat cute boys

With pretty blue eyes

Let them get close

And then squeeze off their carotid artery until they pass out!