Ebo and Ruger

It was a hot day on Saturday. Ruger had been given the "OK" to have a bath. He was snipped, snipped a week and a half ago and until the stitches came out, NO, bath!!! After we got home from the vet, I went inside and 10 minutes later, Ebo is yelling from the garage, "MOM, come take our picture!!!" So, I grabbed my camera, headed out to the garage, nearly slipped in the puddles of water in the garage and found the two by the water hose. Ebo had taken a Rubbermaid storage container and FILLED it with water. Or in his eyes, an opportunity to take a dip!!! 10 year olds don't have time to change out of their dry clothes and into their swimming trunks when there is a water hose nearby cuz that would waste too much time. So, I guess you can kill two birds with one stone or should I say WATER!!!

My BFF, Karen!!

What can I say, I am LUCKY!!! Karen has been my best friend for over 18 years!!! We met in college, Moorhead Tech, in class. Our instructor wanted the class to partner up with someone and go over our assignment. I turned around and Karen was sitting behind me and I asked, "You want to be partners?" And that is how our friendship started.

She being a city girl, Fargo, and me, a rural America girl, Milnor, there was a lot to learn from each other. There are many stories of how this CITY GIRL got a taste of the rural style of living. Yeah, sure city life is great....malls, movie theaters, restaurants but once you leave the CITY and head to the country.....it was a different world for her. Now, it wasn't like Karen never left the CITY. She went on those family vacations and road trips but to experience rural America, that is a different story.

I can remember the first time Karen came home with me to Milnor. Once we exited the interstate and hit good old Highway 13....her attention shifted from finding the right song on the radio to gazing out the window at the countryside. And that we hadn't met a car in 20 miles either!! Soon, there were questions of what was that? And OMG, what is that big bird? It's an owl!! JK!!!

Well, me being the wonderful friend I am, decided to do a little matchmaking!!!

Bill and I had been friends since childhood. Bill, who liked my hair ribbons and was always seated in front of me in class because the teachers always seated the class alphabetically, was available. So, I asked Karen to come home with me for the weekend for a bachelorette party I was going to. In a small town, as the nite wears on, bachelorette and bachelor parties seem to become one big get together. So at the BIG get together, I introduced Bill and Karen and then scrammed!! The rest is history....they ended up getting MARRIED!!! Score one for the BFF, Abby!!!

They will celebrate their 15th year wedding anniversary in September. We both were in each other's weddings. They have two kids, Drew-8 and Leah-5. And what cute kiddos!! They are very good kids. Very polite and well-behaved!! They even lived in Milnor for awhile. City girl to rural America girl. They make their home in North Fargo now.

Karen and I chat online everyday during the week. We talk on the phone. We giggle, we cry, we share!! We get tattoos together and get locked out of her car or house, TOGETHER!!! With Karen, there is always an adventure and a good story to boot!! BFF's...NO, sisters is how I see it!!

I love Karen to the moon and back and am blessed to have her in my life! She is coming to vist me in October and I can hardly wait to see what adventures we will have!!!

Love ya sista, RRIIGGHHTTT!!!! 10-4 good buddy. Over and out!!!

Scanning Away

I recently read an article online that told a story of how years and years, heck, decades of photos were destroyed by fire, water, or just time. Just GONE!!!

When the twins were born, the NICU let us use their Polaroid to capture those special moments. After years of the them in the "Gotta get these into albums" I made a trip to Target and had them scanned. Phew! Safe since Polaroids shouldn't be cut and yellow after time. But after reading this article, I am starting ANOTHER project.

For Christmas last year, Santa brought me a photo printer. Yes, Santa ROCKS!! It is also a scanner.

There is no way to replace those photos once they are destroyed but why not NOW scan them, save to CD or flash drive and be safe? We are now a TECHY generation and someday when my kiddos want to see where they came from, what Uncle and Auntie looked like when they got married, they can!!!

Yes, A BIG PROJECT but in the long run......my kiddos will have both.....picture albums and a back up, JUST IN CASE!!! I just hope that they will appreciate them as much as I do, MEMORIES!!!!

If you haven't already guessed who that sweet, adorable, kissable, little girl is, it is ME!! Taken in Belgium!! Goodness, I was so dern cute!!! Yes, I know, Cindy Lu-Who style hair!!!

Lake Country

I guess photography has always been in my blood. Growing up, mom, auntie or grandpa were always snapping pictures!! "Hold on, one more just in case it doesn't turn out." was said a lot. That was when FILM photography was the thing but these days, DIGITAL rules!! Yes, I say the same thing..."one more" but at least I can view it, decide if it is ok, upload, edit and then give final approval. I am no means a professional. I am a beginner and trial and error is how I learn. I love photography and I hope you like what you see!!!

Family Reunion

Family reunion for the Gilbertson Family was July 18-21st. This is my mother in-law's side of the family. We cleaned, manicured the lawn, chopped, cooked, marinated, grilled and entertained family and a few friends too!! And of course, lake FUN!! Great time was had by all!! Next Gilbertson Family Reunion will be in CA in 2010, I believe.

Nationals for Ebo

Ebo's baseball team qualified for Nationals. Nationals were July 5-11 in Desoto, TX. It was a great time and Ebo FINALLY was the one playing and not watching his brothers play.

Fourth of July 2008

We celebrated July 4th by tailgating before the Cats baseball game. We met up with friends who are professional tailgaters and had a blast!! The Cats won the game and Ebo enjoyed playing with the kids and watching the game. Sawyer and Spencer were up in MN at the lake for the 4th. After the game was done, we watched an amazing fireworks display. Some of the fireworks look kaleidoscope like. I put 3D glasses over the lens of my camera. Pretty neat!!!