Christmas lights at the Graham's 2014

Here's what the outside of our house looks like this year with all of the lights. It's not lights to the extent of Clark on National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation but we like it.  

And he is hard to see, but Carver likes to help decorate too. Gotta check out what is in all of these cool containers!

 

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

Our first year of having a real Christmas tree. Beautiful frasier fir that we got from the Optimists Club here in IC. (Sorry Becky, no tree farm)

Making cookies at Thanksgiving - Nov. 29, 2014

Some photos and video of decorating cookies with the family. The kids were doing a great job of decorating until they realized hey could eat the frosting and decorations!

Running, and Jumping and Playing - Nov. 29, 2014

Thanksgiving 2014 consisted of the nieces and nephew showing us all the energy they have. They tire me out just watching them!

The Wedding We've Been Anticipating - Nov. 8, 2014

Leah's Wedding... Couldn't wait for this one!  Bart did the mass.  I was honored to be an usherette - which was a LOT more work than I thought it was going to be! I got to see SO many people. Some that I hadn't seen in over 10 years!  There were people that I had met through Leah over the years- her high school classmates, work friends and Holy Name friends. 

We need to have parties like this way more often!

Madison up and back to see the Bishops - Nov. 1, 2014

Found out on Facebook that Chad and Jenny Bishop were moving to Portland,OR. November 1st was going to be their last day in Madison.  So what do I do?  Of course I head up there to see them.  I met Schwake and Tambo at Coopers Tavern on the Square and then surprised Chad and Jenny at The Old Fashioned for lunch.  Had some awesome cheese curds and food then went to Paul's Bar for a drink. Then we went for some coffee at a coffee bar. Finally, it was getting time for me to leave so it was a group selfie and then I was headed back home. 

Arnold Kluesner Halloween - Oct. 23, 2014

Here are the Arnold-Kluesner clan in their Halloween costumes.  Was a chilly Halloween night but the candy is worth it right?  😝

Michael and I had about 40 trick-or-treaters but an 80 piece pack of candy. Good on my lips, not on my hips!  

Warburg Homecoming - Oct. 18, 2014

Michael and I headed back to Waverly, IA to celebrate the homecoming of the Warrburg Knights. We walked around campus, went to the football game, went to the post party and saw many of Michael's good friends from college. It was a perfect day. 

Wayne and Millie's 40th Anniversary - Oct. 12, 2014

Mom and Dad celebrated their 40th anniversary on Sunday, October 12th. The day started with mass at St. Paul parish in Worthington, IA.  During the blessing, the priest was calling them "Willie and spouse".  Was totally hoping he would say "Willie and Mayne" as Leah affectionately calls them. 

Then Mom and Dad had all the aunts and uncles over for appetizers, lunch and dessert. It was great seeing everyone. We also managed to get a family picture. 

Univ of Iowa Homecoming - Oct 11, 2014

Michael went to tailgate for UI Homecoming and look who he ran into!  It's Olivia!

Leah's bridal shower and bachelorette - Oct 4, 2014

Leah Lestina will be marrying Greg DeNoyer on Saturday, November 8, 2014 in Bloomington, WI. We celebrated her prenuptials in Wisconsin Dells at a HUGE rental house that probably could have held 30 people!  The bridal shower

 was in the morning and people from all periods of Leah's life were there - from grade school all the way to the present.  

For the bachelorette we did wine tasting and after that, craft beer tasting. 

Visited by the niece and nephew Sept. 28, 2014

Mom and Dad gave us the bedroom set that they bought when they got married. Todd brought it down in his truck and brought the kids with him. Here are a couple pics of the kids on our play set in the backyard.

Annie Get Your Gun - Sept 27, 2014

Two of our friends are officers and they offered to give some gun safety tips and allow us to practice shooting at their place in the country.  I've been wanting to try it out so that I would not be scared of a gun. I turned out to be a fairly good shot my first time around. We used .22 pistols which are lighter and don't have much kickback. 

Nieces and Nephew - Fall 2014

Just to keep Becky happy  :-)  I will try keep it under 1 year between posts.  LOL

Here are some pictures of the nieces and nephew...

Olivia and Alex - What a difference 6 years makes!  

Olivia and Alex - First Day of School 2014

Halloween 2008 - Alex and Olivia

Cali, Johanna and Jay - also growing up way too fast

 

The cousins just being wacky

Siblings - Jay and Cali

Goddaughter Johanna

Vacation in Minnesota - August 1-8 2014

I started a new job March 1st as a Web Developer for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) at the University of Iowa.  With this change of jobs, it is now easier for me to take vacation in June/July/August.  Before I couldn't because our busiest time was during the Fiscal Year End, which for the University is the end of June.  So in IMFO (the finance department where I worked), June and July were the busiest months. 

So this year we took an actual week-long vacation in Deer River, MN.  Michael's mom's college friend (Joan) and her family have a cabin and lodge in Deer River.  We got to stay in one of the spare bedrooms in the lodge.

It was a great vacation - we did NOTHING.  4 out of the 5 days we took a pontoon out on the lake.  Michael "fished" and I read Harry Potter books.  In the evenings we had meals with Joan, her husband Dennis, her daughter Shelley, and her brother-in-law.  We ate like kings - stuffed chicken, steak, ribs, pulled pork and Italian Beef. 

On our last full day we went to Ithasca, MN to the start of the Mississippi River.  I almost slipped and fell on my butt trying to "walk across the Mississippi River"  Luckily Michael caught me - but I really scraped up and bruised my toe.  I was limping at one point.  I'm glad it was toward the end of our trip. 

While there we also saw baby loons, baby deer, humming birds.  We even saw a bald eagle swoop down and catch a fish from the lake.  But the poor thing dropped the fish before he could it and and when he went to land in a tree the whole tree branch broke. 

Michael catching me before I fall

Getting ready to play some cribbage

Shelley and Joan

Lis' Graduation & Schwake's 40th birthday parties - May 17, 2014

This is a little out of the timeline, but I didn't want to forget!  We hosted Lis Erickson's PhD graduation party and David Schwake's 40th birthday party.  The party was a great gathering of some Wisconsin friends and a lot of Wartburg alumns.  It was almost like a wedding reception.  It was a great party - great food and great weather.  People could be outside eating, playing bags or ladder golf, kids playing on the swingset.  The food was great too - smoked chicken with homemade mole sauce!  Mmmmm.  The Graham's put on a great party.  :)  I don't have any pictures on the party, though.  But I do have a picture of us making the homemade mole. 

Lis and Michael straining mole sauce.