Violette's Birthday

This little sweetheart turned seven yesterday. 

we threw every candle we could find on these cupcakes. 

mitchell and violette. 

We knew we were having a girl, but we went to hospital without a certain name. I really wanted Ophelia, and I think Nate really wanted Persephone. He didn't go for mine, and I didn't go for his. But we both liked Violette and Scarlet, a lot. So, we agreed that we would look at her first, see what kind of a personality she had. If she was a red-faced crying newborn, she'd be Scarlet. If she was a quiet soul, she'd be Violette. 

gotta hold that long hair back.

She was born during a Twins game. Johan Santana was pitching against Cleveland. That 2006 team was one of my favorites of all time. Ozzie Guillen coined some of our members the "piranhas." Remember that? I watched so many games that year, and we watched most of the game in the hospital the day Violette was born. Here's the box score for Twins 4-Indians 1 in 2006: http://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=200608150MIN. I've never been quite so charmed with baseball since. I don't even pay attention very closely anymore. Like, did we trade Morneau or not? Does anyone on the team have an interesting personality?

max and isabella. max is isabella's boyfriend. he's pretty cool. the kids like him quite a bit. also, he helps clean up. you gotta like that!

lucy, trevor (neighbor kids), gordon, archibald.

violette's gift: record player and records. tom petty, bon iver, juice newton, trampled by turtles, bob dylan, reo speed wagon, statler brothers and kenny rogers among them. i made out like a bandit at tune town in downtown mankato, on riverfront drive. their twitter feed here: https://twitter.com/tunetownMankato

mitchell shoving cake in nick's face. i'm sure his mom really appreciated the blue food coloring all over his lips. 

violette and the love of her life, pops.

Mitchell's Birthday

My little boy, Mitchell, turned 16 on Tuesday!

The sibs: Isabella (16 until next Tuesday), Mitchell (16), Phillip (11), Violette (7 today), Archibald (5), Gordon  (3)

Really, really looking up to the big brother.

Ice cream cake: oreo, mint ice cream, fudge, whipped cream. Mitch's favorite.

Isabella trying out Mitch's birthday gift. 

next door neighbor friend. 

Rapidan and Sweet Corn

 We wandered to the Rapidan Dam yesterday, ate some pie, shakes, and french fries and checked on what the fisherman were catching. Then we stopped at a Pick-Your-Own sweet corn field and bought two dozen ears. Here's last year's post on the Rapidan Dam store: http://nicolehelget.blogspot.com/2012/07/rapidan-dam-store-and-park.html

a big carp, i think. i don't know these guys. but i asked if i could take their picture, and they said yes. 

gordon, nick the neighbor, and phillip

i don't know these guys either. but, again, i asked if i could shoot them and they were happy to pose. 

gordon and nick.

phillip.

phillip and me. 

king of the world.

isabella.

p.s. this is not a filter or anything on my camera. i have a d40 that struggles in humidity, thus the reddish haze. the air's been real thick the past couple of days.

Eagle Action

I witnessed this play out this weekend. This heron caught a fish, but it couldn't seem to get off the ground with it. So, it spit the fish out and flew away. Seconds later, this eagle, which we'd been watching fishing in the morning, swooped in and clutched the fish in its talons and flew away. Pretty spectacular.

Archie's Birthday

Archibald Thomas turned 5 yesterday. He was an owly baby who grew into a very wise and sweet boy. We love him a whole bunch.

We started the day at the North Mankato Triathlon. Nate and a couple of his friends did the relay.

Waving to Pops in the background.

Violette knitting leaves with pine needles to stay busy while we waited.

This is basically a big popcorn ball.

A couple of girlfriends for Archie.

He ate the gumdrop and then ran away. 

Yearly measurement.

He's an inch taller than Violette was at 5. This concerns her a great deal.

Archie took this photo of Violette and me.