Three Years Ago Today!

TC Marathon!

For those that don't know, I recently ran the Twin Cities Marathon. It was the culmination of a few months of hard work, and was worth every minute of it! I had been training with my cousin Tim, who has ran Grandma's, NY, and Chicago. It was a gorgeous day and I had a great time running. Mindy and Laura (Tim's wife), my parents, and my Aunt and Uncle Pete and Mary Lou were there to cheer me (us) on as we got closer to the finish line.

The hardest part: was the last 6 miles. Going along Summit Ave is truly grueling due to the slight incline that you must compete with along the way.

The most memorable part: seeing Mindy and Shane and Kellie as I ran through the final 100 feet and having them cheer for me!

You Will Be Missed

There will be more posts later. It has been a busy October already, but when you have to say good-bye to a dear sweet man, it makes everything else seem trivial. On Wednesday afternoon, we got the call that Grandpa Johnny passed away. We were sad that we missed seeing him one last time, but we are glad that he is no longer suffering. He will be missed by many. It has been a good but difficult weekend to be with family as we remember a great man.

We love you, Grandpa Johnny!!

Age 89, of North Oaks Formerly of St. Paul Passed away on October 7, 2009. Preceded in death by wife, Viola Fae Molin; and grandsons Brent Meidlinger and James Linder. Survived by daughters Betty Kay (Ken) Meidlinger and Mary Lou (Pete) Linder; sons, John Edward II (Janet) and Randall Glen (Susan); grandchildren Brenda Smith, Daniel (Ana) Linder, Timothy (Laura) Linder, Jon Molin, Lori Molin, Erik (Mindy) Molin, Rachel (Billy) Flanagan, and Amy Molin; great-grandchildren Mitchell and Zachary Kasden, Kailey and Kyle Smith, Corrine Manning, Helena and Julia Linder Minambres, and Sophia Linder; sister, Phyllis Steen; also many nieces and nephews. John served his country in WWII in the US Army Air Corps, 461 Bomb Group, 766 Squad. Lifetime member of VFW Anderson Nelson Post #1635 now #1755. Retired Vice-President of Molin Concrete Products. 50-year member of the Bricklayers Local Union 1. Funeral service at ST. STEPHEN LUTHERAN CHURCH, 1965 E County Rd E, White Bear Lake on Saturday, October 10 at 10 AM. Private interment Fort Snelling National Cemetery. Visitation at MUELLER-BIES FUNERAL HOME-ROSEVILLE, 2130 N Dale at County Rd B from 5-8 PM Friday (TODAY) and at the church from 9 AM Saturday until time of service. MUELLER-BIES 651-487-2550

Happy First Day of Fall!

And Happy 2nd Birthday Kayla!!

Two weekends ago Erik and I made a very short trip to the cabin to spend some time with Grandpa Johnny. We went up Saturday night and left Sunday afternoon, but it was more than enough time to enjoy the 'pre-fall' weather. I love fall!! I took some photos of the fall leaves peaking through while we took a pontoon ride on Sunday after the Vikings game!

A Classic!

On Friday Randy took Erik's Grandpa out in his 55 Chevy. We all surprised Grandpa by showing up with a corn dog at the North St. Paul Car Show. It's great to spend as much time as we can with Grandpa Johnny!
My attempt at some creative photography:

Moving is a Process (with photos)

Same post, but now with photos:
Moving day was on Saturday! Thanks to all the help from friends and family, I think we have everything we own under one roof! The question that came up many times during the day..."how did you fit all this stuff in your two bedroom apartment?!?" So, I guess we probably won't have too much trouble filling our house...it's just the organizing that will take a little bit of time.

With the three day weekend, Erik and I were able to make a dent in the unpacking. We have the bedroom, kitchen and most of the living room in place. We forgot that the bathroom should have been a top priority. We'll have to work on that ASAP.

I had grad school orientation last night (Tues night). So, I am feeling the pressure of getting things in place before the first day of class. As you can see, we have some work to do...

Thanks again for everyone who was able to come and help us move in (big and small)!!We are excited to have you all over when we get everything (or most things) put away!!

Moving is a Process

Well, for some reason, it is not letting me upload photos...I'll try again later. But here is the post sans photos:
Moving day was on Saturday! Thanks to all the help from friends and family, I think we have everything we own under one roof! The question that came up many times during the day..."How did you fit all this stuff in your two bedroom apartment?!?" So, I guess we probably won't have too much trouble filling our house...it's just the organizing that will take a little bit of time.

With the three day weekend, Erik and I were able to make a dent in the unpacking. We have the bedroom, kitchen and most of the living room in place. We forgot that the bathroom should have been a top priority. We'll have to work on that ASAP.

I had grad school orientation last night. So, I am feeling the pressure of getting things in place before the first day of class. We still have some work to do...and hope to get to it soon.

Thanks again for everyone who was able to come and help us move in (big and small)!!

We can't wait to have everyone over to see our first house!

Living Room

We refinished the hardwood floors in the living room and it was also the first room we painted. Here are some pics (including Erik's parents' dog, Gracie):
The Before:

(Gracie was tired)

And After:

Before and After

Here is a start to the "before and after photos" of our first house! We're trying not to be too eager but also want to get some initial changes done before moving in on Saturday. The photos don't really give the floors justice...However, we are realizing through this process that we've NEVER looked at floors this much before. So, we understand if you're not in awe as much a we are.

The Master Bedroom Before..........................................................................and Master Bedroom After:

Erik's Office Before..................................................................................................and Erik's Office After:













Spare bedroom before..................................................................................... and Spare bedroom after:

Bathroom light before........................................................................................and Bathroom light after:



















Front Before: (note light fixture and lack of
anything living under the big window) ........................................................................and Front light after:













................................................................................................................................. and Front plants after:


Living Room walls and floor photos to come (camera battery went dead).