the Olsons: December 2016

Friday, December 30, 2016

older photos installment 2

My Mom with her Mom and Dad at Mount Rushmore

the twins on a dirt pile

Kyle, Kent and Kurt

Dad and his three boys having a popsicle on the back steps on a hot summer day

Kurt, Mom, Kyle, Kent and Dad

Mom and her three little dapper men

the Aherns come to visit. Barb, Bev, Craig, Larry, Debb, and Jody

new baby Kyle

Kent and Kurt on tractor Dad reclaimed and fixed from the dump and a classic trike

Chuck, Kyle, Grandpa B, Kent, Kurt, Grandma B and Diane

sweet photo of Kyle and his Momma

a few photos from the old days up to Kent and Kurt era

My parents took great photos of their children growing up on the media of slides. I had them scanned earlier in 2016 as they were downsizing from their home in ML to a one bedroom apartment in St. James. Here are just a few of my very favorites from wedding through some of Kent and Kurt pictures:

my grandparents on my parents wedding day: July 8, 1961 Annie, Nels, Margaret and Clarence

4 generations--Kent with Jr., Grandma Emma, Kurt and Clarence Sr.

Kent, Vivian and Kurt...maybe summer 1963

Blomgren Christmas front: Bob and Jr.
middle: Grandma B, Chuck, Grandpa B, Jeannie
back: Audrey, Diane, Kurt, Vivian, Kent

winter on their first farm

my parents on their wedding day

front: Sonny, Grandpa Nels, Grandma Annie, Butch
back: Vivian, Loie, Bev, and Ruby

santa claus meet in Eau Claire

I traveled to Eau Claire alone on Thursday morning. Our 10 year old wanted to go to basketball practice, our 6 year old wanted to hang out at home with working Dad and our 15 year old was swimming 4 events at the Santa Claus meet in Eau Claire. I made some returns on Christmas gifts and got to the pool to watch his final two events. He did well in the breaststroke, but there was a swimmer who blew everyone else out of the water...come to find out he will be swimming for Ohio State in the future.

here is some information on him from Swim Swam top 20 NCAA Swimming Recruits in the Class of 2017:

9. Paul Delakis – Eau Claire YMCA Marlins – Eau Claire Memorial High School – Eau Claire, WI **Verbally committed to Ohio State**
Best Times: 200 IM – 1:46.36, 400 IM – 3:48.35, 200 free – 1:36.10, 200 breast – 1:58.37, 100 breast – 54.81

Delakis is the class’s best 200 IMer, and college coaches love the versatility of elite IMers. He’s also one of the better breaststrokers in the class and is sneaky-good at the 200 free for relay purposes. Keep an eye on his 400 IM, where he dropped from 3:53 to 3:48 in 2015.

Nice job ACO--I think you really love swimming and it's a joy to see you in the pool.

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

science museum day

We have to try and crunch as much as we can into the little time off we have from school this year. Makes you really appreciate the precious time you have.

Today we continued to find new homes for our Christmas gifts, Brad is working on setting up our new TV (Craigslist) with our XBox One. The two youngers and I met Julie and her girls at the SMM to see the exhibits and the IMAX movie Beautiful Planet. It was wonderful having a membership as I walked right into the exhibit hall instead of waiting 30 minutes in line...totally worth it. The movie was really fun and made me want to read more about the International Space Station.

Fun day.

santa gifts on the 27th

what an XBox?

I'm so excited!

Lab techs at the SMM

putting on newborn glasses

vision at 3 months

vision at one month

sing

On the 27th, the kids and I met friend Julie and her girls first in Hudson and then in Woodbury (Hudson sold out) for the movie, Sing. That is going to be a movie I watch over and over and over again.

southern Christmas 2016

On Monday morning, we did a little more swimming, went to Mom and Dad's played some spinner dominoes and then went to McDonald's for lunch. The wind was still super ferocious, but we were safe and in good company.

Party at Kurt's was outstanding. Those in attendance: Mom, Dad, Kent, Mel, Anna, Abby, Kurt, Jenna, Cody, Vance, Kaitie, Stuart, Kyeanna, Kyle, Kim, Kyle Jr., Adam, Kourtney, Liana, Ryan, Cory, Joan, Evan, Trenton, Karen, Brad, Anders, Katie, Osten. Kyeanna brought Bananagrams and another fun game whose name I don't recall. We also played Jenga and ate lots of good food.

Cody got the mask...welcome to the family!

Stu's banagrams

the grandchildren in attendance..Thomas had the flu

The Blomgren kids

so happy to be a mask recipient

whew, the mask if off their hands

new mask owners

former daycare friends dating cousins...Vance and Kaitie at least 3 years, Kourtney and Adam a little over 2 years

Kim and Kyle Jr.

Kourtney, Adam, Kyle and Evan

Abby, Kent, Anna and Mel

Kyle Sr. and Kim

video gamers...Trenton, Liana, Ryan and Osten

enjoying her new blanket on the way home from auntie Kim

slip sliding south

On Sunday, we woke up to Santa gifts at North Shore Drive...

grandma and her eldest 10 year old granddaughter

a 15 year old loving his little 2 year old cousin, Ike

new pop gun

Lego Star Wars!

Then we ate a yummy lunch of roast and enjoyed the last bits of our northern Christmas

Then we drove south through the rain and heavy wind to St. Peter for dinner at a Chinese restaurant (our 2nd Christmas dinner eating Chinese, 1st in Idaho Falls in 2002) and then on the the Super 8 in St. James where I got to visit with my high school classmate Janna Adrian Duerkson and the kids got to swim. After getting them upstairs, I headed over for a really nice visit with my folks just a mile away...

the eve of Christmas

On Christmas Eve, we woke at Bud and Betty's home on Wood Lake. We played with cousins, went out on the ice, walked to the island, found an unexpected amphibian hopping on the ice, released the unexpected amphibian into the lake, went to 4pm candlelight service, ate yummy Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, lefse, root vegetable bake, cranberries and gravy, opened gifts and enjoyed the beautiful time with family.