Garden Goodness!

Community Garden Receives Fiskars Grant

Montrose Community Garden volunteers will be using $1,500 worth of high-quality Fiskars gardening tools in the community garden this year. They will also be able to spend $1,000 on garden-related materials (i.e. green goods) for use in the garden or other beautification projects in Montrose.

Since 2003, Project Orange ThumbSM has funded over 100 community projects with more than $200,000. Project Orange ThumbSM is a grant program that provides community garden groups with the tools and materials they need to reach their goals for neighborhood beautification and horticulture education. This year there were over 1,000 applicants.

Montrose was one of 20 recipients selected nationwide. The application process included a written portion submitted online, and a creative element. Volunteers worked together to submit a quilt wall hanging. Some of the quilt’s squares were made from photos of the town’s community gardeners either working in the garden or distributing vegetables from the garden to Montrose-area residents. It was felt that the photo quilt strongly represented the sense of community we experience while gardening together.

The Fiskars organization will, in the upcoming months, organize a ribbon-cutting ceremony. They will also ask recipients to participate in a blog with photos and updates.
A list of the recipients from 2009 and previous years is available at the Project Orange ThumbSM web site www.fiskars.com. The Montrose Community garden was started in 2007 as part of our town’s participation in the Horizon’s program. Located just east of the Central Farmers elevator in town, numerous residents volunteer their time and sweat planting, weeding, and picking produce which they make available to the community for free-will donations during the growing season.

Because the price of gas dropped, that's why!

So I had another dr. appointment today. We are measuring at 39 weeks. Ultrasound next week to help the doc decide when to induce.

My dh sent me to get gas at a station he saw that had cheap gas so I did. Right next door was a Goodwill. I had a bit of time so I stopped, and got these......Boutique style tweed purses with tags and plastic still on them, the prices said $35 and $22. I paid two bucks a piece. Yippee! I also got some baby names books,2 pairs of Sketchers dress shoes for ds, brand new slippers for dd, a pumpkin costume for the new baby, and adorable little white flexible shoes for dd#2. All for less than $20.

They had tons of purses if you like 'em...hope you get there before my mom does:)

P. S. Is it Thursday already? Sheesh!

moving on up

Despite not having his uniform clean until minutes before the game started my hubby (the stud man) still managed to pitch almost the whole game before accidentally hitting two batters, oops. He came out when they were tied so he doesn't get the win (which I think is a totally bogus rule and if I had some sort of baseball boss power I would change it) but he did bring in the tie breaking run, I think :), with his totally, awesome, studly, barely fair hit, ball down the first base line, AND he looks terribly handsome in uniform...:) For more complete and less biased and probably a bit more correct stats see the website here :) Unfortunately one of our pitchers hurt his hand pretty badly while playing outfield during the game. I was sure it was his head the way he hit the fence but I am praying his hand heals quickly, because he is a daddy and needs to have healthy hands NOT so that we win districts but that would be really nice, too!

2008 Cornbelt Standings

(6-30-08)

DR Mudcats 14-0

Flandreau 13-3

Canova 9-4

Montrose 11-5

Humboldt/Hartford 9-6

DR PBR 6-8

Salem 6-8

Madison 7-9

Lennox 5-10

Colman 4-10

Harrisburg 3-11

Canton 0-13

Next game is Tuesday night at home against a non-league team, Sioux Falls and then home again Thursday against Harrisburg. Save me some nachos!

Bring it on Cornbelt!

p.s. If you are reading this chris d... I am praying for your daddy. My father in law told me he was up your way and got to golf with him. Hope the rest of the family is healthy and well. Take care and say hi to Barb and the kiddos :)

It's a...

happy, healthy, baby!

You didn't really think I would go and ruin the surprise, did ya?

The baby weighs about 12 oz and is almost 11 inches long already. We're right on track with measurements and looking at around Oct.10 for delivery, if I am induced as with my first two.

That big mass on the top of the ultrasound is the placenta. In every one of my pregnancies, my placenta has been anterior which makes for a bit of difficulty feeling any early movements.

Joy for me!

LEAP YEAR SPECIALS

Check out these specials good only for Today, February 29th, 2008!

I want to try that pasta and I LOVE Christianbook.com.


Thanks to imommies for the great links...

That's all folks...

It's been a heckuva week here at the tiny house in the village.

I had a wonderful, dare I say, reunion with my Bible study gals on Tuesday night. It was delicious. I wish I had the time to do that every week. We prayed and prayed and prayed. It was good.

Wednesday was the PET scan. On the way into the big city I remember that I forgot my sedative that the pharmacy filled the script for in early January and I have been staring at since in the vitamin cabinet. I hoped that I could keep from squirming long enough for that 1 hour wait and 30 minute scan. Grant me the serenity...

The nuclear med tech really knew his stuff this time and when I asked about putting the radiation in my port instead of poking around in my arm he jumped back and said, "ahem...well, we try and avoid sending radioactive material directly to your heart." Oh, yeah, I guess that would be smart, DUH! So then I was asking about nursing and he said breast milk is okay after it's frozen for awhile because radioactive material decays and it would be fine to offer it to her after being frozen a few days, but she could not nurse. Luckily I have weaned her off this month and we are done with breast milk. Oh, and since I was asking he also offered up the following advice, "You probably should avoid holding the baby for today at least, that radiation will centralize itself in the middle of your body (in the bladder) and she shouldn't really be exposed to that." Yeah, that makes sense. If you put me in dark room, I would have probably glowed.

One and a half hours later I was walking out the front door of the cancer center. It was short and sweet. During the agonizing 5 hour wait for the doctor to read my scans and my labs we went shopping for exercise equipment. It probably would have been a much more pleasant experience had the saleslady not been a 90 pound toothpick with hair, who politely said, "You look great for just having a baby..." My hair was matted to the back of my head, my makeup was smeared and I was wearing a hospital bracelet. Had it not been for my husband and the little munch kin in the carseat, she may have thought I just walked out of the mental hospital...

Finally we got to visit with Dr. Keppen. He announced the news with a disclaimer. The Hodgkin's is gone but... I guess the scan showed a spot on my left ovary. It could be a cyst. He was not sure and he stated that he really had no experience with any other cancers so I should get it checked out by someone else. Anyway, the Hodgkin's is gone. GONE! He wants to see me again in 6 months. That's the end of that.

Thanks again for the prayers and support over the last few years. You can close this case and call it a success. I am extremely grateful and passionately indebted to my God, my family, my friends and my community for the awesome ride to wellness.

May God Bless you all.

#3 looks like the blue eyed baby giant...

guess where I am going?

hand sanitizer...CHECK

small amount of cash...CHECK

carseats out of van (just in case)...CHECK

sister coming down from up North...CHECK

someone to watch the kids for an indefinite amount of time...CHECK

all she wants for Christmas...

And I was just telling her to ask for practical gifts, you can't get much more practicaller, can you?

here are some quotes from the birthday girl:

ew, I hate blood

did you know #2 eats his blood, mom?

blood is so gross

I can't look at that tooth is all gross and bloody

I can't believe I am swallowing my own blood, it tastes yucky

I am going to be so ugly now

I guess eating apples is out of the question

I'll never eat an apple again

sigh, mom, the other one is loose, too, I am going to be losing teeth all night!

Happy Birthday #1

It's impossible for my brain to wrap around the fact that 6 six years and a few hours ago I was in labor for the first time. I get goosebumps just typing about it. She is a bit on the dramatic side (ahem, don't know where she gets that from) and a might bit spoiled (ahem, again) but we love her, every sassy bit of her and we can't believe how fast she is growing up.
We took 4 of her friends and the whole fam damily to dh's sisters apartment building to swim and have a party. It was practically effortless. I cannot believe how much changes in one year. The girls were all on their own. Playing and talking and figuring out the world in their little heads. #2 and #1 were tons more work than the 5 party girls. Anyway, I would do it again tomorrow sans the cake. The castle cake was a big hit. She had me at, "Oh, mommy I LOVE it.". It tasted pretty good, too. Although the frosted ho ho towers had enough sugar in them to launch a body into orbit...good thing I overdosed them all and sent them home to their families.

I haven't seen hide nor hair of #1 this morning. She has been playing with her new toys in her room. I'm waiting for hunger pains to force her to surface.

It's great to skate...

Montrose Ice Rink Now Open!

Ice Skates Available For Check-Out At Montrose General Store

For Immediate Release—The outdoor ice rink located just south of the Montrose Softball Complex is frozen and ready for action! The rink is one of the only outdoor facilities available outside of Sioux Falls, and is being maintained by community volunteers.

A variety of ice skates, hockey-style and figure, is available for check-out at the Montrose General Store. The used skates were purchased using funds available to Montrose through the Horizon’s Community Leadership to Reduce Poverty Program. Montrose was chosen to participate in the program in the fall of 2006, and is now in the action phase of the Horizon’s process. The ice rink is just one of the many projects being tackled by volunteer committees. The committees were formed during the Montrose Vision Plan meeting, held December 2.

“Getting more people involved in a healthy activity like ice skating is exactly the type of thing Horizon’s is here to promote,” said Horizon’s Community Coordinator, Martha Landes. “One of the goals was to provide more opportunities for area residents. Hopefully people of all ages will take advantage of this great asset to the Montrose community.”

Plans to improve the ice rink include bringing in some picnic tables for sitting, and possibly building some benches for changing into and out of skates. The ice skating rink committee is also looking into future plans for a winter shelter near the rink, installing an overhead light and other enhancements.

Skate donations—especially very small and larger sizes-- are also being accepted at the General Store, in addition to the twenty pairs already available. Use of the ice skates is free to the public, but the ice rink committee asks that the skates be returned immediately after use so others can enjoy them.

For more information on the ice skating rink or to volunteer your time in maintaining the rink, building benches or teaching others to skate, contact Jamie Grosdidier at 605-363-3927.

to the person who invented the vibrating bouncy seat!

May GOD bless you today and everyday!

SHHHHHHHHHHH, she is sleeping.

I love her, I love her, I love her.

But she won't sleep anywhere but people arms. I try to get her to take naps in the bassinet, and some days she will scream herself into a sleep coma for a short time. While I am putting my finger into her nostrils every 15 minutes to be sure she is still breathing...

So this morning after holding her close all night (just like the other 5 and 1/2 weeks of nights) I drug out the old bouncy seat. I just happened to remember batteries at the $100 dollar store last week and now we can use the vibrate function, too. I snuggled her in tight and hopped into the shower for (what I thought to be) my 5 minutes of clean up. I was conditioning my hair when I realized it. She was quiet. Not a whimper. I peeked out from behind the shower curtain. She was wide-eyed. Looking and and her lower lip was quivering, but not from crying. From the rapid vibrations of the seat. It was amazing. It was also a bit saddening. I have to resort to sudo- rocking to get her to calm down. No more screaming in my arms and watching her eyes roll back and forth in her tiny head until she finally shuts them while my head is spinning and I am completely dizzy. Maybe this is a good thing? No, THIS. IS. A. GREAT. THING.

She is currently taking her 2nd, sudo-rocking, vibrating, bouncy, chair, nap of the day. AMEN!

I wonder what all that vibrating is doing to her baby head. Are these things safety tested? Part of me doesn't want to worry, I am finally hands free again. Look out kitchen, here I come...

Muckdogs advance to semifinals

Montrose routs Redfield en route to semifinals
Matt Bunke
The Daily Republic - 08/18/2007

SIOUX FALLS — After struggling a bit offensively in Tuesday night’s win over Vermillion, the Montrose Muckdogs made sure to score plenty of runs in Friday’s 12-4 victory over Redfield Dairy Queen in a quarterfinal game at the Class B state tournament.

But as it turned out, they didn’t really need many of them with (DH) on the mound.

(DH) gave up a run in the top of the first inning and ran out of gas in the eighth, surrendering three more runs, but for most of the night, Redfield struggled against the Muckdogs’ starter.

(DH's) final line showed three earned runs in 7 1/3 innings pitched, but the numbers weren’t indicative of his true performance.

After allowing a first-inning run on a Keith Gall RBI single, (DH) cruised all the way through the seventh inning. After stranding a Redfield runner at third base in the second inning, he didn’t allow another runner past second until the eighth inning.

“He was very impressive,” Montrose manager Jeff DeBates said. “He kept the ball down. He changed speeds and nothing was ever the same (arm) angle with him. He played a heck of a game.”

But after cruising through the seventh inning with barely a threat, (DH) began to tire in the eighth inning.

He allowed a walk and a single to open the inning, and after surrendering a two-run triple to John Tadlock, his night was over.

“I got a little tired, and the legs got a little loose,” (DH) said. “I just ran out of gas I think.”

For Redfield, however, it was far too late.

While (DH) was shutting Redfield down for six consecutive innings, the Muckdogs’ were busy building a 10-1 lead, making (DH's) eighth-inning hiccup virtually meaningless.

Montrose did much of the offensive damage in a six-run fourth inning. After Jeff Schultz and Jake Kloos opened the inning with consecutive singles, Matt Mathiesen’s sacrifice bunt set the stage for Eric Graves’ two-run single. An infield single by Jamie Grosdidier followed by an error on Redfield third baseman Mark Gulseth loaded the bases.

Chris Conrad drove in a run on a sacrifice fly, and with two outs, Chad DeBates followed with an RBI single. Jason Brown’s two-run double capped the inning.

“I guess they just came ready to play tonight,” Jeff DeBates said of his team’s offense explosion. “We had a lot of two out hits. Those were big.”

Montrose managed just one hit in the first three innings against Redfield starter Lonni Stover, who entered the tournament with a 7-0 record. But in the fourth through ninth innings, the Muckdogs banged out 18 hits.

After going scoreless in the first three innings, Montrose also scored in every remaining inning except the seventh, when singles by Graves and (DH) were wasted. The Muckdogs scored single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, and they plated a pair in both the eighth and ninth.

“We didn’t really hit ball early on,” said Brown, who finished with three doubles. “We just kind of hung with it and made some adjustments, and then we started hitting the ball a little bit.”

Schultz finished the game 4-for-6 with two RBI at the plate. (DH) complimented his nice pitching performance with four hits of his own, and Mathiesen, Graves and Grosdidier all had two hits for Montrose.

The Muckdogs advance to play in one of tonight’s semifinal games at 7:30 p.m. against either Irene or the Parkston Mudcats, who were scheduled to start at 8:55 p.m. Friday night. Results were not available at press time. Dell Rapids PBR and Larchwood will meet in the other semifinal at 1 p.m.

The two winners will advance to Sunday’s championship game in Sioux Falls. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.

You Can’t Put A Name On This Much Fun.

Or Can You?

Celebrate With Montrose During Our
First Annual Montrose Event on August 25th!

Event to be held at the Terry Donelan Softball Complex.

Proceeds from the event go toward helping those in need in the Montrose community. Bring the family and invite your friends! Bring a lawnchair! All registration is on Main Street.

(Oh, and suggest a name for the event and WIN).

5K Run 8:30 am
(Registration begins at 8 am)
1 Mile Walk 9:30 am
(Registration begins at 8 am)
Potato Digging Contest 8 am
Lawn Mower Poker Run 9 am
Parade 10 am (line up near the school at 930 am)
Motorcycle Poker Run Register 8-10 am
(Run starts after Parade)
Potato Salad Contest 11 am
Potluck Lunch 11:30 am
Bean Bag Tournament 12 pm
(Registration at 11:00 am)
Tator Tot Kids Games 1–4 pm
PLUS Inflatables, Bingo, Dunk Tank,
Greased Watermelon Races
Cow Pie Bingo 3–6 pm
Kickball Tournament 4 pm
Potato Bar Supper 6 pm
Music by Dakota Gaels
Music by Neo Johnsons 8 pm-Midnight

the best way to end July...

It took us all day Monday to decide what to do on my dh's vacation from work. The Black Hills, Valley fair, Okaboji, and camping at a local campground were choices that we tossed around in our heads for hours. Finally with a little coaxing from Sanford's employee discount we decided to travel to the cities for a few days.
After looking online for a hotel room and trying to decide which one was closest to Shakopee, we finally gave up and just decided to get one when we arrived. We had to stop at the hospital in Sioux Falls and get the tickets before we left and it was nearly 5 pm before we were on the road.
We stopped for a bite at a McDonald's and my dh grabbed a free magazine with coupons for hotels in it as we left. There was a coupon for a weeknight stay at a hotel with a pool and sauna for only $45.00! What luck?!?! We hoped it was a nice place.
We arrived in Burnsville at about 9 pm and hit the pool first. It was small but nice and the hotel was clean and cozy. The next morning we had a free newspaper and hot coffee and donuts, too! Ryan called his sister and asked if her youngest would like to come along with us to Valley fair. We stopped at their place and picked up S and still made it to the fair before 10:30. I had researched the rides for the kids and was surprised to find that there was almost 20 rides they could get on by themselves and even more that they could ride with daddy.
Right before we paid a full ticket price for S, my three year old tugged on my shorts and said, "Mommy, I found this garbage on the ground" I looked at what he was holding and it was a $6 off coupon for admission to http://www.valleyfair.com/. It didn't exactly pay for parking ($9!!!), but we used it and felt like we got a great deal.
The kids really enjoyed the rides, my ds especially like the Mild Thing. He was all smiles.
DD enjoyed the water park.

S said she really liked the Corkscrew. I paid an insane amount of money to ride a tiny Ferris wheel, the carousel and put my feel in some cool water. But I had the most fun watching my husband and kids ride all my favorite rides.





My dd usually disappeared into the armpit of my dh and my ds put his hands in the air and held his head up high. Dh says his stomach will never be the same after the Monster and the Twirl.
We watched a couple of really talented bands and acts while we were there, too. It was a very satisfying day. But by 6pm my feet hurt and dh's tummy was in trouble so we packed up and headed to his sister's house in Prior Lake.
Thus ends our July.

Singing in the Rain, and playing, too...

It rained while we were in the Twin Cities and we missed it. Dh mowed for the first time in a month and the garden started to perk up. Then it rained again. Sweet tears from heaven to quench the thirst of the plants and the ground and cool the temperature for a few precious days. It was a blessing. My kids ran outside with raincoats, umbrellas and mud shoes...and they came in like this :)

Thank you Jesus for making it green again!

one month and a few days later...

A few days over a month from the very moment my 5 year old daughter learned to ride her bike without training wheels, on concrete; my three year old son learned, too. He is so proud of himself, riding in the grass and the alley and down hills already...why do they grow up so fast?

*sigh*

thank goodness for blogs, I'm terrible at writing things in the baby book...

That was a good game, mom!

Dh's teammates are hosting a ball clinic on Saturday mornings here in the village. My kids are enjoying it immensely. It is so great that the guys can take an hour and a half out of their busy schedules to teach these young kids. We are so lucky to have such great people in our community.



If you have a young-un who is itching to learn a bit about America's favorite past-time, bring 'em down to the softball complex on Saturday mornings at 9 am. I guarantee they won't be disapointed.

VBS is F-U-N!

When I grow up I want to teach Vacation Bible School all year round. In our village, all three churches combine to make one awesome week of fun and games and Bible stories. I feel so blessed to be a part of it. There is not much that can top spending 5 days singing and learning about God. I hope the kids have as much fun as I do:)

The Baby Graduates!

Count them. One-Nine. All graduated from High School. Grandma has almost 40 years of child rearing under her belt. In fact, her favorite story to tell at family gatherings is of her 40th birthday party where she received a card that read "I'd rathar be 40 than pregnant." She was pregnant with #9 at the time. Congratulations Kelly! Now get out of the house and get a job!