...sensible of shoe

August 28, 2011

True love!

I should have known my brother was a romantic when he taped the Saved By The Bell Special: Zack & Kelly Get Married. This weekend, Casey & Jaimie got married! They met at River Falls in the music department and despite Casey being follicularly challenged and seven years older, they fell in love. You know the old story: drummer goes back to college for the second time, meets singing girl who raises baby calves, falls in love, meets her family of black belt ninjas and gets their approval, proposes in front of crowd at her opera recital, and they live happily ever after in two separate states.

Jaimie's family hosted, cooked, chilled beverages, leveled the ground, planted grass, officiated, and even fogged mosquitoes all with a smile on their farm in Barron, Wisconsin. My mom did the flowers, but other than that our family has no skills which was extremely evident compared to the Arnolds. Too bad sitting on your butt talking about people isn't valued anymore.

Thank you to everyone to who helped and attended, it was an awesome day for my family!

Mr. & Mrs. Palbicki

I suggested Casey change his last name to Arnold...

Norelle tried valiantly to upstage the bride

discussing which of the four cakes we should eat

HC celebrating her 3 month birthday in style

The corn is officially taller than Jake

this lady raised the groom

Jake offering Casey advice on marriage: tell her you are "at tennis"

oh, genetics...Palbicki Beak in full effect

The bride's quartet serenades the groom

first dance

little girls love dancing

August 27, 2011

My brother is getting married today!

Apparently, he will not be a drum player spinster like I thought! We are in Barron, WI for the festivities! So excited!

Jaimie & Casey montage

August 25, 2011

August 21, 2011

Still recovering from the big wedding last night! Caught the red eye back from L.A. (I used to think that a red eye was a "very fast flight", but Jake informed me that is not the definition). I know true love when I see it and Humpdashian is going to last forever!

Our nanny starts training with us tomorrow which means I need to act like a mature, organized employer instead of a pajama-wearing loser who does not brush her teeth until noon. I am not quite ready for this, but reality is coming whether I like it or not. At least we had this wonderful family week to spend time together. Best part was when Jake caught and trapped a bat that swooped in trying to kill us during the middle of The Departed. At first, we freaked. I flopped over the baby and slithered upstairs to barricade my girls into our bedroom while Jake protected us. Actually, he called 911. But we soon calmed down, consulted with an animal control dude who wanted $300 to grab the hideous beast with a leather glove. Since it's 2011, we Googled it watching a YouTube video that told us all we needed to know about bat containment. When the time came to confront it, I refreaked and bolted out the door while Jake battled it with his tennis racket before covering it with a towel, then Tupperware, and pitching it into the yard.

best big sister ever

BBQ at the Turpins

Notice the arthritic pinky?

Really Tracy, don't move. Your pool would miss us.

picnic with Batman and kids

poop diaper subtly included in photo

August 17, 2011

Staycation

Welcome to the end of summer extravaganza! This month has flown as we have kept busy with with a wedding at the MN Landscape Arboretum, a bridal shower for my soon-to-be new SIL Jaimie, a birthday party for neighbor girl Estelle, play date in Savage with Chelsy & the girls, a cabin weekend with our BFFs the Ho Fam, ongoing house construction in our mudroom, and wedding preparations for Casey's big day.

My dad is doing okay, slowly starting to take in more calories by mouth. Once he can eat 1500, he can ditch the feeding tube. He is weak due to lack of calories but now that he is allowed to eat solids, hopefully that will improve?! If all goes well in his recovery, he will start chemo again in a month.

Also, thank you to everyone who supported us this summer when times were rough (horrific heat, chronic back pain, roof leaks, sick dad, and adjusting to momming two kids), especially Anonymous Aunt Jill who always tried to keep me busy, Steve, Liz & Holly who took Nori to Winona for a week so I could regroup, and Jake who did not leave me to rot in a swamp even though he should have.

I am feeling a million times better, just in time to head back to work in less than two weeks. Nori is back to her sweet old self and Henley is an easy happy baby...who can already roll over! Jake is off this week so we are trying to enjoy summer before it's gone. Bye now!