APOLLO update. Just because I can and He is who he is. A VERY SILLY PUP!!!!

 You cant see the squirrel on top of the shed but he is there and he is squawking and shaking his tail in fear. All the training and all you have to say is Squirrel now and from wherever Apollo is in the house he sprints full force out the door to chase the squirrel. DUMB Squirrel that comes back each time for more heart attacks. Oh well it is nonetheless entertaining us during this Quarantine of 2020.

When you have food in this house you better believe you have a hard audience staring at you with puppy eyes...

He is sooooo beautiful with that black hair and puppy eyes. He is quircky no doubt and a definite distinct personality but he is the most cuddly loving dog you could ask for..he sits on your lap like he thinks he is a little dog like Cooper our chihuahua

Mary playing silly with Apollo by using her long hair to make him look like he is wearing a wig.. 

Little Papa's 82nd Birthday!! :(

This is hard to blog. As I am writing this my dad passed less than a month after this day. I miss him like crazy. Never was there a more sweet, caring, detailed, hard working man than my dad. We didn't get to do a memorial right away so we were going to get together in the spring and do one. Then Covid 19 Coronavirus happened and the whole world shut down. No flying anywhere. Someday we will have to do a contribute to him. I know I miss him like crazy and my mom after 57 years of marriage is miserable and losing her memory from the stress of it all.

Mom bought dad a squirrel.Even though he shot them, chased and captured them. Still squirrels remind mom of dad...

This is sooooo sad of  a story. Liz and I got dad some new clothes for his birthday. He looked at us and said are you killing me off. What dad.. He said, right before his father died they bought him clothes he never wore because he died. That was prophetic because he never wore any of the new clothes we got him...

Even in the midst of dying and not being able to breath, dad always stayed positive and happy at anything and everyone around him. He never complained about being sick and he APPRECIATED everything (no matter how small) you did for him.

Check out this stylish new man. I think he looked handsome in it. Not sure what he thought but I liked it on him.......

Just look at that good attitude and laugh. It shows enjoy every moment with the people you love because you never know the future...

Visit from Grammy and Big Papa

 Josh just hanging with dad and Big Papa.  we always have nice visits when they come. We munch on good food. Have some drinks. play cards. 

So we visited a brewery in Woodbury called Third Act. We didn't really care for the beer but it was a fun night out. 

Playing the game of Nines with the in laws.

YOU LOOK THRILLED I AM TAKING YOUR PICTURE ;)

I with I had got this on film. Grammy is very distracted by a show and does not even realize that Cooper is inching his way closer and closer to grammy's treat. I caught him in the act. He almost got away with it too..

Picking Apples at a friends house the Mattinglys...

 Nick made friends with two beautiful sisters named Grace and Hannah. Their mom bought a hobby farm where she has like 5 acres of apples. They were kind and let us help them pick apples to sell for bags free. they have a petting zoo where kids from different schools can come out for field trips. It is relaxing to visit them. Nick has made a ton of good friends these last years.

Grace, the older sister....

Nick's first day of 11th Grade!!!!

Nick's first day of PSEO at Yeah Academy in Roseville, MN. He will have knocked out credits for High School and College taking these classes. Hard to believe next year he will be a senior and then I will have no one in school anymore. On to college years then.   :(

Farkle, Papa and Nana. The Good Old Days! ;(

This is a good but sad memory. One of the last times we played farkle together before dad passed away. It was at one of our visits to the University Pulmonary ward but a check up. The miracle was we had a long wait and we were bored. I decided to check out the tiniest pharmacy you have ever seen but what two games did they sell. Cards and FARKLE. so I bought the game, the pharmacist gave me some receipt paper to keep score. then as we are playing the game an older lady comes and says, "You guys look like you are having so much fun. Can I watch you for a bit til my ride gets here? Sure, we proclaimed.After what seemed a long wait we had taught her how to play and it was almost time for dads appointment. The elderly lady said, " I bet my senior home would like this game." I looked at dad and mom and looked at the lady and dad said,"Here have this one on us. We have many farkle versions at home." She smiled a huge grin and said, "I wish I knew more people like you. We did have a great conversation with her. She made our day and we made hers.  Thank you God at that time there was still time for dad to bring his Kindness to others. It was a sweet spot of a memory in what seemed a dark time...

Mommy trying out her hand at drawing with Mary!!!

Sushi Time!!!!

Nick and Mom decided to venture out and make our own sushi. I purchased the fish at a local meat market downtown St. Paul and it turned out sooooo yummy. I thought it might be cheaper than going out for it, but it ended up about the same price BUT it was fun to make so there is that...;)