THE WEEKEND OF JUNE 25 FOR THE FAMILY REUNION

GOING ONCE
GOING TWICE
GOING THREE TIMES
UNLESS SOMEONE COMES IN WITH A MAJOR CHANGE, I BELIEVE THIS WILL BE THE DATE.

Family Reunion

We are getting close to narrowing down a weekend for the family reunion!  So far it seems the majority are in favor of either the weekend of June 11th or June 25th. Any final thoughts/preferences? Post a comment and let us know.

Also, we've been brainstorming potential activities and one idea that came up was a trivia type game.

To get started:

Not Santa But a Bird Came Down Our Chimney!

Lucky for us, we have two well trained hunting dogs and a brave Anna.

Minnesota Snow Fall!

I'm sure you have all seen pictures or heard about the Metrodome.  Thought I'd send some pictures of what our place looks like.  John and Mary both slept over here.  They didn't want to deal with the city side streets.

As you can see, Nelli is the only one enjoying this.

 

Date for Family Reunion

I am hearing that everyone is in favor of a family reunion.  With every one's summers being busy, and reserving hotel rooms is an immediate concern, We have to choose a date now.  June is the month that seems to be the most popular for this event.  Cassie has to travel the farthest, Lisa and Susan Lynn face the most kids activities, most everyone has job schedules, the cousin generation face friends wedding schedules, who knows when the Norwegians may send Kevin on a mission?, Landon may still be playing football, and we all know Kathy likes to plan ahead.

Our goal will be to get as many as possible to attend, but we know there will always be conflicts with schedules.

Each of the 6 branches of the family decide on your favorite weekend.  Find a member of the family who knows how to respond to this post, and enter your date by December 12th.

Please work with me here!

Holidays and Observances: 19: Father's Day

LET'S HELP KEVIN FILL IN THE GAPS!

I checked names but I don't know dates, so I'm asking that anyone who can help, please do so by making a comment to this post.  (I am not responsible for mis-spellings)

The family list is missing:
Craig  BD
Tori  BD
Mary S  BD
Dale S BD
Mary & Dale Aniv.
Lisa  BD
Regan BD
Lisa & Regan Aniv.
Peyton BD
Braxton BD
Kyle BD
Laura BD
Brian H  BD
Laura & Brian  Aniv.
Kaden  BD
Addison BD
Landon BD

Kevin: The dates for Patti's family are correct.  Thanks for providing this list for all of us.

Patti

Rhett Joseph

Hello everyone,

I wanted to share some pictures of the new addition to our family.  We went into the hospital at 1:00 A.M. on Wed. morning, and on Thursday Dec. 2nd at 4:10 P.M. Rhett Joseph was born.  He was 8 lbs. 14 ounces and was 23 inches long.  He's a pretty big boy.  We spent a couple routine days in the hospital and made it home Saturday just in time for him to watch his uncle Landon's football game on TV.  He was pretty proud.  We are now pretty settled in.  Shantelle and Rhett are doing great, Rhett and Chuck are still trying to figure each other out, and I pretty much have just been enjoying it all.

I hope everyone is doing well and hope you enjoy the pictures.

Posted by Lee


An Appeal to the Aunts

Kathy, Mary, Patti, Jake, and Audrey--

Would you mind reviewing the "Birthdays & Anniversaries" list to the right?  I want everybody's relevant dates in the list, but I'm missing some and might have entered others incorrectly.  Please e-mail me with corrections and additions at dates@iMoberg.com.

P.S. I'll accept this info from people who are not one of the Morey aunts, too, by the way!

--posted by Kevin

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM MINNESOTA

We hope everyone has made it to their destinations.  We are having Thanksgiving dinner here with Frank's Mom and sister and plan to head to the Cabin tomorrow.  We haven't been up since the cold weather and snow so have to check and make sure everything is good. 

Love to everyone and hope you have a Happy Day!

Pat & Frank

And More Smith Family News

"Smith Capping His Career in Style" from The Dickinson Press

Good work, Landon!


--Posted by Kevin

Addison Marie

Hello to all-

Just thought we would share a few pictures of our newest family member.  We are all doing well and adjusting to the new chaos at our house!!  The boys are very excited to have a little sister:) When we first came home they wanted to feed her some cookies, when we explained that she only drinks milk, Kaden asked where her sippy cup was so he could get her some:)   After being home awhile, Kaden asked when we get to have a boy baby, we told him he had Jordan, he then ask well when do I get a puppy and kitty then -- oh how the excitement passes quickly;)  We hope everyone is well.

Love to all,
Laura

Just Gotta Spout

I see no one is posting again so i thought I would share a little humor with everyone today.  Here is the story behind the pictures you are about to see.  When Trista was pregnant, there was a contest down at the Rock as to when she would have the baby.  Being she went so far overdue only 2 people were left.  One was a regular at the bar that is a huge Vikings fan.  He ended up winning and said he wanted one of the barmaids to find a Viking outfit and give it to Tatum and then he'd keep the rest.  The only stipulation was that, being I am a huge Jets fan, I had to take a picture of her in the outfit.  Well just so all of you Viking fans know, we Jets fans are way smarter than we look.  As you are about to see, I think i won this one!!!  Oh, and Tatum also had a major blowout in this outfit and ruined it so that was VERY fitting!!

She's Here!!!!

Well, I'm sure some of you have heard the good news, but for those who haven't . . .

F.Y.I.

Just letting everyone know that Trista . . .

Still Waiting!!!

Just thought I would update everyone as to the status of Trista and the baby.

FAMILY REUNION

All it takes is one person to post and more will follow.  Todd, we are all waiting for word from you.

Kelli makes a great point, we need to plan a Family Reunion.  I hope everyone knows that you are welcome at our cabin any time.  As Terry's family visit proved this summer, there are getting to be so many little ones, that the ligistics of everyone at one time, may prove difficult.  Not to say I'm not willing and able to entertain it.

My suggestion:

Still alive....

Hey everyone - First off I must apologize for being absent from the blog posting.  I promise that I frequently had good intentions but time always seemed to get away from me. :)  Also, I find it hard to get anything completed these days as I really enjoy sitting on the coach basking in the glow of my win on the 1st ever Morey Family NCAA bracket.  I have already started to strategize on how to win again next year and where I will spend my winnings.  :)  Speaking of which...Aunt Kathy...did our checks get lost in the mail?

Mystery Golfer

Any guesses on who this golfer might be?

Almost Time for #2

I guess I'll try to crack the ice and get some posts going. It has been a wild summer so far here in Dickinson. I have been working on remodeling the house now for over a month and things are taking shape. I still have some work to do but the hard stuff is mostly done. I will post pictures as they come available. We are also eagerly awaiting the second addition to the family.

Update from Minnesota

The blog has been quiet! Though so has life in the Dutke household. Here is an update on what has been happening.

What's Been Happening?

Well, June has come and gone, and the Morey family blog has been silent for a month! Surely exciting things have been happening with all y'all. Won't you all share some stories and photos?

Over at Pensive? No, Just Thinking, you'll find plenty of both stories and photos for June, including

• our weekend stays at Lake Metigoshe, ND and Missoula, MT
• our 11-hour tourist-y drive across central and southwest ND
• Hillary's birthday
• a visit from Cassie and Davis (and Jerrett and Roger)
• Abigail's new pet
• our Scandinavian holiday celebration at Lake Ilo

(And if you read even farther back into May, you'll find photos from the graduation open houses of Robbie and of Jerrett's stepson Arron as well as from our Memorial Day visits to the graves of Sue and her parents.)

--posted by Kevin

News from Howard

Well - I am sad to have to post this but wanted everyone to know as soon as possible. Bob Johnston called me a t 5:00 AM today (Saturday May 29th) - Corlyn passed away. He had been failing the last few days but last time he had rallied and they were hoping for the same thing, but God had other plans. The funeral will be Monday at 2:00 in Howard. I will make sure we have flowers there. Pat & I and Patti & Frank and Jake and Scott are all still planning on going for the weekend. We are all thinking we will be there for prayers on Sunday night but will probably head home Monday morning before the funeral. I really don't know what else to say, but wanted you all to know. I will let you know how the trip goes.
Aunt Kathy

Katie & Matthew's visit to Patti's house

I just thought I would share a few photos of Cody, Christy, Katie and Matthew's latest visit to the cities. We're looking forward to their next visit in July!

Corlyn's Birthday

Calling all Morey grandchildren - Corlyn Johnston will be turning 90 years old June 2nd. Lucille and the kids are having a party for him on Sunday May 30th. Pat and I are going down and Patti and Frank are coming over and hopefully Jake and Scott. I thought it would be nice if all you grandkids would send a card off to Corlyn either to get there before Sunday or at least in time for his birthday. Maybe just a short note and a picture of you and your families if possible. If anyone wants us to take them with us just let me know by Friday. Sorry I didn't get this posted any sooner with moving and everything I feel like I would forget my head if it wasn't attached. I will share photos when I get back. Love Aunt Kathy

Kate's Hearing Experience

Hi Everybody!

I finally have a chance to post and fill you all in on everything. There's so much that has gone on that I'm not sure what all to share so I apologize if this gets long. As Patti mentioned Kate could hear by Wednesday afternoon. It was a very, very good appointment at Mayo! Here's a clip of her first experience hearing sounds. (Hopefully it works.) It's not the best clip as it is pretty quick, but in Cody's defense it was hard to take a video when we were both intently watching. Actually he did better than I would have. He was recording the video both with the camcorder and our digital camera, as well as trying to watch himself.

BEST NEWS IN THE WORLD!!!!!!

Christy just called. Katie can hear! Christy will post all the details and pictures when she gets back home. She wanted you all to know.

TODAY IS THE DAY!

For those of you who don't know, Christy, Cody, Matthew and Katie all left here today for their 12:30 appointment at the Mayo. They will connect Katie's hearing device. It was a very happy and excited family who left here.

Musical Moberg-ettes

If you haven't visited Pensive? No, Just Thinking for a while, you might like to check it out for some video of the girls. They performed in a music festival this past weekend, and Susan captured it on video.

There is also some video of the girls playing at home last weekend. We don't have sons, of course, but I'm guessing that the games they play are somewhat different from what I walked into when I went into the basement Easter Monday!

--posted by Kevin

THE CHECK IS IN THE MAIL!

$50 First Prize to Curly Kelli - She remained in the middle of the pack and then trounced everyone with her "Duke" pick.

$25 Second Prize to rockey/jk - after discussion, it was determined that Boomer would have wanted it this way.

$25 Last Place Prize to AbisnailGM - She held her ground against her sisters and prevailed in the end.

No one had the final game score correct. (If I am wrong on this, let me know)

Congratulations to all the winners!

I'm sure we all look forward to next year and look for a 100% participation.

CONGRATULATIONS KELLI!

STANDING COMING INTO THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Rank Bracket - Points - Possible Pts [Final Game Score]
1 rockey/jk -Syracuse 112 112 [92-90]
2 Pat's Perfect Picks -Kansas 108 108 [74-70]
3 FrankD -Syracuse 102 102 [100-90]
4 Curly Kelli -Duke 99 120 [86-76]
5 Shantelle's Hockey Picks-Kansas 98 98 [85-72]
6 Hutch -Kansas 96 96 [86-78]
6 Mary D's miracle -Kentucky 96 96 [96-87]
8 Oyster Stew Surprise -Kentucky 94 94 [67-60]
9 Trae's Horse Farm -Kansas 93 93 [70-67]
10 momfish -Kentucky 89 89 [62-58]
11 Brilz -Kansas 86 86 [75-68]
11 kaden ham -Syracuse 86 86 [79-71]
11 Father Polluck -Kansas 86 86 [82-74]
14 Joe -Kansas 84 84 [88-86]
14 Dale's McPicks -Kentucky 84 84 [82-78]
16 Laura Ham -Kansas 81 81 [68-63]
17 Deacon Tony Wanner -Kentucky 80 80 [69-65]
18 Baby Ham -Kansas 79 79 [72-64]
19 Mike's Amazing Bracket -Kentucky 76 76 [75-62]
20 jkopp -Villanova 72 72 [82-79]
21 MarysMoneyMaker -Vanderbilt 71 71 [65-56]
22 Bugeater -Kansas 69 69 [79-68]
22 Double Dribble Dutke -Kansas 69 69 [80-72]
22 Patti's Winning Picks -Syracuse 69 69 [83-79]
25 burrito -Kansas 68 68 [87-82]
26 The Agostini Sisters -Kentucky 67 67 [74-65]
26 Kylandigskansas -Kansas 67 67 [88-71]
28 Edgerock Hammers -Kansas 66 66 [63-59]
28 jordan ham -Kansas 66 66 [71-66]
30 Anna Rules -Kentucky 58 58 [60-54]
31 Cassie -Kentucky 55 55 [102-88]
32 Trista=$$$$ *-Kentucky 53 53 [74-68]
33 Bracket Key -Villanova 51 51 [87-84]
34 Tina's Forecast -Notre Dame 49 49 [79-75]
35 SnooznLynn -Pine Bluff 41 41 [92-86]
36 The Prof -Texas A&M 29 29 [102-97]
37 Hammie -Minnesota 27 27 [68-64]
38 SuzannaBear -Notre Dame 23 23 [63-62]
39 AbisnailGM -Minnesota 22 22 [53-25]

WELL, THIS IS IT! AND MY OBERSERVATION IS THAT THINGS IN THE COLORADO PART OF THE FAMILY ARE VERY TENSE!

Abisnail, Congratulations on winning $25!

Remember, there is a $25 prize for having picked the final score correctly. I have listed the projected scores in brackets (hopefully, I didn't make any errors.

Rocky and Kelli Good Luck to Both of you!

Roger's Surgery

Hi, everyone! I know my dad isn't good about letting people know what's going on -- he had surgery today in Bismarck. He's had a LOT of shoulder pain and it was getting worse and worse, so he finally broke down and went to the doctor (you can imagine how bad it had to get for THAT to happen). They determined he had a torn rotator cuff and set up surgery. He went to stay with Jerrett on Thursday night, braved the blizzard that happened in Bismarck/Mandan today to get to the hospital, and had outpatient surgery. The surgery itself went well, but the doctors discovered that not only was the rotator cuff torn in a couple of places, but the muscle was completely detached from the bone. While they were in there reattaching and mending, they also removed a couple of bone spurs and took care of some arthritis....I don't know the real details -- just passing on what Jerrett told me that the surgeon told him.

Jerrett called tonight to say that things had gone fine. Dad was still a bit groggy, so I didn't talk to him. He'll be staying with Jerrett for a night or two, then he's going to go to Flasher for a while. I offered to let him stay at our house -- not sure why he didn't think recovering in a house with 3 children sounded like a relaxing idea...

He'll have to take things easy for quite a while -- recovery will take well into summer, but he was very ready to get some relief from the constant pain.

If anything changes, I'll let you know. We'll just pray for quick healing -- and for a PATIENT patient! Sorry I didn't think to let everyone know sooner.

Happy Easter and Love to you all!

Susan Lynn

FINAL ROUND

Good luck to everyone still in it!

We are headed to the Cabin to get all pumps working - Fire danger is extremely high!

Happy Easter and Love to eveyone.

Patti

RESULTS AFTER ROUND 4

Rank Bracket -Points -Possible Pts
1 Shantelle's Hockey Picks - Kansas 98 113
2 rockey/jk - Syracuse 97 112
3 Hutch - Kansas 96 96
3 Mary D's - Kentucky 96 96
5 Oyster Stew Surprise - Kentucky 94 94
6 Trae's Horse Farm - Kansas 93 108
6 Pat's Perfect Picks - Kansas 93 108
8 momfish - Kentucky 89 89
9 FrankD - Syracuse 87 102
10 kaden ham - Syracuse 86 101
10 Father Polluck - Kansas 86 86
10 Brilz - Kansas 86 86
13 Curly Kelli - Duke 84 120
13 Joe - Kansas 84 99
13 Dale's McPicks - Kentucky 84 84
16 Laura Ham - Kansas 81 81
17 Deacon Tony Wanner - Kentucky 80 80
18 Baby Ham - Kansas 79 79
19 Mike's Amazing Bracket - Kentucky 76 76
20 jkopp - Villanova 72 72
21 MarysMoneyMaker - Vanderbilt 71 86
22 Bugeater - Kansas 69 69
22 Patti's Winning Picks - Syracuse 69 69
22 Double Dribble Dutke - Kansas 69 69
25 burrito - Kansas 68 68
26 The Agostini Sisters - Kentucky 67 67
26 Kylandigskansas - Kansas 67 67
28 Edgerock Hammers - Kansas 66 66
28 jordan ham - Kansas 66 66
30 Anna Rules - Kentucky 58 58
31 Cassie - Kentucky 55 55
32 Trista=$$$$ - Kentucky 53 53
33 Bracket Key - Villanova 51 51
34 Tina's Forecast - Notre Dame 49 49
35 SnooznLynn - AR Pine Bluff 41 41
36 The Prof - Texas A&M 29 29
37 Hammie - Minnesota 27 27
38 SuzannaBear - Notre Dame 23 23
39 AbisnailGM - Minnesota 22 22

OBSERVATIONS:

The ice could be off the lake by next weekend!
Shantell scores a “Hat Trick” beating her husband and his parents!
SnooznLynn is now reading “Beating the Odds” written by Rocky!
Oyster Stew is put on the back burner!
After spiritual counseling from his brother and two cousins, Mike will be changing his name to Amazing Grace!
Baby Ham’s identity is still a mystery!
Jake still can’t believe the Villanova loss!
Curly Kelli is making her move!
Mary'sMoneyMaker makes it to the final round!
Momfish spoiled my observation of “Pat’s Perfect Pick was marrying her!”

Have a good week!

Finals - Day 1

Here's the latest! Shantelle and her hockey picks rise to the top!

1 Shantelle's Hockey Picks Kansas 88 113
2 rockey/jk Syracuse 87 112
3 Hutch Kansas 86 96
3 Brilz Kansas 86 96
3 Mary D's miracle Kentucky 86 96
6 Joe Kansas 84 109
6 Oyster Stew Surprise Kentucky 84 104
8 Pat's Perfect Picks Kansas 83 108
8 Trae's Horse Farm Kansas 83 108
10 momfish Kentucky 79 89
11 FrankD Syracuse 77 102
12 kaden ham Syracuse 76 101
12 Father Polluck Kansas 76 86
14 Curly Kelli Duke 74 120
14 Dale's McPicks Kentucky 74 84
16 jkopp Villanova 72 72
17 Laura Ham Kansas 71 81
18 Deacon Tony Wanner Kentucky 70 80
19 Baby Ham Kansas 69 79
19 Double Dribble Dutke Kansas 69 69
19 Bugeater Kansas 69 69
22 burrito Kansas 68 68
23 The Agostini Sisters Kentucky 67 77
23 Kylandigskansas Kansas 67 67
25 Mike's Amazing Bracket Kentucky 66 76
25 jordan ham Kansas 66 66
25 Edgerock Hammers Kansas 66 66
28 MarysMoneyMaker Vanderbilt 61 86
29 Patti's Winning Picks Syracuse 59 69
30 Anna Rules Kentucky 58 58
31 Cassie Kentucky 55 55
32 Trista=$$$$ Kentucky 53 53
33 Bracket Key Villanova 51 51
34 Tina's Forecast Notre Dame 49 49
35 SnooznLynn AR Pine Bluff 41 41
36 The Prof 17 Texas A&M 29 29
37 Hammie Minnesota 27 27
38 SuzannaBear Notre Dame 23 23
39 AbisnailGM Minnesota 22 22

Sweet 16 - Day 2 Results

Since my mom is up at the cabin, I thought I would post the results for those of you who have trouble accessing the yahoo site. Here's your chance to insert your own observations/take cheap shots:)

Rank Bracket Finals Points Possible Pts
1 Mary D's miracle Kentucky 86 152
1 Hutch Kansas 86 131
1 Brilz Kansas 86 131
4 Oyster Stew Surprise Kentucky 84 150
5 momfish Kentucky 79 160
6 Shantelle's Hockey Picks Kansas 78 113
7 rockey/jk Syracuse 77 112
7 FrankD Syracuse 77 102
9 Father Polluck Kansas 76 121
10 Dale's McPicks Kentucky 74 130
10 Curly Kelli Duke 74 130
10 Joe Kansas 74 109
13 Trae's Horse Farm Kansas 73 108
13 Pat's Perfect Picks Kansas 73 108
15 Laura Ham Kansas 71 106
16 Deacon Tony Wanner Kentucky 70 126
17 Baby Ham Kansas 69 104
17 Double Dribble Dutke Kansas 69 94
17 Bugeater Kansas 69 89
20 burrito Kansas 68 93
21 The Agostini Sisters Kentucky 67 123
21 Kylandigskansas Kansas 67 87
23 Mike's Amazing Bracket Kentucky 66 122
23 kaden ham Syracuse 66 101
23 jordan ham Kansas 66 91
23 Edgerock Hammers Kansas 66 91
27 jkopp Villanova 62 72
28 Patti's Winning Picks Syracuse 59 94
29 Anna Rules Kentucky 58 104
30 Cassie Kentucky 55 101
31 Trista=$$$$ * Kentucky 53 99
32 MarysMoneyMaker Vanderbilt 51 86
32 Bracket Key Villanova 51 61
34 Tina's Forecast Notre Dame 49 49
35 SnooznLynn AR Pine Bluff 41 41
36 The Prof Texas A&M 29 29
37 Hammie Minnesota 27 27
38 SuzannaBear Notre Dame 23 23
39 AbisnailGM Minnesota 22 22

SWEET 16 - DAY 1 RESULTS

Rank Bracket -- FinalPick Points Possible Pts
1 Mary D's miracle- - Kentucky 74 152
1 Hutch- - Kansas 74 131
1 Brilz- - Kansas 74 131
4 momfish- - Kentucky 73 176
5 Curly Kelli- - Duke 68 136
5 Dale's McPicks- - Kentucky 68 136
7 Pat's Perfect Picks- - Kansas 67 108
8 Oyster Stew Surprise- - Kentucky 66 156
9 rockey/jk- - Syracuse 65 118
9 Laura Ham- - Kansas 65 112
9 FrankD- - Syracuse 65 108
12 Deacon Tony Wanner- - Kentucky 64 126
12 Father Polluck- - Kansas 64 121
14 Baby Ham- - Kansas 63 104
14 Double Dribble Dutke- - Kansas 63 100
14 Bugeater- - Kansas 63 95
17 Joe- - Kansas 62 109
17 burrito- - Kansas 62 93
17 jkopp- - Villanova 62 84
20 The Agostini Sisters- - Kentucky 61 154
20 Trae's Horse Farm- - Kansas 61 114
20 Kylandigskansas- - Kansas 61 87
23 Mike's Amazing Bracket- - Kentucky 60 122
23 Shantelle's Hockey Picks- - Kansas 60 113
23 kaden ham- - Syracuse 60 101
23 jordan ham- - Kansas 60 97
23 Edgerock Hammers- - Kansas 60 91
28 Anna Rules- - Kentucky 58 126
29 Cassie- - Kentucky 55 101
30 Patti's Winning Picks- - Syracuse 53 110
30 Trista=$$$$- - Kentucky 53 99
32 Bracket Key- - Villanova 51 73
33 MarysMoneyMaker- - Vanderbilt 39 86
34 Tina's Forecast- - Notre Dame 37 49
35 SnooznLynn- - AR Pine Bluff 35 41
36 The Prof- - Texas A&M 29 66
37 Hammie- - Minnesota 27 27
38 SuzannaBear- - Notre Dame 23 29
39 AbisnailGM- - Minnesota 22 22

OBSERVATIONS:
Katie is our Star Player of the week!
Joe breaks Anna’s Rules!
Father Polluck and Deacon Wanner admire The Agostini Sisters!
Kylan and Trae throw their allegiance to Grandma Momfish!
Bugeater changes his diet to "Crow"!
The Brilz hand Grandpa a McLoss!
Curly Kelli waits quietly for “ The Duke’s” next move!
Trista phones her bookie!
Frank and Patti head to the cabin to watch a lake thaw!

GOOD LUCK TODAY!

Pictures of Kate Pre and Post Surgery

Hi Everybody,
Here are some pictures from before and after Kate's surgery. She is doing well. Other than the incisions behind her ears and a good chunk of her hair missing, you wouldn't even be able to tell she just had surgery. She is definitely back to her old self today.

This is what the device looks like that was implanted in Kate's head. Two were implanted - one behind each ear. They have to remove some of the bone in her skull in order for it to fit in a little head. Surgery took about 6 hours.

Here's Kate picking out colors for her processor that will go on the outside of her head. Part of it will stick to the implanted device in her head by a magnet and another part of the processor can either be worn behind her ear or clipped to her shirt. I'll post pictures of Kate wearing them after her next appointment.

Anna and Matthew having some fun with the hospital equipment while we were waiting for Kate to get out of surgery.

Patti trying things out too. I think you missed your calling Patti.

This is the evening after surgery. Kate started surgery at 8 a.m. and was finished around 2 p.m. We got to leave the hospital around 5:30 p.m. that night. Here we are at the hotel by the pool area.

Enjoying ice cream...her first meal of the day in the game room area of the hotel.

Hanging out before bedtime.

This is the next morning (Wednesday morning). We had just got back from the clinic getting her big bandage removed and meeting with her surgeon. He said she did excellent through everything and everything looks about as good as it can be. She has about a 2-inch incision behind each ear.

Happy girl now that she knows we're packing up and heading home.

Half way home...we're eating supper in Fargo before the final trek home. She did awesome traveling and slept the majority of the time. We're so proud of our little trooper!

Thank you so much for all of the support and prayers that you all have sent Kate's way. It means so very much to all of us. Patti and Anna, a special thank you for spending the day of surgery with us. The time went by so much faster with you there and Matthew had a blast. Hopefully the worst is over and we can look forward to the next part of our journey...getting the processors turned on and Kate hearing for the first time! Our next trip to Mayo is in 3 weeks, April 14 and 15, when they will activate her implants. Please continue to pray that all goes well. I'll keep you all updated. Thanks so much and take care.

Love,

Christy

SWEET "16" BEGINS

A FEW MORE OBSERVATIONS BEFORE THE NEXT ROUND BEGINS:

Mary’sMoneyMaker seeks a government bailout!
Double Dribble Dutke takes up golf!
The Brilz strategy for next year will be - divide and conquer!
Tina prepares to make her forecast for next year!
Edgerock Hammers looks up to Laura and her little Hams!
Burito orders a margarita!
The Prof earns extra credit for picking Northern Iowa, St. Mary’s and Cornell for the Sweet 16!


GOOD LUCK!

Fisher family news

Well, I thought it was about time I posted an update of our crazy life and how it is going. First I apologize for any phone calls I didn't return etc the last few weeks, just seems like I was going in about twenty different directions.
We have sold our house. It is scheduled to close on May 3rd. It is to a younger couple from Colorado- he is an engineer and works for one of the many oil companies around these days. We had started looking for a place to go and were amazed at how little was out there in the price range we were hoping to stay within. What we did find all seemed to be split foyers with lots of steps etc. I have a client who is moving to Hawks Point and wants to wait until after July 4th as they are having a family reunion. I just love her home and so we talked to her kids and ended up making an offer and allowing her to stay until July 15th. We will be moving in to Pat's folks house that we own as our renters are moving out of there and it will be empty. We will just move minimal stuff in there and the rest of our stuff we will be able to move into the garage & basement at Elizabeths. The house is located on the corner of 12th Ave W and 12th St West., a block south of where we lived just after Todd was born and when Traci was born. Up in the Trinity area. The house is a rambler with a beautiful open courtyard that has panels for the winter months. We are pretty excited to get back into town and even though it will get a little crazy - I am sure it will all work out. Just for everyones information - both our kids did offer to let us live in their basements. We felt that was a little too much to ask.
Well hope that brings everyone up to date for now & we will keep you posted. If I have a nervous breakdown before this is all over I am sure one of the kids will post.
Also was glad to hear the little uodate on Katie - hope all is well. Let us now - we are all praying for you all.
Love Kathy

KATE

Wanted to report that Katie came thru the surgery like a champion.

RESULTS AFTER SECOND ROUND

Rank Bracket Winning Team Points Possible Pts
1 Mary D's miracle- - - Kentucky 56 158
1 Dale's McPicks- - - Kentucky 56 152
1 Hutch- - - Kansas 56 137
4 Trae's Horse Farm- - - Kansas 55 136
5 FrankD- - - Syracuse 53 160
6 Anna Rules- - - Kentucky 52 142
7 Curly Kelli- - - Duke 50 152
7 Brilz- - - Kansas 50 131
7 Joe- - - Kansas 50 125
7 burrito- - - Kansas 50 109
11 momfish- - - Kentucky 49 176
11 The Agostini Sisters- - - Kentucky 49 160
11 Pat's Perfect Picks- - - Kansas 49 124
14 Oyster Stew Surprise- - - Kentucky 48 187
14 kaden ham- - - Syracuse 48 153
14 Shantelle's Hockey Picks- - - Kansas 48 119
14 jordan ham- - - Kansas 48 113
18 rockey/jk- - - Syracuse 47 170
18 Laura Ham- - - Kansas 47 128
18 Trista=$$$$- - - Kentucky 47 121
21 Deacon Tony Wanner- - - Kentucky 46 157
21 Father Polluck- - - Kansas 46 127
23 Baby Ham- - - Kansas 45 120
23 Double Dribble Dutke- - - Kansas 45 116
23 Bugeater- - - Kansas 45 101
26 jkopp- - - Villanova 44 84
27 Cassie- - - Kentucky 43 107
27 Kylandigskansas- - - Kansas 43 93
29 Mike's Amazing Bracket- - - Kentucky 42 138
29 Edgerock Hammers- - - Kansas 42 107
31 Patti's Winning Picks- - - Syracuse 41 162
32 Bracket Key- - - Villanova 39 73
33 Tina's Forecast- - - Notre Dame 37 65
34 MarysMoneyMaker- - - Vanderbilt 33 86
35 The Prof- - - Texas A&M 29 72
35 SnooznLynn- - - AR Pine Bluff 29 47
37 Hammie- - - Minnesota 27 27
38 SuzannaBear- - - Notre Dame 23 60
39 AbisnailGM- - - Minnesota 22 28

The last four days can be summarized by Mary D's comment when she was informed she was tied for 1st place,

"HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?"

Have a good week!

Kitchen update

Jake here are the lastest pictures i promised you. As you can see the project and Robbies games have kept us pretty busy. We only have the flooring and then a few small items left to do so then we can start enjoying it. Audrey and the kids took off this morning for Rodchester and she made sure she left me a long enough TO DO list to keep me out of trouble. I will try to keep you all informed on Katie as soon as I hear any news. Please keep her in your prayers. Patty, Mathew is sure looking forward to seeing you and Anna on Tuesday. Everyone take care.
Love Papa

2nd ROUND FIRST DAY RESULTS (8GAMES)

Rank Bracket Winning Team Points Possible Pts
1 Hutch - - - Kansas 41 143
2 FrankD - - - Syracuse 38 185
2 Mary D's miracle - - - Kentucky 38 164
2 Brilz - - - Kansas 38 143
5 Trae's Horse Farm - - - Kansas 37 148
6 kaden ham - - - Syracuse 36 165
6 Shantelle's Hockey Picks - - - Kansas 36 147
8 Dale's McPicks - - - Kentucky 35 155
8 Joe - - - Kansas 35 140
8 burrito - - - Kansas 35 115
11 momfish - - - Kentucky 34 179
11 The Agostini Sisters - - - Kentucky 34 160
11 Anna Rules - - - Kentucky 34 145
11 Pat's Perfect Picks - - - Kansas 34 136
15 Oyster Stew Surprise - - - Kentucky 33 193
15 Baby Ham - - - Kansas 33 129
15 Edgerock Hammers - - - Kansas 33 122
18 rockey/jk - - - Syracuse 32 176
18 Curly Kelli - - - Duke 32 155
18 Laura Ham - - - Kansas 32 137
21 Father Polluck - - - Kansas 31 133
21 Kylandigskansas - - - Kansas 31 102
23 jordan ham - - - Kansas 30 125
23 Double Dribble Dutke - - - Kansas 30 122
23 Bugeater - - - Kansas 30 110
26 Trista=$$$$ - - - Kentucky 29 143
26 jkopp - - - Villanova 29 90
28 Deacon Tony Wanner - - - Kentucky 28 163
28 Cassie - - - Kentucky 28 132
28 Tina's Forecast - - - Notre Dame 28 74
31 Mike's Amazing Bracket - - -Kentucky 27 138
31 MarysMoneyMaker - - - Vanderbilt 27 129
31 Bracket Key - - - Villanova 27 79
34 Patti's Winning Picks - - - Syracuse 26 171
35 Hammie - - - Minnesota 24 48
36 The Prof - - - Texas A&M 23 152
36 SnooznLynn - - - AR Pine Bluff 23 50
38 AbisnailGM - - - Minnesota 22 43
39 SuzannaBear - - - Notre Dame 17 60

JUST IN: A free DVD rental from Grandma's Video store will be awarded to the person who can provide Northern Iowa's and St. Mary's location on a map.

MORE OBSERVATIONS:
Hutch is soooooo sorry for the things he said about the Villanova loss!
Oyster Stew suprises everyone!
Mike is still Amazed with his bracket picks!
Mary D proves Miracles do happen!
Momfish continues to swim upstream, making Pat's life a little less Perky!
Rocky shows he's more than just a pretty face!
AbisnailGM is praying that uncle Bracket Key didn't make any more bad picks!

Good Luck Today!

"KATE"

As Christy and Cody prepare to head to the Mayo Clinic for Kate's surgery on Tuesday, We all want them to know that we are thinking of them and our Love and Prayers are with them and Katy.

SECOND DAY RESULTS (after 32 GAMES)

COMMISSIONER TODD SAID,"Alright, here it is. The following are the payouts for the 1st Annual Morey Family NCAA Bracket Challenge:

1st Place = $50
2nd Place = $25
Last Place = $25

There is also a special prize of $25 if anyone correctly picked the final score of the Championship game. It doesnt matter who plays, just what score you have for the winning team and the losing team.

I was also told that the winner is responsible for the 1st round of drinks next time we all get together at the cabin on Bear in Hooded Sweatshirt Lane in Wisconsin.

Rank Bracket Points Possible Pts
1 Hutch 26 - - - - Kansas 210
2 Anna Rules 25 - - - - Kentucky 206
3 jordan ham 24 - - - - Kansas 205
3 Oyster Stew Surprise 24 - - - - Kentucky 202
3 Baby Ham 24 - - - - Kansas 199
3 Edgerock Hammers 24 - - - - Kansas 196
3 kaden ham 24 - - - - Syracuse 196
8 FrankD 23 - - - - Syracuse 207
8 Patti's Winning Picks 23 - - - - Syracuse 204
8 Laura Ham 23 - - - - Kansas 204
8 Brilz 23 - - - - Kansas 201
8 Joe 23 - - - - Kansas 201
8 burrito 23 - - - - Kansas 198
8 Dale's McPicks 23 - - - - Kentucky 192
8 Mary D's miracle 23 - - - - Kentucky 176
8 Trista=$$$$ * 23 - - - - Kentucky 161
17 Trae's Horse Farm * 22 - - - - Kansas 206
17 Pat's Perfect Picks 22 - - - - Kansas 203
17 Kylandigskansas 22 - - - - Kansas 194
17 momfish 22 - - - - Kentucky 191
17 Father Polluck 22 - - - - Kansas 188
17 Deacon Tony Wanner * 22 - - - - Kentucky 175
17 Cassie 22 - - - - Kentucky 175
17 Tina's Forecast 22 - - - - Notre Dame 111
25 Shantelle's Hockey Picks 21 - - - - Kansas 205
25 Bugeater 21 - - - - Kansas 202
25 Double Dribble Dutke 21 - - - - Kansas 196
25 Mike's Amazing Bracket 21 - - - - Kentucky 181
25 Bracket Key 21 - - - - Villanova 168
25 MarysMoneyMaker 21 - - - - Vanderbilt 147
25 Hammie 21 - - - - Minnesota 70
32 rockey/jk 20 - - - - Syracuse 201
32 Curly Kelli 20 - - - - Duke 198
32 jkopp 20 - - - - Villanova 182
35 The Agostini Sisters 19 - - - - Kentucky 172
36 The Prof 17 - - - - Texas A&M 155
36 SnooznLynn 17 - - - - AR Pine Bluff 87
38 AbisnailGM 16 - - - - Minnesota 46
39 SuzannaBear 14 - - - - Notre Dame 72

JUST SOME OBSERVATIONS
Hutch (Scott) has maintained his lead in points and finally beat Baby Ham and Anna for most wins!
The Agostini Sisters seem to have had a bad night!
Frank knew it was only a matter of time to pass Patti!
Dale is moving in fast on his grandchildren!
Trae with 206 possible points, keeps his dream of a horse farm alive!
Cassie still has what is needed to trample Father Polluck and Deacon Wanner!
Shantelle's proves to us all, She knows her Hockey!
Kylan still digs Kansas!
With the prize announcement, life in the Moberg house must be interesting!

GOOD LUCK TO ALL IN THE NEXT ROUND

RESULTS AFTER FIRST DAY - 16 GAMES

Rank First day wins Final Team pick Possible Pts
1 Anna Rules 13 - - - - Kentucky 213
2 Baby Ham 12 - - - - Kansas 212
2 Brilz 12 - - - - Kansas 212
2 Patti's Winning Picks 12 - - - - Syracuse 209
2 Joe 12 - - - - Kansas 206
2 kaden ham 12 - - - - Syracuse 206
7 Hutch 11 - - - - Kansas 214
7 The Agostini Sisters 11 - - - - Kentucky 211
7 jordan ham 11 - - - - Kansas 208
7 Oyster Stew Surprise 11 - - - - Kentucky 208
7 Edgerock Hammers 11 - - - - Kansas 199
7 MarysMoneyMaker 11 - - - - Vanderbilt 156
13 Shantelle's Hockey Picks 10 - - - - Kansas 210
13 rockey/jk 10 - - - - Syracuse 210
13 Trae's Horse Farm * 10 - - - - Kansas 210
13 FrankD 10 - - - - Syracuse 210
13 Laura Ham 10 - - - - Kansas 207
13 Curly Kelli 10 - - - - Duke 207
13 burrito 10 - - - - Kansas 204
13 Double Dribble Dutke 10 - - - - Kansas 204
13 Mike's Amazing Bracket 10 - - - - Kentucky 195
13 jkopp 10 - - - - Villanova 191
13 Mary D's miracle 10 - - - - Kentucky 179
13 Deacon Tony Wanner * 10 - - - - Kentucky 179
13 Trista=$$$$ * 10 - - - - Kentucky 164
26 Pat's Perfect Picks 9 - - - - Kansas 209
26 Bugeater 9 - - - - Kansas 206
26 momfish 9 - - - - Kentucky 200
26 Kylandigskansas 9 - - - - Kansas 200
26 Father Polluck 9 - - - - Kansas 194
26 Dale's McPicks 9 - - - - Kentucky 194
26 Bracket Key 9 - - - - Villanova 178
26 Hammie 9 - - - - Minnesota 175
26 Tina's Forecast 9 - - - - Notre Dame 120
35 SnooznLynn 8 - - - - AR Pine Bluff 183
35 Cassie 8 - - - - Kentucky 177
35 AbisnailGM 8 - - - - Minnesota 159
38 The Prof 7 - - - - Texas A&M 179
38 SuzannaBear 7 - - - - Notre Dame 127

Thursday @ 10:00 am

Just a reminder that the deadline to have your bracket in is tomorrow, Thursday @ 10:00 am. By the looks of it there are still ALOT of you that are not yet signed up. Remember, this is the type of thing you can win and you do not need to know much about it. If you have any questions or problems let me know. Also, if you are already signed up and see a sibling or parent that is not, call them and yell at them to get their poop in a group.

Todd

UPDATE TO NCAA POOL

Todd said,"I have changed the settings so you are now allowed to submit up to 5 brackets per user name. This way anyone with kids can enter them in as well. Just make sure that their name is somewhere in the bracket name. Also, if your own child beats you that is an automatic round of drinks at the next family function."

Lee, your dog is not eligible.

This will make it easier for everyone of all ages to have an entry. Mary and Audrey, that includes you.

Get your picks in!

Tournament Time!!!

We have had some interest that we start a family NCAA basketball tournament pool. Therefore, I have set up a group at Yahoo.com so we can all have a little fun with this years tournament. Patty and my mom have decided that the winner will get a prize not yet determined but will come from Grandma Morey's oil money. This should be a lot of fun and provide a little reward for the best picker. Try to get everyone in your family in and lets really make this an exciting tournament.

To get entered, first you must have an account at Yahoo.com. If you do not its not hard to sign up for one. Its free and very quick and easy. Then here are the steps to follow:

-Go to http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1
-Click on "Join a Group"
-Click on "Join Group"
-Enter the following group ID: 79403 password: boomer
-Enter a creative name for your bracket and click "Save and Continue"

You are now entered in the group and can go ahead and pick your bracket. If you have any questions or problems let me know at 701-290-7574. Make sure you save your bracket after it is all filled out or it will not count anything during the tournament. Also make sure you have your Champion picked and a final tie breaker score picked.

Good Luck to everyone and lets get this thing rolling.

Todd

Go Titans

OK, Heres what I know of the tournament schedule. The districts start on feb. 26 but Trinity gets a first round bye so they will play thier first game on the evening of the 27th. They win then play Monday March 1st for the Championship. The Regionals will then begin on March 8th and go thru the 11th at which time they will play for the championship. The State Class B will be in Minot on March 18th,19th & 20th at which time as we will play for the Championship. WE HOPE!
You can follow all the action in The Dickinson Press or KDIX radio usually broadcasts the games on the web. 1230 AM for those of you that don't remember. Did you guess who those four are cheering for and who thier favorite player is!
Love Papa Morey

Terry bragging

Just thought I'd take a minute and post some pictures of last nights game. Robbie has been nominated for the McDonald's All American Basketball Team and Uncle Dale presented him with the nomination before the game. Just to be nominated is a feather in Robbie's cap. We are all very proud of him. We all thought Dale did a really nice job with the presentation. It,ll be tournament time soon so keep cheering for the Titans. GO BIG RED Love Papa Morey
P.S. Todd was the Ref again.

Hello from Colorado!

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to write a quick message saying hello to everyone. Nice work to everyone on the recent posts...keep them coming, especially the pictures.

Not too much is new here in Colorado. Mom and Scott recently went on a week long roadtrip. They seemed to have a really great time visiting Durango, the Grand Canyon, Phoenix, Laughlin, Hoover Dam, and Lake Havasu. They drove just over 2500 miles total. Mom came home sick and unfortunately ended up in the emergency room on Sunday night. Scott and I were worried she was losing her mind :)...turns out she was running a fever of 103 degrees and that was causing her to forget everything. After running some tests they determined she has Pneumonia...so needless to say she has been home sick this week, getting rest and trying to get herself better.

Kynnedi is growing like a week. She is 9.5 months and very close to walking. JJ and I are placing our bets so I guess we will see who wins. She is still full of smiles and has now figured out how to wave hi and bye to people...too cute! She has been saying mama for months now but just last week finally figured out dada.

Jon is doing good, he took the week off and drove to Salt Lake to spend time with friends and the week snowmobiling. Needless to say he is having a great time!

Not much else is going on. We hope you are all well. As you can tell by the picture of Kynnedi, she is ready for summer, now we just need it to warm up so she can trade in her fuzzy pj's for a swimsuit!

Love you all,
Kelli

ROBBIE!

Congratulations on your 1000+ point career!! Good luck to you and Trinity for the remainder of the season.

Cleo

Kathy, thanks for letting us know. I received a Christmas card from Cleo this year. She had written just a short note.

Below is a copy of the O-bit from the Watertown Public Opinion and the Web address for the furneral home. You can click on Obituaries, then click on Cleo's name and at the bottom you can leave a message or sign the guest book.

http://www.wightcomesandsogn.com/

Cleo A. Morey, 81, Watertown, died Friday, Feb. 5, 2010, in a hospital at Watertown.

Funeral services will be Wednesday at 1 p.m. in the First United Methodist Church at Watertown with the Rev. Joel Higgins officiating.

Burial will be in the Mount Hope Cemetery in Watertown. Honorary pallbearers will be the Eagle's auxiliary. Active pallbearers will be Mike Nichols, Bill Nichols, Ron Nichols, Dave Nichols, Bobby Nichols and Paul Riley.

Visitation will be today (Tuesday) from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Wight, Comes and Sogn Funeral Chapel at Watertown.

Cleo Ann Morey was born Dec. 22, 1928, to Robert and Gathel (Leighty) Nichols on a farm near Garden City. She graduated from Garden City High School.

She married Gerald Hartley and they had one daughter, Mary.

She married Franklin Morey and they had one daughter, Barbara. Franklin died Jan. 18, 1992. She lived in Watertown for many years and worked at various jobs. In 1993, she retired from the Bartron Clinic after 13 years.

She was a Girl Scout leader for 20 years. She was an active member of the Eagles Lodge heading up Bingo, dances and many other Eagle's activities. She enjoyed playing pinochle, gardening, dancing and reading.

Survivors include her daughters, Barbara Junso and Mary (Mike) Steffen, all of Watertown; her sisters, Ethel Neal of Watertown and Margie (Bud) Johnson of Clark; her brothers, Robert (Bonnie) Nichols of Watertown and Don (Eileen) Nichols of Belle Fourche; her sister-in-law, Velma Bruflat; three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Information from Watertown

Hello - I am sorry I did not call each of you but I didn't have time. I got a call from Dick Bell today and he told me that Cleo had past away. The funeral is tomorrow February 10th in Watertown. I know the last time I had talked to Barb she had told me Cleo was battling cancer for a while already. I also got an e-mail from DeeDee - she wanted to make sure we had heard. In her e-mail she said Velma's birthday is the 20th of this month. She said her and Roger were going to try to make it to Clark for that. Dick said he is doing pretty good considering. I don't know if you all get a Christmas card from them or not but he had his leg amputated last year. He really seems in good spirits. Cathy had said in the letter at Christmas he would be looking at a new leg later this year, but it sounds like he is doing pretty good.

Well don't really have any other information except the sale of the bar failed so we are still bar owners. That's okay - we will just keep plugging along.

Update on Kate

Hi Everybody,

Just wanted to let you know what we found out for Kate. The tests they did at Mayo, which are quite a bit more high tech than what has been done in Bismarck, showed that Kate is profoundly deaf in both ears. To help you understand, hearing impairment is classified as mild, moderate, severe, and profound - in that order. Profound is totally deaf. The belief is that her hearing has gotten progressively worse. They are saying she has no residual hearing left. I know at one time, her hearing aids were helping and she did turn to some sound so she has not always been profoundly deaf. It has just gotten worse over time. She is definitely a candidate for cochlear implants in both ears. We have tentatively set the date for surgery for March 23rd. We need to be there a day ahead of time for imaging studies (MRI and CT scan), as well as a physical. We could still be turned down if for any reason her physical structure of her middle ear, cochlea, and bone in that area is malformed or missing, or if she is missing any of her auditory nerves. We won't know that until the day before surgery. Surgery is considered outpatient, which is hard for me to believe as the surgery takes 4 to 5 hours and is very detailed. They plan on discharging her that day but ask us to stay in Rochester overnight so that they can remove bandages the next day before we head home. We then will return to Mayo two to three weeks after surgery so that they can activate her devices. They have a very high success rate for these implants and we were very impressed with the doctors and staff that we met at Mayo. I do believe Kate is in very good hands. Please keep her in your prayers that all goes well. I'll keep you posted.

Love to all,
Christy

P.S.: Patti, here are the pictures of my mom and dad's sunroom that they added on this fall. They are also having new kitchen cabinets put in later this winter and new appliances. It has really opened up their dining room area. One of my dad's favorite spots now is sitting in the rocking chair in the sunroom. Thanks again to your entire family for everything this past weekend! It's always fun to come visit!

There's always next year

Patti,

I learned 4 words from viking fans, "there's always next year". After the Jets lost I didnt really care who won the second game. The only thing I didnt want is a Jets-Vikings Superbowl and the Vikings winning. Then i would have never heard the end about the team that let the Vikings FINALLY win a superbowl. At least I dont have to worry about that for now. I still think you should get a Farve jersey cuz he'll be back next year and The Purple Jesus may finally get you to the promise land. He may have thrown the interception but if they wouldnt have had fried chicken before the game they may have been able to hang on to the ball.

So Patti, "there's always next year"!!!!

Todd

ps- These pictures look awfully similar

Football

Well I decided someone should break the silence... Though I am impressed on your ability to refrain from posting Todd. We all thought you would be on the blog posting seconds after the Saints kicked the ball... Needless to say, Favre only had one fan remaining in the house on Sunday, Matthew. He still insisted Favre was his favorite player despite everyone else grumbling about how the game ended. This morning he informed me that Favre didn't win but that he still liked him:)

My mom claims she knew it was only a matter of time, and that the man deserved to go out of the season the same way he left the Packers, on an interception. And he lost the little respect she had left when he cried at the press conference. Take note of that Todd, if you ever want anything from Patti, just don't cry!

We enjoyed having Christy, Cody, Kate and Matthew at the house from Friday evening until this afternoon. They came earlier to beat the storm so they made a visit to MOA and Matthew had extra time to play with Nelli. Kate did leave with 2 major bumps on her forehead and several smaller ones from collisions during her stay, so I wouldn't be surprised if the doctor recommends a helmet for the next time she visits Patti's house... Hopefully they hear good news on Wednesday after they go through the tests!

With the Viking season over, we are looking forward to baseball season and the Minnesota Twins! A MN sports team has to get it together eventually and win a championship... right?

--posted by Anna

Mary's Boss

Michael Barringer-Mills is Mary's immediate boss at the American Refugee Committee.


Minn. Man Helps Coordinate Haiti Relief
Reporting
Holly Wagner
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (WCCO) ―

A Minnesotan helping coordinate relief efforts on the ground in Haiti says he has never seen anything to compare to the devastation he sees there.

Monte Achenbach and his co-worker Michael Barringer-Mills are with the American Refugee Committee, and are trained to respond to natural disasters. They have responded to emergencies all over the world.

"This is a city I use to move around freely and really enjoy this place, and it's crushing to see what's happened to it," said Achenbach Monday morning, calling from a satellite phone he took to Port-Au-Prince.

Achenbach said they are set up close to an area where the military is bringing in supplies. The sounds of helicopters and cargo planes make it tough to sleep.

He said they have access to fresh water but food is harder to come by. Worse still, he says, is the smell hanging in the air, which is a real marker of the tragedy.

"Everyone has things stuffed up in their nostrils or they have a lotion that they put beneath their nose so that it masks the smell," he said. "It really is the smell of decay and destruction."

Logistically, it remains difficult to get people the food, water, and medical care they desperately need, which is why he says he is there. He spends his days coordinating these relief efforts and listening to the stories of the survivors.

"People are burying their own families," he said. "I ran into one man -- an educated, well-spoken guy -- who said that his entire family of seven were lost. He had spent the last two days burying them himself."

Achenbach used to live in Haiti, and lost two friends when the U.N. headquarters collapsed.

"To be honest I don't know that I'm dealing with it very well, and I think I'm kind of delaying the processing of everything that I'm seeing and what I'm going through," he said, emphasizing his concentration on doing whatever he can to make life easier for the earthquake's survivors. "I think that commitment is what's keeping me going right now."

The American Refugee Committee planned to have Achenbach and Barringer-Mills stay for two weeks initially and then planned to send another team in. Now it looks like their stay will be longer than planned.

More Holiday Pictures

Hi Everybody,

We've been enjoying all of the postings to the blog. Congratulations Todd, Trista, and Trae! We're excited for you guys! Here are a few photos from Christmas and New Years with our family. Papa Morey was planning on posting pictures of the kids but hasn't gotten around to it so I thought I'd attempt it.

These were the two best shots of the kids at Christmas. Grandma tries so hard to get a picture of all of them together and it rarely happens.

Oh and just to clarify...the plastic shoes Kate is wearing are not hers. They belong to a doll at Grandma's house and Kate insists on wearing them every time we're there.

This was Grandma's attempt at a picture of the grandkids on New Years when we were at Mike and Lindsey's. This is pretty typical of how it is when everybody's together.

And here's little Maddy. She has grown by leaps and bounds and is such a smiley and happy little thing. I don't think there have been any more pictures of her since she was born so I just had to share. This picture is an older one so she has grown even more since it was taken.

And Patti, we did get our first appointment set up for January 26 and 27 at Mayo for Kate. For those of you who may not know, we are heading to Mayo to see if Kate is a candidate for cochlear implants. We found out her hearing is getting worse and her hearing aids are probably not helping her to hear well enough. She'll go through a day and a half of different appointments there to determine if she is a candidate. If she is, we'll go back for surgery in the next month or so. Patti, I'll give you a call later this week as to our plans. Right now, we're planning on going straight to Rochester on Monday but we might need to crash at your place Sunday night if we decide to come early due to weather. Matthew has been asking for the last month when we get to go to Patti's. We'd all love to see you guys! I'll keep you posted.

I'll try to keep all of you posted as to how things go with Kate. Please keep her in your thoughts. Take care!

Love,

Christy

Football

Todd,
My mom is hoping for a Jets versus Vikings Superbowl match up, just so she has something to brag about when she sees you next:). After today's game she thinks Farve just may have what it takes to go all the way. I think she should start looking for a jersey to wear to the next family gathering:)

Happy New Year!

I thought it was time to finally enter a post to wish everyone a Happy New Year! We made it through the holidays and as Anna's post showed, made it up to the Cabin on Saturday after Christmas.

I went to Denver with Frank earlier this month and got to see everyone but Jon.

Mary made it to Africa, but with the Haiti situation, she has to return two weeks early. She did not get to see their refugee camps, but reported today, she did see the Nile River. I'm sure she will update everyone on her travels once she returns.

Trae, congratulations on your family news.

Christy and Cody, keep me informed on Katy's situation and when you will be traveling. Our door is open any and all times you may need a place to stay.

Frank gets to go to the playoff game tomorrow. I'm not as optimistic as Jake, but stranger things have happened.

Keep posting pictures of all those little ones.

Love,

Patti

New Pics by request

Jake (and others), Here are a few pictures from Christmas and New Years. We didnt end up with a whole lot, but that was because we forgot to charge the battery in the camera a few times. Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!



Trae after he opened this present, a new trike, from Grandma and Grandpa

Trae and Kylan 'squeezing into the nook and Grandma's house, who new this was going to be their favortite spot when the house was built

Trae and his cousin Rylan playing with the train under the tree at Grandma and Grandpa Riehl's house

Trae playing in the snow fort that his uncle Roby built him and Rylan after the blizzard

Trae and Adria (my Goddaughter) at a New Year's Eve party

Breaking News

Well, some of you may have already heard but I suppose we should tell the rest. Trae is going to be a "big brudder" around August sometime. We knew about it at Christmas time and told just immediate family, but soon realized how hard it would be to keep a secret. Tristas first appointment is not until Jan. 21st, so it is still early in the process. Trae wants the baby "NOW" and can not quite figure out why we can not make this happen. We will keep you posted and give more information as we find out. We hope 2010 is treating everyone well and are looking forward to spring.

Todd

ps- How about the Green Machine, Go JETS!!!!!

Christmas

Hi Everyone,
I know my mom sent the letter to the aunts and uncles but I posted it below for the rest of you. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year! We originally intended to spend Christmas eve in the cities and then drive up to the cabin to celebrate Christmas that Sunday as a family. The snow storm kept us home until Saturday, so we celebrated here and then only a few of us made it to the cabin. It was beautiful and well worth the drive. Mary, Joe, and I returned home on Monday and my parents stayed for a week. My dad did make it out ice fishing with the dogs and they were successful at getting one fish.

Mary leaves Thursday for Uganda so she should have an update with pictures to share when she returns in 3 weeks.

Hopefully many of you will be able to work in a cabin trip this summer! Todd, we will even arrange a bear sighting just for you! You just need to be willing to cover yourself with honey and run through the woods! Just send the weekend dates of your choice to my mom and she'll mark it on the calendar!

The Letter:

Dear Family and Friends:

As 2009 draws to an end, one has to ask, “Who’d have thought it?” We saw the rise of Susan Boyle and the fall of Tiger Woods, The Twins win the ALC Championship, Brett Farve became a Minnesota Viking, and the government pay us $4500.00 for a 1999 suburban with 240,000 miles on it.

Our Christmas photo this year shows what waits for us up north. Who’d have thought getting everyone together in one place for a family photo would be so difficult? Pat knows that the four kids are constantly coming and going because their messy carbon footprints are left through out the house. Frank also added to the logistics problem by spending much of his time in Denver. If the weather permits, we will spend a week at the cabin this Christmas and maybe have a day or two with everyone there.

Mary will be leaving January 7th for three weeks of visiting refugee camps in Africa. After two years of working with the representatives in the camps for the American Refugee Committee, she is anxious to see the field operations first hand. Who’d have thought last winter she and a couple friends from Japan would try ice fishing at the cabin for the first time? After knocking at the door of our neighbor’s ice fishing house and asking if they could use his ice holes when he was finished, they proceeded to the bait shop and bought three minnows. They still can’t understand the reactions they received.

John reports finding a police officers job is not as easy as he’d hoped. Each opening has at least 150 to 200 applicants. He still likes his job in security, and will be starting as a volunteer with the West St. Paul police reserves in January. Last winter he had an unfortunate accident on the job and ended up with five broken bones in his foot. Who’d have thought his mother would let him move back home and wait on him for a month?

Anna is still working at the Como Zoo and attending Graduate School at the U of M studying early childhood and special needs education. Who’d have thought she would have waited this long to realize her calling? Anna’s record is two out of three in wildlife management. She managed to revive and release a humming bird that flew into a window, rescued and released a fawn her dog chased into a tangle of fencing, but failed to determine what happened to the deer she hit with mom’s vehicle.

Joe is now in his second year of college. When asked what he is majoring in, he replies sincerely, “I’m going to school to learn about things I’m interested in, not necessarily to get a degree.” Who’d have thought this statement wouldn’t send his dad over the edge?

Frank is proud to report that he shot his first Canadian goose this fall. Who’d have thought the hardest part of this outing was to choose the right camouflage, so the geese wouldn’t peg him as a rookie? He and John were also lucky enough to experience North Dakota pheasant hunting with a guide from Barnes, WI (who’d have thought a boy who grew up in western North Dakota would need a guide, especially from Wisconsin?). The concept is to hunt in the morning, golf in the afternoon, and then drive to the next day’s location. Three days of hunting and three great golf courses made for a successful trip.

Mary, John, Anna and Joe’s main complaint in life, is that Pat and Frank spoil the two dogs. Who’d have thought the nine year old Brittany, Zoey, would show her appreciation by finally deciding to hunt this season? No one was more surprised than the six year old Lab, Nellie.

Who’d have thought Frank and Pat would reach their 30th anniversary last May? Frank rewarded Pat by making her captain of her own ship. A 14 ft. runabout, christened the USS “Mom’s Dinghy”. Frank was given the rank of cabin boy, and when asked if he could be First Mate, Pat replied, “Let’s see how the next 30 years go before we start handing out promotions.”

We can finally report, that the work on our Cabin is finished and more than meets our expectations. Unfortunately, the wildlife is also finding our property to their liking. This past spring, summer, and fall brought sightings, sounds, destruction, and reports of bears, wolves, coyotes, beavers, and cougars just to name a few non domesticated animals we share the north woods with. Lucky for us, our current contractor’s day job is that of a DNR officer. Because he actually completed our job we trust him completely. But who’d have thought he would convince us to crawl into a culvert to see a hibernating mother bear and her cubs?

It has been a busy year, with lots of good times and laughter, visits from family and friends, trips for weddings, reunions, and fun, and of course just taking life as it comes. Who’d have thought it would pass so quickly?

We hope everyone is healthy and happy and looking forward to what 2010 brings.

Merry Christmas and Wishes for a brighter 2010!

The tree measured at nearly 14 feet and the cieling is 15ft

Ps. Goooo Vikings!

-Posted by Anna