Trick or Treat

Tonight we had a great time getting out in our neighborhood and trick or treating.  Anthony didn't mind the costume (surprise, surprise!) and never once asked to take it off.  (Okay, he wouldn't really ASK.  At least there wasn't any freak outs!)  At first I didn't think it would go so well because he really wasn't into saying trick or treat, getting candy or walking with mommy and daddy.  He was more interested in touching all of the cars in driveways and running through yards.  That is until I gave him the magical sucker.  (I wish I would have thought of that sooner!)  After that he did a great job and had lots of fun.

We originally thought he would be a dog or cow for his first Halloween with us, but Anthony had other ideas.  He saw this costume in Old Navy back in September and loved it when he tried it on.  (I'm thankful that costumes are made much better now than when I was a kid - no more plastic costumes that crack in the cold and hard plastic masks.  The warm, fuzzy, cute outfits are perfect!)  

Anthony hanging out with the neighbor kids - Sophia and Logan.  
Mark's favorite holiday is Halloween and I think he'll have quite the "partner" in the future with Anthony.  In our neighborhood there were two houses that joined together to make their backyards a graveyard with  frightful fun.  (Thankfully they toned it down a bit for Anthony. Okay, I really mean ME.  I hate scary things!) While we walked through the graveyard and other spooky things Anthony just took everything in.  At the end I jumped and screamed when someone popped out of a coffin. Anthony?  He asked for more and wanted to walk through it all again.  

Clearly this father son duo will have lots of fun with future Halloweens.  Who knows what they will come up with.  I prefer cute pumpkin decorations that exude no scariness.  I'm sure that will be vetoed for skeletons, spiders and skulls...

Oh boy.

I love my Tonka

Playing with his Tonka trucks has always been fun; however, Anthony seems to gravitate towards them even more now.  I couldn't help, but snap some photos today while he was playing outside with daddy.  

He's such a cutie!

Carving Pumpkins

Can you guess which pumpkin is mine and which one is Mark's?  

It's definitely not a masterpiece, but I'll claim it!  Last year my pumpkin turned out completely awful.  It was so hard that I couldn't cut into it and Mark ended up getting out the drill.  At least this year no drill was required!

Yup, this one is Mark's 27 pounder that cost him $8.00.  Every year he goes on line and finds a design for his pumpkin.  (I'm not that original; triangles suit me just fine!)  This was the winner for this year.  

Anthony had a good time eating a snack and checking out the whole carving process.  He really wasn't into it at all, but that's okay.  It will be a fun family tradition that he can grow into.

Thanks, Uncle Erik!

Anthony loves the pumpkin my brother picked out for him and decorated.  Of course I love it to because no matter how much I tried I could never create something so festive and fun for our entryway.  Thanks, Uncle Erik!

Flashback

While reading the Star Tribune today I realized that it has been six years since Senator Paul Wellstone passed away.  I actually was able to meet Wellstone weeks before his death when he came to visit Red Wing, MN and the 220 teachers who were on strike.  I remember being very impressed by his visit and completely shocked and sad when we heard the news of his death at our striking headquarters.  

Throughout the day today I have been thinking about the strike and my roll in it as a new teacher. Because I was a non-tenured teacher I wasn't able to be on the front lines, but rather had to be behind the scenes.  Every morning I visited my fellow co-workers with fresh baked goods and then headed off to strike headquarters to work on signs, man the phones, go out on coffee runs, etc. 

Honestly, as I'm typing this, it all seems a bit surreal like it never happened at all.  I do know, though, that I learned some invaluable, newbie teacher lessons.  Unions are important and there is a lot more to teaching than they ever could teach in college.

Hopefully that will be my only striking situation in my teaching career.

Fall Fun

After nap time today we took advantage of the great fall weather and went on a fun family outing to Nathes 101 Market in Otsego.  Mark has been wanting to visit a corn maze since I've known him and we also wanted to pick out our pumpkins for carving.  We were able to do both and have a great time too!

Smile!  Yes, we are dorks who now make our child stick his head through cut out pictures just for the sake of a photo. However, I think you can tell from the photo that A really enjoyed himself. 

The corn maze was really cool and not as "scary" as I thought it would be.  (I always imagined getting lost in the maze and not being able to get out...) Mark did a great job navigating the map and finding our way to the six puzzle clues within the maze.  If you're ever interested in doing the Amazing Race I would definitely recommend Mark to go along with you and be your partner.  He's great with a map as well as a challenge.  I would be much better watching the show and cheering the two of you on!   

Anthony did a great job and only got a bit antsy at the end.  He ended up getting out of the stroller and "helping" daddy find our way.  I love the following picture because they were having a disagreement about which direction we should go.  :)

The shelled corn pit was a big hit for Anthony!  He did more people watching, though, rather than playing.  There were lots of kids to watch and he was excited to do just that.  After he got out we found corn everywhere - we were still finding some after coming home.  

It's hard to believe that the cold is coming and that snow could fly as early as tomorrow after a beautiful day like today.

So BIG!

Last night Mark and I realized just how much Anthony has grown in the past eight months.  He use to be able to walk underneath the island counter top without any difficulty.  When he tried last night he hit the counter.  He has changed so much and is definitely no longer a baby.

Keep a light on

Our porch light is left on tonight to honor and remember Jacob Wetterling as well as all other children who have been abducted.  I truly cannot imagine the horror his parents went through and continue to go through today.  I also cannot believe that nineteen years have past.  

Where is he?

What happened to him?

Who could do something like this?

Tonight we'll remember Jacob and say a pray for his family.  Hopefully others will do the same.

Mama the Moose

I must say I'm a bit sad that MEA weekend has already come and gone.  It's already Sunday night -- way past my bedtime -- and I'm in a bit of denial that Monday morning will come again and the work week will begin.  It was so nice to have a few days off to spend time doing the fun, non-work related things in life.

On Friday Mark and I took off to the great city of Bemidji where our relationship started! (Okay, great city may be a stretch.  However, if you haven't been there for awhile like us you really should check it out.  So much has changed physically with the town and there's great places to shop and eat at.)

We had lots of fun driving around campus, looking at our old houses (I can't believe what we use to call home!)  and reminiscing about our college days. Mark even let me play Tonja car games on hour long drive, which was great!  (I really come up with awesome games to play, but not everyone likes being a good sport about it...)  

Our first date way back when was the horrendous movie Random Hearts at the Amigo Theater and then a slice of pie at Perkins.  We ended up skipping out on the pie, but we did take in a show at the old Amigo.  City of Ember was the movie I chose because I wanted to see it for class - we teach the book in 7th grade - and I really wasn't sure about the rest of them - Sex Drive? Mark wasn't too into the movie and I was ticked because they had changed so much from the book and added Hollywood-ized "things" that didn't need to be added.  Don't you hate when they do that?!

While we had a great time doing this and that, basically putsing around, Anthony got the chance to hang out with his auntie and uncle.  They took him to a pumpkin patch and made a HUGE deal about having to change one major poopie diaper.  Hopefully Manda will post an update on her blog and continue to exaggerate the story...

On Saturday a benefit was thrown in honor of my parents and the fire that destroyed their home this past July.  My parents are very giving people and have a hard time accepting things from others.  It was good to see them on the receiving end of things for a change.  

Anthony had a great time as always.  Uncle Erik got him a huge bucket of sidewalk chalk and they had fun drawing outside.  Fortunately, for Anthony, he finally got to see some realistic drawings.  The cow I grew in the garage always confuses him.  Is it a cow?  Dog?  Horse? Rabbit?  I would be unsure, too, if I was him.  It's pretty hard to tell the difference between the stick leg animals I end up creating.  Luckily for A, Uncle Erik drew some pretty cool jack-o-lanterns and "icky" skeletons.

So many people in my hometown worked together to make this benefit happen for mom and dad.  I really appreciate that.  It's nice to know they have great individuals surrounding them. These ladies - Diane, Patty, Marilyn and Annie - did a fabulous job before, during and after the benefit.  Thank you.

Manda put together a great slide show of photos so that everyone could see the devastation of the fire, the demolition that took place and how far they've gotten on the house since July.  She did a great job of not only telling their story, but throwing in some facts that will stop you, hopefully,  in your tracks.  

Did you know?

* A house fire is reported every 80 seconds in the US.

* Some 3,000 people die in house fires every year.

* The heat and smoke alone could kill you.  Most victims die from the smoke or toxic gases - not burns.

* There's usually not a lot of time to get out; typically you have around three minutes.

* Approximately half of the residential fire deaths occur in houses that do not have smoke alarms.

* If you have smoke alarms in your house you are 2 to 3 times more likely to survive.

I know it's really easy to think that it will never happen to you and your family.  Hopefully you're right.  But just in case the unimaginable does happen be sure you have working alarms and a family plan.

Lastly, I'll end with a picture of Anthony to wrap up our wonderful weekend up north.   (I know I'm biased as his mom, but he's so cute!  Just looking at him makes me smile.)  His favorite new line today is "Mama the moose".  Hopefully that's because he loves the moose my sister has on her fridge and not because my waistline has "fluffed" out a bit lately. However, I'm still not sure how he made the connection, but I do know a certain someone by the name of Mark continues to encourage it because he thinks it's hilarious.  What could daddy be?  Mark thinks "Daddy the dragon", but I keep shooting that one down.  Any suggestions?

The Shack

I just completed The Shack and I feel compelled to share this book with all of you who keep tabs on The Hanson Hat Trick.  I know it won't be a book that everyone can read, relate to and enjoy; however, there will be individuals out there who are just as touched by this story as I am -- that the message will resonate deeply.  

I love that it's a religious book that defies the religious rules and principles that we all know and perhaps grew up with.  It's more spiritual than religious and more about have relationships rather than expectations or responsibilities.

As I've looked back so many pages are marked as important or passages have been highlighted for various significance.  It seems like every chapter held something new for me to ponder for my own life.

I love that this book challenges me and my believes.  I love that it makes me think beyond church and the different faiths that exist.  

"Those who love me [Jesus is speaking] come from every system that exists.  

They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslims, Democrats, 

Republicans and many who don't vote or are 

not part of any Sunday morning or religious institutions..."

It was a wonderful spiritual journey.  

If you, too, decide to read The Shack I would love to know your thoughts as well.

Mr. and Mrs. Hanson

Four years ago today I woke up to sleet coming down and one of the coldest Saturdays yet that fall. However, none of that mattered because we were finally getting married after years of dating and a long engagement.  When I think back on our wedding day it makes me smile.  I love the fact that we got married at Clara - a small, rural church with tons of character, that a small gathering of family and friends were there supporting us and that I had the most amazing girlfriends/sisters standing beside me throughout the ceremony.  Our vows are something I will never forget or take lightly.  "In sickness and in health" is the line that always amazes me. Our love was definitely tested with everything I went through before we were married and it will continue to be tested the rest of our lives together.  I'm just so thankful I have a partner who is willing to ride out every storm by my side.

Love you, Mark!

I cannot wait to celebrate with you this weekend.

Too Short, Daddy?

Anyone who has met Anthony or has seen a picture of him knows that his hair is a bit wild and crazy.  It definitely has body and tons of curls.  Mark has been wanting us to continue to grow out his hair while I've been insisting that he's in desperate need of a haircut.  Today while daddy is at work we visited the local Fantastic Sam's and asked for a short cut. That's exactly what he got! He'll definitely need to wear his new Gophers stocking cap now to keep his ears and head warm.  All of that crazy, fun to play with insulation is gone.

Road Trip

This weekend Anthony and I took a little road trip while Mark and Zoey stayed behind to accomplish some pre-winter preparations around the house.  

Friday night we drove up to Grand Rapids after work.  The drive was absolutely beautiful with all of the fall colors until it got dark and started raining.  That night A stayed with G and G Hanson while I had some sister time with Manda.  We had a great time chatting, having a couple drinks and appetizers at Applebee's and staying up late -- 1:30!  I was really thankful we were able to spend some uninterrupted time together.

On Saturday I drove over to Crookston to visit Molly and her family while Anthony stayed with his grandparents.  (My parents picked him up after his nap and he spent the night with them.) I was super excited to meet Lucy for the first time and get some time to connect with Mol once again.  Lucy is such a cutie; I enjoyed snuggling with her.  Ella is getting so big and was so much fun to play with.  That night Molly and I ventured over to Grand Forks to eat at The Toasted Frog.

If you are ever in Grand Forks I HIGHLY recommend this wonderful restaurant.  It has a great ambiance and the food was oh so delicious.  (I actually tried three different items off of the menu!  I NEVER do that!)  Mol and I had a great time talking and laughing.  It felt so good to catch up and just be together.

On Sunday I met my parents in Bemidji and got to see Anthony again.  I didn't realize just how much I would miss him.  It felt so good to see him again!  It was also nice to know that he had such a great time with his grandparents too.  

Overall, we all had a great weekend.  Mark got lots of little things done around the house and outside in the yard; Anthony had fun visiting with his grandparents; and I had such a good, much needed visit with Manda and Mol.  

The only bummer was that I forgot my camera at home.  Unfortunately, I have no new photos of Lucy and Ella or the beautiful leaves of fall.   I'll definitely remember it this weekend.

Six Thumbs Up!

Lefebvre Party of 4 recently posted a new recipe that she had tried - Grilled Chicken and Pesto Farfalle.  I finally got around to trying it tonight and IT IS FABULOUS!  Mark had multiple helpings and Anthony kept asking for more.  It's definitely a crowd pleaser.  If you are looking for something new and yummy give it a whirl and then thank Erin like I will need to do.

Irresistible -- Watch out!

This weekend I tried a new cookie recipe from a friend and they turned out great! Chocolate chip cookies are always yummy, but these were super soft and chewy. If you're a cookie fan and love to bake I recommend trying this recipe!

2 1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter

3/4 brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 large pkg vanilla instant pudding

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pkg chocolate chips OR M&Ms

Directions: Mix flour with baking soda and set aside. Combine butter, sugars, pudding and vanilla in a large bowl - beat until smooth and creamy. Add eggs one at a time. Gradually add flour mixture and then stir in chocolate chips or M&Ms. Drop from teaspoons onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 12-14 minutes.

I think the pudding is the trick to making the cookies so great. Hopefully your family will enjoy them as much as mine. Happy baking!

A Perfect Saturday

Not one time today did I think about correcting 100+ paragraphs or cleaning the house, which was fabulous and very un-Tonja-ish.  It truly was a perfect Saturday of connecting with two wonderful friends while our kids played and our husbands watched rugby up in St. Cloud.  I wish there were more opportunities to take breaks from life's hectic pace to reconnect with others and give myself the much needed Tonja time void of deadlines and an abundance of expectations. 

What a sweetheart and a little heart breaker!  Cam-a-roo is getting to be such a big boy at 18 months.  He saying words, no longer eating in his high chair and still gives fabulous open mouth kisses!  (I got my special Cam kiss once again tonight!)

The boys did such a great job playing together today!  (However, this is the closest I got to a group shot!) Rylan has all of the cars from Cars, which was super fun for A.  The trains were also a big hit too.  We might need to purchase his very own train in the future.  It was so great to see the boys together and interacting. It was also fun to hear Anthony FINALLY call them Ry and Cam (which actually sounds like Dam).  It's quite the upgrade from the boy or boys!

Like the train conductor hat?  This is the one he picked that he absolutely needed to wear today.  

This past week has been quite trying at daycare and at home with hitting and not treating others kindly.  It's been very stressful for me as well as emotional.  Today was so refreshing! He played so well the whole day and truly had a great time with his friends.  It felt wonderful to see him playing so well and to leave tonight knowing that today was a great day.

Thank you, Jenn and Laura, for a wonderful day.  I truly enjoyed spending the day together and getting the chance to reconnect about all the happenings in our lives.  It really was a perfect Saturday.

Five Friends

Being that it's an election year it's pretty hard to go anywhere without being confronted with ads, opinions, etc.  Mark and I have been sharing different websites to learn about the candidates and then having conversations regarding what we have learned and how we'll vote.  Tonight he showed me a You Tube broadcast that I think is very important.  It doesn't urge you to vote one way or the other, but rather to just get out there to register and then  VOTE.  

Check it out.

Then be sure to voice your thoughts and opinions by voting in November.

(Also, Mark would like you to know that Jonah Hill from the Superbad movie is hilarious!) 

I Love You So...

NEW CHILDREN'S BOOK IN THE HANSON HOUSEHOLD ALERT!!

I Love You So... by Marianne Richmond

(Side note: She is an author and illustrator that hails from Minneapolis!) 

Anthony's babysitter, Lauren, got him this wonderful book for his birthday .  I love it because of the beautiful message while A loves the illustrations.  His favorites are the raccoon found on two pages, the "uh oh" page and the "owie" pages where a boy got hurt and a little girl is sick in bed. Every page that we turn there is something for him to point out and talk about, which is really fun.

"You're my SWEETIE, my dear, 

my SMILE and laughter.

You're my PLAYMATE for always, 

and my JOY ever after."

"I CAN'T IMAGINE life 

before YOU came along...

me there signing senseless

no MEANING to my song.

Call it MEANT TO BE

or simply blessed fate,

you fill my heart WITH LOVE...

and for THAT I celebrate."

Give Thanks

Today while driving Anthony to daycare I realized that it was October 3rd.  As he was crying and screaming in the back seat - Unfortunately, I couldn't find his "church car", which proved to be too much to handle that early in the morning - I was reminded that Mark and I have so much to be thankful for.  

Last year on this day we met with baby Angel and her mother. We were told the day before to prepare to have a baby come home with us and we should bring a car seat with us to the match meeting because the birthmom had already selected us.  All of this happened only two weeks after putting our profile into LSS's book.  I still remember getting the call from Mark after school and being overcome with emotions.  The day we were hoping for finally arrived -- or so we thought.  

That night we tried to prepare the house as much as we could, vacuumed out the car and headed to Monticello for some Feierabend help.  Luke showed Mark how to install one of their car seats while Jenn went through clothing and we made a quick trip to Walmart to stock up on the absolute essentials.  I still remember sitting around their dining room all feeling a bit shell shocked and overwhelmed.  I have NEVER seen Mark so emotional -- not crying, but just totally surprised and overwhelmed.  

That night I couldn't sleep at all.  All I could think about was meeting the little one who could potentially become our baby girl.  The possibility of becoming a parent was joyously overwhelming... I couldn't imagine how Mark could sleep through all of that excitement!

As you all know, obviously, the birth mom changed her mind and, as you may or may not know, a cloud of sadness settled over me for many months.  Even though I knew God had a plan for Mark and I it sometimes was hard to see through all the sadness that existed.  Luckily, I had several wonderful people to continue to cheer me through even the toughest of times.

Today I am thankful God had a plan and that plan existed even when I doubted it.  Anthony is meant to be with us -- he is our beautiful, spirited son who is so loved and treasured.  I couldn't imagine life being as sweet without him.  

All day today I've been giving thanks for our beautiful gift as well as for Cynthia who made everything possible.  She is such a precious part of our lives.  I am so thankful that God's plan included Anthony coming home to us and Cynthia being a part of our lives.

Also today I've been thinking of and praying for baby Angel.  I pray that wherever she may be that she's loved, cared for and is a healthy one year old.  Even though she wasn't meant to be ours she will always be in my thoughts and prayers.

What a beautiful memory and a great day of several pauses to give thanks for all that has transpired.  Adoption truly is a miraculous and an amazing blessing.  We will always be thankful.

For all of you Hanson cheerleaders out there -- Thank you for all your help and prayers a year ago and even now.  Your support is always appreciated and gives us even more reasons to be truly thankful.

New Look

Thanks to Team Tuttle I was able to give a new look to our blog.  It was fun to mix it up and get something different for our favorite season -- FALL!

If you are interested in doing the same be sure to click on the box in the top left hand corner.  It's a very simple process plus it's FREE!