My mom...my sis...and I

Mom's birthday was yesterday ...

 My sister Jodi and I both had today off so we decided to meet 

at a half-way spot to have lunch and celebrate our mom's birthday.

I didn't have my selfie stick so this is the best picture I could come up with.

Northfield MN was a perfect half-way spot and a lovely little town to explore.

We hit-up an antique store, a couple of gadgety stores, had lunch at a place called Rueb 'N' Stein's, then found a bakery for a little sweet something. 

It was fun to celebrate mom and have her all to ourselves!

Anytime I'm on a road trip in the country there almost always is a 

little country church and a cemetery that calls to me.

 This one snuck up on me as I drove right past it. 

That's ok, I don't mind pulling over, making a u-turn and returning to checking it out.

My heart starts to race as I walk up to the door, hoping I can explore the inside of the church

 The exterior door was open, but sadly the interior door was locked.

I loved everything about this door, the knob, the hanging chain, the weathered wood, with a somewhat new coat of paint on it.

 Around the back was a water pump, of course I had to try it out!

It was fully functional.

Overlooking the graveyard was an eagle carved out of an old fallen tree.

Such a detailed work of art. 

The eagle sits upon a wooden cross, an extension of the tree stump.

Check out the eagles face...so sad

Do you think the artist meant for the eagle to look sad?

I just find it interesting, your thoughts... 

  

Road trippin

 I always take the 2nd week of December off.

 I enjoy having a week to get ready for Christmas, but one of my favorite things to do is to 

head up to Champlin MN to spend a day with my sister. 

We shop and eat and just enjoy having some quality time together. 

Me and my sis at my favorite restaurant, Granite City

I stay the night and then the whole next day I have to spend it as I wish....

This year I decided to hit the road and visit the sweet little town of Stillwater, Mn. 

I decided to focus on the beautiful homes in Historic Stillwater, 

so much character, color and dimension in these beauties...

 I love the clash of the yellow with the red roof

 So much detail... hard to capture it all from a distance. 

 Love, love the details of this home, from the porch to the hand painted sections,

 and look at those shingles....sweet!

Love the stone wall in front of this classic.

 Notice the cute little white addition that comes off the back of this house.

 The colors... the cute little windows way up high,

 the red pin-stripe near the roof and the porch... I want!

 The arches, stone foundation, so many lines  and bump-outs...love this one too.... i cant decide which one I want the most  :)

 Ann Beam Mansion, Bed & Breakfast

Ditto....Love it

 I could go on and on.... But I need to stop the madness at some point.

I've included a few bonus shots from my visit to Stillwater...

Minnesota Zephyr

The Stillwater City Council has given Minnesota Zephyr dinner train ower Dave P. 45 days to remove two abandoned Locomotives from his property.... See Article here

Yummy candy store, yes I went in, and yes I bought lots of taffy

Cool painting on the side of a building

 Oops.... forgot a row   :)

Hoar frost... it was everywhere 

 did you all see it ? 

~ ~ ~

I was also able to squeak a visit in with my sister-in-law Michelle, who lives just outside of Stillwater. We had a nice visit, and I got to enjoy a bowl of her yummy home made soup and warm biscuits, right out of the oven...Thanks Michelle   :)

A time to Remember

The Angel of Hope is one of more than 50 Christmas Box Angels throughout the world that are gathering places for anyone grieving the loss of a child of any age, for any reason.

Amazingly there is one just a few minutes from my sister's home. Each year on December 6th at 7pm, my sister, her husband and their 2 children go to this place to remember Isaac...their baby boy who died minutes after his birth.

This year I was able to join them

A little history about this statue

The Christmas Box Angel Statue was introduced to the world in the book The Christmas Box, a worldwide bestseller and hit television movie by author Richard Paul Evans. In the book, a woman mourns the loss of her child at the base of an angel monument. Though the story is mostly fiction, the angel monument once existed but is speculated to have been destroyed. The new angel statue was commissioned by Richard Paul Evans, in response to reports that grieving parents were seeking out the angel as a place to grieve and heal. The monument was dedicated on December 6, 1994-corresponding with the date of the child’s death in The Christmas Box

Around the base of the angel statue are individual pavers each block is engraved with a childs name .

On December 6th of each year (7 p.m. MST) a candlelight healing ceremony is held at the base of the Christmas Box Angel monument. After a few remarks, and a moment of silence,  the attendees are invited to leave a white flower at the base of the angel statue.

Remembering Baby Isaac.... Always in our hearts

Shopping day

Yesterday...

...was my annual December shopping trip with my sister.

~

My favorite place to shop in all of Minnesota

Maple Grove, just 20 minutes from my sis's house.

It's a fun place to go especially around Christmas time

It's an outdoor mall, with lots of cool shops and yummy places to eat

You walk from shop to shop, Christmas music playing on outside speakers

It's very festive.

Time goes by way to fast, but we have fun with the time we share.

The next morning, my sis and her husband were off to work

so I got to spend some time with these two

My nephew Sam, and niece Jensen

I drove the kids to school then spent a few hours shopping by myself....

Back to Rochester I went....

to my quiet little town where I can appreciate how easy it is to get around.

I love the twin cities ( it's a nice place to visit) but I wouldn't want to live there.