Sam and Melissa's Family Blog

Ireland

2009-12-06T20:45:00.000-08:00

My sweet parents, Ken and Becky Berge, are still in love after all these years!

Here I am, loving this gorgeous day!

I loved this old fence line with the fall colors behind it.

David and Melanie, you are going to be the BEST PARENTS ever!

Ireland

2009-12-06T20:38:00.000-08:00

Here we are on the "ship" looking down on the coming passengers .

The ship workers.

Coming to America for the Irish immigrants.

Here is Charisma posing on the "American" side.

Ireland

2009-12-06T20:32:00.000-08:00

Lovely scenery! Everything was so GREEN!

I don't know if horses can look Irish, but for some reason this one did to me!

The Ulster Museum takes you through the history of Ireland and you go all the way to "America" on a ship and come out visiting American history that the Irish people experienced. It was very well done!

Here is the city street on the Irish side.

Ireland!

2009-12-06T20:24:00.000-08:00

My beautiful sister Melanie with her baby Mariah Grace!

The proud grandparents....Berges and Darraghs!

Charisma and I had the privilege of visiting the Darraghs in Northern Ireland for 12 days the end of September. It was so great to be with them all. It was also fun to overlap my parents' stay for a couple days. Here we are at the Ulster American Folk Museum near Strabane.

The new and improved David Darragh Family! Congrats on the most beautiful baby ever, guys!

Fall Fishing!

2009-12-06T20:16:00.000-08:00

Dad is the best! He knows all the tricks to lure in the fish! He also knows how to keep a pontoon full of kids happy. Notice the bananas, cashews, and the old standby.....beef jerky! It always works to have snacks and water along!

Reuben

Amelia

Fall Fishing

2009-12-06T20:07:00.000-08:00

Charisma

Katrina

Erina

Annika

Becca turns 12 on Sept. 20th!

2009-12-05T18:06:00.000-08:00

Becca's request was to go fishing with the whole family on the pontoon, so we did and it was a lovely evening!

Here she is with a nice crappie!

Then we finished the night off with Poppyseed Torte! (Great Grandma Berge's recipe) What could be better?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BECCA!

Simeon Olaf turns 2!

2009-12-05T17:58:00.000-08:00

To celebrate, we took the 2 yr. old out to eat and shopping for a birthday balloon! He was thrilled to be KING for the day!

Strawberry shortcake and ice cream topped off with candles will bring smiles to any face!

Sporting his new haircut, he decided it was time to grow up and learn big boy things like how to work a fishing pole!

September Memories

2009-12-05T17:40:00.000-08:00

Brutus, our little rat terrier, had the unfortunate experience of being run over by a hay wagon! He chewed the first cast, so the vet put this cute little collar on him. He looked like a circus dog! Becca and Ginger are pictured here with our little wounded soldier.

Here was our supper! Duck and rabbit BBQ style, with sweet corn from the garden! Delicious!

Following violin lessons, our kids dressed up with the Demmers and Hicks and put on a back to school skit. Notice Jakob in the purple wig and hot pink formal! I couldn't believe he let me take a picture! We will have to show it at his wedding someday!

Fall Beauty

2009-12-05T17:24:00.000-08:00

Apples are plenty!

The front patio view where we spend most evenings.

The fields are turning golden!

Another lovely sunset. Notice the wind towers that we can now see from our yard.

Harvest Time!

2009-12-05T17:16:00.000-08:00

Simeon's tomato delivery! He would load up the back of his truck and drive them over to the processing center. Wash, cut, blend and cook.

Here is the saurkraut after its curing time in the big crock. Yum!

One batch of tomatoes taking their hot water bath!

Broccoli and green beans and the blessing of a happy Charisma!

September '09!

2009-11-24T21:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Charisma! It is hard to believe she is now 14! She had been saying for months that the only thing she REALLY wanted for her birthday was a camera! I think she was pleased!

The AWANA float for the Tracy Box Car Days Parade!

Here we are all lined up catching the parade after riding on the float.

We had a great group of kids to ride along and sing the AWANA songs!

Movie Night!

2009-10-27T13:55:00.000-07:00

Friday night is generally movie night at our house. On this night we had the Schwartz kids over and everyone was lined up on the sofa!

Even Charisma and Annika managed to squeeze into the recliner!

Simeon just couldn't hold out for the entire movie, and he fell asleep in the strangest position on the back of the sofa!

August Summer Moments

2009-10-26T21:21:00.000-07:00

Amelia being a "lady" at Alan and Holly Zeug's wedding! It was a PERFECT day!

Typical Saturday morning breakfast table at our house. Blueberry pancakes topped with whipped cream and homemade maple or chokecherry syrup! We had cousin Nat and his friend Luke visiting, as well as Masa for extra guests.

Bet you can't tell it's morning! HA!

Reuben is such a great brother to all his little sisters. He does like to tease them sometimes, but Erina is his special little buddy!

More Wilder Museum

2009-10-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

The old wood cookstove.

One room schoolhouse.

Lovely old antique furniture.

Mural of the Plum Creek dugout.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum

2009-10-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

In August we had the opportunity to host an exchange student through AFS for a few weeks until his permanent host family could have him move in. His name is Masakazu Ishihara and he is from Japan. He was a brave soul to come to a house where he had nine instant siblings when he was used to being an only child, but he was a great sport! We all became attached to him right away! We thought he could see a little local history at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum! Becca and Amelia showing their cooking skills in the hands on kitchen!

Here is Simeon being a little farmer with Masa in the background.

Erina and Charisma found some outfits perfect for playing the pump organ!

Katrina found Daniel Boone!

Berge 30's Bash

2009-10-18T19:26:00.000-07:00

Here we all are at Reptile Gardens. It proved to be another gorgeous day to take in all the reptiles, birds and snakes! We also enjoyed the flowers and museum!

Everyone is all smiles except Simeon who couldn't wait for the show to start! Notice that David and Melanie are all smiles, enjoying their child free summer.....but not for long!

Reuben, Thomas and Simeon enthralled by the swooping birds!

Here we all are, posing for our family picture. For only having 4 children, the clan sure has multiplied! Go Grandma and Grandpa! All 25 of us stayed in a lovely cabin together and shared meals and great times together! What a memory filled vacation!

Mount Rushmore in July!

2009-10-18T19:06:00.000-07:00

In July we took a trip out to the Black Hills with the Berge Family. We were celebrating the fact that all of us (sibling children of Ken and Becky Berge) were in our 30's at the same time! We took in so many sights!

Simeon attempting to look presidential!

We had a gorgeous day for visiting this amazing monument. It was the first time most of our kids had seen it!

Here are the 4 cousins enjoying each other's company every chance they could!

Successful Kite Flying!

2009-10-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

Go Amelia!

Go Becca!

We all enjoyed the fresh air and exercise. Annika and I enjoying ourselves.

Sam climbed up into the top of the shed and peeked out the roof! The kids thought that was great!

Kite Flying!

2009-10-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

After church we came home, ate a yummy lunch and then decided the day was a perfect kite flying day! So we pulled out the kites and gave them a whirl!

Reuben had a smaller version that proved to be a diver, but we still had fun with it. However, by the end of the day it was spent!

"Mom....help!" I even got in on the action of getting the "airplane" kite to go up, up and away!

Simeon enjoyed the knee high clover!

Happy Birthday Katrina!

2009-10-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

On June 28th we celebrated Katrina turning 6! She is becoming quite the young lady and poses here with Amelia and Becca.

Here we celebrated her family birthday party! It was so much fun to see what each sibling came up with for gifts for her.

This was her friend party, and this year she had a playtime with the Hicks family!

It is a wonderful thing to take the time to cherish each child on their special day and let them know how much we love them

. I just LOVE birthdays!

Fishing in SW Minnesota!

2009-10-18T17:18:00.000-07:00

Nate, Antonio and Sam took the boys out fishing, and look what they caught!

I have always been amazed at the good luck Sam has at fishing. It must be some inner instict he has, or maybe just the fact that he is not afraid to work hard at it.

Noe, Sammy and Reuben try their hand at holding it up! Guess it was a little too heavy!

Sahlstrom Camp II

2009-10-18T17:07:00.000-07:00

The water sports are the big attraction at Sahlstrom Camp! Whoever wanted to try tubing, waterskiing, knee boarding, and whatever else they come up with will had the chance to give it a try! You may have to wait your turn, but it proves to be entertaining indeed!

Even Grandma Carol and Grandpa Paul get in on the action! What an amazing duo these two are! They can keep up with all the kids and grandkids like it takes no effort! We all appreciate the wonderful example they are to the rest of us. They love God and each other and they make life richer for everyone who crosses their path. They have an amazing gift of hospitality that they have passed on to each of their children. This is SUCH an important ministry to help encourage others and share God's love with them!

The Three Brothers attempt to get up all at the same time to show the younger generation "how it's done"! I am happy to report that they were successful, and everyone onshore was cheering them on! We decided it should be a yearly tradition. Nothing like a little pressure to stay in shape, huh? I think they have all reached the 40 mark, now!

Simeon just loved the water, and with his little floating swimsuit, it was so nice to know he would be able to get back up again if he wiped out!

Sahlstrom Camp!

2009-10-18T16:47:00.000-07:00

Every Father's Day Weekend, Sam's side of the family packs up and heads for Leisure Lake in northern Wisconson for a 4 day reunion. It has proved to be a great bonding time for us all in the past, and this year was no exception! The weather was gorgeous, and we made some great memories!

The small private lake offers a perfect setting for fishing, swimming and nature hikes. We also can relax in knowing that the kids are surrounded by family.

Here are some of the girls warming up by the campfire before diving back into the water. They pretty much live outside the whole time we are there!

Rook is a favorite Sahlstrom game and the games keep everyone on their toes! I can still remember being shocked at how loud they would all get if someone would play the wrong card! As newlyweds I can recall Sam consoling me, after a heated match, that they aren't really mad, just verbal! Now of course I understand the Sahlstrom way of expressing themselves! It did take me awhile, though!

Swedish Midsummer Festival

2009-10-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

We were able to attend a Swedish Festival on the waterfront of Lake Bemidji. The girls were invited to make a wreath with fresh leaves and flowers to wear during the performance.

Here they all are with their masterpieces.

Kathrin, Katey, Charisma, Annika, Becca,

Amelia, Katrina, Elianna and Erina!

The musicians, which included two nyckelharpa players, were very talented on their instruments and vocals.

Here the dancers are performing an intricate dance where they weave in and out of floral arches.

June trip up north!

2009-10-18T16:09:00.000-07:00

A beautiful rainbow on the evening before we headed North for a June visit.

Here we are at a gorgeous resort owned by Steve and Jayne Rutledge. Sam and Ben did a job for him on the way up.
As you can tell, the rest of us were able to relax on the beach and enjoy the lovely scenery. Amelia and Becca pose on the dock.

Annika and Reuben took the paddleboat for a spin.

Kathrin Diconne extended her stay another month which was great fun to be able to experience Minnesota summertime. She was talking to her sister, Julie, in Germany on the cell phone. What a gorgeous setting!

Open House - Food and Fun!

2009-10-18T15:53:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who made the celebration so successful. Doug Kass fired up his amazing cooker for mouth watering BBQ Pork!

Grandma and Great Grandma Berge helping with the food preparations. Lots of buns to butter!

Cousins around the table enjoying yummy pancakes!

Elijah, Elianna, Erina and Reuben.

Mindy and Ben with baby Liam also came early to pitch in where needed. Thank you to everyone!

Benjamin's Graduation!

2009-10-18T15:36:00.000-07:00

The day finally arrived to graduate our first student from

ARROW ACADEMY!

Benjamin Lewis Sahlstrom

Here they are....Ben and Jacob.....friends since they were babies!

Ben performed his Senior Piano Recital and honored his piano teacher Anna Jeanne Flesner.

Gift of luggage from the Berge Grandparents. This will come in handy for all the trips he will be taking in the future!

Springtime in Minnesota '09!

2009-10-18T15:19:00.000-07:00

Time for mowing lawns.....go Annika!

Time to get the motorcycle out.......go Sam!

Becca is in her glory with the new kittens!

College visits from cousin Nat and his friend from Crown!

More Prom Photos!

2009-05-04T11:59:00.000-07:00

The "group" that shared a table for the dinner. Five of them are exchange students representing Austria, Germany, Thailand, Italy and Switzerland!

All four of the "siblings"! They will miss each other alot when time comes for them to head home.

I thought it was fun to see Annika's hair from the side view. Thanks to Stacy and Sheri Zeug, the made the girls look like princesses! Annika had to spend the morning at the shooting range to finish her Firearms Safety Training. She made it home with her hair done just 15 minutes before they all headed out the door for pictures at the park! She said at least she didn't spend the whole day getting ready like some people! (BOYS!) HA!

I thought this was a great shot of Bombay, Ben and Johannes. They look happy and carefree!

Tracy Prom 2009!

2009-05-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

Well, our kids were all involved in prom this year, so here are a few pictures from the fun weekend. They had fun dressing up and being with friends for the day! It certainly was a whirlwind day, but the weather was gorgeous for it.

Alina and Ben
Poor Alina had to get up at 4:00am and drive home from Chicago that morning! She is an exchange student from Austria. Very sweet!

Annika and Aric
Aric is a friend from church, and he has been a great help with our AWANA program this year. He is great with kids and lots of fun!

Bombay and Megan
Notice Bombay's eye color? Well, he escorted Megan who is a very dear friend of our family and has an amazing singing voice!

Kathrin and Caleb
Caleb is another forever friend of Ben's who has been in our life forever. He is also homeschooled and had a great time teasing Kathrin!

Mall of America and Science Museum

2009-04-26T18:25:00.000-07:00

We were finally able to take our extra "kids" to the Mall of America for a visit! We were at the Science Museum with our MACHEA home school group, so we pulled them out of school for the day so they could join us! After the museum we shopped for a few hours before heading home. Great day!

Here, Ben, Bombay, Kathrin, Annika and Charisma took a shot of their feet on the "home plate"!

Here we are coming down the musical Titanic staircase at the Science Museum. It sure was tempting to play on them all day, but the problem was that everyone else had the same idea, so the music was...well...not really music!

Aaron, Jason, Ben, Bombay and Annika pose as true Viking fans!

Another Nephew!

2009-04-26T17:52:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of shots of Ben and Mindy's newest addition. We were able to see him over Easter, and I could hardly get enough of him. What a little angel he is. Benjamin took these shots and I thought they were darling! We love you little Liam Caron!

More Memories

2009-03-27T20:33:00.000-07:00

This is the view from our room. In the morning we walk out on our little patio and this is what we see. We really love it!

This is the view we get when we step out our front door. There is a Church right across the street, but it does get a little noisy sometimes from the traffic and sounds of motors, so we prefer the ocean side for sure!

We went shopping at Market 28 which is just crowded with sellers and tourists. This is an example of a family who is selling what they make. Bracelets and belts! Notice the little baby who is hanging on her mother's back, sound asleep. We were amazed by them.

This corner of the market interested me greatly. There were musicians and entertainers all along who would perform for you - for a tip of course. So, we had a group serenade us with a "romantica" song. It was beautiful!

More Mexican Sights

2009-03-27T20:11:00.000-07:00

This is a gorgeous pool that winds around and around with little waterfalls at a different resort. We thought it was very pretty!

Imagine our surprise when we saw this cow! It made us think of home except this cow was a PICOWSO - an artsy cow!

These iguanas kept wandering around and we thought we would let you enjoy them, too. This one was very patient for his photo shoot!

Tracy International Weekend

2009-03-26T19:24:00.000-07:00

Our home was filled with music this weekend as we hosted some additional international students from Thursday to Sunday. Here is a picture that Bombay drew with pencil that is amazing! He is great on the piano as well as on the drawing board! Good job Bombay!

Here is Ceasar giving us some great guitar licks!

Here we have Han (South Korea), Bombay (Thailand) and Kathrin (Germany) peeking through in the back!

This is Johannes (Switzerland) and Stephen (China) showing us something on the map..not sure what!

Bright Lights!

2009-03-26T19:20:00.000-07:00

Here is the group of girls that we had at our home last week for Bright Lights. This is an amazing group of girls that Annika and her friend Meri have the privilege of leading in a Bible Study along with crafts and singing every month. It really is neat to see them together all dressed up and ready for a fun evening with encouragement to be a blessing to their families and community.

Cancun Get-a-way!

2009-03-25T18:12:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it! True to our promise to the kids we wanted to post a little update of our time so far. We headed to the airport in Minneapolis this morning at 6am and arrived in Cancun at 2:20 via Dallas/Fortworth. It was a long day but worth it! We are glad to be here at last. It is GORGEOUS!

Here are some cool mosaics that we saw in the airport in Dallas. I thought you might like seeing how detailed they were!

Here is the hotel that we are staying at from the pier. It is very nice and is on the northern side of Cancun where we have never stayed before. The water is more calm here rather than the crashing waves. The weather was partly cloudy today and in the mid 80's. Kind of different from the snow that was falling in Minneapolis this morning!

That is all for today! More will come tomorrow!

Valentines Weekend!

2009-03-06T05:42:00.000-08:00

Here we are singing our hearts out (get it?) at a Valentine Banquet at Shetek Bend for the Tracy Lions Club. This song was
Roses Will Bloom Again three part harmony.

Our newest instrument was an upright bass. We purchased it through a friend of my parents, so they picked it up for us on the way down! We just love the way it adds a joyful beat to our music. It is being played mostly by Becca, although we have been switching off now and then. Here, Grandpa is showing off his incredible jazz style runs. HA!

On Valentines Day, we had a Community Choir concert also held at Shetek Bend. Here are the teens that performed Why Must I Be a Teenager in Love. Although, the conversation determined that there weren't any love romances in the air at the time, but it was still a cute song. Some of us could relate to the falling in love in our teens, though, right? I still can hardly believe that I got married at 19, but I honestly am SO glad that I did! If it is God's will, then there is no mistake!

It was so neat to have Ben and Mindy, Elianna, Mom and Dad, and Sam come to our concert! Charisma and Becca stayed home and babysat for Reuben, Amelia, Katrina, Erina, Simeon and Elijah. They did a great job! Annika, Grandpa and Ben posed for a picture after the concert. They say he is the coolest Grandpa!

Charisma Faith's Baptism

2009-03-06T05:15:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful crowd we had at church the day Charisma was baptized. Most of her favorite cousins were even able to come! It was a great day and one that we will never forget. A baptism is such a stepping stone to a closer walk with God. It is saying goodbye to the old man and welcoming the new creation in Christ! It is also telling the world that "I am making a stand to serve my LORD!"

Here, Charisma was singing When I Call on Jesus and she got a little choked up from the wonderful meaning of the words in the song, so Annika came up to help her through to the end. It was such a perfect song for her, and she had it all memorized when she made the announcement that she wanted to get baptized. It had alot of us in tears, and reports were that there were not too many dry eyes in the whole church!

Next she gave her testimony which also made me cry, but it really told her heart, and that was so refreshing to hear.

Here she is, coming up out of the water as a NEW CREATION! "I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit!"

Random Photos

2009-02-04T07:29:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of our good friend, Maria when she first fell in love! Can't you just see it in her eyes? She and Antonio are great friends from our church. They have 5 children and we love spending time with them all! Sam and Antonio love to hunt and fish together.

Here are the guys after a successful hunt! Reuben, Sam, Roger, Tony and Antonio.

Can you tell the the photographer was NOT on the hunt? HA! Dead giveaway, Ben, in the stark WHITE!

Here is a snap of some of the kids at our Super Bowl Party. We were all engrossed in a couple games of 10,000. Not to brag or anything, but I WON!!!! Gotta show those teens that the adults still come out on top in SOME things, right?

Our Family Picture!

2009-02-03T10:18:00.000-08:00

As you can see, our family has grown a little from last year. Kathrin Diconne from Germany and Bombay Wattanasombat from Thailand are members of our clan for the year. They are both foreign exchange students, one from NACEL Open Door, and the other from AFS USA. We have really enjoyed having them as part of our lives, and they add a new perspective to each day. They have alot to share about their countries, and our lives are enriched a little more with each person we have into our home!

School Pictures 2008-2009

2009-02-03T09:28:00.000-08:00

Benjamin Lewis

Age 17 - Grade 12

Annika Victoria

Age 15 - Grade 10

Charisma Faith

Age 13 - Grade 7

Becca Charity

Age 11 - Grade 5

Reuben Samuel

Age 9 - Grade 3

Amelia Patience

Age 7 - 2nd Grade

Katrina Hope

Age 5 - Grade K

Erina Peace

Age 3 - Preschool

Simeon Olaf

Age 1 - Babyhood!

Children are a blessing from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is HIS reward! Psalm 127

Where have we been?

2008-08-19T12:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I know that there has been a space of time between posts here, but we are not lost to the world, only much better! We have been exploring the world. Now my plan is to bring you up to speed by posting the highlights of our summer month by month! So, bear with me as I attempt to capsule all the fun we have had!

Bunny and Big Boy!

2008-04-17T16:20:00.000-07:00

Well of all the interesting deliveries, the doorbell rang yesterday with a bunny rabbit delivery for the Sahlstrom family! I guess the previous family was running short on bunny rabbit love, so they thought that our home might have a little more to go around. Becca was instantly hooked, and feverishly set about learning all she could about the ins and outs of rabbit care. It has been a wonderful distraction for the little people, especially during Unit Study. They were all hovering around the cage, watching with delight to see what he will do next! Becca renamed him Cotton, deciding that having 2 Sams in the house might be a little much!

Here is Simeon's attempt at being a "BIG BOY"! He thinks he is quite the man now that he can pull himself up on things.

After letting go with one hand, he quickly realized that this could be rather dangerous if gravity got the better of him!

One more close up of those pretty pink eyes. Becca has taken TONS of pictures of poor little Cotton. He must be seeing stars in those pink eyes! We will see how long the bunny rabbit romance stays with us!

Butterflies, Buddies and Babies!

2008-04-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

Well, here are some sure signs of SPRING! We took a field trip over to Sioux Falls to visit the Sertoma Butterfly House. It was just lovely to see all the gorgeous flowers and butterflies peacefully flying around in the tropical climate. If you need a quiet get-away, then we recommend a visit here!

Butterflies are amazing creatures, and we really enjoyed each and every variation of colors against the lovely flower blooms!

Best buddies.....most of the time! Katrina and Erina all dressed up alike and posing for a picture. This was taken by one of their big sisters.

Baby Lila Marie, daughter of friends Jake and Erin from church, is being loved on by Amelia. Of course at Tracy Alliance, babies are the most popular with all ages. Before we know it we will have baby chicks, and today someone delivered a pet rabbit. These just have to be signs of SPRING!

Global Warming?????

2008-04-11T14:31:00.000-07:00

Well, as we sit through another spring blizzard, I have to laugh at the whole idea of global warming. I think NOT! Every week we seem to be getting lots of lovely white flakes dumped onto the lovely little sprigs of green that are bravely trying to poke their little heads up, but I guess that is part of the adventure of living in Minnesota, right? I have to admit that it feels so freeing to have events cancelled! I seem to get so much done on those days. Don't ask why, but it is true. So, if winter wants to hang out for a few more weeks, I guess that would be OK with me, there are still some more closets that need to be deep cleaned! Yeah!

2008-03-31T17:03:00.001-07:00

Minnesota Winter Ice Fishing

2008-01-18T14:25:00.000-08:00

It really is something how the lake freezes over in the winter and allows us the privilege of walking on water....well frozen water that is. Sam is always in the mood for fishing, and when we get a chance to visit the north woods, he makes a point of packing all the necessary ice fishing gear. We all enjoy getting out in the fresh snowy world to get a new perspective every now and again! Here are some shots of fishing on Grace Lake near my parents' home.

Here is Auntie Melanie with Amelia on the sled!

This is Melanie's "very" special friend from Ireland, David. He truly had a new experience being on the ice and perfecting the skill of placing a "wee minnow" on the hook for a chance at the BIG one lurking under the ice somewhere!

Here, Annika is posing with Aunie Mel again, trying to keep warm on a sunny winters day! I must admit that there is just something about these Minnesota winters! Gotta love them! All we have to do is think about the 95 degree humid summers and then our hearts warm at the thought of a cup of hot chocolate or warm tea by the fireplace instead! Ahhhhh, the bliss of it all!

Our Sweet Tree!

2007-12-28T20:18:00.000-08:00

Sam and I went out on a snowy night with a flashlight to pick the perfect tree! It was so much fun and very romantic! The kids were SO excited to start decorating, so we did a little bit and sang some Christmas carols and then it was time for bed! The next day we put the finishing touches on!

2007-12-11T13:10:00.000-08:00

2007 Christmas greetings from SW MN! We are so thankful for the way that all of you are a blessing in our lives. Life is rich with the blessing of family and friends! We wanted to touch base with you all and let you know what is up with the SAHLSTROM FAMILY! You can also check our blog, but here is a little journey up the line from youngest to oldest!

As you can tell from the picture, we added little Simeon Olaf to the family on Sept. 16th! He is such a delight and quite a little man already. Since he weighed in at 10lbs. 15oz., he certainly had a headstart on life. Although, his little cousin Elijah (10 days younger - son of Ben and Mindy Caron) seems to be passing him up already! These are the best days though, when they coo and smile. It melts our hearts! Erina Peace is now 2 and delights us with her cute little sentences. She is a gentle helper with baby, and just adores her daddy! She reminds me of Annika when she was little! Katrina Hope is now 4 and is loving her school time and art. She is the newest solo singer with some little dramatic one liners in some of our family songs. She is a quiet girl with a love language that needs and gives lots of hugs and kisses! Amelia Patience (6) is a little fireball of energy, as a lot of you know! She is learning violin, and is constantly playing songs by heart on the piano. She plays hard and sometimes has a tendency to run over others, but this can be a great quality of leadership if it is fostered properly! She has a beautiful smile! Reuben Samuel (8) is our detail man! In his free time he can be found drawing amazing pictures. They often follow the history subject that we are studying. His other big interest is being outside building forts or excavating antique treasures. He has found a 1944 wheat penny and a 1950 silver dime in the garden soil! He is definitely a nature guy! Becca Charity (10) would have to get the drama queen title! She is also a lover of music and is often singing her heart out. She loves to plan dramatic plays for the younger kids, put on tea parties or make up her own recipes. She is also playing basketball again this year with our homeschool team, the COYOTES! She has become quite a young lady this past year. Charisma Faith (12) is the book lover of the family. She devours books at an alarming rate, and I cannot believe how her spelling has improved just from reading! Wow! She is such a great help with little Simeon, and I appreciate that immensely! She is taking piano this year again, and enjoys playing in her free time. She is a people person, and loves to spend time with company. She also has the very best memory from names to places. We would be lost without her! Annika Victoria (14) has turned into a lady! She would probably laugh at that, but it is so neat to see them taking responsibility for all areas of their life, including ministry. She and a friend started a Bright Lights group that is a mentoring program for girls. They meet monthly with girls 9-12. Great ministry. She also plays violin, piano, and some guitar and mandolin. Basketball has been interesting for her being one of only 2 girls on the co-ed team, and she played volleyball for our homeschool team, ENDURANCE. Then comes Benjamin Lewis (16) who finally can DRIVE! YES! I am so glad that this chapter has come. I don't have to be the taxi driver anymore, and better yet, he enjoys it! We have been enjoying his computer/MP3/video/photo passion, and he has been helping others by putting together Power Point productions. He won a movie making contest with a friend this year that starred Reuben and his friends' little brother. It is neat to see what they can come up with sometimes! He has enjoyed volleyball this year, and is now also on the basketball team. Our homeschool group provides great opportunity for the kids to get the athletic need fulfilled! For more Ben facts, visit his blog! There is a link on our family blog.

So, now for the OLDEST two! Sam and I are both getting up there in the 30's, and it seems kind of funny! Gray hair? Sore muscles? This is a new chapter! I have to say that it is also a rewarding time since we are seeing some of the fruit of our labor from these past 18 years of married life! Before we know it we will be sending the arrows out on their life journeys! Our homeschool, ARROW ACADEMY, had been a highlight for us as we get to spend priceless time together. This past May we were able to take a trip out to Virginia and DC! What memories we made. We were able to see Jamestown and Williamsburg plus Virginia Beach. The kids loved our time out there, and since it was the Quadracentennial of the founding of Jamestown, we were able to see some amazing living history! Our unit study for History has been one of our favorite parts of school. Also this year, Sam and I are in charge of the Youth at church. We have been doing The Way of the Master and it has been so challenging. If you have not done it, we strongly recommend it! It stresses having compassion for the lost and being willing to share the hope of the gospel with them. We are also working with AWANA on Wednesdays, and Ben and Annika are junior leaders as well. We have a great group of kids each week. Sam has been keeping very busy with the business. He passed his Master Plumbers exam this year, and that was a big answer to prayer! He has Scott Schwartz, Ben Elson and Nate Mix working right now, and Lois Johnson comes weekly to to bookwork. They are all amazing, and we appreciate all that they do! Sam has so many opportunities to reach out to people when he is in their homes. It is like being a missionary disguised as an HVAC guy! Pretty neat opportunities. Last week he had a lady say that she was SO GLAD that her heat went out after he shared the Lord with her. Interesting! As for myself, I still enjoy being an at home mom! There are days when it is very challenging, but I can truly say that I am never bored! There is always something to do! School takes a big chunk of my time. Adding Katrina to the number of students made 7 now, so it is alot, but the older students are mostly on their own for most subjects. I must admit, however, that I have been dreaming about a trip to the ocean......hmmm. Time away with Sam is coming due, I think! HA! It has been fun for us to do that every few years. Other than that, we have had a blessed year, always enjoying God's creation when we can. Fishing, camping, gardening, swimming in the new pond, taking long walks, picking berries, hunting with Ginger our golden retreiver/lab, riding 4-wheelers, building forts in the woods and now making snow angels. Hopefully we will get a perfect snowman day before too long! One thing about MN is the great variety of seasons we can enjoy.

We are also wanting to recommend a book that has had an impact on us this year, The Heavenly Man. It is a story that really puts life in perspective for us as Christians living in America. We are SPOILED! China and some other countries do not have the freedoms we have here. The sad thing is that we are seeing these freedoms quickly fade away. We are also very excited to see Dr. Ron Paul running for president this year! He is the only candidate that we have found who holds to the founding fathers' intent for a Constitutional Republic. This, fo course is what made America great! It has been a long time since a man of his impeccable character has run for office. His theory is to say no to big government and let each person take responsibility for themselves, rather than paying the government to do it for us. Google him and study for yourselves. If you have found a candidate that is on the same track, let us know. It is a big job to study each one running, but it is also SO important as a God given responsibility for us here in America! Remember also to PRAY for our leaders.

Well, we hope and pray that each of you has a wonderful Christmas season with those you love! We also thank you all for being an encouragement to us. We have been so blessed to know each and every one of you. Please stop by and visit us anytime you can. We love the fact that we are a good stop-over point for some of you who are traveling north or south, east or west! Just know that you are always welcome!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Sahlstrom Family!
Sam & Melissa
Benjamin, Annika, Charisma, Becca, Reuben, Amelia, Katrina, Erina and Simeon!

Bemidji Cousins

2007-11-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend up north with the Berge clan! It was great to see everyone again! Matt and Beth were moved into their new house and Ben and Mindy also have moved into the "cottage" by my Grandma Berge's home! The other exciting thing was being able to see Melanie's pictures from her Ireland trip. Absolutely beautiful! Here are some pictures of our time together.

Mindy and Elijah with Melissa and Simeon

Simeon Olaf and Elijah Kenneth
The two little cousins will have so much fun together in the future! Only 10 days apart

The same goes for Erina and Elianna. Even at a year apart, they are very close in size. I am thrilled to have nieces and nephews for my kids to play with! We were also able to spend time with Katey and Thomas. What sweet cousins we have been blessed with! Thank you Lord!

2007-10-31T15:02:00.000-07:00

Becca did not get to celebrate her birthday with her friends since it was the week the baby was born, so after talking to her friend, Mariah Hicks, she found out that her July birthday was also needing to be celebrated! So they had a combined party! It proved to be a wonderful day, indeed!

Here is Reuben explaining how the apples get washed and moved down the assembly line at the APPLE ORCHARD! We had a wonderful time on the hayride and also spending time with friends from the MACHE home school group.

YUMMY! Crisp and delicious Honeycrisp apples!

Erina thought that the corn filled boat was the highlight of the afternoon! She would just lay there moving her hands and feet around. I could also tell that it was naptime for her! I was even tempted to crawl in beside her and take a snooze! Thank you Lord for the beauty of autumn!

Celebrations!

2007-10-17T09:08:00.001-07:00

Simeon has turned 1 month old already! It has been such a wonderful time of getting to know him and getting acquainted with his little personality. For the most part he is very content, but when he wants to eat...look out! He definitely lets us know he has lungs and a voice!

We also have another reason to celebrate, and that is the fact that 18 years ago Sunday (14th) Sam and I were married on a beautiful fall day in the northwoods! How quickly time flies! I have to say that I am most definitely the happiest wife in the whole world. (I am sure a lot of you out there would say the same.) Sam has been so good to me and the children. He truly meets the standard of a godly father and husband, and for this I am so grateful to the Lord for blessing me with him! I also look forward to many more years as his blessed wife! Yesterday we had a visit from a dear "grandma" from our church, Marie Flesner. She has been married for 60 some years! Now that is something wonderful. What a testimony that can be to the world.

A Promising Presidential Candidate

2007-10-12T15:11:00.000-07:00

Word has it that if the election were held this very day on the Internet, Ron Paul would be the man! So, why do we not hear a word about this modern day "Thomas Jefferson" in the media? It is because they don't want us to hear about him! He has a proven track record of voting 100% according to the Constitution. How many times to you hear of Congressmen doing that these days? Well, we are excited to finally see a man of principle running on the Republican ticket for a change. We were beginning to feel hopeless! If you have not researched the candidates, please do so now before the MN caucus sneaks up on us on Feb. 2nd. Time goes quickly, and we must know who deserves our support in this most important position of leading our country. Google Ron Paul and check him out! I think you will find his views refreshingly American! Also, remember to PRAY for our leaders now and those future leaders that they will remain true to God as they fill these important positions.

The Catfish That Got CAUGHT!

2007-10-02T15:05:00.000-07:00

Not only can Sam catch big babies.....he can also catch the big fish! His latest challenge has been catching catfish on Lake Shetek! This one was a whopper and the kids all had to get out of bed to check it out! He smoked it in the smokehouse, and it is delicious! It weighed 14 pounds!

Last night little Simeon and I (Melissa) had the honor of being Sam's fishing buddies, but even though we caught 9 cats, none of them were huge like this one. It was a lovely evening though, and we enjoyed the sunset out on the dock. The evenings will now be getting cooler, so it was nice to enjoy being out on such a nice night!

Ben thought it was a good bicep builder.....

Becca was just barely able to hold it off the floor........

Annika....well let's just say we all know the story of the frog prince.... but I doubt the catfish prince will come of this attempt, no matter how much wishing goes on!

The Sahlstrom CBOX!

2007-09-28T18:33:00.000-07:00

http://Sahlstrom.cbox.ws

You can leave us a message! We are goofing around and found this little thing. Who knows if we will like it or not, but we thought we would give it a try! Hope everyone is having a wonderful end of September! We are loving the fall days. Tomorrow we will do one last batch of tomatoes and press some apples for cider! Yum! We will try and get some good pictures to post! Bye for now!

Enjoying Little Simeon!

2007-09-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

Big brother Benjamin is soaking in the reality of another little brother. What a responsibility. We figured out that when Simeon is 16, Ben will be 32! Doesn't that bend your mind a little? It sure did give us an interesting picture of what the future might look like! Hmmm.......

Big sister Annika was such a help this past week. She was more the mother who was mothering her mother! It was kind of fun to be on the receiving end of her hospitality. I felt very spoiled to say the least!

Big sister Charisma giving him his first kiss on the head while he is not even 1 hour old! What a sweet moment to cherish. Charisma, Becca, Reuben, Amelia and Katrina were honored to be invited to go to Milaca to spend time with Grandpa and Grandma Sahlstrom from Sunday until Friday. They had a BLAST! It also made for a nice quiet week here and boy did that make a difference for being able to rest! Thank you Grandpa and Grandma!

Now we are back to activity as usual! Little Simeon can sleep through a lot though!
We love you little one!

The Name Game Results!

2007-09-19T18:15:00.000-07:00

Simeon Olaf
10 lbs 15 oz
21 1/2 inches long
Sept. 16, 2007

7:30 am

We have finally come to the final choice in names. Many of you knew what a wonderful Great Grandfather my children have had the opportunity of getting to know before he went to heaven ahead of us, however little Simeon will never have that chance. Therefore how fitting to be named after such a wonderful hero in his lineage. Great Grandpa Olaf Alan Berge left a wonderful heritage to each of us and was a patriarch to be honored. Together we will tell the stories of the memories we have so that little Simeon will have appreciation for the man we all loved here on this earth.

When Sam saw the size of Simeon's hands, he made the statement that he sure is a "little Ole"! Grandpa had hands that had seen some tough days! He was a welder and machinist and there were definite signs of hard work that showed in the scars and callouses, but what a thing to be proud of! He created so many things that to this day are testimony of a man that could work hard and succeed at seemingly impossible tasks! This name will be one to truly aspire to!

Precious Baby Pictures!

2007-09-16T09:38:00.000-07:00

Dad with Baby... the name has not been decided yet. We took a vote, the choices being Olaf or Simeon. The votes 7 for Simeon and 3 for Olaf. Dad, being in favor of Olaf, needs to work on his convincing a little more. :)

Everyone, except Benjamin (He was and still is in Spencer Iowa) was happy to welcome the baby to the Sahlstrom family!

Taking turns at holding our new precious brother!
Reuben, Katrina and baby!

Amelia and the baby

A HUGE Blessing!

2007-09-16T07:34:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to share that we have a baby boy! He was born this morning at 7:30 after a 2 hour labor. We were shocked to see that he weighed a whopping 10 lbs 15 oz! WOW! He was 21 1/2 inches long - definitely a record for our family!

The two proud parents; Sam and Melissa Sahlstrom

The feet! We are all amazed at how big he is!

Everyone is waking up, Erina was quite surprised to see her new baby brother!

Good Job Mom! We love you!
I was honored to help with the birth again this year. After helping with Erina's birth, I wouldn't have missed this one for anything! Mom went into labor around 5:30. It went so fast! The Midwife Diane Adamski actually made it this time! We will post more photos soon!

Annika (the reporter)

Still Waiting!

2007-09-13T15:49:00.000-07:00

No baby news yet, but only the fact that the time can only be getting closer! We have a busy weekend coming up, so it will make it very interesting to see what will happen! Time will only tell. We are enjoying this fall like weather with campfires in the evening. The kids have been roasting apples over the fire, so that is keeping them very entertained. They also have a fort that has been taking a lot of their energy, so that is nice as well. Other than that, we had our big AWANA kick-off last night which went extremely well. Kids came with their parents and we had a build your own ice cream sundae! YUM! Sam, Ben, Annika and I are all working with AWANA this year, and Charisma, Becca, Reuben and Amelia are clubbers. Katrina has a Cubbie book that she works on in the nursery where she and Erina hang out for the evening. I imagine the baby will tag along with me most of the time when he arrives! Well, we will be keeping you all posted when the big news arrives!

The "Wedding" Pictures!

2007-09-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I promised to capture some of the playing "wedding", so here it is! Of course the bride was the birthday girl, Charisma, with her flower girls - Amelia, Katrina and Erina. They went out early in the morning and picked tons of flowers for their bouquets.

There were 5 bridesmaids and Annika was the pastor. They tried to convince Reuben to participate, but the large number of girls was a little intimidating! Pictured above are...

Cecelia Trejo, "Pastor" Annika and Noelle Ziemke.

All 6 sisters in their full attire!

The "bride" with the delicious wedding cake!

So there you have it! The joys of being girls!

More Gardening and Flowers!

2007-09-09T18:17:00.000-07:00

We had to laugh at the broccoli sizes, as there was a size to match everyone! Erina just had to take a bite of the delicious green stuff! Katrina, Amelia and Reuben had a little more self control. I have to admit that our kids do love to graze in the garden and the yard as often as they can. They are often eating berries, cherries, apples, tomatoes, and whatever else looks edible. Wood sorrell is another favorite. It must be ok, though, because they haven't seemed affected by eating anything strange. I don't really think that other people think it is "normal" to do that, but oh well! They just love it!

The girls picked a lovely bouquet of flowers from all around the yard and sent little Erina in with it! How fun to receive such a love filled gift!

Thank you Grandma for taking the time to spend with us last week! We were so blessed to have you here, and we look forward to another visit soon! You are a blessing and you make each one of our lives a little bit richer every time we see you!

Gardening Highlights

2007-09-09T17:58:00.000-07:00

These were some carrots that we pulled the other day! They were nice, juicy and sweet!

My mom came and spent a couple days and we canned pizza sauce! After adding the fresh herbs, garlic and onions we had an interesting mix of colors with the tomatoes. The whole house smelled like a pizza factory! YUM!

Sam had this huge kettle made which we use for EVERYTHING! It can hold 20 gallons and it has had so much use. We make cheese, boil down maple sap, cook tomatoes and everything in it. It can fit over all 4 burners on the stove, or we usually use it in the garage on a gas burner that doubles as a big griddle. Sam found it in someones basement, and they wanted to sell it! We have been so grateful for it!

Baby Update!

2007-09-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

Well, patience is a virtue, right? We have all been so excited to see this baby #9, but he must be so cozy in his little world that he is going to take his sweet time to make the grand entrance! After my midwife had seen my dates, measurements and ultrasound she thought that this baby was coming the end of August or very early September. However, my feelings were pointing more to today as my due date! Hmmm. Without a doubt, my track record of going "overdue" has proven to be pretty strong, so we continue to enjoy the days......and......wait! I know that the Lord's timing is always perfect, so I can rest in that!

In the meantime, we have a houseful of girls today who are playing "wedding" since we gave Charisma a most beautiful wedding dress for her birthday! I will try to capture some photos of this to post! I am so glad that the girls have friends that are not afraid to still play "dress up"! How fun!

We covet your prayers for this birth, and will let you know the BIG NEWS when we know something! Enjoy these early days of autumn, eat some apples (ha) and live each moment to the fullest!

Charisma is 12!

2007-09-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe, but 12 years ago today we welcomed Charisma Faith into our family! She has been such a blessing to our family and is growing into a beautiful young lady! Her favorite thing in the whole world to do is READ, READ, READ! If she ever has a spare moment, that is exactly what we will find her doing! She also enjoys biking, swimming, puzzles, piano, mandolin, dulcimer, singing and babysitting. HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHARISMA!

Family Photos

2007-09-05T14:44:00.000-07:00

Joining the Ranks in the BLOG WORLD!

2007-09-05T05:11:00.000-07:00

Well, the time has come! We have so many fun things going on around our little hobby farm that we want to share with you all, so we have decided that the easiest way is to join the ranks of the bloggers! Life is just too good to not share, don't you agree? So, stay tuned for some of the Sahlstrom Family adventures!