What a way to end the year - 3 dads with their college sons hunting and having a great time - I got called to go over and take this picture what they didn't realize it that..........
I took this one as I was leaving - look who gets to do all the cleaning :) too funny - I have to laugh!!!!
This is a picture from Monday at Grandma Pollemas house - just love the picture so wanted to share it with you all!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Marcus surprised Karlie Friday night with Lady Antebellum tickets in Sioux City - it is her birthday January 15 and he took her to this concert for her birthday - he really surprised her - she had no clue and they had a great time there - and had very awesome seats too!!
Saturday evening we went as a family to the restaurant Braccos in Sioux Falls for supper and then to see the lights at Falls Park this picture and the next 2 are from the top of the tower - they were gorgeous and we had a great time
These next two are next to the falls on the east side - we walked all around and also rode through - had a great time
It was a bit windy but not too cold for December - they had lights that changed colors on the falls and just happened to get this picture with the green in the back :)
Jake Granstra-Patrick Kooima-David Buyert-Jacob Faber - and Marcus -5 high school buddies got together on Friday after Thanksgiving and had a great day hunting!!!! That evening then Patrick's parents had a big pheasant fry for them all - was a great break for them from college and they had gorgeous weather that day too which made it even better!!! In two weeks they will all be home for Christmas break - looking forward to that as well!!!
This is our family picture taken before church on Thanksgiving morning - hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving and enjoy this Holiday season!!
And of course one of just the teenagers and Paco - we had a very nice day enjoying time together!!
This was before the last game on Saturday at Applebees - and yes I have a pink stripe in my hair - I bought pink hair spray and the girls thought that I should get into the game so I let them give me a pink stripe just like they all did - Fun times!!!
This was the maroon out at the first game against Carroll Keumper - won in 3 games!!
Jamie with Abby and Alissa the Pollema twins after the game(Alissa plays and Abby was a manager)
Game 2 against Grundy Center was a black out - won in 4 games - lost first game 24-26 won game 2 and 3 score was 26-24 both games and won last game 25-18 - Fun match and very exciting and the girls didn't give up!!
After the game with all the sophomore players - awesome group of friends that Jamie has!!
Interesting day today - had a few new things that have never had before - made for a fun day - 1st was this one - Mike had a bucket set that had two coons caught in the same trap!!
2nd he caught a coyote in a snare - was too fun - and it was kinda funny too - the fence on the top was an electric one and it was hot!!!!!!!!!
The coyote got caught - wrapped itself around the fence and then fell off the ledge - well Mike and Marcus both got shocked twice before they got him out - Jamie and I just watched and giggled a little - we didn't offer to help - but they did a great job and didn't wreck the fence at all in the process.
Two guys pretty proud of this one!!!
Jamie loves to help with the muskrats and she always keeps it fun and interesting too
Yep - enough said
Day one was very successful - it is and was extremely windy here today and yesterday and all night long - so many bigger animals than normal on first day. 
Here are the beautiful ladies that I will be with this weekend on our annual shopping trip to Mpls., MN - this is from 2009 = we almost have it down to a science and we all work well together - we are very good coupon and deal shoppers and love helping each other out and love love that MN is tax-free.
Looks like we did pretty well that year - hope Mpls is ready for us this year !!! 2 more sleeps and here we come!! I think that the pizza delivery guy actually took this picture for us - too funny!!!
Northwestern played Buena Vista on Monday night and beat them 20-6. Marcus had many friends and family at the game - was a beautiful night for football and just love this picture with Grandpa and Grandma Pollema!! Fun times
This is Jamie and Josie Kollis - they do bout everything together - well today they went a little too far. Jamie got up this morning at 4am and started to throw up - went to check on her and yep not feeling well at all - running a temp and has the flu. Well, went on the computer this morning and Josie facebooked Jamie at 3am this morning that she was up because she was sick and not going to school so not riding with Jamie. WOW - they even get sick at the same time!! They had a volleyball tournament on Saturday and know of at least 3 of the girls, 3 sisters, a father and the coach that are all sick today.... hope it doesn't last long and not too many more get it!!!
Friday night - Western Wolfpack had their first football game of the season(yes before school even started) THey won in double overtime 25-24 against Sx City North - it was SO FUN!!! Saturday Mike and I canned 14 jars of spaghetti sauce, 6 more jars of pickles and made potato salad - cleaned up kitchen and then we went to Alcester steakhouse for supper - was wonderful!!!
Sunday we went to visit Marcus at Northwestern and bring him another truck load from home!! Here are some pics of his dorm room. His bunk is the top one (so proud it was even made!!!) we took him a piece of carpet......
a couch....
hammer and nails so he could hang up his white board...
a better office chair and some chips and salsa to share with his friends!!
We took him out for supper to Quiznos and then headed back home but not before a quick pic with sis....
Can tell Marcus has been outside lots this past week - 3 practices a day and a nice tan and smile on his face..... and then today
Jamie went off to school for the beginning of her sophmore year!!!!
Jamie took golf at Western last year and she golfed with Marcus' clubs - her coach told her she needed longer clubs(she has LLLOOONNNGGG legs) so her dad bought her some for her birthday this year!!
They are long womens clubs and so far she is hitting the ball pretty well - I have a feeling in a year or two she might be beating her mom and dad - for sure her mom that is!!
She had a few people over and they were glad to be on the pictures with her showing off her clubs- FUN TIMES!!
Mike, Jamie and I went down to the garden early on Saturday morning and then we got busy - we froze sweet corn, made potato salad with fresh potatoes and onions from the garden, then we canned spaghetti sauce with the fresh tomatoes, peppers, and onions and then after dinner.......
We went to the other garden and picked pickles and canned dill pickles and made a cucumber dip for crackers!!! We had an awesome day and everyone helped and it was very rewarding. Fun memories made and we keep learning new things which is always good too!!!
These are sweet pickles that we did last week with the cucumbers - I need to find a good place to store all my jars that are filled if we keep this up!!!
Last week Thursday morning - July 21st - SUNRISE - It was gorgeous!!
One benefit of getting up at 5:30am in the morning !!!!!!!!!!!!
Then Sunday evening Marcus got a call from Patrick Kooima(his friend since birth)-he passed all his tests a few weeks ago and is now a pilot - asked Marcus if he wanted to go for a plane ride - as Marcus was heading for the door - I threw him the camera
Ready to go!!
This is a picture of the back of our house
Here is the front - if you look really close Mike is standing in front of the open garage door and I am on the front lawn and yes we are waving!!!
Main street Rock Valley is running from left to right on this picture between the elevators
Del and Joy Faber's home
My brother Brad and Kerri's farm - very neat pictures and Marcus had a blast!!
After they landed they came back to our place and more guys showed up - they had their weekly Pizza Dip on Sunday nights and then they all loaded up on the bikes and went to one of their classmates(Tyler Van Kley) to wish him well - he left on Monday morning for Basic Training in the Army and won't be back around until Christmas!! Fun Summer Times - the guys did ask where Jamie was - even though they sometimes kick her out of the basement - she got back from Church Convention at 3am Monday morning - she had a great time as well and was extremely tired when she got home!
