The Lamb Castle

Happy Birthday Nette!

2012-02-03T10:48:00.000-06:00

Today Nette turns 20 years old! No longer a teen... We are so thankful for her and willingness to help and teach me how to do Ruby's hair. We love you Nette! Happy Birthday!

Photo's to come after the party!

Hoar Frost makes everything Sparkle!

2012-02-03T10:46:00.001-06:00

I took this photo in our back yard. Photo's don't do the beauty justice... It is icy, sparkly, Exquisit.

Elias stands in front of his stick fort in the snow.

Jesse has really enjoyed his wrestling season.
He and Eric have had a few matches of their own.

I Have A Dream

2012-01-20T11:25:00.003-06:00

I have a dream,

People won’t fight any more.

I have a dream,

There will be no war.

I have a dream,

We’ll all work together

I have a dream,

The Earth will last forever

I have a dream,

All creeds and tongues

will see eye to eye till the work is done

I have a dream,

We will see others worth.

I have a dream,

There is Peace on Earth.

-Heidi Lamb Castle

For Elias Lamb Castle

Elias was asked to recite a poem at University of Minnesota this month in conjunction with Martin Luther King Day and Black History month. I wrote this piece for him.

Celebrating TWO years of Ruby Catherine

2012-01-17T09:23:00.009-06:00

A little play time before bed... on the Eve of her 2nd Birthday.
Ruby loves this guy almost as much as I do... which is A LOT!

17 January 2012~ 2 Years old today~
Picture taken the morning of her 2nd birthday~

When we streach her hair straight it goes down to the middle of her back.
It is thick full and curly~
Thank goodness for Nette for all her wisdom and help!

Sade Catherine, we love you. We remember you every day, but especially today.
The gift you gave us is priceless, a treasure we cherish.
Thank you for your sacrifice.
God Bless you now,
and always.

Happy Birthday to Grandma Wendy too!

Almost 1 year~

About 15 months

Little sack of sugar I could eat you up!

Ruby on the morning of her 2nd Birthday at Dr. Office

At Dr. Bell's Office for her 2-Year check up.

January 2012

2012-01-13T15:49:00.000-06:00

Take note of the doll- Ruby makes sure she is going potty too.

Mid-afternoon tickle contest

I love Elias's reaction as Ruby pushes him around.

Ruby loves pushing Elias o her new riding toy.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-05T12:31:00.003-06:00

50 degree temps made for some very ice sledding days!

Ruby and Elias

Elias and our friend Holly

It is hard to believe she is almost 2 years old.

Ruby loves our dog Honey... Honey puts up with Ruby nicely.

Honey really is the best dog ever

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T14:06:00.002-06:00

Ready for St. NIck?

Merry Christmas! Still a regular day, Yes, that is an entire roll of TP in my toilet.

Decorating with Papa, the best part.

We had a great time this season doing the 12 days of Christmas for an older friend who lives alone. Tonight we went caroling at his home and revealed ourselves as the secret santa. He was moved and we were so happy we got to brighten his season a bit.

Christmas time fun...

2011-12-20T17:28:00.004-06:00

Elias loves our new Nativity. He rearranges it multiple times daily.

Elias was a reverent Shepard in our church's outdoor live nativity. The whole family had a great time participating, the donkey and baby lambs were the highlight.

Preparing the ginger bread to bake~

This is Brandon, the Elf on the Shelf~ He comes to our house every year after Thanksgiving. He watches us closely and then reports back to Santa Clause each night. We are always on our best behavior around Brandon. When he returns to our house each morning he finds a new spot to sit and watch us. We have fun trying to find him every morning.

Need sugar?

Ruby Catherine, ready to go outside~

She is such a happy girl. What a delight!

November Happenings

2011-12-06T09:12:00.001-06:00

Grandpa and Ruby. Ruby adores Grandpa (I think the relationship is mutual).

Heidi and Cory in the hunting shack watching for deer.

Yes, they are so happy together~

We had a wonderful time when G&G visited! They played and helped out SO much!

She has had enough kisses to last till she is 21

Elias and Katelyn reading stories

Game time with the Christiansen Family

Fun at home

Ruby LOVES Jesse

My mom made a Wonderful Carrot cake for my Birthday

Nette and Jesse, arch rivals and best friends all rolled up in one

My dad and I getting ready to go hunting

A wonderful birthday!

Maria was the 1st Place winner at our Pie Party's Ugly Sweater Contest.

Guy and Lindi~ LOVE the sweater!

Corky and Chris, another winning sweater~

Elias is very excited to start Tae Kwon Do~
We love ALL THINGS KOREAN at our house~

We are thankful for life and for living. May everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T14:59:00.004-06:00

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T21:31:00.004-05:00

My favorite Cowboy~

Lady Bug and Little Red Riding Hood

Elias had friends come and decorate cookies for Halloween

Nette and Ruby

Elias, Nette and Ruby. Nette carved pumpkins with the kids while
Eric and I went on a date.

Ruby Bug~ I Love her so much.

Fighting Sue... She is one mean gal.

October

2011-10-18T16:38:00.008-05:00

So, f you wear your costume all month...Are you still a cowboy on Halloween?

Ruby cuddling wth her birth-mother blanket~ We love you Sade!
Ruby and Sade have matching quilts so they can think of each other as they snuggle.
Thanks to my wonderful mother in law for making such beautiful and cuddly blankets

Back yard fun, we had some very warm days this October 86+

We are SO glad Nette is home in Crookston!

Go JESSE #52! Jesse had a great season, he loves Football~

Eric got Birthday spanking...
we counted to 33 an lost track, so we ha to start over

Certified Organic Norland Reds make the best hash browns on earth

Fall in our front yard

Happy Birthday Jesse!

Fall is here~ Minnesota September

2011-09-30T12:48:00.009-05:00

Big Boy Elias 5 and 1/2

Jesse #52 Enjoying Football season immensely.

Autumn has arrived, Ruby loves being outside

Ruby baby is a little girl!

Ruby is finally getting patient with Nette and me doing her hair~

Real puppy love

Raven and Ruby enjoying a nature walk on our field trip to Rydell

Ruby watches Elias build a "Fort of Logs"

Amish Country~

2011-08-31T11:49:00.011-05:00

Wendy in front of Hannah and Williams house

I absolutely LOVE spending time at the Amish farms in the area. What fascinating, hard working, people who live so sustainably. I learn much from every visit. I milk cows with them (by hand) every month. They milk twice daily. 5:30 am and 5:30pm.
I love being connected to my food source and spending time on the farm away from computers, cell phones etc...

The Amish here in Minnesota are a more conservative branch. They use only wood to heat their houses, no gas, absolutely no electricity. So even in the summer they heat up the wood burning stove for baking, canning and heating water for dishes or laundry. I never complain about house work after a visit to the Amish.

One of the Hannah and William's sons outside the milk barn.

I have become friends with Hannah, 33, who is expecting her 8th child in November. Hannah was not born Amish, her parents converted when she was 4 years old. She and her husband William have 5 boys living, sadly they lost twin boys a few years back. Incredible people.

In June their milk barn burned down. They lost 3 cows and all of their laying hens. It was an arson case and 3 teenage boys were charged. This kind family quickly forgave and announced that they were offering prayers for the boys involved. A very forgiving culture.

August in Minnesota~

2011-08-31T11:38:00.003-05:00

Front porch with our dear neighbor Jeanie Hiller.

Ruby loves her Papa

My little book worm.

Jesse and Eric enjoying a cool August evening.

Elias loves Jesse

Jesse's smile...priceless

Grammy and Ruby camping in RLF

The gang pictured with Julie Campbell who grew up in our home....
She visited and gave us a tour with lots of great stories about our home. : )
Her family lived here for 49 years.

Elias caught this Bass all by himself.
He has become quite the fisherman with all his time in the Boundary Waters.

We tried out this great little camper.

Heidi and JoAnn Renfrow. I love this woman. Camping out in RLF

Children's Garden Class~ Crookston, MN

2011-08-24T09:20:00.003-05:00

I love working with and teaching these kids about growing food

Check out more pictures at Crookston Daily Times. :
http://www.crookstontimes.com/photos/x1837742423/Class-learns-how-to-grow-a-garden-and-eat-what-it-grows?foto=0

4th of July in Korea, Olympic Park, & Swimming on Post

2011-07-05T07:24:00.005-05:00

Happy 4th of July~

Ruby on the US Army post BBQ and Fireworks

Seoul's Olympic Park 1988 Summer Olympics

Elias is a really good big brother, always looking out for his Ruby.

We had an awesome 2 hour bike ride around Seoul's Olympic park. Good work out for Mom and Pops.

Olympic Park Peace Gardens

We met an amazing family at a restaurant in Seoul and became instant friends.
Josh and Elise Hampton are Awesome! And their kids too!
We have been hanging out ever since we met.
It turns out that Eric and Josh both grew up in
Colorado and have some friends in common.
This is a picture of Elise Hampton, me and Ruby.

Seoul Land~ How am I going to get my kids back to the idea of not having a great adventure every day?
Korea has been truly amazing.
Sophie H. and Elias

Ruby, Sophie and Josh

Hold hands and jump for your life!

The park was nearly empty. We didn't wait in line one time.
It was a grand 4th of July.

There were these walking toys you could take around the park.

Elias, Brig and Sophie

Sophie and Elias watching a ride

Seoul Korea Temple

Elias and I as I was going in the temple and he was going to the subway station.

Ruby's favorite adventure this sumemr in Korea is by far the swimming pool on the US Army post.

My friend Michelle gave me a brilliant
idea of making holes in her hat for her pony tails.
Works like a charm, and keeps her hat on too.

I don;'t want to leave the pool

Subways, Everland, Home in Korea...

2011-07-03T03:13:00.007-05:00

Veggies Underground, Lettuce and more growing in the subway~

A little breath of fresh air,underground

Ruby in her dress Grammy Lamby made

A HUGE Locust a stranger gave to Elias

Elias is proud of his new pet, but the Ogimons didn't want to touch it...
I don't blame them.

His name is Fred the Fly. Yes, it is alive.
It was a challenge to convince Elias NOT to bring it inside our apartment.
We made him a little house outside with some food.

Riding the Subway with our friends

Friday night ride, Standing Room Only!

Ruby loves the Subway here, I think it is because people dote on her every
time we ride.. She now expects strangers to give her candy.
We will have to do some re-training back in the USA.

Isabella entertaining Ruby

Our temporary residence in Korea

Elias took pictures at home~

EVERLAND~

Great 3-D production...Ruby loves wearing glasses.

After a long day of fun Ruby enjoys a game of Peek-A-Boo~ Her favorite.

Students, Museums, and Karate Kids~

2011-07-02T01:48:00.002-05:00

Karate Kid

Our Students

Ruby can take naps anywhere these days! And Elias can hold his water. : 0

First Baby Tooth ~ Goodbye

2011-07-02T01:30:00.002-05:00

In Korea when children loose their baby teeth they throw them up to the birds to bring them good fortune.

Throwing his tooth to the birds...

We think the birds might be the Tooth Rairy's helpers.

1000 Won wow!. : ) = 90 cents

Korea National Museam

2011-07-01T01:19:00.007-05:00

Pagoda at the Museum in Seoul.

Watching the baby ducks.

The girl forgot how to walk...she only runs.
And...goes pee pee on the potty. If we time it just right. : )

Puzzles at Korea National Museum. There was a great children's museum.

Elias likes a lot of the food here, but not all of it~
He does surprisingly well with chopsticks

Korea's Got Seoul~ ~ . . . . . . . . . ~ Season 2 with the Kids

2011-06-24T07:19:00.022-05:00

Its great to be TWINS Fans in USA and Korea.

JS and Elias at the TWINS Game!

Wow. What do you do with a 1 year old on a subway in Seoul?

Rush hour , totally packed. Ruby loves to get into other peoples hand bags,
pull on their umbrellas,

and my favorite...lift up their skirts.

Ruby Catherine, I love you!

Luckily, it seems that every Korean we meet also loves Ruby (and Elias).
Strangers are constantly giving my kids candy and playing with them.
It is very endearing.

The two headed turtle was my favorite. It was really cool.
Colter , this picture is for you! : )

The highlight of Ruby's trip the the Aquarium were the Alligators and little buddies to play with.

Elias's Favorite were the Sharks!

Korean BBQ with some new friends that Elias loves, They are wonderful.

3D works in the Mall caught our attention.
Elias was swatting at the leaves and bubbles. : )

Seoul has a wonderful Aquarium for Children.

We had a biology lesson over lunch. Dissected octopus, counted legs and then ate it.
Mmm ..mmm Good. Requires a little extra chewing action, and I prefer it cooked.
The stuff that still moves around my plate is a little rare for my liking.

Twas the night before we left home~
and we all needed a little break from packing...

So we started Family Band . Eric on percussion and Elias on guitar.

A Trip to the Cities~ Adopt-A-Grandma~ new Braids

2011-06-15T20:06:00.005-05:00

Iciban Japanese
Elias:...sorry Mom, I cant look at the camera..there's ice cream

Tired of the car, Ca you see the attitude?

new braids

Japanese Chef at our table

Chef Elias chopping his rice

Como Zoo~ Minneapolis

The snake was THIS big!

Okay Grandma now read this~

night time snuggles

Ahhh..Feels like Summer~

2011-06-11T19:27:00.003-05:00

We have enjoyed celebrating a few graduations this spring.

Ruby looking for her buddy Emma~

Meet Mavrick my friend Maggie's new dog.
He is smallish when compared with Clydesdale.

Elias refers to him as "Big Man".

Elias LOVES asparagus. I am so thrilled he is enjoying a green veggie so much.
Fresh and Local! Does it get any better? Mmmm.

Our neighbors house, they are gutting and doing a compete overhaul.
It is going to look fantastic.

This is Ruby's friend Emma, our back yard neighbor's dog.

Elias helping Jenna our great neighbor out with construction on her house.

LAMB CASTLE HAPPENINGS~

2011-06-03T22:10:00.018-05:00

We will ALL miss Maria!
What a delight it has been to have her in our home!

She promises to come back and visit
during university breaks.

This is one of the plant holders
my Dad helped me weld last summer~
I love them.

This year's hatch-lings ~ Hens or Roosters? Wish I knew.
They are 5 weeks old in this picture.
The one in front is

MadamThérèse Peltier

(First woman to pilot an aircraft- this chick can FLY!).

A perfect day for a little Rhubarb Lemonade!
Rhubarb grows like the wind here in the Northland

Enjoying a little shade on our backyard swing.
Ruby loves her big brother... She also loves to tattle on him

How do you get a sun hat on this girl?
Contain Two-puff? I don't think so...

I painted the shed Eric put together...
and planted white tulips in front. I love tulips.

This bird house my Aunt Vicki and Gary made for us for Christmas~
It is the LAMB CASTLE~
Note the castle shape with all the little Lambs peeking out.
This year a family of Chickadees are making it home.

This is the Chicken Palace that Eric built.
The green roof REALLY added extra insulation this winter.
I painted the inside a light green for my fine ladies to enjoy.

Lovely Maria at her birthday party~

My Back Yardigans

2011-05-19T22:24:00.013-05:00

A Mother's treasure~ Not only is he the sweetest boy I know,
but he is picking the dandelions from my yard just for me,
because he knows I love flowers. I love Elias!

Robin's nest at our door~

2 hours to remove the braids, boy was she happy when I was done!

Spa Day, relaxing after a scalp massage and shampoo

Hanging out at the ball game with our buddy Katelyn~

Frogs, and Snakes, and Mushrooms! . . . Oh My!

2011-05-16T20:12:00.018-05:00

We got a bag full of loot there! Lots of Morels to enjoy!
I took them home washed, dehydrated and froze them...the ones we didn't eat fresh!.

Our good friend and a top yoga student of mine, Ken Longtin, with his awesome 1949 Chevy truck~

We had a great time out by the lake and playing in the woods Saturday.

Elias in our TOP SECRET Morel mushroom hunting place.
My lips are sealed...don't even ask.
Notice the special bag , these are used so the spores can drop and generate more mushrooms.

Showing off one of his great finds...Delish!

We took a drive out on the south 40 acers and found FROGS, SNAKES, and more MORELS!

Mother’s Day 2011

2011-05-08T15:29:00.026-05:00

To the birth mothers of my children:

Sade Catherine (Ruby's birth mom) holding new baby Ruby Catherine

Sade, thanks for letting me share this, I look forward to the day we get to

see you in person again. I love you, I thank you.

Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?

I honor you, your sacrifice

Your love and gift has changed my life

I thank you and God every day

I pray I can show them the way

I promise to teach honor toward you

Often I tell your story true

He knows in his heart of the love you share

She knows of the months of sacrifice and care

I know sometimes this life is rough,

Can I ever thank you enough?

A part of you will always live

The part you so kindly chose to give

And sometimes late at night

I go to his room and hold him tight

I snuggle her while she sleeps

And whisper of the love you keep

Every day I see in the eyes of a child

The light of your love quiet and mild
And I ask myself...

Where would I be what would I do?

If I didn’t have my little two…

~Heidi Lamb Castle

Alex, Elias's birth mom holding Elias on our recent visit to Utah.

Thank you Alex for your love. I love you, I thank you. Hope to see you soon.

Nana-Bug holding Elias and Ruby

And Birth Grand Moms too! We love you Nana bug

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

God Bless you.

Love, Heidi

Bee Keeping 101

2011-05-07T22:01:00.002-05:00

I am so excited to be learning all about bees. I have had a long time interest in bee keeping and started learning some back when we lived in Kansas. As of late, my friend and favorite farmer Mike Klawitter has been kind enough to show me how things are done, and so I am enrolled in Mike's Bee keeping 101~

My mentor and teacher of may things ~ Mike Klawitter, Farmer Extraordinar

We spent a good amount of time cleaning and preparing the hives (aka supers)

Ready for Bee Action~

After spraying the bees down with sugar water we shook them up
and poured them into the supers.
We had over 18,000 bees per super. Wowsers. It was awesome.

On the drive back home we got stuck in the mud and had to get the tractor to pull us out. It was pretty cool.

To top off the day when we got back to the barn a
Ewe had just delivered TRIPLETTS! 3 baby lambs.
Today was a good day.

Easter Eggs and Baby Chicks ~

2011-05-03T11:30:00.003-05:00

Ruby loves the new adventure of being outside!

We waited patiently for 3 weeks, turning the eggs every 6 hours.

And now we are enjoying sweet baby chicks~ Hatched 30 April and 01 May

Easter Egg coloring... These ones won't hatch...

Friends came for Easter Dinner

More friends on Easter~

Chap Jae, beginings~ Mmmm... My favorite Korean dish.Eric makes it best.

Karate Kid, and irrational numbers~ π

2011-04-16T14:53:00.012-05:00

Elias came out to cheer me on during the Pi run today,
hot chocolate in one hand and home made binoculars in the other. He spotted all the runners as they came to the finish, lately he really enjoys wearing his bathrobe EVERYWHERE...he says it is his Karate robe.
3.14159 = π

2011-04-07T19:33:00.011-05:00

The Impact of One Great Man
~Grandpa the Great

Elias Smith Castle~
Grandpa The Great

1914 – 2011

Elias Smith Castle, 96, returned home to his Father in Heaven Monday evening while surrounded by his family. Elias was born in SLC on 13 April 1914. He lived a life of integrity that makes his posterity proud and honored to be associated with his name. As a young boy he developed a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ which he maintained throughout his life.

Music was a great love for Elias and brought him much joy. Elias enjoyed singing, playing piano, and more. He particularly emphasized the great times he had during his college years performing with the Melody Knaves, a musical group that also preformed comic skits.

He attended 9th grade at Irving Jr. High School following that he attended LDS High school graduating in 1931. Upon graduation, he attended South High for a year for post graduate studies. This is where he enrolled in his first botany class and his interest in plant science flourished. Elias enrolled in the University of Utah in 1932 where he joined and served in the Field Artillery unit of the ROTC.

Elias served a mission in the East Central States. After returning he finished his Bachelors degree at University of Utah and later completed a Master of Science degree from Brigham Young University in 1939.

On 26 December 1941 Elias married his bride June Sorenson in the Salt Lake City Temple in a special ceremony preformed by Heber J. Grant. He and June then returned to Ft. Sill Oklahoma where Elias continued his active military service. Their first son Robert was born there in 1942. During World War II he served in the US Army in Europe. Later he served as a military advisor during the Korean War.

Following the war, Elias and June moved to Provo, Utah where Elias took a teaching position in Botany at Brigham Young University. In 1947 they moved to SLC where he taught in the public schools. This is where their second son Paul was born in 1948.

In 1953 they moved to Oakland where Elias began a PhD program at the University of California Berkley. It was here in Oakland their youngest son Roger was born in 1954. Elias, June and their boys remained in the Oakland and Concord California areas for many years. Elias taught at Merrit Jr. College until he retired. Elias enjoyed serving as a temple worker in the Oakland Temple.

Elias and June served as full time missionaries in the Louisiana Baton Rouge Mission. Their later years were spent in Utah enjoying their extended family.

Elias was preceded in death by his parents Orie O. Castle and Sarah Susannah Smith, his wife June Sorenson and one grandson. He is survived by his older sister Sarah (Castle) Thomas (101), 3 sons and their wives, 12 Grandsons, 9 granddaughters Elias has 53 great-grandchildren.

I truly love this man. He made an impact on many people.

And he will be missed by many including #34 Elias L. Castle

My Top Ten Favorite Things about Grandpa The Great~
10. He always recognized my voice on phone even before I told him that is was me.
9. At age 96 he was quoted saying "I don't know what I would do with out the internet".
8. He wasn't afraid to tell my kids when they were being naughty, but didn't hold grudges
7. He always had a new gadget to show me and teach me about
6. He loved planting things and grew plants and vegetables up until he died.
5. He took genuine interest in the lives of others
4. He was my favorite friend on Facebook (sorry everyone else)
3. Completed so much family history that I think I am off the hook on that line.
2. He wanted to exchange bread recipes and bake together when I visited and we did~
1. Presented an honorable example and makes me proud to have my son carry his name.

Ready for Spring~

2011-03-25T09:37:00.001-05:00

St. Patricks Day Fun~

Papa and Ruby with her new braids

Ruby and Rachel enjoying the sunshine!

Flying February~

2011-03-07T11:06:00.022-06:00

Wow! Did February ever fly by this year!? We had a terrific month, most of it spent out west in Idaho and Utah.

Ruby is Sassy and so Fun! I love this child more than words can say. Her favorite game is Peek-a-Boo.

Ruby had her hair braided again by Nette.

I pulled Elias out of preschool after Christmas. We are doing some fun activities at home and I LOVE having him home more. Is there anything that brings me more satisfaction than teaching my students to read? ...Teaching my son to read.

My kids love my Dad. Ruby's favorite person in Idaho is hands down Grandpa Cory.

We had a great visit with Nana-Bug this month! She loves the kids and we love her! She is so kind to us all.

Elias announced to his friends at church on Sunday~

"I have a birth mom!"

We had a very touching experience spending an afternoon with Alex and her kids. Elias is loved by so many people. Alex, can I ever thank you enough for the gift you gave me of becoming a mother? I love you.

I feel so privileged to have Elias for a son. I pray every day that I can help him reach his highest potential.

Annika, Ashton and Elias, Happy kids!

First Step Today~

2011-01-31T19:53:00.002-06:00

Ruby took her first step 31 January 2011

Ruby and Nette (aka magic fingers). Nette does an amazing job braiding Ruby's hair.

We all enjoyed a cross country ski trip on Ruby's birthday.

Ruby's first birthday cake Tres Leche

Ruby Pie~ aka Pomegranate Pie made by Jessica Christiansen

Ruby Catherine's Birthday!˛★* •。* • 1 Year! 。★* •。★*˚

2011-01-17T08:42:00.015-06:00

What do Michelle Obama, Benjamin Franklin and Ruby Catherine have in common?

Their BIRTHDAY!

Also Grandma Wendy Castle and Great Grandma Petra Egurrola Fernandez were born on January 17th.

Today is MLK Day

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: "What are you doing for others?"

Please visit mlkday.gov/ for a list of ways you can contribute in your community.

Ruby is in good company.

Elias loves his baby sister and has already made her several birthday presents.

mlkday.gov

2010-12-24T18:18:00.003-06:00

Castle’s Top 10 in 2010

10. Ten, Eric and I are going on a decade of marriage this year.

9. Nine boy scouts in Eric’s troop…ever the scoutmaster.

8. Eight hens a laying: We love our chickens. Pocahontas, SoJourner Truth, Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, Sacajewia (RIP), Rachel Carson, Wilma Rudolph, Majora Carter

7. Seventh heaven~ It was a dream come true to see our foster son Juan reunited with his family. We are so happy for them. It was great spending time together in Mexico.

6. Six-teen year old Cat Noah, coolest cat ever RIP old man.

5. Five weeks in South Korea. Eric enjoyed teaching in Korea. We discovered a new love~ Korean Food! Delish.

4. Four year old boy that is full of wonderment and delight. This season has been truly magical with Elias.

3. Three years here in Crookston, Minnesota. We love it.

2. Two great foster kids Janae (18) and Rachel (12)

1. One precious baby girl ~ Ruby Catherine. We were very blessed to adopt Ruby in January. Now nearly one year old, she is absolutely delightful. We enjoy every moment we have with her.

Gingerbread Family~

2010-12-15T10:39:00.000-06:00

A gingerbread family~ Papa. Elias, Ruby, and Mama

Castle Great grand kids number 34 and 48

Thanksgiving Blessings

2010-12-09T18:20:00.002-06:00

I am so thankful for the laughter of children.

Wonderful friends who are so kind to us and our children.

A papa in the home who the kids and mom adore.

Many wonderful grandparents

Children with attitude that keep me humble, I love them so much.

Too Many Kids in the Tub~

2010-11-18T18:29:00.001-06:00

Too many kids in the tub, too many elbows to rub.
I just washed a behind I am sure wasn't mine.
Too many kids in the tub.

What can I say? The child is obsessed with peas...mostly Whirrled Peas.

Taken first thing in the morning November 17...
exactly 10 months old today! I love my little wrinkle nose girl!.
She brightens our lives everyday!

Elias and Papa carved pumpkins...and roasted the seeds.
The seeds turned out good this year.

My birthday cake was the Edmund Fitzgerlad this year, and it was delicious.
My yoga class surprised me with a cake and flowers. Elias loved the cake!

Wait. Who's birthday was it? Yes, mine.
Wendy made me a wonderful birthday dinner of smoked salmon,
spinach dip and lots of veggies and yes, more cake.

Forever our Ruby!

2010-10-23T07:31:00.001-05:00

Visualize Whirled Peas~

2010-09-15T18:52:00.066-05:00

Ruby is a huge proponent of Whirled Peas

Noah our 16 year old cat strives for Whirled Peas everyday...seriously, he loves Ruby's baby food and sitting in her chair. He is a Cat in every way. We love his personality.

Nearly crawling and said her first word..."MAMA!" I LOVE her!

The Ladies love Elias...

I think they see the super hero in him~

Puff the magic Ruby~

A Summer of a Thousand Books~ And Ox Cart Days in Crookston, MN

2010-08-30T10:05:00.006-05:00

We reached our goal yesterday. We read 1000 books with Elias beginning June 1 and completed yesterday.
Thank you to Grandmas for reading while I was in Korea. : )

Firehouse Breakfast is one of our favorite annual events in Crookston

Mt. Rushmore, South Dakota

Ruby 7 months, hanging out in her jogger while we walked
around Ox Cart Days, she is seriously SO happy. I adore her

Elias with the light blue shirt in the middle finishing up the Kids run at Ox Cart Days

Elias after his race and me getting ready for the 10k

Nothing like a sprint to the finish...with a little help from Elias

Tractor Pull contest downtown Crookston...Very fun!

Mexicali Blues No Longer!

2010-08-23T13:28:00.012-05:00

We were thrilled to visit our foster son Juan and his sweet family in Mexicali, Mexico. We are so happy for his family and their reunification (thank you Rachel).

Juan and Elias were delighted to see each other after 2 long years

Veronica, Juan, Luis Elias, Heidi and Eric

Luis, Ferny, Juan and Veronica, I love this sweet family.

"It's Hockey mom, just on the grass". You can take the boy out of Minnesota, but can you take Minnesota out of the boy?

And apparently the pond is the goal... Papa and Elias fishing for the "puck".

Disneyland was funtastic!

Brother Bear is our favorite!

Ruby Catherine is 7 months old! And more fun every minute.

Korea's Got Seoul~

2010-08-23T09:33:00.003-05:00

Eric spent 5 weeks in Korea this summer teaching at ChoNam University in Guanju, South Korea

I joined him for 2 weeks, we loved the people and the food!

Good food, good friends

Heart Sutra Transcription (This pic is for my Yoga class)

Temple visits

Seoul Subways are Packed full

I thought it was a wax man until he sighed...kinda scary

Korea University ...looking scholarly

Summer Out West~

2010-07-10T23:51:00.007-05:00

Elias and Mama enjoying the 4th of July Parade

Elias and Papa just after Elias rocked it on the zipline~

Ruby and Trev, hanging in Idaho

The happiest baby I know. I love her so much!

Brandon teaching Bret yoga sitting position at the Portneuf River Fest~ Love my bros

Strawberry Days Rodeo with Grandma Wendy~

Boating on the Snake River with the Panton Family~

Ben and Elias enjoying a late night bowl of cereal at the Southwick's home in Victor

Elias and Grammy Playing Cowboys and indians

I am having so much fun with Ruby's hair...most of the time she is pretty patient with me.

Funnest Baseball Game Ever

2010-07-10T23:30:00.000-05:00

Korean baseball is the best. Everyone, I mean everyone knows all the players names. Every inning the home team is up the entire crowd chants songs, in unison, custom made for that player. By the time that the visiting team comes up to bat you need a break.

June 2010

2010-06-29T23:13:00.008-05:00

We have had a wonderful month...busy and swift. Traveling, weddings, family and friends!
Ruby is growing, and so cute! I am having way too much fun with her hair. I will post pictures soon! She sits up on her own and smiles all the time. She started eating rice cereal last week...yummy (I seriously like baby cereal its so good). I have a hard time keeping my lips off her chubby little cheeks.

We have been out west since early June...Elias has had a blast every day. Hiking, playing in the creek with friends, boating on the Snake river, birthday parties, bug camp, swimming pools, and playing in the tree house, zipline in the mountains...seriously everyday has been a party. He is going to have a hard time coming back to reality. The library and parks lunch program has kept us a little grounded. We have reached the 1/2 way mark for our reading goal for the summer. 500 books! We read every morning and every evening...and sometimes mid day too.

Eric is in Korea and I am excited to join him. We miss papa...Life just isn't as much fun with out him.
Peace~

Photos from Korea

2010-06-27T17:58:00.002-05:00

I have uploaded photos from Korea, click here to see them. Miss you all.

web

BWCAW trip pictures

2010-06-03T15:35:00.002-05:00

You can view more images from this trip at http://picasaweb.google.com/103595407913853564848/SKawishiwiRiver?authkey=Gv1sRgCNn90rGcrr6jUA#

S. Kawishiwi River

2010-06-02T07:05:00.013-05:00

The little man and I went on a four day canoe trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). We started off with a 1/2 mile portage then a 5 mile paddle to our campsite. He loved every minute of it. We went with some friends, fished, swam, and had a blast. The little man has a few new words, "lake" is now "water mountain" and "fishermen" are called "people sharks". If you listened really hard as we approached in our canoes, poles in hand, you could hear the fish screaming "ahhh hear come the people sharks"

"Time Out Island"

Super Man, bike rides and Go Far Races!

2010-05-25T12:21:00.016-05:00

We had a severe weather alert and tornado warning last night, major rain came down, it was almost scary to watch. After the storm Eric got on the roof to clean the gutters and left the ladder up.

Superman visited our house, and because he had his cape on, he felt comfortable climbing the ladder to fly down. Luckily Mama spotted him from the kitchen window. He simply explained that "It's okay, cause me superman, me go up and me come back down".

Well, he was right about going up and coming back down.

Our first family bike ride with Ruby! She did great! And Elias was a good sport about riding with her (rather than taking his own bike). Elias has become quite the cyclist. And loves riding his bike.

Elias LOVES his pillow case. This afternoon during story time, he took the case off his pillow, crawled in and fell asleep.
We have really enjoyed reading a LOT lately! Elias loves being read to. He brings me books and, if I can't read right away, he reads to him self. Our goal for the summer June-August is 1000 books.

We had a fun time in Fargo Saturday. We rode the Ferris Wheel. I love the fear on Elias's face in this pic.

I ran the 1/2 Marathon. It was a fun race. I thought the Kansas City Marathon was huge...The GoFar, Fargo was Enormous. Over 20,000 participants plus thousands and thousands of spectators. It is definitely a race to be ran! I beat my previous time and came in at 2 hours 5 minutes only 6 minutes from my PR. I was happy..and tired. Can you see sleep settling in my eyes? I woke up at 4:45 to drive to Fargo, and retired to bed that night at 6:37pm...no joke.

~Majora Carter~

2010-05-14T19:12:00.016-05:00

Majora Carter is our only chick this year. It is sad because she doesn't' have any play mates. She wants to be held and runs to me every time I put my hand in her box. She is absolutely delightful. Elias and I have been playing with her all day. She cries when we leave her in her box. So we just let her hang out with us! Here she is enjoying some green grass and sunshine and resting my kitchen window.

Thursday was Parents day at preschool~ Good times! This is the last week before Summer Vacation~

A compost bin even a mother could love

2010-05-11T17:56:00.012-05:00

I finally found a compost system that I like. I found it on P. Allen Smith's website. Elias helped me build it. I filled it with old leaves and straw bales that we used to insulate the chicken coop. I also used the old straw as mulch around the strawberries and in the herb garden to help keep weeds down. Hopefully when we are gone for the summer the straw mulch will help the plants survive without additional watering.

I recently saw that Elias and his friends removed a length of bark along one side of my apple tree that has 15 different varieties of apple grafted onto it (aka very special tree!). I put on my surgeons hat on and did a little bridge grafting to try and salvage what I could. We'll see how it takes.

Mother's Day~

2010-05-10T19:40:00.014-05:00

The happiest little princess 16 weeks on Mother's Day~

I had a great Mother's day. Elias sang "Mother I love you" at church...and all the way home too. I loved it. He also gave me flowers that needed to be planted. So while Eric made dinner Elias and I planted the flowers. Delightful Ruby sat on our swing and watched. I went inside for a minute and when I came back out Ruby had an earth worm laying on her. I looked at the worm, and then looked at Elias. This is our conversation.
Me: "Elias, there is a worm on Ruby".
Elias: "yep".
Me: "How did your baby sister get a worm on her?"
Elias: "It jumped on her".

So, if any of you were wondering if worms can jump...now you know.
Also, Elias's new favorite food is worm soup. Here is a pic of him making it in our backyard.

Eric and Elias made these wonderful new composting bins.

It is baby chick time again! Our first hen Majora Carter hatched today! She is beautiful.

Spring has SPRUNG!

2010-04-27T21:21:00.002-05:00

Ruby is 3 months old and counting!
Elias is loving the sunshine and playing in the back yard with friends!
We had a great trip to Minneapolis last weekend~ We went to the children's museum in St. Paul, played in the city~ and lounged in the hotel!

Guess which one of my kids is a camara hog?

Elias loves his sister so much and wanted to be in all her pictures.

4 Years on the Planet! H a P p y ...... b I r T h D A y ELIAS!

2010-03-29T07:09:00.014-05:00

Its hard to believe he is already 4 years old.

We had tons of fun making a birthday cake with his preschool class!

Elias is such a happy delightful child and a wonderful blessing to our family. We are so thankful for him and his happy, confident spirit. We love you Elias!

Here are some Elias memories of the last 4 years~

Local Milk~ Lovin' the Farm!

2010-03-23T11:14:00.004-05:00

The snow has all melted! I have been able to see the ground for the last 2 weeks or so and I LOVE it! Earth, dirt, time to dig and plant!

We made a family trip to a local dairy farm where we get our milk from~ It was SO exciting. We saw new baby cows, one born before we entered the barn. She wanted to suck our thumbs

"Look Dad! It's ME!"
Elias enjoys making a self portrait using food~

Ruby is beginning to enjoy her bath time! Elias is always ready to help. He loves to feed, play with and entertain his baby sister.

Fun at home with Mama~ Glasses mean you are the boss.

Ruby's Blessing~

2010-03-20T18:43:00.001-05:00

Ruby Catherine Castle was blessed by Eric on Sunday the 14th of March.

She is at such a fun stage, smiling, cooing, and still so tiny. She is our sweet heart.

SPRING BREAK 2010~

2010-03-18T11:55:00.006-05:00

Ruby and I (Heidi) had a great time in Arizona Playing with Aunts, cousins and enjoying the Sunshine! Connor held Ruby every chance he could~ It was very sweet.

My parents came to Crookston to meet Ruby and spend time with all of us. It was great to have them. Grandpa fixed lots of stuff for me, and spent time with Ruby~

Eric and I got away for a couple of days and visited Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada~

We had a great time visiting friends, eating out, and enjoying time together

For Birth Mom~

2010-03-05T18:43:00.009-06:00

Ruby Catherine~ Named Catherine after birth mom, wearing her matching bracelet and wrapped in her matching quilt. We are forever grateful for your beautiful sacrifice. We see you everyday in our daughters bright eyes. We love you!

Elias and Eric skied down to the river today~ March 5th~ The snow has covered the ground since the end of November.

Elias LOVES to ski!

Tiny, Little, bundle

2010-03-01T15:48:00.015-06:00

Elias is the proudest big brother ~ I really thought there would be some jealousy issues, but he is absolutely delighted with his baby sister.

Jannae celebrated her 18th birthday! Elias and I made a cake for her party. Note the chocolate mustache.

Ruby 4 days old~

3 weeks~ She is growing so quickly.

5 weeks, she is more and more alert everyday. She is beginning to smile more often. I love it!

6 weeks~ She is my little angel. I just want to kiss her little cheeks all the time.

8 Weeks! She is smiling and cooing. But not sleeping though the night~ She is definitely the family sweetheart.

10 weeks~ She has grown so so much in the last 2 weeks.. Its amazing. So fun to watch her develop and begin to interact more. We love you so much Ruby!

3 months

2 pics of her at 14 weeks~

14 Weeks~ Our sweet Ruby smiles all the time. She is getting to be our little butter ball weighing in over 12 pounds. She is really doing well sitting up and holding her head. She sits in her highchair and watches me work in the kitchen. She is my baby doll, I love her so much.

16 weeks

19 weeks and 20 weeks

Ruby first weeks at home~

2010-02-24T10:30:00.006-06:00

We are all settling in to our new addition. Ruby is the sweetest baby we could ask for. We love everything about her...I am especially in love with her bright eyes. She loves to look around and follow us with her eyes, we even get a smile when we are lucky!

Aunt Jill came to visit and took these wonderful pictures
www.jillcastlephotography.com

Announcing the newest addition to the Castle Family~ RUBY CATHERINE

2010-01-27T19:11:00.014-06:00

Ruby was born 17 January 2010 in Detroit, Michigan
6 lbs 5 oz

October in Minnesota~

2009-10-29T18:10:00.016-05:00

With Halloween coming Elias has been practicing his mean sounds and faces.

The sweetest apples I have ever tasted...the season was so perfect for apples this year!

We had fun outside raking up the leaves last week (October 21)

Playin the drums 04 October

Honey has stopped running away! She is a great dog! We all love her.

Making houses out of cushions, pillows and furniture is one of Elias's favorite passtimes~

The Poultry Palace

2009-09-24T19:57:00.002-05:00

I recently built the addition onto the "Poultry Palace". The highlights include 3 more nest boxes, two more roosting beams, fully insulated with 1" extruded polystryene. To top it off I installed a green roof. It truly is a palace.

September Fun!

2009-09-24T18:28:00.005-05:00

A Visit from two beautiful women Melanie and her mom Carrolle~

Papa built a big shed in our back yard!

Elias the big Pre-School boy!

Summer Lovin' Had Us a Blast,

2009-08-31T20:52:00.003-05:00

Elias and Uncle Bret

Jackson Hole Parade

Relaxing at Grammy Lammy's

Elias loved holding my cousin's new baby~

Helping in the Garden

2009-08-09T19:19:00.002-05:00

I taught a children's organic gardening class for the city this summer. It was the best thing I could have done! Elias was my best helper.

He knows exactly what to do with plants. Eric ordered these plants for our yard. As soon as Elias saw them he took them outside and planted them~ as you can see.

Golf Ball Size Hail

2009-07-25T10:39:00.001-05:00

Sojourner Truth , Laura Ingalls Wilder, Rachel Carson, Harriet Tubman, Pocahontas

2009-05-08T07:52:00.004-05:00

* Update *
We now have 6 healthy baby chicks. And they are ADORABLE! Elias loves to feed and water them. It has been a lot of fun. Now we are hatching Canada Geese eggs. A Canada Goose mother was killed yesterday and the nest of eggs was brought to my house. They are now incubating.

Our first two chicks! Hatched May 7th 2009~

Elias wants to crack all the eggs open and "get em out".
There are still several cracking their way out!
More pics to come.

Baby Chicks ...?

2009-05-02T20:36:00.005-05:00

We (momma and elias) are incubating chicken eggs.
They are due to hatch May 6th.... aka Wednesday! We have been waiting patiently for almost 3 weeks (chicken gestation time). Turning the eggs several time daily, monitoring the tempeture and humidity. Hopefully our efforts will bring us some good hens (but mostly a great learning experience).

So, soon we will have 7...

So I need help! Naming my fine ladies.
Our grown hens are named:
Sacajawea
Rosa Parks
Amelia Earhart
Oprah

And we can't forget those who have died. RIP Ladies:
Mother Theresa
Hilary
Susan B. Anthony (My favorite hen)
Joan of Arc
Anne Frank
Elenore Roosevelt

So, I am taking nominations for names. Please post suggestions or email them to me.

My first hatch will be Sojourner Truth

The down side of hatching our own eggs is that we may get some roosters. Not sure what I am going to do with them. I only keep girls. Any one want roosters?

Earth Day Events~

2009-04-24T14:08:00.002-05:00

Eric lead a group of cyclists in a community effort bike ride for Earth Day~
"I hope this event will promote cycling as a viable alternative for getting around our community" Castle Check out our local paper

The Reverend Samuel "Billy" Kyles

2009-04-16T13:18:00.007-05:00

We had the honor this week of spending time with Reverend Kyles a close friend to the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. He gave a powerful presentation at the University. I think we were all moved to tears.

Tuesday we had the pleasure of having Rev. Kyles in our home. He played cards with Elias and discussed the last moments of Dr. Kings life with us. We hope to meet up with him in Memphis sometime soon. What a powerful experience.

Also, We celebrated Elias's 3rd birthday recently. He loved having all of his friends at the swimming pool to play with him especially Grandpa Lamb.

Goldie and Elias are best buds. Goldie lives on the next block so we get to play a lot.

Nana bug also came out to celebrate Elias's birthday! Fun times!

Mommy's Best Helper

2009-04-02T15:15:00.005-05:00

Elias is such a good boy when I have client. I usually work for an hour a day. I put a movie on for him and he engages and watches it. It is his only TV time so he usually is pretty interested.

Well... Kipper the Dog movie ended 15 minutes early! So he made breakfast!
A whole dozen eggs for the two of us!

He is quite proficient at getting the yolk and egg white in the pan, shells on the counter top and very proud of himself, as you can see.

My baby boy turned 3 this week. Boo hoo! He will always be my baby though. He gives the best hugs and kisses. Eric and I are totally enjoying this fun new stage of development and discovery. He makes us smile everyday!

Eric (far left) really enjoys teaching and being actively involved at University.

Eric and Elias both love being outside. And good news! Sacajewia, Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, and Oprah all made it through the Minnesota winter!

X-Country Adventures with Papa~

2009-02-20T17:51:00.005-06:00

Eric and Elias both LOVE the snow and playing in it! Honey our dog always goes along for the adventure too. They had fun cross country skiing around the park and our neighborhood.

This is Elias getting stuffed in the backpack! He loves riding on Papas back.

And they are off! Notice Honey the black spec in the photo running ahead of them...she is ever the runner! This is the view from our front door~

Mexico

2009-02-07T19:55:00.006-06:00

We had a great 2 weeks in Mexico(at Christmas)! Especially Elias. He LOVED the sand and water. And we loved watching him play. He and cousin Lincoln had so much fun together~

Elias Loves any kind of moving machinery. So ATV's are a natural fit.

Lincoln and Elias
Team work dude.

Eric and I caught a few waves~

We love visiting the children's home as always~

Crookston Daily Times

2009-01-20T16:49:00.007-06:00

http://www.crookstontimes.com/homepage/x497798962

Hey Eric, Elias and Heidi made the front page of our local paper today.
Check us out!

Woof Woof

2008-12-11T08:30:00.003-06:00

Our Dog's name is HONEY-

But Elias has always called her Woof Woof.

So naturally honey is also called "Woof Woof". Elias likes "Woof Woof" on everything he eats...his bread, his cereal, even his pancakes.

I have been a baking factory this week. I have enjoyed trying new recipes. This is my Cranberry loaf. Eric likes to use it for Sandwiches with left over turkey.

"Bebe Desus"

2008-12-02T15:08:00.003-06:00

Elias LOVES his nativity. We set it up in early November just so he could play with it for a little extra time.
Well, this week I got out all of the other Nativity scenes. Naturally, they are now the preferred toy. He mixes and matches. Yesterday I found about 10 lambs all lined up on the shelf~ all very different looking lambs from different nativity sets. but lambs none the less.
Today was the nativity highlight though. Elias decided to make "bebe desus" cereal. I came into the living room to find. My new table runner covered in baby Jesus's and milk.

Life is an adventure! And so exciting through the eyes of a 2 year old. Every Christmas decoration is an exciting new toy. Good times.

Elias and the Deer

2008-11-23T18:56:00.002-06:00

Here is a censored picture of the deer that I "harvested" last week. It was a medium sized 8 point (4x4) white tail. I was able to field dress him by myself after watching many YouTube videos about the process. I was a little nervous that I was going to be too grossed out, because I felt that way when watching the videos. But when it came down to the business, it went pretty smooth. We have grilled up some steaks and made some roasts and we've come to the conclusion that venison is the new black- we love it. I'm hooked, I'm going next year. A word about the grouse - it was excellent, it went very nice with my alfredo sauce.

I've also included a picture of Elias at the fire station wearing his batman cape that Grandma Castle made for him. He loves wearing it.