some pictures for Oma & Opa…

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I have some sad news… your Great (in many respects of the word) Aunt Margaret died this week. She is Oma’s little sister. And she is your Mommi’s Godmother as well as Aunt. We are all very sad as we will miss her very much, but we know that she is in Heaven with God experiencing JOY beyond our understanding! She doesn’t hurt anymore. She doesn’t feel sad anymore. She is peaceful. God is good, Peanut. God is good. (I pasted her obituary at the bottom of this message as a little reminder for all of us of the amazing person she was… what an inspiration.)

Oma and all the rest of us will miss her very much. To cheer Oma up a bit, I thought I’d post some more fun pictures of you.

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New Sneakers

Mommi went shopping with her friends Judi and Meg… We didn’t even KNOW we were trying on the same clothes… hehehehe…

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You are SUCH a fast runner, and you LOOOVE to run!
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Here are some from last weekend when we went to Springdale Farm for a fall festival and apple picking with Jimmiqua:

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And here are some fun pictures of you and I at the farm… Your Opa will probably especially love these!! Hi Opa!!!

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We hope these pictures give you a little smile, Oma. KNOW that we are loving you to pieces… Our hearts are hurting with yours…

*Margaret L. Fromm

Margaret Louise Fromm, 63, of Sparta died Thursday, September 27, 2007, at
Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, La Crosse after a two and a half year
battle with ovarian cancer. She was born on March 23, 1944 in Lincoln,
Nebraska, to Edwin and Ellen (Meyer) Friedrich. As a pastor¹s daughter, she
moved several times to rural Minnesota towns during her youth. She graduated
from Rushford High School in 1962. Marge attended Concordia Teacher¹s
College in both St. Paul, Minnesota, and Seward, Nebraska, graduating with a
degree in Elementary Education in 1966.

She married Wallace E. Fromm on June 12, 1965, in Belevidere, Minnesota.
Marge taught in a rural Nebraska town for one year before they moved to
Williamsburg, Iowa. She also taught for one year in Iowa before the birth of
their first child, Lowell in 1967. For several years, she was the secretary
of their church. Marge and Wally had three more children, Beth, Clay, and
Julie, before moving to Sparta, Wisconsin in 1973.

In 1980, Marge began a lifelong career, culminating as the Library Director,
at the Sparta Free Library. As a devoted employee, she was respected,
admired, and loved by those that knew her. Because of her declining health,
she retired in June of 2006.

Not the stereotypical image of a librarian, Marge loved adventure and being
outdoors. She spent numerous vacations sailing, both on area lakes and on
Lake Superior, biking on trails throughout the state, white water rafting
along the rivers of the Appalachian Mountains, cross country skiing,
camping, and canoeing along area rivers. She also enjoyed reading, playing
card and board games and, more than anything, spending time with her
children and grandchildren.

Marge was a member of St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church. Her faith in God has
sustained her through many challenges in life. She has met difficulty with
uncomplaining strength, joy and love that could only come from the Lord.
Church attendance, prayer, Bible and devotional reading have all given her
much hope through the hardest of times. We rejoice that she now has met
Jesus face to face and look forward to spending our eternity with her.
She is survived by her husband Wallace, of Sparta, her son Lowell Fromm,
also of Sparta, her daughter Beth (Darren) Pierce, of Marion, Iowa, her son
Clay (LaRae) Fromm, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, her daughter, Julie (John)
Falkers of Viroqua, Wisconsin, and nine grandchildren: Dustin and Cassandra
Pierce, Michael, Benjamin, and Tabitha Fromm, Rachel, Andrew, Joseph, and
Hannah Falkers, her mother Ellen Friedrich of Austin, Minnesota, her brother
Gustav Friedrich of Highland Park, New Jersey, her sister Miriam (Lloyd)
Luehmann of Austin, Minnesota, her sister Mary (Chuck) Rohe of Zumbrota,
Minnesota, her sister Muriel (Gene) Stark of Prior Lake, Minnesota, and her
sister Marilyn Friedrich of Huntington Beach, California.
She was preceded in death by her father, Edwin Friedrich, and a sister,
Martha Friedrich Fendt.

Funeral services will be Monday at 11 a.m. at St. John’s Ev. Lutheran
Church, Sparta, with Reverend Mark Wessel officiating. Burial will be in
St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Cemetery, Sparta. Family and friends are invited to call at Lanham-Miller Funeral Home, Sparta, on Sunday from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m and at St. John¹s Ev. Lutheran Church from 10 a.m. until the time of services. Online condolences may be
offered at www.lanham-miller.com. Memorials may be given in Marge’s memory to St. John’s Lutheran Church Building Fund and to the Sparta Free Library. The Lanham-Miller Funeral Home, Sparta is assisting the family with funeral arrangements.


I guess it’s that time…

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Yesterday, one week after your 2.5 year birthday, you went pee pee on the potty THREE times and poo poo on the potty one time! You had a great potty training day today at daycare, so we made a special family trip to the store to buy toddler underwear and a new potty seat.

We are so happy for you and so proud of you!


a gymnist in training

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You started real gymnastic classes for the first time this week. You will have a 45-minute lesson with 3-year olds and Miss Jan once a week. Miss Jan has been teaching at this gymnastics center for over 15 years. Everyone raves about how great she is working with little tykes like you. Many of her students end up in the “accelerated” program called PERKY… that’s gotta crack you up – it does me. So you might be a PERKY next year. Hee hee… can’t even type it without laughing.

Anyway, you had a FANTASTIC time! They have incredible equipment. I think the lessons will teach you how to channel that amazing energy and fantastic strength and coordination that you demonstrate all the time. I’m sure most parents say things like this, but you have always had surprisingly strong athletic potential – you throw very well and quite often very on target. You climb better than most of your peers. You jump confidently and competently off of very tall things… landing firmly on 2 feet. When I take you to classes with other 2 year olds (like at the Little Gym), you are the first in line and you can do the things (like a front roll) without any help. Your daycare teachers comment on this agility as well.

Anyway, I think gymnastics will give you a good start for whatever you decide to do… soccer, dance, football (right Auntie Amy?)…

Here are some pictures I was successful in sneaking from the night:

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By the way – they don’t let parents even WATCH you. It was quite painful for me. I so wanted to know what you were doing…. so I sneaked around to the corner of your classroom about four times to peek in on you. I got yelled at once bu the secretary, but that just means I need to also sneak by her next time. It was fun to see you sit on your circle and watch so attentively waiting for your turn to give it a try! You have such an incredible spirit… I love you Peanut Butter!


normal wonderful days with you…

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Okay, so here are a couple great stories you’ll enjoy:
Maya Reads Me a Story
Last night I came home from choir practice, and Daddy was just about to leave your room after he read to you and stayed for 4 songs (that’s what we do these days – 2 songs rocking, 2 songs snuggling). You asked me to stay a while too, so I plopped myself down next to you. You said, “Mommi, read a story.”
“It’s too dark, Sweetie. I’ll read a story to you tomorrow.”
“Maya read a story to you?”
“Sure, you read a story to me.”
You pick up your I Spy book and point to a picture. You say, “What is that?”
“A fork” I answer
“GWATE!” you said encouragingly….
After each question I got right, you encouraged me wtih a “Gwate!”

A bit more scary of a story: Escapee
Last Thursday morning, Daddy was working so you and I were doing our morning routines together. We came downstairs after I showered. I opened our big heavy wooden door but locked our storm door so you could see out but not get out. After getting you set up, I wentto the bathroom to dry my hair. After a while, I turned off the blow dryer to find Daddy standing in the kitchen.
“How’d you get in?” I asked. “You shouldn’t have been able to get in… I locked the door!”
“Well, it was open when I got here,” he said. “Maya was hanging on the door handle.”
“Hmmm….” I pondered but didn’t think much more about it.
Later that night we went for a walk around the block. We went over to say HEY to our neighbors Laura and Alan. After chit chatting a bit, Alan looked at Laura and said, “Did you tell her?” Laura said “Not yet.”
She goes on to explain how, while she was putting on her makeup in her bathroom, she saw you open our door and let Macy out. After that you walked out of our house, down the stairs and down the street. Laura noticed that there were no adults around, so she hurried down and grabbed you and Macy. She deposited both of you in our house, and left… without telling me what happened. I’m so glad you’re safe! What a crazy wonderful world. I guess it really DOES take a village…. Than you God for our Village – especially Laura who noticed and did something about it. We are blessed!


time with oma and opa and other luehmann’s

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Okay – so this is the last BIG event that I missed out on blogging about this summer. Early July, Daddy and I went to Niagra-on-the-Lake for a couple days and Oma and Opa flew to Rochester have special time with you while we were gone.

These pictures are from your wonderful time with them… and some others… These pictures came from Oma and Opa’s camera and include not only their visit to Rochester, but also a wedding in Minnesota, and Niklas’s baptism in Michigan.

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Opa and Opa, Uncle Mark, Aunt Bi and Niklas (as well as Aunti Bi’s parents) went to my cousin Kayla’s wedding in Minnesota. As you can see, she is a BEAUTIFUL bride!!

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4 Generations Again – How GREAT
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Niklas’s Baptism at the River and Family Time Following
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sill have a bit of making up to do…

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But before more time goes by, I just want to say how awesome it is to be near you these days, and how even MORE awesome it is to be your Mom! You have a million words! And most of them PACKED with personality… Let’s see, here are some of the more common or more recent phrases:

“I am NOT happy.” (imagine your fists on each hip)
“I’ll be right back.” (imagine your list 2.5 year old self holding up you whole hand toward Mom or Dad as you walk away… sometimes right out the front door!)
“I’m SO proud of you Mom” (imagine you holding both of my cheeks in your little hands)
“I’m going to go WIFF you!”
“Dad, where’s the remote?”
“I’m going to work now”

In general, you’re putting longer sentences together now… yesterday I counted a nine-word sentence.

Here are a bunch of pictures that show different aspects of your personality. You’re such an AWESOME kid!!

What a loaded smile…
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You were the first to see (and chase) a little chipmunk… do you see it here?)
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Climbing (which you do on EVERYTHING!)
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My beautiful girl…
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And some with our neighbors and friends…

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first day as a Spruce

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You graduated
First day in your next classroom
So big!
Ready for any adventure!
Excited to see the new space
Teacher Maritza – you’ve been getting to know her for a little while now to get ready for this transition.
Assigned seating – very strange – I guess routine is good.
Private bathroom – the year of potty training
No more individual daily reports – so I brought in a journal for your teacher to log great things you did during the day. Can’t forget them! And I want to hear ALL about them!
Mommi and Daddy took you together (even thought Daddy worked the night before and was very tired). And your WHOLE family picked you up together (including Jake and Macy!!)
Aunti Judi and Uncle Jim called later last night (around 6:30pm) and left a message JUST for you – hoping your first day as a Spruce went well.
You are DEARLY loved – you know that, yes?

Here are some picture highlights!

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labor day at the cabin

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These are your sweet little 2 and 1/2 year old swimming foot prints.

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You couldn’t wait to get out on a boat on the “swimmin’ pool” called the lake.

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Uncle Jim is out there in that sailboat!

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This is 3-year old little Gracie. You and she had a FANTASTIC time! Let’s seei if I can get this right. Gracie’s Daddy (Tibor) is Jim’s nephew — his sister Andi (& Ti)’s son. Andi and Ti (Tibor II) are the one’s who live in Tennessee. Liz and Tibor, Gracie and Baby Tibor are AWESOME! We had such a fantastic time getting to know them!!

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We also had the wonderful privilege of hanging out with Judi’s sister Karen, her husband Dick and their daughter Allison. This is you with Allison!

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This little skateboarder is Baby Tibor… Check him out!

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This is Lily – Libby’s daughter Wendy’s daughter. Wendy was there too! What a fantastic time!

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After Gracie came out in a pretty skirt, Maya and I asked Judi if she happened to have a pretty dress in size 2T. Of course she had a “pretty dress!” She pulled a “pretty dress” out of her closet, grabbed a ribbon out of a drawer, and we were all set! Aunti Judi ROCKS!!

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All Judi’s Girls!! Allison, Gracie and you are all Judi and Jim’s Godchildren!

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