Highlights of 2014

After a record low of only nine blog posts in 2014, I have resolved to be more consistent in blogging in 2015. My kids are all gone today so I am thoroughly enjoying peace and quiet and the time to reflect on our last year. 

1.  My mom's funeral

     Hard to say good-bye. Glad she's out of pain. Nice to see family.

(With my siblings and parents two years ago) 

2.  Keith's mom's funeral

Unexpected. Double whammy. Life well-lived. Very loved. Good to see all my kids.

3.  Apostle Island Ice Caves

     Amazing. Beautiful. Unexpected boon for our area - 138,000 visitors came to see them.

4.  Cassaundra's wedding

     My daughter, Kiah's, best friend got married. 

Fun that the girls got married six weeks apart

5.  My dad's visit

    First visit from him in 17 years. 

6.  30th Anniversary

     Thankful for 30 years. Lost in the wedding frenzy. 

Promised to celebrate later. Still haven't. 

7.  Granddaughter Cailin's 1st birthday

      Adults don't change much in a year. Babies change alot! Fun to see her grow.

8.  Kiah & Dayton's Wedding

     Fun. Exhausting. Beautiful. At times overwhelming. 

           Thankful for a good man to love my daughter.        

  

9.  Vacation in Ontonagon, MI

     Quiet, relaxing, refreshing week enjoying the beach, books, and each other.

10.  House projects

       Checked many things off the to-do list

11.  Whistlestop Race Weekend

        Christina and Anna did a half marathon. Dayton and Lani ran a 10K. 

Glad someone's getting exercise.

12.  Thanksgiving

Ate at Kiah and Dayton's. Yay, the kids can cook. 

Worked myself out of a job. 

Thankful for faith, family, and friends. 

We have been so blessed and continue 

to trust God for the upcoming year. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Catching Up

     

You may or may not have noticed that I haven't written a blog post in the past six weeks. I'm running seriously behind schedule and just sent out our 2013 Christmas letters. One of my life's goals is to some year send the 
first Christmas letter people receive. Obviously 2012 wasn't the year. Neither was 2013. Procrastination combined with an unprecedented number of changes this past year meant a May letter. After 4 years at the same location with the same jobs, we did a Fruit Basket Upset.

Change #1 - Keith's sister wins the Biggest Surprise of 2013 Award by getting married at the age of 65. She moved to a new house and now we have a new brother-in-law and find that we like married Karen even 
                                               better than single Karen.

   Change #2 - After living in the midwest his whole life, Keith's older brother, Neil, and his wife moved 

   to the Seattle area.

   Change #3 - Erica (22) graduated last May with an Occupational Therapy Assistant degree.  
   Christina (28) and Kiah (24), graduated last May with nursing degrees.

   Change #4 - Anna (19) graduated from high school.

   Change #5  - Keith's family sold his mom's house so we spent a week in June helping Karen clean it. 

   Grandma had lived in the same house for 34 years and her basement had become the family storage unit
   which means there was a lot of stuff to find places for.

   Change #6 - We joined the grandparents club! Last July, Andrew (26) and Rachel (24) blessed us 
   with our beautiful granddaughter Cailin Louise (like Caitlin without a "t"). Cailin is the first grandchild 
   on both sides and has six aunts and one uncle to spoil her.

   Change #7 - In August Kiah and Anna moved five hours south to LaCrosse, WI. Kiah works as a       
   nursing home RN and Anna is a barista at Moka Coffee Shop. Anna wants to be the favorite aunt so 
   babysits for Andrew and Rachel. They acquired a cat they named Ramona after Ramona Quimby. 

   Change #8 - Keith's Uncle Jim Christiansen passed away over Labor Day. He was in the same 
   Assisted Living facility as Keith's Mom. 

   Change #9 - After five years of camp ministry, Andrew and Rachel felt led to do something different. 
   They moved in September to an apartment ten blocks from Kiah and Anna in LaCrosse. Andrew 
   works at Best Buy in the computer department. Rachel works part-time as a nursing home 
   Recreational Therapist.

   Change #10 - Erica moved to LaCrosse in November and lives near Kiah and Anna. Makes it easy 
   to visit our kids now since they're clustered in the same part of the same city. I had hoped that our kids 
   would grow up to like each other as adults. So far, so good. Erica works in LaCrosse as a Medical 
   Services Coordinator for Logistics Health.

  
   Change #11 - Our 28 year streak of driving big family vehicles came to an end. We traded our big 

   red passenger van for a small Pontiac Vibe that comfortably seats four people.

   Change #12- Christina is an RN at a nursing home in Ashland. Do you notice a pattern here? She 
   moved out a month ago and lives 10 blocks away. She traveled in January to Honduras on a 
   short-term medical team that holds clinics in remote villages. 

   Change #13 - My mother, Pat Taylor, died at the age of 74 on January 17, 2014. She had severe 
   COPD and congestive heart problems for 12 years.  She died from pneumonia and a C02 build up 
    in her body. I know she's in a better place and wouldn't wish her back, but we're never ready to say 
    good-bye to our loved ones. Kiah and I rode the train to Portland for the memorial service.

   Change #14 - On the way home from my Mom's funeral, I got the news that Keith's mom, Marie Vik, 
   had suffered a stroke. After four days of hospitalization, she passed away at the age of 89. We knew 
   Keith's mom was aging, and my mom was very sick, but we never dreamed our mothers would die two 
   weeks apart. Our whole family was able to attend the funeral.

   Change #15 - On a happier note, Kiah got engaged a month ago to Dayton McCauley and they plan 
   to get married this summer in Ashland. Kiah met Dayton at camp two summers ago. We like Dayton 
   very much and Andrew is happy to finally be getting a brother.

  

    Keith and I, along with Amy, and Lani are the only Viks who didn't move in the last year. Besides 
    being grayer and flabbier, Keith and I haven't changed much. 

    Church is going well and other than enduring the coldest winter we've ever experienced, we're happy 
    to live where we do. The house is cleaner and quieter but we do miss the fun of having all the girls 
    home. We have a guest room now so feel free to book a stay at Hotel Vik.

   Amy (17) finally has her own room for the first time in her life. Amy is a junior and the family extrovert. 
   She loves working at camp, babysitting, knitting, hanging out with friends, and being on a cross-country 
   ski team. We enjoy Amy's friendly personality and are blessed to see her grow into a sweet young lady. 
   After so many years of juggling seven children (not literally), it's a treat to just have two kids to care for.

   Lani (15) is a freshman and is fast becoming the family handyman. She loves to clean, organize, and fix 
   up old furniture. She is patiently redoing her bedroom by herself - stripping wallpaper, patching, 
   sanding, painting, ripping up carpet, etc. She wore out our last electric sander so Keith just bought 
   her a new one.

   This has been a crazy year but we know the One who holds all our tomorrows in His hands. We believe 
   God knows best and we trust Him with our future. We hope all is well with you. It's always a treat to 
   hear from friends and family. Thanks for being a part of our lives.

                                                                                                                                          

    Love,

    Angie for the family                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Oh, My Poor Neglected Blog

I'm dismayed that it's come to this. Over two months without one post. 

I've followed blogs before that quit posting and I'd think, "No, please don't quit. I enjoy hearing about your life." Unless your blog friends are in-real-life friends or Facebook friends, once they stop blogging, you have no other way to know how they're doing.

2014 has been crazy so far. We visited Keith's sister who lives nine hours away and our kids who live five hours away for the Christmas holidays. Upon our return, we took turns sharing the cold that our relatives had shared with us at Christmas. 

A week later, My mother was hospitalized with pneumonia. She had COPD, assorted other health issues, and had been bedridden for two years. We'd had similar phone calls like this over the last 12 years, so while concerned, we assumed she'd bounce back like all the other times.

2012

She died January 17.  

Even though she had been sick for a long time, and I'm glad she's in a better place and is no longer in any physical or emotional pain, that for the first time in her life, everything is right, it was still hard. I don't think we're ever ready to say good-bye to people we love. 

The upside of a sad time, is spending time with family and friends. My daughter Kiah and I took the train from Minneapolis to Portland for her funeral. 

Despite the circumstances, Kiah and I had a great time. We enjoyed connecting with family we hadn't seen for ages.  I was gone 12 days. 

On the train ride home, I got the message that my husband's 89-year-old mother had suffered a stroke. This took me by surprise because for the most part she had been in good health. 

She died three days later on January 31. Exactly two weeks after my mom.  Double whammy! Ouch! I hadn't processed my mom's death yet before Keith's mom died. 

She was ready to go. She said at Christmas that this was her last Christmas. She often said that she just wanted God to take her. She's in a much better place and we wouldn't wish her back, but she was dearly loved and we miss her. 

First time our family had all been together in over a year. 

Our granddaughter lightened everyone's hearts. My son said people should rent out therapy babies for funerals.  

Good to mourn together, share memories, family stories, hugs, and tears. Good to say good-bye together, but in our own way. 

Because Keith's mom had been in assisted living, we had to immediately clean out her apartment so we wouldn't be charged for another month. Usually after a funeral, you don't have to deal with their stuff right away. This was a mixed blessing, as it was hard, but it's done. It could easily have dragged on for years, like it did with his dad's stuff.   

The first week home I felt numb and sluggish and didn't feel like doing much. We're for the most part back in the saddle and trying to get back into a routine. 

All this to explain where I've been the last two months.  If you still read my blog, thank-you. I appreciate your concern for me and my family. I'm thankful for all my family and friends, virtual or otherwise.

Wedding Bells!

A favorite topic of speculation the last few years is who the next person in the family will be to get married. Never in our wildest dreams did we dream it would be Keith's sister, Karen.

Karen was divorced in 1976 and has been single for 37 years. Last summer she started dating someone she has known all her life. They tied the knot on April 20th and Keith had the honor, along with his brother who is also a pastor, of performing her wedding ceremony.

They are 65 and 66.

Bob is an only child and his parents are both gone. 

He went from being by himself to Instant Family. 

It was the funnest, sweetest wedding I've ever seen. We smiled from start to finish.

Karen's grandson, Eric, walked her down the aisle.

When asked, "Who gives this woman to be married?" Eric repliced, "Her family does!"

My daughter Kiah sang a solo.

Lighting the unity candle.

Keith and his brother, Neil, co-officiated the service.

Bob kisses his much shorter bride.

Karen and Bob with Grandma Vik

Grandma Vik with her three children and their spouses.

My family, minus three daughters who couldn't make it because of a late April snowstorm.

We're missing five cousins in this picture. 

They always like to do one crazy shot. 

Youngest and oldest cousins - my Lani (14) and Jill (43)

Grandma Vik and Kiah

Andrew and Eric

Very cool present

Time to get married

Keith said this was his favorite wedding he's ever performed. It was a fun day, especially with being able to spend time with family and friends. We're happy to have a new brother. Welcome to the family, Bob. Hold on to your hats, we're a crazy bunch.

How An ISTJ Buys a Car

A Myers-Briggs temperament test says I'm an ISTJ. (Introvert, Sensory, Thinking, Judgement.) ISTJs over-analyze things.

My ENFP husband is the exact opposite. (Extrovert, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceptive.) This results in frequent clashes in how we approach life.

Case in point: our recent car purchase.

Keith (intuitive), has gut feelings and things either FEEL right or they don't. His favorite car-buying method is to have a general idea of what he wants, and then see the right car parked on the side of the road with a For Sale sign.

Since 2004 we've driven a useful, 14 mpg, maroon 1993 Ford Econoline passenger van. Five years ago I suggested buying something with better gas mileage. Since the van was paid for, Keith said we'd replace it when it died.

Taking the ferry to camp at Big Bay State Park last fall.

Only it never did. Despite our abuse, at 215,000 miles, it still runs. However, now we rarely drive anywhere with the whole family. We no longer need a van that seats eight people.

Keith has picked all our cars. "Molly", the blue Pinto I got instead of an engagement ring. "Feather," the blue VW Superbeetle he brought to our marriage. A blue Volkswagen van named "Vincent Van Gogh", followed by "Stacy" the blue station wagon. We drove a blue Ford passenger van for five years. Do you notice a pattern here?

When he bought our current maroon van, I wasn't sure I could drive a car that wasn't blue.

Fast forward nine years to 2013. I trust Keith's judgment but I hadn't chosen a car in thirty-five years and I wanted input on our next vehicle.

My priorities were good gas mileage, handling snow well, and room enough for four people to comfortably drive six hours to see the new grand-baby in July.

I didn't want a red car. Any color but. Why manufacturers make red cars is beyond me. I preferred blue, of course.

Keith could only handle a few hours of car shopping before getting overwhelmed. I spent hours on Craig's List, Yahoo Auto, and Car Gurus.

I suggested flying to another state for a better deal. Rural Northern Wisconsin isn't the cheapest place to buy a car. Keith would drive seventy miles to Duluth if need be, but he preferred to buy local.

I compiled a detailed spreadsheet, listing thirty car options in order of mpg, headroom (Keith is 6 feet tall), and rear legroom. Fuel-efficient cars without enough headroom got crossed off the list. Red cars never made the list. Maroon was okay, red was not. No exceptions.

We tried a Subaru Forester and Impreza because they handle snow well. However, Foresters don't get good gas mileage and Imprezas don't have enough headroom.

We vacillated between roomy minivans and smaller fuel-efficient cars. We almost bought a local blue Dodge Caravan. The Ford Fusion and three Focuses we drove didn't feel right.

We drove a really nice 2010 Prius that unfortunately was really expensive. We both liked driving my friend's blue Toyota Matrix. My poor husband had never tried so many cars before buying one before.

We'd drive a few cars, then wait for Keith to get un-overwhelmed, while I spent countless hours on the Internet. Keith still hoped to stumble upon a local good deal. He'd get emotionally flooded with too many options, while I scoured cyberspace and found good deals from Portland to Pittsburgh.

Last Thursday we spotted a used, bright RED Pontiac Vibe at a local dealer.

A Pontiac Vibe is the same thing as a Toyota Matrix. My OCD research showed Vibes get good gas mileage and have good headroom. After a test drive, my intuitive ENFP husband said, "I really like this car." After six weeks of shopping, Keith finally had his "Stumble upon, feels right" moment.

I couldn't see beyond the ugly red color. Keith said, "Really? You'd let color stop you from buying a car?"

"Yep," I said. I didn't want a car that looked like lipstick.

We drove three more cars but Keith liked the Vibe best. The dealer said technically the color was "Lava" and I wouldn't notice it after two months. I almost cried on the way home. I really didn't want a red car. Why couldn't it have been any other color?

I spent two hours Thursday night on the internet, determined to find a similar car that wasn't red. Surely, somewhere in the United States a reasonably priced blue Matrix or Vibe existed. Unfortunately, I didn't find anything that came close to the red Vibe.

This 2006 Vibe had 44,000 miles and was owned and babied by an 83-year-old woman. Nothing was wrong with it, other than the color. It met most of my criteria AND Keith thought it felt right.

Keith bought the car Friday morning. I felt embarrassed to drive such a bright car. What would people think of it's redness?

Positive reviews so far. The family loves it. Friends say they like red cars. Lava didn't bother anyone but me. Someone said to embrace its redness. To not see obnoxious, but sassy.

I'm slowly adjusting to the color. I saw a gray Vibe yesterday and thought it looked dull. I love my new (to me) car and am thankful the search is over.

ISTJs make things harder than they need to be. My ENFP keeps me grounded. Historically, ISTJ/ENFP differences caused Keith and I to butt heads. This time, instead of clashing, we collaborated. A definite win/win.

Our new to us car needs a name. Any suggestions?