Opening night TONIGHT!

Wow, I cannot believe it, after all the hard work we have opening night tonight for 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'.

I remember hearing about the show earlier this summer.  Initially I thought, that would something fun for me to do.  Then I realized this was something the 2 older kids and I could do together.  Well Jeffrey didn't want to do it (he isn't a big fan of Oz) but Samantha was all over the idea of being in a play.  I had not been in a play since I was in high school and was in plays at school and musicals at the temple, but I remembered how much I loved it.  Well we auditioned and Samantha got cast as a munchkin and a field mouse, I got cast as a munchkin and a winkie.  Starting the beginning of August we practiced 2-3 times a week.  While sometimes the practices were tiring and sometimes I came home sore (moving a house can do that to you!), I also have had such a blast.  Honestly being a parent can sometime be hard, but at practice I could be Melissa (there wasn't much parenting I had to do for Samantha when we were at practice).  This week has been tech week and anyone who has ever done a play knows how much work it is; now, after all that hard work it is SHOWTIME!  Last night we had our final dress rehearsal and it seemed to go well, I am hoping that tonight is even better.

So to everyone in the cast, BREAK A LEG!  And thank you for all the fun!

C-Ya!

Holiday Card 2008

Yes, it is over a month since Christmas, we did send these out a couple weeks before Christmas. But since traditionally I also post it to my blog, here you go....



I wish to say that 2008 was even better then 2007, but unfortunately that was not the case in the Pickert Household.
We started out the year with a huge loss. Melissa’s father, Ken, died from Multiple Myeloma (cancer). Losing another parent has been devastating and we really miss him. For those that never had a chance to meet Ken, he was such a wonderful man whose favorite things were his Grandchildren and good conversation.
Unfortunately, a couple months later we also loss our little dog Maggie when she was hit by a car. She was an awesome dog and Nick and Melissa miss her sleeping between their heads at night.
And in the “death comes in three” categories, Melissa’s Grandma also died in September from Dementia.
We did bring a new life into the house. In March we did get a new Shih Poo, Lucy. And while she will never live up to her older sister, Maggie, she is a pretty good dog, especially around Carter.
Nick was busy with work again. Pepperberry Gardens even was part of a booth with Stonepocket at the Midwest Fall Home & Garden Show and even won “best landscape booth”. You may have even seen him on WCCO-TV talking about it. At church, Nick started his term as Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus and safely installed a 48,000 pound boulder outside in the front of Our Lady of the Lake Church.
Melissa has been enjoying staying at home but recently did take a temporary job. She is still active in MOMS club and her quest to visit every site on the internet!
Jeffrey is an active first grader who loves math and music and is not such a fan of writing in school. He recently joined Cub Scouts. He still loves to do anything outside, and even is our household’s snow shoveler.
Samantha is enjoying her last year of preschool and loves to color and write words. She started dance this year and is our little social butterfly.
Carter turned one on Halloween and is really giving us a run for the money. He walked and got his first teeth before he turned one (before his brother and sister did) and gets into everything. He loves being with his family and getting all the attention. He is starting to make sounds and we swear he can say mama, dada and up!
Ole Scooter the Chihuahua is still trying to be our guard dog. And Max got to enjoy a hunting trip to South Dakota (with Nick and Jeffrey).
We are hoping 2009 is filled with adventure and good fortune.
Merry Christmas Love,
Happy Hannukah Nick, Melissa, Jeffrey, Samantha & Carter,
Happy New Year Max, Lucy & Scooter