First Day Flowers

First day of in-service was Monday, August 25. I was more than a little nervous. I walked into the office and the secretary said, your husband sent you flowers! I said, that isn't possible. And, sure enough, I was right....my good friend, Shirley Coleman, knew that I was nervous and offset my day with the most beautiful bouquet of flowers!!! Thank you Shirley!!

Cory's 1st Cross Country Meet

The Saints Cross Country Boys Team talking a pre-walk...caught them walking away from me because taking a picture of them coming at me would have mortified Cory and I would like to be welcomed at the next meet! The second picture is his first lap around. He has a good stride going and I don't hear any loud wheezing noises yet from his activity-induced asthma.

This is his second lap. He is alone, but going strong. The second picture is him crossing the finishing line. He was wheezing and I was nervous. I walked him to his inhaler and made sure that he was okay before I left. After we both returned home he told me that he placed third in his heat running with both Varsity and Junior Varsity runners. He was rated 1st JV. Mr. Kyle Blomgren, his coach and Maren's 6th grade homeroom teacher, told him that he ran 4th overall in his team i ncluding both Varsity and Junior Varsity runners. Jeff and I are so proud of him and he was so happy with his results. This is Cory's first year as a cross country runner because his over-reactive mother was too nervous to let him try out last year. Over the past year he has done quite a bit of short-length running (1-1 1/2 miles at a time) and has proven that he can take care of his asthma and run. So, a new sport and I actually enjoyed going from spot to spot to see how he was doing.

2008 Saints Football Team

Karen, the photographer, told the teammates not to squint when she said "3". Look closely at Ben's eyes....don't think he listened very well! In his defense, it was really sunny out. Will be interesting to see how Karen's pictures turned out!



Ben is #60 again this year. The second picture is of Ben and head coach Lee Carlson. Mr. Carlson is also Ben's teacher in high school and he really enjoys being in his class. I think that Mr. Carlson has a great vision for the team as a unit and not just a "winning machine" and that is what I love about sports...let's teach our children how to play fair, be gracious winners and not-winners, and to love the game! Ben has been playing football since he was quite young. In 7th grade he said he wasn't going to go out again. Every year he returns. Last year the coach had to come to our house and talk him into coming back. At the end of last year, he said to me that he needed new gloves and cleats for the following year...first time he had ever said that after a football season! The clincher was when he got a football player on his class ring. I told him now he had to play through his high school career! (Besides, I LOVE watching him play!) I have watched football since I was a baby from the back yard of the house I grew up in...then there was the sneaking under the fence years so we wouldn't have to pay to get in (thanks Dave and Todd for that great idea!)...but we were always required to sit and watch. If our dad saw us running behind the bleachers or fooling around we weren't allowed to go to the next game. And they had the greatest concession stands with caramel apples! Just couldn't watch a football game without a caramel apple from the West side concession stand...not sure what they use that building for now.

Rock Wall Climing in Albert Lea

What great fun was had by all!! The foursome of Cory, Macy, Emma, and Logan wanted to do something fun before school started up for their 10th grade year! Yes they are all in 10th grade! I am having a hard time with them growing up so fast, but such is life! Okay, so anyway, I found a rock wall climbing facility in Albert Lea, threw the idea out to the mom's, collected "yes" from the four children and a "yes" from Shirley to ride shotgun and we were off! We ate at Applebee's restaurant...Shirley and I sat 3 tables down and one row over from the foursome...leaving them space to chat. Then we went to the rock wall climbing facitility where they all suited up and were off. Later that night the guys that were helping the four asked them if they wanted rock wall climbing shoes to put on...all said it was much easier after they put them on. I was amazed at how hard they worked to get to the top. The one instructor suggested a game and they all had fun playing that too. It was a great time and I think we will be returning there for Christmas with all of the Malakowsky grandchildren in tow.


#1 - Cory reaching, #2 - Cory doing the "side wall" and Logan "spotting",
#3 - Emma doing a great job!, #4 - all done and all tired out!

Fishing...a Malakowsky thing

What a beautiful day to go fishing! The girls had Bailey and Shelby Haseman over for a fishing trip....which was originally supposed to be just a boat ride. What fisher girls these four are! They did not want to quit! The first boat ride was with Maren and Bailey. They didn't come back for 45 minutes! Jeff shows up and something from the bucket was splashing him as he was driving his boat in. It was the large mouth bass pictured above...may not taste the best, was a fleshier fish to chew on than a blue gill! Morgan is asking for a repeat adventure today.

Because it has taken me so long to do my blog, I am not sure what order things happened in so some of these entries are going to be random. Cory and Macy Coleman played in a tennis tournament as a mixed doubles team. They seemed to have a great time and, as always, it is so fun to be an observer....it was a warm day and I was so thankful for the apple slice from Lisa Shellum towards the end of the early afternoon!!

Morgan has a green thumb that is out of this world! She received a spider plant sprout from Mrs. Anne Olsen at the end of the school year. By late June we had to put it into a larger pot. Then in July, while visiting Uncle David in Sioux Falls, she was told to put a little bit of Miracle Gro in the pot....I am not sure what happened as she did it by herself but the next morning the plant had died. It was so sad!!!

So, she moved on to the plant that her mother killed. I recevied this beautiful geranium from Lisa and Mark Collier for a graduation gift. Morgan clipped off all the dead flowers, watered the plant, and voila! look at it now! It is gorgeous! A week after she cut off the dead flowers a beautiful red flower appeared. We were both so excited! So, I stay away from the plant and she is taking care of it herself. What do I do with it during the winter time?????

Morgan has been given a hand-me-down camera from her dad...it was our first digital and it got dropped so it doesn't have a flash, but it still takes great outdoor pictures. These are a few of her pictures she has taken over the months. She totes it with her everywhere we go. It has a long handle on it so that she can sling it from right shoulder to left hip. She has about 50 pictures of Hunter alone, her favorite subject when she can get him to sit still! Speaking of Hunter and Morgan, she has taught him to "race". She says, "Do you want to race boy?" and he gets crouched down and ready. She says, "Let's go!" and the two of them race around the house. Of course, so far, Hunter always wins.....unless he gets sidetracked by the bunny rabbits in the garden.