becksolson

So we've held it in long enough! We warmed them up with a few random games of Hangman today and the last one was the "We are going to Disney World on Saturday!" Emmitt was shocked he got the words right and Parker cried. SO MUCH FUN! Cannot wait for our trip. I can finally pack the suitcases and talk about it and get excited with them!

Parker did follow up with, "what about the play?" I finally had to let him in on the secret that they all know they won't be there for the performance on Saturday and that's why they don't have any lines. Here I thought Emmitt would be totally bumming about missing his first play but they are both okay with skipping it for Disney.

Setting family goals has by far helped this whole process. These two have wanted this trip for quite awhile. Number one reason for waiting was money. Second reason was Emmitt needed to be 48" tall to fit in the rides! Well he hit 48" and then some this school year and they were all supportive every time I left them for an oil class or event. It was better for all of us that they knew why mom was "working oils."

So on Saturday we head out on a very early flight for 8 days of Mickey and friends!
#OlsonMagic2015

A couple of weeks ago I let the boys ride their bikes to school for the first time. I slowly followed them in the car. I just wanted to be sure they made it. Well they didn't. We made it a block from school and Emmitt started screaming. Parker just kept biking. I yelled at Parker to stop and check on Emmitt. I put on my hazards in the middle of 13th Street and got out of the car to check out what was wrong with the bike.

When I finally approached the bike I had looked at the welding and it had completely snapped off. When I picked up the bike to put it in the back of my vehicle the tire went bouncing down the road as if it were a cartoon. Emmitt witnessed my brief but dramatic 35-year-old tantrum (I may have dropped a swear word) and then got a ride to school. So there I left my kid in front of the bike rack crying with no bike and told him he had to walk home.

I remembered that a flyer had come home about a week prior to that about collecting pop tops for a chance to win a new bike. When we got home I asked him if he wanted to try to earn a new bike by participating in the contest. Of course he did!

Auntie Tracey, Uncle Kurt, Grandma's Grandpa's, Uncle Jimmy and Auntie Paula, Uncle Kerry, Tex, Casey Kittelson, Auntie Tolle and a stranger from Facebook donated over 17,000 poptops (let's face it some were beer) to help this little guy out.

Daddy and Emmitt spent hours removing pop tops off of dirty cans. Grandma Audrey when ditch digging for cans. Truly every top counted!

Emmitt ended up with 13.1 pounds. Second place was 12.9. If my math is correct he won by roughly 200 tops!

Emmitt received a phone call early this morning from Mrs. Shermoen asking if he could be to the high school to pick up his bike at 9 AM. He was so excited! We arrived at the school and met the sponsors and the school staff. We were welcomed into the lobby with a big round of applause.

Mr. and Mrs. Ohlquist were the amazing people who donated the bike. It is in honor of their son. They chose the Mr. Pete Foundation to donate the money from the pop tops. Mr. Pete used to collect pop tops from around the globe and my connection with Gina and the Peterson family makes this all come full circle.