Returning Turtle

Greetings from the long absent Turtle! I have been away on a wonderful family vacation to Washington, DC.  It was a wonderful experience!  We piled ourselves and four children into the family mini-van and spent lots of “quality time” together driving out and while in DC. I am happy and grateful to report that it [...]

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Reflecting Turtle: Coasting

FEELINGS: Today I feel anxious, ambivalent, worried, grateful, lonely. ISSUES: Issues for me today are focusing on family and trying not to isolate. NEEDS: I need to surrender myself to God (and mean it). CHECK-IN: It has been a clean week, but I also feel that I have been just coasting.  I have fallen out [...]

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Reflecting on a Turtle Getaway

A WEEKEND IN SOUTH DAKOTA The Turtle has been away. The Turtle was out of town for three days. The Turtle was in South Dakota. The Turtle was not alone … I had a chance this past weekend to take my two children from my first marriage and go to Watertown, South Dakota for a [...]

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A Circus at Home

At our house the phrase “Circus Weekend” usually refers to the weekends when we have all six children at home with us. But this past weekend the Circus was a source of incredible joy and celebration — especially for the Chatty Chatty Princess! The Chatty Chatty Princess loves elephants. When she was four years old, [...]

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Happy Marathon Finisher!

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The Power of Words

THE POWER OF WORDS

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Day at the Ballpark – Sharing a Piece of History

A TURTLE’S DAY Over the weekend I had a chance to take in a Twins game with my Dad, my nephew Jack, and my son Paul.  Three generations hanging out together at a Twins Baseball game.  Good stuff! The game was very entertaining.  After trailing 3-2, the Twins scored 3 runs in the bottom of [...]

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Oh, the Indignity!

Our dog Rufus struggles with the fact that he is not the alpha dog.

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One Flies Out of the Nest

GOOD LUCK, BAYLEY! Today is a day of change at the D-Monk household.  It is a day that brings both joy and sadness.  Our eldest child, Bayley, leaves today for college.  She is the first to leave the nest. We packed up the mini-van and Bayley and her mom left for Minnesota State University Moorhead [...]

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A Weekend of Gaming

A TURTLE’S DAY Let the games begin! Oh … wait a minute … they already did. For the first time in a long time I spent a whole weekend with just the two children from my first marriage — Paul & Gretchen.  Beth and the other kids were in South Dakota for the weekend and [...]

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