Mothers' Day

The ladies of Serenity sure had a fun time on Mothers’ Day this Sunday. To celebrate the holiday many of us took the time to make and decorate sunhats with beautiful designs, craft flowers and other fun charms. It was an exciting way to have a few laughs and enjoy the special day!

Pictured above is Claryce who is enjoying the festivities. Doesn't that look like fun?!

Biggest Fan

Saturday, May 9th was a chilly 37 degrees with almost 15,000 runners of all ages lined up at the FargoDome. It was the 5th annual Fargo Marathon and these runners ranged from all ages. The crowd bustling around the streets of Fargo ranged in all ages as well.

Our own Abbie Moe braved the frigid temperatures to watch her grandson run a marathon he's been training half a year for. For those of you who aren't familiar with marathons, they are a whopping 26.2 miles long. Those training for marathons brave frequent blisters, sore knees and thoughts of "Why am I doing this?" Needless to say, Abbie Moe had a lot to be proud of!

Rising with the sun, Abbie was up and ready to greet the runners. We bundled up and nestled into our spot on the sidewalk to look for her grandson in blue. Dan Johnson, Abbie's grandson, was wearing a shirt that Serenity made just for the day. On the back it stated: "Serenity Assisted Living...My Grandma Lives There!" And even though Abbie's special shirt was hidden in layers of jackets and blankets, hers was a bright pink Fargo Marathon shirt that said: "I'm the Grandma!"

The proudest moment came at mile 15 when we quickly saw Dan stride by.

He yelled, "Hi Grandma! Hi Grandma!"

Smiles met the lips of both generations. What a boost for a runner at mile 15! Abbie was proud to go back to Serenity later that day and tell everyone at the lunch table how proud she was of her grandson and that she braved the chilly weather. This 96 year old lady is an inspiration herself!

Furry Friends

On Thursday the ladies and gentlemen of Serenity were visited by a couple of Jodi’s furry friends. Jodi not only brought her dogs, Toby and Tucker, but supplied all of us here with a few smiles as well. Toby has been around for some time but Tucker is a new, loveable puppy who likes to play follow the leader. Both are cuddly Yorkies who love to be held and adored. Just take a peek at this photo of Henrietta who is holding a squirmy Tucker!

National Nurses' Day

It is National Nurses’ Day and the ladies and gentlemen here at Serenity must have thought it would be a perfect time to honor our RN, Jodi. As we know, Jodi has been busy training a few new faces and also keeping everyone around Serenity happy and healthy. The day was celebrated by presenting Jodi with a giant cookie that read, “You’re a Good Cookie.” This commemoration was followed by a short speech from both Charles and Sonny. That cookie sure looks tasty!

Pictured above are Charles, Jodi and Hubert (Sonny).

Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo wasn’t just celebrated south of the US border this year as the ladies and gentlemen of Serenity Assisted Living had a bash of their own this past Tuesday. Contrary to what many Americans believe of the Fifth of May commemoration, it does not honor Mexico’s independence day.

The holiday celebrates the day the Mexican army conquered the French army and other Mexican traitors in the Battle of Puebla on May 5th, 1862. Though this battle did not win the war, many still recognize the courage this Mexican army demonstrated as it was outnumbered by thousands. To acknowledge the bravery of this army, the creative individuals of Serenity celebrated by designing party essentials such as piñatas. These paper mache projects entertained and truly allowed the individuals of Serenity show off their artistic talents.

After the hard work of creating these piñatas had come to an end, it was time to sit down and enjoy a few other aspects of the Mexican culture. For supper the ladies and gentlemen enjoyed some unique foods such as nachos and empanadas as well as a festive dessert. And what would a Cinco de Mayo party be without sombreros to capture Mexico’s unique culture? By the end of the day, even the original Mexican army from the Battle of Puebla would have been proud to have celebrated with the ladies and gentlemen of Serenity.

Happy Earth Day!

Today is Earth Day. Started in 1962 by Senator Gaylord Nelson, this celebration is a reminder to do good to your Earth. Serenity did it's part by recylcing handfuls of tin cans from our meals, sprucing them up with some paint and planing our favorite herbs.

We included chives, parsley, rosemary, oregano, mint and cilantro in our menagerie. We can hardly wait for these yummy herbs to grow so we can use them in our meals!

Pictured above is Arlene Tangen, focusing on her design.

Amanda Horpedahl

Take time to welcome our newest volunteer at Serenity! Her name is Amanda Horpedahl and she has already logged 16 volunteer hours here! She is a whiz at Connect 4 and has the greatest smile! We are so very happy to have her!

Easter Eggs

The ladies and gentlemen of Serenity practiced their creative skills on yarn Easter eggs today. The masterpieces are hanging in the kitchen, check them out!

Happy Birthday, Lois!

Lois celebrated her birthday today with a cake she designed her cake. It looked lovely and tasted even better! Happy Birthday!

April Fools!

Around here, we certainly pulled out our bags of tricks for April Fool's Day! As a surprise lunch, when the ladies & gentlemen came down to the dining room for a bite to eat...they found the three tables pushed together in one big row and covered in colored paper. There were crayons on the table and everyone was encourage to color.

Richard came from the kitchen next with "Grilled Cheese Sandwiches." It turns out that these cheesey sandwiches were really angel food cake with frosting in the middle. After the backwards start to lunch, hamburgers & french fries were served right on the table...no plates or silverware! Richard went around the table and squirted everyone's initials in ketchup right on the table as well! Talk about one crazy lunch!

Check out Cleo Havlis's picture above...she knows we have tricks up our sleeve!