2010......Not sure where to start. It has been a busy year, and every year I "think" it will slow

down, but it doesnt. It just keeps getting faster. This year started off with Amanda starting drumline. Practices, every Tueday, Thursday and Saturday. She has missed tons of stuff, but

has been with her friends. Good friends, good kids. Kids that I dont have to worry about her being with because, well, they are just good kids. The drumline is off to a great start again, and at this point is getting ready to close the season down, but not before they get to go on a trip. Yeah!!
This year (see pic above), Josh joined swimming, something that we didnt know he had interest in, but he did great none the less. It was fun to watch him try something new, and enjoy it. The other sport that the kid has gotten into, and is starting to get his brother into is snowboarding. He goes every Monday night with the ski club, and I would say he spends every other weekend there.
It works out well, as he has a friends Mom that will
drive the boys to Powder Ridge, and I do the
pick-up.....that is unless they sucker us into letting them stay at one house or the other. But again, hanging out with great kids makes that an easy answer. You bet.


Today is Izzy's 8th Birthday. She decided she wanted to have her friend over. So we took the kids to the Dassel Darwin Hill and went sledding. It was a B-e-a-u-tiful day to do such a thing. This is Izzy and her friend Erin. After sledding, we came home and made homemade pizza, the girls decorated picture frames, and made pillow cases. Which lead to movies, and popcorn, and I am happy to report, that the house is now quiet!

There are so many more exciting things going on. But I shall stick to the basic's now. I promise I will TRY to update more often.

Kids are Back to School.

Make a Smilebox postcard

When life gives you lemons...

You know how the old phrase goes..."When life gives you lemons, make lemonade"

Well that is what we are going to do!

As some of you may know already my step-mother, Heather, passed away unexpectedly earlier this week. The funeral is on sunday so we are leaving tonight.

Jesse and I have been trying to plan a trip to North Carolina to see my family and bring the kids to the ocean for a couple years now.The trip keeps getting pushed back to "the next summer" due to a number of unforseen circumstances. There is no more next summer, the time is now...

We have made plans to spend time with my family for a couple days after the funeral. My brother Ricky, who I havent seen in over 10 years, if flying back from South Korea. Prescilla was 6 the last time I saw her !!!

Jesse and I have made plans to spend Monday(maybe tuesday) in Atlantic Beach, NC on the ocean front. Izzy is already planning on going shell hunting and Jackson wants to go surfing. Josh and Amanda have been at church camp all week so we are not sure what they have planned. They are aware of what has happened, and I am sure they have come up with some "plans". Jesse bought a new "bigger" storage card for her camera as she plans on taking hundreds of pictures, that she hopes to share when we return home.

It is sad life changing events like this that remind us all how short life can be...

Celebrate life for what it is, not what it isn't and while you are here...Live...Laugh...Love as much as you can !!!

Summer so far.

Well the summer is off and running. June was a blur of fun. The kids have been manageing very well again this year with Amanda babysitting. Her and Izzy have quite a bond forming. Iz got all teary eyed tonight when Amanda left for babysitting, and Jeremy asked what are you going to do when Amanda goes to college?? Izzy said she will start crying on Sunday night, and stop crying Friday. We will just see how long she thinks that.

Jeremy and I went to Winstock this year. I think it is safe to say that a fun time was had by all. Great friends, Great food, Great beer, and Great music. What else do you need? We sure missed the kiddos by Sunday though.

The end of June, I had a hysterectomy. We set it up in May, so I knew it was coming. I am always busy at work so from May to June went really fast, and I found myself at the Buffalo Hospital on Tuesday trying really hard not to vomit. What made me nervous was just the thought of the iv's going in. And I have to say that every nurse or lab tech who touched me ROCKED. So once everything was in I was ready. Dr Minke came in to talk to me before hand and gave me the low down. One would think he was a women with how good he is with his information. But I guess he just really listens when we talk. The things I rolled my eyes at and got him talking more to Jeremy was when he started talking about not lifting, no stairs, no driving, yadda yadda yadda. Time to go. I woke up very little in recovery, and was in and out of it once they brought me to my room. I think about 1pm I finally got up for an hour or so when the kids came to visit. Jeremy later told me he could tell when I was waking up cause my heart rate would start getting faster, and he would know I needed more pain med's. I think it was about 3 pm that I finally came more out of the fog, and got up to brush my teeth and go to the bathroom. Jeremy and I walked down to the sitting area, as they told me if I was up and walking around, I would have to have the massage things on my legs. I think I told Jeremy to go home about 9pm. He had only left the hospital after Dr Minke was done with surgery and told him to go have breakfast, and then when the nurses told him I would be up anytime soon, so go have lunch. I have to say that I was not prepared for how much it hurt. I kept describing it to Jeremy, and he didnt think it was funny how I described it. Its pretty graphic so I wont put it on here. But I have to say, the next day was alot better. I woke up at 5:30am on Wednesday, took a shower, tried to eat breakfast, no thank you. Dr Minke came in and looked me over and said I could fly the coupe. I slept most the day Wednesday and woke up Thursday feeling ok, so we started to get ready for the camper, but there was one thing that I had to do before I would leave, I hadnt done it in 4 days, and anyone who knows us Chaps, knows what I am talking about. About 11am, I was singing PRAISE THE LORD, from the bathroom and we were off. I can honestly say that I do not remember being at the camper till Saturday morning. I would get up to eat a little take my meds and go back to sleep. It was just what the doctor ordered. It has been a slow couple weeks. I have one more week off this coming week, and I am hoping that I am able to do some visiting, and feel alot better. I am not going to complain, as for what I had done, I think I feel pretty darn good. But my body will still tell me in the morning if I did to much the day before. I have been very good.
Ok. Long post. Sorry. Till next time. Have fun.

YEAH!! Last day of school. Things that I look forward to.

Successful Opener Over....On to Memorial Day

It was a cold but fun Fishing Opener weekend at the cabin. There were many walleyes boated despite the near freezing temps and the rain. Jackson was the "perch slayer" on Saturday night. I can tell my wife is completely discouraged with Mille Lacs lake fishing, but the girl has skills. She put a leech on her hook. She then told the leech go "catch" something for me, and it did, it caught a rock !!! It isnt her fault the leech was stupid :-)

On to Memorial Day weekend which is always fun. Again we will be "going to the cabin" for the weekend. The pool will be open at the campgrounds and the kids will want to swim for about.......2 minutes until they realize how cold the water is yet!!!

Mom and Dad will enjoy some coffee and bird watching in the morning while sitting on the log swing. The kids will go exploring and bike riding. New fun stories are certain to come...

Jeremy

Were going to the cabin....were going to the cabin

Are the lyrics to a little diddy that gets sang around our house on the days before we head up to our "cabin". We are heading to Sherwood Forest for the weekend. It will be the 1st weekend up there this spring, not to mention it is walleye fishing opener and Mother's Day, so there will be much to do.

We will be minus 2 of our clan this weekend :( but it is for a good cause. Amanda and Josh will be doing a "cancer walk" with their grandma Judy who is of course a cancer survivor.

Have a good weekend everyone !!!