Some pics to go with...

There's Salty Dog on the left and "Minty" dog on the right! I've found that only Tim gets away with calling Christian, "Salty Dog."
M-I-C-K-E-Y...hottt!! All the heat, stress, and lines were worth this shot! "When do we get our ears???"
Not really gonna ask any questions here, just looks like a treasured Daddy/Daughter moment!
It wasn't as dark as it looks, but we stayed down by the ocean for as long as we could that night! It was gorgeous!

Sea World and the World of the Sea

Sea World according to Mallory:

Sea world was fun!!! I saw whales,turtles,and dolphins.My favrite was the shamu.

Sea World according to Mom:

Well worth the money spent. Before we left, I went online and found a deal-adults for the price of kids. Then when we got to Orlando, we found that you get an extra day FREE. So we got there in the afternoon on Wednesday-no lines, there was a cool breeze, and lots to see and do. The shows were phenominal. There were many opportunities to get up close and personal with the actors/performers. It way exceeded our expectations. Thursday morning we went back and saw everything we didn't see on Wednesday. Some lines that day, but well worth it!

The World of the Sea:

Tim just came up from the ocean and told us his job of tour guide was fulfilled-Dan caught a Blue Fish in the Ocean. Don't tell the DNR here! We woke up to rain and wind today, not prime fishing weather. I went down to take Christian to play and they were sitting in chairs, drinking coffee. Evidently there was a bit of a fiasco earlier with the line getting massively tangled in seaweed. Not good.

So our adventures continue. I am not so excited about coming home. Not that I don't miss the people in our lives, but going on vacation makes me realize how completely complex we have made our lives. It gives me plenty of time to reflect and think about how nice simple life is. I know, I know, that's not reality. I just am thankful for the time away and I say this everytime, but I really hope that I can come back and make some choices that allow our lives to be less stressful, less FULL, and more simple. Not sure what is going to make this trip different. The reality is that we get back, unpack, and get the kids to school 7:45 Monday morning and back to work, back to chaos. I just have to remember, I make it that way and I'm the only one who can make decisions to change that. Ahhhh...vacation.

Disney, Shuttle Launch, and Sea World, Oh My!

On Monday, we made our way to Disneyworld. We decided that the kids are on the verge of being too big for Magic Kingdom, so we thought it best to go now, then come back another time and go to the other parks. Here's the Disney summary of the day-kinda wished we would have gone in, gotten the photos with Mickey, went to the souvenir shop, baught the ears, and bailed. Between the massive heat, massive amounts of people, and massive long lines, it was not all it is cracked up to be. I'm sure we'll go back another time and go to a different park and we'll do things differently then. The kids delighted more in playing in the two pools than they did being dragged around all day!

Tuesday, we headed over to the coast to see the shuttle launch. It was not possible to get into Cape Canaveral, but we found a spot just across the Indian River and set up our picnic blanket, waited for the magic two minutes, and left. I video taped it and probably the coolest part was the sonic boom we heard, quite delayed because of where we were sitting. Mallory said it looked like whip cream (the water vapors it left in the clouds). Something we can add to our "Life Resume!" From there, we headed up the coast to Tim's for the afternoon. We all just played in the ocean and relaxed! Drove back to Orlando and tucked in.

Wednesday-decided to actually take it easy in the morning and go to Sea World in the afternoon. Here's our official Topel Family Review of Orlando: Sea World Rocks!! I'll tell you why a little later...

Sunday on the Seashore

No photos to go with, but we are here in Ormond Beach, Florida and spending our Sunday morning catching sand crabs, throwing the net for fish (Dan's caught 2 so far) and hanging out with Tim Pulford.
We finally got on the road at about 9:00 pm on Friday. Our goal was 6:30, but between Dan's sinus infection and my poor time management skills...it was 9! I drove from Fort Atkinson all the way to Mt. Vernon (which is where we broke down last time on the way home), then kept going until about an hour out from Nashville, TN. (It was about 5 am) Then Dan drove to Chatanooga, TN and we had...of course, Cracker Barrel. Dan kept going until about 3/4 way through Georgia. We stopped at a rest area and had a picnic lunch. Then I took over and drove until we were an hour away from Daytona. Whew! We made it to Tim's by 7:30. The original plan was to take it easy on the way down, but obivously, plans changed.
Last night, we ate at a cool place in Flagler Beach. Dan had fish tacos (and the peanut gallery laughs...) and I had fish and chips. It was THEE best fish I've ever had! Dan, Tim, and the kids just came in from catching a few "unknown" fish in the net, LOTS of sand crabs, and a star fish. Mallory also snagged a half a sand dollar! We are getting ready to go to Cocoa Beach to see my Aunt Rose (who lives in Elmhurst, IL) and her friend John at John's daughters home. Then on to Orlando to check into our hotel.
Hope everyone's safe!

Friday night reflection

Congratulations, Lynnell & Brian Lichtenberg!!! It would seem that much time has gone by once again since my last post. It certainly took some time to get life back in order here since the big day!
It ended up being a gorgeous day and the pictures just don't cut the surface of what a memorable day it was. Besides all of the overflowing emotions, it was a MOST fun time!
Dan and I were able to party with so many friends, new and old! The only downfall was that time passed just way too quickly!

Since then, we've been keeping enjoying our days. Not much time to reflect in there, but we have certainly been keeping on the up and up. The kids are doing awesome at school.

Mallory is getting some great grades and having fun being a third grader! She has been improving tremendously at soccer on Saturday mornings (and some Thursday nights). Dance class also started on Sept. 24th, so that is something she really looks forward to, too. She still loves dogs and has been showing lots of interest in helping out around the house!

Christian has more than exceeded my expectations for him in all areas of his life. Not that I had set them low, but just that up until now, it seemed as though he would give us a run for our patience and understanding! He has joined the "letter-club" in his morning class (which means he can recognize all upper and lower case letters), and has already been reading us books and about 15 words (the, a, I, like, here, etc.). Not only that, but he continues to teach me about what God tells us in the Bible. He has been having fun playing soccer, but is not so sure about "battling." (i.e.-playing actual games on Saturdays)

I don't want to be that "braggy" mom, but I am just overwhelmed with the blessings God has given us in our children.

Dan and I are just getting over some nasty cold/flu bug. Other than that, I am adjusting to having Shelli at the shop, steering the ship, with Jillian managing the other aspects of the office. My days have really changed a lot, and my self-discipline is being challenged! I've been coaching both kids at soccer, coaching forensics, and volunteering for about 10-15 minutes in the mornings and on Wednesdays for about an hour in the classroom. Sounds like a lot, but just quite a few smaller things spread throughout the week. I do get to get out on Wednesday nights to play volleyball.

Dan has been trying to take Tuesday nights to go fishing, though this has been a busy time of year, with the swap meet and the big 5-Alarm weekend having just passed. His Uncle Don passed away about 3 weeks ago. He had been sick for quite some time. He has been spending more time at home and with the kids, which is every mom's dream come true!

It's time to put the kids to bed, now. We're just living life the best we can and trying to do what is best. We leave next Friday for Florida...that's a whole nother story!!

Parents' Prayer
O Father, our hearts are filledwith a great happiness.For you have seen fitto bless us with a child.You have sent us one ofyour own little angelsto love and protect.
We are aware of the greatresponsibility that is oursand we are humble.We realize the honoryou have bestowed upon usand we are grateful.
Great that we may beever patient and loving,living in such a wayas to set a shining example for our little one. And as we seek to set those tiny feet upon the paths of righteousness, be ever with us.
May our home be a place of love and harmony where your Spirit is ever present. And may our child find you in each activity of our family life.
Bless us, we pray,and walk beside us through all our days together. Amen.
- Norman Vincent Peale

After all these years.

This past Sunday, we packed up and headed down to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to see our friends, The Karl Family.(Joana, Maya, Juliana, & Dan) Chris, Tracy, and Andrew Hamilton came with us.
We got there about 9 am and had breakfast and "lupper" together. Joana made Ghanian beef kabobs for "lupper" and though they have peanuts and I couldn't have any, I heard they were VERY good!
We went to a park down the road from there house and ALL of us kids played and just sat around and hung out. The weather was beautiful!
We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day-all around.
The kids all played kindly with one another. We were sad to go and all decided that next time, we would stay over night and for longer. Did I mention that Dan (Topel), Chris, and Dan (Karl) all went to school together and Dan Karl was supposed to be our best man in our wedding, but he was too busy courting Joana in Africa!! Dan is Mallory's Godfather.

Thanks for a wonderful time, guys. You are wonderful hosts and your home is a perfect environment for us to all get together! We miss you being close now more than ever!

Hebrews 10:25 (New International Version)
25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Heigh ho heigh ho...it's back to school we go!

The kids started back on school on August 28th. So far, so good. We are embracing the new schedule and I am especially enjoying being able to be home to do homework, make supper, etc. I am so excited, because I think I discovered why I could only load one photo per log in, etc. Updating will be much less painful now.
I do have lots of catching up to do, so stay tuned!
This past labor day weekend:
Saturday the kids and I road tripped up to the Princeton/Kingston area again. Mallory and Christain went to the campground by Tim and Jerzy and I went into Princeton to get my "trial" nails done for the wedding and go for lunch with Lynnell. By the time I got back, the kids had made a ton of crafts, Mallory was dribbling the basketball with some fancy moves, and they made a few new friends. Though it would have been niced to stay over, we headed home on Saturday. It is always a treat to see what new skill the kids acquire at the campground! Thanks, again, Tim & Jerzy!
Sunday, we really just hung out here at home and did some cleaning/laundry, fun stuff like that. My friend Renee had surgery the past Monday, so we made a meal for them and that was our day.
Monday-more cleaning and then to church. I wasn't feeling the best all weekend, so it was good to just catch up on some things around here. Dan kept busy towing and napping inbetween.

Last night, something really weird happened. I couldn't fall asleep for the life of me, and then the phone rang around 12:30. It was a nurse from St. Mary's hospital (which is one of my most feared phone calls with my dad trucking at all hours of the day/night). She said that my Grandma had been brought in for a nose bleed and she was okay now and needed a ride home. I wouldn't have minded anyway, but since I couldn't sleep, it really wasn't a big deal. Might make for a long day today!!

A Party Weekend!

Looks like we've outdone ourselves! On Friday, I took the kids up to Tim & Jerzy's to stay for the weekend while Mom and Dad partied with the Bachelor and Bachelorette. Lynnell is getting married on September 15 and she asked me to be the Matron of Honor. Quite an honor!! We started the day with a pedicure, then went to the Heidel House in Green Lake. I HIGHLY recommend the Escapade Cruise-only $12 per person for a one hour tour. There is one of three restaurants that is reasonable and casual and has outdoor seating. Makes for a fun day away.

I've just discovered that I can upload only one photo per log in, so we'll keep that to a minimum this time!

After our cruise, we went back to Brian & Lynnell's for pizza(and cake to celebrate Lynnell's upcoming birthday). After that, the 10 of us boarded the bus to Appleton for some night life which lasted until about 2:45 am! I'm getting too old for this! We had a super fun time and if Lynnell does as well as being a bride as she did a Bachelorette, she will do just FINE!

It made for a short rest time, as my internals had a little something they weren't quite happy with me about.

So a little removal process, another wink of sleep, and by 9:00, we were getting ready to head back to Princeton.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch (or the campground)--Christian had a surprise waiting for mommy. "Look, MOM-no training wheels!" It was a goal he set to be riding before he went back to school and bygum, he did it! Special thanks to Tim and Jerzy for their patience and ability to connect with a 5 year old busy body boy!

I picked up the kids and headed for home, just in time to whip on a change of clothes and pick up 5 of Mallory's friends for her 8th Birthday party at Build a Bear in West Towne Mall. We hit Dip-N-Dots for a treat instead of a cake, then found our way back home to crash in luxury in our own beds.

Hard to believe school is starting tomorrow already. Christian will be starting Kindergarten with Mrs. McKenney (the pastor's wife) and Mallory startes THIRD grade with Mrs. Ulrich. Mal had a fun day today shopping for her birthday present with Grandma Lala. Christian and I had a fun day with a surprise visit from Jonathon ("little" Jonathon who I used to babysit for) and Hannah. I am just consistently amazed by these "children" and their always making time to keep in touch. Jonathon will be starting his Junior year at University of Minnesota and recently got engaged to Chelse (I hope I spelled that right!?) Hannah is keeping busy with club soccer, Managing boy's soccer, working a real job, and babysitting!

And ya know, I better get to sleep, since school has a tricky way of bringing a discipline of schedule to an entire household!

Mallards, Petenwell, and Alex, OH MY!

I've tried updated this blog from my laptop about 50 times now, no joke. It is like a bad case of the movie Groundhogs Day. Usda. Well I've gotten this far, we'll see how far we get! July was filled as I'm sure you can imagine. Heather, who had been watching the kids, started looking ahead at the beginning of summer. She realized that come fall, she would need to find something different, since the kids would both be in school full time. She put her feelers out and found something right away. So we decided to make it through the summer between sitters. Between Kelly, Hannah, my mom, Dan's mom, and us parents, we have had quite the schedule from one day until the next!

We haven't been playing volleyball this summer, instead we've been going fishing, and just spending time just the two of us most Wednesdays. Jenny Hendricks has still been coming over on Wed. nights to watch the kiddels.

In late July, Alex came for a visit. His first "Lone Visit!" Tuesday night we went to the Mallards game in Madison (A BLAST, by the way). Alex chose to sit in the furthest front seats we could and after I left to go get some drinks, I came back and here everyone had drinks already. We had our own staff person, catering to our every whim and need! After the game, Dan got each of the kids a ball and they had the team sign. At the very end, there was a really fine young man who must have a soft spot for kids whose mom's embarrass them by making them take pictures with baseball players!!

Whew. What a nice boy! The next morning, we headed out for Lake Petenwell. A place that we wanted to get a permenant camping sight earlier in the year, but Uncle Sam did not allow it.

We had a great time, but only ended up staying one night. The lake was absolutely disgusting. It had layers of algae, bright green, that looked like it was toxic. We thought maybe we could boat to a better place on the lake, but no such luck. Despite that, we did have a fun time, and it was Alexs' first time truly camping.

Pudgy pies, cooking over the campfire, and 4 minute showers! Ahhh, nature at it's best. Well...other than the smell of dead fish and toxic lake!

I've edited this about 10 times now again, so I'm going to put my patience at rest by adding one other memorable event about our trip camping...

LOOK MOM! NO TRAINING WHEELS!!

(and that's the third try for that, so that's all for now!!)

June in August?!?

Not exactly in chronological order, but oh well. Above, Mal and Christian are on the carousel at the Town & Country Days in Lake Mills, it was the first year in many that Alex wasn't here with us. We all missed the Sheffermans, wasn't quite the same without them.

We were able to take some weeknights and Sunday nights to go for boat rides on Rock Lake. Christian has been posing with his imaginery friend. We don't really know his/her name, just usually shows up at camera time!
And then there's Mallory who had this habit of biting the skin around her fingers when she was nervous, anxious, or just bored.

On top of all of this, both of the kids attended summer school (well, Christian missed quite a bit, but he went when he could). Mallory took some fun classes and is still talking about dance class with Mrs. Stilling. She sure loves dancing.

One of many gorgeous sunsets on Rock Lake this summer.
We found out, as you may read on a "later" update that we are so blessed to live on such a clean lake. I've got some photos on our laptop that go next from July, so I'll leave that
for another day (soon, I hope).

What is one to say about June, the time of
perfect young summer, the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months, and
with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever
fade. ~Gertrude Jekyll

Surprise!! An update!

It's as though I've got an audience to perform for here today!! It's as though there are people just waiting to see what is new in our lives over the past two months and I'm just not even sure how to start!! I guess I'll pick up where I left off and go from there-we'll see how far I get!

It's not what you think! On the left is Christian's mouth. The thing hanging down is that little "punching bag thing" in the back of our throats and to the right is one of his huge tonsils. The photo on the right is him mustering up a smile for me post-surgery. It was a tough day, but I have to say he was a trooper.

They had to wrap his entire arm so that he didn't know there was an iv in it.

After the surgery, Dr. Lindstrom told me that he did great and that his adenoids that they took out were quite large also. I waited a bit longer, then they called me back. He was a hurting unit when I first saw him, before the pain medication set in. The nurses had me get right onto bed with him and that was comforting for both of us. The hospital was the easy part. I would highly recommend Oconomowoc Hospital to anyone. They were wonderful from beginning to end, then sent a Thank You card to Christian with signatures from each of the nurses, with little notes from some of them.

Once we got home, he HATED his liquid Tylenol with Codeine and was quite a bear. Finally after not eating much, getting up every 4 hours and massive arguments over taking the yucky medicine, and losing some weight, (6 days), but fortunately no bleeding or any complications, we were able to give him Motrin. Much better...but it still took much longer than I had planned for him to get better. THEN...after getting pretty much everything he wanted for two weeks, we had to start all over teaching our strong-willed Christian exactly who was the parent and that the patient-phase was behind us! Not fun. So that's the much awaited surgery which happened on June 26, 2007 (it is still 2007, isn't it?).

Ahhhh...summer vacation

I am just here at the shop. It is 1:25 am and I am waiting for my software to "upgrade." Otherwise, there is absolutely, positively no way I would be updating this right now. It is one of those times in life when you are in too deep, buried beneath all of the wreckage of life and you know there's no getting out any time soon. As much as you'd like to hop on the next train to Clarksville, it just ain't happenin'. (Because when you get back, your work piles have doubled, and your dirty laundry is still dirty-and stinkier.) So if you haven't heard from us lately, or have called, e-mailed, or sent a carrier pigeon, just know that we are thinking of everyone in our lives right now in our prayers. We are doing well, all things considered, and we will be in touch in a moon or so. Christian has his tonsils removed next Tuesday (don't tell him, we aren't going to until a day or so before-not something to look forward to). Prayers would be great! Especially about keeping him down for almost a week. TV "OD" here we come! Hope all are doing well.

Lots goin' on, not much time!

Hey Jude! That is Christian and his buddy, Jude, from preschool at St. Paul's. They are two peas in a pod and I believe they give their teachers a run for their money...and patience! The photo was taken at the Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison a few weeks ago.

Here's where the Topel family is at:

Two weekends ago, we hung out, cleaned the garage, and had "Kiki" over to our house. Kiki is an 8 month old who is being taken care of by her Foster parents, who are also our customers and friends. We had a great time with her. She is such a wonderful spirited baby and took a long nap, then crawled around, played, we went on a short walk, and she wasn't trying, but made Brady jealous since he wasn't the baby in the house! I think he was glad to see her go, but we were not!

Dan and I have been working quite a bit during the week, so when the weekends come, I hit the door running!

Last weekend, we went to the library and out for lunch with my mom on Saturday, then went over to the Selck's house for a yummy supper. Man, Kathy can cook a mean prime roast and garlic butter potatoes!! It was a great incentive to get moving this week on some walks!! We had so much fun playing with Ethan, and once again, I got my baby fix-snuggling Barrett! We also got to catch up with our friends, Jason and Stacey Forest, so that was good, too. The time was too short!

On to Mother's Day! We went out to the Sand Bar for brunch and YUMMY YUMMY, more food in my tummy! We saw Jason and Stacey, again! My mom, my Grandma Vitense, Cliff, Vi, and our family all were together. How wonderful. After that, we changed our clothes and headed over to Topel's. Vi said not to get her anything, but she wanted Dan's time. So we cleaned up some of their yard and got a nice big spot for the Topel Family Garden! We are so excited!! Everyone pitched in and you know they say many hands make light work!

Dan is off this week to help our friend, Tim Pulford move some things from his place in New Richmond, WI up to his mom's in northern MN. Tim is going to be making a major career change, as he was an engineer and is going to Florida to learn how to be a pilot! We will be heading down to move the rest of his things on May 29th, the whole fam damily! He has a condo on the Oceanfront near Daytona Beach. Man is that the life! As for this trip, Dan will be taking a few days to partake in his new found obsession: fly-fishing! Believe it or not, things are actually pretty quite here and I'm not going crazy...YET! Shelli is helping with that, I know!

Mallory's dance recital is on Sunday, so that makes her rehearsal on Saturday. This is Mallory's 5th year in dance at the Main Street Dance Studio in Fort Atkinson. The recital is at the Irving Young auditorium in Whitewater at 2 on Sunday. She surprised me this year on Mother's Day with her dance which is going to be the Nutcracker. She is a soldier! Which is ironic because we have been growing her hair long so it could be extra pretty for the recital...she is wearing it in a low ponytail (he, he, he!)

Next week: Christian's last day of school on Wednesday with a program on Wednesday night at 6:30 at school. Mallory's last day of school is on Friday which is actually the day of the school olympics. Every year the classes divide into different colors, participate in events around the outside of school, then at the end, they have an all school relay race-every team has a few from each grade!!! It is always a blast!

The kids are doing very well. Mallory is feeling the stress of the end of year activities and the nice weather. She has taken a special liking to her scooter and was riding her bike until the training wheels fell off...if we just had some TIME, I'm sure she doesn't really need them anyway!! Christian has been sweeter than ever and it just takes a few extra patience and some reasoning power and he puts his brain into good use by making good choices! Still not usually a few days in-between bumps and bruises! Boys will be boys!

Two posts in one month...AMAZING!

Okay, so I still have some catching up to do!

Here's what the Topel Family was up to this past March:

The Sporting Show in Milwaukee. I was still recouperating, but REALLY needed to get out, so we packed up and headed to the sporting show. The "kids" caught some trout in the trout fishing pond and we checked out all kinds of places to visit in our "spare" time this summer! The fish had a cool ride home under the hood of the Jeep!

Had some warming up to do in March! We loooove our hot cocoa!

Sharing is caring, right guys?!?

SPRING BREAK:

Some people go to the tropics, we go up north. It is hard to tell, but at the top of this photo is where the water turns to an ice chunk!

We went up to Wood County (about an hour and 3/4 up north) and delivered a vehicle to Nekoosa. Lucky for us and for them, we were planning on going up anyway to visit a possible permanent campsite. It was a relaxing day, just the four of us.

Christian played in the water and got VERY sandy, while Mallory...just hung out!!

There were some beautiful camping sites and we were all gung ho until Uncle Sam came around and I don't know how...after all these years, we had to PAY money in. And did you know, by the way...that if you underpay, that they expect you to make "estimated" tax payments on top of what you already have to pay-quarterly. UNBELIEVABLE...I'm starting to understand all of those rantings about taxes and the government that my grandpa used to do.

Back onto family business...sounds like we'll have to stick around Lake Mills this summer and enjoy what we've been given in our own hometown!

And onto Easter...

Heather Bachmann came over and spent the night on Friday before Easter. The girls had a great day playing, then we colored eggs at night. It was one of the best egg-colorings yet! Easter was a very special one! We had a jumpstart for a U-Haul in Madison and went on another family outing. I know it sounds like a real bummer, but we had a very relaxing morning, including breakfast at Burger King while the kids played in the play area. Our travels took us onward to the Johnson Creek Outlet Mall to unlock a damsel in distress at Tommy Hilfiger. Thennn, back home for a delicious dinner with my dad and Dan's parents. It was a great weekend, but I was glad the kids had Monday off from school!

I think...I'm almost caught up, as far as photos go. So much in between, never enough time, we'll TRY to stay current (stop laughing!!)

Lots of catching up to do!

In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like
dirt. ~Margaret Atwood

Christian has decided for some crazy reason that he likes to wash dishes. Which is a great thing considering our dishwasher sounded like a garbage disposal and we were unable to use it for weeks. For some reason, though his interest in washing peaked just before it broke. Gotta love those dishpan hands!

A long marriage is two people trying to dance a duet and two solos at the
same time. ~Anne Taylor Fleming

Our friend Kyle Lehr got married this past weekend. Dan was the best man. It was a weekend full of fun and excitement. Kyle and Cara went to Chicago and I hope they are having a great time. Thanks to Hannah once again for being our saving grace! Hannah even made a new friend while she was there!!! Shelli also stood up in the wedding and we had a chance to see lots of our friends there as well. Our best wishes to Kyle and Cara!

We had a great time with everyone and Sunday came all too quickly!

While there's so much more to report, my six o'clock whistle is going to go off, so I must return home!

We're Back in the Saddle Again...

On the road to recovery, that is!
I went in on Monday for my surgery follow up. I waited about 40 minutes in the waiting room, about 5 minutes in the office, Dr. Kontny came in-ripped the tape off of my stitches, asked if I was feeling better and if I think we "had" it. Told me I could eat anything now and...off I went. Two minutes-okay, maybe 5. Better than the alternative!
Dan is slowly working his way back into his regular schedule. He is putting different tires on his new "project" right now. His new project is a 1996 Jeep Cherokee-RED! It is going to be his new fish-getter.
Mallory has had a "sick" tummy the past few days. She was home on Monday and back at school yestarday and today. School is going well. She has been keeping busy playing her Nintendo DS-Nintendogs. Dan took the kids fishing last night and they had fun playing by the marsh down by Harvey's trailer park. They found lots of snail shells, saw two whooping cranes, two Mallard ducks, and lots of geese.
Christian continues to amaze me with his "canny" comments. Right now, his latest is telling us what we should do around the house. "Mommy, you should really put those books away." "Mommy, you should do the laundry." "Mommy, you should really clean up that stuff." And he's right, but it stinks when your four year old is telling YOU what needs to be done. He is still loving preschool and has a new friend, Jude. Since Jude wasn't in school today, he played with Espen. He is enjoying getting outside these past few days and riding his bike. Yestarday, Heather was not feeling well so he went to Judy's. He missed going over there and had a great time.
Business has been very busy or maybe it is just because I've been down and out for so long. We did hire a new Service Writer. Her name is Joan Samanas. She is learning very well and for starting a few days before all of my issues started, I give her credit for even sticking in here!
Off to play volleyball tonite!

This little piggy...

Mallory's play was this past Friday at St. Paul's School. She had a few special lines along with her friend Haley. Above, she poses with her friends, Abigail Hackbarth and Shayane Anderson. Shayane was the cow that wouldn't "moooo." It was a very Mooooving play and we all had a swine time!

Hannah came again this weekend to help out with the kids. I don't know where we'd be without her!

Dan's back is slowly getting better (definitely muscle related and better now if he keeps moving). My butterfly stitches still have not fallen off and I'm getting really close to ripping them off myself! I just want to be "normal" again! I do recommend getting your gall bladder removed if you want a great diet plan. Between that and my allergy to fresh fruits, my McDonalds menu available to my eating without the two "d's" (death and diarreha) is now a shake, a GRILLED chicken sandwich, a side salad, and pies! Not such a bad thing if you really think about it!

We are off to Madison to do a tow job and try to catch up with our household supplies from the past 3 weeks! Spring...here we come!

Who needs a gall bladder, anyways?!?

So it has been quite some time since I've had a chance to update. There is lots to tell and not much time because if I don't hurry up, my stack of work will collapse and then I'll really be in trouble!
Not this past Friday, but the one before, I started having some major pains in my right side just under my ribs. Dan took me to the Watertown ER for a quick checkover and 5 hours later, we went home with the knowledge that they really didn't know for sure, but they thought I had an ovarian cyst rupture and that there was some "unknown" fluid that was probably due to the cyst. Oh by the way, I had 2 small gall stones. Spare all the details, it wasnt' better and I finally found a Primary doctor, went to see Dr. Stephanie Nottestad in Cambridge on Wednesday. She sent me to the surgeon at the Fort Atkinson clinic. He checked me out, read the reports, and scheduled my surgery to have my gall bladder removed.
Thursday morning, I went in at about 9:30. At about 11:15, went down for surgery. About1:00, returned to my room. Hung out for just over an hour, left a present in the lobby before I left (the Vicodin didn't sit very well on top of the anestesia), and was home by about 3:30, one less organ in my body! (oh by the way...the fluid they saw last Friday was bile.)
By Saturday morning, I was off the Vicodin, just taking ibuprofen.
Saturday night, what seemed like a pulled muscle in Dan's back, made him incompacitated. What a pair we were on Sunday! So Sunday, Dan was down and out for the day. Monday, he could at least WALK. Off to Dr. Nottestad we went and boy, the pharmacy is really liking us at this point...muscle relaxers and MORE...Vicodin!! Tada! He went to see our friend Jennifer Jeschke who is a physical therapist who got the honor of kicking the living tar out of him (okay, it just felt like it!).
Here we are today. Wednesday, March 7. I'm getting back on track (have been working half days since Monday), and Dan is slowly making his way around-in fact just got back from loading up a car. (Don't tell our insurance agent!)
The kids are angels and though they've felt the stress a bit, they are doing outstanding!
Our very special list of THANKS:

Kathy Selck for the yummy lasagna.
Hannah Hinrichs for her time and abilities with the kids Friday and Saturday.
Shelli Roedl for being my drug deliverer and for her time hanging out with us.
Stephanie Bartels for a delicious soup and fixin's.
Jon Hendricks & Josh Ramsey for covering for Dan.
My mom for helping out with the kids...
and endless thanks to Cliff & Vi for EVERYTHING they do...lemon cake, slimfast, taking the kids on Sunday,
and everyone else for phone calls and prayers!

I don't know where we would be without everyone else's time and talents.
Until next time...

An Ode to Shelli!

She is a friend of mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order. It's good, you know, when you got a woman who is a friend of your mind.

~Toni Morrison, Beloved

Shelli Roedl. A girl who came into our lives what seems like yestarday, but was when Mallory was 3 (about 4 years ago). A girl who God has called to help us on this place we call Earth. From offering her time to her talents, she never ceases to give. She doesn't expect not one thing in return. She has an uncanny way of knowing just what to do and when. Shelli, you amaze me. Babysitter. Friend. Next best thing to family. Co-worker. Dog-sitter. The list goes on and and on. If you would ask me where I would be without her, I'd have to point you to a gutter on some cold street. Honestly. Shelli has blessed us in ways she will never know. I have received notes and not responded. E-mails that I read, but didn't have time to write back. Yet Shelli has time. She somehow makes it and always comes through. There are qualities in Shelli that would make her elgible for a Nobel award. Though the days may be numbered before she pops open her umbrella-much like that of Mary Poppins-and has to catch the wind off to her next mission of life, I am thankful to have her in our lives. The kids adore her. She has that special touch that makes them melt in her hand. A bond that will never be broken and grows each and every day. So I thank God each day for gifts such as these. Thank you for helping me keep it together and for being there when I fall apart! Life is more meaningful with you in it. May God bless you and keep you. May he make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May he look on you with favor and give you peace!

Happy Valentine's Day...

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

When we remember where love comes from, it has a whole different meaning than the one the world would like us to submit to! For all we have been through and all that we yet will endure, we wouldn't be without God's love and mercy.

I've been reading a book for quite sometime now: Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God: Encouragement to Refresh Your Soul by Mary E. DeMuth. It is a woman who writes short excerpts about her life as a mom and she relates scripture or some analogy to her life experiences. It isn't one of those that is surreal, it is just a real life mom that knows that she falls short so many times, including some mentioning of fears of how she was raised and how that might effect how she is raising her own three children.

It is very inspiring and I've been thinking a lot how so many things do have a deeper meaning as long as we are willing and able to take an extra moment to take it all in. So if you are looking for a great book and don't have a whole lot of time to read, I'd suggest this book!

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and we're pretty excited at our house! Christian got Batman Valentine's and Mallory wrote out her two different kind (Cars for boys, Princess for girls). I am helping out Mallory's class party at 2pm. Then volleyball times two at night so that isn't exactly romantic, but it will be a fun night out getting some exercise!

Well I must go get some work done here at the shop. I'm only about a week behind this month!lol

PS-The new Toshiba TV joined our household of electronics this past Sunday. Nothing fancy and it sounds funny, not to mention the dual remote situation-one for cable, one for power & volume!! Isn't there a movie about the perfect remote that runs everything (Click, maybe?) Gotta get one of those!

Down & Out

It has been awhile now since Mom (me) has been sick. Well...it started coming on on Sunday and laid me flat out for a full DAY on Monday. Tuesday I was able to peel myself up enough to take some Dayquil-thanks to my local "dealer," and that kept me going through the day. Wednesday came and whoa momma...back on track and no sooner than 3:30 am! All that sleep and my body said NOOO more! Brady woke me up and my day began! As my mom always said, I might be burning the candle at both ends, but that's what us moms do!

Luckily, everyone else in our house has been healthy. We have been having a time deciding on whether to send Christian to Kindergarten next year, being young for his age and a boy and all. Our meeting was on Monday (I think Mrs. Voigt must've thought the cat dragged me in) to go over how he is doing in school. Although she said she would support if we did decide to hold him one more year, she thinks he's good and ready for kindergarten. My baby is going into kindergarten next school year. Reality strikes. Mrs. Voigt and Mrs. Maahs are the best and she had so many wonderful things to say about Christian and how he does at school. One of those proud parent moments, I guess.

March seems to be a packed month for us and February is quickly filling itself up as well. It is hard to find time to get it all straight! Two weddings, an industry expo show, spring break, and a Chamber of Commerce long term planning meeting at Mt. Olympus in the Dells. Umm...calgon?

We haven't even set our New Year's Goals yet...
AND...STILL NO TV!

Winter Wonderland...finally!

Well, we finally got what we've been asking for! SNOW!! The kids (Mal, Christian, & Brady) and I had lots-o-fun playing in the snow today. One especially funny moment was when I was pulling Christian on the sled and Brady ran up and grabbed the rope with his teeth. At first I yelled at him, but he persisted and went on PULLING Christian around the yard on the sled. Hillarious! I was a little slow on the draw with the video camera (no $10,000 grand prize on American's Funniest for me this time). Oh well...our wonderful neighbors, the Brigg's (Sierra, Dawson shown above) joined us and we just ran and played in the park. The kids bombarded us with snowballs and Brady tackled Michelle! Or I mean Michelle tackled Brady!! To top the fun off, we went in and warmed up with hot cocoa!

After the warm up, we headed off to Sullivan for a Wedding Shower for our friend Kyle Lehr and his soon to be wife, Cara. Dan will be the best man and I am going to read in the wedding. I found out that I actually get to prepare something to read. I'm quite excited about that!

Last night we had the Hinrichs over for our annual Christmas celebration. It was great to spend time together, though the time seems to go all too fast. Even Jon, who I started babysitting for when he was 6 mos. old-was able to make it down from Minnesota where he is going to college. And NO, I don't feel old! I just feel blessed!

Friday night we went out with our friends, Lenny and Corrine Raupp. It had been WAAAY too long since we had seen them! We had a great time and I just realized I never took any photos and I wanted to! UGH.

And to top it all off, our good friends, Mick & Kathy had their baby on Friday night at 10:19pm. Barrett Warren made his big bro' Ethan proud! Congrats!

Here goes another week! Hope yours is prosporous! Stay tuned 'til next time to see if Dan gets that Tele he's been hoping for...we are currently down to one 19" in the bedroom...