The Topel Family

Sunshine and wine...

2011-04-16T19:26:00.000-07:00

The weather man has been coming up goose-eggs lately. Despite the fact Saturday didn't turn out like it was supposed to (nice), we got the pay-off on Sunday when it called for storms all day and instead we got 80 degrees and sunny.

So we did some cleaning on the back porch, (child labor laws do not apply here) Christian and Shawna worked hard at getting all of the pine needles swept off:

And we even managed to get some rest and relaxation in. Mal read a book and I did a puzzle for a bit.

When the day was done and the terrible weather that we anticipated all day headed north, we watched Tron: Legacy and ate some popcorn. I popped open a bottle of wine I've been holding onto, only to find out it was added to my list of favorites!
The weekend was filled with musical delights from start to finish and Tron wasn't the only movie we took in. Mallory and I went to see Soul Surfer at Johnson Creek with some other Moms and friends of Mal's. The movie had a great message. It's been a long time since we've done an outing like that and I hope we can do more.

A new year...happy or not, here we come

2011-04-07T20:48:00.000-07:00

Inspired by my good friend and life mentor,

Carla Hinrichs-I've decided it's time to get back into blog action. I have certainly contributed much of my extra moments in life on facebook over the past year. As much as I've struggled with dropping my account, so as to not have the temptation to indulge my time there-I've decided I can try my hand at being disciplined and keeping it under close watch.

If someone told me that life would be where it is now one year ago, I'd have said they were crazy! Between

natural disasters,

political unrest,

a failing economy...surely there's much talk about our nearing the end-times. One thing is for sure...

every day we are a day closer!

Beyond that, there have obviously been many joys and triumphs throughout the year. Along with them, hardships and struggles. We've watched our children grow physically, mentally, spiritually. We've seen some really good friends go through some really tough time including divorces. There are parents moving on in their years and in their lives. Blessings of both of my grandmothers still here to witness and be witnessed. An ever changing business that does well being managed by us but somehow seems to takeover and manage us instead sometimes.

Just the other day, Mallory was bored, so she sat down and was reading my blogs. She even came up with some ammunition to taunt her brother with when I made a comment about Christian and his extra energy! It made me realize that

while facebook is great to keep in touch with loved ones near and far, old friends and new friends...it isn't the same as just sitting down and getting it out in a blog entry.

I've said it before and I'll say it again! I'll do my best at taking some time to reflect on these moments that make days, days that make weeks, weeks that make years, and all together equal life. Because today becomes yesterday, tomorrow becomes today, and time waits for no one.

So it's not January 1st and I don't have any ambitious resolutions, but I do have a strong desire to make it a habit to share moments that make up our lives. Of course, to share with others, but more so to write

our own history book...

Greetings from Baltimore

2010-04-09T19:53:00.000-07:00

Dan and I left on Tuesday night for our Shop Owner's Course here in Baltimore, MD.

Our plane was delayed about 4 hours before we left Milwaukee. Once we did get off the ground, our 737 bounced and jolted around in our not-so-friendly skies of a thundershower. All it took was a consoling hand rub and a prayer to God to smooth things out. The rest of the flight was a breeze! We landed at about 1:45 am. Arrive hotel, check in, lights out by 3.

Up at 6 am and ready to bring on the world at ATI!

It has been 3 full days of learning, reviewing, and meeting other owner's nationwide that deal with many of the same issues that we do.

My souvenir list includes a lengthy ACTION ITEM list and a new outlook on life. Main objective goal has been met! We had a great meeting with our coach, Geoff Berman today and we look forward to getting back to implement our new strategies for a better service experience for our customers and our technicians! Tally-Ho!

We had the opportunity to check out a local brewery, DuClaw just across the way from our hotel in the Arundel Mills Mall. All the way from Lake Mills...to Arundel Mills! Ironic. Really good food, and per Dan, fairly good beer!

My mom stayed with the kids so as to maintain a life as normal as possible for them while we were gone. Dan and I are very thankful to Jenny Krauklis and Renee Bachmann for getting the kids to school and for taking them for a night to get Grandma a break!

Another special thank you to EVERYONE at the shop for keeping the boat sailing. By the look of things, it was a speedboat with a big block in it. LOTS going on there. Not a surprise, though, as that is par for the course when we're gone!

Have had some time inbetween for reflection and discussion which has been valued since that type of time is few and far between (between kids, phones, friends, work, etc., etc.!)

It's been nice to keep in touch with everyone on Facebook! A nice treat we have never had while traveling before.

Now? I'm beat. I'm going to get up early and get my Couch to 5K run in before we head off to the airport. Feels kind of weird being in so early on Friday night in a big city, but I'm just beat and can't wait for my head to hit the pillow!

Looking forward to seeing the kids and Brady tomorrow, as well as family and friends. It's been a nice "break." A valuable one.

Do not be afraid...

2010-04-03T22:53:00.000-07:00

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." ~Matthew 28
Blessed Easter, everyone.

It is 1:00 am and I have more to be thankful for than ever before.

My mother called me this afternoon that she was in the hospital. After attempting to clean a toilet, an accident put her in harms way. Sounds like a joke, but the age old warning not to mix cleaners (bleach and other toilet cleaners), became in innocent accident. No one to blame, just much to be thankful for, as she was discharged from Columbus Hospital this evening around 8:30pm.

Around the same time, my Uncle Ken was re-admitted to the hospital for a very low white blood cell count and being incoherent. After a 5 stint operation just days ago, it would seem the best place for him this Easter is in the hospital. The last report I recieved, he has stabilized and is doing okay.

I am blessed to be spending this Easter with my Grandma Vitense and Dan's parents. As I prepared my home today, I counted my blessings...thankful to have the opportunity to spend this sacred day with those we love and cherish, but do not take enough time to be with.

A wonderful morning with my father eating breakfast at a local family restaurant was just the beginning. I was honored to share with him my faith and a new way of life, celebrated daily. The true meaning of life and love. Humbled by Jesus who carried the cross for everyone of us, reminded of the words that echo so true...
"that's not fair? LIFE'S not fair. Want to talk about justice? Discussing the true meaning of love~

What better way to honor the One who gives me each mortal breath and eternal life?

An afternoon shopping with my daughter. She's so honest and at the same time is able to laugh with me and find humor in many of the same things I do. I couldn't imagine life any other way. I am proud to be her mother.

~"Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.' "

Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. ~Mark 16

That is our mission. Go and tell disciples.

So as I struggle with sharing His word and love with one most dear to my heart...this night I can relate just somewhat with Mary Magdelene. I say nothing because I am afraid. Dear Brother, I am missing YOU this Easter. Praying for you and loving you.

"Where does the day go?"

2010-04-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

A famous question posed by my mom on a regular basis growing up.

As I sit down, that is what I ask myself.

met a friend for coffee at McD's this morning
dropped off my mom's laundry
picked up & prepared fruit for Mallory's class Going Away Party for their student teacher, Ms. Markgraaf
dropped it off at school
went to work
stepped in as Service Advisor for the afternoon so that Dan & Mark could catch up on some fishing up in DePere (poor guys were going through withdrawl, I could just tell)
got the kids from school, ran to the bank and to US Cellular
back to the shop to close up and prepare for tomorrow
ran to Johnson Creek to grab some deals on clothes for Christian (found a couple steals for myself as well on the clearance rack!)

back home and indulging in some wine I picked up today while Dan and I were renewing our Fishing Licenses!

Tonight was one of the first times in I can't remember how long that I went somewhere without a child, husband, or friend. It was a nice time and I discovered that I really like being with myself!

I am excited to have finally set some plans for Easter.

We will have brunch on Saturday with my dad out to eat.
Dan's Mom, Dad, and my Grandma Vitense will be joining us for brunch at our house on Easter after we go to church
Hopefully we will be able to see my mom Sunday night for a little while.

I am feeling bad for not getting to church today, Maundy Thursday. It really should be a priority in our lives.

Today, the day of April Fools, is our friend Schtevie Litscher's birthday! It's really Steve, but I've got my own nickname for him! I was hoping to get to Madison to hang out with him tonight, but he's got a meeting in the morning, so maybe we can catch up with him this weekend.

One last note for the day: I completely blew it with Christian last night. As much as I looked forward to today being the Friday of the short school week, I seemed to have forgotten the fact that Christian has a lot of things due on Friday that I just totally forgot about. Poor guy let me have it after school.

I think I need a checklist for my checklists.

I am looking forward to tomorrow when we can get the kid's rooms all picked up, spring cleaned, and ready to finish off the school year. Mine too!

There's no looking back...

2010-03-31T07:43:00.001-07:00

It has certainly been awhile since my last blog entry.

My first approach was to try to catch up with everything I missed out on.

Well, today is a new day and I've discovered that it was stifling me to think that I had all that to do before I could move forward. So today I say,

There's no looking back.

They were great memories and I just didn't leave myself enough reflection time in between.
Here's my other thought for the day. The Blog is called Topel Family and it really ends up being a lot about me, my thoughts, feelings, etc. I have gotten caught up in trying to always have something profound to say or blog about, but going forward, there will be a change. I will do my best to reflect on family issues, events, etc., but I can't promise a literary piece of writing to go along with it.
While visiting my Grandma Schroedl and Aunt Rose last week, I discovered a book of letters that were compiled by my Aunt and her Cousin. It was letters that were written between my Great Uncle Henry who died in World War II and his family and friends.

It opened my eyes to so much.
We really have lost the art of writing and communicating with one another in a way that would be preserved for future generations. The poems he wrote and the way that I got to know him through reading the words he composed...I just don't know that we have that anymore.

Is storing all of this electronically really the best thing for history in the future?

I asked my Grandma when she had time to write so much (her home was filled with boxes of poems, journaling, letters, etc. from over the years). She told me at night. This woman raised 5 children, 2 of them twins, worked on the family farm, worked outside of the home when necessary, no microwave, no washing machine when the children were young, no boxed meals, she walked most places she could. I really could go on and on.

Yet she made the time to reflect.

Let it be a lesson to me. She, my mentor.
______________________________________________

This Topel family is in it's last quarter of school already. We are preparing to celebrate Jesus' resurrection on Sunday as we reflect on those humbling days that lead to Calvary's cross.

Dan and I will be heading to Baltimore next week for training at ATI (Automotive Training Institute).
Mallory just finished YMCA volleyball with me as her coach, is loving school, and still working on her dance in Fort. Her recital will be May 23rd in Whitewater. Already at 10, she is blossoming into a beautiful young lady that although sometimes she forgets she is talking to her parents and not a friend, has a solid foundation and a gentle heart. She has so much she wants to get done, yet looks forward to her "just chill" time as well. This past weekend, we got out the scrapbooking supplies and she's been going to town. At school, she just completed her Social Studies Family History project. Very educational and gave us all a chance to take a step back into time.

Christian is attending school daily with just a few adjustments to his day that accommodate the Sensory Processing Disorder. He has adjusted amazingly well to his school setting and his friends there. He looks forward to going to his OT appointments with Mindy usually every other week. He has been hanging out with a neighborhood friend, Jake when he can. We've been riding bike downtown and around every chance we get. Of course, he still loves playing his video games on his ds in his down time. He just completed Diary of a Wimpy Kid , actually, two of the four books currently out. We look forward to a rainy day off to go see the movie.

Our house has seen it's cleaner days and the Jeep looks like we're living out of it, but we've become accustomed to the fact that when life happens, neatness doesn't always follow. It's not unhealthy, just a little scattered out right now. Then we'll have days like this weekend, when we can slow down the pace, pick up the pieces and prepare for our next adventures!

June...check!

2009-08-04T22:53:00.001-07:00

So that was most of our excitement in June. We took a lot of time to just get caught up on some of the "over-living" that we commonly do.
-Some sleeping in
-Boating
-Fishing
-Mother-Daughter Banquet
-Mallory started band lessons playing the bells and snare drum
-Heather & Trinity came over to play
-Went to a movie
-Cook out for Father's Day

It looks like more than it was considering I was able to be home with the kids and not working so much at the shop. My work load did increase a bit after we got a letter of resignation from Shelli early June. We were sad to see her go, but at the same time, we knew it wasn't for her long-term. Just glad to have her for the time we did and wish her the best of everything in life spending her days doing what she truly loves! (She began daycare in her home)

Dan has been plugging away at the shop in the Service Advisor role. Being behind a desk all day is not his cup of tea and he'll be the first to admit it. He does a fine job though and until we find that right person, it is what is best for the family right now. I probably don't tell him often enough how blessed we are to have him sacrificing for us. Home is really where I need to be right now and the payoffs will be countless.

So June came and went...with lots of enjoyable days. Nothing too stressful or overwhelming. A great way to start the summer indeed!

Another Town and Country Day Parade in the history books...

2009-08-04T22:29:00.000-07:00

Hook 'em up, Buddy!
We had Kayla Indra help us out and was she ever the trooper!! I figured she'd need a break before we got to all the commotion downtown...ha!! Shows what I know. She plugged right along and did awesome! We didn't get a shot of the Fair Residence bubble blower, but the Watertown Daily Times did and that made it's own little history! Nice work, Drew. THAT was amazing!The worker-bee girls! Christian gave moral support in the cab of the truck as Kyle drove the rigs. Dan walked along and supervised! Great team effort.

We went downtown on some rides, got Kayla some MUCH deserved Cotton Candy and then got her home. Wish we had more time, but hopefully we will get to have her over again soon.

A Whole Lotta Catching Up to do!!

2009-08-04T22:06:00.000-07:00

Anybody seen a tow truck around here?

Silly girl, we're at the Chula Vista in Wisconsin Dells...why would there be a tow truck here?

A fancy place like this? Why oh why would there be any TOW TRUCKS?

Because they are cool...Like US!

Are there any IN the indoor waterpark?

How about OUT the window of the waterpark?
...but wait...what is this? Where are all those lights coming from so late at night? It's 10:00...past our bedtime...
Look! Mallory found a tow truck to hang out on ...it's a booming great time...

at the Wisconsin Tow Show!! People laugh sometimes when I tell them that there is a Towing Convention, but there is. It is a lot of fun and we have really learned to enjoy all of the many events they have going on as well as hanging out at the out and indoor waterparks.

I'm going all the way back to June here and it's already August, so I'll keep it short and sweet and prepare to move onto the next adventure of our 2009 Summer Extraordinaire!

Marley

2009-05-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

Movie night for the Topel Family turned into acquiring a new apprecation for our four-legged family member! We watched Marley & Me (which wasn't quite as family appropriate as I thought it would be...but that's okay...Mallory first heard about sex in First Grade, it's only right that Christian does, too!). We knew the outcome, but put ourselves through the ending anyway!

It makes us think of all the special little pups in our lives...both still with us and those who have moved on. We all went to bed with a new appreciation for the time we have with our furry friends!

It was a Grand Visit!

2009-05-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

Q (Question): Who can take a friend winning a quarter-barrel of beer celebration at 8:30 on a Friday night into an all day fishing trip within two days?

A (Answer): DAN!!

It started out as a text from Lynnell about Brian winning a 1/4 barrel for his birthday and next thing you know we're packing up to go up to the Green Lake area. Mallory, Christian, and I went to my brother, Tim & Jerzy's permanent camp sight at Grand Valley in Kingston. We hung out...

played...

and gave moral support to Tim as he took on a new project in the camper-house!
He had some assistance from Jerry, Jerzy's dad and several other handy neighbors from the campground. He took out one queen bed and put in two twin beds...quite a project!
The kids stayed overnight with them and we...well, we ended up paying for our spontaneity by getting back to the campground after the gate was put down and slept in a truck in Kingston! Ohhh it brings back memories...of weighstation stays on our way home from the racetrack! Needless to say...Saturday was a bit of a bust for us, but we had a blast while we were there and did I mention we got to the Amish Bakery in time for donuts, peach pie, and cinnamon bread? ...happiness is!!

Ode to my mother...

2009-05-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

As I sit here in bed feeling worse than I have in a long time, as if my throat has tiny pins lining it and every muscle in my body is being invaded by aggressive little aliens, I'm sad that this day has not turned out like it was planned! I was looking forward to making a picturesque brunch and enjoying the morning with my mom and my Grandma Vitense. Of course, along with my own little munchkins and hubbie.

I never did get down to pick up the card or gift I had ordered for my mom, but here's what I want her to know today that I don't think I ever could have found a card that said it just right anyway:

Dear Mom,

Growing up was quite a journey. It is for everyone, I'm sure. When I reflect upon the experiences that paved the way to where I am today, it is such a mixture of highs and lows. What I realize now is that none of it matters as much as the here and now. What is in the past has passed and Lord only knows what is to come. Today, I am just very blessed to call you mom. You're here for me whenever I need you, yet you give me the space I need to grow and stumble on my own sometimes. Just the other day, I was thinking about a certain experience I had and chalked one up for you, resounding in my brain..."Mom was right!"
So thank you for the mom you have become and for allowing me the freedom to live according to my own virtues and faith.
Thank you for always being there to fill in for the times I cannot be with my own children (including Brady!). Christian said it so right the other day..."You're my second mom!"
I hope to be able to make this day up by spending some time with you and my second mom, sharing memories and hopes for the future.
I praise God for you.

Love,

Tara Lyn

Happiness...

2009-04-28T23:40:00.000-07:00

I joke around often, making funny comments about life and ending them in ...happiness is!

I consider myself positive mostly (don't get me wrong, I complain with the best of 'em), but for quite sometime, while I pray that the Lord fill my heart with the Holy Spirit daily, I struggled something fierce.

For the first time in a looong time, I feel happy, I know feelings cannot always be trusted and I KNOW that sometimes it's more about what you know than it is how you feel. Trust me! I Know. Just for now, I am going to allow my highly emotional self to FEEL HAPPY! (And no...it's not hormones!)

Without going into every single detail about every step of the way, we have discovered that Christian has some special needs. His special needs have brought us down a road that has led to at home therapy much of the day. You see, the typical classroom is not the place for him right now and I need to figure out how he ticks and how we can "unconventionally" make adjustments to help him, both academically, but mostly psychologically.

I've always been interested in how the brain works and here's my chance to learn first hand. There is an issue with his central nervous system which, when overloaded, sends him into a fight or flight state. He really thinks/feels that someone is trying to harm him. He's scared, but it looks like rage. Once given the opportunity to calm down (much like adrenaline), he can cope normally and carry on. Maybe you've witnessed this...maybe not.

Like I said, now is unfortunately not the time to get into specifics, but our lives are changing like gears through a mountain grade! Up down, up, up, down, up! We have adjustments to make and some of us-check that-all of us are actually grieving. Some still in denial, some blaming ourselves, but none-the-less--a wide range of emotions that change by the hour some days.

And don't forget about Mallory. The sweet girl that God made her, has without knowing it, made herself Christian's biggest advocate up until recently. Her own sensitivities have taught her best how to cope with certain situations and at times, training us as parents how best to work through certain issues. She, too, is jumping around in our family mobile, not sure where to level off at just yet.

So thankful for prayers, and please don't stop because I know He hears us. I know He's orchestrating from up above the most perfect symphony of life. Sending cues to just the right people at just the right time to step in and guide us through this beautifully written piece.

Christian will still be going to school to hear Word of God and to see his wonderful friends in 1st grade. I want to be sure to be clear that this is not in any way...shape...or form anything that St. Paul's school cannot handle. Right now, he just can't handle school. Period. And I'm going to do all that I can to get him to the point that he can...he'll just enjoy it and probably appreciate it more than most once that time comes.

Until then...if a phone call goes unreturned or an e-mail seems lost in cyberspace...it just might take longer than normal and if it's pressing, just be sure to say so! We're probably outside doing dandelion math or wrastling around, punching out loose teeth!

...and that's just another blog entry.

¹^a]">[a] To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;

² in you I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.

³ No one whose hope is in you
will ever be put to shame,
but they will be put to shame
who are treacherous without excuse.

⁴ Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;

⁵ guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.

-Psalm 25

Soccer Queen!

2009-04-19T16:37:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Blessed Easter...

2009-04-19T06:15:00.000-07:00

It was my goal to be able to see all of our immediate families (including my Grandmas) over Easter. Sadly, my goal couldn't truly be met, we were not able to see Mark, Pam, and Alex since they are in New Jersey. We did the best we could though! Mallory and I went to see Grandma Schroedl in Sun Prairie on Saturday which was a memorable visit. She told us about how she went to school until 8th grade, then was a maid after that. Grandma told us about the families she worked for (mainly doctors) and all she learned working for them. If I haven't said it before, I hold both of my grandmas on a high pedestal and it's times like those that I value so much in life.

Saturday night, we colored eggs...

some tie-dye...some sponge painted...some Jesus eggs with Sharpie marker!

There is something very special about how truly happy both kids look in their proud egg moment photos! Sunday morning, we woke up and the kids searched for their eggs and plastic eggs with surprises inside. This year instead of candy, we did gifts of time. With the economy being what it is, we are teaching our children the value of time. Thus fun slips of paper representing family outings and events to do together throughout the year! As much as I was ready for the "LAME" buzzer to go off, the kids were very eggsited about the change!!

We went to church at 9 am, then out to Pine Knoll Supper Club for brunch with my mom, Grandma Vitense, Tim, Jerzy, Cliff & Vi...which almost completely accomplished my goal all in one sitting!, and my Uncle Ken joined us from Hartland as well!
Mallory was a little thrown off by dessert (nothing she liked and she went back for a chocolate muffin...seems that Christian had just taken the last one and ate most of it), so when it came picture time, we had a little opposition from her. Christian took up the slack and made his rounds! Everyone poses better when a kid is involved!!

We went home for a relaxing afternoon, then started up the cook stove and made a traditional Easter dinner, thanks to Vi...
she brought the ham, sweet potatoes, dinner rolls, cake, and all we had to do was cook the ham, scalloped corn, pull her homemade peaches out of the fridge and voila! Easter dinner. Oh and did I mention the annual Lamb cake? Well yes, we enjoyed that along with cut-outs made by Vi and Mallory...decorated by Cliff! A family production!
And yes...we did the best we could do with achieving our goal...my dad joined us for dinner at home and look!! There's our little daughter Mallory!!

All in honor of our Savior Jesus Christ dying on the cross to save us from our sins. How blessed we are that on that Easter morn, though fearful and scared, Mary and her friends found the tomb empty so that we can be fulfilled!

And as wonderful and fulfilling as our weekend was, we look forward to the ultimate fulfillment of life eternal!

Prince and Princess in Princeton...

2009-03-29T19:17:00.001-07:00

We took another voyage up to Princeton on Saturday to see "Auntie Nie!" This time, the kiddos went along and we all got to catch up. There was lots of catching up to do!

After hanging out at Brian & Lynnell's, we decided to take a little road trip to Ripon to the Carley House.

The Carley House is a store full of fun, whimsy toys for people of all ages. Last time we were there, the upstairs wasn't done yet, but we got to enjoy it yesterday.

I always give the kids a limit, then see this educational stuff that would help the kids and give in to additional stuff! It's always worth it, though as they have quality items!

We met the owner, Jan, many years ago when the store was downtown. She is so fun and outgoing. Makes the visits extra special to have that personal service! She happened to be there and recognized the kids right away!

Christian got a pop gun, a little puppy for his stuffed animal weiner dog, Cutie. He has a party to go to on the 18th and we found a perfect find for that as well.

Mallory hand-picked yet another Webkinz (a chimpanzee). We found a State card game and a lapdesk for her to do her homework under her bed (if you haven't seen her bed, it's lofted).

Christian opted for a treat of Blue Moon in a dish and Mallory had her eye on some fudge to indulge in! Jan sent a long one of those cute plastic knives in case she wanted to share!

And she did!

Stopped at a furniture store to get a table for Lynnell and Brian, then on to Christiano's Restaurant about half way back to Princeton. Where Mallory ventured into the world of eating spaghetti sauce with her spaghetti.

We enjoyed pizza and Brian joined us after his long day getting some work done!

As always, the day came to an end sooner than we wanted it to and we drove home in a snowstorm. Slow and steady wins the race!

We all had a fun-filled day and can't wait to go back soon!

A very special trip...

2009-03-03T17:52:00.001-08:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

A Fireside Evening...

2009-03-02T17:34:00.000-08:00

A real sweetheart of a deal! The Topel Family loaded up and headed out to Fort Atkinson for a dinner at the Fireside Theatre. Our excursion was just a short one, as we went for Friday night fish fry. Mmmmm...!!! So yummy! My favorite is the steamed veggies. Who ever though I'd be saying that??

I think the kids have lots of favorite things about the experience...but one of them is definitely the umbrellas in the drinks!

My kissy boys! Mal takes great photos!

Before we got there, I lectured Mallory and Christian about how they need to behave and how there won't be many other kids there and that adults are there trying to enjoy their evening so the last thing they need is rowdy kids...

What have we done??!! It wasn't long before our neighboring patrons had a cocktail too many and got real loud and lucivious!! So much for the kids being a distraction! They did set a great example for all of those surrounding us and were such a lady and gentleman!

And so we are reminded of what love is...
^{John 3:16}"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,^f]">[f] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

And how he shows his love for us each and every day...AMEN!!

Celebrate Everyday!

2009-03-01T07:16:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Here fishy, fishy, fishy...

2009-02-05T20:45:00.000-08:00

I've learned that Lake Puckaway is no place to be BASSFUL! In fact, they even held my drink WALLEYE went pee! We had fun, but the shanty did smell a bit MUSKY!

Dan and I took a weekend to visit Lynnell & Brian again, this time, partaking in the local Lake Puckaway Fisheree!

If you haven't heard the story by now, then it's about time...and if you have well then just skip down to the end and have a good day!

The guys stayed overnight in the shack and Lynnell and I got to the site at about 9 am. While helping Dan get the tip-ups set up, I heard the roar of snowmobiles and commented on how badly I wished I could ride one and how much I missed that part of my life.

So a Bloody Mary or two later, was sittin' in a smaller of the three shantys when a tall guy walks in, apologizing to Lynnell for running over one of her tip-ups.

"That's a brand new tip-up," she informed him.

Being the forgiving person that I am, I asked him what he ran it over with?

His snowmobile.

Aha!

"WE'll forgive you if you let me ride your sled," (how sweet of me to offer!)

"Sure," he goes, "it's right outside."

"Which one," I asked. There were several new Ski-Doos in a row.

"That one," he said, pointing at a vintage, perhaps a 1969 Polaris.

(Got it pictured in your head?)

"Okay!" And I was off. A few kind fellas helped me get 'er goin' and vroom, I was off. Just buzzin' along. (Sound effects are crucial at this point in the story, so you will have to help me out and make your own)

Then enough was enough and I decided to turn that bad boy around. I swung my body to the left, knowing full well that I could break it loose a little bit and spin it around. As if it were possessed, I quickly felt my body horizontal and my legs going the wrong way. I held on for dear life, just like a dumped waterskiier. And if you know waterskiing, you know that if you're outtta control, there's only one thing to do...

let go.

So there I laid. Now I'm no stranger to falling off of snowmobiles and wasn't just too concerned until I pick my sorry head up and saw the Herbie Snowmobile version continue on it's way, just buzzing along. Ghost riding.

(continue sound effects...)

I jumped right up and my adrenaline took over. Sure I was going to catch that thing, I just kept thinking, "Please don't hit a tip-up!" And sure enough. It would aim right for one and veer off to one side or the other. Running, running, running, then I know that it wasn't speeding up, I will admit. I was slowing down.

Enter my knight in shining four-wheeler. "Hop on!" he yelled.

"No, no...stop the snowmobile!!"

Praying at this point the it wouldn't hit someone else's shack, or worse yet, a vehicle, another kind citizen on his snowmobile braved the ride and brought it to a stop.

My knight came for my pitiful behind and in complete disgust, I hoped back on and started that thing back up. Still full of shame, I turned back for camp...

only to see a group of about 40 people standing outside of the shacks.

I turned around...safely and securely this time. Wanting to run like the wind.

Finally, I composed myself and made my way back, only to discover a vital bit of information...

the brakes didn't work. I hit the kill switch and my joy ride came to it's end.

Everyone was so kind (you would be too to have seen such a performance), and after laughing my sides off, I finally asked Lynnell...

"How long were people watching?"

"Well, you took off and they guy goes, 'Hey, check out that chick on the old snowmobile!' So everyone came out and there you were...falling off!"

The question remains: How could there be so many people and not one camera to get the $10,000 shot?
I found out from the guy riding the old beast (who was NOT the owner), that the brakes didn't work and that it didn't start the greatest, so the throttle was welded 1/4 throttle so it would stay running. Guess I shouldn't have been so eager to take off right away.

It was all fun and games until I woke the next day to a bruised body and could barely walk! Not a spring chick anymore, eh, Tara? Not sure if the rib pain was from laughing, falling off, or running faster than I ought to in the shape I'm in!

Even more exciting than that, 2 of the 8 Northern on the board were caught by Dan (33 1/4) and Lynnell with 35 1/8! THAT was exciting! (Unfortunately, neither placed)

We headed back home on Sunday and joined Tim Pulford, his friend, Mike, Drew Fair and his kids, Adam & Brooke out on the ice here on Rock Lake. We all had fun and I stayed away from the snowmobiles!

On a happier and less painful note, one brave soul (or maybe he was a bit intoxicated), let me ride his brand new Ski-Doo. Now most of you know I'm more a Polaris type of girl, but it did the trick and I got my fix after all! Thanks, Dan!

I felt better finding out from Dan (my Dan) that the same thing happened to him when he was a kid.

It was a great weekend all around, as we finished it off at Jason & Stacey Forest's home watching the Super Bowl with friends.

As for ice-fishing, I have to say...

WE'RE HOOKED!!!

CATCH ya later!!

A pressing Question...

2009-01-25T20:06:00.000-08:00

Barry Lopez:

How is one to live a moral and compassionate existence when one is fully aware of the blood, the horror inherent in life, when one finds darkness not only in one's culture but within oneself? If there is a stage at which an individual life becomes truly adult, it must be when one grasps the irony in its unfolding and accepts responsibility for a life lived in the midst of such paradox. One must live in the middle of contradiction, because if all contradiction were eliminated at once life would collapse. There are simply no answers to some of the great pressing questions. You continue to live them out, making your life a worthy expression of leaning into the light.

My own pressing question for the day:

Why is it that the things in life that are truly "good" for me, the things that I benefit most from--are the things that I dread most?

For example:

Ask me what I would choose to eat, show me a menu and the last thing I choose is a salad. Now when I EAT salad (maybe it comes with my meal or maybe I am being disciplined and order one), it is delicious and satisfying.

Another example:

Cleaning...what would I choose to do for the day-visit with friends, get out of the house, etc., of anything I could do, cleaning comes up last...but give me an unplanned weekend and a bucket of cleaning supplies. I sit down when the deeds are done and bask in the glory of a clean slate!

It could go on...

Given spare moments, do I exercise for a half hour or fill up my time with other activities that appear to be less "work" (facebook, a bath, reading a book, etc.) The rare times that I have been taking lately to exercise, the feeling when I'm done is a rewarding one!

I see it throughout my workday as well.

So why is it that I focus on the agony involved and not the end result? Why can't I ask myself the question-

What is going to make the most sense of my time? Or my health?

Rather than go for the short-term indulgence...can't I want what is best in the end? What is more gratifying? I think it is because it takes discipline that I seem to lack. I get caught up in the whims that life throws at me and take my eyes off of the finish line!

And perhaps the reasons or even excuses if you will, could go on. I used to be very philosophical. Something happened over time that made that go away-or maybe it was there the whole time and I just didn't share it.

It is almost February and though I've become a bit more organized with my time management, bill-paying, grocery shopping, working toward some "New Year's Goals," I think it is time that I make some right choices.

What is best for the long haul?

What is healthy for my mind, my body, my spirit?

What will be the best example to set for my children?

What exactly IS God's will?

The struggle and sacrifice will be worth the reward, of course without the reward being the motivation.

Deuteronomy 6:18

18 Do what is right and good in the LORD's sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers,

The road to a friends house is never long...but the hospital is closer!

2009-01-12T20:27:00.000-08:00

The last time I went to visit my friend, Lynnell, in Princeton was in early November. Our "perfect" day together was brought a bit short by a phone call from her mom that her dad was being taken to the hospital. The whole idea of the day was that we were together and that we were until later that night when I dropped her off at her parents after being at the hospital for several hours.

Since that time, Lynnell's wonderful father, Al, has left this earth to meet his maker.

Saturday, January 10th, we were able to get our schedules cleared from holiday gatherings, etc. to pick up where we left off! Princeton is about 1 1/4 hours away from Lake Mills and I think getting there is half the fun for me! This trip was sans children, nor husband. Not that I don't love them dearly, but it was time for mommy to have some personal time to get away and reflect & rest!
Brian & Lynnell live on Huckleberry Road just outside of town. The road there is just as it sounds...a fairytale! The photo above is me pulling into their driveway.
Mindy, the black lab, looks out the window with us at the pretty birds! We had coffee and treats from the new bakery in Lake Mills. (Yummo!) Lots of catching up to do! The Lichtenberg's even have a flock of turkeys that venture into the yard for a snack--(just didn't have my camera to catch the action on film!)
After shopping at some downtown shops, we took a much earned break for some Bloody Mary's at a local saloon! Before you knew it, it was time to meet up with Brian for supper. We ended up at the Log Cabin on Lake Puckaway, where Brian & Lynnell met!
After a few cocktails there, we headed over to a place called Good Old Days. Hilariously funny times, as to be expected in the "Adventures of Lynnell & Tara!" It all came to an end too quickly, though.Sunday morning, after a seemingly long night of rest for me (any night in a bed all by myself is long!), I woke up and snuck out, hoping to make my way home in time for 10:30 church. The sun was just on it's way up as you can see!
By now, this road trip is not a new one. I am just about ready to experiment with my "Auto-pilot" on the Jeep, hitting the "Lynnell's House" button, waiting for it to deliver me safely. I was sure to have the camera ready to catch my favorite church on the way home. Only moments after spilling my scalding hot coffee all over my right thigh and counsel. Good Morning...and welcome to your trip home! I walked in the door at 132, rushing to get me and the kids off to church...only to meet up with Christian, who had some plans of his own. You see, he had an awful pain in his left side that got progressively worse from the time I walked in. After just a few minutes, the pain was so intense he could barely walk and "Mommy, it hurts to breath." A call into the doc on call and a decision to get him to the ER in Fort. Of course, by the time we were there, he was able to walk into the hospital. What would follow was the record-time trip to the hospital. Check One: PAC poking, prodding, and letting him jump on the bed. Check Two: Doctor confirming the constipation. Check Three: Dismissal papers and out the door we went to Walgreens for poop juice that looks like grape soda!
WELCOME HOME, MOM!!

27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness. Proverbs 31:27

"Those who think it cannot be done should stay clear of those who are doing it."

2009-01-06T20:53:00.001-08:00

I read that on the wall at Lakeside Lutheran High School last night. It made me think about the time I called the cellphone company, begging to get Dan's phone back with some very important photos on it. Do you know what the woman told me?

"IT CANNOT BE DONE."

Not possible. Nope. Could I talk to her manager? Nope. Because there are millions of phones that get returned to that facility and they do not have a way to track one out of a million. Frustrated and upset, I made a chain of phone calls which started with the post office in Lake Mills, strung onto the post office of the city where the phone was shipped (several calls within the same organization on that one), then onto the customer service department of Signal (the company that the insurance is through). It was then I finally heard what I wanted to hear...
a woman named Jackie told me, "I will do some checking and get back to you. I'll see what I can do."
At that point, she could have been blowing sunshine where it doesn't belong, but hey, that's what I wanted to hear and she said it.
But did she mean it?
About two weeks later, she left a message with Shelli, telling her she found the phone and where would I like it mailed back to?
Unbelievable.
She did it. Jackie performed the IMPOSSIBLE. She tracked down one phone out of a million. Perhaps she should be our next President! That is amazing! Even more of a surprise when the phone-in it's pitiful, runover by a tow-truck misery-arrived-I believe on Dan's birthday!!

And so I ask you...are the one who says it cannot be done? Or the one that the others should stay clear of?

Just my random thoughts that maybe should be kept to myself, but today I decided to share!

Gathering together...

2009-01-03T12:25:00.000-08:00

Last night we went to my brother's house to celebrate Christmas. My Grandma Vitense was there and we took my mom along for a quaint gathering at Tim & Jerzy's new place in Sun Prairie.Mallory got to exercise her passion for taking care of dogs by giving them treats after they did their "duty" outside. Bridgette, Lily, and Apree all were very well behaved and adjusted well to the kids invading their orderly home.
Dan relaxed with a few beers and did some watching: 1) Christian playing his new Indiana Jones game on his DS and 2) TV!!

We ate some very yummy food for supper and indulged in some tasty desserts! (More incentive for those good-intentioned resolutions!) We chatted, reminisced, drank wine and after a long day of work...I got to relax for a spell. Ever had relaxing "hurt?" Yep, but eventually it goes away and then good luck getting up! The kids loved their gifts (yes, Tim, they did! The first thing Christian did this morning was hand me his Spiderman basketball hoop and asked to have it opened!). Other than being late, the rest of the time together was yet another blessing to tally on the wall of life!

Happy New Year...gonna miss you!

2009-01-01T12:56:00.001-08:00

Here we are. January 1, 2009. A time to reflect on the past and set new goals and aspirations for the new year. Our Christmas went by all so fast and can you believe we bid the The Shefferman Family farewell today after their week long stay here in Wisconsin?? Every year they come I think just maybe I can take time away to spend doing fun family stuff, only to get all consumed by the day-to-day tasks of running the business. Which leaves me with the guilt of feeling as though I have "dumped" my children on them to tag along wherever & whenever they go and do. With the knowledge that they would do anything for their niece and nephew and that the time they all spend together is the priceless memories that they will carry with them as they grow, the guilt does not seem to get any better. I am writing this in hopes that the retrospect will help me going into 2009 remember that work will always be there and family time is the best gift we can be given. A special treasure to cherish.

We did get to share some time with Mark & Pam last night, ringing in the New Year at Blue Moon here in Lake Mills. They had a band called the Blue Olives that just completely rocked our world!

This morning, the kids got to just hang out for a little while before they headed out.
So as the title says: Happy New Year...
and to the Sheffermans (Mark, Pam, & Awesome Nephew Alex): We're gonna miss

Preparing for Christmas...

2008-12-20T16:08:00.000-08:00

Mallory danced at two different nursing homes with her dance class that she attends in Fort Atkinson. She loves expressing herself through dance and ask anyone who sees her and it is quite clear that her light shines when she's performing!
After cancelling a day of shopping so that we could have a peaceful day of decorating our home, we dug into boxes full of memories and creations. There's just something about this time of year! The looks on their faces say it all. Mallory is holding a plate that she made in kindergarten...a true treasure! Just 5 days to go...the stocking hangers say it all.

A confession & a reflection...

2008-12-16T21:27:00.000-08:00

I confess.
I've been cheating on my blog.
I've been checking out facebook way too often and not updating as I should.
Won't you please forgive me?

On top of things at the shop getting more and more crazy and preparing for Advent and Christmas, it would seem that jumping on facebook is so much more convenient!! Like so many, I've got lists coming out of my ears and the hourglass is upside down with more on the bottom than the top! But you know, it's ok! It just takes some perspective to pull me out of this ratrace of life and know that life doesn't have to be that crazy rollercoaster we seem to put ourselves on day after day.

In the past two weeks:
-I've witnessed my best friend bidding her father farewell from this Earth as he passed into eternal life
-I've witnessed almost a full day of firetrucks filling up their tankers in front of the shop to put out a house fire just down the road, the house seems to be a complete loss

Now I do know that the Lord gives and he takes away. I understand. The thing is-

Is it really about jamming in a year's worth of neglecting to stay in touch with those we really care about into a month of to-do lists and stress?

I guess that just depends on what life is really all about.

"Having spent the better part of my life trying either to relive the past or experience the future before it arrives, I have come to believe that in between these two extremes is peace." ~Author Unknown

As our family prepares for the celebration of the eternal life we have been given through faith in Jesus Christ, we are reminded of what scripture tells us:

Colossians 3:1-4:
Since you have raised up in company with Christ, set your heart on what pertains to higher realms where Christ is seated at God's right hand. Be intent on things above rather than on things on earth. After all you have died! Your life is hidden now with God. When Christ our life appears,then you shall appear with him in glory.

Live today to the fullest, yet in peace within yourself.

Daniel Who? Daniel Boone? Jeff Daniels?

2008-12-02T11:38:00.000-08:00

A 42" Muskie caught on Lake Pewaukee with Eric Haatja-Dan's birthday present. Since he couldn't go in the rivers for steelhead, he went out instead and his trophy for the day was a TRIPLE muskyDAY! Booya!

On Sunday, the last day of the regular deer season, Dan and Chris Hamilton went out around Lake Mills, and wouldn't ya know, just as they were about to head in for the Packer game, there were two doe that knew that the game wouldn't end up so hot! Boom, boom, dead!

Andrew and Tracy went to pick them up and caught some great shots for the scrapbook!

Earlier on, Dan went up to the Fox Lake area with Tim Pulford and his "clan!" Dan shot a young "nubbin'" buck and did a few shots himself later on! Tim harvested a nice 9 pointer! Ya der! And in honor of Dan's first season out since 1991:

Jimmer Negamanee: Shay, Reubensh.

Rueben Soady: Yea?

Jimmer Negamanee: Shince you ain't sherving shashties, I'd sure shike shome of those sherman shlapjakcs. [laughs]

Jimmer Negamanee: I could eat shlapjacks every day of the weeksh, eh.

Rueben Soady: Oh, I know you could, Jimmer.

Remnar Soady: No, not flapjacks.

Jimmer Negamanee: Ya'll don't like the shlapjacks?

Remnar Soady: Macaroni and cheese, tank you very much.

Albert Soady: With spam.

Remnar Soady: With spam.

Jimmer Negamanee: How'sh about shlapjacks with spam?

Rueben Soady: Uh, fellas.

Albert Soady: J-just spam for me.

Remnar Soady: Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

Rueben Soady: No flapjacks, no macaroni and cheese, and no spam.

Albert Soady: No spam?

Rueben Soady: Boys you are not only going to eat like kings, but that 2o bucks you was going to throw into the kiddie for pasties, keep it. I am about to feed the whole camp for all week for absolutely free.

(Click below for one of Dan's favorite scenes):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMdcqcwVO8U

...he wouldn't be able to take claim to the "buckless" yooper this year!

Debbie Downer...

2008-11-07T15:47:00.001-08:00

So I try to maintain a somewhat positive, at times sickening, outlook on life.

Today's the day.

Perhaps it is because it is the opposite day of my birthday, 7/11. It's 11/7. Next year, I'll stay in bed.

It has been a terrible, awful, horrible, no-good, very BAD DAY!

So bad that I can't even really go into much detail. It has been expensive-$$wise and emotionally. From work, to bad news from friends, bad news from customers, I know, I know...it could be worse, but when you get bombed in small amounts throughout the day, you just want to crawl into a hole and wait for the sun to come up the next day.

So many things to be thankful for, yes, I know. No need for a pep talk, I'll be fine. I just can't believe HOW MANY awful things can happen in a day that just continually SUCK! I don't even like that word.

Advise I've gotten today:

"Let's go do some shots with the kids tonite."
"How about some drinks tonight?" "No, I think I need something more" "Acid?"
(that one shocked me, 'cause I've never done drugs, including Marijuana)
"The people that die young really are the lucky ones!"
"Go home, have a glass of wine, and relax"

Here's hoping that whoever is reading this has had a better day!!

"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."-- Isaiah 40:31

A little something!

2008-10-28T15:10:00.000-07:00

http://www.scrapblog.com/viewer/viewer.aspx?sbid=834965

Just something fun that I've discovered!

Back home...

2008-10-24T15:21:00.000-07:00

So most of you already know, but we're back home and on the recovery trail! I do not have much time right now, but just want to say thanks again for ALL the prayers, phone calls, help with kids, work, etc.

We are countlessly blessed!

Heading the right direction:

2008-10-15T11:34:00.001-07:00

Today is a much better day all around. Dr. Nottestad came in early this morning and said Dan would be here until Friday. Last night was pretty rough, lots of pain and his usual "calm" got interupted by a morphine lapse, causing much discomfort and all around irritation. That's okay, though, we made it through! He bid his morphine farewell this morning (tear, tear) and back onto vicodine. Dan is making his own way around on crutches and is awake for much longer periods. Tim Pulford came for visit this morning which gave me a chance to run home and shower-much needed! He is eating well, and thanks to Shelli's laptop, we have been enjoying some you-tube!

Answered prayers...

2008-10-14T14:23:00.000-07:00

Last night, our walk was heaven sent! It was a nice breezy evening and the leaves rustling and fresh air were enough to help Dan's nerves. After his periodic interuptions through the night, the morphine became his new best friend to help him rest, relax, and not feel so much pain.
Dr. Fisher came in pretty early and checked things over, explaining that if Dr. Zambrano did decide to do surgery (he wasn't certain he would), they would take a culture to determine the nature of the bacteria, as to get the right antibiotic. Minutes seemed like hours and the nurse came in to notify Dan he would be going in for surgery based on the fact WE didn't think it was getting better. After a discussion, WE decided that we wanted the Dr. to make that determination and the nurse did indicate he would be up. It was almost 1:00 and in came the anestethesiologist (nope, didn't spell that won rite!) with his assistant to take Dan down for surgery. (record scratch, "Say What?"). They told us we would be able to talk to the Surgeon when we got down there and that our concerns were valid. Down to OR and a good discussion with Dr. Zambrano determined that it is best for Dan to undergo a slice in his foot to find out what is in there and get it OUT! In he went and no longer than 45 minutes later, he updated me. There was a puss pocket in his foot that had formed, preventing things from moving along. That popped when they sliced. He pulled the cultures, inserted a tube for future drainage if possible and sewed the approximately one inch gap shut. The soonest return home will be Thursday or Friday. In about two weeks, he should be able to start putting some pressure on his heel as long as all goes well. He is happiest when he is being comforted by his temporary "best friend" Morph Ine, but that's okay! I'd rather see him comfortable than in pain. He is resting and relaxed, happy to have some type of closure rather than mystery about what is going on.

All from a clean nail.

Prayers for Dan...

2008-10-13T17:55:00.000-07:00

Going back to my last post, you may already know that Dan stepped on a nail a week ago Friday. An unfortunate series of events lead to a solemn decision on Friday afternoon to be admitted to Fort Hospital for anti-biotic treatments to be administered. He had a bit of a break on Saturday, when he came to the party at the shop, then right back in bed/on iv/in pain.
It has been a week now since he was ordered bed rest and they decided on Sunday that if it wasn't making progress that he would have surgery today (Monday). The surgeon visited just before noon and made the decision to wait one more day, since it hadn't gotten any worse. Surgery=3-4 weeks of bedrest, then much pain when he begins walking again...a course we would rather forego if at all possible. It is about 8pm on Monday and it actually seems to be getting worse again. Last night, Dan felt quite a bit of anxiety about just everything, which I know none of us can blame him for. Between a bit of medication for that and Morphine, he is "better", at least until they wear off. I'm sure the nurses and doctors are sick of me on their heels, but they really have all been wonderful so far-you'd have to think they would be the same way. Dan is just resting right now and will be able to go for a stroll in the wheelchair when he's ready to. The morphine creates a Dan I've never seen before!
So tomorrow we will see how things progress. Hopefully I can post more then.
I just want to express my gratitude to each and every person that is helping us through this. The prayers, the help with the kids, the help at the shop...I've said it before, but really, we are abundantly blessed beyond what I could fathom.
Mark, Pam, Alex, Cliff, Vi, Shelli, Mom, Heather, Jon, Joe, Rod, Billy, Chuck, Renee, Mrs. Pufahl, Mrs. Williams, Chris & Tracy, John & Julia, Tim Pulford, Darlene Meyers, Pastor Rath, Pastor McKenney, Mick & the boys, and I'm so sure I've missed some people-but especially each and everyone of you who are praying for Dan's quick recovery. Mallory reminded Dan tonight of the scripture to "Cast all anxieties upon Him..." and later, Dan told me that the kids were the best medicine he had all day. He was also very thankful for Pastor McKenney bringing the Lord's Supper to the hospital.
Nobody said life would be easy and we rest assured that everything will turn out best for the will of God. I reminded Dan that the pain he is enduring is nothing compared to what Jesus suffered for each and every one of us on the cross. And Christian, as worried as he was for our fearless family leader, reminded us that God protects us all.
Faith is an amazing cornerstone and I have to go now for our walk, so again, thank you and God Bless!

Happy 60th Anniversary & 85th Birthday!

2008-10-09T06:19:00.000-07:00

It is quite an accomplishment for Cliff to reach both 85 years on this Earth and 60 years in business! We are busy finalizing plans for Saturday for noon-10 pm here at the shop for partying, food, drinks, and door prizes!

It is open to the public and we are just very excited for the big day! Mark, Pam, & Alex are flying in from New Jersey, which the kids are very psyched up about!

A big thank you to everyone in our lives that have made sustaining this business possible. So really, that is everyone! Family, friends, babysitters, employees, the list could go on and on. It takes a community to raise a child and the same can be said about owning a business!

On a side note, we are not entering the big day without "episode." On Friday, Dan stepped on a nail. On Monday, he decided to finally go to the doctor. After a consultation with the Orthepedic Specialist, our doctor, and a nurse with a needle (tetanus), he had strict orders to keep his foot up for a week, and if not it would be more like two weeks...well we all know Dan and his zest for going and doing! Long story short, Tara, not much time: This morning, Dan got his 2nd shot in the buttocks of antibiotics and was threatened by the doctor that if he did not stay off of his foot ALL day that he would be put in the hospital, after visiting Urgent Care last night where he got his first shot from a girl he went to high school with. Shame, Shame!

Hope to see you Saturday!

The Weather is Here, Wish you were Beautiful!

2008-09-26T06:41:00.000-07:00

We headed out for Florida on Wednesday night at 9pm to move Tim back. He has the certification he needs at this point, and would benefit more by flying here up nort' where the conditions more closely resemble Alaska! It was yet another opp for Dan and I to take a little getaway. This time, sans kids.
Arrival to the Golden Lion Cafe in Ormond Beach: 8 pm on Thursday. Dan's craving for a real Fish Taco kept us trucking through the night!
Friday we just took it easy and checked out the

Daytona Beach Flea Market! Wow! Was that an experience~more stuff than you could imagine! Lunch at a oceanside local hang out called Pips-with live music and I couldn't have been much closer to paradise!
Despite the uncooperative ocean, Dan did all he could to overcome the odds. He came up a bit short, but didn't get skunked. The two fish he caught more resembled bait than an actual ocean catch.

Friday night we experienced just a taste of Daytona night life, but headed home early as every good fisherman/woman should to get up for an early Deep Sea Trip.

Dan set his phone alarm for 6:30 and it went off, just as it should...vibrating. Well, somehow, I was pretty much awake anyway and heard it go off. A moment I regretted time and time again later in the day!
Our ship headed for rough seas at 8 am and two Dramamine pills were enough to hold back the cookies...at least until it wore off.
"Keep Your Eyes on the Horizon"-very important words of advice.
We had decided only to go out for a half day which ended up being the best decision we made the whole time! I spent about one hour staring at this scene you see in the photo. The woman whose arm you can see was pretty confident about the tossing waves, but not so much once we dropped anchor.
We had fun catching and landing some smaller size red snapper, with some exciting moments of some huge fighting fish that won the fight and our hooks/line/bait! What seemed like an eternity finally came to an end and the Captain announced it was time to head back for shore. AHHHHH!!! I turned around and realized that I had all I could do to hold myself together. I checked the time to be sure it was okay to pop more Dramamine, demanded Dan get me two and water, downed them and held back the saliva that so wanted to pave the way for the few contents that lined my stomach. Mind over matter, mind over matter, I mentally coached myself, attempting to block out all other distractions. Everyone headed in for their ride back except for one poor soul. I heard the sound that every person holding back their chow tries to avoid...can't quite write it out it words...something like
"HOOOUUUUWAAAAA!"

Mind over matter, mind over matter. I turned to look and there was Dan, hanging out over the side of the boat. Again.

"HOOOUUUUWWWAAAAAA"

Poor guy. A few moments passed and boom, the Dramamine set itself in and in I went to take my seat to brace myself for the ride back. Dan eventually joined me and made my shoulder his pillow-the ride wasn't quite as bad as the one out.

The rest of the day was spent eating, resting, and sleeping.

We woke up and decided to pack 'em up and move 'em out. Here's the Topel Trip ride home summary:

Blew a tire on the trailer, put on the spare and found a place to mount up our spare for the spare.
Made it to Valdosta, Georgia for a hotel stay, Hooters wings, and the Packers/Cowboys game.
Woke up and headed North.
Blew another tire, found a place to sell us a trailer tire, found a different place to mount it and back on the road.
A rock from a semi-truck struck the windshield and became our hot item to watch as it made its way, inches at a time into a big long crack
Blew yet another tire in the Chatanooga, Tennessee area-took Tim's truck out of the trailer, found that everywhere there closes at 5 pm except the people that know their services are a premium and "bend you over" and waste your time! Okay, okay, I'm bitter, but we finally got the spare tire mounted and headed for home.
It was a challenge, but we all three made it home alive, without anymore tragedies, at a meek time of 5:30 am Tuesday morning to sleepy, yet excited children, mother, and Brady!

"440 horses drive the wheels of this chrome and steel Like a freight train through the night,My foot is lead and my eyes blood red, And my knuckles showing white, My hair is slicked with oil, and my breathe flows gasoline. Well I'm a smoking' flamin' death machine And the lonely lights of another lonely town Lonely highway I keep rushing down And there's a 100 miles till I sleep tonight Well I've got to put the hammer down."~Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash: "440 Horses"

I've had the time of my life...

2008-09-08T06:47:00.001-07:00

It was a weekend to remember! On Saturday, the kids both had their first soccer games. As co-coach for both of them, I will just say that I'm not bragging, only sharing my joy that the kids feel when they play well. Both teams wowed their parents on the sidelines, shooting goal after goal, and playing well together. The young group even sat nice on the sidelines, cheering on their teammates without being prodded! Say no more!

Then on to our "Charity Run." For the kids birthdays, we decided that we wanted to gather with friends, but didn't want people to feel obiligated to bring gifts, nor do the kids need any more "things" in their lives. We already have more than we can handle. So they each chose a charity to donate to for those who felt the need to give a gift. Christian chose the Ronald McDonald House and Mallory chose Jefferson County Humane Society.

We went to McDonald's first and Christian was escorted back through the kitchen to the safe bag where he got to put his money into. The Manager also gave him two free breakfast sandwiches, which was completely unexpected and kind!

Then on to the Humane Society...

Mallory handed off her gifts and in return got to check out the animals in back. Lots of cute puppy dog eyes starred us down and called our names. There were two rats, one rabbit, a mourning dove, and so many cats! Mallory was looking forward to learning more about volunteering there, but found out you have to be 18 in order to do that. She understood (or at least pretended to) and ooohhhed and aaahhhed for awhile!

Sad that they couldn't pet the pets, but we did have our own little critter waiting for us at Grandma & Grandpa Topel's when we got there. Patches is doing well and was happy to see us!

Dan called us and switched up plans on us, which we were all okay with. The original plan was to go to the Dells Speedway to watch Dan's college roommates race. Between his night jobs (tow jobs, silly) and coming down with a bug, he opted out and decided it would be a peaceful afternoon on Rock Lake...

What do Dan, Mallory, and Christian all have in common that I don't??

THEY all caught a fish this year! I have yet to catch one-in fact, I have only seen one other fish so far. Maybe Fall will be my season!

That's one proud daddy!

Supper at Sand Bar concluded our "Dream Day!"

"It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life." ~P.D. James

Fall is near...

2008-09-03T05:54:00.000-07:00

How can I tell?

-The kids went back to school last week Monday. Christian started 1st grade with Mrs. Pufahl, having to sit in a desk much of the day will be a challenge for my little ball of fire! Mallory starts 4th grade with Mrs. Williams-who strongly believes that 4th grade is a time to prep for heightened independence level on the children's part. Neither was extatic to go back, but they are both adjusting well!

-Our childcare blessings continue. We were sad that the time with Hannah passed so fast this summer. The kids had an awesome time with her and truly claimed it "The Best Summer Ever!" Only one situation could have made lemonade out of lemons: Heather Laws called and offered her talents for us once again this school year. Praise God! If I do have to work outside of the home as much as I do, the best that could ever be is that the kids have some type of stability after school/at dinner time! Not to mention her patience and organizational skills!

-Soccer has begun for both Mal & C, too. For anyone interested in attending games, they start this Saturday, September 6 and go until October 18th. Every Saturday EXCEPT October 4th: Christian "plays" at 9:05 am and Mallory plays at 10:15 am. On the 4th, Christian plays at 10:40 with Mallory playing at 9:15. I am assisting coach Mallory's team this year and co-coaching Christian's. Chrisitian's strong will and inability to lose has left me uncertain whether or not he will play at all this year. That seems to change each time I ask him. Mallory has shocked me with her ability to be aggressive, especially on defense. I'm excited for both of them, no matter what happens!

-Volleyball is in session for Dan and I. Dan will be playing on Monday nights and I am playing on Wednesday nights. A good get-away/exercise for both of us!

-Add volunteering to the weekly schedule. On Wednesdays, I get to go to school and be in Christian's classroom first at 10:30, then on to Mallory's classroom at 11:15 until noon! Many of you know, this is the highlight of my week and gives me a more meaningful "paycheck" than the one I get at work everyday!

-With the planner quickly filling up, add in a Doctor's appt. for Mallory-not sure, but her heartburn she was having could be another indication of her body not liking dairy products! We'll see!

-The high tomorrow is 60 degrees. A little prelude to what is to come. Batten down the hatches!

"For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad. " ~Edwin Way Teale

Found!

2008-09-02T07:12:00.000-07:00

A little digging never hurt anybody! Here's a list of what we found over the Labor Day weekend:

1) Boxes of memories from high school to racing
2) Mice make homes whereever they can and they poop there, too.
3) You cannot possibly clean 5 years of stuff out of a garage in 2 days. Period.
4) You can try!
5) It feels better to toss than to save.
6) My camera! It was in a bag of goodies from my birthday!
7) I found that I can post to my blog without my camera!

"I have memories - but only a fool stores his past in the future." ~David Gerrold

20 years to go...

2008-08-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

Mallory asked me when her golden birthday would be. The answer: 20 years. That sure is a long time (or it better be!). Mallory turns 9 today. At 9:15 she entered this crazy world! She has had 7 other birthdays and I'm not quite sure what makes this one different, but last night I was walking down memory lane of where I was and when. I woke up and realized that's when I started pushing. A few minutes after 9:15, I announced to Dan that he was the proud father of a nine year-old via the "intercom" at the shop (there isn't one-you have to yell!). He turned around and looked at me like I was crazy. Wait. That's how he always looks at me. (he really did give me a kiss, though-so that was sweet!)

So Happy Birthday, Mallory. God has certainly made you unique and wonderful in your very own way! I hope I can be as wonderful of a mom to you as of a daughter you are to me. And when you figure out what that means, I'll know just how smart you really are!

"You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair. ~Douglas MacArthur"

Lost without my camera...

2008-08-26T07:47:00.000-07:00

I don't know why it is that I always think I need to have a photo in order to post. Well...I lost my camera. Now, many of you know me too well and know I "lose" things all the time. (Including my mind) Only to have them turn up when cleaning, etc. It's been awhile now and no camera.

So where are the photos from you ask? My wonderful sister-in-law Pam brought her camera (she obviously knows how to be responsible for one) with her from New Jersey.

In and amongst all of the other things we've done since Christian's birthday (today will be one month exactly since my last posting), you get to see photos (ta-da!) from their visit. Though we did not get any on her camera from the Brewers game on Dan's birthday. The one of Christian and the cat: Patches. Patches is a stray that strolled on into Grandpa and Grandma's yard while we were cooking out one night. She hasn't left since and good thing for Christian (and secretly the rest of us, too!).

Mark, Pam, Alex, Mallory, Christian, Cliff, Vi, and their friends the Janzen's went out on Rock Lake for a day on the Janzen's boat. All of the kids (both young and young at heart) had fun. Sorry we missed it.

On the 23rd, we celebrated the kids birthdays at the house. Just after the photo was taken, Christian's cake hit the floor. He hadled it well and knew that "Grandma can fix it." Since she has had that happen before!

One last "worth-mentioning" is that we are planning festivities for celebrating the 60th year in business on October 11 this year. While the Shefferman's were here, we did a quick photo opp and got some real fun shots. Thank you to Shelli for being willing to snap them! Great job! If you haven't already marked your calendar, please be sure to. It is sure to go down in Lake Mills history books!

So much more to write as always, but between ringing phones, technicians needing parts, and a tummy starting to growl, this will have to get left as it is.

Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today. ~James Dean

My baby...

2008-07-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe, right? Six years ago he came screaming into this world and boy has he already left his mark. Remember the song from Sound of Music, "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?" Well my song for Christian is, "How Do You Leash a Child Like Christian?"

So energetic, I hate to use the word "Leash," but I tell ya, there's just no telling with this not so little one. His spirit is an overabundance of positive energy that sometimes gets mistaken for the term "naughty." And don't get me wrong...he can certainly show us his "rowdy" side by getting carried away and out of control, but really for the most part, this child of ours is a keeper!

Our laugh for the day on his birthday (July 26th) : he woke up to a loving sister, showering him with birthday wishes. I made them pancakes with mini-chocolate chips and he sat down to eat his food, sprung off of his stool and said, "Hey mom, I gotta use your bathroom." I knew he already did his morning duty, so I asked him why. "I have to see if I weigh anymore since I am a year older!" Off he ran down the hall. (needless to say, he was a little let down.)

Once you go to Minocqua...you'll always go back

2008-07-24T12:49:00.000-07:00

We had an ablsolutely wonderful time in Minocqua camping with Brian & Lynnell Lichtenberg July 10-12. Dan didn't get to fish as much as he would have like to, and when he did, didn't catch much. Other than that...no complaints, only compliments.

We relaxed, swam, played cards, went to the lumberjack show, and went to the petting zoo. As usual, not much time for details, and there are photos aplenty (as always with me!!)/too many to post.

I remember a hundred lovely lakes, and recall the fragrant breath of pine
and fir and cedar and poplar trees. The trail has strung upon it, as upon
a thread of silk, opalescent dawns and saffron sunsets. It has given me
blessed release from care and worry and the troubled thinking of our modern
day. It has been a return to the primitive and the peaceful.
Whenever the pressure of our complex city life thins my blood and benumbs my
brain, I seek relief in the trail; and when I hear the coyote wailing to the
yellow dawn, my cares fall from me - I am happy. ~Hamlin Garland,
McClure's, February 1899

Dance like nobody's watching...

2008-07-02T14:11:00.000-07:00

Mallory's Recital...so I'm a bit late in getting this out there, but I keep thinking I need to get it done, so here it is! (Above: Haley Kooiman, Mallory, and Shayane Anderson, below: Mal and Ms. Cindy) Dance is a passion of Mallory's. If she is having a bad day, it is nothing a loud song and free expression of dance can't solve. Watching her , you can just feel the energy radiate off of her.
I cannot believe she is already 8 and in just over a month, my first baby girl is going to be 9. Mallory continues to amaze me with her patience, her understanding, and her maturity. If there in one thing in life here on Earth that Mallory loves (besides dogs), it is DANCING. I am so proud of her and not a day goes by that I don't look at her in awe for all that she has already become!

"Dance like nobody's watching; love like you've never been hurt. Sing like nobody's listening; live like it's heaven on earth." ~Mark Twain

PS: Thanks to Hannah Hinrichs, Shelli Roedl (& Parker), Lisa Roedl, Grandpa & Grandma Topel, Great-Grandma Vitense, Grandma La La, Haley, & Shayane for making the recital day an unforgettable one!

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-26T07:32:00.001-07:00

As I said in an earlier post, we went to Chula Vista Resort on Father's Day weekend for the Annual Towing Convention. The kids and I were very excited, because we were surprising Dan on Sunday morning. We made a video that informed him he was leaving on Monday for a 5 day trip to Florida to visit our friend, Tim and go Deep-Sea Fishing.
From the looks and sounds of it, it was a great trip and low and behold...Tim had a surprise of his own for us. When I picked Dan up from the airport on Friday night, I was almost sure that Tim would be there with him. Nope, he was alone. He put his bags in the car and we took off.
On down the baggage claim area, Dan almost hit a guy walking in the cross-walk, talking on his phone--the guy was TIM!! DORKS!! So Tim left the next day to surprise his dad in Rock Falls, Illinois for a few days. He will begin his Liver Damage Tour today, Thursday in Fox Lake with a bunch of his buddies from there! Town & Country Days is this weekend, so the tour will continue, I'm sure--given the amount of over-abundance of fun on any given night!!

More about lost time...or is it gained?!

2008-06-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

So...as I was saying...our trip to Texas. Lots of roadside picnics:

After our package delivery and a pit stop in South Houston for Dan to check out his International Scout, we made it to Galveston, Texas for a day at the Gulf:

Dan actually spent much of the day back in South Houston loading up the Scout. We had a blast and have the peeling sunburn to show for it! On to the Rainforest Cafe for some din din and souvenirs...

After our meal, we headed over to a park where there was a real submarine and battleship. Very cool tour and whew...tuckered us right out.

Back on the road again, heading up to Arkansas to see Steve and Amy in Bella Vista. Not without a typical Topel incident, though! Dan and I started hearing a noise coming from the shifter area and discovered that it sounded like a bearing. After our last trip to Florida and our 6 hour tow back home, we decided to be a bit more proactive this time...checked the transmission fluid and found it was VERY low. No external leaks though...hmmm...so the noise got better after we filled it and a few hour set-back: we were on our way.

Made our way up to their house and visited with them and their 4 dogs, 4 cats, and bird!! Dan is pictured with Big Boy, one of two Great Dane's. Amy works at the Animal Shelter!

Spent the night there, then on to visit Karl's in Cedar Rapids. Had dinner and visited with them. Always great seeing them and the girls. The flooding was just starting to get bad when we arrived in Iowa, but got way worse after we left. Not too sure how we got from Cedar Rapids home, as both Dan and I were wiped OUT!

Oh yeah...The mystery of the transmission fluid was soon solved en route home. The fluid was actually leaking into the transfer case (which became way overfull). Good thing we own a repair shop!

Trip summary: Kids proved they can co-exist in a very small area for long periods of time and get along wonderfully. Had some great family time and confirmed that Tara cannot stand sleeping in hot trucks all night long! Also noted that preventative vehicle care has advantages! (check Arkansas off of the Cracker Barrel visited state list).

Making up for lost time...

2008-06-17T08:54:00.000-07:00

I remember this time not long ago. A time when Wisconsin got dumped on with snow and our business got dumped on with work. Sleep was a luxury and our home was a pit. The phone didn't stop ringing and we didn't stop for meals. Yes, we were blessed with assistance all around, from employees to friends and of course family (which is both).

It would seem with about as much spontenaeity as it took for that to happen that our family has been blessed once again with what would almost seem a "reward" of mini-vacations galore!

It started on May 30th on the kids last day of school. We headed 'em up and moved 'em out to Montello at Wilderness Campground. The whole fam damily...even Brady.

Our home for the weekend...a 1969 trailer from Dan's cousin, Trent & Pam.

Other than the ants, it was a nice cozy little place to sleep!

Mallory made a friend, McKennzie.

Christian made a friend, Katie.

The kids played awesome together all weekend. We relaxed, played games, went paddle boating, went fishing, and even had a visit from Brian & Lynnell from down the "road" in Princeton!!

Though the time was a bit short (Dan had to head out early to go go-kart racing at Sugar River Raceway-it was pretty much worth it, as his team came in 2nd.), it felt like we were gone for a week. Before we left, Dan had a call from someone in Texas who bought a car through Hemming's Motor News from a guy in Jefferson who wanted it delivered.

Wouldn't ya know it, we got back, barely unpacked, then repacked for a Topel Family Trip to Texas. National Lampoon's ain't got nothin' on us...

The darker car on the right is the '41 Cadillac Limo we took down in the enclosed trailer. This is after we dropped it off in New Waverly, Texas. Stay tuned for more...the work is piling up as I write...

Heather & Matt's Wedding

2008-05-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

Happiest of Mother's Days

2008-05-11T20:16:00.000-07:00

What a happy day it was here at the Topel Homestead. A day spent with Dan's mom, the mother of our nephew(Dan's sister, Pam), my mom, and my Grandma Vitense, it was memorable. The kids showered me with gifts they made with so much effort and love. Mallory has been extra "lovey" the past few days, taking time to massage my shoulders and give me lots of X's and O's.

The wedding we went to was so much fun for all of us. We bowled, danced, visited, and ate...boy did we eat! Straight from my upcoming favorite...can you say, Yummo!

A busy week coming up: Monday is Mallory's last dance class of this school year. Wednesday night, Christian will have his 2nd T-ball practice (he's pretty pumped and focused on T-ball!!). Thursday is Mallory's field trip to one of our family favorites-Aztalan, AND a Spring Concert at St. Paul's at 6:30 when Mallory will be singing in the Cherub Choir. Friday, we all fall down. Saturday is the rehearsal for the dance and Sunday (drum roll, please) is Mallory's big production in Whitewater. Usda! Gotta love the end of the school year!

Just want to wish all of you Mom's a Happy Mother's Day! I've been very blessed with so many role models in my life to help me be the mom I am and to all of you, I am thankful!

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days
to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her
tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat
the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her
husband also, and he praises her:
29 "Many women do noble things, but you
surpass them all."
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a
woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31 Give her the reward she has
earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
Proverbs 31:25-31

Round and round

2008-05-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

From Bicycles...

to carousels...

Our weekend has been a whirlwind! Friday night, we went into Madison to get Christian and Mallory their new bikes. Luck would have it that Mallory's bike that was "recalled" actually wasn't, so just Christian ended up with a "new" prized bike. He will have to grow into it, but it beats his little hand-me-down from his cousin Alexs' visits to Wisconsin. On to Ella's Deli for a yummy meal, dessert that topped us all off, and enough stimulation for the next month!

It's 5-Alarm weekend, so Dan packed in a trip out on Rock Lake for opening weekend. A few bass, but nothing to write home about.

Our friend Julia turned 30 this weekend, so we all headed over to Jefferson on Saturday night to Ken's Towne Inn for her SURPRISE party!! We were supposed to go out at night, but Dan's early bird prize earned him the "party-pooper" award at night! Tara came in a healthy second, as she just couldn't muster up the umph to go out on the town.

Here it is Sunday already. Dan, John & Steve Chady, Steve's wife Heather, and Cliff worked hard over at 5-Alarm getting things cleaned up for what will probably be the last 5-Alarm weekend in our history. Time will tell. New management may have new plans for the company.

Busy weekends coming up...

May 10th: Dan's cousin Heather is getting married and Mark, Pam, and Alex are coming home for the weekend.
May 17/18: Mallory's recital weekend at Irving Young auditorium in Whitewater
May 24th: Lake Mills Tribute to Memorial Day in Lake Mills
May 30th: Last Day of School/First day of camping trip to Wilderness in Montello.

Until then...

HAPPY 12TH BIRTHDAY ON MAY 7TH, ALEX!! HOPE IT'S A FUN-FILLED DAY!

Making up for lost time...

2008-05-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

Can you say pfeffernuts? This isn't just a one day activity. Glad we could make Christmas complete for Grandma, though!
What a bunch! We can never get enough time with Alex when he is here.
Our stay at the Chula Vista with Mark, Pam, Alex, Cliff, and Vi. Memorable to say the least!
An "Un-Birthday" celebration with Carla & Hannah Hinrichs. Fun, fun, fun!!
Now that's what vacation is all about.

A fringe benefit of staying at the time-share. Christian was devestated that it had to come off before bed.
An Easter tradition...time together!
Mallory and my mom went to see Cheryl Kirking for an Advent Celebration. Cheryl is a superstar to Mal.
Decorating Grandpa Ron's home for Christmas. Hot cocoa, music, and memories!
Post-Christmas Concert at Lakeside with Grandma LaLa!

It's all in the numbers...

2008-04-24T19:12:00.000-07:00

If you know me at all, you know I am NOT a numbers person, but I'm gonna give it my best shot:

27: # of days since my last posting
21: # of years Jonathon (JD) Hinrichs just turned last week on April 15 (Ouch!)
38: # of years my brother, Tim, turned last week on April 16th (that one doesn't hurt so much...he's always been older!)
16: # of years Hannah, JD's sister, turned on April 6th (ouch again, but I like it because she can drive to LM to babysit now!!! Just to find her a car of her own!)
78: # of years Dan's mom just turned. Amazing, the woman acts like she's in her 50's, I swear.
5: # of weeks the kids have left to be in school. Christian will be graduating Kindergarten and Mallory, the young little lady she is becoming, will be moving on to 4th grade next year.
5: # of weeks until our camping trip to Montello at the Wilderness Campground (owned by a guy Dan used to race cars with, Bobby Weiss)
55: # of hours a week I have been working on average at the shop
more: # of hours a week Dan's beeen working at the shop!!
3: # of average hours a day the kids spend at the shop with us (getting their homework done, helping out around the shop, and hanging out with Mom and Dad, saving their hard earned $$ from having to pay daycare!)
8: # of dollars Mallory earns for helping out at the shop and at home per week
5: # of dollars Christian earns for helping out at the shop and at home (ask them who cleans their bathroom!!)
0: # of nights we play volleyball now
lots: # of fish Dan caught with Brian Lichtenberg this past Saturday on Green Lake.
lots: # of dollars Tara spent on her facial and spa experience at Evensong with Lynnell Lichtenberg on Green Lake
lots: # of hours Grandma La La slept the next day after watching the kids for Dan & Tara
0: # of ideas I have left of numbers of things to post!

It's just life as usual, I guess...

2008-03-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

It's always something, isn't it? Lots of changes going on in our lives and not much time to get into detail today. It is all for the best and each day gets better and better. Hope everyone is doing well. Congrats to Shelli and Derek on the birth of Parker! We are so very excited for you!

Where would we be?

2008-02-15T21:41:00.000-08:00

Where would we be without the Hinrichs to take our kids overnite so that we can get up early and go to our Industry Tradeshow and training classes in Milwaukee tomorrow?

Where would we be without BJ going in to work on a Sunday, in -30 something degree weather , to build us a hydrualic hose on our flatbed that broke while we were towing a car?

Where would we be without Chris H. and Cliff, on the same day to come in and fix the broken hose?

Where would we be without friends like the Kooiman family, that willingly took in our kids when both Dan and I were working during the cold/ice/snow until who knows when on a school night, then goes above and beyond to bring us a delicious homecooked meal WITH dessert? (Dan still can't figure out how Matt stays so slender)

Where would we be without Shelli to take the kids after school even beyond the hours expected of her when we got unexpected amounts of snow or need a fill-in last minute on volleyball night (then shower us with Valentine's Day goodies)?

Where would we be without J&J's to be our "personal kitchen" while we work who knows how many hours throughout the week?

Where would we be without Cliff and Vi to take the kids whenever we ask and to go get parts whenever needed?

Where would we be without hard-working employees to make changes for the best of the companies--even on birthdays, anniversaries, and Valentine's Day (Happy Birthday, Jon, Joe; Happy Anniversary Tracy (& Chris) & Cliff & Vi!!)

Where would we be without Josh & Joe to fill in when we are induted with towing, going so far as to risk their lives? Or Jon and Rod to do the same beyond the hours they are expected to?

Where would we be without understanding friends that volunteer their time for time that cannot be volunteered (even though I am missing the kids at school and my time there like crazy?)

Where would we be?

I'm glad I don't have to find out.

Psalm 107:8 (New International Version)

8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men,

Talk about getting thrown in the ring...

2008-02-09T09:43:00.000-08:00

So we go away, get refreshed. Come home, and BAM! A 14 inch snow storm to put our lives into total and complete chaos! Let's just say I'm still not unpacked and my dishes overfloweth! In the 14 years I've been with Dan and dispatched snowstorms, NEVER has there been one like this. I had to stop giving eta's (estimated time of arrivals) at about 2:00 pm and the calls that came in after that took almost 12 hours to get to them. It's like nothing I've ever experienced before. I shouldn't complain, I'm sure it is how dispatching in Madison or Milwaukee is on a regular basis, but I have never taken a call 5 miles from where a tow truck was and had it take over 1 1/2 hours to get there. Unbelievable! You should see the phone log...several calls per minute, no kidding! Thank God for Shelli, who stayed home with the kids, then let them sleep over at her house. It was nice not having to worry about them.

Despite the dishes, clothes, and dust, Dan and Christian are down at Sandy Beach Bait Shop fishing for the fisheree today and Mallory and I are at the shop, holding down fort. It's a no wonder our home looks like it does!

Two whole days off of school and I don't ever know when Christian is going to get his routine back. I guess he'll learn the hard way, "That's just how life is sometimes!!" Or in our case, most of the time! Mallory has set into her own routine of claiming the "Early Bird" prize each day. She must get it from Dan, because me and morning just don't seem to get along!

We got a phone call from Kyle yesterday. When Christian was born, we called him and said, "Well, you're an Uncle!" So MY phone call was, "Well, you're an Aunt!!" Cara was due yesterday and sure enough, he arrived right on schedule. Congratulations, Lehr family! Can't wait to see the little guy!

Well whatdoya know?

2008-02-01T20:35:00.000-08:00

Okay, so here it is, Friday night at 10:35. Am I at a bar? Am I out on the town? Am I whoopin' it up? Nope, just sitting here, listening to tunes from the 90's and trying to catch up on entering our financials into MS Money. Ahhh...the life!

The kids are trying to get back into the swing of things at school. We have found that Christian especially has a difficult time adjusting to changes in his routine schedule. At his parent/teacher conference, Mrs. McKenney mentioned that after coming back from Christmas break he was a bit touchy. See how smart she is: she figured out then that there would be another adjustment period when he got back from Florida. Sure enough. A mom that helped out in the classroom this morning asked me if something was wrong, that he was a bit sensitive. Poor guy. Come Wednesday, we'll be all good again in that department (barring any snow/ice/cold days, that is!!) They are both excited to be approaching their 100th day of school on Monday.
Christian only had a 1/2 day today, so he had the time of his life when I took him to McDonald's to meet my friends, Stephanie and Heather/their daughters, Olivia and Trinity Rose. Come to find out that pretty much every other kid from his class went, too. What a very fun day for him!
News from Mallory's world:
She is way pumped up to be dancing at her recital in May to High School Musical 2/Work It Out. Mallory lives for Monday night dance classes. School is going quite well, though she would tell you that her brain is full of things she already knows and has a hard time learning all the new stuff. She's not so sure about school this year, but it seems to me as a parent that the social aspect is taking over her opinions about school/making it all a-okay! Her friend Shayane made her a going away card and had all of the kids (except one) sign it. How awesome is that?
So the kids are doing well for the most part and we're just cruising along.
Looking forward to a Superbowl Party on Sunday at our friends', the Forests.
Oh and one more bit-o-news from the Topel Household:
Dan was elected to School Board.
Ask him about it sometime (lol!). It should be an interesting 3 years.
Happy February!

Back to Life, Back to Reality!

2008-01-30T14:18:00.000-08:00

Ouch. That's all I can say. Whata rude awakening. We leave sun, sand, the ocean...for this: drift covered roads, sub-zero temps, at least the sun is shining. Made the trip home in record time-we left Tim's place at 3:30 and got home here at 11:30 am our time, after a one hour trip to Cracker Barrel in Rockford. Boo yah!
So it's back to life as usual, I guess. Or not. Our new Service Advisor, Valerie, starts at the shop on Monday. Shelli is starting to get close to having her baby boy, and we figured out a way for her to carry on shop responsibilities while not having to have daycare, and the same for me (still work at the shop, but be home with the kids after school). Valerie comes to us from having worked at a shop in Madison for 2 years. She has been trained by ATI (our business coaching firm in Baltimore), and will hopefully take minimal training. So we have a bit of an adjustment period, then hopefully things will settle themselves down, allowing some type of a balance in our schedules---I won't hold my breath just yet!
You'll be able to tell the load change by when this gets updated next--a sure tell-tale sign that I've got an ounce of free time to update and not feel guilty about goofing off!!
Shhhh...the ocean is calling!

News of the Day

2008-01-27T14:24:00.000-08:00

We left our lazy days back in Orlando and headed over to Ormond Beach today. The kids had their faces painted and played in the (thankfully) heated pools. It was still in the mid-sixties yesterday. No complaining here, though. I saw the temps back there in WI and 4 inches of snow...no thanks!

Big news here in Ormond-by-the-Sea yesterday-a 15.5 foot whale washed up on shore. Tim wasn't here to see it, but his neighbor said she saw it and it headed down to Daytona before they were able to take it in. There's an article on it at:

http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Local/newFLAG03ENV012708.htm

Just found it interesting!

We're just catching up on some homework today with Mallory. It is amazing how much they do in a day at school! This is why I don't like taking the kids out of school for vacations during the school year!! It's all worth it, though.

Here's your "Are you smarter than a third-grader" question for the day:

Name 10 perfect squares under 100.

I had to look it up on wikipedia!! Maybe that doesn't say much for me, but Dand and Tim didn't know either.

Long story short

2008-01-26T05:25:00.000-08:00

Almost 3 months since the last post. Hmmm...holidays, year-end for the business, back to school...the excuses go on and on. The truth is that I've gotten so wrapped up in living life that I'm not taking any time to reflect. I can say, though, that I've gotten closer to that point that I wrote about at my last post of being able to be just a little bit more organized, both time and space.
It doesn't really even make sense for me to go back and recap the past three months. You all know, there's no, "long story short" in my world!
Ironically enough, we are in Florida again. We did not use up our "we're not buying a timeshare" points last time, so we mustered up a return trip.
-Left on Tuesday night about 10 pm
-Got here Wednesday night about 11 pm
-Spent the night at Pulford's apartment in Ormand Beach
-Thursday, went across the street to the ocean, the boys fished. Mal and I went for a little walk on the shore. Had lunch at the Golden Lion, (mid-day cocktails said, "Let the vacation begin!"). Back to the low-tide to catch some Whitings, not enough for supper, though.
-Packed it up and moved it out-Orlando, here we come.
-Friday: According to Dan & Tara-relaxing with some work inbetween; Mal: some fun, but became boring when nobody would play in the pool with her (i.e.-homesick for friends); Christian: lots of fun between the pool, the hot tub, and our room.
-We are staying at a Hilton Grand Vacations Club. Last time we stayed at the other one, closer to Sea World. This one is a bit smaller, but has many more ammenities and is much newer. It is nice, because we save $$ by eating here and just hanging out.
-Yestarday, it was mostly sunny with a bit of a breeze. It was one of those days that if there's not any breeze, it is warm, but if the wind blows, you feel chilly! Probably in the high 60's. Eat your heart out, Wisconsin!!!
-We'll be heading out tomorrow to head back over by Pulford for a day or two. He has a big test to take on Monday, so we'll see how that goes.

Check out Mal's own blog at: www.thelifeofmalgal.blogspot.com

Some pics to go with...

2007-10-31T10:56:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-10-26T05:54:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-21T08:06:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

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.

2007-09-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-09-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-08-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-08-19T23:16:00.001-07:00

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?!?

2007-08-19T21:27:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-08-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-17T23:22:00.001-07:00

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!

2007-05-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-04-24T14:35:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-04-05T15:02:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-03-14T15:29:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-03-11T14:39:00.000-07:00

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?!?

2007-03-07T10:58:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-02-18T21:25:00.000-08:00

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...

2007-02-13T20:56:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-01T16:34:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-01-21T21:53:00.000-08:00

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...

All about Mallory...

2007-01-16T16:38:00.000-08:00

Mallory is now in 2nd grade at St. Paul's school. Her teacher is Mr. Glock. Though she would lead you to believe that school is "hard," she continues to excell. She is loving reading, especially Boxcar Children Mysteries. (In fact, our whole family is enjoying the latest book since the TV took a poo!) She would tell you her favorite subject is Science and she DID enjoy catching whichever Discovery Channel or TLC show was on to spend time with Dan, which he would call "decompressing." Her latest favorite toy is her Nintendo DS. She's been having fun playing Nintendogs, raising a chocolate lab named Daisy and others. Speaking of dogs, her favorite animal is a dog. She loves snuggling up with Brady and usually "innocently" gets him "riled" up! I have to remind myself often that she IS afterall 7 years old and not 17 which is what it seems like sometimes! Monday nights is dance class with Mrs. Cindy in Fort Atkinson. Her recital will be in May at the UW-Whitewater auditorium. One of her newly mentioned goals is being able to do the splits! Usda! She recently received an MRI due to some dizziness she has been experiencing. Good news: she does indeed have a brain in her head (okay, that wasn't nice!) and everything turned out to be fine. I will try to update more later, but I'll publish for now! Off to her parent-teacher conference!

2007 Here We Come

2007-01-02T11:45:00.000-08:00

A Christmas celebration or 3, an anniversary celebration or 2, a New Year Dinner or 2...we know how to celebrate. Whether Jesus' birth, a wedding 10 years ago, or the hopes of a prosperous new year...each day has it's own cause to be thankful. Life continues to change, new chapters in our lives evolve almost daily. I am excited to try this new blog as a part of the '07 Tara. Kind of like a new version of software, I've decided to try all kinds of new "ventures" and see how many actually continue on by the end of the year!

Since I've been mostly working lately and not able to keep in touch as often as I like to, I'll give a brief (brief...Tara...okay, I'll TRY to be brief) snapshot of the Topel Family today: January 2, 2007.
Christian-from Batman to Larryboy, and beyond, he is my knight in shining armor. Or his newest one is God's Mighty Warrior! He awaits each new day of pre-school at St. Paul's with Mrs. Voigt and Mrs. Maahs. His buddy Gil seems to be the target of his strong need for a superhero sidekick (Batman/Robin; Spiderman/Firestar; you get the jist). He's got his own League, in fact, as Espen, Ry-Guy, et. al. seem to recieve important missions from him daily. These missions are made up of whatever paper, envelope, tape, and MARKER message he can make. Each one reads, C h o c r i t c o a n c h o s - or anything containing the letters: C h r i s t i a n, which translates out to whatever he wants it to. He is much like me in that he has a strong urge to entertain and in case anyone was wondering, there are parties at our house on any given day: in his bedroom. Sometimes there are pinatas, chocolate ones; games; snacks in case anyone is hungry, and Bat games. If you are lucky, while you are there, you can chat with his friends in the attic. Since Grandpa and Grandma have TWO attics, it is only fitting that we should have one that is a home to many friends and "things" that we don't currently have in our house!!
We recently discovered that he is the proud owner of two large tonsils and adenoids, which we would like to soon rid him of.
We are thankful especially that Social Services hasn't visited yet, as his amount of time spent with a black & blue (and yellow, green, purple) mark on his face has far out-numbered the ones without. Our current challenge is getting out of a Plastic Surgeon visit for the calsification on his cheek from smacking the balance beam at school. I think we're in the clear on that one!
Christian has earned himself an official label of STRONG-WILLED. Which is an important attribute for a superhero such as himself. It will be great once he's older, and until then, he is molding me into a "mean" mom, saying things I swore I never would say to my own children! I'm determined that this strong trait has been acquired from his father. It is especially fun to see the two of them out-will each other!!

And since I've discovered that it is basically impossible for me to be "brief," I'll do our "snapshot" in daily incriments. That's about enough "goofing" off for one day, so hope you are all starting your new year off with many blessings that you are able to take the time to enjoy!