Tuesday, August 4, 2009

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


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!!


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!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Marley


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!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

It was a Grand Visit!

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!!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Ode to my mother...

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

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Happiness...

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.

1a]">[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