"Throwing Up Mood"

This little girl was breaking my heart last night. After a great weekend she woke at midnight or so and vomited a few times. Lucky for us, she has good control and makes it to the bathroom -makes for a lot less mess for me. I don't miss the early ages where it happened wherever. Anyways, I sat up with her, she was shaking like a leaf on the bathroom floor, refusing to go back into her bed with a bucket. I got her warm fleece blanket and wrapped her up and she just layed on my lap by the toilet as I brushed her hair back with my hand softly...waiting. I felt so sorry for her as she continued to whisper, "thanks mommy." Eventually, after about 45 minutes I talked her into going to her bed where I thought she could sleep better. I carried her into her room, covered her up and Gabi just said, "I think you are right, mommy, I'm so tired." She wanted me to stay with her for a while so I layed quietly on the floor with my pillow and fleece blanket. I made sure the boys were quiet this morning while getting ready for school but Gabi was up about the time they were leaving-bright eyed and looking much better. She just looked at me and said, "I don't think I am in the throwing up mood, I just have a bad runny nose now," and she proceeded to the couch to watch some Disney channel as I got the boys off to school. We probably won't do much of anything today...just some R&R but we are very thankful that Gabi is feeling better this morning. I did find an interesting site on WSBT...the sick watch. The zip codes where my kids go to school are pretty high with sickness. Guess it is time to pump them with vitamins and OJ!

Witching Weekend

We enjoyed a fabulous weekend at Jellystone this weekend. The weather was perfect (sunny and in the 70's) and Gabi was able to bring her best friend, Emma (something she has been wanting to do all summer)! We skipped out on friday night football and headed for the campground to enjoy the evening. The girls got ice cream, explored the campground, took a swim in the indoor pool and enjoyed the campfire with s'mores all before turning in that night. Saturday morning we got pictures with Yogi (as usual) and we did ceramics. Trenton even joined us...he did a frog, Emma did a turtle and Gabi did a couple of seals. We got to go on the hayride and take another swim before the Notre Dame game started. The boys kind of watched while the girls continued the explorations of the campground. It was "witching weekend" and the campground gave out prizes to the best decorated sites. There were some FANTASTIC ones - I couldn't believe the effort some put in. It was amazing. One had a GIANT sized blow up haunted house that you could actually walk through - complete with fog machines and sound effects also! It certainly kept the girls busy checking out all the Halloween stuff in between playing at the park, scootering around, and watching the fish in the lake from our pier. Saturday evening was trick or treat throughout the park. What great costumes some people had. One family dressed their entire family in Wizard of Oz characters - from the actual house (with the witch's feet sticking out under) to Dorothy (the mom) and (her baby son) Toto. It was too cute. They had just about every character in there. Another cute idea was a dad dressed as a crazy jailkeeper. He had five of his children in orange jumpsuits all chained together. Too cute. Very neat ideas to say the least. Gabi went as Dorothy and Emma went as a gypsy. They both got soooo much candy...even more than she gets in our neighborhood and that's alot. After trick or treating was the costume contest along with donuts and cider. FUN FUN FUN. Each age group took their turn parading by the judges. Sunday was sad...Emma had to get home for a soccer game so we didn't have alot of time to do much. We were just glad she was able to come along this weekend. Gabi had a wonderful time and we hope Emma did too! Enjoy lots of pics here. FYI: Tyler is on his way back from IU game as I write...disappointing game as well, but I am sure he had a good time with Marissa and her family.

Adams

Unfortunately, Tyler's team suffered another loss to Adams 22-42. I just really think the team was "off" and made very costly errors. Inevitably, they should have won the game. Tyler played cornerback and rotated in as wide receiver throughout the game and was able to play quarterback for the last couple plays of the game. He was in on a couple of tackles but couldn't complete a pass last night. Oh well, I guess he's entitled to a "bad" game. Got some good photos though, as always and we were excited to see more family come to watch...aunt Annie got to come for this game...as well as my parents, Dave and Ben's dad. Marissa and her mom came again too. We are still proud of our Tyler! He is off to the IU game with his girlfriend, Marissa, and family this weekend. We will be visiting the campground (Gabi gets to bring her friend, Emma)...more to come on that, so stay tuned...

"Reading, wRiting, aRithmatic"

Just had to share that Gabi is absolutely loving school. She is especially enjoying "Reader's Workshop" where they get to read books alone in a special corner of the classroom, along with "Writer's Workshop" where she gets to write about any topic for 20-30 minutes. Gabi has even incorporated Writer's Workshop at home. She has a journal she has entitled, "Fiction Stories" and is having the best fun dragging that thing to just about every function we have...writing stories. She also has another notebook that she has written about people in her life and places she has gone. It will DEFINITELY be a keepsake. If you see Gabi out and about, ask her about her notebooks...she LOVES to share! I'm so glad she is liking reading and writing. I have to credit myself for that...I would read to Gabi every night before bed. Now she reads herself. As for arithmatic...she is just naturally good at math as well. I hope this continues throughout her school years. She is a smarty!

Pumpkin Patch Weekend

Sorry this post is a little late, but I just returned from Indy for a conference. My work, actually, the Child and Adult Care Food Program had lots of workshops for food program sponsors from all over the United States. 37 states were represented - including Puerto Rico! That was cool. Lots of info for me to soak in. I left Sunday right after arriving home from the campground and returned this evening. Friday night we stayed at home for the football game and cornhole tournament the Wrestling team was sponsoring. We enjoyed some tailgating and great competition in cornhole. The game was a blow out win but we stayed so the boys could "hang out" with their friends. Saturday morning Trenton left for Vega camp (wrestling). Ben's dad and brother graciously offered Trenton their home to stay over while we were gone. They also took care of him getting to and from the camp, which is an hour and a half away. Good practice and competition there for Trenton though. He was glad he got to go. While Trenton left at 6:45 am on Saturday morning, Tyler, Gabi, Ben and I got up and headed for the campground. Boy, was it chilly...lower 50's or so at the time. Chad and his family had already arrived on Friday and planned to stay the weekend. It was nice because the campground was not crowded at all and was quiet. Good relaxation....Here are some of the activities we enjoyed this weekend...

* Picture time with Yogi and Boo Boo
* Boo Boo's Train Ride

* A few walks around the campground

* Arts and Crafts

* Football game (depressing)

* Fire all day on Saturday - that means lots of s'mores and pudgy pies!

* Wagon ride

* Ice cream at the Ranger station

* Playtime at the playground

* Oatmeal Scotchies!

It was definitely chilly on Saturday...high in the 50's, but seemed nicer on Sunday. We had to take off around noon so I could get around for my trip to Indy. All in all, a nice weekend to get us in the mood for fall. Too bad we are going to get back into the 80's this week. Oh well, it was a nice sneak peek! Enjoy pictures of the weekend here.

Touchdown!

Yes, last night we played Riley and won 32-0. Tyler was in on a couple of tackles and it was cool because there was an announcer and we got to hear his name over the loud speaker. He also played wide receiver and caught a pass for about 5-6 yards. The highlight of our evening though, was when Tyler got to run a quarterback sneak. Yep, because of the high score the 2nd teams got to go in about 3/4 of the way into the 3rd period. That meant Tyler got to play quarterback. It was 2 and goal when Tyler ran the quarterback sneak for a touchdown! It was kind of funny...we got the low battery signal on our video recorder and it shut down just 2 plays before Tyler got his touchdown. There was only a couple of minutes left in the game and Shannon says jokingly, "oh great, now Tyler will probably score a touchdown." Lo and behold...that's what happened. I did catch it on my digital camera - though it's not the best and I am not sure if you can see Tyler all that well. But here it is. It was great to have all our family there for Tyler's "big" night - my parents, Ben's dad, David, Jeff, Pam & Bren, Shannon, Briella, Uncle Jim & Aunt Marge (my dad's sister and coach's parents), and Kristi & Marissa (Tyler's gf and mom) were all there to watch. Since it was such an exciting game I put all my pictures here to be looked at...couldn't decide on just a few! Enjoy. Have I mentioned how much I love my family and the support they bring! Great job Tyler - Thanks for a great game!!!

First Accident

Yes, that is a word you hate to hear..."accident." I got a call this morning from Tyler saying he and Trenton had been hit from behind. Luckily, no one was hurt, Trenton had the van, and it wasn't Trenton's fault. I guess while waiting at a stoplight, another kid wasn't paying attention to the traffic STOPPED and slammed into the back of Trenton. Trenton did not hit anything else so it was confined to the other kid and Trenton. I quickly asked if anyone was hurt and proceeded to make my way to the accident where a police officer had already taken a report and the other kid's dad was waiting. We exchanged insurance info, I made sure the boys were okay to drive the rest of the way to school and prayed the rest of the day would go better. So far, so good...

Time for a laugh

This product's commercials are hilarious! I even added a link in my FUN FUN FUN section (Hilarious Commercials link) on the side of my blog if you want to watch them all! My favorite one, though, has to be this one!

Birthday Bash

We celebrated Tyler's birthday with family last night. It was good to see everyone...Tyler opted for an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen decorated with Irish - (I know, I know...they aren't doing too well so far) and a homemade yellow cake with chocolate frosting straight from our own kitchen. Tyler even sported a Notre Dame Jersey to finish his ensemble. He sported # 7 - now for Clausen. Tyler made the comment, "I have faith in Jimmy Clausen." We'll see, bud. I think he needs some more time and experience but I am sure we'll see great things from that player. Tyler's party was simple, yet fun to get together with everyone. Tyler got mostly cash - which is his present of choice right now (probably the age). Not sure what he'll be purchasing, in fact, Tyler is one that hangs on to his money until he figures out what he wants exactly. A good characteristic. He does not spend foolishly (most of the time). Anyways, yummy dessert and enjoyed celebrating Tyler's 15th birthday!

Sidenote: We decided to stay home this weekend to enjoy Tyler's birthday and just relax...try to get everyone well and over strep throat.

"That's Quality H20!"

Tyler got to play "waterboy" for the St. Joe game last night. Yes, he came down with a fever on Monday (of 102 degrees even after two doses of aleve)! He made it to the practice in the morning but came home and slept most of the day, into Tuesday. After calling the doctor Monday evening and finding out that Gabi's strep test on Friday (tested negative in the office) sent to the lab came up positive, Dr. Jagger called in Amoxicillin for both the kids. Gabi was feeling much better on Saturday. Dr. Jagger was a little upset with the lab because they never called him (he was on call). Not sure what happened there, but we finally got everything squared away. When I asked Dr. Jagger why Gabi acted fine (the physician she saw on Friday said it could just be a virus so we went with that) now, he said, sometimes people just eventually get over the strep, while others get other complications on top of it. Luckily, she cleared up but he wanted to treat her anyways. So, Tyler ended up staying home Tuesday and Wednesday (his birthday) from school, thus missing practice. That was okay...the coaches wanted him to get healthy before starting back into football. He helped the coaches out where needed during the game and the team unfortunately took another loss (15-25). I hate to say it but the other team was really taking advantage of the height difference between their player and Tyler's replacement. They were passing all day long over this 5'2" kid playing Tyler's position. Oh well, Tyler is just excited to get back in the game...and healthy.

"Empty Stockroom"

One of my best friends shared this with me in an email...you might have already read it but I seem to catch something everytime I read it again. It is so true...and so sad. Makes me want to make my life better, spend more time with my kids and love like never before. Spend each day to it's most capability. Enjoy...

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much , and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom.
- George Carlin

Fifteen

Happy, happy birthday to my easy going, most of the time smiling, Tyler! Fifteen years ago today...I had my second son. Tyler Benjamin Reinoehl - Born on September 5, 1992, weighing in at 8 lbs., 2 oz (my biggest baby) and 20 1/2 inches long at 3:30 am. I still remember that morning. My grandparents on my mom's side were still here (they migrate to Florida in the winter) and they came up at 4 am to see my little newborn boy. We didn't know what Tyler would be, in fact, I kind of always knew in my heart it would be another boy. I wanted another boy...for Trenton to have a playmate when we moved to Virginia with Ben. It all worked out.

Tyler as a toddler was so much fun. He was short and chubby, loved his binky, had the cutest curly red hair and would wear nothing but Barney apparel. We still tease him to this day of how much he loved Barney and the Backyard Gang!Tyler hardly cried as an infant or toddler...not much to complain about...he had a big brother to play with all the time and pretty much took all that was dished out. He was so easy going and still is, to this day. Ben says he gets it from him. I guess I agree. I do agree, also, to the fact that when Tyler does get upset or angry it is definitely for reason and it is usuallly huge (like his dad also). Another thing I love about Tyler is that he is a physical person. He loves to give hugs and still does (which I absolutely adore). He is not afraid to kiss you goodbye, etc. I know the experts say that you shouldn't rock your children to sleep or give them a bottle, etc. to go to sleep, you should just put them to bed. Tyler is one that I rocked to sleep up until he was in school. And I can still remember him crawling up on my lap before bedtime to fall asleep in kindergarten! That I love about him to this day. He is not afraid to hug his mom in public!!!!

Anyways, Tyler played all kinds of sports throughout his school year...he tried baseball, soccer, basketball, wrestling, and football. Now that he is in high school he has taken to football (cornerback, wide receiver and quarterback this year) and wrestling (went 45-0 last 2 years). We are very excited for the coming high school years. My once 8 lbs. 2 oz. little boy has grown into a 5'8" tall young man! He has many accomplishments yet to achieve and we can't wait to watch. So, Tyler, here's to you, son...have a wonderful birthday (even though he is home today with strep throat, but feeling better). We love you!!!!

Labor Day Weekend

Not only did we have a long weekend because of a holiday, but I was able to celebrate my birthday with all my loved ones! It brought back so many memories of when I was young and how we used to celebrate birthdays while camping. It used to be Brandon (cousin) and I who celebrated together - because his is Sep. 4 and mine is the 1st. This weekend it was Tyler (Sept. 5) and I. Friday we decided to stay home so the boys could go to the football game. Gabi and I stayed home because she wasn't feeling well. Gabi stayed home on Friday from school because she was running a fever, along with sore throat and achiness. We visited the doctor and the strep test was negative. Doctor said it was probably a virus and would call if positive results came of the test over the weekend. We decided to just use Motrin and lots of rest. She was feeling better by Saturday morning (my actual birthday), so Ben wanted to head for the camper. Little did I know what he had in store. I woke to my gift from him and the kids...LG Chocolate accessories to use as an IPOD and a Mishawaka Caveman shirt. Great ideas and I loved them! We decided to stop in at Das Essenhaus for their breakfast buffet before heading on to the campground and it was YUMMY! Eggs, bacon, biscuits, gravy, muffins, pancakes, mush, you name it...they had it...a country breakfast indeed! I was able to just relax on Saturday until the big game...ND. Well, that didn't turn out so good. But it was my birthday...couldn't dwell on that. We supported our team with a flag and lots of football food! Sunday morning my parents surprised me and Tyler...They showed up about 10 am or so with Tyler's girlfriend, Marissa! Tyler was excited to spend the day with her. My parents also brought me their gift...a new MHS jacket (all the wrestling moms wear) and the ND shirt. Great gift! I'm excited to use the jacket! We basically just relaxed, went on walks, talked, ate food and by the time dinner rolled around Ben's dad and brother, Dave, showed up to help celebrate (Pam, Jeff and Bren are in NC with grandma/grandpa Honecutt-thinking of you also!). David also got me his "annual" birthday gift...a Michigan shirt. Yeah, they aren't my first team...but I'll support - only for Dave though {wink}. I guess they didn't have much luck either this weekend. We had a great dinner (brats, hot dogs, hamburgers, pasta salad, potato salad, jello salad, doritos, chips, chocolate cake - and my favorite, boston cream cake!) After dinner, Tyler and I had an up and personal visit by the bears, Yogi, Cindy and Boo Boo, themselves. They even brought me a cool Yogi picture frame I am anxious to use. Tyler ended up going home with my parents and dropping off Marissa (he had practice this morning) so we could get up a little later and not have to rush. All in all, we had a great time at the campground - gorgeous weather, fun times, food, and family. What more could I ask for? Thanks to everyone who made my weekend special!!! I love you all!

LaPorte

Tyler's football team suffered their first loss last night (7-14). It was sad for the team but we were so excited that Tyler had an awesome game personally. He caught 2 for 2 passes while playing wide receiver. One was brought back by a penalty (elsewhere on the field), but the other Tyler gained 7 yards while the team only needed 3 for a first down. Not to mention, Tyler played good defense...was in on a couple tackles again playing cornerback. Not only did he play wide receiver and corner this game, he got to show off his skills as the long snapper for the point after. It was funny to see him up with the line! Here are some pics I captured.

Little Scrapper

Gabi finally used some of her gift certificates to Pages In Time that maw maw and paw paw, and Trenton got her for Christmas! We went a few weeks ago to get some supplies for me to do the boys' wrestling seasons. Gabi picked out some neat things for a winter theme since I had some extra photos of her playing outside in the snow. I was hoping she would want to scrap some with me but she never wanted to do it the same time I was...she was always doing something else or playing outside. Well, about a week before school started she finally came to me, scrapbook bag in hand, and said, "I'm ready to scrap." Here is the finished product! Not bad, huh????

Pointing Lab?

There is much debate on whether a labrador can be a pointing dog (for hunting). Maizy has gone with Ben several times hunting for rabbits and pheasants. She gets really excited when he gets the guns out. He's even taken Maizy out in the woods just to scope out for deer occasionally (not hunting...just checking things out, moving stands, etc.). Maizy loves the "hunting" atmosphere altogether. Ben says she is a "flusher/pointer" combo...she stalks it and points at it. I do know that we have lots of bunnies at our house under our shed and whenever there is one out and eating the grass she points at it. I caught some pics of her the other day, as a matter of fact...She walks ever so slowly, just barely touching her paws to the ground, one at a time, tail out - pointing, crouched down. Almost "cat-like." Neat to watch.
PS: No bunnies were harmed when taking pics...in fact, Maizy hasn't even been fast enough to actually get one yet. No worries.

Down on the "muddy" farm

Yes, that was the theme for this weekend at Yogi's - and boy, was it muddy. I was sooooo happy to see the sunshine on Sunday morning after about a week of nonstop rain! We were actually going to stay in town Friday night for the football game and go up early on Saturday morning, but we found out Friday afternoon the game was cancelled. We decided with the heavy storms they were predicting and the fact that our awning was out (secure but out), we should just go up Friday night. Needless to say, we had some grumpy boys because they wanted to stick around for the Penn game (which had not been cancelled). They got over it quickly though. Anyways, rain, rain, rain on Friday night, into Saturday up until about noon or so. We let Trenton bring his Guitar Hero game for PS2 for entertainment since we knew it was going to be soggy for a while. So, that's what we did during the rain...watched and played Guitar Hero, PGA Tour, Uno, and Hold 'Em. Saturday morning they were supposed to have farm animals out to pet. We decided to go and see what that was all about in between the rain showers. They had ducks, goats and rabbits...not many, but I really don't think they could bring in many others since they had to move it to the covered pavilion rather than the field. Oh well, Gabi enjoyed seeing them. Chad, Amber and family went also. In fact, Friday when we got there we had to pass up two restaraunts because of power outage and when we came to one that was up and running, it was so packed we didn't want to wait. We opted for Wendy's. We did enjoy Saturday afternoon after it cleared out. My parents brought my grandma and grandpa Jones up for a visit (my mom's parents). They really enjoyed watching Guitar Hero, relaxing and having a yummy dinner (chicken, hot dogs, macaroni salad, cheesy potatoes, corn on the cob and cookies from Das Essenhaus). It was nice to visit with them and I am glad they got to see our site. They were once big seasonal campers as well! Sunday was awesome! Sunny and bright. We stayed late in the afternoon...got home around 5:30 pm or so. Although it was rainy, I think we still enjoyed the time away, as always.

New Car and Dekalb

A HUGE thank you to our cousin, Shannon. She helped us in getting a car for Trenton to use this year since he got his license. Her employer, St. Mary's, had a couple of employee cars for bid. We decided to check out the gold 1999 Chevy Cavalier and it seemed like a very nice car - low mileage, no rust or body damage, clean...decided to go for it. Yesterday they opened the bids and come to find out...we won! We actually got it for a good price too - right where we wanted to be as far as a car for the boys. It worked out...we think maybe our luck is turning. We'll see!

Last night was the first freshmen football game and it was awesome! We played against Dekalb and won 28-0. Tyler played starting cornerback (got in on a few tackles) and rotated in as wide receiver, as well as quarterback! Jack of all trades I guess! It was a great start - Looking forward to this season!
Tyler getting in on a tackle! (#22)

Playing wide receiver

Playing quarterback

What a good lookin' fellow! Thanks to Uncle Dave, as well as Marissa and her mom, Kristi, for driving 1 1/2 hours to watch our boy! We are proud of you Tyler!

New Bird

Yep, I have found a new bird to watch...the hummingbird. It all started at the campground when I noticed a hummingbird trying to eat from my flowers. I decided to get a hummingbird feeder and low and behold, he/she comes back almost everyday we have been there to eat from my feeder. Well, little did I know I would see a hummingbird at home soon after the first time I saw one at the campground. I had forgotten to get a feeder until about a week and half ago. I picked up a feeder to put in our backyard at home. Surprise, surprise, I have seen a few different hummingbirds eating from this feeder and they are really cool birds! They are so small, sometimes I mistake them for a huge bee flying by. I also find it very cool that my grandma Jones enjoys hummingbirds as well. She said she sees hers perched on her clothesline outside her kitchen window, but I have never seen one perch, until today. Check out this picture I caught at home this morning!

Happy Birthday, Jenny!

If I were to describe my sister in law to you, I would include her most outstanding trait - giving...always there to listen and help out. Jenny is the kind of person who would give the clothes off her back for someone in need. She is the most loving mother of two beautiful children, Travis and Mackenzy. Unfortunately, Jenny has been living in the lonestar state of Texas for quite some time and we are only able to visit with her on special occasions...holidays, vacations, etc. She moved there for her job and has been there since. We miss you, Jenny and think of you often! Have a great birthday and we love you!

Speaking of babies...

I caught this short video of momma robin feeding her babies from our front window. It's really cool that we can see them so well.

My Three Babies

After almost a full week of school under their belts we decided to take a break by going to the camper for the weekend. Tyler was able to skip out of football practice (they only worked on special teams anyways) and Trenton brought a friend (finally! He has been trying to bring someone for quite some time and all his buddies always have something going on). The weekend visit started later since we couldn't leave until after school, but Saturday was fun. Ceramics for Gabi in the morning, a few more walks around the campground than usual (just because), cornhole, great food, lots of laughs (as usual), s'mores, euchre and hold em. It was just some R & R - exactly what we needed. Unfortunately, our weekend was cut a little shorter than usual again because of the rain, but we didn't mind since it came late Saturday night and Sunday. The weather was not too warm but not too cold either - kind of fall like - got us all in the mood for some football. We got home around 1 pm, did some shopping at Best Buy and got a pizza from Bruno's (yummy!) Since I MESSED up somehow on our VCR, I didn't get to tape High School Musical 2 for Gabi. She was pretty upset...luckily it's on again tonight - 8pm! I am going to give her a break and let her stay up passed her bedtime to watch it. Looking forward to seeing it - we heard it was good. The campground showed it at the Ranger's Station on Friday night but Gabi was just not interested in sitting down watching a movie at the campground - which is definitely fine with us! We are all about no television in the great outdoors! Another good weekend together as a family!

THE Shirt 2007

Have you seen the new Notre Dame t-shirt! Awesome! GET ONE!

New Start

Many of you already know that we have decided to build a new home in Mishawaka, thus putting the kids in the MHS school system. We are very excited, yet nervousness ran high in our family as the kids started school on Tuesday at a new school. Gabi actually started tearing up as she went in to her new school that morning, making mom upset as well. I was very relieved when I went to pick her up, that she was wearing a huge smile and talked all about her new classroom for nearly an hour afterwards! Needless to say, she was happy and excited to go back the next day. The boys, however, were a different story...Tyler was a bit more nervous about the first day, but then again, that is normal for a freshman going into high school. They were excited to begin a new school, with a new set of friends, a new set of teachers - most of which Ben and I had when we were there or happen to be family or friends, and a new set of values and expectations. I think both the boys were very content with their classes, I heard the normal complaints, a teacher being strict or mean, but they were happy with the way their day went. In summary, we are, for the most part, feeling good about school and our choice thus far!

Favorite Charity

Go here and vote for "Save the Manatee" charity! You have until September 30th!! Thanks!

Crocodile?...no...Turtle Hunters

Trenton and his buddy, Steven, have been catching turtles from our development's pond lately. It all started Saturday when Steve caught one and named him Ronald. He let him go in another pond. He and Trenton got enough entertainment out of it, they decided to try again yesterday afternoon. You should have seen them...up to their necks in the pond with nets, sneaking up on these turtles...HILARIOUS! Reminded me of the crocodile hunter. Anyways, they caught nearly 15 yesterday! They are releasing them in Steven's pond in his new development because they want to be sure they have some in there (according to Steven). I have a feeling it's just pure fun for them. HA HA.
Also, see when I found yesterday afternoon as well! I knew it was time! One more egg to go...

Tyler's Bash

Yesterday we celebrated Tyler's 15th birthday at his girlfriend's (Marissa) lake house. Her family graciously offered to have a big bash for Tyler, Marissa, and Becca (another friend of Marissa and Tyler). Marissa has a lake house on Long Lake and was a beautiful setting for the kids. We had hot dogs, sloppy joes, chips, nachos and cheese, soda, water and ice cream cake from DQ! It was a great day for water activities. We were able to take the kids tubing with their boat and jetskiing on their two jet skis. They also had corn hole set up for them to use. I think all 35-40 kids had a blast! The 4 hours (11 am-3 pm) we set aside for the party sure went fast...in fact, we didn't end up leaving until almost 6 pm! Marissa is a sweet girl and has a wonderful family! In fact, Marissa's mom is the "famous" realtor (Kristi Ryan). She is very good at what she does! You can check out her homes at Remax.

When we got home, since Gabi is at the lake with Emma all weekend (I miss her lots!) Ben and I had planned to go see The Bourne Ultimatum with my parents. GREAT movie! Gotta be one of my favorites right now. I am, however, very excited that Wild Hogs comes out on DVD Tuesday. Another great one. Watching the previews before the movie we saw ALOT of good movies with GREAT actors coming out this fall. One that looks good is We Own The Night. Check it out. Anyways, if you haven't seen The Bourne Ultimatum....go see it! Ben and I set up to see it by rewatching the first two this past week. I personally think they won't stop at 3 Bourne movies!!! So, looking forward to the coming years.

Happy First, Addison!

Happy 1st Birthday to my niece, Addy!!! Her smile just melts your heart!!! We love you very much!!!!

Yogi Olympics

This past weekend we were able to go to the campground again for the Yogi Bear Olympics. Gabi was excited because the boys are always getting awards and medals for wrestling and she wanted to try her hand at winning one! There were several games on Saturday...The Power Throw (who could throw a ping pong ball the farthest), Test of Balance(relay race balancing a marshmallow on a spoon), Kick of Strength (who could kick their shoe off their foot the farthest), and Run for the Distance (relay race). They broke the games up by age groups...ages 4-7, ages 8-10, ages 11-13, ages 14-16, and ages 17 and up (so even the adults could get in on the fun). Gabi placed second in Test of Balance (should have gotten first but the person watching didn't see she won...but that's okay) and Ben got first for Kick of Strength! Gabi was very proud to get a medal and a certificate for her achievement. Unfortunately for us, our weekend was cut short because of the rain. It started downpouring at around 1 am on Sunday morning and didn't quit. We had to get up and leave by 1:00 pm anyways (Gabi had Emma's birthday party to go to later) so we decided to get up, eat breakfast and head home. We were home by 11:00 am. It was still nice to get away and it was fun to watch Gabi get "coached" by her big brother (Trenton). Tyler had stayed with my parents so he could go to practice first thing Saturday. He met up with us at the campground late in the morning and was able to watch some of the Olympics. All in all, it was a good weekend, as always. Check out all the pictures here.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Happy Birthday to the MOST wonderful father in the world! Not many daughters today, can actually say they are friends with their parents...but I am. My dad is my friend and I am so glad. He has always been there for me, through the easy and difficult times - he has stood beside me. Not only would he do anything for me and my brother, but he would do anything for his grandchildren. He has proven his love and support so many times through them. Thanks, dad, for loving me and my family like you do. We love you and appreciate your support in everything we do. Have a WONDERFUL day today - you deserve it! We are so lucky to have you as a father and "paw paw"!

New Eggs

Look what I found the other day...I actually noticed the robin making the nest last weekend (as I had my window open with the tree right outside the window) and I marvel at how neat of a nest maker they are everytime I spot one. Anyways, I waited to see if there would be eggs and sure enough on Tuesday I saw 3 perfect little blue eggs. I am expecting to see the new little birds by next weekend...we'll keep you posted.

Pig Talk

We went to the Cass County 4H Fair last night. Every year we usually take the kids to either the Elkhart County Fair or the St. Joseph County Fair, but this year we took them to Cass County. The reason...Tyler's girlfriend, Marissa, was showing her horse there. Trenton ended up going with his friend to see Charlie Daniels perform at the St. Joseph County Fair so it was just Ben, Tyler, Gabi and me. We had a great time seeing Redd (Marissa's horse) and granted, it was a smaller fair, the lines were not nearly as long so it was much nicer for us to go on the rides. One of our favorite things to do is see the animals - pigs, horses, cows, chickens and bunnies. FUN! Check out the video I caught of Ben and a pig. I swear they were talking to each other! Also, here are some more pics of our time at the fair.