First Floor

First floor almost complete...
View from kitchen window
Sliding glass door
View from picture window in living room...Gabi commented after looking out at the lake, "mom, I'm gonna catch a fish every day."
Family room...basement there on bottom left and front door
Fun to watch progress.

Final Prints

As promised, after some tweaks here and there...the final floor plans : )

Picked out lighting today (three hours worth)...

Building has already been started! Photos to come.

Another New Recipe

Made another new recipe last night from the same magazine (Kraft Foods). YUMMY. Everyone enjoyed it but said it could have used a little less spinach...I had to agree.

WHO IS READY FOR SPRING ALREADY???????????

Party Day

Yesterday was one big fun filled party. All day.We had Gabi's birthday party (from 11am - 1 pm) with 7 other friends (all girls) here. Instead of bowling, though, Gabi opted for the black light golfing. The girls were allowed to golf the entire length of the party and it seemed like a waste at first when they were all excited, basically just ran through the course, putting all at once, etc. It took a little convincing, but it worked out when we told them it would take some patience but it would be more fun to actually putt putt, keep score and see who wins. I know Gabi certainly enjoyed hanging out with all her girlfriends for her birthday. Some of her gifts included a Hannah Montana purse, two webkinz, a few craft kits, some other stuffed animals and a talking Bratz doll. We enjoyed cheese and pepperoni pizza, fruit punch and confetti cupcakes with pink icing. In between eating and putt putting the girls got some arcade games in also. We even let Trenton and Tyler invite their girlfriends for some bowling while the party was going on.

After the party, we picked up Gabi's cake for the family party going on later that evening (6:30 pm). The cake...of course, Hannah Montana. We also celebrated Trenton's birthday since we never had the chance to throw a "family party" during wrestling season. Trenton got alot of cash (he is soooo excited about that) and Gabi got lots of spring/summer clothes...something she definitely needed. She has really grown since last year.

Uncle Jeff and Aunt Pam came over for the party a little early to check out and try Rock Band. Pam is quite the singer!!!! : )

All the family showed up and we enjoyed chocolate cake/white icing (Hannah cake) for Gabi and a homemade yellow cake/chocolate frosting for Trenton. Alot of candles for that one!

All in all, a good time with family. It was nice to catch up with everyone. Pics from both parties here.

Crazy Eights

Gabi turns eight today - the eighth of March!! Here are eight fun things I love about my baby girl....

1. The way she buries, literally, herself with stuffed animals in her bed so she only has inches on the side of her bed to sleep at night.
2. How she loves to entertain...whether it be to tell jokes or sing Hannah Montana songs in her microphone.
3. The way she puts the worm on the hook and takes the fish off all by herself!
4. When she runs around the house with Maizy, slightly teasing her to run after her and then Maizy attacks her to the ground to lick her to death.
5. The wrestling moves (single leg takedowns and blast doubles) and the gymnastics (back handsprings)!
6. When she asks me to kiss her hand and she kisses mine every morning before school to keep with her when she needs it.
7. Her big "doe eyes" - as called by daddy - first thing in the morning.
8. The MANY, MANY, MANY stories she has written in several notebooks - some fictional (and she has quite the imagination) and some real events she doesn't want to forget.

HAPPY 8th BIRTHDAY MY SWEET PEA! We love you!!!!!!!

Brennie

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to this little guy today!!!! He is 2!!!! Had a great time celebrating with the family last Sunday evening. Bren was too cute playing with Gabi...she was wearing some pants with a drawstring that hung down and Bren would grab her by the string and drag her around with him. Apparently he just wanted her to play with him : ) What a sweetie!

Fettucini Alfredo

I tried a recipe that a truck driver gave Ben a few weeks ago. He claimed it was the recipe they use for Fettucini Alfredo here! Well, I fixed it tonight...super easy, added a nice side salad to make it a dinner, and lo and behold...it did taste exactly like it had come from that yummy restaurant. Try it yourself...
Heat up the following in a pan while cooking up a box of fettucini in some salted water:
1 stick of butter
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
16 oz. heavy cream
When the above is heated well, add the following:
1 cup of mozzarella cheese
1 cup of parmesan cheese
Mix until melted and heated through. By now, the fettucini should be finished. Rinse the pasta and add the alfredo sauce. Mix well.
Next time we may just make 1/2 the recipe and eat it with breadsticks like Tyler enjoys!!
Super easy and yummy too!

Ultimate Comfort Food Dinner

Found this in a Krafts Food and Family magazine that I get. Made it tonight and it was soooo good. If you like Mexican food - especially tacos and macaroni and cheese, you'll like this one. Easy to make and tastes great too. I added the extra tortillas for crunch. After dinner, Trenton is off lifting weights, Tyler started Driver's Training, Gabi is enjoying bath time, and Ben is putting in a new garbage disposal. Busy evening again. No rest for the weary, I guess.

Mishawaka Wrestling Day!

Yes, we attended a couple of awesome presentations tonight. The first...an Honor's Dinner at the high school for Tyler. He achieved a 3.0 or higher for the first semester so Ben, Tyler and I were treated to a nice Polish Style Dinner complete with chicken, sausage, mashed potatoes, noodles, cabbage, veggies, rolls, lemonade and cake. It was very yummy and couldn't be more proud of Tyler. He brought home a 4.0 this six weeks as well! Very happy! The Honor's Dinner began at 6:00 pm, we ate and Tyler received his certificate at around 6:50 pm and he quickly told us he wanted to get over to our other presentation going on that evening at 7:00 pm.... The City Council Meeting. The Mishawaka Wrestling Team was being recognized at the City Council Meeting and all of the wrestlers, families, friends and supporters were encouraged to attend. We got over there just in time. All of the wrestlers were there and they started by announcing the Individual State Champs...Josh Harper and Steve Sandefer. They also congratulated the coaches and of course, the team. They called for March 3 being officially "Mishawaka Wrestling Day." Coach spoke on behalf of the team...JV and Varsity. He talked about how the JV has made the Varsity better and did mention Tyler's name (which was cool). He also went on to speak about each individual varsity wrestler. He said if he could say one thing about Trenton Reinoehl, he would say "hard work ethic, didn't matter if he was sick, tired, his g/f broke up with him, whatever, he never has a bad practice, and always ready to bang." How true. The city council members each took time to congratulate the team and say a little something and then the council named March 3rd "Mishawaka Wrestling Day" with each member saying "yes." Very cool! The wrestlers each went up to the bar to shake all of the council members hands and all the parents and fans (standing room only) applauded them on. Great evening of awesome achievements being recognized!

So, Happy Mishawaka Wrestling Day!

Jimtown Folkstyle

Let ISWA begin! Trenton decided to take a week off but Tyler wanted to wrestle since he hasn't had competition in quite some time. Tyler weighed in just as he was...no cutting, no dieting, no nothing. He went Cadet 140. Tyler also ended up wrestling three Penn wrestlers...Dalton Stroupe (beat 5-3), Aaron Hunter (beat 6-1) and then Ben Sokol (the varsity 130 lb. wrestler that Trenton competed against all season) and beat him 2-1! We were so happy for him. His first FIRST place win at Jimtown!!! Great job, Tyler! Pictures here.

Dinosaurs

I got a kick out of Trenton this morning. We decided to stay in bed a little longer than usual considering we didn't have any tournament or practices to get to. It was nice. I made a great breakfast complete with coffee, juice, eggs, bacon, biscuits, gravy and jellies. YUM! While I was in the kitchen preparing the breakfast I noticed Trenton had turned his attention to a television show. I had to smile. You see, ever since Trenton was really little, maybe 2 years old, he has been really interested in dinosaurs. What started it all was The Land Before Time movie. He absolutely loved this movie...Petrie, Ducky and Littlefoot. Loved it. I have to say it is cute, however, because now the kids at mom's daycare home are really into The Land Before Time series now. Funny how things sometimes come back from the past. Then as he got older, this came along. Both boys enjoyed that one. Trenton particularly was interested in the raptor. Seeing Trenton watching this series on television this morning just took me back to when he was little. Kind of sad how the time has flown by. Trenton isn't that cute little blonde toddler who sucked on the end of his blankey while watching The Land Before Time. He is a young man who is setting his sights on going to college soon. Scary. But I am up for the challenge...I think {sigh}.

Still Celebrating

Yesterday MHS held a pep rally in honor of the Wrestling Team Champions - open to the public nontheless! Mayor Rea was there along with some City Council members and of course, the legendary coach Al Smith to congratulate the team. Band playing, crowd cheering, cameras flashing, and television stations filming...still celebrating the victory. Mayor Rea even presented each wrestler with their own "key to the city!" How awesome is that!

More pics here.

Team State Highlight Video

Here is a highlight video from team state. Trenton was the last match shown and you can see Tyler behind Coach Snyder as he is interviewed.

Wrestler's Mom

Yes, I made the newspaper on the morning the boys left (Friday, the 23rd)...front page! Not a good picture...laughing, mouth open and eyes closed. I wasn't impressed with myself! Oh well, it was for good cause and it was a good time! Loving the bus though!
Ready to rumble
Cindy Reinoehl, mother of wrestler Trent Reinoehl, shares a laugh with friends as members of the Mishawaka varsity wrestling team pose for pictures Friday at Mishawaka High School. They were preparing to board the bus for the team state wrestling finals to start at 10 a.m. today at Center Grove High School in Greenwood. Parents of the team decorated the windows to include the entire varsity wrestling team. The Cavemen are ranked third heading into the state team competition.

Team State Champs

Yes, that's right, Mishawaka has claimed the title!!! Mishawaka had three tough matches yesterday at Center Grove in Indy as you can see by the scores!!! It was the most intense meet I have EVER been to. From start to finish the team state tournament was AWESOME! From the introductions...the teams come in and go around the mats and then wrestlers from each weight class would come to middle to shake hands as they were being introduced...to the Championship round.

Mishawaka was definitely ready to conquer Perry Meridian, considering they were our only loss this year. The team accompished their goal. And it was such a sweet victory. Intense is the only word to describe it.

Trenton was unfortunately just not on top of his game yesterday, with three losses - three very tough matches - Cook (PM), Kepchar (Merrillville) and Schweizer (MD). Don't get me wrong, he definitely helped the team win, in fact, every one on the team stepped up and did what they needed to do. I can't tell you how glad I was when Josh Harper sealed the deal for us during the championship round. With Trenton being the last match of the championship round, sick and just not wrestling up to par, I just did not like having all that weight on his shoulders...wondering if his actual match would be the deciding factor of a state title. That's alot to handle. And it worked out, in fact, everyone was so busy celebrating Josh's seal for victory, I don't even think anyone really payed attention to Trenton's actual match. I just wish he would have been able to celebrate too, at the time with the team. That's okay, though, he has helped this team all year and what a year it has been! So many emotional highs and lows...ALOT of hard work. Trenton and Tyler are proud to be part of this team.
Tyler even worked hard all week. He had to cut to 127 (from 140) to weigh in for the team as a back up for Josh. What a meet! Definitely proud to be a cavemen (again)!

Quarterfinals

Match 1: #10 Lawrence North 32, #9 Elkhart Memorial 32 (LN wins on second tiebreaking criteria – most match wins)

Match 2: #1 Evansville Mater Dei 52, #19 Columbus North 9

Match 3: #3 Mishawaka 29, #2 Perry Meridian 24

Match 4: #20 Merrillville 29, #6 Bellmont 27

Semifinals

Match 5: #1 Evansville Mater Dei 43, #10 Lawrence North 19

Match 6: #3 Mishawaka 30, #20 Merrillville 22

ChampionshipMatch 7: #3 Mishawaka 28, #1 Evansville Mater Dei 22

Pictures here.

Broadcasting at Team State

The action starts at 10 am on Saturday!!!!
Round 1
Match 1: Lawrence North (24-3) vs. Elkhart Memorial (16-0).
Match 2: Evansville Mater Dei (21-1) vs. Columbus North (24-3).
Match 3: Perry Meridian (28-1) vs. Mishawaka (28-1).
Match 4: Bellmont (24-3) vs. Merrillville (20-4).
Round 2
Match 5: Winner of Match 1 vs. Winner of Match 2
Match 6: Winner of Match 3 vs. Winner of Match 4
Round 3 Championship Round
Winner of Match 5 vs. Winner of Match 6
Watch it live here!
Should be a fun and exciting weekend!!!!

American Idol - The Girls

Not overly impressed with the gals last night. Again, I thought one of the best girls was one of the youngest...Alaina. She can sing. I oddly enjoyed Amanda - she has a joan jett kind of voice. It's different. She'll be fun to watch. The other two that I enjoyed, more so than others, had to be Ramiele and Syesha. Syesha wasn't afraid to be herself and she didn't seem nervous as some. Ramiele has a pretty voice...and her name is cool too : )
The ones I didn't care for...well, that would be the remaining...but then again, they all acted really nervous, so perhaps they will come out of the their shell and really start to shine. So, I honestly don't care who goes home tonight and do not have any two that stick out in my mind, who should go home, but I did like Alaina, Amanda, Ramiele and Syesha.

American Idol - The Guys

So I was able to watch American Idol tonight. I haven't seen all of the auditions because of wrestling so I wasn't familiar with all of the top 12 guys. It was cool to find out three of the top 24 are from Indiana - two girls and one guy (Luke, and he isn't too bad). My impression of tonight's show...bewildered I guess. I had mixed feelings...a few were good but I wondered where in the world some of them came from. I know the show probably has to be fair as far as different races, etc. I just hope to God the homosexuals are not on the show because they "have to be." The one guy...Danny...was okay voice wise, but who in their right mind would consider him an "American Idol?" I was not impressed at all and I hope he is one that is voted off immediately. In all honesty, I got sick watching him sing. The other I did not like was Colton. In fact, he could be gay also...not sure on that one. Am I biased when it comes to that...probably. Both Danny and Colton sang Elvis songs. Did that have anything to do with it...probably not. I just didn't like either one of them. Colton should go too. As far as the others...I wasn't too impressed with some but a few that did stick out for me was the rocker, Robbie...I think he said he toured with Britney Spears even. He was a good vocalist and different too. I also liked the young David. He can sing and he was probably the one I was most impressed by. He has a very nice voice. I also liked the guitarist, Jason and my favorite one to look at, and can sing : ) is Michael. So there you have it...my favorites right now would be Robbie, David, Jason and Michael.

Individual State Finals

Enjoyed the weekend in Indianapolis...we were hoping to be watching Trenton but our luck just didn't turn up for us. Next year.

We did have fun watching 7 of the wrestlers from our team. Two - Steven and Joshua - both ended up the champions! Steven's first time (140 lbs.) and Joshua's third state title (125 lbs.). Very fun. We reserved our rooms last year at this time to ensure we were within walking distance for Gabi's sake and it was nice. We stayed at the Hilton downtown and we were able to come back for lunch, etc. It was only about 5 blocks from Conseco Fieldhouse. Gabi did really well. She was able to pal around with Kristin - Caleb's little sister - which made it so much nicer. She was a trooper, as always. We were sure to get a hotel with a pool as well, and Gabi enjoyed that. Weather was nice - in the 40's and sunny on Saturday so it wasn't too bad walking to and from our hotel. All in all, a good weekend, and yes, we have already made reservations for next year! Enjoy pictures here.

Happy 30th, Amber!

Wanted to wish my sister in law a VERY happy 30th birthday!!! Talked to her this morning from Indy - sounded like Addy wasn't feeling all that well. Hopefully Amber's weekend was fun filled and she was able to enjoy it with her family and it being a three day weekend for her makes it even better, I'm sure. Happy Birthday from all of us!!! We love you!!

Happy Valentine's Day

Got some beautiful roses - red and white - from Ben today, along with a heartfelt card. It's nice to feel appreciated and loved...Happy Valentine's Day.

Daddy/Daughter Dance

Tonight Ben took Gabi to a "Daddy/Daughter Dance" sponsored by the South Bend Park Department. He is going with a group of guys, mostly firemen I guess, and their daughters. Emma's daddy is a fireman and this group has gone for the past 3 years or so and this year Ben and Gabi got to join in on the fun. Gabi wore a pretty red sparkly dress and I had lots of fun curling her hair and doing her nails. She was so excited to get dolled up and daddy even got her a pretty red wrist corsage to match. Ben cleans up very well wearing a nice black suit and a red and black tie to match Gabi. I must say, they looked so cute! Joe (Emma's daddy) and Emma came by to pick up Ben and Gabi for pictures and then enjoyed dinner here. Fancy! Then off to the dance here. Unfortunately, Ben didn't have a camera during the dance but here are some pre dance photos! After the dance, Joe continued his tradition with Emma and started a new one with Ben and Gabi...they stopped in for ice cream here.

Another Driver

Took Tyler this morning to get his learner's permit to drive. I must say, he did not do too bad. Can't really tell right now if he is a good driver or if my nerves have already been wore down going through one teenage driver??? : )
Needless to say, I have one happy kid!

Individual Semi State

Heartbreak today. Trenton had a bye first round since he won Regionals last weekend. It kind of ended up being a "pick the lesser of two evils" when we figured out that since Trenton won, he would face Roach again from Crown Point (lost by 3 points last time). If Trenton would have gotten second at Regionals, however, he would have had Smith from Munster with a record of 29-10 first round and Jacob Cook from Seeger with a perfect record of 43-0. Watching Daniel Young (who Trenton beat last weekend and got second so he had this route to go), Daniel easily beat Smith and then turned around and almost teched Cook to go on to place and seal his entry to state next weekend. It was kind of a "watch Daniel to see what would have happened with Trenton." Unfortunately, Trenton got Roach - we knew he was good with his only 2 losses to Churchard. Trenton worked soooo hard all week with the coaches to prepare for this match. After the match all of the coaches found me in the hall and told me that Trenton did just as they asked...he didn't let Roach score the whole first period. Roach chose down for the start of the second period and got an escape. Score was 0-1 going into the third. Trenton had opportunity. The score was not out of hand to where he couldn't do it. I wondered, "could our 'cardiac kid' pull it off?" I had faith. I really did. Trenton chose down at the start of the third and got an escape. Roach ended up getting a takedown, Trenton got another escape with the score being 2-3 with 14 seconds left. Trenton had beat opponents before in the last few seconds. Sadly, he just couldn't do it with Roach. The coaches said Trenton hit alot of the moves they worked on, Roach was just the better wrestler during that match. Roach scored the last takedown to seal his win. Trenton lost with dignity. I could tell he was heartbroken. He really wanted to make that walk around Conseco with Coach Snyder this year. It was his goal. I guess I could continue with the "what ifs" - what if Trenton would have gotten second last weekend at Regional and got the easier route to state? But I won't. This was the outcome that was layed out for him long before we ever knew. It's like I told Trenton, "I am still so very proud of you." He fought till the very end and he gave it his all. We could not have asked for anymore than that. Now it's time to refocus...team state in two weeks! Trenton is still a vital part of this team. Go get em' boys!

Team Semi State

The Mishawaka wrestling team won team semi state tonight by beating Delphi 59-9! Trenton tech falled his opponent (McTigue) 17-2 in the third period. We are soooo excited for the team who will be going to Team State at Center Grove two weeks from Saturday. We get to decorate the buses on Friday morning before they leave and fire/police will be escorting the buses to the bypass out of town. Can't wait!!!

Pictures of Trenton's match here.

Also, check out the boys before the meet - calm and collected, having a good time together while warming up. That's what I love about this group of boys. They all get along and they know how to have a good time, even in the midst of pressure.

Man's Best Friend

Gabi has really been having fun with Maizy lately. This dog follows her around until Gabi decides to play in the evenings. Gabi will start by just walking around...Maizy close behind and then she will pick up the pace and Maizy follows suit. They will both run until Maizy decides to close in the gap and jump on Gabi to make her fall. It's funny though, because Maizy really knows to be gentle with her. Maizy will just lick her to death and make a "fake" growling noise that wouldn't scare a mouse. Gabi giggles so hard. It's funny to watch.

Change is good

I finally decided to do hair color with highlights on Friday. I usually just get the highlights but I have been seeing too many light hairs to really have a contrast. After talking to Kristi, I decided to put some red/brown color in along with the regular highlights. Along with that, I got about 2 inches cut off. Not sure if I am happy with the cut, but at least it will grow. I think I may go a little darker with the color part next time, but all in all, not bad. I am very happy with this shampoo and conditioner though. It's the only type that can be bought in the stores (not the salon) that actually helps with my hair dryness. Two thumbs up!!

Regional Champ

That's right, Trenton is the 130 lb. Individual Regional Champ! He beat his first kid from Rochester 6-0 and went on to beat Manbu from Warsaw 7-0. We knew the championship round would be good. Trenton had faced Daniel Young from Culver Military Academy before in ISWA tournaments and has never beat him. Trenton has come close, but has never done it. Today he did. Trenton beat Young in OT by a takedown (5-3)! Talk about a nail biter. I was so glad and overcome with so much emotion! Trenton has come such a long way, even in this year! His hard work is paying off more and more. SOOOO PROUD today! Next stop...Team Semi State on Wednesday and then Individual Semi State next Saturday!

Hannah Montana

Mission accomplished...fun evening with friends last night! Movie was packed, was a good movie, would have been better if a speaker in the theatre wouldn't have been out! Made some parts of the movie inaudible. I don't think the girls minded one bit. They were in Hannah Montana heaven!

Mini me

Gabi, to me, last night, while browsing through Wal Mart's huge ad with all Hannah Montana things...
"I know what your surprise is for me tomorrow...you are taking me to see Hannah Montana, aren't you? You can't keep anything from me!"
Ben overheard this, shook his head and said, "she's just like you, Cindy. You created this monster." LOL

Team Regionals

Last night Mishawaka pulled out the victory leading them to Team Semi State next week. Since they started at 135 lbs., Trenton's match was the last one of the evening in the final round putting the team score at 41-21. Trenton earned a tech fall in the second period against Riley's Miles Andrews allowing Andrews no points scored at all (15-0). We were looking forward to a redemption match against the Plymouth kid in the first round (as stated in an earlier post), but Plymouth forfeited the weight class (rumor had it the kid had stitches in his head and even sported a headband). My guess is that he will amazingly have nothing wrong with him this Saturday at Individual Regionals. Stay tuned for that news after Saturday...until then, great job, Mishawaka - Regional Champs - and good luck next week at Semi State! And remember...you can catch all the action online and live - individual and team here. Also a short youtube video of his match last night here.

Surprise Concert

See what surprise Lina and I have in store for Emma and Gabi on Friday...This is probably as close to the real thing as we will get right now (her concerts are soooo expensive and hard to get tickets for right now)...Looking very forward to the screams and squeals of excitement!!! But shhhhhhh!!!! It's a surprise...don't tell!

Retro...

Feeling a little retro...check this out. And this.
Makes me feel old.

Winter Formal

The boys each went to the winter formal after our wrestling tournament this evening. Tyler took Marissa, of course. They looked gorgeous! Marissa wore a sky blue color dress while Tyler wore a black suit, white shirt and tie to match her dress. Marissa made her way to my parents' house for pictures and afterwards made it to their dinner date at Applebees with lots of other couples. The dance was held at the Riverside Terrace in Mishawaka and started at 8 pm. Trenton wore a black shirt, black pants and red tie along with red/black checkered Vans shoes (that he borrowed from his brother). Trenton went with a friend because the girl he is interested in had already made plans to attend with someone else. Sarah (Trenton's date) understood and suggested they go as friends so they wouldn't have to go alone. Sarah is a softball player (and a good one at that) and is one that just likes to have fun...someone Trenton would enjoy going with for the evening. She hangs out with all the girls that were going with Trenton's friends, so it only made sense for them to go together. They all met up after the wrestling sectionals at Sam's house for pictures and dinner and then made their way to the dance also. Everyone looked spectacular and everyone was ready to have a good time! Enjoy lots of pics here.

Sectional Champ

Trenton got first place in our Sectionals today! He pinned his first opponent from Riley, majored his next opponent from Laville and beat the Clay opponent in the final round under the lights 11-2! Aunt Annie, Aunt Becky, David (cousin), uncle Dave, my parents, Bill D., Mike & Shannon, Joe, Lina & co, aunt Pam & Bren, and grandpa all came to watch today. Very exciting stuff!!! So glad he came out on top this year. Sounds like Plymouth made it to Regionals to where we will get to wrestle them head to head for team Regionals this Wednesday. We are counting on some sweet revenge from Trenton! Remember the last time he wrestled the Plymouth kid. Pictures here. Sneak peek at Regional Bracket for Individual here under REGIONAL BRACKET: South Bend Clay.

Dinner Date

Ben took off of work early today to celebrate our anniversary. We were able to have Gabi eat with my parents so Ben and I could enjoy a nice dinner out. We had plans to go to our favorite place to eat (dating back to when we first started dating)... The Fondue Parlor. I called there about 4 ish and figured out they had went out of business! I wanted somewhere cozy where we could have a little privacy and would take some time to eat there (Fondue would have been perfect). Time where we could converse and enjoy each other's company. After talking to my brother and Ben's sister and remembering we had a gift card from Dad R. to here, we decided to try it out since we have never been there. It was very nice! We certainly enjoyed ourself. Ben had Blue Cheese Topped Beef Tenderloin Medalions but later decided mine was better (New York Strip Au Poivre). We each also had a LaSalle House Salad to start us off along with some tasty bread and oil. The chef sent out a special appetizer for us (since it was our anniversary)...can't remember what it was called but it was mushrooms with cheese if you want to be technical. Needless to say, it was good. After our entrees we were stuffed, but Ben insisted we try a dessert. We decided on the cheesecake which was excellent, and the Hot Chocolate for two. Ben didn't care for the hot chocolate because he said it was too chocolatey. I loved it. Tasted somewhat like a real hot chocolate but tastier! Yum! To top off the meal, the chef sent out a box of chocolates for our anniversary also. It was a nice change of pace...a nice place for special occasions. Got some very gorgeous flowers before leaving for dinner. Thank you, Ben! Thanks for a great evening. Sorry pictures aren't really that great...they were taken with my camera phone....

New Rankings

130
1 Marsh-West Noble 12
2 Spencer-Pike 11
3 Zuber-Evansville Mem 12
4 Wojdyla-Brown Co
5 Roach-Crown Point
6 Mann-South Adams 12
7 Barrett-Eastern (Greene) 11
8 Harmon-Southwestern (Han) 12
9 Dickey-Milan 12
10 Wight-Homestead 12
11 Engolf-Columbia City
12 Letsinger-Plymouth 11
13 Larowe-East Noble 10
14 Reinoehl-Mishawaka 11
15 Cook-Perry Meridian 11
16 Plesac-Hobart
17 Meunier-Avon 11
18 Torres-Portage 10
19 Corsaro-Cathedral
20 Angermeier-Mooresville 10
21 Marthin-Madison 11
22 Leitch-Elk Mem 12
23 Beck-Peru 12
24 Co. Jackson-North Newton 10
25 Smith-Munster 12

My Honey

A drawing done by Gabi for Ben and me for our anniversary. How sweet!
Just thinking about how well Ben and I know each other...our likes, our differences. Lots of times we can finish each other's sentences and know what the other is thinking, some good, some not so good. Time flies when you are having fun...and we have had some fun times. One day I'll get my honeymoon I have always wanted though... {wink} - hint, hint, Ben.
Happy Anniversary, honey...I never thought it would be possible to fall more in love with you than that day in high school when you asked me to "go out" with you. But it was possible...and I fall more in love you every day. Thanks for a wonderful ride thus far and I am looking forward to lots more!

Seventeen

This boy is seventeen years old today!!! Yep, at 6:30 am my baby turned 17 years old. Can't believe it...

I can't tell you the love I have for this young man...

My first born...my baby...is growing so fast...too fast.

I have a poem in my Bible - even laminated it and kept it after all these years...a poem that my mom left on my bed one night after I had been out with my friends in high school. I think we might have had an argument before I left. I came home to this on my bed:

Some day when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a parent, I will tell them:

I loved you enough to ask where you were going, with whom, and what time you would be home.

I loved you enough to insist that you save your money and buy a bike for yourself, even though we could afford to buy one for you.

I loved you enough to be silent and let you discover that your new best friend was a creep.

I loved you enough to make you take a Milky Way back to the drugstore (with a bite out of it) and tell the clerk, "I stole this yesterday, and want to pay for it."

I loved you enough to stand over you for 2 hours while you cleaned your room, a job that would have taken me 15 minutes.

I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment and tears in my eyes. Children must learn that their parents aren't perfect.

I loved you enough to let you assume the responsibility for your actions even when the penalties were so harsh they almost broke my heart.

But most of all, I loved you enough to say NO when I knew you would hate me for it. Those were the most difficult battles of all. I'm glad I won them, because in the end, you won too.

I get it now, mom. I really, truly do.

As I relive those days, I can totally feel what my parents felt. I truly know the passion that a parent feels for their children. Such a confliction of never wanting to let them grow up and knowing they have to and wanting to lay the correct foundation for them as they do it. Trying to lead and be examples. It's hard being a parent, but it is also the greatest gift. I think Ben and I are doing a good job...we are learning as we go, but we are giving it all we got.

Happy Birthday, Trenton! We love you!

Live Coverage

Live video and audio coverage of the Mishawaka Sectionals will be available via the internet! Visit here for more information.

My Babies...Well, okay, not so much anymore...

Just thought I'd post the kids' school pictures from this year. They all turned out so good and check out Trenton - finally, a smile from that kid!

Toothless Wonder

Last night Gabi decided her other top tooth (central incisor) was ready to be pulled. She lost the opposite one a few weeks ago. We were hoping she could sing the tune, "all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth" when the first top one started to get loose, but her teeth were just not cooperating with the time I guess. We had visited the dentist last Tuesday and he even told her it would be ready soon. We also had to make an appointment to the orthodontist because of the size of her teeth vs. jaw. More on that when we go in a couple of weeks : /

So, as the regular routine unfolded, she went to daddy and asked him to verify that it was ready and pulled it out. She looks too cute with two front missing teeth! Needless to say, the tooth fairy did visit last night.

Our toothless wonder!

A Fun Day With Friends

Yesterday the kids were out of school for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. Lina and I have been trying to get the girls (Gabi and Emma) together to hang out for quite some time and with wrestling it just hasn't been easy to do. We figured yesterday was the day. Gabi couldn't decide between roller skating, going to a movie or bowling so she consulted with Emma. They chose roller skating. Tyler was up for the challenge also so we headed to Holiday Roller Rink for a few hours. I thought it wasn't a bad price...$8 for admission, skates, breakfast (we went later so we didn't get breakfast) and lunch. Skating was from 8 am to 4 pm. The lunch consisted of a hot dog, chips, grapes and a drink. Adults skated for free on Mondays so Lina and I lucked out on that. And yes, we even roller skated! It wasn't pretty but I did it. ; )

Tyler brought along Marissa for the fun and little Joey (Emma's brother) came too. He really got the hang of it by the end of our visit. All in all, a fun day.

Rock Band

Trenton and Tyler came home from "team bonding" - staying the night with all the wrestlers at one of their houses - a couple of weekends ago all pumped up about Rock Band - a game very similar to Guitar Hero but add drums and a lead singer! They went on and on about how fun it was to play and talked about all the songs they could get, etc. Well, little did we know that my parents would bring the complete game home on Sunday for us to try out. That night we decided to invite Chad, Amber and the girls over for pizza to check out the game and play some Rock Band. We figured Guitar Hero was a big hit for Chad and the boys while camping this summer, why not add to the mix. It took a few tries but the boys figured out who was best for what part in the band...Chad on the bass, Tyler on lead vocals and Trenton on drums. Anyways, the game was a hit and the boys have been suckering at least one of us adults into playing every evening. It's definitely entertaining!

Hobart Invitational

My parents, Gabi and I all went to Hobart to support Trenton today. Trenton was seeded first in his bracket. His first opponent was from Lawrence Central and Trenton pinned him. Then came a wrestler from Munster and Trenton pinned him as well. The scene was set for a Plesac/Reinoehl match for the final round. Trenton was up 4-3 in the third period. Trenton was called on a full nelson and Plesac got a point. It was then 4-4. Trenton decided to cut Plesac giving him another point for an escape. Trenton knew he needed a take down to win. Lo and behold with 6 seconds left in the match...he got the takedown for the win! Trenton beat Plesac 6-4!!! As one of the other dad's was leaving he said to me, "we are going to call Trenton the 'cardiac kid' from now on!" How true. My heart was pounding out of my chest as he won. I can hardly take these matches he has been winning. So exciting but scary at the same time! We are very proud of Trenton!!! If you haven't noticed...check out where Plesac stands at this point in the rankings in an earlier post....

Also, the entire Mishawaka team individually were in the Championship match! How cool is that! Everyone but one wrestler got 1st place! Go Cavemen!

Trenton should be moving up!

Next stop, sectionals!

Rensselaer (31-0)

Tyler finished out his junior varsity record at 31-0!!! A new record has been set at Mishawaka High School. Very cool! Tyler had Ben, Uncle Dave and Marissa to help cheer him on today while he pinned his first opponent from Valpo, beat his second guy 13-4 (from ), and pinned his last kid from Frankfort in 44 seconds. GREAT JOB Tyler!!!!!! His official JV career is over but he will still be weighing in for team regionals, semi state and state. A very exciting road ahead!

Lakeshore

Great wrestling last night. It was a late one but it was well worth it. We traveled across the state line to Lakeshore High School for some different competition. This team is supposedly one of the better teams in Michigan and has visited Mishawaka High School's open room in the past, so the coaches thought it would be a great opportunity to wrestle someone different. This school could be compared to Penn...a bigger school with higher income surroundings. The atmosphere was awesome. Their team got lots of support, much like Mishawaka so it made the dual meet even more fun-their fans even used cowbells when they got excited about their wrestler doing something right. Needles to say, it could get loud at times.
Tyler did a great job, beating his opponent 12-4. I caught a short video because I haven't posted one of him this year. This will probably be his last dual meet. Tyler has one more JV tournament this weekend in Rensallaer. Ben, Dave and Marissa will be going to support him. Tyler will still have to be on weight though, through Team State, because he is the backup at 125 lbs. It will be a good opportunity for him to go with the team and share in the excitement first hand. Also some exciting news...Tyler, along with two other boys on the wrestling team should break a record on the JV team...30+ wins (has to win two more this weekend). In fact, Tyler is still undefeated on the JV team. His varsity level record is 1-1. VERY COOL!

Trenton didn't do so well last night. As I said before, Lakeshore came to wrestle and did prove to be pretty solid, even though we beat them as a team. We noticed most of their kids are good on the mat, as we later found out about Trenton's opponent (Nick Humes). Trenton, on the other hand, is better on his feet. He had tied the score up 8-8 with about 40 seconds to go and Trenton got caught before he could get out and ended up getting pinned. A lesson learned. We could tell that Humes was one of the team leaders and one of the better kids on the team just by the fan support he got. It was definitely a good match. Trenton will be wrestling at Hobart this weekend so Gabi and I will be going to support him. He should get a couple of good matches in, at least a couple of ranked kids so we are excited to watch that.
Enjoy pics from last night here.

South Bend Clay

We shut out Clay last night 75-0 (varsity score). Trenton beat Nixon 6-2 and Tyler had a forfeit. The dual meet went by quickly...we were done within an hour. That's how I like 'em! Pictures here of Trenton's match.
Haven't gotten many You Tube videos of the boys...will try to get one of Tyler tonight, since this will be the last time I will watch him wrestle this year (JV). We travel to Lakeshore in Michigan for exhibition matches. Their team is supposedly good so we are looking forward to some good competition.

Another Season of American Idol

Another season of American Idol began last night. Some auditions were funny. Others were good. I do recall one that was supposed to be funny - in fact, Paula and Randy laughed hysterically because I think they thought this guy (second one in this video) was a jokester but he really looked like he was going to cry after seeing their reactions of laughing. It was kind of sad. I felt bad for that guy. I know I would not want to be laughed at, but then again, if I knew I was that bad I would never audition. It makes me wonder who on earth would tell people they are good singers if they aren't. Scary.

Anyways, looking forward to the new season - probably won't be able to catch alot for the first few weeks or so because of wrestling but I'll catch as much as I can. Tivo is looking better and better.

"At Home"

My sister in law had an Uppercase Living party a few months back...I finally got a ceramic tile to put my order on. I have had it for a while but have not taken the time to actually put it on a tile and display it. Considering we are "between" houses it was not a priority thing for me. I had to get some items at Lowes yesterday and decided to pick out a tile and put it together so I could see how it would turn out. I'm loving it. It will look so nice displayed in our new home, hopefully sooner than later {wink}.

NIC Superdual

The NIC was at Marian yesterday so Ben went with Trenton. He also went 5-0 with two forfeits and three wins. Trenton wrestled Laville and pinned him in 3:22. He then beat Elkhart Central 8-2 and Teched Marian in 2:49. One more win (hopefully Wednesday) and he will be first team NIC (first place in his weight class). PS What do you think of his new "chin cup?" He is excited about it. Also got more great news...check it out...he is now ranked! See preliminary results below:

130

1 Marsh-West Noble 12
2 Spencer-Pike 11
3 Zuber-Evansville Mem 12
4 Torres-Portage 10
5 Wojdyla-Brown Co
6 Harmon-Southwestern (Han) 12
7 Roach-Crown Point
8 Mann-South Adams 12
9 Barrett-Eastern (Greene) 11
10 Reinoehl-Mishawaka 11
11 Dickey-Milan 12
12 Vest-Perry Meridian 12
13 Wight-Homestead 12
14 Larowe-East Noble 10
15 Youngs-Zionsville 12
16 Plesac-Hobart
17 Meunier-Avon 11
18 Torres-Portage 10
19 Corsaro-Cathedral
20 Angermeier-Mooresville 10

Charger Invitational - Elkhart Memorial

Tyler had two forfeits and won three matches yesterday for a record of 5-0 for the day. Tyler pinned Crown Point in an exhibition match (because his opponent did not make weight). He then went on to beat Penn (Davis) 4-2 and Elkhart Memorial 9-3 (Matteson). It was a nice tournament...one of the best as far as "clean" - they washed their mats off after every round! It also went quickly, maybe because it was team format this time. All in all, another good day for Tyler. Pictures here.

Holy Geesepond, Batman!

Because we have been under flood warnings and everything is pretty much under water as of late, Gabi and I decided to check out our lot the other day. We wanted to see if anyone has had trouble with their basements or if our lot was flooded, etc. Good news...no flooding. The ground was just wet, nothing out of the ordinary and no one in the neighborhood had any kind of flooding in their basements. We were, however, very surprised at all the Canadian Geese on the pond! It was amazing. Gabi got really excited about it and wanted to feed them but we didn't have any bread to throw. I explained that having geese in our yard would not be fun and daddy probably wouldn't be as excited as her. Needless to say, Ben and I talked about options to keep them out of our yard when we get there.

Jimtown

Last night was full of highs and lows for us...Trenton and Tyler both wrestled...Tyler was varsity too. We knew he would have a tough match against the Jimtown kid because he placed 5th at the Al Smith Invitational (of course, a very tough tourney). Because Tyler had this in the back of his mind he was nervous to begin with. It was Senior night last night and the team decided to wrestle under the spotlights. This is very exciting for the wrestlers but I knew it added to the pressure Tyler was already feeling, and you could see it everytime he looked up in the stands before he had to go out on the mat. Unfortunately, he took his first loss ever in 3 years (school) but it makes him 1-1 at the varsity level for high school. We were glad he was given the opportunity to wrestle varsity again...he needs to feel the pressure and get the experience. I am sure he will see this as a stepping stone to his successes in the future.
Last night was great for Trenton. He has just been wrestling awesome lately. You can tell he REALLY wants to succeed and prove himself. Trenton only beat this Jimtown opponent at the Al Smith by one point but Trenton was confident he would do better. Less pressure, less nerves. He was right. He took it to Brian Williams. He beat him 9-3. You could really tell Williams was upset by the third period the way he threw himself down at the start of the period. At this point, I knew Trenton had it no problem. When you get out of control and your opponent takes your heart out of the match, it is pretty much over. That's what happened. Trenton drove the entire match. In fact, Williams' dad came over to Trenton afterwards and made mention of the Al Smith, stating he thought it was a "fluke" that his son lost to Trenton. Don't think so. Trenton is on a roll and he is not going to stop anytime soon. Great wrestling last night boys, we are very proud, as always. Enjoy pics of both of the boys here.