Peace and Love

Ted and I went to a costume party this weekend -- aren't we GROOOOVY hippies? The wig and shades about killed me.

Baxter had to get in on the action

The guys didn't have school Thurs or Fri so we visited a nearby pool with some cool slides and play stuff. Where does Anna get her atttitude?

House Pix--FINALLY!

So I appreciate your patience in waiting for these pictures. And if you'd like more detail, we love visitors!

Great Room, kitchen on the right

Kitchen, great room on the right

Office

Our room

Will's room. Eventually, visutalize, GREEN BAY PACKERS!

Kaleb's room. Eventually, visualize: WISCONSIN BADGERS!

Guess

Had to include this one--BEAUTIFUL sunset from our front porch

This one too, Anna's costume from her ballet recital last spring that she's been wearing non-stop lately. She decided the tu-tu was better as a hat!

My sweet Ann.....

One benefit of moving is that I'm not so overloaded with activities and volunteering (yet). So Anna and I have really enjoyed one-on-one, special time together. Here is a collection of some of her latest:

**We're driving up to Wal-mart, and they are having a sidewalk sale and have racks outside. Anna--"Mom! Wal-mart is having a garage sale!!"

**She drew a beautiful portrait of me and her. Then she needs to draw one of her and Daddy. "Is it ok if Dad is a girl? Because I don't know how to draw boys."

**One afternoon, "Will the boys be home shortly or longly?"

**We're driving, and from the backseat, "ok Mom, here's the deal. 4 year olds should NOT have to take naps!"

**(my personal favorite) Before we had window coverings, from her bed she could look out her window at night and see the empty field next to our house. She often got scared and thought she saw things in the field. One night when she was scared of something out there, I told her to lay on her other side, and then she wouldn't have to look outside. "But Mom, I have to. That's where God is!" (looking up into the beautiful, starry, moonlight sky).

My sweet girl.......

October 6th in Wisconsin

So here we were last weekend, fall in Wisconsin, on our friends boat, because it was 88 degrees! We've been friends with Kris and Charlie since high school, and had a GREAT time with them and their three wonderful girls!

Lounging on the deck

Captain Chuck and his crew

Swimming off the back

We spent Sunday in Elkhorn, visiting LOTS of friends and family. Here are Will and Kaleb at Ya Jen's pond.

Since it IS Wisconsin, I am expecting snow next week!

Camping--our style..."Heated Cabins, Meals Provided"

This weekend was our annual camping experience for the fam. Now some of you may not classify it as camping, as I have always described it, "Heated Cabins, meals provided". It's the closest thing that we'll get to camping, and the kids don't know the difference!

Here's our heated cabin

Ok, coolest thing ever invented: HUMAN FOOSEBALL(SP?) The campground has created this field, where the players stand in 50 gallon drums that are set underground. You can only bat at the ball, and try to score in your opponents goal. The kids played one game until a team had five, then the parents took over. We played for two hours!!

This shows most of the field

Ted in goal

Will got in on the "mixed" adult/kid game. He's next to one of our pastors!

Kaleb hunting for treasures in the woods

Ted and Will also had their first experience with paintball, but by then my camera battery was dead! We also enjoyed a night hayride, campfire with s'mores and "barrel rides" (the creativity of this camp! Again, using 50 gal drums, this time on their sides and wheels attached underneath, you sat in them, pulled by a tractor) It was a fantastic weekend!

Since I haven't blogged in a while, here's the kids during homecoming here--they got "decorated" at school, and got out early to go to the city-wide homecoming parade, where EVERYONE goes!

And yes, I had my g-sale. Got rid of quite a bit of stuff we don't need! So things are finally leveling off for us--hopefully my next post will include a tour of the house, now that we are unpacked.

Happy 40th Dave!!

I've been out of touch because I TOOK A VACATION BY MYSELF! SERIOUSLY.

My Mom and I went to California to surprise my brother for his 40th b-day.

It was so so so fun--hanging at the pool, his birthday party at the beach, breakfast on the ocean, and flying on an airplane with no kids! WOWEE!

Ted did a fabulous job of handling the home front--not only did he run day-to-day operations without incident (I think), but got his house "honey-do list" done, built shelves in the basement, and cleaned the house the night before I got home. He thinks he'd like to retire and send me back to work!

Just a note for Dave, my brother, my friend, my hero--I LOVE YOU! Here's to 40 more blessed years!


Tough day on the ocean

Pool time with the fam

My nephew, Christopher, doing my hair!

Anna's turn!

And here she is! She could hardly wait for today...well, sort of...

She was thinking she didn't want to go to school, until the "open house" last night. But, she told me it shouldn't be an "open house", it should be an "open school"! That's right, sister!

We've had fun, quieter times since the boys started school a week earlier. We've had lunches with Daddy and Grammy, and a few shopping adventures too. She wanted to go look at the camels in Mt Horeb (you didn't know they had camels, did you? Actually they are llamas). One day, we were at Woodmans (you know I'm loving that closer!) and she was watching a toddler scoot away from her Daddy. "Come here, pumkin, " he said to his daughter. I was ready to go too, so I said to Anna, "let's go", and she said, "I'm busy watching Pumpkin!"

My baby is growing up quickly.

On a somber note, say a prayer today for our country, and our soilders.