My Favorite Fair Memory

It was a warm summer evening in late July of 1998. I had just arrived into town from Indianapolis. My sweetie and I were headed to the fair.

Upon arrival at the fair, we headed to get some strawberry shortcake. Then we made our way towards the Ferris Wheel. Jade and Andrew were there too. I thought, "how strange that Jon isn't wanting to have any bites of this yummy strawberry shortcake". Oh well, more for me!

When we stepped onto the Ferris Wheel Platform, the carnival attendant held the door open for us to step in and then closed it. Again..strange that we were the only ones riding in that car, when I had noticed that every other car was loaded completely full.

We enjoyed our ride and when our car reached the very top, it stopped. Of course, I assumed that they were loading more riders down below.

As I was taking in the sites of the fairgrounds and beyond, suddenly Jon was on his knee (in the wobbly car) with an engagement ring in hand! His proposal was so sweet...I was thrilled and said "yes" immediately.

When the ferris wheel started moving again, we stopped at the bottom and the carnival attendant allowed Jade and Andrew to jump on board with us. The carni gave us a big toothless grin and told us that he, too, had gotten engaged on the ferris wheel and wished us well.

It had all been planned ahead of time. Jon had visited with my Dad, Jade and Andrew had fore-warned the carnival attendant, and Jon had such a nervous feeling in his gut that he couldn't eat a thing.

Every year, we walk past the Ferris Wheel and remember that memorable ride.

Come to the - - County 4-H Fair!

All you locals are singing the jingle right now...

We've had a full weekend. The kids are tired. The parents are tired, too.








Yesterday we spent the day at the fair eating great food, visiting with familiar faces, looking at the animals, and working at the Taco Stand.

It's been a recent yearly tradition that our whole family (parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc) works a shift at the Taco Stand. It's a great way to see people and we have fun working together. Jon just loves being the "soda guy"! A lot of taco-lovin' people came by-there was a continuous line from 6-10pm. Even at 5 minutes 'til 10 when we were ready to close up shop...a gentleman and his family ordered 20 Soft Tacos and 9 large drinks!!

We made the long trek back to the car, put the kids in their jammies so they could fall asleep and headed home to catch the re-run of the ESPY's. (By the way-Justin Timberlake Rocks!)

Rain On Our Parade

The College Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Parade wasn't as good as it could have been today.
It rained all morning long. Most of the enshrinees were in covered cars and Joe Paterno didn't even bother to show up for the parade.
I am a member of the Sports Commission and I volunteered to work in the hospitality suite during the enshrinement festival this weekend; welcoming the VIPs and their family members, offering suggestions for things to do, places to go, where to eat, etc.
I took the whole family along to watch the parade and join in on the festivities.
Here are a few highlights from our morning:





Doug Flutie


Ahmad Rashad

Birth Order

I'm the oldest. I don't know what it's like to be the younger sibling. To be honest I really don't remember being the only sibling either, but it's something that I am pondering lately.

Austin doesn't know any different, but I sometimes feel that he gets slighted because I don't have the one on one time to give to him like I did when Avery was the only child.

It's just the way life works. He'll get his chance to be the "only" child once Avery graduates from high school and goes to College (I guess I'm assuming that's what will happen, but who knows).

When Avery was two, we were practicing our counting, abc's, watching the Wiggles, listening to Itsy-Bitsy spider, putting together wooden puzzles, etc. Age appropriate activities.

At age two, Austin is listening to & watching Hannah Montana, High School Musical, playing with Barbies, and chasing the older girls in the neighborhood.

Don't get me wrong, he certainly gets his fair share of "boy" activities as well. And when he plays with Barbies...he's usually Ken or the dog. :)

Last night Austin was cuddling on my lap and Avery was a little jealous...soon they were both wrestling each other for the space. I told Avery that for nearly three years of her life, she was the only one that sat on my lap and I needed to let Austin have his chance as well. I don't know if that made sense to her or not.

I am going to work on spending more one on one time with my little guy to make sure that he's doing things that he wants to do. Maybe I'll even enlist the big sister to help teach him those things and we'll get a two-for-one deal out of it.

Parenting is hard work...and I'm sure it never gets any easier.

Austin - Age 23 months
Avery - Age 20 months

Fields of Lavender

Yesterday, my friend Carey and I went on a girls outing.

We first drove to Michigan to a lavender farm. The wonderful scent of lavender surrounded us as soon as we stepped out of the car. We spent about a half hour collecting our bundles of lavender. For $5, we could select as much as would fit into a twisty-tie. They also had recipes, oils, and lotions on hand that we could purchase if we desired. We even had the chance to sample some Lavender iced tea.




On the way home, we took a leisurely drive and stopped at every antique mall along the way. I've never been "antiquing" before, but enjoyed looking at all of the unique finds and pieces of furniture.

It was a nice afternoon. Thanks to our hubbies for playing with the kids all afternoon while we were out enjoying the day.

Ode to My Jet Ski

Oh dearest Jet Ski,
Another ride there will never be.
Late summer of 2002 our relationship began.
For a long while, now, I've been your only fan.

Rides around the island,
Waving to those on land.
The splashing water on my face.
It was fun to pretend to be in a race.

Speeding fast around the lake.
Lots of turns and twirls we did make.
A few brave riders went along for the ride.
But more than not, it was me by your side.

I will miss you my friend.
But less stress in the end.
No more batteries, spark plug, or cylinder trouble.
No more headaches when we're seeing double.

Someday I'll buy a new jet ski.
When I win the lottery.
Until then, I'll always have the memories,
we shared together riding in the breeze!

The Belly Smacker

Our nephew Owen perfected the Belly Smacker over the weekend. He and Avery must have done it 20 times in a row. And it never got old!

Life is Good!

Out for a Sunday drive!


Swimming with Mady & Morgan.


Lake activities with Owen & Sophia


Summer BBQ!


Crafting with Grammie & Grandpa


Livin' Large


Just Chillin'


The Family

Happy 4th of July!

Heading to the subdivision 4th of July parade!

Friends, Fireworks, and Fireflies

This past weekend, our friends came over for dinner and we spent a casual evening on the deck.

We met Brian & Carey when we bought our 1st home. They had just purchased the one right next to us. They got married the weekend after us in late summer of '99. Over the years, we enjoyed chats over the fence, having our first babies, play-dates, etc.

When we moved three summers ago, we knew that we would miss them more than we'd miss our old house (even though we only moved 5 miles away). Thankfully, last summer they moved into the subdivision right next to ours!

The kids play well together. Ethan is 5, Avery is 4, Carley is 3, and Austin is 2.

We roasted marshmallows, enjoyed the neighbor's fireworks, and then at the end of the night when it was really dark, we all enjoyed running through the yard to catch fireflies.

I love summer!

Love Language

The hardest part of my day happens around 8:15 every weekday morning. I've been doing it for 4 1/2 years. I drive my little kiddos to their day care (school, as we call it), give them lots of hugs and kisses, visit with their friends and teachers, and leave them there for the day. It never gets easier! I struggle with that decision nearly every day, but know that for our family, it's the best solution at this time.

I feel comfortable knowing that they are getting a full day of entertainment, academic-minded curriculum, nutritious meals, and are learning about independence and social relationships. During the week, they also have visiting teachers for Spanish, Gymnastics, and Music.

One of the best times of my day is when I get to pick them up. Their little faces light up and they come running across the room for a big hug.

The last three weeks have been really difficult. Austin started in a new class right after his birthday and he's just not as comfortable with the new teachers & classmates yet. When I have left him, he is typically crying "Mommy" and they have to hold him from running out the door after me. It breaks my heart. I hope I'm not jinxing it, but the last two days have been much better.

For the last two years, Avery's classroom has faced the parking lot. Each morning, I park right in front of her window. It's been our tradition that she stands at the window and waves to me as I get back into my car.

We do the I LOVE YOU sign to each other. Every Day!

This morning her classroom window was open and as I was driving away she yelled "I love you, Mommy".

I had such a hard time going back to work after both of my children were born. I remember my Mom telling me that every parent goes through that separation anxiety at some point, whether it be day care, or when the child goes to Kindergarten, or when they move away.

She said that she had tears in her eyes on the way home after they dropped me off at Purdue my freshman year. Stacey and I were so excited to be living at Harrison Hall and I'm sure we couldn't wait to send our parents on their way so we could start meeting all of our new friends.

I'm sure that day will come far too soon for our kids as well and I'll be crying all the way home. Hopefully she'll still be watching for me to sign I LOVE YOU through the window!

I'm just sayin'...

One of these guys is a hunky movie star.

The other is just hunky.

I think they resemble each other a little-what do you think?

The Places You'll Go

CONGRATULATIONS! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.


THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! You’ll be on your way up! You’ll be seeing great sights! You’ll join the high flierswho soar to high heights. You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.



Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!


~Portions of the poem by Dr. Seuss, titled “Oh, the Places You’ll Go…”

This is my "little" brother. I'm so proud of him. This past weekend he earned his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He's so deserving of the great accomplishments that he has already achieved and we're anxious to see what the future holds.

Next month, Kevin & Heather are headed to Singapore for 5-6 months. He'll be working on a new product for his company and she's fortunate enough to be able to take time off from teaching to go along for the experience.

We'll miss them a great deal, but know that this is an opportunity that they shouldn't pass up.

Thanks for a fun weekend, guys. Be safe, we love you. We'll see you at Christmas!

History Repeats Itself

Austin & Avery playing in the playhouse at

Nana & Grandpa's House-summer 2008.

Austin & Avery's Mommy (me) and Uncle Kevin

playing in the same playhouse-summer of 1981

*editor's note-the playhouse has received a Safety Renovation in recent years

(notice the wider guard rails)

Student Drivers

It's that time of year again.

Lately as I've been driving into work, I approach cars being driven carefully (IE: slower than the speed limit, always mindful of turn signals, stopping 20 feet before the stoplight, etc). Then as I get closer to the car, I understand...it's Driver's Ed.

I remember those days. 17 Years Ago. I didn't get a waiver and the other two in my car did...hmm, what does that mean? I remember my Driver's Ed teacher telling me that I hugged the middle line too much. I had to be reminded to keep my hands at 10 and 2. I would throw my whole body around to see what was behind me rather than using my mirrors. Parallel parking..well, lets not even go there.

Well, now that I've been driving longer than the age that I was when I took drivers ed, I have surely improved. No speeding tickets, warnings, or accidents in the last 10 years.

I think having children makes me a better driver.

Every time I pass one of those student drivers, I smile. They've got a long road (pun intended) ahead of them.

Blogging Award

I started this blog a while ago just to keep an on-line journal for the kids and perhaps update family members that live at a distance. The world of blogging has really taken off and I'm amazed at how many "Mommy" bloggers there are out there.

Earlier this week, I was presented an award from Kristen at Loving our Simple Life. I consider her to be a Professional Blogger! :)

She's creative and takes fantastic pictures!

Winning this award comes with rules that I must complete!

1. Chose 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also contribute to the blogging community.

2. Each award has to have the name of the author and a link to his/her blog.

3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name of and link to the blog that presented her/him with the award.

4. The award winner and one who has given the prize has to show the link of Arte Y Pico blog so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5. Show these rules.

I am happy to pass this award along and announce the following winners:

Jamie at The Blissfully Happy Housewife

Kerri at Faith Filled Family

Kim at Family of Five

Sarah at Life of a Domestic Goddess

and last but not least Stacey at Wonderfully Blessed

I enjoy checking their blogs to see what is going on in their lives and with their children. The great thing is that we all have connections to great memories in our past and we've been able to reconnect through the blogging world. Thanks, gals, for always having insightful things to say.

Busy Weekend

We've had a busy weekend and I'm thankful for the rain this afternoon so that we can be inside napping and catching our breath for a little while.

Saturday morning was Avery's last soccer game of the season. It's been fun watching these little first-timers really improve over the last eight weeks.

They play 3 vs. 3, without a goalie and we don't even keep track of the score. Avery had a big cheering section as both sets of Grandparents, Aunt Jade and cousins Owen & Sophia came out to watch.

Avery is #6

We celebrated our niece Sophia's 2nd birthday with a

splish-splashin' pool party.

Swimming at Sophia's party...my kids are fish in the water. By the end of the afternoon, they were both jumping off the diving board into the deep end.

The cousins in their matching jammies. We had a slumber party on Saturday night at Grandpa and Grammie's house. They love to play together.

Four-wheeling at Grandpa and Nana's house on Sunday afternoon.

Two tired kiddos in the car on the way home.

Another weekend filled with great memories!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all of the

Wonderful Dads we know!!

The Next Survivor

I'm a big fan of the show...so when I read this email, after I calmed down from laughing so much, I thought I would share it with all of you.

THE NEXT SURVIVOR SERIES
Six married men will be dropped on an island with one car and 3 kids each for six weeks.
Each kid will play two sports and either take music or dance classes.
There is no fast food.
Each man must take care of his 3 kids; keep his assigned house clean, correct all homework, and complete science projects, cook, do laundry, and pay a list of 'pretend' bills with not enough money.
In addition, each man will have to budget in money for groceries each week.
Each man must remember the birthdays of all their friends and relatives, and send cards out on time--no emailing.
Each man must also take each child to a doctor's appointment, a dentist appointment and a haircut appointment.
He must make one unscheduled and inconvenient visit per child to the Urgent Care.
He must also make cookies or cupcakes for a social function.
Each man will be responsible for decorating his own assigned house, planting flowers outside and keeping it presentable at all times.
The men will only have access to television when the kids are asleep and all chores are done.
The men must shave their legs, wear makeup daily, adorn himself with jewelry, wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes, keep fingernails polished and eyebrows groomed.
During one of the six weeks, the men will have to endure severe abdominal cramps, back aches, and have extreme, unexplained mood swings but never once complain or slow down from other duties.
They must attend weekly school meetings, church, and find time at least once to spend the afternoon at the park or a similar setting.
They will need to read a book to the kids each night and in the morning, feed them, dress them, brush their teeth and comb their hair by 7:00 am.
A test will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each father will be required to know all of the following information: each child's birthday, height, weight, shoe size, clothes size and doctor's name. Also the child's weight at birth, length, time of birth, and length of labor, each child's favorite color, middle name, favorite snack, favorite song, favorite drink, favorite toy, biggest fear and what they want to be when they grow up.
The kids vote them off the island based on performance. The last man wins only if...he still has enough energy to be intimate with his spouse at a moment's notice.
If the last man does win, he can play the game over and over and over again for the next 18-25 years eventually earning the right To be called Mother!

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Every year during the first few weeks of June, we visit a few Parade of Homes houses that are on display. And every year we end up feeling a little depressed after seeing these beautiful homes that are professionally decorated w/built in sound systems, perfect landscaping, entertainment rooms, huge walk in showers and closets. The homes are wonderful.

Three years ago this week we moved into our "dream house". I must say that after building a house for the first time, you certainly learn what you would do differently if you had another chance. Even though our house is not built to the quality of the custom built homes that we walked through on Sunday, we love our house. Besides, it isn't just a house...ours is a HOME with wonderful memories of our family and friends.

And It Begins...

This morning when I stepped into Avery's classroom to drop her off, her little buddy Mattux said: "Ooohhh, Avery looks pretty today!"

Maybe it was the french braid, or the mini skirt, or the new flip flops.

I'm not ready for little 5 year old boys to tell her she looks pretty yet.

Oh boy, I am not looking forward to the teenage years.

High School

Stacey mentioned in her blog that she has dreams about high school. I think High School has such a lasting effect on people....some people have really fond memories and some really would never like to go back.

I was fortunate to have a pretty decent high school experience. There are certainly a few years that I'd like to take back from a serious relationship I was in that monopolized much of my time, but other than that I'd have to say it was four great years of my life.

I remember that many still harbored ill-feelings at the 5 year reunion. I thought everyone in attendance at the 10 year reunion got along well enough. Hopefully by the 15 year mark next summer, many of those once uncomfortable emotions will be long gone and many of our classmates will attend.

My brother found this link to a documentary that was produced about seniors at Warsaw High School.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0486259/trailers-screenplay-vi2833514777
It actually looks really interesting. I have no idea when it comes out or how to see the full movie, but it reminded me a lot of those good 'ole days.

As children, we really don't get to choose where we live or what school we attend. As an adult, it's a huge decision to "choose" where to set up camp. I, personally, always dreamt of living in a large city or resort area working in a deluxe 4 star hotel--and I'm sure I still could live out that dream. But for now, I'm completely satisfied living close to my family in a smaller town so that my children are near to their grandparents. It's funny how life works!