The Almost Famous Amos'

Last Day of Winter

2010-03-20T11:55:00.000-04:00

I am enjoying the last day of winter by sitting on my deck, watching the kids play in the backyard, all the while I am wearing my capris and my new sandals to show of my pedicure. Meanwhile, my friends and family back in Chicago woke up to 2 inches of snow. (Sorry don't mean to rub it in). Ah, glad Old Man Winter has left Indiana!!!!! If you see me skipping instead of walking, you know why!!!

Random thoughts here....

2010-03-19T22:04:00.000-04:00

Just some random thoughts I'd like to share.

These past few weeks have been a little nerve racking with my Mom being in the hospital. She has colitis and had a severe inflmation/flare up that put her in the hospital for 20 days! On top of that, an old bladder problem was giving her issues, but luckily she got that fixed. Her health conditon was never critical, but stll scary. Luckily I had a weekend off from school, so the kids and I went up there to see her. I think seeing the kids really lifted her spirits. And while visiting her in the hospital, the kids drew her numerous pictures to hand on the wall of her hospital room.

Which leads me to Ms. Kate. Every day since we have been back, she has made something for Nana (usually a rainbow or fireworks) out of construction paper. She then goes gets an envelope, has me address it, and SHE puts the stamp on along with some stickers. Kate has now moved on to making things for her best friend Gracie who is moving. Yesterday she made a picture for the sitter Nikki and put in the envelope some perfume. Today she made a picture for "Baby" Jake who goes to Nikki's and put a little pet figurine (Nikki: If you are reading this, I won't be mailing it! I'll bring it next week!). It is so wonderful to see what a good heart Kate has. She is always thinking of other people and the little things that will make them happy.

Then tonight, we were all watching the movie "The Princess and the Frog". Kate fell asleep early on since she did not have a nap today (luckily she had already seen it). So Luke and I were watching it. At the end of the movie, he said that if he ever had to go see someone get married, he would bring his DSi so he did have to watch the kissing. Then he said that he hoped I would catch the flowers from the bride so I could get married next. (Note: As far as I know, NO plans to go to a wedding any time soon that the kids would be going with, but I do have a few I may go to....) Anyway, I asked why he wanted me to catch the flowers, and he said "So you can get married again and we can get a new Daddy." What a punch to the gut that was while trying to explain that he already has a Daddy.....

Larry the Leprachaun came for a visit

2010-03-18T22:13:00.001-04:00

A new tradition started in our household this St. Patty's day. Larry the Leprachaun came for a visit. The idea was inspired by Kate's preschool and when she got home from school on St. Patty's Day, all she could talk about was Larry's visit to her school.

NOTE: In case you don't know who Larry is, he is a sneaky little guy. He pops up out of the ground when you are not looking. He steals your Lucky Charms that you left as bait. He leaves you footprints with tape on them. He also leaves you some clovers. And best of all he leaves you some goodies. He is so sneaky and fast, that you will never see him......I have heard he has been known to leave some green milk or green pancakes or green eggs for the kiddos and some green beer for Mommy and Daddy. He also has been known to knock over some chairs and make a mess while he visits. He is different from Santa and the Easter Bunny who have already been to your house when you wake up....as Larry can 'pop' up at any time during the day.....

So I improvised....We placed some Lucky Charms outside as bait. So "Larry" snuck outside when the kids were watching TV. The kids made their way outside as it was a BEAUTIFUL March day to find some Mardi Gras beads and V-day candy (hey, it is all I could find on short notice in the house....but it should work year from year!) They were excited and spent the next hour looking for 'clues' where Larry went to next by looking for 4 leaf clovers.....

The Mardi Gras beads and Vday Candy on the swing in our backyard.

The kids with our neighbor Mady and their bags. Check out Kate's bag. She made it at school.

Movies...

2010-03-06T20:05:00.002-05:00

        Okay, in my household most of the movies I watch involve some kind of animation. It is a rare pleasure I get to watch an adult movie (not THAT kind, so get your mind out the gutter!). WE have a Netflick account that actually gets a lot of use. I have used it to catch up on TV shows I have missed….I am now hopelessly addicted to “Mad Men” thanks to Netflick. In the past week I have seen two movies that were certainly not Oscar contenders, but really got me to thinking and confronting some uneasy emotions.

        The first movie is “The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood”. I originally saw this movie when it came out, which was BK (before kids). I must say I really enjoyed it back then and even more now. However the first time, I really did not understand why the character played by Ashley Judd had a breakdown and left her family briefly. It was after an incident in which her three young children were throwing up and pooping in the bed as they had the flu. I did not understand, the kids couldn’t help it….Now that I am a Mom….I GET IT!!! Mom’s try so hard to nurture everyone else yet neglect themselves and their needs. This makes me think about something I recently read: “Women are usually calm in the middle of a storm, yet it is the little things that bring us down.” SO TRUE!!! We hold strong in the hard times, yet then the littlest bump in the road will cause us to crash. I am a testament to this!

       The other movie was “We Are Marshall.” I shamefully admit I had NO idea about the tragedy at Marshall until the movie came out a few years ago. Oddly, in 1999 Mark and I had driven through Huntington, WV on our way to go whitewater rafting on the Gauley River and spent the night there. This was when he was working out in NYC and his baggage got ‘lost’ on its way to Indy, so the airline re-routed it the airport there so we could pick it up on our way. I remember driving to the airport and both of us commented unknowingly, “Wow, I would never want to LAND in an airplane here!” It was such a small airport practically on top of hill surrounded by trees. I thought it was a wonderful movie though very emotional to watch. I am not sure why, but it really has gotten me to thinking….maybe I can relate to the sudden and unexpected loss?

      Anyway, the next movie in my Netflick queue is “The Hangover.” I have been on the waiting list for several months….I am hoping it will be a funny movie that doesn’t make me think!!! And I am not going anywhere near “Marley and Me” anytime soon….

Spring...oh please be here!

2010-03-05T08:54:00.002-05:00

Signs of Spring are here everywhere.....temps in the 40's....lots of sunlight...saw a couple of sparrrows this morning....just waiting on a tulip to push through the mulch.

And oh, how my weary soul needs you Spring. Yesterday, when I woke up I had a touch of the stomach flu....by the end of the day, I felt revived after spending some time outside with the kids in the sun and the fresh air! Though my stomach is still queasy and I have to watch what I eat, being outside felt wonderful!!!

Oh, what a long three months it has been....no more hibernating!!!! All the blinds are open in this house! I think my plants need the sunshine as much as I do!!!

Almost forgot....

2010-02-17T16:59:00.004-05:00

In my mood of 'funkiness' (as I'll call it), the Saints won the Super Bowl (as most of you already know).

Now, I live in Indy and of course I love the Colts. However, I went to Purdue. I was there the same time as Drew Brees. I saw all of his college games that were played at Purdue. While I never met him personally, nor did Mark (though Mark did meet Mike Alstott once at a sorioity dance, that is another story...), we always loved Drew Brees. He was the kind of guy that played his heart out and never got the credit he deserved. We were even at the Purdue-Notre Dame game in Sept 2007 in which Drew and his wife Britanny came back to donate money to the school. Needless to say, we live for anything Gold and Black in this household.

When the Conference Championships were on, we watched the Saints-Vikings game. Luke shared in my enthusism for the "other" black and gold team and made up this cheer: "Go Gold and Black, Go Quaterback!" So I bet you can figure out who I wanted to win.

Yes, I let Luke stay up for the whole game (thankfully it was over by 10PM!). And what a game it was. It was such an awesome game!!! After Luke fell asleep, I stayed up to make sure Drew was named MVP. And I saw this:

Well, I lost it and I mean LOST it.....crying so hard snot bubbles came out of my nose (sorry if this is TMI!). So sad that Mark was not physically here to share this moment with Luke. I know Mark would have been beyond excited for Drew. And to see such a touching moment like that....a pure, picture perfect moment between a father and a son.....and my heart breaks that Luke may not have any moments like that in the future.....and I am not mad at Mark for that, I was just completely sad and broken hearted for Luke....and grateful that he was sound asleep so I did not have to explain the bubbles coming out of my nose.

And while some schools were off on the Monday after the Super Bowl here in Indy, Luke went to school PROUDLY wearing his Purdue Football jersey......

Hopefully I am back...

2010-02-15T21:38:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the depature from my blog the past few months....the holidays were brutal this time around....I have been in a funk....winters are hard on me to begin with....though I love to play in the snow....I feel like a bear and all I want to do is sleep and hide. But luckily I am finally feeling like I am getting out of it.....there is a light at the end of the tunnel....Spring is just around the corner!

I certainly have many things and blessings to be grateful for. My schooling is going very well. The class I am working with (a first grade class) I LOVE!! I am learing so much from them and look forward to going there.

I cherish all the time I am now able to spend with the kids. And I am constanly reminded that I am doing a good job with them. Being a parent, let alone a single parent, is hard and challenging. A parent is always thinking and wanting to make sure that they are guiding their children down the right path.

Mark and I always said we wanted to raise thoughtful, caring children. Mark was the type of guy that would give a complete stranger the shirt off his back. Right before he died, I remember him telling me of how he stopped at a serious accident scene on his way to work to try to help even though he ended be late for work. And I see Mark's endless, giving spirit in Luke and Kate all the time. It melts my heart as I know he lives on in them.

For example, the other day, Kate and I were waiting outside for her preschool to open up. Her friend Graicie was crying because her hands were cold. Kate instinctly took off her gloves and gave them to Graicie. Today while at Big Splash Adventure, we were in the arcade. A boy about 4 years old was watching Luke play a game. He said that he wanted to play but did not have any tokens. Luke instinctly reached into his pocket and gave him a token to him...and then got up to let the boy play.

And these past two days with the kiddos at Big Splash Adventure have been absolutely wonderful. Again I am reminded how grateful I am to be able to spend this quality time with the kiddos. We have had such a great time and have laughed so much. Laughter really does wonder for the soul.

Holidays 2009

2010-01-10T19:45:00.003-05:00

Well, we made it…or more like I made it....somehow... The kids of course loved the Christmas season. Me on the other hand, realizing it is the second one without Mark….wow….it was very hard. Since it has been a long time since I posted, I am resorting to bullet points to what we have been up to over the past couple of months.

* Thanksgiving: we went up to A’town (Antioch) for several days to spend it with my family. While there we went to TWO Christmas parades. I am telling you, they just do not have parades in Indiana like they do up there!
* Polar Express: Meet up with my SIL Cathy, her husband Mike, and their kids Makenna, Alex, and Sami (L and K’s cousins) in Connersville, IN to go on the Polar Express train ride. It was AWESOME!!! Better then any breakfast with Santa you could go to and just like the book. The kids are already asking if we are doing this again next year!
* Got through my third class for school….~~whew~~. The toughest one by far as it was a class to help was a class to help students with reading disabilities. I thoroughly enjoyed working with my student who taught me more then I think I taught her!
* Had a “Mommy and Kate” afternoon…went to McD’s for lunch and then went to see “The Princess and the Frog”. Got together with my “Purdue” girls for a GNO and to celebrate Christmas. We all dared each other, and some how we are all signed up to run/walk the Indy Mini-Marathon in May!?!?
* Kate had a Christmas program for her school and she actually let me put a bow in her hair!
* Poor Luke had to have some dental work done under GA at the local hospital on an out-patient basis. He was such a trooper and such a brave boy. It took him several days to get back to normal though L
* Made our annual ‘trek’ to Danville for the lights in Ellis Park, though we did not get to go to the Indy Zoo for the Christmas lights like we normally do because it was too cold when we planned to go.
* Made TWO round trips to A’town and back from Dec 23 to Dec 28 so my Mom could spend Christmas with us here in Plainfield. The kids had an absolutely, wonderful Christmas and loved having Nana here Christmas morning. L got his Wii and K got nailpolish- just like they asked for from Santa. While up in A’town to see my family after Christmas, took the kids to Lego Land in Schaumburg, which of course L thought was the coolest place on earth, next to the one in Orlando!
* Got to see my dear friend Amy, who had us over for dinner, and her handsome boys, Dane, Chase and of course Shelby.
* Went to Columbus, OH to see Cathy, Mike and their kids for NYE. The kids had a wonderful time playing with their cousins. Luke and Alex loved playing the Wii and talking about Transformers, while Kate relished in playing with her only girl cousins! We also got to see the “Chipmunk” movie at a dinner/restaurant (had all you can eat pancakes)…very cool!
* School started back up for all of us….ROUGH WEEK... it has been tough for all of us to get back into the routine!
* Finally got a decent snow here in Indy. The kids have been outside playing in it everyday though it is very chilly!

Funk...Funky Funk...

2009-12-16T11:14:00.002-05:00

I just realized that I have not posted anything in the past month. Jeeze! Mainly because I have been super swamped with the class I just finished for school and I have been in a funk. It is the winter blues for sure, and given all that is going on in my life, it is to be expected.

But my class is now done! Yippie! No more class till Jan 8th!!!

There have been some bright spots over the past month. We went up to A'town for Thanksgiving and had a wonderful visit.

We went on the Polar Express ride in Connersville, IN (just like the movie) and it was the most amazing time! Better then any breakfest with Santa you could ever go to!!!

The kids of course are super excited about Christmas and are counting down the days. Me..ah...Christmas. It is certainly harder the second time around. But thankfully I have taken full advantage of on-line shopping and websites that provide free shipping. So I can say I am done shopping....now onto the wrapping.

Kate has her school Christmas party today, and Christmas program tonight. Luke's last day is tomorrow and though he loves school is ready for the break.

So if my good mood continues, I'll try to post some pics of our recent adventures soon.

Reflective Mood....

2009-11-17T18:11:00.002-05:00

This past week, 3 different people’s death have hit close to home.

First, a guy named Matt “Doc” Keim that I went to Illinois College with, died at the age of 36 of an apparent heart attack. I did not know him extremely well, but we were friends. We hung out with some of the same people, and partied together a few times. I remember going to STL while still in college with some friends to see him at this bar he worked at. I haven’t seen him over 10 years, but I will remember that he always had a smile on his face and never had bad word to say about anyone. As far as I know, he never married, and did not have kids, however he was an only child and both of his parents are still alive.

Second, is a friend that I went to junior high and high school with, named Erik McCormick. Erik was traveling with his wife Erin and their two young kids from IL through IN on their way to Walt Disney World on Friday, Nov 6th when they were in a horrendous car crash. Erik’s 4 yr old daughter, Gwenna, was seriously injured and was taken to Riley Hospital in Indy. Turns out I was just minutes ahead of this crash as it happened in Indy. Gwenna succumbed to her injuries on the 11th. Erik and Erin donated Gwenna’s organs, which I think is the most selfless act anyone can do. There are so many ironies here with their situation; it makes me ill to think about. My heart breaks for them and their loss.

Lastly, a 15 year old boy from Plainfield (Ben Kempf) was killed last night in a freak accident….he was riding a moped when a truck pulled out in front of him. The accident happened right by where the kid’s sitter lives. I do not know the Kempf family well, however I do know of them as they also go to St. Susanna Catholic Church. Another family looses a child….

As I go through my own grief journey, it is moments like this that remind me that life is too short to hold grudges but one must life their own life with their held up high. Though I am sad for the families, I am reminded that though they lost a loved one, it should be celebrated that 3 people have met Jesus.

No Training Wheels!!!

2009-11-16T17:35:00.003-05:00

After spending most of the summer trying to convince Luke he could ride his bike without training wheels (when he rode his bike the training wheels were not even touching the ground!!), on this cold, November day, he finally let me take them off....and he was off like he has been riding a bike his whole life! He only fell once but got up and kept going. I am sooooo stinkin' proud of him!!!

I must say this was a rather emotional moment....cheesy, I know....but it is moments like this that I wish Mark was here....I know he is here, but I mean physically here. This is a moment that makes a Daddy (and Mommy) proud. I know my childhood, and Mark's too, was filled with great memories riding our bikes ALL the time and all over our neighborhood's.. It is just one of those rites of passages of childhood.....

Luke riding his bike....Check it out, he is STANDING while he is riding?!?!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-12T19:43:00.006-05:00

Luke being silly at the Indy "Zoo Boo"

Luke and Kate at the "Zoo Boo"

Kate being silly with some candy 'eye balls'

Kate and her friend, Chelsy, (a neighbor) before Trick or Treating.

Luke and Kate already to go Trick or Treating.

Luke on his bike.

Bippty, Boppity, BOOP!!

Luke with his bud, "Blue School" Jake, Trick or Treating in our neighborhood.

Luke, Kate and Jake Trick or Treating.

Our neighbor's, Gracie and Sam. Kate and Gracie are best buds and go to preschool together.

The Month of November....

2009-11-12T18:34:00.003-05:00

Sorry I haven’t posted much on here lately. Partly due to being EXTEREMLY busy, especially now that I have started the ‘field experience’ portion of my schooling. So on top of the time I normally volunteer in Luke’s classroom, I am going into a separate classroom several times a week to do one-on-one work with a student. I LOVE being in the classroom and the student I have is a 'diamond in the rough'. While this class is very challenging and time consuming, I am learning so much.

Then on top of that, I have been in a funk. Maybe it is due to the fact winter is coming. Maybe it is due to the fact I have made it through the first year and I was on auto pilot. Maybe it is due to the fact the holidays are coming and my auto pilot has stopped working. Maybe it is due to all the family drama that is going on (I’ll spare you the details) that has opened up one on the few wounds I finally had healed from Mark’s death. Maybe it is due to the fact I am trying my best daily to keep things normal for Luke and Kate while trying to find our ‘new’ normal?

Luckily the kids are doing great. They both love going to school and are doing well in school. They love being able to play with the neighbor kids when at home. At this point they have adjusted well, and of course I worry that further down the road, that is when it will be hard for them. And as any mother, I want to prevent any pain and hurt, so I worry about that.

Oh, and on top of that, I had Gilbert (the cat) declawed last week because he has been scratching the kids. Oh, it has not turned out like I imagined at all! Within a couple hours of coming home, he ripped open three of the stitches (surgical glue). I won’t even describe the horrible mess it left all over the house. Of course it was AFTER the Vet was closed, so we made a trip to the East side of Indy to the 24 hour vet….so the declaw bill now doubled after both paws were stitched up. He is actually BACK at the Vet because his paws are still bleeding. At least this overnight visit is ‘free’ of charge…

Best of the Best (WDW Pics)

2009-10-29T10:45:00.006-04:00

All of our Mickey Ears from previous trips....

Luke in front of Lego Land in Downtown Disney...He LOVED it here!

Kate in front of Magic Kingdom before it opened.

Princess Kate at "Cinderella's Royal Table" for breakfest inside Cinderella's Castle. All the princesses signed a birthday card for her. (Check out the plate...cool huh?)

Kate having fun on the "Tea Cups" (I love this picture of her!!)

Luke on the bus back from Magic Kingdom.

Kate having fun at the 'gituar' pool at our resort. Luke made a friend with a boy named James from England that he played with every day!

Princess Kate after a long day at the parks...so lady-like huh?

Mickey, Minnie, me and Kate (Luke was being camera shy most of the trip)

My sister Shelly falling in the Muppet's fountain at Hollywood Studio!

Aunt Sha-Sha with Luke and Kate.

Kate's princess dresses and her dolls.

Cinderella's Castle at night...I finally got a night picture to work on my camera!!

Kate just before we left WDW....

Our last meal at our resort....YUMMY Mickey Waffels!!

And yes, I do not have a picture the four of us....the only one we got was taken by a Disney photographer "Disney Photo Pass". I haven't decided if it is worth the $15 yet!

Walt Disney World 2009

2009-10-29T10:34:00.002-04:00

It is true…there is something truly magical about WDW….and it is the happiest place on earth. And I love the Mouse so much, I have a tattoo of him on my right ankle.

My sister Shelly, who is also a widow, came with us….having also lost her husband, she has provided me with a lot of wisdom as I go through my grief journey, as she is still going through her own. She said I needed something to look forward to through this first year….Thus I came up with the idea of WDW over Luke’s Fall Break.

Now my love of all things Disney can be traced directly back to my BFF Amy and the trip after our HS graduation. It was my first time to Disney…and who better to go with then Amy and her mom Bonnie (who are the ultimate WDW fanatics). Since then I have been back 4 more times, three of which were with Mark. So Disney holds a lot of memories for me with Mark. We last went together as a family in Feb 2007 (Luke’s second trip to WDW and Kate’s first).

It felt like every corner I turned on this trip, a flood of memories came back to me of Mark. But being in the ‘happiest place on earth’ I was able to embrace those memories with a smile on my face, though I did loose it a few times, but I am allowed to!

Out of the blue as we were just about to enter the Magic Kingdom on the last night of our stay, Kate says to Aunt Sha-Sha (aka my sister Shelly), “Aunt Sha-Sha, did you know that my Daddy died? And that he is up in the sky? And that he cannot come back down? I really miss him”. Definetly one of those moements when we both did our best to hold back the tears….

But it was a wonderful trip. All of us had a great time. The kids did great, though there were a few meltdowns. They loved the pool at the hotel. And if you ask Luke, the best part of WDW: LEGO LAND!! (Seriously). And the one splurge on the trip was breakfast at Cinderella’s Castle in Magic Kingdom to celebrate Kate’s 3rd Birthday….OMG. It was truly magical and the food was delicious (It better be for the price!)

Anyway, we are back in the Land of Hooisers and already trying to figure out our next trip to WDW. I am going to post pics in a seperate post....I have so many great ones, I need to try put up the "Best of the Best"

Not to rub it in....

2009-10-20T20:19:00.002-04:00

However, at 7 AM on Wed, Oct 21st, the kids, myself and my sister Shelly (aka Aunt Sha Sha) will be getting on a plane to Walt Disney World!!! To say that we are excited is a complete understatment. I promise to post lots and lots of pictures....I also promise to give Mickey a hug for you. And I cannot wait to show Mickey my tattoo of him (again!)

The Month of October so far...

2009-10-18T16:58:00.006-04:00

Well, I guess I can say I ‘officially’ survived this week….though it still does not make me feel better or feel like a victory. One year…..it still sucks and it is still very hard….and I still wonder, will the pain in my heart ever go away?? Or at least lessen?? Because it hasn’t yet. I still believe we are married and I still wear my ring, though as I was reminded by a legal document I had to sign, that my marriage to Mark legally ended on October 13th, 2008.

And how do you appropriately act on this day when the following day is Kate’s birthday? Oh, how I struggled with that one for the weeks prior….I am very much a tradition person, and strongly believe in them. One of the traditions that I wanted to start, was a Mass intention for Mark on the 13th. Though I will never truly understand ‘why’, it is still the day Mark was greeted with arms wide open by Jesus.

Many months ago I had arranged for the Mass on Tuesday evening to be for Mark. Well, unfortunately Father Kevin broke his leg a few weeks ago, and isn’t able to perform Mass right now. The church is relying on retired priest and can only get priests to cover the weekend masses….so the Mass for Mark did not happen as planned, yet is rescheduled for a Sunday in a few weeks. Sure deep down I am disappointed, yet I am reminded that it was beyond my control, and in HIS hands, as many things are.

My Mom was here to make sure I was not alone, and that was a blessing. The kids are still too young to grasp what the day means, and then to add in the mix Kate’s birthday….way too many emotions for me yet for the kids to understand at this point….and when they do understand, we’ll discuss it. I tried to keep the day as normal as possible, and we spent it together as a family. Though, I wonder if deep down the kids knew…..as by chance both of the kids decided that afternoon to let go the remaining balloons from Kate’s birthday party (which was held a few days early) up in the sky so Daddy could have them.

While my Dad was here for Kate’s birthday party, which was held on Sunday the 11th, he helped me plant the “Sunset Maple” tree that I bought for Mark in the side yard. I got it at a local tree farm, Cox’s, that Mark really respected (long story, that I'll save for another time). My Dad also got this beautiful marker with a touching poem on it in honor of Mark (see pic) below.

And on top of Kate’s party and then actually celebrating her birthday, I had a HUGE final paper for my second class. To say a stressful week is an understatement…however Kate did have a wonderful birthday and is very proud to tell you she is three.

As much as this week was a trial for me on so many levels, I am comforted when I reflect on the many blessings in my life and by the grace of God, I am able to embrace these blessings.

The marker below the tree reads:

"Your Memory is Our Keepsake,

With Which We Will Never Part.

God has You in His Keeping,

We Have You in Our Hearts."

Kate getting ready to release one of the balloons left over from her birthday up in the sky for Daddy on the 13th.

Kate all dressed up in her Minnie Mouse costume before her birthday party on the 11th.

Kids at Kate's party after decorating their party hats.

Kate with her birthday cake at her party. Of course it was from Marsh!

Miss Kate fell fast asleep the night after her party. She said she loved her Minnie Mouse dress so much she was going to sleep in it...and that she did!

Kate and Luke at the Pumpkin Patch (Anderson Orchards) with Nana's dog, Roo.

Kate with her friend Mady after decorating the pumpkins.

Miss Kate on the morning of her birthday! The tradition in our house is: chocolate pancakes, a sign and a homemade birthday hat!

Kate at preschool...she got to bring cupcake for snack time with her classmates.

Celebrating Kate's birthday that night at Chuck E Cheese with MORE cupcakes with Amy B., Amy H. and Katie...along with their kids: Dane, Chase, Alex and Abby.

Photos Essay

2009-10-02T14:13:00.007-04:00

We have been busy here the past few weeks despite a flu bug and a cold bug hitting our house. Both of the kids have had their 'fall' field trip to the Apple orchard (luckily different ones). We also finally got out to Columbus, OH to visit with their cousins Makenna, Alex and Sami- to see their new house. I figured a picture essay would be best!

While visiting with cousins in OH, they surprised her with a cake to celebrate her b-day early! This picture shows her true personality....a HAM!!

Kate with her cousin Sami in their matching chairs!

With their cousins: Sami, Makenna, Alex, then Kate and Luke at Graeter's Ice Cream. (Notice the ice cream mustache Luke has??)

Luke and his cousin Alex having fun at the Graeter's 'playplace'.

Kate's visit to the Apple Orchard was basically a washout due to the rain. So very little good pics, however it stopped just long enough for me to get this one in front of the pumpkins.

Luke with his Kindergarten class. Mrs. Rogers (AM), Brentwood Elementary, Plainfield IN.

It was a little chilly in the morning....so Luke dug out his hat and gloves.

Luke being silly! We went to "Apple Works" in Trafalgar, IN. A long drive but a really cool place!

Luke and Mommy self-portrait on the wagon ride.

2009-09-15T19:34:00.006-04:00

It has been a busy 2 weeks and I have had a slight ‘break’ from school due to labor day, not sure why but we got a 2 week break…not that I am complaining…now I just have to get back into the ‘school’ mode. I’ll have to resort to bullet points to update you on what has been going on with us.

* Labor Day: My Mom (aka Nana) came down for the weekend to spend with us. I will say it was a bit tough on the emotions as she always comes down for Labor Day and we always go out to the Lake….which is still hard to do without Mark. But going out to the Lake always gives me some sense of peace.

* The kids of course loved visiting with Nana and love to have her here….they even call the guest bedroom “Nana’s Room.” And NO she is not moving in! I am not sure who had more fun playing games at Chuckie Cheese….Nana or the kids!

* I have been volunteering at least once a week in Luke’s Kindergarten class….and I love it! For the most part, I am just a ‘gopher’ but the experience is wonderful. Luke has been doing really good and staying ‘focused’ on what is going on in class instead of me! Overall Luke has been doing really good with school and really enjoys going to school ~~whew!!

* Kate absolutely LOVES going to school…every day she wakes up and asks me if it is a school day…and when it is, she is ready to go at 8AM even though school does not start till 9:30. When I pick her up the first thing she tells me is what they did in gymnastics class.

* I have started arranging for my upcoming ‘observation/field experience’ for school. I spent a few hours at Lynhurst 7/8th Grade Center (where my friend Bridget, who is now off at the FBI Acadmey kicking some major booty, used to work) with some of the Special Ed teachers. It was a great experience and have been invited back! I am very anxious to get some more experience in the classroom!!!

* On Sept 12th, I walked with my dear friends Amy Hale and Amy Litchfield Bultemeier, along with my support group “The Comfort Zone” at Hendricks Regional at the Indianapolis “Out of Darkness” Suicide Prevention walk in memory of Mark. Our team had the 3rd highest amount raised, which is pretty good for our first year (and a big THANKS goes out to everyone who made a donation!). On the drive to downtown Indy by myself, when I was about 3 minutes away, the song “When I Get Where I Am Going” comes on the radio….talk about signs. It turned out to be a beautiful, September morning with the walk and the sunshine doing wonders for my soul.

* Sunday we went Apple picking! Yippie!! Went with our neighbors to Anderson Orchards, my favorite. Of course we had just missed all of the Honey Crisp (our favorite) but the kids are not too picky! We have a bunch of Apples and both the kids have upcoming field to apple orchards….I forsee a lot of cooking in the next couple of weeks!

Gracie, Kate, Sam, and Luke (our neighbors) at Anderson Orchards in Mooresville!

9.9.09

2009-09-09T18:08:00.002-04:00

Okay, I will admit deep down I have a slight fascination with numbers, not the idea of ‘numerology’ itself (a little too wacky for me), but numbers themselves. No, I do not like math, but that numbers (dates specifically) have a meaning. Mark and I had numerous conversations about how we both felt strongly about numbers and the meanings behind them. And I know he would have been very excited about today.

Example: I was born on the 27th. 2+7=9. Thus the number, or a multiple of 9, has always been my lucky number. When I played soccer, I wore either 9 or 18. Mark’s lucky number was 9 (It was a significant number with his fraternity).

We got married on the 18th of August. 8.18.01

Then when we started to have a family, the number 4 became very prominent. All of us have 4 letters in our first and last name.

Sometime after the kids were born I realized again the importance of the number 4 to our family. Kate was born on the 14th and Luke was born on the 22nd. 14 is 4 away from 18 and 22 is 4 away from 18….

One day as I was talking to the grief counselor I see about my little fascination with numbers, he pointed out something very poignant to me that I had totally over looked. The first house Mark and I bought was 1024. The second house (the current one) is 513. If you take the first 2 numbers from the first house and the last two numbers from the current house, you have 10.13….the day Mark died. Hits ya in the gut, huh?

Happy Birthday to me.....

2009-09-02T15:42:00.003-04:00

So I turned the big ol’ 3-4 last week. I think after your 21st birthday, birthdays just aren’t the same! In my humble opinion, as long as there is cake (or some sort of baked item with frosting) involved, then the day is not so bad! Thanks to some wonderful friends and my beautiful kiddos I made it through the day! Here is what my birthday consisted of:

Woke up to Luke making me breakfast- 2 eggos in the toaster and having my Mommy pop (aka Dr. Pepper) poured into a coffee mug for me.
When Kate finally woke up they both sang “Happy Birthday” to me
At school, Luke ran into the door without looking back…then 10 seconds later he ran back out the door to give me a hug and a kiss…then he said “Happy Birthday Mommy” awwwwwwwww…….
I had Jimmy John's for lunch........now that is about enough to make my birthday the bomb alone!!
That afternoon, while the kids were playing with the other neighbor kids, Luke told them it was my birthday, so then all the neighbor kids started to sing me “Happy Birthday” awwwwwwwww…..
That night, met up with my “Purdue” friends (Amy, Amy, and Katie) and their kiddos at Chick-Fil-a to celebrate my birthday….and there was Marsh cake involved!! I don't think the Chick-Fil-a in Plainfield will ever be the same!!
The next day, I met some friends from my old work at El Rodeo (my favorite place to eat). They got me a cake from Marsh too!!! YUMMMMMYYY!!!
That weekend we went out to the Triangle house and the kids insisted we have a “Jammie Party” for my birthday….how could I refuse that?!?!

Holiday World 2009

2009-08-26T08:00:00.006-04:00

We were able to make our annual trek to Santa Claus, IN with the help of Uncle Mikey (aka Mike Pulido…a dear friend of Mark’s from his days at Purdue, and a dear friend of mine too). He made a special trip up from FL to take us and to make sure the tradition continued. Both Mark and I loved Holiday World. We both grew up going to different amusement parks (M- Kings Island, J- Six Flags Great America), however this was OUR park- and the park we loved to take our kids. I could go on and on about what is so special about HW, but I’ll let the pics below tell the story. However, lots of wonderful memories were made this trip while lots of wonderful memories were revisited.

The three of us in front of Santa Claus at Holiday World.

Luke, Kate and Uncle Mikey enjoying an ice cream cone! Luke had to get Mint Chocolate Chip...Daddy's favorite.

Luke and Kate on the "Salmon Run." I have a picture of Luke on this ride for the past 4 yrs.

Uncle Mikey and Luke on the tube ride. When Uncle Mikey aske Luke if he was scared, Luke said "No. My Daddy and I went on this before and it isn't scary."

Kate taking a nap while the boys played. I have a very similar picture of her from last year.

The kids playing the 'fishing' game.

Luke on a slide having a blast!

Kate on the Alligator Slide.

8th Wedding Annivesary

2009-08-19T15:16:00.005-04:00

I will admit, yesterday was a very rough day for me and by far the roughest day for me since the funeral, however I found the strength to make it through with the help of my friends and family. Along the way, I found some significant ways to celebrate this special day now and in the future. I realized that our anniversary means so much to me because it was OUR day….everyone celebrates Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Halloween….but August 18th was OUR day….we picked this day out ourselves and committed ourselves to each other.

I spent some alone time at St. Susanna’s in the morning. This is where we were married….where the kids were baptized….and where the funeral was. The same priest, Father Kevin was there for all of these events. Mark highly respected Father Kevin, and the feeling was mutual. This church holds so many memories for us and it is such a special place. I had the sanctuary all to myself for a while and was able to spend some quality time reflecting in between sobs. I also got to talk with Father Kevin for awhile, who can relate to losing a spouse, which was also very comforting.

After Luke got home from school, a florist came with a beautiful bouquet of daises….with a beautiful note “Happy Anniversary. All because two people fell in love”. Daisies where the flowers at our wedding and the day Mark died I bought a plaque that read “All because two people fell in love” though I never got to show it to him. At this time I still do not know WHO sent them….but really it doesn’t matter who did….it is the gesture…and for now I can believe that an angel sent them to me.

That afternoon, I sent the kids to the sitter as I need to do something else by myself. I drove down to the Greenwood Mall to Build-A-Bear. I made myself an “Autumn Bear” (which symbolizes Mark died in the fall) and asked that they show me how to close up the bear when I got home. The reason was that I wanted to put a little bit of Mark’s ashes in there (and figured it would have freaked the workers out in the store) so we could have him close. Though a little creepy, it was very, very peaceful. Of course when I showed the kids the new “Daddy” bear they fell in love with it. One of these days I will explain what is inside.

And for dinner, I brought home Skyline Chili for us to eat. Mark LOVED Skyline and introduced it to me when we first started dating.
I might not be making a “Daddy” bear every August 18th, but I know I will be spending some time at St. Susanna’s and eating some Skyline every August 18th.

Our Wedding Day, 8/18/01. Leaving St. Susanna's Catholic Church, Plainfield, Indiana.

The beautiful daisies.

The "Daddy" bear from Build-A-Bear....of course he had to get a Purdue shirt :o)

Kate's First Day of Preschool

2009-08-17T18:19:00.007-04:00

Kate is going to preschool at the "Flip Zone" which is a local gymnastic school. This is where she has taken gymnastic lessons from in the past. The best part about the preschool program is that she gets to do 45 min of gymnatics each time! Getting two birds with one stone outa this deal!!

She was super-duper excited about going. After a little crying, she did great. She had a great time and her teachers (which one of happens to be a neighbor!) said she is a very, happy little girl. And of course, she said her favorite part was GYMNASTICS!!!!! I did okay dropping her off....I cried more after picking her up as I was so proud of my little girl as she talked non-stop about her first day of preschool.

Kate oustide the house before we left.

Kate with her "My Little Pony" backpack that she picked out.

After her first day!

The Great Indiana State Fair

2009-08-14T15:40:00.005-04:00

Another tradition Mark and I started with the kids (that I am determined to keep) is going to the State Fair. Luckily it is held in Indy and is less then a 30 min drive. So I took the kids on Thursday after Luke got out of school (thankfully he is in the AM class and done by 11:45!). Finally after the third year, we have seen ALL of it (well parts of it each year, that make up ALL of it). It is HUGE and when you are totting around 2 kids in the 80-90 degree, humid August weather in Indiana, you can only handle the fair for a couple of hours. As always, wonderful memories where made, and I know Mark was with us the whole time.

Luke on the bumper cars.

Kate and Luke playing the 'goldfish' game.

Luke won one for him and then was determined to win one for Kate, which he did. I predict they will live for about 2 days.

Luke was being a good brother and told Kate that he would buckle her up for the ride.

Luke and Kate on the Motorcycle ride.

Okay, they picked this car ALL by themselves! For those of you who know me well, know I am a huge Ryan Newman fan....honestly, I did not tell them to pick this one!!

Luke and Kate on Kate's FAVORITE ride.....

The replica Bridgeton Bridge at the State Fair. The orginal one was burned to the ground by an arson in 2006 and rebuilt in 2007 Parke County, where our Triangle House is. Mark loved going to the Bridgeton Bridge and Mill. He was going to donate some trees from our land to help rebuild the bridge, but we had the wrong type of lumber :(

Luke holding a butterfly at the DNR exhibit. He really wanted to take it home.

Luke got to fish in the DNR fishing pond. He was the first one done catching the three fish limit. (By the way, the DNR exhibit is now our favorite place to go at the fair, outside the midway of course!)

Gilbert the Cat

2009-08-12T19:12:00.010-04:00

Here are a few pics of Gilbert, our new cat. In case you are wondering, he is named after the cat on the kid's cartoon "Caillou". Gilbert has made himself right at home and fits right in. He really is a good cat and is very tolerant of the kids (and Buddie too). The vet thinks he is just around a year old. My mom reminded me that he looks like a cat I had growing up that we called Sylvester. That is probably why I took to Gilbert so quickly. So when the kids ask me what kind of cat Gilbert is, I tell them a Sylvester cat. See it is little harder to determine with cats then dogs their 'breed'...and according to the Cat books we got from the library, he is a non-tabby, domesticated short-hair...sounds like a Heinz 57 cat too me (which means a little of everything).

Gilbert soaking up the sun on my mom's porch on our visit to A'town.

Gilbert making himself comfy in the spare carseat.

One of Gilbert's favorite hiding spots...in the garage, on top of Mark's 1968 Mustang.

Luke, Kate, Buddie and Gilbert all cozy on the couch.

Luke's now a Kindergartner!!

2009-08-12T09:23:00.022-04:00

After an emotional weekend trying to prepare myself that my baby boy is growing up and still trying figure out how the heck I am supposed to do this without Mark....Luke started Kindergarten.

Sunday: we had "Meet the Teacher," which involved Luke hiding under a desk....before coming out to actually meet her. Her name is Mrs. Rogers and I think she is going to be great. She is just around my age. She has lots of enthusiasm and you can tell she relates well to the kids.

Monday: He did okay at first. He was excited to walk to school with his neighbor friends. He goes into the classroom just fine, put his backpack in his cubby without a problem....the problem came when I stayed in the classroom too long to try to talk to Mrs. Rogers....just like every other parent...so when we did go to leave, he wasn't having it, and clinged to my leg. We went out into the hallway, and the principal, Mr. Cooney (who is awesome, knows of our situation and remembers Luke from being at the school as a 3 yr old in the preschool program) was nice to come and help out.

After I got home and spent quite a few minutes crying my eyeballs out, I got to spend some time with Kate. We went shopping at Kohl's. Of course they had a great clearance sale, so Kate and I had fun picking out dresses. Nothing like a little retail therapy to calm anxiety. And watch out the girl already loves to shop!

We then came home and we both anxiously awaited Luke to come home on the bus (Okay, they won't bus him in the morning as we live too close, but they will bus him home since he is in Kindergarten...I know, makes no sense but I figured he might as well take the bus home since he likes to ride the bus). He came off the bus all excited and couldn't wait to tell me about the "cat dinosaur" book he got to check out of the library. And he was excited to go back! Whew....

Tuesday: Okay, I spoke too soon. After hearing for an hour after he got up of "I don't want to go to school" and "I did not ask you to sign me up for school" in which I replied "Sorry, Luke, it is the LAW you have to go to school" (Okay a little stretch there....Kindergarten is not mandatory in Indiana, but a white lie won't hurt). He wasn't even up to walking with his friends at first but once he saw them walking to school, he went. We got to the classroom and wouldn't go in, so Mrs. Rogers came out to help. Then I followed the advice of my mentor when it comes to dropping of your child somewhere they are anxious about you leaving them...it is kinda like a fire drill... STOP, DROP, and RUN. The teacher said I wasn't even 10 feet down the hallway when he went into the room with no problem.

Wednesday: Luke was begging me to go to school 15 minutes before we had to leave and was already outside with his backpack on before I was ready to go. I walked him to the front door of the school, gave him a kiss and he walked to his classroom all on his own with out a fuss or any leg clinging. (I sure hope I am not jinxing myself by saying this!).

Now Kate really wants to go with him. She has to wear her backpack too. She starts preschool next week so we'll see how that goes...

Luke walking to school the first day.

Luke putting his backpack in his cubby.

Luke getting off the bus.

The Month of August

2009-08-05T17:26:00.004-04:00

I am going to admidt outright, that I have been dreading this month since Mark died. We have made it through most of the first BIG events without him....Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Luke's birthday, Mark's birthday... some how we made it in one piece.

And pardon me for using a word that I don't let the kids use (not really a cuss word, but not a nice word)....August is going to suck!!

Well, next Monday, the 10th, Luke starts Kindergarten. A milestone for any child....and I will be taking him alone. I remember Mark talking about how when we bought the house we live in, how it will be wonderful to walk the kids to school since we live across the street.

Then on the 18th, it will be our wedding annivesiary. We would be celebrating our 8th. Last year Mark went above and beyond, as it was very special. I got to work to find that he brought roses for me and had a co-worker put them on my desk with the most, romantic card he had given me in long time. He arranged for the kids to go to his sister's that night so we could have a candle light dinner by ourselves at home (take out from Texas Roadhouse, one of my favorites). He got me the most gorgeous patio set for our back deck that I completely surprised me. He also finally got the 'sign-in book' from our wedding framed, which was custom made.

Then the 27th....my birthday...I am no way one of those people who expect a HUGE deal on my birthday, but Mark always got me a cake (from Marsh of course) and that is all I wanted. I am at that age, I don't need a big party or presents, just something simple like a cake.

So please pray for me this month. I will need it. There are days were I feel like I am barely strong enough to keep moving forward and some how have been, but I know this month will challenge me to no end.

I know Mark has been and will be here in spirit, but I still miss HIM so very much.

Visit to A'Town

2009-08-04T16:28:00.001-04:00

Just got back from a visit from good Ol’ Antioch. We were there for 4 days. You would think I would have had enough time to visit everyone I wanted, but as usual, I did not. Though we did not do anything super-duper exciting, it was a really nice visit. Nice and relaxing…just what we needed!

To sum it up, this is what we did: Stopped by the cow place (Fair Oaks Farms) on the way up to get some cheese and milk, had Mr. G’s for dinner (my favorite place to eat when I go to A’town), hung out with Auntie Sha-Sha, went fishing by her house and across the way from the house I grew up in, spent the night at Auntie Sha-sha’s, played with her many kitties, went to Car Papa and Grandma’s, had a yummy lunch along with Oberweis Ice Cream Cake (seriously the best in the world), took naps, went back to Nana’s to play with her kitties and dog, had Orlando’s pizza for dinner (yummy….Indy is really lacking when it comes to good mom-n-pop dinners/food!!), spent the night at Nana’s, went over to Auntie April’s to celebrate cousin Jake and Adam’s birthdays, had Mr. G’s for lunch, went to the park by their house, cousin Jake then came back with us to Nana’s to play with the water/sprinkler, went with Auntie April to Newport FD to check out some fire engines while Kate, myself and Nana went out to eat at Orlando’s (they have the best Baked Mosticolli EVER!!!), played some more with Nana’s animals, got up the next morning to eat Dunkin’ Doughnuts for breakfast, checked out the dinousour exhibit at the Lake County Museum, saw some buffalo (yes, the animal), and FINALLY headed back to Indy!!

And on the way home, there was a 45 min period where Kate, Luke, Buddie and Gilbert were all sleeping….ah, boy did I enjoy the silence!!!

Just getting Luke ready for Kindergarten as he starts in 5 days!?!?

Hendricks County Fair

2009-07-22T16:20:00.010-04:00

It has been an interesting few days…our plans changed numerous times….from going to KY to visit some of Mark’s Aunts but cancelled due a funeral (yes, another one)…to Evansville to visit a dear friend, but cancelled since Kate got sick….then to going out to the Lake but postponed due to the weather….so we ended up at the Hendricks County Fair Tuesday night.

It was so much fun! I am glad I ‘ditched’ my support group meeting that night so I could take the kiddos! We got there at 2:30 only to find out that the midway did not open till 5PM! The animal exhibits entertained us for only an hour, and that left us 90 WHOLE minutes to burn before we could go on the rides and play games. For once, the kiddos did wonderful and we just hung out and patiently waited for the midway to open. (something my kids seem to lack the ability to do!)

So we got our discounted wristbands and rode all the kiddie rides. Kate barely made it on the kiddie rides as she is just 36 inches. But in the end, the area where you could go on pony rides that included a mini petting zoo with farm animals was where they wanted to stay. There were baby chickens and the kids were having a blast….of course I was asked numerous times if we could take one home…. NOOOOOOOOOOO!! We were there over 5 hours and the kids were filfthy from having so much fun and I was exhausted!

Oh, speaking of animals (and this one is really, truly my doing) is we now may have a cat….yes, a cat! I loved having cats growing up, but Mark was severely allergic to them so we never had one….anyway, there has been this stray coming around. So I took him in. He has a microchip, however the owner has never registered him and the Indianaplios Animal Control cannot find the info on the ‘owner’. So for now it looks like he may be ours….and if I turn him over to the Indianapolis Animal Control, we all know what will happen. The kids have already fallen in love with him and named him Gilbert (after the cat on Calliou). So far Buddie and Gilbert get along (more like Gilbert stays away from Buddie while Buddie tries to play with him). Yes, I know, we don’t need any more animals, but I am animal lover at heart.

Kate on the boat ride. Every time she went by me, she blew me kisses!

Luke with the TWO baby chickens in his hands!

Kate holding a baby chicken.

Kate on a pony ride....she loves horses.

The kids 'milking' a fake cow....they thought this was pretty cool.

Luke on a tractor at the fair....his second favorite thing.

Gilbert the cat (sitting on Luke's lap while he is wearing his Spiderman costume).

Lazy Days of Summer

2009-07-18T20:04:00.004-04:00

Okay, being the organized-planner freak that I am (but don’t always want to admit), I thought every day this summer we would be out doing ‘something’…like the pool, or the zoo, or the park to keep my very active kids busy. Well, lately that something has simply been staying around the house as the kids just want to play with the neighborhood kids. They go next door and have races down the neighbor’s driveway or the other neighbor’s backyard to play baseball or jump on the trampoline. Inevitably, all of our bikes, strollers, and anything that moves ends up out of our garage and over at a neighbors, with all the other kids ‘stuff’. Eventually one of the parents breaks out the Popsicles and the kiddos are happy. I must say it really has been nice to just relax and enjoy the summer with the kids without having something planned every day!

Oh, and the weather has been delightful! In the mid-70’s with no humidity and a lovely breeze. Perfecting camping weather and if I was brave enough (which I am not yet!) I’d take the kids camping outdoors for the first time. About the only downfall of this cooler weather makes going to the pool unattractive. Oh, well.

And the best part of summer is sleeping in….the kids have actually been sleeping in till well after 8AM!! LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Luke starts Kindergarten in just over 3 weeks….YIKES….our routine has gone out the window with the cool, summer breeze, but we are thoroughly enjoying our lazy days of summer!!

Luke at the Splash Island in Plainfield.

Miss Kate dressed up in her princess dress and crown.

Oh, I must add that earlier this week we were able to go out to the Triangle house for a couple of days, mid-week. Something we never got to do before. Oh, the lake is wonderful to be at when no one else is there. And I must boast- I got the boat started all by myself. The kids and I took a boat ride, went swimming and I even got it docked without any major damage. The only mishap was trying to get Buddie back on the boat after we all went swimming. Even with a life jacket on with handles on the top to help lift him back in the boat, I simply could not get him back on the boat (in my defense he is on the hefty side!) I ended up driving the boat to shore while he swam next to the boat and was able to get him back on the boat. Whew!

No Doubt Concert

2009-07-13T13:05:00.006-04:00

A few months ago I won from the website, Indy Moms Like Me, a VIP package to go see "No Doubt". It included VIP parking, access to the VIP tent, dinner and ‘soft’ drinks and AWESOME seats in the 16th row! I LOVED No Doubt when I was in college and I think Gwen Stefani rocks and is the coolest working Mom I know! It was an awesome concert. Their energy level was amazing (and I thought my two kids had the most energy in the world!?!) It was a great night hanging out with the girls!!!

No Doubt at the beginning of the show.

Amy Litchefiled Bultemeier and myself (BFF since we lived in Antioch, IL and we both now live in the Indy area)

Gwen Stefani totally ROCKIN' it...aren't these seats awesome??

STL 2009

2009-07-12T09:11:00.009-04:00

Finally made it out to STL like we have been planning for some time. I forgot how much I love STL (I used to spend a lot of time there when I was in college since it was about an hour away and it was the closest BIG city to Jacksonville).

The timing of the trip purposely coincided with my friend Alison’s visit to STL to visit her family (she grew up there, but now lives in Hudson, OH with her DH Bill, who was the best man in our wedding). We got to hang out at Alison’s parents house and go swimming in her pool …the kids want to go back and swim in her BIG pool soon!

Then we went to the STL zoo for a day. We met up with a dear friend of mine from college, Angie, who is performs the Sea Lion show (and at no request of Angie, since she is probably one of the most humble human beings I know, you MUST see this show if you go to the STL Zoo…..it is awesome!). After the show we got to meet Benny the Sea Lion. The STL Zoo itself is really top notch and so big we only saw part of it in one day. Which is okay, just an excuse to go back again to see the rest and see Angie and Benny!!

The third and last day we were there, we went to Grant’s Farm. For those history buffs, Uyless S Grant married into the Anhieser-Busch family (who founded Budweiser beer) and retired to a farm west of STL. The highlight of the visit was seeing the Clydesdale's (at least for me!) Then we headed back to Indy so I could get caught up on my school work!!

Luke having fun in Alison's pool

Luke making a Sting Ray and Kate making a Andean Bear at the Build-A-Bear store in the STL Zoo. (I really need to see if this company has gone public and if so, I need to buy some stock in it!!)

On the Train ride at the STL Zoo.

Angie and Benny after the show. What a job....getting kisses from Sea Lions every day!?!

The three of us in front of Benny after the show.

Kate trying on a pink cowgirl hat at Grant's Farm.

2009-07-11T08:12:00.003-04:00

Okay, lots of pics to post and updating needs to be done on this blog! Check back in a day or so. It has been super-duper busy here. I am in class right now!!!

4th of July

2009-07-05T18:54:00.007-04:00

Oh, the grand plans we had for the 4th got washed out with the rain :(

We headed out to the Lake Friday afternoon and met up with my friend Emily from Louisville. We were all excited for an early evening boat ride only to find out that a light was left on the boat for the past 5 days and the battery was drained...so no boat ride for us! Luke did get to fish a little while we tried to figure out what was going on with the boat which made him a happy as a clam. We then took the kids to the swimming beach, which of course they enjoyed. After some dinner off the grille, we went to the Big Berry for some ice cream. The kids went to bed without much of a fuss for once, so Emily and I drank a little Oliver Wine and watched the movie "He is Just Not That Into You" (which is a pretty good movie!)

We woke up to a drizzly morning on the 4th....so gone were our plans of taking the kids hiking at Turkey Run State Park. We did manage to get to the Amish Farm Market for some yummy pretzels. Papa Amos came out for the day with cousin Josh. We were stuck in the cabin ALL afternoon as it rained, and rained, and rained.....I must say the kids did GREAT being stuck inside all day. After a minor mishap of running out of gas for the grille and Papa having to change tanks in the pouring rain, we had a nice dinner. After Papa and Josh left, Luke fell asleep nice and early. So the girls found another chick flick on TV, this time Top Gun (by far one of my favorite movies...lots of hotties in dress whites). Since it was still raining, the fireworks on Raccoon Lake were cancelled.

This mornig we woke up to another cloudy and dreary day :( So we all headed back home. Since it has finally cleared up, we are planning to catch the Plainfield fireworks tonight from our yard as the kids were totally bummed they did not get to see any last night. Even though our grand plans were washed out, it was a great weekend (I got to watch TWO whole movies from start to finish...I cannot remember the last time I did that!!)

Ms. Kate entertained us dressed up in her new princess dress with her Rainbow Bear.

Papa Amos with the ducky umbrella trying to cook steaks in the rain!!

Luke and Josh keeping themselves entertained by playing with boats in the sink. (Check out Luke's new buzz cut! He took some scissors to his hair the other day...)

Summer Fun

2009-07-02T20:46:00.007-04:00

The kids have been having a blast just staying around the house and playing with the neighbors. For some reason, Luke has been wanting to wear Kate's swimsuits or gymnastics outfits. I think it is because he has been playing with Kate and Maddy and they like to go over to Maddy's house to play on her trampoline...and I am hoping it is a temporary phase!! So of course I have had to take some pictures to use as blackmail later!

Luke in Kate's Minnie Mouse swimsuit with Mady in the "Aligator" pool

Luke in one of Kate's gymnasitic outfits, with Maddy and Kate in theirs.

Luke the Fisherman

2009-06-30T14:04:00.005-04:00

To say that Luke loves to fish is an understatement. We found a great little fishing spot at Hummel Park that the water is clear enough you can see the fish from the shore. So we went fishing yesterday and today. Luke woke up this morning and the first thing out of his mouth was "Can we go fishing today??" The weather has finally cooled back down and it has been delightful, espeically with the nice breeze. I grew up spending my summers (and winters) fishing with my Dad. Though I am not as 'brave' as I was when it comes to putting worms on the hooks, I am getting used to it. Luke really started to get into fishing last summer and Mark spent alot of time with him fishing. So I will keep it up and get over dealing with squirmy worms and fish. It has been moments like this, that once again, confirms that I am making the right decision to stay home with the kids right now. I absolutely love to be able to spend quality time with them like this.

Luke with his biggest catch so far at Hummel Park.

Luke in his 'fishing' outfit. He picked it out all by himself. He looks like he going hunting instead of fishing. He said he needed a fishing hat and asked to have one of Daddy's, so I let him have this one since it matches his 'fishing' outfit.

Luke's BIG catch!!!

2009-06-28T20:27:00.010-04:00

Yippie! We finally got the boat in the Lake!! With the help of some friends (Dave and Karen who were our pre-marriage counselors from church and then when Mark started to work for Baxter, Dave and Mark car pooled to Bloomington) along with some strangers (Dave and Karen's neighbor from Plainfield, Jack, who also has a place on Raccoon Lake and Jack's neighbor at the Lake, Bob) we got the boat running and in the water. Oh, the kids were sooo happy! They have been wanting to take a boat ride every time we have gone out there this summer. The weather was wonderful and a nice break from the HOT and humid weather we have been having. We got to go swimming off the boat and the water was nice and comfortable. Even Florida Papa (my FIL) got into the water!!! As we headed over to the swimming beach, Kate fell asleep (I swear that girl can fall asleep anywhere) so Luke had fun swimming and looking for rocks with Papa. I ended up with my first sunburn of the year (that darn spray on sunscreen!)

After getting back to the Triangle house, Luke was begging to go fishing. The only working fishing pole I could find was one that is a toy fishing pole. I did find his tackle box that Car Papa (my Dad) had given him. I was very proud of myself as I was able to get it working and even a hook on it. However, we did not have any bait. We tried some bologna with no luck. Then Dave went looking for worms with no luck, however he did find a beetle. And would you know it, Luke caught a 5 pound Large Mouth Bass which I missed as Kate had to go to up to the house to use the potty!

Luke driving the boat with the help of Dave (I have a picture just like this of Luke driving the boat every year since he was 1).

Papa and Kate walking down to the dock. Kate is carrying her "Rainbow" bear that she made at Build-A-Bear and is currently very attached to.

Dave helping Luke with his 5 pound Large Mouth Bass. This is the first fish Luke has caught on Raccoon Lake!

Welcome Mo-Mo to the Amos' Household

2009-06-24T11:47:00.004-04:00

Okay, the human-to-animal ratio in our household is now skewed in favor of the animals AGAIN with the addition of Mo-Mo the Winter White Drawf hamster that Luke got. Mo-Mo joins Buddie the dog (who is old, fat and grumpy) and two Beta fish (Nemo and Dory, who are orange and blue, respectively).

Mo-Mo is named after the monkey on PowerPuff Girls. Yes, Luke is a huge fan of them, and I don't dare ask why! He thinks Kate looks like Bubbles (the Blue PPG). Anyway, Mo-Mo is very sweet and I think I will be much happier with Mo-Mo (will be much less work then the guinea pigs we had).

Anyway, here is a picture of our newest addition.

Florida Papa is now in town. We took the kids to the pool yesterday afternoon. While Papa was off playing with Luke, Kate and I went to Mermaid school (basically the girls hanging out together in the pool pretending we were mermaids). So it was lots of fun! But it is HOT and HUMID here....ugh! Looks like we are going back to the pool this afternoon with Papa after we get some quotes on how much it will cost to finish painting the house.

2009-06-21T21:21:00.011-04:00

On Saturday, I had my first 'real' class (last week was more of an orientation to the program). And I must say I am very excited! My classmates are awesome and we all have the same goal and passion: to help 'exceptional' children, otherwise known as special ed. And the professor for this course is very inspirational. She has been in the Special Ed field for almost 30 years and has a wealth of knowledge. The coursework for this particular class will be manageable and I don't see it overwhelming me. Heck, if I can survive having to write numerous 25 page papers during a semester while reading, on the average of 300 pages a week, while in grad school for history, I can do this even with 2 kids competing for my attention! And I think what is surprising, in a very good way, is how Indiana Wesleyan incorporates Christian virtues into the coursework and challenges us to be a good Christian. It is very inspirational.

We survived our first Father's Day w/out Mark. The kids are still to young to quite get Father's Day, but we were out at the Lake like we always were. Their Uncle Mike (my brother-in-law, Mike Myron) joined as he is now in Columbus, OH while my SIL and nieces and nephew are still in Omaha awaiting their house to sell so they can join him as he got a new job in Columbus. It was good for all of us. Mike wasn't 'alone' on Father's Day and neither were we. I got up early this morning, while the kids were still asleep, and had a chance to sit on the dock for a while watching the sun rise. I had my iPod with me so I could listen to the music that I 'needed' to hear at that moment. I was able to enjoy the serenity around me while reflecting on Mark. Also, I finally got an opportunity to spread some of his ashes in the Lake like I have been wanting to do. Up until now, there just hasn't been the 'right' time...and it was very fitting to have done it on Father's Day. Though there were many tears shed, it was really a peaceful feeling.

Here is a copy of the memoriam I had put in today's Indy Star from the kids for Mark in honor of Father's Day. I absolutely love this picture of Mark. It was taken about a month before he died while on a hunting trip in Washington with his Dad. It is such an honest picture of him- his charming smile with that twinkle in his eye.

June 21, 2009: In Loving Memory of Mark E. Amos June 1, 1976- Oct. 13, 2008. Dear Daddy: We miss you very much. We love to sing songs to you while sitting on the "Daddy" swing or when we are out at the Triangle House. We know you are with Jesus up in Heaven (and even beat Him at golf!) Love you, Luke and Kate

And here is the link: http://www2.indystar.com/cgi-bin/memoriams/index.php?action=show&id=6546&category=memoriam

Thomas the Train

2009-06-19T18:07:00.005-04:00

We made our annual trek to see Thomas the Train in Connersville. It was fun as always, but it was in the mid-80's and the humidity felt like it was at 100%. None of us do heat and humidity well, so after the train ride, we did most of the free activities(pony rides, 'pumpkin' train ride and more) then headed back home. Here are some pics.

The last pic is of a covered bridge that we came upon after having to take a slight detour on the county roads due to the highway being under construction. I believe we were in Rush County at this point. What a wonderful surprise and a great way top of a beautiful day with the kids!

2009-06-17T16:25:00.003-04:00

I have to admit, this whole being able to "stay at home more" with the kiddos is going much better than I thought it ever could (a little nervous they would drive me insane by day three)....maybe since it is summer time and we are free to enjoy the beautiful weather....but I really think it is all the stress that I left behind in that Allstate parking lot when I drove my car away from there for the last time. Now, don't get me wrong, I made some dear friends there and Allstate was really good to me given all that I have been through....but the job was very, very stressful ...and sure the salary was good and the 'benefits' were good.... but I have learnd too much stress is not worth any amount of money.

This afternoon our neighbors invited us over for an impromptu water party that consisted of a slip and slide and our alligator pool. They kids truly enjoyed themselves and I was glad to see that. I was smiling on the outside and inside as I knew that if I was at work, I would not have been able to enjoy this moment with them. Seeing them be care-free and enjoying themselves in the summer, as kids should, and I was there to see it, not sitting behind some desk and computer.

2009-06-15T18:13:00.000-04:00

Okay, I FINALLY gave into peer pressure and created a blogspot.....you know who you are that finally kicked me in the behind enough to do so. I have a xanga account, but honestly, I haven't posted on there in some time. Given everything that has gone on the past 8 months, lately I just didn't feel like posting. So here is to a fresh start!!

Speaking of fresh starts, today is my first day as a "SAHM-who-is-an-unemployed-college-student". And of course, one of the kids have to be sick. Kate has been running a low-grade fever all day and has spent most of the day sleeping. Luke went to VBS this morning, albiet kicking and screaming, but warmed up to it once he got there. It is amazing what I can get accomplished with one kid out of the house with the other one sleeping!

We have the 'alligator' pool set up on the deck and Luke has invited all the kids on the street over for a 'pool' party. Ah, this will be an intersting summer that I think will involve me drinking alot of wine!!!