Ryan

He was God's child. He was Dale and Celeste's son. He was Amber and Lynn's brother. He was Dawn's husband. He was Caleb, Levi, Seth and Chloe's daddy. He used to live in Nairobi, Kenya. Now he lives in heaven.

His life suddenly ended at age 33. There was no warning, no long term illness, no reason to anticipate this loss. There was only an airplane flight that ended in flames. We may not know why for a long time, but someday we will know why Ryan had to go to his eternal home so soon. And because we never know when our last day is approaching, I am writing this blog to encourage everyone who reads it to live your life to it's fullest. Make your life count. Live with a purpose. Love your children. Make your actions matter. Speak with patience. Decide with wisdom. Ignore the things about your spouse that drive you crazy and love them like crazy instead. Take the risk. Go on the adventure. Leave the dishes till morning. But eat really good food. Cherish every kiss, every snuggle, every giggle. Forgive things that others have already forgotten. Release any bitterness. Say Yes more often. Assume the best. Be inspired. Know there's a Plan. And most of all, accept Jesus as your own personal Lord and Savior. Knowing Him fully will give you the wealth of joy needed to get through the times in life when despair wants to take over. We can have JOY knowing that Ryan is healed, rejoicing in heaven, having true life. We also know that when we finally make it to heaven, Ryan will be waiting at the gates for us. It's not good-bye. It's see you later. And until then, let's live!! Really Live.

Birthdays

Birthdays are so bittersweet.

Sweet: It's the most incredible experience to watch your child grow into the person they are to become.

Bitter: Every year older is every year further away from what they used to be.

And it's because we love our children at every stage they are in that we are sad to see them leave it behind with only pics and vids to remember their bubbly faces and funny words. And it's because we love our children at every stage they are in that it is exciting to see them grow and flourish and learn new things. Birthdays.

My children have all now celebrated their 2009 birthdays. Sam is 9. ugh. We told him he's not allowed to go past 10. He still cuddles with me on the couch. He still tells me he loves me. He still holds my hand in public. Please let that never end. Elle just turned 7. SEVEN! Her independence is growing, right along with her sense of fashion. Please don't turn 16 too quickly. And Jack is 5 1/2. He's entering kindergarten in the fall. I hate that. He's my side-kick. But no longer. School is coming, along with a new job for me. Changes are everywhere and I can't stop them from happening.

Time to embrace the new normal.

My Kids

I'm having a 'Staycation' right now. Home alone. Kids are in Michigan. Turns out I miss them. Alot. This pic was taken on the 4th of July. I hope you love it as much as I do.

The River Wild

Our rivers are not wild (really) but they are beautiful and so close to home. When we moved up here, we had no idea how much we would love all the nature. We are discovering that not only do we love what winter has to offer, but we are also loving summer for the rivers and lakes that run through our town. Last summer, we bought a used canoe. This summer, we added a kayak. This past weekend, we enjoyed both!

We had some great friends visit us for the weekend, and between meals and catching up on each other's lives, we hiked our mountain all the way to the top, and spent all of Sunday afternoon on the Big Rib River. Our friends brought their own canoe, and we borrowed another kayak, so between the 2 families, we had enough space for all members to be on the river together.

Most of the 4 hour trip, Sam manuevered the kayak all by himself...under fallen trees, scooching across shallow parts,and finding his way between logs. He was a natural. In the meantime, Dean was the captain of our little ship while I sat in the front of the canoe and Elle and Jack rode middle. I like to do that I have termed "Princess Canoeing". You know...I sit in the front and..well..sit. I help out Dean when he needs it, and we actually make a really good team. But then I go back to, well, sitting. It works for us. Dean doesn't mind at all. He's just happy I'm there :o)

After about 3 hours, Sam was tired of kayaking. Who could blame him? So I offered to kayak the rest of the trip. I had never sat in a kayak before, much more been in charge of my own trip down a river. But I liked it. Until the very end. I always get a little "buggy" while on a river. After 2-3 hours, I just need it to end. I feel as though the Twighlight Zone is upon me and I'm never going to get off of the winding river that doesn't seem to end. And there I sat, in a kayak, by myself, with no one to get me back but myself. The last 30 minutes was tough, but it was more mental than physical. I've always told Dean he needs to find me a river route that is no longer than 2 hours. That would be my perfect adventure.

The kids' favorite part of the river trip is getting out and playing in the river. They were finding beautiful, big healthy mussels all over the place. Some mussels even came home with us (yeah for us!) They also found a rare soft-shelled turtle, and lots of polliwogs. Sometimes they just like to get out of the canoe and walk down the river with us. They truly love it. And of course, Jack fell asleep in the canoe. I couldn't get a picture of it, but I would have if I could have!

I should also mention Dean. He has been kayaking several times already this summer, to include a moonlight adventure. He and our friend went out Saturday night at 10pm and did not return until 2:30am! According to them, it's a lot easier in the daylight. Go figure :o)

A Sprinkling of Summer (thus far)

Now that summer has finally decided to show up, the summer activities have begun! Here is the latest rundown of stuff that should have been blogged about and haven't been yet:

1) I should explain the gruesome pic first. Yes, that is my head. Yes, those are staples you see. Yes, it is Dean's fault. He was hanging up his new kayak in the garage and having me help him. Needless to say, while screwing the bracket in the ceiling, he missed the stud completely. So when he was raising the kayak up to the ceiling, the weight of the kayak pulled the bracket out of the ceiling and right onto my head! Tears, Blood, and a trip to the ER followed. Oh, and then a trip to Pier One too :o)

2. I've already mentioned the kayak. Dean's new favorite summer sport is kayaking. He'd gone out a couple of times with friends and borrowed a kayak everytime. He loved it so much he had to get one for himself. We have rivers all over here, and just like skiing in the winter, it's foolish not to take part in all our town has to offer! SO.. kayaking in the summer it is. In the pic with Dean and Sam, they borrowed a kayak and went together for the first time. Sam was a natural. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure my time is coming.

3. I finally got a new oven/microwave!! Thanks to the military discounts given over Memorial Day Weekend, we were able to replace the old, crusty, "only 3 burners worked and the numbers on the clock "flipover" OVEN with a new one. Heavenly.

4. The kids have been loving the warm weather with trips to the pool, a free trip to the Dells, and the slip 'n slide.

5. I got a job! In May, I interviewed for a part-time elementary music teaching position in the kids' school district and they chose me! It's such a blessing in this economy, and I am looking forward to feeling "professional" again. The great thing is that the kids will barely miss me as we will all get home from school/work at the same time. I think subbing last year really helped prepare me mentally for this transition. It's going to be tough, but it is still a blessing for our family.

Snapshots of DisneyWorld - 2009

Waiting...

So I'm stuck. My computer will die a fatal death if I add all the Disney pics to it, so I'm at Dean's mercy for the use of his work laptop. This means that I cannot post any pics or videos until he comes home from work. I'm hoping to get some done tonite. Or maybe spend some time using my parents' computer (they have all the pics too). Either way, I have to wait until I can post pics :o(

My dad has already edited the "Reveal" video and I'm really hoping that gets posted to YouTube sometime today, and then I can post it on facebook. It's priceless. You will love it. Again, it's just a matter of waiting on other people. Sigh.

Until then, it's raining. And cold. Why did I come home again????? :o)

SURPRISE!!!!

I don't like keeping fun secrets. I can do it, but it's difficult for me. I like to share in the joy, not keep the joy from someone else. BUT this year, I have kept the biggest fun secret I have ever kept.

Last June, we decided to take our kids to Disney, and not tell them. We bought the plane tickets, and "forgot" about it. As our travel date came closer, it was so hard not to tell them. But on the morning on May 3, we were packed and ready to leave for the airport. And the kids still did not know!!

We were accompanied on this trip with our good friends and their 2 daughters. Their children were also unaware of the fun that awaited them. So, on May 3, after church, and lunch...we gathered the children to show them what they thought was a "video for daddy's work"...only to have the video inform them that they were getting the car, heading to the airport, and leaving for DisneyWorld...Today!

The pic you see here is their reaction to the surprise! It was incredible. And the trip was even better!! More pics to come :o)

SideKicks and Recitals

Simply stated: Jack is my sidekick. He is my last child home during the day and he knows how to hang with his momma! I'm really going to miss him next year when he is in Kindergarten all day long. All of that said, I have more pictures of him simply because he is the kid I see the most! And that is why most of these are of my little sidekick. Speaking of little...the kid does not nap anymore. Or so he would say. But he obviously still needs one, and will take a nap when he can get it, wherever he happens to be at the time. This usually happens around 4:00pm, and he can easily crash until I wake him around 5:00-5:30. (and yes! he still goes to bed at 8:00pm!!) So the pic of him sleeping on the counter is real. He is sound asleep!!

Recitals: Sam and Elle are on their 2nd year of piano lessons, and the pic of them is at their spring piano recital. They did great! It does their music teacher mother's heart proud to see them learning how to read music and play the piano :o)

Enjoy!

I Hate Spring.

I have decided once and for all that Spring is my least favorite season. It's supposed to be the season of new life, fresh buds, green grass, warmer air, and sunshine.

What it really is: ONE BIG TEASE. One sort of nice day within weeks and weeks of wintery blustery air, slush that falls from the sky, snow sprinkled over the grass after another cold night, brown grass, stickly trees without buds, and the poor birds who came back from Florida have no idea why they came back too soon. Winter sports are no longer. Mud is everywhere. And summer is no where in sight.

Spring. Bah-Hum-Bug.

And what is up with the Easter Dresses anyway??? When are they going to make a cutesy pale pink spring-like VELVET dress with long sleeves so that our daughters can actually wear a dress on Easter that they don't have to cover up with their salt-infested gross winter coat????

Spring - Schming.

A Day in the Life...

Doesn't everybody have that one teacher who has affected their life in a positive way, influenced their post-high school decisions, is fondly remembered and never forgotten? I had one of those.

Mr. Buch.

He was my high school choir director, but he was more than that. He was inspirational in many ways, more than I could write in this blog. He loves his students, he loves music, and he loves God. All of that shone through his very being. He still teaches at West High. And today, I am him.

He never gets a sub when he can't be at school. He simply cancels class. But for the past 3 days, he's been in Oklahoma (dining with my brother!!) for a music conference, and it being so close to spring concert time, he called me up and asked if I would sub for him for 3 days! So here I am, sitting at his computer (literally), directing his students while gazing at the same chairs I used to sit in, the same piano, the same room, even the same choir times. It's truly surreal. Am I 18 again??? Feels like it. I just want to sit with the kids and sing with them :o)

But now I am on the other side of the choir. Aside from a few musical blunders (I've just seen the music this week, after all), it's really going well. It's fun yet challenging. I think I am learning more than they are :o) But the best part is being able to get up in front of them and encourage them in their music. To remind them of what a gift they have here at West High. That as they move on into college, they will not hear of another music department quite like the one they are privelaged to be a part of right now. And to tell them their beloved choir director hasn't changed a bit :o)

This is my last day as Mr. Buch. And yet again, even though he wasn't here, he has given me an experience I will never forget.

We Ski...

...That's what we do all winter, as much as possible, even when it's too cold and especially when it's warmer...We ski. Last night, we were getting 8 inches of snow. Dean, Sam and Jack skiied. The night before it was Girl's Night Out on the ski slopes. I skiied. One Sunday afternoon, it was a whopping 2 degrees out..the boys and daddy skiied. It's our winter sport. It's fun. And we love it. Truthfully, we have a hard time making plans in the winter because we want to ski all weekend :o)

One month left. Then sadness. Cuz spring still won't be coming. And the ski hill will be closed.

Hi

Still no pics. Sorry.

I've worked the last 3 days in a row. In.A.Row being the key words. I haven't worked that much without a day off since Sam was born. I'm not trying to sound like a whiner. I actually feel very blessed to have been able to work that much this week. It's just a transition. It's a mental thing. When I first started subbing this year, working all day long was difficult for me. I liked the half days (still do, come to think of it) But I'm finding it interesting that as the year progresses, and I'm getting used to being a substitute teacher, reading lesson plans, walking into unknown territory, and finding my groove as a teacher again, that working all day long isn't so bad. And now I've embarked on my first week of working many days in a row. I'm so thankful to be able to contribute for the family, and I think subbing has been my gradual welcome back into the work force. Gradual being the key word this time. If I went from staying home full time to working full time, I think I would have had some sort of break down. But this gradual thing seems to be working for me. It's all good.

So as I ramble, I should tell you that today I was Sam's teacher :o) All I want to say is that when I see other children, specifically boys, his age, I am so THANKFUL that Sam is the child coming home with me! Substitute teaching has taught me to truly appreciate my own children and what a blessing they are. And having the opportunity to be in their class makes it all the more apparent that I really do have good kids :o)

A New Post!! Can you believe it!?

Yes, I am still here. For some reason, I have it in my head that I can't blog unless I have a picture to go with it. Well, with the death of our computer, and the resurrection of an old (and very slow) computer, I am at Dean's mercy to get me the pics, which, on a nightly basis, I forget to bug him about. All that being said, I'm blogging without a picture.

So, where have I been? What have we been doing? It's been almost 2 months for pete's sake.
1) Well, I have a new addiction. FACEBOOK. I really believe that facebook has taken away from my blog. It's too fun and too easy. And if you aren't on facebook, you need to get on it soon! I love posting updates there and reading everyone else's updates too.

2) Skiing. Yes, we are still skiing, and loving it. Jack has been upgraded to poles, and he skiis so well it freaks me out. Skiing keeps the winter here fun and helps me look forward to more snowfalls instead of dreading them. Sam has been racing and he's placed everytime he raced!

3)My baby turned 5! Where does time go? I know that's so cliche, but it's so true. Who ever said my baby had to grow up? At least he's still in size 4T clothes and he still isn't dry at night :o) (wait, you mean that's not a good thing????)

4)Lots of Subbing. I have been working 2-3 days a week this month and last. Seriously, I really like it! I love being with the students and leaving them at the end of the day...kind of like being a grandparent...I get to enjoy them and then give them back :o) Oh sure, I have stories, but more of them are good than bad. And I can handle anything for a day...right?

4) We just got back from a trip to MI for baby Greta's baptism. She's beautiful and itty bitty. It was so fun to hold and cuddle a baby again...and it was fun to give her back when she got fussy :o) We left MI with Sam barfing in the car. That was fun. NOT.

5) Looking ahead, the ski season has only a month left, and I have 3 classes left to take for my WI certification. I am dreading the slow and cold spring. I want to paint my mudroom. I don't want to paint my mudroom. Exciting things are happening at church. And that's about all for now....

Maybe someday I'll get my act together and have Dean give me some pics to post...