Track Meet II and III

Meet II

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Meet II


For the last 2 weeks Hunter has run the 1600 and the 2400 which just so happen to be the first and LAST event. He packs a snack to eat and hangs out in the stands in between while we go home and rest our eyes from all the hard work of watching him run 1.5 miles! Then we come back at the end and watch him run the mile.


While he pushing through the pain I'm in the stands with this sweet thing, playing with ring bops.


Hunter in "Beast Mode"


She's my go-to girl when I want to try out gift ideas. I take her critique very seriously:)

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Spring "No" Break .....Yet

I've always had the opinion that house work kills. We're doing a little housekeeping today before we get in the full swing of Spring Break.


Ours is not a happy home :(


Oh, Joe's happy. It's a BEAUTIFUL day. He has his play clothes on and is playing in the dirt. Life is good!


It's the spirit of our children we are killing by not providing them with the rest they so desperately need.

He Wrote A Sonet

Drew turned this in as an English project today, worried he's written too many papers about band.

I open my black case, and reach inside,
My hands close around a shiny object.
Quickly I attach the bell to the slide.
I twist the mouthpiece so it won’t eject.

My trombone is put together at last.
I hold the cold brass up against my face,
I take a deep breath and let a note blast.
Playing my trombone is my happy place.

My trombone and I have been through a lot,
In marching band we didn’t make the show,
Nevertheless we worked hard for a spot.
Us two have been friends since long ago.

Gently I unscrew its slide from its bell.
And put my trombone back in its black shell.

He has come such a long way since the end of 5Th when he found out he has perfect lips to play the trombone. Which was not he 1st, 2nd or 3rd choice. He had taken drum lessons in hopes of playing percussion.

His whole 6Th grade year his trombone made it no farther than the back door, where he would drop if off in the afternoon and pick it up in the morning. Everything started "clicking" when try-outs for 7Th grade band started. To this day he has regret about not practicing enough and asks us why we didn't push him more. Like he would have listened!

Fast forward to 9Th grade and band is ALL he talks about. He can take any subject and turn it into a topic about band.


Summer band can't get here fast enough!

Track Meet #1

Hunter's first track meet was yesterday. He ran in the mile and 1.5 mile. Which happened to be to first and last event! The temp swung high and very low. He came in 4Th in the 1.5 mile and somewhere in the middle for the mile. Good Job Hunter!

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Redneck Pole Vaulting

It's track season and Hunter being the dedicated athlete that he is practices at home. In the backyard, with PVC pipes, folding chairs, really nice pillows from his BED and the pole we use to attach skimmer baskets to for the pool. It's like a scene from the rugrats where, in their mind, they're at the Olympics but reality it's just their back yard.

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They look so happy, who would tell them different.

Oh, How the Years Go By

Channel Amy Grant. Last week during the snowstorm debacle of 2011, one of our pipes burst GASP! Joe even "wrapped" it.


Proof there was precipitation- icicles :)


We got a call from a neighbor saying his driveway was flooding thanks to our hose/facet. Joe raced home. I, on the other hand, continued lunch with friends, ha! Full discloser, the neighbor turned the water off to our house. If you've ever lived anywhere the water is turn off regularly, you know what that means.....1 flush per toilet...that's it! TMI, I know.

Back in the day our kids were ALL over helping Joe, fix ANYTHING!


Exhibit A


Exhibit B


Exhibit C


today, not so much.


Drew prefers to have his Dad work around the house while HE is in the comfort of his game room. This all happened before Hunter got home , so we'll just assume he would have been a model son and helped his Dad.


And Joe prefers not to have a kid between his legs while he doing it :)

Valentine's Day 1998

Hunter had tubes put in his ears that morning and Joe and I were on a committee at church that planned valentine dance that evening.

I had just turned 30, wanna know what I got? My FIRST cell phone, it was HUGE! And a VCR! I won't even watch a movie today unless I can get it "on-demand"! The world has changed so much in 13 short years!

Christmas Part II

We got to Chicago just ahead of the snow.


It was Perfect! Drew and Hunter could play in the snow


and we could watch from the warm living room window.


Meet their new brother


and first snowman Jorge- said in a very Latin accent :)


One night we bundled up and headed to Lincoln Park Zoo- they decorate for Christmas and had great lights. It inspired me until I thought about having to take it all down!


The consequences of snow are probably only fun if you're visiting for a week and know you're headed south to warmer temperatures. Like putting salt on the driveway and sidewalks to melt the snow and


SNOW BLOWING!!!! Can I just say.... if I ever live anywhere close to snow, I'm going to have the biggest most bada** snow blower ever!

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and finally Christmas Day!

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Sweet Home Chicago Part I

We've spent a few Christmas' in Chicago, Joe's hometown. Like the year Drew was born, we were living in Moscow, Russia and had plans to got to Elot, Israel for the holiday when we realized because of a surgery, Joe's dad had NEVER held our precious bundle of joy. So, we hopped a plane and surprised them Christmas Eve.


And 3 years earlier-


It was my first "white" Christmas. Me and my sweet SIL MB blowing in the wind to see our breath.

Fast forward to 2010 the forecast was promising a big snow, with lots of family activities and a car begging for a road trip.


Columbia, Mo at Kat's graduation.

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Drew and Hunter's first time in the snow.


hotel fun :)




sweet niece H and her mom-

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who scrapped our car clean of snow in freezing temperatures and outfitted our kids for the week so they won't freeze! That's just the beginning, wait until you meet Jorge!

Santa's Workshop

The elves were at work last night wrapping and packing with help from a friend.


Hunter wrapping from the drums- notice the dust and graffiti!

Props

Hunter had his Christmas concert last week and was recognized 3 times for his accomplishments in the band program. Each patch or ribbon represents a separate award he's received over the last two years, something he's SUPER proud of! His goal next year is to make region band and "letter" as a freshman!

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Everyone Loves A Parade!

Sunday night our youth group was in the annual "Volunteer Fire Fighter" parade- Baby-it was Coooold outside! Hunter in next to the tree in the two-tone jacket and beenie.

O, Christmas Tree O, Christmas Tree

How richly God has decked thee!


O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!


Thou bidst us true and faithful be,


And trust in God unchangingly.


O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!


How richly God has decked thee!


I have a new strategy- the minute I started taking pictures the quicker Drew and Hunter got! This is them running away with the tree that took minutes to pick out. By the time Joe was finished paying for it, they had it loaded and ready to go.

Restored

Four weeks to the day, our repairs are FINALLY finished!


Our shower is leak proof,


new pretty flooring installed,


and best of all, Drew and Hunter have a pimped out "man cave".

How YOU Doin' ?!

Isn't it so funny how boys don't see a mess! These 4 were so content to sit in the kitchen amongst all the ruble of the house and play the WII or XBOX- I can't remember which.


As long as they have friends and something to do they're fine. You'll never guess which one of them slept on the couch Saturday night!


Even if that "something" means checking facebook through the plastic put up to protect the computer from dust!

Hunk-A, Hunk-A, Stud Muffin

One of Joe's many talents is working around the house. He loves to "putter" and I love to give him projects.


So when the epic water leak of '10 ruined our entire wood floor, because of this much damage, my mind went in to home improvement overload.


Because I knew this was in our future


and this


and our furniture would make it's home in the "cozy kitchen"


and if the floors where being replaced, it would be a perfect time to install bead board in the dining room. Because I want it to look like the picture below and pretend I live here.


With MUCH reservation-he said YES! I think his exact words were: I really have serious doubt about this, but I'll do it because it's a good excuse to get the nail gun I've always wanted.


Merry Christmas to the one I love!


My "stud" looking for studs.