Goodbye, Old Friend

On Monday, we had to put down our dear dog, Tee Off.  Tee was 14 years old, and we loved her.  But she was getting so bad she could hardly move.  It was a really hard decision, but we know she was not thriving anymore.

Noel and Elise were a little sad, but they really didn't do much with Tee, since she was so old. To be honest, none of us has done much with her in the last couple of years because she just laid around.

 After we got over the initial sadness of saying goodbye to her, we have been spending the week remembering the fun times we had with Tee.

*She used to bark like crazy at every sound, especially people knocking on the door.
*She would go nuts if you said the word "squirrel".
*She was always on the hunt for something out in the back yard.  One year she caught a bunny, and she and a neighbor dog had a feast.  David found out later it was someone's pet rabbit that had gotten loose!!
*She was a great sidekick to run with in her younger years.  She would pull you along faster than you wanted to go, which was what I needed.
*She was definitely a city dog.  Whenever she had a chance to go to the farm, she inevitably found something dead and/or rotten to roll in.  Delicious!
*She didn't like me at first.  David was hers, and she didn't want to share.  But when the kids came along, all was forgiven, because she got every item of food that was dropped from the table.

Tee was a loyal, loving, friendly dog who will be missed.  We are grateful that we got to be her owners.  Love ya, Tee Dawg!

The Joy is in the Journey

This past Friday and Monday were Noel's "fall break", so we decided to make a vacation of it.  We had not gone anywhere as a family (except the farm) since the spring, so we were excited.

Our first stop (after lunch at Jason's Deli, which was delicious!) was Legoland in Schaumberg, Illinois.  I had heard some mixed reviews, but our kids loved it.

 They love anytime we see Sponge Bob stuff, because I won't let them watch it, so they think they are getting away with something naughty.

Legoland was perfect for kids Noel's age.  There was a lot of interactive entertainment, and even a couple of rides. Dave and I were particularly entertained by the workers there.  They all looked exactly the same--males, mid-20's, shaggy hair, and hipster glasses.  Was this a prerequisite for working at Legoland?  Hmmmm

My friend's sister lives in Schaumberg, so I got lots of restaurant suggestions from her.  We heard that Lou Malnati's was the place to eat pizza.  And it definitely was.  We had to wait a long time (it was Friday night), and I was getting a little nervous about how the kids would hold up, but it was sooooo good!!

Saturday was our big adventure day.  We took the train from Schaumberg to Union Station in Chicago.

(Sidenote:  Elise and Noel made a little friend at the train station, who was staying at our hotel and we saw numerous times.  She was about 2, and was with her mom at the station.  Mom had her on one of those harnesses --aka a leash.  And when the kids were playing with her, she got herself all wrapped around a lightpole.  Did anyone out there see the Modern Family episode where the little girl was on a leash?  Yeah, it was just like that.)

The kids loved the train.  It was really fun, and we had a great time telling knock knock jokes and laughing on the way in.  Once we got to Union Station, we met a nice man who helped us catch the bus to Navy Pier.  Noel said the bus was his favorite mode of transportation that day.

We spent the next several hours taking in everything at Navy Pier.  We rode some of the rides, including this big ferris wheel, and ate some hot dogs.  We just tried to enjoy every moment and take it all in.

One thing we didn't get any pictures of were the street performers at Navy Pier.  There were people all dressed up/painted as cats, lizards, puppets, etc.  It was really weird.  I think the "cat" woman really thought she was a cat.  Who says all the crazies live in Kokomo?  But we did see an act from a guy dressed as Frankenstein that was really impressive, and the kids loved it.

I would say that Elise's favorite part of the trip was getting her own Build-a-Bear.  She loved the whole process, and of course found the only pair of high heeled bear shoes in the store for her new friend, Little Princess.  Noel was a really good sport about it, and was generously rewarded with a pop gun.

At the end of the day, we took a water taxi home, which was perfect, because we got to see all of the buildings from a great perspective and just relax.

The last day of our trip was heading home, plus a stop at Fair Oaks Farms, which is a dairy farm with all kinds of exhibits.  It was the most beautiful day, and we really had a good time.  We got to see a cow being born, which was kind of neat, but also really gross.

All in all, we learned that our kids are much more flexible than they used to be, and that traveling can be fun if you can roll with the punches and have lots of snacks on hand.

And the pics just keep coming!

August 15th was a monumental day for our family.  Not only was it Noel's first day of kindergarten, it was our official "moving" day.  We figured, why not cram all of the emotional stress into one great, memorable day!

And so, this is why Noel's first day of school picture is him standing on a trailer.

Thinking back, I was more overwhelmed with getting everything packed and everyone ready to actually be sad.  Now that I look at this picture, I'm a little teary thinking about all of the memories we made in that driveway and on that porch.  So many firsts.  So many greats.  And so much more to come.

Not to be outdone, Elise had to do a little posing of her own.  Her official first day was the next day.  I think she's been ready for preschool for about 2 years!

They really do like each other.  I kid you not.  Yes, they have some nasty moments, but when it comes down to it, they are crazy about each other.

And this is the new house that we now live in!!

I used to be pretty good at blogging

and then this whole moving into a house-selling our old house-craziness began.  But I've finally gotten my pictures all downloaded from, oh, summer until now.  So bear with me as I try and backtrack through the fun I have not posted about.

Who stole my babies and replaced them with much bigger kids?  Wasn't it just yesterday they could stand inside the wheels of the big combine at the fair?  Wow.

One of the highlights of our summer was getting to celebrate my in-laws' 50th wedding anniversary in July.  Almost every family member came, including my wonderful nieces and nephews.  They are such a fun group of people.  As soon as they see my kids, they grab them and love on them, take them on four-wheeler rides, play games with them, teach them new things, and just have fun.  

Everyone worked long and hard to pull off a great open house for Ed and Linda, and at the end, we had a bonfire to relax.  Definitely one of my favorite memories of the whole summer.

Above are Josh and Lauren

Jacob, his girlfriend Breanna, Abby (beautiful!), and Steve

Tye

Liz, Becca, and Elise

In other news. . .

Who needs toys when you can just raid your dad's closet?

I had to post this picture, because I love that a)he worked so hard to put David's hat, jeans, AND shoes on and b)he is working that camera pretty hard, too.  Do you think he's had his picture taken a time or two?

More pictures to come!

Dying All Over Again

Okay, so the truth is, I have watched You've Got Mail about a million times.  I can quote most of the lines.  I know it's corny, but I just love it.  Most of the movie is really funny, but there is this scene near the end when Meg Ryan's character has to close her book shop.  She has this line where she says that closing the store feels like losing her mother all over again.  And. . .cue the tears.

So, what does this have to do with me?

I just finished a biography about David Foster Wallace:

If you don't know anything about DFW, he was the author of several books, many of which had critical acclaim.  But to me he was one of my English professors at Illinois State University.  I took a class on prose from him, and it was one of the hardest classes I ever took.  When I took the class I had no idea that he was a quasi-famous author who was trying to stay away from the spotlight by living in the midwest.  Now, as I have just learned through his biography, he was a recovering drug addict who had several major bouts of depression, a couple of which caused him to be put in an institution.  I had no idea that while I was trying to get an A in his class, he was trying to climb out of a pit of depression and addiction.

In September of 2008, after trying to get off of some medication because it was taking a toll on his body, he hit rock bottom and hung himself.

When I first found out he had died, I was incredibly sad.  Not because I loved his writings (many of them are intensely graphic, and I wouldn't recommend them--although his nonfiction is AMAZING), but because I felt that he was a lost soul who had struggled with so many things his whole life.  It made me think about how many other people out there are struggling with depression, or addiction, or something else, and they look like they have it all together on the outside.

And now, four years later, as I read the final pages of his biography, it's like he's died all over again.

Life is short.
Time is a gift.
People are hurting.  Everywhere.  Hurting.
And if you are hurting, you are not the only one.  I promise.

Turning 6

Dear Noel,

It takes you two hands to show people how old you are now.  That makes me take a big gulp.  Those nights when you wouldn't sleep seemed like an eternity.  But now, I feel like I blinked and you're all grown up.

You are quirky and funny.  Sometimes this makes us crazy, but usually it makes us laugh.

You love to figure out how things work.  You study something and look at details most people wouldn't even notice.  It never ceases to amaze me.

You are becoming more and more independent, but still want a hug and kiss from me when I drop you off at kindergarten.  Let's keep it that way for a while.

You love your little sister, and she adores you.  When you two go somewhere alone, it practically melts my heart when I see you take her hand or make sure she's right next to you.  I am not naive enough to believe you won't have some knock-down drag-outs as you grow, but I hope you will always find comfort and solace in each other.

You are constant energy.  Filled with questions.  Concerned about fairness.  Learning about the world.

I am so privileged to be your mom.   It's overwhelming at times to know that I have such an influence on you.  I pray that God will use me to show You the right way.

I hear a lot of people say they want their kids to be happy, and I do want you to be happy.  But more than happy, I want you to be holy.  I want you to be a follower of God and know the plans He has for you.  To understand that what we do here on earth makes a difference, and that loving others, although not always easy, is what we have been called to do.

Thank you for being my son.

Love,
Mom