2011 Recap!

So in January, I posted an entry about all the things I was hoping 2011 would bring.  It's officailly over, and I figured I should see if all of my dreams came true or not! 

• A new job or a new career. (Something that makes me happy!) Done - Been at DEMCO for 9 1/2 months now, and I love it.  Great company!  Enjoying my position, and learning more everyday!  There have been some recent changes in my department, I am anxiously looking forward to 2012 and what our new structure will bring!
• Kale being potty trained! (I have had 6 1/2 years of diapers, and I am ready for it to be over!) Done - He is fully potty Trained, and her is even dry through the night.  We are going to start wearing underwear to bed!  YEAH!
• A Superbowl victory for the Packers! (Sorry Steeler's fans!) Done - Super Bowl Champs, and starting the new season 13-1 (soon to be 14-1) for this year!  I would love 2012 to start with a repeat!
• Rylee growing back in her two front teeth. (The girl couldn't eat an apple if her life depended on it.) Well...We are almost there!  They are both in...Just have to move into the correct places!  :)
• I would love to lose about 20 lbs, but who wouldn't! No real progress here, but I didn't really try to lose weight either.  I haven't lost much, but I haven't gained either!
• Eli to not pee at night.  I am afraid he is going to have to wear pull-ups to college! (He is a sound sleeper, but come on!) No progress here...He still wets almost every night.  Not sure what is going to have to happen to get him to wake up an go?  It's frustrating! 
• I can't wait to meet my new nephew in April...I hope makes things nice on his Mom and enters the world quickly and healthily! Theo is doing great!  He is 8 1/2 months old and besides some pesty ear infections and tubes he is a healthy boy!  Now he just need to start sleeping a little better at night, so Mom and Dad can get some rest!  :)
• I hope Trent has a great baseball season, and his team makes it to the final four.  (Two reasons: 1.) I know that he really wants to play in the championship game, and it would be a great accomplishment for him and his team, and 2.) Then he could retire!  Ha ha!) Well, The Royals lost in the first round of the playoffs, but had a good year all in all.  Trent had shoulder surgery at the end of Sept, and is working on rehab.  Not sure what 2012 will bring for baseball...
• I hope I get to spend lots of time with my family and freinds, cause you all mean the world to me! I have gotten to spend lots of time with Family, and got to see my friends a little more this fall, but still would like to get together more often with some of my friends.  Had a great Christmas with family and look forward to a wonderful new year!

Some great things happened in 2011 that I didn't plan on, but really enjoyed.  Easton and Tica had a litter of surprise pups and they are absolutely adorable!  One of them is going to Sally and Mike's house to live( Her name  is still TBD)!  Nick watched Rylee, Cash, and Mikki for the summer and it was wonderful!  The kids loved hanging out with Nick and It was so nice for us to get to see Nick all the time too!  We spend lots of time at the pond, and the ball park during the summer.  Trent won a wonderful vacation through work, and we went out to San Fransico for 4 days in November.  That was a great trip and a nice relaxing time! 

We had some sadness, and some difficult times...but nothing that we couldn't work through!  All in all 2011 was a great year.  I can't wait to see what 2012 has to bring!  Thank you all for being a part of our lives!  Wishing you a Happy New Year!

Stacey

What are the Benefits?

I have a friend that asked me a couple weeks ago what the good thing about having kids was.  It was a light hearted conversation about life, so we joked about the tax benefits, and she argued with me that they cost more then the tax refund.  After some additional light hearted conversation we went on to talk about other things.  On my drive home that night I starting thinking more about her question.  Over the last couple weeks this type of question/discussion has come up.  As a mother of three, you would think I would be able to easily answer this question, but it's not!  Why is it not? What are the benefits of being a Mother/Father? 

We joke all the time about the sleepless nights, the mass craziness of kids, the house being covered in toys, the mountains of laundry, the timeouts, the temper tantrums, and the bodily fluids (need I say more)!  We laugh at stories about embarrassing moments and out of control kids.  So it's very easy to understand why the question would be asked...It's understandable.

I don't know if it's a sad statement that people with out kids might now know the joy or benefits of having kids, but the more I thought about it, the more it bothered me.  So...Here it is...

The first moment you see your child for the first time you can't imagine every loving anything as much as you love that baby.  But then they start to grow, and smile at you!  You never thought a smile smile or even better yet, a laugh could melt your heart.  As they grow their personality starts to develop, and you start to understand what they think and how they act.  You are the one person that knows every secret, and knows every story.  You get hugs and kisses just for being you, and there is no one in the world they trust more.  No one else that can make there skinned knee feel better, or that they want to snuggle with when they don't feel good.  They make you laugh, they make you cry, the make you want to pull out your hair.  They tell you that you look pretty, and that they love you.  So what is the Benefit of Having kids.  There is not just one, there are a million but the best way I know is to say...

They are my life! 

2011 - Update

So in January, I posted an entry about all the things I was hoping 2011 would bring.  Since the year is getting closer to it's conclusion, I thought it would be a good time to revisit that list...

• A new job or a new career. (Something that makes me happy!) Done - Been at DEMCO for 8 months now, and I love it.  Great company!  Enjoying my position, and learning more everyday!
• Kale being potty trained! (I have had 6 1/2 years of diapers, and I am ready for it to be over!) Done - He is fully potty Trained, and even waking up dry about 90% of the time!  It's wonderful!
• A Superbowl victory for the Packers! (Sorry Steeler's fans!) Done - Super Bowl Champs, and starting the new season 4-0!
• Rylee growing back in her two front teeth. (The girl couldn't eat an apple if her life depended on it.) Well...They are getting there.  One is in all the way, and the second one is working it's way in!  They both look huge, but we are heading in the right direction.
• I would love to lose about 20 lbs, but who wouldn't! No real progress here.  I haven't lost much, but I haven't gained either!
• Eli to not pee at night.  I am afraid he is going to have to wear pull-ups to college! (He is a sound sleeper, but come on!) He woke up the other day dry.  First time in months...Maybe that is progress? 
• I can't wait to meet my new nephew in April...I hope makes things nice on his Mom and enters the world quickly and healthily! Theo is approaching 6 months and is a sweetheart!  He is healthy and happy, and a wonderful addition to the family!
• I hope Trent has a great baseball season, and his team makes it to the final four.  (Two reasons: 1.) I know that he really wants to play in the championship game, and it would be a great accomplishment for him and his team, and 2.) Then he could retire!  Ha ha!) Well, The Royals lost in the first round of the playoffs, but had a good year all in all.  They battled hard!
• I hope I get to spend lots of time with my family and freinds, cause you all mean the world to me! I have gotten to spend lots of time with Family, and this fall I am going to work on the Friends thing!  Need to get together more often with them.  I miss you guys!

So all in all things are going well in 2011.  Now I just have to work on losing weight and getting together with friends more often.  It has been a good year so far!  Until next time!

Annual Baseball Photo

Rylee, Trent, Kale, & Eli - July 4, 2011

It has become a tradition that we take a picture of Trent & the kids on the 4th of July with his Baseball uniform on.  This year was a bit different cause the uniform is a different color, but we still wanted to take the picture anyway.  Rylee had been in a good mood, but for some reason all the pictures we took she looks grumpy!  We also don't have Lodi shirts yet, so the kids had to just wear any blue t-shirt they had.  Last night Trent was comparing this year's picture to last years and couldn't believe how much taller Rylee looked!  Kale is also starting to catch Eli!  Pretty soon they are going to be the same size!  ha ha!  We might have to re-do the picture once the Lodi t-shirts come in, and hopefully Rylee will smile next time!  Ha ha!

Mac N Cheese

In the normal hustle and bustle of a morning at the Schneider house, After getting up showering, getting ready for work,  getting the kids up, and dressed, we headed down stairs to eat breakfast, and get things around and ready to leave.  I have been pretty busy at work, and have been working through lunch, so I like to take something to eat.  I grabbed the grapes and washed them, grabbed a puding cup, and was searching in the fridge for something else to take.  I saw a container on the bottom shelf that looked like noodles.  I opened it.  Mac N Cheese perfect.  Threw it in my bag, and we were off.  As I was driving to drop off the boys at daycare, and Rylee at Sally's house, I started to think about the Mac N Cheese.  I know I wasn't home for supper last night (I had volleyball), but Trent is kind of doing this No Carb Diet thing, so I would be surprised if he made that for supper.  It was also not Kraft Mac N Cheese It was clearly more "gourmet" then that.  We didn't have anything but kraft in the cupboard.  Ummm...Then I was thinking.  When was the last time I made Mac N Cheese, and what kind was it.  I think it's been weeks, or even over a month, and I think I put  hot dogs in it that time.  My mind started to wonder...Finally, I ask Rylee.  Did you have Mac N Cheese for supper last night?  Thinking as she starts to answer..."Is my lunch safe to eat or will I die after consumption?"  She says, Yes...It was really good.  I had two helpings!  AH!  Thank goodnes! 

I am not sure what I learned today.  A.) I need to clean out my fridge more often.  or B.) Just ask the kids...They know what is going on better than we do!

Happy 7th Birthday Rylee!

Today is Rylee's seventh birthday!  WOW!  I can't believe she is 7 years old already!  Time Flies when you are having fun!  Trent, Rylee, and the boys went down to spend the day in Hollandale.  They were going to visit Grandma & Grandpa Schneider, Grandma Hendrickson, and Grandma Judy.  Then they are heading back to Madison and we are meeting for dinner at Ella's Deli.  The boys gave her the present they picked out for her this morning (Lady Bug Pillow Pet)!  Trent said she liked it. 

I hope Ryle has a great day!  She is such a sweetheart and deserves to have a great birthday!  She had made my life o much better since the day she was born, I can't belive how lucky I am to have a daughter like her!

Enjoy your day Rylee!



Kale & Rylee



Tball (Age 6)





Rylee & Mom - Badger Game (Age 5)



Monkey Sized (Age 6)

Rylee Brewer Game

Rylee Picnic (Age 5)









Tball BABY!

Last week Wednesday night Rylee had her first Tball game of the year!  She did great!  The weather didn't really cooperate, so they were only able to play 3 innings, but Rylee got to hit twice  and played short-stop, 2nd base, and pitcher.  She seemed to have a good time!  She seems to be so much better then she was last year.  I am not sure if it's just that she is a year older, and the younger kids are clueless, or if she has gotten better.  I guess we will see!  Tonight is her second game of the season.  So we will see how it goes...

Eli also started Tball last night.  He is doing a 1st sports class through the YMCA.  He is in the 4 yr old class, because he is 4 until the end of August, but he worried me a bit.  Some of those kids were so little compared to him, and he has such a strong arm that I was a little worried he was going to hurt one of the little girls he was playing catch with from 5 ft away!  AHH!  She was about 25 lbs soaking wet, and I could just see him throwing it as hard as he could at her face!  Thankfully he didn't!  When they hit off the "T" he did a great job!  The one time he hit it about 20 feet behind the farthest fielder.  Trent said he looked back at Trent and was smiling ear to ear!  After the hour class he wanted to play more, so Trent and him hung out and played catch for another 20 minutes or so!  He really seems to love baseball!

Rylee & Eli are doing so good!  It's fun to watch them grow, and enjoy themselves.  I will have to take some pictures tonight at the game!

This and That...

School is winding down, and we are getting ready for summer for at our house.  The kids have been enjoying playing in the sand box and our little mini-pool in the backyard.  Last night we had big plans to go practice some baseball over behind the high school, but the heat changed our minds.  It was too hot to be outside with no shade.  So we decided to stay in.  Rylee's last day of school is tomorrow.  I think she is really looking forward to summer break.  Nick (my nephew) is watching her and Mikki & Cash for the summer!  They have big plans.  Between day trips, summer school, camps, and going to the pool; I don't think they are going to have a day to relax!  Or at least Nick isn't...ha ha!  I was very proud of how hard Rylee worked to get to the right reading level at the end of the year!  Now we just have to make sure that she stays at that level over the summer, so she can start 2nd grade ready to rock!  I can't believe she is going to be in 2nd grade...That is so wierd to say! 

Eli makes the deadline to go to kindergarten by 2 days, but we have decided to not send him this year.  There were lots of factors that went into that decision, but I think it's the right thing to do!  This way Kale and him will only be two years apart in school, and he will hopefully mature over the next year.  I think he will be more sucessful in the long run. 

Kale has been doing great at potty training.  He is really starting to get it.  We are still working on the "number 2", but he is using the potty all the time, and doesn't want to wear diapers anymore.  I am hoping before too long we will be able to go from Pull-ups to underwear!  I was thinking last night as I was putting the dishes away.  He is drinking out of a regular cup all the time, and going potty like a big boy.  He is also growing up so fast!

The great Outdoors!

We spent most of the weekend outside.  Saturday, we did pond clean up!  The weather cooperated for the most part.  We would have got more done if we hadn't experienced the long periods of rainfall, but all in all we got a lot done.  The new swingset is up, we did lots of raking, and cleaning in the cabin.  This year we didn't find a dead racoon like last year, but there were some dead mice...luckily they were all dead.  Then we headed back to Mom's house, and Trent, Nick, and Mom went out Mushroom hunting.  They came back a couple hours later, and were tired, but had lots of mushrooms! 

Sunday, we headed outside, and did some yard work around home.  Mowed the lawn, planted flowers, pulled weeds, and got rid of thistles.  The kids played in the yard, went for a bike ride, and played in the sand box.  It was so nice to just be outside, and not have to be bundled up! 

Tonight Rylee has her last soccer game of the year, and then it's on to T-ball! 

Boys @ Grandma's House!

It's been kind of a quite week.  The Boys were at Kara's House on Monday and then Mom & Dad picked them up and they are staying at their house the rest of the week. Our normal daycare provider is on vacation on this week.  It's been quite at home.  Trent even declared on Monday night that he is glad we didn't stop at just Rylee, cause it was way to quite in the house.  I guess you get used the trucks & cars going across the floor in kitchen with engine noices and crash sounds coming from each of their mouths.  You get used to balls flying around the living room, and little boys fighting over a toy.  You get used to the big smile and hug you get when you walk in the door after a long day at work, and you even get used to arguing about bedtime, and going potty on the toilet! 

Mom has been sending me pictures here and there of their adventures at Grandma & Grandpa's house.  The have a blast there.  Between the Donkey's, Gator ride's, the kittens, and all the fun things they get to do.  I don't even think they miss Mom & Dad at all...

Boys playing w/ Lite Brites!

In the middle of my entry Mom calls me and says that Eli got his fingers pinched in the Garage door & took some skin off a couple fingers.  She said he wanted Mommy!  I guess they do miss me, but only when they are injured!  ha ha!

Elijah's Sick Days...

I know this might sound a bit strange, but I think that Eli liked being sick for the last two days.  He got to spend all of Thursday with Mom.  We snuggled on the coach, went to the store and bought him "special" food/drink for just him.  Watched his favorite TV Shows, and took a nap together. 

Today he got to hang out with Dad for most of the day (Until 1 pm anyway).  I dropped him off at Trent's work after their Friday morning meeting, and then him and dad rode around.  Had lunch at Culvers, and spent some quality father/son time together.  One of the guys at a grocery store in Reedsburg gave him a dollar bill! 

Trent texted me this picture from the office this morning.  He even got to ride in the Dr. Pepper Car! 

I know that Strep throat sucks, but I think Elijah too full advantage of it!

Happy Mother's Day! 2011

We had a very nice Mother's day Weekend. On Saturday, we headed up to Mom & Dad's.  We took Grandma Sharron her Mother's Day Present, and we also went to see the new baby Donkey.  He is very cute.  He even put on a little show for us.  It was his first time outside, and he was jumping and running around!  It was very cute.  He has a little white patch on his head, so you can tell him apart from Jimmy the other black/brown baby Donkey that was born this spring.  The kids had fun going for a gator ride, and playing with the kittens.  Then we headed home, and Liam & Luci came over and spent hte evening with us.  Leo & Stephanie had a party to go to, so the kids played, we went for a walk and to the park.  It was a nice evening!

Trent had a Bachelor Party on Saturday night, so he was gone, and stayed over in Madison, so Rylee slept in bed with me.  The boys were the first two up on Saunday Morning.  After some coordination from Rylee they came in and gave me cards and stuff they had made. Rylee made a really nice card at School, and had a violet for me.  The boys had painted pots with Basil plants in them at daycare.  It was very cute!  We kind of just bummed around in the morning.  Then ate lunch and headed outside.  It was so nice out!  I mowed the lawn, and the kids helped me pick up the clippings! 

We headed to Tim & Emily's house to have dinner and give Trent's Mom her present.  We had gone to get a family picture taken with all the kids and grandkids.  She really seemed to like it.  We also had them take a picture of just the grandkids.  So, we framed some of the photos for her.  It was also fun to see Theo again.  He is growing already!  Uncle Trent loves to spoil him...It's so cute!  It was pretty late when we got home, so headed to bed! 

It was a great weekend.

8 Years Already?

Where does time go?  It's crazy to think that 8 Years ago yesterday Trent and I were married.  It really does seem like yesterday!  But then when you start to really think about, and everything that has happened in that time.  It seems so long ago.  It's been an amzing ride!

We have moved 3 times, built a house. I have been at 3 different companies.  We have been pregnant 4 times, and have 3 wonderful children.  We have had lots of great times, and had some lows as well.  Together we made it, and I can't imagine doing it with anyone else by my side!  I can't imagine my life without him in it.  I can't imagine what the next years will bring, but I know they will be great with him by my side! 

I love you, honey....Happy Anniversary!

March of Dimes Walk, and other things...

Rylee Ann (April 2011)

Elijah Trent (April 2011)

Kale Carl (April 2011)

We had very busy, but wonderful weekend.  Saturday morning we got up early and headed to Baraboo.  We meet Jodi & Lexi and Josh & Nikki.  The 8 of us participated in the March of Dimes walk.  It was a very nice event.  The kids had a good time, but were tired by the end of the walk.  It was 2 1/2 miles.  The weather held out, but made for an interesting day.  We started with winter coats and hats and ended with no coats!  So there were many stops along the walk to change coats and hats, get in and out of the wagon, get a snack, or kiss scrapped up hands from falling.  After the walk the kids played in the bouncy house and on the palyground at the park.  It was a nice morning and a great cause.  Team Forget-me-nots spent the walk remembering the babies that we lost, and honoring their memory!

Saturday afternoon we head to Madison for a Mother's day project, and then went out to dinner.  It was a nice afternoon.  We also got to see Baby Theo again!  He is a cutie.  Uncle Trent was a bit of a baby hog, and held him for along time!  It was cute! 

Sunday, we slept in a bit and then got up and had breakfast.  We stopped by Sally and Mike's and then headed to watch Trent's first Baseball game of the year (regular season anyway).  They played Sun Prairie, and ended up winning 6 to 1.  It was a nice day for baseball (except for the wind!).  We headed back home and spent the rest of the afternoon watching the movie Tangled and eating popcorn.  It was a nice weekend!

Easter & Others

We had a great Easter weekend.  Friday night we had some friends over, and grilled out.  It was a blast!  Michelle and Dave brought plastic eggs, and because the weather was yucky out we hide them around the house.  The kids had a blast hunting and playing.  They were all very tired by the end of the night.   Then Saturday, Trent had a exhibition baseball game, and we headed up to my sister's house to dye eggs.  It was fun.  The kids had a great time, and so did the adults!  We colored about 3 dozen eggs.  We headed over to Mom and Dad's and saw the kittens and new baby Donkey (which it turns out is a boy not a girl like we first thought).  That evening we headed home. 

Sunday we got up, and the Easter Bunny had visited.  Rylee and Eli got insect things.  Rylee got a lady bug house, and Eli got a ant hill.  So we went online and ordered the bugs!  That should be fun.  The kids ate some candy, and we headed out to My Aunt & Uncle's house.  We ate great food, and had a big Easter Egg hunt.  Then after the hunt was over the kids broke open a Pinta.  It was a great time as always. 
After all that excitement we headed back to Mom and Dad's house and the kid's had to find their Easter baskets their.  Mom always does a good job of hiding them!  Cheryl had brought over the Wii, so the kids played that for a bit.  "Just Dance" provided a lot of entertainment for us!  The sad thing is that Eli and Rylee were better then the rest of us!  After dinner we headed home.  It was a long weekend, but a nice one! 

I have pictures to put on here, but have to download them...I will do that soon!

Anything but that!

Last night I told the kids that we needed to get the toy room clean!  It was a disaster!  When I say it was a disaster I mean I think every toy the kids own was on the floor.  Most of the time when it gets messy there is at least a path from the kitchen to the stairs, but not this time.  It was horrible!  After working on it for about 30 minutes on Wednesday night.  I told the kids that they had to help me on Thursday night or I was going to get out a garbage bag and toss everything on the floor!  I don't think they believed me, but last night we started cleaning.  I try to have the toys organized as much as you can.  All the My Little Ponies go in one bin, all the Zhu Zhu Pets in another, etc.  So as we are cleaning...It is becoming very obvious that the kids (especially Rylee) don't want to help.  They are coming up with every excuse in the book!  Rylee has to go to the bathroom, Eli wanted to take a block up stairs to put it away, pretty soon Eli had to go to the bathroom, then Kale was thurssy (thirsty for those of you that don't speak Kale).  It was one thing after another...As you can imagine, I was getting fed up!  After some yelling they started being more productive, but soon again excuses started happening again...Eli had to go potty, Rylee was dying of thirst, and then it happened...

After instructing them that I had had it, I was getting out a garbage bag and things were getting tossed if they didn't start cleaning.  I went into the kitchen got a garbage bag out and started randomly picking up toys and tossing them.  First it was a truck of the boys, then a horse that was Rylee's, toy after toy I put them in the bag.  I actually had to stop because I couldn't help, but laugh.  Call me a mean Mom, think what you will, but picture this...All three kids sitting on the floor of the toy room, surrounded by piles of toys,  crying their eyes out.  I don't know who was louder, Kale or Rylee!  And there was little Eli in between his face bright red and tears just streaming down his face.  I probably should have felt bad, I probably should have not laughed, but I couldn't help it.  It was funny!  They can be so dramatic!  So I stopped tossing the toys, and said.  If you don't want to have them thrown away then you need to help me...

Rylee and Eli got the hint.  From that moment on they worked a lot harder to get the room clean.  Kale...He is only 2 1/2, so I give him some slack, but that Kale...He still was doing anything but helping.  I knew it was bad when he came over and told me that I could throw one of his toys away, cause he didn't want to clean.  Then two seconds later he says..."Mommy I gotta go potty!"  (This from the boy we have to bribe to sit on the potty).  You do, I reply...Well, Let's go then. No...he says...You clean, I go myself!  Yeah!  Nice try! 

I guess anything is better then cleaning the toy room...Even going potty like a big boy! The good news is...The room is clean (for now!)

April and...

Back in January I put a post on here talkign about what I hoped 2011 would bring...Here was my list & the updates to it:

A new job or a new career. (Something that makes me happy!) Check - Project Facilitator - Demco Inc. One month under my belt and loving it so far!

Kale being potty trained! (I have had 6 1/2 years of diapers, and I am ready for it to be over!) Still working on this one!

A Superbowl victory for the Packers! (Sorry Steeler's fans!) Check - Superbowl CHAMPS!

Rylee growing back in her two front teeth. (The girl couldn't eat an apple if her life depended on it.) We have one that is over half in and no sign of the second one yet!

I would love to lose about 20 lbs, but who wouldn't! Down about 5 lbs!  Working on the next 15!

Eli to not pee at night.  I am afraid he is going to have to wear pull-ups to college! (He is a sound sleeper, but come on!) No progress here...He is still peeing up a storm!

I can't wait to meet my new nephew in April...I hope makes things nice on his Mom and enters the world quickly and healthily! Check - Theo was born this last weekend and is adorable!

I hope Trent has a great baseball season, and his team makes it to the final four.  (Two reasons: 1.) I know that he really wants to play in the championship game, and it would be a great accomplishment for him and his team, and 2.) Then he could retire!  Ha ha!) Baseball season is just starting! So far they won their first preseason game! 

I hope I get to spend lots of time with my family and freinds, cause you all mean the world to me! Still working on this one. 

UPDATE!

Okay...I am making a pledge to get back to blogging.  It's been a long time again.  I guess that finding a job and basketball sucked up a lot of my time!  But Basketball is over, and I am employed again, so no more excuses!  :)

We are very excited to announce that we have a new addtion to the Family.  Saturday April 16th, Tim & Emily welcomed Theodore John Schneider into the world.  He was born at 6:26 a.m. and was 9 lbs 1 oz and 19 inches long.  He is adorable, and we are so excited to have a new nephew and cousin!  We went up to the hospital on Sunday to see him.  It's amazing how little they are when they are born...You forget so fast.  Theo had some breathing issues after he was first born, but is doing good now. 

Also since my last entry, I have obviously started my new job.  I am really enjoying it.  Starting to feel like I am up to speed on all the training and actually contributing. I am working on the Eastside of Madison at Demco.  The drive is about 25 minutes, and is almost all interstate, so it's a nice easy drive.  It's also kind of nice being in Madison again. I can just run to the store to get stuff!

The kids are good.  Kale is getting to be such a big boy.  He is still struggling with potty training.  He is stubborn little guy!  The things that amaze me are the recent changes that are so small, but add up.  He really has conversations with you now.  He went from broken sentances to actually speaking in full sentances and asking questions.  He also started drinking out of a regular cup all the time.  I haven't thrown away the sippies yet, but they are reserved for car rides and travel.  It'sstrange to think that before we know it will will be able to get rid of them entirely!  Elijah is also doing great.  He is really into baseball this spring (which makes Trent over the top happy).  He not only wants you to pitch to him all the time, but he wants to pitch to you too!  He likes to bat both right handed and left!  He is starting to talk about school alot, and going to kindergarten.  We are going to wait to send him until fall of 2012.  He only makes the deadline by 2 days, and we want him to be ready!  The closer we get to the fall the more I wonder if he is ready, but an extra year won't hurt him at all.  Rylee just started spring soccer!  Her first game got snowed out last night.  She is really starting to be such a good little reader!  It's amazing to me how from night to night you can see her get more confident in her reading.  Shs is also practicing her subtraction now, and getting better at that everyday! 

Trent made the decision to play Home Talent Baseball this year for Lodi instead of returning to Mazomanie.  It was a very hard decision for him, but he is also excited to be managing the Lodi team this year as well as playing.  It's a nice change for us, cause his game will be closer to home.  It's also a great oppurtunity for us to meet more people in the community!  I know that he will miss Mazo and the great friends he made there! 

So that is the last couple months in a nutshell.

Pink Out Night!

I want to thank everyone that helped or came to our first ever Lodi High School Girl's Basketball PINK OUT night.  The evening was a huge sucess.  Not only did we get lots of people to come, but we also rasied way over our goal of $2000.00.  The girl's appeared on several tv news shows, and in several newspapers!  It was an amazing night.  The evening was capped off by a double victory for both teams.  The JV won by 20 or so, and the Varisty battled back from a 10 pt 4th quarter deficit to win the game on a 3 pointer with 10 seconds left!  It was an amazing night, and one that we will all remember for a long time!

Thanks!

Bumps and Bruises!

This week has been a interesting week.  One of the players on our basketball team got into a car accident this week.  Thank god she is okay, but it was a pretty serious accident.  It really makes you stop and think.  She spun on ice went into the ditch and hit a stump.  After she regained conciousness she called 911 and then her Dad.  The car was damaged enough that they had to use the jaws of life to get her out.  She ended up with a concusion, a broken collar bone, a very serious let hand injury that require immediate surgery, and lots of bruises.  She is out for the rest of the season.  When I got the news of the accident my heart jump a beat and I got that horrible feeling in my stomach.  Like I said, we are all very happy that she is okay.  She will have to under go lots of rehab on her hand, but her spirits are great.  Last night she sat on our bench and cheered her team on as they played thier first game with out her (a Sophomore starter on Varsity).  I really just makes you realise how precious life is, and also how great the human spirit is.  She might not be able to play the rest of this season, but she is still a part of our team, and will contribute anyway she can!  We are very happy that someone was watching out for her this week! 

What will 2011 bring?

So, I know that I have been slacking in the Blog department.  I am not really sure why.  I guess mostly cause I don't feel I have as much to talk about as I did when I was employed.  Seems strange, cause I never really blogged about work anyway, but in some regards I guess it made the time that I spent with my family seem different. Between that and being on the computer job hunting all the time, I don't always feel like sitting down and typing out my thoughts.  That and my thoughts are all over the place.  2010 was a very interesting year for us!  Personally it was a great year...A year that brought some really great things.  Professionally, it was a year like one I have never faced before.  So, What is 2011 going to bring for me?

I am hoping that it brings a couple things for sure...These are listed in no particular order:

• A new job or a new career. (Something that makes me happy!)
• Kale being potty trained! (I have had 6 1/2 years of diapers, and I am ready for it to be over!)
• A Superbowl victory for the Packers! (Sorry Steeler's fans!)
• Rylee growing back in her two front teeth. (The girl couldn't eat an apple if her life depended on it.)
• I would love to lose about 20 lbs, but who wouldn't!
• Eli to not pee at night.  I am afraid he is going to have to wear pull-ups to college! (He is a sound sleeper, but come on!)
• I can't wait to meet my new nephew in April...I hope makes things nice on his Mom and enters the world quickly and healthily!
• I hope Trent has a great baseball season, and his team makes it to the final four.  (Two reasons: 1.) I know that he really wants to play in the championship game, and it would be a great accomplishment for him and his team, and 2.) Then he could retire!  Ha ha!)
• I hope I get to spend lots of time with my family and freinds, cause you all mean the world to me!

Well...Here is my first entry for 2011!  Let's hope in  year when I am looking back on this post I smile and say it was a wonderful year!