I will wear my heart upon my sleeve

Our family has grown since last updating this blog 3 years ago. Since I am under no delusion that this is more a journal for myself and my family then anything else, I will keep my explanation short as to why i have been absent. simply put LIFE, happened. When last I left you we had just completed our first year in 4H and were getting ready for school.

Since then we have been involved in ATA Tae Kwon, DO, Special Olympics, Boy Scouts, 4H for 2 kids, Girl Scouts, various school (PTO) committees finding a new job for both Andy and I as well as adding a new little treasure to our lives. I think that covers it...maybe.

Life has not slowed down or gotten easier. In fact we are busier then ever, but I personally need this blog back and running. If nothing else for personal venting time. Whether I gain followers or not does not matter, I want to chronicle my little families journey through the world.

Monroe County Fair

New beginnings...

So this spring marks new beginnings for all us in various ways. The kids are all growing like weeds, I have taken on a leadership role in the Cat Tails 4H Club, Andy is being hauled kicking and screaming into the 4H as well, just as slave labor as he puts it. But we all know he loves it! He will be helping to build a float for the 4th fo July parade this year for the 4H kids to walk/ride in. Um I will be speding much more time at home now due to budget constraints at work. (Sigh) So as a new goal I am going to be the best little housewife I can be, which will be rather limited since we all know that I proudly and loudly wear a sweatshirt that proclaims me Domestically Disabled.
Part of this new domestication will include learning to cook healthy food and food that tastes better, I hope to be able to find local sources for this, as well as our own garden. We will can this year. Or at least try. Thanks to the Freelands we have 400 jars sitting in the garage waiting for us! And to catalog all this we have launched another blog called The Garden Wars with everything pertaining to gardening and how green we can be. Should be interesting. I also intend to update this more frequently as it now seems to be a way for me to keep a tab on the things I do. Even if I am the only one reading it, it makes me feel better. So here goes....

Birthday pics long overdue

Izzys big party with her friends. At one point we had over 30 kids here at the house! Thank goodness for good friends who help charperone and make sure no one dies!! Giant slip and slide, tramploine and a swingset and food. What else do you need?



Izzy's Birthday party at Domo with just family


boys pics to soon follow

New Venture

Ok our new adventure for the kids is 4H! And of course I can't do anything but be super excited because I'm a former 10 year member and have been dying to get the kids involved! Its awesome!!! Izzy is now a full fledged member of THe Monroe County 4-H Cat Tails club! The very same club I started in. And to boot she has to be in it for at minuinm the next 3 years, I am the new co-leader of said Cat Tails Club! I know its silly but I love it! I loved 4-H and was very sad and depressed when I aged out at 18, so this is great! Can't wait for the boys to do it too!

Chicago Trip... China Town and Shedd Aquarium

When we left the Field Museum we went to China town where we found the biggest Pikachu Piggy Bank ever!!! It now resides in our home! LOL. Anyway here are some pics.... we also had to cross over the set of CHEATERS, apperantly a new movie in the works with Vince Vaughn and someone else, I can't remember. Took a picture of the guy, have no idea who he is... typical me. Any Ideas?









This pic is us leaving China Town. After our dinner that actually had fried chicken feet (no I wasn't that brave!, Not yet enough of Andrew Zimmerman) We had fun as always!
The next day we went to the Shedd Aquarium. It was a "discount day" as opposed to a free day like at the Field. So we wound up paying but it was worth it. I had never been there before so it was an awesome experience to see some of the exhibits, especially watching Xander watch the sea otters, and watching my mother discover the snake is a giant anaconda! that was priceless! And of course how often do you see an act with Beluga Whales??>??? But Dimon's favorite part... chasing seagulls! Xander and Izzy both loved the porpoise show and beluga whale show. I loved the Amazon Rising exhibit! So the kind of exhibit I would love to be in charge of cause lets face it, I'm a nerd!!! Here are some more pics!
After our day at the Shedd we went to Navy Pier. 2 words... LET DOWN!!!! The only good part was the water taxi ride over to it! Look at the picture of the fog coming in over the water!!! It was raining on the way which made it kinda fun. And pretty.






Navy Pier did give us this wonderful sign!!! Which I need one of my more artistic friends to make a project!!!!

Updates since April...

April 5th I bought a new car!!!!! My closest to brand new I will probably ever have! Its a pretty little PT Cruiser. Her name is Millie Vanilli. The reason, after you finish laughing.. is because of her color. Its official name is are you ready, Cool Vanilla. So we call her Millie for short! I love her! She is a rebuild, but you would never know. In fact we just had a sensor replaced and the guy working on her had no idea she had ever been in a wreck. Her stats.... 2006, 33,000 miles! Her interior is gray and silver. I love her!!! This is the very first car that I have gotten to pick out and buy because I like her! So yes I"m excited.
Next item of business... Well April 10th was TWD Tournament in Terre Haute. Only Izzy competed because well we spent our money on Millie. Izzy did great!!!!!!! She got 2nd in weapons, and 2nd in sparring. Now if you ask either Andy, Lil, Dave or I she should have won sparring. But we saw what the judges did not. But it was fun and she had a blast. The boys went with us and did great (another reason we didn't compete and onlu Izzy did). Lillian, CheChi, and Dave, Ti-Chi also went. Here are some of those pics.

yes the boys are sitting in a locker. It was cute. Xan would not smile for the camera. He kept waiting until after it flashed.







Umm what else has happened?.....


Oh we built a garden!
Andy is close to accusing me of becoming a very big tree-hugging hippie! I am determined to have some food that does not have gas caolories or really bad for us junk sprayed on them! So we shall see if I am successful. Andy has been so good about it. We bought used railway ties for the border from Menards. So the garden is 8.5x24 feet. Not huge but enough for us for now. Though I am quickly filling up the space. Here are some pics from construction. Lets see what else? ('ll take more pics when the rain lets up of our veggies!)

Oh I went to New York from April 19th to the 29th. I went with Dad, Ryan and Uncle Bruce to clean the barracks at to West Point Cadet camps. You know what, they are slobs!!!! You would think that they would pick up their trash a little! Heck, you would think they would pick up their money! We found a little over $50 just laying around. Some of which was in bills, and $10 was in a roll of quarters!!! So they bought us lunch a few times. Here are a few pics of some of the barracks we cleaned and hauled stuff up to! And one of dad in his don't let the bleach hit me clothes! and we also discovered that dad looks good with this hat! But West Point Museum wanted $35 for it!!!! So we brought the picture home, not the hat!

Oh and while we were in New York Xander broke his arm!!!!!!!! 2 days from coming home and him and Daddy were wrestling and flew off the bed. At first Andy said he thought it was his neck he heard, so a broken arm was a great relief!! But of course in true Xander style we had to be sedated to set and cast the arm. Poor little guy! So I got a phone call at 8 pm with lots of noise in the background, i could barley hear Andy. And found out that they were in the hospital. Lillian of course had met them there to help out. I was on facebook when this happened and Israel popped up a chat to c what i was doing and told him I was trying to find a flight home because of what had happened. So So being the good guy he is and adopted Uncle he went to meet Andy and help give him a blessing. He also took these first few pics.
Then here is a pic from about 10 days ago of Xander with his decorated plaster cast that is slowly being eaten away. Literally by Xan. Sersiously they put a plaster cast on a boy who ate his drywall in his room!!!! WHAT THE HECK????? But last Saturday we were at the Ward Spring Cleaning and he was entertaining himself in the shelter house. Well I should have guessed! He found a puddle! But he was trying to keep his arm out of it because he had his arm clear up in the air. It was when he got up we had an issue. He barley touched his elbow to the ground and it just sucked it up like a sponge, then of course laying it against his sopping wet clothes didn't help. So later that day we went to get a new cast. Again in Xander style we had to be sedated! His new cast is a pretty red fiberglass one. That one is scheduled to come off on June 2nd. YAY!!!! He can play in water again.
So that updates us for now!


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