Monday, March 31, 2008

Spring Break- Part 3

So our two hours between visitors went quickly and the girls and I got in the car and headed to the airport. Neither of them made it there without falling asleep. We met grandma and aunt Amy at the baggage claim to pick them and the bags up. Then we went over and met grandpa, uncle Joel, Ben and Sam at the car rental place. We headed toward the house and grabbed some lunch. After we got home and semi-settled, we went up to school to get Chad and to play on the big baseball field. Sam was in seventh heaven having "that guy" (Phill) pitch him the ball and him run around the bases. Ben and Maddie just had fun playing in the dirt. We headed home and had a quiet evening. Thursday we all went down to the Zoo. It seemed as if everyone had a good time and by the lack of sound in the cars on the way home it was confirmed. That evening Joel, Amy and I went to Chad's game while grandma and grandpa stayed home and watched a movie with the kiddos. Friday the three older girls headed out for a little shopping while the boys headed to the playground to play, eat lunch and then put them down for naps. After naps we headed down to Lutheran South for yet another baseball game (do you see why our life is all baseball). The Saders pulled out a victory and once again Sam got to play a little on the big field. We got home in time for the massacre of Michigan State, I don't think Chad would have taken it so easy if they would have lost their baseball game. Saturday grandma, grandpa, Emma, Ben, and Maddie headed to the German Heritage Festival in Tomball(really to just ride the rides) while the rest of us headed to the Tigers/Astros game. It was not a good weekend for Michigan sports team in Houston. Sunday we went to church, then of course to Aviator's for lunch, the boys had their fantasy baseball draft and then we went to Harris County for dinner. Shelly and Phill met up with us also. Amy, Shelly, and I took a quick trip to Target across the street and then it was home. This morning dad and Joel took Chad to school and then to Harris County for breakfast (Joel's 3rd breakfast there this trip) and then they will be heading to the airport later this morning. We have a couple of days to get the house in order, to pack, and to just get ready to go to Wisconsin on Thursday.

Some of these pictures of from Spring Break- Part 2. (All our pictures started blending together)

Spring Break- Part 2

Well we got the house all cleaned and ready for the first set of visitors. Chad's parents, Ben, Lydia, and Kurt all arrived on Friday evening just in time for pizza and a movie. I think all of them were just thankful to be out of the car. Saturday morning came the Easter Egg Hunt at church. Maddie was ready to go, but it took Emma a little coaxing to have her start the egg hunt. That evening we relaxed by watching NCAA basketball, playing some games, egg dying and visiting. Sunday we did not go to sunrise service, but we were all ready for the 8am in plenty of time. We had some breakfast at church and then we headed home so I could start cooking. The girls had fun looking for their Easter Baskets(they weren't too hard to find). Then they all went to the playground so I could get our meal ready. We didn't have ham, even though I wanted it, but it seems that my husband despises it, so I thought it would be better not to have it. That evening I did get my ham, since Phill and Shelly brought me some leftover from grandma and grandpa Wilke's house. The Wilke boys decided to come over and play some video games with Ben and Kurt, Chad and Mike played too, but didn't do to well. Monday the boys all went golfing while the girls just stayed home and got some laundry done and relaxed. Tuesday Chad had to go back to school, so the rest of us headed to Old McDonald's Farm. We spent the morning petting animals, feeding the animals, taking pony rides, riding the train, and playing on the jungle gyms. I think I even saw Ben, Lydia, and Kurt having a good time. I'm pretty sure I saw some smiles out of them. Tuesday evening we went to Chad's game. It was a long one so grandma, grandpa and aunt Lydia took the girls home, while the boys and I waited for Chad. Wednesday morning I got Ben to the airport by 6:20am, then did some grocery shopping, then Lydia, Kurt and I went up to school for Chapel, which Grandpa J was doing. The Janetzke's left around 11am and the girls and I had a couple of hours before the next round of visitors came.

Some of the pictures are from Spring Break- Part 1.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Spring Break Thus Far (I guess it is almost over)

Spring Break might be ending for Chad, but it seems like it is just beginning since all our visitors start coming today, but here is what we have been up to this week:

*baseball practice
*got in one baseball game of a doubleheader before the rain came
*celebrated Christian's birthday with pizza, cake, the play in game, filling out NCAA brackets, and the Rockets
*cleaning the house
*going to the drive-in to see Horton Hears a Who, with the Keipers
*Chad and I even got the girls to fall asleep at the drive-in and we got to stay for the second show
*Church
*Eating our normal Sunday lunch at Aviator's on Thursday
*getting yard work done
*potty training (I should probably put this one on about 10 times)
*fighting with Verizon Wireless
*fighting off Emma's cold on top of allergies
*HAVING FUN

Looking back at the week we didn't go do anything exciting, but I know that the girls have really enjoyed having Chad home this week. I know I have because I have been able to get a lot done without them at my feet.

Monday, March 17, 2008

What have we been up to??

One word: Baseball. That's right baseball season is in full swing. District started this week and the girls and I even managed to go to both games. There should have been three, but Tuesday's had gotten canceled because of all the rain we had on Monday. If you would have looked outside on Tuesday you would have never thought that the game would be canceled, but there was standing water everywhere on the field. Thursday we headed down to Lutheran North. The Crusaders lost 2-1. There was one very bogus call at the plate. Tyler slid into home, hit is with his hand, the catcher lost the ball, Tyler stood up and touched it with his foot, the catcher got the ball back, tagged him and the ump called him out. I thought Chad was going to get thrown out, but he had every right to be upset. Friday came and this time they played Northland at home, I'm pretty sure that most of the boys were already thinking about Spring Break, they lost 6-1, it also didn't help that they had 6 errors.

So yes baseball is upon us and this week there is practice today, suppose to play two games tomorrow (there is an 80% chance of rain), a workout on Wednesday and then 4 days of no baseball.

So what else keeps us busy this time of year, well all the playing we have to do outside, potty training, yard work, getting ready for visitors, and just the normal everyday life here in our house.

We usually get outside everyday for a walk and to play at the playground. On Saturday we got out to the Zoo. It was a beautiful 85 degrees out. It was a little crowded, but I think more of the crowd was just at the park, since there is a new train that can take you through the park that the Zoo is in. Maddie told me that she wants to take Ben and Sam to the Zoo while they are here, I'm pretty sure that if I let her, she would go to the Zoo everyday.

Potty training has begun for real and Maddie is doing well. We have one week under our belt and so for so good. She is just wearing pull-ups right now, but she doesn't usually put up too much of a fit when she has to sit on the potty. She loves to put her sticker on her chart after she has gone and every couple of times she gets a couple of pennies, she loves coins right now. We will keep working at it. She actually used the bathroom at North the other night, so that was pretty impressive.

Yard work- we are almost done with what I want to be done with for now. We have cleared out all the bushes and extra stuff and now we are just putting in what we want. Our yard is easy to take care of which I think for now is what suits us.

This week our to-do list is about three pages long since it is spring break, but we also have house guests starting on Friday and until the 31st. Chad's parents, Lydia, and Kurt will be making the drive on Thursday and Friday. They will be here for Easter and then be heading up to Dallas next Wednesday. My parents, Amy, Joel, and the boys will be flying in that same day and be here until the 31st. We are looking forward to having everyone here and I'm thinking that they are looking forward to some warmer weather.

Both the girls are growing and talking more. Emma is just trying to keep up with Maddie. I'm pretty sure she is ganging on her. She tries to say and do everything that we are all doing. She is a pretty typical little sister. She still has some dramaness, but it is getting better. We don't have as many screams of death in the day. She is starting to just fight back when Maddie is annoying her.

Maddie is starting to use her imagination more and starting to take things more literal. She also loves to tell you everything. Like the other day she informed me that Target is red and Wal-Mart is blue. Yesterday we were leaving Sunday School and I told her we were going to cut through the pavilion and she asked me if she could use the blue scissors. She loves to play dress-up and rock her baby dolls, but she still can leave a ring of dirt in the bathtub.



Emma actually going down the slide the right way


Maddie just hanging out at the playground


Our little Texan cowgirls


Maddie decided that the floor was more comfortable than her bed


Maddie is ready to go shopping, don't worry I don't let her out of the house like that


Cool Emma in cool shades

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Rodeo Houston



Monday morning I got a call at about 8:30am from Rita asking me if I wanted to go to the Rodeo and Tim McGraw concert. She was given tickets and couldn't use them, so she offered them to Chad and he said yes. I was on a mission to find a babysitter and see if anyone else wanted to go. So I called Shelly left a message and then realized that they had the winter sports banquet, so that meant a lot of people were going to be out.

We were up at school showing Greg, Jamie and Naomi the school. They were in town for a baptism. So I started working on the babysitting part. We knew that Michael could stay over, but he had to work and so he couldn't get here until 8:30ish. We needed to find someone from about 6:30-8:30. We asked a couple people and everyone had something. I was starting to think that I wasn't going to get to go, but finally we found a senior girl who offered to babysit. At that point it was just Chad and I going. We headed home for naps and to get ready. We went back to school to pick up Chad at about 5:15 and he said that Kim and Andrew were going to join us and so the four of us went and had a great time.

We got there about 7:45, saw barrel races, bull riding, chuck wagon races, calf scramble, and of course Tim McGraw. The concert only lasted about an hour, but it was a good one. There were some older gentlemen sitting next to us and it was cute to see them dancing along to Tim McGraw. Then it was on to the adventure of getting home. We had taken a shuttle down and now had to wait in line to get back. It was like waiting in line at Great America, weaving and always seeing the same people. It was a long line, but it went pretty quick. We were almost to the end and over in a different shuttle line there was this girl who was so drunk she was making the biggest fool of herself. The four of us just stood there watching and laughing. I even had to take a picture of her. So we finally got home about 12:30, the girls sleeping in their beds, Michael sleeping on the couch and us just ready to crash.

Chad got Michael out the door and to school in time for him to get to their choir contest and the girls and I have just been hanging out today. I figured today is a good day to get laundry and other stuff done around the house.

This weekend is another baseball tournament. Thursday's game is at 1:45, Friday will all depend on if they win or lose. They could play twice on Friday, so we will have to play it all by ear.

The girls are waiting for their company to come. Everyday Maddie asks me when people are coming. She knows that she has both Janetzke's and Heffelfinger's coming, so she usually asks about someone from either family. Maddie is always coming up with some crazy ideas and there is Emma just following behind.