Summer is coming to an end.

Way too soon-summer never feels long enough, especially when the weather had been so strange this year. I keep waiting for summer to get here and stay. So as I have been irritated with the Wisconsin weather and wondering why I live here, my eyes were open in an unexpected way. This past weekend we hosted a college student from Japan. We picked her up at the airport on Friday night, after a very long trip. She stayed with us for the weekend and I helped her move into the dorms on Monday morning. Talk about courage, she is a 19-year-old girl leaving home for the first time and going to a new country all alone not knowing anybody. I thought it was hard to leave home and go to college 2 hours away. She fit in very well at our house, the boys really liked her and she enjoyed them as well. She is adorable and so sweet. There were so many things in 3 days that she experienced for the first time. She had never seen a lawn mower in person before, she wanted to try it so she got to mow a little of the yard, she had also never raked before so she helped the boys and I do that. Things I do not really enjoy doing she was having fun with. We took her to the drive-in movie and she was amazed. She could not figure out what I was talking about as I tried to explain it to her but she enjoyed it. When the movie was over, she stepped out of the van and looked up and was completely breath taken by all of the stars in the sky. She said she had never seen anything like that before. The sad part is, I never would have noticed that. She said many times how beautiful Wisconsin is, I will see if she still feels that way in January. She has only seen snow one time and asked me if it is true that the temperature gets below zero. She is in for a big surprise. She is looking forward to experiencing winter and winter activities. I have decided that my boys cannot go to college because it will be too hard on me. I almost cried leaving her at the dorms and I just met her. She is planning on being here for 4 years so we are so excited to spend time with her and continue to build on the relationships we have begun. One more thing that was funny, the food that she liked the best that I served her was a turkey sandwich, again something I take for granted and get quite bored with. All of this has changed my perspective on Wisconsin and it's weather, it is a beautiful place to live!! She is going to love the fall.

Attached is a picture of her and Carter.

Summer Vacation

We spent last week at a cabin in Minoquia with Ty's family. His mom and dad, his brother and wife and their 3 children. It was a nice week full of many activities. The weather could have been better but it could have been much worse, only one day of rain but not too hot. It was nice enough that the kids spend the better part of the first 3 days in the beautiful, clear lake. Well on the evening of day 3, they all started itching, they all got swimmers itch, some worse than others. Needless to say, they spent little time in the water after that which was OK because it was not very warm. Carter and his two older cousins spent quite a bit of time fishing and Griffin and his little cousin, Lydia (the only girl of the group) spent lots of time practicing their casting with rubber fish and bobbers. Let me tell you, they both have a great cast!! Now we are home and it is the first week of August, YIKES!!! We are trying to enjoy as many summer days as we can.

I am heading up north for a much needed girl's weekend. I love vacationing with my kids but I also love vacationing without them. I am hoping for lots of sun, laughs, memories (new and old) and relaxation, Oh and no whining!!

Hope you all enjoy your weekend as much as I plan to!

11 years ago

Today is the 11th anniversary of my father's death. The memories of that day are still so vivid in my mind. I came across this today-I have not seen this in several years but today there it was. It was written and read by one of my father's best friends (who has now joined him in heaven) at his funeral. It describes my father perfectly. To preface it, I should tell you all that my father was a barber at the same shop which he later owned for over 20 years.
"The Most Human Man"
"Have ya' got time for a cup?" was the sign, it was time to talk again.
And talk we did, about boys and toys and human events,
Because he was the most human man I've ever known.
We talked about difficulties, not complaining that we had them,
but how to get through them because there were still things to be done.
We talked about successes, not crowing because we had them,
but how they were brought about because more successes are always welcome.
And we talked about keeping humans human, not that we had all the answers,
but we were looking for some because being human makes people whole.
Oh, yes, we talked, maybe two hundred times and I learned more each time
about empathy, honesty, loyalty and service. About friendship and humanity in being.
"Have ya' got time for a cup?" It's time to talk. We've lots of memories to tell.
Memories to give us a better tomorrow, memories of the most human man I've ever known."

What a beautiful reminder of who my father was-a man of complete integrity! I am still learning from his wisdom.

These past few weeks are hard ones for our family, On July 23, was the 13th anniversary of my mother's death. If my father sounded like a saint, you should have known my mom!!
This was read at her funeral:
"I thank you for the love you each have shown, but now it's time I travel on alone.
So grieve a while for me, if grieve you must, then let your grief be comforted in trust.
It's only a while that we must part, so bless the memories within your heart.
I won't be far away, for life goes on. So if you need me, call and I will hear."

My mother was sick and knew she was going to die, she picked that to be read to us at her funeral. That was her; totally selfless always there for anybody and everybody and so full of life! So that is what we all have done, my three brothers, two sisters and I, we have continued to live and keep their memories alive!

I wrote all of this not because I am sad, I am a little, but because I have been so blessed!!
For those of you who question if heaven exists, stop questioning and just believe because I am excited to get there some day and I hope to see you all there so you can meet my parents or see them again if you were lucky enough to have known them!