I saw a man who danced with his wife in Chicago...

Well, this was supposed to be billed as a relaxing family getaway, but it turned into anything but that (nothing like the song which of course Judy Garland sang once!). Poor attitudes, the heat and sassyness all contributed to a stay in Chicago we were all to happy to return from. Too bad, but over with now. From the looks of our pictures we appear to be having a good time, but what do they say "don't judge a book by its cover"! Anyway, I believe I may have been the root of the problem, I may have. I learned sorries don't count in text messages so I thought I would give a Blog a try...Sorry guys!

We stayed at the W Hotel on Lake Shore Drive, this was the view from our room: the lake and Navy Pier.

We went to some shopping Mall on Michigan Ave. and they had a really cool Leggo store. We took way too many pictures, but it was so amazing I could not resist.

We also went to Navy Pier where we went to the IMAX and saw Fly Me To The Moon in 3D. It was very cute, I highly recommend it if you have small kids.

We were so close to the Lake the kids really really wanted to get their feet wet. This picture was taken 2 minutes after they got their feet wet. Then came the shorts, shirts and finally the hair. We were just about to leave town, so they had to drive the 2 hours back home wet and cold. Next time I told them maybe they will just get their feet wet like I tell them. Ha, I doubt it! They are kids and they did have lodes of fun.

Summer Camps

What a fun two weeks Kaitlyn is having! Last week she went to an Equestrian camp through the YMCA and had a blast. She wants to continue going and even someday be a counselor there (that is one goal I would love to support!).

She met many new friends and had fun with them while riding and also enjoying the activities of Camp life.

Of course the swimming, archery and wall climbing were fun, but the best was riding the horses. Here is Kaitlyn on Jimmy.

This week she is taking on a totally different type of Camp. She is in Orchestra camp for school. She decided to play the Chelo and is doing a great job!

She had her nails cut and Dad took her out to have them painted, don't they look nice?

I will admit, for what I was expecting a bunch of 6th graders who have never touched a string instrument in their lives to sound like, when I went to pick her up today they sounded pretty good. She is so excited now about learning, lets hope that continues.

A Piece of History

For a long time now I have been obsessed with family history, journaling and artifacts. I have spent many hours researching my ancestors. I enjoy reading about their lives, hearing stories from my Grandmas and being able to touch things that they touched. It all makes me feel like I am getting to know them and keeping them alive in some way. I can actually feel the anticipation in my heart for the time I will finally meet them in the Spirit World.
One line in particular is my Mothers maternal line, the Washburns. I have a journal form 1885 written by Ida which is my most valuable possession. I have stayed in the houses they lived in, I have shopped at the store which was once owned by a great great great Uncle. I have visited them at their resting places and talked with them and cleaned their headstones(with help from Kaitlyn and my Mom). I feel like I know them.
Then one day I got a phone call from my second cousin Carrie. She had acquired a box which has in it many letters and writings from our great great great grandfather William Washburn from Sebec Maine. She also has notebooks from our great great aunt Lucy which attempts to recount our family history. Aunt Lucy documented a lot of information which is amazing to me in the 21st century that she could have found all the information she did in 1906. I am boring everyone! Long story short, Carrie came over yesterday and I was able to see all the documents and I will admit I had to hold back my tears.

To see and hold those letters was amazing to me. I will admit my jealousy over our side of the family having none of that stuff, but she wants to share the information with everyone. I have spent 4 hours since our visit making copies of everything, and will spend the bulk of today doing the same. I am grateful this information still exists and that we are all able to use it to trace our ancestors and get to know them a bit. I hope they can feel our love, wherever they are. The letters written by William Washburn to his sons and correspondence back range in dates from the 1870's and 1880's. The letters are fun to read and play like a diary of life back then. I will enjoy learning more of them and feeling closer to them.

Finding these letters and old journals just makes me more passionate about us writing things down. Even everyday life is more romantic and interesting 138 years later!

Feeling Better

On July 31 Scott had his Tonsils and Adenoids taken out and his nose cauterised. He was very nervous about the procedure, but in the end did great. It has been a long week and a half, he has been a real trooper through it all and actually hardly complained (I guess it hurt to talk!). The required down time was much to his liking, he is always looking for a "day off" from our crazy schedule. He has taken full advantage of couch potato status! While Kaitlyn and I are not into video games, he has been playing with a friend Kiley the past few days. Kailey is both Kaitlyn and Scott's friend, so while Kaitlyn is at camp the two of them can have fun.

Well here is to no more Strep throat and bloody noses!!! I sure hope! I hate to see my kids in pain, so I am glad we are on the home stretch with this one, great job Scott and I love you.

The Guys Fishing Trip

Last weekend the boys embarked on their annual fishing getaway. They went up to Freemont Wisconsin and stayed in a small cabin on an inlet to the Wolf River. They had fun and caught 25 fish. Like the sportsman they are they released them all back not bringing any home :)

No fish were harmed in the making of this Blog Post!
What a fisherman! he loves to get out in the early morning. They were up and out by 6am.
Scott absolutely loved catching something larger than a pan fish that he usually caught up at the cabin.
They went out with the owner of the cabin and were able to catch some larger fish. Here is Scott's Northern, he was so excited!
There was a pool by the cabins, always time to pass off a requirement for his Weebelo's badge!

Carl taught Scott how to play chess. This was the one game he won. Later in the weekend he clobbered Papa Meyers which made him just as happy.

Here is Scott in the cabin. For those who never saw the cabins at Walts place this is a 100% nicer. It was another successful fishing trip. They can hardly wait until next year!

And a River Runs Through It

This past Saturday morning the guys went on the first fishing outing of the summer. Papa Meyers came down and he along with Carl and Scott went to Pike Lake for a morning of fishing. They did pretty good, got bit by a passing bug or two and bonded. A good time was had by all.


Scott has proved to be a very patient fisherman. I think he really enjoys the one on one time with Carl and or Papa and is looking forward to another trip soon.
This is a winning picture in my book. They were packing things up and Scott JUST HAD to cast out one more time. Carl having told him to pack it up twice now turned around to find Scott struggling with a fish on his line. He reeled it in and this is what he had, a 13" Yellow Bass. Carl had to laugh and of course, rewarding bad behavior, agreed to let him bring it home. Scott wants it stuffed so he can hang it on his wall. Of course he does...we will see. It was a nice day!

A Milestone...for Carl?

Today was a big day for Scott and Carl. While Carl likes having a green manicured lawn, at times it is a hassle to mow it several times a week. We have a lawn service that regularly fertilizes and we have been getting a lot of rain, the perfect equation for a fast growing lawn. In the back we have a good size hill which allows the water to flow downhill, so the bottom portion of the backyard needs to be mowed what feels like every other day. Last year Scott wanted to try to mow, but he was too short and would pull up on the front of the mower, next year we said.

Well, today he tried and did a great job. He did not have a problem pushing it at all. he has really grown in a year!

Carl was very patient and showed him how to mow in a straight line.

Also how to go around the landscaping curves. Scott watched on intently learning. He handled it very well.

We were most worried about the hill and he conquered that no problem. The two of them out there was a real milestone. Scott is ready to earn some money (once he gets better) and Carl is ready to pass the torch of lawn mowing.

Kids Night at the Zoo

Last night we went to the Zoo. It was kids night so they had cool displays and extra teaching areas where they could touch hides, skulls etc... We do not go to the Zoo regularly, so seeing the regular exhibits was just as fun.

One of the limited time Exhibits is the Shark and Sting Ray tanks. They have baby sharks and stingrays in 2 tanks that swam around. The tanks were only 2 feet deep so the kids are able to pet the animals (if they get close enough). We were there for a good hour, jockeying for position so we could touch one. It was great fun and everyone was able to touch them multiple times.

Here are the kids in Scott's favorite area, the Reptiles. He loves to see the snakes, lizards and frogs. I have to laugh, they are wet from the Sting Ray tanks yet.

It was a hot day, although not as hot as it was supposed to be. With overcast skies the upper 80's actually felt tolerable, we were saved by the breeze. They had these mist stations to cool off under. The kids loved them.
In the Family Farm area there are goats you can pet. Kaitlyn loves the interaction and says they are "sooo cute".

Kaitlyn's favorite area is the Big Cat exhibit. I learned that tigers are endangered. She would have stayed there the whole time and it is here that we took many many pictures.

Because it was such a hot day we ended with Popsicles for everyone. They were so good. Scott has really sensitive teeth, so it is actually funny that he has the ice in his mouth. He made many funny faces before he had to stop eating it half way down. It cooled him off enough.

It was a nice evening and a chance for us to get out and have some fun.
I am glad we went, it was a little taste of normal.

4th of July

This entry has been over a week in the making. It is bitter sweet and is very hard for me to write. My Dad passed away July 3 after a 13 month struggle following a severe stroke and a 3 week battle with Lymphoma. While we were expecting his passing it hit us hard none the less. My brother was in town from Wyoming which was a blessing, so my Dad was surrounded by those who loved him most; his wife and kids. We struggled with what to do on the 4th. Most of the arrangements had been made(thanks to Roberta Doug and Jeff), and what had not could not be done on the 4th anyway. We were faced with crying all day or trying to salvage part of it for the kids. My brother had the idea to go back to our hometown of Cedarburg and watch the fireworks from City Park like we used to as kids. After a back and forth we decided to go. We must have looked like a group of boring, no fun individuals. We did the best we could, laughed a couple of times and of course enjoyed the food! We decided that the 4th of July would take on a new and improved meaning for us: freedom for our country and freedom for Papa Willy. Dad was now free from his wheelchair, from his pain and his humiliation. He is now with his Dad and Grandparents and friends. He is walking again and probably having a drink and a cigarette if I know Dad. This is all worth celebrating, so we tried to do so. We imagined Dad watching the fireworks from Heaven and smiled. I felt guilty as did most I would guess, but we made it. I am hopeful that by going to Cedarburg and celebrating Papa Willy's new life in the Spirit World that upcoming 4th of July's will be tolerable. Here are a few pictures of the day.

All is well... We love you Dad and will see you soon!

...San Fransisco here I come...

Sunday Carl returned home from 4 days in San Fransisco where he attended a CE course with the DOCS Program. His seminar was Thursday and Friday, then he spent Saturday site seeing around town. A huge Thank You shout out to Uncle Joe who took Carl around town in his Mini. They had a wonderful day, and Carl said it was the most fun he has had in a long time! Sorry no pictures of Uncle Joe, must be a guy thing to take a photo of the car and not the man!

They went to the Golden Gate Bridge and walked across it and back again. Carl is not one for heights, but he said it was beautiful.

He took a boat whet to Alcatraz Prison and took a tour. The kids benefited from this stop, they got T-shirts.

Here is Carl on the Trolley. It is a great way to get around town. I wonder if he is thinking of me and humming "clang clang went the Trolley..." I know that is St. Louis, but is an opportunity to sing a Judy Garland song none the less, and such an opportunity should not be passed by.

Anyway, he had a good time and it made for a nice weekend get away for him. Education and fun all balled up together, what could be better! Carl, we are glad you had fun and we sure did miss you (especially this time).