Dad, "Jim, buddy I could really use you in a goalie today. Think you could play it for me today?"
Jim, "Sorry Dad, I just gotta run and score a goal."
Dad sporting a confused look, "Okay."
And score he did. First goal of the game. Then he was tossed back in at goalie and blocked all their breakaways. He brought tears to our eyes! Jim rocks!
BTW I still despise my laptop and its poorly designed cord.
Why would you not believe when your 7 year old jokester of a son? He is dead serious that there is a squirrel in the car running around. (Anyone who has ever seen my Honda....would know that is a definite possibility)
Bugga was in the car, and Jimmy was trying to get us to come and take a look. Neither Rich nor I believed him, but I grabbed my camera just in case. -Nice mom, 2 year old in the car with a rabid squirrel and I stop to get my camera.- We walk out front and saw nothing in the car. Rich approaches from one side and flings open the door. I was expecting something to come flying out into his face....Then we look in the front seat. NOpe nothing except the leftover food spread everywhere. Maybe next time I will get a picture of it in the van. Or maybe I should just keep the van clean???
Yea, I can't believe it has been since May I posted. Life has been a little crazy since then. We had quite a bit of damage from the tornado, had to move, had one car totaled, met new friends, met new neighbors, cried over losing old neighbors, grieved over losing a close friend, started a new school year.....
So my promise it to maybe get back to my blog now that my life has calmed down a bit.
Neena made a competitive softball team. She is super excited and loves playing. She is not very happy that they train all year and there are no games until spring. Poor girl!! She is also playing volleyball. And before you say....what... 2 sports??? We signed her up for volleyball before she even tried out for the softball team. Her cousin is helping coach and I didnt think it would be too cool to pull her out.
Kenzie is doing great now. She is coaching Neena in volleyball. Everyone says this is the happiest she has been since her mom died. I stopped by Joann's grave the other day. Hard to believe she will be spending her 3rd winter in that cold ground. It was her birthday. Time just marches on, doesnt it? I look back at these past 2 and half years and see so much that came out of it. There was a lot of grief. And I will never forget the screams of my nieces when they were told thier mom didnt make it. Perhaps...beauty is starting to come from such a tragedy? I feel so much closer to my nieces than ever before. I am so very proud of the girls.
Jimmy is doing great. His reading is taking off. Once I thought, will this boy ever read???? Now he is doing great and blasting through Math U See. Dad coaches his soccer of course and he loves playing goalie. He is fearless out there, which is very unlike his personality...LOL Dont know what gets into him out there, but last week he came home with footprints on his back after the game.
Joey is still Joey, but starting to grow up. My little boys are growing at an alarming rate. Joey can do all the things his brother can and more. His is very gifted with computers and phones and games. It seems the kids get stuck with something on a computer and he knows how to fix it. I only have to show him something once and he gets it. He rocks. He is swimming and loves it. He will begin wrestling here soon. I bet he will do well. He took a hit to the head the other day. I will have to find my camera cord and upload a pic. (Whoever heard of a desktop not having a memory card slot???) My laptop is down again... I will have to blog one day about my intense disgust for power cords.
Jon is growing and will turn 2 in 2 weeks. WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN? He is loving and sweet, but ooooooooh boy he has a temper. He is incredibly cute and does this thing now....Bugga (his nickname) do you love goldfish?? Lips pursed together tightly... "mmmm hmmmm" with a little grin. Dont know where he picked that up, but it is incredibly cute. He chases Neena's little friends around, and yells out their names during volleyball games.. "Annnnnnnaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The little girls love him. LOL
Yesterday was Rich's birthday. How did we get old??? Last I remember we were in our early 20's. Hard to believe we are closing in on 11 years of marriage now. WOW!
So there you have it. Our life updated. You know, I think i will blog more often. Right now I am going to go find my camera cord and plot the demise of the laptop and power cord....
We dont have a lot of pictures of before the storm. We sat at the window watching the rain, then hail, then the hail get larger. Until it was huge. The pictures I took with my camera phone cant transfer for some reason into my picture hosting. So I wont be able to add those.
We didnt know there was a tornado. We dont have sirens. We just didnt even think about it.
This is the only picture I have from before.
This was taken right after the storm.
Neena holding one of many pieces of hail. Easily fills the inside of her hand.
Looks like it snowed.
Looking down the street.
Cloud in the distance.
You can see the farmhouse collapsed here.
Pieces missing from the house.
tree uprooted
more trees everywhere you looked
Another tornado warning goes out
I believe this may have been the cell that formed and struck Greeley.
Getting dark again. Time to go home again.
Going north to find my friend Christy who just had a baby a week ago. She was unreachable for hours.
Downed powerlines everywhere.
You can see Neena taking pictures in her fabulous pink and blue cast.
You can see the collapsed buildings far off.
Shocked people, some with windows missing.
Getting closer to my friends subdivision.
No words.........
Overturned trucks
Across the street from my friend subdivision.
Traffic trying to get in. They would only let those with ID in. Had to leave without being able to check on my friend. She did call later. They are missing all their windows and had the roof torn off their house and garage door is gone. But she was safely evacuated shortly after the tornado. All of her 5 kids and her are safe.
I will take some pictures later today of the damage to our house and the cars. Please pray that we have a good afternoon. They are predicting more storms today.
Recipe: a bike, a pair of roller skates, a dog leash and a few large rocks lovingly stirred in by a little brother
What is made:
Neena broke her wrist and is in quite a bit of pain. Thankfully, they were able to set her wrist without surgery, though they were pretty sure she was going to have surgery the same night.
She was a trooper and very brave. Shhhh don't tell her that she could ask for ANYTHING right now and probably get it.
Best friends Katelee and Emilee came by to see neena after school.
The bike rider
TJ felt very bad. His card and chocolate were a very sweet gesture.
Grandma Lily brought the boys home. She also brought Neena some flowers and a chocolate ice cream from Mcdonalds.
Neena was visited by 2 friends. they are co american girls in Neena's violin group. They were able to cheer her up a little.
Shortly after this, Neena crashed. She was exhausted but happy to have people visiting.
Copied from my post on a homeschool board I belong to.
Seriously....my boys are too much.
So today we left the house to hit garage sales early. I pull up in front of the first house. All the big kids pile out of the car. We look and I tell the kids to get back in the car. Then one of the kids starts telling me, "mom the van is locked" I was like....no it is not. I walk over and look inside and sure enough. Car is locked and running with Jon inside! Of course my cell phone is locked inside. I ask to borrow the phone of the house I was at.
I call 911. I told them that my 4 year old locked my 17 month old inside the car. She said, ok. 25 minutes later a police officer comes casually pulling in. He gets out and casually walks up and say..."Good thing you got all your kids out." I said...."Umm yea, except for the one in the car seat." <---police mans eyes as he peers into the back seat of the van.
He tells me, they did not dispatch there was a baby in the car. So he calls for some help. Another cop shows up. 2 cops both trying to slim jim into the van. They call for the chief to come help. Chief shows up trying to slim jim in the van too.
Then they send the cops from our town (we are only 2 miles apart) to my house to try and wake my husband up. Anyone married to anyone who works in law enforcement and works nights will agree, that they train themselves to sleep through everything. And he did. The officer banged on the window, rang the door bell, made the dogs bark and Rich did not wake. (sound much like a normal day at our house... )
So then the cop from my town came over to where we were. (Yes 4 cops and nearly 45 minutes have passed) He strolls up, pumps the door a little, sticks a wedge in, and sticks a long pole inside. Pops the lock and Jon was FREE!
Our neighbor and friend Avery is moving away. The kids enjoy him and he is a lot of fun! Praying his life will move in positive directions. We will miss him. (As will my dinner table. We have fed him 4-5 times a week for the past 2 years!!!)
A dear friend was diagnosed with breast cancer. She is one of the most amazing women. She is strong, she is courageous and and she is so very loving. Please pray for healing for her. We are faithful she will survive and live a long life!
Here is dad working on one kids bike. Jon felt like he could help figure out what the problem was too. Pretty cute shot!
Here is Jimmy winning his soccer game. The people rave about his goal keeping skills. He really plays fearlessly out there. Which is very very unlike his personality in life. He loves soccer! I love to watch him!
Then i planned a baby shower for a friend. She has 4 girls and this was their first boy! They are very excited to welcome little Isaac Keith into the world next month! We had a very simple set up, with baby bottle filled jelly beans, a scrapbook table for everyone to make Isaac and Christy and scrapbook page, and lots of yummy food. (don't ask how tired I was....) I had a good time and I hope it will be a blessing for them!
Seems like she just got her hair cut. Somewhere back in the pages she cut her hair and donated. Well Neena wanted to do that again. Instead spring has hit and she wanted to trim to hair.
This is Jimmy with his piano teacher. He has been great with Jimmy and Jimmy is learning so much. Coming soon will be his first recital! I am excited for Jimmy. He has worked hard to learn to play with two hands!
• Mar. 28, 2008 - 4 of the 101 things the kids can do!
Call us easily entertained....
The things you can do with a box!
You can wear them as pants!
You can use it a straight jacket!
You can wear it as a saddle and have your brother think it is hilarious! (Somehow, I don't think Jimmy quite understood what Neena meant when she said she could be a turtle with the box)
Or your siblings can stick it on your head and make you wear it as a hat!
BEWARE and CAUTION: This is our life. Weird stories, funny things that happen or the kids say, and just our plain day to day life. You have been warned.....
You can see the collapsed buildings far off.
Of course my cell phone is locked inside. I ask to borrow the phone of the house I was at. 
)
She is also due to have a baby in a few months!
