We found the light.....

at the end of the tunnel!

This view of the trail going through our woods symbolizes that light at the end of the tunnel.  We have worked hard over the past 11.5 years trying to reach a personal goal we had set for ourselves.  As a family we have made sacrifices and the kids have gone without things that they would have loved to have had in order to reach this goal.  But, because they understood what we were striving for, it became their goal as well.  So the celebration at the end was theirs as well and it was so fun to watch them and listen to them help us reach the goal and to hear them when the goal was reached!  Woo-hoo!!!!!!!

Let's Play Ball!

Kayla found a great deal on tickets to the T-Rats game so we decided it would

be fun to take the kids to their first baseball game.

The "art" of landscaping!

This is the north side of the driveway that we have been removing rocks from over the past 3 years.
Many ads on craigslist has helped us get rid of a TON of rocks....quite literally!  Sadly, there were still
a TON left.  Thanks to an awesome bro-in-law, this is the BEFORE picture!!!!

With summer comes the fun of working on our landscaping.  And the landscaping has proved to be never ending, or so my family thinks!  And maybe they are right.  Ahhhh, but the fun that I am having!  It takes me longer than most to get what I want accomplished because of my frugal tendancies.  But I enjoy what I am doing....and the outcome is worth the time and patience.

The rooster AND mailbox came from my father-in-laws "goodies".  They have been posted
at the garden gate for the past few years.  This year, however, they had got a new color....RED!

Another treasure that I found in my father-in-laws "goodies", this bench was painted white by Trevor several years ago.  With rain, Jake's use and just time, it needed a new paint job.  So, why not RED?!

This ladder was another "goodie" from WI Rapids.  It has found several homes
in several different flower gardens on our property.  And now it has found
a new color!  I love the way it makes it "pop" in front of the white of the shed.
The bowling ball was a dull blue color and there was paint left....so, why not?! 





Chris maneuvered this handy little machine and removed well over 120 rocks.
And, please note, I use the term "rocks" very loosely.  Some of these were
quite large...and some were surprisingly small!  I am not sure where
they all came from, but I am very happy to say they are OUT of my way!

Mason is enthralled with any kind of machine.  It was another HOT day in Wisconsin, but
Mason was outside waiting for any machine that would give him a ride.  Here he is riding with
Uncle Terry on the old Honda 3 wheeler hauling the smaller rocks away.

Progress is being made!!

Grass has been planted and the watering is being done.  Wouldn't you know, we would tackle this project on one of the dryest years we have had recently?!  I am anxious to see the finished product....and new ideas are in mind for this area! 

We hiked a mountain......

in Wisconsin!?
On a spur of the moment, we decided to head over to Wausau and hike Rib Mountain.  This is the 10th highest point in Wisconsin but due to the flat land surrounding it, it appears to be the highest in the state.  It was a beautiful day to hike......and we took friends with us!

Terry, Erin, Kara, Emily and Trevor

Carlson kids and White kids

Heights have never bothered Erin-she was just loving the
observation tower.  While I just merely tolerated
it.....to take pictures, of course!

Trevor DID make it to the top of the tower...and immediately decided he
would feel MUCH better with his feet planted firmly on the ground!

And THIS is what crossed our path!  We followed it a bit until he quietly made is way into the tall
grass where he could easily hide out!  Jaime was quietly watching the kids trying to
follow the snake when Terry went up beyond her and touched her leg saying "There's another one!".  Poor Jaime........

Kevin and Jaime White and their family

Another school year.......

is over!  Honestly, it feels like they just started the year and already we are two weeks into summer vacation!  Despite my concerns over this past school year, the change in school for the girls went very well.  Erin blossomed this year and made many changes....for the good.  It was great to see her spread her wings, so to speak, and make many new friends.   Emily made many new friends, as well.  They both excelled academically making Terry and I very proud.  They worked hard and learned a lot this year and now ready to enter into....(EEK).....5th grade!!!

Erin (left) and Emily (right) with Mrs. H.  This is the teacher
they would have had out at PSE had it not been closed. They
had the opportunity to chose her due to the circumstances so
they opted to have her and be together again for 4th grade.
A TERRIFIC TEACHER!

Emily was awarded one of the top 10 students for Science.
Erin was awarded the Citizenship Award.
Both girls had perfect attendance for the ENTIRE YEAR!!

Moving onto......FIFTH GRADE!!

After one year of owning Jake......

we have learned that he is NOT a bird hunter!  After FINALLY washing the outside of our dining room picture window, a wood pecker came up and personal with the glass.  He hit loudly and landed on the bench below the window.  I ran outside to check on him and Jake left his little perch on the deck to check out the situation as well.  This is what we witnessed:

Jake whined and kept nudging Mr. Woodpecker.  I moved him onto a chair and put the chair beneath the Weeping Birch tree.  After nearly 30 minutes of Jakes whining Mr. Woodpecker did finally recover from his head-on collision and took off.

Jake is just NOT a bird hunter.....much to my relief!  He is just too kind-hearted, I guess!

Hometown Patriotism

Our middle school band marched in the Memorial Day parade playing The Star Spangled Banner.  It was a long parade route that took them from the middle of town down to the park where we watched the dedication of the gazebo that was built there recently as a memorial to the Veterans from our little town.  

One thing that I will never forget that my dad taught me is the importance of respecting the flag when, as a girl I didn't put my hand over my heart during the National Anthem.  Ever since then, I have been very aware of the need to respect the flag and our freedom. 
Seeing my own children respecting the flag and our country in every situation is very special.  Even today, Emily made some comment about this country being very special and that we need to remember every day those soldiers that have given up their lives and/or their time fighting for our freedom.  I love to seem them being aware of what we have here. 

WI Dells Boat Tour

Each year, the fourth grade class in our district ends their Wisconsin History with a trip to Wisconsin Dells.  Kids and adults alike generally think of water parks when they think of WI Dells so the kids weren't too sure about going to the Dells just to ride on a boat.  They were pleasantly surprised to find that they thoroughly enjoyed their time on both the upper and lower dells.  For one tour, they rode the Ducks and for the other it was a "double-decker" boat. 

Mrs. H's 4th grade class at Standing Rock

We spent a LOT of time looking for wildlife.  These sunning turtles
were the ONLY wildlife we saw.

The Dells ROCK-O-DILE!

One of the most famous rock formations in the Dells.  Top photo is Emily with her friend.
Bottom photo is Erin (middle) with her friends. 

Have I mentioned what a TERRIFIC job I had last year?!  I signed up to be a substitute teacher's aide at the "new" school that we were moved to.  After being a sub at our little country school and getting one day per month if I was lucky, I wasn't expecting to get SO many hours.  But what a pleasant surprise it was!  Because of the hours that I got to work, I was asked to go along on this trip as well as the school forest to help out the teachers!  That is what I call fringe benefits!  =-) 

The joys of friendships

A few weeks ago some close friends from out of state took a few days out of the vacation to spend in Wisconsin with us!  It had been three years since they were here so it was a real treat to have them here for two WHOLE days! 
The guys went off one day to enjoy a day at the EAA Museum, lunch at Hu Hot and some fun with go-kats.  We went off to city-wide garage sales for a few hours and then hit the outlet mall in the afternoon.  We found a few good deals and enjoyed our time!
The next day we had a nice relaxing day at the park/zoo after meeting and lunch.  Hopefully it won't be three years before they return?!  =-)

Emily, Destiny and Erin

Brendan and Erin playing in Lake Winnebago.  I love the way this picture
turned out after editing was complete!

Terry, Eric, Erin, Em, Destiny, Miranda, Trevor and Brendan watching
the fish jumping in the water.

Young Author's Certificate

Every year the 3rd-5th graders have the opportunity to write a book of any style they choose and illustrate that book.  It is typed, laminated and bound before being displayed in the school library the following year.  What a way to get the students to use their imagination and write about whatever they want!
This year, I had the opportunity to help with the interviewing/conferencing portion of the book writing with the students.  It was fun to read all the different styles of writing and the ideas they come up with!
Great job, Emily and Erin! 

He's a poet and didn't know it!

 

Last year in 7th grade Language Arts class, they were given the task of
writing a poem using several different types of poetry.  When telling me about
this assignment, Trevor said he was going to just use a poem he had "thrown together" earlier
in the year when he was bored.  I asked him if I could read it first before he
submitted something that was just "thrown together".  The poem that I read most
certainly did NOT resemble something that was just "thrown together" so when I later hear that our
public library had a poetry contest open to all 13-17 year olds, I asked Trevor to submit it.  He
didn't think it was that great but agreed to submit it.  Imagine his surprise when, about a month later,
he learned he had placed in the contest!  He read his poem before an audience before being given his prize for.......FIRST PLACE!
Keep writing, Trevor, because many of us would LOVE to be able to put words together the way you do!

They zipped on the way out.....

of 4th grade!  The tradition at the end of 4th grade is a visit to the school forest.  As the students do every year, they have fun on the "low ropes" course learning how to work together as a team to conquer the different abstacles and hike to the top of the hill for different environmental lessons.  The highlight of 4th grade, however, is to do the zip line!    This is, of course, very much anticipated by all.  Some with excitement, some with dread, some with fear.  If you know Emily and Erin, I am sure you know what kind of anticipation each one had the days leading up to this exciting trip!

#1: Mrs. S checks all of Emily's straps before sending her up the pole. 
#2:  Emily heads right up the pole without any obvious hesitation
#3: Mrs. H hooks Emily to the zip and works VERY patiently to convince her
she is safe to head down!



#1: Mrs. S checks over Erin's straps before she heads up the pole
#2: Unfortunately the picture doesn't show the ear-to-ear grin that Erin wore the entire
way up the pole!
#3:  The moment she had been waiting for!  To jump!! 

 The day before heading out to the school forest, Erin, Trevor and I worked hard to convince Emily that shouldn't let this opportunity pass her by.  Finally, I told her that if she didn't make it all the way UP the pole, that was OK.  Just as long as she set a goal to make it a certain way up the pole so she could at least say she had tried.  Imagine our surprise when she started up the pole and never even hesitated!  That is, until she reached the top when she would have given just about anything to be back down on the ground!  After several minutes of a very patient teacher talking to her, she did take the zip line down.....and loved it! 

Erin, on the other hand, just couldn't WAIT until it was her turn!  When it was her turn to head up the pole, she never even looked down for good picture!  If she had just an inkling of fear, no one around her could tell! 

I was very glad to be able to chaperone on this trip (thanks to a terrific group of teachers/support staff @ school).  I taught a few different groups out at the forest and was able to get away long enough to watch both of the girls go down the zip line.  And even go down the zip line myself for the 3rd time.  Like Emily, though, I still have a moment of fear at the top.  Eeek!

A Celebration of 60 Years

Alicia planned a 60th Birthday Celebration for Mom in the Red Society Theme.  It was fun to surprise Mom with so many of her friends being there and seeing so many have fun with the "theme" of the party! Mom even played the "elderly" part right down to the wheelchair!  =-)  Thanks for your organization, Alicia!  We had a great time!

My beautiful "little" girls....all decked out in red and purple!

Mom, Levi, Alicia and I

Our Family Picture

Audrey, Marilyn, Mom and Barb sit just a spell to have a chat!